Up until this stage of my life, my favourite tree has always had a strong trunk and a large leaf canopy. It’s the tree cows and hikers hit by a sudden burst of rain shelter under. The tree I associated with the word “sanctuary”. It was safety. It was my kind of tree. Lush, vibrant,…
Author: Beth
We currently live in Sydney Australia but have made made the decision to up our lives here and move to New Zealand. We're chronicling the journey here but I'll also add in things about food, activities, reviews and whatever else I'm asked about as we go on. We have plans to transition to a simpler way of life but we'll see how that pans out! We welcome you to join our journey.
Beth is a thirty-something mother who lives in Hornsby, Sydney. She’s married to Mr Incredible and they have one daughter – Adventure Girl and a son nicknamed Dash. In a previous life she was an Executive Assistant who worked in Hong Kong, regional Queensland and Sydney.
Being Vulnerable: Why we moved and how I feel now
Brene Brown in her book, Daring Greatly expounds upon vulnerability (defined as “uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.”) and speaks to her research which shows that to our detriment we often “armour up” to avoid feeling particular emotions which feel too big for us in order to “be in control”. If I’m honest with myself (and…
Textured painting for beginners (like me!)
Moving into a two bedroom flat after the farm which had five bedrooms, an enormous living area, kitchen and self-contained studio is somewhat of an adjustment. Two weeks in we’re coping remarkably well and yesterday was the day for a bit of artwork to personalise our space. All of our artwork is currently in storage…
Back after four years…
Hello again. As I’ve written before, it’s always a little difficult re-starting to blog. That said, I’ve never had a break as long as this one. Since I last posted we completely renovated our beloved “farm”, we’ve bred cows and sheep and owned horses, I was completely immersed working in one of New Zealand’s best…
I love wood
Don’t worry, this blog isn’t about to step into the province of the double entendre and crass jokes, I am in fact in the process of indulging my fascination with this incredible material and learning how I can utilise it better in a four-day beginner’s course. When I signed up for this women’s specific woodworking…
Still here, still standing.
I find it easier to think of the remaining jobs we’ve got to do around the property as how many hours of work they’ll take. That and “what’s the most cost effective way of doing it?”. Thankfully we’re now back in our home after a period of absence following asbestos being discovered and needing to…
Paint, floors, taps and a bath
Goodness… I can’t believe we’re painting already! It’s such a weird feeling because in some ways it indicates how far we’ve come in this process (and how quickly) but there’s also a great deal more to do. We spoke to our builder yesterday and when he said “so you can start painting tomorrow”, I do…
oh for the options
I miss Sydney for the first time. While bright winter days where one can walk around in shorts are appealing, the actual thing I desire right now is options. Options for a variety of tap fittings, options for a ball gown (David Jones and Bianca Spender, I never thought I’d miss you so much), options…
It’s not that easy
I write often when I feel the creative urge. Writing when I’m overwhelmed though is a discipline I lack. Since last posting, I have been overwhelming overwhelmed. Not all the time and by no means without relief, but just enough that any creative energy has been spent on just keeping it all together. It’s also…
Camping… and Mr Incredible’s Stew (aka Annabel Langbein’s Tender Beef Bourguignon from Winter Goodness)
It’s a rainy day and for the life of me all I feel like doing is embroidery. Sitting down with a hoop and some silk and painting a picture with thread. We’re camping though, albeit in a house, with most of our possessions still packed away in a shed – for the most part it’s…
a life of less regret 