#reverb12 My dream destination - quite a story!

What was your dream destination in 2012? And why?

This is easy!

28 years ago I was nearly all set to go trekking in the Himalayas...but then I met Mr planet...and we went to England instead to meet my parents...and we bought a house and then we got married and then we had kids and we lived in the US for a while...and then we had no money...so I didn't go to the Himalayas then.

Fast forward to 2 years ago....we are now empty nesters...we inherit some money....we book a trek to Ladakh which is in the Indian Himalayas.
We are packed ready to go...and then - disaster!
You remember when there were really, really bad floods in Pakistan? Well the awful weather also affected Ladakh and there were floods and mudslides and we couldn't go - our trek was cancelled.

I was distraught - but I shouldn't be so selfish because it was so awful for all those poor people in Ladakh and Pakistan.

Anyway the trekking company offered us another trek in another part of the Himalayas - in Sikkim, in October.
So we went.
And it was great! But it was also very hard.
I said I couldn't do it again - you know - a bit like childbirth!
But as with childbirth, after a couple of years you forget the pain, you think "aw, it wasn't so bad".
You remember the beautiful mountains.....

So, this year we went to Ladakh and we trekked.
And it was tough and tiring and amazing.

I had dreamt of going to the high himalayan desert for nearly 30 years and this year I achieved my dream.

A lovely day at the markets - Wordless Wednesday

Millthorpe market

The utterly gorgeous Amelia Herberton

Totally delicious Nina of {Sticky} Sweet

Completely sweet Holly of Country and Co

Fabulous Danette of Sami Bop

My wonderful helper Mr planet

#reverb12 day 4

How will you celebrate YOU?

I will need to rest.
I will sleep.
I will swim.
and eat and drink and read and chat.

I always find the end of the year exhausting.
Even before I did all this, when I was a normal person with a normal job, even when I was much younger. I always wanted to sleep all through Christmas.
Nor because I didn't enjoy Christmas....but I was exhausted.
....and I'm sure this year won't be any different.

How about you?
How will you celebrate yourself this season?

Pop over to I saw you dancing and see what others are doing.

Reverb 12

Here I am taking part in another month of....

This one is a series of posts looking back on this year.
It's all orchestrated by the wonderful Kat over at I Saw You Dancing.

I'm already 3 days behind!

But I'll start - Day 1, How are you starting?

How am I starting the month of reverb?
Tired!
Busy!
Disorganised!

I have 2 more big markets this year plus stock to make for my bricks and mortar shop The Nook Leura. So I should be busy making, making, making....but here I am taking part in a blog challenge, thinking and blogging instead.

Well you have to have fun - don't you?

Day 2 - Your most significant spend?

Without doubt the land we bought near a small coastal town in New South Wales.
It's part of our retirement plan!

It's 20 acres of treed land, with a dam and that is all.

One day we'll build a smallish home on there and that will be our base when hub retires (early) in 15 months time.

It will be such a change of lifestyle for us.
In the meantime I'm collecting small house ideas and eco home ideas and such things.

Day 3 -  What I wish for?

If I only had 1 year left to live I would travel....travel, travel, travel.
I would go to Venice and Paris.
To south east Asia.
I'd go to Japan.

But then maybe I'd want to spend all my precious time with my precious family?
That's a toughie!

Ooops! I've been away for a while. I've been wine tasting.

All the Christmassy stuff caught up with me I'm afraid.
No - not Christmas shopping....haven't started that yet!
But all the Christmas markets and fairs.

Did you hear me say that I was going to be more organised this year?
Did you believe me?

Ah, well! I'll get there....

So last weekend I had one of the biggest fairs of the year....but I'll blog about that another day, and we usually stay in a nearby town which is well known for it's wineries.
Mainly these are small boutique wineries where you can go and taste their wines at the weekend and the trend seems to be here that the tasting "rooms" are in the actual houses of the winemakers.

This can be a little disconcerting at first and you feel like an intruder....or a bit naughty, but it is really quite lovely especially at a winery we visited for the first time on Saturday - Patina, fine wine...with layers of distinction.

As we drove in to the house yard I noticed a sign to the garden walk.
Ooooh, I was sold!

There were also spectacular views from the house...of Mount Canoblas which looks over Orange, and gorgeous pastoral vistas.

The garden has only been 8 years in the making.
It is amazing!

There are stone steps and winding paths.

Sweet little touches.

It's a real "English" country garden carved out of the harsh Australian countryside by a couple of Americans.
Which just goes to show what you can do!

There are also waterfalls!

and rambling roses.

I also should tell you that we loved the wine.

You can visit Patina at weekends or for more information here is their website.

I'm a bowerbird!

I found some blue things!
I love blue and I'm so happy that blue is in fashion again.
It has been impossible to buy blue clothes the last few years - believe me!

But yesterday I scored at the op shop -

It's a little big but because of the style I don't think it matters.
It will be nice and cool and go with some of my patterned Lynne Lade pants.

Then it was off to Spotties for a spot of fabric shopping - I have the urge to make something for myself. *gasp*.

I'd had a bit of a rummage in my old sewing drawers and found some patterns - some very old patterns! 

But undetered I was on the search for blue!
And look what I found -
Blue twill for some pants to go with the hydrangea print I bought last year (with all good intentions!)

I'm also a bit enamoured with orange at the mo.
Yep, I'm a tie-dyed girl!
But it will go with some other Lynne Lade pants (the most comfy pants in the world)
and maybe not too shabby with the blue either?

Oh, of course while a spotlight you have to check out the other bargains and I scored this very-useful-looking beading thingy!

What a great gadget!

 Plus at the op shop I found this useful-but-boring butter-coloured linen shirt

If you are wondering about the bowerbird reference - the Satin Bowerbird collects blue things to embellish the entrance to his bower to attract the ladies.
This is the one in our back yard.

Amazing, huh?

Five fabulous Friday Finds

So much fabulousness everywhere at the moment!

He are some snippets of gorgeous to brighten your weekend.


I'm a sucker for Japanese art and imagine how fab it would be to carry this around with you all day.

wallet and phone pouch by TinderandBloom

Just loving the whimsey of these clocks by iluxo, couldn't decide between this or the Paris one!

Sydney clock by iluxo

Wooden't you just love to have this fabulous shelf as a feature on your wall?
I also have a few old books I could put on there.

Atlas by designlipe

If not - or maybe, as well you could hang this bookshelf on your wall.
Does this look like your bookshelf? It is a bit like mine!

Illustration by BookCub

And I can't go past some pretty earrings.
These look like they would be so light to wear and I can just imagine how they would swing as you walk!

native american style earrings by Anabel27shop

What fabulousness have you found this week?