Wednesday 29 May 2019

Epistle on Dresses













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Dress: Anthea Crawford embroidered mesh, lace
Anorak: Events Clothing via Lifeline Brisbane organza, satin
Ankle Boots: Wittner patent leather
Bag: French Connection suede with silver hardware
Bracelets: Ahmet's Turkish Restaurant beads
Ring: Chapel Hill State School Fete silver, bead

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Dresses are the epitome of effortless chic; the one piece wardrobe saviour that's ready-to-go with just a few accessories, saving you time in your busy schedule that would be otherwise spent trying to match a top to a skirt or blouse to a pair of pants. Truthfully, I never used to love dresses when I was younger... in fact, I hated them, favouring overalls or jumpsuits as a child, grunge-style khaki cargo pants with polo shirts as a teenager & mini skirts with a variety of oversized tops while at university. I guess I was just uncomfortable in dresses because I never considered myself to be a truly "girly" girl as I was always quite boisterous, full of my own strong opinions with a tendency to play in the mud & get quite dirty; moreover as I grew older I was adamant that no singular piece of clothing would suit my own unique bodyshape (short waisted, large busted, slim around the hips, shapely if not lengthy legs & tapered ankles)... That's the thing, though, there IS a dress out there to suti everyone, regardless of your bodytype, age, aesthetic or budget; it's just a matter of finding it, possibly altering it to fit perfectly (finding a good tailor or alterations lady is my number one style tip... I am such good friends with mine that she pretty much already knows what I'm going to ask her to do, what length to take hemlines up to & how much to take from the shoulders without  me even having to articulate it) & accessorising it to make your particular sartorial statement.

For me, I love a "pretty" or "classic" dress silhouette - usually a shift dress or fit-to-flare but sometimes a funky, well-cut smock will fit the bill - with an edgy shoe choice (usually a chunky ankle boot, stacked-heel sandal or perforated leather brogue), bohemian accents including woven jackets, unexpected shapes or fabrics, vintage or heavily beaded jewellery, pattern-mixed scarves in varying fabrics, faux fur gilets to add textural interest. 

This particular look, worn to host a recent styling session/expedition at DFO Brisbane Airport with a group of lovely ladies, is a case in point: a stunning, oriental floral embroidered mesh shift dress with baroque lace hemline hitting just under the knee; black organza anorak with satin piping & mismatched buttons from Events Clothing that I found in the Lifeline Op Shop in the middle of the city for the grand sum of $8 in perfect condition except for a few missing buttons; shiny black patent pointy-toed ankle boots from Wittner to elongate my frame; boxy black suede handbag with oversized silver handles from French Connection to carry all the essentials & finally, an armful of colourful, "evil eye" beaded bracelets from Ahmet's Turkish Restaurant with matching silver & blue "evil eye" beaded ring from a stall at the Chapel Hill School Fete to add those hippie/boho touches that were mentioned earlier.




Monday 27 May 2019

Banjo











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Dress: Anthea Crawford embroidered lace, satin
Heels: Jo Mercer leather, laces
Bag: Pigeonhole leather
Bangles: Dinosaur Designs resin
Ring: Dinosaur Designs resin

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I'm so excited to finally share all the gorgeous pictures of the outfit that I styled up to attend a recent event celebrating the life of Australian bush poet, balladeer, journalist & lawyer Andrew Barton "Banjo" Patterson (1864-1941) & some of his best-known works including The Man from Snowy River (1890), Clancy of the Overflow (1889), Mulga Bill's Bicycle (1896) & A Bush Christening (1893). 

For the occasion, I donned a stunning black lace midi dress with satin lining, silver floral embroidery & an youthful A-line silhouette from my all-time favourite Aussie designer, Anthea Crawford, black leather heeled booties with laces from Jo Mercer to elongate my frame with matching black leather shoulder bag from funky boutique Pigeonhole & finally, a pair of chunky resin "wave" bangles (one in black, one in a shade of ivory/silver) & black resin "rosette" ring from Dinosaur Designs to complete the look.






Sunday 26 May 2019

Tip Top





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Dress: Jayson Brunsdon Black Label jacquard
Snood: Orange Sherbet wool
Mules: Wittner suede
Bag: French Connection suede with silver hardware
Hinged Bangle: Precious Stones Jewellers silver

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As someone who lives, eats & breathes the creative arts, I feel that it's important to support other Aussies who do the same... particularly when it entails having the chance to spend some time with my perpetually-busy, perennially hardworking brother & sister-in-law. In that spirit, I am excited to share share a few outfit pictures, a film review of the newly-released "Top End Wedding," directed by Wayne Blair of "The Sapphires" fame, co-written by Miranda Tapsell starring herself & Welsh actor Gwilym Lee of "Bohemian Rhapsody" & "Midsomer Murders" fame, as well as snippets of the fare on offer at American-style BBQ rib joint Special Rub in Coorparoo.

For the occasion, I donned a gorgeous blush, black & pale blue floral jacquard 1960s style shift dress with fluted three-quarter-length sleeves from Jayson Brunsdon Black Label exclusive to Myer stores, chunky black wool knitted snood (or infinity scarf, as some call it) from an amazing little boutique called Orange Sherbet at Redcliffe, black suede pointy-toed mules from Wittner with matching boxy suede handbag with oversized silver handles from French Connection & finally, an art deco inspired, wave-shaped silver hinged bangle from Precious Stones Jewellers to complete the look.




Now to the movie review...

For me, "Top End Wedding" was a bit of a contradiction. The themes were brilliant & timely for both Australian & overseas audiences but the writing was a little bit clunky in certain places. The jokes elicited an amused smile when they worked (with possibly a few laugh-out-loud moments) & were horrendously cringe-worthy when they didn't. Some of the tropes were a little tired & somewhat stereotypical & cliche but the authenticity & sincerity brought to the project by both Tapsell & Lee offered glimpses of a new, vibrant energy. Perhaps a slight revision of the final script would have "tightened" it up even more & left a better overall impression but never-the-less, I still left the theatre with a smile on my face after a hankered-for happy ending & the catchy soundtrack had me humming under my breath for hours afterwards.


BBQ Beef Brisket with Fries, Slaw & Sauce


Cornbread with Honey Butter


Washing it all down with non-alcoholic American Root Beer...

Saturday 25 May 2019

Finding Sanctuary









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Dress: Anthea Crawford satin
Cardigan: Metalicus stretch
Sneakers: Wittner neoprene, glitter, rubber
Bag: French Connection vinyl, pompoms with silver hardware
Tote: Big W screen-printed calico
Watch: Daniel Wellington silver, woven canvas

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Spending some time inside the Brisbane Koala Science Institute - which is oddly reminiscent of a science-fiction film with its pod-like windows to a world of green beyond the glass - during a recent trip to the celebrated Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Fig Tree Pocket, which you may have glimpsed here, here & even here in previous blog posts as I'm a semi-regular (read: during the cooler months) visitor with a yearly pass. This time, I took my cousin & her two rambunctious munchkins along for the ride... & for the kangaroo feeding, sheepdog show, koala cuddling, snake ogling & bird-watching as well as lunch in the lush green surroundings permeated by the intoxicating smell of eucalyptus leaves. 

For the occasion, I wore a gorgeous navy floral satin shift dress with asymmetrical pleated waistline detailing from Anthea Crawford with a flesh-tone stretch cardigan with three-quarter-length sleeves from sadly-now-defunct Aussie label Metalicus (ideal for travel or daytrips as it scrunches up into a tiny ball to fit into a bag or tote... highly recommended if you find them either second-hand on a site like Ebay or even at stores selling clearance items like TK Maxx) to ward off the Queensland autumn's unpredictable morning chill factor. When it came to accessories, I jumped on the "ugly sneaker trend" bandwagon with a statement pair of navy neoprene babies with thick rubber soles & glitter toe caps from Wittner, looped a circular-shaped navy vinyl crossbody bag with pompom straps & silver hardware from French Connection over my head to carry all the essentials while keeping my hands free for child-wrangling, animal greeting & miscellaneous exploration, packed a few larger items such as a waterbottle & sunhat into a calico tote bag screen-printed with a black butterfly from my local Big W store & finally, put on a silver watch with oversized face & blue & white striped band from Daniel Wellington so that we wouldn't miss the start times for some of our favourite animal education shows.





Scroll down for snippets of how the day unfolded...






Flying Foxes



Sulphur Crested Cockatoo



Kookaburra



Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo


Corella


Galah





Major Mitchell Cockatoo


Gang-Gang Cockatoo
















Male Koalas in a Territorial Tussle






Platypus





Mary River Turtle



Wombat




"Rootopia"










Grey Kangaroo















Red Kangaroo


Emu









Sheepdog Show






Can you spot the Bird of Prey?



Little Boys in Big Sky Country...




Wallabies




Reptiles






Battered Fish & Chips with Side Salad









The "Ultimate Bird Bath" for Rainbow Lorikeets











Fun Times at the Riverside Cafe
Entry to the "nature playground" & cafe is free as it is actually outside the sanctuary gates, so it's a great place to call in & have a cup of piping hot coffee & a muffin while watching the children playing in the tunnels, bamboo walkway or wooden cubby house.