Blue and Green: Printed Dresses and Rebecca Minkoff Regan Satchel Tote Bag

I've always found green a little tricky to wear, but since embracing blue and green together I've had a lot more outfit options! Both of these summer dress outfits contain navy and green, but in differing amounts.

What I wore:

Necklace: Starfish Project Hannah turquoise bead necklace
Dress: Zara printed bib front tunic dress
Shoes: Rebecca Minkoff Georgina studded gladiator sandals in blush
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Regan satchel tote in moon (new purchase) with Louis Vuitton "comete" bandeau scarf  tied in bow

Why I wore it:

Just a heads up that this is the 21st wear of this dress, so I'm aiming to rewear it more often to get it to 30 wears this year! Fingers crossed! I tend not to wear it on days with boys as it feels a little short when bending down to pick up toddlers. It was perfect for our annual pre-Christmas shopping trip while the boys were in daycare though. In previous years we've even gone to Melbourne for it, but this year we just went down to Pacific Fair on the Gold Coast as I had a present to pick out at Louis Vuitton!

The #DAREcember style challenge for the day on Instagram was 'scarf', but it was much too humid for that! I knew we'd be going to Louis Vuitton so I dressed up my bag a little with the LV bandeau scarf tied in a bow. A nice neutral navy tote like this is perfect for accessorising with scarves.

The green necklace with the navy dress was another addition because of a style challenge, to meet the 'evergreen' prompt. I wasn't too sure about the green with the pinks and purples on the scarf though, but I think that they were far enough away that it worked. We had a really fun day shopping and then went out for dinner after picking up the boys from daycare.


Last worn: navy printed shift dress, Rebecca Minkoff studded sandals, Louis Vuitton bandeau, first time I've worn the bag as it's a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: navy printed shift dress and denim jacket, Rebecca Minkoff studded sandals worn 30 ways, Louis Vuitton bandeau as hairband.

Perfect for pregnancy: navy printed shift dress in third trimester, Louis Vuitton Bandeau as a belt in second trimester.

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Printed Dresses Under $50:

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What I wore:

Necklace: Uniquely Made with Love Sea Change necklace
Dress: Atmos & Here Willow printed tee dress
Shoes: slim gold Havaianas
Bracelets: the usual plus gifted Lovisa rose gold beaded bracelet stack
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Regan Satchel Tote in moon

Why I wore it:

This tee dress is a favourite, it was worn almost weekly when I first got it, so I'm surprised it's only on its 12th wear! I stopped wearing it so frequently when baby T became mobile, like the dress above I'm worried it's a little short when I bend down to a toddler. The one thing I forgot about this dress is how easily it creases too - especially when little toddler hands grab and pull your dress when you're distracted and they want a cuddle, right before you take an outfit photo, haha! Creases are a fact of life though!

This was another child free day, as I left the boys with their grandmother to enjoy a little time to myself, to pick up some last minute Christmas things and indulge in a pedi before Christmas. Even though it's January, I still have December outfits to share! I am so pleased I started my Christmas leave a little before the big day, it was nice to ease into the busy Christmas time with some quiet moments to myself. Doesn't happen often when you're the mum of two toddlers, so the occasion deserved a pretty dress and some of my favourite accessories.

With the green on the print of the dress and the navy Regan satchel bag, this outfit has the same colour scheme as the one above, only with the proportions of each colour switched.


Last worn: printed tee dress, gold Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff regan satchel (above).

Other ways to wear: printed tee dress and Converse.

Perfect for pregnancy: printed tee dress and pregnancy announcement.

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Printed T-Shirt Dresses Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Printed dresses are easy options to deal with the summer heat. You don't need to think about accessories as the print makes enough of a statement on it's own. It doesn't mean you can't accessorise though, and have fun with colour. Accessories are a nice way to try out a new colour combination you might be unsure of at first, like green and blue.




Did You Know? I have a YouTube Channel! Full of pregnancy style ideas, handbag reviews and ways to wear inspo, along with a lot of what's in my bag videos: Away From The Blue YouTube.


Linking up with Style on the Daily, Oh Hey Girl, Seeking Sunshine, Fun Fashion.

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Zara Jersey Blazer For The Office With Printed Skirts and Louis Vuitton Neverfull

I've shared before that one of my secrets to getting out the door to work on time despite having two kids is to lay out my outfits the night before. It saves so much time in the mornings!

I'd actually had these outfits planned out for a week before I wore them. With sickness hitting the boys and a late night hospital dash, my week was thrown off and I ended up taking some time off. Thankfully everyone is better. I only made it into the office once that week, so I decided to wear a mood boosting dress instead on the only day I made it in, and saved these outfits for the next week. It was nice to finally wear them!

What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted Zara black blazer
Necklace: Eye Candy LA 'Sasha' statement necklace
Top: Zalora basics ruffle hem tank in black
Skirt: Garfunkle Australia pleated print skirt
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs metallic mouse flats (on sale in black!)
Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull

Why I wore it:

It's not the first time I've worn this peplum tank tucked into a skirt, but I think this is my favourite way of wearing it. I'd been looking for a plain black top to wear with this skirt when I saw this top and realised it would be perfect if I hid the peplum under the pleats. As I'd managed to catch what the boys had and wasn't feeling the best, I added a colourful statement necklace. A trick I often use to try draw attention away from my tired eyes! With all of the black, I felt that the loud statement necklace and printed skirt worked nicely together, although I wasn't sure at first when thinking up what to wear. I really liked the gold mouse flats with this too.

Despite not feeling 100%, and wishing a few times I'd been contagious enough to get the day off work, I did love this outfit and felt happy with it. A little more energy and voice would have been good though, ha!


Last worn: black jersey blazer, black peplum tank, pleated a line skirt, gold mouse flats, Louis Vuitton damier azur bag.

Other ways to wear: black jersey blazer over a tee dress, black peplum tank and kimono, pleated a line skirt and graphic tee, gold mouse flats and ruffle dress, Louis Vuitton damier azur bag for the beach.

Perfect for pregnancy: black jersey blazer and hidden baby bump, black peplum tank in first trimester, pleated a line skirt in second trimester, gold mouse flats and maternity wrap dress, Louis Vuitton damier azur bag in second trimester.

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Jersey Blazers Under $50:

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What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted Zara black blazer
Necklace: Starfish Project Hannah turquoise bead necklace
Tee: thrifted Mix Apparel black space dye tee
Skirt: French Connection silk leaf print skirt
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull

Why I wore it:

I was so excited to wear this outfit a few days after the one above, as it was my last day in the office before a few weeks leave.  However I was in a bit of a rush and grabbed this black blazer from the front of my wardrobe instead of the cream one I'd originally planned.

Instead of a plain black top like I had above, I picked my space dye black tee. I thought it was a subtle enough print that it wouldn't compete with the leaf print of the skirt. With the same blazer, similar skirt, statement necklace, Louis Vuitton neverfull, Marc Jacobs flats though...this looks incredibly similar to the outfit above. It's the same outfit formula, I just forgot to change up the jacket to make it look a little more different.

Loved this outfit as much as the top one, but for my last day before leave I think I was going to be happy no matter what I wore! Did have a mad last few hours trying to fit everything in and get everything done before I left, but otherwise it was a good day. This skirt always makes me feel good, even though being silk it doesn't get worn much at all around the toddlers! Perfect for the office.


Last worn: black jersey blazer (above), space dye tee, leaf print silk skirt, black ballet flats, Louis Vuitton neverfull (above).

Other ways to wear: black jersey blazer and pencil skirt, space dye tee and khaki shorts, leaf print silk skirt and lace tank, black ballet flats and skinny jeans, Louis Vuitton neverfull and gold jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: black jersey blazer at 39 weeks, leaf print silk skirt in first trimester, Louis Vuitton neverfull at 38 weeks.

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Printed Skirts Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

A neutral like black is a nice choice to wear with a colourful printed skirt. The black tops and blazer work so well in these outfits as the skirts both have black in them too. Picking a colour from the print on the skirt and wearing that on top is another good way to go if you don't have any neutral tops that work.


Linking up with Mix It Monday, Confident Twosday, On Trend, Turning Heads, Trend Spin, Style Sessions.

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Maxi Dresses and Quilted Bags

Continuing the feeling of being so behind with blogging, two more maxi dress outfits I wore before Christmas! I actually ended up wearing these both on the same day - one during the day for my local ABA Christmas party, and the other in the evening for my office Christmas party.

What I wore:

Earrings: A Little Bit of North blue mandala earrings (giveaway prize, close up photo)
Necklace: floral lei with Tiffany diamonds by the yard necklace layered with Tai gold alphabet necklaces, gifted frangipani necklace, and For King & Country Priceless Australian coin and crest necklace
Dress: MEV Havana maxi dress C/O Zibibo
Belt: Kmart thin gold glitter belt
Shoes: NineWest "Quicken" wedges in natural
Bracelets: the usual plus Roie Designs waxed leather cream howlite beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Chanel vintage quilted lambskin flap (same in blue)

Why I wore it:

As you can tell, my office Christmas party had a theme, ha! I'd been looking forward to the party this year. Last December I was on maternity leave, and although my boss invited me to the Christmas party it was when I was in hospital with Baby Boy so I had to turn it down.

It was a bittersweet night. It was wonderful catching up with colleagues outside of work, especially those that have moved teams while was on leave and I no longer get to work closely with. I loved getting to have a good chat again! However it was so sad too as inevitably discussion turned to last year's party, which I missed because of the hospital stay. Made me really miss my boys, and I couldn't wait to get home to them.
There was one funny moment where a colleague said I should have come along to the party last year anyway, and I had to explain that as I was Baby Boy's food source (breastfeeding) I couldn't leave him. While this beautiful pink maxi dress is a nursing dress, we don't need that feature now. Worked perfectly with the floral lei to tie in with the party theme, and I even wore my frangipani necklace (and a few other ones).

This vintage Chanel bag is one of my treasured pieces, and the cross body strap came in handy to allow me to hold food and drinks. I even wore wedges for a bit of extra height (although I regretted it a little when I got home, so used to flats now!).


Last worn: MEV pink maxi dress, gold glitter belt, nude wedges, vintage Chanel bag.

Other ways to wear: pink maxi dress worn 30 ways, nude wedges and lace dress, vintage Chanel bag and jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: MEV pink maxi dress at 39 weeks, vintage Chanel bag in second trimester.

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More Quilted Handbags:

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What I wore:

Necklace: Nibbly Bits BB plum silicone teething necklace (C/O)
Dress: Jeanswest 'Sierra' embellished black maxi dress (on sale!)
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bracelets: the usual plus Christmas bow bracelet (with bells!) and Roie Designs black leather Swarovski beaded wrap bracelet
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Love cross body bag in grey with Rebecca Minkoff Crystal Star Shoulder Guitar strap

Why I wore it:

This was what I wore during the day - we had our local Australian Breastfeeding Association Christmas party, where we play a sneaky secret santa. Everyone brings a gift under $10, we all draw a number, then the person with number 1 unwraps a gift. The next person can pick another gift to unwrap, or steal the first one. Lots of people involved their toddlers and asked their opinion so they got in on the game too, so much fun. Toddler T had a great time! We enjoyed making the brownies with the kit we won too.

As expected though, all the time with toddlers and yummy morning tea and presents everywhere, my dress looked a little worse for wear so I was glad I'd planned a different dress to wear in the evening!

This was the perfect Christmas party outfit though, dressy but casual at the same time. Maxi dresses work for so many dress codes! Last year I went in shorts and tee, anything goes really. I did feel a little over dressed for my afternoon dentist appointment, with the embellished dress and bag strap, but my dentist ended up complimenting me on it so at least it made her smile! :)


Last worn: embellished maxi dress, black Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff crystal guitar strap, Rebecca Minkoff quilted love bag.

Other ways to wear: embellished maxi dress with scarf as a belt, Rebecca Minkoff crystal guitar strap and printed shorts, Rebecca Minkoff quilted love bag and skinny jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: embellished maxi dress at 39 weeks, Rebecca Minkoff quilted love bag in third trimester.

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Maxi Dresses Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Maxi dresses are a great option for a busy mum - they are grab and go outfits! You can accessorise them with layers of delicate necklaces, or stick with a practical teething necklace for time with toddlers. Quilted bags look great with them, and a cross body option allows you to go hands free.  Maxi dresses work for many different dress codes as they can be as formal or casual as you want. Nice to wear in the summer heat too.


Linking up with Passion for Fashion, Fabulous Friday, Lizzie in Lace, Friday Faves, Shoe & Tell, Modest Monday.

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