First Garden Party, EVER=p

OMG!!! I don’t want camp to end):
not because I love getting my shoes mucky and going to bed at the wee hours of morning..
but because of wht’s coming after that-yes. It’s s-c-h-o-o-l.

How am I supposed to go back to school when I feel like having fun and travelling to all sorts of places enjoying the culture, people and of course going shopping?!!!

Owell, so I guess I had the next best thing(:
I’ve sent an invitation to some of my favorite blogettes for a little garden party and we actually talked about their home, favorite cities and of course fashion!

Who’s who?
Jen from Mahalo Fashion
Kat from She’s In Vogue
Liberty London Girl

Of course! it would be pretty boring if we were to eat the stuff that we were used to and so I did Japanese! I wanted Thai but I guess, not many could get used to the hot and tangy flavor..

So just as placed the last of sushi tray on the table, Jen, Kat and LLG came right into the backyard looking all chic and glamorous!
I mean, try dressing for a garden party-its just too easy to be overdressed and yet you can’t be that casual lest your guest get too offended by your tardiness but these girls did fab!!

Jen was in a pretty multicolored floaty long sleeved dress ala Mischa Barton;
Kat was her usual eclectic self with her FCUK dress, big clutch and ribbed tights and
LLG was like the magazine girl she is; dressing pretty much like Emily from The Devil Wears Prada.

After all the hellos and look-a-rounds, finally we’ve got to sitting down at the table and I got to say! We’ve all taken to each other like bees to honey! Haha!

So Kat, we all know that you’re from Ireland but where exactly are you from?

Well I live outside Cork city in the south of Ireland and it is the second largest city in Ireland after Dublin.I guess I have always loved Cork city itself. It is a very small city on an international scale but it is really quite nice, far more so then Dublin in my opinion.

I always find that there is a very nice atmosphere in the city if you walk around on a Saturday afternoon. I suppose, this is the part where I add in about how nice the Irish people are and how green the fields are but really it is difficult for me to say.

Yes, the people can be quite friendly (if a little nosy!) and the scenery can definitely be beautiful in places. I especially love west Cork for it's barren, marshlands and wild, sprawling landscape - a total escape.

What about you LLGand Jen? I mean, before going to NY and Melbourne respectively?

I grew up in the middle of the country in England, so not a lot going on there. I had an idyllic childhood playing on a farm, building dams in streams, driving tractors, petting farm animals. But I also spent a lot of time in the dressing up box making up outfts, and playing fashion shows. It's not surprising I ended up as a fashion editor.

Wow! Now u’ve shown us all a different side of England.. It’s so utterly quaint and different from the cool, edgy London we know..

Haha! I agree! Anyway, I'm from Ottawa, Canada but I've been living and traveling in Australia for the last year, heading back home soon though!

Wow! It’s like two totally different environments, so what’s fab about these two amazing countries!

Traveling to various places I've grown to appreciate how friendly and laidback people are back home. Canada is so beautiful, it offers everythingfrom natural beauty to a cosmopolitan lifestyle in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.

just to interrupt but I totally agree with you, Jen-
I lived in London for ten years, and the best thing about London is its ethnic diversity – it has more languages spoken than in any other city in the world.

And so you can imagine how diverse the food is too: whether you want to eat Ethiopian, Bangladeshi, French, Portuguese, Malaysian, the best authentic food is always available.

So it was a shock when I really started travelling to discover that very few other cities in the world have such an incredible diversity of food on offer. I miss good Indian food the most – it's terrible in New York!

WOW!! I know right- and the best part about Singapore is how cosmopolitan it is; no matter how the Chinese form the majority of the population right here.. So Jen, what about Australia?

I would say the best part is the beach atmosphere and culture, I'm a beach girl so coming here was heaven.

If you were to visit Canada, mainly Quebec and Ontario, you've got to havepoutine and beaver tails they are to die for! Being in OZ this year, I really missed poutine no matter how fattening it is!!

On the other hand, Australia’s main dishes are meat pies and sausage rolls and not tomention great Italian food!And this may sound gross but some people will want to come to Australia and try exotic food such as Kangaroo meat but I'm not that adventurous! (thank god for that!)

OMG!! Beaver tails and Kangaroo meat?!!! WOW! Haha! they sound so odd but I sure you must too when you’ve heard of the infamous frog’s legs porridge in Chinatown huh? Haha!! (At the mention of the poor beavers, kangaroos and frogs, we four girls take a collective breathe and continue talking about shopping=p)

In Ottawa where I'm from people don't have too much of a fashion sense,being the capital and all it's a pretty conservative city. Normally if your're into fashion you can expect a lot of compliments since it's not as prelevant.

When I came to Australia I was in awe of how fashionable people wherethere, everybody no matter what age has an impeccable sense of style.

I spent a lot of cash feeling the need to keep up with all these fashions,I'm kind of missing back home cause I felt a little more comfortable withmy outfits there wasn't as much pressure to keep up.

In Australia popular brands are Kusbi, Sass and Bide, Lover,Josh Goot, Alannah Hill, Sportsgirl etc.

Girls will wear all the latesttrends, vintage, retro clothes, shift dresses, different color tights,leggings, skinny jeans and all the latest sunnies!

Popular brands back home in Canada I would say are the same as the America and I think people are more trendy in Winter. We still wear uggs and cute pea coats, Uggs are still trendy because in a cold weather it'simportant to have warm comfortable boots and uggs provide that.

Uh huh! I remember the time when Uggs were EVERYWHERE!!! Haha! Kudos to your for wearing them!!! Anyway, what about London, LLG? Where do you people go to get your gear?

Hmm, I would still advise fashion hungry visitors in London to go to the markets: Porotbello on a Friday morning, and Camden in the afternoon, Petticoat Lane and Roman Road in the East End.

Oh and I know a lot of girls under the age of 21 who are all obsessed with asos.com which is the UK's fastest growing on-line shopping site.

Uh huh! I’ve been onto the website and the clothes are fab!!! Haha! What about the Irish, Kat? Online shopping too?

Haha! No.. but in Cork.. I would recommend Merchants Quay, which is a small shopping mall with tiny big chain outlets - Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins and an extensive make up selection.

A stroll down through St. Patrick's, will mean a visit to lots of high street stores such as River Island, Oasis, Warehouse and Accessorise.

For bargain shopping head to Pennys, which stocks cheap, cheap Primark goods, but beware. On a Saturday afternoon the shop can be crammed with people so have an idea about what you are looking for.

As well as that don't over look items that look weird or revolting (believe me there are many!) as they could look very cool and even high fashion if worn correctly and mixed with more expensive items.

The same goes for the men's section where a nice oversized shirt may be found, so you can pull off the androgynous look on the cheap.

For designer shopping your best bet is Brown Thomas, a designer department store that has shoes, bags, makeup, lingerie and women and men's clothes all under one roof.

I might add though in Cork there is no such things as an exclusive designer store; you will not find a Chanel or Armani boutique in Cork.

One of my favourite places in Cork city is the O' Conaill's Chocolatier on French Church Street, where luscious hot chocolate and chocolate treats can be bought, all made from the finest Fair Trade chocolate. Dark and light hot chocolate served with mixed chocolate chips is a personal favourite. Enjoy in the cosy cafe or be very cosmopolitan and get it to take away.

Oh GOD! Kat!! And you keep ranting about how Cork is a Siberia of Europe or something.. it seems like so much of a pretty place… Honestly! What is it that you miss most after being away?

when I go on holidays I tend to miss regular Barry's tea! Us Irish people love our tea! I don't really like fry ups (assortment of fried food - e.g. sausage, bacon, tomato, egg with toast) but after returning from holidays I usually get a craving for one.

Haha really? And I thought that it’s the Chinese who love theirs! So what about the people? Is there anything that is uniquely Irish?

I hate to say it but I think Irish people tend to dress really dull. I think Ireland in it's heart is still quite an old fashioned, conservative country and despite all this 'Celtic Tiger' stuff, the closet of the nation tends to reflect this.

A lot of people just don't want to stand out from the crowd. Saying that though I know lots of people who love getting dressed up, wearing different, unusual clothes or who are really fashionable.

The whole 'Emo' thing is quite big here at the moment, Vans and Converse All Stars galore! But I’m not that big into that!

At present, my friends are loving things like skinny jeans, waist belts, shirts and cardigans. And as for my personal style, I’m usually decked in skinny jeans, ornate waist belt, loose tops in muted tones of grey, navy blue plaid dress, grey pixie boots, tuxedo jacket, scarves, clutch or silver slouch bag, long silver earrings, beret.

Lol, I guess I can understand what you mean.. I mean, being on the streets of Singapore these few days, I guess you can see how many tend to be in regular jeans and a simple tee or cardigan. Though I have to give credit to those we dresses prettily. Anyhow, being so near to London, Paris and all, have you ever been there?

I am ashamed to admit it, but despite only being about a 40 minute flight away I have never been to London. I have always thought though that I would love London, it just seems to me to be the epitome of cool.

I have been to Paris twice and I know it's a total cliche, but it is the most beautiful city, everything is breath taking - the atmosphere, scenery, shops, fashion, history, architecture, everything.

If I could I would get the first flight to Paris in the morning. Sorry, Cork but Paris is the best!

WOW!! 40minutes from London?! I would have to take 13 flippin’ hours to get there! Haha! So I guess, if I were to ask you to choose between being a New Yorker or Londoner, you would choose to be the latter?

Of course I would love to be a cool, edgy Londoner! And in a dream world studying fashion journalism in St. Martins! It seems to me that fashion, art, music and history are all interwoven in London.

Saying that though it would be pretty cool to be a New Yorker.......
*images of Carrie, looking fabulous wondering through New York, enter mind* ..
hmmmm...

Haha!! i know right! It’s sad that we can’t get the best of both worlds! Maybe they should do a London version of SATC huh? What about you Jen?

As for me, I've been to New York many times and I've almost gotten mugged twice, I'm always scared. I'm sure it's not better in London, but I'd still rather live there.

Although I haven't been there, but from all I've seen and heard it's somewhere I would love to live someday, not forever but maybe for a year or two. I love the culture and fashion as well as the care free mentality I guess..

Yer I guess.. there’s bound to be the few clusters of people who make a place seems worse than it is.. Not to worry much yer? Oh and LLG? What about you? Would you go back to London after being away for so long?

I was born in London, so I will always be a Londoner in my heart and I suspect that is where I will always return, even if it takes me twenty or thirty years to do so!

WOW!! Look at that!! All of you wna be in London huh?!! Haha!! Despite being in three different countries!! Haha! Guess London is tops for now huh?!

haha!
so that's all for today-
omg. i know that this is a VERY long post but i hope that you guys would read till the end!
hope you guys would enjoy this and many thanks to Kat, Jen & Liberty London Girl!!


love


ps/anyhow; keep coming back soon bcos the finally blogette on the list is Su from The Stiletto Effect! and this time round, there would def be TONS of pictures!! haha!!