Celtic Christmas Illusion

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Dress: Anthea Crawford x Downton Abbey embellished mesh, satin

Heels: Wittner metallic leather with gold buckles

Bag: Gift, Vera May patent leather with gold hardware

Bangles: Gift, mixed metal, sparkles

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Avid readers of this blog will already know that a large portion of my ancestry is Celtic & that I utterly adore all things from that side of the world, particularly bagpipe music, Highland dancing & traditional songs including "A Scottish Soldier." This is never more true than at Christmastime, when I long for the divine Isle of Skye, the feeling of the glacial chill from the Loch Ness on my skin, the smell of "tatties" cooking & the sight of snowflakes on the windowpanes & rooftops... amidst the heat & humidity of a Queensland summer, that is. I was seriously chuffed, therefore, to be invited to attend a recent Celtic Christmas Illusion concert performance with some dear friends, replete with traditional singing & dancing, stunning costumes & great "craic" in-between... one of the best ways to welcome the festive season with some pomp & circumstance from across the sea. 

For the occasion, I wore a gorgeous, heavily embellished mesh wiggle dress with midi-length hemline, ruffled skirt & black satin lining, cinched with a black & gold art deco beaded grosgrain ribbon belt from Anthea Crawford's recent Downton Abbey collaboration, gold metallic leather pointy-toed heels with buckles from Wittner, retro-inspired purple patent leather hard case handbag with gold hardware from Vera May & armfuls of mixed metal, sparkly bangles that a dear friend brought back from a trip to India a few years ago.

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Celtic Mist

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Dress: Taking Shape lurex

Cape: Taking Shape velvet, silk, embellishment

Booties: Forever New suede, stacked heel

Bag: Olga Berg via David Jones vinyl with silver hardware

Bangles: Abbey Medieval Faire handmade silver

Cuff: Najo via Precious Stones Jewellers silver

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All dressed up & ready to hear the sublime music of my Celtic ancestors in a stunning pleated ombre lurex midi dress from Taking Shape (seriously loving the fact that they now encompass "top heavy" size 12 ladies who just want a v-neck cross-over bodice to sit properly) with a heavily embellished velvet & silk cape trimmed in beads from the same, blush suede booties with wooden stacked heels from Forever New, blush vinyl hardcase handbag with single strap & silver hardware from Olga Berg that I discovered at my local David Jones store (a combination last worn here, on my younger brother's wedding day) & a trio of bohemian-inspired silver jewellery pieces - a single tribal cuff from Najo via Precious Stones Jewellers & a pair of handmade Viking-style bangles from a market stall at the Abbey Medieval Faire.

Rhythm of the Celts

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Dress: Anthea Crawford embroidered organza, satin, grosgrain ribbon

Heels: Wittner metallic leather

Bag: Lulu Hun velvet, embroidery with silver hardware

Tote: Homes by ASF (Affordable Style Files) straw

Hinged Bangle: Wallace Bishop silver

Bangle: The Silver Shop silver

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It's no secret that I am proud of my Scottish ancestry & feel a deep affinity with my Caledonian forebears, so the opportunity to attend a performance of traditional Celtic songs, stories & dancing was certainly a cause for celebration... & the perfect opportunity to don a stunning new dress that I had been saving for just such an occasion! I'm posing amongst the gorgeous greenery of my very own backyard wearing a blue/purple floral embroidered organza fit-to-flare dress with midi length hemline, navy satin lining, silver accents & navy ribbon tie belt from Anthea Crawford, shiny metallic silver t-bar heels from Wittner to elongate my frame & a navy/purple velvet circular shoulder bag with silver "moon face" & stars from the divine Lulu Hun via retro-inspired That Shop at Carindale for a mystical, bohemian touch. When it came to jewellery, I kept things simple - a chunky silver hinged bangle from Wallace Bishop & delicate silver "triangle" bangle from The Silver Shop to compete the look.

In an endeavour to try & help save the environment (& avoid paying for so-called "reusable" plastic bags at the checkout) I've been on the lookout for beautiful, functional tote bags that will work with some of my more "dressed up" ensembles... One beautiful option is this gorgeous woven straw bag with small handles from Homes by ASF (Affordable Style Files) at Rosalie. It's the perfect size; large but not too bulky or overwhelming. Definitely a keeper...