{that's it, for now}

The day has come. It's time to set sail into the sunset.

{well technically we set sail tomorrow}

But we're off to Sydney today to catch up with family and then tomorrow we cruise.

Ms L and I are so very excited.

See you on the other side peeps.

{five sleeps}

Five sleeps till Ms L and I head off on a cruise to the South Pacific. About four weeks ago we spontaneously booked it thanks to the prompting of this wonderful woman's partner.

Ms L and I haven't had a real holiday in years. You know, the hang out in bathers, read good books and drink cocktails kind.

We are so frickin' excited.

Lists are being made, bags are being readied for packing, sunscreen and various sundries purchased. And then there's the big decisions, like whether I really do need a lovely new handbag to take on my adventure.

Five sleeps peeps. Five sleeps.

{hanging out in holiday land}

It's a good place.  I like it.

{let the good times roll}

I am officially on holidays for two whole glorious weeks.  We're doing our usual Christmas staycation with plans for some room swapping, gardening, movies, zoo outings and lots of lazing about.  I'll be diving into some book-making and painting as well.

All the Christmas doing and shopping and organising and cooking and .... is all done {well pretty much}.  Now it's time to wind down, wrap some gifts and enjoy time with the family and friends.  Good times!

My Christmas wish came true.  I have a new job!  I am absolutely over the moon.  I'll tell you more in the new year when it's all official and the dust has settled.  But let me say I think this is the job I have been seeking for the better part of 10 years.  And I never would have found it without all the lessons and gifts that this year has brought. I start in late January.  I am ready.

I have been cleaning and clearing.  My inbox and my mind so far.  But I have big plans.  A big house clean, a studio tidy, a gentle detox, a blog revamp and a facebook reboot.  I'm feeling like I want clean, clear, intentional space around me in the new year.  A fresh start in line with all the changes I've made this year.  Exciting!

I'm thinking and dreaming about 2013.  Jotting down notes about goals and wishes.  Playing with my word for the year.  Making some lists and getting excited to make my vision board and an accompanying journal.

I'll be around over Christmas and New Year, blogging here and there.  I'm going to take a break from {sunday snippets} till around mid January.

 Have a wonderful Christmas peeps!

{back, sort of}

The holiday has been and gone, over all too soon.

Sydney treated us well. Really great food and wine, good times with family and friends, lots of relaxing and plenty of time to explore my new found love of art journaling and watercolours.

I could use another couple of weeks before throwing myself back into daily life.  Alas Monday is coming and coming quickly!

{we're off}

The bags are packed, including our spiffy new journal bags.  Ms L and I are off to Sydney for an adventure.

See you in a week or so.

For your own Blogtoberfest adventure get on over to Kat's place.

{lessons in letting go - part I}

It turned out that the wind didn't blow us far at all.

When push came to shove I had an incredible urge just to enjoy some downtime at home, and Ms L was fine to go with it.

I have such a hard time letting go of an idea once I've got it in my head.  Even something like a quick trip to the house of retro goodness.

But this time I just went with it.

{how to have a really great holiday}

• Wear your PJ's more than any other outfit
• Read a book in one day
• Go on spontaneous winery tours
• Walk for hours on end
• Get lost
• Have no plans
• Eat delicious and healthy food
• Dream, both day and night
• Let go of all expectations
• Be delighted by everything
• Make friends with echidnas & kookaburras

*****************************************

2 sleeps till Blogtoberfest!  2 sleeps peeps!

Sign up starts tomorrow.  Pop by and put your name on the list and grab the button.

{so this is where things ended up}

Dream Sweetly

Acrylics on canvas

78 x 60 inch

A perfect end to a perfect week of holidays today.  CurlyPops and Hoppo Bumpo came over for afternoon tea to celebrate Cam's birthday.  There was a delicious chocolate cake, the opening of a really large birthday painting, and lots of laughter and great conversation as always.

Tomorrow it's back to work.  I've turned into one of those people.  Heading back to work already dreaming of my next holiday.  Living for the spaces in between work.  I don't mind.  It's all part of a bigger plan.  One day my working life will look very different.

Life really is good I've decided.

{dear holidays}

Thank you for taking such good care of me over the past few weeks, for providing lots of amazingly delicious food, late night trips to the ice-creamery, early morning adventures and plenty of sleeping in.

Thanks for the trips to the beach, the time spent with family, the long hours relaxing on the couch.  Thanks too for the bike rides and walks, and that monstrous hill that we discovered one particular day.  There's nothing like reaching the summit of an urban mountain to make you feel like you've conquered the world.

Thank you for the gift of time.  I loved waking up regularly with no idea what day it was, no plans and without a care in the world.  Those are the best kinds of holidays.

Thanks for the time spent with friends.  That amazing dinner with HB, and lovely afternoon spent with CP.  Of course it goes without saying that it was sooooo great to spend heaps of quality time with Ms L.

I'm probably not going to see you for a while now holidays.  I start a new job tomorrow and I'll be pretty busy over the next few months getting settled in to that.  We're also hoping to move house soon and I've got a lot of other things planned for the early parts of the year.

So thanks again for nourishing my soul, restoring balance and energising me for the year ahead.  I look forward to seeing you again sometime later in the year.

Much love

{tinniegirl}
xxx

{one fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish}

Have you ever been snorkeling?

I think it's the single most magical thing I've ever done.  Especially the very first time.

I hired an underwater camera this time around.  I'm pretty happy with some of the results.

Have a wonderful weekend.  

Maybe I'll see some of you at the Buninyong Maker's Market on Saturday.

{why i'm feeling so damn good about things}

 

{new ways of doing, seeing, being}

Prosperity

Vintage maps, acylics and Pitt pens on wooden board

6 x 6 inch

On the morning we headed off to Port Douglas I grabbed a bag of paints and other bits and pieces, thinking how nice it would be to play a little while I was away.

The title of this post began life as a thought about these paintings.  They're different to my usual style, less abstract.  I painted them specifically with ideas about the future in mind, about where Ms L and I are headed, about how (and where) I want to live my life.

Abundance

Vintage maps, acylics and Pitt pens on wooden board

6 x 6 inch

What I came to realise was that the title of the post reflected so much more than the paintings.  It's an expression of where I am.  Feeling really differently about the world.  Feeling like I can let go of the stress, the scarcity, the uncertainty that has plagued me the past few months.  Feeling ready to embrace prosperity and abundance, and knowing that all I need to do to let that happen is to trust.  Feeling like my old self, or perhaps a new version of that old self.

New or old, the world looks so very different on the other side of the last 10 days.  

It's good to be home. Literally and figuratively.