Monday, July 25, 2005

Shoo shoo shoos

LMD, I accept your shoe meme challenge! This was harder to do than the last one, cos now I have to mentally go through my shoe collection. Brain strain.

Total number of shoes you own:

Somewhere between 45-50, but I only regularly wear about half of them. Lots of strappies and flip-flops, kitten heels, some decent heels, serious-looking work pairs, about three pairs of sports shoes (four if you count my rock-climbing shoes)...wait, do flippers and booties count as shoes? They are footwear right? Now you know how many more posts ShooStories will contain.

The last shoe you bought:

Please to look here.

How many shoes do you have under your work desk:

Just the pair I'm wearing. Same as above.

5 people I'm passing the baton to:

Deetourguide (her shoe collection is to die for)
Woof! (I'm curious, hehe)
Ang Ku Kueh (also curious)
Fashionasia (I know you don't do memes, but this one is on fashion and you therefore HAVE to do it! hehehe)
Err...I can't think of anyone else.

Willpower is...


Tangs dressing room, circa 24th July 2005.

...not buying a $195 (with 20% off) G-Star skirt you rilly, rilly like.

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Liturgical dance costumes

Until 2 days ago, I had never heard of the phrase ‘liturgical dance costumes’. It’s nothing too difficult to understand, and is fairly self-explanatory - costumes worn by dancers for church/christian events. I have been roped in to dance for an event my church is organising next month, and we had a meeting on Tues night to discuss the details. Seeing that the costumes would take a while to be made, we had to decide on the design of a costume pretty soon. So we turned to Google for some ideas and lo and behold, discovered a plethora of fine Christian dancewear – designed to not only protect a dancer’s modesty but also to hide the natural waist:

1.

Ah what festivities! I can already hear the trumpets sounding. This is the perfect outfit to wear to exude triumph, aided in no small part by those extra hanging flaps, designed to look exactly like flag decorations. Also, please note the versatility of this costume, as it also allows you to wear again if ever you had to double as medieval court jester in a pantomime. Glorious!

2.

Instead of sticking to just white, liven up your costume with splashes of colour! Notice the gradual shadings from light to dark, further accented by extra panels to give you a poofy silhouette. Don’t be surprised if Cirque du Soleil comes knocking on your door to borrow this for its marquees.


3.

The fullness of the skirt has been duplicated for the top as well, because why have only one ruffle when you can have two? Please also note the flattering V-shape of the blouse, which succeeds in bringing your bosom to the region of your waist. This modest yet perfectly feminine ensemble also features a full skirt, perfect for twirling in.


4.

Keep people guessing in this full-skirted gown! Are you an optical illusion? A nun minus her habit? The cross of Jesus? The best part is: there is no wrong answer! Guaranteed to add the perfect inspirational note to your performance.


5a.

This is a personal favourite. Look Ma, no hands! Nothing quite says soar like the wings of an eagle in this poncho-styling angel collar top. When teamed with the full circle skirt, the effect would be a charming halo of a delicious dust ruffle.

5b.

The angel collar also is available in a more exciting metallic fabric for that extra sparkle and sheen. Highly recommended for roles which require you to play the angel atop the Christmas tree.

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

ShooStories: Is there such a thing as a formal flip-flop?

#17

The Shoo: Limey
Circa: Jan 2005
Where: Online buy, Peter Alexander

The Story: For a flip-flops fan like myself, this marriage of beachy flip-flop with a kitten heel was a match made in beachy heaven. And we have Sigerson Morrison to thank for. But his were outrageously expensive, something like US$50 for a pair. Even I have a limit, one does not pay that kind of money for rubber. Thankfully, because it was such fashion gold, it was copied left, right and centre (thank God for pirates). Hell, even Bata was doing these! I know, because I bought a pair from there and I wore them to death. I even wore them to work, because I reasoned, it's got a heel, and therefore it's OK! When I finally broke them, (the strap snapped and I had to resort to scotch-taping the strap back to the sole) I knew I had to replace them.

By this time, the fad for these had died down, and the crowd had moved onto higher pastures, like the wedge heel. Peter Alexander was having a clearance sale and I decided to buy another pair, this time in lime green, since I was, and still am, in a green phase. I still wear these to work too. But I hasten to add that I never wear these for formal events. One must still have some sense of occasion.

Bonus!

Friday, July 15, 2005

Pepper Lunch

We were going to have dinner at Mos Burger before wandering around Kinokuniya, but on arriving, discovered a new place had opened, taking over another Japanese restaurant. And that is how we accidentally stumbled upon Pepper Lunch, a new Japanese fast-food joint that offers sizzling steak and other yummy beefy eats on a hot plate. We stepped into the place and immediately, screams of "Irrashaimasssssse!" assailed our ears. I ordered the hamburger plate (hum-baagaa), while my two other friends tried the loin steak (the server called it 'lion steak' hurhur) and a combination plate of steak and hamburger from the counter.

The staff were all super-friendly and smiley, and as soon as our dishes arrived, helpfully pointed out the condiments we could add to our steak, like the garlic soy and honey mustard sauce. They also reminded us to mix everything on the plate thoroughly to enjoy the full flavour of the dish, even offering to mix it for us if we couldn't manage on our own. Err thanks, I think I can figure out how to eat my dish.

My humbaagaa came sizzling delightfully on the 'patented' hot plate system, with a sunny-side-up egg and some bean sprouts and carrots on the side. The beef was really tender and juicy, and oh-so-flavoursome. And you could tell they used real beef, not the fake overprocessed stuff you get at the evil golden arches of a fast-food joint that shall remain nameless.

We left the place with screams of "Arigato gozaimasssssssu" ringing in our ears and very contented bellies. I'm so coming back here again.

Thursday, July 14, 2005

ShooStories: Slipping away

#16

The Shoo: Ice Blue
Circa: April 2003
Where: X:odus, Holland Village

The Story: I bought this pair mainly because it was on offer at X:odus - 2 pairs for the price of 1. I was with a friend, who had found a pair of shoos she liked so we split the deal, so in essence I paid half price for it. I wore this pair on a few occasions, but the one which sticks out the most is the time I wore this pair to watch Finding Nemo.

Up to now, I'm wondering whether it was a date or whether it was just a 'friends' thing. He had already seen the movie, but on hearing that I really wanted to watch it, said he wouldn't mind watching it again. After the movie, which we thoroughly enjoyed, we had dessert at Big O Cafe (he paid). It was the first time I was with him on a one-on-one basis, previously we were always in group situations so I never had the chance to speak to him for a prolonged period of time. So this session at Big O was a good chance to get to know him better. It was very enjoyable.

My memory is very hazy at this point, but I seem to remember we watched another movie and we went roller-blading at East Coast. But it never progressed beyond that and the feeling I got was always friendly, but never romantic. Shortly after that, he announced to our group that he was going out seriously with a girl, whom he introduced to us and later married.

We're still good friends and I get along really well with his wife. I'm not upset or jealous or anything, but sometimes I do wonder...before he started going out with this girl, was I on his list of prospects?

Bonus!

fake mother-of-pearl

Monday, July 11, 2005

Friday, July 08, 2005

ShooStories: Beaded baba (or alternatively titled, The Lengths a Girl Goes to Get Shoos)

#15

The Shoo: Perenakan Beads
Circa: Ordered Jan/Feb 1998, picked up 2000
Where: Little shop in Malacca, Malaysia

The Story: As a possible throwback to my Perenakan roots, I'd always wanted to get the full Perenakan outfit. I've always liked the whole baju-getup: the translucent lacy blouse, the batik skirt, the elaborate kerongsang and gold chain belt, and of course the beaded shoos. But all the places I knew of in Singapore charged incredibly high prices (I think around $400) for a decent pair. So when I heard there was an authentic little shop in Malacca which custom-made these kinds of shoos at an affordable price, I inviegled my father to drive me to Malacca to check out the shop.

I don't remember much about the drive there, where the shop is or even what it looks like, but I do remember it was on a narrow street in a little shophouse. Very old school, y'know. We discovered, to my horror, that the wait for a pair of shoos was 2 years. Yes, not two weeks or two months, two years; the waiting list was that long and I soon discovered the reason why. The only person who could make the shoos (ie sew all the beads on) was this little old man in a pair of thick-rimmed glasses which took up half his face. There was another option of buying ready-made pairs where you could pick out pre-sewn beaded panels and wait about two weeks while it was attached to the heel. But the beads used in these were too big and coarse, and didn't come in closed-toe versions, which was what I wanted.

I decided to do the two year wait, and set about picking a design from a fat folder of photos. There were phoenixes, various flowers in a myriad of different coloured backgrounds, but I eventually settled on a design of butterflies and roses against a black background, 'cos black goes with everything, y'know.

And then came the long wait. While my mother was more concerned that we wouldn't get the shoos after having paid for them, I was more worried that the little old man would just keel over before he got round to making mine. Yes, he looked that old. But happily, as you can very obviously see by the pictures, I got my shoos just fine. When I went to collect them two years later, the place looked exactly the same and the little old man was still in his corner on his bench making more beaded slippers. Oh, and I think this story also illustrates how rabid I am about shoos.

Bonus!

I am starting to realise I own a lot of things with butterflies on them

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

This July, I am into...



(top L): metallic pink and dangly, (top R): itsy-bitsy teeny little yellow polka-dot...(bottom L): boombox retro, (bottom R): fresh apples

...preparing for my work trip to Hawaii in Aug, birthdays birthdays birthdays (and all not mine), managing my finances better, my batik sequinned skirt, toying with straightening my hair, car loans and new cars, playing catch-up with friends, 1 Peter course in church, dao huey (how do you spell this?) for breakfast, experimenting more with baking, deciding on a baggie to hold the ipod.

How about you?

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Good things from the weekend


Tuna burger with fat fries, C&F - carbs be dam ned
  • Scalp treatment, complete with head massage
  • Being told I look like a student by nerdy-cute hairdresser (I still look young, wahaha!)
  • Getting eyebrows done for free
  • New lippie from Paul & Joe
  • Gold nail polish
  • Lunch at Corduroy & Finch
  • Surprise birthday parties
  • Making my own lychee martinis (extra lychees!)
  • Dim sum at Crystal Jade, Holland Village
  • 10 year anniversary get-togethers at Wala (cue old-timer reminiscing)
  • Being asked for my ID by Wala bouncers (wahaha!)
On another note, HELLO to my lurker friends, you know who you are, all 4 of you! Now you have to start your own blog and tell me your address so I can blog-stalk you.