Weekend Wears: Easy Breezy

Nothing says "lead up to Australia Day" like a weekend full of stifling temperatures & rising humidity, culminating in... well, a sprinkle of rain. Yep, nothing more than a sprinkle! To beat the heat, I styled up a succession of easy breezy ensembles perfect for the extreme Summertime weather experienced in this "sunburnt country."

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LOOK #1

Dress: Vintage Bobbie Brooks

Sandals: Novo vinyl

Clutch: Smoked Til Sunday calico

Necklace: Tree of Life silver & semi-precious agate

Cuff: Gift, silver & semi-precious agate

Faux Tattoo: Sportsgirl

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"Purple Haze" was the name of the game on Saturday, beginning with this floaty, vintage Bobbie Brooks 1970s cotton smock that I picked up from The Gold Coast Antique Centre in Miami during my beach holiday in September. What I particularly love about this style is the gathered v-neckline with hand-knitted yoke detail, leaving some of the back & decolletage exposed to the elements.

To keep things light, I donned a pair of dove-grey vinyl sandals with woven wedge heels from the Novo sale & carried an oversized, printed calico envelope clutch from Smoked Til Sunday (purchased from one of the pop-up stores at DFO Jindalee) covered in a "saturated" photo-realistic tropical palm tree scene.

This casual, bohemian vibe continued with the chunky tribal jewellery - a silver necklace from Tree of Life with an oversized pendant covered in pieces of coloured agate & a chunky silver vintage Indian cuff (gifted by a dear friend who currently lives over there) covered with similar, albeit larger, pieces of agate. That's what can be so wonderful about fashion; when two items are found in entirely different sources yet seem MEANT to be together & can be united in one eclectic ensemble. 

Rather than just posting these images on Instagram, here are pictures of the "outfit planning flatlay" that I create as a stylist's trick when putting an ensemble together. Truth be told, it doesn't work in every instance, but it often helps to get the correct "tone" for a look & ensure a sense (however tenuous) of cohesion... 

#flatlay #lifeofablogger

"Peace comes from within. 

Do not seek it without."

Buddha

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LOOK #2

Dress: H&M stretch lace

Sandals: Novo leather lace-up gladiators

Bag: Colette by Colette Hayman vinyl

Scarf: Gift, chiffon (from Singapore)

Hinged Bangle: Lillee Fashions bronze & faceted bead

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"True (Primary) Colours" were the way to go for some leisurely window shopping on Sunday morning, starting with this drop-waisted stretch lace smock from H&M (my first-ever purchase at the newly-arrived megastore in Mt Gravatt) with its relaxed shape, circle-cut hemline & vibrant cobalt hue.

Black accessories seemed almost too stark with this look, so tan alternatives were found in the form of these leather lace-up gladiator sandals from Novo & boxy vinyl handbag with bronze hardware from Colette by Colette Hayman to fit in all the essentials. Tied around the handle was a striking red paisley patterned chiffon scarf that some dear friends had brought back from a recent trip to Singapore, adding another primary colour to the mix.

Jewellery was kept to a minimum - a chunky bronze hinged bangle with red faceted beads creating the shape of a rose that I picked up from Lillee Fashions at Yamanto in early December & a whimsical ring in the shape of the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland that some friends gave me for Christmas.

As with the first look, I created a flatlay to plan the ensemble, pictured below:

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Weekend Wears: Cottoning On

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Dress: Anthea Crawford cotton sateen

Sandals: Airflex leather

Bag: Sportsgirl vinyl

Bangle: Gift, jade (from China)

Bracelet: Gift, Wanfu jade (from China)

Sunglasses: Sportsgirl resin

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Sundays spent antiquing are the best kinds of Sundays, especially when the trip ends in a lazy late lunch at Oishii Sushi Bar... Add in the fact that the festive spirit is in the air & it is pretty much this incorrigible shopaholic's idea of heaven!

Keeping cool was definitely the name of the game a fortnight ago & as surprising as it may be, considering that I usually favour jacquard, neoprene & silk, I have fully embraced cotton to combat the hot & sticky Queensland conditions - starting with this vibrant bloom & succulent printed option from Anthea Crawford. It is really the ingenious cut that makes this dress special - the square "step down" neckline, cap sleeves with tiny box pleats & tapered, below-the-knee hemline that creates a modified "tulip" effect - as well as the pattern placement in terms of the block colour red at the bottom & tiny row of cacti that draws the eye downwards to create the illusion of length.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I will admit that shoe choice was difficult in this instance - black was too dark, white was too stark & flesh tone too... well, expected... Enter this amazing pair of Airflex bone & burnished gold leather sandals with 3D flowers on the t-strap - adding a touch of whimsy without competing with the dress' full-on pattern. To match, I carried a boxy bone vinyl handbag from Sportsgirl with gold hardware.

When it came to jewellery, less was definitely more - a thin jade bangle & jade beaded bracelet, both of which my brother brought back from his last trip to China. To me, jade is truly special as, like pearls or leather, it subtly transmutes when worn, making it unique to its owner. The jade beads in the Wanfu bracelet change colour with body heat, becoming deeper & richer as if by magic.

Sunglasses are a definite "must have" in the aptly named Sunshine State & this black resin "Cat's Eye" shaped pair from Sportsgirl REALLY gave off that vintage vibe that I was going for while protecting my eyes from the beating sun's harmful rays...

Now that the fashion is out of the way, scroll down for a peek at the delicious fare offered by Oishii Sushi Bar at Sunnybank. Honestly, it ruins you for all other types of sushi...

Spider Roll

Himawari

Tempura Delight

Deep Fried Ice Cream with Strawberry Sauce + Cocktail Umbrella

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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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