Byron Bay & What to Wear to a Beach Wedding

Today's post is a quick recap on a fantastic and delicious, weekend coastal getaway. My family lives down Casuarina (NSW) way and so honestly I try to take the trip as often as possible. In no way is this a "What you should do whilst visiting" post but a visual ode to what I wore to a beach wedding and of course pictures of (some) of the things I ate! If you want a comprehensive guide of what to do, sing out, because I could go on forever...there's too many things to do!

You may only be 1.5 hours from Brisbane city but being able to see and hear the ocean is relaxing, and simply put, just perfect.

As I said, on this particular weekend we attended a wedding on gorgeous Cabarita Beach Headland, the day was magnificent! Australian winters are wildly fabulous - warm, sunny and pleasant! Just look at that view!?

I managed to grab a sneaky picture of Dad and I - I happened to be wearing Blue Bungalow (when am I not?) and so I thought for once I thought I'd come out from behind the camera...I wore the Camilla Tie Sleeve Kaftan Dress which is ideal for a beach wedding - colourful, doesn't cling and breathable, tick! Considering this style is $55, I was impressed that the key component of my outfit was under $100! A customer in-store actually convinced me to try it on. It's funny how when things are under your nose for so long you forget about them, I owe her one!

1. Camilla Tie Sleeve Kaftan Dress $55: Shop Now

2. Gold Clutch with Pom Pom Keyring $79.95: Shop Now

3. Flower Earrings (Orange) $29: Shop Now

When considering a beach wedding shoes play an important role! We don't stock the pair above (they're Siren Nude Heels) but this height may not be for everyone. I might suggest a wedge for most - I wear heels everyday so I'm quite comfortable in this height and style. But I will be honest...trudging up a grass headland is never graceful unless you're blessed with model genes. 

I opted to belt this style as I'm larger busted and feel more comfortable this way. However, most people wear this style loose and relaxed (so perfect for fitting in a banquet later).

On that note...just look at dessert! Sticky black rice, ice-cream and lychees!

The reception was at Spice Den - modern asian cuisine in Casuarina. Everyone complimented the food (it was outstanding) and especially the service. The waiters were wonderful - they were never intrusive but somehow always knew when my wine was ready to be refilled...I'm just going to say I must have looked thirsty from "gracefully" trudging up the headland in heels! If you're concerned about Gluten Free options have no fear...most of the menu was Gluten Free bar a couple of meals. The lighting was quite dark (romantic) so I didn't match to get too many photos, that or the banquet was eaten too quickly for me to capture it. Now that's a good sign!

Sunday was well spent with a day trip to Byron, shopping the local Sunday markets and having a coffee at the ever faithful "Nat's Coffee"! If you get to Nat's, it's in the main part of town, the brownies are a must! Gluten Free and oh so delicious!
All in all, I'm pleased to say the weekend was a success and I feel well rested...despite a few vino headaches of course!

Where do you love to visit?

What's your favourite coffee/restaurant/shop in northern NSW?

How to Wear a Poncho

The first of July marks the middle month of winter and that means more cold days and nights to ensue! You may not be interested in donning this trend because you don't fancy yourself a caped superhero, but pulling off this outerwear essential is surprisingly easy!

We love this trend because it flatters all shapes and sizes (plus-size included), is functional (actually keeps you warm) and is fantastic for those days when you honestly couldn't face thinking about what to wear!

Images via Pinterest

Above is just two examples, of the many, from the sea of Pinterest - there are so many style ideas. However, we have one particular poncho in mind and it is of course one of ours! Meet the Speckled Poncho $69: Shop Now

1. Speckled Poncho $69: Shop Now

2. Graffiti Print Scarf $29: Shop Now

3. Black Leggings $19.95: Shop Now

4. Tan Ava Zip Leather Tote $199: Shop Now

5. Martin Place Boot $149: Shop Now

When you're planning on wearing a poncho, remember to keep it simple - let your outerwear do the talking! That said, keep your accompanying pieces fitted to avoid looking like you've rolled out in your pyjamas and thrown on the couch throw! The key is to keep the items underneath simple and structured. We love with black leggings or jeans, boots and a scarf for a bit of textured highlighting!

A cape is ideal for the weekend, embrace the outdoorsy aspect and wear to the sporting sidelines or cosy up in the grass for a picnic - afternoon delights! The look reads relaxed, but yes you did try this morning!

If you're still not convinced, or you're a little bit on the shorter side - I think a textured and/or longer knit would suffice. There's no need to wear too much fabric if there isn't much of you to begin with!

1. Grey Patterned Knit $59: Shop Now

2. Cobalt Wide Brim Hat $69.95: Shop Now

So the next time you go to throw on a chunky sweater, put on a cozy knit poncho instead! The poncho piece serves as the ideal layer over your favourite wardrobe basics.

The Poncho - Would you & why? Do you & how?

Top 5 Winter Knits

If we're completely honest with ourselves here in sunny Queensland we get about 4 weeks of actual winter. 4 weeks of wearing jackets, layering, sipping on hot beverages and eating soup...any longer than that and I'm sweating beneath my layers and find I have sula (sweaty upper lip alert) from sipping soup.
We prepare too early for it, but when the time comes you've either got too much, or in my case too little! 
When it's 8 degrees and all you've got to choose from is kaftans, singlets and kimonos you start to re-evaluate your wardrobe choices, if you're in the same boat as me, definitely keep reading!
We've picked our top 5 knits for this week to beat that winter chill...

1. Striped Knit Vest

1. Striped Knit Vest $49: Shop Now

2. Black Ponte Midi Skirt $39.95: Shop Now

3. Tan Ava Zip Leather Tote $199: Shop Now

Jumping in on the knit vest trend - but we're still not interested in showing our arms. Layer up with a fitted basic underneath and pair with a fitted skirt or your favourite denim. A roll neck means you don't have to think about jewellery, perfect rolling out of bed on a Monday?

2. Exposed Seam Drape Jacket

1. Exposed Seam Drape Jacket $59: Shop Now

Cosy and warm - you honestly feel like cuddling yourself in this style. Wear over just about everything but we love an all black combo with a colour popping scarf!

3. Starry Nights Cardigan
 

1. Starry Nights Cardigan $49: Shop Now

2. Coral Shell Top $49: Shop Now

3. Black Pony Crossover Satchel $109: Shop Now

4. Three Strand Necklace $49: Shop Now

Every woman needs a little bit of bling in her life - especially in Winter! This knit cardigan is an easy throw-on-the-go style which is perfect for the day to night transition.

4. Monochrome Knit Jacket

1. Monochrome Knit Jacket $79: Shop Now

2. Chartreuse Felt Fedora $64.95: Shop Now

3. Cat Hammill Necklace $69.95: Shop Now

Make a statement in this absolutely gorgeous jacket! It's something a little bit different but the monochrome ensures you can get enough wear. This style is ideal for down south, a little bit thick for QLD but perfect our super chilly mornings!
If you're determined to wear this style through out the day in QLD, consider just layering over a basic tank - that way your underarms are able to breath.

5. Terracotta Waterfall Cardigan

1. Terracotta Waterfall Cardigan $59: Shop Now

2. Black Felt Fedora $64.95: Shop Now

3. Turtle Neck Midi Dress $39: Shop Now

4. Black Pony Crossover Satchel $109: Shop Now

The colour and shape of the Terracotta Waterfall Cardigan is classic and flatters all sizes. Even those of us at BB who are big busted have been a fan of this one. Less bulky than a jacket this one is good for errands and/or travel. If you're on the shorter side you can still enjoy this little number - the hemline comes up at the back so you're not swamped in fabric.

What's your favourite knit style?

Lisa's Pulled Pork & Slaw

No word of a lie these photos were taken in store and from straight from Lisa's tupperware! I was jealous, starving and needed the recipe asap! We all sampled a taste and decided it was too good to keep it a secret! We all thought that this combo would be perfect for a burger - but seeing as it was lunch time best not to be too naughty! Lisa threw this recipe together off of the top of her head so if there's any blanks just fill in the gaps...

Coleslaw
Ingredients:

• 1/2 White cabbage - finely sliced
• 1/2 Red cabbage - finely sliced
• 1 Carrot - grated
• 4 Celery stalks - finely sliced
• 1 Fennel bulb - finely sliced
• 1 Apple - grated

Dressing
Ingredients

• 4 Eggs - whisked
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 400ml Olive oil
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Whisk dressing ingredients together in a bowl and then combine with coleslaw ingredients. The dressing should be poured to desired coverage - any excess can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days!

Pulled Pork

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg Pork shoulder
• 1 Onion - diced
• 1 Garlic bulb - finely diced
• 1 tbsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Tumeric
• 1 tsp Garam masala
• 1/4 cup Tomato paste
• 2 cubes Vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup Maple syrup

Method

On stove top cook off onion, garlic and spices with a little oil. Add tomato paste and maple syrup then combine with vegetable stock cubes. Add a little water extra water if necessary.

Remove rind from pork and add to slow cooker. Baste shoulder (using sauce you just made), top and bottom, and cook for 6 hours on slow. Turn your pork every hour and re-baste each time.

This recipe is simple but it does take time! However, for how tasty Lisa's lunch was I'd say it's worth it! If it's just you, or only a few, cook a bit extra and use it for a couple of days. You could use in salads, or as a burger! We think this is the perfect Sunday cook up...

What's your favourite Sunday meal?

5 Winter Accessories You Need Right Now

Sometimes you're on a budget or you feel too fat to try on clothes...it's in these dark moments that I turn to accessories. I justify accessories as investment pieces because I almost always wear them more than once and they generally fit without trying them on. In winter I use accessories to jazz up my outfit - I can easily grab them when running for the door!

This post is dedicated to five of our favourite winter accessories - a chunky scarf, felt hat, ankle boots, sunglasses and a gorgeous leather bag!

1.  Green, Orange and Purple Scarf $39: Shop Now

2. Black Felt Fedora $64.95: Shop Now

3. Navy and Red Scarf $39: Shop Now

4. Red Felt Fedora $64.95: Shop Now

5. Black Martin Place Ankle Boots $149: Shop Now

6. Tan Chance Ankle Boot $179: Shop Now

7. Sage Blue Tortoiseshell Glasses $79.95: Shop Now

8. Tan Ava Zip Leather Tote $199: Shop Now

9. Black Pony Crossover Satchel $109: Shop Now

1. Chunky Scarf

A chunky scarf is practical and can easily lift your outfit. For $39 you're not breaking the bank, can hide it from hubby and if it gets a bit warmer through the day you can always take it off. If you wear a lot of block colours we suggest a print or texture to create another element to your look. The two scarves we featured for this post are on the heavier side (perfect for you ladies down south) but they're also super soft!

Felt Hats & Chunky Scarves

2. Felt Hat

A felt hat has winter written all over it! If you invest in a quality style it should be made from 100% wool - the two styles pictured above certainly are! If you're unsure on how to wear a hat or whether you can, read out previous post "How to Wear a Fedora". My personal pick is the Red Felt Fedora, it is the perfect pair to our Navy and Red Chunky Scarf.

3. Ankle Boots

If heels aren't your thing i.e you're running around after children, or on your feet ALL day, flat ankle boots are for you! With winter about to hit us with it's full force its important to keep your toes warm (simple logic but true). Boots can be worn with socks, stockings or jeans. However, if you opt to tan we would avoid wearing black tights - it tends to cut you off and make your legs look shorter than they actually are!

Tan Chance Boot

4. Sunglasses 

Sunglasses are really an all year round accessory - but if you're a seasonal shopper like I am the new collection from ROC is too hard to resist! The Blue Sage pair we pictured earlier looks black at first glance but shines blue in the winter sun!

5. Leather Bag

Remember how I said sometimes I buy accessories when on a budget? Well leather bags are the exception to the rule. If you're spending a little it's PU, not leather, and I tend to only invest in one style and wear it until its worn! The Tan Ava Zip Leather Tote is affordable when compared to other brands on the market and can fit everything, maybe a little bit too much. I recently won a competition at a baby shower where you won points for everything in your handbag...yes I do need a USB, camera, hand sanitiser, baby wipes and the list goes on...
Our other featured piece the Black Pony Hair Crossover Satchel speaks for itself - it has gorgeous pony hair on one side. We've put pony hair in the winter basket as it is too textured and heavy for summer! This style is easy wear and is appropriate for both night and day. On the plus side its available in three colours - black, red and grey!

Styling up our Pony Hair Crossover Satchel

Have we missed something?

What accessories do you swear by in Winter?

How to Print Clash

Print clashing is something I love, like to think I do well, and do often. In winter I amp up the clashing to keep my wardrobe alive (although some days I turn to the ever faithful black ensemble). In store we have a lot of women say that they love how we put different prints together but would never know how to do it themselves. So we decided to write a few simple tips to get your print clashing happening! You'd be surprised how many pieces you already own that work well together, or how you can give new life to your old scarves!

1. Pair a neutral print with a bold print

Stripes are considered neutral in the print clashing world. Same can be said for leopard print. By clashing a simple stripe with soft florals you can easily achieve print clashing power. 

Tip: To start off with try clashing a stripe jumper with a bold print scarf - that way you're making baby steps and don't walk out the door to end up running to find a sand pit to hide your head in.

1. Black Felt Fedora $64.95: Shop Now

2. Cream and Grey Knit $59: Shop Now

3. Pink and Grey Print Scarf $29: Shop Now

4. Vintage Wash Black Jean $59: Shop Now

5. Grey Pony Hair Crossover Satchel $109: Shop Now

2. Pick prints of the same hues/tones
Dip your toes into the print clashing world by choosing prints in the same hues and/or tones. Think a blue stripe sweater and blue floral scarf, or a spot of black and white stripe with a scarf of black, white and green. If you stick with a base colour it can be easy to tie all your prints together.

1. Memoir Blue Pullover $139.95: Shop Now

2. Stripe Cold Shoulder Top $49: Shop Now

3. Green Patchwork Scarf $39: Shop Now

3. Team small prints with big prints
Generally two large prints don't look great together - however some people happily break the rules and look good doing it! Two small prints almost always work. This applies with outfits and do we think interiors? We searched Pinterest for some inspiration on this part...

Images via Pinterest

Now it's your turn:

How do you print clash?
What tips do you have?

How To Wear a Fedora

I've been on Pinterest a lot lately - and when I say that I mean hours (we've now got boards for projects, DIY, holidays and well just about everything). Through out my travels I came across too many fantastic outfits and I kept noticing one thing, fashion icons and celebs wear a lot of hats - and they look damn good doing it!
I've always been afraid of wearing a hat and looking like an idiot, and of all the hat varieties - the Fedora is the scariest. So...that set the challenge and tone for this post - how does one wear a fedora as effortlessly as Jen and Reese and look SO good when doing it?

Images via Pinterest

Provided that it's winter and we're a little bit chillier than in the outfits above we're going to be working with felt fedoras and winter warmers. Keep in mind that the fedora is a more masculine style as it is slightly structured, but the floppiness of the felt ensures you still feel feminine. 

1. Black Felt Fedora $64.95: Shop Now

2. Stripe Soho Knit $59: Shop Now

3. Light Wash Denim Jacket $69: Shop Now

4. Vintage Wash Black Jean $59: Shop Now

This outfit is casual and you look like you're meant to be outdoors. In the case of this outfit, the fedora is the finisher - it makes the combo look polished! I thought this combination was a good start for a "non hat wearer" as the colour and shape of the hat is classic, and the accompanying pieces aren't too bold either. I can't help but want to take this ensemble to the park and enjoy the sun.

1. Grey Western Felt Hat $79: Shop Now

2. White Woven Back Swing Top $59.95: Shop Now

3. Wooden Necklace $39: Shop Now

4. Black Ponte Midi Skirt $39.95: Shop Now

5. Black Martin Place Boots $149: Shop Now

Now this outfit might not being everyone's cup of tea - nor does it suit everyone's lifestyle (little hands would just love to pull on this cape)! But, it's a stark contrast to the previous combination. I certainly see this outfit gracing the beaches of Byron or paired back with ponte pants for a picnic in the park. In this case the fedora is the statement - for the more advanced (ok, I'm just not ready) hat wearer!

...

Previous to my research I had enough trouble practising sun safety let alone wearing a hat as a fashion accessory. Now I'm no expert but a couple of tips I picked up made me feel more confident in not only wearing, but also choosing a hat:

Consider brim width - the wider the brim the more feminine you'll feel. It's a matter of proportion but you don't want to overdo it! There's always a limit to your love. Like everything else in fashion ensure that your hat flatters your face.

You're not, "not a hat person" - I have been avoiding hats because I thought I wasn't a hat person. Apparently there's no such thing. Like a lot of things in life you just need to exude confidence. That means no fidgeting, taking it off or just plain hiding under the brim.

Think classic - The common denominator for a lot of these Pinterest posts is one thing, classic shapes and/or colours. If the colour is wild the shape is structured and vice versa. Just like shoes you want to ensure your hat goes with more outfits than one. I personally think of four outfits I could wear something with before I buy it (this rule doesn't just apply to hats).

If you apply these tips hats can be great for a number of things - finishing your outfit, protecting your skin and my favourite, covering up a bad hair day! It's safe to say I haven't tried wearing a hat inside though so I ask:

Do you wear hats? What style do you love and where do you wear it?