Hill Side Story

Outfit Sneak Peek

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 16:55:00 +0000

Just a little sneaky look at the elements of tomorrow's outfit...

Featured: It's Too Darn Hot | Fashion Click | teenvogue.com

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 07:49:00 +0000

A post of mine has been featured!!!!!!!!!!!

It's Too Darn Hot | Fashion Click | teenvogue.com: Dress: vintage (For Sale HERE), Bangle:...

How exciting!

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:40:00 +0000

Something old: Oliver Twist

Something new: Equip earrings

Something borrowed: vintage dress borrowed from my Etsy store

Something blue: vintage navy Bally loafers

This is one of my new favourite dresses! I found this little beauty in a teensy corner vintage store in Bangkok while visitng my grand uncle over christmas last year. How cool is the gradient of the different shades of blue on the dress?! I love this dress so much, I nicked it from my Etsy store and have decided to keep it for myself. It isn't illegal to steal from yourself, you know!

*gasp* It's raining!!! Finally, a cooler night!

I'm wearing a lovely pair of Bally loafers sent to me by the gorgeous Kylie. They're quite big for me but in damsel-in-distress times like these, my heroes - my insoles - always come to my rescue. I know I can always count on them!

It's Too Darn Hot

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 01:20:00 +0000

Dress: vintage (For Sale HERE), Bangle: Someone's box of rubbish on the sidewalk!

Just as I receive news about the heavy snowfalls in London from my cousin, I see on the news that Perth is set to scorch yet again. This coming heat wave will be the 8th for Perth since last November! EIGHTH!! I'm so sick of it; its been far too hot to even think (or smile)!

On the extreme opposite end of my Love-to-Hate spectrum, is this gorgeous 1970s dress. I LOVE it even though it's obviously too big for me. The hem goes all the way past my calves so I tied the skirt on both sides to shorten it and to give in a bit of a modern pencil skirt look. The dress is mostly sheer with the sweetest florals and a ruched neckline that I absolutely adore. It is not going to be easy to let go of this one!

I May Be Small, But I've Got Giant Plans!

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 12:40:00 +0000

The big difference from the last few years is that ,this year, I am consciously planning for the coming year rather than just the coming weeks. I know what I really want to do with my life and after approximately two years of psyching myself out of it, to the point that I convinced myself I will never be good enough regardless of how hard I tried, I've decided that enough is enough. My life was, metaphorically speaking, a prison wrought from self-limitations. I was (am) my own worst enemy and nobody could (can) take my goals (take note: not dreams) away from me. I've started to take small but consistent steps to achieving them and this includes the dropping of a certain thing that I only committed to for the sake of it. My first obstacle is behind me and I can not be happier with myself for finally taking this step. I'm in the midst of tackling another now. Cross your fingers for me!

I want my life to be a playground, not a prison. You're probably thinking 'Wake up Aliya, life isn't all fun and games'. Well, I say it can be. It can be if you make it so. I am well aware that I have to first, put in the effort to, climb the ladder to get to the top of the slide. And when I finally do, my life will seem all fun and games. It will seem so because, despite of all the hard work I would have had and will have to keep putting in, I will be doing what I really want to do and I will be enjoying myself immensely.

So watch out world, cos here I come!

Thai Silk & Lace Collar

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 03:55:00 +0000

Thai Silk Dress: vintage (FOR SALE HERE), Lace Collar: vintage (mum's), Brooch: vintage, Shoes: vintage, Hairband: Forever New

My mum's cousin (my first cousin once removed, anthropologically-speaking) spent his last weekend in the Southern Hemisphere with us before flying back to Singapore for a quick family visit and then to the UK where he currently lives and works. We showed him the different landscapes of Perth and for the first time in a looong time, I finally saw the beautiful beaches on our drive up Scarborough Beach Road to my old school in Karrinyup. It was so lovely to see some of my old music teachers and boarding mistresses again!

This weekend, we have two other family friends from Singapore staying with us so I haven't had much time to read all of your lovely blogs. I'll pop by for a visit next week as soon as I get on top of all my uni work that I'm meant to be working on this weekend but have had to postpone.

_____

Alright, outfit time...

This was what I wore to pick them up at the airport on Friday. I just love Thai silk. My mum has worn Thai silk suits ever since I can remember and her love of it has rubbed off on me over the years. If you like this silk dress, its available in my etsy store! I felt like adding an extra collar to this dress so I secured a lace collar my mum had bought as a teenager under the dress' collar with one of my favourite vintage brooches. It reminds me of my mustard scarf I used to wear for brownies (girl guides) with the Golden Badge I earned on Enrollment Day pinned on!

Paris Holds the Key to Your Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 15:23:00 +0000

Top: thrifted, Collar: won in a giveaway (Sportsgirl), Skirt: thrifted, Bag: thrifted (vintage Picard), Shoes, vintage, Hat: vintage

Have you been to Paris? Most people think of the Eiffel Tower at the mention of Paris. For me, Paris reminds me of the can-can... which reminds me of the operetta, Orpheus in the Underworld, in which we got to actually do the can-can! Fun times!

Here's a backstage picture from the 2009 production:

The red and black lace lingerie top (tucked into my two skirts!) that I'm wearing over my black leotard came from a thrift store. I've got guts!

Anyway, I am so excited about the Oscars!! Christopher Plummer for Best Supporting Actor! I thought he was oh so dashing in The Sound of Music. For Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Directing, Best Art Direction, Best Writing (Original Screenplay), Best Film Editing and Best Music (original Score), I’m rooting for The Artist. Best Actor… George Clooney, of course! He’s going to win, hands down.

Which actors and/or films are you rooting for?

Time Flies When You're Having Fun...

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 03:50:00 +0000

sorting through vintage for the etsy store

enjoying figs from the garden

finally got round to getting an organiser

LOVE it, but way out of my price range!

one of the many amazing cupcakes from Little Miss Cupcake

my Stripey-cat! I've had her since I was 10 and I love her to bits!

dress on sale in my store

to state the obvious - roses

pre-uni reading.

back to Perth = back to healthy lunches

Singapore's a goldmine of yummy, unhealthy, food

my future car

cupcakes for after-dinner

reading up on the Raffles Hotel. Knowing the author makes it a whole lot more interesting.

I gave in to temptation

(thinking of) sewing vintage lace collars onto new-ish cardigans

Little Miss Cupcake is closing its doors next week so hurry on down

yes! I actually go to the university library outside of term time

chilli tuna-avocardo salad with LOTS of black pepper - that's the way (a-hah, ah-hah!) I like it!

a recent flea market find

tea sets for sale at Little Miss Cupcake - a little on the pricey side though

I'm staying over at a friend's house tonight. Back tomorrow with an outfit post!

Myer’s Vintage-Inspired Autumn/Winter 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:55:00 +0000

This is a first for me - featuring upcoming trends on my blog.

I am completely in love with Myer's Autumn/Winter 2012 Catalogue. Selected pieces (all out of my price range!) from the coming seasons' new trends – the 1940’s movie star elegance of Femme Fatale, 60’s Retro Chic and 70s-inspired Free Spirit - are featured against a beautiful backdrop of wheat fields in these pictures. Just stunning! The stand out trend for me is 'Femme Fatale'. If you know me, you'll know I'm obsessed with the 40's but I reckon styles of the 60s suit my build and personality better.

Scroll all the way down for a video!

Femme Fatale

Retro Chic

Free Spirit

Which of these trends is your favourite?

Spots & Stripes

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:59:00 +0000

Dress: vintage (thrifted), Bag: Faigen & Sons Pte. Ltd. vintage (FOR SALE HERE), Shoes: NOVO

Let me first introduce you to Spottie and Stripey, my two feline friends from Singapore. They flew on Qantas!! Casper's slowly getting used to the fact that he's no longer the only cat in the house. They've each had one on one time with him and it seems like they don't understand each other. I always knew that different accents existed in cat speak!

Stripey hugging one of my old teddies and Spottie in our old garden in Singapore

We've been nursing Spot's left eye since we brought her home last Thursday; she has a scratch on her cornea. The poor thing! It's looking much better now, thank goodness!

It was love at first sight for this 60s vintage dress! And is rather apt for this post, I reckon! I love the versatility of dresses like these - they can be worn on their own in the warmer months and layered under and over other pieces in the cooler months...

Seventeen in the Seventies

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:33:00 +0000

My mum used to read Seventeen when she was a teen. She didn't tell me; I just found these pages stashed in an old school exercise book of hers when I was home. Hope she wasn't reading magazines in class!!

Anyway, I'm back in Perth after a pretty amazing last few days in Singapore. It was so lovely to meet up with some old friends, one of which I've known since I was 6! It was really nice to meet so many amazing new people as well!

Time to get to bed.
In the morning, we bring my two feline friends home! They flew over from Singapore with my dad a month ago and have been in quarantine since.
I cannot wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tickled Pink

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:25:00 +0000

Top: vintage (GERARD DAREL), Pants: Valleygirl, necklace: vintage, Heels: vintage from flea market (SAXONE CAMEO)

And so my renewed love for oversized 80s tops continues... This amazing GERARD DAREL silk top was part of the stash of vintage I was given by a family friend. Its so soft, comfy and soft... and comfy. I would have slept in this top if it weren't so expensive!! In terms of accessories, I've taken a big step out of my comfort zone. I don't normally put on such large neck jewellery. What do you think? Oh and my heels!! How perfect is the scalloped edge?! I bought them at the same flea market, on the same day, as the maroon pair in my last outfit post (both in picture below). They were made in Great Britain; I've never heard of that brand before though...They've never been worn either which is the only reason I'm wearing them inside the house - we have a shoes-off policy at home.

Coming Soon!

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 03:07:00 +0000

All of Four Fifty Cent Coins

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:55:00 +0000

I decided to swing by a local flea market on the way back home yesterday. Armed with $2.50 worth of spare change and some mad bargaining skills (my late grandfather taught me well!), I left with this little stash. Oh yes, and 50 cents!

Two 1930s postcards and a vintage needlepoint tapestry coin purse

Top: School girls from Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus at Victoria Street, 1915 (this is a special find as Mum and I are both ex-IJ girls)

Bottom: Cavanagh Bridge can be seen in the distance, 1868 (Singapore's only suspension bridge and my absolute favourite!)

The 1910 police notice at each end still stands today

This stash costs me less than a pack of Tic Tacs!

Lookin' Fine Since 89

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:13:00 +0000

T-shirt: vintage, Jeggings: Forever21, Heels: vintage, from flea market, Brooch: Silver Tabby Vintage

It was an uncharacteristically cold day in Singapore today. Yes, cold, not just cool! I really don't mind though, my parents tell me its a scorching 40°C in Perth!! Yuck!

So I decided to pull out this oversized embroided and beaded T-shirt from a huge stash of vintage clothing a family friend gave to me last night. Not all of the pieces fit me so look out for lots of new pieces in the shop, especially designer vintage pieces.

Today, my love for oversized tops is renewed. This 80s staple was part of my grandma's daily wardrobe when I was little. I love the fact that I'm an 80s baby, even though I only lived through a month of the decade! This particular T-shirt does not have shoulder pads but a few of the others I 'inherited' do and I cannot wait to show them to you. I found these 80s Italian leather shoes at my favourite flea market. The best part - they've never been worn!

Are you a fan of 80s fashion?

I was very close to teasing my hair and pairing this T-shirt with neon tights and jelly sandals!!

(P.S. I am really not liking the quality of the pictures after compressing them as many of you said that they take ages to load. Any ideas on how to minimise pictures while keeping the quality?)

Do You Retail Shop?

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:17:00 +0000

After a day at work with my Mum on her last day in Singapore, we stopped at one of the department stores nearby (everything's nearby on Orchard Road) just for a little snoop around.

Most of my clothes and accessories cost me no more than $15 and come from thrift stores and flea markets with the exception of the odd basic, which I buy retail. Its become a little habit of mine to not take any notice of what's being sold in retail stores because I know I might find something I like and get all annoyed when I find out I can barely afford it!! I couldn't help but oogle at some of these pieces though! How cute are those cat print jumpers and tapestry shorts?! PERFECT for winter!

Just to let you know, I was a very good girl and didn't buy anything!

Do you retail shop?

If you're a thrifter, what particular pieces do you usually avoid buying second-hand?

I'm Baaack... Tastefully Thrifted

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:22:00 +0000

I've actually written two paragraphs of explanation for my long absence but after much consideration, I decided against posting them. Those paragraphs are for my journal, not my blog and for the world to know! All I can say is that the end of the first week of 2012 was a rather big wake-up call for me. A good one! That day put lots of things into perspective so the last few weeks were spent organising and planning for the year ahead.

Anyway, its been a long time since I shared some of my thrifted finds with you so here are my favourites from the past few weeks:

Some of them are vintage, some aren't.

my absolutely favourite find of the lot! how adorable is this vintage dress?

amazing coloured bags

my first animal print piece and a lovely non-crushable maxi dress

a gorgeous vintage dress which sadly is too big for me... in shop soon!

a multi-coloured leather belt which I doubt is vintage

Never worn a striped maxi dress before...

How adorable are these part denim loafers?

the most pefect vintage suede winter midi which you will probably see me where before winter!

I found lots more goodies including LOTS of designer vintage which be added to my shop when I get back to Perth next week (if I manage to get through check-in without being overweight)!

Outfit post later today!!

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:57:00 +0000

Back tomorrow! Sorry about the long hiatus!

A Bollywood Friendship

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 04:09:00 +0000

My grandfather LOVED taking pictures. I cannot thank him enough because I am now left with a gazillion of them. These black and white ones tell so, so many stories, some of which he’d told me about before he passed. I only wish I asked him to tell me more when he was still around.

_____

The two pictures below are of part of my family (the Qureshi family) with the late Bollywood screen legend, Raj Kapoor, and his family (the Kapoor family).

For my lovely readers who aren’t too familiar with the world of Bollywood, Raj Kapoor was the Charlie Chaplin of the industry during the golden age of Indian cinema. The Kapoor family, regarded as the ‘first family of Indian cinema’, is a film dynasty in India's Bollywood industry; think Redgrave family of Western film and theatre. His grand-daughters are actresses Karishma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor, the current 'It' girl in Indian cinema.

Left -Right:

(Sitting) My grand-uncle (who lives in Bangkok), Raj Kapoor, Mr ?, My other grand-uncle

(On couch) My grandma, Krishna Malhotra (Mrs Kapoor), My grand-aunt, Ritu (eldest daughter), Rishi (his youngest son),

(Standing) My great-grandpa, Mr ?, Randhir (his eldest son) – father of Karishma and Kareena Kapoor

All I know is that Mr Kapoor was a good friend of my great-grandfather’s and of the Qureshi family probably starting out as a customer of the family’s oriental carpet business. He, and his family, were introduced to my family by the gentleman sitting third from the left in the picture above.

The newspaper article in The Straits Times (pg 5):

15^th May 1961 (the day before these photos was taken)
Indian star flies in

SINGAPORE, Sun – Indian film star, Raj Kapoor flew into Singapore today with his wife and three children to spend a quiet holiday here.

He said: “I’m here to relax. I don’t think I will make any personal stage appearances.”

Mr. Kapoor, who will be here for three days, has produced many Indian films under his own banner R. K. Films.

An autographed portrait Mr Kapoor gave my great-grandfather

How I wish my grandpa was still around. I have sooooo many questions!!

City of Angels

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Since this wretched flu has prevented me from going out of the apartment since the 3rd last day of last year(!), I haven't any new outfit pictures for you. I'm hoping these pictures will suffice... I'm back on my feet today so watch out world!

In the meantime, here are some pictures from my second trip to the capital of Thailand, KrungThepMahanakhonAmonRattanakosinMahintharaAyuthayaMahadilokPhopNoppharatRatchathani BuriromUdomratchaniwetMahasathanAmonPimanAwatanSathitSakkathattiyaWitsanukamPrasit a.k.a Bangkok, in 14 years!

(As you can see, the city has the longest name in the world!)

Cardigan: MNG, Pants: Forever21, Top: Refuge, Bag: vintage, Loafers: vintage Bally (Mum's), Brooches: vintage (thrifted)

You know how I love a good pair of coloured pants!

Readers' Survey Summary

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:32:00 +0000

My heartfelt thanks to all who took the time to fill in my reader’s survey.

Here’s a summary of everything that you brought up:

Camera

It is exciting that so many of you like my pictures!! Those comments made me very happy! To answer the most asked question: I use a basic point-and-shoot, a Panasonic DMC-FX65, and I love my little dusty pink baby to death!

Loading time

Apparently, my pictures take ages to load. I’m glad a few of you brought this to my attention because I didn’t know! Hopefully, with the compressed pictures I will post from now on, the full page won’t take as long to load.

Outfit Posts and Pictures

97% of submissions asked for daily outfit posts, which, ultimately, is my aim. I will try to post my outfits more often than I do now and try to slowly progress to posting daily. As for the number of pictures per outfit: sixteen of you asked for more while one person asked for less; I’ll have to meet all of you halfway.

What’s in my ____? & Favourites Posts

These two types of posts were also highly requested. Lots of house/ room/ suburb/ city tours and lists of favourites to come!!

Layout and header

I am well aware that my header doesn’t fit my blog content!! I look forward to a completely revamped layout in the months to come so stay tuned!

Family Posts

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that many of you actually enjoyed my little family snippets. I will most definitely write more about my family! While I’m more than happy to share things, please understand that I will not share certain pieces of information that a few of you have requested as my family’s privacy and safety always comes first.

Journal Pages

Some of you have asked to see more of my journal pages. Well, more of my journal pages you will see. One person also asked if I could post the pages of my very first journal which was a travel journal I ‘wrote’ during my tour of Rajasthan, India. I thought it’d be pretty cool (and funny) to show you what my journaling looked like when I was 13 so look out for that!

Me, Cheesy

To the person who said that my poses are cheesy, I’m truly sorry you feel that way. I’m just being me, have always just been me, and am not about to stop being me. I hope you understand :)

Singapore: My Bedroom

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 08:57:00 +0000

Before I post the results summary of my reader's survey later, I thought I'd show you a few pictures of my bedroom since it is the most requested post. Many of you also asked for 'What's in my ____?' posts. I'll zoom in on details of my room (dressing table, wardrobe, etc.) in those posts!

I have two bedroom! Lucky me! One in Perth and one in Singapore; both of which look very different. Here is just a sneak peak of my room in Singapore:

My 2012 Wishlist:

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 03:41:00 +0000

(a scan of an old card i found!)

Inspiration
A Disney adventure
A postcard from Broadway, NYC (till I can afford a ticket to Broadway)
A loving home for every stray animal out there
Perseverance

What's on your 2012 wishlist?

Happy New Year!!

Once on This Island

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 04:40:00 +0000

Dress: vintage (thrifted), Sandals: vintage (mum's), Bracelets: markets

I'm back from visiting my grand-uncle in Bangkok, unfortunately with a horrible sorethroat but, with lots of lovely memories. A big 'thank you' to each and everyone of you who filled in my little survey. I must admit, I haven't read most of your submissions yet (mainly because I did not expect to get so many!). I'll need some time to compile and read through all of them before I summarise a response.

In the meantime, here's a dress I wore aaages ago, back in Perth. It is a hit with my mum because this is the sort of dress she used to wear lots of in the late 70s and 80s. It's one of my favourite thrifted finds!! Don't you just love the island style print? I wore it with the loviliest pair of vintage sandals which Mum surrendered! It is now mine!!

I hope you had a lovely, lovely Christmas! I met my Grand-uncle's gorgeous husky, aptly named Christmas, for the first time! What did you do for Christmas?

Oh, and I found out jacaranda flowers have no smell!

Rocking Around the Pot of Tea

noreply@blogger.com (Aliya) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:10:00 +0000

Okay, I need to first apologise about the title! I just felt like giving this post a 'Christmassy' title but that didn't quite go with the tea dress I have on so I decided to combine 'Christmas' and 'Afternoon Tea' in what I first thought was a rather clever... Now, I'm not too sure!

Dress: vintage (for sale in Silver Tabby Vintage), Clutch: vintage (in store soon!) Heeled-oxfords: Mimosa (Singapore), Sunnies: Cotton On

It is so, so nice to be back in humidity again! My Dad joined my Mum and I in Singapore last night so Silver Tabby Vintage will be closed for till mid-January.

How pretty is this tea dress? I have a feeling that it was actually meant for a girl but it fits me perfectly (as most kids clothes do!). It buttons all the way down and has a tie at the back which I did up into a bow... that looked so bad, I couldn't show you!! Now, what doesn’t fit me perfectly are those sunnies. They’re waaaay too big for me… like almost all adult sunnies in the market, but I just couldn’t help myself!! The price tag which read $2 didn’t do much to discourage me either! I just use it to add a bit of colour to an outfit. And, isn’t this 1950s clutch a beauty? I’m adding it to my store when I get back to Perth next year!

NOTE: My etsy store is closed while I’m in Singapore for the holidays. It’ll re-open in February! Please let me know if you would like to reserve something you see for sale on this blog.

________________________________________

Also, please be sweathearts and fill out my Reader's Survey HERE or in the previous post. You can remain anonymous and pin point what you'd like to see more (and not like to see anymore) on this blog next year. All suggestions are welcome :)

For those of you who have filled it in, thank you very much. Special mention must be made to the darlings who commented on the post to say they've filled it in, you guys are adorable!!

Wishing you and all whom you hold dear a very Merry Christmas!