Black and red, this is what I wore to work!

This jacket has amazing peplum detailing at the back and I just love the self-covered buttons. I may actually have a self-covered button fetish…

I’ve also started collecting vintage scarves designed by Vera Neumann. How pretty is this sheer red, blue and white number?

Dress: Red Dress Shoppe

Jacket: Portmans

Earrings: Gift

Bag: Vintage

Scarf: Vintage

Shoes: Vivienne Westwood for Melissa

Ciao for now!

I guess being St Patrick’s day and all I should have worn something green. But this dress was calling to me. I’ve been watching a lot of Twin Peaks recently, and the black, grey and red plaid reminds me of the opening theme song. It’s the kind of dress I’d wear out to the diner for a slice of cherry pie and a damn fine cup of coffee. Ya know?

It has some beautiful details, like the black button cuffs at the elbow, and snap-buttons all the way up the front. The cotton is also super-soft.

It’s getting on to autumn in our part of the world. Here in the sub-tropics, that kinda just mean comfortable. I’m looking forward to wearing cardigans again!

Dress: Vintage (Brisbane Vintage Fair)

Bag: Vintage

Shoes: Melissa

Belt: Vintage

Cameo: Antique

Sunglasses: ASOS

Hope you had an amazing weekend!

The lover and I skipped off to Prometheus Bound on Saturday and had ourselves rip-roaring time. There was a makers-market, burlesque dancers, trombone-playing-elmos and Voltaire. It was a chance to dress up, meet new people and catch up with old friends. What a hoot!

My talented sister made this bespoke faux fox for me. He has cute little ears, weighted limbs, a fluffy black tail and sparkly rhinestone eyes. He’s also very warm. I can’t wait to wear him more when the cold weather comes back!

Dress: ASOS

Shoes: ASOS

Hat: Vintage

Bag: Vintage

Faux fox: Bespoke

Gloves: eBay find?

Brooch: Antique

We’ve been enjoying some comfortably cool weather lately. I’ve found that all those grey skies are changing my mood. When it’s cooler I’m drawn to darker colours. We had a party for my nephew’s first birthday today and I felt that stripes, straps and buckles were in order!

This beautiful lace scarf was a gift from a dear friend. Don’t you just love the delicate little flowers stitched around the edge?

Skirt: They Call Me Kitten D’Amour

Shirt: Review

Belt: eBay find

Bag: Vintage

Scarf: Gifted

Shoes: Vivienne Westwood for Melissa

Sunglasses: ASOS

Earrings: Gifted

Hope you had a lovely Sunday!

Like our famous Jacarandas, Brisbane’s Poincianas are a naturalised flowering tree from Africa. They come into bloom just as the Jacaranda blossoms are starting to wither. As things heat up in November, the whole city moves from pretty lilac to vibrant orange-red. Hello summer!

Just as Poinsettias herald the onset of Christmas in the northern hemisphere, so too do Poincianas in the southern hemisphere. They’re red and green; how festive! The flowers are also star shaped, so you know, they get bonus Christmas points or something.

Flame trees bloom at about the same time. So they get an honourary mention. The shape of the flowers has always reminded me of coral.

What better way to celebrate this time of year then to wear the colours of the Poinciana?! I picked up this little number at the Brisbane Vintage Fair several months ago. My obsession with polka dots continues. It had broken cream buttons so I replaced them with pretty purple ones. It also had these amazing full length secretary sleeves. But in deference to the Australian summer, they had to go.

That bruise on my leg is from walking into a coffee table. But I’ve been telling people that I joined the local roller derby league.

Dress: Vintage

Belt: eBay

Shoes: Vivienne Westwood for Melissa

Bag: Vintage

Sunglasses: eBay

Beaded Bacelet: Gift

Tiny pink ring: Christmas cracker find

Heart-shaped sunglasses make everything in life ten times better. I highly recommend them!

Actually, this is what I wore on Saturday, but shhh! Don’t tell anyone I’m posting it two days later!

It has been so hot recently! I know that come December it will only get worse. You may have noticed, but I’ve been on a bit of a polka-dot binge recently. I thought today I would wear some stripes instead!

I love everything about this dress. The lightweight fabric, the pointy collar, the perfect fit, the pleats and most of all the bright diagonal stripes! I think this is a tennis dress from the early eighties but I can’t be sure. It kinda reminds me of marching bands and baton twirling.

It’s been difficult to keep cool these days. Hanging out around the pool helps!

Dress: Vintage

Shoes: Vivenne Westwood

Bag: Vintage

Belt: eBay

Earrings: Cheap shop find

I think this outfit would be rockin with some sparkly red sequinned chuck taylors and a pair of lolita-esque heart sunglasses. Whachya think?

Hello!

This is what I wore to my Grandfather’s 70th Birthday.

I bought this 80s dress from the Salvation Army store for about $4. Unfortunately for me, it was then a six sixteen. Half and hour and several metres of cotton thread later and it is sufficiently bella-sized. Oh, and it has self-buttons!

I’m still hung up on poppies…

The playful polka dots remind me of my childhood for some reason. So I decided to go with it and use bright red accessories. Isn’t this red bow so very girlie? I feel like I’m six years old again!

Dress: Thifted

Shoes: Vivienne Westwood

Bag: Vintage

Brooch: RSL

Headband: Diva

Belt: Thrifted

What I wore to the racetrack on Melbourne Cup day! This could also be titled, what I wore to work today. It was a long day. When I finally arrived home, Mr K took some photos of me sitting at my dressing table. I don’t usually need an excuse to dress up, but when I do have one, I take full advantage of it!

Obligatory glass of bubbles…

I thought I would wear the colours of last year’s winner, Americain, who unfortunately did not do too well this year. C’est la vie. I wear this combination a lot. As I’ve said before, I love polka dots, and the red accents make the blue and white in this dress really pop.

A friend to keep me lucky.

I have a rule about wearing hats to the races. I don’t wear a hat if I’m working. Somehow, it doesn’t seem right. A scarf is an excellent compromise. Its head-wear, but its not a hat!

Dress: Vivian of Holloway

Belt: Vivian of Holloway

Shoes: Vivienne Westwood

Cardigan: ???

Fully Fashioned Stockings: Sock Dreams

Bag: Vintage

Scarf: Selfmade

Brooch: Vintage

Did you watch the race today? What did you think?

Here’s a secret: I have a thing for polka dots.

Actually, a MAJOR things for polka dots. I own a silly number of polka dot dresses, and my collection is growing all the time!

I picked this little number up on Etsy. Perhpas I’ll wear a slip underneath next time. The fabric is a little thin!

I was inspired by this photograph of Brigitte Bardot to put my hair up in sexy sixties pigtails. The ingenue vibe seemed to match the cheery dress.

I think it used to have awesome secretary sleeves, but someone has turned them into baggy three-quarter length sleeves. So I’m going to take them up to just above the elbow and add cute little buttons. Whatya think?

Dress: Thifted

Shoes: ASOS

Coat: Review

Bag: Vintage

Stockings: Leona Edmiston

Belt: Thifted

Beaded Bracelet: Birthday Gift!

Earrings & Sunglasses: ???

Hope you had a spectacular Saturday :)

On of my favourite things about living in an older Brisbane suburb has to be the Jacaranda trees. From September through October the city is awash in the most beautiful shade of lilac. While the Jacaranda is actually a native of South Africa,  I couldn’t imagine Brisbane without it.

They don’t last at all in a vase and will wilt within ten minutes or so. The best way to enjoy the blooms is to sit underneath one of the trees!

The flowers get sprinkled all over the place, onto footpaths, roads, benches and cars. All it takes is a puff of wind to send purple confetti everywhere.

They don’t have a memorable smell. Fresh and earthy perhaps? Slightly herbaceous?

Jacarandas are usually associated with University exams, especially at UQ, because the campus is home to hundreds of  the trees. There is a beautiful painting at the Queensland Art Gallery that depicts the first Jacaranda ever planted in Australia. According to the Courier Mail all the Jacaranda trees in Brisbane are related to that first tree.

For many years, the Queensland Art Gallery painting was a source of mystery for school children when mauve blossoms amazingly spilled from it every night on to the floor.

The event was linked with the now-retired John Massey, the gallery’s canny senior education officer. He showed children around, impressing and enthusing them with the mystery of the spring blooms.

How cute is that!

Dress: Vintage

Stockings: Leona Edmiston

Shoes: Melissa

Handbag: Vintage

Headband: Diva

Cameo: Thirfted

Extra photo credit: Jacarandas by edcarsi

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