away with friends

Its taken some organisation to get seven lovely, busy friends away at the same time, its been way too long since our last big trip to Melbourne.

This weekend though saw us finally all away together at this great big house I found in the Southern Highlands, tucked away on land at the end of the road, bordered on three sides by the stunning Mount Gibralter Nature Reserve.

The house booked online turned out to be a great find. It boasts lots of bedrooms with crisp white sheets and big fluffy towels, two sitting rooms, one cosy with big stuffed couches and a wood fireplace, another light filled space with floor to ceiling picture windows looking out on the beautiful view. There was even a piano room, though we didn't get round to a singalong, this time!

On Saturday we lunched at the great Berkelouw Book Barn out of Berrima. My friend Jane comes here often and it didn't disappoint. The big light dining space is surrounded by shelves and shelves of books and bordered by a 15 foot sandstone fireplace. Sadly my phone battery died before I could take any good photos, but I did manage to immortalise my lunch of Blue Swimmer crab linguine with chilli and lemon zest, the important stuff! We had a long slow lunch tucked away out of the rain and cold catching up on our busy lives.

Yesterday after a slow breakfast at home we hit Bowral for coffee at the cosy Elephant Boy cafe in main street Bowral. We then spent a couple of hours of shopping, including  a browse at the lovely shop Three Wise Monkeys, and an inspiring visit to the Dirty Jane's antique market, a great find of lots of vintage sellers together under one roof. Both kept us distracted and happy for a good while.  We finished our time away with a very late lunch of potato and leek soup back at Elephant Boy, surrounded again with beautiful old books, before packing up and heading home.

I love these girls, and it was inspiring and relaxing to spend good long hours together, having time to catch up properly and talk about work, family, life and love. We fitted in a long walk one day before the rain started, and stayed up late into the night laughing in our pyjamas round the flickering fire.

I came back with few physical souvenirs, but lots of lovely memories and conversations to ponder, and another rich layer to each of these precious friendships. And plans for another trip, much sooner this time!

An old favourite

I've been running around in circles this week!

I have some new fabrics I'm hoping to share but wanted to finish a little sewing project before I do.

So I got the fabrics cut out, found all the notions, pinned it together, but then... I couldn't find the zipper feet for my sewing machine, anywhere!

Hmm, it slowly came back to me, I put both my zipper feet somewhere 'safe' after taking them over to a friend's house. They were in my pocket and I distinctly remember taking them out and stashing them. Somewhere safe!

I'll spare you the two days of looking everywhere. The frustration of searching and not finding. Two days which turned into a long overdue reorganisation of all my many boxes of craft and make and stash.

After a while I started to enjoy the process of getting things organised. It felt good to be sorting the piles I'd made rushing through other projects. I've been meaning to sort them for a long time and it gave me time to think, to slow down and appreciate all I have previously done.

At one point I had a pile on the table of all my old and new fabrics together, and it made me very happy to see them together. It gave me a sense of achievement I'd been lacking.

And just as I settled to the task and gave up on those feet, they turned up.

My big reorganisation turned up some stock of this favourite tea towel, the Chalk filigree design. Folding and packaging led to an improptu photography session, and grabbing some simple props turned up those wayward feet - sitting innocently in a bowl on the sideboard!

Isn't it always the way that when you stop looking you find what you're searching for, when you stop stressing about what you haven't done you have time to see what you have.

Filigree tea towels in the Etsy shop.

social

 

When I am working on something I tend to lock myself away and retreat into my thoughts. I like the quiet and being able to give single minded attention to the project I'm obsessed with.

Other times I love the social. I love to chat and gossip and laugh and natter and share. I think it feeds me and keeps me sane and happy.

I need both sides and luckily they seem to find their own rhythm.

This past week has been a social one, three lunches out, a workshop to teach, two functions Saturday night and a soccer game yesterday. I've loved every minute of it.

I caught up with bloggers this week, and it confirmed my belief that they are as wonderful in real life as they are on their blogs. I love being able to have those particular bloggy conversations where you talk about shared inspiration, community, blogging, design, fabric, craft, magazines, life and the internet! And never have to explain what you're talking about or who's who!

It always proves to me what other non bloggy people doubt, that you can have online friendships that are as strong and true as those you share with people in your everyday. And that there are some amazing, clever, funny, talented people doing their thing in blogland.

Thank you Kidspot for inviting me to the Voices of 2013 launch. It was fun to get frocked up and celebrate the amazing local bloggers we have. I just wish I could have made the masterclass and had more time to catch up with the out of town peeps who were here.

Thank you to my workshop students and Melissa at SewMakeCreate for a fun couple of weeks. I've really enjoyed teaching, and sharing the art of stamp carving with others. We printed on fabric yesterday and I was so delighted when all the students turned up with new pieces carved and all inspired to make. If you're interested there is another class starting next month.

Thank you to our soccer and netball families, you make me laugh with your one eyed enthusiasm. Its nice to share the sidelines with the old faces and the new, shouting our teams on to greater heights and discussing tactics from the security of the non players section!

Thank you too to all my lunch pals, especially Tuyen for whipping up home made pho, and Jo (bubala) for gifting me one of your beautiful neon print pouches.

I love my social weeks, I don't get anything done, but it fuels me for the more introspective weeks where I wouldn't leave the house at all if I could wangle it!

Are you a socialite? Or do you like the quiet one on one and getting things done?