Where I've been

I'm back in Amsterdam, have been back since Wednesday. It's been hard re-adjusting, especially after my 2.5 weeks in happy. Before I get back into fashion, which I will, here are the polaroids I promised.

One of the best parts of my trip was wandering around Portland and finding the death to the Pixies t-shirt I've been looking everywhere for (the boyfriend's is too tattered and too big for me). There it was on a hanger all perfect and in my size for 10 bucks at Ray's Ragtime.

And then I got back here and threw it in the wash, not knowing there was a small tub of lip balm in some pocket of some unimportant garment. A small tub of lip balm that subsequently was discovered, empty, after unloading the DRYER. Death to the Pixies, spotted in little oil stains. Heartbreaking. It's not too noticeable, but it bothers me. Possible fix is to put in small vintage-esque rips where the stains are...sigh.

West coast

I've been in 4 cities since the last post - Amsterdam, Montreal, Vancouver and now Portland - haven't had any time to post. I've been busy (and by "busy" I mean "lazing around on various Vancouver beaches and road tripping south") but polaroids are being taken, will continue to be taken and will be scanned in time. Looking forward to the city today and sand dunes and surfers tomorrow. Peace out. xo

On Caitlin's couch with my new $5 scarf in my hair.

Hmm, could it be?

I realize it's wishful thinking. Wishful thinking that I'm this beautiful wispy nymph-like creature in Garance's illustration, wishful thinking that she'd use ME as her subject...but wishful thinking is alright sometimes. Maybe it's me with a different hair cut. Or me if I were a cartoon character. A cartoon character when I was 14?

On the topic of illustration, I'm working on a few of my own right now. After my camera died, I thought it would be fun and challenging to illustrate some of my recent outfits and post my drawings. And then I realized not only do I not have a scanner, I don't have a camera (Hello, it broke! Remember, Tu-Linh? It happened at the beginning of this paragraph!) to take pictures of the illustrations and post those. So for now, I have to keep you in suspense while I continue to draw.

Illustration by the talented Garance Doré (cropped by me)

Proof that I'm hard at work

Heat wave

I'm surviving a heat wave in Amsterdam (after escaping a heat wave in Montreal), the humidity and high temperatures rendering clothing an extraneous element in my life. Though, I have to say, this 10 Euro h&m white triangle string bikini is the best bikini I've ever had - not necessarily because of the style or quality, but because it fits me perfectly.

If anyone would like to join me, throw on your favourite bikini and meet me in the fridge.

xo Happy heat wave.

Pictures taken by the boyfriend with the Hipstamatic iPhone app
(pissing off analog photographers everywhere)

M.I.A.

I disappeared for 2 weeks. True story. Sometimes you just need to shut down all electronic devices and go home, right? Meanwhile, I had all these amazing cute little outfits in Montreal, of which I took zero pictures. And I think I broke my camera this morning on the plane.

= BEST BLOGGER EVER.

So here are 4 ragtag shots I took in the past 3 weeks. Yeah, I gotta get it together...welcome back to the 'Dam, Tu-Linh.

Brief Brussels moment. (I miss you, my lovely friend in a sea of sketchy Spaniards)

Rooftop moment.

Asian moment.

Pin-up moment.

Last Night

Weekend getaway looks

I surprised the boyfriend with a weekend getaway to the bustling and glamourous Hague (ha). Honestly though, it was wonderful. Between our boutique hotel with its Versailles-inspired decor (maybe a bit of an overstatement) and randomly hearing (though perhaps not serendipitously, just because it's) Bon Jovi live on the beach at Scheveningen, we had the most fun and romantic weekend, as modest as it was. Now we're back with a bit of a tan (ok, maybe it's a sunburn) to show for it. 

Off to the beach in a cropped tee, vintage Levi's cut-offs and the boyfriend's plaid.

Channeling some early 90s grunge. The itty bitty white string bikini I'm wearing underneath
is reserved for less public web viewing...

Dinner at Pastis (yes, there's one in Den Haag too, though unaffiliated to and humbler than

and just as enjoyable as the one in NYC) in a striped summer dress and Dellal-inspired hair.

(Why shave the side of my head when I can just French braid it?)

Some recent acquisitions from various markets, antique shops and H&M.

My ring collection is getting a bit ridiculous.

Man Makeover

The boyfriend forced me to go shopping with him, after which I styled and photographed him. I'm not as comfortable with men's fashion. My take on men's fashion is generally pretty simple: jeans, a t-shirt and Chucks (the grungier and I-don't-care-how-I-look-or-dress-ier, the better) and you'll have me swooning as long as you're comfortable and confident and sincere. You could pretty much wear jeans and a t-shirt every day of your life, really. But...it's nice to have a little fun sometimes.

Outfit 1: I like khakis and think there is a way to wear them without looking like a total yuppy prep, even when worn with loafers. So I rolled the pants up and threw a plaid shirt on him. Plaid shirts are always in style and make me grunge nostalgic - when I see plaid, I see Kurt Cobain. 

Outfit 2: Again, how do you avoid looking like a preppy asshole when wearing chinos and a dress shirt? Throw on something a bit tattered, a bit loved and with a bit of edge. Like a favourite army jacket you picked up at a flea market.

Outfit 3: I had to, right? Jeans and white tee = my favourite man outfit especially when worn with rockin' boots and a James Dean-esque smoldering look + cigarette dangling out of the mouth. You can't see the belt, but it's a favourite of mine. He's had it forever, this ridiculously old and worn studded belt with half the studs missing. Also, the skull necklace is a Tu-Linh original. It had a white skull too (whittled from Moroccan stones or something), but...alas, boys break and lose things.

Outfit 4: You can't really appreciate what I like most about this look due to my shoddy photography and my editing that fades out detail (I like the polaroid aesthetic ok?). 1 - The fact that it's a grey suit over a black vest over a white t-shirt - I have no explanation for that, I just like it. 2 - The suit pants are tucked into the same boots as the last outfit. Even when you have to be business or formal, don't forget you're a rocker at heart.

Here's a close up on the belt and boots:

Final thoughts: Boys, you can care about how you dress or look but don't care too much. Don't question it too much or fuss over your clothes - just keep it simple and be confident in your own skin first and foremost. Cultivate a style and not an obsession - nothing is a worse turn off than excessive man vanity. (Um, manity?)

Crochet, all the way

Some inspiration:

Crochet on Kate Bosworth (at Coachella = love) and on Karen

Some ideas:

Topshop knitted crochet dresses $110 and $80

Forever 21 crochet sweater tunic $27.80

Some me:

River Island dress 40 euro

Now if only I had those biker boots I was talking about the other day...

My new necklace

For today, a new favourite accessory and an old favourite quote. Happy Wednesday. xo

Ma solitude est mon palais. C'est là que j'ai ma chaise, ma table, mon lit, mon vent et mon soleil.

Quand je suis assise ailleurs que dans ma solitude, je suis en exil, je suis en pays trompeur.

- Réjean Ducharme, L'avalée des avalés

A Mustache Tutorial

Silly things you can make out of dollar store sticky velcro...

"Hon hon hon, où est ma baguette?"

The Tramp

"Did you get your tickets?"

"Elementary, my dear Watson"

The John Waters