Franny Gets Frocked: Cultural

Dress: Anthea Crawford textured jacquard

Cardigan: Little Lies wool

Brogues: Ziera patent

Tights: Razzamatazz 40 denier

Bag: Anthea Crawford vinyl & faux leopard

Bangles: Tree of Life bronze

Wrap: Sha Sha wool & silk

Beret: Felt by Vicki felt & silk thread

Spent a wonderful Saturday with my dearest friend Belinda & her adorable sons Jeremy & Oliver, traipsing around the City attending a myriad of multicultural festivals happening on the very same day.

First up, it was a trip to the International Tartan Day celebrations in King George Square, featuring Scottish fare such as haggis or mince & tatties, bagpiper competitions & clan tartan souvenirs like tote bags, ties, baby booties & kilt pins. This was followed by an unexpected detour (read: baby nappy change emergency) through the Museum of Brisbane in City Hall, the highlight of which, according to a certain 6 year old boy, was a wordless 10 minute film about the origins of the Brisbane River.

Speaking of the River, it was then time to catch the City Cat across to Southbank for the piece de resistance: Bastille Day commemorations in the Parklands comprising of Gallic gastronomy like crepes, croque monsieur sandwiches & coque au vin, paper plane folding competitions, Can Can dancing & French lessons... after enjoying an ice cream made with liquid nitrogen of course...

"In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines. In two straight lines they broke their bread and brushed their teeth and went to bed..."

Madeline - Ludwig Bemelmans (1939)

With our final destination for the day in mind, I decided to bust out a "French schoolgirl" style ensemble - inspired (in part) by Ludwig Bemelman's classic storybook, Madeline - in shades of navy & dark purple, starting with a dress from Anthea Crawford. The stunning portrait neckline & stretchy textured jacquard fabric became the perfect base for the chunky, three-quarter-sleeved wool Little Lies cardigan with oversized tortoiseshell buttons that served to ward off the chill of the breeze, particularly on or beside the water.

The possibility of a "Big Chill" (thanks to the media hype of every news station in South East Queensland) meant that a further layer was advisable & this gorgeous wool Sha Sha pashmina with large peacocks printed across REALLY made a statement with its bright, sparkly pinks on an otherwise tonal outfit. Check it out in detail below:

Black accessories "anchored" the look - a pair of comfortable, black patent, wedge-heeled Ziera brogues with ribbon laces & 40 denier matte tights from Razzamatazz - while a vinyl & faux leopard tote bag from Anthea Crawford worked with the cardigan's buttons to bring another "animal" element into the mix. Jewellery was kept minimal - a couple of thin bronze bangles on one arm & a thick, bronze & purple resin bangle covered in pictures of peacocks on the other. All 3 were bought, over time, from my local Tree of Life store.

The biggest nod to Gallic style, however, was the handmade Felt by Vicki beret with bohemian style silk embroidery pattern... the ideal finishing touch.

Many of my readers have written to me asking about what I take with me on all these jaunts around the city & countryside, so here's a little peek at what I keep in my handbag...

Wallet: this gorgeous Milleni painted leather one was a Christmas gift from Jenny

Translink Go Card: the easiest way to get around Brisbane with the swipe on/swipe off feature & automatic balance "top up"

Keys: I like big, chunky keyrings that make my keys easier to find in the depths of my bag

Fold Out Tote Bag: Just in case I want to purchase something at the markets where they don't provide bags

Tissues: Love the Kleenex Travel Packs with their resealable plastic pouch - nothing worse than blowing my nose on "dusty" tissues that have been sitting at the bottom of my bag for ages!

Hairbrush: Love Du Boa brand for its compact size & gentle bristles

Pen & Notepad: Never know when I may need to write something down or fill out a form

Ipad & Headphones: Catchy tunes can be Godsend on interminable bus or train rides

Sunglasses: Even in Winter, the Queensland sun can be pretty harsh, so it's best to be prepared & save my eyesight

Lotions & Potions: Handcream & Handsanitiser really help when out in public places

Compact Mirror: Just in case the public toilets don't have mirrors above the sink & I need to reapply my lipstick

First Aid Mouth Cover: Best to be prepared if I have to give CPR in the event of an emergency

Waterbottle: Best to stay hydrated

Minties: Seriously, I cannot express enough HOW OFTEN these little babies have come in handy. I even saved a wedding once, when the Best Man was about to pass out at the altar with a case of nerves. A sneaky Mintie perked him right up!