spring : a seasonal series

these photos were taken on august 9th; the day that I noticed the warmth, the day that we picked blossoms and jasmine, the day that spring arrived ...albeit early.  

This past week we have been waking an hour or so earlier with the sun. We're walking barefoot, too. Spring is here.

I've come full circle with this series; a documentation of the seasons that has acted as a constant reminder to stop and observe nature. In doing so I have been taught an invaluable lesson; when we honour the seasons and follow their rhythms we experience wellbeing - in every aspect of our being. Throughout winter (a fleeting, mild one) I allowed myself the time and space to adopt a hibernation, of sorts. Now, as spring beckons, I'm embracing busyness; opening the windows, packing away the wool throws, decluttering and feeling lighter, a little more energised. 

Happy spring...and Happy Father's Day to all those wonderful, dedicated Dads out there! 

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Welcome to my newest sponsors (looking gorgeous over there on the side). Thank you for supporting my creativity and ensuring I can spend an increasing amount of time in this space. And thank you, dear reader, for continuing to visit, read, and comment. I'm so grateful!

35/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Che: in his room, gumboots still on, enthralled in a book - an everyday occurrence (as seen in 2012). 
Poet: a beetroot juice moustache, wet sleeves and messy curls...but she loves to 'wash' the dishes (in the same spot earlier this year). 

A few weeks ago I wrote about my intention to capture the children in the home. I wanted to be the passer-by documenting them at their most comfortable, in the home that they have grown up in. But we can have intentions as photographers and often they only come to fruition when we're not trying, when we least expect it. It was only when I was editing these photos (I use Lightroom) that I realised what I had captured: Che in his bedroom, Poet in the kitchen, a b+w diptych celebrating the beautiful mess of home and the little people who live there. These are my favourite portraits of the year; for their honesty and simplicity.

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It seems I'm all about windows this week as these three portraits impressed / as did this one, with added reflection and a flamingo swimsuit! / and then there were Limi and Claya dressed as flamingos and sitting in a light-filled vintage suitcase - muted pinks and browns are beautiful / like looking through a window...walking hand-in-hand with a picturesque town beyond / and finally, toddler + paint + vintage sheet = happiness. 

wearing : winter to spring

photos by tim

My winter wardrobe has been quite simple: a short bob, a blousy cotton top or tee, a wool cardigan and a pair of jeans or leggings. This basic ensemble takes me from the yoga studio to the beach, I wear it when I'm in the city and when I'm working at home. I always accessorise with a scarf, mala beads, bracelets and, on most days, my camera (a panasonic gf1 with 20mm 1.7 lens, for those of you who have asked recently). As I move into spring I swap the wool for cotton and opt for a finer scarf. Boots are replaced with sandals and jeans with skirts. 

When I do buy clothes I prefer classics over trends; trans-seasonal pieces that don't require much effort and aren't overly precious. 

I'm wearing : pink scarf c/o sussan to be replaced with this lighter option for spring / work play cardigan from Gorman and, for when it was a little cooler, I wore the irish mohair jumper (bulky, warm, beautiful wooden buttons and must-have pockets) / white peasant top from Country Road / flattering and supportive black tank to be worn into spring and summer c/o sussan / skinny jeans that fit effortlessly into ankle boots / boots c/o the horse.

summer : in brooklyn

autumn : in surry hills

crying in cat stretch

There's no hiding on a yoga mat; no hiding from yourself.

Last night I managed to get to a class and as soon as I sat down I could feel my tiredness and my worry and my fear rushing to the surface. Everything that was pushed down came flooding out and...I just let it. I was crying in cat stretch and it looked like it had rained on my mat. 

Once standing and flowing through warrior sequence I was ok; I got out of my head and into my body and stayed there feeling grounded and strong. It was so good to get to a class as a student (with dirty fingerprints on my shirt and a tear-stained scarf around my neck). 

Afterwards, I welcomed ten pregnant women into the studio for a pre-natal practice. One woman, carrying her third baby, has been coming to my classes since she was 12weeks pregnant with her first. Just before I made my way to the front of the class I noticed a Peppa Pig sticker on her back. We laughed, talked about that piggy show and its beautiful values and then settled into stillness and quiet. 

Little Peppa made her way into the studio last night; the perfect metaphor for what we take onto the mat. When you do make it to a class, albeit after much organisation and perseverance, you carry everything in with you; your sore, tired body, your emotions (concern, fear, doubt, frustration), your thoughts and every. single. thing. that has happened in your day. As you practice, moving from gentle to dynamic asanas, you're given the opportunity to let it all go and to breathe it all out. And, if you do, you leave with a little more clarity, courage and gratitude. 

a list

native Australian pom poms (wattle) / this bunch of yellow tulips made me smile all week (a lovely gift from fresh flowers)

If you want something done, ask a busy person. So true. When I don't have deadlines I lapse into a slow, unproductive rhythm but when my diary is full I can respond to long forgotten emails and plant seedlings, wash the bed linen, bake school treats. 

I'm finding it slightly difficult to go from magazine editorial to blog writing at the moment; there's so many things I could write about here but they're all flowing into each other with little coherency. So I'll take Pip's and Kate's lead and follow a list (I received Kate's book, Vantastic, a few weeks ago and it's an absolute gem. If you're passionate about family, travel, crafting and caravanning, this is the book for you). 

I am...

making : progress on work, taking it all one day at a time.

cooking : chicken stock, vegie soup, greens in garlic, tamari, ginger and coconut oil.

drinking : coffee, ginger tea, lots of fresh juice.

reading : the final chapter of Welcome to Your New Life - Anna Goldsworthy's writing is exquisite.  

wanting : to get to a yoga class (as a student). 

looking : for hats and sandals - spring is here!

playing : in the sandpit with Poet (and a heap of my kitchen utensils).

wasting : time looking out the window.

sowing : seeds for an abundant summer garden - fingers crossed.

wishing : for safe and joyous travels.

enjoying : the glorious sun that brings with it warmth and energy and the promise of longer days.

waiting : for Daniel to come home from work

liking : the quiet when the kids are with their grandparents.

wondering : how my perspective might shift when I experience a different way of living (and being). 

loving : early bedtimes and the calm mornings that naturally follow.

hoping : that my plans for a workshop will come to fruition.

marvelling : at Che's vocabulary and Poet's determination. 

needing : a new swimming costume

smelling : lemon balm, eucalyptus oil, wild freesias.

wearing : more cotton and less wool. 

following : Petite Kitchen and Digestible Kitchen and thinking that both these girls are pretty inspiring. 

noticing : that I am writing a lot of lists - lists of things to write, supplies to buy, clothes to pack. 

knowing : it will all be ok. 

thinking : I should go and put the washing on the line. 

bookmarking : organic cafes in Ubud. 

opening : sweet parcels from across the seas. 

giggling : at my pregnancy intuition - I'm ridiculously good at guessing when someone is pregnant. 

feeling : happy, hopeful, loved and lucky. 

ten | practicing simplicity

children squat with such ease; it's so good for the spine, hips and digestive system

Living a less-distracted life : find perspective

I'm pretty good at feeling sorry for myself. Optimism doesn't come easily to me; I really have to work at a positive mindset (except when I'm in the midst of a particularly challenging situation, then my outlook is brilliantly positive - odd, I know). I'm efficient at whinging, too - a terrible habit. 

But over the past few months I've made a concerted effort to change my auto-pilot thoughts. There's a few practical things I've done that have made a big difference. 

• I own my perspective. This was a big one (and a hard one). It's so easy to place blame and I'll admit - I'm good at it! But lately, I've been reminding myself as often as is necessary, that my thoughts, feelings and perspective is me - it's my stuff. I have to acknowledge it, consider it and work through it (and move on!). Blaming someone, something or a situation is a waste of time. 
• I stop and take a few deep breaths. Sometimes I'm so distracted that I don't even realise I'm whinging. Sometimes the kids are so tired and cranky that I wallow along with them. And so, I've been making an effort to catch myself mid-moan, come into the present moment and respond to the situation instead of reacting dramatically to it. 
• We get out of the house. Everything is worse when you are surrounded by dishes and washing. Everything is better when you sit on a beach and watch your children play in the sand. So what if my house is messy? I have a beautiful, clean beach to take my children to, it's mid-winter and it's 20 degrees. Enough said.
• I write a list and see the good. It's gratitude in bullet-points and includes the facts - we enjoy good health, Daniel and I work in the creative fields that we always dreamed of being involved in, Che attends a beautiful school, we have the support of loving and doting grandparents, we can afford nourishing food, we can pay our bills, our sky is so clear we can see the stars and on, and on, and on. 

Whilst I wholeheartedly understand that there are always going to be down times, that wallowing is sometimes productive and that perpetual happiness isn't attainable, I do believe that you can change your perspective for the good. You just need to slow down to acknowledge that often, your thoughts are dictating your days.

So: acknowledge that you're distracted, stop and listen to what you're thinking. Breathe, get outside, write a list, see the good. 

Tell me, what's on your list?

34/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Che: aka Tin Tin at his first Book Week parade. 

Poet: on what will probably be the last cold day of winter (spring has come early) she slowly peels a mandarin near the school gate.

Once Che had paraded around the playground with his classmates (fairies, ladybugs, ninjas, robots and Pippi) he sat back in his chair to watch the rest of the parade. Poet begged to join him so we weaved through the crowd of parents and I watched her climb over seats to get to him. What happened next made my heart melt. Sibling love is a precious thing:

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This photo made me excited for all the pool time we'll get in Bali / nothing quite as sweet as the littlest in the big bed (love the all-white linen) / sweet Cecily sleeping soundly on pretty floral sheets / little boy loves the beach (and how gorgeous are his check overalls?!) / a b+w diptych and that library shot - one of my favourites from the entire year.