Pass It Forward: Giving Back

I can't believe it's nearly the end of 2013. I felt that this year has flown past. I bet you've heard this uttered by many. Life is never dull, that's for sure. As someone wise once said, you don't know happiness unless you've experienced sadness. So true. I'm very much aware that while I may not be considered wealthy in monetary terms, I am rich in many ways. My faith, family and health. In that order. Only my family would put up with my transformation into a grizzly bear every morning before copious amount of caffeine. I also need to go into my she-cave every now and then or else, I'll revert back into the feral mammal. Not a pretty sight.

What once was a journal to keep in touch with my family and friends back home has turned into a micro community of bloggers and readers. Last year, I started a Secret Santa tradition as a way of giving back to the community in Hampshire. Since I'm fairly anonymous/unknown entity in this region, I feel comfortable sharing the information here. Part of the proceeds earned from this blog and my consignment business goes to fund the Secret Santa project in December (and Tear Fund for the rest of the year). So thank you to all of you who'd clicked on the links, purchased items via this blog, sent your bags in to be consigned (you know who you are), all I can say is THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I dedicate this post to all of you.




There are 11 kids along with their mothers who have escaped abusive relationships to live in a secret and secure location. Many only brought what they could carry. Thanks to all of you, these kids will have presents this Christmas (donations and funding only cover the basics). I can only imagine how awful it must be for the kids to hear their friends discussing about the piles of Christmas presents they're getting and knowing they will have none.

Lil L and I raced over to a toy shop clutching a list given by the Women's Refuge and with the help of a shop assistant, we bought everything we needed and then carted/dragged everything home. Please avert your eyes from the hastily wrapped presents (can't do anything arty farty to save my life). Lil L was the perfect Santa helper.  The next morning, my friend, Tara came around and together we drove over to the house. Thank goodness, she's marvelous with directions. These presents will be given to the children's mothers who, will at least have the dignity of being able to hand over gifts to their kids this year.

The rest of the funds will be given anonymously to an individual who has experienced immense hardship. All this would not have been possible without your help. Hopefully next year, we'll be able to reach out to more.

Pass It Forward: 3 Inspirational Stories

Photo credit: Tim Dodd

The world is filled with outraged individuals. Those who felt their pride has been stepped on unfairly, insults are thrown and relationships are irrevocably broken. Hey, who am I to point a finger when I'm just as guilty many many times in my life. And then I turn around and see those who are in a far worse situation than I am in but they stoically AND cheerfully bear their burden. Today, I want to share an inspiring story between Tayor Morris, a former IED specialist who had his limbs blown to smithereens in Afghanistan and his faithful and loving other half, Danielle Kelly. I'm not going to regurgitate the whole story but you can read about it here, here and here.

Traits like kindness, love, loyalty exist in animals too. Check out these 11 stories that will make you more than a little teary eyed.

I'm usually not into publicizing charitable deeds as I prefer to donate quietly without fanfare.  However, I've learned that sometimes, it IS important to draw attention to it in order to spread the word so that more help can be given. Having seen a shelter and talked to the ladies who run it, I now know how easy it is to be in that situation. It can happen to either you and I. More importantly, it's not just about the act of giving, it's about providing them an opportunity to fend for themselves. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Pass It Forward: Travel the world in 1 click

Information is so accessible nowadays. Google anything and you'll come up with pages and pages of links but filtering "the noise" to get to the relevant bits is a pain in the you-know-where. What if there's someone who can do it for you and give you just the juicy bits? Where to eat in London? Best kept secrets in Italy. The incredible patisseries in Paris. Here are 3 sites you need to know.


Stefan Karlstrom & Eva Tsang of Trotter Mag

Trotter mag just released its first ever issue a few days ago. It's the brainchild of two incredibly talented and popular Instagramers, Stefan Karlstrom (stefankarlstrom) and Eva Tsang (thetrottergirl) who has included 3 of their favorite topics in the magazine - travel, coffee and food in 3 locations - London, New York and Paris. The e-zine may be in its infancy but trust me, you won't be disappointed with the stunning photos and carefully curated recommendations.



Emma Scott and Julie Adams of An Affair with Italy

Whenever I can, I try to sneak in a few Antipodean imports on the Pass It Forward series. Emma Scott and Julie Adams are both Sydneysiders with a serious infatuation for Italy. Hence, the aptly named website - An Affair with Italy.  I've been to Italy on numerous occasions and I feel that I've barely scratched the surface. I've pored over their website recently and am utterly enthralled by the variety of topics they cover which includes interviews with interesting individuals, fashion, food and travel tips.


Erica Berman of HiP Paris

This is the mothership of all things Paris. Everything you'll ever need to know about the romantic city is all here. I'm a little biased too as Carin Olsson (Paris in Four Months) and Malou Lasquite (33 Avenue),  fantastic photographers and bloggers as well as friends of mine have both contributed to the popular website. Off the beaten track, best kept secrets, travel tips, latest events, accommodation, patisseries - the list just goes on and on. If you're planning a trip to Paris, this is one website you should not miss.

Pass It Forward: 3 Fabulous Reads

It's been a long while since I've last featured a Pass It Forward post on Fridays. Naughty me.  Life gets in the way of blog reading sometimes. I have a list of blogs as long as my arm that I need to look at.  So here are 3 blogs/book that rock my boat at the moment.


Amanda Brooks of Amanda Loves Your Style

When Annie reviewed I Love Your Style by Amanda Brooks, I promptly logged on to Amazon and bought the book. It was down to earth, sensible and fun to read. I had a chance to catch up with Annie last week. "Have you read Amanda Brooks' blog?" she asked. "She has a blog?!", I gaped. At her urging, I checked it out and went through pages after pages after pages for hours on end. A style maven she may be but that's not what her blog is all about. It's a bit more like a personal journal of her current life as she splits her time on a farm in Oxfordshire and the U.S.



Kirstie Clements, author of The Vogue Factor

Okay, so technical it's not a blog but it's to do with fashion so that should count for something. This is the personal and detailed account of the fashion industry - straight from the horse's mouth or in this case, from Kirstie Clements, the former Editor-in-Chief of Australian Vogue. She was unceremoniously sacked last year which isn't an uncommon practice in the corporate world. It's a fun and riveting read with all the delicious and juicy tidbits about the fashion world that the civilians are always curious about but rarely get the unadulterated truth.



Noelani of Mon Petit Chou Chou

Bloggers are generally a friendly bunch of people who network because the very act of writing is a rather isolating activity. We meet people so that we can actually verbalize our thoughts as opposed to typing them out. When Anne and I met up, she suggested I checked out Mon Petit Chou Chou. Boy, am I glad I did. Beautiful photography, awesome recipes that had me drooling on my keyboard, varied posts - just the kind of aesthetics that I love. Noelani has just given birth to a beautiful baby girl, Daphne. Congratulations, Noelani!



 

Pass It Forward: 3 Bloggers who Keep It Real

The older I get, the sharper my bullshit radar becomes. I'm also allergic to all forms of pretentiousness and arrogance, both of which are completely unnecessary. They also make me break out in mental hives. This week's line up consists of 3 incredible blogs - they're different, refreshing, genuine and they call a spade a spade. Thanks for keeping it real, guys.


Kristina of Kris Atomic

Kris Atomic is the brainchild of Kristina, a multi-talented illustrator and photographer from Brighton, U.K. Her illustrations are so quirky and whimsical. If you google her work, you'll see her name popping all over the search engine. There's a realistic illustration of Lanvin's Alber Elbaz and don't get me started on her fashion work. I'm in awe of her artistic talent. You absolutely have to read her post on the reality of Fashion Week which totally cracked me up.


Brandon of HONY (Humans of New York)

You have The Sartorialist who only wants to take photos of beautiful people, preferably if they're skinny, quirky, models or famous individuals. And then there's Brandon of Humans of New York who capture the souls of New York residents. His approach is simple yet so endearing. Kids, adults, old or young, you'll get to hear stories about their lives too. After losing his well paid job as a trader, he took a risk by moving to NYC to photograph portraits of strangers. With approximately a million followers, I'd say it was well worth the risk.


Joanna Goddard of A Cup of Jo

I'm hooked on A Cup of Jo. In fact, I read it religiously every morning when I have my first cup of coffee in the morning. Motherhood, fashion, life, family, food, travel, interior, wedding.....you name it, she's covered it all. She averages 45-50 posts a month. That's right, ladies. That's A MONTH! She's a mom of 2 very young kids, her youngest is a newborn to be precise. A Cup of Jo was listed on Forbes' Top 100 Websites for Women.

Pass It Forward: 3 Malaysians

Mandy of Mandy Faith

Mandy is a 20 year old student from Malaysia who is currently studying in the UK. Despite being only 20, she has a legion of fans on her Instagram account (107,000 and counting). It's not surprising at all seeing that she has an incredible eye for composing beautiful pictures. The photos have an ethereal and dreamy feel to them which transport you to a fantasyland albeit for a few minutes.


Karen of Citrus and Candy

While Karen isn't technically a Malaysian, she was born in London to Malaysian Chinese parents and grew up in Australia. A long time ago, you have those who can cook and those who can photograph. These days, there are rare individuals like Karen who is self taught, cooks and bakes like a professional and photographs like a.....well, professional. Her blog is a gastronomic paradise for those of you who appreciate food.



Joyce of Kinky Blue Fairy

Recently, I was given a list of Malaysian blogs to read. I was hooked on Joyce's whose blog is like a personal journal documenting her trips and life. In fact, I later found out that Joyce is incredibly well known in Malaysia. To my surprise, we have a mutual friend whom I've known from the early days in New Zealand. It's a VERY small world indeed. Her posts are often funny and totally honest. No holds barred!

Pass It Forward: 3 Expats in Paris

Before I delve into this week's feature, I'd like to say a huge thank you to Anjum, a reader who graciously shipped a huge box of handmade cookies along with all the paraphernalia I need to ice my own. It was a complete surprise. I didn't think answering a few questions on photography justifies such a massive gift but thank you so much for your kindness and generosity. Do check out her exquisite cookies here.

Most of us are mad about Paris including me so it's no surprise that I'm constantly finding blogs about expats who live in the romantic city. I've visited the city on numerous occasions and some of my friends are former Parisians who'd decided to live in England. It's one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen but like any big city, scratch below the surface and you'll find faults. Not all women there are stylish or what you'd call (the much perpetuated myth) Parisian chic. They bring up kids no different to most of us and not all are gourmands either.



Carin Olsson of Paris In Four Months

Carin, a Swedish export to Paris isn't a stranger to most of you. We were both interviewed by the lovely Malou of 33 Avenue. In fact, I've heard of Carin in the early days when we were mad about Hermes (and still are) and were actively participating on the Purse Forum. She's an utterly talented photographer. Her photos of Nicole Warne/Gary Pepper are worthy of a magazine cover because they are THAT incredible. If you haven't heard of her, go straight to her blog now and be prepared to be blown away.




Diane Yoon of Diane Abroad

Diane hails from Los Angeles but currently lives in Paris. Diane Abroad is essentially a travelogue of her adventures and the glorious food that she consumes (and never seem to put on an ounce! Yes, I'm jealous just in case you're asking). I'm addicted to her blog! The blog is filled with one breathtaking photo after another along with beautifully written posts that draw you in. I've been progressively working backwards through her archive over the past week which will explain why I'm behind on my emails.......



Milsters of Little Pieces of Light

Milsters is what I call a global citizen. She has lived in 13 countries which is rather mind-boggling in itself. I can't help but admire her courage to pursue her dreams yet realistic enough to be organized and have back up plans. She's of Chinese, Filipina and Spanish heritage and a Canadian citizen. Her blog, Little Pieces of Light has won numerous awards. Her posts are packed with oodles of information that's invaluable to any Francophile or expat. She also covers plenty of juicy tidbits about accommodation, restaurants and off the beaten tracks of any places she'd visited. I call her blog a travel encyclopedia. You'll understand what I mean when you check it out.

Pass It Forward: 3 Bloggers

Alexandra Lister of Pirates and Fireflies

I stumbled upon Alexandra's blog - Pirates and Fireflies while I was googling Porselli flats (it's pretty obvious that I'm still afflicted with SOD - Shoes Obsession Disease).  From the moment I read the very first paragraph, I was hooked. I wasn't surprised to learn later that she has an MA in Creative Writing and had contributed to The Guardian Life as well as to other publications. I'm slowly making my way through her entire archive which may take me a few weeks. If you're after an incredibly well written blog which covers travel, lifestyle and plenty of fashion without subscribing to abject consumerism, then this is a must read for you.



Maxwell & Oliver Ryan of Apartment Therapy

The two brothers Maxwell and Oliver Ryan started Apartment Therapy in 2004. The readership is astronomical which has led them to create sister sites devoted to technology, cooking etc. Over the past few years, I've spent many hours picking ideas from various posts on the website.


Julia Rollings of Bittersweet

This story is harrowing, fascinating, riveting and thankfully comes with a happy ending. Julia adopted two little Indian kids - siblings in 1998. In 2006, they found out that the director of the adoption agency was arrested and further investigation revealed that the two children were in fact sold by their father while their mother was asleep. I won't go too much into it because it's a story that you have to read for yourself.

Pass It Forward: 3 Extraordinary Photographers

I once had a conversation with a talented artist where I disputed the fact that photography could be categorized as art. She insisted I was wrong saying that it takes a creative mind to produce images using light and the ability to visualize the scene in front of a person into a picture that evokes emotion. And combine all this with the technical know-how of using a camera. She was right.

Talented photographers are often asked what equipment they own. I know many who use iPhones or not so fancy cameras.  The difference lies in their ability to "see" and convey an image.


Still Life

  

I've featured Alice Gao on 2 other occasions but her talent is extraordinary and needs another mention. I can't help but be inspired when I view her work. Her strength lies in creating the most aesthetically pleasing images out of mundane ordinary objects and making us see them differently. Here's her Tumblr account, After The Cups. Congratulations to Alice for being featured in Club Monaco Tumblr campaign.


Landscapes

I came across Jon Sargisson's breathtaking photos while googling for bluebell fields in England. I was rendered speechless after seeing one beautiful picture after another. It was enough to convince me that England is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Head over to his website and be prepared to be blown away.


Photojournalism

Steve McCurry's famous photo of the Afghan girl with the startling blue eyes is permanently imprinted on most people's retina. In fact, it was him who inspired me to pick up a camera when I headed off to China in search of the elusive Long Horned Miao ethnic minority group. The National Geographic superstar is a legend and whose name is whispered by many in reverential tones.

Pass It Forward: 3 Unconventional Bloggers

These 3 aren't your conventional bloggers. They don't do popular, mainstream or your typical run of the mill type of fashion blogging. They're so different that they're actually cool. They send a clear message about their individuality and make no excuses about it. That's also the very reason why I love reading their blogs. These 3 ladies are also rather camera shy so don't expect to see their faces plastered all over their blogs.

Jess of Empty Emptor

Jess is a post-doctoral cognitive neuroscientist from the U.K. Her writing is riveting, thought provoking, insightful and not without plenty of research material to back up her arguments. In fact, she reminds me of Dana Thomas, the brilliant author of How Luxury Lost Its Lustre who doggedly pursued every avenue to uncover the reality behind luxury brands. Jess explores various topics ranging from consumption driven by blogs to the two sides of so called ethical practices within the fashion industry. I'm slowly going through her entire archive which I believe should be compiled into a book.


   
Amanda of Assembled Haphazardly

Though I hate all insects, I do have a brain the size of one so I flit from topic to topic, thanks to an extremely short attention span. That's also the reason why Amanda's blog appeals to me as it's more of a journal of her thoughts on food, fashion and life. It feels personal, more of a one on one conversation with a close friend. I love that she doesn't follow trends but marches to the beat of her  drum in her own gentle manner.



Aliya of Aesthetic Li

You may recognize Aliya from her popular blog, Marant Philes dedicated to all things Isabel Marant. However, Aesthetic Li has a wider scope and covers street style along with her own outfits. It can be a little demoralizing when you see picture perfect photos of perfectly made up, super thin and tall who often ended up modeling for brands. Kudos to them. However, the majority of ladies on Planet Earth are a little, how do you say, shorter, have problem areas and dress to suit their lifestyle as well as made up of all different skin colors. The North Caroline based speech therapist includes a wide variety of street style fashion that's not only chic but also relatable.

Pass It Forward: 1 Blogger 3 Blogs

The what seems like infinite number of remarkable bloggers out there continues to astound me. Who knew behind most seemingly ordinary folks lie extraordinary talents which they showcase to the world for free? But what about 1 blogger who runs 3 different yet successful ones? Here's the multi-talented lady, Jeana Sohn.


Jeana Sohn

Jeana Sohn is a personal journal filled with beautiful pictures where she regales us with tidbits of her life and projects. She's one of those women who looked beautiful pregnant (while I resembled a beached whale!).


Closet Visit



Jeana takes us on an adventure - inside stylish women's closets. Each person featured has their own distinctive style and the interview is always fun to read.



Bap Story

I call myself a Korean wannabe. After all, I've been mistaken for a Korean by Koreans more times than I can remember. I'm also addicted to the Korean cuisine (thanks to a Korean sister in law), so I always keep an eye out for simple recipes that I can replicate at home. Needless to say, I can't help but get drawn to the mouth watering ones on Bap Story.


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Pass It Forward: 3 bloggers

The school holiday is finally coming to an end. If you're a mom with school age kids, you know what a relief it is to have our beloved and precious little darlings back in school where they can spend quality time with their teachers and friends.

 Angela of Lattes And Juice

Angela's an American expat living in London and a mom of 2.  I was hooked the first instant I checked out her blog, thanks to her leaving a comment on mine. This is a lady after my own heart. Sure, she's a mom but that's not all what she writes about. There are tidbits on amazing patisseries and eateries around London, ones that I have just found out from her blog and am anxious to check out. She has a wonderful sense of style, be it travel, interior decor, fashion, food or jewelry. My head spins whenever I'm presented with a plethora of choices so I'm immediately grateful when I read a blog that has a well edited content.



Cecilia of Cecilia's Closet

I stumbled upon Cecilia's blog while I was googling Rick Owens. She owns a stash of the most beautiful Rick Owens jackets that I've ever seen. Her closet is simply to die for - Hermes, Chanel, Bottega Veneta, Celine etc etc. There are tons of reviews about every brand that I adore on her blog. She's honest and informative so head over there if you're a fashionista.

There's also a veritable wealth of information about fixing shoes, dealing with heels that are too big or small etc etc. It's a must read for shoe addicts out there. What's more, I have just found out that we joined the Purse Forum about the same time (2006).



Naomi of Bakers Royale

This talented baker and photographer will blow you away. I have to physically limit myself to only reading her blog for no more than 10 minutes at a time or else I'll just fritter the entire day just trawling through from one recipe to the next. I am just in awe of the exquisitely executed desserts and the simply breathtaking presentation of each one of them.