November was a good one. On the cusp of summer with the end of the year in sight, Mum & Roy came over for a bonus visit. Very special to have them here again.

But first we managed to get along to Tamarama to catch some of Sculptures by the Sea. I particularly loved the rhino trapped buried in the sand. It reminded me of how my Dad, brother and I used to call London’s Battersea Power Station the upside down elephant!

Golden hour is truly the best time of the day. Made a note to myself to get down to the beach in the evenings this summer, just to see those pastels blending over the ocean.

Am I too old to learn to surf?!

This typography always catches my eye. I have no idea what it means but it looks so friendly and singsong.

This photo is currently my iPhone wallpaper.

Tried a new hair salon, Edwards & Co. in Alexandria. I loved the communal table and magazines organised in neat piles according to title. I flicked through a few that had caught my eye but spent the imposed down time finished Hunger Makes Me a Modern Woman by Carrie Brownstein. Admittedly I picked up this book because it was recommended on Emma Watson’s book club and didn’t take the time to find out what it was about. Turns out memoirs aren’t so interesting if you have no idea who the author is. But seeing as I can’t leave a book unfinished, I persevered and it wasn’t a bad read.

I love the way the paint drips down the wall. Not sure our landlord would be too happy if I tried my hand at this at home though.

Jacaranda season in Sydney has quickly become my favourite. Mum was awed by them last year and seeing them in bloom again made me super excited about their visit. It makes me sad to see so many flowers on the ground though, I want the trees to remain bursting with colour for a little longer.

The ship that brought my love back from a business trip.

Roy treated Oliver to a man date racing a yacht in Sydney Harbour. A dream come true for Roy and new found sea legs for Oliver. Mum & I met the weary sailors in Rose Bay for a recovery Indian meal!

We felt very lucky to be able to take Mum & Roy up to Palm Beach to show them our wedding venue. As hoped, they loved it and I think this trip just served to get them even more excited. Mum was so inspired by The Boathouse in fact that she bought (another) new dress for our wedding!

It always amazes me how orange the sand is up here. It is so stunning against the blue ocean and clear sky.

We lay for ages one Sunday morning watching our sweet Motley making friends with a bug (I have officially become a cat person).

Paddington never fails to impress.

We took Mum & Roy back to our (and their) favourite spot The Potting Shed at The Grounds for Sunday dinner.

Our viewing of the much hyped super moon was nearly thwarted by some pretty ominous clouds, but just when we gave up and trekked back to the car, the clouds parted for a moment and we got to see him in all his glory. It was such a shame it hadn’t been a clear night, it would have been an incredible sight seeing the moon rise from the ocean. That’s Sydney weather for you, ever unpredictable.

The look of love!

A Sunday spent walking around Centennial Park and Paddington, stopping for lunch at the refurbed Centennial Homestead and spending hours trying on beautiful dresses at Camilla.

Meeting my parents at lunchtime or after work was such a treat. It was so good to get to see them every day. I cherish their visits so much and know how lucky I have been to get to share my new home with them.

Mum surprised me with a new Keepcup to add to my collection. This one gets me super excited about our wedding day…I wonder if it counts as a something blue? I am pretty evangelical about using reusable coffee cups, particularly here with our coffee culture. I was never much of a coffee drinker in London, maybe treating myself to one or two a week. That habit has grown to at least one a day so refusing disposable cups as often as possible makes me feel like I am making a significant impact.

We ventured to The Theatre Bar at the End of the Wharf.

I love this car!

We waved at the bridge walkers and then stood admiring the bats. Mum couldn’t believe they weren’t birds! I think my nephew will be pretty impressed when he gets here in February. We are counting down until he gets here.

The Christmas decorations went up in November but I didn’t mind as they look crate!

Peaking in the Archie Rose Distillery in Rosebery. Would be fun to do a tour one day and we really must stop for a drink at the bar. It was boiling hot when we visited, we needed  to be outside in the breeze so we went next door to Three Blue Ducks.

I would love a cactus to add to my growing plant collection!

This is a happy pill.

Yellow and blue in Double Bay.

Girls.

Back at The Grounds. This time for breakfast. They were a bit disappointed that the huge granola healthy plate is no longer on the menu…I think that was one of the main things that made them want to come back to Sydney!

This ever-changing tunnel is truly spectacular.

A lunchtime sat reading in the Botanic Gardens hiding from the sun.

Rainbow.

Boys.

I finally tried paddle boarding at Rose Bay and loved it. It was super windy the morning we went, it was basically like paddling on the spot! Very fun though…particularly when we tried to do SUP yoga which inevitably resulted in many tumbles into the water!

After recovering from the fits of laughter, we explored the Hermitage Foreshore Track from Rose Bay to Milk Beach, finding some gorgeous little hidden beaches with the most amazing views of the harbour and bridge.

A perfect end to an awesome spring and hopefully a sign of the summer to come. One more season before we get married!!