While I’m impatiently waiting for the print version of my first book, Travel & Shop The World For Free to arrive, I’m working on the next book.

This will be an Animal-Lover’s Guide to collecting antique and vintage little beasties. Pretty soon I’ll ask for your help to create a good book title and select a nice cover.

Each chapter will explain the social history of the critter under the spotlight, together with a discussion of what’s collectable (and what’s not) regarding that animal. Yesterday I finished the Dragons chapter, and I must say I really enjoyed researching and writing it.

But OMG do you know how many dragons there were in the world? A lot, is the answer. So I've broken down the discussion to western dragons (who like to eat you) and eastern dragons (who are kind and lovely, despite appearances). I'm thinking about this image as the chapter head for the Dragons chapter. What do you think?

Right now I’m working on the Dogs chapter, and then I might do a little research on Angels. But oooh, are Angels real or mythical? Lucky this book will cover real and mythical beasties, so I’ll leave that for you to decide.

If you've got a favourite little beastie that you'd like to see covered - and bear in mind it needs to be something that has vintage collectables associated with it - leave a comment below.

Meanwhile Collectorama, the biggest antiques fair in Queensland, is almost upon us. And yay, I still have plenty of good stock after closing the pop-up shop. That includes a bunch of nice things that never made it into the shop, so they'll get their first showing at Collectorama. I’m expecting a good day.

For everyone who can make it, Collectorama is at the Nambour Showgrounds, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, next Saturday 3 September, from 7.30am – 2pm. Fingers crossed for good weather, but we always put up our own marquees so it will all be good.

These two photos show some montages I’ve got in my bathroom right now. Lovely old clam shells look great with vintage driftwood creations (and yes, that's supposed to be a large driftwood crab), orchids, antique ceramics, fossils and nice old glass.

If you’re inspired to add some vintage coastal cool to your own bathroom, I’ll have a few clam shells on offer at Collectorama, plus lovely old glass and ceramics to compliment the look.

But because I can’t photograph a thing at my house without being photo-bombed by a “helper”, I had to include a photograph of Artemis doing her thing as my trusty assistant.

In other news, I’ve finished all the accommodation bookings for the English leg of our next buying trip, and today I’m looking at ferry crossings to get us into France when we need to be there. We always prefer to travel into Paris from the West, which is the nicest route because it takes you through the lovely Normandy countryside and past the forests of Versailles before you crest a hill and voila! there is Paris, gleaming before you.

Following this route means leaving England on the Newhaven ferry and entering France through Dieppe. We like Dieppe, and have a favourite restaurant on the old harbour that we always visit. It’s been in operation since 1839, and sells the best moules a la crème.

We’re off on the buying trip on 20 September, so I’ll write more soon, possibly from the wilds of Hong Kong. Or London. Or Somerset. At any rate I'll update you soon, when I'm not fighting off jetlag and not shopping.