Tuesday 28 January 2014

hello there

Apologies for my absence in this space but we have been away from home and we have delightfully been infrequent visitors of electronic devices.
I could launch into some epic post that would probably go on and on and on and on but I don't think I have the stamina, so here instead I grace you with a digestible portion, a delectable yet (hopefully) satisfying mouthful of a snippet of our adventures. It includes our house swap at a very special beach (about 40 minutes north of Bellingen) and some treasured images of our beloved friends with whom we got to luxuriate in the company of for about ten glorious days, we feel spoilt rotten and brimming with love. If you look closely you may spot some vague descriptions of the best beach ever, an incredibly precious toy workshop and various other activities. 
Oh this beach will always remain in our hearts as one of the best ever, to gaze across the beach we had to pinch ourselves at the beauty, the warmth, the solitude and the ideal swimming conditions. It was nothing short of utterly delightful. 










Another gobsmacking picturesque visit to Muttonbird Island.



Some river time and embroidery love.












Snorkelling adventures in Nambucca.

Although I had heard the legend of our local swiss toymakers and indeed had received a very special gift from someone who had grown up with their remarkable toys, I had never previously had the privilege to visit this magical place. I don't think words can sufficiently explain how my heart swells when I think of our visit, the wonder in all of our eyes and then the lumps in our throats and tears in our eyes as we are welcomed in and then engaged with. The passion that Nina and Armin share about life, treasured handmade objects, precious experiences for children and their love for their craft, is priceless. We entered Armin's workshop and he showed the children how he made his little wooden people, all the while talking in a delightful swiss accent, the children were enthralled. He told us his story, he shared his views on mass production with tears in his eyes, he was passionate about being aware politically and being active in making a difference. This was like nothing we had ever experienced before. It was beautiful, emotional, heartfelt, so rich and full of history and warmth.
As we drove away with a couple of little treasures and some assorted offcuts, Poe and Ilo decided that he definitely must be a real life Santa, ' he is so kind and makes such beautiful toys',

My darling Jen attempted a task that few would even look at, she not only untangled all my embroidery threads but she also ordered them in such a delightful and beautiful way. I love knowing that every piece I make in the future will have Jen's love and intention intwined.
Oh my dear beloved friends thank you for the most amazing holiday, full of ease, love, laughter and so much delight.

22 comments :

  1. Gosh I am missing all of you!! Gorgeous pics as always. Beach delightful. Photo of Ilo in red top, first time I have seen how much he looks like you!! Oh the satisfaction brought to my Virgo eyes on seeing that sorted embroidery box :) I love sorting. Talk soon xxx

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    1. Hello beautiful one, oh you are in my thoughts so often, thinking that we can make that chat next week once Poe goes back to school. Oh the sorting was so so delightful, i too love it but sometimes just cannot find the time or the effort to do it, (so much sorting to do in life), so I am entirely grateful to have someone sort for me. big love to you. xxx

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  2. I just went back and looked at the photos and Ilo has a red top on in nearly every photo, the one I was referring to is in fact almost pink with stripes. Cheeky grin :) xx

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  3. Looks like you had a truelly magical time. The wooden toy are delightful and he sounds like a very nice chap so maybe it was Santa! Xxxx

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    1. Hi Emma, yes it was so very special, memories forever.xx

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  4. Oh I think I have been to that Swiss toy maker shop!! Is it down near Forster/ Tuncurry?

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    1. Hi gorgeous, no the swiss toymaker is even closer than that, just at Nambucca, yep we are only 20 minutes away from pure magic! xxx

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  5. Australia is definitely a paradise on earth and it makes me all the more dreaming as in France , we live in winter, grey and cold...not so funny...
    How i like the green skirt your friend is wearing on the beach ! On my to do list !

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    1. Oh I am sure France is also like paradise on earth, just a different type of paradise and yes at this time of year, different clothing. So glad you enjoyed. xx

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  6. I know why I left my camera in my bag. Jay your photos are breathtaking as always. These ones are even more special, as I recall all the joy, love and laughter that was occurring before, during and after they were taken. It was a truly magical 10 days. Our cups are also truly brimming over. LOVE YOU ALL

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    1. Thank you my darling, what an amazing time we shared together, feeling so very lucky to have you all in our lives and hearts. xxx

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  7. HELLO WE LOVE YOU YAY MISS YOU SO MUCH CANT WAIT TO SEE YOU AGAIN! LOVE LILY!

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    1. Love you gorgeous Lily, so much fun indeed. love you

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  8. All so magical. All of it. And then those toys. And then you finish it off with one of m favourite things; neat embroidery threads!

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    1. Thanks Imogene, I too loved seeing your neat embroidery threads, they do make my heart very happy when I see them like that. Ah, small beautiful things. xx

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  9. Now I can stop dreaming on holidays

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  10. We are taking a trip from Brisbane to Sydney in a campervan in April/May and I would love to take my kids to see the toymaker- Can you please tell me the address/phone number of the toymaker so I can see if we can see the magic of beautiful toys being made? I love your blog it is just so full of your beautiful purposeful kind intentionsand actions. Lovely.

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    1. Ahm Brisbane to Sydney in a campervan, how wonderful. I am so happy to share the details of Armin and Nina, their address is 6858 Pacific Highway, Valla (just North of the first Nambucca exit), look for the little red wood house/letterbox, seriously gorgeous. Their phone numbers are 6569 5190 and 0434 100 610. I promise it will be such a wonderful experience. xx

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    2. Oh thank you so much! Yesterday i looked at your funny farm post then did a search on it to check out their accommodation and ended up watching the tedtalk. What an amazing lady! Thanks again!

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  11. Such an amazing looking holiday. I visited Nambucca often as a child as my Pop lived there. The place holds many many fond memories like those Swiss toy people. they are part of my childhood. I share a birthday with Nina and she always had an extra doll for me when we visited. While I collected a police force and some circus folk, my brother collected a fire crew complete with engine and my sister had a family and nurses.
    I love those toys with all my heart but I thought that they had stopped making them. I would love to be able to get some for my children. Are they still in the same place or have they moved?

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  12. Hi Abby, thanks for popping by, the toys that Armin and Nina make are truly amazing and wondrous. I think they are still in the same place, see above for contact details. Best wishes Jay

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  13. Hi, I came across your blog as I was looking for Armin the toymaker's contact details. 40 years ago as a little girl my parents took my family and I on a road trip from Brisbane down south. We stumbled across Armin and Nina's place in Nambucca Heads and my parents bought me the most amazing dolls house. I have always treasured and adored it and after 40 years and many children playing with it, it needed a little attention. So after getting their details from your blog I phoned them. I mailed my dolls house down to Armin and he lovingly restored it to it's former beauty. I have had a number of conversations with Nina on the phone and instantly I felt connected to these lovely people. Not only did Armin restore the dolls house to it's former glory, he sent back a number of new "people" for the house, including ones that represented my daughters, my husband, my mum and late dad, a chef for our kitchen and even the toy maker himself. It is truly stunning. What was unbelievable was that Armin did not want to be compensated for his hard work, he just loved what he did and was happy that this dolls house would be around for many more years to come. I will be forever grateful for what he did and I would love to go down and visit them as they are the most gorgeous people.

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thank you, thank you for sharing your words, thoughts, feelings. xx