Sometimes it rains and sometimes it pours.

Can't stop thinking about all my bloggy friends on the other side of the world in Australia and all the flooding.  Click HERE if you would like to make a donation to help.  You are in my heart, thoughts and prayers.  Heidi

                                                                       Found Here

Merry Christmas Oz.

                                            Boston

Failure is only postponed Success.

                                                                    Unknown Origin

First off I wanted to thank all of you for the lovily comments, they really stroked my ego, you know, the one that I am trying to dissolve. (Reading The Art of Happiness and loving every bit).

As for this post, it is about something that has been pulling at my heartstrings for years now, Australia.  I would love to live there someday but for the time being I will be happy with visiting, so I have entered  a contest to win a trip for two on a wine tasting get-a-way.  It is called Taste your way around Australia.  I have played their little wine tasting game 75 times now, my goal is 200. (each time you play it is another chance to win)  My chances to win are high, but since I never win anything, I don't feel overly confident.  I have become an Australian wine expert through this little challenge.

  My persistance will pay off one day and one day I will be in Oz.  Enjoy, Heidi

German Cottage Love.

If you didn't know, I am the descendant of German immigrants that came to Texas 140 years ago. This is why my parents named me Heidi. I have a love for German/Texas cottages and was thrilled to find more in Australia and New Zealand. I did my research and found out that South Australia is the only AU state that was not settled by English convicts but by German and Polish immigrants. Enjoy, Heidi

Image via Australian House and Garden.

Image via New Zealand House and Garden.

Image of The Hart Lodge in New Zealand.

Image via The Hart Lodge in New Zealand.

Image via New Zealand House and Garden.

Galveston, Texas House. Looks just like the NZ and AU houses.

Maybe it's because the same people built them, German people.

Heritage Restorations.

Origin of image unknown, but this is an Aussie Cottage for sure and I heart it.

Image via Simon Kenny - Content.

Image via Coutry Living.

I bet this house is in Texas and was built by German immagrants.

Image via New Zealand House and Garden.

Image of Willowvale Farm, via Coty Farquhar.

Don't throw stones at Glass Houses.

Image via Helen Norman.

This is the kind of glass house I have forever been in love with, but then I ran across this little number the other day and I died. Then I came back to life and could only imagine, what if this were my bedroom?

Image via Marie Claire Maison.

I am not a modern kind of girl but I am very into nature and it's beauty. Then yesterday while I was real estate stalking the shores of South Australia and found this gem.

Last three images via Domain.

WOW!!!!!! Put that bedroom on this property. I would just die again only to realize that I was in Heaven. Please talk me out of this amazing dream. Tell me that I would get sun burnt in my house and that the windows would forever be covered in sea gull poop. Tell me horrible things to convince me that this is a very bad idea. Tell me that people would throw stones at my glass house and I couldn't afford the insurance for stone coverage. I need to add another descriptive word to my profile "ESCAPIST". Enjoy, Heidi

I found my Dream House in Stirling.

Only if it were on the market and only if my wheat penny collection was all the right ones making me a millionaire. Oh well, it's still a good dream. Maybe one day I can at least get to redecorate it, I'll be happy with that much. Thinking of You, Millie. Love, Heidi

All images of ThronGrove Manor in Stirling, South Australia.