~ the view from here ~

kunanyi (Mt Wellington) as seen from our back deck last month.

This is the view that greets me each morning from our kitchen.  

It grounds me (and takes my breath away)

A familiar (and friendly) presence watching over us, our most reliable weather predictor, the beauty of our every day.

~ stills and snippets from our week ~

 

1.  Dahlia detail from my bargain bunch this week (The Flower Room is one of my favourite places to treat myself - flowers and home made bikkies)

2.  Valentine's snail mail* from a sweet IG friend, the perfect valentine's spud and a 4 leaf clover - what a great week.

3.  Tyre fun at the Bushy Park Pool on the long weekend Monday this week.

4.  One of these things is not like the other ones (the washi feathers I mentioned in this post)

5.  More details of my $6 bargain bunch.  Dahlias are so old-fashioned - I've fallen for them big time.

6.  A present from my hubby - my IG name is Sapa - not because of our Vietnamese holiday some years ago  - but a lovely coincidence - can't wait to make some Pho

7.  Cherries from the Farmgate market this morning (one of my favourite places to go on a Sunday morning) and gorgeously girly powder puff hydrangeas from my garden on my table (along with everything else that just seems to land there) this afternoon.

*The origrami card from my snail mail had a lovely quote on the back:

 Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.    Rilke

Hope your week has been as lovely (and lucky) as mine.

♥


I'm linking up with Emily at the Beetleshack where there are lots of lovely snippets to see x

~ stills as school starts again ~

1.  Pink themed accessories on my very pink bedside table this week.

2.  First day of school for 2014...they're not dentist's children but they're still incognito while I wrestle with how private their lives should be.  Jack is tossing iceberg petal confetti up and wishing someone a happy wedding.  He's been doing it all week.  Luckily there are loads of flowers.  This year marks the first year they're all at full-time school - and the only year they'll be altogether.  This mama is feeling a little lost without her follower at home.

3.  New shoes all round.  I haven't bought the girls school shoes this year as they do sport every day and we're only here for 10 weeks before we head off on the grand adventure.  I may or may not buy some when we get back.  Last year's are virtually unworn.

4.  On the way to school.  Hobart has been very sparkly and shiny all week (and then a mini hurricane tore through here this afternoon)

5.  Snail mail from a lovely IG friend.  She crocheted the stone cover and the photos are hers.  I'm still amazed at how generous the IG community is.

6.  Jack collected these from Kingston Beach yesterday - he's a forager just like his mum

7.  I labelled the pencils with washi tape but cheated and bought slip-on covers for the books this year.  Didn't feel like wrestling with contact!

Linking up with Em at the Beetleshack to share the little moments of my week.

♥ 

~ snippets ... mid-winter in Hobart ~

 

 

 

Dark MOFO hit Hobart this week and we've all been getting in the mood and celebrating all that is lovely about the dark and winter in Tassie.


1.  The skywhale in all her glory.  She was commissioned as part of the centenary celebrations in Canberra and visited here as part of our winter celebration week.  I found her curiously beautiful.  The children could not get past those boobies.

2.  Spectra a light installation by Ryoji Ikeda graced our skies all week (more MOFO action).  Sometimes shrouded in mist and fog and sometimes clear.  Beautiful and mesmerising.

3.  First night of the winter feast down at the wharves.  The shed looked beautiful - and the food and entertainment were fab.  We finished with Bruny Island icecream (it was 2 degrees outside) with hot salted caramel sauce...to die for!

4.  It's garlic planting time (apparently you are supposed to do it in the nude) - I'm wondering if this will grow. 

5.  School photos this week.  What a battle to get them all out of their sports gear and into real school shoes!

6.  They've been arranging shells.  Obsessive much?

7.  Details...I'm all about the little things

8.  While I'm busy pouring water on the windscreen, scraping off the ice and muttering under my breath about moving to Queensland they are happy to embrace the frost

9.  Daisy chains on the window ledge...little treasures and pieces of them everywhere I look.


 
I'm linking up with Em to share some snippets of life at our place. 

♥

~ lists of lists ~

{beside my bed}

{things I'd like in my fridge}

{good things about my town}

{a few of my favourite cookbooks}

I'm huddled in the study wishing I was in front of the fire.  Gosh its got cold.
I'm also wishing;   

• we had heating in here
•  I could blog from my ipad (I'm sure its possible - I just don't seem to have the necessary skill set)
• that the Fuji instax mini I ordered today would arrive soon

What's for dinner at your house?
What are you wishing for?
 
Are you making lists yet?  I'm making a list a week (roughly) as part of Pip's #52lists project on her blog and on IG.


♥

~ autumn's rainbow ~

The light beckoned me.
Warm, golden sunlight on a beautiful autumn day.
Sparkling, glowing, gorgeous light.
 
I followed it.
I'm so grateful I did.

♥

{I'm back joining up with Maxabella here  this week to talk about being grateful.  Life is just better when you're grateful for it.  It really is}

~grateful for...this day~

Our mornings have been startlingly cold this week.

Ice-cream headache kind of cold (as soon as you inhale).

Still can't fell your toes at 10am (after the school run and a quick coffee) kind of cold.

Needing a sign to put on the children who refuse to put on anything other than a t-shirt saying "I did offer them a jacket, I am not a negligent parent" kind of cold.

Today I felt brave.

I wrapped up well and headed to the beach.

The breeze was cruel.

The sun shone but there was precious little warmth in it.

Slowly, but surely, the magical effects of being near the sea were with me.

My legs were tingling (and loving the chance to stretch and move)

My brain unravelled, untangled, unwound and my thoughts slowed.

I felt my shoulders ease down from beside my ears ... back  to where they belong

The sea rippled and sparkled. 

Garlands of blossom were slung across the sky.. 

The brilliant blues of sky and sea washed over and through me.

I felt nothing but grateful.

 ♥

{I'm linking up with Bron and others over  at Village Voices}.

~ seizing the day ~

Whilst I embrace the whole 4 seasons thing that Hobart does so well, it does seem, at times, that autumn and, particularly, winter take a bit more than their fair share of the year.

Last week I was feeling the grey.  Ready to dig out the long boots.  We even had a fire.

Not today.

Today was golden.  Hobart sparkled.  

We raced from school to the beach.

We ate ice-creams and swam and had amazing handstand competitions.

We soaked up that vitamin D and loved it.

How is your week looking?


♥