35/52

"A portrait of my babies, once a week, every week."

Bijou - Those starry eyes and that smile are for her Papa bear; she's besotted with him. 

Remy -  He sing songs most conversations lately and we've found ourselves joining in.

Steph x

Joining in with the beautiful Jodi.

reflecting

Reflecting on my everyday has slowly become a part of my way of living. Where I once would trip and stumble through daily goings on without so much as a backward thought, I now find that thinking through my actions at the day's close helps me to make peace with any wrong doings, strive for more balance tomorrow and ultimately, grow.  I started a weekly reflecting post at the beginning of this year and thoroughly enjoyed journalling my days. But the busyness of life (and certain other sweet things) made the process seem a little self indulgent. I've decided to reclaim this small slice of "thinking" time and make this nourishing practice part of my week once more.


connecting -  With so much to look forward to in the coming months and quite the list of plans and preparations, Darren and I have been spending quiet evenings curled up on the lounge together. Goals have been made, new car choices finalised (finding a car that fits three car seats across is rather a challenge!) but mostly, time has been spent just the two of us. And a cheeky bowl of ice cream and hot chocolate fudge.

nourishing -  To mix things up and to add some more nutrient dense options to our breakfast menu I've been trying the nut porridge and chia seed pudding from this gorgeous book. 

reading - With each new season I reach for my well thumbed copy of The Way of the Happy Woman and read through her seasonal advice. A shopping list for the pantry is compiled from her recipes and suggestions and a few new yoga poses are added to my very simple (read: quick!) morning routine. Yes, I'm preparing for Spring.

creating -  Lady Spring is only moments away from unleashing her floral bounty so I've been creating little "Molly" sun blouses to add to my shop. Bijou lives in this style of top all through Spring and Summer; they are at once both cool and sun protective on delicate skin.

nurturing -  Tiny eyes have been raw and itchy lately and a gentle wash with warm chamomile tea has been helping.

listening - This exquisite song bird has been on high rotation ever since I became pregnant with our third poppet.


Steph x

34/52

"A portrait of my babies, once a week, every week."

Bijou -  A little woodland sprite dancing in the green.

Remy -  Enthralled by the currawongs trying to get seed from our bird feeder.

Steph x

Joining in with the beautiful Jodi.

cyclamen

She chose the deepest pink one and claimed it as her own; a delicate bloomed cyclamen with an abundance of buds.  There amidst the terracotta pots we talked of plants' needs and the responsibility of providing them.  She listened with much eager nodding and hops from one foot to the other. And so the purchase was made.

At home she declared the dining table the perfect spot. "Just the right amount of light" she said, and I couldn't argue that the energising pop of colour would be lovely at meal times. Every few days she thrusts her long fingers into the soil and cocks her head to the side as her skin detects the moisture levels.  A small cut glass jug, her chosen watering vessel, providing the nourishment if needed.  Some mornings she carts the small pot down the hallway to let her plant bask in the morning sun creeping in the back door; I hear her nattering away to the foliage. And from time to time she snips off the spent blooms to encourage flowering.  All the while I watch her take greater steps out into the world; independence, responsibility and compassion.

Such deep lessons learnt from something so simple.

Steph x

growth

"the white bauhinia in the Spring whose branches swell and stream with bloom holds all the good world blossoming as promise of the fruit to come, she whose body swells in bloom as laden as the trees of Spring smiles with the knowledge that her womb contains the first seed ripening" Katie Noonan, Elixir

One foot in front of the other we walk this natural path. It is all at once both reassuringly familiar yet vibrantly new.  Something in the air heralds a seasonal change as pale green shoots show their fragile form to the daylight; their soil cocoon has borne them well. Vast limbs canopy us and all about is life and growth.

Come Christmas time when the air here is thick with humidity and pine needles scatter our floor I will birth our third baby.  Time will slow and for a time we will retreat deep into the comfort of home. But for now we will walk in places of green. My belly will expand and nourish this little one within and we will embrace our next season of growth.

Steph x

33/52

"A portrait of my babies, once a week, every week."

Bijou -  Creating rainbows to catch the light.

Remy -  Dapper little fellow.

Steph x

Joining in with the beautiful Jodi.

my writing process { a blog tour }

I am constantly inspired by the world Katie and Reuben of  House of Humble are creating. A simple existence where hands are often dirty plucking this or that from the vegie garden, tending chickens or creating time honoured crafts to warm their homes. Katie's words are rich and nourishing and it is a space I love to visit.  So when she asked me to share my writing process as part of a blog tour I was delighted. The creative process in all its guises is something I am very passionate about.

What am I working on?
My head is always a whirligig of something or another. I have been thoroughly enjoying exploring the concept of creativity with my Everyday Creative series and am doing my darnedest to break the shackles often attached to the word. I believe we are innately creative as humans and have simply become misguided with incorrect labels and self-doubt. I've got some more practical posts in the pipeline to hopefully help people to bridge the gap. Jotting down the small changes we have made in our lives to tread more gently on the earth has also been incredibly rewarding and something I will continue for quite a while; the list is growing! And as with anyone who adores the written word, there is always the dream of a book. A special journal is kept tucked away in my writing space (and my heart) with musings, ideas for some day...one day.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Genres are something I stray away from when it comes to my writing.  I've never set out to create a specific space with highly specialised content rather trying to speak authentically about my everyday, simple life. This will sweep from what's happening in my kitchen, the beauty of the natural world, creating with my babies, the plight of the earth and what's on my knitting needles, or simply swirling about my brain. With no real pigeon hole to nest in I feel free to write whatever comes from within; my heart's voice.

How does my creative process work?
I tend to view the world through the lens of my camera lately and the little sparks of magic I capture inspire me greatly.  Internal dialogue is never far away when I look at the world from a different angle and before I know it, sentences are forming as I hang out the morning washing or stir the evening's soup. I keep a few notebooks about the house and jot down ideas and  phrases when they pop into my head. With a penchant for subtle hues and patterns I find I am most eager to fill more beautiful notebooks with words but little scraps of household paper however, will often bear my scrawl. Always a lead pencil...and most often, barely legible.

Why do I write what I do?
I am compelled to capture all the beauty in my world; my list of gratefuls. The crumbs on the floor, the toddler tantrums; the mundaneness are as much a part of the day as the stolen kiss from sister to brother, the wonky shopping list written in crayon attached to the fridge and the vivid, Winter blue sky. And I've realised that the unpleasant moments flit off just as quickly as the beautiful ones.  It's not about ignoring the "real" parts but simply shifting the perspective; the good things are real too. So it is with the marriage of words and images that I hope to catch the everyday beauty. To trap the simplicity in a butterfly net and admire it slowly while the world hurtles past. This space has become a journal of my slow, simple days and my musings help to preserve them.

I am eager to pass the torch onto my beautiful friend Anna from fields of sage. Her words are like poetry and I visit her space often to let their melody wash over me.

Steph x

32/52

"A portrait of my babies, once a week, every week."

Bijou -  Hair twirler. 

Remy -  Moon lover.

Steph x

Joining in with the beautiful Jodi.

31/52

"A portrait of my babies, once a week, every week."

Bijou -  She ordered, paid for and devoured a fresh juice all by herself. 

Remy -  Making us breakfast in bed. 

Steph x

Joining in with the beautiful Jodi.