Withinoneworld Hiatus

Withinoneworld will be on Hiatus!

As you can tell from the lack of posts from the past few years, I have been extremely busy with life.
I intend to resume blogging at some point this year, but as of now, I felt it was appropriate to let you all know that I haven't fully abandoned Withinoneworld, I just need to get on with life for now.

Please check back this space in the next few months, where I can hopefully start back up again!

Hello 2018

Bonjour 2018!

It’s that time of the year again, where we welcome in fresh starts and new beginnings. 2018 is officially underway and I hope you are all as excited about it as I am.

First of all, I want to apologise for my year long hiatus (no surprise there really), as it literally has been one year since I last posted with “Hello 2017”.

There’s just something so exciting about the New Year and it’s about time I make some positive changes in my life – for real this time.

December was a heck of a month, with a lot going on, but there were also times when I would just sit and do nothing all day infront of the television. I went home around mid-December and we spent our time attending family parties, dinners, a few meet ups and of course, watching a lot of movies with my family. Christmas and New Year’s time is time to be spent with family and since I don’t see my parents often throughout the year, I really value the time I spend with them.

For NYE, we had our annual celebration involving eating a large amount of delicious home-cooked food and celebrating until the strike of midnight. This year we had families over and it was a lovely night. The desserts table was filled with a variety of sweets, including cakes my Father made. The food my Father also cooked were divine and we all kept returning for seconds and thirds.

For the ‘younger’ people in the house (aka not the parents), we played games and had a mini dance party – it was rather fun indeed. Despite the age differences, playing games always brings people together and that’s why I love playing them. I even whipped out the good ol’ ‘Game of Life’ board game that we briefly played before welcoming in the New Year, but the highlight was probably the ‘Heads Up’ game that got me crackin’ with laughter. New Year’s day was spent relaxing together as a family and watching movies and having snacks.

I feel truly blessed to have been able to spend Christmas and New Year’s time with family and friends. As I sit on the train whilst typing away on my laptop, I think about how 2017 was a year full of experiences that I will for sure remember in my olden years. I can’t wait to see what great things 2018 will bring. Let’s all have a great year!

Hello 2017

Bonjour 2017!

One week into 2017 and despite not the most perfect starts to the new Year, I am still feeling rather positive. I hope everyone had a Happy New Year!

Last year went by so quick and I can still remember writing my 2016 New Year post. Now that it's 2017 it feels like a fresh start. People say that you can start any time and not just the New Year. I get it and I do agree with that statement, however, sometimes you just need a little kick to get things going and the beginning of the year is a good opportunity to. Reflecting back on 2016, it was a great year. I did my exams and made it into the next year of university. My family and I went to Brussels and I have spent some really fun times with great people. I have experienced a number of things, from winning first place in a category with my crew at a dance competition to the simple moments that I describe like when everything is in slow motion and you look around you and feel very blessed.

2017 is underway and I'm looking forward to the great things to come this year. I'm determined to work harder in the things I do and appreciate the blessings I have.

For NYE, my family and I celebrated the New Year with a table spread as tradition. I actually set up the simple spread myself. My Father cooked up pancit and delicious pork belly, as well as a large jamón serrano that resulted me in standing next to it a lot during the night and the following day. It might not seem like a lot, but I was very full after helping myself to a few portions! Of course, as with every NYE celebration, we had our 12 fruits placed centrally on the table and our 12 hard boiled eggs tradition.

We ate good food and waited for the New Year countdown.
Cheers to a fantastic year ahead~

Sober Shapes

I went to a club completely sober.

It was sort of a spontaneous night actually. We had dance practice that night which meant I was super sweaty, since the crew was practicing for an upcoming competition. My energy was running quite low during rehearsal because I didn't get much sleep the night before (no surprise there) and I went swimming in the afternoon. I just wasn't feeling like practicing, but of course, the committed member I am, I pushed through. Towards the end of rehearsal, my friend and I spontaneously decided we'd go for a night of more dancing. Dressed in our crew shirts, we blended in among the fancy-dressed crowd.

Now here's the thing, as we entered the club, I got my friend and I a cup of water since we were so thirsty from dance rehearsal and then I thought, why not try not drinking the whole night? 

There's a few things about being completely sober in a club - and by sober, I mean ZERO alcohol. No predrinks, no Jack Daniels and Coke, heck, no VKs (although not something I get really). Most people that do go on Night Outs say it's boring and awkward going completely sober, but you know what? I actually really enjoyed it. One of the best nights I've had.

One thing for sure, I was completely comfortable in my leggings, baggy shirt and sneakers. Although I'm comfortable in my heeled boots that I usually wear when I go out, the freedom of wearing trainers was different. Don't get me wrong, I like dressing up and wearing nice clothes, but I felt super relaxed in what I was wearing and didn't have to worry about anything that made me uncomfortable or any wardrobe malfunctions that could happen. Wearing flat shoes meant I could bust out my moves, to the point that people looked at us as if we were super drunk because my friend and I were going completely at it. Heck, I didn't care. Although, the consequence of dancing a lot and the crowded area meant that sweat was literally dripping off my face.

If you ask for a water, the people at the bar are like triple the speed giving it to you than if they were serving you a double vodka lemonade, so that was a plus side. Whilst I drank my water, I could see the on-goings around me and boy, it was a hilarious sight. You can see so many people desperately trying to grab other people's attention. The rugby lads, holding bottles of VKs two in each hand, the group that went all-out with their costumes for a club social, and also the awkward ones perched by the walls on their phones.

Although I probably won't be doing the same thing again for all the times ahead, I'm glad I can say that I can have fun without the need for alcohol. I used to dance around the kitchen with my flatmate drinking OJ and we'd still have such a laugh. I suppose it depends on your company and how you are among crowds of people and loud music. For me, it was an experience that showed me that good company is always a great idea. 

I'm not saying to go out and not drink anything at all, but you could perhaps consider a few things. Think about why you're with the people you're heading out with, what makes you have a fun time and how much you only need to still 'golden stage'. Some people find that teetotalism is the best way for them, and I respect their decision. Drinking too much can give some people major hangovers the next day which means laziness, unproductive and feeling ill, it can eat through your bank balance without you realising it, and it can have damaging effects on your liver/health if you go over the top. As we all know, it can affect people in different ways. Knowing your limit is important. Most of us have experienced 'a few too many', so we know how we end up feeling a bit guilty the next day.

Alcohol for me is just something that you drink that can make you merry and giddy, but it's not something I'm dependent on in order to have a fun time. Enjoy the people you're with and let drinks gradually lift your mood as you chatter and laugh away.

People I Keep Updated On

Social Media is such a powerful tool. It's a platform that enables people to share thoughts, styles, food, etc. It's true to say that the bloggers/vloggers one follows can influence the individual and I for one, get inspired by a number of people online. Sometimes it's their style that captures my attention or simply their energy and enthusiasm. Here's a selection (although not an exhaustive list) of people I currently like to keep updated with.

Chiara Ferragni - The Blonde Salad 

A photo posted by Chiara Ferragni (@chiaraferragni) on Jun 22, 2016 at 7:08am PDT

In the world of bloggers, Chiara Ferragni is considered one of the 'Big Deal' people. She's created a name for herself, with her blog and her business. I first stumbled upon Chiara Ferragni on her Instagram. I found myself scrolling through her feed and really liking her outfits. She's a successful blogger and business woman, who seems to have so much fun in what she does. I also follow her on Snapchat and it's like everyday is a vacation, as she's constantly travelling, even though she's busy with meetings and photoshoots on some days. Sometimes she's dressed up and other times she's dressed casual in jeans, yet she still manages to make her outfits look stylish. Her wardrobe is full of so many options of clothes, shoes and bags that make you want to go shopping, but also would make your bank balance cry.

Chriselle Lim - The Chriselle Factor

A photo posted by Chriselle Lim 🌟 임소정 (@chrisellelim) on Aug 4, 2016 at 10:40pm PDT

If there was a word to describe Chriselle Lim, it would be chic and that perfectly fits her sort of little saying at the end of her Youtube videos. You could say her style is sometimes on the mature side, but definitely still stylish and something I would totally wear. I'm really liking her outfits at the moment and her looks videos are fun and playful. Her blog includes posts on her personal life, beauty and style tips.

Jenn Im - clothesencounters

A photo posted by Jenn Im • 임도희 💕 (@imjennim) on Jun 26, 2016 at 4:48pm PDT

I've been watching Jenn's videos for four/five years now and I still enjoy watching her videos. There's something about her voice and the way she speaks to the camera that makes her likeable. She just has a likeable personality and seems like a nice person hang around with. Her style is fun and she likes to mix in vintage pieces from time-to-time, which I like. Her collection of sunglasses and hats is awesome too. Her channel features all sorts of things such as style, travel and favourites videos.

Jon Olsson, Marcus Valeur, Janni Deler - Jon Olsson vlogs (aka "Team Overkill")

A photo posted by Jon Olsson (@jonolsson1) on Jul 20, 2016 at 12:00am PDT

Team Overkill isn't actually their official name, but it's stuck for me since they mentioned it as a passing comment in their earlier videos. I'm so glad I started watching their daily vlogs and in fact, I think they're the first vloggers that I've been watching on a daily basis. For a start, their videos are such great quality and the editing is done superbly. It's a daily vlog so obviously not every video will feature loads of activities, yet they love to travel and do fun things. They really make you want to visit the places they go to and try and experience all sorts of things! It would be great to meet them and go explore with them too. The vlog count is nearing the 200 mark and the number of subscribers has been growing ever since I clicked that subscribe button myself and they deserve it because they put in so much effort. I like their chilled way of speaking and their fun adventuring seeking personalities. They enjoy what they're doing and you can clearly see that. Oddly, they sort of motivate me to be more productive.

Janni is a blogger (occasionally also a Youtuber) and is the girlfriend of Jon, that features in practically most of their vlogs. I like her comfortable yet stylish outfits, as well as her relaxed personality.

Aimee Song - Song of Style

A photo posted by Aimee Song (@songofstyle) on Jul 28, 2016 at 6:15pm PDT

As with most of the bloggers I have come across, I have found them through Instagram which comes to show that IG is more powerful than you think in terms of connecting different people. Even Aimee has written a book on how to 'Capture your Style', transforming your IG photos to showcase your life. When I looked at her photos, I liked how she styled her outfits and also took note of the places she went to. I also follow her on Snapchat and she's a girl that keeps it real with the snacks. Good on ya girl, I love to snack a lot too! Aimee isn't just a blogger (also now a Youtuber) but also an interior designer.

Tara - Taramilktea

A photo posted by Tara Milk Tea 👯 (@taramilktea) on Jul 7, 2016 at 1:01am PDT

I love Tara's photos, they're so colourfully busy. She's a design and travel creative from Syndney and features really great flatlays and travel photos. A lot of her photos are of food and really makes you crave the snacks and desserts. She's really creative and has a good eye for how to make lots of objects collectively create a showcase piece. Plus she probably has a lot of patience when doing her flatlays as they are carefully put together well.

Charli Burrows - meohmygirl

A photo posted by Charli Burrowes (@meohmygirl) on May 19, 2016 at 2:37am PDT

Charli Burrows is more of a recent find for me compared to the others, but what made me click on her instagram was her white/platinum hair and you all know how much I love that hair colour! Then when I scrolled through her feed, I was really impressed by her flatlays and creative art pieces. Her artwork is clean yet messy-in-a-good-way and often features something of nature, like flowers.

Karen Yung - iamkareno

A photo posted by Karen Yeung #BBHOODZ (@iamkareno) on Sep 4, 2016 at 3:14pm PDT

I first found Karen on Youtube about a year ago and what caught my attention was her fun way of editing her videos. Her channel has quickly grown with subscribers and rightfully deserves so as she puts in a lot of effort when putting together a video for her subscribers. I would say that her style is a mixture of old school, mixed in with a hint of a cute element. Her channel features videos on outfits and beauty.

Vanessa Wong - The Haute Pursuit

Yo what's up Sunday - chilling at @eastbj (aka home) before doing some shopping // toting around all-white cases + Bound Cuffs from @thpshop.co 👻 thpsnaps

A photo posted by thehautepursuit (@thehautepursuit) on Oct 31, 2015 at 7:34pm PDT

Another Instagram find on the list and what got me was her cool white short hair, which I also have had in the past. She totally rocks her hairstyle. Her photos shows her style clearly as clean and chic, and simple yet creates an impact. Vanessa is the creative director of THP, which is an online retail shop of apparal and accessories.

Jessica Stein - tuulavintage

A photo posted by Jessica Stein (@tuulavintage) on Jun 29, 2016 at 8:20pm PDT

Her photos are beautiful and really captures the scene. This girl's life is full of travels to picturesque places, which makes you want to create a list, pack your bags and visit these locations. It's like her whole life is a vacation and I wouldn't complain as the places she visits are delightful. Her personal diary blog features style posts as well, but what I really like are her travel photos - really fitting the term wanderlust.


Who else do you follow on Social Media?

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All images are taken from their websites/youtubes channels. Credit goes to the respective owners.

Around the Streets of Manchester

Despite the fact that these next two weeks will be more chilled, it's safe to say that many of us in my year find it tiring already. I'm back to life, back to reality. Bye to those summer days when you can choose what time to wake up and sleep, for now, and hello waking up to the sound of my alarm that gets more irritating each day. I know that Summer 2016 will be coming to an end real soon and we'll be transitioning into Autumn, then Winter where it's dark when you wake up and dark when you return back to the house.

It was pretty sunny for a few days earlier in the week and sunny weather reminds me of when I went around the streets of Manchester for a few days with friends. Sun shining, shades on, we took a Londoner around Town. 

Day One

We first went around Afflecks, a bazaar-like maze filled with independent stalls and boutiques. A place for quirky finds, from vintage to kawaii, from a cereal shop to a record shop. It's a place filled with all sorts of things. There isn't really an easy way to describe it properly. Mancunians just call it 'different' - and that's a good thing, as you are able to find some good pieces in there. Be prepared to spend a while if you like to spend time going through each section, as there are a lot to look at. The Northern Quarters feature vintage shops and cool places to hang out with friends. Here's a post on Ziferblat. And here's the official website of Afflecks.

Feeling a little hungry, we found a burger place called Handmade Burger Co. Once our stomachs were filled, we then headed to HOME. We chilled on some beanie bags, with people busy chatting away around us enjoying drinks and office workers who had just finished their 9-to-5 day, playing table tennis against their colleagues. They pretty much hogged the ping pong table and so we couldn't really have a go.

Day Two

Like London, Manchester also has a place called China Town. Although much more smaller, it does have little grocery shops filled with delicious Asian snacks. In this little 'block' you can find anime figurines, desserts, bubble tea, karaoke, freshly baked breads, etc. 

We then headed to the Manchester Art Gallery, which was also to be my first time checking the place out. There were three fashion exhibitions: Freedom & Fashion, Vogue 100th and a modern Japanese one. The first exhibition was rather interesting and the room featured eye-catching pieces. The second exhibition, which was the Vogue 100 years anniversary, was really nice. The photos taken throughout the years were attention-seeking and artistic. Unfortunately, photography wasn't allowed inside. It was cool to see key photographs printed large and the accompanying information on the pieces were a good read. One section showed all the front covers from way back to the illustrated covers in 1916.

Next, we headed to quickly see the Town Hall and I explained how each Christmas season, Manchester has one of the best Christmas markets in Europe. I love going to the markets, where you can smell the fresh waffles, the cooking hot dogs and sweet chocolates all temptingly displayed at stalls. There's generally good vibes from everyone enjoying themselves. If you're ever visiting Manchester during Nov/Dec time, definitely try to check it out. For this year, it's on during: Thursday 10th November 2016 - Tuesday 20th December 2016. More information can be found here.

Afterwards, we walked around and headed where the wind took us, which we then ended up in Spinningfields/Deansgate area. This is a place of restaurants and nice places to have a chat with friends, some food and a few drinks. There is also the John Rylands Library, a "late-Victorian neo-Gothic building", that I brought my friend to.

It was then the end of the day and we walked down the main road on Deansgate. Here you can find restaurants and bars. After a good few minutes deciding where we wanted to go, we chose The Living Room. Their cocktails are really nice and their starters were lush! We chose the spicy fish cakes, the garlic butter prawns (which I couldn't get enough of) and the chicken satay. I really liked the atmosphere in this place despite the fact we were there quite 'early' compared to when people normally come. The music mixes were really on point and I kept recognising some of the tracks.

Day Three

I knew it would be raining on this day and so I already planned that we headed to the Trafford Centre. When in Manchester, you take a bus and head to this decorated shopping centre. It is a pretty place, more so when it's dark and the lights shine outside and even more so during Christmas time when they decorate the pillars and ceilings. The Trafford Centre is a mall which features a number of shops like Topshop, Selfridges, Michael Kors, Office, Zara, etc. There's also a food area full of restaurants that cover cuisine from around the world and a large food court. We also went to the arcade on the ground floor which I hadn't been to in such a long time. Ah, the good ol' dodgems and dance mat!

Day three was Night Out night. We got ready, put our make up and geared up the mood for a night of dancing. The first place we went to in Town for cocktails was The Alchemist, then we headed to Ark.

Day Four

With very little sleep and pancakes for breakfast, we all headed home our separate ways. A hug and a goodbye, we waved each other off. 

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There are just so many places to visit in Manchester. I guess it's good to go with people that are able to show you the quirky finds. You experience the place in a different way compared to being tourists in a city you've never been to and visiting only the main places. It's a diverse, urban-industrial city with a lot of various things to offer. Whatever you're into, I'm sure you'll find something for you there.

- NichEuve

Dressed: Filipino

Mabuhay

Back in January, I attended a birthday party which had an attire theme of traditional Filipino. Outfits were decorated in florals and some in prints. With modernisation and constantly evolving styles, we don't often see traditional wear and so when people do wear clothes representing their culture, I find it to be somewhat 'refreshing'. I like fashion prints and styles inspired by culture, as it gives a look that extra something. It was really nice to see all the traditional outfits, both men and women, along with the children!  Actually, the guests' outfits had more of a modern twist to them.

I'm always proud of my roots and being able to finally wear something that's from the Philippines and seeing everyone together with their traditional formal attire, made it quite a special event. I like to sometimes wear looks that are different to the normal LBD and the like, so I was looking forward to wearing my outfit, despite the fact that the attires at the event wouldn't be the normal attires I am used to in a lot of parties in the UK. For my look, I wore a two piece set consisting of a long wrap-around skirt and matching top. The design is simple, yet the the gold-coloured stripes on it gives it an edge and makes it that bit more unique. I was finally able to use bag that was gifted to me which perfectly fitted the vibe I was going for. For shoes, I wore a pair of simple ankle strap heels. Thinking about it, my entire outfit consisted of items all bought from the Philippines.

My sister wore a purple filipiniana dress featuring distinctive large shoulders. The material is usually barong, but her's was a different sort of material. The embroidery on it were flowers and butterflies.

My mother had her outfit custom designed, fitted and made in the Philippines. It was interesting to see the consultation, by a very enthusiastic designer if I must add, and I saw dresses for different occasions being decorated by hand. Some of the dresses on display featured a lot of beads and so I can only imagine how much patience the people involved with them dresses had! Hand-sewn and hand-painted florals - the details were beautifully done. The material is made of barong. 

My father donned a long-sleeved tagalog barong with grey embroidery. Simple, yet looks suave.

Barong, meaning 'outfit' is a traditional formal wear worn in the Philippines. For females, the most notable features are the hand embroidery and the large shoulders. And as for males, it is long-sleeved and they tend to wear a vest-shirt underneath.
The fabric for it can be: Piña, Jusi or Banana fabric.

Piña - from pineapple leaf fibres; the making is now expensive and used for very formal events.
Jusi - used to be made from abacá (a type of banana native to the Philippines) or banana silk, but is now mechanically woven.
Banana - from banana fibre; originally from the Visayan island of Negros.

The venue was decorated somewhat like the usual function, but the centre pieces on the tables had these cute little lamps that flickered as if there were tea lights in them. The front stage was decorated in a sort of 'bahay-kubo-style'. It looked pretty good.

Filippino Desserts.

Of course with Filipino parties, there was a programme filled with speeches and performaces. For sure, there was a buffet-style meal and desserts. Oh, we do love to eat. We toasted the birthday celebrant with champagne, followed by taking even more pictures (if the amount we had already taken wasn't enough), then danced the night away.

Much love
- NichEuve