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I had a haircut two Fridays ago and you know how sometimes post-cut, your hair refuses to behave, like it has forgotten how to fall like it did pre-cut? It's no fault of my hairdresser's (he's the best!). It's my stubborn hair.It's not this wilful very often but when it is, it drives me crazy. And out comes the bandanas. Folded and worn as thick hairbands (note: "hairbands", not "headbands" ala Springsteen!) until my hair gets its memory back. Since I've got nearly a week's worth of these fabric squares out to wear, I thought we should have a little show-and-tell session.Like how chambray, the fabric that I waffle on about very often on this blog, has always had a place in my wardrobe, these paisley-printed 'kerchiefs have always had their special corner in my scarf drawer. It does make sense, I suppose, for both belong in the "utilitarian"/"workwear" category of textile that I like to wear (see: the first paragraph of this older post).
The navy and red bandanas are the oldest and they've been with me everywhere. They were the first ones I bought when I was in my teens. Less than $10 per pop then. Now, twenty-odd years later, they've more than tripled in price! Who's a happy hoarder now? Haha.
The light blue Hav-A-Hank one is a few years younger but not used (and washed) as often and therefore not as soft.See how the print "seeps" right through to the back? How you have to look a bit harder to tell which is the "right" side?Now compare it with the print on this green one...
You see the difference between the two?Some bandana connoisseurs would only wear fabric squares that have been printed using the process used on the light blue piece. They think the single-side print, like on the green one, is the mark of a cheap and inferior product. I do agree with them but I'm not too much of a bandana snob.To me, the actual print and colour matter more than the method. You'll never find a "fierce" print, as in hawks, eagles, skulls, logos of bands and motorbike manufacturers, in my collection - I like the on-the-farm look but nothing too redneck.For a long time, I only bought the classic paisley-bordered one. It's only recently, when I ran out of colours to buy, that I started looking at other prints. 
Like this barely-there floral one.
I've also started wearing some secondhand neckerchiefs that will fit around my head like bandana-hairbands.
But I feel bad because I feel like I'm cheating on the real-bandana bandanas?You know what I wish sometimes? While the classic bandana print has never really left, not with me anyway, I do wish that it would make a huge comeback. Like a major mainstream comeback in which the high street stores would be filled with all-things bandana-printed?! Imagine rodeo shirts, peasant blouses, bags, dresses, skirts (long prairie-style ones), bikinis...made from bales upon bales of bandana-print fabric! Yeee-haaaa! That would be grand.
Old habits die hard. The boyfriend says I'm going to walk into someone one day. Bah.
A wet loveheart leaf. It's been raining daily again in Sydney. Boo.
A soggy paper swan. Or what looked like one to me.
That's me!A couple of weeks ago, I found what I think might become my all-time favourite pair. In denim! WOOOOOOOO! And you know how much I've always loved chambray/denim things! And I wasn't even looking for a denim pair!
Rivets! Like those on jeans!See, the boyfriend (he loves Connie-wonnies too) and I don't usually look at Converses in Australia. Unless they are super-special or dirt cheap. We prefer to wait until we visit Singapore and purchase numerous pairs at one go because:1. the many Converse shops there have a bigger and wider range2. Chucks are like half the price of those here. I'm not kidding. 
Leatherette label! Like those on jeans!However, my ratty old grey pair needed to be replaced by another grey pair (yes, I always re-buy the same colours - I'm never without brown, beige and grey ones). We didn't know when we'll be back in Singapore again (and I didn't want to trouble my "personal shoppers") so we went to the Converse discount store here where the boyfriend spotted this denim pair.
Zig-zaggetty stitches instead of the usual straight ones!I hated that he saw them before I did. And hated it more when I found out that they had them in his size and not mine! Then I put my silly petty-ness aside and said that he should buy them even though he's a high-top wearer. I figured if I can't have them, someone who shares the same shoe cupboard as me should have them. Plus they were heavily-discounted and cost nearly the same as what we would pay for them in Singapore.Did I find a pair for myself in the end? YES! The shopgirl said to check back every week and we did and it paid! WOOOO!It's quite a sick thought but I can now wear top-to-toe chambray+denim if I want to. Haha.Sick Thought #2: The boyfriend and I can now do a his 'n' hers act if we want to. EWWWWW! Never!And that's not the end of my happy Connie-wonnie story...
Four days after I bought the denim pair, I saw these hot pink ones in the window of a secondhand fashion-goods shop! Along Crown Street when I was walking home after I've had a lovely girly catch-up lunch with my pal Top Bird. (If you too are a fan of her blog and have been wondering why she hasn't updated for months, well, she's back! Wheeeeee!).Hot fucking neon pink! My current favourite colour! In my size! And looked like they haven't been worn. For a low low price!
With neon green soles! If my mom sees them, she'll say that I'll never get hit by a car when wearing them. She says that about all my bright happy colourful things. Haha.So, yeah, two unexpected Connie-wonnie finds in a week = one very very happy Likkle Girl!
Yesterday. At 8.30am. On my way down to "Mommy" Imelda's office.I don't know why I only noticed the cheeky wordplay yesterday when I've used this back alley as a short-cut so many times!
My "Mommy" Imelda (also The Style Tyrant) and the designers that he represents at his public relations agency, Mother & Father PR, are showing their Autumn/Winter 2011 collections (there are some amazing "I Want!" pieces in there!) to the press this week. He asked if I could provide cute little nibbly bits for his guests and of course I said, "Yes!". I miss getting paid for feeding people. Haha.I kept things simple because:
- The food has to look and taste as good at 4pm each day (that's when the last group of fashion editors/stylists arrive) as when I assemble and plate them each morning at 9am
- I have to stay "within budget"! Haha.
- They also have to be easy-to-transport -> hand-carried in a basket, on foot from my apartment to Mommy's office down the hill.
Red wine-poached pear, browned onions, St Agur (my favourite blue cheese!) and candied walnut on puff pastry discs.
Gluten-free blood orange, almond and poppy seed cakelets. I pureed the last of the blood oranges from the recent season and froze the lot. Happy to have found a use for them so soon. Tee hee hee.
Parmesan and polenta muffins with a roasted red pepper sauce.
Chocolate truffles with surprise crunchy almond praline within. Tee hee hee. Again, something for the "glutards" (word-of-the-month last month from my bloggy-pal Hollypop whose body gets all retarded if she ingests gluten). There are more and more of them hassle-some eaters around these days (tsk! tsk!) so I always try to include a thing or two that they can eat.Anyway, there, my first likkle (paid!) catering gig. If you like what you see (if only you can reach into your screen and have a taste!) and would like some of my likkle nibbles for your next party, or know someone who would, you know where to find me.
Remember that horror film in which a doll named Chucky went around killing people?
This Kewpie that we saw in the window of a boutique in Paddington yesterday should audition for the part in the remake of the film. How crazy-psycho are those eyes? Haha.
I had a haircut two Fridays ago and you know how sometimes post-cut, your hair refuses to behave, like it has forgotten how to fall like it did pre-cut? It's no fault of my hairdresser's (he's the best!). It's my stubborn hair.
The navy and red bandanas are the oldest and they've been with me everywhere. They were the first ones I bought when I was in my teens. Less than $10 per pop then. Now, twenty-odd years later, they've more than tripled in price! Who's a happy hoarder now? Haha.
The light blue Hav-A-Hank one is a few years younger but not used (and washed) as often and therefore not as soft.
You see the difference between the two?
Like this barely-there floral one.
I've also started wearing some secondhand neckerchiefs that will fit around my head like bandana-hairbands.
But I feel bad because I feel like I'm cheating on the real-bandana bandanas?
