Before I post a barrage of pictures I want to, as usual, somehow condense the past week-ish into a couple of paragraphs...
On the weekend, S and a friend of ours C went away for the weekend. We went down to Sandy Point, where C's Dad has a house we could stay in as he was away. (Quick digression - this "not saying names" thing is getting kind of stupid or something as I use people's names on most of my other social media… I don't know if I want to continue with it, but just wanted to say I'm aware that it's contradictory and a little futile!) Anyway, so we left early on Saturday morning and C was driving so she picked us up. As I don't drink coffee she'd bought me an amazing almond milk and banana smoothie for the road! So lovely. Our plan was to drive up to Wilson's Prom (near Sandy Point) and do a bush walk in the prom before going to the house. S and C are advanced bush walkers and I am not, so I was a bit concerned that they would want to do like a really hard hike - however they very kindly let me pick the walk, and it was a perfect 8.5 kilometre one that took us a couple of hours.
The walk started with us climbing up to the summit of the Prom and looking out over the ocean. It was so beautiful, the air was very crisp and the clouds were low but not threatening. It wasn't too steep, either - it was gradual and varied with plenty of places to rest (me) and see the view. We then climbed back down towards the beach, and at this point I was getting tired but C perked us up with fascinating and wild stories of when she travelled to Mongolia. Before I could complain about sore legs, we reached the beach. It was like a strange, swampy part of the beach with lots of mud and mangrove looking plants growing in the mud. Very cool and very deserted. After that we started off back to the car, and that's when we saw heaps of wildlife. An emu ran right out in front of us, and we caught the eyes of a couple of cute wallabies.
After we made it back to the car, we drove to another one of the nearby beach fronts in the Prom. I was obsessed with the idea of getting a potato cake, and convinced the others that it would be a great idea too, and we had two each and it was amazing. After a quick walk on the beach, as we were making our way back up to the car we spotted a wombat! He was very cute and didn't seem at all bothered by us.
Once we got to the house in Sandy Point, our intentions of going to the beach again to watch the sunset kind of disappeared as we turned on the heater and realised how tired we were from our walk. We raided C's Dad's liquor cabinet and S made cocktails which then sealed the "staying in" deal. I had made a salad for dinner and C roasted the most amazing mushrooms that a friend of hers had picked. I wish I could remember what kind they were, they tasted incredible. THEN C and S made CHOC CHIP COOKIES while I lazily sipped on another cocktail, and we ate them fresh out of the oven as we played the best and most nerdy board game in history, 'Settlers of Catan' I won, by the way.
I slept so well that night, and I was thinking how wonderful it feels to be physically tired rather than mentally tired - as I so often am. I was completely wiped out from that walk, but in a really good way.
The next day we had to start heading back - S made us a delicious breakfast with eggs from his chickens at home, and after enjoying that we went to the Sandy Point beach front for a last stroll. It was such a large beach and the tide was low, there was hardly another soul to be seen and looking back at photographs we all seem very small in comparison to the landscape. It was so quiet, and still, and I loved it.
The beginning of this week has been busy - I am so excited as I got to see the print proofs for my Hardie Grant book, and sign off on everything. Being so neurotic early on in the process has made things so easy for me now, as I looked at everything there on paper and felt happy with everything. I was dreading that I'd go in and see it all in print and just cringe. It's easy for that to happen with something you've spent so much time with. But I really, really am pleased with how it's looking and I seriously cannot wait for you all to see it. And the world… eeep!
I had lunch with
Brodie yesterday, she's the best. We went to Shop Ramen on Smith Street which has the most delicious Tofu rice bowl which I always get. I love it. Yesterday afternoon I set up my new desk in my studio - it's the biggest desk ever (it used to be my Dad's family dining table) and I am loving having so much space. It's amazing. Then,
Tai Snaith visited and also gave me flowers :)
The below pictures are also from the weekend before our weekend away - which I spent with S - he took me to Heide on the super sunny Saturday and also bought me a Kit Kat so I like had the best day ever. Tonight we're going to this burger place that is all the way out near my house. It will be like a fun hometown date and I'm looking forward to it :)
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| Records in the sun at my studio some time last week |
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| My little collage at the Westspace fundraiser |
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| Kathy Temin at Heide |
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| Mikala Dwyer at Heide |
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| I forgot this artist's name, whoops |
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| Kate Rhode in the Heide library |
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| Studio sefie |
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| Oh, I went the Camberwell market with Mum, too, I forgot |
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| Margaret Keane at the Camberwell market, kind of wish I bought this now |
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| New little studio wall detail |
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| Treated myself to this book, it was on sale at Horton's books on Smith Street for $35, couldn't resist! |
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| I have an addiction to crispy M&Ms now since our Geelong Gallery rider, send help |
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| SMOOTHIE |
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| Posted this on Insta because we were going down the beach |
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| The most hilarious Op Shop we stopped at on the way - the ladies loved my Romance was Born bush baby pants and asked me if I was an actress or singer... |
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| Bargain |
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| Took this pic for Brodie |
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| The beginning of the bush walk |
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| At the summit |
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| Beautiful little native wildflowers |
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| The beach/swamp |
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| THE EMU (camouflaged, but to the right on the grass!) |
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| Clearer pic of the EMU |
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| EMU |
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| Cutest wallaby |
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| Hey buddy |
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| The prom beach |
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| THE WOMBAT |
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| THE COCKTAILS |
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| Sunday morning Sandy Point general store |
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| Sandy Point beach |
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| Callum Morton on the drive back home. Best freeway art there is. |
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| A snippet of my new desk |
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| And, a snippet of my print proofs! |
