Happy Birthday Leos!

I know some pretty awesome women but these 2 favourites just happen to be Leos too!

Regina whom we visited on our recent jaunt across the Nullabour is 'modelling' the shawl I felted her.
When her house burnt down this year during the Jan. bushfires she lost everything including the wedding dress I had made her some 10yrs ago. While re-organising my studio recently I found a remnant piece of the the silk organza used in the dress and decided to nuno-felt her a shawl with it.

Rebecca sent this photo yesterday of the newest family members & her multi-tasking skills.
She should be declared patron saint of all orphaned animals. Dan reckons if he comes back as anything he wants it to be as one of Rebs animals!

Happy Birthday x

Thankyou Master Chef?!

woke to find her preparing Bruschetta

What we did....

we crossed borders

while listening to these & more, we played I-Spy, interacted on DSI's, laughed, talked & the girls slept a bit. Stella did ask when we got to Norseman if we were in Victoria yet and it was then I thought this is going to be a looooong trip! When we got there we found great places for coffee

and tea

and lunch!

I found lots
of
treasure!
The girls got to play in snow for the first time.
Stella was so excited when she first saw it that she nearly launched herself through the windscreen clapping her hands!

There was re-kindling of old friendships

and the start of new ones

We shared things that are only possible when you take the slow road

and we're much closer for it!

Back

3days to get there and 3 days back with a week in between to see people.

I never gave the distance a thought until our first night (having just driven for 12hrs) when I contemplated the reality (enormity) of the drive knowing I was going to have to do it again - in reverse! That was the only time I felt anxious as I enjoyed the monotony of the driving too much to question it, it was a necessary evil, the means to an end.
The end being 3 very important people in 3 very different places.

I was on mission
which I wanted to share with my girls
hoping to find answers to some questions
while doing something out of the ordinary

In Port Fairy we connected with family we didn't know we had,
at Mt Mirniong I got to say goodbye to someone very special,
and while visiting my friend in Boolara I gained perspective.

What the girls have gained from the experience will be made evident over time I think.
Stella keeps thanking me for the experience and Eliza is alot more open with her shows of affection. Dan missed us and the dog won't shut up!

All in all the 'mission' was a huge success - not one I feel the need to repeat...just yet!

ps. I'll post more photos in the next day or so.

We'll be back!

One door closes...

I took the pattern making tables out for the last time today and handed back the key.

Sad to say goodbye as I've been very comfortable here every Thursday morning for the past 12mths - still nothing stays the same for ever and for me she has served as a stepping stone toward bigger & better things.

Only time will tell what she will become

a bit of spit and polish and she'll scrub up very nicely

she deserves loads of TLC - I only hope that the powers-that-be, the ones that have decided in their infinite wisdom to turn her back into a hotel don't get too carried away in their efforts to Boutiquifiy her.

It really was a beautiful space to RE-invent in and I'm going to be hard pressed to find somewhere her equal.