Reminiscing Autumn

Tonight I am huddled by the fireplace in a woolen blanket, clutching at my knitting needles with icy-cold fingers and deciding that I'd rather eat tinned soup than brave the night air for a supermarket trip. I think it's finally time to accept that Autumn is well and truly over.

And yet, the beauty of neglecting my blog these last few months is that now, in the midst of a New England Winter, I can re-live my Autumn adventures. So, for the duration of this post, let's pretend that tomorrow it really will be sunny enough to wear pretty skirts and wander through leaf-littered parks, breathing in the smell of wood-fire smoke on the afternoon air.

After living in Armidale for almost one and a half years, I still haven't discovered all of the beautiful parks and gardens it has to offer. It might not be as exciting as the many nightclubs and designer boutiques available in larger cities, but when I find myself buried beneath a pile of readings and essays, a walk in the fresh air, some peace and quiet, and all this beautiful scenery is far more motivating than a crowded train ride or a busy street.

The following photos were taken on a little adventure to Gostwyck Chapel :)

 Follow me on Instagram for more of my adventures!

Collecting Adventures

Blue Mountains, NSW.

Lately I have been collecting adventures. It's a lot like collecting stamps or buttons, only perhaps a little more interesting to general society.

Not all adventures have to happen very far from home; neither do they all need to be exciting or even very pleasant. But each one is something that cannot be replicated; something out of the ordinary that you can look back on, in uninspiring times, as a reminder that you have been to beautiful places and seen beautiful things. Each snapshot, like each stamp, has a story that reminds you of a lesson you might have learned, a new idea or feeling you might have since forgotten.

My latest adventure was a visit to the Blue Mountains - the perfect place to find that important sense of perspective that we all occasionally lose.

Echo Point, Katoomba.

Three Sisters, Katoomba.

While exploring the Blue Mountains, I attended an inspiring etching demonstration at the house/gallery of one of my favourite artists - Norman Lindsay! Most commonly known these days as the author and illustrator of The Magic Pudding, but famous in the art world for his amazing and often controversial etchings and prints (click image for source).

'Little Mermaid'

'Under the Stars'

So, my wonderful imaginary readers, what inspired or changed you on your last adventure?

New Years Resolutions

So it's 2013, the world didn't end, and my long-lost little blog begins the year with a new name, a new face, and a new-found confidence.

Later, 2012!!

A lot of people don't care much for new years resolutions - many stress that if a change is needed, why not start right away? Why instead delude ourselves into thinking that the house will be far easier to clean, and that the gym membership will be far more useful, if we wait until the first of January? This philosophy makes a lot of sense, and I envy those who need no special motivation for such things.

I, however, have always been a firm believer in procrastination.

Finding the right motivation is like searching for the right sized batteries. You know there are some in the house, but they are hidden away in a crawlspace that will only materialize once you have forgotten why it was you needed them, and have started searching for a pen instead.
And sometimes, for people like me, the romantic concept of a fresh new year is just the right motivation for all those little things that seemed just a bit too special for mid-November.

So after that lengthy justification, here are the more romantic of my resolutions for the year:

1.  I will spend more time surrounded by beautiful scenery.

Manning Valley, NSW.

Great Lakes, NSW

2. I will focus on the little details, in both my sewing and life in general.

 3. I will create things for myself with just as much care and dedication as I put into gifts for others. Every item should be beautiful, inside and out.

This shirt will have a post of its own someday!

Life and Things.

Due to life and all the things involved, I have been a terrible blogger of late. Fortunately though, my absence has been fruitful, and I have plenty to post about. Such as a two week trip, during which I drank many many cups of hot chocolate...

Something particularly exciting (for me at least) is my new smart phone! You see, I have only ever owned about two very old and very second hand phones in my life, and have always been content with being able to call and text, and take terrible photos that I can't really do anything with. It seems unnecessary to own three ridiculously expensive devices that all play music, take photos, and act like computers, yet go and buy the next one that comes out simply because it's better. I would prefer to be appreciative of how amazing the technology is for at least a few years before it is replaced, realising that some places don't even have running water.

However, my brick of a phone was beginning to die and I finally decided it was about time to spend some of my earnings on one of those newfangled things that take pretty photos. And I will admit, after the first few hours worrying about the sickening hole in my bank account where money used to be, I started to get a bit excited...

So now I should share the reason for my recent blogless existence with some photographs of my two week trip to Tasmania:

(Read more to see pretty pictures)