Some More of What I wore

Its been a couple of weeks since I did one of these, don't worry its not because I've been going to work naked, I've just had a rather manic 2 weeks involving lots of traveling and meetings so Its was sadly a boring back catalogue of smart dresses and pony tails

.On more positive note however it means I have accumulated a couple of things worth sharing, and as a frequent victim of an accidental theme, this one seems to be along the lines of 'Think Pink'. Ohwell some newish stuff below I've worn to work recently...

WILD WEST WORK WEAR

The neon pink pulls this chiffon blouse back from the brink of cowgirl and and back into more office wear territory. Worn with an old favourite black silk layered skirt it looks relatively smart and the highlighter tone makes the easy classic pencil skirt blouse combo a little more exciting... throw some denim cut offs in the mix however and its a totally different story.

P.S. excuse the creases and shoddy attempt at a bow

Blouse: Forever 21

skirt: H&M

SOMETHING PRETTY

I picked this dress up in the sale at River island, it's very girly so needed toughening up with some less feminine jewellery, if it wasn't about 35 degrees here everyday I probably would have worn a leather jacket and ankle boots with it... Instead It was court shoes and deodorant. 

Brad asked if i was going to a wedding. Charming. 

BACK TO BASICS

A simple loose fit black tunic, with slight sheer panel at the front, (on the safe side of slutty for the office) Dove Grey Blazer, chunky studded belt. Out the door. At work on time... the simple things are so often the best.

Dress: Forever 21

Belt: H&M

Blazer: G2000

N.B this is not what he wore to work this week....

 Until next time

XXX

Even More of What I wore

I'm not entirely sure how this happened, maybe it is subliminal daily support for team GB, but I only seem to have worn red white and blue (ok and black) for the last week. Patriotic dresser I am. This post will also expose my Dads knack for buying Jewellery, keep it up pops :) 

GOING FOR GOLD

I popped to H&M on a lunch break last week (this provided an essential cap on browsing time) as it was too hot to be outside and my computer screen had become little more than a blur to me. I saw this gold chain when in line at the till and it instantly registered as a "can chuck it on with anything" essential. Its length reminded me of a long string of Pearls my mum used to wear either dropped down or doubled up when I was little, so it feels a bit like I'm playing dress up.

Burgendy Blouse: H&M

Skirt: Zara

Black Body Con Dress: TopShop

Cropped Black Blazer: H&M

Gold Chain: H&M

SINGAPORE NATIONAL DAY

The 9th of August is National Day in Singapore (it was 48 years old this year) so everyone gets the day off. On the Wednesday before we were all encouraged to wear either national dress or the colours of the Singaporean Flag, Red and White, to the office. This was my attempt at flag attire.

 Asymmetric top: H&M

Midi Tube skirt: River Island

Necklace: Forever 21

Leather and Pearl Bracelet: A gift from my Dad from Portugal

I FEEL LIKE TEAL

Do you ever buy something, purely because you like it with no other motivation. Then open a magazine and see a similar item slapped down on the page and still somehow convince yourself either  a) God i'm so on the fashion pulse, or b) God i'm so ahead of the game. I have often fallen victim to these self inflicted mind games. Embarrassing really when most of the magazines I read over here are at least 3 months out of date.

Anyway look at this lovely little flower necked dress I picked up recently, it reminds me of those babies that would be photographed in flower pots with flowers on their heads, sort of. Apparently right now 'Teal is a big Deal"

Dress: Glitter Glam

Pearls: (worn as bracelet) Necklace from my Dad

IN THE NAVY

I am fighting an ongoing battle with Chiffon blouses, what do you wear underneath them?!? Bra: too slutty? No Bra: Sluttier? Bandeau? Not Slutty enough, aarrggh. So this Navy number is ideal, with the layering on top all 'see through' elements are eliminated and one is safe to roll bra free and brave.

The blouse is rather militant, It did have epaulets when I bought it but they got the chop. I love the extra bulk it gives me up top but is still streamlined an easy to tuck in at the bottom. The little metal button are cute too, like wearing earrings all down my front.

Blouse: Koko (available House of Fraser UK)

Skirt: H&M

Belt: H&M

GOT THAT FRIDAY FEELING

We had another work party on Friday. Honestly my company loves a do. Apparently we were aloud to dress down, I missed this memo, but fortunately was in party going ish gear anyway.  This dress is unironed an easy go to. With light accessories and a leafy necklace it looked rather nouveau Greecian, well when the sun was out, then I got drenched in the rain and looked like a soggy leaf. 

Wrap Dress: Forever 21

Belt: Warehouse

Necklace Forever 21

Watch: Debenhams

I have a business trip next week and 2 evening client events so its going to be corporate wear all round. Maybe i'll succeed in breaking out of my Tricolour rut as well.

XXX

Mini Milestones

Oopsies, I worte this post on Friday, but due to having a 'too long' long shower, almost missed our ferry to Indonesia so did not have time to publish it. So please attempt to read this babble through Friday eyes...

Doing my bit for the Singapore Road Network

We rounded off the weekend with a good old comfort Sunday, had a lie in, gymmed, bought unnecessary but ‘useful to have in the cupboard’ stuff at the supermarket (ground cumin?? I don't even know what a Cumin is), late lunch at the pub finished off by a cinema trip to see the Dictator. Thank god we did, because it has  been quite a hectic week

I must give you some prior warning this post is going to be rather scatty shambolic and incongruent, lacking both theme and/or structure. However I think this is ok as it accurately reflects my week, which is after all the point of this venture. So stick with it friends and I promise, if nothing else it will serve to make future posts seem far more professional.

Odd occurrences this week

Learning Chinese (sort of), Brad starting hockey, Brad prematurely retiring from hockey, Brad retaking up hockey, local lunches, and putting my fine blonde hair on the line braving a trip to a Singaporean hairdresser. You will be happy to know I am here to recount the events, in hopefully a not too lacklustre manner. (it is after all nearing the end of the day on Friday and we are off to Indonesia this evening for a spa retreat. GET ME THERE NOW)

Yao (Chinese for yes) I am on the road to bilingualism. It will however be a long and arduous journey. When I say I am learning Chinese, my mates Jen and Elyn at work are actually just giving me little phrases in Mandarin to learn to freak out the locals, thus far my repertoire includes yes, no and how much- useful in conversing at a)market stalls and b) with ladies of the night- apparently my Mandarin accent is far superior to my Cantonese, who knew! On the theme of my ongoing localisation, I have also gone for lunch with the girls from work a few times this week, it has been interesting to see what/ where/ how they eat on a day to day basis (Jen actually brought Brad and I some chopsticks back from Vietnam this week as a gift which was awesome, I’m now quite a dab hand, it only took me 2hrs 45 mins to eat my ham and cheese salad on Tuesday night). Food is a massive part of the culture here, but it turns out what and when they eat is very healthy- and trust me when the only implements you have are too large cocktail sticks you will soon cut down on the amount you shovel into you face. These are some of the lunches I tagged along to:

Beed, beansprout and noodle soup

Rice bean sprouts and vegetables

Grilled fish, veggies and rice.

Ok not strictly  a meal but some of the goodies Jen took back from Vietnam, some dried Mango and er, traditional Toblerone.

 Today we had an all out feast, Jay who sits with all of us girls (lucky boy) took us to a sort of back ally local food joint, ordered us a load of food and we just tried bits of everything, check out our little lunch time bonding sesh:

Don't be fooled by the smile, I don't really like rice. shhh

a vacuum packed cheesecake- just had to take a picture! 

In a ‘come dine with me’ esque twist Jay has offered to invite Brad and I round to eat with him and his wife next month where they will serve up an array of local delights and generally test us on our Singaporean immersion, I in turn offered to cook them a roast- he didn’t look so keen.

So my new idea... As an insight into the ‘Asian Diet’ and how these people stay so slim and live till about 300, I am going to (with the help of my local buddies) keep a food diary for a week of what they eat and drink on a day to day basis...I will also include how much of this I manage, and/or any side effects.

Wayfarering Wayfarer

Hockey and his team the Wayfarers, was a pretty big part of Brads life back in the UK, it provided the underpinnings of his social, sporting and drinking and cross dressing life- he was also pretty good. So since we have moved out to Singapore Brad has been asked to play at the Singapore cricket club. Great news, as some of his mates play there too. So as only Brad could, he met some guy on facebook who sells branded kit out of his car boot, arranged to meet him on Sunday afternoon, got fully kitted out and went to his first training session on Tuesday night.

GOOD GOD IT AGED HIM

Since returning from Hockey on Tuesday evening, Brad has not been able to sit, stand, walk and as he tries to claim, feed himself unaided. Mystifying. Brad has been pretty active since we got here utilising our fancy in house gym, but apparently running around in the sweltering heat chasing a ball is all new levels of physical exertion. Hopefully he will acclimatise, if not he may have to take up bridge.

Cautious Colouring

There are many horror stories floating around expatville regarding local hairdressers and blonde highlights. It is not because they are not good it is just that Asian and Caucasian hair are very different (well observed Sian) in every way imaginable, strength, growth rate, durability (if that is a hair term) and pigmentation. Woven highlights as us lighter haired ladies know, are essential to achieve that, “oh my hair just goes light in the sun” look. So I let my roots grow out for 6 weeks, normally not an issue, but as my hair is growing at beastlike rates in the sun overhear, I was well overdue a touch up. I was referred quite a few good hairdressers by fellow blondies but they can be very expensive, seriously, like $700 for a full head (about 350 quid) and unless they are planning on resurrecting Vidal Sasson himself to cut and colour my locks, I am not parting with that kind of cash, for a maybe ok result. So after careful consideration and cost calculation, I threw caution to the wind and booked an appointment at the hairdresser nearest my house. 1) Because I’m a daredevil lazy and 2) Choice confuses me. Last night I took the plunge.

You will look like a div wherever you get your hair done. fact. 

Fortunately it turned out great, Gary from Malaysia was trendier than my right arm and looked like he had been blown over from Brick Lane, got the foils out and everything (I was half expecting the old cap and hook) He did a diligent and professional Job AND did not feel the need to comment on how dry my hair was. Gary got a tip. Also two absolutely cracking ideas that UK hairdressers could do with implementing 1) Ipads to play with at all of the chairs, makes whiling away the hours much more bearable. 2) LIE DOWN HAIR WASHING CHAIRS. This was incredible, instead of those achey neck sado-massacist torture chairs they use in UK hair salons, they have a sort of lie down bed that your legs dangle off and your head lies flat in a sink. Hair washing heaven.

the results. sorry it could do with a wash.

For any Expats reading this, I went to Mode in the Marina Link Mall check out the website here: Mode Hair Gallery

All in all it has been a pretty normal, yet somehow eventful week. Anyway I must run as I need to pack for Indonesia, I couldn’t do it this morning as our cleaner got my wardrobe stuck closed, I wasted enough time having a strop in my pants panicking about what to wear to work to plan ahead. Lots of photos to come!

Aw crap, I haven’t learnt the Chinese for Bye yet, so errr. Bye.

XXX