The Postie Finally Came!

It is surprising how much you miss the ritual of going to your mail box. Yesterday the Postie bought all my mail that I had held while I was away.....not too many of 'those' letters thank goodness.
In my bundle of mail was some lovely fabric ( I forgot I had ordered...naughty!) and a lovely birthday parcel from Dale from my private friends fat quarter swap. Dale really spoiled me and popped in 3 gorgeous pieces of fabric, some very cute buttons, a tape measure in a lovely crocheted holder (so pretty) and a lovely little compact sewing kit....I was very spoilt. Thank you so much Dale.

The postie also bought a lovely surprise birthday gift from my lovely blogging friend Teresa from All Things Vintage. Teresa has a gorgeous blog highlighting her love of Vintage, something we have in common.

Inside my parcel was a gorgeous Vintage style notebook ( which will be reserved for only my best and special scribbles) Teresa had sent her greeting on a Vintage postcard and just to top off the spoilingfest...Ferrero Rocher's YUM!

Thank you my lovely friend for thinking of me and for your lovely gift. Love it!
I have finished another little "Merry Mistlemouse" block.....I have really got attached to this wee mousey.

Lastly I wanted to let all of you who live in the areas around Canungra/Tamborine know that my lovely friend Helen is holding Yoga classes now at  Moriarty Hall Canungra on Thursdays 9.30am - 11am (school terms only) Helen's classes are very lovely and gentle and she brings something really special to her classes and when you know her she is a true inspiration. Her focus is accepting yourself and what you can do right now and I credit her loving influence for a lot of my healthy body and mind. So I am including Helen's mobile no (0404036343) and you can contact her if you are interested. It would be a lovely gift to give yourself.

Blessings Michelle xx

Tuesday's Treasure with Melody

It is so nice to be back and linking up to my lovely friend MELODY for Tuesday's Treasures, one of my favourite things to do. If you haven't heard of it before you can share a treasure of your own by visiting Melody's lovely blog ( just click on her name at the beginning of the post) and linking up. You can then also visit and  admire other folk's treasures. Counting your treasures or blessings is a great thing to do.
My treasure today reflects my childhood  love of "Faeries" and their stories. Some folk's say I am often away with them.......
I found this book on the bargain throw out table at a well known book store and I just had to bring it home.
It is called "Return to Fairyopolis" and is a Journal and type of scrapbook (you know how I love a journal) of a girl called Dulcie and it purports to be a pen pal type relationship she had with the wonderful artist and poet Cicely Mary Barker of "Flower Fairies" fame who is also a favourite of mine.

The pages are full of collages and letters and cards from the poet and Dulcie's musings about fairies in her garden and her love of Cicely's work. It is very Victorian in look although the letters date from the 1930's. The credits say they have proven the people and events took place but cannot scientifically prove the substance of the book (which is the fairies) LOL! Loved that bit.

I am such a huge child at heart and the final thing that sold me on this beautiful book was the last pages are a gorgeous "Pop-up" which plays tinkly "fairy" type music........ooohhh I was a goner. "Come on" I said "hop in the my basket!"

So I guess my "Treasure" today is our inner child and it's wonderful imagination. Long may it continue to dream and imagine.
Blessings Michelle xxx

Back to Fabric and Thread

I mentioned in a post just before we began our trip about a lovely customer of mine who lives in Washington, Mary. Mary had bought "Down Reindeer Lane" and had sent me photos of the completed quilt and was going to enter the quilt in "The Covington" quilt show and guess what.....FIRST PLACE!!! I am really excited for Mary and I must say quite chuffed for my little reindeers. Apparently lots of comments about their sweet little faces. This is a photo Mary sent me with blue ribbon attached.

Mary also was successful with another quilt a gorgeous "Grandmother's Fan" and won BEST IN SHOW.
So huge big Congrats to Mary and I loved that she shared it with me. These are two photos she sent of her fan quilt.

More pretty blue ribbons....

Well I am trying hard to get back into the swing of things and slowly my house is being divested of it's dusty coat and the van is clean and packed up all ready for another adventure down the track.
I have managed to complete the last bit of the stitching on my Christmas Quilt and now fabric choosing and how to put it together are on the agenda.

So with the stitching done on this number I could finally hush up the little "mouse" in my sewing bag and she is feeling a very pleased little "Merry Mistlemouse" being again the centre of attention.

I drew this little girl on a whimsy and I have to say I am really enjoying how she is evolving and she just seemed to have a life of her own.
I also wanted to show you a little sneak peek of some secret sewing business that I have also been doing.

Wonder what it is? Where is it going? Who is it for???? Hmmmm?
Have a wonderful day everyone.
Blessings Michelle xxx

Post Script in Native Blooms

The last page in our trip dairy is just a couple of the gorgeous native blooms I snapped along the way. There was beautiful wattle all along our drive out to Alice Springs.

I had imagined the outback to be a pretty desolate place and it came as a huge surprise to me to find these patches of colour tucked away in little crevices or just defying the elements and growing right out there in the harsh sun. Some I have no clue as to what they were or their names but that didn't make them any less special to behold. This little red number was growing in Trephina Gorge and we discovered them when we got very lost.

Of course we all know Stuart's Desert Rose but I had never seen one in the flesh....so pretty  and delicate.

And then there were the daises....tiny blue ones.

and pink ones.....

There were these lovely bigger daisies called 'egg yolk' daisies...

and the yellow ones...

We came across these beautiful shrubs on our walk into Standley Chasm. No idea what they are.

The simply stunning blossoms of the gums were something to behold.

and even when they had finished blooming they left these beautiful gum nuts to admire.....

There seemed to be loads of these native violets tucked into the cooler crevices around the rocks.

I loved these fluffy delicate bushes that were every where in the Macdonell Ranges.

A Tennant Creek pretty....

A stunning red number from a 'town like Alice'.

I think one of my favourites was this little shrub and I think it is called the pin cushion bush.

So I think I would have to agree with whoever said "The Earth Smiles in Flowers" as it truly does if you take the time to stop, open your eyes and look....

Blessings Michelle xxx

At Last!!!

After 7 weeks on the road and 10,292 kms my favourite thing this Friday is this.....

I have loved every minute of our trip but I would be telling great big fibs if I said I wasn't looking forward to sleeping in my 'other' very own bed tonight.
Thanks so much to all our friends and family who have kept us company along the way and have shown genuine enthusiasm for the endless parade of holiday snaps that kept coming your way. It was so lovely of you all to be excited when we were.
Blessings Michelle xx

Another Year to Celebrate

Well today I have earned another page in the "becoming a wise old woman" book and I feel very blessed to be able to  celebrate another year. Before I left home on our trip  my gorgeous friend Helen gave me a lovely birthday gift beautifully wrapped with strict instructions not to open it until the day......I was a very good girl and only had the odd squeeze or two. When I met my gorgeous  blogging friend Melody in Victoria recently she also had a birthday gift beautifully wrapped and with the same strict instructions for me.

Helen knows I am a lover of dragonflies and I can quite often be seen wearing one on a chain around my neck. So inside my special well travelled gift was a beautiful quotes book about "Memories", sweet dragonfly earrings, a gorgeous silk scarf and beautiful lavender and neem soap. All capped off by a lovely message in a dragonfly card. Thank you so much my lovely friend for thinking of me I have missed you and look forward to catching up soon.

Inside Melody's lovely parcel was a bundle of gorgeousness too. A stunning vintage style book case with the sweetest bird on the front and inside more lovely birdie things....a beautiful original artwork on fabric by Michelle L. Palmer of a dear baby bird along with some pearl buttons, fairy wren tissues, notebook designed by Marg Low and two very yummy fat quarters "Papillon" by 3 sisters for Moda. Soooo pretty!! A gorgeous card accompanied it all with a special doggy smile to make my day.
Thank you Melody for also thinking of me, my special parcel made my heart sing this morning.

and inside....

I wasn't forgotten by hubby either and his gift was a beautiful art book of Hans Heysen work which is really special as he bought it at "The Cedars" when we visited there recently. It is so nice to have seen the originals of a lot of the works in the book. It is such a special memento to have of a wonderful day.
I also got my wish for my birthday to be near the ocean and it was wonderful to wiggle my toes in the sand.

We have the best of both worlds as our campsite is beside the river.......next to the ocean.

The ocean is just beyond the vegetation opposite and only a short stroll across a little foot bridge to reach it.

I love this spot and just had to take a photo from the rocks at the bar up river with the sun shining across the river.

Being beside the ocean is something I really love and I can sit and watch the ocean for hours and after a lovely walk along the beach that is just what I did. Look a bit windblown there. LOL!

Lastly just because it is my Birthday and I love native blossoms. I came across these beauties on my walk.

I shall leave you with a quote from my new birthday book.
"Back on it's golden hinges the gate of Memory swings,
and my heart goes into the garden and walks with the olden things" -Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
Blessings Michelle xxx

On the Down Hill Run

I have been likened to a horse who can smell the home paddock and just wants to head for home....not sure I appreciate the analogy although it is partly true that I am looking forward to HOME. I really enjoyed the drive from Bathurst up through Mudgee and on to Scone. Once again the landscape changed and there was something different to enjoy. Beautiful rolling hills and plains with wattle trees beginning to bloom everywhere.

As we had had a very early start we stayed in Tamworth last night and set out this morning for one of our favourite little towns on the New England Highway. Oh! It is so nice to see blue skies and the sun too. I had a bit of a drive this morning to give Gary a break and I must say it was much more relaxing driving in the outback with the road trains than with the lunatics who decided that today was their day out. Phew! Once we arrived in Uralla we headed straight for the home of Australia's best BLT.....

Which is housed in this gorgeous old shop building in the main street.

Despite many strange glances I was determined to take a photo to show you that we were not remiss in our assessment in giving their BLT top marks. Heaven!!!

  The coffee was very nice too and so pretty in it's red cup and saucer.

Feeling pretty good after our lovely and much anticipated lunch we (Gary) made the decision to cut across to the coast  along the "Waterfall Way". It is a pretty drive but we didn't realise it would be a bit hairy with the camper especially as the road was not in as good condition as the last time we drove it. I was decidedly seedy from the many kms of winding road and Gary was pretty weary from all that concentration.  The scenery is really pretty though.

   As you get closer to Grafton you pass the Nymboida  River and  Russell Crowe owns an historical hotel there with a museum of "Interesting Things" on the property, we had visited before so didn't go in this time but it is a lovely place to break your journey and have a coffee or a drink and the museum is full of interesting things!~!

This photo of me is on a previous visit at the back of the Inn over looking the river as I was not looking in any condition for a photo after that drive. Many famous people have stood in this spot for a photo.

    It is a truly lovely spot and it was great to enjoy it again after such a harrowing journey.

  Loads of people use the rapids  in this river for canoeing.

 We are cosied up for the night here in the town of Grafton and my husband has decided that I need some time by the ocean to complete this road trip so we will find somewhere to park ourselves for a couple of days before heading home.
Blessings Michelle xx