If you are a BC Facebooker you will know that we have been over to Western Australia for a bit of a break…(if you are unfamiliar with this, it’s about a 5 hour flight from Sydney where we live and on the opposite coast…)
The first part of the holiday we spent at the city and the beach…we explored Perth and marvelled at the wonderful West Australian coastline…it seems about every part of this country is breathtaking…
About halfway through the holiday we packed up and headed inland to the bush and the hills of Perth…I was soooo excited about this…I was ready for a bit of adventure and I wanted to see some of what the Australian country and bush had to offer…I had trawled the internet looking for a suitable property to stay at…we wanted to be on a farm/homestead, fairly isolated, with a fire and the ability to walk for as long as we wanted…we were looking for a back-to-nature type place with lots of treks, countryside and not much else going on…Mr BC and I were a tad nervous about how this might go with the BC Crew..they are hardly babies anymore and we wondered whether a homestead a half an hour’s drive from the nearest place to buy a pint of milk might just be pushing it a bit…
...how wrong we were…amazing what happens when you truly get away from it all
we had a fabulous time..it’s like we drove away from the beach and the city and our regular life and let out a big long sigh….as we crawled up the long winding red dirt road to the homestead, surrounded by the most spectacular colours Mother Nature can offer, farms and fields full of vines abounding….it was all looking so very very good…
…and it was, it went swimmingly..exactly as we’d hoped – the property was equipped up to it’s eyeballs with things for kiddos big or small to do and I spent the vast majority of the time lazing by the fire, out walking in my wellies or sitting out in the spa gazing at the stars…
It’s the first time on holiday, since we bought our old cottage and moved to a life by the sea that I have not been desperate to get back home…though I must say I am champing at the bit to get started on the renovation part II…which is all starting as we get back to the swing of things in the cottage…
I’ll be back to tell you all about our Perth adventures soon…
p.s. photos are via my iphone…I didn’t want to lug my trusty but heavy camera around…I think I have the iphoneology bug…
Hi there! it’s always good to get away and clean the mind! It’s what I say to my children time to clean out all the junk and cobwebs from all the electronics! Mind you they hate when I say let’s unwire ourselves! oh well!
SO exciting! I am hoping for a “someday” trip to Aussieland so I can experience all those beautiful places and wilderness. So glad the crew had a wonderful time, and the relaxing by the fire sounds heavenly. Can’t wait to see what you’ve got planned for reno part deux!
I know what you mean. We leave the Qld east coast for a few weeks each year in our camper trailer and head west to camp out with friends, sit round the fire and marvel at what an amazing country it is. We stay on properties and use the shearer’s facilities and enjoy the isolation, the stars, the birds and get a different perspective of beauty. It’s a harsh land and we take our hats off to the people who deal with it every day.
WA is amazing too. The south-west corner is well worth a visit, not only for the wineries and the food.
Glad your kids could embrace it too.
Regards
Lee
Oh my what a beautiful shot that first picture is, it took my breath away. Yes it’s always nice to go bush as we put it around here in our house hold. I love going in the cooler months and we usually do it around easter. Our mate is very kind to invite us along to his place out there and let us stay for a couple of nights, it’s so beautiful and so much… Though I am always missing my home towards the end of the stay, I am yet to have one of those holidays where I am not thinking of coming home…
I’m so glad you all had fun it’s good to trylly get away from it all together…
I’m very excited obout your renovations…. We are still trying to figure out if we will stay and renovate to create a bit more space (I really want a one level home but looks like the most probable solution will be building into the roof space) or to move somewhere bigger (but that involves more and more taxes…so it might prove to be even more expensive)…. Unfortunately finances are very tight at the momment so it looks like everything is on hold (small renovations as well as big ones) until we are back on track….
It looks oh so relaxing from those pics.
I love Perth and surroundings.
Now you have to come to Tassie next to experience our great outdoors and beautiful fresh produce Sarah.
I am looking forward to reading about your reno’s too and living vicariously through you, until we can afford to do ours!!
I love that last shot Sarah, with the sun shining through making big red dots in the corner. I’ve never been to W.A. they say if you drive 20 minutes out of Perth you’re in the outback??? We tried to get to Broome just before we came to England but they were booked out…apparently Cable Beach is something to see…perhaps one to put on your list?? Robx
Oooh, sounds and looks fabulous Sarah. Those are the kind of holidays that forces you to switch off and forget normality and explore something different. I’ve never been to WA, but like a lot of places – it’s on the list…
x
I was lying in bed last night thinking that we desperately need to get away from our house redo right now. Your pictures gave me a good cleansing breath and I’m booking something today.
after having lived in WA for over 20 years (im a melbourne girl), there really are some spectacular sites to be seen here. we live 3 1/2 / 4 hours inland so i know all about the isolation and being so far far away from the city and the beach, i long for the days that we can get down there, but its not always possible. most weekends we try and drive somewhere around our area, and it really is amazing what you find in the middle of “nowhere”. my husband mostly ignores what our GPS tells him and finds his own way to places, so we travel down a lot of roads that are not used a lot, a few weeks ago about 30 minutes away we found a cactus garden along an old dirt road. we both got such a shock to see it there. another day we found the most amazing pink coloured lake, just breathtaking. We are off to broome, geraldton etc in october i am so looking forward to it.
in regards to the camera, i got the Canon A2200 that you mentioned on a give away, and love it, so does my husband who has taken to taking it away on his over night trips as he has recently got a metal detector (another reason for the drives to all of the old abandoned places) as it is so light and portable to carry. im going to look into getting another one as i miss not using it.
lovely to hear that you had such a wonderful time here in WA..
Hi, my first time at your blog and i love that you are enjoying wa; i am in perth and we really love our state! there is so much to see and do here; in fact, my husband and i were talking the other day about having a break for a few days on a homestead; would you be willing to share the details? sounds like just the thing we were looking for!!
have a fabulous day!
Laura x
Sounds like a wonderful time. It’s great when the kiddos have fun too. Photos are beautiful. Gotta love that iphone. My camera died on me and that’s all i’ve been using. It’s a pretty cool thing.
We just did the same thing recently…….got away and unplugged. So good for us.
But it’s also the reason that we moved to the country, we would get out there and then not want to come home. So we had to find our own place, where we could STAY.
So glad you had a great time though, looking forward to hearing more about it.
G'day! I'm Sarah, I live in a tatty old cottage, near the sea in Australia with a battered old deck & a big old fig tree out the back...stripped wooden floors, old sash windows & a jumble of vintage furniture. [Read More …]
Beach Cottage ladies, we have some vintage linen and some wood/twig washed up on the beach today here in Beach Cottage Land….don’t say I don’t keep you entertained now will you . Come on in. So, yep I have posted about colanders on this blog, about things sourced from the side of the road, about [...]
G'day ladies, let's have a Too Easy Beach Cottage recipe yeah? The original place for Too Easy Recipes on the web ;-)
So, after my last salad went down a storm in my inbox, that's here if you missed it, I had to do this one seeing as I make it most weeks.
There is a problem with this salad and kiddos though...it looks, well, it looks, kinda yucky...but once they try it, they'll ask if and when they are next having it....at least that's what happens in this ratty old cottage...but I must interject here that my kiddos are 'good eaters'? ...they didn't get a choice in that ;-)
Now, stop, don't start running and hitting that next on your blog reading list, pulses are your best friend in the Too Easy Dump & Go kitchen for the busy mum, or busy anyone for that matter...that reminds me I must blog the garlic canneloni Go To for when you forgot to do dinner, feel like a bath but have three ravenous young Beach Cottage Kiddos on your hands...another day.
I am almost embarrassed to tell you how easy this is, we have it so much that I always have a couple, make that six, cans of lentils around and a jar of goat's cheese in the fridge...the great thing about this is that it's all too easy to get ready in just a few minutes, but it looks, tastes and seems like you did oh so very much more than that.
You can obviously too change it up a bit depending on what you have to hand in your kitchen, and I must say that is how I settled on this version...because one day when I made it I didn't have enough Parsley in the garden and so I chucked in some basil too, and liked the Summer feel it added.
I think of this as being a rather posh salad, not sure why, because it couldn't really be further from the truth...the great thing is that it works so well for an average run of the mill day, (when I did this for this blog post, it was a hot Sydney Sunday and I did it just simply to go with Rosemary & Garlic stuffed pork, you can see that pork here),
...but just as easily it works on a regular old Wednesday night when you have lost all enthusiasm for rustling up yet another meal, or indeed on Saturday night, when your friends are on their way over for dinner and you my friend, are in your new vintage inspired clawfoot bathtub (that's me in a few weeks time, k?) without any clothes on, a tipple and no idea what to cook for dinner...
I have a complicated and ever-changing relationship with goat's cheese...it never fails me in its performance and it never fails to impress me (you can find out a bit more on what I like in food here if you like) and I kinda collect it...because it's very easy to collect and has a fairly long fridge-life, I love trying out different ones and there's not many things I love more than goat's cheese on sourdough...but I think the best thing about it is not thinking about it exclusively in the toast/salad department...I've stuffed it in chicken and all sorts of things as a last minute and it's been fab.
But let's get down to the nitty gritty of this super salad that makes you look like an angel who has been on her knees all day scrubbing the front step when really you are in the digital world and spent most of ...
G'day Beach Cottage ladies, howdy, howdy howdy today for a Beach Cottage Too Easy recipe.
If you like cake, cream, sugar and chocolate, make this.
This is, rather than a recipe, a putting it together...as you know I am no dessert maker, but, I do make quite a few sweet things, because, somehow I have ended up with kiddos, who in their roles as offspring, believe that part of the deal, is that not only do I feed them a home-cooked meal with a few homegrown ingredients in there, yes, they also believe that dessert and not the kind that comes out of a packet is included too in this All-Inclusive Deal they call Parenthood.
So, this, for sure, is no culinary masterpiece, but if you are looking for something that is so very easy, dump-able, uses everyday ingredients and at the same time makes you look like you spent hours pulling things together plus tastes good....well, then this is for you.
Best though, you don't make this for yourself, if you have spent the most part of your week sitting on your derriere reading blogs...this my friend ain't low in the calories department...if, however, you are treating yourself to a delight in a mason jar, this is so for you.
I first had a version of this when at dinner back in Old Blighty with a girl, I once, in another life, caught the train up from our village to London with...she was a funny thing really...I am not quite sure how we got on...she was kinda prissy and a bit bothered by too much...I would run to the train flustered, having got up late, and she would have a spreadsheet on the train times, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, a few years later when we both had bambinos, I bumped into her again and we met up for playdates and dinner sometimes....this particular night, after a lovely meal she served up little bowls of creamy, cakey fruity stuff topped off with chocolate flake...it was delicious!
She didn't serve hers in little jars like this, hers were in a champagne glass and not quite so layered as these ones, plus she used tinned fruit not fresh or frozen.
Years later when said offspring kept requesting dessert, one day I wangled together somehow these from what was around in the fridge and they've been with us ever since.
Most likely, if you ever come here for dinner, and shock horror, you dont' bring the dessert with you, this, if you are lucky, will be what you will get.
Throw it all together, sprinkle a lil bit of chocolate on the top and the blog reading past-time you so rudely left in order to make this, is my friend, your oyster.
Beach Cottage Too Easy Layered Raspberry, Cream & Sponge Dessert
1 small maderia or butter cake or a pack of cupcakes (or of course make your own)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
8 tbsp fruit
1 x chocolate Flake or chocolate bar for grating
1. beat the cream cheese until it is soft
2. whip the cream until soft peaks form
3. combine & add the sugar through
4. cut your cake into portions
& layer into the bottom of your jar
5. add a tablespoon of fruit
6. layer on top the cream combo
7. repeat
8. grate chocolate or Flake on top
*Beach Cottage Recipe Notes : this is just a guide really, you can use any cream that you have on hand...I have made this with clotted cream (don't even go there unless you want to seriously get these babies on your thighs), with double cream and I have even, in desperate times squirted in that, ...
G'day Beach Cottage ladies, well I thought it was time for some blogging tips here today, alongside a few nice flowers and shells ;-)
I was recently part of a blogger discussion group over at Kidspot and a couple of hours later had a few questions from girls who couldn't make it to the live chat, one was on my Facebook page and one via email, the Facebook one I will deal with in another Real Girl Blogging Tips post...the email one asked me what essentials do I think every blog needs?
Well I have been around here for a while now doing the blogging thing, so I should know this, yeah and I mused this on my walk by the sea this morning I thought well what do you only need?
...I think it is really very easy when blogging, whether or not you are blogging up there in the lofty heights of the Super Bloggers or you are just dipping your toe in the water, to get side-tracked by 101 million different things that are 'essential' to your blog and if you are someone like me who actually gets a thrill from reading blogging tips then you are in an even worse place because you will find yourself literally buzzing with these essential things to add/do/implement on your blog.
However, walking along, gulping down that brisk sea air today (no sunshine & clouds) I thought you actually don't need any of that professional blogging stuff to be successful...but there are a few things that are pretty much crucial ...and once I started to think about it I got it down to about 5 - these are the only things that you need to concentrate on...once you have read through take a look at some of the big girl's blogs...you'll see that actually they don't have bundles of stuff on their blogs...but they do have all of these...
So here are my top things that your blog must have
1. About Page
There are all sorts of About Pages out there, and if you search on it there are many different tips and ideas for what to have on yours
Whatever blogging platform you use, adding an About Me Page is easy, quick and simple and will do everything to grow your blog.
I like a long-ish About Page, I am inherently nosy and I like to know a bit more about the person but at the least you should have on it your name and where you are located. I also think a photo is good too...over the last year or so I think this has become more important in blogging - if you are hesitant about that as I was, you can try using sunglasses or a behind shot until you get comfortable.
There is nothing worse than stumbling upon a new blog and going to find out more to only be faced with a piddly little one liner About Me Page...well there is something worse, not having one at all!
2. Contact Page
The chances are someone, somewhere will want to contact you and you will be surprised what lands in your inbox once you put yourself out there on the world wide web with a blog.
Many bloggers also use this page to include details for PR's/brands that may want to contact them and some bloggers put their stats on there too.
A short, to the point and simple Contact Page works really well...whenever I have wanted to contact another blogger I am often very busy and have limited time so I don't want to hang around sifting through information looking for an email address, so concise and clear ...
G'day lovely Beach Cottage lovelies.
So, yeah, so on a roll people, so on a roll.
I feel kinda home accessory wired right now.
I am always telling people, if anyone ever listens, that blogging is all about passion, not that sort of passion, but about passion that makes one tick.
Things like this make me tick tick boom.
I love finding things that suit my budget and let me treat my home but look amazing too.
So without further adieu I introduce you, ladies of the beach, to the blue vintage glasses that I have been stroking for about a week or two now...
These glasses are from a little boutique I sometimes happen upon, this boutique sells also pet accessories, carpet cleaner, bras and compost...it's quite unique though.
And, thanks to my friend Marnie (she blogs over here, go take a look at her praying position, interesting), who just so happens to be one day having me over for a lil' Greek dinner, has let me in on the fact that we call Kmart....The KMart...with an accent ....as in 'I love The KMart'...just like her MIL does. Oh yeah. Love that.
So I have had my eye on reproduction vintage glass blue wine glasses and being trying to find real true vintage blue glasses for like ever.
Oh yes I have spied them in Frenchy boutiques, I have lusted after them in stores that I shouldn't even enter and I have put them back pretty quickly in those shops with the hand-written price tags. C'mon, you know the ones.
And, though all of the above have tempted me, muchly, really, even with my wardrobe stashing skills I just thought that, actually, I'd rather be saving that casherooni for our next trip overseas..
Hello The KMart.
Tick Tick Boom
Vintage style blue wine glasses.
Do not come to my old place and think you might pick up one of these and smile with pleasure at their handblown quality, their weight, and be secretly jealous that my wine glasses cost more than your car...friend, that would not happen...these do not feel like that...indeed these in a funny way reminded me of my baby girl, she was a tiny little thing, with stick legs, the tinsssssssiest ankles and wrists you ever did see, she slept sideways in her cot wedged in between rolled up blankets and would only settle attached to Mr Beach Cottage or I or a (dirty) pj top of mine scrunched up under her nose...the first few times I picked her up to cuddle, being used to Honeymoon Baby who weighed in at 9lbs at birth and has never really stopped growing, I nearly threw her little bird-cum-rat down covered body over my shoulder.
These glasses are like that...be careful or you might lose your wine down the front of your shirt.
But oh baby, we are not talking picking up here, we are not talking quality, we are not talking house accessory snobbery.
Beach Cottage ladies, we are talking aesthetics.
And this is what I need in my cottage.
Blue vintage style glass, paired with coastal / nautical / beach stuff on my deck.
It's The KMart.
Tune in tomorrow, tomorrow, I have more budget foofing for your home, or maybe it will be the dress that wraps me up in supermarket-chic and makes me feel like me again.
Good Day to you my friends, wanna come hang out on my deck, talk house accessories, The KMart and drink some wine from blue glasses?
Sarah
Hi there! it’s always good to get away and clean the mind! It’s what I say to my children time to clean out all the junk and cobwebs from all the electronics! Mind you they hate when I say let’s unwire ourselves! oh well!
Glad you had a good time!
Looks like you had a great time, lucky you to go to Perth!
Sounds like such a relaxing vacation! Glad you had a nice time.
Hello Sarah,
How are you?
Well you are doing a thing I have wanted to do for a very long time.
I haven’t seen Western Australia and it is certainly on my bucket list of things to do.
Aren’t iphone cameras wonderful – where would we be without them?
Have a great rest of your trip and as rest too – sounds like you need your energy for the continuing renovation
kindest regards
Loulou x
SO exciting! I am hoping for a “someday” trip to Aussieland so I can experience all those beautiful places and wilderness. So glad the crew had a wonderful time, and the relaxing by the fire sounds heavenly. Can’t wait to see what you’ve got planned for reno part deux!
those photos are amazing! and from your phone!
I know what you mean. We leave the Qld east coast for a few weeks each year in our camper trailer and head west to camp out with friends, sit round the fire and marvel at what an amazing country it is. We stay on properties and use the shearer’s facilities and enjoy the isolation, the stars, the birds and get a different perspective of beauty. It’s a harsh land and we take our hats off to the people who deal with it every day.
WA is amazing too. The south-west corner is well worth a visit, not only for the wineries and the food.
Glad your kids could embrace it too.
Regards
Lee
Mr Alison and I just bought a camper trailer. Thanks for a great holiday idea. It sounds great!
Alison
Love the pink and red glare in the photos!
Sounds dreamy
Hope the jolt back to reality isn’t so bad and that the renovations go smoothly. Can’t wait to see the progress updates.
Oh my what a beautiful shot that first picture is, it took my breath away. Yes it’s always nice to go bush as we put it around here in our house hold. I love going in the cooler months and we usually do it around easter. Our mate is very kind to invite us along to his place out there and let us stay for a couple of nights, it’s so beautiful and so much… Though I am always missing my home towards the end of the stay, I am yet to have one of those holidays where I am not thinking of coming home…
I’m so glad you all had fun it’s good to trylly get away from it all together…
I’m very excited obout your renovations…. We are still trying to figure out if we will stay and renovate to create a bit more space (I really want a one level home but looks like the most probable solution will be building into the roof space) or to move somewhere bigger (but that involves more and more taxes…so it might prove to be even more expensive)…. Unfortunately finances are very tight at the momment so it looks like everything is on hold (small renovations as well as big ones) until we are back on track….
It looks oh so relaxing from those pics.
I love Perth and surroundings.
Now you have to come to Tassie next to experience our great outdoors and beautiful fresh produce Sarah.
I am looking forward to reading about your reno’s too and living vicariously through you, until we can afford to do ours!!
love WA…every rock, plant and view takes my breath away when I have visited!
I love that last shot Sarah, with the sun shining through making big red dots in the corner. I’ve never been to W.A. they say if you drive 20 minutes out of Perth you’re in the outback??? We tried to get to Broome just before we came to England but they were booked out…apparently Cable Beach is something to see…perhaps one to put on your list?? Robx
Oooh, sounds and looks fabulous Sarah. Those are the kind of holidays that forces you to switch off and forget normality and explore something different. I’ve never been to WA, but like a lot of places – it’s on the list…
x
I was lying in bed last night thinking that we desperately need to get away from our house redo right now. Your pictures gave me a good cleansing breath and I’m booking something today.
What a wonderful adventure. The photos are great. It certainly makes me want to pack my bags and take a very long plane ride.
after having lived in WA for over 20 years (im a melbourne girl), there really are some spectacular sites to be seen here. we live 3 1/2 / 4 hours inland so i know all about the isolation and being so far far away from the city and the beach, i long for the days that we can get down there, but its not always possible. most weekends we try and drive somewhere around our area, and it really is amazing what you find in the middle of “nowhere”. my husband mostly ignores what our GPS tells him and finds his own way to places, so we travel down a lot of roads that are not used a lot, a few weeks ago about 30 minutes away we found a cactus garden along an old dirt road. we both got such a shock to see it there. another day we found the most amazing pink coloured lake, just breathtaking. We are off to broome, geraldton etc in october i am so looking forward to it.
in regards to the camera, i got the Canon A2200 that you mentioned on a give away, and love it, so does my husband who has taken to taking it away on his over night trips as he has recently got a metal detector (another reason for the drives to all of the old abandoned places) as it is so light and portable to carry. im going to look into getting another one as i miss not using it.
lovely to hear that you had such a wonderful time here in WA..
I love the beautiful photography. I am a new follower, enjoy your trip.
Gorgeous pics! What a stunning place to vacation! Thanks for sharing.
So glad to hear you and the BCer’s are having an amazing time in WA!
Its amazing what a bit of down time can do for the soul, especially when surrounded by the beauty of Mother Nature – Enjoy!
Hi, my first time at your blog and i love that you are enjoying wa; i am in perth and we really love our state! there is so much to see and do here; in fact, my husband and i were talking the other day about having a break for a few days on a homestead; would you be willing to share the details? sounds like just the thing we were looking for!!
have a fabulous day!
Laura x
Gorgeous photos! Hope you are having a wonderful time!
Sounds like a wonderful time. It’s great when the kiddos have fun too. Photos are beautiful. Gotta love that iphone. My camera died on me and that’s all i’ve been using. It’s a pretty cool thing.
Sounds like a great holiday! Thanks Sarah for always sharing with us!!!!!
We just did the same thing recently…….got away and unplugged. So good for us.
But it’s also the reason that we moved to the country, we would get out there and then not want to come home. So we had to find our own place, where we could STAY.
So glad you had a great time though, looking forward to hearing more about it.
Hugs!!!
Beautiful photos and not to labour the point but how about reading some lovely Tim Winton while in his home state?
Leith