what's in my bag today

Re-usable shopping bag & waterbottle // Book to read while on train or bus // Little twin stars schedule book // Yves Rocher hand cream // Chanel wallet // Little twin stars tissue & feminine needs pouch // iPhone // Box of rose-flavored sweets // Keys & coin purse // Lalé for monoprix cosmetic pouch - Light face powder & lipbalm & breath spray inside // Mirror

Petit Bateau X Tsumori Chisato

I love the whimsical world of Tsumori Chisato & Petit Bateau is one of my favorite french brands.. So i'm always happy when they team up for a collection.

I like how they always have the same dresses for women & little girls.

Abercrombie models

Yesterday, I finally fell under the spell of these model hunks while walking past the Abercrombie store on Champs Elysées... The brand is definitely doing something right. When we think Abercrombie, we think the hot models, the dim store lighting, that heady masculine scent....
I felt 16 years old again. They were drop-dead gorgeous omg.

J Crew summers = love

sadaharu aoki

Exams are round the corner in a couple of weeks.. so it's time to be (& look like) a serious student.



I love French pastries & cakes but was longing for 豆沙 or red bean paste yesterday... I remember I would often have a ban chien kueh (a kind of chinese pancake) with red bean paste in Singapore during teatime. Really miss it! Sadaharu Aoki's matcha-azuki cake is an amazing 'substitute' & his earl grey & sesame macarons are just as yummy. Perfect with a cup of matcha on cold rainy afternoons.

I've tried only 3 Japanese patisseries so far in Paris but they are all excellent in what they do. Aki Boulangerie is cheap & does delicious tonkatsu sandwiches while Toraya is the best for long chats with friends though it's a little expensive... they had this delicious chocolate-matcha drink I remember... Perhaps it's time to pay another visit there when I miss the taste of Asia... (⊙___⊙)

uniform

black blazer + white tee + grey jeans, some days i just can't do colors.

in the mail: vogue x kate x tim

Vogue + Kate Moss + Tim Walker + the Ritz = an amazing photoshoot.

This is one issue that will be going into my archives xx

this week...

This week has been unbelievably warm in Paris... Temperatures hovered around 20°C once the sun came up.

Bye-bye winter coats, my trusty military parka is perfect for warmer days... when i keep the belt on, it goes well with my dresses & skirts. Vive le parka :)

I never thought a night out with just a silk dress & light blazer was possible before spring officially came, but i guess global warming took care of that.

Living in Paris has fuelled my love for fresh flowers especially roses (also the only ones who don't die prematurely under my care!) Thanks to the cool & dry climate, my stalks of white roses last 8-9 days at home, looking just as fresh as the first morning at the florist.

Whereas i loved slathering on thick creams in winter, rising temperatures make me reach for cool watery gels instead.

But always essential to my routine regardless of season: Sunscreen & lipbalm!

Have a great weekend x

Beautiful creative ads never fail to amaze me. x

How have you been?

I was looking for something simple & elegant... thank you Aphrodite for taking care of me.. what a beautiful name for a beautiful woman who epitomises wonderful Parisian service.

Closing the shop for a little while... my lonely cat will stay lonely until i find some time to sew a companion for it.

Schoolwork is piling up & many things are going on at the moment. Problems, responsibilities, realities; we all have our fair share of these don't we.

"What lies behind us & what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

stars in your hair

Rodarte Fall 2012.

The Mulleavy sisters sent their models down the runway with these pretty star hair clips.

Imagine wearing this on a starry summer night... sigh xxx

Things that made me smile this week

Spending a rainy afternoon in a café serving one of the best coffees in Paris // finding the perfect shirt for spring & summer // making purses for my friends & seeing them smile

Have a beautiful weekend x

white on white

A huge leafy bouquet that i butchered down to sparseness. Just feels more me this way ♪

Celebrating the return of temperatures above zero xx

♡ Clémence Poésy

From this month's Glamour, one of my favorite french girls, Clémence Poésy. You might remember her as Fleur Delacour in one of the Harry potter films.









Totally gorgeous & made me wish so hard that spring was here & we could go out bare-legged again!





And simply because she can pull off anything without looking like she tried so hard.
Happy weekend xx

Yesterday the winter sun was shining so brightly that I could zip to the post office sans thick coat... a little pleasure amidst the dreary winter blues.



Today it was rain rain & more rain.... sniff. But my mum arrives tomorrow! And we'll be meeting my sis in Chamonix on monday :) Just hope the bad weather in the US doesn't affect her flights.



A picture of my mum on my kitchen board... she was at the beach with my father. Of course she's aged since then but still has the greatest legs xx

These past couple of days have been busyyyy... planning vacations can be such a pain (>_<;)
On my way to school to register for next semester.. plus my mum is coming in 3 days' time to visit me :) I can't wait! xx

the winter sales

The winter sales start officially in France in 2 days.. & it used to be quite important to my colleagues who would shop up a storm if they happened to be in Paris at that time.

I only go to a couple of boutiques during the sales & Comptoir des Cotonniers is one of them. Along with Maje & Sandro, this is one of my favorite Parisian brands. I like their earthy tones & comfortable basics. On Sunday, we passed by the boutique on our way to the supermarket... the sales had already started, so i got this lovely winter coat to start the year.



Been looking for a black coat for the longest time... this was exactly what i was looking for... a good fitting cut but at the same time roomy enough for layering underneath.♥

rainy day boots

I hate it when it rains in Paris.. which unfortunately is quite often.

So it helps when i have a lovely pair of equestrian rain boots whose color & leather belts make it chic for dry days too ♥

candy sweet vuitton

Such a beautiful spring 2012 campaign from Vuitton, shot by Steven Meisel. I love it!

Marc Jacobs is such a genius & an inspiration to us all.. Not in the fashion sense but the drastic way he changed his lifestyle & kicked his drug addiction to emerge such a hottie, PLUS changed the face of Vuitton. Below are also some of his spring 2012 looks from a really great Vogue article >> http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/marc-jacobs-a-man-for-all-seasons/

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We'll be leaving for Aix-en-Provence in the south of France tomorrow... our dear friends have kindly invited us to ring in the new year with them & I can't wait! Aix is one of the cities in Provence that I've yet to discover...

So I wish you a very happy end to 2011 & see you next year :) xx

Les marinieres de Petit Bateau...

Petit Bateau's spring looks for 2012.

Since I got my first mariniere striped top way back in 2009, I've always loved the simplicity of it & have now amassed a collection of marine-striped tops from everywhere. (including 2 more in the laundry basket :P)

But Petit Bateau is still my favorite go-to brand cos their cotton is the softest & thickest. Did you know they invented panties in 1913? :)

Can't wait till the new collection launches! xx