Here’s a little tidbit about French Boy. You see, he suffers from a cultural kickback I like to call his latin drama. It’s a peculiarity that occurs at least once a day. An otherwise calm soul, with a heavy lean toward pragmatism and the commonsensical, his latin drama comes unexpected – everytime – and while only lasts for a moment or two, it’s enough to catch witnesses off guard and result in making me belly laugh – everytime.

And this morning’s scenario is one such example…

All was going smoothly. As he leaves the boat, he flashes a big happy smile my way and blows me a French kiss from the other side of the bridge. Off he walks to catch his tram to Centraal Station. About 10 minutes later, I get a call. My ear is instantly assaulted by the very loud music of the buskers that I immediately recognise to be those at Centraal. Then, with a calmish voice French Boy says to me “can you please hurry and look on the clothes basket for my visa card and pin card.” A question mark lights up above my head. So I look and I see nothing. “There is nothing here babe” I reply. Enter, latin drama, stage one: “What? Are you sure, are you sure? Can you look again, look around!” “Babe, there is nothing here, I promise you, do you think they have slipped out of your pocket?” “Oh shit, oh shit!!” Enter, latin drama, stage two: sheer, irrational, uncontrollable panic: “They were in the back pocket of my pants, they were there! Now they are not here!” The buskers are getting louder, and the panic in his voice is writhe. And this time, he has even managed to pass it on to me: “Shit, are you sure babe, are you sure? Hang on, let me think…”. By this time I can feel the drama peak over the phone, and I imagine his eyes suddenly firey and vacant while he undergoes the ‘spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch’ check at triple speed, over and over again. The buskers are loud and unrelenting. “Babe” I say, “did you check your rucksack?” “YESSSS!” he shouts and then silence. Except for the buskers. “Babe?” “Oh” he says, “they are right here, in the rucksack.” Enter stage three of latin drama: firey eyes turn back to twinkling jewels, he smiles, he chuckles at his own expense, and carries on with his day.

Curtains close.

I go back to sipping my tea, wondering what tomorrow will bring.

I always knew Native Kee was a cool blogger, but for some reason I only just discovered she is also the designer behind this fabulous NYC brand of 100% organic cotton lingerie called Loup Charmant (which means ‘the charming wolf’). Now, truth be told, I am not a lingerie gal. My girl friends balk when they hear my underwear collection only extends as far as Bonds hipsters, in a variety of colours (just the other day back in Sydney, I was seriously excited to go to K-Mart and pick up some new additions – in stripes, bright yellow, and Dutch orange. Yeehaah!!).

But. And there is always a but(t): Loup Charmant has saved me! I’m in love with this range and will placing my order very soon.

Thanks for re-inspiring my lack of lingerie interest, Kee, you’re da gal.

xx

PS my apologies for scribbling all over your beautiful image. Hope you will forgive me.

If, unlike me, you have not just up and flown out of Sydney I suggest you make your way to this sale next week without a second thought. Even I would have stayed in the country a little longer if I knew about this (sorry French Boy, but it is the truth).

Dinosaur, why oh why do you tease me so?

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All images courtesy of Dinosaur Designs.

For more information on Dinosaur you can read about it here and here.

Well it’s official. After 24 hours of flying West, I’m home.

With mixed feelings.

It’s tough leaving someone you love for someone you love. And it’s tough to leave a home you adore for a home you adore. Will I ever get used to having my heart stretched across the globe?

Here is a collection of little moments from my time back home. I gathered these moments in my diary, and although I didn’t have time to post, I wrote down my post ideas and thoughts as they came to me. And this one is the start of many to come, I hope you enjoy…

waking up to the call of the kookaburras.

sitting, chatting and laughing on the porch with my cousin.

finding memories around every corner.

wearing a singlet on a winter’s day…

spending many precious moments with this little one: my new goddaughter…

drying my cream cashlama cardigan in the warm winter sun…

doing my washing in a laundry room.

driving along pittwater road and seeing glimpses of ocean everywhere.

seeing the yellow wattle bloom and appear luminescent against the blue blue sky.

sun-drying my hair while sipping tea with manuka honey…

snacking on vita wheats with butter and vegemite.

seeing ocean behind and ocean in front…

seeing palm trees in the landscape.

radio hopping and finding acdc’s thunderstruck. turning it up LOUD.

laughing at Ed Kavalee. And wondering, what is it about his voice that I adore.

coming home with sand in my shoes…

indulging in a hot bath nearly every evening while listening to the eucalypts sway in the night breeze…

and being reminded by each moment that australia truly is an amazing place.

just this image. and this song. again.