It’s Christmassssss!
Like a bird flying south for winter, I’ve decided to take note and do the same (swap bird for plane and south for Oz)
So here I am rocking up to Brisbane getting ready for the Christmas sprint. First thing on the agenda is to control the copious amount of sweat that is currently shedding from my body – At
an average of 35oD it quite a task!
Fast forward a week and the Christmas sprint is in full swing but I’m not feeling it as you see to me, Christmas is miserable weather (if we’re lucky then maybe some snow), Christmas dashes for last minute bits and bobs, a turkey dinner that will leave you full for next 3 years- but a side all that with the family around and the argument that comes with I wouldn’t change it..
Yet seeing Santa in shorts and people in bikinis watching Christmas shop windows, my view had to change as even thinking about a turkey dinner in this heat is giving me ‘food sweats’ (control the sweating… Control the sweating!)
So I’ve decided to become a fake Auzzie for the time I’m here “When on Rome and all that Jazz” which means that I’m laid here on Byron Bay’s white sandy beach, waves lapping up on the shore, barbie all prep and ready to go, surrounded by good friends and lots of warming sunshine!
So the question is can Christmas be in the sun..?
Answer : As long as you’re surrounded by friend and family with good food and most importantly good ‘craic’ you could be anywhere in the world, come rain, sun, snow or hail
I’m off for a dip, so I wish you all a Merry Chrimbob and a Happy New Year
*Craic: Irish word used by the Geordies meaning good “chitter chatter”
We should all live in a reflective word
Yet again I find myself embracing on another venture.. And as per usual this means an addition to my ever growing sunglasses family!!
So as I find myself trawling along my favourite sunglasses website redhotsunglasses.. and i come across these little beauties!
Being an avid fan of the Ray-Ban ‘Clubmasters’ I thought it was only necessary to add these re-vamp of a all time classic style, beige orange mix frame finished off with green mirrored lens… Perfect to help fight away those rays in a fashion forward colourful mix
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1460 v’s Rain………………
We all know the rhythms we were taught at primary school/kindergarten (depending which side of the Atlantic ocean you’re on)
Ones such as
Big shout out to Mr. Google for lending me this William Wallace Denslow’s illustration
“Rain, rain, go away
Come again another day
Little Arthur wants to play.”
(mid-nineteenth century ed. by James Orchard Halliwell)
Or even….
“Its raining, it’s pouring
The old man is snoring
He went to bed and bumped his head
And couldn’t get up in the morning”
(Roud Published 1939)
“It’s Raining, It’s Pouring”
by Kin Eagle, illustrated by Rob Gilbert
Well since I’ve been kitted out in the wellington version of the classic 1460* Dr Marten 8 hole boot, my view has slightly changed. (Which is perhaps for the best seeing that it rains a good 95% of the year here in the north east!!)
I loooove getting presents!
So gone are the days of having to mess up my daily outfit with a big lumpy pair of uncomfortable welly’s, with these vulcanized beauties I will be ruling the puddles…with style!
D.M’s v Urban puddle….. No match!
“Rain, rain, if you must stay
Fear not…for I will play”
(moi 2012)*1460 = Dr. Martens for Life
http://www.drmartensforlife.com
“Blinded by the Light”
So here I am deciding what is going to be THE accessorize of my up and coming development trip to the Far East… Trainers have been wilted down into a selected 5 pairs, jewellery…. take it all….! I Pick up my shades and although I never leave the house without my trusted Ray-Ban Club Masters, I couldn’t help think that they would be feeling alone traveling all that way without a companion. (Yes I do believe my sunglasses have feelings, doesn’t everyone)
Now, looking at my other pairs, I believe that they didn’t quite ‘cut the mustard’* for the job… Prada’s…too classy too Audrey Hepburn (not the look i was after), Ray-bans Aviators…. too, how can I say ‘nearly everyone will be wearing them’, Wayfarers… Ermmmm I’ll take them also i think.. but still something was missing, that is until I came across these little beauties!
Nike Vintage ’76 Sunglasses White Black – J’adore!
As you may have gathered from past posts, I’m a big fan of Nike when it comes to footwear and apparel, especially the partnership they have undertaken – now in its forth season - with Jun Takahashi for the Nike x Undercover range (don’t get me started on the talent that man has got…craftsmanship is taken to the next level!)
Any-ya-hooooo…when it comes to protection for the eyes of the UVA variety I wouldn’t have turn to Nike, That is until my friends at Red hot Sunglasses showed me the light..!(Or perhaps that should be shade..boom boom)
Love shades that help hide a multitude of sins!
Taking inspiration from sport and cultural stars of the 70s, the Nike Vintage ’76 sunglasses are welcomed into my life… OK i have to admit, I was a bit behind in picking up on these shades as these were released back in 2010.. so I suppose that means mine are EXTRA vintage!
Wall.E – A tin robot to some…Style icon to me
(A little thanks to Google for letting me copy and paste this image.)
At the same time these shades offer that clever blend of innovative styling with superior technology, focusing on authenticity, So the only question left to ask is…. What more can you ask for in a pair of sports inspired designer sunglasses?
All I know is that, even though these slightly remind me of the character Wall.E, the Nike Vintage 76 will be a permanent fixture for the next trip away
Cut the Mustard: To succeed; to come up to expectations.
Monaco or Bust (Baby)
After quite some time away from my blog, getting wrapped up in the world of design… I was going to come back with some travel info on the recent trip to Monaco but then realised that no matter what I wrote it wouldn’t give it enough justice…
So instead, here are few photos…’Cop-out’ I know, but I promise to come back with a ‘proper’ post next time!!
What I can say about this recent venture is that, for those who havent been to Monaco, it’s a MUST…..!
Got a P.B. in our hired Peugeot 7 seater… not quite the car I had in mind!
Pole Position….
Couple of Dinghies
Ah thats where I left my car….
Shorts..tick, White ankle socks pulled high..er tick, Black velcro fasten trainer shoes type things… er…… – Hey, if this guys happy then i am happy #lostforwords
*Monaco
1. The Playground for the rich and famous!
“Sunshine on my feet…blinded by the light”
It gets to a point when you realise that living in the U.K. means you have to appreciate what sun rays you get when you can.. Our summer tends to last for roughly 2 weeks of the year(maximum), but to help keep us on our toes these two weeks can be at any point during the 12 months (so far it looks like we have the majority of it in March…..)
As i see the sun trying its hardest to get past our famous northern bleak clouds i have decided to create my own rays of sunshine to help get that vital daily dose of vitamin D….
My new sun!
Although Nike Hyperfuse 90′s have been out for sometime, (brace yourselves, here comes the science bit…..) a trainer constructed using a complex heat-welding process consisting of a superior stability layer, a breathable mesh layer, and a durable outer skin layer all fused together using the latest technological advancement, which offers unparalleled lightness and strength.
The latest purchase comes in the form of the Hyperfuse ‘Volt’ colourway to help in my quest to bring that little bit of sunshine in people’s life…either that or blind them as I go about my day!
Volt = Happiness
N/B: A self pat on the back for capturing the trainer in the sky..who needs a SLR!?
*Hyperfuse
1. Hyperfuse is a composite, or blend, of three materials (synthetic material as a supportive base layer, mesh for lightweight breathability, and TPU film as a top skin) pressed together with hotmelt.
Wax on….Wax off….
Okay so I’ve decided to help my friend out, and at the same time give myself a bit of a challenge in the form of re-waxing his Barbour Jacket.
A very sorry-looking dried out Barbour Beaufort
As I had never done this before, I thought it would be good to report my process back to you fellow bloggers and decided to list down my essentials and the tools you will need to re wax a Barbour jacket.
List of essentials:
1 Tin of Barbour thornproof wax.
Lots of newspapers to put on the floor – or if you have a table that you’re not bothered about getting wax on use that..
1 Barbour jacket (Of course…)
1 Sponge – actually make that two..one to wax on, one to wax off (no pun intended there Mr Miyagi)
1 Pan of hot water
1 pair of Marigolds – my choice was pink.
1 hairdryer and most importantly 1 bottle of Vino* my preference at the time was Gran Conti, Rosso del Molise
Right then here we go:
After watching a clip on You Tube referring to the ‘correct’ way to re-wax a jacket, it states that at the beginning of waxing you need to ensure the garment is cleaned using ice-cold water and then left to dry……I on the other hand completely disregarded this step and decided to plough on…
Step One:
The garment needs to be warmed up, so ensure that you are in a warm room (central heating at this point was turned up to the max!)
Step Two:
Whilst waiting for the room to warm up, open the bottle of wine and let it breathe…. at the same time place the tin of wax into a boiling pan of water until all the wax in the can turns into a clear liquid.
The essential tools for waxing
Step Three:
Pour a glass of wine and drink.
Step Four:
At this point you may realise that the jacket still feels a bit cold…. get the hairdryer and blast it at full heat to help speed up the process. Heating the garment up allows the wax to smooth on easily.
Step five:
Once the wax has melted, take off the heat and into (by this time) your home-made sauna room. Lay your sheets of newspaper on the floor – I would recommend double layerage – and then open out the jacket. Now you’re ready to start waxing… So far easy right!?
Step Six:
Go back to kitchen to retrieve glass of vino, in fact may as well bring the bottle!
Getting ready to wax!
Step Seven:
Armed with the marigolds the re-waxing begins…. Now it states on the You Tube clip to take one of the sponges and dip into the wax, ring out, and apply to small areas of the garment at a time..do not rush. I took this as, stick the sponge in then slop it over the jacket. (In my defence it was a Friday night and I wanted to get this re-waxing down to a half hour job!)
Step Eight:
Reward yourself after each panel with a glass of wine…this helps make the process a lot easier.
Step Nine:
Arghhhhhh.. the wax is starting to harden in the pan… but its ok as I have come up with a genius plan.. More heat = Easier application. I call for backup….
Step Ten:
Backup has arrived, so the plan is… one holds the hair dryer at full heat while the other applies the wax. This seems to be going smoothly, the only downside in fact , is the home-made ‘sauna’ room that you have made for yourself is now getting hotter by the minute…. Another sip of wine is needed.
And sweat and wax and sweat and wax..... (notice the hairdryer in the corner)
Step Eleven:
After a further 10 minutes of sweating, all the wax is applied to the garment. Brilliant! – This is not the end…..
Step Twelve:
WAX OFF.. Ok so now we have applied the wax to the garment, drank half a bottle of wine and acquired quite a glow on the forehead off the intense heat of the room. The next step is to take the other sponge or if you want, an old cotton t-shirt, and take any excess wax back off.. Hmmmm think a top up of wine is required here.
Step Thirteen:
Back in the furnace room with my ‘non-amused-aquired-help’ on the dryer (keep thinking More heat=Easier Application) we get down to taking off the excess wax. I’m not sure at this point if it’s the slight touch of OCD kicking in, or the 3/4 of the wine that I have drunk, but I’m starting to get into this second stage. Making sure that I havent missed any areas especially on the seams and under pocket flaps I have massaged the wax into the garment whilst at the same time taking off any excess.
Step Fourteen:
FINITO! Once all the excess wax has been removed, hang the garment up on a coat hanger overnight, this will allow the wax to settle into the garment. My re-waxing is now done and dusted. I decided that my slightly tipsy self, needs a reward in the form of a take-out and I settle into the rest of the evening with my bottle of wine in tow.
FINITO!!!! Restored back to life
For all of you that felt after reading this post you would still like to re-wax your jacket I have added the You Tube link below to help give you all that piece of mind for the ‘correct’ way to do it. I would also note that I could not see on this well made and helpful link by American company Lark where they mention wine… but I would certainly recommend it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvZm04LxrbQ
Vino: n pl -nos (Miscellaneous Technologies / Brewing) an informal word for wine
