lucky penny was once a teacher’s pet.

in truth, she was never a fan of apples… unless mumsy peeled off the skin… and thought it was the best way to rid her lunchbox of this unwanted forbidden fruit.

with a pattern sourced from a 1950s scarf (and refashioned by their design studio), this mini delicious apple short by j.crew is much more appetizing. she also lusted over a merino wool sweater with the exact same print, but the shorts were the smarter option seeing that her spanish holiday is just around the corner.

don’t you agree?

lucky penny is jetsetting to españa in two weeks… for her bestie’s bacherotte in ibiza, then a pitstop (translation: hangover cure) in barcelona. *happy dance*

after 10 weeks of #pilatesforbikinibod at misfitstudio, it was time to face her harshest critics… mirror and fluorescent lighting in the women’s dressing room. le sigh.

our girl came prepared though. with beach-inspired tresses and freshly shaved stems, she entered the tiny torture chamber armed with a dozen swimsuits. not only did she walk out with this flirty one-piece by eberjey, but also their red ruffled bandeau bikini.

mission accomplished. *wipes sweat off brow*

lucky penny hearts rome… and decided to do as the romans do.

she made a wish at the fontana de trevi, then strolled to where there are no tourist traps…  villa borghese, a gorgeous and luscious park open to the public.

like audrey hepburn in roman holiday, she rented a bike and explored for hours. there are beautiful fountains, a lake in the epicentre for rowing, a museum, and one of the best paninis ever.

next on her to-do list… piazza di spagna then window shopping along via de corso, where d&g and valentino opened their very first boutiques. heaven.

***psst… guest blog post written by the lovely leanne.

lucky penny loves jetsetting solo… but without cute boyfriend, it sometimes gets lonely.

in san francisco, the travelocity roaming gnome quickly became her *new* companion. affectionately nicknamed gnomie, he was at her beck and call… croissants at tartine, tacos at la taqueria and ice cream at bi-rite creamery, she soon realized that she was not so lonely after all.

her photos were much more fun than the typical self-portraits, too. complete strangers started to take notice as gnomie was the best ice-breaker of them all.

perfect for any suitcase, the classic 8-inch figurine is available online at the roaming gnome store.

travel tip: make sure he is all wrapped up, or he could end up with no limbs. #boozybirthdaybootcampfail

***psst… photograph taken by jetset penny’s natalie… in front of the painted ladies, alamo square.

lucky penny has fond memories of backpacking through southeast asia.

her first stop, the gateway where most travellers go, was khao san road in bangkok. it is a mecca of hostels, food and bars. market vendors sell cheap fisherman pants and “same same” t-shirts. after a singha beer and pad thai from a food cart, lucky penny felt right at home.

khao san road, the entertainment district’s new kid on the block, channels the energy and chaos of its namesake. the raw space is noisy and friendly… reminiscent of a time whilst chatting with fellow foreigners at her hostel bar. but the food is above and beyond anything she tasted on the streets of bangkok.

chef nuit regular (a former nurse who moved to canada after meeting her husband on an elephant ride in thailand) creates dishes with all the salty, sweet, spicy and sour hallmarks of thai cooking.

lucky penny and cute boyfriend barely said a word to each other while sharing pad gra prao (spicy beef with basil and a fried egg), squash chips with a tamarind dipping sauce, and street-style pad thai, natch.

***psst… also visit sukhothai, the couple’s first restaurant in cabbagetown. just as yummers!