First of April

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Dress: Anthea Crawford twill

Jacket: Forever New satin

Sandals: C'est Bon at Williams the Shoemen glitter

Bag: Forever New vinyl with gold hardware

Bangle: Disney Couture "Alice in Wonderland" gold & resin

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Nope, this isn't an April Fool's Day joke... I actually DID go & see the Lego Batman movie on the first of the month! To celebrate someone's 38th birthday (ahem, he shall remain nameless... yet features in a couple of the following photographs) my best friend Belinda & I took her husband & two boys for a school holiday excursion to the local shopping centre, culminating in a delicious lunch at Nantucket's Kitchen & Bar. 

Anyhoo, I'm posing with the Caped Crusader himself in the theatre lobby wearing a gorgeous large-scale floral fit-to-flare twill dress from Anthea Crawford (it was my Christmas dress, click here for reference), pattern-mixed small-scale floral silk/satin bomber jacket with zipper & pearlised vinyl handbag with gold hardware from Forever New (the ideal weight for the air-conditioning), sparkly gold sandals with a slight wedge heel from C'est Bon at Williams the Shoemen & a chunky pink & gold bangle with diamante edges & Cheshire Cat charms from Disney Couture's Alice in Wonderland collection.

Scroll down to see how the day unfolded...

Freshly Shucked Oysters with Lemon

Spanner Crab & Fennel Salad with Caramelised Orange Dressing, Fresh Orange & Herbs

Beef Brisket Sliders with Carrot Relish

Crispy Fried Calamari with Jalepeno & Roasted Chili Mayo

Crab Cakes with Fennel Slaw & Aioli

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Now, because there's no such thing as too much birthday (unless you happen to talk to the Berenstain Bears), here are a few pictures of little Oliver opening his second birthday present (from moi) that same afternoon...

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S is for Saturday & Sunday... & also for Shopaholic...

Last weekend was this shopaholic's dream: 2 days spent brunching & browsing at 2 different shopping centres no more than 30 minutes from home! Scroll down to check out the outfits I styled up for each day of this retail relay:

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SATURDAY

Dress: Vintage, silk (from Ipswich Antique Centre)

Sandals: Betts for Her patent gladiators

Bag: Vera May patent & hologram

Cuff: EKKA Markets, gold, bronze & semi-precious stones

Ring: EKKA Markets, gold, bronze & semi-precious stone

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For a Saturday morning spent exploring & enjoying the sights, sounds & superb cuisine of the newly refurbished Indooroopilly Shoppingtown with the girls, it just had to be this vintage silk shift dress in a vibrant floral & cloud print for an easy-breezy smart casual vibe...

Black patent accessories "anchored" the look - a pair of wedge-heeled gladiator sandals from Betts for Her & a large Vera May handbag with gold hardware & butterfly hologram side panel detail to pick up on the "botanical" nature of the dress. Jewellery was kept minimal but sculptural - a handmade gold, bronze & semi-precious stone oversized cuff & cocktail ring set that I picked up from a market stall at this year's EKKA to provide contrast to the "cuteness" inherent in the flowers-&-butterflies theme of the look.

A sneak peek of the delicious brunch fare from Nantucket's Kitchen & Bar...

Poached Egg with Cherry Tomatoes & Pesto on a Slice of Rye Bread with a Fried Potato Cake

Iced Chocolate is a breakfast thing... right?! Oh well, it's the weekend!

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SUNDAY

Dress: Anthea Crawford satin

Sandals: Novo leather & lace-up wedges

Bag: Forever New vinyl

 Cuff: EKKA Markets, gold, bronze & semi-precious stones

Ring: EKKA Markets, gold, bronze & semi-precious stone

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For a Sunday morning spent trying on shoes (!) at one of my favourite local haunts, Mt Ommaney Shopping Centre, this striking satin dress from Anthea Crawford was ideal for a sweet Springtime vibe. The fact that the background of the oversized floral print was navy - rather than the more expected black - meant that the look was just crying out for white accessories & I was happy to oblige, donning a pair of lace-up, wedge-heeled leather sandals from Novo & a carrying a boxy, vinyl handbag from Forever New.

When it came to jewellery, the sculptural options from Saturday worked a treat, matching the dress' colour palette & the bag's gold hardware perfectly. Check them out in detail below:

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