About Town

 

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Dress: Lorraine via Oh Jo Jo Boutique ramie

Brogues: Alfie & Evie via Obsession Shoes patent leather

Bag: Kitten D'Amour natural woven straw, black resin beads

Bangle Stack: Gift, vintage Mexican silver

Bangle: Gift, 20th Century Antiques & Collectibles vintage silver

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In my happy place, slowly browsing around the boutiques, vintage stores & op shops at the "top of town" in Ipswich on a sunny Winter morning, piping hot chai latte in tow, not thinking about anything bothersome like politics, the state of the world, the economy, the future for a little while... As usual, I'm dressed appropriately for the occasion wearing a stunning black, purple & tan floral ramie prairie-style mini dress by a label called Lorraine that I picked up from the delightful Oh Jo Jo Boutique, a pair of shiny chocolate brown patent leather brogues from Melbourne label Alfie & Evie that I discovered at Obsession Shoes, a 1940s-inspired natural woven straw handbag with black resin beaded handle from Kitten D'Amour to carry all the essentials & some of my most beloved silver pieces - a stack of vintage Mexican silver bangles & a single thicker vintage silver bangle from 20th Century Antiques & Collectibles for that final touch of daytime shine.

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Lakeside

All the glorious pictures from a gorgeous morning stop off by the lake at Springfield Lakes (clearly appropriately named) in the wintertime sun. For the occasion, I'm wearing a gorgeous floral ramie mini dress with gold buttons & belt by a label called Lorraine that I picked up from the amazing Oh Jo Jo Boutique at the "top of town" in Ipswich, vintage-inspired black vegan leather strappy heels with buttons from Kitten D'Amour for a modicum of height & a natural woven straw bag with black leather clasp from Witchery to carry all the essentials. When it came to jewellery, I chose a single gold bangle from Lovisa & a vintage blue & gold resin wavy bangle from Vintage Advantage for a pop of colour.

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Organza in Paddington

 

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Dress: Aje organza, cotton

Sandals: Rilassare via Obsession Shoes leather

Bag: Gift, vintage 1960s tooled leather

Necklace: Retro Metro Paddington vintage beading

Bangle Stack: Gift, vintage Mexican silver

Bangle: Gift, 20th Century Antiques & Collectibles vintage silver

Ring: Gift, Precious Stones Jewellers silver, amber

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Finally sharing all the bright & breezy pictures from a rather blustery day at Paddington in my beloved River City, browsing around the many boutiques along Latrobe & Given Terraces, hanging out at Trammie's Corner to take in the views while finishing my banana smoothie from Java Lounge & rummaging through both collectibles & kitsch at Empire Antiques. For the occasion, I wore a gorgeous, drenched orange organza puff-sleeve mini smock with plaiting detail & soft cotton lining from Aussie designer label Aje, styled up with a pair of tan leather heeled sandals with ankle straps from a label called Rilassare that I discovered at Obsession Shoes at the "top of town" in Ipswich & a vintage 1960s tooled tan leather handbag that some dear friends gave me as a birthday gift a few years ago to carry all the essentials. When it came to jewellery, I donned a stunning bohemian dream beaded necklace with Tibetan pendant from Retro Metro Paddington, a stack of vintage Mexican silver bangles, a single vintage silver bangle from 20th Century Antiques & Collectibles & a beautiful silver & amber cocktail ring from the lovely ladies at Precious Stones Jewellers to complete the look.

Scroll down for a final peek at the necklace up close...

Drop Waisted

 

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Dress: Caroline Morgan via Whyte Oak polyblend

Sandals: Eos via Obsession Shoes leather

Bag: Cotton On woven paper

Bag Charms: Disney plush

Bangle Stack: Gift, vintage Mexican silver

Bangle: Gift, 20th Century Antiques & Collectibles vintage silver

Cuff: Wallace Bishop brushed silver

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Thinking back to days much, much warmer & this absolutely stunning drop-waisted polyblend dress with gorgeous psychedelic-inspired pastel print from Caroline Morgan via the Whyte Oak boutique at DFO Jindalee (self-tie belt fashioned into a neck tie for a little extra pizzazz), a pair of chunky chartreuse leather sandals from a label called Eos that I discovered at the divine Obsession Shoes & a natural woven paper slouch bag from Cotton On to carry all the essentials... with a pair of funky Monsters Inc bag charms from Disney (Sully & Mike Wazowski to be exact) attached because... well, fashion's supposed to be fun! When it came to jewellery, I chose some gorgeous silver favourites - a stack of vintage Mexican silver bangles that some dear friends brought back from overseas, a single heavy vintage silver bangle from 20th Century Antiques & Collectibles - formerly Coolangatta, now Tweed Heads - & a brushed silver cuff from Wallace Bishop to complete the touch of daytime shine.

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It's Showtime!

 

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Pinafore: Portmans denim

Blouse: Portmans chiffon, satin

Brogues: Dr Martens leather, rubber

Socks: Dotti cotton, satin

Bag: Pigeonhole leather

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It's showtime in Ipswich & if you're a long-time, avid follower or know me in real life, you'll already know that this is my favourite time of the year! In all honesty, I look forward to this (admittedly mini) three day extravaganza of all things agricultural, farming, cultural, artistic, historical & just plain FUN every single year & this year was no exception, with my mother & I attending - as is our tradition - on the morning of the very first day... otherwise known as the "People's Day" public holiday when many schools & businesses in the area are closed for the occasion - when skies were relatively clear & the temperature stayed pretty balmy for late Autumn in South East Queensland. Although my outfit ended up looking rather preppy, in fact I donned my denim for the event - an indigo, no-stretch, mini-length pinafore with deep v-neckline & belt from my local Portmans store - then added a white chiffon short-sleeved blouse with black satin piping details underneath (also Portmans), a pair of chunky chocolate brown (the imaginatively titled "Crazy Horse" shade) leather Dr Martens lace-up brogues with rubber soles for stability & comfort, sweet little white cotton socks with satin bows from Dotti & a black leather handbag-turned-crossbody bag from the funky Pigeonhole boutique in Brisbane to carry all the essentials while keeping my hands free. Not pictured: other essentials like my woven sunhat from Before Sunset which is an absolute must when walking around outside, a cotton anorak from Esprit that I picked up for under $5 at Vinnies for the ever-changing weather situation, large faux-tortiseshell sunglasses from Witchery & a large tote bag to carry the aforementioned items when not in use, as well as a waterbottle, snack, tissues & any potential purchases from the many different stallholders dotted around the venue.

So without further ado (as they say), scroll down & see how it all unfolded...

Historical Farming Tools & Engines

Penny Farthing Bicycles

Cracking the Whip

Community Garden Blooms

Poffertjes with Melted Butter & Icing Sugar

Bee Keeping was back!

Loaded Spud with Mushrooms, Onions & Cheese

Treating Myself