The Suite Traditions

 

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Dress: Elliatt via Melina's Boutique embroidered & embellished mesh, jersey

Heels: Gorman vegan leather, elastic

Bag: TK Maxx woven

Belt: Oh Jo Jo Boutique woven stretch

Bangle Stack: Gift, vintage Mexican silver

Bangle: Gift, 20th Century Antiques & Collectibles vintage silver

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One of my most treasured traditions is attending a performance of Tchaikovsky's 1892 masterpiece "The Nutcracker" each & every year around Christmastime in my beloved River City with some dear friends, all dressed up & full of a sense of wonder at the stunning beauty of ballet as an art form & the joy of the festive season for both children & adults alike. For the occasion, I donned a stunning pastel floral embroidered & embellished mesh puff-sleeve gown with fish-tail hemline & blush jersey lining from Australian label Elliatt that I discovered at Melina's Boutique in the small township of Rosewood, cinched in with a natural stretch woven belt from Oh Jo Jo Boutique, a pair of mauve vegan leather round-toe slingback heels from Gorman for a modicum of height & a retro-inspired, natural woven "box" handbag with wooded beaded handle from TK Maxx to carry all the essentials. When it came to jewellery, I chose some beloved silver pieces that added shine without overshadowing or competing with the dress - a stack of vintage Mexican silver bangles that some dear friends brought back from overseas & a single, thicker vintage silver bangle from 20th Century Antiques & Collectibles (formerly of Coolangatta, now Tweed Heads) the my brother gave me as a birthday gift a few years ago. 

Scroll down to see more of the sartorial magic...

Let There Be Lights

 

Finally sharing all the pictures from our annual mother/daughter evening spent enjoying the St Nicholas Precinct Christmas Lights in my hometown of Ipswich! Although there seemed to be a little bit "less" this year (fewer lights, only a couple of food trucks, not much seating) we still had a wonderful time in the balmy night air (windtunnel by the library not withstanding) checking out the boutiques & market stalls, taking pictures by the light fixtures, eating some delicious poffertjes & sipping piping hot coffee while enjoying the "big band" playing Christmas Carols & hearing the laughter of little children as they ran & played in & around the lights while waiting for Santa's arrival. 

For the occasion, I wore a gorgeous large-scale floral cotton smock dress with knee-length bubble hemline that I picked up at the delightful Oh Jo Jo Boutique, a pair of vintage chocolate brown leather & elastic sandals from the 1990s that I purchased for under $30 that had never even been worn (I had them resoled & they are perfection), a vintage chocolate brown leather crossbody bag from Shop 76 at the Ipswich Antique Centre to carry all the essentials while keeping my hands free & a selection of festive jewellery pieces to complete the look.

Scroll down to see how the evening unfolded...

A few by the "Big Tree" in D'Arcy Doyle Place...

Keep scrolling for some pictures of festive lights in & around my neighbourhood...

"The light of the world..." (John 8:12)

Finally, a few pictures from our small family Hannukah celebrations, lighting candles on the menorah & saying prayers for healing, peace, love & joy for the Jewish community, Messianic Jewish community, Christian community & all communities in Australia & the world as a whole in 2026...

A few special Hannukah gifts from some very dear friends...