Arcadia

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Dress: Anthea Crawford satin

Cardigan: Taking Shape mesh

Sandals: Betts for Her patent

Bag: Novo patent

Necklace: Southbank Markets painted wooden beads

Bangle: Southbank Markets painted wood

Cuff: Wallace Bishop silver

Cuff: Gone Dotti silver (from a vintage fork)

Sunglasses: Witchery tortoiseshell

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In this day & age, true friends can be hard to come by - particularly those who share a similar world view - & it's important to cultivate these relationships. Cue a leisurely Sunday spent traipsing around the many little boutiques & antique shops at Paddington with fellow shopaholic Finn before indulging in a delicious lunch of pulled pork burgers at Ruby Cafe & refreshing Fanta "Spiders" at The Coffee Club. 

This stunning Anthea Crawford dress was the perfect choice for a smart-casual outing with its vivid floral pattern, smooth & shiny satin fabric & classic shape. Unpredictable temperatures meant that another layer was required & this long-line, mesh cardigan from Taking Shape fitted the bill; warm yet still lightweight.

Once again, black accessories anchored the look - but this time, it was a boxy, patent Novo handbag & pair of Betts for Her wedge-heeled gladiator sandals rather than suede booties & 40 denier tights! When it came to jewellery, red was the order of the day, beginning with a long, wooden beaded necklace from the Southbank Markets that complimented the roses in the print & matching chunky wooden bangle, enhanced by lustrous silver cuffs - a rectangular option from Wallace Bishop with hidden engraved "All You Need is Love" quote (a generous gift from another friend who knows how much I adore The Beatles) & an eccentric, up-cycled fork from Gone Dotti for that whimsical touch...

And of course, no day outdoors would be complete without funky sunglasses! Witchery has really been "on fire" with their range lately & this oversized tortoiseshell pair (sort of a modified Cat's Eye shape) worked well with my chubby cheeks & blunt fringe.

Well, now that all the "styling" business is out of the way, scroll down to see how this sunny Winter's day unfolded:

Street Art

Delicious pulled pork & coleslaw burgers with a side of beer-battered chips with tomato sauce from Ruby Cafe...

Finn enjoying her meal... & super-styling in a red leather jacket!

Getting started on the chips...

Refreshing Fanta "spider" (soft drink + vanilla ice cream) from The Coffee Club

One of Finn's purchases...

It brings to mind my favourite quote from Evelyn Waugh's literary masterpiece, Brideshead Revisited, "Et in Arcadia Ego," which means "Even in Arcadia, I exist." Arcadia is another world for a pastoral paradise outside of a big city or a place where one can live in harmony with nature & this did seem to be the order of the day as we basked in the sunshine while walking between the little shops on Latrobe Terrace, stopping under shady trees to take in views of the River City.

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