{bubble tea love}

Australian illustrator, Megan Hess , has just launched a gorgeous collection of limited edition lace inspired prints that can be purchased on her site. Super beautiful.  I am so tempted to get one for my walls at home.. LOVE.

We spent a wonderful 2 weeks back home in Australia over the Christmas/New Year period.  We had lots of family, beach and chill time.  I was also super excited to go shopping in Aussie supermarkets and big box stores like Kmart and Target haha.  Living away does mean you often miss the conveniences and way of life back home so some recent discoveries have given me a few little cute reminders of Oz....  Australian bird prints by  Studio Cockatoo  which I purchased from Lamington .   I also spied these wooden kids toys from Make me Iconic  recently - I think it would be a cute way to introduce some Aussie food to the little Miss! 

Yesterday I took advantage of my child free time off and spent a lazy day exploring Tiong Bahru - one of the oldest housing estates in Singapore.   The area is a mix of the old and new and is full of character.  It is has been undergoing a bit of a renewal over the past few years with cafes, bakeries and small and eclectic boutiques moving in.  A great area to explore and spend some time. I started my morning at Forty Hands and caught up on my news and social media over a piccolo latte and eggs benedict.  I then crossed the road to check out a new little urban grocer pop up ( Crateful) , walked through the various criss cross streets past Flock and One Olive down to Tiong Bahru Market where I eyed off lots of fresh flowers, housewares and the hawker stalls.  Next stop was over to Eng Hoon Street by Tiong Bahru Bakery , Orange Thimble and the gorgeous Bloesom.   I headed back to Yong Siak Street as Books Actually, Woods in the Books a...

I have a few weeks off before I start the new job so we decided to take advantage of the time and sneak in a week to Hong Kong.  The Mr could work from his office there and it left me, my mama and the little lady to enjoy the city. I lived in HK for two years between 2008-2010 and definitely have a love affair with the city.  I have been back and forth for work since then but this was the first time in a long time that I have spent some 'off' time there.   It was so different seeing it and experiencing it with a kid in tow and I didn't get to do a lot of what we used to do.  But we did have a great week (despite the toddler sleep regression  which is still ongoing..sigh) revisiting our old haunts, catch ups and playdates with friends and discovering some cool new places.   Here are a few of my tips from our week: The Peak  - We were spoiled with beautiful, clear (but hot!) summery weather all week so we took advantage and went for...

I love reading about inspiring women in the business world. Last night, I read a couple of great articles from one of my favourite publications, Fast Company , about Tory Burch  and how she has built her brand and her business.  Read the articles here .  In just under 10 years she has built a global lifestyle brand which will pass $1bn in revenue this year.   It is reported that the secret to her success is that her business is such a personal reflection of who she is.  I don't own anything from Tory Burch (yet) but I have visited a couple of her stores.  It really does feel like you are visiting somebody's beautiful home when you step into one of her stores.    Another secret is being authentic and accessible.   As the article notes,   "Bur ch “is all about the ‘and’,” says creative director Honor Brodie, who oversees the Tory Blog and  social media . “She’s a tomboy and she’s feminine. She’s an entrepreneur and a phil...

Feeling grown up is buying furniture for your house that is not IKEA. I love IKEA (and I think we will always have IKEA items in our house wherever we live) but there is something about investing a little bit more into your couch or table that makes me feel very grown up :) We are on the hunt for a new dining table.  We bought our current table almost 5 years ago from Lush  and it has served us well.   But it was floor display stock so it was cheap and the legs are now getting pretty wonky and unstable.  It also has a glass table top with sharp corners that unfortunately the little Miss has run into on the odd occasion... so we think it's time for a change before our dining table becomes a really dangerous hazard! One of my favourite furniture stores in Singapore is Grafunkt .   It's got a very cool cosy and contemporary vibe and they stock both their own original designs and other labels.  We liked these two tables so just deciding whether to get one...

Seraphine headwear I love reading and hearing about women doing daring and inspiring things in the business world and today is no different. One of my amazing friends has today launched her own business, Louvelle . Dahlia in Aqua Stripe Amelie in Botanical Simone is a busy mum and was bemoaning about ugly shower caps so she decided to do something about it. The result is gorgeous and chic showerwear inspired by the pages of fashion magazines.  Quick and easy to put on like any regular shower cap but just way prettier (I also think you can wear these out as a hair accessory on bad hair days!).  I can't wait to order mine and in fact was only just saying to the Mr on the weekend that I need a new cap and couldn't wait for Sim to launch so I could order one. Currently there are two designs, Amelie and Dahlia (that are offered in a range of prints).  Sim has also designed headbands  that will be great for exercise or your beauty routine. Currently only...

I know there are some haters out there but I like Blake Lively .  She just seems nice, cool and someone you could be friends with.  I don't know if it was scripted or rehearsed beforehand but I liked her even more after seeing the latest 73 Questions video from Vogue.  Watch it here . As a follow up from my recent  post , Blake has also recently launched her own lifestyle site,  Preserve .   Part blog and part online shop it will highlight and curate (everything seems 'curated' these days!) American artisans, stories and products.   I haven't had a chance to have a proper look yet so my verdict is still out.

Gwyneth started it with the launch of Goop in 2010 and I have noticed that increasingly celebrities are getting on the bandwagon and launching their own lifestyle websites.  I know there are a lot of critics out there but I personally enjoy browsing through them.  For pop culture fans like me, you can really get a feel for the person behind the celebrity and get lots of tips in the meantime or even if it is just for a stickybeak.   I give them credit for being entrepreneurial, finding an additional income stream and being in control of their own image and brand.  Aside from Goop, a couple of my other favourite celebrity sites are:  The Tig Recently launched by Meghan Markle (who plays Rachel Zane on one of my favourite shows, Suits ), The Tig is described as ' a hub for the discerning palate - those with a hunger for food, travel, fashion & beauty ".  Her posts seem very genuine and this page has become one of my frequent reads....

It is funny the things you miss from 'home' when living away. Since I have been living in HK and Singapore, one of the things I really miss is just having a big box mid/low range department store like Target , Big W or Kmart available.  One place where I can easily find stuff whatever it may be (instead of running around town trying to find and pick up various things).  Maybe it is because apartments in Singapore and HK don't have much space so you don't really need to buy a lot of 'stuff' so the big department stores don't think the business model would work here.  Who knows, I reckon it could still be a winner. In any case, I was chatting to my friend Andrea on the weekend about it and we got onto the subject of Target.  She visits the US a lot for work and we were chatting about how the Target in Australia and the Target in the US are quite different. One point of difference are all the cool collaborations the US Target has with various designers...

I own some plates and cups from Australian brand  Robert Gordon and they are some of my all time favourite pieces at home. I had saved up my pennies and purchased them from the retail shop I used to work at during uni which my sisters used to call the 'nanna' shop as it sold all things floral, pretty, lacey and lots and lots of doilies.  I had lots of fun working there and this was years ago when doilies were super uncool and before they were featured in every other wedding blog.  I think I have always been a bit of a nanna at heart :) The crockery has followed me on all my adventures - from uni, to starting my career and moving out of home and today here in Singapore.  Not expensive or fancy but they hold such fond memories and I always love having a cup of tea or coffee out of them.   I don't think I will ever be able to throw them out.  Seems a bit silly to be so sentimental… In any case, I was delighted to see one of my favourite de...

It has been a super long hiatus... I have been meaning to pick up blogging again but life has gotten in the way. I really need to make the time though as I do love having this little space in the big wide world.   So I thought for my return post I would write about a piece of furniture I have been coveting for a while now - the Peacock chair.  I do love a good chair and this one has me smitten. [image credits: here , here and here ] Recently in the furniture stores there seems to be lots of clean lines / scandinavian / japanese / 'modern classic' type furniture doing the rounds so it is nice to go back to something a little bit more bohemian, eclectic, freespirited and certainly dramatic.  I think it is just.so.pretty. I am tossing up between a white one or turquoise one for the little one's room (just need to make a decision on colour!).

Unfortunately Singapore has a bit of a lacklustre reputation for being boring, sterile, uncultured... especially in comparison to other Asian developed cities like Hong Kong + Tokyo.  Yes it is true that the vibe here is different to those other cities, but I think Singapore is definitely coming into its own and a lot has changed (even in the 3 years I have lived here). To get an idea of some of the creativity out there, check out  lilreddotfolks . A bit like the Selby , this neat little blog gives you insights into the worlds and homes of some of the inspiring and creative peeps who call this island home.

I want one of these to open up here in Singapore where there is a serious lack of cool homewares stores! This looks like my kind of shop. The West Elm Market focuses on selling goods from 4 key product areas - kitchen, garden, care & repair and personal care.   Products are available online here images via West Elm  

Margherita Missoni (the heiress to the house of Missoni) wed her longtime love the other week in the Italian countryside.    Her flowy romantic gown whilst not designed by Missoni (it was designed by Giambattista Valli ) was made using Missoni silk and organza and was based on a picture the bride cut out of a magazine 15 years ago.   Bridesmaids were in Missoni. However what I loved most was the gorgeous wedding party filled with beautiful low set tables.  What a wonderful way to celebrate - no formal wedding tables with alternate drop meals, chairs with ugly ribbons and chair covers but rather lots of share plates, cozy cushions, colourful table cloths and bright and warm crockery (all of which are Missoni I am assuming).  Just delightful!

You've probably all seen this poster before... check out this beautiful video all about how it was created and rediscovered...

Great take on the logos of some well known brands...  see more on the Hipster Branding tumblr. I think the KFC one is my fave!