Happy Chinese New Year!

I've been back in Singapore for more than a month now but I still haven't really settled in. All of my boxes have been unpacked but there are bits and pieces of things scattered around my room still. I can't wait to get my room done up so I could show everyone here what it looks like!

Meanwhile, I just celebrated Chinese New Year so I thought I should just post a couple of photos for now - lest people start forgetting that I even exist. 

I still have a few sewing projects from last year which I have not written about. Till then!

Wearing: River Island shift dress, ASOS heels, Glomesh look-alike bag, cheap folding fan

x gwen

Sydney Summer Love Vintage Show (and a dress called Edith)

Edith

This post just cannot wait. As everyone who has been following me will know, I am not very good at keeping up to date with my posts. But this post simply cannot wait. 

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I was making a dress to wear to the Sydney Summer Love Vintage Show. I was almost certain that I was NOT going to finish the dress in time as the date of the show drew near. But I did it. I finished the dress 2 days before the show and I think it's most probably the loveliest thing I have ever made. So, behold, my favourite dress at this very moment - Edith. 

Wearing: Handmade vintage-inspired 60s dress, nude Rubi flats, white vintage purse, white ASOS sunnies

Oh, I also made a matching bow

Don't ask me why I'm calling it Edith. The name just popped into my head as I was admiring it. 

Anyway, the Sydney Summer Love Vintage Show was amazing and I loved every minute that I spent there. There was a sign outside which said no photographs of the stalls were allowed, so I didn't take many photos at the show. But I did take a couple at a stall with the permission of the stall vendor. 

Mustang Sallie

And here are the things I got at the show:  

Vintage red luggage bag, $30

Vintage Australian Home Journal (1951), $18

Vintage handmade crochet gloves, $12. My life is now complete.

Vintage dress, $10. What a steal! 

Vintage sunglasses, 2 for $25. My friend bought one too.

The details of this sewing project will be discussed in another post. Stay tuned! x

Gone thriftin'

The  op-shop

I went to Padstow today to buy a pair of Rock and Roll dance shoes and chanced upon the most lovely op-shop ever. There was something endearing about the dimly-lit shop and the organised mess. It's the kind of shop that whispers, "come, discover treasures." And so, once I got in, I put my stuff down, reached my hands in and dug. 

I went a little overboard with the jumpers. But I have no regrets. Besides, they were on sale for half the price! Behold, the most lovely jumper in the world.

Front and back of landscape jumper

And here are two other jumpers and a couple of other things I bought from the shop. 

Neon orange jumper without a tag and probably handmade

Tiffany blue jumper with amazing cable design

Pin

White shoulder bag

Last but not least, this was the look of the day. I am honestly starting to fall in love with my red lipstick. It might have something to do with how it looks with my hair...

Ciao! x

DIY: Ombre Hair (Like a ray of sunshine)

// Green woollen jumper, thrifted (and rather itchy) / Black dress with tiny polka dots, Valleygirl, $15 //

I have mixed feelings about my DIY ombre hair. I am not sure if I actually like it or not. To make matters worse, I have received quite a bit of negative comments from my friends. Honestly, I do not care about what they think. Well, I did, initially. But then I decided that it didn't matter because this is what I have been wanting to do and now that I have done it, I am glad that I did. Have I just made this sound awfully complicated?

Ok, to put it simply, there are times when I love my new ombre hair and there are times when I am unhappy about it. Mostly, I am unhappy when I see another Asian with the same hair on the streets. I wanted ombre hair because I wanted a different/unique look. But I guess that's silly of me because ombre hair is all the rage at the moment. I should have known better. So, rather than creating a signature look, my ombre hair has, to some extent, reinforced my status of a quintessential Asian in Sydney. 

The hair dye

Less than 5 minutes after washing it out

Regardless, I just want to show everyone here my new hair. Oh, and today is one of the days that I am loving my new hair. xx

Happy - for now

Be right back

Some thrifting finds from Albury/Wodonga: Brown ankle boots and vintage knitting books. (No, I did not buy the lamp)

Yes, I am still alive and kicking. The lack of posts for the past few weeks was definitely an unplanned hiatus. But I will be back in Sydney in a week's time and everything will be back to normal once I get my hands back on high-speed Internet connection and pull my shit together. x

The start of something good

My friends are finally here in Sydney! They are here for a short holiday and I will be travelling around Sydney with them for the next few days. It's gonna be a blast!


I just came back from the airport just a while ago. I've had a long day! I met my uni friends for lunch in the afternoon in Newtown and went to the airport to meet my friends in the evening.


Here's the outfit that I wore today and the things I bought in Newtown!

// Cropped lace top, Supre / Skinny jeans, Kmart / Doc Martens Wannabe, Rubi Shoes / Snakeskin clutch, DIY / Necklace, eBay //

I had lunch at this gourmet burger place and ordered a duck and bacon burger. It was deee-li-cious! I took a picture of it but then it sort of mysteriously disappeared while I was transferring the files to my computer, which is really annoying. So, no photo of the yummy burger. :(

Cheap rings from a thrift store at just 50c each

Vinyl records

I got the Bill Haley record for a friend and the Buddy Holly record for myself. I'm not quite sure what I feel about my growing collection of vinyl records. I do not own a player... yet. But I will definitely get one when I complete my degree. My records are mostly just sitting on the shelf, smiling at me. They are very patient and kind. However, transporting them when I leave Sydney will definitely be a headache.



I also tried a couple of vintage stuff in the thrift shop and other shops along the street but they were either too damaged (i.e. torn), too outrageous (i.e. extra large padded shoulders that can only be worn at a costume party) or... just not pretty enough for me to spend my money for them (i.e. meh). Oh well, perhaps better luck next time. The next time I go back to Newtown, I'll be buying a Ritchie Valens record. :)


So, that's all for now! Tomorrow is the start of my new adventure! ^_^

Must be the season of the witch

Cardigan (Beige Oversized Chunky Knitted Cardi): thrifted vintage
Dress ($5 Granny's Floral Dress): Ally, $4.99
Shoes: New Look, $19.90
Wishbone Necklace: Louisa, $3
Victorian-inspired Charm Bracelet: Diva, $5


Remember about the Mushroom Pickings bag that I made a short while ago? I said that I was making it for a friend. It was her birthday party last Friday and it was a birthday tea party! Yayy. I love tea parties.

The $5 dress + belt

Anyhoo, this is what I wore to the tea party. I don't usually wear dresses, but I have to confess that I have a couple of them lying in my wardrobe. Yes, I have a couple of dresses that I bought over a year ago which I have NOT worn at all. I'm just waiting for the right occasion to wear them. And guess what, this is a dress that I bought just a few days before the party. :P


As I have mentioned, I remix my wardrobe all the time. (Funny how I have new, unworn dresses in the wardrobe huh?) But I think I forgot to mention that I am also quite a frugal shopper. I love exploring shops with the big "SALE" signs plastered all over the glass windows. Seriously, you never really know what you're going to find. Take this dress for example. It was on sale for just $5 (or rather, $4.99). $5! $5! Can you believe it? I couldn't at all, especially after trying it out in the fitting room. How can such a lovely dress be reduced from $27.99 to $4.99? How can a dress of such incredible marked-down price still be available in my size!? All the forces of the Universe must have come together in an unprecedented event of the millennium on that magical day. Seriously, I don't reckon I'd score such a deal again in the near future.


I felt like a witch that day wearing my magical 'SALE' dress, wishbone necklace and charm bracelet. Come to think of it, I bought ALL of them when they were on sale. I try to be streetwise. :P

My wishbone necklace

1 <3 charm bracelets!

I didn't take a lot of pictures with the people there because I didn't know a lot of people there (at least at the start of the party), and I was stuffing my face with food the whole time. (Also, my hair was in a less-than-ideal state that day)

The birthday 'cake'

Macaroons in autumn colours

Come to think of it... I didn't try this! T_T

Little Teacup sets made from various sweets <3 boy, this was reaaaally sweet.

All right, stop staring at the sweets! (n_n)

i heart knitwear

I haven't been doing much lately. I mean, I haven't been doing much crafting or knitting. School assignments are practically sucking the life out of me. I bought 4 balls of yarn a week ago and was planning on knitting an oversized jumper using a vintage pattern that I bought from Vinnies. But I haven't got the chance. :(


So right now, I have no tutorials to show. Fortunately, I have this picture of the greatest vintage knitted oversized cardigan that I thrifted. It looks warm, but it isn't. Anyway, pretty things don't have to be functional.

One very compelling reason to make a crochet vest

(via)

The way Janis Joplin rocks a crochet vest makes me want to have one too! And when you can crochet, why not try making one instead of buying one?


But I just need to source for a nice (and free) crochet vest pattern. These are what I have found so far:

Top left: White Mesh Vest (via)

Top right: Rosario Vest (via)

Bottom left: Lylara Crochet Vest (via)

Bottom right: Flower Square Vest (via)

I feel a lot more inclined to make the White Mest Vest because... well, it's a vintage pattern! The Flower Square Vest is a groovy vintage too. But I definitely wouldn't be making it in those funky colours. I want something just like Janis Joplin's. Something between beige and sandy brown...


I must make one crochet vest during my summer break this year. Crochet is SO HOT in fashion right now. Check out the some of the 16 Chic Crochet Clothes and Accessories on Refinery29:

(via)

The Australian Women's Weekly, For Brides (August 22, 1973)

Look what I found at the local Vinnies! They were having a massive sale and I got this well-preserved magazine for just 25cents! What a steal! Wheeeeeee!!!

The Australian Women's Weekly, For Brides

August 22, 1973

It seems to me that second-time brides do not traditionally wear white wedding gowns. One of the things that I never knew...