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

I wore this to work to Saturday. I love this dress. It doesn’t have a label, but the stitching is too perfect for it to have been handmade. The wool also feels like acrylic. So I’m guessing that it was made in the late 60s or early 70s. Don’t you dig the scalloped hem and bell sleeves!

It manages to be cool enough to wear on these warm spring days, but also warm enough to wear if the temperature drops. It’s also baby blue. Could it be? Have I found the PERFECT DRESS?!

Dress: Vintage

Slip: Vintage

Tights: Leona Edmiston

Bag: Vintage

Belt: ASOS

Shoes: ASOS

Cameo: Heirloom

I proudly inherited my Great-Grandmother’s passion for collection cameos and this gorgeous specimen belonged to her. My Grandma rescued it for me and it remains one of my most precious possessions.

Do you own any heirloom jewellery?

Click for larger!

• Black & white button dress
• Black textured tights
• White Doc Martins
• Strand of pearls
• Silver snowflake earrings
• Silver & amber ring
• White satin headband
• White & clear umbrella

It rains & the world is full of greenery & life. This is what I wore to the Doctors! Because of the rain it’s a little bit cooler here in the tropics, so I can get away with wearing longer sleeves & some tights. You have no idea how excited I was! As a bonus, it was an incredibly pleasant walk to the Doctors surgery. (Don’t worry, it was nothing serious, just a vaccination.) I love the weight & feel of these pearls. Really, I can’t stop playing with them. They bounce about when I walk & clink against each other & they’re individually knotted, which is a handy fail-safe should they break.

Have a lovely weekend guys!

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• Black velvet high-waisted skirt with button details
• Black satin blouse with tie
• Black patent pumps
• Black faux-croc handbag
• Silver & amber ring
• Silver bangle
• Silver snowflake earrings

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This is what I wore to my job interview! Or as Queen Michelle calls it; Job Shop Style! I wanted something that was professional, neat, tidy & just a little bit fashionable. Minimal jewellery. I know black is very generic, but it’s also very safe! My trusty Mary-Janes are broken at the moment so I wore these lovely patent pumps instead. Look how shiny they are!

I was really excited & optomistic walking to the interview but when I got to the reception I started feeling a little nervous. So I sat & read Orlando to try and clam myself down a bit. I know that I become terribly introverted when I’m nervous & a job interview isn’t the best time to clam up! I think I did pretty well because I was asked back for a second interview. These people seem super nice & I’ll be thrilled if I get to work with them!

Happy Australia Day!

• Black velvet mid-length skirt
• Blue Vintage Studio T-shirt
• Silver filigree cuff
• Silver lightning earrings
• Black sunglasses
• Silver ankh & black ribbon (worn around wrist)
• Black Dr. Martens & navy laces

I celebrated by wearing a T-shirt with a subversive message. Then armed with coffee & croissants K & I went to the park to have breakfast. There were lots of people wearing green & gold or pancing about with the Australian flag. We decided not to celebrate too much because really, we’re only half-Australians!

How did you celebrate today? Did you dress up?

It’s New Years Eve! A time for celebrating with good friends, which is exactly what I did – & here’s what I was wearing when the clock struck midnight!

• Black ruffle dress & red satin ribbon
• Red wool beret
• Red patent PVC peep-toe pumps
• Vintage Czech cameo on black satin ribbon
• Silver snowflake earrings
• Black handbag

This is my attempt at the messy hairdo. I don’t think I succeeded much; making messy hair look effortlessly chic is an ironically taxing exercise. For my NYE celebrations I choose a house party hosted by an old school friend of mine where we sat around & talked & giggled & drank till midnight. I drank gin & tonic mixed with lime & a little Campari – super delicious! It was one of the best NYE parties I have been to in a long while. We even had sparklers!

Apologies for the muted expression, but I was feeling a bit glum. I have a junk food hangover you see. No more nachos for me in the near future I think.

• Black jersey shirt
• Black velvet high waisted skirt
• Black patent PVC pumps
• Black ribbon (around left wrist)
• Pearls, pearls, pearls! (the faux kind: around neck, on ears, in hair)

A while ago I went on a shopping spree for faux-pearls. I love the shape & colour of pearls, & how lovely they look en mass. Pearls seem to me to be the epitome of femininity. I used to raid my mother’s jewellery draw for her strings of pearls & wear them whenever I could get away with it. I think that sometimes pearls really deserve to be the centre of attention. To take advantage of the white-on-black contrast they provide, I like to combine pearls with simple black clothing. Though, I have been known to wear pearls wrapped around tartan skirts, coiled around my ankles & thrown over bold T-shirts!

Also, my brother & I picked this cane lawn-chair up from the side of the road. Isn’t it awesome? It needs some tender loving care, but it should make for the perfect garden seat on hot summer days don’t you think?

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