Sitting through other people’s travel pics can be a pain.. especially when your not here for a travel blog! But nonetheless, I still want to share some of the highlights of our big day out touring around Singapore. It is fun, fab and oh so enticing!

Half the fun of traveling is who you travel with, so hanging out with bloggers the entire time gave the weekend a completely different vibe.  It isn’t just about what you see, but how you see it – and we all ‘get’ each other. We ‘get’ that you have to stop for ten minutes while one of the group gets the perfect light to photograph the paint peeling off the building. We ‘get’ that there will be conversational references to Tweeting at least every five minutes. And we ‘get’ that everything from the curl of a lettuce leaf to hotel slippers is the chance for a photo op!

Above- Posing it up with Violet Le Beaux and Erica from Girl With a Satchel

Going to the Mint Museum of Toys saw me rekindle many an old love. From my first boyfriend (oh Astro – how I love you!) to reminiscences over Strawberry Shortcake, Bonzo the Dog, Snow White and a host of other childhood heros.

The historical architecture really captures the imagination, and I found myself imagining midnight assignations on dark street corners, James Bond style. Dark glasses and shifty looks are about all you’ll get though as Singapore is one of the safest cities I’ve ever been too! I had no hesitation wandering the streets well passed midnight in a city where people were honest, helpful and incredibly orderly. Even queuing for a taxi was an exercise in efficiency!

You know I don’t go in for typical tourist attire, and the key to success in dressing well for any trip is in the planning. The days were hot and humid, neither friendly to the hair nor the skin tone – so measures must be taken. I picked light, breathable dresses; cute and comfortable walking shoes; and of course the all important parasol! Not only to keep cool but also I find that wearing sunscreen when it is really humid makes you hotter and stickier. So I stuck to sunscreen on the face only and relied on the parasol and a beautiful vintage fan to keep the ‘glow’ under control.

It wouldn’t have been a visit to Singapore without a visit to Dr Fish – the Pedicure and Massage all in one!  These guys are amazing. After having the days dust washed from your feet, they are plunged into what amounts to a large aquarium, only to be voraciously descended upon by hundreds of hungry fish mouths! Seriously, these little guys go nuts. The water froths and bubbles as they fight for a space on your skin and start nibbling away! It wasn’t nearly as scary as it sounds and to me it felt like one of those little electric pulse massages… but there was one male blogger (who shall remain nameless) whom I heard tell “squealed like a girl” the whole time! Personally, I’d love to have a tank of these at home for relief after those long days, but the temptation would be to leave my legs in half the night and possibly remove only stumps later on! *joking!*

It was all good clean fun, especially sneaking out after the Blog Awards to Clinic – a hospital themed bar – where the Australian bloggers showed the rest just how a celebration is done! I’m keeping this post PG 13 – So no more pics on that one! But check out the link to see just how awesome this place is!

The food was altogether great. Diverse, fast, inexpensive and an adventure all in one! Even though there is just so much to eat and try, I think if I lived in Singapore I’d still end up loosing weight, as the humidity doesn’t encourage you to eat heavy sweets or desserts. Perhaps that is why so much of the fashion is not built for my.. well let’s call it “bone structure”!  But it has put me in the perfect mood for summer fruit plates, fresh juices and balmy evening walks. Did I have a favorite? Well I made short work of the steamed dumplings, lost count of how many young coconut milks I drank, and anything with red beans and shaved ice was a winner!

Going to dinner with bloggers is an exercise in patience and restraint. If you think you can eat when your food arrives, you have another thing coming. Better not dive right in or you might loose an arm as a food blogger vies for photo perfect position!As Mr.SKM laughed at the time, “you have food bloggers photographing the food, tech bloggers photographing their cameras and fashion bloggers photographing what they are wearing!”

Above left to right – Mr Gadget, Michael Aulia and Chocolate Suze.

Even in amongst the 48 hour schedules, the tours and shopping – Singapore was still a relaxing and romantic getaway.  Who would have thought that you could be ensconced in a hotel with over 90 bloggers from different countries and still have the time and privacy to make eyes at each other? ^-^

Stay tuned for even more fun and frivolity coming your way in the next episode of Super Kawaii Mama takes Singapore!

A huge THANK YOU to Nuffnang and Uniquely Singapore for making this happen!

Well, after that unexpected and extended delay in posting, I am finally back on deck. It seems that technology has been conspiring against me as I couldn’t upload photos and barely tweet while away, I also came home to find that my house was undergoing a power outage!  But now that it seems to be finally sorted, let’s get down to business with the Nuffnang Asia Pacific Blog Awards wrap up!

Official photos courtesy of Mike Yip

As most of you will know by now, I headed off to Singapore last Thursday as a guest of Nuffnang and a finalist in the Best Fashion Blog category.  The finalist were chosen by a panel of industry judges from 13,000 nominees, so needless to say, being one of the five finalists was a HUGE honor!

The Asia Pacific region is comprised of bloggers from all across Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Australia. It was a great thrill to see Australia so well represented in the categories as compared to the population of bloggers in the other countries, we are tiny in comparison. But even in a crowd that big, it was easy to pick the Australian’s – we were the ones that kept partying all night!

After reaching Singapore at 1am Friday, we hit the hay in the hope of getting a little beauty sleep before the big night. I have to say, that with all the excitement, sleep was not an easy thing to get for the entire trip and I subsequently handled Friday and Saturday as a 48 hour straight adventure!

Getting ready for these events is half the fun, and even more fun when you get to do it with a friend. I was thrilled to finally meet up in person with Erica Bartle from Girl With a Satchel and Violet Le Beaux, so after a big breakfast we hit the shops to warm up the credit cards and indulge in a relaxing pedicure. These girls are just so much fun, and we really hit it off. Running around Zara, finding the perfect pieces for one another and making a significant dent in the budget in the first half hour! (See the evidence here!)Then it was back to the rooms for naps, facials, hair and makeup.

With Violet Le Beaux and Erica from Girl With a Satchel

Putting an outfit together for the night required a lot of planning.  Not only in deciding what to wear in such a hot and humid climate, but how to handle the frizz factor of the humidity.  I’d planned to set my hair and had come prepared with all the rollers, pins and lotion.  But after stepping out of the plane that first night, I realized that unless I planned to go with a wild a crazy look, the humidity was not going to be my friend.  So I quickly changed that plan and opted for a sleek French roll with a ton of spray to keep it together.

I have to say a huge thank you to Circa Vintage Clothing for my amazing shell pink, duchess satin earl 1940′s gown and Mr SKM’s delicious cravat. It certainly helped to amp up the glam factor of the evening, and you know me, I couldn’t possibly just go for a little black dress for such an occasion! I paired it with my Great Grandmother’s necklace, and a 1960′s silver lame evening bag – so it was a total mix of eras but I think it was a success.

Arriving at the awards was a somewhat humbling moment. Entering a throng of bloggers and guests over 400 strong, via the red carpet was both exhilarating and surreal. I don’t think I’ve ever had my photo taken so much in my life and after about five minutes was beginning to feel just how big the scale of this event was. Coming from Australia where blogging is not yet the widely recognized phenomenon that it is in other parts of the world, it was overwhelming to meet so many people who knew us and what we did. If you tell most people here in Australia that you are a blogger you’ll most likely be met with a quizzical look, or in one case a response of, “Is that like someone who cuts down trees dear?” So yes, wow…!

The night went off with a bang. Delicious dinners, local celebrities, bands, magicians, T.V crews; the works. And then we reached the part of the night that everyone was itching to get to – the Final Announcements! This is the part of the evening in which I couldn’t stop beaming. As the winners were announced, it became clear that the Australian bloggers were punching above their weight, taking out awards in three categories! The Best Parenting Blog Award went to Childhood 101 from Perth, The Best Tech Blog went to Mr Gadget from Melbourne, and the Best Fashion Blog went to none other than Lady Melbourne from right here in my own city!

I also want to give a special congratulations to my lovely Singaporean friend Xia Xue who took out not one but Three awards – for Most Original Blog Design, Most Influential Blogger and Region’s Best Blogger! Truly, the whole thing was amazing, and as was said many times during the evening, everyone came away a winner. When you consider just how many blogs were nominated by readers (over 13,000), to make it to the finals in each category was no mean feat.

For me the memorable moments of the evening were meeting some of my favorite international bloggers, being able to represent Australia with such a talented and delightful group of bloggers, and… being able to pose for photos with MR SKM in a suit! I haven’t seen him in a suit since our wedding day so this was indeed a night to remember!

I have so many pictures and so much to share with you about this trip that I’m going to break it up into a little series of travel log posts.  I had hoped to do this along the way in real time, but doing it from home now means I have much more to show and tell.

So stick with me, tell a friend and enjoy a bloggers adventures in the East!

Well… I haven’t gone that far really. But my internet connection here in Singapore is unreliable at best and my photos won’t convert to any acceptable size to save your download limit!  I know you are dying to see all the pics and hear all the stories, but they will have to wait for my return in two days time. Suffice to say, it has been a whirlwind adventure with more bloggers than I could count, and we have done a bang up job in shoring up the local economy!

Stay safe everyone and the wait will soon be over!

xxx SKM

Today’s VLog comes to you in a rather less glam, un-madeup and hot rollered state! The sound is still quite low, but I’ll have a new solution very soon.

At 19 years old, Kat Creasey is the design superwoman behind both the Kustom Krafts Market in Brisbane and independent Jewelry label My Little Rockabilly. Studying fashion design, jewelry and business, Kat has put her mind to not only creating her own successful label, but helping others to do the same. By mentoring and supporting these up and coming designers, Kat is helping to ensure that the alternative fashion scene is alive and well in Brisbane.

Not content to rest on her laurels, Kat’s latest adventure has seen her launch her own line of My Little Rockabilly makeup. What a wonder woman!

I spoke with Kat to get the low down on her burgeoning empire.

Growing up, were you always a creative type? Yes! When I was two I started drawing life like faces and bodies upside down, my parents couldn’t believe what they were seeing, they still talk about it today.

Art has always been my love and I am only just getting back into drawing and painting again now.

When I was twelve I made my first bracelet at the local bead store, my mum said ‘why don’t you try and sell them?’ so I went down to the local fashion store in my old home town of Mullumbimby (near Byron Bay) and sold my first batch of bracelets. Then I went into earrings, necklaces and brooches; by the time I was 13 I had 9 stores stocking my things! Other kids didn’t seem to understand why I would dash home after school because I had an appointment to show local shops my range while they went home to play Nintendo.

All my savings went straight into the bank and last year I bought my 1966 Fairmont.

Do you remember the first thing you made and felt that sense of “wow, this could be an awesome job.”? Because I grew up in Byron Bay, my first thing I made was rainbow (gross) but it was suited to the town. I have never really thought of my jewellery as being a job as such, just a hobby. I mainly do it so I can get out and socialise and I love seeing people wearing my things. It’s alot of hard work; you have to have patience, a strong back bone, and to be able to take criticism as being constructive.

Where did the idea and name for My Little Rockabilly come from? I got the name from ‘My Little Pony’ hahaha…I did a short fashion course during year 10, and we had to create an image and style to focus on. I never really knew Rockabilly existed, I always knew Rock’ n Roll- poodle skirts..but never liked that cheesey style. I went to a car show and saw this beautiful women (who is now a good friend) and thought ‘oh wow’ she had a 1950′s full circle skirt on that was chocolate brown with detailed lace on it, her hair was immaculate she was just so elegant at that moment she changed my life. I grew up with my dad picking me up from school in his bright red Chevy Apache with flames and my mum dropping me at friends places in her turquoise  67 mustang. I thought it was normal . I guess my family has always been into this style, but we never put a label to it.

Which of your pieces do you feel most clearly defines the aesthetic of your label? The hair accessories, using different fabrics can change the look. I think anything leopard print and polka dot can suit rockabilly, as well as everyday people.

Do you ever feel like you’ve run out of ideas and how do you deal with “creative’s block”? Oh no never! I can’t seem to stop. I have too many plans and ideas for MLR art, makeup, clothing..now paint..haha this interview is making me realise how random this label really is!

Friends are always telling me to slow down..I ask why? The answer is always the same, “you’re making me tired just watching what you do!”

I have a lot of older women who are friends and loyal customers and they come up and give me suggestions. One thing is ‘less skulls, more bows’. Peoples feedback always feeds my creativity.

You’ve recently launched you own makeup line; what prompted you to move into cosmetics from clothing and accessories? I’m a bit of a health nut. I have had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in the past and I became highly allergic to everything. I started finding out what was in our everyday brands and discovered the harmful ingredient they use as fillers in the products. A lot of my friends are vegan or are allergic to many products. My cosmetics are 100% Natural and far cheaper than everyone else’s.

Has this been a difficult process or a natural progression for your label? Natural progression. I have built up a large customer base from going out to markets and making friends out of these amazing people. And the makeup gel’s into everything. It was a large risk, because I spent a lot of money with the start up of the makeup. But so far I have received an outstanding response. The makeup isn’t restricted to one alternative scene, anyone can use it!

What does the MLR makeup line offer that is especially suited to us vintage vixen’s? Red lipstick of course! White eyeshadow (Marilyn Monroes trick to bigger eyes!) Black eye pencils that work like liquid. And a vast array of bright colours inspired by the ladies of the 30′s,40′s,50′s and early 60′s.

Is the line seasonal or trend driven? How would you like to see your customers highlight their look with MLR? It changes with my style. People who know me, know my style  changes dramatically from modern rockabilly to Authentic 40′s and 50′s vintage to goth & Psychobilly. Why should you feel restricted to one era or one style? I’ve just started roller derby. I go in wearing all black, band t’shirts, fishnets and leave wearing a atomic 50′s dress.

Recently I started making cute gothic lolita bows, next week it will be the complete opposite. Eventually I want to do a top to toe MLR look, starting with the jewellery, then makeup, clothes. I’m also looking into getting shoes made.

Does MLR ship worldwide and how can SKM’s readers get their hands on some of your pretties? I sure do! Most of my sales from the internet are international. You can send me an email mylittlerockabilly@gmail.com tell me exactly what you are after- or I can make custom made pieces.

My Little Rockabilly Vegan Makeup used for this look

On eyes: White highlighter powder for base, Emily and Isobel Von for creases and highlights

On cheeks: MLR powder blush

Lips: MLR Cherry Gloss

Great News! My Little Rockabilly is offering all  Super Kawaii Mama readers FREE shipping worldwide for orders over $20.00!

You can check out the detail of any of these shots over on my Flickr stream.