Something Happened To Me In Bali

Hi everyone! I am back from my holidays in Bali!

Firstly, I would like to apologize to all of you who have been waiting for my blog updates. I was extremely exhausted after returning from my holidays I needed a long rest! It's like I needed a holiday after the holidays!

I am also sorry that I am unable to drop by most of your blogs as I am still recovering from travel fatigue, if there's a term for that! Haha!

Well, in any case, something extraordinary happened to me in Bali and no, it has absolutely nothing to do with ghosts or the paranormal.

I just have to say that at this very moment, I am on cloud nine. I am very, very happy. Want to know why?

I have found my true love in Bali, of all places! Yes, this sounds unreal but it's true! I have finally found the person I wanted to be with for the rest of my life!

When I heard that Amber Chia had a secret wedding in Bali, I was stunned. I mean, was this a coincidence or what? She got married and I found my life partner - and it all happened in this charming, lovely island of Bali.

I know, I know - this is my private life and I am not too comfortable blogging about it! I am a private person and I do not like to talk about such things. But I am just too excited not to mention about it!

This must be the most memorable holiday in my entire life! Honestly, I think Bali has changed my life!

Previously, I have never believed stories about couples who got married after just a week of knowing each other. Well, guess what? We are getting married in June! And that's just after 4 days of knowing each other! Are we insane? Maybe.

And where shall we be getting married? Where else, but in Bali of course!

I could hardly concentrate on my work since I returned. My mind was still in Bali. It was tough. I needed to go back to Bali.

All of a sudden, I did not have this desire to blog anymore. I tweeted less and I did not even have the desire to log onto my Facebook.

I just did not have this interest in blogging anymore. My passion for blogging had died and it was replaced with thoughts of my new love and thoughts on Bali.

I am so sorry to let everyone down. Thank you so much to all you readers who have been faithfully following my blog all this while. I am really grateful.

As it is, I am actually forcing myself to write this. But I think I owe it to all my readers to explain exactly what happened to me and what is going to happen next.

Maybe I will continue to blog until June. At least I need to finish up all my posts on my China trip and Lake Kenyir trip and even this Bali trip. I don't think it's good to leave them hanging. But really, I find it so difficult to write a post nowadays. It's taking too much time, too much effort.

But mostly, I am not in the right frame of mind to do any blogging. I just feel that things are different now. Life is different. Priorities have changed.

I will definitely miss all of you! Even though I will stop blogging, that does not mean we should stop contacting each other. Do email me as often as you wish!

I guess that's it for now.



Oh, by the way, if you have read this far, let me say.....

GOTCHA!!!!

HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY!! Haha!!

Getting married in June? That's crap!

Quit blogging? That's even crappier! Haha! : )

Note: Congrats to SK, Jam and Tekkaus for being the top 3 commenters in my previous two posts! You will each get to choose a souvenir I bought from Bali! More on the next post coming right up!

FIRST COMMENTER

Dress Me

help save Sadie, she is cold!

I keep looking at my poor, naked dress form and I feel the need to clothe her (her name is Sadie -- I don't know why), but I'm not feeling inspired lately.  Maybe it's all this rain casting its doom and gloom.  Jeans and my oldest, softest sweatshirt have become my best friends as of late, though I'm desperately trying to catch spring fever.

me (left) and WendyB (right) in our matching "gangsta" vests

side view and back view of wendy's vest (on "Sadie")

two-tone kid mohair scarf I knitted

I made a cool "gangsta" vest for jewelry designer WendyB recently and I knitted a scarf for a friend.  What now?  I do have some very unique kelly green fabric lying around.  It's cotton/nylon/metal and it's extremely innovative, but not the easiest fabric to work with as I have already made a suit a couple of years ago in the turquoise color.  Still, I might give it another shot.  Any ideas/suggestions are welcome!

Sylvia Williams models my cotton/nylon/metal jacket and mini

Vintage Advantage

As I mentioned in Thursday’s post, I went to an amazing vintage boutique called FROCK, down in Nolita. I promised to share a little bit more about this fabulous treasure chest of couture and high-end vintage apparel.

shop owner, Evan Ross with jewelry designer, WendyB

(both in vintage shades available at FROCK)

First of all, the space is great and I really appreciate how everything is sectioned off by color! According to owner Evan Ross, that is how most people prefer to shop and it forces them to see all of the beautiful pieces that they may have passed over if they were just looking in one particular section, like cocktail attire or sweaters, for example. This makes perfect sense to me. I color code my closet. Well, I actually section off categories first (i.e. jackets, dresses, skirts, pants, etc.) and then I arrange by color. Anal much?

View looking toward the back of the shop

Anyway, Evan is extremely knowledgeable and extremely helpful. I highly recommend paying him a visit and allowing him to pull out some wonderful pieces and style you. As I perused the racks, I happened upon a fantastic Louis Feraud dress. The fabric and the volume spoke to me and even though I knew it would be “too much dress” for me, I simply HAD to try it on! Evan was excited to see it and quickly accessorized me with the perfect red belt and Lucite necklace (an absolutely magnificent piece that I already had my eye on!). Below is the final result…

 Dress: Louis Feraud Couture, 1982: $1,550

Belt: red snakeskin, circa 1980: $150

Lucite Necklace from the 50's: $1,100

Shoes: in dressing room at Frock

I’m so in love with this shop and I am interested more than ever in vintage merchandise. I am very disappointed in what’s happening with fashion as of late (with the exception of couture and some other great ready-to-wear designers). I think vintage is newer (in concept) and more interesting than anything you will see in SAKS. In fact, many high-end designers actually purchase vintage pieces and copy them (exactly) for their collections. Then, of course, the moderately priced labels copy the high-end designers and the budget chains eventually copy the moderate labels and suddenly, we see a version of this beautiful Feraud dress in Target! OK, I’m feeling ill. Let’s get back to FROCK…


I had such a lovely visit and became very intrigued by this wonderful little shop, so I asked Evan Ross to answer some questions I could share with all of you…


STACY: How long have you been in business?
EVAN: I’ve been in business now for 7 years -- one and a half as a showroom and the rest as retail.

STACY: Can you give a brief little background as to how you got involved with vintage merchandise?
EVAN: I got into vintage a long time ago starting in high school and then even more in college when I was a "club kid". The collection at the showroom/store started to grow when I was collecting pieces and using pieces during my 11 years as a stylist. I used the pieces for advertising, music videos, celebrity purposes, etc.

STACY: Where do you get most of your product?
EVAN: Pieces come from all resources: private collections, auctions, scouring out of the way places around the globe and from vintage dealers.

STACY: Who are some of your best customers and some famous ones too?
EVAN: The best customers are those with an individual sense of style and an appreciation for quality. At FROCK our vintage wears are for those looking for what we call modern vintage. It is timeless vintage -- clothing that doesn't look like costume. It’s indicative of an era, but not pigeonholed to that era. Some famous clients are Patricia Field, Sarah Jessica Parker, Julia Roberts, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and the Olsen twins.

STACY: Do you think vintage has gained popularity in the last several years?
EVAN: Vintage has been popular since the "Sex and the City Era", but has seen a resurgence once again as of late. People are interested in individual style. With everything so mass market and produced, vintage clothing affords the wearer to exhibit singular style. You'll never end up on the “who wore it best list” because you'll be the only one. Vintage at FROCK's level also affords the wearer the chance to wear clothing of a certain quality that would be at an unattainable price point in the present day.

Wendy Brandes in vintage Bottega Veneta shades she purchased at FROCK

FROCK is located at in New York City at 170 Elizabeth Street between Spring and Kenmare. They offer a range of apparel, handbags, jewelry and accessories from the 50's through 80's. Also, FROCK carries Linda Derector’s collection of vintage sunglasses (as pictured on WendyB above and on Evan & Wendy in the first photo).

FROCK
170 Elizabeth Street
NY, NY 10012
212.594.5380
Frocknyc.com

Random Notes 9

1. Hi everyone! As you are reading this, I am probably enjoying myself in Bali soaking in the sunshine, or admiring the beautiful sunset or simply having a scrumptious meal! Are you missing me yet? Haha!

2. If you missed my previous post 'Random Notes 8', do go back there and read about the current contest I am having right now on my blog. Leave the most number of comments and win souvenirs from Bali! Terms and conditions are in my previous post so read them if you are interested.

3. Talking about contests, today I am going to announce the 3 lucky winners of my Versus Tag contest. Before I left for Bali, I had written all participants' names into a piece of paper each, mixed them up in a container and asked my brother to pick 3 names at random.

So these are the three names he picked!



Are you one of them? If yes, congratulations! Please email me your address so that I can mail you the prizes! But of course, you have to wait till I return from my holidays in Bali first before I can send them to you, so be patient yes? : )

Oh, if you want to know what the prizes are, sorry can't tell you now, haha! Will let you know once I return! ; )

4. I love to look at the sky and I enjoy watching the clouds. Call me weird, but I am just fascinated by them. I even enjoy watching those thick, black clouds right before a thunderstorm! Here are some photos I captured last week.



These were the clouds above me right before a huge thunderstorm!



I was at a friend's house and I could see the looming dark clouds above his house.



I was captivated by the beautiful sky! And of course, I couldn't wait for the rain to fall! Haha!



5. I seldom eat at DOME cafe, but when I do, I always choose to eat their caesar pesto salad. I just love it!



Have you eaten at DOME before? Do you like the food there?



The prices are pretty expensive, but I like the portions - they are HUGE!!

6. Do you believe in ghosts? Last year I went to walk the suspension bridge at FRIM and captured this photo on my camera phone.



Do you see that lady with long hair wearing dark glasses and dressed in a robe on the right? Can you see it? Or is it just my imagination? Perhaps it was the light playing tricks on my eyes!

You know what, I think after I return from Bali, I am going to make another trip to FRIM. Let's see if I can capture that same image again. It's sure going to be exciting! Enjoy your weekend, everyone! : )

FIRST COMMENTER

Love for Lanvin

I know that I promised in yesterday’s post to write more about the amazing vintage shop in Nolita called Frock, but I wanted to get a little more information from owner Evan Ross, so that will have to wait for now. Look for that in a couple of days. But, don’t fret my taffetadarlings, I’ve got some good stuff today!

Rachel Mabel (left), Stacy Lomman (right) in Lanvin Fall 2010

here are the same pieces on the runway, Lanvin Fall 2010

(remember, these models are 6" taller than us!)

I met up with my friend, accessory designer Rachel Mabel, this afternoon to view and try on the new Lanvin collection at a trunk show at Barney’s. Rachel is a total Barney’s girl and a very loyal Lanvin customer. I, on the other hand, am a very loyal Lanvin FAN. Customer? Not at the moment. Let’s see what happens with the economy this year… Anyway, it’s still a total blast trying on the pieces from the runway (or squishing into them in my case).

lace dress on me

same dress on model in Lanvin's Fall 2010 show (why can't I have her legs?)

The Fall 2010 collection that Alber Elbaz created for Lanvin is magnificent. To actually see the dresses in person, feel the fabrics, look at the detail, admire the workmanship… ah… it’s indescribable. The color choices are dark and saturated; aubergine, slate and green so dark it looks black. Even though there is stretch built into most of the fabrics, the qualities are so heavy and so tightly knit that the elastane offers little help in terms of getting the garment onto the body, but it does allow for movement once you’re in it! I happen to love the heavy fabrics. I feel securely “tucked in” – kind of like a little sausage! Also, the fabrics lend themselves to the raw cut edges that Elbaz is fond of using.

Lanvin feather trim dress on Sasha Pivovarova and on me (right-- obviously)

Rachel tried on a couple of spring pieces as well and fell in love with one of Lanvin’s bags. I had my eye on a giant Celine bag on the main floor, so I stopped to show Rachel on our way out. We scanned some of the jewelry displays and made our way toward the exit. Then we spotted her… Donatella… in the flesh! Ms. Versace is so tiny, it’s a wonder we even noticed her at all! She is like a little doll and I contemplated putting her in my pocket and taking her home. I pulled out my camera and her P.A. (or Barney’s personal shopper… who knows) caught my eye and shook his head when I asked if I could snap a photo. No problem. I put my camera away. He then felt compelled to add, “She’s shopping, just let her enjoy her day.” Oh snap!

Rachel looking sweet in Lanvin

Vest Friends

I had a great day yesterday despite the annoying phone call I had with a so-called customer service individual which resulted in me thanking them for their tremendous lack of help and abruptly slamming down the phone.  Well, it was a cordless so I pressed the END button really hard!  At least I made my pal, jewelry designer, Wendy Brandes laugh!  I was with Ms. Brandes at the time because I went over to her place to drop off her custom "gangsta vest" that I made for her. 

WendyB models in her "gangsta" vest and vintage patchwork clutch

A few months ago, I was wearing this piece out for drinks with the girls and WendyB took a liking to it.  So, she and I paid a visit to the amazing B&J Fabrics and selected some beautiful pinstripe in order to make her a duplicate vest.  I made a muslin first and we had a fitting, then I adjusted the muslin and we had another fitting.  Finally, I drafted the paper pattern and cut into the fabric... no turning back now!  I was quite happy with the results and so was Wendy.  We decided to go out on the town in our matching ensembles (you know, like those annoying husbands and wives that dress alike, or identical twins that don't have their own identity!). 

Stacy Lomman (me) & WendyB in our matching "gangsta vests"

First stop was to visit a very cool and very chic vintage shop on Elizabeth Street in Nolita called FROCK.  Amazing!  Wendy happens to be friendly with owner Evan Ross who treated us like the celebrities and socialites who frequent this little gem of a shop.  But, more on that tomorrow!  Later, my talented designer friend, Tatyana joined the party and the four of us had a nibble and some cocktails at "Delicatessen."  Note: Order the truffle, parmesan fries!!

Evan Ross & WendyB

UPDATE 3-26: I had to show the inside of WendyB's vest... the lining is fantastic...it's hard to see, but it's a stripe twill pattern.  Good choice Wendy!

Random Notes 8

1. By the time you read this post, I am already in Bali. It's my very first trip to Bali and I hope I will have a great time there! I will be back some time next week so in the meantime, I will be missing all of you and your blogs!

2. Since I am in Bali, I will not be able to activate my wealth star tomorrow Friday : (

For those of you who are interested in using feng shui to attract wealth, you can activate your wealth star between 5am-7am at the NorthWest or East sector of your home (except if you have a Snake in your Bazi Chart). For more details, you can read my post Feng Shui 2010 According To Joey Yap.

Luckily for me and for those of you who cannot activate it tomorrow for whatever reason, Joey had given us another date to activate our wealth star, and that is on June 9th, 2010, so do take note! : )

3. Yippee!! I won a Sony Digital Still Camera from Standard Chartered recently. I happily went to collect the camera at The Curve yesterday.



What do you think of this camera?



But for my Bali photo shoots, I think I will stick to my trusted Panasonic Lumix LX3 : )

4. Do you like Him Heang biscuits? A friend bought me these two biscuits from the one and only Him Heang outlet in the world, which is at Jalan Burma in Penang.



On the left is the famous Tau Sar Pneah and on the right is the delicious Beh Teh Saw.

The Beh Teh Saw biscuits were individually wrapped. There were 8 pieces in a box priced at RM6.50.



I took a bite of the Beh Teh Saw and it was yummy!!



I also adore the Tau Sar Pneah or Tambun biscuits as it's popularly known. Unlike their rival Ghee Heang, Him Heang's Tau Sar Pneah are much nicer and they melt in your mouth. Simply yummy!



Here, let me magnify so you can drool over it, haha!



Each box of Tambun biscuits contains 32 pieces and is priced at RM9.50.

5. Recently I received a Thank You letter from WWF. It's always nice to receive a Thank You letter, don't you agree?



I donate to WWF every month as I believe in saving the animals and the endangered species.

And also because I am a panda. LOL!



At first, I thought donating to organizations like WWF was a waste of money because most of the money would be given to the marketing company that runs the fundraising, but it is now confirmed that WWF receives the entire amount of our donations. The marketing company only get a one time fixed fee from WWF's pre-allocated fundraising budget.

So if you like to donate and save the animals, please click HERE.

6. Recently, I received a surprise gift from blogger Ladyviral. She's now in Singapore so it's no wonder she sent me this!



It's a Merlion keychain! Thanks for the gift and the nicely written letter, Ladyviral! : )

7. Since I am in Bali now, I am going to shop around for some souvenirs. I am going to give away these souvenirs to 3 readers who leave the most comments on this post and the next upcoming post scheduled on March 27th.

Terms and conditions are as follows:
- All comments must be related to the topics in the relevant posts. Comments that are not related will not be counted.

- Winners will be chosen based on the total number of comments they leave in this post and the next upcoming post on March 27th.

- You cannot leave more than 10 consecutive comments at one go. The 11th comment and thereafter will not be counted. If you have more things to say, take a break and return later to leave more comments.

- This contest is open to everyone from anywhere in the world.

- This contest ends on 11.59pm on 29th March 2010.

GOOD LUCK and HAVE FUN!! : )

PS: I am going to announce the 3 winners of my Versus Tag (Najib vs Mahathir) contest in my next post. If you participated in that contest, stay tuned! You might just be one of the lucky winners!!

FIRST COMMENTER