Wednesday 24 April 2024

Set & Match

 



For me, there's nothing better than some beautiful pieces of silver jewellery... even more if they're vintage & even more than that if they happen to be a matching set! This stunning 1960s leaf-shaped choker necklace & bracelet with large circular charm was part of my Christmas present from some dear friends who now reside overseas & was able to be customised at Duncan Vickers Engraver in the Brisbane Arcade with my first initial in old-fashioned script. Truly, it's just so special & I've styled it up for a sunny afternoon with a large-scale washed-out floral printed cotton maxi smock dress with ruffled neckline & puff sleeves from my local H&M store's eco-conscious range, a pair of stone leather lace-up heels from Jo Mercer for a modicum of height & a pair of vintage silver bangles from India (yet another thoughtful gift; this time from another friend who works abroad) to complete the ethereal look.

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Saturday 20 April 2024

Beachy Keen #2

 






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Top: Target cotton
Pants: Target cotton
Thongs: Ripcurl rubber
Bag: Esteems Boutique woven paper, vinyl
Necklace: Tree of Life twine, silver, shell
Hat: Before Sunset woven

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Continuing with all of the beautiful pictures from our recent family holiday at the Gold Coast with a sweet little matching set (cropped shell top & paperbag waist pedal pushers) in a pink geometric print cotton from my local Target store, styled up with my white, orange & blue striped rubber thongs from Ripcurl, natural woven paper semi-circular crossbody bag with tan vinyl strap from Esteems Boutique to carry the essentials while keeping my hands free to hold... well, a Banarama Smoothie from Boardshort Barista by Coolangatta beach in this case... as well as funky twine, silver bead & shell necklace from Tree of Life & a brown & white woven sunhat from Before Sunset to ward off the sun's harmful rays.





Without the hat in the Beach House Arcade while looking at some memories of holidays past with aerial photographs & advertisements from the early 1900s to the present day...




Hanging out in the shade by the swimming pool in a sculptural floral balconette swimsuit from Taking Shape, orange & white checked linen wrap/sarong from Seed Heritage & that gorgeous shell necklace from Tree of Life again...





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Dress: Brave & True via Hummingbird The Shop cotton
Thongs: Ripcurl rubber

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Keeping it simple for a late afternoon walk to the historical North Kirra Lookout in a fresh green & white checked cotton trapeze-style midi dress with tie neckline & ruffled hem by Australian label Brave & True that I picked up from the delightful Hummingbird The Shop at Paddington & a pair of white, orange & blue striped rubber thongs from Ripcurl.






Windswept & Interesting in my pocket of greenery...

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Top: Princess Highway seersucker
Shorts: Princess Highway seersucker
Thongs: Ripcurl rubber
Bag: Esteems Boutique woven paper
Hat: Before Sunset woven

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Up early & taking on the day with another morning walk, this time around to Snapper Rocks & Froggy's Beach (so named due to the rock that someone noticed bore a resemblance to the shape of a frog & duly painted with green paint, starting a movement that still continues) wearing a cute little purple & green checked seersucker puff-sleeve top & paperbag waist shorts with tie belt from retro-inspired "cool girl" label Princess Highway, a pair of black & gold rubber thongs with diamante detailing from Ripcurl (not the best choice for a long walk but great for just dipping my toes in the water or standing on the sand & not having to worry about it), a blue woven paper crossbody bag from Esteems Boutique & a woven sunhat from Before Sunset in order to be safe in the sunshine.

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Stopping for lunch... this time the Vegan Toasted Sandwich from Earth n Sea with its turkish bread, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, avocado & amazing mushroom mix that I still can't stop thinking about. Honestly, it was THAT good!





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Dress: Steele seersucker
Thongs: Ripcurl rubber
Bag: Esteems Boutique woven paper
Bracelet: Gift, Spirit's Gift silver
Sunglasses: Sportsgirl resin
Sunhat: Before Sunset

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Sunset by the shore of Greenmount Beach in this amazing orange & cream checked seersucker shirred midi dress with sweetheart neckline & toggle from Australian designer Steele, a pair of white, blue & orange striped rubber thongs from Ripcurl, a blue woven paper crossbody bag from Esteems Boutique to carry everything while keeping my hands fancy free for the yummy Gelatissimo gelato that I was about to consume, a silver frangipani bracelet from Spirit's Gift for that touch of daytime shine & aforementioned sunglasses & woven sunhat to protect myself from the elements.







Marine Parade, Coolangatta by night...

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Dress: Ruby Yaya via Beach n Beyond cotton, broderie
Sandals: Blowfish Malibu via Williams Shoes vegan leather
Bag: Esteems Boutique woven paper, vinyl
Charm: Beach n Beyond satin, beading, diamantes
Bracelets: Saltwater Silver
Bangle Stack: Gift, vintage Mexican silver

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All ready for a quick trip to Santorini... not really, but certainly the next best thing with a leisurely lunch at George's Paragon wearing a bohemian green cotton & broderie maxi dress with spaghetti straps & tiered hemline from Ruby Yaya that I picked up from the lovely Beach n Beyond boutique in The Strand, a pair of brown vegan leather flat sandals from Blowfish Malibu via Williams Shoes for the ideal fusion of comfort & style as well as a green woven paper circular crossbody bag with brown vinyl strap from Esteems Boutique (they certainly do stock THE BEST quality woven bags that I've ever purchased & I keep coming back year after year & adding to my collection) to carry all the essentials with a sweet, handmade satin, beading & diamante lemon decoration/bag charm (also from Beach n Beyond) hanging from one side for that pop of a happy, bright hue. When it came to jewellery, I chose to stack up silver & white resin beaded bracelets with starfish charms from Saltwater Silver on one wrist & my beloved vintage Mexican silver bangles - seven in all - on the other to complete the look.

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So many delicious options... so little time to sample them all!




Crumbed Calamari & Chips on a bed of Lemon Rice


Crispy Skinned Atlantic Salmon with Chips & Tartare Sauce



Couldn't resist a cheeky Strawberry Caprioska to wash it all down...



Treating myself to a Condensed Milk & Lemon Tart with Chocolate from Coolangatta Pie Shop...





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Jumpsuit: Gorman linen
Thongs: Ripcurl rubber
Bag: Esteems Boutique woven paper

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Those final-night-of-holidays feels in a pastel rainbow striped linen jumpsuit from cult-label Gorman, a pair of white, orange & blue striped rubber thongs from Ripcurl & a blue woven paper crossbody bag from Esteems Boutique to carry absolutely everything without hassle as I soak in every last thing I love about the beach...