More Craft from WA

While we were on our trip to Cape le Grand, I took the opportunity to create some beautiful things with the kids using stones, seaweed, shells and other bits and pieces we found. It's amazing what you can do without scissors or string; glue or even needle and thread.

The Sea Mobile was inspired by the Leaf Mobile from my book. We really wanted to keep it, but we did the right thing and left everything on the beach where it belongs.

The box of treasures started when we found the cute little cigar box in the wood heap at Shelley Beach in SA - it seemed the perfect size for some special little things.

And who could resist making a sandcastle? Lucie showed me the wet sand drizzling technique, which makes some pretty interesting spires.

House in the Herald Sun

While we were away in Esperance the Herald-Sun Home magazine published an article on our home (November 5). How aloof are we? We were not even in Melbourne to lap up the glory of it! Do not be deceived, however, as preparation for this shoot took Dan and I a good two weekends. When my lovely publicist at Penguin informed me that the paper wanted to do a review on our house, I suddenly discovered so many unfinished bits and pieces it was unheard of!

But we managed to spruce things up just in time and I have included some personal snaps (ones I had submitted in order to secure the shoot) of our cosy home. I have to admit, as much as there needs to be done I am rapt that we managed to buy this house. And despite all the scary cracks and other horrors we discovered when we moved in, it has tuned out to be a solidly built house with, ultimately, very few major problems. It is dry, comfortable, filled with amazing heritage features, and we love it.

 

Fishing Fascination

We just got back from a road trip to Western Australia. I had to get some time to do things with the kids that didn't involve bossing them around about stuff they have to do to get by in life such as times tables, tidying your room and generally living a hygienic life and manners etc. I just wanted to bum around with them in some nice weather making sandcastles, listening to their long-winded stories and cuddling without cutting it short to get to school. We even went for a few days without a shower. It's actually okay and you do adjust to being covered in sweat and sand and dirt after a while.

So off to Esperance and Cape Le Grand for a more 'boho' lifestyle.

One thing we did totally become addicted to was fishing. Catching, killing and eating them. I was rapt to see Lucie get right into it and we found we shared this passion. She was great - caught a cod and squid, which we ate for dinner. Some of my fondest memories of the trip were fishing in silence with her off the rocks in the sunshine. Now that is a moment to cherish. Enjoy the snaps . . .

The Bait

The Herring

Whiting

The strange fly-protector headgear.

Me and my little fishergirl