Dope stuff

Top: Forever 21 (Similar here) | Skirt: Paul Smith (Similar here) | Shoes: Charles & Keith (Similar here)

Clutch: Kate Spade (Similar here) | Necklace: Nichii (Similar here) | Ring: Jessica Buurman (Similar here)

First up, my deepest thanks to my friend Samson aka 7braidstrong who does cool stuff like take photos of me drinking coffee. It was, in his words, dope. 

I'd like to follow up this post with my usual ranting and raving but I think it wouldn't really do justice to his photos so I'll just let you soak them up and enjoy the tall drink of water that is yours truly. LOL.

Follow me on instagram for daily shenanigans at alexwearsstuff. And follow him on instagram for super dope artsy stuff at 7braidstrong.

This sh*t is bananas! B.A.N.A.N.A.S.

Top: GG5 (Similar here) | Skirt: Primark (Similar here) | Shoes: Valentino

Bag: Aldo (Similar here) | Brooch: Gift from Char (Similar here) | Ring: Vintage (Similar here) 

So I found this super easy no carbs banana pancake recipe so I felt compelled to share it. If you're like me, very into diet trends, and you're all "Carbs are bad" then you will LOVE this recipe. But if you're like my weirdo friends (you know who you are!) and you don't like eggs, then move along.

Mush up one banana into what resembles baby's vomit

Crack 2 eggs and whisk them

Mix in the banana mush

Heat buttered pan and pour in the egg-banana mix

Cook over low-medium heat on each side for a few minutes, I kind of estimate and check for golden brownness

Eat that delicious banana pancake delight. Serve with whatever you think pairs well.

I had some with Nutella too and that was delicious because I love Nutella as much as I love my family. Nutella is my family. The banana pancakes are really delicious and sweet so it doesn't even need any syrup or icing sugar but feel free to add on whatever makes you happy!

Helpful tip: these pancakes don't bubble like normal pancakes so you might not know when to flip 'em. Good to cook it low and slow so it doesn't burn but solidifies nicely.

Also, don't make them too large because then they're hell to flip. Unless you're Jamie Oliver and you can flip things sans cutlery. The first time I made it too large and I tried to flip it and it was a disgusting mess and looks like scrambled egg (but still tasted good).

*Post initial photo taking edit: I made the pancakes again but this time using a blender - I blended the bananas and the eggs, which made the texture way smoother and more watery, which, when poured into the pan, made much neater, flatter and rounder pancakes which cooked a little more evenly! And I decided to use a Happy Call double sided pan for the flipping, which made it waaaay easier and less messy. Suck on that Jamie Oliver!

So round. Much smooth. Many yum.

Happy cooking, thanks for reading!

It's a nice day for a white wedding

Top: Mango | Skirt: ASOS (Similar here) | Shoes: Nelly (Similar here)

Bag: Hong Kong (Similar here) | Earrings: Vincci (Similar here) | Ring: Twentyeight Lane 

As much as I've tried to fight it, I've reached the age bracket where most of the people I know are getting married and making babies. It's truly scary. Nonetheless, I'm filled with many joyous feelings for all of my beautiful friends and their partners and obviously wish them marital bliss.

I've been a bridesmaid 4 times now (one more time to come next year for my dear friend dell), so I like to think I've picked up some excellent tricks on being THE BEST BRIDESMAID IN THE WORLD. 

If you are younger than me and haven't started attending 43268923752 weddings a year yet, then here are some tips so you can smoothly navigate the treacherous waters around bridezilla island (not that the brides I maided for were bridezillas!!!!) and the gulf of the demanding parentals (also not saying anything!!!).

Tips to be the world's second best bridesmaid:

The bride is the bride. You are not. So avoid wearing anything skanky that would make all the eyes be on your flesh rather than on the bride. Also, while it's an old fashioned thing, avoid wearing white because while most brides don't really care, there will always be those who do and you should err on the side of caution.

Ohnoshedidnt. Pic from here

Check your personal dramas at the door. If you're on the verge of an epic movie star meltdown - Just don't.

Honey I'm about to throw down. Pic from here

Always have tissue ready because those gowns are stuffy and hot so the bride might perspire. Also, people typically cry.

I'm just so happy right now!!!! Pic from here

The word 'maid' in 'bridesmaid' was put there for a reason. Rose petals stained the bottom of her gown? Get down on your hands and knees and bleach it off baby. Bride needs you to make her diamond ring sparkle like that vampire in Twilight? You go buff that thing till your fingers are numb.

Bow to me, slave! Pic from here

If you're a speech-giver, do not, for the love of all things good and holy, a) get so drunk you end up slurring through the speech, b) wing it - prepare your speech c) talk about the hens night/penises/the bride's sex life (or even lack thereof).  

The speech giver is totally like 'NAILED IT'. Pic from here

Thanks for reading, I hope you'll enjoy all the lovely weddings you will attend!

Nation building

Top: ASOS (Similar here) | Skirt: ASOS (Similar here)

Bag: Charles & Keith (Similar here) | Shoes: Aldo (Similar here) | Necklace: Jessica Buurman 

I love my nation - I'm proud to call myself a Singaporean and I think the nation deserves the best so with that in mind, I wrote this post...

While crazy stuff isn't new in Singapore, it certainly causes quite a stir each time. Singapore is a melting pot of different cultural practices and norms, it's a city nation which is teeny tiny but bustling with people of all races and religions, backgrounds and principles, and while this means we're super diverse and have a variety of flavours (yum!), we're probably also still figuring out how to adjust to and live with one another. With the advent of social media, EVERYTHING is recorded and basically we should seriously either a) live in fear of the extreme invasion of privacy and never leave the house b) embrace it and become a social media superstar (like moi hahahaha riiiight) c) stop being a jackass.

Need proof of the crazy?

Angry man + Vulgar t-shirt on teen = BOOM

Sometimes you just gotta go....

The noble Samurai?

OMG what the hell there is a blog dedicated to people being aggro to one another. I can't even. 

Thankfully I've yet to be involved in anything unpleasant in a public space (aside from the time I saw an old dude pull out his weiner on the bus) but honestly, I kind of live in fear that somehow my actions are going to be misconstrued and I'll lose my job or worse, have angry netizens dig up my personal details forcing to me to get chased out of the country.

Obviously, in the above mentioned scenarios, it's pretty clear that these perpetrators aren't really doing themselves any favours. Seriously, not being a total buttwipe is the first step to not angering others so here's are my handy charts to enable you to better navigate the treacherous waters we know as our society.

On a bus or a train

 

 

Just generally being out in public

 

Obviously it's easy to make a joke out of bad behaviour and here I am being all preachy but the truth is, I have my own inconsiderate behaviour to change. I'm quick to anger over small things like people cutting into my lane when I drive, but I think true change comes from within and I want to effect positive change by just not being a giant turd and I invite you to do the same, one bus/train ride at a time!

Thanks for reading!

Hello? It's popsicle calling.

Dress: Sheinside | Shoes: Aldo (Similar here) | Bag: Charles & Keith | Sunglasses: Pieces (Similar here)
Rings: Old (Similar here) | Earrings: Old (Similar here) | iPhone case: ASOS (Similar here) 

As per my usual pattern of obsessive behaviour, when I like something, I REALLY like it. In this case, it's cellphone covers for my precious iPhone 5S. While I'm not really utilising my smartphone the way it was intended (basically for all facets of life, not just making phone calls), I love love love to dress it up in little outfits. I love silicone phone covers because I'm a huge klutz and they offer bouncy protection, but they're also usually whimsical and cute and sometimes really stupid so that gets the YES I WANT treatment any day.

Clearly I have a problem

Cellphone covers can range from pretty expensive to really cheap depending on where you shop. I think physical retail outlets might jack up the prices since they have to pay rent and being the avid online shopping expert* that I am, I have some recommendations if you're looking for quirky cellphone covers that will make your phone seem even larger than it really is but also cuter so I think it's worth it.

This is totally my face when someone says something awkward. That someone is usually me. Pic from here

I'm going to custom make a Nacho version like this and then they can play! Pic from here

That's so meta. Pic from here

For when you need help with your evil ways, call your friends. Pic from here

Or when you need help defeating evil. Pic from here

I've not ordered from the sites mentioned in the pictures above but I have ordered from TVC Mall and AliExpress and have been satisfied with their products and services so you can consider them as they have tons of phone cases for a variety phone types.

Thanks for reading!

Sticky situations

Top: New Look (Similar here)

Skirt: ASOS (Similar here)

Shoes: Aldo (Similar here)

Bag: Y-3 (Similar here) | Ring: Lovisa (Similar here)

Earrings: Vintage (Similar here) | Sunglasses: Karen Walker

In a bid to not be mistaken for a yeti, I've been through various hair removal processes since I was 20 years old, I think. It's been so many years of torture that I can't even really recall when it started but here I am, at... a certain age... a near-hairless ape.

It started with waxing, where a therapist would apply hot wax to various bits of my body, then lay on a fabric strip, let it cool and RIIIIP the hair right out. I went to Strip since it's one of the larger and more well-known chains. I have to commend them for their professionalism, cleanliness and efficiency. Eventually, instead of waxing, the therapist started up-selling IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) hair removal where they basically shoot lasers pew pew at your skin and your hair dies at the root (after a few sessions and depending on the thickness etc etc and all that science stuff I don't know).

Doing IPL is waaaaay better than waxing because you don't have the hot sticky wax applied to your body and it doesn't hurt the way it does when you freaking rip hair from your body, although some warmth and tingly laser sensations are to be expected in IPL.

But even though Strip wasn't ripping hair any longer, I felt like they were ripping me off because their packages weren't exactly cheap and as hair regrowth really varies from person to person, I ended up needing maintenance packages even after the first 8 sessions so I felt like I was bleeding money.

Several bloggers were promoting Datsumo Labo so I thought I'd try it out because it was known to be more affordable.

Datsumo Labo packages do appear to be much more affordable and they have quite a few packages catering to your hair removing needs. They are a no-frills kind of place so the layout is basic with no fancy interior design, you're expected to come in for your appointment having already shaved yourself beforehand (although you can pay for them to shave you too), get zapped, then leave, no magazine-reading-while-sipping-hot-tea-while-you-wait kinda thing.

No fancy tea and magazines!

Sweet. Free 1 ply toilet roll.

My first session there gave me quite a shock, I went in, removed my clothes, put on the protective eye gear and lay down on the bed. All of a sudden, maybe three or four therapists came in and stood around me to begin the process. As two of them slathered the ice-cold gel, likely gathered from the jelly mountains of the Antarctic, onto my shivering body, another one started up the IPL machine and started zapping away on the areas that had just been covered by gel, and yet another therapist would start scraping the gel off the areas that had just been zapped, wiping it down, and then laid cold wet towels on my body. I felt like I was a test subject in a production line of alien experimentation and it was bizarre.

I'm from the future.

Obviously you can't always expect the four to one body ratio, I think it depends on the number of available therapists for the day but having so many therapists at once was good in that it shortened the amount of time I needed to lie there exposed so I was done in about 15 minutes or less. However, one thing you'll realise is that each room is separated by curtains, and between two rooms, I think they share their IPL machines mid process. So I'm lying down and so is the lady next to me, and maybe they're zapping my leg, then moving the machine across and zapping her crotch. That's weird right?

Lie down and PEW PEW PEW!

Anyway, once you're zapped, they leave you in the room with the cold wet towels on your skin and leave the room and you are allowed to rest a few minutes (maybe recover from the icy shock) after which you get up, try your best to wipe your sticky self down, and get dressed. I recall at Strip, they did a lot of wiping down for you, so it wasn't so sticky but Datsumo relies on more self-service so aside from coming pre-shaved, you also need to wipe your own body more thoroughly unless you enjoy being a sticky date pudding. Then you go outside and make your next appointment for about two months later, which allows you to almost completely forget all the weird sensations you just felt until your next appointment.

Bye bye hair

But at least I'm more or less hairless. I guess I'd recommend Datsumo Labo to those who are looking for affordable hair removal and who aren't that fussy about ambience. The therapists are all quite nice and professional just that you definitely get what you pay for.

Thanks for reading!