Destination Thursday // How to pack for winter?

It can be quite a challenge for those living in the tropics, to pack for winter. During our coldest days in Singapore, all we need is one cardigan (!) So for me, I learnt it the hard way.

My very first winter holiday was in New York where I layered like crazy and looked like a dumpling in every photograph. I also wore high heeled boots (bad idea!). When you have sub-zero temperatures, you will be more concerned with keeping warm. Additional leg aches and blisters ... not necessary.

Last year we went to Europe for 2 weeks. We were anticipating cool, comfortable weather as it was the beginning of Spring but we were welcomed with winter weather. So it was quite a disaster as you can expect. I was better prepared for the last trip I went with my husband to Europe in Dec 2013.

There were some learning points I gathered from all these trips and I am more than happy to share them with you.

+ Try to be comfortable and avoid heels especially in cobblestoned streets in Europe. Your feet will thank you.
+ Always cover your hands and head - the extremities. You'll feel better instantly. Match your beanie/headgear with your glove.
+ The base layer should always be a thermal wear or something in wool. Never cotton.
+ If you know its going to be a cold day or temperatures might dip, wear a thermal top, wool sweater and an outerwear. Pair your outfit with a pashmina shawl and keep another neutral colored one in your bag (Just in case you desperately need to stay warmer or someone needs it).
+ Drink lots and lots of water. You can easily be dehydrated and you would not even know until headache strikes.
+ When you travel, always always keep an umbrella in your bag. Winter weather is mostly rainy. You wouldn't want to be wet AND cold.

//image by yours truly

I have prepared 10 different outfit combinations for you with just 5 tops. Bring along neutral colored accessories/scarfs for easy mix-match. The accessories will instantly polish your look.

Destination Thursday

Let's travel, follow my feet to random experiences

//image via

Traveling is one of my favorite things to do in life. 

The excitement of planning, landing in a new country, figuring out how to get around and seeing breath-taking sceneries or amazing architectures just make you feel so alive doesn't it?  Travel allows me to look at life in a different perspective. During my last trip to Europe with the hubz, we went for Boxing Day mass in Florence, Italy. We didn't even think for a second the day before that we will be in Florence the next day. It was an unplanned trip. We decided to get the train tickets the night before from Milano Centrale railway station (We were based in Milan) and off we went. A random thought creeped up during the mass ... I just thought about how fortunate I am to have the means to experience so many faraway cities, food and culture with my loved one(s).

So! I am aiming to start a new series called //Destination Thursday which will document my favorite travel memories, packing tips, surviving long hauls and cool seasons (for those living in the tropics, like me!), dream destinations, related gift ideas and so on. I hope I will be able to keep this up so ... wish me luck!

Still beautiful: Florence in the rain

Eternity in a day

Rome is my favorite city in Italy. We covered the holy trinity - Rome, Florence and Venice during our trip very briefly and the one place I HAVE to go back to is Rome. There's just way too much to see and do, and we just scratched the surface during the 3 days we spent there.

This blogger pretty much sums it up - "Rome is an open-aired art museum, a feast of all senses. It is packed with all that I want out of life, footsteps away from the next breathtaking view or taste. It is life and death in some delicate balance, in a dance on the edge of something imperceptible. It is the footsteps of Artemisia Gentileschi, it is the footsteps of the Caesars. It is 6,000 year old Egyptian obelisks, it is 1000 year old Aurelian walls, it is the Grand Old Tour still walkable. It is the burial grounds of the English Romantic Poets. It is a dream. It is the eternal city. All roads still lead to it."

Here are my favorite memories of Rome:

1. Thanks to our tour director, Rosie, I had strangers singing me a birthday song on the evening of my birthday. I was jetlagged and did not even remember. What a pleasant surprise. .. my cake? A slice of tiramisu.


2. I had always wanted to take a trip to The Vatican. The Sistine Chapel did not disappoint. My jaw dropped as we entered the Chapel. It can be a little overwhelming as I saw a tourist tearing as he admired the famed ceiling frescoes. St Peter's Basilica was massive and I did not know where to start looking as we entered. A trip back is definitely in the cards.


st. peter's basilica

st peter's square

the colosseum

the arch of septimius severus

4. Trevi fountain is one of the most famous fountains in the world. It was so SO beautiful. It is said that if one throws one coin into the fountain with the right hand over the left shoulder, the person will return to Rome. If one throws two, you will end up marrying an Italian. My sister and I had quite a bit of a laugh over this as she threw two coins (!).

trevi fountain

5. The Pantheon was built originally as a temple to all Gods in Ancient Rome and has been used as a Catholic Church since the 7th century. Just the thought that the doors alone opened and closed almost every day for the last 2000 years is mindblowing.  

{all photos from yours truly}

Wanderlust Series :: Travelling from the tropics to freezing Europe (Points to note)

Recently I put together a few outfit posts for my trip to Europe. I under-estimated the weather because for the first time in FIFTY years (or so they say), the temperature dipped to freezer temperature in April - 0 degrees celcius or hovering ard a single digit in every country/city we went to. It was quite mad considering my parents were not used to the cold at all. But it was a nice trip and I wouldn't complain because it was snowing in Switzerland and it was just so beautiful. If we were to do it all over again, we would not go in between seasons since the weather gets increasingly unpredictable.

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"There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing." ~ Alfred Wainwright Photo Seymour Sheer. There’s a Girl Under There, 1967.
Some lessons learnt (if you are unsure ....) :

• Stick to trench coats. It is waterproof, stylish and versatile.
• Ditch heavy, fashionable coats.
• Bring gloves (I realised that once my hands were covered, I instantly felt warmer/cozier)
• Bring an umbrella (I took a chance and it backfired)
• Silk scarves are life-savers
• Forget heat-packs/thermal wears (I didn't think they were necessary. The heat-packs bulked up my pockets)
• Loved my new slightly wedged black leather boots.
• Bring thicker strapped slim cross body bags. My thin strapped bulky bag almost gave way.

Wanderlust Series :: From day to nIght

      Check out my previous post on gathering the basics.

Wanderlust Series :: Layering

Dealing with temperature changes throughout the day - Cool to cold

Check out my previous post on gathering the basics.

Wanderlust series :: Long flight outfit

All you need to do on a long flight to another continent is to be comfortable, VERY comfortable. Never wear dark porous materials on a flight as the flight blankets come with lint. I made this mistake a million times. This sweater I got from H&M is very thin so I'll be layering with the black camisole.

Try to wear comfy leggings or jeggings. If you are a germ-a-phobe like me, you wouldn't want your jeans to touch the floor of the (sometimes wet!) aircraft toilet - this happens if you wear long jeans/bootcut.

Day/Night :: Cool by anyta4 featuring jersey pants

      For more tips on long haul travel, check out one of my older posts here!

      Check out my previous post on gathering the basics.

Wanderlust series :: 5 tops + 5 bottoms + 2 dresses = 14 outfits

Finally I am quenching my thirst for travel. We have exactly one month to go before leaving for Europe. We are going to ... Rome - Florence - Venice (Italy) - Lucerne (Switzerland) - Paris (France) and London (England). Phew, what a mouthful! Coming from a place that's summer-y all year round, it was a little stressful when I was checking out weather forecast for Europe during Spring (Late Mar - Early Apr 13 to be exact). Temperatures are expected to hover around 10 - 15 degrees. I am thinking it might drop further in England.

This means that we will have to be prepared for warm (Italy), cool (the rest of the tour hopefully) AND cold (when night falls in Paris/London). So, here's what I came up with. 5 tops (exluding 1 cami) + 2 dresses + 5 bottoms (including 2 leggings) + 5 sweaters/outerwear (1 borrowed jacket) + accessories. As I'll be with my sister, Flora, we'll also swop accessories and jackets.

The next few posts will have these items put together to create outfits that go from cool to cold, day to night. Believe it or not, this stash can create at least 14 different outfit combination - 14 outfits for a 12 day trip? I'm happy!

I think my footwear of choice would be a pair of black flats and an all black converse.

This would not have been possible without polyvore. Life-saver!

In the spirit of valentine's day

Planning a vacation to NYC soon? Sailing on the Hudson River on a classic 1890's style Schooner during sunset sounds OH SO FABULOUS! This is on my bucket-list along with seeing the northern lights and being part of a flash mob (!)

images from A Cup of Jo

Joanna, from A Cup of Jo compiled a rad NYC romantic guide. I can't wait to check out some of these places during our trip to NYC later this year. Some of the suggestions include, kissing at the top of Empire State Building, visiting Guggenheim, AMAZING whispering gallery (!) at Grand Central, A park that runs along old elevated freight-train tracks (!) and so on.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Revisiting Switzerland

I stumbled upon pictures of the most beautiful country I've ever been to - Switzerland (If we are talking about landscapes). We went there on our honeymoon and I am so happy that I will be revisiting the country (Lugano and Lucerne in particular, yippee! ) in March 2013 with my parents and sister! I hope they'll love it, just as much as I do!

Lucerne

Appenzell

Lake Lugano

Breath-taking sea of clouds

St.Moritz *inhale*

All pictures via Encore!Life

Happy discovery :: Sabio by the sea

This blog is not abandoned or anything like that. In fact, with the New Year, I was thinking hard if I should discontinue blogging given that I am not disciplined enough to update it every now and then. I only have myself to blame for my lost readers. With the festive season that has just passed, I'd rather be wrapping presents, planning get-togethers, decorating and cleaning my house than sitting in my study in front of the imac. 

Anyway, without getting too distracted on stuff, I'd like to share a new restaurant in town. I'm a sucker for anything Spanish. I love Spanish food, Spanish dance, Spain in general. There is a new tapas restaurant in town that I am dying to check out. The restaurant's decor theme is what I would describe as rugged contemporary (!) with a Spanish twist ♥ ♥ ♥

{via}

Gorgeous, right?

Are we there yet? - 5 ways to survive a long-haul flight

The holidays are fast approaching but, taking a long-haul flight is never in anyone’s list of favourite things to do. So, until taking business class becomes an option, these are some survival tips to swear by.

//image via

Airline blankets are a necessity (as least for me) as it tends to get pretty chilly over time in the plane. However, I always end up frustrated with what I end up with - lint on my clothes.

1. So, if you have to use what the airline provides you with, try not to wear dark colours. Lint is more obvious on dark, porous materials.

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Long haul flights mean no transit for at least the next 8-12 hours. If that is the case, try not to be caught in the middle seat. A survey commissioned by 3M indicated that more than half of respondents would rather go to the dentist than tell a seat-mate, "Excuse me; I need to go to the bathroom." Hilarious, right? 

2. Most airlines probably allow check-ins 48 hours before the flight, so put in some effort to secure a decent seat. It will pay off in the end. If all else fails and you are stuck with the middle seat, check out this great article on “Surviving the Middle Seat.”

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I once made the mistake of wearing high-heeled leather boots during a 24 hour flight to New York. The boots had to be out during the flight to get comfortable but, they took up space limiting the legroom. I also had to struggle with the footrest and boots each time when I had to answer the call of nature. Another reason why high-heeled boots are a bad idea - Navigating endless airport terminals and the security lines can be a nightmare.

3. So wear slip-ons or flats that are properly cushioned and easy to take off.

//image via

Keeping bags in the overhead compartment can be a pain especially if you need to take items needed during mid-flight. A bag under the seat in front with only essentials + of course valuables (including passports) secured deep inside the bag, might do the trick.

4. Make full use of your personal space. Grab the in-flight magazines, duty free catalogues from the seat pocket in front and toss them in the overhead bin, instead of your bag. This way at least you can keep some essentials within easy reach. The following items should be easily accessible mid-flight. 



• A bottle of H20/Gatorade. The little cups of liquid they give are not enough! (Buy at duty-free shop after security checks);

• Neck / small pillow;

• Headphones (bring your own noise-cancelling ones);

• Face moisturizer;

• Hand-cream;

• Cozy socks (to keep blood circulating);

• Glasses / Eye-drops;

• Ear-plugs



These are the other essentials you might need at the end of the flight.

• Toothbrush + paste (These will probably be provided on long-haul flights);

• Dry shampoo to get rid of greasy hair (try to apply about 5-6 hours before landing);

• A pen to fill up immigration cards;

• Passports

So, bon voyage and party away at your next destination!



Break-away

So we decided on an impromptu getaway last weekend to Batam Island, one of the largest islands in the Riau archipelago. It is only 40 mins from Singapore by Ferry or Private Yacht if you like. 

We decided to take advantage of the soft launch and checked out luxury resort - Montigo. Of course, I noticed the interiors right away. Tastefully decorated - a cross between contemporary and organic, spacious with a fabulous sea-view.

All pictures by yours truly!