Coke Fiend Marilyn

Another cheeky PhilJames-plays-dirty-Warhol across the road from the last one.

Spotted over the weekend, a few days after we watched an absolutely engaging documentary about the life and work of Jack Cardiff, a British cameraman/cinematographer/director/artist, whose film-making career spanned decades. His story and his love of the craft are certainly awe-inspiring! I would recommend watching the documentary, if you haven't seen it already, whether you're a film buff or not.

Anyway, he became Marilyn's favourite cinematographer after the first film they worked on together because she loved how he made her look more beautiful than she already was, like he did with the other leading ladies of that era. PhilJames would not have made the grade.

Toasty Kitten

1946 Braemar Knitwear "Warm As Toast" magazine ad from here

1947 "Soft As Kitten" magazine ad from here

Another 1947 magazine ad from here

A recently-thrifted lambswool argyle sweater by the Scottish maker of knitwear. I'll be wearing the toasty kitten softness with them pearls, a plaid skirt, bobby socks and loafers when the weather allows. Wheeeee!

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Is anyone else on Blogger having problems with paragraph breaks? The text in my last post was in one big unintended paragraph. This one, it took non-HTML-literate me ages to get the breaks right. By trial-and-error-ing. It's driving me loopy!

Eggcupping

The latest personal-shopping task assigned to me by my pal Poochie - to help her expand her collection of cute eggcups. Tee hee hee. I'm really enjoying it because looking out for eggcups when I'm out junk-hunting is completely new to me. I don't eat "wet" eggs so I've never paid attention to them cups. I think I've done well in the first week with the ducky from a charity shop and the bunny from an antiques centre near us. And I like that they're eggcups that do not look like the usual hourglass-like ones. Can't wait to see what I'll find this Saturday at the Surry Hills Market! Wheeeeee! It's fun helping a pal build a collection of things that I don't collect.

Peter's Wabbit

Bunny Sweater - Peter Jensen for Urban Outfitters, Stripey Dress - Sportsgirl, Shoes - Connie-wonnies + Coconut, my unfinished bunny "sculpture"

After a few false starts, Autumn is finally upon us. I think. Boo. I'm sure I'm not the only happy-sunshine-Summer-loving girl who has a constant love-hate thing going with the colder months of the year - hate the low temps, the dampness and the general greyness but love the fluffy cuddly layers that I get to wear. Like this Mr Wabbit sweater*.

I've popped open my "contortionist's" trunk full of warm clothes too. It was as exciting as unearthing a time capsule! Old favourites that I've forgotten about...things that I didn't get to wear enough of last year...all waiting to be mixed and matched with some recently-acquired new and secondhand pals. Wheeeeee! As much as I detest the cold, I am looking forward to some dressing-up fun!

And I've recently discovered the Mori Girls. I didn't even know this Japanese subculture existed, since 2007, I think, but there are too many new ones popping up each day to keep track! Karl Taro Greenfeld really ought to write a follow-up to his 1995 book, Speed Tribes (it's a bit dated now but still a great read if you're into Japanese culture/subcultures). Anyway, I think I've been a Mori Girl all these years, subscribing to their way of life and dress without knowing it. A middle-aged Mori Girl. Wahahahahahaha!

*If you, like the few girls who stopped me on the street and in shops yesterday, are wondering if cute Mr Wabbit is still available for sale, I'm afraid he's all sold out. I bought him months ago when it was Autumn/Winter in the Northern Hemisphere. I know a lot of people can't bear to even think of warm clothes in the midst of an Aussie Summer but it pays to look ahead sometimes. Especially with non-trend-led pieces. And then there's their end-of-season sale too! Some of my Winter all-time favourites are super sale scores!

On A Magic Carpet Ride

My pal Ms Carpet flew to Vietnam for a holiday recently and came back with enchanting tales and pressies for me!

A Miffy stamp with my name on it! I've concealed it on purpose but it's right there under Miffy's feet. Handcarved on-the-spot at a street stall by a man who was taught the skills by his father, the work is amazing! My four-letter name, in a sans-serif type, looks like it was generated by a machine! Not cut by hand. So balanced, so evenly-spaced, so perfect!

Ms Carpet said she spent ages deciding which Miffy was "me" because there were so many to choose from. Haha. I think she couldn't have picked a better one! Floral-print smock dresses take up quite a lot of space in my wardrobe. Tee hee hee.

Another piece of handcrafted goodness! No, it's not a gardening trowel! Our pal Meeps and the boyfriend both thought it was. Haha!

It's a Vietnamese fruit-and-veg peeler. Made specifically to produce those fine julienne of green mango and papaya you find in the famous salads, I think. Take a green mango, make deep incisions of parallel lines with a sharp knife, peel along the lines with this contraction and you get the thin strips of fruit! Can't wait to try it out!

Also can't wait to try the food that Ms Carpet learnt how to cook at the cooking school where she bought the peeler! It would be like a magic carpet ride to Vietnam without physically being there!

Spiffy!

The boyfriend playing the matchy-matchy game yesterday! Wahahahaha!

He left home very early so I didn't get to see what he wore until he came back. I was very tickled!

Let's Talk Caramel Corn (Part V)

It's been nearly six months since the last new flavour-sighting! With a big squeal (which came out sounding more like an excited puppy's yelp, according to the boyfriend), I picked up the last packet in the Japanese junk food aisle in the Asian supermarket.

Peach-flavoured! Not just pink peaches but white ones too. In that one pink bag! Wheeee! And I've always much preferred the white fuzzies.

Delicious? Always! Subtle notes of the fruits with a distinct difference between the white puffs and the pink ones. Only Tohato would pay such attention to details!

Boys From Cartoons

Stewie of Family Guy making an appearance in our neighbourhood.

Have you seen the pyromaniacal Charlie Brown that Banksy did recently in L.A? Tee hee hee. Lucy's constant taunting must have pushed the blockhead over the edge.

The Hesitant Droplet

It rained the whole of today and made us lazy old fogeys lazier than usual. We didn't leave home at all today. Instead, we spent the day doing rubbish things like eating greasy food in front of the television and staring at this lightbulb-like drop of rain water on our balcony, so different in shape from the others, willing it to fall. It stayed that way for the longest time and we got bored waiting and went inside for more non-constructive activities . Haha.

Tomorrow is going to be another wet day. I hope we will not be hesitant like our little pal here when it comes to hauling our lazy asses out to do some hopefully-fun things.

Pug Pot + Purple Top

Recent Salvation Army store score...

A pot that looks so much like a pug pup that I had to take it home. Tee hee hee. How it's square (with rounded corners) instead of the usual boring round or oval played an important part in the decision-making process too.

Made by Teal Ceramics of Balclutha, New Zealand. A Google search didn't yield much information about the maker. Kiwi readers who might know more, please share.

Its inaugural dish in our kitchen was a sar poh gai fan ("claypot chicken rice", in Cantonese). The Chinese pots are not glazed, to make bits of the rice stick to their bottoms and burn for a smoky flavour. I don't like crunchy charred rice so my glazed Pug Pot was perfect for making the dish the way I like it.

This purple Indian tunic was a size too big for me = just right for my pal Poochie who loves purple, in any shade. And wears the colour so well!

Oh, do you know that you can now shop online with the Salvation Army store?! I am not sure how I feel about it yet. The selection is not huge and some pieces are going for more than $50! I don't think I've ever paid more than $15 for an item at a Salvos, vintage or not. And part of the fun of op-shopping is the physical digging and the thrill of the hunt in their brick-and-mortar stores! I hope their "experts" won't be "hand-picking" too much of the good shit for their online store and leave the real stores with crappy scraps.

Love Poets Dave & Johnny Return!

"Love landed, Dave, like an angel in your eyes...and looked right at me.
Johnny ♥"

SWOON! SQUEAL! SWOON! SWOON! SQUEAL! SWOON! SQUEAL! SWOON! SWOON! SWOON! SQUEAL! SQUEAL! Snap. SQUEAL! SQUEAL! SWOON! SQUEAL! SWOON!

If you're new here and cannot understand why a scrawly hand-written poster found in a back alley in our neighbourhood can elicit such an excited teenage fangirl-like response, please allow me to direct you to Dave & Johnny's back-catalogue of works here (March 2009) and here (January 2010).

What makes these love missive-sightings extra-special to me is that they are posted only once a year. So far, always between January and March. To mark an anniversary? Or to celebrate the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras?

I regret not getting to this back alley earlier. Before Dave's love note to Johnny was rudely plastered over with a beer advertisement poster (see the "ve" in "Dave" and his "xxx"?). Boo.

Dotty Eyes

A colourful blast from the past! Maybe only for kiddies who grew up in Singapore in the 70s?

I haven't seen these chocolate button-filled masks for decades, not even back in Singapore. So excited I was when I saw them in a tiny Asian grocer in Sydney's Chinatown that I dropped the end of the string that was holding the big bunch of them together! Had to re-thread them, individually through the "eye holes", for the not-too-happy boss-lady of the shop. Haha.

They are too small to fit my adult-size face now (I can see out of one "eye hole" only) but that didn't stop me from tying some ribbons on to wear them for fun. I won't be eating the chocolate buttons, though. I know my grown-up palate, so spoilt by quality couverture chocolate, will not appreciate the taste of these cheapest-of-compound-chocolate chocolate. Besides, we need to keep the colourful dottiness intact. Tee hee hee.

Brought To You By The Letter "S"...

S is for Snakeskin Oxfords.

Ordered at the start of the month and collected yesterday from the post office.
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S is for Serendipity.

1. There I was thinking I was on a very quiet one-girl campaign trying to bring some scaly reptile back in the fashion spotlight. Out with the leopard from yawnsville! It's been around for too long. I was never into it and I don't think I ever will be. Then a week after I placed my order for the shoes, Chloé showed snakeskin-printed everything in Paris! Wheeee! And a couple of weeks later in Milan, Prada sent models down the catwalk in python boots! Looks like sexy scales might be replacing them stale spots soon! Whoopeedoooo!

2. On my way home from the post office, I popped into the op shop across the road to have a quick dig. And what did I find in the bag bin?!...
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S is for Snakeskin Handbag!

In happy colourful patchwork on one side.

And more happy colourful patchwork on the other.

With a silver chain to wear on the shoulder. Or tucked away to use as a clutch.
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S is for Super-happy!

New Boy In The 'Hood

"Boywolf" is his name, I think. That's what's printed under his ear.

Astroboy + not-so-hairy-werewolf? Must be a trust-fund kid too to have parents rich enough to have him printed on shiny die-cut vinyl stickers!

Bonsai + Origami

On Sunday, we brought a bonsai starter sapling and a pot home from the garden centre. A miniature olive tree.

I don't like having plants around because they attract hateful insects but I've long wanted to try my hand at "training" (a proper bonsai-growing term that we find funny) a plant to become a bunny version of Jeff Koons' Puppy. It's more "topiary", I know, and I hope real bonsai enthusiasts don't fault me for not adhering to the traditional styles.

It took a while to find a sapling with the right "bones" (can you see the "ears" on my mini olive tree?) and it will take years and a lot of tender loving care, I think, to see any result, that is if my plan works, but it'll be fun. It's my new pet. My non-virtual Tamagotchi.

Talking about Japanese things...

It's terribly upsetting what's happened/happening in the Land of Hello Kitty.

Most of us have donated money but that's not really what Japan needs right now. If I could, I would like to send each and every now-homeless family 1000 origami cranes (click on the link if you don't know the Japanese legend) for good luck and to make any wish they might have for their future come true.

An Interstate Puppy Car Ride (Part III)

Saturday afternoon. The drive back to Sydney from Canberra.

The landscape flanking the highway is always beautiful. No matter what time of the year it is. Right now, it's all lush Autumnal shades of green, brown and orange. And there's even silver leaves on a particular breed of tree that I don't know the name of. I love native Australian flora!

The fauna is cute too. But not when they are flat-splat on the side of the highway. Haha. We love counting the number of roadkills we see on puppy car rides - wombats, birds, kangaroos and some so squooshed we can't identify. A little evil but fun. We've never seen a live animal until this trip - a kangaroo waiting to cross the busy highway. So cute! And so glad it changed its mind and hopped back into the bush! We also saw fresh, like bloody- and moist-fresh, roadkill for the first time - a kangaroo in three sections in the middle lane. We think one of those heavy goods trunks got it.

As beautiful as the scenery is to look at, we like to break up our 3-hour drive with little pit stops. Collector (Population: 150) is a favourite. The plan was to stop at the quaint Lynwood Cafe for some of their delicious scones and cakes, and take home some of their jams...until we saw a huge "Detour" sign along the narrow country road.

We took a left, as directed by the arrows, drove for a bit and couldn't see the the cafe so we gave up and drove back out on to the highway. Bah. No warm baked goods for us.

We've always got Goulburn, another old haunt, further down the road! Haha.

We already had plans to visit the Home Of The Big Merino named Rambo anyway! We love chasing Big Things on our travels! And the last time we saw him was in 2007 and the townsfolks' just moved him from the old site 800 metres away to this new spot. Yes, all 15 x 18 metres of him!

Happy to see that he's all settled in and comfortable on his new patch 3 years later! With a gift shop selling wool products and souvenirs next to him.

And an Australian wool museum in his 3-storey high belly!

We were wondering what this sign at the entrance to the gift shop/museum meant...

This! A viewing podium high up in the head of the Big Merino! Haha.

Where you could look out of his left eye...

...and his right eye! Wahahahahahahaha!

I thought looking out of Rambo's eyes was the most touristy thing that I'd ever do and then I saw this novelty coin-pressing machine in the gift shop!

It was so cheesily-kitsch that I had to have a go! I think all tourist traps should have one of these machines!

I was so tickled by the silliness that I couldn't stop looking at my "elongated coin" and giggling. The boyfriend had to ask if I knew that the Merino Coin was not actually pressed from the Australian legal tender $2 gold coin that I had slotted into the machine. Of course I did! Sometimes he really thinks that I'm a little girl, a child. Haha.

On the main drag of Goulburn looking for some grub!

And we knew exactly where we wanted to go! The Paragon Cafe! Another re-visit 3 years later.

We were charmed by its history (it's been feeding the masses since the 1940s) and its glammed-up old-school milkbar interior the first time around and still love it now!

Plus I love places with booth seating! Which are so rare these days. They make me make think of happy days spent at the old milkbar near my mom's work slurping milkshakes and ice cream...and Al's Diner in Happy Days too...and Pop Tate's Soda Shop in my Archie comics...and the Hong Kong teahouses that Wong Kar Wai loves to shoot in...booth seating is romantic in a non-cloyingly-saccharine kind of way.

My order of the humble waffle-and-ice-cream combo.

The boyfriend's strawberry milkshake. You have to have a milkshake at a milkbar!

Booth seating AND hand-written dockets! Bring them back!!!!!

Some blue fairy floss from the fair in the town square added to the whole old-school vibe I was feeling. Tee hee hee.

More old things to admire in Annebonny's Locker! We went in to look at old furniture but spent more time chatting to the lovely Cyndy about the old sewing machines that she first started restoring for pleasure and is now selling because she found that there is quite a demand for them from people who prefer the feel of one of these oldies to the new electric ones.

They are such beautiful pieces of machinery especially this out-of-production Australian-made 1950s Pinnock. Such a sexy shape and lines!

Cyndy also gave us a demo on another wondrous piece of machinery - the Boot Patcher. Traditionally used by cobblers and travelling leather-repair guys, this super-basic hand-powered sewing machine is one simple but clever invention! The feature that I love most on it is the presser foot which swivels to allow you to sew in any direction! Wheeee!

Darren, Cyndy's business partner, imports these easy-to-use machines from China to sell to local farmers who use them to mend things such as large pieces of tarpaulin, horse rugs and leather. I'm very much in love with this hardy machine! I'm already thinking of all the things that I can make with it should I one day own one.

A row of four cute terraces with identical facades painted in different colours across the road from the railway station.

Next to them was an antique shop housed in a similar 2-storey building with each room decked out in old things. There was so much cramped into the tiny space that I had to be very careful where my bag swings!

We like Goulburn and most of the other sleepy country towns that we've visited. Some of our city-folk Sydney pals look at us funny when we say that. They don't understand why we drive miles to places that most Sydney-siders wouldn't even think of driving through. They forget that we are not born and bred here, that despite having lived here for years, we are still looking at things with foreigners' eyes. And enjoying it.

We left Goulburn, again with plans to return, drove through the picturesque Southern Highlands in heavy rain and got home in time for dinner on Saturday evening. Another happy puppy car ride in the bag!