Heat

Well, Port Hedland was a pretty amazing experience. We spent a day driving towards Karratha and visited Port Samson and the historic Cossack, with the most beautifully restored buildings. The land is beautiful up there, stark and red, a red that actually has to be seen to be believed. Hills rise out of nowhere and the ocean is a vibrant aqua. January is not an ideal time to visit what must be one of the hottest places on earth. While I was there the temperature reached a record 49C. I did get a window seat on the way home, but as my hands were full of baby, I was unable to take any photos and have to survive on mental snapshots. Instead, here is a photo of my nephew being a bee (courtesy IKEA) .

Pay it Forward

So, there is a movement and there was a movie and blah blah and then I saw that my friend Nichole had jumped onboard on her blog and, partly cause I wanted a present, and partly cause I love to give gifts, I thought I would jump onboard too. Here's the lowdown; the first three people to leave a comment on this post will receive a handcrafted gift from yours truly. In return, those three people need to jump on the PIF train by doing the same thing on your blog. I love the snowball effect, now get commenting so I can get creating!!

India, Felt and Dreams

Well I am back from Port Hedland - more about that later. While I was away a special package arrived for me from Doubleday; Felt: Handmade Style by India Flint and Toyoko Sugiwaka. What a beautiful book with several projects I actually want to make, starting with a floor rug... I am in love once more. Now its just a matter of finding the time to felt, amongst all the baby stuff, knitting, sewing and button work.... India Flints website is amazing by the way. A one stop shop for incredibly humbling work and large dye vats of inspiration.

I am in the habit of making a dream planner every year and putting it in a place where I will see it every day - currently the inside of my wardrobe. This planner has on it every possible thing we want to do with our lives in the next 12 months, from laughing more to going kayaking to entering my art in an exhibition. Well, kayaking may have to wait, but I am happy to say that I have already ticked off entering my art in an exhibition. I have a bad habit of seeing opportunities and planning to do something about them but never actually following through. So, yay for me for achieving a dream!!

The Big Red

Well, I am away for a couple of days to visit family in Port Hedland. I have never been that far north before and I am looking forward to seeing the landscape up there, should be incredible. Gotta try for a window seat on the plane so I can see the patchwork landscape with rivers stitched across it. I discovered the awe of our landscape a couple of years ago when I flew to Wagga Wagga. The flight went south over the pink lakes near Esperance, and I am now always inspired by aerial views of the land, like abstract artworks. I love Richard Woldendorp's photography.

In the meantime... I have discovered that one of my new friends, also a new mum, also blogs; check out her passion for cakes here. Bravo Maria!!