Dressing Kids Up – Tip #11

Dressing Kids Up Tip #11 – The right match for prints.

If it’s not bohemian, don’t clash the prints. Sometimes we pick out clothes for the kids not being conscious of the prints then only realise after stepping out of house, that they look disorganized in that plaid shirt and floral skirt. It’s usually pleasing to the eye for prints to go with everything else as plain. Alisha in argyle as reference:

Photo courtesy of Fini

Dressing Kids Up – Tip #10

Dressing Kids Up Tip #10 – The classic sneakers (this is NOT an advert).

Chuck Taylor = instant approval. This might come off biased but very often, I don’t see any wrong in any outfit worn with a classic pair of chucks cos I get blinded like that. And since Chuck Taylors have come a long way (I shall not bore you with history but go here if you want to), it has earned enough credibility to be a must-have-worn-at-least-once-in-your-life item like the LBD or a crisp white oxford shirt. I used to be so passionate about it when I was younger cos I would ONLY look out for “Made In USA” pairs instead of “Designed In USA” which are what you get now at the stores cos the former is no longer produced and have become collectors’ (here’s why).

Anyway, Chuck Taylors are at best when they’re plain and especially black. Hi cuts/tops look best exposed thus good for girls in skirts/dresses otherwise cuff the jeans like Maria did:

photo courtesy of Linda & Radzi

here’s plugging an interesting find: The Chuck Taylor in films

Black for Eating Out

They were in black on National Day fireworks outing not because I refused to be patriotic but because we had a family buffet dinner eatout (Matriarch’s treat!) earlier. Black has to be the best option for eating out if you want to enjoy your meal more than having to keep an eye on that ice-cream making sure it doesn’t choose to land on maybe that new white Zara dress you just bought them or instances where their automatic reaction is to wipe the chocolate cream off their hands and onto their clothes which will then be followed by you screaming “I TOLD YOU NOT TO WIPE ON YOUR CLOTHES!” like it’s totally their fault that they’re just being kids. So yeah, black it is.

Remembering 1st Aug

Yesterday was the day my dad would have turned 67. But he passed away two weeks short of turning 63. Him being the second kid out of 16, you should be able to imagine how many younger paternal cousins I have, one of which, got married yesterday too so I got to see bits of my late dad in all of my uncles.

My dad didn’t have much education either but unlike my mom, he did go to school a little. He did not do PSLE but he worked hard. For someone not equipped with PSLE but ended up being self-employed and putting the family up in a nice house, I think was one huge achievement for him that none of us kids could ever match up to.

I somehow feel that the relationship I had with my dad was different. It seemed that in his eyes, I never grew older than 5. I was 30 when he left. And at 30, he was still pinching my nose, he’d take my arm and swing it and he was very very fond of putting his hand on my forehead pretending to check for fever. And for such a relationship to end abruptly, it was the hardest moment for me ever.

The morning of 15 July 2006, I was about to have breakfast and was complaining about the jam on my bread cos it had seeds and chewing would hurt. He jokingly said that it was because I had lousy teeth. Later when I had to do laundry, I peeped to see him patting 6mth old Munchkin to sleep. After which, he got up, got dressed to go out to collect a paycheck. I was gearing up for that evening which he was supposed to return in a bit to give Mister and me a lift to Baybeats.

It seemed like less than 2 hours after he left home, we had a call from the hospital informing us to come by immediately. I thought he must have been urgently admitted due to one of his back pains (which he had been getting frequently). My mom, in a panic state, managed to squeeze in a phonecall to her sister right before she and I hurried to the hospital. When we got there, I was puzzled as to why my uncle (who rushed from work after being told the incident from my aunt) got there so much sooner and looking all flushed. When we got out of the cab, my uncle firmly instructed us to sit down. Munchkin was in my arms. Seconds later, like everything in my sight moved in slow-mo, I could hear nothing else but my mom’s wail.

We didn’t get a clear idea how it happened. It was something like he passed out in the bus, ambulance was called, he took his last breath on the way to the hospital. Reports concluded it was of cardiac reasons. And that was that. Loved ones can leave at any time. Be it next week, tomorrow or just the next hour. Treasure yours while they’re around.

Sorely missed. Al fateha.

Of Birthday Parties

We found ourselves at yet another birthday party last Sunday which, on that very morning, Munchkin’s 3-day old fever miraculously disappeared like a mutual understanding. Anyway, I can vouch I’m getting pretty good with parties. See, it’s not always about being a good host but also about being good guest. You might want to consider:

1. Choosing gifts. I can’t reveal what I bought cos everyone will know what to expect from me next time but I can say that it’s something which is okay for kids to own multiples of so less likely to get recycled.

2. Gift presentation. I like wrapping presents so Ms-thinks-she-can-do-it-all didn’t leave it to the professionals. Sadly, she didn’t see a migraine coming so that partly resulted in two failed attempts at wrapping an irregular-shaped item. Ended up dressing it with just ribbons which actually turned out far prettier.

3. Punctuality. Okay.. we didn’t come at the exact time the party started but I made it a point to catch the cake-cutting. Munchkin’s favourite moment. Thus it helps to tell your guests the time of cake-cutting so those with cranky kids can skip the earlier ‘mingling’ part and arrive in time for highlights.

4. Party outfit! Something I never knew mattered until the 4th year of parenting. I’ve always been the type to stray away from being “typical” but through observations in these four years, I’ve come to realise that little girls WANT to look as pretty as all the other girls at parties and by “pretty”, it’s usually being dressed in something girly, frilly, glittery.. you get the idea. It’s like a silent universal dress code if the party has no specific theme. Apparently, it paid off. Munchkin got voted for best dressed even though we left a little early (okay so I wasn’t really that good a guest) cos migraine and I didnt have mutual understanding like Munchkin had with her fever.

The July 2010 Picnic

Denim + Green

The younger one was cranky. That’s welcoming the terrible twos in four days time.

Renewed Hanging Photographs 2010

This post made me renew my photo display at work desk. Since my entry in 2008 that I re-decorated my desk, it hadn’t changed much until today. But the new photos are still hanging on a “clothesline”.

White + Citrusy

Candids > posed pics

Looking more like regular kids instead of fashion victims.

Sometimes Greasy

Why buy breakfast when half the fun is making it?

note: tomatoes are for display only. I have normal kids who don’t eat veges. Wait. Tomato is vege right?

Am bitten by the over-exposed bug.