My ZW intended Wedding

my self-made mini bouquet made of shells - spot the rings!

If you have no idea what ZW refers to, perhaps this post will not interest you. Although the concept of zero waste is getting increasingly common, I personally think it is really important to frame it properly and realise that ZW is a desirable and even essential goal but to achieve absolute ZW given our current lifestyle will not be easy. Sometimes it feels downright impossible especially when you care about your relationships with others.

I have always cared about the environment, the main reason most people got started on this journey. Beginning from my uni days when I joined NUS Students Against Violation of the Earth (SAVE) group, I really want to be part of the solution by acting and choosing consciously in my everyday life. But I would say I only really learnt about sustainability and the power of choices and actions after joining the Facebook group - Journey to Zero Waste (JtZW) in Oct 2016. That is how my intention to make my own wedding a ZW one came about.

First of all, I am not the person to go to when planning events. I dread organising this sort of thing and easily get disheartened by the mere knowledge of the potential waste that such events almost inevitably incur. But as this was my own wedding, with newfound insight to ZW possibilities and the support of a fiance hailing from the country with world's highest recycling rate, I somehow found the strength and faith in myself to want to make it happen.

In my mind when I began planning the wedding, I remembered distinctively that I wanted a small and simple wedding. Many ZW-based choices simply come down to doing away with what is not necessary and having attended my fair share of weddings, I knew what I did not want in mine. Unfortunately for my now-hubby whose idea of "small and simple" was just the signing of the papers with immediate family, I did still want to involve my extended family and at least the tea ceremony. Still traditional in some ways.. and somehow the wedding became a lot more elaborate than expected.

Venue(s)

With the initial idea of "small wedding", I first looked at restaurants that are able to cater to less than 100 people but after taking into consideration the location, cuisine and whether they served sharks fin (big no no!!), each of them was eliminated one by one. Eventually I contacted my first choice hotel, found their package fitting and our date available that I just stopped looking at others!

PARKROYAL on Pickering is my first choice because it is an eco-friendly hotel and I just love the whole architecture design with greenery along flowy lines. It was also easy to finalise on it as it was where Axel and I had our first staycation together. Lots of sweet memories already made here.
The package we selected was a basic solemnisation one without excessive themed decorations or wedding favours. (One of the first things I knew I did not want to have at my wedding.) Given their status as a Green City Hotel, I made assumptions that waste in the hotel is already minimised. However during our meetings with the manager Joelyn, I did explicitly state that I was aiming for a ZW wedding and even suggested to them to consider rolling out a ZW-focused wedding package! It will be such a niche, befitting the hotel!

After deciding on having a lunch buffet at the hotel which cater for an ideal number of 100 guests, and with various queries from friends who found out about our upcoming wedding, I began toying with the idea of also having a dinner party just for friends. As Axel had been very accommodating to my preferences with regard to my family, I thought it would be lovely to have the dinner venue to be somewhere distinctively German. Again, without spending too much time and effort, we swiftly decided on Stuttgart Blackforest Boutique S-Cafe. Similarly, during our meetings with manager Wen Cheng, we made it known our intention to make it a ZW event and thus one of the first points that he took note of was to "hide the straws". Unfortunately, some wastage I had not forsee and had to accept included paper table signage, paper napkins and plastic dessert containers here. Could I have insisted on cloth napkins? Hmmm....

For both venues, as they are proper dining venues with actual cutlery and kitchen ware, no disposables were used despite both meals being buffets. This point was very important to me. Each venue also had its own unique ambience and design that there was no need for me to bring in additional decorations even if I wanted to. Finally, I like that both venues are within walking distance to a MRT station and centrally located in or near Orchard. Although I could not possibly have controlled how my guests arrive for our wedding, at least the option to take public transport was not totally out of question!

Food 

From most wedding banquets that I had attended, unfinished food at every course was almost a given.

Thus, I preferred the idea of buffets for which I can somewhat control the amount of food being prepared by ordering less than the expected number of guests, a suggestion I learned from JtZW group. As it was still highly likely to be leftover food, I fiddled with the idea of purchasing mason jars or similar as wedding favours so that guests may immediately utilise them to pack the excess food home. I put this idea forward to the JtZW group and received a lot of feedback from the community which brought up food safety concern among other considerations that I had not factored in. Through that post, a founder of Food Rescue @ Events reached out to me to consider having their team to save the remaining food after our meals. What a brilliant idea!

Naturally, Axel and I were both very keen to prevent the excess food from going to waste but getting approval from the respective venues was not as easy as we thought. Given Singapore has implemented time-stamping on cooked food, the managers were understandably resistant to have a third-party collect the food for later consumption. Thankfully, myself together with the volunteers of Food Rescue @ Events were able to  reassure and convince them that the food were taken at our own risk and I was very happy to see the food being packed to benefit others.

 

 

Bouquet and Floral

I have never really been a flower lover. Generally I prefer admiring and smelling them while they are still planted with roots in the soil so I did not really see the need for floral decorations at our venues or even a bridal bouquet. Such a pity for these to subsequently wither and die, no?

Over at PARKROYAL, the package was inclusive of table centrepieces by their own florist. There was also a slightly larger setup for the reception table which doubled up as table decor for the solemnisation table held on a different level. Love the innovation of my bridesmaids! I only hoped that these were reused or re-purposed by the hotel given their green status and my conversation with manager Joelyn. On hindsight, perhaps I could have collected them and redistribute them to a nursing home like the people from Happy Flowers. But the logistics of it..... hmmmm......

I really almost got away without a bridal bouquet until my sisters/bridesmaids heard of it and would have nothing of it. One of them was ready to order and pay on my behalf so I gave in and accepted her florist's number. Surprisingly, I ended up quite liking what I saw (simple stalks tied together with twine) and made arrangement with said florist. We were at the point of payment when I found out there would be a lot of wastage from that one bouquet as she does not have a shop and could not benefit from economies of scale nor save the excess. And when I finally decided to go with it anyhow she was no longer available. I wouldn't be surprised that she might be just weary of having to deal with a ZW-focused bride..

As even mummy dearest stated that I should have a bridal bouquet, I began a search for it albeit reluctantly. And I did find my dream bridal bouquet eventually! On Carousell no less! Just happened to chance on it and even Axel was receptive to it so we agreed to rent this gorgeous grey-silver masterpiece. Moreover, it totally matched my shoes and Axel's vest on that day! Really love that it is such a statement piece and can be reused again and again. If I knew I would have a bridal bouquet, I would have made my own bridal brooch bouquet! Maybe with a touch of red..

On a side note, Carousell was also where I found perfectly reusable bridal car decor that dolled up the car without being overdone! Fixed them up on the car myself with the help of daddy dearest with some satin ribbons from my own craft collection. Within a week after the wedding, re-sold them on Carousell!

One thing the traditional me wanted to do was to express my gratitude to my parents during the wedding. After all, it has been nearly 40 years before they could marry me off and really I am who I am today only because of their love, care and upbringing. When it came to selecting a gift for this purpose, I was very pleased to discover Bloomback which not only re-purpose flowers to more lasting gifts but also train and hire marginalised women.

Attires, Hair and Makeup 

My wedding makeup artist was the first person I hired in the planning of my wedding. I hardly wear makeup and am nowhere near even proficient when it comes to prettifying myself. This was one task I knew would be outsourced and it had to be no other than her as I really liked what she did for my bestie for her wedding. She being a professional MUA would also be less likely to waste all the makeup products necessary for the task. I was also quite glad that she did not generate much waste (only 2 tissue papers!) during the process although I made no mention of aiming to be ZW to her. Additionally, she was able to loan me a gorgeous veil for the day! Unfortunately, I lost the dried flowers in my hair which she wanted to reuse and I also threw away the fake eyelashes at the end of the day.

My first option for wedding dress was to rent but I was unable to find one I really like despite trying on quite a few. Next I looked at purchasing one that is versatile enough to still be worn in the future. But mummy dearest wanted me to look like a bride so in one afternoon with my mother and sister-in-law, we browsed dresses on Taobao and found an ideal one in ivory (not white) with a low back. Again, not wanting to waste time and effort, we ordered it. It came and it fit and so it was settled! It is now listed on Carousell and hopefully not be hanging in my wardrobe for too long.

My shoes was a pair I had for more than a year but never worn. It was not bought for the wedding but it turned out to match the dress and bouquet quite beautifully. Similarly, Axel wore a suit and shoes he already owned. However, considering Singapore's humid weather, he had a grey vest tailor-made so that he could have the option of removing the coat and still look well-dressed.

 

Invitations

This was one item I was certain I did not want to waste for the wedding. So I made full use of my aesthetic side and created my own e-invites with the help of Canva. What an amazing tool! I had so much fun designing and redesigning not just the invitations to the lunch and dinner, but even some background slides that was projected on the big screens during the event and an instruction sheet for the reception table.

The invitations were Whatsapp-ed to my guests and I maintained the guest lists (and wedding day schedule) entirely on Google Sheets so I could keep the printing of documents to a minimum.

 

Photobooth?

As we were not having wedding favours, and there were going to be some waiting time in the schedule, I considered the idea of having a photobooth where guests could have fun making memories during our wedding and at least bring home a picture as a keepsake. But eventually I decided digital photos were just fine. But I did make my own photobooth props for the ocassion! Almost all out of recycled materials. Super proud of myself. I was also very luckily blessed by someone from the JtZW group with some used party decorations which I incorporated into mine as a backdrop for the photobooth. These were thereafter reblessed to others in the same group.

Final Thoughts

I tried my best. Really gave this shot to the best of my ability. But as the ex-teacher in me would say, "There is always room for improvement." And when you are planning a major event that involves your family who do not quite buy in to the entire ZW concept, compromises need to be made. With a lot of the traditions carried down over generations, my mother and I had a lot of give-and-take. Initially, I said "no" to many things as I really do not wish to purchase a brand new item that would only be used for a few moments. My mother ended up purchasing new fan, umbrella, lamps and tea set amongst other items because she really believed that these would ensure a blissful marriage for Axel and myself. But my stubborness had also deterred her somewhat that with some "essential" items, instead of buying them for me, she gave an angbao for each in lieu.

Anyhow, I think the most important thing in any wedding of any sort, ZW or not, is to have fun! I had loads of fun and really really enjoyed our special day with our dearest and closest. ☺️

Saying Goodbye to Grandma..

My ah ma was a tough woman. She lived through WWII, borne 9 children and pretty much brought up myself and 4 other cousins single-handedly when we were younger. I remember days when we kids got so rowdy in her 4-room flat that she had to shout at us while preparing meals or washing and hanging up laundry.

I remember her cooking - pork chops coated with biscuit crumbs, thick meat porridge with my favourite ketchup and made from scratch ngoh hiang which we only got to enjoy during CNY. Her homecooked meals were her communication of love for us.
 
I remember the white powder that she liked to put on just as other women of her era did - my first introduction to make-up. Though she rarely looked made up, I thought she was beautiful, especially when she smiled. 

Around the time when I started JC, days spent at grandma's house got fewer and fewer but when I do visit, I would definitely get my favourite dish of tomato egg. We would sit together to watch TV programmes; she would ask me for the time and that was one thing I became pretty good at in hokkien; or she would ask me to do little chores like turning on the light or turning off the fan.

We could hardly hold a conversation together but I loved being cheeky with her, teasing her about this or that. When I got older, one thing I often "told" her was to stop smoking. I would gestured taking the cigarette out of mouth and putting it out and she would often just smile and wave me off.

Once, I got really upset with her because she didn't want a wheelchair that enabled her to wheel herself around. She wanted one that only had the option of being pushed around although she still had strength in her arms. It seemed to me that she had given up then.

It was last February during one of my visits that it finally dawned on me that the time might be near. She was frail, no longer walking and hardly speaking. I remember holding her hand and feeling her soft yet easily bruised skin. She was still her cheeky self, smiling and teasing me about my then-boyfriend. I remember thinking to myself that I want more pictures with ah ma..

20th Jan 19: Birthday celebration! Ah ma was 93 years old. Technically it was celebrating both our birthdays as we share the same lunar birthday. She was happy with her cake and all the little ones running around her.

7th Feb 19: On the second day of CNY, she was hospitalised. I visited her and sat mostly silently by her bedside. Looking at all the tubes on her, sensing the discomfort she was experiencing, I took her hand and silently thought to myself. "I would love for you to be at my wedding, I want so much for you to be at my wedding, I want to serve the granddaughter and grandson-in-law tea to you. But you don't have to stay for that, you don't have to stay at all. You can go, ah ma..."

10th Feb 19: I was greeted with countless messages and missed calls on my phone after finishing a yoga class. Frantically hailed a cab and rushed down to the hospital with a pounding heart. She took a while but she opened her eyes when she heard that I had arrived. Then she gave an even bigger welcome to my then-fiance, the yandao. She survived that day.

17th Feb 19: She appeared better, was able to recognize more of us, spoke more coherently and once again was asking for the time every now and then. I thought she looked really cute when she smacked her lips together. Then she showed us what she was capable of by blowing bubbles into a straw. Definitely A+++ for you ah ma!

25th Feb 19: She was well enough to be transferred from the hospital to a community hospital. Everything went smoothly and transportation plans for her from the new venue to the wedding venue were considered. Everyone was in high spirits.

2nd Mar 19: I was called to the hospital although I had planned to meet my jiemeis to discuss the wedding day schedule. I arrived within an hour to see her with an oxygen mask covering half her face. With the help of my aunt, she presented me with the golden bangles she had asked my aunt to purchase for me the day before. Pictures were taken. I thanked her with a kiss on her forehead. My family told me to proceed with my plans.

After meeting with my jiemeis, I got another call to return to the hospital, this time with Axel. When we arrived, she had been moved to a private room and almost all family members in town were present. After waiting for the tea cups to arrive, we served tea to ah ma and received her blessings. More pictures and video were taken. She looked really alert and agreed that the tea was sweet. Although all of us were prepared for the worst that night, her condition improved well enough to be transferred back to her previous common room.

7-8th Mar 19: It was my Guo Da Li day and as per tradition, Axel was required to prepare a special angbao just for ah ma. My dad delivered it to her the following day and she opened her eyes for this picture of her with the angbao that was rightfully hers.

10th Mar 19: One week to the wedding. Visited ah ma with Axel. Her limbs felt cold and she complained that her legs were aching. Tried to make her comfortable by moving her limbs for her. Held her hands and she would tightened her grip on mine. Told her to sleep and rest. Questioned the doctor about the tips of her fingers and he called us aside to tell us to be prepared.

11th Mar 19: While out running errands for the wedding with Axel, my mind constantly thought of  ah ma. Can one ever be fully prepared for such an event? I received the news via Whatsapp while we were in a crowded MRT train. Initially I was calm, but as I leaned into Axel and buried my face in his chest, the tears just overcame me. The realisation that she was gone was just too much.

Then I received a call from my brother to remind me to stay away and not participate in the funeral. Am I really not allowed to say my last goodbye? Another call from my mum then another from an aunt. Some indignation and fresh tears each time. Perhaps it really was for the best that I was absent.

That day, the skies opened and rain hammered down after a long dry spell.

13th Mar 19: As I was kept up to date via our family group chat without being able to be physically present, I tried to go about my normal days, doing things that I routinely do. I was okay. I talked to my friends and was comforted. I attended my usual yoga class. The necessity to turn inwards and focus on my gaze, body and breath made it unnecessary to constantly remind myself that life goes on. I felt great that I was able to execute all the poses.. until savasanah. Totally relaxed, the mind went right back to ah ma and I pretty much burst into tears.

15th Mar 19: It was the appointed day for Axel and I to collect our marriage certificate from ROM. It was also the day ah ma was to be cremated. With an insane need to do something, we headed for the beach in ECP. Both of us folded some origami boats, I gathered some fallen white flowers and set the little memorial boats adorned with flowers out to sea. Rituals do have meaning. For me, that simple act was significant and comforting. I know my ah ma loves me and that I am in her heart as much as she will always be in mine.

 
Ang Char (1926 - 2019) is survived by 9 children, 6 children-in-law, 17 grandchildren, 9 grandchildren-in-law and 7 great-grandchildren.

for the wish of a single lady

"for the wish of a single lady"
It is something Axel often says when he has to defer to my preferences and to which I usually roll my eyes at 🙄 because I find it to be such an exaggeration, a hyperbole even! I mean I just prefer to use the pavement rather than cut across the grass patch?!?

But for this particular endeavour - I have to agree. It does feel like everything and everyone had come together "for the wish of a single lady", except it is a soon not-to-be-single lady. 🤣

So around this time (8ish am) last week, I was about 5 meters below sea level in a flowy white wedding dress atop a 100 years old wreck surrounded by marine life that took my breath away. But it was not as romantic as it appeared. 

I just received the signal from the photographer with his big ass underwater camera to remove my mask while maintaining my pose so he could get the shot. There was a strong surge and I found myself struggling to stay in place even with weights around my waist, two in my lap and another tied to my ankle. Other than corals and fishes, there were 4 other dive guides, my makeup artist (MUA who also dives!) and another photographer floating close by. 

10 seconds into holding my breath without mask nor regulator, focusing my eyes and face towards the sunlight shining towards our spot in the vast sea, I felt another surge and the chill of the waters. I gestured the "out of air" signal and heaved such a relief when the regulator was brought back into my mouth. As my breathing slowly leveled again, the only thought that came to mind, "What were you thinking to want underwater wedding shots?!?! In the sea no less?!?!?!?!?!"

In retrospect, I was NOT thinking. I just want. Axel and I met through diving and I wanted unique wedding photography and I saw such photos online so I want. That's it. I didn't consider anything else. I just wanted it. 😦

Well, I got what I wanted... and it would not had been possible if this team was not there to make it happen.. so this post is dedicated to all of them who had fulfilled the wish of this soon-not-to-be single lady.

To George: right after our first dive, I remembered sitting next to him and telling him that I was crazy to want this and that HE was crazy to take us on. It was a surprise to me that I had a hard time finding an underwater wedding photographer; now I know better. It was through word of mouthS before we found George and I am SOOOO glad that we found him. Like I said, I just wanted without considering any factors but he, he is so professional, dedicated and thorough. He arranged for pre-shoot practice in a pool for us, flew in first to take test shots with the local guides, took care of not just our safety but our comfort and always put us at ease. I really really admire his passion for his craft (and the ability to look so fresh with so little sleep).

To Stephy: Axel received her contact from a mutual friend and when he was telling me about her, he said I would definitely connect with her and he was right. I am so glad I had not completely forgotten what I learnt from my sign language course from years back and even more glad to be able to have such a talented MUA to prettify me throughout the trip with waterproof makeup. She was able to design different looks and hairstyles based on what I was wearing and whether the shoot was on land or underwater. I was super impressed by her array of self-made hair pieces and props that she brought along. Most importantly, she showed genuine tender care towards both myself and Axel. We appreciate you!

To Lilian: Hey fellow Hello Kitty lover.. you put me right at ease the moment I saw HK on your underwater camera 😍 and your gentle guidance really brought out the model in me 😄 it was so so easy to pose for you and I really had such an awesome time fulfilling that secret desire to be a model. macro, infrared and light painting?! you opened my eyes to the possibilities of the photography industry.. thank you for your easygoing and funloving nature.. thank you for being you!

To Qiping: You had always been relatively quiet during our initial meetings, attentively listening in and always ready to give the helping hand. Little do we know that you can be such a silly yet witty lame joker of a "small fresh meat" 😆 Thank you for all the laughter you brought us during the trip. I also appreciate the really helpful and on-point pointers (pun intended) that you gave when you were behind the camera..

To Tisnu, Ketut and Made: What can I say? You are literally our life-savers, ensuring our safety and well-being throughout all the dives. Thank you for always fining like crazy to make sure we get our air every time we signaled for the tank that we shared. Thank you for not losing my mask too. 😄 Especially to Tisnu, thank you for being such a pillar of strength when I had nothing else to hold on to underwater. I am sorry that this dead weight here caused you to suffer leg cramps underwater.. 😦 Also, thank you for driving us around in your lorry too!!!

To Julian: Last but certainly not least! I really think you are a closet diver... hope you get your certification soon! You are such a giving person, so kind and nice to us and sweet to Stephy. Thank you for being the indispensable translator and helpful coordinator during the trip. Really enjoyed our little chats while I was being dolled up by Stephy. All the best to you lovebirds!

L to R: George, Tisnu, Julian, Qiping, Lilian. Front: Stephy

Finally, to my love, when I almost panicked with that real threat of death by drowning, your steady gaze and smiling lips instantly calmed me down. Thank you for being my life buoy, holding me with your strong arms and holding my heart so tenderly and preciously that I feel no fear when you are near. The entire adventure was worth it for that instant when I realised I truly would have no other than you. ich liebe dich. 💗

#AXELOVEUNICE

Hashtags.. I caught on pretty late.. in fact I am resolutely refusing to open an Instagram account.. thankfully these gems work on facebook too... quite amazed by the extend of its usability.. thank you Chris Messina!

This particular hashtag I came up with is of course for my upcoming wedding.. was playing around with various configurations of our names while designing my "save the date" announcement when

 I noticed the ring and heart linking our names formed a word - love! awwwww.....

Can you blame me for my preoccupation with the word given my birthday? In a very mushy and cliche way, I really think love is the answer to everything. =P Perhaps not so much on this blog but many if not majority of my longer Facebook posts revolve around this theme and its relevance and necessity.. even my Whatsapp status is on it! Despite my preoccupation with it, I still find myself lacking it sometimes, often towards the people closest to me... *oops*

Anyway, back to my wedding hashtag.. so it has both our first names and the noun "love". It is not the verb, it doesn't say "axel-loves-eunice". Yes the wedding is mainly about us but I realise it is also the perfect opportunity to spread more love in our world. Not just romantic love, but any kind of love - between family, friends, acquaintances, even strangers! I don't think we can ever have too much love, especially not now in the current world climate and situation.. Let's not forget self-love too, major changes come about starting from the individual..

If you have read this far, I invite you to really put this hashtag to "good" use. rather than only using it to hashtag the photos taken on our wedding day (of course you should still do that! Take lots of photos and hashtag #AXELOVEUNICE away on that day!), consider performing a random act of kindness today and tweet, instagram or facebook post about it (include a photo if possible) and add this hashtag.. I think it will be lovely for not just me but even for you to look back on the good deed (hopefully many good deeds from all my guests!) in the future.. =)

They may be called random acts of kindness but I believe kindness connects us in a profound way and such acts is a demonstration of love; it shows the person on the receiving end that he or she is worthy of love. Do you know that such acts when you receive nothing in return is very good for you, the giver, too? Read my mini blog post on the Science of Kindness to get some scientifically proven facts. ;)

Considering my guest list, I think this little request of mine should be no problem for all of you kindhearted people. Perhaps it is just sharing and tagging some thing you do everyday already! But I want to hear about it and the world can do with more of such feel-good stories!! If you need some ideas, here is a list I complied from various websites (click on the links included!):

1. smile at someone on the street 
2. give a genuine compliment 
3. post positive notes on the fridge in the pantry 
4. donate blood
5. give up your seat on the bus or MRT
6. share your umbrella on a rainy day
7. pay for an extra coffee or meal
8. offer help to someone who looks lost
9. hold the door/elevator open
10. pick up trash or try plogging
11. if you spill something at an eatery, wipe it up
12. say thank you to a bus driver or cleaner
13. let another car pass first or wave if someone lets you pass first
14. hand out a cold drink to the delivery man or postman
15. surprise the office with donuts
16. start a fundraiser or a movement
17. walk or run for a cause
18. give the gift of time
19. offer assistance to someone who needs help (my cousin is an excellent example)
20. push someone's wheelchair (did this at Bishan MRT on a mini upslope!)

I hope you have loads of fun with this and if someone asks you about the act or hashtag, feel free to share my rationale but I am afraid I can't expand my guest list!

that facebook post

fashion conscious? eco conscious!

that is a pretty goodlooking jumpsuit right?

and i think i look quite fetching in it =P

i didn't buy it.

despite recommendation from someone with an eye for this kind of thing to "grab it!"..

despite going back to the shop a second time to try it

despite the willingness of hubby-to-be to splurge on it

i am definitely not one who is on the forefront of fashion but once in a long while i do like to dress up when the occasion calls for it. like most girls, i can have quite a lot of fun trying on clothes in a changing room but most times i leave those gorgeous garments back on the rack. one of the main deterrents to making them mine is the cost. although i am also starting to appreciate the fact that higher-end products also mean better quality. a point the hubby-to-be is trying to drill into me..

long before i heard of KonMari, i read about a hack for the wardrobe which made me realised just how many of my clothing are left hanging without being worn even once. moreover, as i become more and more environmentally conscious and learnt how devastating the fashion industry really is, i am more prudent than ever when it comes to fashion.

besides ending most of my fashion-related decisions with a "no", i also started exploring more sustainable options. ethical retailers, rental services, second-hand shopping and clothes swapping are some possibilities. through a facebook group on zero waste, i discovered The Fashion Pulpit. With 2 bags of clothes that no longer spark joy, i finally made my way to this "permanent swapping fashion space".

 

prior to the visit, my expectations were low as shopping isn't my favourite pastime and i had no idea  how much the clothes i brought along were worth. what a pleasant surprise i had! it turned out to be really enjoyable as not only was the space so tastefully decorated and charmingly serene, i received a lot more "points" than i thought and couldn't find enough clothes! even after three rounds of browsing, picking and trying dozens of tops, bottoms and dresses in the spacious fitting room, i came away with 7 pieces of clothing and a leather sling bag which only used up half the points i was allocated!

thankfully, they have a relatively flexible system with a one-time swap option which allows me to freeze the unused points for next time. i really had a lot more fun than i thought. in fact, a little too much fun - the idea was to reduce the amount of clothing i have, i thought i would only come away with one "new" top, not 7 + 1?!?! but i felt like i had money to spare with those extra points and really allowed myself to indulge in some retail therapy without the usual guilt... will certainly be back.. perhaps if and when i need work clothes?

how about you? shop less and swap more... make a difference today!