Holiday Snaps

Here are some pics from our recent Summer hols holiday in Albany.

a bit like an old-fashioned slideshow at the rellies - and probably just as boring. You've been warned.

Albany is a 4.5 hour drive South of Perth. 416 "clicks" to be precise. It is the oldest permanently settled town in Western Australia and my idea of heaven. It ticks all my holiday boxes (and my non-holiday boxes too). There's only one bad thing about a holiday in Albany and that's knowing it's a holiday and not a more permanent arrangement.

I could go on and on (and on!) about why I love Albany so much, but this is meant to be a slideshow not a word fest so I'll shut-up and get on with it.

Here I am in heaven on Middleton Beach,

(showing a bit too much leg, me thinks...)

and here's Anth in heaven on Middleton Beach

(wearing a pair of boardies I made from an old barkcloth curtain).

Here I am with a new doggy friend I.H.O.M.B.(!)

(sadly our own little pooch, the Jedster, isn't quite up to the 6 km return walk from Middleton Beach to Emu Point these days. His heart is willing but those little old legs of his just aren't up to it anymore. Sniff!)

Here is the house we stayed in while we were there

a 60's brick veneer - pity about the render, but it had a cool front door

and drawers full of vintage board games, including Anthony's childhood fave

(needless to say I whipped his sorry board-game-playing arse!)

Grand old buildings (practically ancient by Australian standards) are everywhere in Albany, like the Courthouse (1895-96) - check out its arched doorway

isn't it magnificent?! Imagine the hard yakka that went into its construction...and there are two of them! One slightly smaller than the other, both constructed of Albany granite.

and St John's Anglican Church 

consecrated in 1848 (the oldest consecrated church in Western Australia), just to give you a couple of examples, but as much as I respect these beautiful old buildings (and I do, I really do) you know what really get's me going architecture-wise don't you???

Yep! Buildings like this one

Modernist beach shack  - a few doors down from 'our' place.

There are heaps of them in Albany! From humble fibro beach shacks to places you'd need to part with serious dollars to own - Albany is chokkas with Modernist architecture! Breeze blocks, skillion roofs, flat roofs, wrought iron screen doors and house names, concrete swans aplenty! Every time we're there we find new houses to covet/lust over. Do I need to continue? 
  
(did I mention I was in heaven already?)

Feast your eyes on these beauties!

(just a smidge of what I could've taken - my photo taking got a bit ridic actually - my demands to "stop the car!" started to wear thin pretty quickly. 'They' wanted to stop the car and throw me out of it! A ten minute walk to the beach took 45 - you know what I mean...
My photos are not that crash-hot either - this year I need to get a proper camera and...learn how to use it!)

I love the concrete structure that supports the front stairs.

And this one,

this one is for sale!

Here's a photo from it's real estate listing

which you should definitely check out. The views, et al!
...and while you're there, you must (please, I insist!) check out this listing too.

Okay well I think it's (high!) time I called a halt to the proceedings - it's been a very long post.
You'll be relieved to know I'm saving the awesome John. A. Barnsbey Brutalist Lookout Tower for another time ;)
(actually it deserves a post of its own - you know how I feel about Brutalist lookout towers, don't you?!)

Thanks so much for reading

I really appreciate it x

p.s. here are a couple of links you might find interesting/useful:

http://www.amazingalbany.com.au/

http://www.stayz.com.au/accommodation/wa/great-southern/albany/163216
This is where we stayed. Clean, comfy and pet friendly! Not easy to find here in W.A. I'm talking pet friendly here - not clean and comfy ;)

    

Love and Other Catastrophes

These photos (and coincidentally the stills on our telly) tell a story, so I'll let them do (most of) the talking.

p.s. it's a little bit sad - keep your tissues handy ;)

All is good in my little world. The house is clean and sparkling (I'm a Virgo - I love clean and sparkling) Annie (Betty Hutton) and Frank (Howard Keel)* are in love. I'm happy.

Storm clouds gathering...

An omen of dastardly things to come???

Oh Annie! I'm about to feel your pain! 

If I knew this was going to be our last few minutes together, I would've held you closer and said goodbye properly...

Noooooooo!!!

Bye bye Bitossi. Sob! Bye bye blue rimini! Sniff!

A memento of carefree, happier days

R.I.P.

We had ten good years together. I loved you!

* Annie Get Your Gun 1950

"Mum, is that a maternity dress?"

(Annabel, 17 years)

I'm on holidays until early Feb and while I haven't made any proper resolutions for the new year, one of the things I want to do in 2015 is to sew more clothes for myself. 

Here is my first frock for the year. Fresh off my little old Janome 360

146 photos later!!!

(I am a shocker in front of the camera! Honestly, you've got to see 'em to believe 'em! It's I'm scary!)

And no Annabel, it is not a maternity dress! Nor is it a sack. Or a toga. Anthony! 

It is a lovely, simple (and yes, okay) voluminous dress, reminiscent of those gorgeous smocky frocks you see in Japanese sewing books. Well IMO it is anyway. And best of all, no translation required ;)

Here it is without me in it

looking even more Japanesy hanging off our ply wardrobe.

Here's a close-up of its thread loop closing

I am very proud of that little crocheted loop!

Here's the back

"box pleated, loosely draping", nice and cool for Summer.

It has a bow (it threads through openings in the side seams)

(no baby here!)

and great big pockets to stick your hands in.

It also has that whole mullet thing going on - you know, "all business in the front, party at the rear" (except the other way around), but the less said about that, the better!

What do you reckon?

Maternity smock? House dress? Or is it the muumuu for you you?

(Mc Call's M6553 if it is)

x

p.s. these girls are sewing pretty frocks too and so is this one.