Two Ways To Wear: Green Jeans and Printed Tanks

These green jeans have been on repeat lately! A lucky opshop find two years ago, they were just $5. I've been so close to 30 wears with them, and thanks to my frequent rewearing this spring I have a 30 wears post coming up next week with them!

Wore them very simply for breezy spring days with printed tanks, sneakers and little Rebecca Minkoff crossbody bags.

What I wore:

Necklace: navy and silver circle pendant tassel necklace
Top: Jeanswest 'Rowena' print tank
Jeans: thrifted ASOS petite green skinny jeans
Shoes: New Balance Coast women's running shoe in black 
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC

Why I wore it:

While I've shared outfits with these sneakers before on the blog, this was the first time I wore them out. I wanted to try a sporty kind of look but I don't really have a sporty wardrobe! Decided to go with the printed tank, the green jeans for a bit of colour and my little Rebecca Minkoff silver crossbody bag as it goes with everything!

It was threatening to rain and a pretty overcast morning, and a little windy, but we took a chance after school drop off and went to my fave trail to test out my new shoes properly. Luckily it didn't rain, and we had the whole place to ourselves! Usually even though we don't see other people due to the nature of the trail we see a car or two in the carpark, but not a single other person was there. It was wonderfully relaxing! My shoes held up pretty well too, I'm glad I replaced my old ones with these, although I hope my knee injury continues to heal so I can get back to regular shoes more often and don't need to wear these as much!

Last worn: animal print tank, tassel necklace, green skinny jeans, New Balance sneakers, Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC.

Other ways to wear: animal print tank and maxi skirt, green skinny jeans with yellow, Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC and maxi dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: animal print tank in second trimester, Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC in third trimester.

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Comparison of Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC and MAB Camera Bag

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What I wore:

Necklace: ZuriCollections blue polymer clay necklace
Tank: Jeanswest 'Josie' striped back strap tank
Jeans: thrifted ASOS petite green skinny jeans
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB Camera Bag in almond

Why I wore it:

Surprisingly, despite wearing stripes with these green skinny jeans a lot, I hadn't worn this striped tank with them before! I was sure I had, but looking back on the blog I can see I haven't! It's a really easy pairing, colourful jeans and a printed tank, just the same as the outfit above, but the different print changes it up a little. Was very comfortable for the school run and working from home on another breezy day.

Picked a neutral bag, this little tan Rebecca Minkoff MAB camera bag that hadn't been worn in a while. And to match the white tank I went with my white converse All Stars. Such a good combination, and one I've worn before, I like the matchy-matchy of the tank and shoes together.

Last worn: striped tank, clay necklace, green skinny jeans (above), white Converse Chucks, Rebecca Minkoff MAB camera bag.

Other ways to wear: striped tank and shorts, green skinny jeans and floral kimono, white Converse Chucks and shorts, Rebecca Minkoff MAB camera bag and floral dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: striped tank at 37 weeks, white Converse Chucks in second trimester.

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How You Can Wear It:

A printed tank - in any print - is an easy choice with a colourful pair of jeans. It works well for spring and is easy to layer up a little with a cardigan or denim jacket in the cooler weather.

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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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