Birthday Brunch amongst the Blooms.

The Husband turned a year older today and we celebrated with a champagne brunch at Tulip Top Gardens.

Crazy gorgeous spring sunshine, bubbles under the blossom trees, tulips in bloom and a brunchy feast rounded off with cake. Happy days!

Happy Birthday Husband. We love you more than cheesecake!

xx Em

Crackers about Alpacas.

My sister invited us to meet her at Booyong Alpacas near Goulburn for their drought relief open day today.

It was equally fascinating and heartbreaking to learn about these beautiful animals and the effect the drought has had on them. I have such admiration and respect for the tenacity and passion that farmers posses during devastating times of drought. The land was bone dry and with hay costing between $300 - $500 per bale, its bringing farming families to their knees including this one. 

We got to pat the alpacas and walk amongst the herd, there were hens with their chicks, a poddy lamb and farm dogs to pat. The baby alpacas were insanely adorable and their fleece was so soft.

 

Here’s hoping for rain...soon...and lots of it.

If there’s an open day at a farm near you, go support your local producer, it’s a fun outing that can help keep a farming family going.

xx Em

A decade of loving you.

We snuck off to the Blue Mountains last weekend to celebrate Harry’s 10th birthday. Ten fabulous years of loving this boy to the moon and back! 

Early Saturday morning we wound our way north west from Canberra along the road less travelled, up through Taralga, Oberon and Duckmaloi. There was barely another car on the road as we cruised through the drizzling rain and fog, past paddocks dotted with spring lambs and calves, finally reaching Katoomba in time for a spot of lunch. Given that visibility in the Mountains was...well...negligible at best due to heavy cloud, we decided that the Leuralla Toy and Railway Museum was the perfect wet weather plan. 

What a delicious vintage treasure trove! 

What a house! What a garden! What a delight!

By the time we’d finished exploring the vast collections in the house, train shed and grounds, the mist had turned back into drizzle and the afternoon was fading fast, so we headed down the mountain then north to the village of Kurrajong.

When I booked Plynlimmon Cottage I had no idea of the distance between Katoomba & Kurrajong, having never visited the Blue Mountains before. It’s a good hour’s drive between the two but it was well and truly worth it! 

We were warmly greeted by our host Marisa on arrival and shown around the gorgeous heritage listed cottage before she bid us farewell and left us to explore. The boys immediately bounded out the door to run around in the acre of gardens while the Husband and I kicked back in the sitting room. We were all pretty worn out by the end of the day and didn’t want to leave the cottage, so dinner was delivered to us from the village pizzeria Numero Uno and boy it really hit the spot! All three of my boys conked out early, leaving me to sit in front of the fireplace sipping tea and editing the days photos. 

Sunday dawned with clear skies and a very excited Birthday Boy. We eased into the day with breakfast and birthday presents. Harry was thrilled with his bounty of model railway supplies and magazines, lovingly gazing at the little bags of ballast and turf like they were diamonds and rubies. He has big plans for his layout at home, having patiently waited for years to begin one. After breakfast Jack and I meandered about the garden. The bees were busy in the apple blossom, parrots flitted about the trees, cows bellowed from paddocks below and the sun warmed our faces in the cool of the morning.

By mid morning we bid goodbye to the cottage and headed back up the mountain to Katoomba. It was the perfect weather for riding cable cars and incline railways at Scenic World which is exactly what we did for the rest of the afternoon. The view was truly spectacular from the Skyway and the boys were well impressed with the thrill of teetering at an insane angle while rolling down the mountainside. Harry declared this birthday to be the best he’s ever had. 

Sweet boy you are ten years of wonderful and we’re so grateful that you’re our wonderful. Love you to the moon and back. xx