Southbanked

Finally posting all the photographs from an amazing day spent exploring Southbank Parklands & the Cultural Centre nearby (Museum, Art Gallery, GOMA precinct) with some wonderful new friends... before stopping for lunch at Brooklyn Depot & braving the chilly water of Streets Beach for a quick dip! Scroll down to see how it all unfolded...

Fun House Mirrors

Pretending to break out in song (one of the all-time favourite pastimes of this karaoke addict) in the Treasury Casino booth!

Posing against the famous B-R-I-S-B-A-N-E sign...

Leaning next to the Amnesty International "I" wasn't a coincidence... I strongly believe in the global organisation's fight to "speak out for those who are forcibly silenced." For more information on their commitment to justice & desire to defend human rights, click here to be redirected to their website.

It pays to look up once in a while... art installations aplenty during the Brisbane Festival...

Queensland Museum Whale Mall

A lifetime love affair for me, although they don't seem to play the "Whale Songs" as much as they used to, which is such a shame.

*

Traversing Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, otherwise known as GOMA...

*

*

Dress: Max & Co mesh

Sandals: Wittner leather with silver rivets

Bag: Urban Originals vinyl with silver hardware

Hinged Bangle: Wallace Bishop silver & elastic

Bangle: Thousand Island Dressing silver & faux black pearl

*

Posing against the floor-to-ceiling windows in front of the mighty Brisbane River as the sky turned moody and overcast wearing a gorgeous butterfly-printed mesh empire-line maxi dress with elastic waistband, three layers of skirt (to give it that satisfying "swoosh" when moving) & embellished necklace from Max & Co, black leather flat sandals with silver rivet detailing from Wittner, black vinyl crossbody bag with silver hardware from Urban Originals to keep my hands free while I adventuring, chunky silver hinged bangle from Wallace Bishop & silver & black faux pearl bangle from Thousand Island Dressing in Paddington.

*

It's all about perception...

*

Staring into the Infinity Pool at the Queensland Art Gallery...

*

Checking out the Courtyard Statues...

*

Honestly, this busker had the most wicked, black sense of humour... as well as some seriously awesome acrobatics & tricks. I was mostly impressed by the humour, though, although it did "go over" the heads of some audience members...

*

Delicious New York inspired lunch of Pastrami on Rye with Cheese, Potato Chips & Pickle at Brooklyn Depot on Grey Street. Highly recommended for both ambiance & price!

*

About to hit the (admittedly freezing cold) water in my new swimsuit & cover up from Target before heading home. Like many women with curves, I often find swimsuit shopping difficult as the ratios just never seem to be "quite right" but this one just seemed perfect from the get-go & I was happily heading to the checkout when I saw it had a matching tie dye cotton cover up... Yep, pretty safe to say that it was LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT for the grand sum of $75! I'm sure you understand what I mean when I say that confidence on the beach is worth much, much more...

*

Forever New

*

Dress: Forever New mesh & embroidery

Slip: Taking Shape elastane

Heels: Wittner leather & elastic

Clutch: Tree of Life patchwork

Bangle: Gift, Shanghai Markets jade

Bracelet: Gift, Wanfu jade

*

Just a quick little post on this rainy Sunday afternoon, perhaps to give other Queenslanders some style inspiration for the coming week ahead, full of (slightly) cooler temperatures & overcast skies. This floral embroidered mesh baby doll dress with its three-quarter-sleeves & above-the-knee hemline is from chain-store Forever New (on sale & under $100) & is absolutely gorgeous, particularly when paired with this black elastane slip from Taking Shape, matte leather pointy-toed heels from Wittner & vintage-sari patchwork envelope clutch from Tree of Life. A full-on style statement like this doesn't require much jewellery, so I went for simple yet effective with jade pieces that my younger brother kindly brought back from China for me.

*

Father's Day Redux

After postponing our Father's Day celebrations due to a rather nasty bout of bronchitis within the family, we finally celebrated the men we cherish with lunch at the historical Cafe Valetta in Toowoomba, home of the absolutely DIVINE stained glass windows!

Scroll down to see how the merrymaking unfolded...

*

Dress: Review stretch lace with satin lining

Sandals: Holster rubber

Bag: Forever New vinyl with silver hardware

Bangles: Gift, Indian beads, gold, silver

*

The balmy weather meant it was the perfect time to wear this stunning number from Aussie brand Review that I had pretty much being hoarding all winter long... you know, ready for that "special occasion" to come along for its inaugural outing... Anyway, the lovely white lace fit-to-flare silhouette with flesh-tone satin lining made me feel all girly; a feeling that I decided to enhance with rose-toned accessories - a pair of flat rubber sandals with metallic t-bar from Holster, small vinyl cross-body bag with silver hardware from Forever New & armfuls of "stacked up" Indian bangles for some daytime sparkle.

Now that the fashion's taken care of, keep scrolling for family pictures...

With my Mother

With my Little Brother

With my Brother's Girlfriend, Jennie

With my Father

With my Poppy

Salt & Pepper Calamari Salad with Aioli

Homemade Pie with Mashed Cauliflower & Juicy Tomatoes

Chicken Caesar Salad with Herbs

Crunchy Battered Chips

The front of this beautiful house-turned-cafe, built around 1911.

For more details about the history of the cafe or the menu, click here to be directed to the website...

Posing in the beautiful, sunlit courtyard next to the Greco-Roman statues

*

Taking a certain person's mobility scooter for a quick spin...

Nothing like feeling the wind in your hair at all of 10km/hour!

*

A Tisket A Tasket

*

Dress: Chi Chi London satin & chiffon

Brogues: Wittner patent leather

Bag: Market Stall straw & leather (from Redcliffe Markets)

Necklace: Gift, Karen Walker silver & blue cameo

Bracelet: Gift, Karen Walker silver & blue cameo

Hinged Bangle: Wallace Bishop silver & elastic

*

Most people grew up hearing the little ditty "A Tisket A Tasket," once recorded by the superlatively talented Ella Fitzgerald & oft-copied on that childhood favourite of many Australian children, Playschool & although the bag/basket in question here isn't green & yellow, it certainly is worth singing about as one of the BEST cost-per-wear items that I've purchased in recent times! Honestly, it has been truly brilliant: Fair Trade (always a consideration when purchasing items made overseas), sturdy enough - thanks to the leather detailing - to carry heavy items, able to be folded out into a large tote bag to carry swimming gear & the like, able to be folded up using the loops & buttons (as demonstrated above) to carry smaller, less bulky loads. All of this for only $35 too! If you're heading to the Redcliffe Markets, I would highly recommend purchasing one of the many different styles for yourself or someone you love... you know, Christmas is coming! Otherwise, keep an eye out in your local area for similar, well-made, environmentally-friendly products.

Many of you are probably wondering why I chose the bag/basket in a startling blue & orange ombre effect if I had planned to use it all spring/summer long?! Truth be told, the lady who actually sold it to me was similarly perplexed, considering that I was wearing a fully pink hued ensemble at the time, but I knew that seeing as the majority of my wardrobe seems to be shades of blue, the basket would either match or be so different that it would seem "intended" (a little stylist's tip). Case in point: this gorgeous blue outfit that I'm wearing in these pictures - a stunning satin fit-to-flare dress with floaty silk/chiffon overlay from Chi Chi London, shiny black patent lace-up brogues from Wittner, chunky silver hinged bangle from Wallace Bishop & matching "cameo" necklace & bracelet from Karen Walker.

*