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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Modcloth's Retro Swimsuit / 4th of July / Tanjong Beach Club

Patriotic Bathing Beauty

You might have noticed this picture from my Modcloth Travel Bug post. You didn't think I just took the one photo and called it a day, did ya? ;-) 

This outfit would be my top choice for 4th of July festivities if I wasn't working on Saturday. At home, Independence day is always spent at either the pool or at the Marietta Square tailgating until fireworks time. 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays and it's not just because I can wear my favorite color-combo unabashed! 

This swim suit literally is the most perfect suit you will ever find. All the hype (if you've heard/read the reviews about it) is true true true. It's Modcloth's Ester Williams Bathing Beauty and it is the most flattering thing I've put on my body, swim suit or otherwise. 

I particularly love that they named it after Ester Williams. As a kid, I was obsessed with the movie Million Dollar Mermaid (I think we randomly rented it at the library) and after that, I almost thought I had dreamed up the movie because no one seemed to know what I was talking about when I brought it up. 

FYI, for this pear-shaped lady, I went for the size 14. Because of my big bottom, I was supposed to be a size 16 according to the chart but I was afraid the top would swallow me up. I'm glad I got the 14 - it's a little tight around my thighs but I've slowly and carefully stretched it out. 

Beach, Pool and Hamburgers 

Like I said, I've already written up a review for Tanjong Beach Club for Modcloth but let me tell you a little bit more! Because I have my "weekend" during the week, when we go it's usually pretty chill. However, on the weekends it has more of a party-vibe and I hear they put their beer pong tables to good use! They also have a volleyball net for those less lazy than I. 

For us though, we like to sip our beers on the large lounge beds and take dips in the pool and beach to cool off, alternating between the two. I've heard they have a lot of delicious seafood on their menu but for me, it's the burgers and truffle fries all the way. Forgive me for stating the obvious but Y'ALL. IT. IS. SO. GOOD. Their burgers are insane - flavorful and tender. 

I will warn you the prices can be a little intimidating but 1) so many cool places in Singapore are and  2) I think it's a very fair price for being able to lounge luxuriously at the beach all day. The TBC staff is very helpful and relaxed and they won't shoo you away after you've eaten your food. 

I feel like such a ritzy person when I'm at Tanjong Beach Club (though I'm most definitely a champagne taste on a beer budget kinda girl). I wonder if that's how you feel when going glamping…? 

Happy Fourth of July to all my American readers! 

And happy Canada day and Bastille day and Hari Raya as well! 

What are your plans for the celebrations? 

Swim Suit: Modcloth | Shorts: Forever 21 (Australian Goodwill) | Shoes: Modcloth (sold out, similar ones here and here) | Sunglasses: Cotton On | Scarf: Vintage

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Vintage Red Midi Around East Singapore

Eunos

Eunos was an area of Singapore I explored when I first moved here and then promptly forgot about when moving to the other side of the island. Luckily, Lauren from Fried Green Kimchi reminded me of all it's charm! (Lauren also took all of these stunning photos for me as well!)  It's a great spot in Singapore to see the quaint and iconic buildings of the region's yester-years. For me, I always think of the long corridors of shop after shop, where the paint and the tiles changes from each small business, but the crown molding and darling details are always present. Besides aesthetically, Eunos is a perfect place to explore the trendy cafes and restaurants. 

Sinpopo Brand 

Sinpopo Brand is a restaurant all decked out in mid-century decor and draws inspiration from traditional old-school Singaporean dishes. I love not only the vintage feel but the novelty of walking down retro Singaporean memory-lane. They had recently redecorated and while the 1950's vibe was still the same, they had changed from turquoise and red to grey and black. Not gonna lie, I was a bit bummed. But they were incredibly friendly and helpful and the chilled pandan soufflé was truly scrumptious. I want to go back next time and try their beef short rib horfun. 

Joo Chiat 

Lauren cleverly called these buildings "painting ladies". I have never been to San Francisco to see the real deal but it's still a perfect description of these absolutely adorable homes. On either side of the street are rows of colorful pastel two-story houses, each with their own personality. I can't even imagine how much run of these darlings would run ya, but a girl can dream! #housegoals  From what I've learned, this street is named after a man, Chew Joo Chiat who was a wealthy landowner of the area. He was part of the Peranakans - Chinese and Indian immigrants who married the Malay natives. There's a great museum in Singapore about the Peranakans and my one of my favorite part was seeing the intricate beaded slippers. 

As I'm starting to think of my next step outside of Singapore, I'm realizing I need to take advantage of the beauty and culture that is around me now! I wish I had done that when I was living in Korea for my blog but I guess ya live and learn! 

Once again, a very special thank to Fried Green Kimchi's Lauren for taking these gorgeous photos! Make sure to check out her blog - she'll give you serious wanderlust over her road trip in the Western part of America and you'll drool over her apple pie hotteok! 

Shirt & Shoes: Thrifted | Skirts: Choies | Headband: Korea | Bag: Bugis Market

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