Quantcast
Channel: Posh, Broke, & Bored
Viewing all 650 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

Posh, Broke, & Bored, and Regimental shop on One|Shop

November 19, 2014, 5:33 am
$
0
0

Israel Air Force beret on Regimental Vintage. Model: Priska. Photographer: me.

I've been using blogger affiliate programs to recommend products of interest on Posh, Broke, & Bored for a while now but as far as running online shops go I'm a new upstart. Yes, I've had quite a basic online shop on my illustration website via Bigcartel for as long as I've remembered, but I've never really gotten involved with having an online shop until I recently started running Regimental Vintage with my boyfriend Henry Ridley-Cook. Up till now, there hasn't really been a way for me to make our fabulous collection of vintage military clothing and accessories available to shop on Posh, Broke, & Bored as individual ASOS Boutiques aren't affiliated with the programs I use...until now. Thanks to OneShop, I now have a shop on Posh, Broke, & Bored exclusively for things I make and sell: first, Regimental Vintage, and eventually prints of my illustrations and other future products.


1. British Army bagpipers tunic, £150, on Regimental Vintage
2. Vintage military tartan high waisted trousers, £40, on Regimental Vintage
3. Vintage ladies Burberry mac, £95, on Regimental Vintage
4. Genuine British (Sussex) Police ''Bobby'' helmet, £75, on Regimental Vintage 

Model:  Beatriz. Photographer: me.
Now available to shop on Regimental Vintage and on Posh, Broke, & Bored on OneShop.

You may have noticed on the main page of Posh, Broke, & Bored before clicking through to read this post that there is a '$HOP' button on the top right. Right now the button doesn't show up on other pages on the blog, an issue the OneShop team are working to resolve, but you can open it by clicking here and also see it on the homepage (when you click the Posh, Broke, & Bored banner). It looks like this:


OneShop is an ingenious piece of software that adds a store to a website or a blog, any blog! in just 60 seconds. It's free, there's no coding required, and the process is painless even for anyone with no understanding of how websites work. Designed with the average blogger in mind ie. not a website building wizard who casts spell in HTML, it's straightforward, easy to use, and extremely painless. Did I mention that unlike RewardStyle the shop shows up even when AdBlocker is on? Eversince I've enabled AdBlocker every single shop on blogs I read simply shows a blank page with the message 'please disable adblocker' (as almost every lifestyle and fashion bloggers use the same affiliate program, which is disabled by AdBlocker). As much as I respect my readers' choice to not view my affiliate link thumbnails, to have an online shop that doesn't show up is just counterproductive. After all the one second it takes to click 'disable Adblock' costs precious internet browsing time and bandwidth, and is a privilege not everyone would grant. OneShop bypasses all of that by presenting a shop you can view even with content filters on. As of now OneShop are affiliated with 18,000 online vendors and partners to bring you a commission of 10% of the product price when someone buys a product by clicking through your OneShop.


Adding a store to your website and blogs (yes, even Tumblr!) with OneShop takes only sixty seconds to generate the code and is done with four simple steps:



Once you're signed into OneShop, you'll never have to use the OneShop interface to add products to your shop. Simply sign in once, remain signed in, and click the 'Shop' button (which you can name whatever you please, and rename as often as you like) to add new items which you can link from anywhere on the internet. I've linked my favourite pieces from Regimental Vintage. For now it's a selection of the best military coats, jackets, and hats we have on ASOS Boutiques but eventually it will include more lifestyle items I can't live without: home decor, fashion, furniture, fragrances, and of course more of my illustration products like prints, phone cases, posters, and even books. Yes, I said books...watch this space for a new Audaciously Yours comic book that I'm working on. Coming in 2015...!

Click here to browse my OneShop online shop on Posh, Broke, & Bored.


Suffice to say OneShop is a much needed kick (as demonstrated above by Nichole, mid-photoshoot) in the world of website and blog online shopping. OneShop is a new project and even now they're perfecting it for their official launch. Options like customising the look and colours of the shop, changing the order of the thumbnails, more currency options etc. are in the works but you can get ahead of the crowd and try out OneShop for free. In the meantime, click here to browse my OneShop online shop on Posh, Broke, & Bored. x

↧
Search

Hélène Darroze at the Connaught

November 20, 2014, 2:48 am
$
0
0

Last night I had one of the most luxurious and decadent dining experiences in my life, and trust me, if there is one thing I know it is luxury and decadence. Mummy was in town, lawyer in tow, to discuss with Henry and I the mechanisms of running a business together, and so it was up to me to pick a place for dinner. After all, nothing facilitates an evening of brain-picking better than good food and good wine in a beautiful, grand, yet intimate atmosphere. 


And so it was in The Connaught, one of the oldest (1815) and best hotels in Mayfair, whose halls were bedecked in a glittering and festive Christmas display, that we glided through to our gastronomical experience for the night... 



...which was Hélène Darroze's two Michelin-starred restaurant. We were greeted by a specially commissioned glasswork installation of bell jars displaying the ingredients of Hélène’s menu, a beautiful exhibition of what The Connaught describes as 'a feast for the eyes and nourishment for the soul'. Gracious and genial staff, all French, ushered us to our table, the centrepiece of the dining room: beneath a behemoth Damien Hirst display of butterflies framed by beautiful wood panelling and floral plasterwork ceiling, the latter two original features of The Connaught's historic dining room beautifully updated with India Mahdavi (who also designed the pink David Shrigley gallery at Sketch where we had tea that afternoon)'s feminine gold interiors. 




We started with peach bellinis while we pondered our fun and interactive menu---a wooden board with marbles inscribed with key ingredients of which we had to pick five or seven to leave in the middle of the menu, the 'discarded' ingredients we left in the hollowed out borders of the board. I must say I've never had this much fun 'losing my marbles'. Naturally ambitious, I chose my seven ingredients: caviar, white truffle, foie gras, pumpkin, venison, and for pudding: chocolate and '?' which was revealed to be Baba Armagnac. 








Tray after tray of bread was brought out to us which I was proud to resist (even the white breads shaped like mandrake roots) as I am determined to lose 15kg in as many weeks. Bread is the first concession to make.


I started with 'caviar': Kristal kaviari caviar with sea urchin, cauliflower, and hazelnut.


Followed by 'foie gras': Robert Dupérier foie gras with chestnut, quince, and pain d’épice.


Henry enjoyed his third course---sea bream with white coco beans, clams, calamari, and parsley.



While I happily shoved pumpkin ravioli with lobster and sage into my eager mouth.


For our fourth course we both enjoyed 'white truffle': a risotto of Acquerello rice and Parmigiano Reggiano with shaved white truffle. So incredibly hearty, rich, and fragrant, but I had to leave some untouched to make way for my fifth course...


...the 'venison': Rhug Estate venison from Wales with Medjool date, pumpkin, and brussel sprouts. 


Henry, ever the devoted pescatarian, enjoyed his dover sole with celeriac, chanterelles, capers, and lemon. By then we were nearly two hours into our dinner and our stomachs were beginning to feel uncomfortably full. Why oh why did I have afternoon tea? And then our first pudding arrived on a tray, flanked with bottles of Armagnac brandy...



...our Baba Armagnac, a brandy twist on the classic rum baba, was cut opened to display a ruby grapefruit and voatsyperifery centre which was then soaked with brandy. The liqueur was too strong for my palate and I had to leave the pudding sadly untouched, instead tucking into the pots of ruby grapefruit jam and cream on the side.


Our second pudding and final course was the breaking point. 


Delicate silver displays bearing chocolate and raspberry macarons were brought out to accompany the 'chocolate' selection: bourbon vanilla ice-cream and chocolate mousse on a bed of crushed coffee beans surrounded by praline. Death by chocolate? Not today. I dutifully cleaned my plate and ordered the chocolate macarons to be packed into a pretty little floral box to take home. In fact I'm in bed now, naked but for my glasses, typing this as I dip my hand into a lovely doggy bag printed in The Connaught's signature florals having chocolate and macarons for breakfast while my loving boyfriend brews me a coffee.

It was a beautiful evening of gastronomical excitement, all the more enhanced by the twinkling Christmas lights of The Connaught, which ended with a much-needed bracing walk across Mayfair. As for our initial goal of brainstorming at dinner, well we did come up with some good ideas, but all of that paled to the artistry of Hélène Darroze, whose skilful cooking, and delicate, precise presentation all enhanced by the knowledgeable and attentive staff made our evening such an delicious, elegant, and memorable one. 

Tasting menus start at £92 for a choice of 5 ingredients including one pudding, with  an additional £70 for wine pairing. A choice of 7 products including two puddings, as we did, is £125 and £98 for wine pairing. Myself, I'm gunning to conquer Hélène Darroze’s 9 products Inspiration menu, but slowly and steadily, one course at a time. Peruse the dinner menu here. x

Photo credits: 2, 4, 5, 6, and 26.
↧
↧

Chilling at Chiltern and meandering around Mayfair.

November 23, 2014, 5:04 am
$
0
0

God, I love autumn: wool coats, hats and gloves to match, Stuart Weitzman 5050 knee high boots, the contrast of a cold face in the brisk air and a warm body wrapped in snuggly sheepskin... I'm ever so glad that summer is over and believe me, I'm not exaggerating (in fact, I find that when I am as content as I am right now I tend to play things down, smile sagely even in the face of attempted provocation, and just generally waltz through life in a zen-like state) when I say that I d-e-t-e-s-t the heat. I've lived in both a tropical paradise (Malaysia) and in one with four seasons (England), and I find cold weather much preferable to hot weather. When it's too cold, you simply wear more layers.  But what are you going to do when it's too hot? Peel off your skin? Exactly. In Kuala Lumpur a typical day out would be: composing the perfect 'outfit of the day' only to change into loose, baggy clothing and flip flops, then driving my air-conditioned car from my air-conditioned hangout home to a air-conditioned hangout spot. No thanks to the Malaysian heat, I'd never be able to just walk around in Kuala Lumpur as I do in London. Wandering around Mayfair, kicking up crunchy golden leaves, smoking cigarettes and chatting absentmindedly, looking for the perfect spot for taking photos before nipping into Chiltern Firehouse for lunch...this is the (lush's) dream. And it is my reality. That is, until winter comes along and renders everything unbearably bitter.    


Doing my best impression of Paddington Bear in a red vintage coat I was supposed to model for Regimental Vintage but got distracted instead. Hat, handbag, and pearl choker are from Zara.



Henry looking dapper in a vintage Gucci tweed jacket, available on Regimental Vintage.






Crab donut.


Grilled leek (in the background) and squid.


Steak tartare for me, naturally. My first since I've been back in London.



And an ambitious four puddings for dessert...


Milk and honey: milk ice-cream with honeycomb.


Chocolate.


Pecan pie, how very autumn.


And frozen pannacotta, flambéd for a meringue like outer shell, with apple (?) ice shavings.



T'was an especially chilly day, and I had to wrap myself in at least two wool blankets by the fireplace. Could we have more fire at Chiltern Firehouse? Thanks.






The worst time to 'give up' taxis is in Winter...as much as I love the crisp, cold weather there's a fine line between brisk and brittle. God knows that London weather not so much treads that fine line but jumps up and down on it like a demented fat child on a trampoline. I'm giving up smoking and giving up my 'five Uber cars a day' habit...wish me luck. x 

Photo credits: 5, 7,8, and 19

↧

Going nude for winter.

November 24, 2014, 3:22 am
$
0
0
...as nude as it's possible to be in winter without evoking 'Is she or isn't she a Pretty Woman' contemplation from polite society. Winter is about keeping warm and covered from the elements. Yet one can still show off a streamlined silhouette and the illusion of bare skin with slim fits in flesh-coloured tones. Why risk hypothermia in the quest to constantly display your carefully-crafted and honed figure to its best ability? Stay warm in barely-there, heat-retaining thermals (yes, your legs too), add as little bulk as possible with refined cashmere layers, elongate your figure with high-waisted trousers and knee high boots, and of course accessorise with a felt hat, matching gloves, and a pop of red in your lips to stand out from a sophisticated backdrop of nudes, neutrals, and taupe. This winter I'm going nude. Perhaps you might like to give winter nudes a try? Here are my picks to get you started. Stay nude and stay warm. x
WINTER NUDES 
1. 'Suit your selfie' iPhone 5 case. Every modern social media narcissist needs one of these. 
2. Scarlett turtleneck cashmere jumper. An investment piece to last winter after winter. 
3. Faux fur gloves 
4.Felt hat from the king of hats Maison Michel. How beautiful is the patchwork version? 
5. Heattech polo neck from the master of layers Uniqlo. Their heattech range is my winter lifesaver:  thin thermals you can layer under sheer tops and slim dresses. Comes in dozens of styles (polo necks, tees, tank tops), colours and prints which makes it a perfect wardrobe basic---either to layer under clothes or to mix and match with an outfit. I've got my eye on this ombre grey one. 
6. Blanket cape. A high-street hero with high-end flair. 
7. High waisted trousers from ASOS Tall. For those who like a long-legged, slimmer silhouette with a small waist.  
8. Riding pant, American Apparel. Extremely flattering, comfortable, and gives you legs for miles. I've got the black version for riding, funnily enough. 
9. 'Lowland' knee high boots. A lighter, suede version of the classic 5050s by Stuart Weitzman. 
10. Cobra and leather tote (60% off on Outnet!), Rochas. 
11. A classic red by the Queen of lipsticks, M.A.C. My personal favourite is Russian Red. 
12. Cuir de Russie 'Russian leather', an imperial fragrance by CHANEL. Smells of horses, gentlemen's clubs, Russians, and cigarettes, but in the most seductive way possible. 
13. Sasha shark tooth necklace, By Invite Only. A Singaporean label that makes limited editions of jewellery from minerals like agate and quartz. 
14. White and gold Tribale earrings, Dior. The earring du jour with a little extra something.


↧

Of 20 inch pizzas, Christmas lights, & stupidly photogenic boyfriends.

November 25, 2014, 6:24 am
$
0
0

In a bid to assert my individuality and independence I had an evening out without my man *gasp*. Yes, it's come to this: Henry and I have become symbiotic, like a clownfish and an anemone. Last night I swam away from the comfort of the anemone into the brave big ocean of Covent Garden for a date with Luxy. And what a perfect date it was: measuring the aptitude of my new camera by getting the perfect photo against a backdrop of Christmas lights, gossiping about our blogging peers over giant Homeslice pizzas from wood fire ovens, discussing which clubs have the best Christmas balls (can I rock up to Hurlingham dressed as Queen Elsa?) while nibbling on post-dinner cupcakes from Lola's Kitchen, and contemplating our next Caribbean holiday destination while late night shopping on Covent Garden. It's the simple things like these that make being young and (reasonably) privileged so damn enjoyable. LUX(E) LYF 4EVA ♥


As every jaded city-dweller does I tend to avoid going wherever there are crowds and hence I miss out on the obvious (but sometimes timeless and tasteful) beauty of London's famous destinations. I tend to approach Covent Garden cautiously and only when utterly necessary, so put off am I by hordes of slow-moving tourists with their selfie sticks, people gathering in clusters outside the Apple store, and bronze men pretending to be statues. Happily, yesterday night Covent Garden was fairly peaceful but for people flyering on Neal Street and interrupting your conversations every 10 feet you take. Even the Christmas lights were surprisingly tasteful and, how should I say it, restrained given that Covent Garden is such a touristy destination. I think I might be starting to see the appeal...


Welcoming Luxy to the glasses brigade. May your lenses never be foggy with steam when you step out of the shower. I'm not the only person who showers with their glasses on, am I? 

For pizzas in Covent Garden, look no further than to Homeslice. Behemoth wood fired pizza from the cobblestoned streets of Neal's Yard in a shabby-chic, 'so tiny it must be cozy' restaurant where you dine at shared tables with other punters, shoulder-to-shoulder and elbow-to-elbow. £20 for a 20" pizza works out to £1 per inch (you didn't think we were going to settle for a single Neapolitan-style slice, did you?). We went half-and-half: one side was a lightly-too spicy aubergine, the other a deliciously fragrant pizza of garlic, mushroom, and pumpkin seeds which was the clear winner.





Twenty inches of pizza later and somehow there was still room for a cupcake (four) from Lola's. For my most accommodating appetite I have shopping to thank for, and also American Apparel, for gifting me a red lip gloss that I don't want or need but am still happy to receive. I don't care how fancy anyone claims to be, nobody does not get excited by little presents especially this close to Christmas.  



Mini red velvet for Luxy, salted caramel, and green tea with pomegranate for me.


Luxy and I discussed many things last night: my idea of the perfect boyfriend for her (has a country pile, member of at least three clubs, Conservative but no red trousers), our holiday itinerary for next year (Borneo for Chinese New Year? Mardi Gras in New Orleans? Morocco desert tours in May? Summer in Santorini? etc.) and of course our blogs. 

A hot topic was that of my newly improved photography, displayed at its best in my photos of Henry modelling vintage military and designer clothing for Regimental Vintage. In an interesting turn of events I find that these days I'm less interested in having photos of myself taken. Rather, my camera lens finds itself fixated on Henry. Every female blogger has a photographer boyfriend behind the scenes who is responsible for her many carefully crafted images on her blog. It's the opposite with me: call it a necessity for our shop, or that I'm the better photographer, perhaps it's because at the moment I'm quite depressed about the way I look, but I think it's mostly down to the fact that Henry is stupidly photogenic. This blog is running the risk of becoming a celebration of all things Henry (well at least when he starts his own blog he'll have a lot of material to work with) so just to get it all out of the way, here are some photos of him I shot for Regimental Vintage where he looks especially nice. *mutters* Stupid rugged, unconventional good looks, tall slim figure, and dark silky hair...now I'm the fat, ugly, ungainly one in the relationship. Oh well, at least now I have more empathy for the plain. 


British Army officer's jacket on Regimental Vintage.


Vintage Burberry's trench coat on Regimental Vintage.


Cambridgeshire police helmet on Regimental Vintage.


 Irish Guards 'number one' dress tunic on Regimental Vintage.


Holy sh*t, he looks especially hot here. Royal Marine commando jumper on Regimental Vintage.


Looking broody in a Bulgarian great coat on Regimental Vintage.


British Army officer mess dress on Regimental Vintage.



This one is quite special! It's a Vintage British Army Royal Artillery Korean War/National Service era wool battledress jacket on Regimental Vintage.


British Army officer mess dress on Regimental Vintage.

And finally,


British Army Royal Corps of Transport mess dress on Regimental Vintage.

Any other women find themselves far less interested with their image and instead more invested in their other half's? Who else has been through a slump in self-esteem in regards to how you look and felt, and how did you get through it while you were solving the problem? Answers on a postcard please, before all images of myself become a thing of the past. x

↧
↧

Interiors: Winter nest: My bedroom for winter, completed!

November 27, 2014, 6:40 pm
$
0
0

...aaaaaand I've finally finished updating my bedroom for winter!

There's nothing quite as invigorating like a fresh lick of paint to bring some colour to your life or in my case remove the awful colour from my walls. The 'Malayan tapir' (half black, half white) wall in my bedroom that ocularly offended my eyeballs for the past four years has finally been whitewashed into a thing of pure, glacial beauty. Behold the frosty cleanliness Crown Breatheasy 'Brilliant White'has bestowed upon these walls in all its icy, matte splendour. You know me, I'm no minimalist---if my walls don't resemble an orgy in a crayon box than those colours aren't for me---but I think that in this instance I'm alright with all-white.  


Mirror, car boot sale (best £10 I ever spent!) / James Gillray, Fashionable Contrasts print framed in Virserum picture frame, IKEA

This cheeky image by 18th century illustrator James Gillray was used by Anya Hindmarch for their 'Earl' collection of handbags. I have the 'Earl Bottom Pinch' tote which features a rework of Gillray's 'A Duet'. 


'Grand chandelier' glo canvas, Nelly London / faux fur throw, TK Maxx / Mulig rail, IKEA / mint green & grey suede hangers, Primark

The brilliant white walls are the perfect backdrop for my endless rows of useless crap diverse collection of personal effects. The bookcases opposite my bed used to loom ominously over my sleeping self at night until I figured out that my 'sleep zone' should be as uncluttered as possible, or at least as uncluttered as a hoarded can be. I moved the bookcases to the entryway to my bedroom. In its place is a Nelly Duff chandelier canvas that I 'shopped' from the living room which suits the decor better and also my 'capsule wardrobe'. 


While my clothes have their own room, my seasonal staples hang on the clothing rail opposite my bed forming a capsule collection of my winter uniform. Three furs (one vintage fox, one vintage wolf, and one faux), one Karen Millen coat, one Valentino blazer, four knitwears (Elie Tahari, Zara, ASOS, Ralph Lauren), two camel trousers (American Apparel riding pant and Uniqlo jeggings), and two maxi skirts (grey and lilac). These few pieces in a pale palette of neutrals, greys, and mint is the entirety of my uniform from now until Chinese New Year (hello new clothes in red and gold!). I find that choosing my clothes from such a limited selection is so efficient and comforting! Sure, I'm not going to win any outfit of the day awards but the simplicity is so pleasing and that makes dressing for a special occasion from my full-sized wardrobe all the more rewarding and special. Maybe I can be a minimalist after all...


...what did I say about being a minimalist? One look at this wall and I realised it is an ambition never to be fulfilled. An extension of my capsule wardrobe, these bookcases host my favourite shoes and my handbags. The first two used to be where the clothing rail is now and the third bookcase was a recent acquisition, in fact I bought it from IKEA and assembled it only two days ago. 


Somehow, adding another bookcase in the right place has made the room look bigger and more 'open'. It's about positioning. Where the bookcases are used to be 'dead space' with furniture (the clothing rail, a trunk, a mirror and picture ledges to be delegated to the new Regimental Vintage shop) that took up a lot of space in the entryway to my bedroom and felt cluttered because of all the different depths of the furniture. The bookcases, measuring in at a shallow 28cm, provide heaps of vertical storage while taking up as little floorspace as possible. By a stroke of luck the edge of the last bookcase just about comes up to the door, and when the door is opened the bookcases almost looks like a gallery of built-in storage. This nice little coincidence makes the layout look deliberate and  purposeful.


Bookcases: Billy and Gersby, IKEA



I love how clean and colourless this shelf is. 


Louis Vuitton 'Alma' handbag / Polar bear prints, Louis Vuitton (gifted) framed in Ribba picture frame, IKEA / Issey Miyake Bao Bao tote and Prism clutch.



Books du jour: The Adventurer's Handbook, a present for Henry (signed by the author although I've never heard of him) brimming with advice like how to survive an anaconda attack (Me: "Do you just call Nicki Minaj for help?" Henry: "You're not funny at all"). I Am Malala. National Geographic Traveller: Romania, I bought it for my Romania trip and am disappointed by how outdated it is. And my favourite Eyewitness travel guides (I love the colourful illustrated layouts!) for my family trip to Russia.  



I keep my costume jewellery in these versatile acrylic drawers from Muji. I just add more drawers and stack to build more storage for my ever-slow-growing (I don't wear much jewellery) accessories, like a Lego house. 

Acrylic drawers, MUJI / Glass box, Zara Home / Mimosa candle, Diptyque


I love this candle by H&M Home, not for the scent (which is nice enough) but for the marble effect. I have a story so typical of my lebih (Malay for excessive, over the top)-ness: I ordered two from the website just before I went back to Malaysia. Somehow figuring out that they'd soon be sold out in London, I went to the only H&M Home in K.L to buy more. Arran can testify that I summoned an Uber to take me from Bangsar to K.L (despite my car being parked outside Alexis, where we were having coffee) only to cancel it because I was impatient. Then I made Arran and Henry get in my car and we drove into the city, scaling Lot 10's extremely steep car park ramp (all four floors of it, like a hero!) just to park metres away from H&M Home to buy the last marble-print candle. Which I carefully packed in my suitcase to bring back to London. Aiyo. Herculean determination for the pettiest of pointless endeavours? Yeah, I'd make an excellent aunty (in the Malaysian Chinese sense). Makcik mode, activate!

Marble effect candles, H&M Home / Heyland & Whittle fragrance diffuser


How beautiful are these showstopping army tunics? These babies are mine and Henry's proudest acquisitions for Regimental Vintage to date. The red one, covered in Fleur de Lis is a Grenadier guardsman drummer which is the exact same one that Mick Jagger wore in the '60s. The black and purple one is extremely rare! It's worn by a Royal Army Chaplain Department priest and there are only 150 army priests at a time. I can't wait to photograph these for Regimental Vintage. I've got a very special location for a shoot and a special model in mind to do these justice. 


You all know my dressing table area from this previous blog post.

Mirror and large gold frame, vintage / Trunk, my great-grandfather's / Kartell Bougie-inspired lamp, Daisy West (sold out) / 'Bondage sex den' headline, from a newsagent (gifted) / console table, IKEA  / jewellery boxes, vintage / seat, Next Home



Bird cages, Kaison / Edgar Allan Crow, my pet stuffed bird from The Last Tuesday Society / last week's lilies wilting in the heat, from my  neighbourhood flower market on Columbia Road.



Vintage bell jar / Tiger cub skull cast, The Last Tuesday Society / Virserum photo frames, IKEA.



Just when I thought I could feel smug about completing a paint job after four years of being half-arsed about it, here's another paint job I never finished. This mirror used to be black. I bought a tester sized pot of gold paint and started painting the frame gold, from the bottom up. Halfway through the job I ran out of paint and my arms started to ache. Naturally I told myself 'I can't finish the job without more paint, so I'll get more tomorrow...or next week...or next month...next year...decade'. Now I cover up my indolence and incompetence by insisting that 'It's not unfinished, I'm going for the black-gold ombre effect'. 





Want to hear about a rip off? A rip off is when you buy something in a market for three times more than what it costs in the museum shop. I'm talking about those crystals. I paid a king's ransom for them from this hippie lady on Brick Lane market (incidentally, the Sunday I met Henry) after listening to her spiel about how they would purify me, remove the dark energy of 'jealous haters', bring love into my life etc. Well I did meet Henry that day so maybe she had a point, but still...! I bought the same crystals at the Natural History Museum in London for much less. Well she saw me coming. The lapis lazuli box was a present and the jade box I found at a boot sale for next to nothing, so at least the cost of all the stones evened out. The vanilla macaron candle is from TK Maxx and is the most delicious smelling candle in the world, like...burnt caramel, creme brûlée, and warm honey.

Candles: Colonial Candle, TK Maxx, Voluspa, Ecoya / tray, Zara home / ashtrays: Fornasetti, vintage / lapis lazuli box, Kabul (gifted) / green stone box, vintage 



Mum and dad keeping a watchful eye over me, although it gets tiring turning them to face the wall whenever Henry and I engage in...um...amorous behaviour. Maybe I'll move the photo to the living room.

Black snakeskin-style tissue box, I Wanna Go Home/ grey notebook, Christian Dior (gifted) / Forever 21 photo frame


Longchamp pliage, in red and black / antique travelling trunk, my great-grandfather's / fairy lights, IKEA / Homer Simpson bedroom slippers, Primark / Hampen pile rug, IKEA 

I found this old trunk, once belonging to my great-grandpapa, in my grandparents' house in Borneo, hidden under a huge table heaving with dusty antiques and ancient books, decomposing in the shadows and threatening to relinquish its existence to the decaying humidity of the tropics. The trunk's travelling days are well and over, indeed, the cracks and scars it bears including original cargo stickers have faded into and become one with the wood, rendering the trunk's functionality to a display piece of great sentimentality. Now I use it to store out-of-season handbags. 




Skull lamp, Nahoko Koyama for Mixko / screenprints, Pure Evil. 


Is it pantang (taboo, unlucky) to have 'Live East Die Young' hanging over my bed when I live in East London? Especially when I bought that screen print during my party animal days of living fast in East London. It became especially morbid when increasingly more and more of my peers were losing the plot because of a lifestyle of excess and debauchery. I know I shouldn't have tempted fate, but...it's been four years since I've had the screenprint, three years since I've given up that lifestyle and a whole year since I've stopped indulging whatsoever...yet I'm still here and I'll well enough to tell the tales. And maybe one day I will. But for now 'Live East Die Young' remains as a reminder that although I survived the London life it could have ended so differently for me, like the many who end up being chewed up and spat out by this unforgiving city with all its dangerous temptations and deadly excess.



Breakfast tray, House of Hackney. I gave Henry an empty jewellery box for him to store his odds and ends. Yes I know its tiny and seems like hardly a generous concession given that I have three bookcases devoted just to my favourite shoes but! I had two chest of drawers built in the hallway for his overnight clothes and I cleared out half my wardrobe to make way for Regimental Vintage stock. 

I am generous!


Bougie lamp, Kartell.

I'm still looking for the perfect marble-print bedding to compliment the stark whiteness of my bedroom. Apparently the Society 6 duvet covers just don't cut it in terms of quality and the H&M one isn't just refined enough. Why is so hard to find a high-street priced duvet cover that looks like it was designed by a Scandinavian post-modernist textiles designer dressed head-to-toe in white polo neck and palazzo pants? I don't think I'm asking for much. 


For now my vintage fox fur throw adds some much needed texture to my bed while keeping the colour palette clean and minimal.

And finally, a couple of before and after shots for comparison just to show how far my bedroom has come along in one short week---



Not a bad improvement, yes? Only I could buy more furniture and make a room look more spacious. And this is why I'll never embrace minimalism, I see a blank wall as a wasted opportunity.

Thank you for reading this lengthy blog post. It's been a privilege to share with you my most personal space and hopefully you'll have gleaned something from it even if its only 'Well, now I know that having too much crap in the bedroom is not for me'. Now that this project is done and dusted (for this year at least) I'm moving on to updating my living room and my artist studio. Stay tuned for more posts on how to cram as much things as possible into challengingly small living spaces. x
↧

Behind The Scenes: photoshoot for Regimental Vintage

November 28, 2014, 5:30 pm
$
0
0

I've had a long, hard, and productive day shooting eighteen spanking new items (well technically not new because they're vintage) for Regimental Vintage, mine and Henry's online shop at ASOS Boutiques. As the photographer I get praise for the atmospheric and dramatic photos inspired by film stills, but as it is with most craft people usually only see the glossy final product but not the blood, sweat, and tears behind the work. Today the tears came courtesy of the rip-roaring hilarity of Henry and Russell (our model who is also one half of band Swallow and The Wolf). When those two are together it's a laugh a minute: nonstop banter, surreal humour, spontaneous breaking out into song about Cornetto and eyelashes, and friendly fisticuffs. No amount of words or photos can capture their chemistry but one day I will film it, their interactions are the stuff viral videos are made of. Meanwhile here are some behind the scenes photos from yesterday's photoshoot, just so I can share the energy and humour that goes on during a typical shoot with the funniest men I know.


Our favourite shoot location du jour is this church near Columbia Road. A shoot typically involves a few trips back and forth to my apartment with a bag (IKEA makes the best bags for carrying clothes) to change as you can't really undress in public. We did three rounds today, each one revolving around the same set of basic clothes so that the men could just swap around the pieces that were to be photographed without having to strip down to their toes. It mostly involves lots of layers, for example: a Burberry trench coat on top of an Aquascutum suit over a Harris Tweed waistcoat. It usually ends up with some hilarious ensembles.


Russell: "You look an awful lot like a German soldier!"


Henry: (in a thick German accent) "No no no! Can't you zee zat I am an American cowboy? Yippy skippy wippy!"


Vintage German Army red military beret on Regimental Vintage. From the cold war era with cold war with an 'Air Defence' badge.


My favourite shot from today: a stunning British Army Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) cropped tunic.

The earthy truth behind the glamourous photo---


Henry rearranging Russell's face to get the perfect expression.


Nailed it!


Russell looking like a professor in a beautiful vintage Harris Tweed blazer, made from the finest, world renowned wool woven in the Isle of Harris using traditional methods. Harris Tweed has been used for years in high end fashion and is like the Ferrari of wool.

Such a fine material with such a rich history deserves an equally beautiful and refined face---



"Here, hold this leaf!"

We scattered some leaves to attempt an autumnal effect---


Make it rain!

On second thought, its not the best idea, maybe we should leaf it.

When shooting in a public place we often have to stop to let people pass---little old ladies pushing their trolleys while casting suspicious looks at us, curious schoolchildren, confused Desi rude boys---and in this case the most beautiful grey whippet who interrupted his walk to climb all over us!


His name is Azul (the whippet, not my boyfriend).




Isn't he a beauty? 

I want a whippet so badly, but Henry rather have a greyhound. He's extremely fond of greyhounds, he rescued a retired racing greyhound named Suzy who was the sweetest, derpiest dog---she'd dream of racing and in her sleep her legs would run while she mumbled "Hot hot...hot hot hot HOT!"

Henry: "You want a whippet? Get a greyhound! They're more proper!"
Me: "Let's get an Italian greyhound, a whippet, and a greyhound. We can line them up and call them Small, Medium, and Large!"


The men won't hear another word of it.


Russell: "Buy my music! It'll make you look like this!"


Henry trying very hard to look serious and not to burst out in tears of laughter with Russell distracting him.


Chillin' like a B-movie villain in a vintage Belstaff biker suit.

With Henry dressed like a baddie and Russell dressed in a dinner suit, a James Bond-worthy showdown was just waiting to happen.








Blood, sweat, tears, and Hadouken! blows: all in a day's work.

Despite Henry and Russell's best efforts to disrupt a serious photoshoot with their good vibes, high spirits, and infectious humour we managed to shoot all eighteen items for Regimental Vintage in three hours of precious winter light. That three rounds of shooting including three trips back to the apartment to change, and changing locations. 17 out of 18 things we photographed today are already up on the Regimental Vintage online shop! Belstaff biker jackets, vintage Aquascutum, dinner suits, and some of the most beautiful military jackets I've ever seen. 

Thank you for your hard work boys! 


And they lived happily ever after.


NOT.

It's always a fight to keep men under control!

Thank you for reading. May your workdays be ever as hilarious and disruptive as mine.

Regimental Vintage online shop at ASOS Boutiques.

x
↧

Christmas Giveaway: Lancôme Absolue L'Extrait Regenerating Ultimate Elixir

November 30, 2014, 4:29 pm
$
0
0

Christmas is nearly upon us and I thought I'd give you a nice present as a way of saying thank you for reading Posh, Broke, & Bored. This is my first blog giveaway and for the prize I picked a little luxury that I think is quite befitting of the lush, decadent, and nourishing experience that I hope you feel when reading my blog. One of you will win the luxurious and raved-about Lancôme Absolue L'Extrait Regenerating Ultimate Elixir (retail price £255, $360 in the US). It's as easy as clicking a button (or two or three if you fancy giving yourself a slight edge over the rest).
IThe giveaway is on for the next twelve days---the winner will be announced on Saturday, 13th December, and sent out on the 15th to make it to you before Christmas. A perfect Christmas present for yourself for a loved one. Gentlemen and boys, why not give it a go and treat your girlfriend to a gorgeous gold box for Christmas? 



Absolue L'Extrait Regenerating Ultimate Elixir is from Absolue: Lancôme's new range of luxury skincare---promising exceptional radiance and regeneration for all women whatever their age, skin type, and concerns. 

From the Lancome website:
"Absolue L’Extrait, our regenerating ultimate elixir, contains up to 2 million Lancôme rose cells. These cells have been extracted through a state-of-the-art extraction process, and cultivated via an exclusive biotechnological growth process, Fermogenesis™. This allows us to preserve the unique properties of the Lancôme rose cells, fresh and intact in their unaltered state. Our masterpiece inspired by nature, perfected by science."

 



Absolue L’Extrait is sold exclusively in a handful of select locations in the UK, with just 6 in London and even as little as one location per city up North and in Ireland. A rare and precious flower, indeed, and all the more special as a Christmas gift. Go on---you deserve it. 



Befitting Lancôme's renown for luxury, Absolue L'Extrait Regenerating Ultimate Elixir comes in a beautiful gold and black box you open to reveal a jar of lush, magical skincare goodness. Never mind the promises of radiant, rejuvenated skin, opening the box itself is a special experience in it's own right. How perfectly festive! Imagine finding this under the Christmas tree with your name on it.



To enter the giveaway simply follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Bloglovin through this nifty little box below. The contest is open to you wherever you are in the world. Following me on Twitter counts as one entry, following me on Instagram is two, and Bloglovin is three entries. You can choose either of three ways to enter or all three for a better chance. The giveaway is on till the 12th December and a winner will be picked at random by Rafflecopter. I'll be in touch on the 13th to find out how to wing your prize over to you and it should be with you before Christmas! Good luck and may the festive force be with you! x

↧
Search

Life is a cabaret: Cabaret at Scarfes Bar, Rosewood London

December 1, 2014, 6:12 pm
$
0
0

The magical mystical dancer lit up like an erotic traffic light. Even the crickets stopped hick-ing to observe this visual delight!

On Sunday, Henry and I joined Luxy and Mel for an intimate evening of cabaret at the 'artfully social' Scarfes Bar at The Rosewood.

To paraphrase the delightful host Dusty Limits, who has been described as ‘The Trailblazer’ of cabaret: "It's not a conventional cabaret, it's more like stumbling into an eccentric house party in the middle of London, hosted by a rather louche couple and filled with bon viveurs, where guests spontaneously do turns on the dancefloor when they've had too much champagne. Guests of the party know that at any given moment some kind of vivacious performance might take place and they might even be encouraged to join in.' There's no strict cabaret format, no 'fourth wall', no stage – in essence the whole room is a stage and everyone's a player, connected not by blood, but by their love of art, music, and champagne. There is an in-house band, guest singers, acrobats, dancers, burlesque artistes, contortionists, jugglers and clowns – it’s a place where everyone is welcome and where you visit when you want to eat, drink, be merry, be intrigued and be surprised." Perfect for a date night, non? So it was that we put on our best tunics to match our gilded and glorious surroundings, propped ourselves up at the bar, and enjoyed an evening of rip-roaring, hip-wiggling, and tongue-waggling performances from some of cabaret's most beautiful and talented stars.

Just so you know, all quotes in blue (as above) were written by Henry imitating me. I've coloured them so as to add his running commentary on the evening. 


Even the grandeur of the lobby's art deco splendour could not stop me taking a selfie or rather getting my horseradish boyfriend to do it haw haw. 

(Really, Henry? Horseradish? I've always thought of you as more of a cabbage leaf)

Scarfes Bar is currently playing host to a series of cabaret evenings featuring world-renowned cabaret performers. Held bi-weekly, these Sunday evening events complement the bar's programme of complimentary live jazz six-nights a week as well as pay homage to the golden age of cabaret, which finds its modern home in the eclectic setting of Scarfes Bar at The Rosewood, moments from Covent Garden. The evenings are programmed and hosted by Dusty Limits in conjunction with Full Circle management and feature performances by Lili La Scala, Valeriya Murzak, Sammy Dinneen, Vicky Butterfly and Laura London as well as cabaret trio Tom Carradine, Tom Mansi and Jonathan Kitching. 
For Scarfes Bar, Dusty is creating a new style of cabaret performance. "Cabaret was born in intimate venues, in which the performers could get up close to the guests, and we are thrilled to be bringing some of London’s greatest artists to such a beautiful room’ says Dusty, and adds ‘The show will reflect the glamorous and intriguing styling of the venue. It will be a heady cocktail of music, dance, acrobatics, singing and close-up magic." 


Ooh la la the fancy double doors were a welcome sight after our Uber ordeal! 


The boyfriend and I always enjoy a night out on the tiles! 

(Stop stealing my jokes Henry!)


My stomach was not the only place that had butterflies! Even the bell jars could sense the excitement! 


 MUSIC MEN!

Inspired by the atmosphere of a drawing room and the sophistication of a gentleman’s club, the artfully social Scarfes Bar evokes a convivial atmosphere with its roaring fire, walls lined with over 1000 booked handpicked by a Portobello antique dealer and Gerald Scarfe’s collection of amusing and conversation-provoking paintings which adorn the marble walls. The array of quirky details, cosy velvet armchairs and sofas makes it a unique and intimate venue for cabaret events.  
Gerald Scarfe, renowned British artist and caricaturist has lent his name and artistic vision to Scarfes Bar at RosewoodLondon, the capital’s newest ultra-luxury hotel centrally located in the heart of London on High Holborn. Gerald’s collection of amusing and conversation-provoking paintings, highlighting his best work, adorn the marble walls turning Scarfes Bar into a living canvas, described by Gerald as “my personal art gallery, where you can see my life on walls”. Gerald’s collection of original and one-off paintings, now a permanent feature in the bar, add a unique twist and depict well-known historical and famous faces recounting the colourful history of the United Kingdom in Gerald’s witty and satirical way. 


I hate to make light of such an important evening but the napkins had writing on them HOW fancy! 

(Yes, quite)


The stockings above the fire place were heating up and the guests were being heated up by the dancer lady's stocking ha lol YOLO 

(I never say YOLO or LOL!)


OMG! Did the Christmas fairy on the top of the tree come to life or summin'?


Looksie looksie looks its Luxy!

(And Mel)


Dancer man!

(The 'dancer man' is actually Dusty Limits, our exuberant host who is a fabulous singer. My personal favourite song is the one about his very illustrious, dysfunctional family of  eccentric oddballs)
Since 1999, Dusty Limits has been at the forefront of the ‘new cabaret’ scene, which has made London the top city for cabaret in the world. He has been described by Time Out as ‘The Trailblazer’, and The Stage have called him ‘the compere without compare’. He has performed throughout London and internationally from New York to Berlin and everywhere in between, and his solo shows have received tremendous critical acclaim. 


Lalalalalala


The gif that keeps giffing.... Whats a gif?


This lady was giving a talk about investing in a time share in Basildon. She was convincing. Thank 
God my cheque bounced! 

(Hahahahaha)








It's the fantastic leg arm man! It'd be more impressive if he was really fat.

(I must say, I agree)










I enjoyed the show, dare I say it, more than anything I've seen at The Box. It felt more intimate and graceful, with none of the sordid shock value of The Box. Of all the wonderful acts, it was hard to pick a favourite between Dusty Limits' saucy, Wilde-esque songs, the sweet but oh-so-saucy operatic vocals of Lili La Scala, and Vicky Butterfly's mesmerising, dreamy dancing. But if I had to choose one to watch over and over again it would be Vicky Butterfly's hypnotic dances, the way she twirled her ostrich feather fans like a cloud floating across a moon and her illuminated cape swirling about like moth's wings studded with stars.  

With tickets limited to just 60 guests per show, the next and last performance of Cabaret at Scarfes Bar is at 14 December, so catch it before it goes. I'm hoping that The Rosewood will bring back the show for another run in 2015, it's the perfect idea for a date what with the tastefully erotic nature of the show (perfect for setting the mood) or even just an evening out with friends (although you might feel a strange and compelling urge to kiss them after... great for men wanting to get out of the friendzone!) Tickets are priced at £30 per person and can be booked by calling 020 7781 8888 or online. 

x

↧
↧

Vashi Diamonds private view

December 3, 2014, 6:15 am
$
0
0
Last Wednesday I joined fashion and fellow lifestyle bloggers at Tart Bar, Clerkenwell for a private view by Vashi Diamonds. 


Vashi Dominguez, the man behind the diamonds, is 'the TV diamond expert' who advises celebrities and stars on the red carpet. Forty five of his creations were selected and displayed under spot lights to highlight their clarity, cut, and colour. The effect was dazzling but sadly for me made for terrible photos---it was also impossible to photograph the diamonds, so dizzyingly brilliant were they that my camera lens kept getting confused. Death by diamonds haha. Under the watchful eye of Vashi, we tried on the jewellery (except for the earrings)---engagement rings, wedding rings, bracelets etc. and I may have asked one too many times if I could bring home some diamonds. The answer, sadly, was no. But can you blame a girl for asking especially when she's had one too many Cotswold Gin London mojitos? Anyway, here are the pictures from the private view. If you're partial to not just diamonds but also gemstones and pearl jewellery peruse the collection on the Vashi website, and meet the man behind the diamond, Vashi.

 Photo by Laura Scott

 Photo by Laura Scott

 Photo by Laura Scott
 Photo by Laura Scott




My personal favourite piece was this gorgeous engagement ring...


...but I wouldn't say no to these either.


With Sarah and Angela. 




Thank you Vashi for an evening of gin and diamonds. 

x

↧

#GoldCelebration: Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve x Rankin photobooth

December 3, 2014, 4:38 pm
$
0
0
Queens of the photobooth: Luxy and I.
On Tuesday I went to the city to catch the collaboration between luxury Scotch whisky Johnnie Walker and iconic photographer Rankin.


Johnnie Walker and Rankin are two names that need no introduction to lovers of celebratory scotch whisky and to those in the fashion world (I find there is a quite a bit of an overlap between the two). For the uninitiated, Rankin is a world renowned fashion photographer whose prolific portfolio includes portraits of stars, celebrities, and models alike: Jay-Z, Cara D, Kate Moss, Grace Jones, Mick Jagger, Scarjo and even royalty: Prince William and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Johnnie Walker are a luxury Scottish whisky whose signature 'walking man' and 'Keep Walking' slogan have graced many a glamourous soiree. I myself am well acquainted with both; having been shot by Rankin in his studio during London Fashion Week, and having attended Johnnie Walker's Malaysian Grand Prix Formula 1 parties in 2012 and 2013. 

Johnnie Walker and Rankin have collaborated to created the ultimate photobooth in their search for Europe’s new rising star, to appear in an online campaign for Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve. The glorious gold photobooth, designed by Rankin, bears both the Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve logo and Rankin's signature. The booth made its debut at the star-studded launch party in Venice during the film festival. The premise is simple: aspiring beautiful creatures hoping for 'A Shot By Rankin' step into the photobooth, face the almost-impossible-to-look-into golden light (perfect practise for paparazzi flash should they win and are launched into stardom by Rankin), and take four photos of themselves to upload to social media with the tag #GoldCelebration. The five most liked images will be shortlisted before Rankin and his team choose the final winner. The golden ticket, or if you will golden photobooth will be touring Europe and will be appearing in bars, clubs and events across Great Britain till February 2015. 


The Johnnie Walker x Rankin photobooth. If that doesn't look like a Golden Ticket (to stardom) then I don't know what does. 

Henry and I headed down to M Restaurant (where the photobooth will be hosted for the month of December) with journalists and other lifestyle bloggers for an evening of seasonal Johnnie Walker cocktails and for...ahem...networking. And also to have our, fine, my picture taken because you cannot expect a selfie-loving East Asian female to not want to have her photo taken in a booth (hello, Purikura!) especially one designed by a world-renowned fashion photographer. Plus, the photobooth is gold, a fortuitous symbol of prosperity for the Chinese. Huat ah!  祝你羊年财源滚滚，生意兴隆，工作顺利 / Wishing you a goat year with profits pouring in, prosperity in business, and hassle-free work (never too early to start with Chinese New Year wishes!).

On the menu were four Johnnie Walker cocktails: Johnnie's Celebration, Golden Christmas, The Walk of The Heroes, and Johnnie Walker Flower. My personal favourite was Golden Christmas which really did taste like 'Christmas in a glass!' (as the menu so excitedly proclaimed): a concoction of Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, cinnamon syrup, ratafia, Oporto wine, fresh ginger, and pear juice finished with a cinnamon stick which was lit and then rested on the rim like a cigar. Behold---




Toasting to Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve with Henry.

He picked The Walk Of The Heroes (naturally)--- Gold Label Reserve, a soupçon of orange dry curracao, old spices liqueur, dry flowers, and cloves. Warm, powerful, and spicy, one to light the heart.

In the name of research *cough* we followed up with the rest of the cocktail menu.


Johnnie Walker Flower for me. Gold Label Reserve, shaken with fresh lemon juice, lifted by the floral notes of elderflower with a dash of egg white. 

Staying true to the celebratory nature of Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, Henry swirled a glass of Johnnie's Celebration---Gold Label Reserve, dry vermouth, vanilla liqueur, orange and chocolate bitters. A twisted Rob Roy: sweet, smooth, and subtle.


The gorgeous Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve bottles, signed by Rankin, complimented my coat ever so nicely.


In the photobooth with Londonist writer Janan Jay. We bonded over our shared love of Japanese and we had a cracking time speaking Japanese in excitable schoolgirl voices "Dozo yorushiku! Ahhh! Sugoi ne!" much to the amusement of all present. 

My first attempt at having my photo taken in the photobooth (and there were many) was not nearly as successful.

Left; squint city. Right; Shielding my eyes with product placement.


Henry just couldn't handle the glare of the golden light (which makes for excellent glowing skin much like an Instagram filter) but I think that his pained squint adds an intensity to his face. His solo shoot in the Rankin Photo Booth showcases his famous ability to pose like a cat. Meow!

Should you wish to partake in the competition for a chance for'A Shot By Rankin' and to appear in an online campaign for Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, head down to the Rankin Photo Booth at M Restaurant and---
  • ★ Step into the luxury photobooth designed by RANKIN and pose for four glamourous photos.   
  • ★ Upload an image of your photo strip to Instagram and hashtag with #GoldCelebration         
  • ★ Johnnie Walker will then be in touch with a link to enter. 
  • ★ Once the online form is completed you will be entered automatically into the competition         
  • ★ Share the image and ask your friends to like it         
  • ★ The five images with the most likes on the closing date will be shortlisted as a Rising Star    and asked a series of secret questions on their achievements         
  • ★ Rankin and his team will take these answers, along with the picture entry to select the final winner.      
The competition ends on 15th February 2015. Good luck! x

↧

Transylvanian Christmas: Brasov, Romania

December 6, 2014, 4:23 pm
$
0
0


Greetings from Transylvania! Enamoured by the myth of Count Dracula, Henry suggested we take a Vampire Weekend to Romania.

We've travelled to Rome, Vatican City, Lisbon, and Malaysia together over this year, and for winter we wanted to choose a country neither of us have been to. In the midst of contemplative confusion (living in London positions us among too many European countries to choose from) a decisive force in the form of a Uber driver by the name of Norbert arrived in his car to pick us from South London to ferry us back to Shoreditch and in the meanwhile took us to his homeland of Romania with his tales of vampire tourism, Vlad the Impaler's fearsome reputation versus the truth (no less bloody than the vampire stories), and the famous bear sanctuary in Brasov. So enchanted were we by Norbert's spiel that we hardly noticed our hour long journey in rush hour London traffic, and the moment we got home we booked flights to Romania for a long weekend. On Friday afternoon we arrived in Bucharest where we stayed for a night, this morning we took a rickety train to Brasov county in Transylvania where we've set up base in search of the truth behind the myth of Dracula, see for ourselves the origins behind the madness (I mean that as a compliment!) of the two Romanians (and also my two favourite people) I know, and explore this beautiful country which to even seasoned travellers remain off the beaten track thanks in part to communism in Eastern Europe.


We stayed the night in Bucharest, which interestingly enough was nicknamed 'Little Paris' during the 1900s for the sophistication of its elite and the city's elegant architecture modelled after the original City of Light. Indeed, Bucharest has its own Arc de Triomph and the train station is also named  Gara Du Nord. It was from Gara Du Nord that we took a train from the capital to Brasov, where many 'vampire tourists' start as a base to explore the region of Transylvania. The train fare for the two and a half journey (second class, don't bother with first, the only difference is the price) was a mere 50.50 Romanian Lei (RON) which at a favourable exchange rate cost us just under £9.


Brașov Council Square (Piața Sfatului), the focal point of medieval Brasov is rich with history and folklore. Tradition holds that the children sent underground by the Pied Piper of Hamelin appeared near this quare. Around the main square is a collection of medieval buildings in different architectural styles including the Black Church, an Orthodox Cathedral, and the picturesque pedestrian-only Republicii street where Henry and I set up camp. 


The behemoth Christmas tree in the town square was looking decidedly festive, and loudspeakers blared Mariah Carey festive songs that was heard clearly even from four hundred metres away in Mount Tampa. 



Black Church (Biserica Neagră) looking decidedly not at all black thanks to a vigorous scrub following the fire of 1689. This Gothic monument stands as the largest and one of the most important Lutheran (Evangelical Church of Augustan Confession in Romania) places of worship in the region. Thwarted by the slippery black ice around the church we barely made it to the front door and so skipped a visit to this most recognisable and revered landmark. 


Tâmpa Hill on the southern side of Brasov, where we took a cable car up to the top of Mount Tâmpa.

But first we checked into Casa Albert, a boutique hotel concealed in the heart of historical Brasov, just off the medieval pedestrian street down a charming red-bricked arched alleyway. I picked a suite (sweet!) for us. There were two suites, Red Room and Blue Room, and up till we arrived I had no idea which one we'd get. I was secretly hoping for the soothing and refreshing tones of Blue Room so I was delighted when we were opened the door to our humble abode!



The room is furnished in reconditioned furniture for a vintage feel and the walls are painted with murals representing famous historical monuments of Brasov, giving us a glimpse into the city's history. We climbed our brick stairs up to our suite, Henry careful not to hit the top of his head on the low, arched ceilings, to our very own brick-walled reception which opened up the soothing blue walls of our abode. Below is the view of our reception area, the door to our suite, and a glimpse of our living room just past our bed.



The view from our living room.

Henry and I took a stroll around the historical city (nearly slipping on slush and black ice about a hundred times) and climbed the arduous walk up Tâmpa Hill to board a cable car to the top of Mount Tâmpa for an elevated view of Brasov.




Upon arriving at the cable car station I bemoaned my choice of footwear (Stuart Weitzman 5050s weren't made for climbing icy mountains with steep drops) but then saw a glamourous Romanian yummy mummy, child in tow, strutting defiantly through the ice in her four-inch high heeled boots so  I shut up. Although that did nothing to quell the fear that I would slip and fall four hundred feet to my death.


But it was all worth it in the end. When we finally reached the look out point of Mount Tâmpa (just beside its Hollywood-style sign) we were rewarded with this incomparable view of Brasov, and Transylvania:


It took our breath away. Literally, because my foot slipped on ice and I nearly went plunging downward. 

Even up here we could hear the Christmas music wafting from the town square.




Relieved that the worst was over, Henry and I took advantage of the scenery and did a quick photoshoot for our baby: our online shop Regimental Vintage which we were quick to put up in the shop as soon as we got back to the hotel after dinner. Because when you work for yourself, you never stop working. What's a holiday? Oh, these...I remember those. 



New stuff on Regimental Vintage. I love how the photos turned out! I'm now so obsessed with shooting stock wherever we travel. I can't believe I didn't think to do it while in Malaysia. Can I justify taking holidays just for photography? Oh wait, I sort of already do.


Nice hair, don't care.


I didn't choose the hood life. The hood life chose me. 

Can I please talk about my latest lifesaver that is the Uniqlo down coat?

Not to be confused with Uniqlo's famous ultra light down (the one you roll up into a tiny bag) this ridiculously comfortable coat is a miracle of engineering and frankly magic. It weighs like a handful of feathers (goose down, actually) and its lightweight is perfect for travelling: none of that heavy, sweaty, overheated nonsense (how terribly unrefined) that lugging a heavy coat over your elbow while dashing through an airport or catching the train. I've not felt cold a single time Brasov has reached subzero temperature even though I'm only wearing a single Heattech turtleneck underneath (no jumper, no shirt, nothing!) and Heattech leggings under my American Apparel riding pant. 

Whatever sorcery this is, I applaud it. If a creature from a tropical country like myself can handle a Romanian winter, snow and all, in just one layer and a coat so light you can barely feel it, than I daresay it wouldn't hurt to live in Uniqlo's amazing heat-retaining basics all winter. That, and both the collar and the faux-fur trim is detachable. Did I also mention that taupe is one of my favourite colours? I better stop my raving before this post becomes a Uniqlo praise forum.


We descended Mount Tampa for a very late lunch, or early dinner, in an Italian restaurant just off the town square. I can't quite remember which one, but you can't miss it, it's a giant glass box that looks just like a greenhouse. The food was quite good, certainly the pasta made a welcome change from the fat-saturated pork knuckle I had for dinner in Bucharest the night before (but that is another story).


Henry's fish.


After a much needed nap and refreshment back at the hotel we woke up and stumbled out of the sheltered courtyard of Casa Albert, down the arched alleyway to find that Republicii street was twinkling with Christmas lights. The street was heaving with hordes of people (not pictured, this photo was taken at the end of the night) I mean a stampede not unlike the wildebeests in The Lion King, I was literally Simba calling out for help. They were out in droves to see the Christmas fireworks but we wriggled away into the relative peace of the side streets in search of this charming bistro frequented by locals. Yes, more food...


Bistro de l'Arte is tucked away in a little courtyard moments away from the hustle and bustle of Brasov square. With the pianist tinkling away to the atmospheric lighting, the place certainly was cozy and intimate. Having decidedly, sadly, that Romanian food was not for me, the French offerings were very welcome. Henry and I shared escargots and calamari, he had a Romanian potato stew while I nibbled daintily at my croque madame before eschewing all properness (and any attempt at seducing him) and tearing into a pistachio cheese cake before washing it all down with a sort of creamy Kahlua cocktail spiced with pepper.




We ended our night in Brasov with a walk around the town square, enjoying the Christmas lights so much now once the crowd had dispersed. Today we're visiting Bran Castle (Dracula Castle!) and Peles Castle. Wish me luck and that I don't get bitten by a vampire bat. x
↧

Transylvanian Christmas: Peles Castle, Sinaia, Romania

December 7, 2014, 4:00 pm
$
0
0

In Transylvania, northwest of Sinaia in Prahova County, is a fairytale castle rising from the mist and firs of the Carpathian Mountains.
Peles Castle is a palace one recognises from many different stories, each sum of its parts seemingly emerged from a different dream or storybook, and verily this is true for there isn't one style that defines the architecture. Peles Castle is a romantically inspired blend of  many styles: Neo-Renaissance and Gothic Revival not unlike Schloss Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, with Saxon influences of allegorical hand-painted murals and northern European alpine ornate fachwerk in the interior courtyard facades. The smorgasbord of styles was designed to appeal to the tastes of King Carol I of Romania who wanted a grand palatial alpine villa amidst the magnificent mountains he loved, with a mix of European styles: Italian elegance and German aesthetics along Renaissance lines.


Peles Castle was built between 1873 and 1914 as a summer palace with political, cultural and symbolic functions. Over centuries the palace has served as a former royal residence (between 1883-1947), was nationalized in 1948, as a museum from 1953 to 1975 and from 1990 until today. As of 2007 His Majesty, King Michael I of Romania owns the palace and today Peles Castle is a National Museum, under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. Throughout its history, the castle's hallowed halls have hosted some important personalities, from royalty and politicians to artists like George Enescu, Sarah Bernhardt, Jacques Thibaud and Vasile Alecsandri who ovisited often as guests of Queen Elizabeth of Romania (herself a writer also known under the pen name of Carmen Sylva). And ourselves, of course. *shameless*



Henry and I eschewed the many 'one day, two castle' tours touted everywhere in Brasov and instead decided to devote the day to Peles Castle, saving Bran Castle (Dracula Castle) for today. Rather than pay €140 (€70 each) to be herded onto a bus with hordes of others, only to be rushed through the castles before being quickly shepherded back on the bus from Bran to Sinaia and back to Brasov, we decided to set our own pace at the perils of being ripped off by unscrupulous taxi drivers and possibly wander off the path to be eaten by wolves. We merely walked to a taxi rank in Old Town, armed with the knowledge that the distance from Brasov to Sinaia was 50km and at 1.35 RON/km would be less than 70 RON/ £12.50 according to the taxi metre. Of course we accounted for the fact that the taxi driver would have to drive back and we were prepared to pay double to make it worth his while but happily we were quoted 100 RON to and 90 RON back. 190 RON/ £34 for a return journey and 164 RON/ £29 for entrance (plus a photography fee) brought our intrepid Peles Castle trip up to £63. I daresay the trip to Bran Castle will be far cheaper as Bran is only 30km from Brasov, bringing our costs of doing it alone (in comfort, too) less so than engaging a tour. Either way, an independent trip where we could explore at our leisure, free from the shackles of someone else's itinerary is worth every penny. Now that the essential but boring facts about cost is out of the way, let us resume our Romanian roaming.  




Mist rises from the Carpathian Mountains and encroaches onto the palace grounds like a cloud. Amazing how since 1897 the landscape of Bram Stoker's Transylvania has seen little change over the years. The same mysticism of the domineering mountains, so full of secrets (and wolves, bears, possibly vampires), danger, and beauty remains as one of Europe's last bastion of pristine forest.





Inside Peles Castle, the decor is mostly Baroque influenced with carved wooden arches, exquisite fabrics, and more chandeliers you can shake a stick at. The thing about European palaces is, I believe that once you've seen one (make it five) you've seen them all. Controversial, but I tend to find the insides of European palaces quite same-y, and that goes for the Spanish-influenced Palacio de Los Capitanes Generals in Havana, Cuba. Even the 'exotic rooms' decked out in the style and riches of the Orient, Turkey, and the Middle East, as beautiful as they are I've seen them all before all over the world. That's not to say that the inside of Peles Castle is not at all worth the look. There are many things of beauty of wonder, but I'm only sharing photos of the rooms that stood out to my jaded eye.



This spiral staircase was the first of its kind I've seen inside a royal residence. I loved how precarious it looked, this slender curly thing clinging to the corner of the first and second floor dangling over the ballroom below.



Henry was mostly dazzled by The Great Hall of Arms (naturally) and remarked that the weapons on the wall look like beetles.




I had to include this chandelier because the pastel colours and plastic-like effect of the ornaments made it look like little sweets. Among the rich fabrics and heavy woods of the Florentine Hall it looked almost garish in a retro, 1980s way. It comes with a matching mirror, too!



One of my favourite rooms was a small and modest theatre room.


I also enjoyed this cozy study. Haven't I always said that I am drawn to small spaces? It must be my subconscious instinct for surviving life in a big city on limited funds. But if grandeur and cavern-like rooms are your place to go to, fear not, Peles Castle has a room for you. 




After wandering the inside of the palace for a good couple of hours we stumbled outside to find that the sun had all but disappeared behind the mist, casting everything in a wintry shade of blue.



The light was so atmospheric and really set the tone (hahahaha) for photos. Doesn't this shot of Henry look like it could be from a movie still? I'm obsessed with taking film-like photos of him. He simply photographs better than I do.


(I don't even know what I was doing here)


A much more controlled and confident stance.

I was however less confident in our ability to return to Brasov in the cover of ever-approaching nightfall without being eaten by wolves/ mauled by bears/ bitten by vampires, so we hastily walked down the hill to search for a taxi that would take us on an hour-long drive back to Brasov.

The darker it got, the more decidedly vampiric the place looked.




"There's something behind me, isn't there?"


Off the path we noticed a fiery glow in the distance. Was it villagers approaching with pitchforks and torches? No, it was simply Peles Castle, lit up for nightfall, a beacon of warmth in an otherwise inky-blue landscape.



We only had to walk half a mile in the wrong direction before doubling back and waiting by the roundabout at the foot of the hill entrance to Peles Castle. There we waited only five minutes before flagging down a taxi (the whole time I was thinking, God, Sinaia, get with the Uber program) who took us back to Brasov for a very reasonable 90 RON. If you like walks up and down hills, palaces, and wandering through forests with signs that say 'Beware of Bears' you should definitely visit Peles Castle. Whether or not you go with a guided tour or brave it yourself, it's up to you, but it's worth noting that Henry and I were both wearing crucifixes and had eaten two baskets of garlic bread for breakfast. x

↧
↧

Transylvanian Christmas: Dracula's Castle, Bran, Romania

December 8, 2014, 6:01 pm
$
0
0

On our final day in Transylvania Henry and I set out to 'Dracula's Castle' in Bran to separate myth from man: Bram Stoker's Dracula versus Vlad the Impaler. The stakes *hehe* were high---we were cutting it fine if we were to catch our flight back to London from Bucharest---but we were more than determined to sink our teeth *ha* into this last endeavour of ours, the final nail in the coffin *huhu* in our tour of Romania, so to speak. How could I ever look myself in the mirror *chortle* again if I went all the way to Transylvania without visiting Bran Castle, commonly known as Dracula's Castle? 

A vampire bat's view photo I wish I took, alas I sadly lack wings. Source: Pinterest.
“  Bram Stoker's Count Dracula inhabits a decaying castle in the Carpathian Mountains, high above a gallery perched on a rock with a flowing river below in the Principality of Transylvania. Stoker depicted the imaginary Dracula’s castle based upon a description of Bran Castle that was available to him in turn-of-the-century Britain. Indeed, the imaginary depiction of Dracula’s Castle from the etching in the first edition of “Dracula” is strikingly similar to Bran Castle and no other in all of Romania.  Chapter 2, May 5 of “Dracula” describes the castle as “...on the very edge of a terrific precipice...with occasionally a deep rift where there is a chasm with silver threads where the rivers wind in deep gorges through the forests.” Indeed, Bran Castle is the only castle in all of Transylvania that fits Bram Stoker’s description of Dracula’s Castle, and so became known throughout the world as Dracula’s Castle. ” ---Bran Castle.
Source: Pinterest.
Romania very cleverly capitalises on the fascination with Dracula, superstition, and vampires. Bran especially so, every place of trade is prefixed with 'Vampire'---vampire camping, vampire cafe, vampire antiques. Clearly the 'vampire tourism' approach works because every year more than half a million people pay something like 25 RON / £4.50  to visit Dracula's Castle. And someone must be buying the tacky vampire paraphernalia and Vlad the Impaler t-shirts from the throngs of souvenir stalls at the foot of the castle...

Of course it had to be me. I just had to...! That, and because I ran out of clean clothes to wear. Judge me if you will, but I am loving my souvenir stall get up, accessorised with a Romanian Orthodox cross. That tee is so metal.



On our way up the cobblestoned hill to Bran Castle we met a very friendly wolf-like dog who danced with Henry (Dances With Wolves: The Transylvanian Sequel) and followed us up the hill. I suspect he is a spy working for Count Dracula. 


The resemblance between those two is uncanny. Henry is getting shaggier and shaggier with each passing day in the Romanian wilderness. Observe how well he blends in with the surroundings of the Carpathian Mountains.




The entrance to Bran Castle. 








What the fudge, how did my hair get so...thick? I only just cut it a couple of months ago.
I've heard mixed reviews about Bran Castle. Some slate it for being a soulless tourist trap capitalising on that convenient misunderstanding about it being the castle of Vlad the Impaler, the 'original' Dracula when really Bram Stoker was careful to make no distinction between his Count and Vlad himself (the confusion arose from Vlad the Impaler's nickname 'Dracul'---'the dragon' or 'devil') and beside there was never any evidence to prove that Vlad ever made it his residence. The critics bemoan that there's nothing to see inside the empty castle, that the only thing vaguely vampiric about the place is the hordes of souvenir stalls around the castle flogging Dracula t-shirts (one of which yours truly proudly sports), Dracula mugs (we bought three) and Dracula masks (I really wanted one but there weren't any for sale!). 

But possibly these naysayers formed their opinion pre-2009 before the castle was returned to the Habsburgs, the children of Princess Ileana of Romania. In three astonishing weeks the Habsburgs restored the formerly barren castle back to its days of splendour, filling it with art and furniture collected by Queen Marie and opening the castle as a museum. The Bran Castle I visited was tasteful. Sure, these was an exhibition of medieval torture instruments on the second floor but for the most part the artefacts on display were informative and the museum is well-proportioned with everything spread out nicely and not overwhelming so you can appreciate the objects. There are rooms with dioramas of traditional Romanian life: family portraits, models in traditional dress, table laid with fruit, rooms laid with royal furniture, a room explaining the genealogy of Vlad Tepes, and we even climbed a secret tunnel up to the highest balcony with sweeping views of Transylvania. 

Personally, I recommend Bran Castle a must-see if you are in the region of Transylvania. If not to make the distinction between Stoker's Dracula and Vlad Tepes, then to support the efforts of the Habsburgs in restoring a national icon, and to see for yourself the castle and the landscape that inspired the story and mythology that has endured in so many imaginations...and nightmares.

Oh, and did I also mention that Bran Castle is up for sale? Yours for a cool £47 million. 
↧

The Secret (City) Garden: St Dunstan-in-the-East

December 10, 2014, 5:09 pm
$
0
0
Halfway between London Bridge and Tower Hill, on a hill accessible only by a steep, cobblestoned path so narrow you'd be forgiven to stroll through and feel like you're the only person in the city, is a hidden garden that time seemingly forgot. 

Image source: Pinterest
Image source: Pinterest
On St Dunstan's Hill lies the faded remains of a church nearly a thousand years old and within it, the plants that took over the churches bones and revived it as the city garden it is now. St Dunstan-In-The-East started life in 1100 as a Church Of England parish church. In 1666 the medieval church was razed by The Great Fire Of London and was patched up. But St Dunstan-In-The-East would not endure the Blitz of 1941. While the gothic Wren's tower and steeple survived the bombs, of the rest of the church only the north and south wall remained. Rather than rebuild or tear down the sad remains of St Dunstan's, The City Of London turned the ruins into a park with an imaginative planting scheme. Wall shrubs and climbers cover the faded, moss-stained walls, lending the place a peaceful air of romance and quiet. The majestic windows are draped with ornamental vines and creepers, blocking out the noise and smog of the city. Exotic plants and flowers alike grow among the arches, giving the gardens a wild and untamed quality. Today, St Dunstan-In-The-East is a Grade I listed building and one of the most beautiful public spaces in London. The gardens are a favourite lunchtime destination for city workers who sit on the benches around the fountain and eat their sandwiches while quietly taking in the beauty of the place with an almost reverent silence.

St Dunstan-In-The-East is also a favourite (and possibly the worst kept secret) of photographers and filmmakers who throng to the timeless ruins to take advantage of the beautiful light, dappled and glowing as it is filtered through the magnificent windows and the foliage that wraps around the arches.

Naturally, I had to shoot there for Regimental Vintage. Henry and I roped in a very obliging Sara to model for us, with the promise of some nice photos for her, a visit to an enchanting and unusual green space, and great fodder for her blog.


Henry braved the walls, slick and slippery with moss, clambered up to the window ledge and fought his way through the vines for this photo.


Sara looking noble and majestic beneath one of St Dunstan's arches.



The photographer is photographed: Sara showing me what I look like from behind. Conclusion: my hair is long.


We weren't the only people there to shoot. These lovely young ladies, who I think were university students, were shooting for a fashion project and asked for a photo with Henry whose colonialist getup wonderfully complimented their tribal-influenced clothing. There was this other group who positively glared at us: bearing reflectors, lights, assistants, and a tall alien-looking model in an feathered costume I imagine they deemed our rolling around, laughing, and snapping shots this way and that positively childish and unprofessional compared to their elaborate team. I can't help that I don't take myself too seriously, I love cackling and jumping around on set!


If you can't have fun at work, when can you?

Henry stuck his head down the fountain hole and screamed "ARGHHHH ZOMBIES!!!!"

The 'serious team' turned and stared daggers at him. Henry screamed back "Don't go down there! There are zombies!"


Blogger at work: Sara snapping away for her blog Hello The Mushroom. Read her post about our day at St Dunstan's here!

Not just a wonderful blogger and a super-cool-older sister (she did the lip-synching for the Portuguese Umbongo TV ad, hello!), Sara's a great model too.


On the left: Portuguese Army camo shirt, on a real Portuguese model. Naturally.


Sara wearing British Army wool jacket, available on Regimental Vintage.



Some shots of Henry we didn't use for Regimental Vintage. Holy giraffe, how long are his legs? 


Bemused park-goers behind us who displayed neither objection nor enjoyment of our little spectacle. And that's the beauty of St Dunstan's, really, that it is so unusual and unexpected. I know London is a very green city, but if you told me that in the heart of the financial district is a medieval gothic church that was bombed to pieces by the Luftwaffe in World War II and was reborn as an garden of exotic plants and ruined walls, I'd have not believed you had I not seen for myself the enduring beauty of St Dunstan-In-The-East. All at once romantic, post apocalyptic, exotic, and terribly British, St Dunstan's is the sort of place I'd like to selfishly keep to myself, but! a place like this is too wonderful a gem to keep from other Londoners, after all solidarity against the stress of the city is what keeps us united and sane. See for yourself the calming, verdant oasis of green that is St Dunstan-In-The-East at St Dunstan's Hill, off Lower Thames Street. Google map, here. x
↧
Search

How to Stay On In The UK: My Understanding on how to gain PR

December 14, 2014, 4:00 pm
$
0
0

"How do you remain in the UK?" is the most common question fellow Malaysians have asked me. I completely understand their curiosity, after all I know firsthand how difficult it is for anyone outside of the European Union and Switzerland to stay on in the United Kingdom once they've stayed their student visa. While I don't claim to be an expert on immigration I can say that having stayed in London for eight years on three different visas has given me some insight on gaining permanent residence here. 

My story:

The Home Office certainly doesn't make it easy for anyone outside of the EU, much certainly less so for those seeking employment in creative (art and design related) fields. I graduated from Central St Martins in 2009 and almost all of my non-European classmates---most of them more skilled, employable, and deserving than I---had to leave London and return to their countries because they couldn't find ways to extend their stay. My story is one of being in the right place at the right time and also that of being relatively privileged. When I left university I applied for a Tier 2: Post-Study Work visa to pick up where my Tier 4: Student visa left off. This visa essentially buys you two years to stay on after graduation to decide on your options, the most viable being offered a skilled job from an employer who values you enough to sponsor a work visa before your T1:PSW visa ran its course. The thing is, the Post-Study Work scheme officially ended in April 2012, leaving graduates with a very real urgency to not only find employment but also one that comes with a Tier 2: General visa. Even so, the Tier 2 visas are for only three years, but you need to stay in the UK for five years to qualify for Permanent Residence (PR), meaning that even after remaining in the same job for three years your employer has to renew your visa for at least another two. As a freelance illustrator gaining a Tier 2 visa was almost impossible, so instead of putting my fate in the hands of someone else I decided to seize my own destiny and I became an entrepreneur. I set up a company in London under the Tier 1: Entrepreneur visa. Frustratingly the two years I'd spend in the UK under the Post Study Work visa did not count toward the five years I needed to achieve the right to remain. Still, I've owned my own business for three years now and am inching ever closer to PR. 

Anyway, to answer all the questions posed to me on the tricky topic of immigration, here is my understanding of the best (and legitimate, I must stress) ways to stay on in the UK with the goal of achieving permanent residence. All my knowledge on this subject is based on endless hours of researching the Home Office website, speaking to other Malaysians who achieved PR, and of course my own experience of having been in London for the last eight years. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, I'm in no way professing to be an expert on UK immigration but am just sharing what I've learned over the years.

Horsing around the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot 2013

How To Stay On In The UK
1) Marry a British citizen 
If your spouse or partner is British, has settled in the UK, has asylum or humanitarian protection in the UK, then you're sorted. Boom. God Save Our Gracious Queen, Long Live Our Noble Queen!  God Save Our Quuuuuueeeen. Obviously it's not as simple as saying 'I do' or asking 'Will you do the honour of being my wife/husband/partner in this life and next?', there are exceptions and restrictions as with any other visa. I know only one person whose done this, his husband is American-British, and they've been together since the day the world was created. I know one person my parents' age who married his friend just so she could stay on in the UK, but if you're thinking of doing the same (marrying someone for a passport), seriously, don't.  
If you're wondering what citizenship I want mine and Henry's child to choose---as Malaysians aren't allowed dual nationality---the answer is: I want our child to be British first, Malaysian second. Brits can have two passports. I want our child to enjoy the benefits of being British (NHS, education, being able to travel to more or less anywhere without a visa) while having the option to move to Malaysia should he or she wish.
2) Tier 2: General Visa
As I've described above, companies who can sponsor foreign workers will fork out for a Tier 2: General Visa if they value your skills enough to go to the trouble of obtaining a work visa for you. Friends I know who have been sponsored Tier 2 visas are usually highly skilled i.e. lawyers, doctors. These visas don't come easily to people in design or creative industries but unlike Tier 1, these visas have less restrictions ie. you can do a second job in the same sector and at the same level as your main job for up to 20 hours per week. (Gov.uk)
There are three types of Tier 2 General visas, and like all visa applications you have to qualify by a points system. 

a) Tier 2 General (up to 3 years)
b) Tier 2 General (more than 3 years)
c) Tier 2 General (up to 3 years) - shortage occupation 

3) Tier 1: Graduate Entrepreneur, General Visa, Investor, and Entrepreneur 
a) Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur:  
This scheme is news to me. Up to 1,000 students annually can stay in the UK to work on and develop business ideas that are considered to be world-class, innovative business plans. Because of the difficulty in meeting the requirements for Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur it is unlikely that many applicants will qualify for this visa route. Entrepreneurs who meet the requirements under this new visa route will be able to stay in the UK and then switch into the Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa if they invest £50,000 in their business which should enable them to stay in the UK on a long term basis. You have to be endorsed by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) as part of the elite global graduate entrepreneur programme or your current UK higher education institution if it’s an authorised endorsing body. (Gov.uk)
b) Tier 1: Exceptional Talent  
Have you been endorsed as an internationally recognised leader or emerging leader in your field in science, humanities, engineering, medicine, digital technology or the arts? If you are, you're probably too busy to read this blog and likely already know about this. If not, never mind, there's always...
 c) Tier 1: General Visa 
You can apply to switch from your current visa to a Tier 1 (General) visa if you have permission to stay (‘leave to remain’) in the UK in one of the following categories: writer, composer or artist, self-employed lawyer, or Highly Skilled Migrant Programme. You can’t apply for a Tier 1 (General) category visa if you’re outside the UK, and you usually can’t switch to it from other immigration categories. From 6 April 2015 it will be closed to applicants who want to extend their visa. You can work in most jobs in the UK without a sponsor, be self-employed, and bring family members with you. (Gov.uk)
d) Tier 1: Investor 
You'll need some dollah for this route. £2,000,000 to be exact, of which you have to invest  in UK government bonds, share capital or loan capital in active and trading UK registered companies. However you cannot invest in companies mainly engaged in property investment, property management or property development, or work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach. If you invest £10 million, you can apply to settle after 2 years. Invest £5 million and you can apply for PR after 3 years. No trust fund? Go down the route I followed...
d) Tier 1: Entrepreneur
This is the visa I currently hold which allows me to stay in the UK as an owner of a business. After proving that I could support myself and scoring over 95 points on the point base calculator (ie. access to at least £50,000 that is free to spend in the UK, graduated with a UK Bachelors degree (Honours, no less) that was taught in English etc) I set up a business in the UK with £200,000 in a UK bank to invest in my company. In the course of the first two years I've employed British nationals, essentially investing in the British economy. I can't, however, work for anyone---my role in the eyes of the Home Office is to be an employer, not an employee---and I have a set amount of days that I can leave the country: no more than a total of six months a year if I am to apply for indefinite leave to remain. Indefinite leave to remain is basically one step down from getting a British passport, which I can't do because I'll have to renounce Malaysian citizenship and my parents will throttle me if I do. I'm on the second leg of my Entrepreneur visa, having recently renewed it, and when I complete this in three year's time I can apply for indefinite leave to remain.
Of all the routes I applied for Tier 1: Entrepreneur because although I'm not an Noble-prize winning genius of the sciences, nor a super-entrepreneur in the vein of Mark Zuckerberg, nor Roman Abramovich, I do have some funds, an idea for business, and the passion and commitment to run a company. And here you thought I was only good for writing aspirational fluff on the internet! 
If reading all of these requirements and restrictions hasn't daunted nor put you off the idea of applying to remain in the UK, and you still want to stay on and try to give everything you've got to this fair country, my last piece of advice to you is: get a good immigration lawyer. Your immigration lawyer is the captain of your boat in the stormy seas that is the bureaucratic process of applying for visas. Trust me, before I engaged a lawyer to help me understand the in-and-outs of applying for PR I was more confused than a short-sighted hedgehog confronted with a box full of shoe brushes.

All that said and done, before you even consider applying,  read the Home Office website to be sure that you understand the basic requirements. I've quoted some of their overview information in some of the paragraphs above but you can read more about eligibility, requirements, and application fees on their website. 

Good luck!

x
↧

Making a difference this Christmas: Crisis At Christmas 2014

December 15, 2014, 5:09 pm
$
0
0

I've received heaps of positive feedback on my  blog post about how to gain permanent residence (PR) in the UK. It seems that lately my posts about more practical life advice (home decor, travel etc.) are well received which I imagine reflects my readers' lives: young adults like myself who have been following Posh, Broke, & Bored while both myself and my blog topics evolve as we mature. Even carefree ingenues must blossom into nubile sophisticates, yes? As we stride away from the me-centric stages of adolescence and toward compassion for the universe beyond our own orbit we find ourselves caring a little more for those around us, and realising how blessed we are. I mean, you're probably reading this on a smartphone, computer, or tablet which means you're probably reasonably well off. I hope you'll spare some of your time and allow me to speak a little about a cause that has become quite dear to me, which is Crisis, the national charity for single homeless people.

I have always helped where I can with charitable causes; I've raised money at charity dinners, I donate to causes close to my heart, and last Christmas I volunteered at Crisis at Christmas 2013. Every Christmas, Crisis welcomes single homeless people to their shelter where they are welcomed out of the cold and gives them with a place to sleep, shower, eat, medical treatment, in other words things we all have daily access to and take for granted. This year is no different. On the 23rd and on Christmas Eve, Henry and I are volunteering with Crisis at their Winter Rough Sleepers Centre. 

In 2010, more than 3,600 slept on the streets of London, in doorways, under bridges, in bushes, on benches etc. in temperatures that drop as low as minus centigrade. Exposed not only to the brutal, life-robbing elements of winter, rough sleepers are vulnerable to attack: abuse from people drunk after a night out or other homeless people. According to The Guardian rough sleepers have a life expectancy of just 42 years and take their own lives at 35 times more than the rest of us. Ben Taylor, a street outreach worker, explains that a person can become a rough sleeper for a great number of reasons and no two people are the same. Their rough sleeping can be the result of personal tragedy, a relationship breakdown, anti-social behaviour, a history of offending behaviour; inability to adapt after leaving the care system, the military or prison; fleeing domestic violence and financial crisis. Rough sleeping is always a last resort and often happens when people have no family or friends to fall back on. It's a rut that can be difficult to climb out of, with an entrenched rough sleeping lifestyle due to chaotic addiction which prevents them from managing accommodation, employment, relationships etc. leading them to live an isolated existence on the streets and outdoors.

Crisis are one of the many charities in London that take in rough sleepers, giving them somewhere safe and warm to stay while helping them get back on their feet. Of all the charities to volunteer for I chose Crisis because I've worked with them before and the good they do have been permanently imprinted into my mind, and also I am constantly reminded of the work they do: the Crisis Warehouse shares the same building as my artist's studio. 

There are many ways to help Crisis in their unrelenting quest to end homelessness. Henry and I are volunteering at the Winter Rough Sleepers centre on the 23rd and 24th this month. Last Christmas I did general volunteer work at one of their locations. Even if you can't spare the time you can reserve a place for a homeless person this Christmas by donating to their Crisis at Christmas 2014 appeal. For £21.62 you can reserve one place at Crisis at Christmas and provides, welcoming support from people who really care, three nutritious hot meals including Christmas dinner, the chance to shower and change clothes, have a haircut and get a health check expert advice on life-changing issues like housing and employment, and an introduction to Crisis year-round services for training and support for the future. You can also donate more, I've seen donations as large as £5000. Whether or not you choose to do so anonymously, you can leave a heartfelt message with your well wishes for a brighter new year and a Happy Christmas.

If you'd like to volunteer, there is a role for everyone. Specialised skills like healthcare, IT, hairdressing, and counselling are always in demand, but even just being a good listener can go a long way. Here are just some of the roles you can assume to help out at Crisis:


And of course, you can donate goods to Crisis to The Crisis Warehouse at 46 Willow Walk, London, SE1 5SF. Clothing, tinned food, and snacks are very welcome, priority items include towels, toiletries like deodorant, shaving foam and razors, and USB sticks. Henry and I have collected from my neighbours unwanted clothes which I'm taking to the warehouse. 

Myself, I don't celebrate Christmas because my family aren't religious. I won't be flying home to Malaysia to see my family---I do that during Chinese New Year---but I'm hardly sad to miss on all the gifts, Christmas dinner, and other trimmings of Christmas because even though I'll be in London, I'll be with Henry and we'll be helping people who don't have a family or friends to turn to. Isn't that what Christmas should be all about, not crass and pointless consumerism but charity and helping those who need it the most?

If you'd like to to make a difference this Christmas with Crisis At Christmas, here is the website to view all the roles and register to volunteer.

x
↧
↧

Interiors: London Living room

December 17, 2014, 6:32 pm
$
0
0

I have a confession to make that I hope you won't judge me too harshly for. 

I've gone for four years without having a coffee table in my living room. That's nearly 1,500 days of eating my dinner off my knees (the dining table has been relegated to the duty of home office, even now that I have a studio) and appropriating an assortment of furniture (do shopping boxes count as furniture?) as a perch for my Macbook during Revenge marathons. How savage, I know. Rejoice! Those beastly days are now over: I've finally gotten round to cramming a coffee table into the minuscule space I call my living room. Miracles of miracles, the latest Tetris block hasn't actually made the place feel significantly smaller but in fact added another catch-all for my ever-burgeoning collection of books, tiny cacti, and assorted junk. The living room, dare I say, is starting to look like a deliberate, functional space with a focal point, not just an awkward cluster of furniture staring at each other through a chasm of cowhide rug-clad blankness.

Digressing. Some of you, dare I say it, enjoyed my blog post on my multitasking dining area/home office and wondered what the rest of the room looks like. I thought I'd share some photos of what the seating area looks like now. Although my apartment is far from completely 'done', I may have just succeeded in creating the illusion of a furnished flat. My trick? Cram as much crap as you can into a room, then strip back a couple of details, and you might, just might, convince some that your place has been decorated. Seems to work a treat for me, my guests coo "Oh, I like how you've done your flat" while resolutely ignoring the unpatched holes in the walls and incomplete fixings dangling ever so sadly from the ceilings. Overwhelm the eye and it'll just look past the rest that is lacking, that's my strategy. Anyhow, without further ado, this is what my living room looks like at the 'mo. Take a picture (or twenty), it'll last longer...


The seating area, kitted out in a frightful majority of IKEA, some Kartell, vintage and high-street bits and bobs.



The dining area. I finally got round to hanging those polar bear prints, a gift from Louis Vuitton. I was hoarding them for my future dressing room but decided that they weren't getting any air time in the meanwhile, so above the dining table they went.


My entire living room, which is an awkwardly shaped space: long and narrow. I installed the mirrors on the walls the day I got the keys to my apartment, strategically placed to reflect the light from the East-facing windows opposite. The mirrors do wonders to open up the room and illuminate every corner of the room with natural light. In winter they go a long way to making the most of precious little daylight. In summer, the room is bathed in sunlight all day long and make the living room almost painfully bright, so I had semi-transparent blinds custom cut to fit the window frames to diffuse and soften the glare while still allowing light through.


Art by Leif Podhajsky and Tomer Hanuka. Footstool is vintage, a gift from my boyfriend.



Gold breakfast tray: Nom Living. Fornasetti ashtray. Shanghai Tang candle holder. Rewined'champagne' candle. Assorted crystals and stone boxes from Romania, Afghanistan, and China.


I've bloodied many a finger arranging these cacti into this bowl. Prickly buggers.







The butterfly wall, adorned with winged critters from the Kuala Lumpur Butterfly park. You can get similar ones from Bugs Direct. 

Heaped on my console table are Christmas presents. Once the gifting season is over the gemstone terrarium from Hermetica is taking pride of place, and so are vintage my bell jars and this unicorn skull I've seen in the front window of The Last Tuesday Society...



How hideous is that taxidermy fish? A steal from an antique shop in Malacca at only RM100/ £20. I can see why the previous owners were keen to get rid of it hahaha. I'm strangely fond of it though. Alan the Partridge is a gift from Henry. The crystals are from Brasov, Romania.  


You know what picture ledges are good for displaying, apart from framed art or photos? Magazines. 

You know which magazines are best for displaying in your living room? Ones that you and your mother are on the front cover of. 

That's all for my living room (and now I have to go decorate my artist studio, and, um, actually put it to good use by making some art) tour. Thoughts?

x
↧

Interiors: Hallway Snippets & StreetHub

December 18, 2014, 4:00 pm
$
0
0


Inspired and encouraged by the success of my living room makeover I thought I'd put more effort into decorating the most sadly-neglected space in my apartment: my hallway, with a little help from StreetHub.

To put my Frankenstein-monster of a hallway into context: the year was 2010. Farrow & Ball's gorgeous grey shade 'Downpipe' was all the rage among the interior and decor blogs, with many a well-styled room painted in this moody, sophisticated hue. So this style maverick *side eye* ran out to the local decorators and bought the closest shade she could find to Downpipe, painted the entire wall in a record breaking forty five minutes, stepped back, recoiled in horror and learned a very important lesson: always buy a sample to do a test patch before painting an entire room. Oh, and never buy imitation wall paint. 

Anyway, it's been two years since I've averted my eyes every time I walk into my apartment (you'd be surprised how well the denial approach works when it comes to botched home improvements). No more. As the new year approaches and brings with it promises of a brighter 2015 full of promise and better things, I've resolutely determined that the Year Of The Goat will be the year I stride into my apartment, head held up high as I proudly gaze upon the walls and declare: "Hot dang, this is one sexy-looking hallway." To that goal, StreetHub have very kindly offered me a little something to beautify my life and I chose this Of Cabbages And Kings map of the London Borough Of Hackney. 




StreetHub discovers the best independent fashion and design boutiques and brings them to you via their online shopping portal and their iPhone app. StreetHub boasts over 13,000 unique items from shops in London and Brighton. As wonderfully diverse as their selection is---fashion, homeware, gifts---they all have one thing in common: everything is design-forward and reflects the latest trends in the area from Shoreditch to Notting Hill. With the app you can use your location to explore local shops, search for what's trending, and have everything delivered to your home with same-day delivery in as little as 90 minutes Yes, even on Christmas Eve! Last minute Christmas shopping from your iPhone...procrastinators of the world rejoice.


Wouldn't my London Borough Of Hackney map look so good beside these Islington and Camden maps? 

1. London Borough of Hackney Illustrated Map from Of Cabbages and Kings
2. London Borough of Islington Illustrated Map from Of Cabbages and Kings
3. London Borough of Camden Illustrated Map from Of Cabbages and Kings

In the celebration of Christmas (self)gifting (hey, I bought all of you lots of presents already, this week it's all about me!) I've chosen a few of my favourite things from my StreetHub shopping list. 2015 will be all about travel for me---Latvia, Russia, Mongolia, Borneo, a Caribbean destination---so in anticipation of my upcoming travels the theme is Intrepid Gadabout. 
1. Scratch Map from Maiden
2. La Sardina Camera and Flash Belle Starr from Lomography
3. Russian Doll Salt and Pepper Shakers from Rigby & Mac Ed
4. Globe pencil sharpener from The Ship of Adventures
5. ‘Bouquet’ Wall Map from Grace and Thorn Flowers
6. Cereal magazine vol 7 from DOWSE
7. Summer Holidays Mugs from Snowden Flood
8. Plum & Ashby Woolen Travel Blanket from Blackbird
9. New York Passport Cover from Source
Things I'm looking forward to in 2015: 1) Doing up my hallway 2) Putting together my shopping picks, above, as an adventurer's pack, if you will and 3) Travelling to more exotic and unusual, less mainstream destinations (starting with Riga, Latvia, in January).

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got my beady little eye trained on more Of Cabbages and Kings maps... x

↧

Hannah for Regimental Vintage | Return to St. Dunstan's

December 19, 2014, 4:00 pm
$
0
0

Hannah looking fancy and powerful in red (inside joke) in a photoshoot for Regimental Vintage.

Hannah is one third of the Nasi Kangkang gang (Hannah, her sister Kate, and I) and ties with Kate for the esteemed title of My Favourite Romanian ever. Although she takes top spot for craziest, did she tell you about the time she grabbed a man who was eyeing Kate's legs, shook him by the collar and yelled: "How DARE you look at her that way! She is not a camel in a market! APOLOGIZE!" No? Well now you know. Never underestimate a nearly six-foot Romanian girl and her love for her family. Anyway, Hannah channeled her energy for Henry and I by modelling for our shop Regimental Vintage, and we took the opportunity to show her our favourite London secret garden, St Dunstan-In-The-East. 


St Dunstan-in-the-East may be my favourite church in London. Judging from the warm reception to my blog post about St Dunstan's it seems that many of you feel the same way. A thousand years ago St Dunstan's was a Church Of England parish before being razed by the Great Fire of London and then succumbing to the bombs of the Blitz in World War II. Displaying the sort of resilience, innovative and creative spirit, and ability to rise from the ashes that London is famous for, the ruins of the church were turned into a public garden. Ornamental vines, creepers, moss, exotic plants and flowers planted around the bones of the former Wren church cover the walls, the foliage filtering the London light and illuminating the place in a dappled glow. The effect is at once wild, post-apocalytic, yet romantic. With such a dramatic setting it's no wonder St Dunstan's is a favourite setting for photographers, filmmakers, and City workers nearby seeking a brief respite from the chaos of the city. Indeed, that day we interrupted Gus (not his real name, but bestowed upon him by an excitable Henry) and his peaceful day of reading. "What are you reading?" yelled Henry. Gus waved his book and grinned: "The Quiet American!" Henry: "That's a nice idea for fiction! Good luck finding one in real life!" (Sorry) You can read more about my first post on St Dunstan-In-The-East here.


Spot the leopard (Henry). He scaled to the top of the tree, all 20 feet of it, in an impressive eight seconds (we counted). 

More evidence, if it was ever needed, that Henry is a cat. 

Some of my favourite photos from the shoot that are now up on Regimental Vintage: 


Vintage Scotts Guards scarlet tunic on Regimental Vintage.



Vintage RAF (Royal Air Force) beret on Regimental Vintage.



Vintage Orthodox crucifix on Regimental Vintage. Henry and I sourced these from Transylvania so of course it had to be a Romanian to model it. 

With these two sillies it's not all work and no play. Tomfoolery ensued, with Henry mock-proposing to Hannah with my bottle stopper: "It's the biggest cubic zirconia in the world!"




Avant-garde Romanian gypsy fashion, as styled by Han.



Ok, more serious photos.


Hannah looking fetching in a Vintage Belstaff biker jacket on Regimental Vintage.



Regimental Vintage isn't just vintage military clothing and accessories. We're proud to have a few designer labels as well, with pieces from Belstaff, Burberry, Aquascutum at ridiculously bargainous prices. Burberry trench coats at under £100? Never mind Henry's crazy penchant for tree-climbing and Hannah's fiery spell-casting on her enemies: those prices are madness. x
↧
Viewing all 650 articles
Browse latest View live
Search