Birthday Party Maxi Dresses For Any Weather with Rebecca Minkoff Small Love Bag in Pale Coral

Maxi dresses work for so many different occasions. They are my go-to outfit for birthday celebrations, comfortable enough when running around with kids, but dressy enough and look like you've put a lot more effort in than you really have! For two recent birthday events, I wore my new Rebecca Minkoff small Love bag I bought in the recent sale, even though I wore different layers for each outfit to match the different temperatures. Maxi dresses are so easy to layer up or down.

What I wore:

Dress: Jeanswest Heather textured maxi dress in eggshell (C/O)
Belt: came with dress
Bracelets: the usual plus vintage charm bracelet
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff chevron quilted small Love crossbody bag in pale coral

Why I wore it:

This is what I wore for my eldest's 4th birthday party. Crazy to think I have a 4 year old already!

I'll be honest here, I never left the house so the bag was basically just for show. (That's also why I didn't wear shoes). I love the pale coral against the mint colour of the maxi dress. My plan was to have the bag hanging off a chair with my phone, camera and keys in it so I always knew where everything was through the party. Unfortunately, I realised at the last minute that the bag is so small my camera (Sony Alpha) didn't fit in it, so that was a bit of a fail.

As much as I love this dress, the tie waist was a little inconvenient, with one of my boys untying it while playing with it as we sang happy birthday. When the dress is tied up it creates a blouson effect that you can see in the pics. When it's untied, it's much too long on my petite frame, ha! I spent the rest of the party furiously tying it back up every time it untied itself or was untied by an accidental tug.

Despite the bag not being big enough and the frequent belt retying that went on, I did like this outfit. The dress is a beautiful colour and a maxi dress is such an easy option when hosting a birthday party - just throw it on and you're done!


Last worn: grecian maxi dress, Rebecca Minkoff coral chevron small Love bag.

Other ways to wear: grecian maxi dress in summer, Rebecca Minkoff coral chevron small Love bag and skinny jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: grecian maxi dress in second trimester.

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 In case you missed it, the unboxing of my new small Love bag video is here:



(including my first thoughts on the very orange-y coral!)

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What I wore:

Jacket: Asos Black by Markus Lupfer printed leather jacket
Earrings: A Little Bit of North blue mandala earrings (giveaway prize, close up photo)
Scarf: Love Quotes knotted tassel linen scarf in sunshine yellow
Dress: Jeanswest 'Elodie' tie dye grey jersey maxi dress
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff chevron quilted small Love crossbody bag in pale coral

Why I wore it:

First, can we talk about how great that Insta photo is?! My friend is the best photographer and the rooftop bar had this perfectly instagrammable wall for us to use in our pics (16 Antlers if you're ever in Brisbane). It got a lot of love on Instagram when I posted it.

I wore this for another birthday party, but unlike the first outfit, this was a girly night out. I layered up in anticipation of the cold weather, by adding ankle boots, a leather jacket and a big blanket scarf to this summer maxi dress. It wasn't that chilly at the start of the night, but when we ended up cruising up and down the Brisbane river on the ferry, I was glad of all my extra layers!

It was the perfect first outing for my little Rebecca Minkoff love bag - I thought the bright yellow scarf worked nicely with the peachy colour of the bag. Not the first time I've worn yellow with this grey tie dye maxi dress either. I really like the combination.

As I was kid free I put on my prettiest dangly earrings too, and indulged in a few cocktails. It was such a fun night. Even if it was rather chilly at the end, my layers were perfect for it.


Last worn: printed leather jacket, Love Quotes yellow scarf, tie dye maxi dress, black ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff small coral chevron love bag (above).

Other ways to wear: printed leather jacket worn 30 ways, Love Quotes yellow scarf and printed dress, tie dye maxi dress and kimono, black ankle boots,  Rebecca Minkoff small chevron Love bag and skinny jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: Love Quotes yellow scarf in second trimester, tie dye maxi dress at 38 weeks, black ankle boots in second trimester.

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Maxi Dresses Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

A maxi dress works for a night out in a bar toasting your friend with cocktails, or a casual catch up for a kid's birthday party. It really is a go-anywhere option, and a perfect choice for a busy mum as it's an instant outfit. Of course a maxi dress can work no matter the weather too! Ankle boots, a leather jacket and scarf make it suitable for cold weather, or you can wear it on its own layer free for a warmer day.


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Two Ways To Wear: Coca-Cola Stripe Logo Tee

Most of my opshop purchases are impulse buys, like this tee! It's rare for me to have enough luck to go thrifting for something specific and find it. I was so thrilled to come across this striped Coca Cola logo tee though, for just $1 (the whole rack was 8 pieces for $4, but there is limited browsing time when your child suddenly announces he needs to pee!). Since logo tees are perfectly on trend, I knew it would be an easy piece to add to my wardrobe. Here's two different ways I've worn it. Both involving a little print mixing!

What I wore:

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket
Tee: thrifted navy stripe Coca-Cola logo tee
Skirt:  thrifted Billabong red printed maxi skirt
Shoes: Asos leather Chelsea boots in tan
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Love cross body bag in grey with Rebecca Minkoff Crystal Star Shoulder Guitar strap

Why I wore it:

A not so chilly winter morning meant I could take my opportunity to wear my denim jacket. It's going to sit unworn in my wardrobe for a couple months until winter is over now! It wasn't too cold to wear in the morning but was a little cooler in the evening. The Chelsea leather ankle boots helped keep me cosy too.

I did the day car drop off and pick up and worked from home. This outfit was perfect for that, I do really like this red maxi skirt with the denim jacket, and I wanted to wear that combination again (I last wore the denim jacket and red maxi skirt here). I thought the striped tee was a good print mix with the print on the skirt, and the red logo tied in perfectly. I really loved this outfit!

Was all so easy to put together, and so comfortable.


Last worn: denim jacket, red boho print maxi skirt, Chelsea leather ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff studded guitar strap, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag. First time I've worn the Coca-Cola tee as it's a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: 30 ways to wear a denim jacket, red boho print maxi skirt on Christmas Eve, Chelsea leather ankle boots and burgundy pants, Rebecca Minkoff studded guitar strap and Regan bag, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag and printed shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: denim jacket in second trimester, Chelsea leather ankle boots in second trimester, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag in third trimester.

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Rebecca Minkoff Handbag Collection:

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What I wore:

Jacket:  Zara cream jersey blazer
Scarf: navy bird print scarf
Tee: thrifted navy stripe Coca-Cola logo tee
Jeans: Jeanswest prima denim super skinny jeans in absolute black
Shoes: Asos Cleo leather boots in tan
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff unlined saddle bag in cherry red (on sale in blue!)

Why I wore it:

Another little touch of print mixing with this tee. Unlike the outfit above, I did wish this outfit was a little warmer when I sat outside in the playground with the boys. It was so funny as the kids were running around playing happily and us mums were shivering and trying to find the warmest (sunny and not as windy) spots to watch the kids playing!

Aside from wishing I'd worn something a bit warmer than a blazer, I did like this outfit. I wanted to pick out the navy stripes from this tee for a bit of matchy-matchy. This bird print scarf was so perfect. I loved the colour combo and the print mixing was nice too. I've worn this scarf with stripes before and enjoyed it then too.

I did add just a little touch of red with the bag - the red logo is fun as a pop of red on it's own, and I'll need to try that next time I wear it, but if you've read my blog a while you will know I can't resist a little matchy matchy-ness!


Last worn: cream blazer, logo tee (above), navy bird print scarf, Prima skinny jeans, tan boots, Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag.

Other ways to wear: cream blazer worn 30 ways, navy bird print scarf and maxi skirt, Prima skinny jeans and purple cardi, tan boots and a shift dress, Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: cream blazer in second trimester, Prima skinny jeans in second trimester.

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Coca Cola Tees Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:
Stripes are such an easy print to try print mixing with. If you're not a fan of print mixing though, you can still take some inspiration from the outfits above. Pick out a colour from your logo or striped tee and wear coordinating pieces like the red skirt in the first outfit, or coordinating accessories like the red dress and navy scarf in the second outfit.



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Embroidered Tops In the Office With Balenciaga Bags

After a rough week of feeling unwell and working from home, I felt well enough to return to the office. I decided to wear some of my embroidered pieces to boost my mood. I love embroidery, but it's been a while since I wore these tops so it was definitely overdue.

What I wore:

Jacket: Zara cream jersey blazer

Scarf: Louis Vuitton monogram shawl in bleu
Blouse: Jeanswest Elise longline embroidered shirt in coconut blue
Pants: Jeanswest 'Fiona' skinny leg pant in shiraz
Shoes: Asos leather Chelsea boots in tan
Bag: Balenciaga part time in black 2010 with SGH

Why I wore it:

Unfortunately, despite having regained most of my voice the day before, constantly greeting people in the office and explaining that I had almost lost my voice resulted in me pretty much losing my voice  again before lunch time! While meetings were difficult, they weren't impossible. I felt able to follow along mentally even if I couldn't contribute much to the discussions. There was a lot of pointing and gesturing at screens. Thank goodness for being able to use messaging apps to communicate with my colleagues in other offices rather than picking up the phone!

Lack of voice aside, I wanted to bundle up warmly as it was predicted to be one of the coldest winter days, with single digit temperatures. I'm from Brisbane, 8 degrees Celsius is freezing to us! I picked my cosiest scarf, this Louis Vuitton monogram shawl. The night before as I'd planned my outfits I'd tied it so it was more like a snood / infinity scarf. As I shared on Instagram though, it wasn't as easy to replicate on a cold and dark morning. I didn't realise it looked quite so messy until I saw the pics. Oh well, it definitely kept me warm.


Probably could have picked a warmer jacket over this blazer, and maybe not rolled my pants up to expose my ankles on such a cold day. I did love this outfit otherwise though, it was perfect for the day at work, just not so much for a nearly freezing commute!


Last worn: cream blazer, embroidered blouse, Louis Vuitton monogram shawl, burgundy pants, Chelsea leather ankle boots, Balenciaga Part Time bag.

Other ways to wear: cream blazer worn 30 ways, embroidered blouse and shorts, Louis Vuitton monogram shawl and pink skirt, burgundy pants tucked into boots, Chelsea leather ankle boots and maxi dress, Balenciaga Part Time bag and summer shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: cream blazer in second trimester, burgundy pants in first trimester, Chelsea leather ankle boots in second trimester, Balenciaga Part Time bag in third trimester.

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My Complete Balenciaga Collection (updated for 2018!)

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What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 

Scarf: Nali feather print pashmina scarf
Top: Target embroidered khaki tank
Skirt: Jeanswest black ponte pencil skirt
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Balenciaga truffle brown RH classic day bag

Why I wore it:

Thought I'd wear this embroidered peasant tank to the office, as I was surprised to realise I'd never done that yet. I love this and wore it a lot while breastfeeding. It's a long flowy tunic length, perfect for lifting up slightly to feed baby but keeping your stomach covered still. It worked well in the office too! I can't believe this is the first time I've worn this top this year, it's a favourite and has been neglected too long.


While I didn't wear the trench coat in the office and swapped to a cardigan, I did enjoy all the brown tones in this outfit when I wore the trench. The scarf looks a bit crumpled from being in storage and I briefly considered ironing it, but just wore it anyway. Creases happen!

Just like the day above, my voice was better in the morning and almost non existent by the end of the day. While the day started off great with a cup of free chocolates and then lunch being provided at the office, my voice and I were exhausted by mid afternoon. I had a late meeting right before I left and my colleague was sliding me throat lozenges across the desk when she heard me trying to speak on the call! 😂


Last worn: camel trench, feather print scarf, khaki embroidered tank, black pencil skirt, black ankle boots, Balenciaga truffle day bag.

Other ways to wear: camel trench and wrap dress, feather print scarf with orange outfit, khaki embroidered tank and summer shorts, black pencil skirt for YouTube Creator Day, black ankle boots worn 30 ways, Balenciaga truffle day bag and navy dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: camel trench in first trimester, pencil skirt in second trimester, black ankle boots and pregnancy reveal, truffle day bag for second trimester travel.

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Embroidered Tops Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

The embroidery trend doesn't have to be restricted to casual wear! While embroidered denim might not fit an office dress code, and embroidered tank or blouse is perfect. You can always make them a little more formal for the workplace with a blazer or pencil skirt.


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