Luang Prabang

So I know I have been SO slack with posting about my trip to South East Asia... but my computer had a spaz and deleted over half the photos I took on the trip... which was beyond upsetting as you can imagine. Today though, miraculously, it fixed itself! and all my pictures were returned to me from what must have been the depths of my computer.

So to start back up with all this blogging thing, I thought a post on one of the top destinations of my entire trip. Luang Prabang is in Laos, which is a beautiful country close to Vietnam and Thailand. In fact Laos shares a boarder with Thailand, and a lot of the people speak Thai ... plus the food is extremely similar -- which is definitely a good thing since I LOVE Thai food.

The town itself is a French settlement from way back when. The buildings mimic this idyllic French Asian fusion, with cobblestone pathways and european finishings with the bright bold colours of asian culture. It is the definition of "quaint".

There is of course lots of temples and buddha's to see, one of which is on top of a hill in the middle of town. It is quite a climb to get to the top but the view of the town is breath taking plus you end up in the middle of a monastery and are quite likely to whiteness a few monks going about their day (which is the same to say for most of Laos, which is extremely buddhist -- though an important thing to note is woman can not touch a monk, so often they will be less forthcoming with smiles and eye contact, purely for their religion, so don't take it personally!! It is also BEYOND important that you cover up when entering temples and the like... which I am sure you all knew anyway).

One of the highlights of Luang Prabang for me was the Kuang Si waterfall which is a little bit out of town but definitely worth the visit (most hostels/hotels etc can organise a ride there or give you an idea as to how much a tuktuk should cost you). With cascading levels, you able to climb up each and swim in the pools, The higher up you go the more jungle-esque it gets mind you. With colourful spiders the size of my hand and deeper pools which you can't see to the bottom of. Terrifying but beautiful looking down on the rest of the falls. 

Luang Prabang is also a well known place for elephant trekking and rides. As someone who cares deeply for animals I wasn't sure I wanted to partake in this, as most of the time the conditions are cruel to the animals. I did my fair share of research and found a sanctuary dedicated to saving elephants from the the harsh tourist and logging trade from other parts of Asia -- mainly Thailand. This place is a little pricey, but well worth it if you want a humane experience with Elephants. I intend to dedicate a whole blog post to this though! So I will have to leave you there waiting for the details and elephant pictures!!

Nantes

Nantes was a city I hadn't really heard of until a family friend suggested I visit it on my three months in France. After a quick google search I realised it was where Jueles Verne grew up, and among other things is a very interesting town.
On the West Coast of France, this town is bustling and filed with all sorts of strange artistic endeavours. They also play host to a rather lively music festival that filled the streets with every genre imaginable. It really is a city for the young and creative.

One of the major tourist attractions is the Les Machines de l'ile, which hosts a vast array of mechanical beings created from the works  of both Leonardo De Vinci and Jueles Verne (the elephant above being the major event) -- I intend to do a separate post on this so you'll just have to hold out for more details, was a crazy place and deserves its own title!

One of my personal favourite things about this city is the bar Le Nid situated on the top floor of La Tour Bretagne pictured. The bar translates in english to "The Nest" Which is why it hosts a massive goose, whose long neck twists around the entirety of the venue, with the bar living in its stomach. You sit on little egg chairs and use little egg tables and if you look outside at the view of the city (which is in no lesser words spectacular) you see cracked eggs on the top of some of the buildings -- just to pull the whole theme together.

Like many other French cities, Nantes is filled with life, delicious food and creatives -- it's one of those less "cliche'd" places to visit, will not be a disappointment. So grab a coffee and sit on an egg next time your visiting this crazy crazy city. 

Cold Shoulder

(shorts- Shona Joy, Top - Atmos&here, shoes - Windsor Smith, Sunglasses - Surface to Air, bag - Borse In Pelle)

Although the orange of this top brings out the orange in my hair (which I hate and was the result of a bad dye job) I luuuurve it. I am so obsessed with off the shoulder tops, I have actually had to force myself to stop looking at them so I don't buy more. I have 3 now.. is that too much?? This is one is much more casual than the rest which makes it much more wearable. 

Shoulders, I think, are an underrated body part. Everyone shows of legs (which admittedly I am also doing with this outfit), boobs (which is ideal if you have good ones) and more often now tummy's (especially if they're sporting a six pack of sorts) but those shoulders? we all have clavicles! and its usually a flattering shape on a lot of girls -- it even hides chicken wings if you have any! which I bet you don't. It's also not a particularly rude body part either, I know a lot of people would be up and arms about showing shoulders like this at work -- which I really don't follow, if some ladies show cleavage, or bare legs, why not shoulders? I think they're far less suggestive.

Anyway, so yeah, I like this outfit! It's comfortable and easy to wear which makes it a tick in all the right boxes for a casual summer day. 

Monochrome

(Skirt & top - Jasper, Shoes - Jeffery Campbell, Hat - Country Road, Clutch - Bvlgari, Glasses - Surface to Air)

A little different to my usual outfit posts but I am literally obsessed with this look. Lady-like and elegant. I would dress like this on a daily basis if it was slightly more acceptable (Auckland is seriously boring with style most of the time -- casual being more common than not!)

Initial comments when I showed friends and family this outfit/these pictures is that it would be perfect for the races, which is probably true but I think everyday would be better!!

Midi skirts are all the rage at the moment but I think one common problem is getting the proportions right, or else it can look matronly, give you strangely long legs, or strangely short ones. In this instance, pairing it with a crop makes it a little more young and fun. The skirt should also fall anywhere from just below the knee - to mid calf. 

So while I continue to shop for a multitude of skirts this length in a variety of colours, Ill have to make do with this gorgeous white one I bought in a department store in Bangkok -- which I am pretty okay with anyway. 

The Blues ft. Minkey

(Sunglasses - RayBan, Skirt- Maurie & Eve, Top - "One Off", Shoes - Beau Coop, Bracelet - Swarvoski)

Now, if I am to be completely honest, I am running out of ideas of what to write on these posts. Basically, in every one, I am wearing clothes that I like, for one reason or another. Blunt truth of the matter. This outfit I was wearing to a friends birthday party... It's the middle of summer and the nights are still warm, so its totally acceptable to bare shoulders and leg.
A little furry friend decided she wanted to come hang out while taking the pictures as well, so meet Minkey, she's fluffy, very naughty and belongs to my lovely photographer/boyfriend.