Short Break

Em and I just had four glorious days in Bright. Lots of walking Toby, reading, eating. It was the last weekend of the Bright Autumn Festival - the leaves, trees - just a blur of burnished golds and reds. We had dinner one night at Simone's!! which was the best Italian food I've had in a very long time.

This time yesterday Em and I were collecting chestnuts with Toby! Sigh... we gathered quite a lot so last night I had a look at Stephanie's advice...I think I'll boil them up and remove the pulp and add it to soup sometime this week.

While some people did this...

we did this...

This was one amazing Devonshire Tea...sitting in a perfect garden with weak late afternoon light listening (in!) to the chatter of elderly ladies at the next table. It was like we'd walked onto the set of some BBC drama. Perfection.

Speaking of - I was reading Posie Gets Cozy post about Wives and Daughters so I got myself and copy on dvd and Em and I watched it on the weekend. Loved it!

The Canyon Walk.

Toby got thirsty...

This is where we stayed: High Country Lavender. Dog friendly and surrounded by bush and hills. Perfect. The light, the air was just so clear and fresh.

The weather was great - every sunset the leaves looked as though they'd caught fire.

Thanks for looking!

Looky here...

Here are the stunning dolls that Emma gave me for my birthday. On the left is Greta and on the right, Harper. The artist who made these amazing creatures is Christine Alvarado from Du Buh Du Designs. These shots were taken in haste. Harper is wearing a tiny locket and inside is a photo of portrait of Oscar Wilde (I think Christine drew that, too). Each doll came with a tiny portrait. Christine's work looks amazing on her website but up close, the details are so incredible - the clothes, expressions - the weight of the dolls and how their limbs move. I'm very lucky. Thanks Em.xxx.

Picture this.

So this is my 40th gift from my family. Yay! I've been pouring over these pages every day since Sunday. I just know it's one of those books that I'll have forever. You can read more about Charley Harper here. There's quite a lengthy interview with Charley by Todd Oldham in the very front of the book - a kind of Q&A. You get the impression Charley was a very modest, nature-oving guy who adored his wife and his art.
Every page is spectacular, so much colour/imagination/shape/form - endlessly inspiring. This book is HUGE - it's like having five stone tiles on your lap but that means the pages are massive and some of Harper's illustrations just launch off the page. Here are just a few images...enjoy.

Thank you Dad, Christine, Helene, John, Rianna, Dion, Bridget, Ann, Garry, Lizzie, Sean, Ty, Mick, Bernice, Vince, Catherine, Christopher, Leonie, Peter, Lauren, Charlie, Ria and Geraldine. I love it.

Birthday and In and Out of Love....

Well. I turned 40 on Saturday and just then, right then...I accidentally typed 30! I had a brilliant weekend; lots of friend and family and only a few minor dramas. When you have six sisters, 11 nieces and nephews, five brother-in-laws and one dad - dramas do happen. Emma, the total sweet-heart, was the mastermind behind organising a cake and making dinner plans and co-ordinating everyone for lunch yesterday. I was spoilt rotten:) and I will be posting pictures very soon. Oh yes I will.


I haven't made much lately...still crocheting squares. I started last June! My ripple blanket is quite big but I must admit - I'm not totally in love with it.

What do I do? Drop it and start another? Plough on and hope things improve? Learn to love the ripple I have? I've made such a commitment - hours have gone into it but what I have is a wonky, un-even sided blur of colour. I've learned a lot - so maybe....I start a new?
Here is a picture - I found these old plastic toys. Cute? I think so.

Day Tripper

I've been to so many inspiring places lately.
I'd love to learn how to make these and I love this new design by this super talented person.

I think these are going to be really yummy. I want to make a note of this book and save up an buy another one of these amazing creatures. When I'm after a laugh - this person never fails and when I want to feast my eyes I go here. When I feel like getting lost in the woods, I go here and here....and last but not least - a friend is always here.

I've had this image floating around for ages. I took it at a temple in Kyoto last October. I still remember the feeling of tranquility - the gardens were so quiet and green and the incense haze was a mix of subtle spices.

A Little Breakfast?

I got these tiny wee things from Tokyo last October. They are crazy tiny - thumbnail size and yes...

the heart-shaped egg flips out of the pan. I adore Japan!

Here's the black scarf. I'm using Patons Merino Totem which has a lovely weight to it - smooth to work with, too. I have one more ball and I'm done.

Afternoon Tea...I'm reading Twilight for work - a long story. I can see why her target audience would loves these books.

The ginger creams were heaven - got the recipe from Good Weekend two weeks ago. Yum.

All the leaves are brown.

The only crafty thing I'm doing right now is a long black scarf...in double crochet. I usually get impaitent when I'm knitting scarves which is why I have a selection of very short scarves that aren't long enoug to fling over my shoulder. This time I made a pact with myself to slow down and get that extra length. Problem is - I'm enjoying the repetition of crochet so much - well, my scarf is getting rather long.

Saw Lars and the Real Girl last night. Em & I ...ahem, got teary.

What else? Plotting a return trip in Japan in October (insert evil cackle here).

On another note - loving the new season. The evening light is amazing - except today when all we have is haze. Sigh. Tomorrow will be better, I'm sure.

PICTURED ABOVE: Brown Leaf Contemplating Its Fall.

A lovely Lunch with Friends.

Sunday was a lovely, lazy lunch with friends. Look at those shadows. Autum is really here.

This little birdy caught my eye. If you tap his head...it gently sways.

Under the Bridge.

For three and a half years, Em and I lived 70kms out of Melbourne on 5 acres with a vegie patch and bird song in a little house that was built in 1855 with a veranda on two sides. We got up 5.45am every week-day and took the train to work - a two hour return trip. On weekends, friends came up and we did - pretty much nothing... kids played in the yard, we sat and talked and drank wine and the smell of gum trees and bbq was divine.
These days we live in Yarraville - it takes about 22 minutes to get to work - and that's on the train. There's cafes and a cinema and a bookshop right around the corner. I can buy Martha Stewart at the local newsagent - that's big smoke for you.
I really miss the country but the city is for me. Last night we took Toby for a walk near The Bridge. Sometimes it feels like we live under the West Gate Bridge - we don't but it's kind of in our back-yard - along with the petrol tanks which have their own kind of beauty. It was such a lovely sunset last night. I love autumn - the light is all sepia and nostalgic and in puts me the mood for books, blankets, cooking and old movies.