HOW I CELEBRATED MY 60 BIRTHDAY PART II

Last week I started sharing with you how I celebrated my big milestone birthday.  For those who missed the beginning of the story, here is a quick recoup.  The celebrations were split into two parts:  Part I - just the two of us went away for the weekend and you can read about it by following this link.

When we returned back to Sydney, the festivities continued.  Originally, I was planning to throw a big party for my family and friends but since the regulations about party gatherings did not allow us to have more than 20 people, we had to settle on inviting just my close family for dinner to a restaurant called China Diner.  We had dined there a few times before and like their take on cooking traditional dishes of South East Asia and China but with a contemporary approach and they serve their dishes in a relaxed stylish environment.  

They were kind enough to locate my party in a nice cosy niche away from the madding crowd where we could have some privacy.  And my dear husband even managed to sneak in some party balloons behind my back to make it look festive. But all this nonsense didn't dampen my spirits to have a good time. And boy, didn't I have a dress to do just that.

You see, last year while I was browsing through the “Sale” aisles of David Jones department store looking for a dress that I could wear to a New Year bash, I caught a shimmering silver dress out of the corner of my eye, hanging on the rack labelled By Johnny.  It looked outrageously shiny but it was exactly what I was looking for so I bought it right then and there. 

Truth be told, I have never worn it ever since that night and couldn't imagine if I would ever be able to wear it ever again but then I thought, it's my 60th birthday and life is too short and if I don't wear it now, then when.  And so I did.  I deliberately avoided wearing any other accessories as the dress has it all except my nails which I painted in sparkly silver polish to match the dress 👍😃.

We kicked the night off with a glass of bubbly on arrival followed by the banquet menu tweaked according to the array of dietary restrictions in our group.  We had one vegan, two vegetarians, one person who doesn't eat shell fish and three people who don't eat pork.  But the kitchen took it in their stride without batting an eye lash. The staff were extremely helpful and accommodated us in every way, even allowing us to bring our own cake despite the fact that they have their own dessert menu.  We all had a great time, it was the first time since the March lockdown that the family got together and we all rejoiced to be together again. 

Until then,

Anna

xoxo

 

HOW I CELEBRATED MY 60TH BIRTHDAY PART I

Last months marked an important milestone in my life - I turned 60.  I have mixed feelings about it.  My friends keep telling me that it is just a number and I sincerely want to believe them, yet I am aware that there is much more to it than that.

I did however, receive quite a few rather nice gifts from my family and which lifted my spirits 👍👍👍.

Anyhow, I decided that rather than be bogged by it and be sad and miserable, I should embrace this fact with gusto and celebrate.  Unfortunately, our original plan which was to spend my 60^th in Bali went out the window so the only option we had was to do it locally.   

Luckily, we have been allowed to travel within the boundaries of our state, so we decided to travel to Nelson Bay, a beautiful two hour drive away part of the world highly popular for its sandy beaches, water activities, amazing seafood and holiday vibe.  I honestly didn’t care much for the beach as we live within a 10 minute walking distance from the famous Bondi Beach, I just wanted a change of scenery and get away from cooking, cleaning etc.

My husband managed to get us a table at Rick Stein's restaurant which has been in high demand since he opened in the area a couple of years ago.  Originally, he wanted to book us dinner at Bannisters hotel that is the home to Rick Stein's restaurant but everything was booked out for that weekend so he settled for lunch.  I was fine with it because our hotel was a fair distance from the restaurant and since we couldn’t spent the night at Bannisters, I was rather apprehensive of driving intoxicated at night in an unfamiliar environment. 

It was the first time that I wore this dress since I bought it at the End of Season Sale from Sass and Bide on-line store which is quite unusual for me as I hugely prefer buying my clothes from a mortar and bricks store to on-line shopping.  But when I saw this dress on-line with the price tag slashed by half, I couldn’t resist the temptation to buy it.  Besides, they promised me a full refund upon returning the dress within 14 days.  To my delight and surprise, the dress fitted me perfectly.  I was hoping to wear it during the summer months but then the lockdown laws were introduced and even after they partially lifted the restrictions on restaurants, I felt reluctant to go out.  

The style of the dress is call the Wild One Dress and you can see why.  I thought that rather than trying to find words to describe it, I would copy a quote from the official site.  It goes like this:  “This fitted tank-style dress features classic sleeveless tank styling, with a high neckline and asymmetric rushed detailing at the side. Made from silk, the dress showcases a striking animal-style print, with raw-cut black chiffon at the neck and armhole, an invisible zip at the side seam, and a keyhole closure at the back of the neck.”

I think that sums it up. 

As for my accessories, I didn’t want anything that would fight with the dress for attention, so I just wore golden hoop earrings and I couldn’t help but to put on a new Hermes bracelet given to me by my older daughter for my birthday (see the picture above).

The food was scrumptious and the service – impeccable which was expected from such an acclaimed chef.

We spent three blissful days sleeping late, going for drives or nice long walks, eating, drinking and generally enjoying ourselves.  It felt so good to be away from everything even if it was a short break.

But this is only the first part of my birthday festivities.  I saved the rest for the next post😍.

Until then

Anna

Dress - Sass and Bide

Shoes - Country Road (0ld)

Handbag - Chanel Butterfly Quilted bag (Old)

Glass - Prada (another birthday present)

HOW TO WEAR SILK AND LINEN TOGETHER

Hello everyone, hope you are in good health and keeping well.

The silk maxi skirts and slip dresses continue to dominate the fashion market for a very good reason:  they are very easy and comfortable to wear, hugely versatile in when it comes to the season and the occasion.  

So far you have seen me wearing my silk bias cut skirt in summer, paired with a sleeveless top and strappy sandals (here) and in winter, worn with ankle boots and a cashmere jumper (here).  

However, since we in Australia are in the middle of spring and the days are getting warmer,  I came up with the idea of experimenting by mixing my smooth silk skirt with a wrinkled linen jacket and adding a pop of abstract print in the form of a cotton long sleeved top.  

Traditionally linen clothes are associated with casual attire and usually worn during the day paired with denim, cotton or similar fabric, while silk is linked with a more formal way of dressing, I think the juxtaposition of these two works very well.  

It is a good transitional outfit, something I would wear to a pre-COVID office, a networking lunch or a meeting with a client.  For less formal occasions, I would definitely swap the court shoes for a pair of sneakers.  

It is a first time ever that I am wearing hoop earrings which I accidentally found in a jewelry box which belonged to my late mother-in-law.  All my life I was under the impression that they didn't suit me but when I tried them on, I kind of like it.  What do you think?

This skinny scarf was an attempt to add some panache to this mixed outfit.

Until then,

Anna

xoxo