Absolutely Everybunny #1

It's hard to believe that it's the end of April & Easter is over for another year! For the Penny Family, it is the most important Christian festival of the year, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, three days after his death by crucifixion & the salvation & eternal life everlasting guaranteed to all those who believe in Him & follow His teachings. And then, of course, there's the concept of new beginnings with Easter bonnets, fuzzy ducklings & the Easter Bunny... This year, it was a double celebration with my 33rd birthday falling on Good Friday, meaning candles & cake as well as salmon mornay & chocolate eggs!

Below are some snippets (the first of three posts) from our festivities, spent with family members & dear friends alike...

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Dress: Chi Chi London satin with chiffon overlay

Brogues: Beltrami via StyleTread suede

Bag: Forever New vinyl with gold hardware

Bracelets: Shanghai markets semi-precious stone beads

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Posing in the afternoon sun while visiting my Goddaughter & her darling little brother for some afternoon tea - delicious homemade pikelets with jam & cream to be specific! I've gone girly in a beautiful yellow floral chiffon empire-line dress with cream satin underlay from Chi Chi London, bright gold suede brogues from Beltrami (via StyleTread) for an edgy touch, pearlised gold vinyl handbag from Forever New to hold all the essentials & a pair of semi-precious stone beaded bracelets from the Shanghai Markets to complete the look.

Scroll down to see how the rest of the afternoon unfolded...

Silas

Tobin, my Goddaughter

Ginger Ninja

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They say "never work with animals or children" but these delightful photographs would beg to differ on that account. It was little Ryan's First Easter & he was so happy with his little plush duckling from David Jones & Lamaze brand suction cup chickens! Equally happy with merely a few cuddles & a scratch of her belly was his long-haired Jack Russell canine companion, Cleo...

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Dress: Anthea Crawford twill

Brogues: Beltrami via StyleTread suede

Bag: Forever New vinyl with gold hardware

Bag Charm: Gift, from Singapore

Bracelets: Alex & Ani gold with black beads

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Posing in front of the verdant green of the front yard hedge on my way to see some dear family friends. I'm in a colourful ensemble comprising of a "firework" floral twill dress with princess seams from Anthea Crawford, pattern-mixed silk three-quarter-sleeved kimono jacket from Tree of Life for visual interest, comfortable bright gold suede brogues from Beltrami (via StyleTread), pearlised gold vinyl handbag from Forever New with pink "cat" bag charm/compact mirror from the Singapore Markets & an armful of gold Alex & Ani bracelets, augmented with tiny black beads. They were a Christmas gift from my parents & really add a bohemian touch to a myriad of outfits.

Keep scrolling for a peek a the present-opening extravaganza...

Isabella

Olivia

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Bygone Brisbane

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Dress: Anthea Crawford twill

Cardigan: Leaf mesh

Brogues: Wittner leather

Bag: Forever New vinyl with silver hardware

Bangle: Wallace Bishop silver

Bracelet: Karen Walker silver with Cameo

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Just in time for ANZAC Day - broadly commemorating the sacrifice of all those from Australia & New Zealand who served & died in all wars, conflicts & peace-keeping missions as well the suffering of all those who served, despite its origins marking the anniversary of the first campaign leading to major Australian & New Zealand casualties in World War One - I am sharing pictures of a recent trip to Brisbane's MacArthur Museum. 

Here is where I will freely admit that despite taking multiple history classes at school, I was actually unaware of the massive impact felt by the people of Brisbane (both civilian & military) during World War Two due to the unprecedented influx of Australian, American, Dutch & British servicemen putting a strain on transport systems, accommodation, food production & entertainment. In school, we were always told about Darwin but never Brisbane. Equally surprising was how close Queensland's capital actually came to being a viable target for enemy forces & the effect of this on the city's psyche through rationing, austerity measures, digging of trenches on school campuses & interment of so-called aliens... definitely riveting stuff & certainly too much to fit into one small blog post. If you'd like to visit yourself or find out more, click here to be redirected to the museum's website.

My mother, Joanne, posing by the divine Art Deco staircase in a floral satin dress from Anthea Crawford, navy mesh three-quarter-sleeved cardigan from Yarra Trail (brilliant for this in-between weather pattern), black suede sandals with 3D floral t-bar detail from Williams the Shoemen, duck-egg-blue vinyl handbag with silver hardware from Forever New & silver Celtic drop earrings from Prouds Jewellers. 

Scroll down to discover the details of what I was wearing also...

Here I am, sitting pretty on one of the original leather lounge chairs, listening to the radio (well, a recording) in a glitter floral twill dress with princess seams & flared midi hemline from Anthea Crawford, black mesh three-quarter-sleeved cardigan with tie front detail from Leaf Designs, black leather pointy-toed brogues (ideal for the cooler Autumn weather) from Wittner, shiny silver hinged bangle from Wallace Bishop & sweet silver bracelet with blue & white "girl silhouette" cameo from Karen Walker, gifted to me by a dear friend. Not pictured (but shown in photographs both above & below) is my newest Forever New handbag - a gorgeous shade of mauve vinyl with black piping & silver hardware.

A copy of the card that would have been required (back in the 1940s) to gain access to MacArthur's office...

Posing by MacArthur's office door (on the stunning parquetry floor) by a painting of the man himself...

After all that history, it was time for lunch at Irish Murphy's, one of our all-time favourite Brisbane pubs thanks to its quirky decor, second-to-none service & delicious traditional fare. Keep scrolling to see what I mean... sorry if you're reading this while feeling peckish!

Best Guinness Pie EVER.

Lunching Ladies

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