Weekday Wear Link Up: Striped Tops and Printed Maxi Skirts

Two similar outfits for today's Weekday Wear Link up! Enjoying the warmer spring weather and not needing to layer my outfits, I wore simple striped tops with fun printed maxi skirts, and my cute yellow Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag.

What I wore:

Necklace: thrifted pearl and heart charm long necklace
Tee: Cotton On "The One" fitted v tee in Cole stripe white moonlight
Skirt: thrifted Billabong 'Don't Think Of It' bikini red printed maxi skirt
Shoes: Wittner 'Jasmarie' studded sandals
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

Decided to try do something different with this skirt and pair it with stripes - although I later realised when looking through the blog that I've done that before, with a different tee!

I really liked the combination of this striped v-neck tee with the red printed maxi skirt. While the prints are so very different I did go a little matchy-matchy with the mustard Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag to compliment the yellow in the print of the skirt. A simple necklace as I felt the print mix made enough of the statement on it's own, and this necklace goes with everything. Definitely getting good value from the $2 I spent on it at the opshop, this is its tenth wear!

Was a busy day, with the school run, a few errands to run, an appointment and sports in the evening after school pickup. Still found a little time to pop into the opshop for a browse through the Christmas stock though, and took the opportunity to get another pic in front of the pretty jacaranda lined street, even if most of the flowers are gone, especially after the storms.

Last worn: striped tee, heart charm necklace, Billabong red maxi skirt, studded sandals, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag.

Other ways to wear: striped tee worn two ways, Billabong red maxi skirt in winter, studded sandals and little black dress, Rebecca Minkoff Micro Regan worn 30 ways.

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Rebecca Minkoff Micro Regan Review

In Case You Missed It:

My annual handbag lover gift guide - for any budget! - is live now.

I only do one gift guide each year, and this is it!

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What I wore:

Necklace: For King & Country Priceless Australian coin and crest necklace
Tank:  Jeanswest 'Josie' striped back strap tank
Skirt: Ally Fashion blue border print floral maxi skirt
Shoes: slim navy and pink Havaianas
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

I thought I'd try some stripes with this floral skirt for the first time! I really liked the combination, and it was nice and cool for a hot day. However it was a little bit of an outfit fail. While perfect for the school run and an appointment I had, once again I got attacked by the mozzies!

I had remembered to liberally apply bug spray this time, so we were ready for a walk around the water along our fave trail. However, this tank has some cute cut-out detail on the back. I did not think of that when spraying the mozzie repellant...so all my arms and legs and chest were covered, as was my son, but I didn't spray my back. Of course when we stopped for photos and sat down for a bit I realised my mistake as they latched on to the only spot I wasn't protected. Hubby was shocked at the state of my back when we got home 😂

Because it was a hot day I thought a simple skirt and tank combination was a good way to go - the side slits in this maxi skirt kept me cool even in the heat of the day. Just basic accessories too, my For King and Country coin necklace as I didn't want to wear anything too heavy or statement making, and then the little yellow Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag for a pop of colour.

Last worn: stripe tank, coin necklace, floral maxi skirt, Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag (above).

Other ways to wear: stripe tank and shorts, floral maxi skirt with pink, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag and little black dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: stripe tank in second trimester.

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How You Can Wear It:

Stripes are fun to print mix with! Stripes and florals are always a good pairing but you can try stripes with any other print too. If you're unsure keep the rest of the accessories simple and let the clashing prints be the statement in your outfit.

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Weekday Wear Linkup #97

Welcome to the Weekday Wear linkup! A linkup for you to share your weekday outfits - whether that is office wear or stay at home mum wear - if you wore it on a weekday, you can link it up!

Guidelines:
1. Please link to a specific outfit post, not your blog homepage.
2. Link back to this post so others can find the link up.
3. Follow your host Away From The Blue on Bloglovin, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube.
4. Add up to two posts and be sure to visit and comment on as many other posts as possible to get some weekday outfit inspiration!
Optional: tweet the post you linked up with the hashtag #weekdayWearLinkUp so I can retweet!

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Handbag Lover's Gift Guide For 2020!

It's that time of year again, where blogs turn into gift guides! Each year I publish this one gift guide: the perfect gift guide for a handbag lover, no matter your budget! This year, because it's 2020, I've added a little bit at the end for ways you can support some local Aussie businesses too. I try to pick pieces that will ship internationally, but I'm sure you will understand that the local section may only ship within Australia.

So, if you're looking for the perfect gift for a bag loving friend or relative, or just a little bit of bag-candy, this is the gift guide for you!

Spectacular Splurge-Worthy Spoils

These bags are $500+ and above - not the kind of thing you would give to a casual acquaintance, but certainly something special for someone close. Wives, girlfriends, mums, sisters - if you have the cash to splash you can't go wrong with something from this list! Sticking with classic styles and neutral colours is always a good idea, especially if you're not entirely sure what their preferred colour bag would be. Probably something to be 100% sure that you know they are after before investing so heavily in this section though!

Modest Mid-Range Designer Choices

At $100-$250 you can look at bags from their favourite contemporary designers, or maybe even a SLG (small leather good) from a luxury brand. There are so many options at this price point to choose from, this budget doesn't limit you but lets you get creative with how you want to spend. Think wallets, clutches, card holders, wallet on chain bags, wristlets... You can give them an accessory from a brand of their dreams or their perfect bag from their favourite contemporary designer. Mine being Rebecca Minkoff of course!

Bargain Bag Finds

Got less than $100 to spend? No worries! Think of ways they can accessorise bags they already have - keychains and bag charms are a good way to go, or a skinny silk scarf to tie in a bow on a bag or wrap around bag handles. See my video for more ways to accessorise a bag! What about a little pouch or wristlet they can use to keep things safe in their bag? Or a gift card to help them purchase the bag of their dreams they have been saving for? You can even hit up sites like ASOS for high street versions of designer styles, without the high price tags.

No matter the budget you have set aside, remember that the Thanksgiving Black Friday sales in the US will be starting soon, and other countries are starting to follow with similar sales. That bag that may have been out of your budget before might be a much more attractive price now or in the days to come, so get adding to cart in preparation for the sales!

Shopbop have up to 50% off designer bags, and you can get an extra 30% off at Rebecca Minkoff with code 'TAKE30' on orders over $150.

A Little Something For Yourself?

All that shopping for other people can lead to a little splurge or two on yourself! The categories above are good for gifts as you get the "new bag" experience with all the wrapping and boxes and that new bag smell! But if you're looking for a bag for you, why not try the preloved market? Easier on the wallet and the environment! Sites like Fashionphile, Yoogi's Closet, Bag Mad Boutique, Vestiaire Collective make it easy to snap up an authenticated designer bag at a bargain price - just be sure to review all the pictures and description carefully so you know what to expect with the condition. eBay is an option too, but I highly suggest using an authentication service like Authenticate First before buying anything designer from eBay.

Shop Local

There are so many local businesses who would really appreciate your support this Christmas. In the sprit of shopping small and supporting local that's so needed for  2020, I wanted to share some. While they are certainly not all bag based they have a lot of great gift ideas to surprise, spoil or entertain your loved ones this Christmas.

For The Little Ones:

• Little Birdie Books (get 15% off with code 'TOPKNOT') 
• Keeping Kids Busy (get 15% off with code 'BLACKFRIDAY')
• Kids Craft Box

For The Grown Ups:

• Yondale Designs - beautiful silver jewellery that will be treasured for years to come (I have two cuffs I adore from this company that I never remove from my wrist)
• Handbags on Etsy - you can filter for the perfect gift from your country, state or city!
• Katherine By Katherine - vegan friendly handbags and accessories, made in Brisbane!
• Fashion Scarf Girl - another Queensland mum, with multi-buy scarf discounts! (I have been a brand rep for this company in the past and I have also bought a lot of her scarves with my own money!)

Have fun shopping and finding that something special to bring yourself or someone you love a little bit of joy this year!

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Navy and Green Kimono Outfits With Grey Tees And Micro Bedford Bag

Another Wednesday post! I'm still not back to my regular 3 times a week posting I was pre-pandemic as I just don't get out of loungewear that many times a week yet! But I wanted to share two outfit posts this week, and on Friday I'll have my special annual gift guide post.

Two outfits with similar colour schemes and outfit formulas, but both look very different despite featuring navy kimonos, grey tees, green and the same little Rebecca Minkoff micro Bedford bag.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Kensley summer tie-dye kimono
Necklace: thrifted Equip gold and marble station necklace
Tee: Atmos&Here charcoal grey v neck tee
Jeans: thrifted ASOS petite green skinny jeans
Shoes: slim navy and pink Havaianas
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Micro Bedford zip satchel in twilight

Why I wore it:

Simple jeans and tee outfit for a busy day with the school run, working from home, and an appointment for my son in the afternoon. The grey tee and the green jeans are a combination I've worn a few times in the past, but I couldn't resist changing it up a little bit this time with the navy tie dye kimono on top. I thought it went nicely with the green jeans and it was a fun bit of match-matchy with the navy Rebecca Minkoff micro Bedford bag, and the navy Havaianas.

I really liked this outfit - nice and comfortable and practical for working from home and rushing around between school pickup and the afternoon appointment. I was glad I'd picked jeans to wear as the wind really picked up in the afternoon and it was actually a bit chilly on our way home from the appointment!

Last worn: tie dye kimono, marble station necklace, dark grey tee, green skinny jeans, Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff micro Bedford bag.

Other ways to wear: tie dye kimono and shorts, dark grey tee worn 30 ways, green skinny jeans with mustard, Rebecca Minkoff micro Bedford bag and maxi skirt.

Perfect for pregnancy: dark grey tee in third trimester.

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Review and First Impressions: Rebecca Minkoff Micro Bedford Bag

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Melanie floral kimono
Necklace: Starfish Project Hannah turquoise bead necklace
Tee: thrifted Cotton on grey tunic tee
Shorts: Jeanswest Tessa olive embroidered shorts
Shoes: New Balance Coast women's running shoe in black 
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Micro Bedford zip satchel in twilight

Why I wore it:

I really liked the colours in this outfit! Just like the first outfit, it was a grey tee with green and a navy kimono, and that little Rebecca Minkoff micro Bedford bag. This time around though it was olive shorts instead of jeans, as the weather had warmed up a lot. The navy floral print kimono adds even more colour too, as does the green beaded necklace.

I thought that this grey tunic would go nicely with the pull on olive shorts - while they are both very relaxed fits I like the casualness of the outfit with the two loose pieces together, and I felt the long line of the kimono pulled it together a bit more to stop it looking too messy. Again I really liked this outfit! After the school drop off in the morning we went for a walk along our fave trail. Walking around the water was not the smartest idea after the storms that weekend though, especially when I forgot to put on mozzie repellent! I was bitten so much, ended up walking around a lot quicker than normal trying to stop my legs getting bitten 😂

Our grocery order was due to arrive the next day but I'd run out of some things for lunchboxes and it wouldn't arrive early enough in the morning, so had to go for a quick grocery shop after. Was nice to cool off my multiple bug bites in the air conditioning! And I took the opportunity to have a little browse of the shopping centre for some more Christmas gifts as well. I've purchased most of my Christmas gifts (I want to be really organised this year with all the online orders slowing down the postal service a little) but there's always a few extra things to buy!

Last worn: navy duster kimono, green beaded necklace, grey tunic tee, olive embroidered shorts, New Balance sneakers, Rebecca Minkoff micro Bedford (above).
 
Other ways to wear: navy duster kimono and skater dress, grey tunic tee and pencil skirt, olive embroidered shorts and printed tank, Rebecca Minkoff micro Bedford and floral dress.

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How You Can Wear It:

Blue and green is a colour combo that should definitely be seen! It's easy to pair any shade of green with navy, as you can see here with the forest green and the olive working well against the navy kimonos.

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