Cottontail

The Cottontail dress - available now in my etsy store

I spied this darling bunny print whilst doing the fabric rounds last week. Grabbing the roll, I ran home as fast as my legs could carry me, I couldn't wait to start sewing. Don't you just love the illustrated rabbits moving across the fabric in leaps and bounds?

Don't let these photographs fool you, this week the winter chill has been creeping into every nook and cranny in the mountains. I've spent most days rugged up in as many scarves, blankets and woolly items as my frame can hold. Sometimes I feel like I'm still living on American time, dusting off my cotton sundresses and sandals. Alas, it will be a good while before any seaside day tripping is on the cards.

The good news is, the cool change has inspired me to sew some winter friendly frocks. I sure hope I'm not the only one with a weakness for velvet and lace!

Daisy Chain

The Daisy Chain dress - available now in my etsy store

We took these photographs down by an enchanted little creek, a stones throw away from our cottage. Believe it or not, every time I stroll to town I venture through this little piece of paradise. Babbling brooks, old stone bridges and mesmerising greenery are lurking around every corner in these mountains! I'm wearing the Daisy Chain dress which I've just listed in my etsy store. Made of a cotton and linen blend this dress is so darn comfortable. I'm slowly incorporating more and more linen into my wardrobe, are you a fellow linen lover?

This week has been a blur of activity. I've trebled our house plant collection, had a bob trim by none other than Oliver 'Home Haircutz' Abbott, tied big bunches of lavender to every door frame within reach and on doctors orders restricted my caffeinated tea intake to one measly cup per day. Being the obsessive tea bag jiggler that I am it has been tough, any herbal recommendations would be much appreciated!

The Daydreamer

'Young girls will wear white dresses and mourn his curls' - Patti Smith

Do you ever put a dress on and immediately feel more like yourself then ever before? That's exactly how I felt when I slipped into the Daydreamer dress. Made with the most beautiful sheer 1970s fabric, this is the kind of dress I can see myself wearing day in, day out, all summer long.

When I stepped outside into the hazy afternoon light, I instantly felt as though I was living in a David Hamilton photo shoot. I'm not usually one to grow attached to things, especially dresses that I've made, but I gotta say its going to be mighty hard to let this baby go!

The Daydreamer dress is available now in my etsy store

Lady Lavender

Lady Lavender dress available now in my etsy store

Over the past few weeks I've been working one some special one of a kind dresses made with vintage fabrics. I thought it would be nice to give each dress its own post. Not only will each frock have its moment to shine but it will also give me a chance to show you around my neighbourhood.

We snapped these photographs late yesterday afternoon just before the sun sank behind the mountains. As we were walking out the door I grabbed some Lavender and Rosemary to adorn my bob with, one of the many perks of having a garden! This colourful street is one of my favourites to stroll through, the vibrant autumn leaves are some of the finest I've ever seen. With winter just around the corner I'm already mourning the loss of these beauties, however seeing these same trees covered in snow will surely be a treat for the eyes.

Call her green and the winters cannot fade her

Autumn has rolled around yet again. It seems like only yesterday I was kicking my well worn boots through the falling leaves in Brooklyn. We had the smallest glimpse of summer upon our arrival back in the Southern hemisphere, before plummeting head first into the chilly season. Loving woolly blankets, crisp mornings and warm cups of tea as I do, I couldn't be happier.

My beautiful Mum has been staying with us this past week. I can't believe it had been over a year since we last met. Rest assured we've been making up for lost time with plenty of mountain sight seeing and endless champagne toasting. She was a regular day tripper to the Blue Mountains as a kid in the 1960s. It's been so lovely revisiting all her favourite haunts that have since become mine. I'm chuffed to hear it hasn't changed much in the past 45 years. My suspicions have been confirmed, we're living in a time warp!

California Dreaming

 

Photographs by Megan McIsaac

Our last fleeting moments in Los Angeles were spent in the company of Megan McIsaac, her partner JP and their handsome kitty Linus. I couldn't imagine a lovelier way to spend the last 48 hours of our American odyssey. We've been avidly following Megan's blog for years now, dating back to the Free Dolphin Ride days whilst we were planning our own American road trip. Her photographs evoke the kind of freedom and natural beauty that I was hoping to see first hand in the land of opportunity.

The first photograph has a special place in my heart, it was taken outside LAX just before we embarked upon the 15 hour flight back to Australia, it perfectly encapsulates that moment in time. For almost a year we had been living on the road, completely free of responsibility and routine. All of our worldly possessions were either shoved into our suitcases or draped on our persons. Everything was about to change and I was filled with anticipation for what lay ahead and nostalgia for the land we'd be leaving behind.

For anyone that isn't familiar with Megan's work, do yourself a favour and familiarise yourself post haste.

I have no fear, I have only love

Just when I thought the chilly Autumn air had set in for good, a blissfully warm Saturday was bestowed upon us. We made an early start to stock up on terracotta pots, gardening supplies and snacks, then got to work repotting orphaned succulents. I've never had a garden to tend to before and am taking this newly acquired responsibility very seriously. Having said that, I did almost kill one of our beloved house plants today with an overwatering catastrophe... lesson learnt.

I've spent the past few days painstakingly mending a plethora of vintage which I gathered during our time in America. Some just need an odd button or a thorough ironing but other pieces like this beautiful Edwardian blouse require countless hours of tedious hand sewing, accompanied by copious cups of tea and cadbury creme eggs. It was well worth the mammoth mending effort. Made of the softest cotton I've ever felt, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this century year old blouse has a few more decades of wear left in her.

Next up in the mending queue is a ratty 1920s silk gown, I cannot wait to bring this baby back to life!