More mirror work madness

A choli is a blouse that one wears with a traditional Indian skirt; the gaghra and this particular choli has been worn year after year for Navaratri, a nine-day festival celebrating a demon killing avatar, Goddess Durga. Now my love for ass kicking Goddesses is well known as is my obsession with mirror work, I mean just look at the banner for this blog but I have recently decided that I am going to make mirror work tops and bottoms a part of my every day attire. I already wear loads of it in small doses, like a patch here a handbag there but now I am going to up the ante.

Its just that I am just so bored looking at the usual blue jeans/ white tee-shirt combination that I have decided to brave any funny looks that might come my way. You know the best part? We just went to get a cup of chocolate milk wearing this and no one, not one person gave me any funny looks, it was awesome. Just goes to show that there is nothing wrong in wearing what one feels like, most people are too busy to pay any negative attention. By the way, I don't have anything against the blue jeans/ white tee-shirt combination, I just don't like wearing too much of it but if that's someone else's thing, I am sure they rock it.

The little red kantha pouch that I am wearing is from Aarong, a fair trade organisation that sources its goods from impoverished local artisans in Bangladesh. Reaching out to weavers, potters, brass workers, jewellers, jute workers, basket weavers, wood carvers, leather workers and more, Aarong represents about 65,000 artisans, 85% of whom are women. I have over the years bought a lot of stuff from them and if you're interested you should definitely check them out. I am only speaking from my personal experience because I love to support businesses that benefit women especially from disadvantaged backgrounds. I have not been asked to write this nor have I been paid for it. Hope everyone's having a great week so far and looking forward to the weekend, its the Sydney GLBTQ Mardi Gras and I can't wait for the parade on Saturday. Rainbow sparkles, sequinned hot pants and wigs, here I come.













Mirror work choli: Gujarat, India, Shorts: Vintage Levi's 501s, Wedges: Wittner, Kantha pouch: Aarong

Peace, love and mirror work

Here's me finally featuring my first 'mirror-work on vintage denim' shorts that I have been wearing quite consistently. Its been sometime since I've created something and this evening I got all angsty and sad, it took some time till I realised I have not created anything and that is making me cranky. Does that happen to anyone else? I need to do more than work, come home, eat and sleep to nourish my being. I still haven't started on my tie-dye Ganesh/ Hindu Goddess tee-shirt, also I am dying to learn to sew, knit and crochet but don't know who to ask and where to begin. So all in all I am pretty starved of creative fulfillment.

But instead of ranting about it, I've decided to stalk inspiring tumblrs in a bit to energize myself and get the creative juices flowing. Do you have any ideas for me? Back to outfit talk, this is my usual attire when the weather can't decide if it wants to be summer or pre-autumn and I love this plaid beauty to death. Another thing I love is the Bowie tank I've worn here, its perfect, its soft and it has David Bowie on it, what more could I want? As you can tell, I am one to repeat my items of clothing again and again, you've seen the Bowie tank here and the plaid shirt here. Hope you're having a wonderful mid-week and are preparing to spoil your loved ones today. I am going to be dancing for womens' rights and can't think of a better way to celebrate love. Sending out good vibes to the universe.

Vintage Levi's plaid and DIY shorts, Vintage leather bucket bag

DIY DIY

Since my last post I've been keeping busy working, getting things ready for the holiday and our special guest, gardening, finishing a few DIY projects and I am pleased to present the results of more needlework on denim personalization. After my first few projects went well, I got more confident, a few boxes of mirrors from the craft store and some furious embroidering later I finally had a Mexican day of the dead sugar skull-esque design on my old mink pink skirt and a paisley mirror work patch on my old Levi's 501s. It gives me lots of joy that I am wearing something that I personalized myself, not to mention a whole new fun twist to my old clothes and I am happy to report I haven't been tempted by any new pairs of shorts this summer inspite of greedily eyeing a few things from Ksubi and Insight :D

The best part about this spring/ summer has been our new balcony garden and it is awesome to see things we've planted grow with abandon all over the place. I might have to stop planting new cuttings because it already resembles a mini jungle, has started to attract weird looking insects and heaps of birds and I am afraid of tempting native wildlife (read scary lizards) to pay us a visit. I hope everyone is having a beautiful lead up to the holidays and spending heaps of time with loved ones. Happy Saturday all!