Picnic

We had a week of blissful summer where the temperature topped 28˚C  (82˚F) for a week. If you live in the U.K, you'll know what a miraculous event that was. Tiphaine, a good friend and I scrambled around and organized an impromptu and simple picnic before she and her family returned to France for their summer holidays. 

It was a rather hectic day so I decided to make sandwiches using freshly baked baguettes from our local M&S (love them!) and filling them with aioli, home made breaded chicken and grilled courgettes. Melons and plums are in season now so they make great dessert without resorting to sugary treats.

Perhaps I'm a little superstitious but I still find it mildly amusing and unnerving that the cemetery grounds around the Cathedral is a local hang-out where people can often be found lying on top of tombstones sunbathing. It's a little like lying near a skeleton with a single slab of stone separating you from touching the bones. Ew....

The city council has placed two huge screens near the Cathedral for the duration of the Olympic games. It was a once in a lifetime experience to join thousands of others to watch the Opening Ceremony there. What an electrifying atmosphere, cheering the teams as they walked into the stadium. Danny Boyle did an incredible job with the performances. It was funny, touching and unforgettable.

Thankfully, it was still warm enough to warrant another picnic the next day. We headed out to the Cathedral grounds and placed ourselves right in front of the screen. As we sat on the rug nibbling on our dinner, the sun set over the hills and the dusky rays shone on the majestic Cathedral. Life couldn't get any better than this.

How was your weekend? Anyone glued to the Olympic games like I'd been? Don't forget to follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

Pass It Forward: 3 Bloggers

I can't wait to introduce 3 bloggers from countries that are closer to home for me. I often marveled at the amazing blogosphere as it has provided me with a platform to connect with many inspirational individuals from all around the world.

Eileen of Lavished

Eileen is 2nd from the left.

Eileen is a working mom of 2 based in Singapore. We've been communicating back and forth via email for a month before I realized that she has a blog. She's a deep thinker and a person of strong faith. Her kindness, compassion and humility resonate through the words that she writes. One of her most current posts, Skin Deep is a particular favorite of mine. She explored a minimalist approach to skincare and placing more importance on the person within.

Lin of Out of The Bag

Lin is a Singapore based journalist. I've only recently stumbled upon her blog, Out of The Bag and she had me enthralled for the next couple hours while I worked through various posts in the archive. Needless to say, I didn't get much work done. I left a comment once asking for traveling tips and the reply knocked my socks off. She must've spent a significant amount of time writing a detailed response which proved to be exceedingly helpful. I often save her blog for bedtime reading when I'm not disturbed by my little rugrat. She is that good! Lin's accounts of her extensive adventures transport me to a different world and I feel that I am actually walking alongside her.

Anna of Life's Shiny Pretty Things

Anna's a cheerful 23 year old from Perth, Australia. Her blog,  Life's Shiny Pretty Things is THE place to hang out if you need a source of inspiration or an affirmation to start the day. She is unendingly positive and optimistic. She has written helpful tips to deal with work, grief, health and the list just goes on. Anna's blog was recently featured in a special edition of Perth Now, a local newspaper there.  She and her boyfriend will be embarking on a  4 month grand adventure through Europe in a few days' time. I wish you all the very best!

New Isabel Marant & Iro Collection 2012

Here's a sneak peek of the Isabel Marant and Iro collections that will be arriving at Matches Fashion over the next few weeks. I've got my eye on the Iro Molly and Natasha as well as the Etoile Isabel Marant Monty. What about you?

Diane von Furstenberg Drew Satchel

 

Last week, I was invited by Matches Fashion to take a look at Diane von Furstenberg's handbag collection. Coincidentally, a good friend of mine, Laura or otherwise known as The Enabler has an addiction to DvF clothes. She has been urging me to head over to the one and only DvF store in London for quite sometime now.










The Drew Satchel is understated and quietly elegant. It is designed with simplicity and practicality in mind. Personally, I'm glad that designers are now making bags that are functional and versatile. In this case, the Drew Satchel can be hand carried as well as worn on the shoulder and messenger style when one needs to be hands free. The interior is lined in fabric making it relatively lightweight. This is an important factor as I've injured my shoulders on several occasions after lugging around a heavy bag for a couple of days.

Simone has kindly agreed to model the bags for me to give an idea of the bags in proportion to her height. Just so you know, she's approximately 5'8 in heels. The Drew Satchel measures 19.5" x 11" x 6" and is large enough to store a laptop and files. It transitions well from a work bag to a weekend carryall for an overnight trip. The leather is supple enough to be folded into a luggage without taking up too much space. My only criticism would be that they need to include feet on the base. The Drew Satchel is very well priced at £441 and available at Matches Fashion.

I will be posting a photos of the lookbook of the latest Isabel Marant and IRO collection tomorrow. I can't wait to show you some of the amazing pieces that will be coming in.

I'm on Instagram!

I've finally figured out how to use Instagram. Boy, it's so addictive that I'm tempted to keep clicking away. I've added another button on the side bar so please follow me on Instagram. See you there!

Guest Post: 3 Ways to wear J Crew Minnie Black Pants

I've managed to twist my shopping buddy's arm, Laura to guest post for me. We're about the same height, wear the same dress size and have similar wardrobe. Here's the thing, she's in the US and I'm in the UK. I thought it'd be neat to shed some light on our friendship. We "met" on an eBay discussion forum 11 years ago when we were newbies. eBay was a very scary world back then. It was well before the proliferation of blogs and social media platforms. We clicked because we had this thing for handbags. Well, borderline addiction, if I have to be completely honest.

So.....11 years on... we're still chatting about our kids, Hermes, DvF, Isabel Marant, family...etc on a weekly basis. Unless we're dying to get our hands on something which meant dozens of emails will be flying back and forth in one single day. I've asked Laura to recommend a pair of black pants as I seem to be stuck in a denim rut. Her style is always classy and stylish no matter where she goes.


Hi everyone, I'm Laura, Marlene's friend from across the pond! I'm also an avid reader of her blog and was honored when she asked me to be a guest blogger from time to time. Over the next few months, I'll be sharing some of my fashion favorites, styling tips and homemade recipes for natural beauty care. Thanks for reading!

Look 1: Date Night

Outfit: Diane von Furstenberg Pintura blouse, Cole Haan black patent peep toe pumps, JCrew Minnie, Tiffany Victoria diamond bracelet and Chanel caviar 2.55 bag.

The JCrew Minnie pants can be styled to work on most figures and are one of those ubiquitous "must-haves". It doesn't have to be the JCrew Minnie - any black, slim and cropped pants with a nice weight to it will do. I personally love the Minnie because they fit me, are affordable and they simple never fail.

Look 2: Parisian Street Perfect

Outfit: Etoile Isabel Marant Momo jacket,  JCrew grey tissue tee, Isabel Marant Dicker boots, Cartier Tank Francaise watch, JCrew Minnie and Hermes Clemence Bolide 31cm in Cafe.

I just slip into these in the morning and I'm instantly transported to the St Germain des Pres of my mind even when the highlight of my day is whatever takes place at the post office or the school run. Or maybe I'm Audrey Hepburn clad in a fitted 3/4 sleeve cashmere turtleneck, Repetto BB flats on my feet toting a battered Louis Vuitton Monogram Speedy. Yes, folks, these pants have powers. And they're pure chic!

Look 3: Weekend Farmers Market or Resort Time

Outfit: Zara floral blouse, JCrew Favorite Tank, Sam Edelman Gigi sandals (Global, here), Balenciaga Anthracite Giant Hip cross body bag, JCrew Minnie, Marc by Marc Jacobs aviator sunglasses, $5 Fedora I found in the window of a little tourist shop by the beach.

I also love that they're a chameleon. They always jump into my suitcase because they're just as easy to pair with a chambray pop-over and Converse as it is a sequinned tunic and Manolos. 

I hope you've enjoyed the styling session with Laura! 

Pass It Forward: 3 Bloggers

I'm so excited to introduce these 3 bloggers that I've been following for a while. All three inspire me in different ways. They have a sense of individuality that is unique and cannot be easily replicated. They're determined, talented and most importantly, truly lovely people.



Alice of Lingered Upon


 



Alice is a New Yorker and a professional photographer. She is my photography guru. Her photos blow me away every single time. Whenever I need a dose of inspiration, all I have to do is stop by her blog and gawk at the incredible images there.  I think she's used to my tweet now - Alice, where can I get a good camera strap? Alice, how do you make a collage? Alice, which camera body do you recommend? She's a lot younger than I am but only in age and certainly not in terms of knowledge. Alice loves her coffee and food. You wouldn't know that by looking at her. If I ate like her, I would look like a hippo.






Katherine of Feather Factor

Katherine is no stranger to most of you but she is someone I just HAVE to feature. Hands up those of you who look forward to her Wednesday interviews? Katherine chooses the most fascinating ladies to showcase. I often, if not always, walk away inspired, having learned something new. I've been following her blog since its inception more than a year ago. Thanks to her insightful and varied posts, she has clocked in more than a million views within a year. I have the attention span of an insect and often find it difficult to stick to one thing which is why I love that she covers a motley of topics ranging from finances, career, fashion to travel.







Terri of Hunger Hunger

Terri

Hong Yi

Terri resides in Sabah, North Borneo and is an incredible cook. Thanks to my mom who first introduced her to me, I've been reading her blog religiously for the past 2 years and have tried a gamut of recipes from her site. She was chosen from a list of hundreds of bloggers from around the world including an Aussie Masterchef contestant for the Royal Selangor Pewter's Pink Ribbon " Get your Jelly On" competition last year and won. Her creations were...... as a Kiwi would say....out of this world!

She calls herself the Opinionated Housewife and isn't afraid to speak her mind. Her daughter, Yi who is currently based in Shanghai, is also an overachiever.  She is a talented architect and an absolutely incredible artist. The video of her painting a portrait of Jay Chou with coffee stains on a cup went viral and was featured in every important newspaper worldwide.

Paris in 24 hours

I had this mad idea of going to Paris for 24 hours. Just to attend the Hermes sale. I know. I know. Pretty crazy. You'll have to forgive this Kiwi girl because I still find the idea of being able to get to Paris within 2.5 hours by train pretty incredible. I still get a little giddy whenever I look up all the flight routes on EasyJet. Wow! I can be in Nice in 1.5 hours!! Or Rome in 2! What about Prague! So cheap! You get the idea.

Irene, a good buddy of mine decided to join in the fun at the last minute so off we went, each carrying a canvas shoulder tote sans luggage. This was her very first trip to Paris and I was to be her tour guide. I'll have you know that I'm practically a Parisian having been to the Romantic City numerous times and thoroughly butchered the language to bits on every occasion. That's the beauty of being an Asian trying to speak French. You're forgiven before you even utter a word. I get "Pardon madame, do YOU speak English?" a lot. "Pourquoi?", I ask.  " Mais je parle français". And I get a very diplomatic answer "That's ok, madame. I speak English". Le sigh.

By the time we arrived at Gard du Nord, I was getting a little weak in the knees from hunger. At the risk of me turning into a snarling Hades, I dragged her off to get our carte orange from the ticket machine and off we went in search of my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown for a bowl of pho.





It was nearly 11pm by the time we arrived at our hotel to check in. I looked askance at the young man behind the counter and wondered the reason behind the strange grin on his face. He had this nudge nuuuudge wink wink thing going on. Waaaaaiiit a minute. It turned out we were upgraded to an executive suite with a large bed. The honeymoon suite. He was probably thinking that these two ladies were here for some hanky panky.With each other. When he came back later with an extra towel, he was still trying to peer past my shoulder to see evidence of our naughty tryst. tsk tsk.

The next morning..... actually, 3.5 hours later, we were up to get ready for the mad Hermes sale at Palais de Congres. I've arranged to meet a friend there who had flown in from Japan the night before. I was barely coherent from the lack of sleep but we stumbled upon one of the most enthusiastic ladies in the queue. She'd flown in from Hong Kong with her indulgent hubby in tow. She could barely contain her excitement while the rest of us looked bored, jaded and cynical. It was also the most organized Hermes sale I've been to and conversely, the one with the worst selection ever. In fact, Irene and I were the first to leave. A word of advice to those who'd like to attend future Hermes sales, please ensure that you check EVERY single item before leaving as many have flaws.

We raced over to see the Eiffel Tower and bought a few tacky souvenirs. Next stop: Isabel Marant store at rue de Saintonge. What better way to indoctrinate Irene into the very best of French fashion than to introduce her to Hermes and Isabel Marant. While I was trying on a Kady leather jacket, she was busy ogling two gorgeous ladies carrying large Hermes Kelly bags on their arms. I think I may have made a new Hermes convert here.


We decided to forage for some lunch in the area before heading back to the train station. It was downright depressing trying to eat while surreptitiously watching 6 feet tall gangly and very young models strutting past us in 5 inch heels. Yes, it was the Paris Couture Week and there were a lot of beautiful people around. Au revoir, Paris! We'll be back again.

Fish Karaage & Chips

It can be frustrating cooking for the hubs and Lil L. The husband prefers his food doused in chillies, absolutely no Indian curries and A LOT of meat. In that order. Meanwhile, Lil L must've been a rabbit in her other life. Plenty of veggies but they must be green. No other color will do. God forbid if a chilly should pass her lips. And plenty of fish. There are only 3 in our household. Imagine having 4 kids and a hubby who all have different tastebuds! In that case, I might go on strike and the rascals can fend for themselves.

When I was living in Christchurch (New Zealand), there was a little fish and chips shop right across the street. Initially, I was very pleased to be within a stone's throw from a fast food shop. I mean what 18 year old likes to cook when there are far more exciting things to do? The only problem was the wind would blow in a certain direction. Right towards my bedroom window. For the next 4 years. Yup. Joy. Let's just say, I did not touch fish OR chips for the next decade.

I had a few fillets of tilapia and pollock in the freezer. Lil L announced that she was positively dying for fish and chips. I for one, have no idea how to make the typical English style fish and chips BUT seeing that I'm Asian, I thought I would try the Japanese version - Karaage. Here's a simple version which takes less than half an hour to jiffy up. It's even faster if you can rope in a few slaves, I mean kids to help you coat the fish cutlets. Serve with fries (I prefer McCains frozen fries) and salad. Judging by the moans of ecstasy and the rate the two scarfed down their food, I guess it was a huge hit.

We had some leftovers so I made fish sandwiches the next day. I bought half baked baguette which I shoved into the oven, slathered the hot and crunchy bread with aioli, piled the fish in and plenty of lettuce. Voila, another easy and simple lunch for the family.


Ingredients (serves 4)

500g white fish (tilapia, haddock or cod)
2 tablespoons of light soy sauce
2 tablespoons of cooking sake or dry sherry or shaoxing wine
A few shakes of white pepper
A cup of cornflour
1 teaspoon (or more depending on your taste) of garlic granules (optional)
4-6 cups of sunflower oil

1. Cut the fish into small pieces (approximately 2 inches by 2 inches). Marinade the fish in light soy sauce, white pepper and wine for 5-10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, add the garlic granules into a bowl of cornflour and mix thoroughly.
3. Coat the pieces of fish in the cornflour mixture.
4. Deep fry for 5-8 minutes depending on how thick the cutlets are.

Pass It Forward: 3 Bloggers

What does a Scot, a French and an American have in common? Impeccable taste. Innate elegance. These three ladies are sophisticated from the top of their immaculate hairstyle right down to their classy heels.Their polished and ladylike style is something I'd love to emulate one day if I wasn't so clumsy and a tomboy.



Emma of Emma's Diary

Emma has only turned 18 recently and lives in South of France. Hard to believe isn't it? I don't mean that she looks older but her style is so refined for someone in her late teens. A far cry from what the kind of going out attire I normally see amongst the young adults here in the UK. Never garish but always understated and classy. By comparison, I was living in my tatty sweatsuit and sneakers up until I was in my early 20s. She's wise beyond her years and a sweetheart to chat to online.





Lindsay of Un Petit Bijou

Lindsay is a New Yorker but could easily be classified as a global citizen, having lived in several countries. Reading her posts is akin to relishing a book of beautiful poetry while snuggling in a Hermes blanket in front of the fireplace. She has opened my eyes to the world of couture and high end fashion. I've gained a new level of appreciation for them since. Her kindness radiates through her words whether it's replying to comments, tweets or emails.






Tabitha of Bourbon & Pearls

Tabitha is 48 and a decade older than I BUT looks far FAR younger. Yes, I'm rather envious if you haven't detected that from my very first sentence. We bonded and commiserated over our abysmal apple figure and our love for Fortum and Mason, not that you could tell from her gorgeous hot bod. Never one to take herself seriously. She's fun, down to earth and cracks the funniest jokes. I've been known to have tears running down my eyes and screeching with laughter when I read her posts. Yeah, the hubs thought I'd gone mad but it's just Tabitha, being her witty self.

Olympic 2012 Torch Relay

Ever since the Olympic Torch relay route was announced, a palpable sense of excitement rippled through the town. Lil L's school set about getting all the students to learn about the Olympics. She came home one day muttering words like Mandeville and Wenlock. Huh? Mandeville? Is that an estate? Car? What the heck is a Wen and a Lock? Are you speaking English? Exasperated, she did what most 6 year old would do - rolled her eyes and did that long drawn sigh. Like mom, like you're so like lame. It wasn't until I walked passed McDonald's one day and saw a poster of 2 of the ugliest monsters I've ever set my eyes on and realized that they were the Olympic mascots.





The town was packed and practically heaving with out of towners and locals all vying for the best position to see the torchbearers. These lucky guys next to us were sipping yummy alcoholic fruit punch while the rest of us surreptitiously eyed their drinks with longing instead of watching our kids.





Pretty soon, Union Jack flags began to appear from the windows and backpacks. There were smart entrepreneurs who wanted to cash in on the occasion and plied the streets with overpriced Union Jack flags.








The moment has arrived. Oh wait. It's the advertisers.........




First we had this strange Samsung bus with pop music blaring from every direction. There was a lady with the mic who rapped/sang/screamed while the rest of us, kids included looked utterly bewildered by the "show".





Followed by Lloyds TSB - for all your banking needs (note my sarcasm).




And eeeeeeek. The one eyed monster....err......I mean Wenlock. 





Let's not forget Coca Cola who hired runners to hand out free cokes.





And the moment we've been waiting for - the torch bearer. The Torch Relay lasts for 70 days involving 8000 torchbearers, all nominated from their various achievements and passes through more than 1000 cities, towns and villages in the UK.




I was a little teary eyed when I saw the look on her face as she ran past. She radiated utter joy, humility and pride, having been chosen from hundreds of thousands of individuals to participate in this once in a lifetime occasion.