Carrying Baggage

For a while now I've been carrying around a purple leather hobo kinda style carryall bag. Its lovely and I love it, but it's been getting fuller and fuller. Then I read an article which mentioned that the average handbag weighs approx. 2.7 kilos. Which really is a lot, when you think about it.

I decided to downsize. I got up on a chair to drag down my handbag box from the top of the wardrobe, which totally didnt work as it weighs a ton and i couldnt blah blah- the point is, I had to scourge around in the box while it was up above my head and I couldnt see in. But I made my choice, and pulled out an old leather dark brown saddlebag with a long strap. This proved to be an inspired choice cos it has a long satchel strap and is approx 1/3 the size of the purple bag. I sat down to do the Bag Change-over. Heres what I was carrying:

• Pink mini Filofax
• Camera
• Phone
• Sunglasses
• Waterbottles X 2 (one 500ml, the other 750ml)
• Purse
• Sample of Zyrtec (hayfever can strike at any time)
• panadol
  
• Hankerchief
• Ventolin
• Ipod
• Prince CD
• Hand Gel
  
• Ipod cable
• Sunglasses case
• notebook
• pen
• 3 Lip glosses (Kiehls no. 1, Stila Starfruit and Nars Babe, if you're interested)
• jewellery bag (just small)
• Sample of Jurlique hand cream
• dermaid
• 1 tampon
• keys

Sick of reading that yet? There was also 2 hairties and several bobby pins. And that list doesnt include a few receipts and a torn up metcard.

GOD I carry a lot of stuff. No wonder my shoulders hurt- no wonder I cant shop all day without starting to feel tired and cranky. I divided up the stuff into Necessary and Stupid piles, then put everything necessary into the new bag. It was hard cos some stuff IS necessary but still stupid. Like who needs Zyrtec AND panadol? But what if I need it? I dont bother to put my sunnies in their case, so do I really need to carry it around?
Anyway, I took the basics (purse keys phone) added a couple of lipglosses, ipod, sunnies and hanky and I was set. My small water bottle still fits in, too. And I can carry it slung over me soooo easily. The best thing- I havent missed ANY of the stuff I took out. It has only been a couple of days though, I assume sooner or later I will need notebook, camera etc. But its giving my shoulders a rest.

Wondering now how I'm going to manage a magazine? Bah its a long weekend I'll be right for a few more days. But if you are experiencing sore shoulders and heavy bag syndrome- downsize for a while til you recover your strength. I think a lot of women carry so much stuff around so they are prepared for almost anything, but a lot of the time its really not necessary- you can always buy some panadol or borrow someones pen.

a VERY important announcement

American Apparel is open on Chapel St! American Apparel is open on Chapel St!! American Apparel is open on Chapel St!!!

Its opposite Greville St.... see you there!

Costume Code

Its my 25th birthday in a month-ish. I dont want to discuss turning 25 because I am still living in a world of my own where when someone says to me "I'm 23" I think WOW imagine being THAT OLD. Cos my mental age is 19. And that doesnt need to change, ever, provided I keep up with the sunscreen and my reflection doesnt let me down to soon. Denial.

I want to have a proper party though cos in the past I couldnt be bothered, or thought no one would come, or no one DID come, boohoo, or something. And it is 25, which is a pretty cool number (not as cool as 19 but I'm down with that).

So, my first thought was that I wanted makeup involving stars and glitter, possibly over one eye a la Kate Moss on HER last bday, and at the least outrageous and FUN. I then needed a dress code to go with. After deliberating for weeks and weeks, I havent come to any major decisions about it, and I realised this morning why.

People just dont conform to dress codes or costume partys.

Some do, sure, and some do it REALLY AWESOMELY, but I am imagining my guest list and realising that if I make the dress code too outrageous, half of them will come in jeans and a nice top- one of my top fashion peeves- or wont come at all. Worst, the ones who come in jeans will wear some outre earrings, or a flower in their hair, or some other hideous accessory so they can claim to have tried. Its Charlotte in SATC at the bondage bar- "I kinked my hair!?"

Why is this so? Why dont people wear costumes, or dress the way the invitation states? Smart Casual are two words I would happily never hear again, because its just another way of letting people off the hook. Dont worry, just wear something inoffensive and we can all drink UDL's and chat about how X's ugly husband has a new job at Telstra, or something equally banal. Smart Casual should be banned. In its place should be "Dress happy" or "Wear something a little dressier than normal, but that makes you look FABULOUS". This has been lamented a lot, so I wont go into it too much, but people dont dress up anymore (the Brownlow doesnt count). It's safer to go more casual than more dressy. Its easier too. Fair enough, but we cant be boring forever (and we're at 25 already!- if we cant dress up now, when on earth can we?)

Maybe its asking too much to get them to wear a nice cocktail dress and heels to a party, rather than their work black pants and a patterned shirt. But I want people to have fun at my birthday and I want them to LOOK fun, too. I dont want denim, or shirts, or anything sheer over a singlet. What is the secret words to make them get over their fears of looking overdressed, or silly, to make them come out with me and be crazy and outrageous?

My current dress code is "wear something you have never dared wear before". This is good, but its not clear enough. What I really mean is "you know that dream outfit where you look unbelievable and amazing but you've never had the opportunity to wear and you've tried it on many times and never had the balls to leave the house, or even let your boyfriend/housemate/mum see you in it? WEAR THAT."

A little wordy.

Prior to this I was thinking costume party. A kind of 70's glamour, think Yves Saint Laurent and Betty Catroux in their heyday, Ziggy Stardust, Studio 54, etc with a bucket of glitter thrown over and you are there. But its the same problem. And nothing kills a party more than 2 people dressed to the nines, and 20 people wearing shimmer on their cheekbones ("I am in costume! I have glitter on my cheeks!").

What am I gonna do? I'm going to write and rewrite that dress code til it sounds ok and gets the message across. Then I'm going to write under it "OUTFITS MANDATORY, AND DONT THINK YOU CAN PIKE AT THE LAST MINUTE." I'll try and get my friends to see Agyness Deyns point of view, and she should know, she has out-dressed Miss Moss to become Tatlers Best Dressed, as she says "I know we're best dressed when we get into a taxi and the driver asks, "You going to a costume party?" and we say, "No, we're just going to the pub.""

Tag Team Shopping

Last tuesday I had a picture message from Miss Zoe- "your shoes! Little Collins st. Prime. Pink and red and gold."

This is the ultimate in tag team shopping. When someone knows what you are looking for and is on the lookout for you. I zoomed into the city a few days later and snapped them up after waiting almost 2 years for pink high tops to come to me here in Australia! OH BOY! aren't they pretty???

Pressure Cleaner

I havent been blogging as much lately as my job has somewhat taken over my life and as I dislike that intensely, it has led to some unhappiness and indeed, grumpiness over the last few weeks.

However today I have been cursed (or is that blessed?) with a bit of an allergic reaction to something and have been sent home from work- hurrah!

As well as, or maybe because of, the takeover work has imposed on me, I have become a bit obsessed with clearing things out. My parents are about to sell the Ranch as well and that means I have had to go home to clear out my stuff there- which I had never deemed either good enough or relevant enough to bring to the big city with me (like Barbies and Enid Blyton books). My first chore was to clear out "My Cupboard" which was a huge wardrobe cupboard completely filled with everything I have ever owned. EVER. This includes every school book I ever wrote in, every letter I ever received, every box or pretty bag that a present ever came in, old candles, receipts, art and craft crap, magazines, "pretty things" like ribbons or glitter or bows, old ornaments, etc etc. I threw exactly half of that cupboard out- to the opshop, to my baby girl cousins, to the tip, and mum filled it up with her excess linen.

But this weekend just gone I went back for the second cull. This time around involved books. I chucked all the ones that werent meaningful, or that I hated, or that were "creepy" as mum called them. "The Fog Girl" was the winner there. I kept the english pony books, the Enid Blytons, the presents "To baby Zoe, on your 1st birthday, love Mummy and Daddy" and the ones I loooovvvvveeedddd, such as my Return to Oz omnibook. I also chucked out a whole lot of clothes that I took down from Melbourne thinking I would need them there, but as all I ever wear down there is trackpants, warm jumpers and dodgy singlets, I've never used any of them. Gone.

As I did this mum chucked out about 12 doonas that were extraneous, as well as countless blankets, old pillows, sheets, etc that they never use and therefore are better off at the opshop. Then we started on my brothers room. It seems the habits of keeping wierd stuff and storing magazines is running through my family. Brother had no less than 50 baseball caps stuffed around his room, as well as a HUGE collection of plastic bags- which he claimed all had the receipts in them in case he needed to return something. He also had piles of magazines in all corners, which I found hilarious, as I have a pile of mags almost as tall as me in my lounge room, and my mum has about 20 years of Country Styles hidden in the shed.

After we had filled the car with things to donate we stopped. And now I am back in the city and am eyeing off everything storage unit I have just desperate to clean it out.....I have the bug. Clearing out things I dont need or like or want is soooo cathartic for me. It makes me feel organised, and in control, and on top of everything. I know where things are, everything is useful and practical, and I have space. Its my own kind of feng shui. And when I go to work during the daylight hours and then come home and stare at the mess in the house before going to bed and repeating this exercise five days a week, its a good feeling to clean, and at least know that your house is organised. Even if it only lasts one day.

So here I am at home. Today will include The Stuff Behind The Books on my bookshelf, The Stuff in The Kitchen Drawers, and then The Stuff At The Back of My Wardrobe. If I am super organised I will even pop down to the hardware and get some shelves for the bookshelf that needs more, then I can put things on them, and this will clear up other space! And when I go back to work tomorrow, I will feel more at ease. Thats the plan, anyway. Its highly likely I will get distracted almost immediately by old mobile phones and photo albums and never make it any further. But it does help. And while on the one hand I enjoy having stuff to "go through" every now and then and reminisce over, I've decided that if I keep sentimental or "good" stuff, and give away all annoying or useless stuff, I can build on the good things and over time enjoy some nice meaningful things in my life rather than a whole lot of cheap junk that does no one any good- which as I type I realise is EXACTLY the methodology behind my ideal wardrobe! Amazing. I cant stand the pressure any longer- I must leave you now and go forth with plastic bags!

Runway 2

I'm starting to feel like all I ever do is complain about Australian fashion. Vogue, the freaking shops with all their junk, and now, fashion week.

I hate doing it. It makes me feel like a traitor, like a nasty person, like I am looking for faults. And I'm not, I swear! They are just making it so difficult for me.

Last night I went to the Loreal Paris Runway 2, the Vogue sponsored one. Knowing from personal volunteering experience that the September shows last year were only about $16 and you got a goody bag, even if it was mostly full of pamphlets, that at least had chocolate and water in it. This show cost $44 and we got a paper fan, a program (generous) and a Vogue. Which I guess is fair enough, Vogue were sponsoring, but its a FASHION SHOW. The people there all read Vogue already. Most of them are probably subscribers who already received that edition in the letter boxes like I did. We paid $44!! We all looked amazing! We were not allowed on the VIP boat, and there werent even goody bags. I needed some pamphlets to read while I waited for the damn show to start, and all I had was a tiny tub of icecream, which I couldnt even enjoy cos my teeth are still sensitive from the dentist.

To their credit, the venue was super cool. The location I also liked, the waterfront and the big deck area, excellent for people watching. The ice cream was appreciated. The dramatic lack of free champagne was NOT. And I am wondering what, exactly, I paid for.

The show itself. Christine was hot. Martin Grant showed some very cool silver and purple coats and dresses, and one stunning black belted coat with bell sleeves that I loved. There were 2 Maticevski dresses that I liked also, a big black one with white underlays, the other tight and short and in a interesting creamy/pale/browny-pink? colour. His ruffles and fabric were divine.

But otherwise, I was BORED. There was nothing else there that we cant already buy, and isnt that the whole point of going to shows- to covet something NEW? We know about little nanna tea dresses, we know about 20's revivals, we know about belts over cardigans. We know all this, and if we wanted to wear them, we'd have been doing it already. Last night. On the deck.

Instead, everyone was wearing fabulous dresses. Black and navy and cream and grey- fitted and interesting with pleats and folds and amazing jackets. Waists and hips and looong legs were everywhere. I didnt see one normal woman wearing a belt over a cardigan over a chiffon dress with a pussy-bow. I saw stunning women wearing huge heels and strutting around with big smiles on their faces. And carrying amazing bags!! Just fabulous.

There were some funny ones too, some very ab fab and some very 90's looking outfits. But even the woman next to me who was wearing a jacket that looked like it had some kind of chaff bag shiny plastic fringe, had style. She had killer shoes and was taking photos of the runway outfits so she was obviously really into it. Unfortunately i couldnt read her notes as it was too dark.

Apparently the Lisa Ho show was amazing. Maybe I'm not going to the right events? I think from now on though, I will go to the before-show show: the people watching outside. Its free and you can put your $44 towards the bottles of rose you will drink later on instead of having dinner while you moan about how boring your evening has been.

Did anyone else go to any events? What did you think? I am being too harsh?