the what i wore project - week 26

well, here we are at week 26 and halfway through another year.  for many accounting type people, this signifies the mad rush end to the financial year and the beginning of another one - they will be rubbing their hands together with fiscal joy.  for non accounting type people, it probably doesn't mean anything, unless you are into the end of year sales (which kind of makes it financial) and for me it signifies the end of a life chapter and the start of a new one.

this brings very mixed feelings and i go forward now with many choices and the biggest one this week is about where i will live as i have 28 days to find a place and pack and move and following that, forging out a different life for myself. i am not making a new one cause the life it have is still great, but i am making it different.

there is something kind of scary and exciting at the same time about this, and at 48 years of age, with the "starting over again" neon sign flashing really brightly over my head well i am feeling a bit odd but comforted by knowing that everyday is the opportunity for a new start and life gives you new things to explore and this is no different.

so what did i wear leading into the change of life - not that change of life, but this new life change - it was winter wear, all the way.

i am going to embrace the change, after all, i instigated some of it.

monday i wore a lot of red tones and it was cold, so i rugged up. men's shoes from stone, jumper from uniqlo, hat from an oppy, these great wool pants from sportscraft and a great wooden necklace by fijian designer robert kennedy.  i always go an check out his stuff when i am in fiji and never fail to find some new additions for my accessories. my jacket was made in 1996 by my mum and it looks great for being 19 years old.  i did do a modification on it a few years ago. i shortened it and made the collar less 1990's and it's not going out of date anytime soon.

tuesday i wore this black ensemble with a hue of blue to keep me warm and some pink just to confuse it all. boots are from jo mercer, tube skirt from huudaverti, top from unknown, blue overtop from eastern pearson (belongs to my sister), hat from an oppy and bright pink bangles from handicraft market in suva.

this overtop look must be popular cause sussan has a similar thing in red, black, grey and creamy colour and i want one, but the red wasn't in my size and is now out of stock online. boooooo.

wednesday i wore this tartan frock and found a friend to pose with.  i made this dress last year and was thinking earlier in the week that i might make it a bit shorter - a bit more fun - but that would have meant getting out my sewing machine (which i won't be setting up till i move) so i decided to make an instant alteration and grabbed some safety pins and hitched it up in some places. now it's 10 times more fun.  I really love and it and it's a bit of an 80's throwback.  i teamed it with my jo mercer boots, studded belt (more 80's goodness), unruly hair and a scarf that my mum knitted. i so wanted to stick a safety pin through my ear, but thought it might just be too much for the office.

thursday i wore the old and the new.  i wore tights and sometimes they are a pain - they start to fall down around the crotch area and i was dreading that moment, so i packed a pair of boots in case the need arose, but thankfully it didn't.  i teamed these tights with a satin skirt from target (old), shoes from jo mercer on sale last year (kind of new), belt i made myself (old), jumper from uniqlo (new), necklaces and flowers in my hair (old).  as i put this ensemble together i just kept adding more and more and more and felt a bit showgirl meets modern showgirl.  happy to report that the tights did what they are meant to do - they stayed tight.

friday i wore appropriate clothing for casual friday. cowboy boots of course...i teamed these with my target skinny jeans and jumper from uniqlo. i didn't think it needed much else really. i took my photo up at annerley where i often go and there was a really dodgy guy hanging around anxiously and i figured i would get in, and get out and hope for the selfie best.

saturday i wore a pose very much like friday's....... it was market day and i chucked on my tie-dyed jeans (that i tie-dyed myself), jo mercer boots, uniqlo jumper and puffer jacket, polaroids and headed out in search of food and i scoffed down a vegan dagwood dog with a tonne of tomato sauce, went and checked out a bad townhouse and drowned my sorrows in a spinach and fetta pie and a coffee at ugees.  now i have decided that with four weeks to go in my house, i am going to start creating meals from whatever is in my cupboard so i can't wait to see what turns up on the plate.

on sunday i wore a pretty casual looks but threw in lots of hearts - i felt like i needed to send out the love and drape myself in symbolic love. i dropped my mum off in the city and headed back to the same fantastic place that i took my picture lat week. this look was a pair of gola sneakers i picked up in the old mollini store that used to be in the broadway mall in brissy,  that's how old they are.  my jumper was from uniqlo, cap from target, my scarf was from trade secret (for some reason i really wanted to write bunnings....) and my jeans, well they are from katies and i have had them for yonks. i love a pair of red cords, but these are ready to go.  not only does the zipper fall down on occasion, but i think they have their own inbuilt camel toe going on, which has nothing to me, but it's all about the jeans.  it's time to go red cords.

now for the love part - my super earrings are not a pair, but i lost one of one pair and one of the other pair broke - so i just wear them as is.  this amazing ring comes from a fantastic jewellery store new delhi called silverline, and it is actually a mirror.  it is brilliant if you want to reapply, or check if you have spinach in your teeth, or just use it like a reversing mirror.  Brilliant.

let's see what week 27 brings in the fashion and the life stakes.  i think at a time like this when it all feels a bit uncertain, that being accepting and appreciating of what was and what will be makes all the difference, plus just going fuck it - go with the flow.  i know that i can pretty much make any choice i want now and call my own shots.  what's not to be happy about that.

the what i wore project - week 25

after my heinous shopping adventures last week, i managed to rustle up a few good outfits for the week - thank goodness - using some new and old items from the closet and here are the looks.

of course this week was fashion focussed, but it was also family focussed with the upcoming birthday of my son who turned 30 yesterday and for me this meant a time of celebration, and also reflecting on the past 30 years of his life and my life - who i was then compared to now, what kind of parent was i then compared to now, have those wishes of what i hoped my child's life would be like come to fruition, where did i succeed or fail as a parent and most importantly, is my child a happy human being, who can deal with life's challenges. i think it is really important to reflect on many aspects of life and i actually don't think that my mother would reflect in the same way about her life or mine.

i certainly don't feel or look like i am old enough to have a 30 year old, but i am and i remember the day he was born just like it happened yesterday. i was 18, my partner and i were both overjoyed and overwhelmed at this new life that we had created at such a young age - but we have both been committed and loving parents and will continue to be. i gave my son a financial gift today but also told him that my ongoing love for him is no doubt the best gift i could possibly give.

we were a single parent family for a long time and his welfare and wellbeing were on the top of my list before anything else and i hope that my contribution to his life has made a difference. i hope it has given him the strength when he needs it and to show care and love to himself and others and go forward into this next stage of his life with confidence and the ability to make the most of his life regardless of what challenges he may face. i know for me, life didn't start to fall into place till my early 30's and i hope that this next chapter is a fulfilling one for him.

happy birthday to my beautiful boy and for any parents out there who may have doubts about whether you are doing the right thing - well children don't come with a "how to be a great parent" manual - there's generally the tradition and the experiences we had from being parented that guides us.

i do recall as a teenager thinking that when i had children, i would be a much different parent than mine were. i didn't want my child growing up in a world where "no" "you can't do that" and "why would you want to do that" were pretty common, and even now, i am still met with those same things from my mother and i am 48 for fucks sake.

i have upheld that decision i made as a teenager to be a different parent and it feels great. i don't do or say any of the things my mum did and said. i support 100% and the biggest piece of advice i got when he was nearly grown up, was that this is his journey and who i am to try and make it mine.

change only comes about by wanting and making it happen, so if you want to give yourself the freedom to be the parent you want to be rather than what's expected to be, then go for it. have fun!

so, after all of that, here's what i wore this week - cause that's why i am doing this, right? and i know that my fashion sense has definitely changed after 30 years.

monday i wore a pattern clash. this is a fave of mine and has been worn before. jumper is from coles, skirt and belt i made myself, boots from jo mercer and earrings from fiji.

never be afraid to pattern clash - it's just like parenting - sometimes the most unexpected things work out.

tuesday i wore some ruffles.  boots from jo mercer, top from unknown, i made the belt and i made the skirt a long long long time ago.  i feel youthful in this pic and i have always struggled with being a youthful mum, but it is what it is and i owned it.

wednesday i wore jumper from harris scarfe, boots from jo mercer, belt from nyc, vinyl skirt from huudaverti and love heart earrings. both of these earrings are different which is probably what happens if you have more than one kid.  they are both great, but not always the same, but you still love them.

thursday, i rugged up and wore snakeskin boots i have had for ten years, velvet skirt made by me, scarf made by my mum, belt from wrangler dfo and jumper from uniqlo and silver hoops.

i loved this look and felt totally like i was walking my own walk and as a parent, we should still do what we love to do, knowing that if you want to wear snakeskin, velvet and rhinestone, then so be it. it's okay to be who you want to be as well.

friday i wore boyfriend jeans from target, men's shoes from stone, jumper from uniqlo, vest from sussan and earrings made by me.  this is also the day that my mother questions why i would choose such a horrible backdrop for my picture. because i am me, that's why and this is what got me thinking about how it is important to not try and create cookie cutter people and lives.

saturday i wore a look that isn't really my look. i wore jeans from target, sneakers from gola, men's shirt from coles, hoops and jacket from sri lanka (gifted by my sister). last time i wore a shirt like this, my son didn't recognise me and on reflection, that's a good thing, it means that i continue to surprise - and who doesn't love a surprise. your kids will, if you let them have ice cream for dinner.

sunday i wore old old boots from jo mercer, jeans from target, scarf knitted by my mum, old jacket from katies, hat from an op shop and a cheeky smile. and why the cheeky smile, becuase i totally trespassed on private property to take this pic and that's okay.  in the realm of life what would it matter and if my kid did it, i would be okay with it, cause we all need to push the boundaries at times to determine what our limits are.

also on sunday is me and the birthday boy, my son who has just turned 30 and who i love so much. i am grateful to be part of his journey.

my ootd - 17 March

well the 17th March is st patty's day and i didn't wear a lick of green.  I thought about it and re thought it.  i did however decide to be super girly girl and wear a satin skirt and top combo, which felt quite luxe to say the least.

i did set about on my way to work to find a place to take some pics, cause that's now half  the fun of sharing my looks, but how many times can you drive around a park without looking like a weirdo. Plenty in my case.  I did stop initially and was thinking that a beautiful tree i laid my eyes on would do the trick - but it didn't, so i didn't even bother putting my heels on.  I am not accustomed to having to drive myself to work yet, let alone in heels so sensible footwear is the go.

eventually i found a spot that seemed a great backdrop for my outfit pic.  hell, it even had some green in it.

 

one of my friends tongue in cheek asked if i was going to a funeral - i seem to wear bright colours most of the time, and then i trod in chewy, but was so thankful it wasn't dog shit, cause that would have just over shadowed the smell of samsara that was adorning me.  and i didn't even slide of my chair once at work, not once.  that is so unlike satin!

anyway enough about my outfit, let's get back to st patty's day. my sister christine was born on st patrick's day and i tried to skype her and call her to no avail before i left for work.  eventually, i got to speak to her and it sounded like she wasn't having the birthday she deserved.  she was even going to buy her own birthday cake down at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva.  Surely not.  I knew then, that i had to take evasive action and sort this nonsense out.

i phoned the hotel and asked if i could buy a cake for her as a surprise.  she was going there anyway, so seemed like a great idea.

there is a certain level of patience required when trying to do cross cultural relations and trying to explain that i would just like one of the cakes that was already made would be fine. no no no - they wanted to make me a special cake to pick up on thursday. that's not good cause it was her birthday right now. so they compromised and agreed to make a cake that could be picked up at 8.30pm that night. well that wouldn't work, cause her children would fall asleep in the car on the way to pick it up. i was then handed to someone else on the phone who agreed that the chef would make a cake to pick up on thursday......

finally it became apparent that i would be happy with a cake they had in their display.  none of this 8.30pm or thursday business it had to be pret-a-porter so to speak.  and we were in business. it didn't matter that it only fed 4 - 5 people (according to my sister, it fed many more) and i asked for some additions - macarons and chocolates to make it feel special.  the hotel even offered to ring her and tell her there was something to pick up, but this was prefaced with .....your sister has probably told you.... SURPRISE!

doesn't she look happy.

so, st patty's day was success both in the sister and the fashion stakes.

what i wore
black satin skirt from target
top and belt made by me
shoes from novo

what she ate from GPH Suva
chocolate divine cake with cream, happy birthday detail and a chocolate swirl
strawberry macarons
variety of chocolates

Thank you to the staff of the GPH Suva, who helped make my sisters birthday great.

red velvet ootd - 14 March

when i woke up this morning, there was a tiny tiny hint of seasonal change in the brisbane air.  barely enough to notice, but enough for me to slip into my velvet shorts for my saturday outings.

these shorts are from our collection we showed in NYC at Full Figure Fashion Week and i had not really done much talk about them at all.  i love them though and apart from being super comfy, they feel really quite luxurious.

as someone who has a creative streak, i am always thinking of new ways to style everything that i own as i think it's important to ensure that we wear our clothes over and over again.

now that i am getting the hang of taking my own photos, i am always on the lookout for spots that i can stop and snap (as opposed to bend and snap) to ensure i get something that may be kind of interesting, or enhances the look i may be wearing.

today, it was in the industrial area of moorooka, where i stopped as i headed out for an outing.  i grabbed the cape that goes with this outfit, as i figured, i should darn well show off how fantastic the combination is.

and with its floral lining and my floral top, i was pattern clashing away.

now, i don't usually flash too much flesh, but today all that changed.  i decided not to put a cammy under the top, but popped on a red bra and just went with it.  it actually felt pretty liberating until i was at the shopping centre and realised that there was a high chance of my boobs popping out, if i wasn't careful of how i hung my bag over my shoulder.  probably explains a lot of strange looks!

 

 

well, my verdict on this outfit was that it was great.  it was fun, a little naughty, colourful and could be worn to lots of places, with either boobs in, or boobs out.

what i wore

velvet  pants and cape from huuduverti
top and sequin belt made by me
earrings from odel in sri lanka
shoes - not sure where

a little fashion interlude

I thought today, i'd do a little post about my outfit i wore.  i don't do them often, but maybe i should.

Over the past few weeks, there has been a fair bit of change at my house - physical, mental and probably spiritual and it seemed to culminate this weekend with the finalisation of room change arounds and the uncovering of some great and not so great fashion finds.  I took the opportunity to cull, cull cull.

I was ruthless in my endeavours and started the journey of letting go of some items that i had been storing for so long.  It's a really hard thing to do when you have emotional attachment to some things, but the reality is, that some of these items no longer represented who i was in terms of shape, size, or just general age of some things.

I let stuff go and it felt good. It's amazing what a good clean up does for your mind.

A couple of things were taken out of storage today and put in my cupboard and with the unearthing of some fabulous shoes i decided to build an outfit around them.

These shoes came from a trip to India, where i found them in a random shoe store in New Delhi and decided that i needed a pair and so did my sister.  They are gold and have bells on them, so they are awesome without even putting them on your feet.

My next unearthing was these fabulous tops that came from Sri Lanka. I was surprised when i remembered that i had got them back in the start of 2007 when we went on a family holiday.  I even remember buying them, cause i had to limit myself to 4 even though i wanted to buy them all.  In currency conversion, they were about $40 each, so i thought they were a bargain. And the detail on them is just incredible.

 

They are so beautiful.  They need to be worn over something unless letting it all hangout is your thing,  I knew that one of these had to be worn with THOSE shoes today.  the underneath outfit wasn't a problem, but deciding on which of the tops to wear was, How would you choose. 

well, i just held them all up in the mirror against me and let the top decide.

In the end, i went with the green. I did buy it a long time ago, but i feel the colour is still relevant and the top itself is something that i haven't seen many of.

I know it's on the neon side, but it just felt like the right one to wear today.  I didn't take a photo of my outfit with my bag though, but managed to take a photo of the bag when i was out having coffee this morning.  i was really chuffed with the overall look.

  

What's great about these tops is that they can be worn over anything, depending on the occasion -jeans, skirts and imagine it over a super swimsuit. given they have a flowy feel, are forgiving with the beautiful bumps that are hiding underneath, it's a winner.

What i wore:
shorts made by me
camisole from huudaverti
shoes from new delhi
top from Roma 4 in Colombo Sri Lanka (this is a must along with Odel, if you are ever travelling there)
bag from second hand store in brissy