a phrenology head in floral prints

There's something extremely charming about shirts that are too big for you. They look fantastic when tucked into high-waisted shorts (a similar style last seen in my first-ever post) or short skirts. This means that those beautiful printed shirts you find whilst thrifting or as the last piece on the sales rack that are too big for you can actually be worn. It also means that you can happily steal your man's/brother's/father's shirts, and get them writhing in jealousy that their clothes actually look better on you, whilst cheekily retorting that you're doubling the mileage for their clothes ;)

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So, this is actually my grandmother's top. She'd bring us all to the textile shop to select patterns a few times a year, so she could tailor them. I love some of the prints*, so I took a few when she passed on-- it's a good way of remembering someone so very close to you and I hate to see clothes go to waste. Sometimes I find myself taking things no one else wants, whether stuff that's passed on or hanging sadly in the unwanted sales rack but I guess if you see meaning and/or potential in something, why not. For some time I wondered just how I could use them-- as the cut was more senior citizen than for 20-year-old-me back then-- and one day it struck me to wear them with very short bottoms. Voila. Wicked! On hindsight I should have taken them all because they were quality textiles and could be easily worked into any outfit. Anyway, I digress.

Large shirt (with sleeves rolled up and a few buttons undone) +  high-waisted shorts + a few pieces of bold jewelry = chic summer look

And going out in bunches, of course. I love that look. Plus if you sleep with your hair bunned up high on both sides, you wake up with beautiful soft waves. Sometimes you just want to go out looking a bit mad. 

 *Which I helped select quite happily. You see, whenever my mother accuses me of being very vain, I tell her I am an extreme version of her and her mother (i.e. my grandmother) combined.

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top from my grandmother; Adam high-waisted shorts; Mango belt; Aldo shoes; Roccobarracco handbag; vintage bracelet; Accessorize earrings 

This is basically me following my own Five Second Makeup Face routine. This is Face (a), achieved by a quick wash of eyeshadow. The Five Second Makeup Face is pretty much what I do almost everyday, unless I'm going out for a meal, a date with D, to meet some friends, or just deciding to play with makeup for the hell of it.  But indulging in so little makeup has been refreshing ever since I gave up on foundation and mascara everyday. A simple skincare routine + sunblock + BB cream + eyebrow pencil followed by Five Second Makeup seems to suffice.

I love phrenology heads. D and I were once chatting about phrenology heads and then we started googling for them as well as 92891313 different concepts before realising it was 6am already. We both expressed that we wanted one, and the next thing we knew, we saw an original one by Fowler in a shop window the next day. Talk about madness. The mattress on the floor is a Thai Triangle Cushion, purchased recently for guests to sleepover on, because D launched an endless tirade against 'horrible, ugly blow-up mattresses that take forever to blow up, they are a joke". This has been a fantastic investment though (despite price differentials when compared with the blow-up mattress)-- a functional and beautiful piece of furniture that folds up into a neat pyramid when not in use. Of course, because it is so comfortable, it remains laid out all the time and I spend all my time lying on it.

the garden of earthly delights

Hello from Brighton! I reached home yesterday after a long-haul flight, a take-off delay and a series of rather distressing events. Nevertheless, I bought myself two nice tins of hot chocolate from Whittard before stepping back into a most comforting flat, and D made me amazing enchilladas. Complete with lovely memories of the ten busy days in Singapore, I say, screw the bad. Or let the bad screw itself. Being in Unpacking Mode got me busy organising the flat again (makes me wonder if I might be unknowingly Virgo sometimes!), starting with errr, organising my teas and then The Dresser upstairs (last seen here). I can finally, safely, and proudly say it's now complete! And looking rather much like My Garden of Earthly Delights.

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I used to approach many things in a rather utilitarian style, especially when it comes to furnishings. Perhaps due to a general lack of proper budget as a student, the only thing I really cared dressing up was myself. And other people, whenever hired to style them or give them complete makeovers. Or when starring at them and blurting out "This __ would look perfect on you!" Sure, I dreamed of beautiful rooms catered to my own taste, but somehow never managed to execute it. My dorm room in Cambridge was utilitarian too, with some attempt at spicing it up with monochrome vintage print-outs all over the walls. My first (real) own home at Brighton has given me the opportunity to learn how to furnish a place, and from the start I did believe that my dresser would be quite plain and simple-- just a chest of drawers with a top where I'd store my stuff. Then Sarah (of Cloud of Secrets) kept blowing me away with her delightful aesthetics. The way she stores, arranges and displays her beautiful possessions wheedled its way into my subconscious and made me start to rethink everything. It said, "Hey, it's not just about beautifying yourself and other people! It's the little things! Even the way you store your earrings!" Perusing Apartment Therapy almost everyday made me realise how much I always dreamed of storing everything beautifully, and that I was not the only one in this world with childhood fantasies of having a refrigerator with uniform and beautiful storage even-- that the innards of a drawer or a cupboard are as important as the outside, because what is the point of having pristine appearances and being chaotic and disorganised and unable to find your stuff?* I love to pull drawers open and see everything beautifully organised.

So I kept rerererereading Penny's post on her dressing table, her inspirations and her tips, and had to do something about mine. I wanted mine to be decadent, a place to display my beloved trinkets, and with pieces that evoke a smile in me when I look at them. Two days before leaving for Singapore, I found a Chinese store in Brighton with loads of oriental pieces. At the entrance, however, were buckets full of glorious faux fur. At reasonable prices! I ended up staying for half an hour (as compared to my normal five-minute-Grab-And-Go), chatted with the lady there, and went home with a few new pieces. Then I headed to my favourite vintage consignment store Snooper's Paradise and came out feeling like I was floating. . . Back in Singapore, I rounded up some more goodies from home (a.k.a. the things that I left that The Mother wouldn't use) and had fun manifesting The Dressing Table Of My Erstwhile-Unknown Dreams in a state of flow**. . .

*This philosophy also applies to the way I see life too. Inner cultivation as key, before outward appearances, even if I happily apply my mascara everyday.

**a.k.a. my favourite way to function

I bought myself two vintage martini glasses and a cut crystal vase over at Snooper's Paradise, and decided to fill them up with pearls-- which are too pretty to be left hanging on my wire drawers. The Indian bangle has been with me since I was two years old, and I still wear it today, whilst I picked up the vintage brooch from Singapore that my mother gave me eons ago. I love how its tassels stream down from the glass. The rose corsage was made by me whilst I was studying for my A-Levels economics paper-- oh how do I succumb to distractions all the time! I wear it pinned onto the straps of tank tops for that extra oomph, and putting it on display will remind me to use it. Rather than hide amongst all my other paraphernalia, only to be discovered with great relish every few months whenever I dig into my possessions.

 

The pearl brooch was a gift from Lulu's mother for me to use during formal dinners at Cambridge. Whilst that never happened, I did wear it for Kris' graduation. The grey-feathered headpiece was picked out by D during a recent Shopping Expedition, and the white lace piece is my mother's, recently brought back, for pinning onto low v-necklines for that tantalising combination of seductive lace with alleged modesty.

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I added more fake flowers that I normally wear in my hair to the pink feathers adorning the vase from D's mother, and the painted jewelry holder was given by my mother during this trip.

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I nicknamed christened the perforated white leather gloves draping over the white resin bust as Molestation, adorned with a gold necklace I wear very often. I love the simplicity of the concentric circles. The white orchids were given to me by my mother when I was about two years old. They are actually made of real orchids, plated with gold and paint. I found it back in 2009 in a box of jewelry my mother gave me to play with as a child, and hauled them to the UK, using some faded pieces for jewelry creation, and breathing new life into the other beautiful pieces. Wearing it during my holiday back this round made my mother exclaim, "Hey! I forgot about that! I wore that during my honeymoon", and we had a good laugh about The Jewelry Collection she gave me as a wee toddler. And the beautiful large pearl earrings that I wore here? From my lovely friend Vee who handed them to me during dinner, telling me, "I know you always stock up on Diva when you come back, so I'm helping you with it!"  

The bronze snake is actually the last piece of a arm cuff I saw in Diva, and bought it. Because it's too large, I wear it around my neck instead. Hanging down my mirror, I imagine how the mythical snake in Genesis might have tempted Eve whilst slithering down the tree bearing The Forbidden Fruit. And hence the name The Garden of Earthly Delights. The green chinoiserie purses were just brought back from Singapore too-- they belonged to my late maternal grandmother, who had so many little purses and stuff. I think I picked the larger one up from her house as a child-- something she wanted to throw but somehow I liked it too much so I brought it home. Even though it continues to be as ink-stained and tattered as it was twenty years back, it channels memories and I will learn how to restore it or at least mend the rips. The shiny circular green thing next to the purses is a very large ring. The biggest I have owned to date.

The gold bird with the glittery body, and feathery tail is the counterpart to my fuchsia bird on the shelves downstairs. It was sitting too sadly on my table back in Singapore so I put it in a bag, hoped it was well-cushioned and she now perches proudly on the grey-and-white fur lining my dresser top. The heart shaped trays are from the same box The Best Friend gave me my 21st Birthday Cookie Cake in on the cruise-- whenever I see it I remember those days :) As seen from the first picture in this post, I also have a gold snake cuff and a leopard cuff accompanying the pretty gold bird. Complete with rings of rabbits, snakes, Satyrs, rams, and lions on the white resin hands, I think this is one crazy dresser after my own heart!

This brooch was recently brought back too. I remember ordering it from a blog shop in Singapore back in 2005. They had limited quantities of each creation and I loved how this felt like some emerald queen of the sea.

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The bedside has finally been done up too! White faux fur from the same shop line the side of the bed, together with hats that I just brought back-- white for me, black for D's. I also recently found the incense burner in the symbol of the Tao, a constant reminder to seek Balance in my Path, whilst opium scents the room. D asked me why there was the transparent "NARS" card on his side. I told him it means he is a Narcissist, because when he first saw my NARS blush he said, "NARS stands for Narcissist isn't it, and appeals to all narcissistic peacocks". And I had to correct him that it is Francois Nar's surname.

This silver box contained my first ever Stila purchase. I was in junior college back then, and saved up quite a bit to get it, as Stila is very expensive in Singapore. I am still enamoured by their illustrations and the whimsical nature of their product packaging. This box contains cubby-holes, which is perfect for storing four different chain belts that I own-- two are my mother's, one is my late paternal grandmother's waist belt (practically an antique!), and another a charm belt from Guess? Standing behind it is a leopard-print vanity that Lulu gave me for my 22nd birthday-- she popped down specially to my neighbourhood whilst I was perming my hair just to give me that :) Just like the way she surprised me with a glorious 50s-style dress in the mail for my 24th birthday.

The border between the bedside and the staircase. Here you can see my jewelry box, a stash of books kept partly-organised in a damask-print letter holder, a Moroccan scarf hiding a suitcase, and a pretty pink wool jumper with a ruffled collar and pearl buttons from the lovely Dora. I have yet to wear it, as I am waiting for a day with amazing weather where I can showcase it in its full glory. And that proud hat with weaves of chiffon and suede? Also from Snooper's Paradise-- something I had to get!

russian spy and full moon ritual

Hello from tropical Singapore! After three hours of sleep due to the Takes Forever Process of finding the cheapest (and most efficient) way to travel to Heathrow, I worked for a few hours, went back and finished up my packing and made the beginning of my trip out of the cold and into the hot. I was a little stunned that I fitted everything, including a spare duffel, into my tiny unexpanded luggage, which was a shocking 12.7kg when weighed at the bag drop-- contrary to all the times when I make the limit by the skin of my teeth or try to smile my way through. As I hugged D goodbye, The Chocolate Robber appeared from nowhere and tore up the stairs into the flat, so the busy man has some other feline company* whilst rushing on his projects.

At 630pm on Friday, I landed in Changi airport after a most comfortable flight due to ample legroom as I managed to secure front-row seats by the exit. I also literally conked off the moment I sat down, and had to be awoken by the kind lady next to me lest I missed my meals-- most strange behaviour exhibited by myself given how I love being wide-awake and bushy-tailed whilst flying. As they opened the airplane windows after our 'night flight' and served us breakfast an hour before landing, the sun was shining in the sky and I couldn't help smiling to myself. Zipped through the automatic customs for citizens in the gorgeous Changi Airport**, and boy did it feel good to be home! After picking up more presents for my father at Duty Free, I spied my luggage on the conveyor belt, ran towards it, and then my brother mysteriously appeared out of nowhere whilst my parents were smiling. Oh yes, I'm home. And I couldn't be happier, although a part of me does wish D could be here too***.  Then there's been food, food and more food, with loads of Chinese New Year goodies everywhere and me going, "Slow down, I can't eat everything at once!" Haha. I happily unveiled dresses and lipsticks for my mother which she was happily trying on, and hugged my cats who were meowing away to some most lyrical chorus whilst dancing around the room, true to their elegant nature.

This morning I showed up unannounced at the SPCA (where I spent six years of my Saturday mornings/afternoons) and it was awesome to meet up with my friends there and see their delighted faces, whilst giving as many hugs as I could to all the gorgeous animals there. This post was half-written whilst I was in Brighton, and I'm filling it up as I lie on my bed and hug my familiar pillows, whilst reminding myself to buy fatter pillows back in Brighton. . .

*Since he thinks I am a cat. 

**The airport is so pretty and with so many shops and food that people go to the airport for fun

*** Even though I kinda think that if he goes house-visiting with me during Chinese New Year, everybody will think I'm married and won't give me red packets (containing money)-- oh the perks of being young and unmarried!

 

I always feel an inexplicable sense of restlessness on Sunday evenings. Actually, I start getting bored and then restless if I'm indoors between 730pm and 10pm everyday, before getting either insanely productive or wildly creative. No idea why, but the restlessness then degenerates into sleepiness; and the problem is intensified on Sundays. It's been this way since I was a wee child. So this Sunday, I found my fake fringe. Rather than to look in the mirror and snip off my bangs the way I did back in August, I played with a fake fringe instead, which I bought to pretend to be a stranger when D was due to visit in Cambridge one Friday. Set a location to meet, wait from the bookstore opposite and ambush. Okay, I play too many jokes on people but can't help that. Anyhows, I decided to sweep the bangs sideways and Play Pretend again. This time, continuing on my weekend theme of Russian Spy a.k.a. Evelyn Salt. No idea why but it keeps running through my head. Huge fur collar over the existing slip I was wearing, pale pink lipgloss, and vintage perforated white leather gloves later, I was feeling it. "Are you playing dress up?" he went, all amused, "I saw you prancing in front of the mirror!". Fine. I thought he was busy writing music and didn't notice, all happy with new toys. So I put on more clothes and we went for a walk, telling D I am his new girlfriend (since he insists I look different again), still feeling like a Russian Spy. It must be something in the stars.

The other shots here are that of the Full Moon nights. I love to light a few candles-- this time I've got a big red 'bomb' candle from Habitat and vanilla-scented tealights. You have to love sales, or you'd go broke from purchasing candles. Pillar candles at the end of their lives are good 'tealight holders', whilst the flat gets scented with a mixture of frankincense, black pepper, ylang ylang and sage.

 

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This was another of D's Breakfasts on Wednesday before I left. He's always asking if I have to go to work "so I can cook you breakfast". These basil mushrooms were wicked. I feel very very very lucky because it is one thing for a man to treat you to fancy meals, and it is another for him to prepare them himself :) Although he loves to joke that I'm with him because he can cook since I'm a greedy girl.

The night before I left, he even went out in the cold to get extra ingredients so he could do the lamb Moroccan-style. I had no idea he was planning on something so elaborate, because he was dead exhausted from working so hard. There was roasted lamb marinated with Middle Eastern spices served on a bed of cous cous with dried fruit, dressed with spiced Greek yoghurt. On the side was a three bean, tomato, shallot, spring onion and white onion salad drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice; as well as a dollop of humus to go with the pita bread.

Off to bed now. .  Hopefully we'll see a Singapore post up within the next few days. . I do suspect I might be so busy over here I'd end up conking off when for days when I get back to the UK! Catch up with your blogs soon, and thank you as always for stopping by xxx

lethal weaponous silver dancing nails

 

You must be bored of my shelves and dresser and miscellaneous Lair exploits by now, so this will probably be one of the last few! I think I've finally gotten my glass shelves downstairs sorted out-- isn't it funny how upon looking back you feel that the old iterations look terrible? Anyhows I suppose all these take time to build up. The dresser stands like this for now, with a white resin bust and two white hands bearing my rings. Like Penny showed us here, my dresser in my tiny flat is actually a chest of drawers, but I love it nonetheless. I am still thinking something's missing here. I continue to peruse the gorgeous options Penny picked out, and hope I will soon be satisfied with the dresser!

 

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I am really loving the shelves downstairs right now. They look and feel right :)

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The velvet bust finally arrived so I could shift my candles to flank the gold mirror. It was slightly smaller than I expected, but I love the character it exudes. AND, I found the Thai Dancing Nails hiding in my mini vintage trunk by my bedside. I bought them when I first moved to the UK, convinced by Lulu and loving the sensuality behind them. Unfortunately, D thinks they are dangerous and weaponous. He thinks I keep buying weapons. But they are too beautiful to not display. So I got myself another black resin hand, stuck the nails on them, and voila. Pleased as punch, and purring like a mad cat.

 

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three hours of beautification

 

Yesterday was an intense brain-draining day. After I was done with work, I was rushing a report out for a client last night, and ended up finishing at 7am. This meant that instead of sleeping tonight five hours after I awoke, I put on some jazz, lit the flat with candles, scenting it with ylang ylang, sage and black pepper, and kicked back to relax. Then I looked at the mess that I had made over the past few weeks-- deliveries since preprepre-Christmas that had just arrived recently due to snow delays, laundry hanging around the bathroom, the kitchen that looked like a bomb had just exploded in it. I shifted to Chambermaid mode*. And then I decided, it was time to kick off my decoration plans. I had pledged to stop buying stuff for the house pre-Christmas until finances start improving**. All I had were four new white feather boas, inspired by the restaurant we went to during New Year's Eve. With all the ideas ticking about in my head all the time, I rubbed my hands in glee and started shifting stuff around the house.

 *My mother would be so proud. D was shocked that all my life I have magically evaded housework so I had to clarify that my (younger) brother knows housework, just that I started to earn and therefore paid him to do my share. "I am going to have words with your mother" he said, instead of offering to mop the floor when I admitted I have no idea how to do it and called the dustpan "small sweeping device". To which I sheepishly admitted, "I thought that when I grew up I would have maids" and he burst out laughing. In my defense, though, in the past year I have learned how to sweep the floor, wash dishes, change the sheets, do the laundry, etcetera amen. Vast improvement. Oh God, why am I justifying. 

 **But seeing that I will be a student for the next N years, it is hard to imagine just when.

The three-way gold mirror came downstairs. I got it from a Gumtree ad***, and picked it up the day I moved. It has since been cleaned and the horrible sticker removed. And ooh, I found a use for my Egyptian beaded headpiece I got from my bellydancing class back in Singapore. My teacher always brought back so many beautiful things from Egypt, every lesson I couldn't resist but buy something. . Those were the days.

***To this day, The Best Friend still thinks I am lying when I insisted it is £10 only. 

 

I  always feel like Cleopatra in that headpiece :)

wax lyrical and muse sentimental

 

Remember the wax-dripped bottles at the pub that I was drooling over? It got added onto my To Do list, even if D said it would take years to achieve. I went to the Cargo sale and got a pack of six long red dinner candles (amongst many other delightful things for the flat) and decided to attempt a hand at recreating them. Artificially, of course. Since I do not wish to wait years. Spread some newspapers on the kitchen worktop and proceeded to light candles, dripping wax in various different patterns. . and voila!

the vintage pinup girl in the haunted manor

You might remember that I mentioned two costume changes this Halloween-- The Best Friend and I agreed that the more, the merrier. Plus she had bought too many props the evening before she came, meaning we should use them all. After we finished our Beach of the Dead Zombie Walk, I brought her for a tiny tour around Brighton before heading back to the flat where D was whipping up a delicious South Indian curry from scratch. Denise and I excitedly ran upstairs (we do that all the time whenever we go to each other's homes) and shortlisted outfits for the night, pulling out all our props onto the bed. In the end, she settled on my floral jumpsuit to match her pink wig. And I decided, what better excuse than to do my favourite vintage pinup look? 

the devilishly pleasurable lair

Hello! Am getting more and more organised, but have been busy in the throes of finding work and what to study next-- confronted with the sole obstacle of status of international student that impedes me from the course of my choice. But not to dwell on such depressing things, I have been slightly happier lately. . and on an even happier topic closer to my heart, lo and behold I present to you The Devilishly Pleasurable Lair for now, photographed along various stages of evolution. I once read somewhere that The Mandatory House Tour that all house owners show you proudly is something that most people pretend to be politely interested in but actually detest with a vengeance; and I thought to myself that's one of my favourite things about going to others' houses. Perhaps I'm a nosey parker or just infinitely curious, but anyhows there are some clothes and shoes and the like featured here which might be of interest to fellow Fashionaholics. Otherwise, just take me as an exhibitionist. Some furnishings are temporary, desks have not arrived yet, and other nitty-gritty stuff to sort out, whilst we are trying to reconfigure the look to be more Bourdoir.  Yesh, I'm loving the way things are taking shape. . .