Tag: Coco

Bun in oven, Little Miss Shopaholic

Buying maternity clothes

yannisms

Alright, I’ll admit it. I caved. I am now wearing the very clothes that I had tried my darnest to avoid until I absolutely had to.

But seriously, at 22 weeks, I can’t put off the inevitable, especially when I am a full-time working mom-to-be who needs to be properly and formally dressed in school. If I were still in the agency, I could have gotten away with strappy maxi dresses and pre-pregnancy jeans with my trusty Bella band (purchased at a steal from AlleMom). Now that I am in a job that allows me to, uhhmm, MOULD YOUNG MINDS, I can hardly strop around in jeans and tank tops, can’t I?

Over the weekend, Mr Thick and I threw ourselves into the arduous task of shopping and let’s just say that my credit card had a good workout. SOBS. But I console myself with the fact that these basics will be with me until the nugget is born in March and beyond.

Spring Maternity
You can’t miss Spring Maternity. It’s everywhere. The Sista had passed me some basic spaghetti strap tops, a pair of jeans and pants from the brand, and they have been LIFESAVERS. But mostly for weekend wear though.

I’m not one for wearing ruffles, really, but I love the cheery green stripes of this top. Mr Thick commented that it made me look young, fresh and…OKAY LET’S PAY FOR IT NOW. The pants are super comfy! Immediately after I tried them on, I started devising ways in which I could incorporate them into my daily wardrobe AFTER my pregnancy. That’s how fab they are.

Le Bloomingchic
I feel a tad guilty about Le Bloomingchic, actually. When we were in there, the sales ladies were SO warm and friendly, they handed me a pile of things to try. When I emerged from the changing room, slightly dazed and confused, there was a MOUNTAIN of clothes on the floor and the hanging rod.

The shop is a bit of a hit and miss to me though. There were floral and frilly pieces that weren’t my style at all but boy, when they hit the mark, they REALLY hit the damn bullseye.

I got this pair of MUG+ jeans even though it felt a little pricey at $79. You have to understand that I am a cheap mom-to-be. I’d rather spend the money on preparing for my little man’s arrival than on clothes that I will wear for a few months, tops. But the jeans were oh so comfy and stretchy. The grey top is something that I will be able to wear post-delivery and its simplicity allows me to jazz it up however I want to.

The next two MUG+ tops are meant for nursing as well, which means that their shelf life extends beyond pregnancy. Score! They are very basic tops but that’s alright, I have plenty of ways to jazz up my wardrobe. I especially like the turquoise top with its cut-outs – adds something different to the look.

Marina Square #03-152
Tel: +65 6337 2537

Maternity Exchange
I had resisted stepping into Maternity Exchange because I had heard from mommy friends that their clothing tends to be on the expensive side. Remember: cheapie mommy here.

But Mr Thick’s discerning eye picked out a few items that he thought I would like from outside the store and he nudged me towards the shop.

It IS true, Maternity Exchange does have pieces that are pretty pricey. I particularly loved the Jules & Jim items but could not justify paying so much for them. I could rent them but they were so gorgeous that I could not imagine giving them back!

But Maternity Exchange does have some of the most gorgeous maternity outfits around, hands down. If I have an event or fancy dinner to attend, I would most definitely head over there to rent a pretty dress. Or two.

I ended up with two basic black dresses that would be able to last me till pregnancy and beyond.

This Ripe Maternity little black dress is actually a rental piece but other than looking a little washed, it’s almost as good as new. What I like about it is its flattering v-neck and swingy skirt. I could wear it post-pregnancy and even when nursing.

Don’t underestimate the simplicity of this Seraphine black dress. When I put it on, I felt like a gorgeous goddess. The comfortable jersey clings to my every curve (which I don’t have, frankly, many of) and accentuates the belly. It flows with my every move and the best thing is, the ruched waist has room for a growing baby belly. Wear it with pearls and a pair of sexy red heels and woot! I’ll be the most sexy momma out there.

I am totally going to slip this on even when the bun is out of the oven.

#03-108 Marina Square
Tel: +65 61003924

BONUS!!
For your patience in reading about my shopping exploits, here’s a bonus JUST FOR YOU. The best accessories a pregnant woman can have: the funniest husband in the world and a most unwilling cat!

Kitty Tales

One year of Coco

yannisms

One year ago, on this very day, a little furball came into our home.

Oh, she wasn’t a willing party at all. The moment she spotted an escape route, she put her tiny legs to good use and powered out of the room, out of the house, and into the corridor. It took four adults to finally catch her and bring her back in. Boy, could that cat run.

That was our first glance into the cautious and wary mind of our kitteh.

We named her Coco, because she had rich chocolate stripes and also because I had recently watched Coco Avant Chanel. But it suits her perfectly and gave us the excuse to call her our Coco Beans. She seems to love it too and responds to it.

For the first few monthsthough, she wouldn’ t sleep in our presence. Her eyelids would droop and her eyes could close. But the minute we shifted or made a sound, her eyes would snap open. It was a long while before she would snooze with us around.

I wasn’t sure she would forgive us for bringing Emi home initially. She was really mad at us and refused to go near the bedrooms (where we had stashed Emi) for at least a week. One night, I woke up to find her in our bedroom hissing at her own reflection in the mirror. She wouldn’t come near us, wouldn’t let us pet her head and hid on top of the fridge.

Eventually, she grew used to Emi and went back to being the adorable little brat that we had come to love. She still swipes at you if she doesn’t want you to be stroking her fur, whines persistently outside the bedroom every day and eats my plants. But she also boinks my head with hers whenever she is in a good mood, purrs contentedly when she is simply sitting on our bed, trots out of the room when we tell her to and still waits for us on top of the oven every night when we come home.

One year ago, Coco not only came into our home, she also entered our hearts.

What a dream cat
Big eyes
TV cat
Baby cat
The organised chaos

Bawl

yannisms

I bawled like a baby just now.

There was a Terrible Incident involving a running/jumping cat, a paw (with claws), a human ear and blood.

The tears wouldn’t stop flowing (and presumably, the blood too, but I wouldn’t know because I couldn’t and refused to look) but it wasn’t all because of the Terrible Incident. I guess I was in shock. The pain was minimal.

But I cried and cried and cried.

And then I felt better.

Whatever will be, will be

Kitty Tales

A tale of two kitties

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After more than a month of staying in the same household with two kittens, it has become very obvious that no two kitties are the same.

We roll together

There was some hissing and sulking when Emi was first brought into the household. She was perfectly fine, had no problems adjusting, but I can’t say the same for Coco. That kitten was livid. It took about two weeks before she would calm down enough not to run away when Emi was near.

Everything’s fine now although there are still times when they would chase and pounce on each other. And it’s very funny to see their individual personalities emerge when they play, eat, sleep and do nothing.

Coco
Ah, my little Coco beans (that’s what I call her). She’s a fine Little Miss Prissy. She sits properly and primly, tucks her tail between her legs when we hold her up and never, never slouches. Between the two, she’s more cautious and guarded. When we first took her in, we kept her in the spare room before coaxing her out slowly. Initially, she was reluctant to come out of her comfort zone but gradually grew used to having the entire house as her playground. And she hates it when we have people over – she doesn’t like crowds and would hide in the room.

Her wariness doesn’t make her less lovable though. Almost every night, she would be sitting by the window in the kitchen (it faces the main corridor) and, when she catches sight of us, would jump onto her feet and start meowing loudly as if to say, You are home! I’ve missed you!

Once or twice, when I was home alone in the mornings, I would open my bedroom door to a seemingly empty house. All it took was a call: “Meow, where are you?” The darling would actually respond with loud meows! I’d find her perched on top of the fridge or curled up in the bedroom by the bay window.

I sleep

She’s really clever too. If we leave the room and say “bye bye” or “let’s go!”, she would follow us out of the room. If she wanted us to retrieve her toy from under the sofa, she would make a lot of noise and paw at the area. Sometimes, I would find myself having “conversations” with her – it’s quite funny!

Emi
My favourite story of Emi is this: one Sunday morning, I came out of the bedroom door and walked down the corridor with Emi trotting by my feet. Standing at the living room was husband, who said chirpily, “Good morning, Emi!” The cat paused, looked up at him and proceeded to roll on the floor twice. After the act, she got up and walked away, as if nothing had happened, leaving husband and I clutching our sides in mirth.

Emi is really a chill kitten. She had no qualms about coming to a strange place, took to the litter box immediately and was happy to be petted. She quickly claimed the sofa as her bed and sleeps A LOT. Funnily enough, she doesn’t meow but chirps. As in the manner of “brrrp!” And if she wanted to be heard, she would wail. LOUDLY. In the manner of, “Oh Gods of Cats! Hear my plea! I lead a miserable wretched life and hasn’t had a meal in 20 days!”

I chill

But she can be quite the attention seeker. She hates it when we go into a room and leave her outside, and she gets annoyed when Coco is obsessed with a toy and ignores her. She would start yelling loudly or, in the case of Coco, pounce on the poor dear and demand to play with her. We’ve had to grab her and pull her away from Coco more than once!

The fun thing about Emi is that she can be like a baby. We’d grab her and cradle her in our arms. She would struggle until we start scratching her head, the sides of her face and on her neck – her eyes will go soft, glaze over and before you know it, they are shut fast. She’s also a most unglamorous sleeper – hind legs sprawled, body twisted in strange ways, legs over her head.

I may just be biased but seriously, aren’t my cats just the cutest?

Foodnotes, Kitty Tales

Just a gratifying post

yannisms

Yes, Tokyo Banana is good!
Yes, Tokyo Banana is good!

It’s been a busy week.

Emi Kat has settled into the household nicely. Coco is not too pleased still but it hasn’t stopped her from using Emi’s litter box so we are guessing that they will eventually be good friends. In the meantime, we will have to put up with the occasional hissing and the mad chases down the corridor.

I’m desperately needing sleep so I will leave this space with this funny photo of Coco posing with the box of Tokyo Banana that we brought home from, well, Tokyo.

A banana filling covered with a delicious chocolate cake, this snack didn’t last long in east end! As I snapped the photo, Coco decided to join in the fun too and sat right next to the box. She’s quite the poser, that kitten. But that was pre-Emi days, back when she would “talk” to us and sit down with us as we ate dinner.

My house is full of cat hair, the spare room smells of cat food and the cats are really quite mad. But I wouldn’t trade the joys of having these two idiotic kittens for a cleaner house.

Kitty Tales

Post Formula One…

yannisms

…Travis was BLOODY. AWESOME.

It felt so surreal watching them live, almost eight years after we had first caught their joint concert with Coldplay. Can you believe that? We watched Travis and Coldplay jam together at ONE VENUE. It was one of the best concerts we have ever watched. When is that ever going to happen again?

Anyway, it’s three in the morning and I need to get to bed. Coco was meowing like crazy at eight this morning and when we let her into the room, she started meowing like crazy because she was bored. Husband then let her out of the room, only for her to meow like crazy AGAIN at 10.

I always tell her that if she wasn’t so damn cute, I would have put her right back onto the streets again. Hah. As if she cares about what I say anyway.

Snuggling under the covers
Snuggling under the covers