Summer Words

Last week my boyfriend graduated from his Master's program (which he totally kicked BUTT IN; so proud. Waaaaahooo!!!) so we dashed over to Thailand for a long weekend to celebrate. This is the balcony of the resort we stayed in. The grounds were so gorgeous and we could see the turquoise ocean water from the balcony. My favorite part of the resort was listening to the waves crash as we fell asleep; much different than the noise from our Singaporean bedroom window! My favorite part of the trip was both of us turning off our phones for three days and just relaxing together.

It's also fun just to wear a swim suit for 3 complete days. I threw this oversized tank top and bright skater skirt over mine on our first day to the pool/beach. I don't usually get to show off my tattoo so I was excited to wear this outfit in Thailand - a place where people go purposely TO show off their ink! I got mine my first year in Korea. It says in French "one vie passionnante" which means a life of passion.   Pair it with the "love is blind" tank and "art as canvas" tote (what does that mean…?) and I got a lot to say as I walk down the strip! ;-) 

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Mansion Exploring in the Worst City

So if you haven't already figured out something about me, I have a confession to make. I have a disease. I have a bad case of the travel bug. So does my partner. We are constantly thinking, talking and researching about "the next place". To make a long boring story short, we found these super duper cheap tickets for Medan, Indonesia. Right as Stephen's thinking about hitting that "purchase" button, I find this article about how it is the worst city in Southeast Asia. But like I said, I have an illness. So I said, "Let's do it" and then we laughed and laughed about it. 

I'm here to tell you, it was not the worst place I have ever travelled to. However I wouldn't necessarily recommend you go out of your way to see it. Most of the city isn't traditionally beautiful - it's more grit, iron-wrought industries and pollution. There are pockets of beauty though, like this mansion we explored on our first day there. It was built around 1911 by a Chinese business man. It was lovely to see the art deco, Chinese and Indonesian influence all intertwined together. 

After strolling through all hallways and doorways and peeking through all the windows, we played pool in a random local watering hole and had the locals laugh at my pitiful attempts at hitting the billiard balls. It might not have been the most exciting getaway but we had fun! Stay tuned to read about day 2 in my next post. 

Clothes, bag & jewelry: Thrifted | Shoes: Cotton On

Life's a Beach

My boyfriend and I went to Sentosa Island in Singapore last week. I love that an hour on the subway and bam! I'm at the beach. It's heavenly. Sentosa is such a strange place to me. It's like no other beach I've ever been to. It's got a very suburban feel to it. Everything is carefully manicured and there's so much green grass and perfect flowerbeds along the pathways to the beach. I wouldn't say it's got that bohemian feel that a lot of other beach places have, but it doesn't make it any less fun. It's also nice to see so many different Singaporean and expat families from all over the world cutting back and enjoying the sun and surf, sorta speak. 

Wanted to keep my outfit simple for the beach - bikini top and skater skirt and voila! Easy peasy. I added my mom's wooden strawberry earrings she had from the 80's and red lipstick just to give a little extra punch. Wrapped it all up with my cat eye sunglasses to finish the vintage vibe. 

What's your favorite thing to wear to the beach?

Swimsuit Top: Cotton On | Skirt: Thrifted | Sunglasses: Modcloth | Earrings & Bracelet: vintage

Hot & Humid Hearts on Bike Island

There are THREE exciting things I want to talk about in my post that I can't decide which to tell you first! One, I was talking to a friend of a friend about how my camera died and that I needed an upgrade. On the second time meeting me he pretty much gave me his camera! He said he never used it and whenever I decide I want a newer camera (his is a about 7 years old) I can give his back. How generous is that?! Plus he took the time to give me some pointers. So this post is dedicated to Blair. Everyone say thank you, Blair! 

I'm also thrilled to tell you about my favorite place in Singapore so far. It's a tiny little island on the east coast called Pulau Ubin or Bike Island. It's gorgeous and so unlike anywhere else in Singapore. Only about 100 people live on the island and there are no sky scrappers or modern buildings. It's quaint and quiet which are sometimes hard to come by in crowded Singapore. We rode around the entire island, stopped for a perfect picnic by the beach and finished the day by having a beer and chatting with the locals. The perfect day for me and my boo. ♥ ♥ ♥

And last but not least, we gotta talk about these shorts. I love love love high waisted shorts - always have. 3 years ago they were harder to come by, especially if you were as frugal as me. I found my uber-favorite pair in the form of mom-jeans at Goodwill but they aren't always so comfortable, especially if I gain a few lbs. These H&M ones though! They fit like a dream and are stretchy! They also didn't loose their shape even when I was sweating like a pig in 'em. Did I mention they were under $30...? 

Shirt: Forever 21 (old) | Shorts: H&M | Shoes: Cotton On | Bracelet Party: Lovisa | Glasses: Bugis

Instagram Travel Photo Journal

This is my last post about my trip to Thailand last week. I recently got a new phone (HTC One) which I LOVE and what better way to get acquainted with a new camera than by taking ten million photos of vacation? Here are some of my favorite photos. To see more of the vacation or what I do on a regular basis as an expat, go to http://followgram.me/lindseydish (on your computer) or http://instagram.com/lindseydish (on your phone). 

1. Best way to travel in an airport - super duper light! 

2. The restaurant attached to our bungalows had all these cool skulls decorated everywhere. And they still had all their christmas and new year's decorations up. I loved it!

3. The view from our breakfast table. 

4. No question about it - this pale irish girl's gotta have a sunhat ALWAYS. 

5. Mandatory beach sunset. 

6. Everywhere around Koh Lanta is hand painted signs. It gives the island a very kitschy, crafty feel. Good stuff. 

7. Me and my boo enjoying midday cocktails - that's what ya gotta do on vacation! 

8. Another view of "our" restaurant - lounge pillow-chairs and a great beach view. 

9. Oh, ya know. Just another gorgeous beach sunset.

1. Our 10th time scuba diving! 

2. One of the best things about scuba diving is getting to hang on the boat all day - and watch other boats go by!

3. Not on an actual instagram photo, just regrammed from one of the professional divers that accompanied us on our dive. 

4. Our dive had beautiful rocks, caves and cliffs above and below the water. 

5. Hanging on the boat. 

6. Our boat broke down, so we took many, many naps. 

7. Starting the 2nd morning by laying by the pool. 

8. All the swim suits! Cheap shopping in Thailand. 

9. The goodies I bought - love my high-waisted $30 suit! 

Waiting for the Ship to Come in

I am so proud of these photos because they display my boyfriend's abilities and his utter affection for me. When we started dating, I didn't have my blog yet. He didn't exactly know what he was getting himself into when he said he'd snap off some photos for me. At times I can be a very uhh... demanding and vocal "collaborator" when I ask him to take photos. But he has taken it all in stride, been so patient and a quick study (on top of being supportive). Neither of us knew the talent he had sitting under the surface. Now I just need to work on my editing skills!  

He took these pictures when we were on motorbike ride around Koh Lanta, Thailand (one of my favorite things to do on vacation) before we had our last dinner on the island. It really incorporates the romantic feel of 2 of my favorite things: long skirts and the ocean. I've been wanting to try out crop top trend and I figured a beach town was the best place to test-drive it - no one would bat an eye at showing off some extra skin. I got to say, I really loved how this outfit turned into a mix of something romantic, trendy, vintage-y, and modern all rolled into one. 

My crop top was originally one of those too-short-for-a-dress-but-too-long-for-a-shirt kinda things but the skirt part had a big hole on it. I cut it right under the elastic waist hem because I couldn't bare to throw out that beautiful lace detailing. I might eventually just cut out the lace and use it for something else. What do you think I should do with it? 

Skirt: Goodwill | Shirt: Clothing Swap | Sunglasses: H&M