tight tweeds and secret needs

The past two days I’ve been scuttling and running around. Today, though, I finally have about two hours to spare. Back from the derm’s, hopefully he’ll kill all my acne and then I can save some money.

The earlier part of yesterday was spent buying essentials for my trip. Like power adaptors, travel-sized contact lens solution (and of course, testing them out for today), tightening my eye glasses at the optician’s, etcetera. I realized something. It’s only before I’m embarking on a travel that I will buy a pair of flats. Like this gorgeous golden pair that has since spoilt because one of the dogs at the pound chewed off the straps. My fault for wearing it to the pound.

On Saturday I found a dress at the jumble sale. It was a tad too long, so yesterday morning, I haphazardly snipped it off before going out in it. . Anyway, it’s only forty cents (or is it thirty!?) so it doesn’t really matter.

Belted it up with my Mango belt before leaving. I swear it’s so bloody hard to take self-shots, I had to balance this on the steps, cross my fingers and hope it turned out well. I’m kinda sick of the same backgrounds I have in all my photos, but ever since that macaque I was doing research on chased me everywhere and I dropped my camera, I’ve been pretty wary about taking it out. Yes, I seem to be doing research on alot of animals for my schoolwork, and then on weekends I’m counseling at the pound, I suppose it’s some sort of self-compensation for not having sufficient money to enter vet school.

At Miss Selfridge’s, I found this triple-buckled belt. And you know my penchant for buckles and belts and leathers. So this had to come home with me. Immediately after paying, I wore it. Shopped and read a while, caféing and planning some work stuff before heading off to The Best Friend’s place for chocolate fondue over chick flicks. Heavenly. Hopefully she sends me the photos soon.

dress vintage; shoes Charles & Keith; belt Ms Selfridge; earrings vintage; handbag Chloé; ring Aldo

*******

On Monday I received my researcher pass at the zoo! Wheewy. Which means I’ll be spending about two days a week there researching on the . . zebras. Oh God, how do I love those creatures. Every zebra has got its unique markings that constitute its fingerprint. And I love their tails, which look so ingenious; the serious scientific aspects of the one-year study I’m embarking upon aside, I could create quite a few fashion ranges just getting inspired by zebras alone.

The upside is that I can tell all six apart now. This one’s Nanu, the alpha female. The thing about doing animal research is that you sit there doing focal and ad libitum sampling, it’s relaxed and very Zen-like. Kinda like meditation. A time for No-thought. I like it. A throwaway from an otherwise fast-paced life that makes my friends call me Sonic The Hedgehog.

Quite obviously, I had to dress down. The top has cute little ruffles at the bottom hem, and a lace-fringed neckline. It’s nice and loose and purrfect for hot days. The belt is actually one of those floral ones from my mother’s collection of tea dresses. I’ve been stealing them all with a vengeance.

And whilst locking my house doors, I saw my father’s shoes. And had to wear it. Ho ho ho.

Threw in my brother’s cuff for a leather-and-lace look (a subtle one that only I know about, that is

The cheetah at the exhibit where we took shelter from the rain seemed to love me. It bounded over to the glass and pose there as though it was my cat.

top Mango; shorts some factory outlet in Perth; cuffsome random store; bag some random bazaar market; ring Forever 21; shoes Bata (my father’s)

*******

Off to work now, for an algorithm and chemical-equation filled five hours or so. Before a good dinner. Maybe I’ll do a shoe post tonight. Ciao!

The week’s ended. I hope I survive this week. Gonna be one hell of an insane marathon, before I fly off, since I have received a few work assignments. To top it off, I think I’m gonna be dead next semester given the non-school workload, brain research, graduation project and all. God bless my soul. I’m gonna be working like a bastard again, just like the way I did last year, the way I swore I would never repeat. My stomach’s a bit queasy thinking about it.

So one of the little delights/treats is to pop into a shop if only for a while, since I shop pretty fast, and don’t normally try on my clothes. I found this pretty sheath dress hanging on the racks in Mango, and knew I had to have it. With the prettiest flowers in outline, it’s got an old-fashioned twist that warmed my heart instantly. With only five minutes to spare, I took a deep breath, found the smallest size and paid for it.

Somehow the dress gives me The Chinese Girl look, which I do like.

Love the jade earrings. They’re so heavy I only dare to wear them when I’m going out for four hours or less.

dress: Penelope and Monica Cruz for Mango

shoes: VNC

belt: Aldo

handbag: my grandmother’s

earrings: unknown (gift)

ring: unknown (gift)

Hot days when the sun scorches demands for cheery colors and butterfly kisses.

large multi-colored earrings

muddy heels

a bouquet of dried zinnia and piles of tiles

un

dos

tres

dress: M&S (my mom’s)

shoes: Nine West

earrings: Sportsgirl (@ Perth)

ring: Forever 21

bangles: the zoo; Aldo

handbag: Guess?

Keeping track of photos in-itself is a bitch– they’re all jumbled up in my iPhoto. This was Saturday’s

I nearly died of shock when I walked past the fan and the entire dress blew upwards like an umbrella gone wrong in a wind too strong. Frantic, I grabbed stockings and a belt.

And just in case my mother had a heart attack upon seeing me go out this way, I decided to throw in a camisole. Lol.

dress: Zara

stockings: some random store

belt: vintage

ring: Aldo

shoes: ClubMarc

camisole: Mango

hairband: River Island

earrings: Aldo

handbag: Guess?

gold bow cuff worn around bag: Diva

Food: one of my greatest passions in life

now now, what do I eat?

I tend to take a quick bunch of snaps before leaving home ever since I’ve learnt to dress and makeup in under 20 minutes, which includes choosing clothes and ironing them if needed. Just in case I tend to look idiotic posing in public. So now I have a hard time deciding which set of photos is better, I’m thinking I’ll just post them in different chapters.

yup, remembering that I have my espadrilles means I have to wear them

the blend of colors in a withering hibiscus is so stunning, it reminds me of the ombre effect

so prior to that I was supposed to be nice and domestic and sweep up the dried leaves in my porch, which explains looking at the withered hibiscus.

I love the stunning bright colors of the dress. The best bit is that I got it for a mere ten bucks. It’s so simple and wearable; and I keep having to remind myself to buy more wearable and simple dresses.

dress: Cotton On

necklaces: Forever 21; Aldo

espadrilles: Bett’s (@ Perth)

handbag: NineWest

ring: Mango

shades: Mango

earrings: vintage

Chaos theory states that small complex perturbations in one part of a complex system can lead to large changes. Chaos theory, too, attempts to find rational explanations for phenomena that cannot be predicted and/or modeled. I wonder if chaos theory might state that I’m going a little bonkers.

Nah, apart from my eternal insanity– which isn’t clinical– Chaos has a few branches scattered over this tiny island. Their stuff are made of very discerning materials which are highly flattering, and are definitely not for the faint-hearted. Thou shalt not expect to be clothed up in any item this label offers. Even pants have daring cut-outs at the sides, which are great whenever I feel like a little (decent) peekaboo. Their stuff also carry the loveliest prints, and their dresses. Oh, they are to die for. Like this blue summery number has a delicate lace lining which makes me swoon.

It can be worn as a delectable halter. Oh, do I love metal O-rings, a remnant from my Victoria’s Secret obsessed days.

The beginnings of Boudoir Tales. .

alcohol, meditation and tube dresses. talk about Paradoxes

Swing, swing, swing. . oh, is Swing one of my favorite music genres. Ever.

Oh well, I’m known to play with wax. Most of the time I’ll start starring at the candle flame and playing with it, to the horror of whoever’s around.

sated

dress: Chaos

handbag: Guess?

peeptoes: Charles & Keith

bangles: vintage; Topshop (earring-turned-bangle)

shades: Mango

earrings: Sportsgirl (@ Perth, WA)

Que es tus flores favoritas? What are your favorite flowers? I tend to like asking questions in Spanish, no idea just why. Roses are beautiful. See them cut by the dozens, gathered up in bouquets, to be given to many a lover. Sometimes they are dumped by the woman who doesn’t want anyone to see them, sometimes the girl who has just received her first stalk from a guy dries the flowers to immortalize them, if even symbolically. Sometimes she puts them into a vase and admires them. Just as the many rows of magnolias, daisies, roses, carnations and the like are place into the cut crystal vases at many a table, sometimes impervious to the attention of the diners. But flowers, they beautify a place. They signify life, for the female or the hermaphrodite flower contains the ovaries and the ovules, which translates to a fruit– new life– or new flowers. My take is that flowers look best in fields. Where they are left to grow, sometimes lovingly pruned, but they are admired whilst their roots are still within the soil, where the bees and butterflies are free to pollinate them naturally, and when the wind blows pollen grains from flower to flower.

Roses, tulips, carnations, gerberras– they are lovely. Immensely beautiful. But somehow, they require the tender loving care of somebody with at least a few iotas of the figurative green fingers. Otherwise, they wilt and they die. And that is why I always love them when rooted in the soil. Or fallen flowers who have completed their course. They go back into the soil, forming nutrients for new life as well. But my favorite flowers are the wildest and the hardiest ones. The wildflowers, as they are called. I resonate best with them. Best left that way resilient, needing little precious effort, and blowing in the wind. Beyond the tiny wildflowers, the loud and proud Tiger Lilies that thrive in the wild, the hardy bright Heliconias and the vibrant flowers of the ginger family. The Little Gem is also one of these hardy flowers I adore, especially in the purple shade. .

Technically it’s summer here year-long, but there are the rainy days and the colder days. The June sun is especially scorching. Which means less fabrics, and more color. Time to wear another dress I designed myself, I thought. I found a bird’s nest nestled in one of the lower shrub-like plants. And the flowers were blooming, the purple in the dress was apt. The design for the fabric is similar to my Wildcard dress, which too, was another of my creations. Wildcard’s a blue-based theme. You know, I wish I knew how to sew, meaning I wish I had the patience to sew properly, and I wish I had a sewing machine. Darn, I’m an expert at textile hunting. . somebody hand me a machine. For starters, I’d modify my mother’s wardrobe of stuff she doesn’t wear any longer. It’s like opening a treasure chest, but she’s way taller than I am, me being the In House Midget. Bleah. Everytime she tells me of the stuff she had before she moved from her kampung house to the flat, and the stuff she threw away, I lament and sigh loudly. How could she. It’s brutal. And she laughs, “I never knew I’d ever have a daughter like you”.

Some quick snaps in the sun room. .

The obscene obsession with taking my own face continues. .

Playing with fabric and light. . Everytime I play with light textures, I invariably think of The Unbearable Lightness of Being. It’s one of the most haunting books I’ve ever read, somewhere in the league of L’etranger and Como Agua Para Chocolate.

Today might be the day I’ve worn the least number of items. A mere four.

Big, long, colorful earrings and floral-adorned shoes.

The nestlings have flown away.

I sit and wait, and contemplate, borrowing Robbie William’s lines, if even for a moment.

halter dress: self-designed

shoes: VNC

bracelet: vintage

earrings: Accessorize

Yesterday, I trudged down to the country club to meet my cousin so we could semi-finalize the details of the trip. Like where exactly to go, how to be as cheapo as possible as save money especially since I’m still studying and all, what to do, and what to wear. It’s a lovely thing she’s about my size, meaning we can pack light(er) each and double our outfit choices. Too bad her feet are smaller than mine, though. Winter in Melbourne means I can finally wrap up in gorgeous coats and wear my boots. I might be mad with a thing for cold-weather wear, because the weather here is hot and sunny almost all year-round.

“You have tights and all to wear there, right?”, she asked.

“Yup, I’m pulling out all my stockings, turtlenecks, pullovers, socks, boots, berets, scarves . . ” I replied.

And she looked at me with a OhGodYouHaveAnEntireWinterWardrobe expression already. Luckily I didn’t add in ‘mufflers and gloves’.

A lazy afternoon means dressing down. So I threw on my flower dress over a t-shirt, hurriedly slipped on some accessories, gathered my MacBook and left.

We sat on the big couches, had some sandwiches and drank some chocolate and latté, laughing insanely at the things we’re gonna do. It’s a good thing the vacation coincides with the Brisbane Arts Festival and The Melbourne Film Festival. Wheewy. I suspect it’s going to be yet another one hell of a mad holiday. I also wonder how we’re going to pull them off.

t-shirt: Mango

dress: from Patong Beach, Phuket

necklaces: Aldo; Accessorize

bangles: Dorothy Perkins; the zoo

Do you sometimes worry that at an event– it could be a dinner or a wedding or a prom or whatsoever– somebody shows up in the exact same thing? Well, it’s happened to some of my friends who always caution me to ‘buy the most inimitable thing ever”. But just how, I wonder sometimes. I mean, with my really bad spending habits of late– blame the sales and my insatiable appetite– I stupidly realized that a few hundred a day means Idon’twanttoseethegrandtotal at the end of the month. Had to step on the brakes, literally. So to create the OnlyIWillLookLikeThat outfit on the cheap, because I couldn’t find any more excuses to buy that expensive kimono-print dress that has been haunting my dreams, I decided to add The Mad P Twist, which is known as throw a few elements together, wave your hands, chant an incantation, and voila!

Can you believe that till a few days ago, I realized I did not have a black tube dress? I have black dresses in all cuts and lengths and necklines but no tube dresses. So I got this one, because I realized it would bring pretty good mileage. Although I really suspect it’s a skirt, not a dress. Whatever works, works. And then I got the deep hot pink slingbacks with the silver bow. I realize pink kinda clashes with the turquoise, but since I’m in the spirit of anything-goes-as-long-as-I-think-it-looks-good, here’s The Outfit On The Cheap.

wound the elastic potion of the hair-tie around the pearls and safety-pinned it to my dress to create The Mad Orchid Necklace With Feathers

wore a hairband with a tiny bow but the pictures fail to capture it

black tube dress: Nichii

turquoise clutch: Perllini’s

deep hot pink slingbacks: ClubMarc

diamond anklet: my mother’s

chandelier earrings: Forever 21

pearls: Forever 21

orchid hair tie: Accessorize

ring: Mango