Grab your hat and favourite book. Roll up your jeans and come sit down next to me on the sand. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and listen. Enjoy…

Nearly two weeks has passed since I returned from my brief, unanticipated trip back to Sydney.

And it’s only now I’ve had a moment to look at my photos, soundscapes, and diary notes from my time there. Over the next coming days I will be sharing these with you, with the hope to be able to communicate a little of my quietly chaotic sydney life through a series of moments – both silent and sounded. Next week I will continue with my regular posts about current things I am loving, things I’ve been up to while back in Amsterdam (it’s been a very busy couple of weeks!), plus getting the guest quarters ready for our next guest. And I’ll also be letting you know where we are at with the much anticipated My Heart Wanders.

But for now, let’s get geared up for our third series of soundscapes by first taking a road trip to our sound-filled destination…

(Click here to read more…)

An entrance way dusted with beautiful light, and her sexy boy drinking my favourite chocolat chaud by Max Brenner.

Manly Beach, Sydney, Australia, with a sprinkling of blue bottles across the shoreline.

Shall I assume Paddington, Sydney, Australia? If not, I’ve gotta be close.

and cherry blossoms for the cherry girl.

Who do I speak of? Why, Amanda Gilligan of course, For The Love of Light contributor and polaroid photographer extraordinaire. Click here to view her photo blog, here to read her blog, and here to view her flickr pics. Enjoy, I know I have.

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.