Louie Louie

This weekend was a wonderful one in the Penny household - my little brother, Louis, turned 27 years old! On Saturday, we celebrated with a trip to Stamford Plaza to sample the divine Christmas Buffet at The Brasseie on the River followed by a viewing of the celebrated Myer Christmas Windows while Sunday was an all-together more low-key affair - a family lunch complete with homemade chocolate cake (with sprinkles, no less!) & opening of presents. Scroll down to find out more about what we did & what I wore:

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Dress: Gift, silk/satin & jersey

Heels: Novo vinyl & lace-up

Bag: Sportsgirl vinyl & silver hardware

Chunky Cuff: Gift, silver

Delicate Cuff: Tree of Life silver

Ring: Gift, silver, chrome, semi-precious stone, diamante

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Such a special occasion required an appropriate ensemble & this amazing fit-to-flare dress - a gift from a dear friend who is currently in Paris - fitted the bill perfectly with its moulded black jersey "racer back" top & large-scale black, grey & silver floral silk/satin mullet hem skirt.

Rather than don a pair of plain black heels, I decided to pattern-mix in the form of these speckled, monochrome vinyl lace-up beauties from Novo, injecting a little au courant edge into the otherwise "dressy" look. When it came to jewellery, funky & sculptural won the day over staid & expensive - a chunky silver cuff (gifted by a dear friend who lives in India) fashioned into a large circle, a smaller cuff from Tree of Life woven into a stylised Celtic knot & finally, a square-shaped cocktail ring (early Christmas present from a lovely long-time family friend) with black semi-precious stone centre, filigree detail & chrome diamante border.

Keep scrolling through to see the look in its entirety as well as each piece in detail.

My mother, Joanne, looking special in a black & white spotted cotton Caroline Morgan fit-to-flare dress with white patent bow belt, black satin Easy Steps kitten-heeled slingbacks with sparkly diamante centre clips, vinyl Jag handbag & matching Anthea Crawford silver, diamante & pearl necklace & earrings for some daytime sparkle.

Stamford Plaza Grand Staircase

Pictures in the Atrium

View from The Brasserie on the River...

All set up for the Christmas Buffet - ham off the bone, turkey, Moroccan lamb, prawns, lobster, Moreton Bay bugs, crab, baked vegetables (potato, pumpkin, sweet buck, carrot), all manner of warm & cool salads & pasta, chicken & corn soup, bread rolls, cheeses, fruit & most importantly, dessert...

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Family photos by the Christmas Tree to commemorate the occasion:

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Posing with the Birthday Boy - my wonderful (big) little brother, Louis.

The day you were born was - honestly - the best of my life & that feeling of completeness has never waned. You really are my twin born almost 5 years apart & I am so blessed to have you as my lifelong confidant, best friend, protector & biggest supporter.

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Soaking up the festive atmosphere at the celebrated Myer Christmas Windows...

Homeward bound - just like the "Little Dog" in the story...

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Let Them Eat Cake... this delicious chocolate & Vienna cream confection covered in rainbow sprinkles (complete with edible stars!) that is! Baked by Mum, of course...

Gifts for a much-loved 27 year old

And a little peek at what I wore on the Sunday...

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Dress: Little Tienda cotton & embroidery

Sandals: Novo leather & lace-up

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This black cotton Mexican mini dress from Little Tienda (funky festive headdress optional) - with its amazing rainbow hand-embroidery - was the ideal choice for a relaxed Sunday lunch with family & cutting of a certain 27 year old's birthday cake. Such a busy dress requires no further embellishment in the form of jewellery, merely a pair of black leather lace-up sandals from Novo for added height.

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