The three-month rule

I found this on the floor of my room. Should I...?

Ultimate Grandfather Galley

Let me start with a preface:

I have two wonderful grandfathers.

My paternal grandfather is a witty, spiritual, earthy and intelligent man. He is 82, looks a handsome 70 at his worst and has the energy to run a large farm keeping chickens, bees and cows. Give him a forked stick and he can find you water underground. His honey is the best in the business and he has the awards to prove it.

My late maternal grandfather was a decorated WW2 pilot. I was very lucky to have known him until his death in 2007. He was a very well-respected public figure in north Queensland and held an Order of Australia Medal. He was a proud and loving father who raised some of the kindest and most generous people I've met.

I would not trade my grandfathers for the world. I want to make that much very clear.

However, if I could employ additional grandfathers, there are a few I have on my short list.

It is without further ado that I introduce the first instalment of my Ultimate Grandfathers Gallery:

ADAM WEST

JAMES EARL JONES

ADAM ALDA

Just imagine (and oh, I have) the laughter, love and the memories we would share! Playtime with Batman! Sage advice (or lightsaber battles/ultimate betrayal) from Mufasa (Darth Vader)... Or the King in that Eddie Murphy movie, Coming to America, if you must. Your first sips of gin martini from the glass of Grandpa Alda, which by your early twenties mature into long conversations by the distillery about war, women and the whole damn sense of it all!

Such fabricated memories stem from a genuine fondness, nostalgia and respect not unlike that directed towards a grandparent. These distinguished gentlemen may not have ever held me as a child, but their influence on my style, humour and interests cannot be underestimated.

It's also a fun game and terrific blog filler, right?!

Stay tuned for next month's instalment of more photographs of funky octogenarians!

What I Wore Today

I had a lovely evening tonight at Sliders & Ciders at Laruche in the Valley. Delicious mini burgers, cold Monteiths, swank setting and terrific company - yes, even the drunk storyteller with ADHD.

The purpose of this post, however, was to show my outfit. I felt a million dollars wearing a new silk dress from Vietnam with pastel accessories.

Unfortunately I don't have the means to show you the outfit in its entirety. I tried snapping in the mirror, at arm's length and balancing my iPhone on my sternum to take a shot. It is much easier to show you some highlights.

Sleeve.

Bracelets from Hanoi, Vietnam. I haggled hard and got these for USD $12 for the lot. I later saw a woman hand over $15 for one at a shop in Hoi An. I'm pretty, pretty, pretty good at haggling.

Neckline.

All in a glorious grey silk. The designer of the dress is Ha Truong and her website is well worth a look for collections of sleek items which embrace volume, silhouettes and sophisticated fabrics. The dress I bought is from Ha's Spring Summer 2011 collection on the website in black and as a top in white.

Please take the time to check out Ha Truong. I was so excited (and frankly, quite surprised) to come across several creative and fashion-forward designers in Vietnam. Australian designers could learn quite a bit from their counterparts across the seas in terms of quality and price point.

I leave you now with the promise of many more Vietnam-related posts and some other photos I took tonight whilst attempting to document my get-up...

ELBOW BUMS!

I went to Vietnam...

...and all I got is this lousy jumpsuit.

And a full wardrobe of beautiful silks.

And a further 11.5kg that I posted home.

And inspiration, direction and a home for the immediate future.

I also met a monkey!