Phew, we’re back! We had a great week walking ‘n camping the Cape to Cape and thoroughly enjoyed our first four days trekking through my very favourite sort of unspoilt coastal scenery, enjoying deliciously cool and fine weather, but our last two days brought high winds, heavy rain and even a short burst of hail! Yes, hail… Walking along the beach, hail bouncing off your head… not exactly the ideal outdoorsy, communing-with-nature peace and tranquility happening there! But we were so grateful that we got the nasty weather on our last two days, and not on our first two days… which might just have made us want to give up! but we stuck it out and were pretty darn proud of ourselves to make into Dunsborough six days and 134.5km after we started.
And the enjoyment you get afterwards from that hot shower and soft warm comfy bed … indescribable. Going without modern day life’s luxuries is a sure fire guaranteed way to give one a renewed appreciation of these things. Water on tap? fluffy dry real towels and not those pathetic thin camping versions of towels… whatttup? Pure bliss!
About the royal wedding!! Did everyone else enjoy it as much as I did? I loved her dress. I thought it very Princess Grace, and just perfectly elegant and demure. The whole ceremony itself was sheer enjoyment to me, from beginning to end, and I will admit to the odd tear in the old eye, must be my English heritage stirring up long-forgotten patriotism still residing way down deep in my breast… (sigh)
But back to serious sartorial matters, that bridesmaid’s dress?! LOVED it. I’m just hoping a pattern company sets to and makes a paper pattern version asap, wasn’t it just divine…? I can’t decide if my favourite view was the front, with that elegantly draped neckline and pretty little cap sleeves, or the rear view with that long line of fabric covered buttons providing a lovely focal point of interest. Often the rear view of a gown is neglected, and it is important, especially for wedding garments, to remember that the rear view of the gown should be interesting because it is the one everyone is looking at for most of the ceremony.
It’s funny, the girls in our family were like, ohhhh, that bridesmaid’s dress, sheer perfection, no?; whereas all the males were like, woah check out the bridesmaid, she’s hot!!
Laugh!
(royal wedding pictures from somewhere on the internet, picked from thousands…)
I agree 100%. I am one of those who felt that the bride's dress was nice, but rather banal. But I just loved Pippa's dress!
It looked like you had an amazing vacation. What an accomplishment! And yay for fluffy towels. 🙂
Your trek looks amazing!
Yes, both dresses were pretty. I think the bridesmaid's dress was an ideal dress for a girl with a slim, athletic figure. The sister would have been lost in something flouncy. The dress she had really was made for her. The raglan sleeves lessened her broad shoulders and the bias cut tapered skirt emphasised her hips. Not many people could pull off a dress like that. She looked amazing.
Wow! Your trek sounds like it was great. And seeing kangaroos out in the wild? Awesome (maybe that's just the American in me talking). Glad you had a fun time.
My jaw dropped at seeing both of those dresses. The Middleton family has many attractive and fashionable members, doesn't it?
The trip looks amazing, the scenery looks so dramatic. I also agree, re: everything about the dresses. Just great choices everywhere for the wedding.
welcome back Carolyn! Your pics remind me of my hiking experiences which are a little too far behind:D .. I know what you mean abt cameras in cargo pants pockets- definitely very annoying:))
Welcome back. Sounds like you had a great trip with some wonderful views. I would love to try something like that one day.
As for the dresses, I agree. I think they both looked stunning.
Nice to have you back to blogging! I'm glad to hear your trek went well. Good to hear the weather didn't ruin your whole trip, that's always so annoying when that happens.
I absolutely loved the dress too. I'm actually in the midst of drafting a pattern for one very similar to it so I was pretty pumped to realize me and Sarah Burton were thinking alike. 😉
The bridesmaids dress was soo lovely, I agree! I loved loved the buttons down the back. That's a good way to put it, a local focal point of interest. That is exactly what it does!
Welcome back! The pictures are so beautiful-I love the gray and blue of the sky and sea. And some joeys-cool!
I am one of the few who LOVED the wedding dress and liked the bridesmaid's dress. ah, well.
Glad your cargo pants managed the trek.
Great to have to back Carolyn. My blog reading was quite dry without your updates. 🙂
Hard luck about the hail 😛
Welcome back! Thanks for sharing the amazing hiking pictures. Have you seen Sue's latest post about an Australian pattern company creating a version of the bridesmaid dress?
http://blog.thingsbe.com/?p=5243
Style Arc have produced a pattern for Pippa's dress.
http://www.stylearc.com.au/stylearc/index.php?page=shop.product_details&category_id=5&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=369&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=39
BTW, Kathleen from FI calls clothes that are neglected in the back "coffin clothes" – true though a somewhat distubing description. Have used it myself, let it be known.
Welcome home! Looks like you guys had a super trip! I was wondering how your cargo pockets would work out. I get annoyed when mine are overstuffed, too. 🙂
Pippa's a gorgeous gal. The Middleton family has more than their fair share of attractiveness! And Pippa's dress, while beautiful, didn't overshadow her sister's. nice!
Oh, you make me want to go trekking in Australia. I love the photo of the waves. I put my own camera in my cargo pants pocket last weekend–but then I was only hunting for mushrooms.
I watched the wedding and was very taken by both dresses.
I am happy that you are back, because I often visit your blog. I love your dresses. And I agree the both clothes were great. Today in Germany they said, that the new name of the Bridesmaid is her Royal Hotness.
She is really beautiful.
Sorry for my mistakes in writing, but my IPad is correcting every single word.
Petra from Germany
oh, gorgeous scenery!! You must be feeling very fit, too. I'm not sure I could do that much walking in a week, though I fancy myself to be fit … 🙂 at least not with carrying all my kit on my back.
Kevin dvr'd the wedding for me but I have yet to watch it, but yes, the dresses are amazing … hmmmm, I'm not sure I could carry off that sort of shape but it is gorgeous. And Kate's dress is just wonderful.
You are right the dresses are both beautiful,I adore them both.
Sounds like you had a grand time on your hike. The pictures are beautiful.
I recently ordered the Linda Stretch Pants pattern from Style Arc. I may have to order the Pippa dress too :))
Your trek pics look amazing but that coast is always beautiful. Yes loved both dresses at the wedding… just beautiful. Glad you're back! 🙂 xo
Thank you so much, ladies!
And thank you so much Shannon and Lindak for the info on the pattern for Pippa Middleton's bridesmaid dress… will definitely be checking it out, no doubt along with a good proportion of sewing ladies across the globe! Has anyone else ordered it yet?
Petra- thank you so much for your comment! Your English is very good, no need to apologise… I would be completely unable to respond to you in German, I'm afraid!
Her royal hotness, that's funny! She is very beautiful, isn't she?
Glad you had a fun trip! And especially that the pants held up, lol.
I ordered the pattern. My curiosity got the better of me! It's not here yet.
KathleenS
Kathleen, I hope you send me a link to a picture of your dress when you finish it. I'd love to see it!