Blue moon

I was avoiding job hunting yesterday so I made plans with a friend during the day and then later on with my sister for dinner. The weather was again quite temperamental, so I'm glad I put on my coat.

As I was taking this photo, it occurred to me I've been wearing an awful lot of navy-blue lately and that I own a lot of pieces in the colour. So now I've decided to stop buying the colour, just like I've stopped buying striped tops (but that's something I haven't been too successful in doing).

Raglan top: American Apparel | Jeans: Acne | Coat: Zara
Flats: The Little Things She Needs

 

Does anybody else watch the 7 Up series that's been on SBS the past few nights? I'm writing this while watching the 28 Up episode. 

Though I don't actively seek documentaries, this is one series out of the few that really draws me in. It's such a fascinating study into human psychology and say what you will, but it was one of the first incarnations of reality television where things were not so manufactured. At least, it wasn't meant to.

Palmolive Body Butter Luscious Mango Moisturising Body Wash

I first came across this product in a print ad when I was browsing through some women's magazines. The fact that it's a mango-scented product attracted me the most, as I do have a soft spot for the fruit, being from a tropical country and all.

This new Palmolive bath product is a luxurious treat for girls who feel they don't have the time to pamper themselves. The texture is a lot like a smoothie and lathers really well so you don't have to squirt out too much to make bubbles. Unlike a lot of other body washes that only boast the colour of mangoes, this one actually smells like the fruit.

Priced at AUD$6.49 for 400ml, this is actually great value for something I think feels like an exclusive spa product.

This product also comes in Strawberry Smoother, which has more of exfoliating properties thanks to the tiny granules contained in it. But if you just want a rich, moisturising bath gel, then the Luscious Mango is the way to go.

You can find the Palmolive Body Butter range in Priceline, selected supermarkets and pharmacies.

 

Soy chai latté

While it's slowly heating up here in Melbourne, we still sometimes get the rare wintry days and that's when I break out my stash and make myself an indulgent cup of soy chai latté at home. 

The word chai means 'tea' in many languages. The typical chai we know today is derived from the traditional Indian masala chai, which is a special brew of mixed-spice tea. In the mix, you usually have black tea leaves, cloves, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. As ginger and cardamom are spices that have natural warming properties, it's no wonder why we drink chai with milk in the colder months.

I've been told by my friends that Bonsoy is the best soy milk brand to have my chai with, and now I'm passing this advice on to everyone who hasn't yet tried the brand - it really is very yummy!

Ingredients
2 teaspoons of chai mix (I used T2 Chai)
500ml soy milk
2 teaspoons of honey
Cinnamon powder, to flavour

Serves 2

Method
Brew all ingredients in a small pot, stirring occasionally to ensure the milk doesn't burn
Once brought to a simmer, pour the brew to an infuser or a French press 
Pour into your own cup and if desired, sprinkle cinnamon powder on top and enjoy!

Being a Melbournian

Fact: even after 12 years of living in Melbourne, I'm still having a hard time dressing for the fluctuating temperature!

Case in point: I went out for dinner with my friends on Tuesday night at Kanazawa. It was one of those typical temperamental Melbourne days in terms of the weather, because it was very warm and cloudy in the afternoon then it got severely cold and rainy at night. Needless to say, my outfit for the day didn't quite suffice.

Top: Uniqlo | Trousers: Zara | Blazer jacket: vintage | Ballet flats: Repetto 
Belt: Zara | Bag: Cartier

And today I had the lovely opportunity of driving to Chapel Street for brunch with my sister and my brother-in-law. It was exceptional weather and it was great to practice my driving during a busy time. While my outfit was better suited to the weather than on Tuesday, unknowingly I still packed along a blazer jacket and a thick scarf. 

Sigh, Melbourne, sigh.

Top: Zara | Jeans: Acne | Ballet flats: Repetto

I'm in the middle of planning my next post on my latest favourite thing to have - homemade soy chai latté. I'm really excited for it♥

Looper

I saw Looper on Monday and it was better than I expected it to be.

Well, I didn't exactly go into the cinema thinking it was going to be ho-hum boring, but I didn't think I would feel that excited after seeing it either.

Looper tells the story of Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a trained assassin hired to eliminate criminals from the future sent back with the illegal time machine. The reason why it's illegal pretty much serves the backbone of the story - messing up with someone's present simultaneously alters the past and the future with dire consequences.

When future Joe (Bruce Willis) travels to the present day to be killed by his younger self, this sets off a rash chain of events that not only threatens the peace in the future, but also poses a serious question as to what these loopers are really fated for.

I love the idea that the audience is invited to interpret their own storyline with every twist and turn the characters go through. Once something happens, a lot of the audience might be thinking, "That probably altered the future now," or "This probably wouldn't have happened if that didn't occur in the present."

An extra brownie point goes to Gordon-Levitt for doing an exceptional job as the younger version of Bruce Willis. Yes, the prosthetics and make-up help, but it's the attention to detail like the scowling and raised eyebrows he does that convinces you he is a talented actor. 

Rating  
3.5 / 5

(Image courtesy of Just Jared) 

Suede

This is an old piece I wrote almost 2 years ago, when my obsession with the British band Suede was resurfacing in a big way.

For those of you who don't know who Suede is, then I invite you to read this piece. 

Suede has been one of my favourite bands since I was 10 years old. Sure, the first obvious question would be somewhere along the lines of, "Weren't you a bit too young to like a band like Suede?" or even "How would a little kid appreciate anything other than Teletubbies and The Wiggles?" 

Well, first of all, I liked Power Rangers a whole lot more than Teletubbies. And second of all, it’s really quite the contrary, isn’t it? It should be applauded that Suede introduced me to ‘adult’ music because frankly, there’s no one better to do that than them.

Suede is a British band who first broke out on to the scene with their debut single The Drowners in 1992. Before the single was released, though, they already generated such a buzz with their thundering live performances and a musical style of their own, at one point even gracing the cover of Melody Maker with the headline “The Best New Band in Britain”. Thanks to this, they were one of the bands that pretty much gave birth to the Britpop movement in the 1990s, along with the likes of Blur, Elastica and Pulp.

With five studio albums under their belts, their ever-changing formation was also one of the much talked-about topics during their 14-year career. After initially starting off in 1989 with a certain Justine Frischmann (who at the time dated vocalist Brett Anderson and then later founded the equally fabulous Elastica), Suede enjoyed early success with Brett on vocals, Bernard Butler on lead guitar, Mat Osman on bass guitar and Simon Gilbert as the drummer. They managed to release their first two albums Suede (1993) and Dog Man Star (1994), before Bernard left the band in 1994. He was then replaced by the then 17-year-old Richard Oakes, who seamlessly performed his predecessor’s guitar riffs during the band’s promo tour of the second album and later on becoming so much more than just a replacement. With the band accepting another recruit in keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Neil Codling in 1995, Richard and Neil helped the band create their third – and arguably their most commercially successful – album Coming Up in 1996. This was then followed up by Head Music, released in 1999, and its promotional campaigns saw the last of Neil when he had to bow out of the band in 2001 due to personal illness. Enter Alex Lee, who significantly contributed to Suede's fifth and last studio album A New Morning in 2002, just a year before they disbanded.

Along with The Drowners, the band churned out hits over the years including Animal Nitrate, Metal Mickey, Stay Together, We Are The Pigs, The Wild Ones, Trash, Beautiful Ones, Saturday Night, Electricity, Everything Will Flow and She’s In Fashion. However, this limited selection shouldn’t be the definitive guide to their true legacy, as there are plenty more hidden gems found in all their albums and particularly B-side releases, which were helpfully compiled in their successful B-side album Sci-Fi Lullabies, released in 1997 in between Coming Up and Head Music.

And it’s this kind of legacy that leaves the band – and fans alike – wanting for more, with the band announcing they were playing together again in 2010, continuing on until August of this year with various gigs and events. Definite future plans after that month are yet to be announced by the band.

It's funny that they decided to regroup in the Coming Up-era formation, because that just happens to be my absolute favourite line-up (being a huge Neil fan surely explains why!). I’m hoping for the miracle of all miracles that they will keep this up, just long enough till I can get the chance to finally see them perform live.

For more information visit suede.co.uk

I should add that the band had since announced that they were getting back into the studio to record a new album together. As of 6 October 2012, they have officially finished the album and media and fans alike are awaiting news on an official release date.

(Image courtesy of Q Magazine) 

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Antipasti platter

Recently I've been so into the idea of having antipasti. It all started a few weeks ago, when I was coming over my friend Bianca's house and I didn't want to come empty-handed. So I decided on something quick and easy and brought ingredients for a simple antipasti platter.

Antipasti, or antipasto, is an Italian word meaning 'before the meal'. It is served as the first course of a traditional Italian meal, although I've seen places around Melbourne that serves it as a main course. I know I can get full from one plate!

Antipasti usually consists of cured meats such as prosciutto and salami, sun-dried tomatoes, marinated olives and a generous drizzle of virgin olive oil on top.

It's no secret, though, that the dish enjoys a lot of variations. I, too, have my own version of it - for example, I substitute the marinated olives with sauteed eggplants and throw in ciabatta bread to the mix.

 

 

Ingredients

1 eggplant, sliced

1 tomato, sliced

250g marinated bocconcini (I used Mamma Lucia Marinated Bocconcini in Chive & Garlic)

8 slices of hot Hungarian salami

8 slices of roasted beef

8 slices of ciabatta bread (I used Delbake ciabatta rolls)

125ml extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, to season

Serves 4

Method

Heat about half of the olive oil in a saucepan; add the eggplant slices, salt and pepper

Once the eggplant has turned tender and brown in colour, place them on one side of a serving platter

Add a little more olive oil to the saucepan and fry the sliced tomato; add salt and pepper

While waiting, toast the bread slices until golden-brown

Once done, place the tomato in the same platter as the fried eggplant

Arrange the bocconcini, toasted bread slices, hot Hungarian salami and roasted beef around the platter

Drizzle with remaining olive oil

(Credit: thanks to my sister who recommended the Delbake ciabatta rolls. They worked perfectly with the rest of the platter)

Festive get-ups

Over the past weekend, I attended two birthday celebrations - one for my friend Miss Couture Vintage X on Friday; another for myself on the Saturday.

Miss Couture Vintage X's birthday shindig was held at the glamorous Baroq House so it was fitting that she'd requested her guests to dress up. I opted for my trusty maxi dress under the winter coat.

Maxi dress: Luna Maya for Hardware | Cardigan: vintage | Coat: Zara | Wedge pumps: Zomp

On Saturday, seeing as the occasion was a fun Mexican dinner and an all-night karaoke, I wanted to wear something that would allow me to break into a dance or two. So what else would I wear but a good old pair of shorts?
 

Blouse: vintage | Shorts: vintage | Ankle boots: Moschino Cheap and Chic | Tights: Kayser

 

Welcome!

Welcome and thanks for visiting my blog!

This is a personal project where I talk about fashion, film, beauty, music, food and culture. I've always been pretty passionate about writing so this blog will simultaneously serve as my portfolio.

The name Sasha Monash is actually a nickname given to me by my family and my close friends. I was named after my father, Alex, which can be translated to Sasha. Monash came from the university I went to because my friends were having trouble differentiating between me and another friend whose name is also Sasha.

Please feel free to drop in anytime and say hello. Once again thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoy your stay here!