Popular

Top & Skirt set: Chicwish | Shoes: New Look (Similar here) | Sunglasses: Pieces (Similar here)

Brooch: Etsy | Earrings: Vincci (Similar here) | Ring: Vintage (Similar here) 

This cute gingham set makes me nostalgic as it reminds me of my kindergarten uniform. I was trying to look for a photo of me in my uniform but the photo cupboard is just insane and in no order so I gave up because I'm lazy. I just took one offline although I recall that in my time it had a little bow on each side and also was sleeveless. 

None of these children are me. They look too happy to be me.

I was sooo popular in kindergarten - I had one friend who only wanted to be my friend on days when the other kids weren't being friends with her. She would loudly announce that she's 'NOT MY FRIEND' on those days when she had better options. Trouble was, our helpers were friends and they'd bring us to Macdonalds after school sometimes and on those off days, she would literally ignore me. What a giant flaming turd. But being angry at a memory and at the folly of a child is really stupid so let's move on. 

I think however, that I did have a boyfriend then... I don't recall his name but I think he was Eurasian and wore spectacles. We'd go to the caged windows at break time... (Hey Newton Kindergarten, why the hell were the windows caged???? Were we being held captive??) and we would hold hands and count the buses going past. I think sometimes there could be up to 4 buses. DING DING DING WORLD RECORD MUCH??? 

Other than that, the memories are pretty sparse... I was a penguin in a school musical, and I fainted once during assembly (and got to go home so that was awesome), and I think I would sometimes see a boy in the class next to mine that was separated by a bookshelf and we would smile at each other. So basically, in summary, I had no friends, possibly because I was really boy-crazy, and I found really simple things joyful and memorable. 

How wonderful those simple times were. I miss it so much. What were your fondest memories?

Thanks for reading! 

The fix

My version of gang signs

Top: Smooch the Label | Skirt: Padini (Similar here) | Shoes: Vincci (Similar here) | Bag: Vintage Celine (Similar here)

Sunglasses: Coach (Similar here) Earrings: Old (Similar here) | Ring: Old (Similar here) 

BREAKING NEWS: My toe nail has healed.

Remember when I told you I had the super disgusting toe fungus of death? Well, I don't have it anymore so I would like to confirm that Fungus Fix works (YAY and PHEW cos that shizz is expensive). I know it's kind of hard to believe since I didn't show you a before pic and now here's a pic of a seemingly normal toe (can't say the same about the owner of said toe. Who in their right mind takes photos of their toes and puts it on the internet???), but just trust me. It works. Previously, the toe nail was discoloured and had a big yellowish-whitish-disgustingish blob on the nail bed. After applying the stuff to the nail bed (I would squeeze a drop where the nail meets the skin on the tip of the toe) consecutively for about 14 days, the fungus started going byebye... But how you might ask?

My toenail started breaking off at the bit where the fungus was, then the fresh unfungusy part continued to grow until it became the normal toenail you see here today. It's all very scientific and I shan't bore you with details but I was surprised because I thought it would just kill the fungus but I guess the nail itself was dead and had to go.

And now, some tips to prevent nail fungus so you won't have to go and spend $40++ on fungus fix.

1. Be clean - wash your hands and feet regularly. 
2. Stump those nails - keep them short and dry
3. Deal with sweat - if you have sweaty feet, wear absorbent socks 
4. Don't pick - as tempting as it is, stop picking at the dried skin around the nail bed.  

Thanks for reading!

Girl, you'll be a woman soon (part 2)

  Top: Choies | Pants: FOS (Similar here) | Shoes: Koumi Koumi (Similar here)

Bag: Nine West (Similar here) | Lunch bag: Sugar Booger (Similar here) | Earrings: Old (Similar here)  

 

And now, the continuation to my previous post. To recap, Glamour Magazine had this article about what women should know and have by the age of 30 which we obviously know to take for absolute law. If you haven't gone around getting this list checked off, you must not be ready for REAL LIFE.

30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Know by the Time She's 30

 

By 30, you should know:

1. How to fall in love without losing yourself.
Also important, how to not fall down or get lost.
2. How you feel about having kids.
No snarky response here. I respect all women and their decisions.
3. How to quit a job, break up with a man and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.
a) Scream "I QUIT!" then pee on your boss' desk and run away. b) Scream "I QUIT!" then pee on your boyfriend's desk and run away. c) Scream "HOW DARE YOU PEE ON MY DESK?" then pee on her desk and run away.
4. When to try harder and when to walk away.
a) When you're trying to open a jar of pasta sauce and you've already boiled the pasta. b) After you've farted in a public space.
5. How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn’t like to happen next.
I haven't managed to nail this one. Kissing to say 'I'm going to take a shower and then fall asleep' is really difficult.
6. The names of: the secretary of state, your great-grandmother and the best tailor in town.
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
7. How to live alone, even if you don’t like to.
I could totally live alone as long as I had a dog or a few and then I could fulfill my dream of being a crazy dog lady.
8. How to take control of your own birthday.
I don't find pretending that it's not happening very difficult. 
9. That you can’t change the length of your calves, the width of your hips or the nature of your parents.
It's like they've never heard of plastic surgery or being really bossy and forcing people to do things against their wills.
10. That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it’s over.
HALLELUJAH!
11. What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love.
I have a friend who would eat a fish chip squashed in someone's armpit for money. I think she would probably do the same for love. I wouldn't do either. 
12. That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs or not flossing for very long.
I think this is something you should know like at least by the age of 20. Honestly, it should just be known. 
13. Who you can trust, who you can’t and why you shouldn’t take it personally.
a) My mom b) my mom when she says she bought me a donut c) it's in her nature to offer said donut to the three other people she's met prior to meeting me.
14. Not to apologize for something that isn’t your fault.
SORRY NOT SORRY
15. Why they say life begins at 30.
Because they are bad at numbers. 

While these lists have some nuggets of wisdom, I would like to think that at the next milestone, whenever that is, the main thing you should have is moments of unadulterated happiness and to know that every person is different so checking off general lists of 'what we should know' is kind of silly. 

Thanks for reading! 

Anna

Sunglasses: Beverly Feldman (Similar here) | Necklace: Gift (Same here)

Dress: Smooch the Label

Shoes: New Look (Similar here)

Bag: Gracious Aires

Love the little bow details on the back!!

When I visited my aunty B in Santa Barbara, she gave me this necklace and said it was inspired by the necklace from the epically romantic Tolstoy novel Anna Karenina. I've been hoping to wear it for some time now but I just couldn't find the right outfit for it but when this Smooch dress came on sale, I was all 'hell yeah bomb diggity'. Yeah, I'm definitely no epic novelist.
I should probably read the book and take in the great romance of "the greatest book ever written" so that I can walk around being all smug like, 'I read and wear necklaces and therefore I win at life'. Or I could just watch the movie.

I'd like to leave you with a quote from the book and marvel at how ironic it is because I seriously was waiting for the entire 'perfect' look to go with this necklace.

“If you look for perfection, you'll never be content.”

Blast from the past

Top: Beloved (Similar here)

Skirt: Fornarina (Couldn't find teapot skirts but this, this and this are cute)

Shoes: New Look (Similar here)

Bag: Comme Des Garcon (Similar here)

Earrings: Chinatown (Similar here) | Ring: Vintage hand me down (Similar here)

There are Grease movie spoilers ahead so stop reading if you want but if you haven’t watched it already, I’d be pretty surprised since it’s a bajillion years old.

Summer lovin', happened so fast

As a dorky young kid, I totally loved the movie Grease. I would watch it over and over, and play the CD on repeat and sing along. Obviously now that I’m older, there are a bunch of not-awesome things to gripe about, don’t even get me started on the fact that Sandy basically changes herself completely for the guy she likes!!!!! But… IT’S GREASE LIGHTNING GO GO GO GO!

Spandex and leather - I got chiiiiiills, they're multiplying

Something else I loved about it was the awesome 50s fashion. I love a fashion theme and this movie has it all - the preppy chic look, the vamp, the biker chick and more. My teapot skirt gives off a kind of 50’s preppy chic look but unlike the 50’s where tiny waists were the norm, I avoided the super cinched waist because I like to be able to breathe. 

I still want that blue midi skirt with the poodle on it

Thanks for reading, if you haven’t already watched Grease, please do, you can invite me if you don’t mind me singing and dancing along.

I'm ready to CHA-CHA!

All Grease movie images taken from clothesonfilm.com

The gift

Dress: H&M - From Steph (Similar here)

Shoes: Aldo (Similar here)

Bag: Mango (Similar here) | Ring: From Cyn (Similar here)

Earrings: From Mel (Similar here)

I've been very lucky because people in my life are really generous and have gifted me with some wonderful things. 66% of today's outfit were presents and you know, I will never turn down free clothes and accessories because I am a cheapskate. So in honour of the gift-giving people in my life, I've composed a terrible poem:

To my generous relatives and friends
Thanks to you I can follow the trends.
I love your stuff, bought or handed down
Even if sometimes I look like a clown
Please keep up your generosity,
Or I'll become a fashion monstrosity.

Thanks for reading! I know you're probably thinking I'm the next Sylvia Plath.

Upcycling

Top: Orla Kiely | Skirt: Altered from a Love Bonito dress

Bag: Nine West

Bracelet: Vintage gift from Cyn | Ring: Chinatown

Shoes: Pedder Red

Earrings: Vintage gift from Cyn

 In a bid to help me make more closet space, my friend mentioned the process of 'upcycling' to me where I take my old stuff that I don't use anymore and repurpose it into something else for better environmental value. For example, taking a dress and making it into fancy cushion covers, or a fancy apron, or part of a quilt, and other such homely hipster things.

I'm not sure I'm ready to turn my home into a shrine dedicated to my clothes but I did give upcycling a bit of a spin today. The skirt I'm wearing used to be a dress but the top of the dress was too tight, probably because I'm so well-endowed (*sob* I am not at all, I just bought a size too small because of wishful thinking) so I had it tailored into just a skirt. My goodness what an ingenious money-saving human being.  And my ring? It used to be a brooch. OMG UPCYCLING FOR THE WIN.

Thanks for reading, what did YOU do to save the earth today?
 

Business class

Top: Primark

Skirt: Smooch the Label | Shoes: Marks & Spencers

Necklace: Gift from Diane | Ring: Lovisa

Capelet: Stolen | Skirt: ASOS

Shoes: New Look

Top: ASOS | Ring: Gift from Jackie | Earrings: Vintage hand-me-down from Cyn | Watch: New Look

Dress: Far East Plaza | Shoes: Marks & Spencers

Bracelets: I think they're Dorothy Perkins | Watch: New Look

Fist bump bro! Ring: A gift from Mousie. Very love it, it's a poodle!

I had to jet off to KL again this week to attend a meeting and a workshop so instead of posting each night, I decided to combine it all as one big post. This is because I am computer illiterate and did not know how to connect my laptop to the hotel's internet. I am a disgrace to the Gen Y's.

Anyway, I had a couple of challenges packing for KL because I only wanted to carry a cabin sized luggage but I also wanted to fayshun it up. The following are my key tips for packing for business trips:

• Pack low-heeled shoes/wedges for brisk walking because it is imperative to be able to outpace your fellow business travellers especially when it comes to the immigration queues. The faster you get in line, the faster you get to get into a cab for another long journey to the city centre, champion.
• Wear a silicon watch for important time-checking. You are an important business person and your time is money so check frequently to see how much money is going to waste every time the people ahead of you dawdle. Sighing loudly is a general rule. A non-metal watch helps to prevent the metal scanning machine to loudly beep and waste precious seconds as someone pats you down.
• Always pack clothes that don't need to be ironed. Or better, pack clothes that have that purposely crumpled look. Like a purposeful hipster hobo.
• Bring a capelet and/or a shawl because it gets cold in airports and both are great for putting over your head to protect you from UV rays and weird stares as you fall asleep in the plane/car/meeting room. 

Thanks for reading, don't you dawdle now!