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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Polka Dots & Hearts in Haw Par Villa

Yesterday my friend, Prianka and I went to check out Haw Par Villa in Singapore. IT. IS. AWESOME. It's this kitschy park that has elaborate statues & scenes from Chinese religious stories. It took a million dollars to build in the 30's but you can now explore the surprisingly large grounds for the low, low price of free! These pictures don't even do it justice on how weird, crazy, and cool it was. If you ever get the chance, check it out! I can't wait to go back to take even more pictures. 

You are lucky because this post is two for the price of one - my style as well as Prianka's. I'd say in a lot of ways we favor similar things, especially on this day. We didn't even plan to be all match-matchy  but it worked out well! 

Skirt: Modcloth | Shirt: Cache Cache |  Shoes: Mustafa's (similar here) | Sunglasses: Bugis | Belt: Thrifted | Bracelets: Borneo

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