Where The Forest Meets The Sea

As Paul’s wonderful stretch of long service leave enters its final weeks and as the school holidays slip away, I’m finding myself desperate to make the most of every last minute of precious family time we have available to spend together.

Yesterday we returned home from four days spent down south in Denmark. Four days of slowing down and soaking in the magic and beauty of this town, a picturesque retreat where the forest meets the sea and where our hearts feel at home... a place that we all love and that I know will be a part of our future for many years to come…




Arriving on Sunday afternoon, the air was brisk and had a definite feel of autumn. Chillier temperatures than we’d left in Perth called for jackets and beanies and the lighting of a wood fire, a nightly ritual which created a cosy atmosphere in our little cottage as it continued to glow well into the night. Winter pyjamas and slippers made an appearance and morning snuggles in bed together were enjoyed.

Days were spent visiting favourite haunts, exploring the stunning forests and farmland and simply relaxing. Nights were spent soaking in the peace and quiet, sipping on tea and nibbling dark chocolate (wine and dark chocolate for Paul). After dinner and with the girls tucked in bed, we would read. The only interruption to the silence was the crackling of the fire. It was refreshing to experience such stillness as opposed to nights back home spent in front of the television or with my laptop nearby.

One of my highlights of this visit was the delicious lunch we enjoyed at The Lake House… a winery with not only a stunning view and gardens, but also with exquisite food and wines. Paul and I shared a tasting plate, filled with such amazing produce and paired with such flavoursome condiments, that I’ve been singing the praises of that dish ever since…

Grace’s highlight was without a doubt the Denmark Animal Farm where we spent most of Tuesday morning. We were all pleased to see that the missing koala who had escaped from her cage when we last visited had since been returned to her mate after a neighbouring farmer heard her cries in the bush one kilometre away.

It was so sweet watching the girls interact with the farm animals. Camera in hand, I snapped away as Grace gently embraced joeys and lambs. She exuded such confidence feeding even the larger animals such as horses and alpacas, and tenderly stroked guinea pigs and kids. In stark contrast, Sophie was petrified of pretty much every animal except for the chickens and the camel. As we encouraged her to feed the sheep and pat the rabbits, she would answer with a stern ‘NO’ and spent most of our two hour visit with a furrowed brow, clinging to Paul’s shoulder, a look of definite concern on her face.

Now, at home once again, as I unpack our bags and gradually catch up on washing, my mind wanders back to our beloved Denmark… and my heart yearns for our next visit which I’m already looking forward to…

Morning Bliss

Having Paul home on long service leave has already been SO good.  Small projects have been worked on around the house.  Ikea furniture has been assembled (yes, I finally have a new desk). I've been able to pop out to run the odd errand despite Sophie having to be home for her mid-day nap.  The best perk of all though has been the little outings we've been able to do here and there.

Yesterday, the four of us headed out early morning on the family boat for a few hours, cruising up the Swan River.  It was bliss.  Watching all the cars banked up along the freeway stuck in traffic jams on their way to work made it feel all the more holiday-like.  The temperature was mild, the sky clear and blue and a sense of adventure filled the air.

We went under the Narrows Bridge, alongside the ferry terminals and past the city skyline, dotted with its  towering office buildings.  In East Perth, we pulled up alongside the jetty in the Claisebrook Inlet and stopped for morning tea at Toast, a quaint and cozy cafe with a distinct retro style of decor.  We enjoyed milkshakes, coffee, tea and delicious thick challah toast topped with Nutella before continuing on our journey.

To top off our great morning, we spotted a pair of friendly dolphins and so we stopped the boat for a bit and just drifted, watching them pop up out of the water all around us.  You can see in the photo above how they reappeared right up close next to us.  So magical.

The return journey was a bit bumpier and windier, but as I sat at the back of the boat, enjoying the fresh breeze, city views and blue sky together with my three loves, I was ever so grateful to be enjoying a much happier end to our week than the previous one.  Sophie thankfully dozed off nestled under Paul's arm (she'd been in a rather grizzly mood again) and Grace counted jellyfish as they bobbed past us.  We returned home with full bellies, sand between our toes and an eagerness to go for another little family boat cruise very soon...

Our New Place Of Calm

In recent weeks, the girls and I have re-discovered a favourite spot, perfect for morning tea picnics, sandcastle building, shell collecting and paddling in the water.  It's a tranquil little part of the river with plenty of shade and plenty to see where we've been spending the odd morning here and there lately.

I know Paul thinks that I take the girls on simple little outings like these when I don’t have anything else to do, or when our friends are all busy and playdates can’t be organised.  On the contrary, I purposely set aside time for little outings like these BECAUSE I have too many ‘to-dos’ and too many people I feel I should be visiting.  Getting out of the house forces me to ignore the lists, the housework and the responsibilities and to simply ‘be’ and enjoy spending time with my girls.

I make time for such mornings just as much for Grace and Sophie as for myself.  Too often I find I'm doing something like sitting with the girls in the sand pit, building shell covered castles and digging moats, only to be distracted by a few weeds peering out from beneath the shrubs beside me.  And then before I know it, I’ve not only pulled those out, but I’ve then taken the washing off the line, tidied up some outdoor toys lying about and watered the vegetable patch instead of playing with the girls.  While I know multi-tasking is part of our lives as Mums, I’m trying to consciously ‘sit and be’ more often as I know these precious toddler and pre-schooler days will be over in the blink of an eye.  

Earlier in the week, Claire from Scissors Paper Rock made reference to a beautifully written post over at Enjoying The Small Things.  As I popped across myself for a read, I discovered some real words of wisdom...

"Nothing is more urgent than being kind to ourselves and present for our families" 

... I'm glad that this week, I've taken this outlook on board, spent quality time with my darlings and enjoyed some moments of calm and tranquility out in the fresh air myself, all of which makes me a better Mum and my girls happier little girls...    

A Few Touches To Our Front Porch

Over the weekend, I managed to sneak in a little bit of time to work on a few crafty bits and pieces - this was amongst playing ‘taxi driver’ for Paul on Saturday afternoon as he had a work function to be dropped off at and picked up from, doing lots of cooking to stock up our freezer and going out on a few little impromptu family outings.

I finally added a few small pieces to our front porch area which was looking VERY bare and not very welcoming at all.  We had changed our door a while back from an ugly cream to a crisper white and grey combination, but aside from a badly neglected pot plant, there was not much else happening in this space.  However with the addition of a cute stand and some healthier looking plants which don’t mind going a few days without a good soaking, things were slowly improving. 

Yesterday, I got Paul to hang a ‘welcome’ sign I made from a piece of jarrah.  I painted it the same colour as our front door and applied a decal in a white outdoor finish material.  I also painted some butterflies I had bought from a seller of vintage wares on Etsy (they were originally a matte gold) and hung them next to the sign for a pretty touch.  I’m much happier with how this space looks now.  It’s definitely more inviting.   

As for sewing, I only got as far as cutting out my material.  Yesterday morning, we went for an early morning ferry ride from South Perth across the river and had breakfast at a café in the Barrack Street Jetty area.  Later in the day, I had a few things to get from Bunnings and then got stuck in the kitchen again cooking.  Then, in the time I had set aside for crafting, we took an impromptu trip to Salt On The Beach in North Fremantle where we met some friends and their children for a little catch up in the afternoon.

Due to a mix up with my decal order, I actually have a spare one like the one I used only in black if anyone is interested in it…  if so, just leave me a comment below and I’ll pop it in the post to the first one who asks…

Hope you are all having a lovely start to the week…  

Lovely Sunday Morning

This morning the three of us enjoyed a nice Sunday morning together. First we hit the road bright and early and headed to Zepher Cafe in East Fremantle where we had breakfast (the photo above was taken from where we were sitting). This cafe is literally right on the water and we enjoyed the lovely view and all that was happening on the river from our table. Then we headed to a fishing store Paul has recently discovered in Nedlands where he bought a new rod. Grace had fallen asleep by this stage so I was more than happy to stay with her in the comfort of the air-conditioned car with my Ideal Home magazine. Finally, we drove into the city to the State Library where there is currently an exhibition called 'Thanks Dad'. A cute photo of Paul and Grace that I submitted has been included in the collection so we went to see the display. It was titled 'Morning Cuddle'. Go here to see some of the beautiful photos from the 2009 entries.

Now I am catching up on all my favourite blogs while Grace naps and Paul watches the cricket. Then I'm hoping to tackle a bit more of the sewing projects I started during the week. Hope you have all had wonderful weekends too.

Little Miss Cupcake

Little Miss Cupcake is a gourmet cupcake business which used to have a stall at the Kalamunda Markets. Every time I went I would make a beeline for that ever-popular stall, join the huge queue and head home with a tray of beautifully decorated cupcakes for afternoon tea. These days, Little Miss Cupcake has its own cute store where it also sells cupcake-related gifts and homewares. I just had to share some photos of this pretty shop with you all. See more lovely pictures on their website here.

Both images from here

Morning at the Markets

Aren’t these coral coloured peonies stunning? Saw them today at the Kalamunda Markets and couldn’t resist taking a photo to share with you all. Grace and I had a lovely morning wandering around looking at all the stalls and stopping for a cup of tea at one of our favourite cafes. Came away with a cute little crystal vase, a ceramic Christmas ornament and a pot plant.