the cottage and the yurt

One of the most interesting parts of the weekend was playing the game "If this was my house I would..." because how could I not dream a dream of living in the 1914 cottage complete with bedroom fireplace, kitchen fireplace, double-glazed windows and stained glass windows? It was only right. I would install custom made bookshelves, paint the orange walls white, introduce our leather lounge, photos and nick-nacks to the space and install an island bench in the kitchen. I don't think this is too much to ask.

The mud-brick yurt (yes, I said mud-brick yurt) at the retreat made me weak at the knees too - sunken lounge next to roaring fireplace, floor to ceiling cedar-framed windows and white lantern lights had me packing my bags and moving the family.

Of course, a weekend away is just not the same without board games - scrabble, cluedo, monopoly. Or the cups of tea and bakery treats - iced (with 100s and 1000s) orange and almond cupcakes were delish.

This is my last mountains post. Promise. I just had to share.

winter holiday

So the original reason for our trip was a winter yoga retreat - Daniel's mum was leading a yoga workshop at Kanimbla View Environmental Retreat and invited us to tag along. I was going to do a few 3-hour intensives but unfortunately I had a bit of a cold and so decided to hang with my boys. We mosied about the three villages (Leura, Katoomba and Blackheath) and ate good food (the honey and lavender chocolate was a mouthful of heaven), drank good coffee and ducked in and out of antique and second-hand book stores.

It was cold up there, freezing. But in a good way. The kind of cold that makes you feel healthy. Fresh. And to tell you the truth I really enjoyed the process of layering up - beanie, coat and scarf. It was an entirely differently fashion foray. Lots of fun.

We needed those layers when we ventured onto the edge of mountain lookouts where the wind howled around us and we squealed with fear; being blown away did seem a very real possibility.

These cool winter days are fleeting. The August winds are here and they, along with magnolia and cherry blossom blooms, are a tell-tale sign that Spring is about to arrive. We are jumping on a plane in a few weeks, heading north for sunny Spring adventures. And I am beside myself with chance - the classic tailoring and to-die-for stripes have my heart all a flutter and my credit card in hand. A must for my Spring/Summertime wardrobe. I haven't actually made a purchase yet, I'm just dreaming.

(P.S. tomorrow I will post about the little 1914 cottage we stayed in. Dream.)

we're back

our lungs full of fresh mountain air. more photos and stories to come.