So long, January.

The last week of January was work, work, work, and house hunting and inspections (still) all of Saturday. Sunday was meant to be a day off, but the supervisor rostered on was sick, so I worked for her. I'd packed this dress to wear to dinner with boyfie after (Sunday was meant to be our fun date day, so we planned to try to make the most out of the rest of it) but we ended up meeting my parents and going to the movies to see Spotlight (about a team of journalists in Boston in the early 2000s who investigated allegations of Catholic priests having molested children for decades). It's a dramatically eye-opening film, based on true events. Worth a watch if you're interested.

This dress is from Modcloth and reminds me of Madeline. I adore it. Plain black cardigan is from Coco-Latte. Cotton tights are basic. Same Naughty Monkey wedges. The Luna bag is Sailor Moon inspired and available through several online retailers (try kokopieshop). I got this one from a seller on eBay. They'll definitely still be available; it was only a few months ago. It's been my favourite handbag ever since. It has ears! x

'Straya.

Happy 'Straya Day. As boyfie pointed out, it's cool to have a national day, but they should change the date of it. Right now, we celebrate our national holiday on the day the British colonised New South Wales. Many activists fondly refer to Australia Day as "Invasion Day", which is pretty much true, and which makes it all very uncomfortable considering the majority of the young, educated population of Australia is all for equality in every way. It would be appropriate to change the date of Australia Day. It's not fine to celebrate only one version of Australia's history, especially the one that silences the voices of Australian indigenous and minority groups. Contrary to popular belief, we actually have multiple histories stretching much farther back than the last two hundred years. Perhaps if or when Australia becomes a republic it'll be a thing that happens. Maybe it can replace Sorry Day. I'd be okay with that.

This dress is one of my most faithful. I'm fond of polka dots, in case you hadn't realised yet. It also has a super cute scalloped collar. It was from Coco-Latte about five years ago, and cost me twenty bucks. The brown belt came with something else - I can't remember what. Pink frilled socks are from a sock shop in Harajuku's Takeshita-dori, and the shoes are from a little shoe shop in Fujisawa, when I visited on the way to Kamakura with a Japanese friend who likes basketball and trying new foods. They were both inexpensive. I love oxfords and brogues of all kinds. If I wasn't trying to avoid buying new things, I'd invest in more. Hue hue hue. x

Happy birthday to me.

January 4 is my birthday, yay. If you can guess how old I turned this year, then... you'll have the satisfaction of being correct (and who doesn't enjoy that?). I was weird about my birthday this year. I love celebrating other people's birthdays, but honestly, I didn't really want mine. The older I get, the more uncomfortable I am about being the centre of attention. It's probably because I was an attention-seeking asshole when I was a teenager, which I've come to find detestable in young people. 

Anyway, it ended up being a lovely day. Traditional birthday breakfast with my family at our favourite brekky cafe, then cake with my grandparents, a summery walk through Sherbrooke Forest (no, not Sherwood Forest) in the Dandenong Ranges with boyfie - to a waterfall! - followed by afternoon tea with my other grandma, and polished off with dinner at Meat & Wine Co., a trendy steakhouse in a converted old bank. Plus boyfie transformed his bedroom into a temporary day spa and gave me a massage complete with meditative music, candles and delicious massage oil. Pretty awesome. He did good.

This dress is my birthday dress. I ordered it last year during a barrage of deadlines, as a reward for surviving that particularly difficult week. Hashtag unilyf. It's so gorgeous, all covered in cupcakes and strawberries and sprinkles, and I absolutely adore it. Look at that polka dot netted sweetheart neckline. Ugh. Even more amazingly, it's completely handmade by the lovely girls over at bonnechancecollections. Definitely check their shop out, they hand make beautiful one-of-a-kind party dresses with the most adorable designs and prints. Completely affordable, too. Mine cost about $50AUD. I belted it with an off-white belt that came with the Polite and Day dress from Modcloth. The wedge sandals were about twenty bucks from Famous Footwear, and my super rad soft-serve handbag was a gift from boyfie. x