Back from Down Under!!

Hey, how y’ goin’? 😀

We’re back from our trip to Australia (well back for about a week now) and still reeling from all that’s happened! 🙂 In just two short weeks we did SOOOOOO MUCH!!!

The first week we were there, we went to Phillip Island, where we visited the Penguin Parade; a protected area where the little penguins come ashore every night at sundown by the hundreds, to head home to their little shelters in the hills 🙂 We weren’t allowed to take pics of the little guys (flash scares them) but Maz got a picture of me on the beach waiting for them to come 🙂

waiting for the penguins!

We were only there overnight but we did manage to explore the beach a little and walk down the pier – I promised an action shot of the Cooper bag so I made sure we got a shot – it went with me EVERYWHERE down there!! 🙂 Unfortunately, the weather was warmer than it looks so I had my sweater draped over the bag, which kind of obscures the bag in the pic – oops! LOL.

Me & Maz & the Cooper bag in action!

Phillip Island beach

After we came back, we spent a couple of days with friends and family, then we were off to the Gold Coast for a few idyllic days alone in paradise! We stayed in Surfer’s Paradise, which was without a doubt, very much paradise, even though I’m about as far from a surfer as you can get. The weather was lovely: warm, sunny, windy, very humid and perfect for long, languorous days strolling around the beach, shopping, exploring, eating and not being in a rush for anything 🙂

view from our hotel room… RIGHT??

While those three days on the Gold Coast couldn’t have been more perfect, the best part by far is that

WE GOT ENGAGED!!!!

That’s right, my very sweet, romantic FIANCÉ proposed to me right on the beach, at night, when it was just us and hundreds of adorable little white seagulls and miles of sand and waves 🙂 How could I NOT say yes??? 😀

my beautiful engagement ring!

us on the beach where we got engaged, the day after

Of course, nothing can top that as best vacation memory EVER!! but petting kangaroos and holding a koala was right up there in coolness factor as well – we did that the last full day we were there!

I’m petting a giant kangaroo!! He’s so soft!

After spending a few days there, we headed off to Sydney for a day before returning to Melbourne. It was a bit of a culture shock at first, as Surfer’s Paradise definitely has a slow, laid back feeling to it, while Sydney is a very bustling, fast-paced city. We explored the city a bit and took the ferry from Circular Quay to Darling Harbour (my favourite part!). It was a perfect way to take photos of the city and harbour from afar 🙂

On the ferry at Sydney, with the Opera House behind me!

Upon our return to Melbourne, I was very blessed to have the opportunity to get together with a bunch of AWESOME sewing bloggers for an AMAZING afternoon of fabric and notion shopping organized by Bella of  http://www.bellacollectanea.com – thank you so much Belle, and thanks to all the girls who came; it was so awesome hanging out with you all and meeting new friends from across the globe!! 🙂 The fabric shopping in Melbourne is absolutely incredible. I mean I could have spent a day in each shop alone. I had to restrain myself but I think I came away with a pretty decent haul that didn’t overload my weight allowance on my case, and didn’t max out my credit card LOL (Although I did discover that Tessuti does international orders… OMG LOL)

from left to right: merino, charmeuse, silk suiting

The merino on the left is from the Fabric Store, the charmeuse in the centre is what MAY be silk or a very good replica thereof, and the silk suiting on the right is BY FAR the most expensive fabric I’ve ever bought, and even though it gave me a minor coronary, I couldn’t leave Tessuti without it – it was definitely love at first sight!!! 🙂

from left to right: linen, silk, silk

These fabrics were from a second trip to The Fabric Store with my fiancé and his mum in tow, as I didn’t feel satisfied that I’d bought enough LOL. (I’m so lucky to have enablers LOL). The copper on the left is linen; I got 2m – enough for a dress, and the other two are silks that Maz’s mum spotted – I loved both colours and figured with 1m of each I could maybe come away with a couple cute tops 🙂

We spent the last few days of our trip visiting family (or to be more specific in my case, meeting family). Maz’s mum had a lovely afternoon get together which served as both a meet-and-greet and an engagement party. One of her friends’ daughters took some lovely professional photos of us, and we are so impressed that despite the fact this was a spur-of-the-moment endeavour and we weren’t prepared to have photos taken, she managed to make us look pretty spiffy!! 🙂

 

FYI I made that skirt the day before we left – lucky right? LOL

Before we left, we spent a day walking around the city of Melbourne, and even though it was pouring rain (which I’m used to, as a Vancouverite), it was indeed a spectacular city. I adore the little alleyways lined with secret cafes and shops, and the old buildings side by side with new architecture. One of my favourite buildings was Flinders Station, partly because I loved the juxtaposition of the old outer facade with the new, modern interior.

Flinders St. Station

After the amazing two weeks away, we have had a hellish week back, with everything from work crises to a leak in our apartment (which is incidentally keeping me from sewing all that gorgeous fabric – ARRRGH!!!) but I am not at all exaggerating when I say my first experience overseas was life-changing and I will carry those beautiful memories with me forever… Australia, I promise you – I WILL be back!! 🙂