The mountains are calling me

 I am sure I have told you here before of my love for the mountains near my home...they were calling me last week, so I hopped in the car, put this CD on, and drove through the beautiful rainforest...it was very cold and foggy - the perfect weather for a visit to the mountains.
I enjoyed a beautiful lunch in this cosy French cafe...goat's cheese and capsicum tart...while the rain fell outside. Delicious in every sense...
Can you spot the little chippy coffee table in the next pic? After all of your lovely comments about my kitchen dresser, I am inspired to pick up the paint brush again and make over a pine coffee table just like this one, that was actually a wedding present 20 years ago...hopefully I can achieve this look.

Then I had a browse through some lovely little shops. Sassafras is the name of this beautiful village nestled in the mountains. It is one of my very favourite places to visit.

This gorgeous doll's house belonged to Dame Zara Bates, who was an Australian fashion designer and wife of former Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt (Harold Holt died mysteriously in December 1967 when he was swept from a rock while swimming at the beach near Portsea in Victoria). It lives in a little room of this shop.

It is actually now for sale - anyone got a cool $12,500?

I also wanted to say hi to my new readers...it's always so nice to meet new friends, and everyone here is so lovely - do you know how much I love your visits?

Speaking of new friends, on our walk this morning, Pippi met a new friend...

Um, unfortunately it didn't end well...they have decided not to be friends...

(In case you were concerned, Pippi is fine...the cat didn't actually scratch her, I just think she got one hell of a fright! You see she had never met a cat before, and I think she was quite scared, but also curious...I feel a bit bad for telling her pussy wouldn't hurt her) I had a little video of the incident, but blogger, for some reason, won't let me upload it...it's probably for the best...

"The more I think, the more I feel there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people" - Vincent Van Gogh

(I think he should have added 'and animals', don't you?)

Marvellous Moondance

Home-made pizza - yum...and a summers day by the pool...and then...

 Won't you join Pip and me under the full moon tonight? I am feeling very playful...how about you? Would you like some tea in the midnight garden under the fairy lights? Perhaps you would like to sit a while on my garden swing?

Don't be shy - join me in a moondance....don't forget your wings....

 Pip, you do look sweet in your lace...don't worry, it's just the kookaburras and the possums you can hear - they are helping us celebrate...tonight is a special night - my love and I have been married for 21 years...

Would you like some chocolate cake?

Strawberry Layer Cake

Last night, Pippi and I decided to have a little midnight snack...beneath a canopy of fairy lights.

Oh, but it was divine! The tastiest, yummiest strawberry jam sandwiched between layers of moist, delicious sponge, with a sprinkling of real chocolate and piped with strawberry cream! Oh, oh, oh.....be still my (clogged) heart!

I can't be sure, but I do believe we were visited by the Strawberry Fairy Queen herself who bestowed upon us this most wickedly decadent treat...mmmm. A little birdie told Pippi that she flew in especially to suprise us (but I wouldn't take her word for it...she can regularly be found asleep in her favourite chair in the kitchen - not what you would call a very reliable source!)

Oh, and of course one must always dress for unexpected royal midnight visits...the more outlandish, the better, don'tcha think?

Was it perhaps a most delicious dream?

(This cake should come with a health warning!)

(No dogs or fairies were harmed in the making of this blog post - I swear Pippi enjoys these little escapades as much as me!)

Puppy Dog Tales...

As I mentioned in my last post, this gorgeous little girl came to live with us last week...she is a little ray of sunshine.

We lost our Bobby dog back in January of this year - he was a poodle bichon, and the funniest little character you ever want to meet - without going into the graphic details, he had a horrible accident while we were holidaying at our beach house. We were all terribly traumatised because it was so sudden.

Little Pippi is here, not to replace Bob, for he was one of a kind, but to help heal the hurt - I just know he would love her!

I think she is going to be a little character too, and I just know she will be spoilt rotten - how could you resist a little face like that? Oh, the adventures she shall have.... ooh, by the way, she is a cavoodle - a cross between a poodle and a cavalier, and she is 9 weeks old. I am a proud mumma!

Show What You Create and a new puppy!

Ok, so I think I'm a wee bit late, but I promise I have a really good excuse...look at this little face! This is our new little puppy, Pip! Isn't she cute? Wow, I forgot how time-consuming puppies can be!

Anyway, thankyou to http://vintagebellastudio.blogspot.com/ for hosting this lovely event 'Show What You Create'.

I am new to blogging, but if you scroll through some of my older posts you will see that I love creating, especially mixed media canvases at the moment, but I also love to dress up and take pretty pictures!

I am showing you my latest piece which I blogged about in my last post - I had a lot of fun creating her when I was feeling restless last Saturday afternoon...that's how it is for me sometimes...I just feel an overwhelming urge to create something fun.

The other piece I wanted to share is a favourite - I love vintage images, and decided to use this lovely lady to create this piece.

So thankyou for stopping by, and I look forward to visiting all the other lovely blogs to see what everyone else is up to...my very favourite thing to do - so many amazing artists out there. Please drop back anytime...my blog is a little bit of this and that, and I love to read your comments.

Bobby Dog

Three weeks ago today, we lost our beloved pet, Bobby...he was such a funny little guy, and we loved him to the sky and back...he was our much loved friend for 7 years, and we miss him terribly.

We have shed many tears for our little angel dog, and know he is somewhere chasing rabbits and being as silly as always....we love and miss you Bobby dog xxx