Casetify x Lichipan.

'Coffee in Amsterdam' by Mishmallow Illustrations

 'The Princess & the Pea' by Mishmallow Illustrations

People often ask me if i've ever met up with any of my 'Instagram pals' and the answer to that is actually yes. I was always slightly skeptical of meeting people from the internet / social media just because over the internet no one knows if you're a cat or a creep...However, after meeting Michelle (@mishmallow_) my perception of Instagram meet-ups has been altered quite drastically. 

Don't get me wrong - when Michelle agreed to partner up with Casetify & myself - I was over the moon but so nervous and slightly panic stricken at the same time to finally meet her. I'd always been a huge fan of her minimalist illustrations and after working with her before it was exciting to collaborate again but this time on a slightly larger scale project. Michelle & I were offered to do an 'artist collaboration' for Casetify which involved coming up with 5-6 designs for cellphone cases (check them out here: http://www.casetify.com/Lpan5223/all). Before our initial meet-up I had these menacing thoughts as to whether or not there would be moments of awkward silences or forced conversation (the whole idea of meeting someone from a social media app felt like a blind date to be blatantly honest) but meeting Michelle in person was the best decision I made. Not only did conversation flow effortlessly but she was so likeable and funny.

We met over breakfast at Bread and Circus and discussed the collaboration with Casetify and then met again a few days later to have another relaxing breakfast (this time non work related) and caught up over laughs and relaxing conversation. She's turned out to be someone I really adore and i'm really thankful to have had the opportunity to have worked with such a creative individual. Instagram really has a knack of bringing people together!

Illustration of our breakfast at Bread & Circus by my lovely Michelle (otherwise known as Mishmallow on Instagram). The owner of the restaurant actually messaged her on Instagram to ask if he could purchase the print from London! Super exciting.

Link for purchase: http://www.casetify.com/Lpan5223/all 

If you decide to purchase & support one of our designs tag us on Instagram at: #lichipanxmishmallow! 

xxxx

Photography: Li-Chi Pan
Illustrations: Mishmallow Art / Michelle Bae

 ♡

Grand Pacific Drive.

The last time Tanya and I saw each other was a year ago in Melbourne. Words can't describe how much I miss her and wish that she lived in Sydney - but I guess us flying up and down to see one another will have to suffice for now until one of us decides to move. Ha. Having discovered my favourite beach in Australia a few years ago I decided I needed to share this little jewel in order to convince the lil' lass to move to Sydney. The reason why I love driving down to Hyams Beach (in Jervis Bay) is because of it's secluded location, white sand and crystal clear waters. The beach lives up to all the hype.. and for a moment you sort of feel as if you were in the Maldives or Cancun (minus the tourists). Bucket list this place and GO! Details for accomodation + transport are listed below. 

Transport: The drive is supposed to take two and a half hours from NSW but be prepared to stop and take photos every 30 minutes or so. We ended up taking a grand seven hours (we literally pulled over non stop to take photographs...) But I suppose that's all part of the fun with a scenic road trip. We rented a car from Orana Car Rental for a week ($25 a day). I've been renting with Orana for just over two years now and they are SO much cheaper than Budget, Avis & Europcar. Additional driver is free of charge and international licenses are accepted!

Lodging: We stayed at the newly renovated Huskisson Holiday Cabins for one night ($120). Each cabin was equipped with a little kitchenette, private bathroom, balcony, queen bed and bunk bed all in great condition. WiFi was provided with a password but didn't seem to work (perhaps that was a good thing). The cabins in general had everything you needed and the location was an absolute winner! Would highly recommend staying here (perfect for 4 guests).

Sight Seeing: Stanwell Park provides the most picturesque views of the coast down South, Sea Cliff Bridge, Hyams Beach, Gerroa, Kiama (Blow Hole) and Huskisson for lunch.

xxx

Photography: Haren Dias & Sheng Lee
Editing: Li-Chi Pan

 ♡

T2 Flutterby Review.

Floral Flutteryby Kisses (Left) & Fruity Madame Flutterby (right).

Fruitalicious (Left) & Apple Crumble (right).

There's nothing more relaxing than sipping on a warm cup of tea. It's my favourite thing to turn to after a long, stressful day. I drink almost every type of tea there is- so as you can imagine when I was asked me to do a review for Tea2's newest Flutterby range I was ecstatic!   

One thing that I absolutely adore about Tea2 is how much attention and detailing goes into the packaging of their products. From the charming little tea tins to the little spoon attached to the tea strainer (which helps brew the perfect amount of tea)! Every little package has a hidden surprise of beauty and wonder with its eclectic blend of unique flavours. The Flutterby ranges from classic breakfast teas to more contemporary and summery teas.

My favourite pick from the collection turned out to be Madame Flutterby. Its the kind of black, fruity tea that I can imagine myself drinking as a perfect little pick-me up. I loved the subtle hints of the rose petals and herbs in this green tea blend. I also really enjoyed the apple crumble tea which tasted of home baked goodness! The cinnamon and apple was so aromatic I couldn't believe it was tea that I was actually drinking. Tea2 is the master of blending and creating contemporary tea flavours and should be commended on their bold and daring flavours. They make every tea experience an exciting one!

xxxx

Photography: Haren Dias
Editing & Styling: Li-Chi Pan

 ♡

Sunday Musings.

Last submission due on Wednesday. It's going slowly. VERY. SLOWLY. Hence this procrastination post. I've never been good with long-winded philosophical essays but I somehow manage to get it done (how -I don't even know...) Best of luck to uni students who begin writing from tomorrow. Try not to stress it out! It's not worth accumulating grey hair from unnecessary pressure you put on yourself. Take it easy and remember to be kind to your body. I always end up neglecting myself when an assignment or exam is around the corner. I run on multiple cans of Red Bull, V and coffee and survive on an hour or two of sleep. I usually end up in the 'crash phase' which entails falling sick and looking extremely sleep deprived followed by a series of 'you look so tired' comments from my peers. Remember hydrate yourself and get enough sleep! Your body will thank you for it. TRUST ME. 

I'm also a little relieved knowing that five years of studying is finally drawing to an end. It's been an emotionally and physically taxing course - Architecture isn't for the faint hearted! Wanted to share some exciting news with you all. I was invited by Hypetap to join their company today (A brand agency who gets influential people on social media to build hype around different companies through collaborations). A really exciting offer - but still deciding whether I want a career in the styling/blogging/advertising industry or  whether to go into Architecture. I love both but it's quite stressful managing both at the moment.

Incredibly grateful for all the wonderful opportunities that have taken place over the last year! Let's hope that this streak of positive vibes continues! Have a good week ahead everybody! 

xxxx

Photography: Sheng Lee

 ♡

From Budapest With Love.. x

Széchenyi Thermal Baths. Cost: 13 Euros. Opening Hours: 6am - 10pm

Lemon Bike Rentals. Cost: 11 Euros for 24 hour rental. Opening Hours: 9am-7pm

The Bastion (Neo-Gothic Masquerade). Cost: Free. Opening Hours: 9am - 11pm. Offers the best views in Budapest.

Central Market Hall (One of the largest market halls in Europe). Cost: Free. Opening Hours: 9am - 5pm

Dome of St. Stephens Basilica. Cost: Free.

My dream of travelling to Eastern Europe finally materialised this year! Budapest is a trip I have always wanted to do and I am so glad to have experienced it with some of my closest friends. Having been asked on several occasions as to which has been my favourite city in Europe, I can say without hesitation that Budapest makes my top 3 'all-time favourite cities' list. So here's a quick breakdown of how we did Budapest on a broke student budget.

TRANSPORT: We hired a car from Sixt Rentals and drove from Stuttgart (Germany) to Prague (2 nights), Budapest (2 nights), Slovakia (for dinner), Vienna (for one night) and made a quick stop over in Brno (Czech Republic) to top up on fuel. We did a total of 2100 kilometres and after splitting car rental, fuel and vignettes between 5 people it came up to a total of 150 Euros. 

LODGING: We stayed at the Adagio Hostel for two nights and paid 13 Euros a night. Location was central and really convenient.  

SIGHT SEEING: I would strongly recommend renting a bike or a scooter if you're travelling to Budapest! It's the cheapest, fastest and best way to get to know the city. Haren, Kres and I were tempted to rent scooters but decided to opt for bicycles from Lemon Bikes instead (Haren and I didn't want to take the safety risk as neither one of us had ever ridden a scooter before..that would've been disastrous to say the least). We paid about 3500 Hungarian Forints which worked out to about 11 Euros for a day rental. To rent a bike you need to remember to bring your Passport or ID Card & a credit card! Biking was probably the best decision we ever made as we managed to avoid crowded tourist routes and covered almost half the city in a day.

The Budapest thermal baths is also a must visit and was probably the highlight of my trip! You get access to 15 indoor and 3 outdoor pools for 13 Euros. SO. WORTH. IT. The Bastion also has the most breathtaking views of the city, however cycling up there can be quite a mission so if you have poor stamina consider taking a bus.. Budapest is a truly captivating city with so much backstreet charm I can't wait to visit again.

xxxx

Photography: Haren Dias & Li-Chi Pan

 ♡