Canberra Weekend for the 1920s Ball

I snuck out of work a little early on Friday afternoon and headed straight to the airport. After a bit of a scare that I wouldn't be able to find a 'long stay' parking bay, I nabbed one and headed to the terminal, just in time to board the flight. We had our own personal TVs (I love it when you get one of Qantas' newer planes!) so I watched 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' and a few episodes of Outnumbered. I enjoyed the movie, it is an uplifting, feel-good flick, and although the portrayal of India is quite unrealistic, it brought back some nice memories of my travels there.

As the plane started to descend, we hit turbulence and I got to the point where I thought I would have to throw up into my airsick bag. It probably didn't help that the lady sitting next to me was gripping the armrests for dear life and screeching, which was making me stressed. Thankfully it didn't get to that and we landed in one piece. I don't know how I manage to get seated next to bad fliers or annoying people more often than not, this is the second time I have had a near hysterical stranger next to me.

Our first stop on Saturday morning was Two for Joy Café in Kingston, which used to be called Pizzazz. It has the same menu and staff, so I think they just refurbished the inside. The sweet options there are still amazing – we had the lime and pistachio hotcakes with honey ricotta, fresh strawberries, raspberries, kiwifruit and raspberry coulee:  

After that, we fit in an afternoon nap before starting the pre-ball preening process. Here are some photos from the night:

 

I am standing on the right. I ended up borrowing my sister's school ball dress which was a little dissapointing given how long I spent searching for the perfect 1920's dress (but could not find anything I wanted to spend $$$ on!). Still, I think I ended up looking nice and my long gloves and beaded alice band ensured I fit the theme.

 More gorgeous girls... everyone put so much effort into their costumes!

 

I love my friend's headpiece, which she sourced from etsy...

 



I never said I wasn't immature... ;-) I am not talented enough to make a dog out of a champagne bottle foil, but I fed it some butter.

Sunday saw us tired and hung-over but I was not about to waste the short time I had, so we made it to brunch with 'the girls'. It was lovely to sit in the sunshine and catch up at Bicicletta, which has a very unique outside courtyard. It is set in the 'New Acton' art district which has a smattering of interesting sculptures in addition to award winning modern apartment buildings which are marketed as 'architectural art'. I think I could live in this funky area…

One of the many statues - this one is called 'Time Thief' (source and explanation) 

 

Speaking of funky, my friend's housemate's collection of Mr Potato Heads is brilliant, don't you think?

 

 

The afternoon contained more catch-ups with friends and then I boarded my flight home to Perth. It was a thoroughly enjoyable weekend!