Stamford Staycation 4

Well, here it is... the final installment of my Stamford Plaza Staycation pictures... featuring one extremely "full-on" day where I attended a stunning musical performance in the morning, explored Brisbane's cultural hot spots - museum, art gallery, state library, gallery of modern art - in the afternoon & enjoyed dinner & a show with dear friends in the evening. And would you believe it, there were even unexpected fireworks over the river as the icing on the cake! Scroll down to see how it all unfolded...

Dress: Sacha Drake embroidered mesh, polyblend lining

Ankle Boots: Wittner patent leather

Bag: Vera May patent leather with gold hardware

Bangle: Dinosaur Designs malachite resin

Ring: Dinosaur Designs malachite resin

Rings: Redcliffe Markets handmade brass

Going Bananas (I know, I couldn't resist, I'm sorry) for the Queensland Museum's latest exhibition called Monkeys! A Primate Story featuring a collection, 200 years in the making, of over 60 taxidermy specimens & articulated skeletons from the National Museums of Scotland... all of whom died of natural causes either in the wild or in captivity. Avid readers of this blog & those who know me "in real life" will probably already be aware of how much I adore antique or sustainable taxidermy but even if you aren't particularly fond of the practice, this is a visceral experience NOT TO BE MISSED. Be sure to check out the website for more information, ticket prices & all that good stuff.

For the occasion (well, technically for the musical performance I had the pleasure of attending beforehand) I wore an absolutely divine floral embroidered mesh midi dress with waist pleat detailing from talented Aussie designer Sacha Drake, shiny black patent leather ankle boots from Wittner & a vibrant orange patent leather handbag with gold hardware from Vera May, purchased from the amazing Simona Ricci store (my favourite stockist) at Mt Ommaney Shopping Centre. When it came to jewellery, I wore a funky malachite resin bangle with matching cocktail ring from Dinosaur Designs & a pair of handmade brass rings that I picked up from a market stall at Redcliffe, the latter in particular "dressing down" the look to make it appropriate for daytime.

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Obligatory mirror selfies in the hotel room...

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BEHOLD! My all-time favourite painting in the gallery:

Rupert Bunny's Bathers (1906)

Queensland Art Gallery

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Lemon Meringue Tart washed down with a piping hot Chai Latte at The Library Cafe...

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Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA)

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Dress: Sacha Drake embellished mesh

Ankle Boots: Wittner patent leather

Bag: French Connection suede, vinyl with silver hardware

Bangle: Dinosaur Designs resin

Ring: Dinosaur Designs resin

A quick outfit change before heading out to dinner & show in the heart of the River City. I'm wearing an elaborate three-dimensional mesh midi dress in dramatic shades of black & red from Sacha Drake with shiny black patent ankle boots from Wittner & a boxy suede handbag with oversized silver handles from French Connection to carry all the essentials. Jewellery was simple yet edgy enough to make a statement - a matching black resin "wave" bangle & "rose" ring from Dinosaur Designs, shapes that echoed the embellishment on the dress to create an overall cohesive ensemble.