two weeks in the +65!

 After an amazing first 8 weeks (that absolutely flew by!) at boarding school in England, I couldn't be happier to come home to Asian food, warm weather, my family, friends and beloved bed. The heat is even more unbearable than when I left - I don't think I'll be wearing anything other than strappy tops and shorts in fear of perspiring to death in this horrific humidity! Life has been craaaazy busy and I literally hit the ground running (...to fashion week, that is); from hopping straight off my flight and dashing to catch the Frederick Lee and Julien Fournie for Love, Bonito shows at FIDe Fashion Week to being reunited with all my lovely friends and my boyfriend, it's all been non-stop since I flew in last week and I'm loving every second of it. Lunching with my dad at our favorite Tiong Bahru eatery "Open Door Policy," coffee dates with Emma, fun photoshoots and modelling jobs, study dates with Camilla, celebrating Zack and Ayush's birthday, gymming with my lovely brothers, attending exciting meetings and events, shooting outfit posts with my mom, going for evening strolls with my boyfriend and trying to get some of my holiday homework done are only a few highlights of the many things I've been up to in the span of 7 days. One week down and one more to go; livin' at full speed is the best way I know how. 

london calling.

It still hasn't hit me that I am now able to spend almost every weekend over the next two years exploring one of the most beautiful cities in the world: London. It's a melting pot of culture and fashion much like New York City, but it has a historic European charm characterized by iconic architecture that the concrete jungle of NYC couldn't even begin to emulate. London has firm cultural roots and a distinct, offbeat vibe, yet everyone can find their own slice of London to feel right at home. As a fashion obsessed student on a budget, I can't wait to better acquaint myself with London's vintage and thrift shopping scene, quirky cafes, bookstores, museums and everything else it has to offer. Oxford Street has its own magic, sure, but there's so much more to be uncovered in this beautiful city and I can't wait to spend the next two years doing just that and becoming a Londoner myself. As a passionate traveler and cultural enthusiast, I'm latching onto my chance to explore a new place independently; that is, without my lovely family in tow. Travelling as a young person on a budget is almost a rite of passage to growing up and becoming an adult, and I can't wait to familiarize myself with London enough so I can confidently bring my friends from Singapore around on a personalized tour, steering clear of gimmicky tourist activities. Umbrella in hand, Oyster card in pocket and wanderlust all over, I'm ready to become best friends with one of the greatest cities in the world.



Above are some pictures of my recent trips to London and what I've done so far:

1. Patara Restaurant on Maddox Street.
With four branches dotted across the most enviable of London locations, Patara Restaurant is the pinnacle of authentic Thai food on this side of the world. With excellent service, quality Thai ingredients and ornate interior decor that makes me miss Thailand that much more, this restaurant has earned its place in my heart for those weekends when I'm feeling those Asian food cravings (and when I have a little more money in my pocket than usual!). I have to mention this again because I can't get over how carefully and beautifully decorated the restaurant is; if you have a penchant for oriental interior design, this restaurant is worth a visit - for the food, delightful decorations and luxurious atmosphere. 

2. One of my London-adventuring outfits.
Featuring the newest addition to my Dr. Martens family: the 1461 Classic, a flowy ribbed cardigan c/o ClubCouture, A&F jeans, an Urban Outfitters top and my latest obsession: my new Marc By Marc Jacobs Classic Q Karlie bag in black, this outfit couldn't have been more appropriate for a Sunday trot around sunny London streets. Comfortable shoes are absolutely essential in big cities, and the AirWair soles of these trendy, simple shoes make the hours of walking that London demands a complete breeze. While we're bidding a gradual adieu to the gloriously hot weather in Europe as Fall drives the thermostats down, simple, light layers made it easy to enjoy the sun, yet wrap up when the winds whipped up. I absolutely ADORE my new MBMJ crossbody bag; it's a little small for someone who constantly carries around oversized bags, but it made my day of trekking in the city a lot lighter. It's designed to carry just the bare necessities; in my case, an Oyster Card, my ID, some cash, lipbalm, phone, gum, etc (speaking of "what's in my bag," I might do a post on that in the future! Thoughts?).

3. A little moment of magic.
I'm not quite sure what this is for or what it even is, but it made me smile to walk past this poster filled with different colors arranged in grid form on the street corner of a small backalley. Big cities are full of the most poignant moments of magic; if one walks around observantly with their eyes open, the most artistic moments can capture you, stop you in your tracks, make you grin and make you walk ahead with a spring in your step. If there's one thing I don't miss about Singapore, it's the uniformity and monotony of the slightly sterile, commercial city. To me, a good city should be efficient and clean, but also rich in imperfections which ultimately create character and soul. 

4. London's stunning architecture.
I don't quite remember where this was taken (other than the fact that it was conveniently near a Jack Wills store!), but I love the fact that there is so much unique historical splendor still prevalent in places with the most commercial, globalized stores in the world. 

5. #LFW flags on Oxford Street.
A picture taken standing outside the legendary Topshop on Oxford Street (yes, I did get lost in there). Bustling with tourists and locals alike, I was able to snap this picture of the London Fashion Week banners waving proudly above the street. More on that to come!

6. A lazy day in the sun.
Summer berries, a classic novel (complete with SAT vocabulary highlights - woo!), my favorite navy loafers, my Moleskine journal and a new fountain pen - oh, and a sunny patch of grass. London has big red buses and towering buildings, but is also full of picturesque park benches and gorgeous parks for those who favor slices of nature amidst a bustling urban jungle. I certainly do!

If you have any recommendations at all about London, feel free to email me at veena@seveninchstilettos.com or leave a comment below!

QUESTION AND ANSWER: Coffee with Veena + Zack!

I'm so happy to announce that my second (and hopefully not last!) YouTube video in collaboration with my best friend Zack (you might know him as "zachwithak" on his social media channels and "zackhourihane" on YouTube) is live: "QUESTION AND ANSWER! Coffee with Veena + Zack" !!! It's always so much fun collaborating with my lovely and talented bestie, who is the Entertainment Editor of famous local news portal "Popspoken," as well as an achieved YouTube singer/songwriter. We filmed this fun video at a quirky concept space on McCallum Street called "SPRMRKT" (that's "supermarket" minus the vowels), which houses a delectable selection of home-cooked food and nibbles, assorted cooking utensils and keepsakes sourced from all over the world, and some insanely beautiful art pieces by emerging local visual artists. It's a cosy little hub of all things alternative and inspiring and is sure to redefine your dining/shopping experience by mixing them together at one perfect location! Oh, and my gorgeous black top was sponsored by Threepurs, who you might have read about in my previous advertorial post here! There isn't much else to say that isn't already said in the video, so if you're interested to hear everything from our career aspirations to what's on our iPhone lock screens and way more in-between, check out our video now! Leave your thoughts in the comments, give us a thumbs up if you enjoyed the video and share the link to share the love! We'll love you lots (even more than we already do!) for that :)

ladakh 2012 - eighteen days at altitude.

I still can't believe that less than a week ago I was at an altitude of 6000m in the Himalayan Mountain region, taking ice cold river showers and sleeping in tents and wearing the most unfashionable hiking gear you will ever see. Now I'm back, safe and sound in the comfort of my own home (back at sea level - no more altitude sickness!), with hot running water on demand, lovely home cooked food and all the luxury of high speed internet. From the 17th of June till the 7th of July, I was lucky enough to travel all the way to the sprawling mountains of India along with 50-60 other people in my grade. We did a huge variety of things and it was one of the best trips I've ever taken. Here's a little bit about what we did:
~

1. Lamdon School Homestay

pictures of lamdon school by isabel

Our school has a very close relationship with Lamdon School, the best school in all of Ladakh. With the financial help of our school, Lamdon School has grown from a tiny establishment with a few hundred students to a multi-building campus with an impressive student body of 1800, not to mention the 9 additional satellite campuses of Lamdon School that have been opened around the Ladakh region. Our relationship with Lamdon has always proved to be mutually beneficial in the form of an age-old tradition: the 2 night Homestay. 

My best friend Isabel and I partnered up for this leg of the journey, and we packed our bags  for an experience we'd never forget - yet we knew nothing about. We were posted off to go live with a local Ladakhi family; the family of a Lamdon student! It was such an exciting opportunity and I don't think I've ever been fed so much in my life. We lived in their small but absolutely beautiful house, and our Lamdon buddy Sonam was the loveliest girl ever (see a picture of her AMAZING room below!).

(from left to right): Sonam's mom, Isabel, Sonam, Stanzin (Sonam's sister), and Sonam's cousin

9 Day Markha Valley Trek

At the top of Ganda La Pass (5800m in altitude!), marveling at the priceless view (and taking our shirts off....?!)

view from the trek on day 1 - we had NO idea what we were in for.

on one of the practice hikes around leh, ladakh's capital

one of the beautiful inland lakes, up about 4000m in altitude!

isabel and i having hot chocolate in our tent on day 2 - a freezing morning!

 one of the many stunning views we had - check out those snowcapped peaks!

 kim and i lookin' fly!

 the view that i woke up to (literally; this picture was taken from inside my tent!) on the morning of day 5.

ganda la pass

isabel and i before the trek on day 2!

The 9-day trek through various parts of the Indus Valley and the Markha Valley was one of the most challenging things I have ever done. It required not only a huge amount of physical agility and fitness, but a phenomenal amount of psychological strength. Believe me when I say this: Life during those 9 days became so much easier when I realised that putting a smile on my face and having a positive attitude was half the battle won. We walked for up to 12 hours each day, completely unaware of the weather circumstances we'd have to face on any given day. Ladakhi weather is truly bipolar; it could hail for an hour, stay sunny for lunchtime and then rain until dusk (which it did), and we'd have to be prepared to deal with such huge weather extremes. We walked up mountains and then down again, rolled up our pants to cross rivers (I'm guilty of taking the easy way out and piggybacking some of my larger guy friends!), and in a certain extreme circumstance, we even got down on our asses and slid down a fatal vertical slope. At the end of it, we were all in serious need of a good scrub in a hot shower, a huge meal and a proper bed - and thankfully, that's exactly what we got. 


Being away from the city and all it's superficial distractions for 18 days was more cleansing and refreshing than I ever imagined. To strip our lives down to the bare minimum and only use/take what we really need left all of us a great deal more humble, more content, and more appreciative of the immense luxuries that are readily available to us at home. I never thought I'd say that not showering for 9 days straight would be beneficial in any way, but I learned so much during our time in Ladakh and the memories I made there will stay with me for the rest of my life.
~
Hope everyone's having a beautiful summer!

follow seven inch stilettos on facebook/twitter/bloglovin'

my life in pictures I.

all photos taken from my instagram - @veenamccoole

1. My Vitamin Water Wall - it's almost done! I'm such an addict, it's incredibly unhealthy.

2. My best friend Camilla and I getting ready for a party together. That black lace top and skirt combo is one of my all-time favourites!

3. Kimbra - I'm literally obsessed with her song "Cameo Lover." She was featured in Gotye's overrated single "Somebody That I Used to Know," and although she's an all-round amazing singer, I think her vocal skills are much better displayed in this song.

4. Jane By Design - I sped through the first season of this amazing new TV show, and that's coming from someone who never really commits to watching shows! A must-watch for fashion lovers in particular.

5. My eye - Although my European side clearly decided on my eye color, my Asian genes unfortunately dominated my eyelashes, which is why they're so short. This picture is one of the few that actually makes my lashes look remotely voluptuous (you have no idea how much mascara I was wearing though...). Oh the pains of being Eurasian!

6. My room - I took this while I was lying on my bed, and it actually captures my room at a really great angle and sums up what the rest of my room is like. Cluttered, covered in pictures, quotes and random things, as well as more Vitamin Water labels!

7. Me and Pixie Lott - yes, I met Pixie Lott. And I had a heart attack and started hyperventilating and literally went insane and oh my god she is the most beautiful, talented, perfect human being ever and I got two pictures with her and hugged her and talked to her and got her autograph and she said I was pretty and I almost fainted and it was all extremely exciting for someone like me. *phew.* *breathes.* She was having a Personal Shopping appointment at Topshop, and although her appearance was very well publicized beforehand, only 20-30 fans actually went along! It was a quaint, cozy affair and everyone got a chance to meet her, which was really nice.

8. My horribly messy desk - Unfortunately, this is what my workspace looks like when I'm actually being productive. When my desk is neat, that's usually a sign I'm procrastinating and not getting stuff done. Sorry mom!

9. Me! - I am the queen of selfies (although I'm not sure whether I'm proud of it or not...), and that's all I have to say about that picture.

follow seven inch stilettos on facebook/twitter/bloglovin'

seventeen singapore!

This month, I was lucky enough to model for Seventeen Magazine Singapore! It was an absolutely amazing experience; modelling for such an esteemed publication was a true honor. I appeared in a two-page spread called "Work Your Basics," an advertorial for Japanese clothing brand UNIQLO. If you're in Singapore, do pick up an issue - Seventeen Singapore is one of the best magazines out there. It was an exhausting 4-hour shoot, but I really did have a lot of fun hanging out with the fashion and beauty writers of Seventeen, and I hope to work with them again in the future! 

 ___________________________________________________________________________

On another note; SEVEN INCH STILETTOS NEEDS YOU.

 I'm looking for anyone who's interested in being part of my 10QQ segment. For those of you who've never read one of these posts, they're basically a series of photographs and 10 quick questions which together provide a bite-sized feature on someone stylish. The questions aren't just limited to fashion either - they're about anything and everything! I've done a couple of these short interview posts (click here to see them) in the past, but I'd like to take this one step further by taking advantage of all my super-stylish readers and giving you guys a chance to be featured on here!

Requirements:

There is no age or gender requirement, you don't have to be a fellow blogger, and you can be from anywhere in the world. All that's required is a strong sense of style, an interest in fashion and an open personality to answer the 10 random questions I give you!

To apply:

Email me (seveninchstilettos@gmail.com) with 5-6 high resolution pictures of yourself and your style (a variety of different outfits would be appreciated, please!), and tell me your name, where you're from, how old you are, and a little bit about yourself. Remember you don't have to be a blogger to be featured- if you're someone from my school, for instance, then please approach me! This offer doesn't really expire either - so there's no rush because it'll always be open!

If your application is successful, I'll get back to you within a week :)

For legal reasons, the photographer wasn't able to send me the high-resolution digital copies of my modelling, so these Photobooth snapshots of the magazine will have to suffice!

follow seven inch stilettos on facebook/twitter/bloglovin'/tumblr

guest post: harajuku girls!

Back in December, I hosted an all-out glitter extravaganza for my fifteenth birthday, where a number of my girlfriends (including yours truly, Veena McCoole) attended. Ask anyone who loves me; I get very anal with party planning. I wanted one more costume party before my sweet SIXteenth. It was held in my house on the third floor; where I had set up makeshift-photo booths, a candy buffet, lanterns, candles and these weird star spangled tentacles that I had draped on the whirring, overhead fans.

The thing I was most worried about was what my friends were going to wear. It’s hard to explain Harajuku- this wonderful, unique style of Lolita Renaissance mixed with Goth punk, as well as drops of Bubblegum Powaah. Thankfully, my friends did not fail to satisfy my dress code. They arrived in the best Harajuku outfits they could achieve with limited knowledge. The variety in style was huge – reminiscent of St. Trinians and anime characters to candy dolls and bling-ed out divas.

One can imagine what it must have felt like, a total girl-bonanza of candles and candy couture packed onto one balcony.  The term I used to describe my birthday as a ‘glitter-fest’ came true in the end when on that night, a Lunar Eclipse appeared. We spotted it first from the balcony, and all this estrogen overtook us and we ran downstairs with a massive bucket of glitter, shrieking and laughing.

It was such a memorable and unique experience. I remember at that time thinking really hard to myself – you’re never going to have another memory like this, and I felt so at peace with myself, which is a very blessed thing to feel when you’re a teenager and you can’t get enough of those confusing, conflicting feelings. To all Seven Inch Stilettos readers in search of a little magic, I speak from experience when I say that there's no better way to do it than to throw a Harajuku party with the girls closest to your heart. ∆

-Written by Camilla Siazon ; Official Best Friend.

follow seven inch stilettos on facebook/twitter/bloglovin'/tumblr

the 411.

"So... What is up? What's the 411? What has everybody been up to? What's the hot gossip? Tell me everything..."

~

I'm sorry, but who couldn't love this quote. And who couldn't love humble, mocktail-making Mrs. George and her laughable efforts at fitting in with her daughter's social life. And who couldn't love this movie. God, I could watch this again and again and never get bored; Mean Girls will forever be a classic.

Anyway, I have a valid reason for posting this quote- because it's sort of how I've been feeling lately. I've been so shamefully detached from the perpetual buzz of the fashion blogosphere, due to unreasonable demands from all sorts of extra-curricular activities, school subjects and snotty teachers. This weekend, I've resolved to lock myself in my room and visit every single blog I can, so I can get "the 411" on what's been going on in the fashion world. And I promise I'll be back soon, after I finish my mountains of homework.

And here I'll attempt to give you guys "the 411" on my tragically hectic life, and provide some feeble excuses to validate my absence.

Stuff that's been going on in my life right now:

• I've been accepted into the school's bi-monthly newspaper, Inprint, and today I received approval for my request to write an article about students who stay stylish in uniform.
• I'm in the midst of some seriously intense rehearsals for our school's next drama production: "Picnic at Hanging Rock." I'm definitely going to do a separate post on it soon.
• I've applied for our school's arts blog, Epiphany, as an events manager. Fingers crossed I make it!
• I'll be contributing to Fashion Blog Love soon, more details to follow.
• I'll be helping out with the lighting design and programming of the next drama production at school; "The Jungle Book."
•  My overly-enthusiastic recount of Foster the People's explosive gig here in Singapore landed on SeatGeek's Soundboard music blog!
• I've made it onto our school's Radio team as a sub-editor! Our school is opening a private radio station that will be aired around the campus in a few months time, and I'm thrilled to be a part of the management committee for this exciting new development.

follow seven inch stilettos on facebook/twitter/bloglovin'/tumblr

 

foster the people.

 photos by izzy ~ flickr
props to izzy for taking such great pictures in a huge, congested crowd!

I firmly believe that money spent on concert tickets is money well-spent. Clothes and material possessions are obviously lots of fun (who doesn't love coming home with bags full of new things?), but spending money on experiences as opposed to tangible things almost always result in an indescribable amount of long-lasting happiness. When I get a new top, my excitement dies after a few hours. When I get a bottle of Vitamin Water, my excitement dies in less than a minute, because by then, I've drank it all. But with a concert, the adrenaline rush and fan-girly devotion to your favourite band doesn't just start when they appear on stage, and it certainly doesn't stop after the final song and the raucous applause. 

Firstly, the lead up to a concert is obviously loads of fun. In my experience, the six hours before the actual concert provide sufficient entertainment; getting ready with the girls, sharpie-ing all over each other, standing in line for ages armed with bags of fast food, it's great fun. And let's not forget the end of a concert; piling into a cab, gushing with enthusiasm (and sweat), raving about how sexy the lead singer is and subconsciously launching into the primary stages of "Post Concert Depression," which is a mental illness that lasts anywhere from a week to two months after a concert.

On the 14th of January, I was lucky enough to attend Foster The People: Live in Singapore. And even if I tried, I can't tell you how incredibly amazing that night was. I lost my voice, head-banged in a jostling crowd until I couldn't breathe, almost passed out, got really emotional and cried a lot, danced like a crazy person, met new people, sung my little heart out, sweat until my clothes were saturated, and had a heck of a night with some really great girls. 

So please, the next time you're lucky enough to have an artist you love playing in your town or city, screw the comprehensive saving scheme for that new bag/wallet/pair of heels. Screw the fact that you've got next to nothing in your savings. Grab your best friends and go for it, and I'm telling you this for your own sake. Because what you're really paying for isn't just a ticket; it's an experience and a collection of memories guaranteed to last, and those are things that you can't put a price tag on. 

What do you think of concerts: do you prefer to spend money on clothes or shoes? Have you seen any incredible artists/bands live?

follow seven inch stilettos on facebook/twitter/bloglovin'/tumblr

PS: This is Seven inch Stilettos' 50th post!

 

messing with fairy lights: a room tour.

belt ~ thrifted

tank top ~ gap

skirt ~ thrifted

necklace ~ accessorize

.

Spending a long, lazy afternoon with one of my best friends is always an amazing thing. Camilla and I have such similar thoughts & minds, which makes talking about anything and everything a breeze because we're very alike. She's also very supportive of my blogging career (which is why she'll have her own mini-column on this blog very soon!). I love her to bits, and her fierce passion for teenage bedrooms has rubbed off on me. Because of her, I've vowed to spend more time and effort redecorating my bedroom, to make it as colourful and vibrant as possible. 

.

During your teenage years, a lot goes on in your bedroom. Be it sleepovers, homework, crying sessions, movie marathons, house parties or simply sleeping; your room ends up being your sanctuary, and to me, its important to decorate it accordingly. The process of decorating has been tedious and slow, yet it has brought me so much unexpected joy. I leafed through years' worth of ancient artifacts which brought me to tears and got a little bit exasperated in the process, but I'm proud of how much I've done, and I'm excited to continue this process. To me, there is no finished stage of a teenage bedroom, because *hairflick,* we as teenagers are infinite and everchanging. We evolve, we break, we heal and we triumph, and therefore its impossible to ever pinpoint a "finished product" in an endlessly dynamic process.

Key features of my room:

-My World Map. This was one of my infamous "spontaneous buys;" I sort of picked it up, felt like it was a good use of $50, and marched to the cash register without giving it a though (note: my spontaneous buys honestly end up being my BEST buys). If you sit cross legged on the ground wrapped in luminous fairy lights like Camilla and I did for hours in my room, you get a perfect view of it. It's so inspiring and breathtaking to roam the entire world in the comfort of your own room, and write lists of places you'd love to go. Best $50 I have ever spent.

.
-My Tavi Shrine. While looking through RookieMag, I came across this article about room decorating which I really should have expected since RookieMag is run by Tavi, the queen of awesome bedrooms and anything Virgin-Suicide-y. But yeah, Rookie is awesome and I think every girl, old or young, should read it. My shrine is full of miscellaneous religious items (a mini statue of Virgin Mary, a crucifix, a rosary, etc), tiny perfume bottles, Elnett Hairspray because I think it's super iconic, and a ton of other pink girly items. And Tavi's beautiful face, of course.
.
-My Desk (and it's surroundings). My desk is normally the messiest place in my room. But it's nice that there are so many windows around my desk, so natural light can come in and I can look into our garden when I'm sick of looking at my textbooks. To enlighten my dark, hellish hours of twilight studying, I've printed off and cut out all my favourite quotes; including those of John Green and Sylvia Plath.
.
-My "Corner." It's not actually called my corner, I just couldn't think of anything else to call this awkward area of my room. It's covered in Vitamin Water labels because that stuff is my life, as well as assorted magazine covers, one of my favourite sayings ever ("Come, my dear, we have oceans to sail"), a bunch of ocean-y pictures, an oil painting of a beach that we always go to in Thailand done by my Grandma, three champagne bottles because I think they're pretty, a ton of polaroids, and books and magazines. And next to it is a mini-couch thing where I can sit and read by the window and daydream and be whisked away by the enchanting view of my neighbour's hideous garden. And I found some old film negatives, which I used to spell out "Afloat," another favourite word of mine. 
.
-My Camp Shrine/Justin Bieber Wall. Both these elements are in dangerous proximity to my bed (meaning things fall on my head all the time). My Camp Shrine is one of my favourite parts of my room, it's basically a bunch of polaroids I took at dance camp last summer, as well as some camp sayings which I've sharpied onto my old pointe shoe ribbons and stuck up on my wall. And there are ticket stubs and pamphlets and my breakfast card and all sorts of little things that make me remember camp. And the Justin Bieber wall is self explanatory because I love him with all my heart and he will forever remain my most favouritest human being to ever walk this planet.


Okay this was far far too long a post, but I hope you enjoyed it. What are your bedrooms like?
__________________________________________________________________________________
& If you're still interested in furthering your knowledge about teenage bedrooms, click here for a link to a tumblr blog dedicated entirely to publishing submissions of bedrooms from all over the world. And click here for THE PERFECT summary of what a teenage bedroom means, seriously guys click it omg it's so relevant and concise, unlike my writing. Do it. 
.

follow seven inch stilettos on facebook/twitter/bloglovin'/tumblr