NYE in an LBD

 

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Dress: Kmart satin

Heels: Jo Mercer leather

Bag: Sacha Drake mesh, silver

Cuff: Gift, embossed silver

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Avid readers of this blog will understand why bidding farewell to a not-so-stellar 2023 in a Little Black Dress seemed only fitting & I was excited to style it up to eat a few nibbles & watch the fireworks on television with some delightful company. The black satin midi slip dress was from my local Kmart store & was an absolute bargain at $25. Truth be told, I was happily surprised by its weight & quality & immediately set about adding accessories in the form of a pair of silver leather strappy heels from Jo Mercer for height, a silver mesh pouch bag from Australian designer Sacha Drake with chain strap for carrying any essentials & a shiny embossed silver cuff that was given to me by some dear friends a few years ago for that touch of "party" sparkle. Simple & pleasing - which is what I'm desperately hoping that 2024 will be, if I'm honest. Here's hoping that the new year brings new opportunities for love, growth, peace & understanding both in our personal lives & in the world.

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Should old acquaintance be forgot

And never brought to mind

Should old acquaintance be forgot

And auld lang syne

For auld lang syne, my dear

For auld lang syne

We'll take a cup of kindness yet

For auld lang syne

Auld Lang Syne by Robert Burns (1788)

New Year's Eve

 

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Dress: Anthea Crawford jacquard

Heels: Kitten D'Amour patent leather

Clutch: Alannah Hill beads

Bangles: Gift, Indian silver

Hairclip: Lady Jayne via Terry White Chemist beaded

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All dressed up to celebrate New Years Eve wearing a stunning floral jacquard midi dress with v-neckline & ruched waist from celebrated Australian designer Anthea Crawford, a pair of shiny black patent leather high heels from retro-inspired label Kitten D'Amour, a heavily beaded floral envelope clutch from Alannah Hill to carry a few essentials, a matching pair of silver bangles that a dear friend brought back from India many years ago & as a final flourish, a beaded pink & black hairclip from Lady Jayne that I picked up on a whim at my local Terry White Chemist... It just goes to show that you really can find awesome quality, funky fashion items absolutely anywhere if you look hard enough!

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If you know me in real life, you'll know that I'm not one for all kinds of resolutions or promises or large sweeping statements about making changes or reaching goals every time another year rolls around... Personally, when I think about 2023, for me it's just about being kind. Yep, kind. I know the word itself gets a bad rap but honestly, it has endless merit. Kindness is underrated but it's powerful & yes, it can even be life-changing so this year, I'm going to be kind to both myself & others & just see where the journey takes me.

Blue Year's Eve

 

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Dress: Anthea Crawford embroidered/sequinned mesh, satin

Heels: Jo Mercer leather, laces

Bag: Pigeonhole leathr

Bangle Stack with Charms: Alex & Ani gold

Bangle: Megan Hess resin, gold

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All dressed up to ring in the New Year (bye bye 2020... don't let the door hit you on the way out...) in a gorgeous embellished floral beaded mesh midi-length dress with sweet cap sleeves & navy satin lining from celebrated Australian designer Anthea Crawford, a pair of black leather lace-up heels from Jo Mercer for added height with matching black leather handbag from Pigeonhole to carry all the essentials (as well as give the look a little edge with "tougher" accessories), a stack of gold charm bangles from Alex & Ani on one wrist & a stunning Megan Hess "fashion print" on resin bangle on the other. Truth be told, it took me a while to post these on the blog (almost two months, in fact) because after the nightmare year that was 2020, it seems almost like "tempting fate" to think that 2021 will be better & brighter in any & all ways... but I suppose, all in in all, that I can choose to believe that there's room for hope & positivity despite any circumstances, so as time marches on, I'm still determined to document both the fashion & lifestyle moments that accompany it...

New Year's Eve

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Dress: Anthea Crawford velvet burnout

Heels: Nine West suede, patent

Clutch: Blue Illusion tweed, faux pearls, clear beads

Necklace: Gift, silver beads, agate beads with agate pendant

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Happy New Year 2020 to all of my lovely readers! I can hardly believe it's time to say those words again as, quite frankly, 2019 went by so quickly that it actually seems like a bit of a blur. It was a difficult year in a lot of ways (a sentiment shared by many it would seem) but also a wonderful one, not least because we celebrated my younger brother Louis' marriage to the lovely Jennie in March. I don't believe in making fanciful New Year's resolutions, as though somehow the ticking of a clock from one moment to another at midnight on the 31st of December would have the capacity to enforce changes in habit, circumstance or behaviour but did, as I always do, make a commitment to, in the words of Cinderella, endeavour to "Have Courage & Be Kind" in all situations going forward.

To ring in this new decade, I wore a gorgeous deep purple spotted velvet "burnout" wiggle dress with ruffled neckline & hem from Aussie label Anthea Crawford, a pair of black suede stiletto mules with patent straps from Nine West, a black tweed envelope clutch dotted with faux pearls & clear beads from Blue Illusion & a chunky silver & agate beaded necklace with large agate pendant that some dear friends gifted me earlier in the year to complete the look.