The Captain's Cottage at Long Beach...

A couple of weeks ago my very good friends Geo and her DH came to spend a week down the coast in a beach house at Mollymook...on her agenda (must do!!!) was to look at a beach house at Long Beach further down south in Batemans Bay!!!

Quilts have been featured in this gorgeous beachside house in Homespun magazine...

This cottage faces the beach...

has a little boat in front of it...

it also faces the street 'round the corner...

after having a walk along the beach side I asked if we could go back to the street side and take a pic...and blow me down, as I was about to do that the owner Lynne came out...

after chatting she graciously asked if we would like a tour...

WOULD WE EVER!!!

Entering here on the street side...

very nautical quilt on one of the beds...

Up the steps and a ship's wheel...

A little bedroom...

In this bedroom in the ceiling is a door and a fold out ladder...

up the ladder (not me) and Geo took a photo of the light up there...

from here you can look out to sea...

And check this out...one is the sink...the other is the loo...

How cute!!!  These were featured on the cover of Homespun magazine N o 91 Vol 11 No 12!!!

Complete with pirate flag (what fun)...

Add on lighthouse...

Staircase...we have a staircase and often wonder if we should do this treatment to it!!!

And downstairs complete with buckets for children and boogey boards...

And here's Geo looking wistfully at the house...

and wondering if she should gather the family together and spend a special birthday there in a few years!!! 

 Of course you should Geo...and we will visit (a lot)!!!

Thank you so much Lynne and Brian...we thoroughly enjoyed this tour and feel very privileged...

To check out the Captain's Cottage further go over here

I'm doing a workshop at Steph's and have chosen these Civil War fabrics to play with...

learning to use the stitches on my machine...all fun, fun, fun!!!

Till next time...

The sea, once it casts its spell,

holds one in its net of wonder forever...

~Jacques-Yves Cousteau, 1910-1997~http://www.universalmagazines.com.au/_webapp_118012/Homespun

Surprise Gifts...and a Hot Chocolate Finish!!!

Close up from a pic on my new shelves below...

Wow...on Friday I came home with JoJo to 2 envelopes...one for each us!!!

What a wonderful unexpected surprise from Bev over at Kainga Happenings

Machine embroidered...all ready to turn into something special...mmm thinking of a "Royal Cushion'...maybe even make it my logo!!!

a lovely card with the words...
Dishes done, papers read, children snuggled into bed
Hours past the setting sun -
I count my blessings...one by one
~Artwork Designs by D. Morgan~

and a stitchery for JoJo as well...with a windmill and water tank!!!

JoJo's card with the words...Variations old and new...
His rhapsody in green and blue...
~Artwork by D. Morgan~
Very apt seeing we live near the sea!!!
Thank you so very much dear Bev...we are both completely over the moon with your generosity!!! We raved about these all weekend!!!

And to follow on from a previous post about our sewing area my Hubby over the weekend finished these shelves...here they are all nicely organized to start with...we'll see how long they stay that way...

A full pic of the Dresden Plate table mat purchased at the Craft Fair last week...can't resist those warm Autumn colours...

On a visit up to the big smoke recently I came across some flaked chocolate from Koko Black...the pack came complete with a recipe for Hot Chocolate...

100ml each of milk and thickened cream
50g Koko Black Dark Chocolate Flakes
sugar and chilli powder (optional)

Pour the milk and cream into a cup and stir to blend, heat 90 seconds approx
or alternately warm on stovetop
Whisk in chocolate flakes, sugar as desired and 1/4t chilli
Stir thoroughly...relax and enjoy
How easy is that...now I think I'm off to try this on this chilly evening!!!

Beach Houses and a Seaside Quilt...

Here we are...February already, the holiday atmosphere has gently faded away and we all have well and truly started 2009!!! So...today I thought I would do a beach house theme... Here is a photo of a light house inspired quilt purchased in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales at Rick Rutherford's amazing Country Store - a shop showcasing different country looks...including a Coastal one!!!
I received for Christmas off my dear Friend, Georgina (no blog) this awesome book...she bought one for each of us...and I thought I'd show some of the images (and text) from it!!!

Australia...a country with endless stretches of beautiful coastline...whether your vision of the perfect beach house is a shack in a quiet coastal town...or a contemporary design... I just really could relate to the country/coastal style...

White and blue...and of course the mellow look of rustic timber...with a collection of kitchen scales...

Vintage Australian pine cupboard with pond yacht atop, draped fishing net enhances the theme!!!

A breezy corner...for stitching and reading...reflecting...

And for the folks in the Northern Hemisphere...a cozy fireplace

And how enticing is this...an old desk and pine chair!!!

Dining table made from an old door with verandah posts for legs...the sideboard on the wall is made from oregon with gum-tree limb railings...the unusual piece to the left of the sideboard is half an aircraft engine!!! I can imagine friends around this table...partaking in a meal...a coffee, much laughter...congenial conversation!!!

Thank you Georgina for this fabulous book!!!

We cannot write in water...we cannot carve in water. Water's nature is to flow and that is how we should treat life...emotion, negative or positive. Do not deny it but always let if flow through and then away...Anonymous

May you enjoy your kitchen table...sometimes the best place to be!!!