How to Make a Blue & White Outfit Look Fresh

I've said it before and I say it again: I. Love. These. Shorts. It's such a struggle to find shorts and then to find polka dot ones that fit like a dream - this is a real unicorn here, folks. Last time, I wore a red white and blue outfit but this time I wanted to switch it up and breath some freshness into the tried & true combo of blue and white. So pops of pink! This simple and easy color combo feels so new and fun! It also doesn't hurt to mix 2 simple prints: stripes and polka dots #FTW.  

I've also worn this peplum top here tucked into a midi but I resisted the urge for this outfit. As a pear shape, I've always been a little hesitant to wear more fabric on my hips but I've seen many bloggers embrace it and rock it. Color Me Courtney (one of my favorites!) rocks the peplum well. 

Another little surprise factor of this outfit is my beloved watermelon purse (also worn to the beach here). Everyone went gaga for fruits this summer and rightly so! I kinda feel like a little girl again wearing this purse, especially when putting my heart-shaped sunglasses in it and then the only thing in my purse is my wallet, a mirror and lipstick. It's like playing dress-up all over again! 

I wore this outfit on date night and we had the loveliest time. We walked through Chinese Gardens to take these photos (and the sun kept playing hide & seek, driving me crazy trying to get continuity with the photos!). We also played the how-many-monitor-lizards-do-you-spy game. Spoiler Alert: Stephen always wins. I have no idea how he can spot these lizards camouflaged so well! It doesn't help my cause that these suckers are SO BIG. Then we finally tried the hot pot restaurant that's been on our list forever. It was soooo good and we ate so so so so so much beef. We also made friends with the owners who were so incredibly sweet. Great outfit, great night in my opinion! 

What was on your last date night's itinerary? Have you discovered an quick, easy way to freshen up an outfit? 

Shorts, Top & Shoes: Thrifted | Purse: Abaday | Earrings & Sunglasses: Bugis Market | Bracelet: Lovisa 

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Little India, Singapore

Little India 

My boyfriend and I are utterly obsessed with Little India in Singapore for a multitude of reasons. First of all, it is so colorful. These pictures (which you might have seen on my Modcloth Travel Bug post)  barely scratch the surface of this beautiful and dynamic rainbow-region of Singapore; the buildings, wall murals, street vendor wares, the marigold necklaces…  And don't even get me started on the saris! There's so much to take in and look at - not to mention buy! 

Another reason we can't enough of Little India is the food. Stephen is curry-crazy and eats it any chance he can get. For me, I'm all about the mint-corriander chutney and butter masala at Delhi Restaurant. Oh, and butter nan. (Basically anything with butter. You can take the Southern girl out of the South but you can't take the South outta the girl…) In between wandering around and shopping, we always get roti prata with gravy and lime juice for a snack at one of the side street hawker centers. We usually will grab a few beers at Countryside Cafe, too. It's this charming little bar on the backpacker's street where the lovely and welcoming owner, Shiree, will gladly chitchat with patrons. I don't think she's ever met a stranger! 

Stephen and I also always feel nostalgic when walking around Little India. Even the smell of incense takes me back to three years ago. In summer 2012, Stephen was planning a month long trip to Northern India and at this point, we had been dating for about a month. He asked me to go with him and I laughed in his face! I thought he was insane. But luckily, Kristen and he convinced me to go and I'm so glad I did. It was hard work traveling there and India is full of crazy extremes but we experienced so much there and created so many memories together. The beginning of a long-lasting relationship is incredibly exciting anywhere but to do that in India…! So Little India holds a special place in my heart, personally. 

For this particular visit, I actually went with my friend Lauren from Fried Green Kimchi. She had recently moved to Singapore so it was only too fun showing her my favorite little haunts and she did such an incredibly job capturing all the colors of the area! She also does amazing things with fusion food on her blog so I'm really curious to see what she'll cook up for the Singaporean-Indian-Western dishes... (**hint, hint**)

The Outfit

I bought this dress years ago on super discount at Target. I almost didn't get it because it's just a smidge too big for my taste. Or so I thought. But with the loose shift dresses being a huge trend now (and very necessary) for summer, it's just the ticket! And who can resist red and turquoise together in a bird print? No one in my book, that's who. To me, this dress is very much the style of many young Singaporean women I see: a fun and casual dress to easily throw on, a simple tote bag, great sandals. The girly little bow was a Lindsey touch, though! 

Dress: Target (old) | Shoes: Thrifted | Tote: H&M | Sunglasses: Cotton On | Ribbon: Coach 

Photographer: Lauren of Fried Green Kimchi

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Santorini, Greece: In Oia

The Trip 

Two years ago, one of my closet friends, Kristen said, "I'm going to graduate with a master's in the summer of 2015. Let's meet in Europe for a celebratory trip." 

Of course, I quickly agreed. Europe? A best friend vacation? Travel? It was a no-brainer. But you know how life gets in the way sometimes. Jobs, money, time, surprises… they can be a real kill-joy. But with planning, saving, effort and the stars aligning - it actually happened!! 

Kristen flew from our home town of Atlanta to Athens (with a week "layover" in Rome, the lucky duck) and I flew from Singapore to Athens to meet her at the airport. (If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen I also had an extended layover in Istanbul). 

We were only in Athens a day before we hopped on a short flight to Santorini to see the most beautiful summer sights. 

Santorini, Day One

We actually stayed at Kamari Beach (more on that later) on the other side of the island because we couldn't afford to stay in Oia. Oia is famous for it's iconic views and blue and white adobe buildings tucked up high in the mountains. I can really appreciate a country who strives to match their endless blue sky and dark navy waters with their buildings. 

The real story behind the white buildings is that it's rrrreeeeal hot y'all and ya know, white reflects the sun. If you look closely, you can see my shimmery sheen of sweat glow in the photos. Take into consideration, it's ME saying "hot" - while living on the equator in the jungle (aka Singapore) and having grown up with the Southern humidity of Georgia. 

We took a local bus (less than 2 euros) to main town of Fira and then took another bus up the windy mountain roads through the countryside to the main center of Oia. We spent the day oooo-ing and ahhh-ing, poking into all the clothing and jewelry boutiques and exploring all the little side streets. I don't think there was a bad view in Oia or an ugly alleyway. 

The Outfit 

Clearly heat was a huge factor when deciding what to wear. Nothing is more perfect than a light cotton sundress. This one from Cotton On did just the trick and obviously it was even more perfect that it matched the town! 

My hair is pretty thin and sweat makes it gross really fast (it's one of my sexiest talents, I can assure you) so I wasn't going to even BOTHER styling my hair. A ponytail and a vintage scarf is my favorite summer way to accessorize and deal with the heat. 

Another trick of mine for accessorizing and is to not even bother with necklaces. When I'm outside all day, the last thing I want is a slow, suffocating death from something around my neck. Makes me claustrophobic just thinking about it. So nope. Instead, I go for an bracelet party! This one I wore the whole time I was in Greece and loved the mix of bangles and tassels. Finished the outfit off with some vintage-inspired shades, my trusty comfy walking sandals. 

What are your favorite ways to accessorize during summer?

Stay tuned for more Greece posts coming up and thanks for dropping by! :)  

 

from Kristen's Instagram

Dress: Cotton On ( sold out, similar design) | Sunglasses & Bracelets: Cotton On | Shoes: Rack Room (similar) | Scarf: Vintage

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