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.

"heavy, petal"

"Heavy, Petal"  in Frankie - photography by Luisa Brimble, concept and styling by Stefanie Ingram

Back in June I walked from Central Station to Wellington St and ended up in a light-box of a warehouse. Luisa and Stef were creating a floral shoot for Frankie magazine and they wanted me to hide behind flowers. The Sisters delivered armfuls of the season's best blooms and fruits and Stef created the bouquets to match the clothes (and the fabric wallpaper). It was beautiful to watch it all come together. 

Aside from the pleasing aesthetics it was a privilege to witness a dedicated and determined creative realise her dream. Back in Tasmania, Luisa told me that she wanted to shoot editorial; a hard task in a country with countless talented photographers and not many publications. But Luisa is one of the most hard-working people I know and within a year of our Tassie trip she has established herself as a renowned photographer with a distinct feminine style. She has worked every weekend, she has worked for free, she has organised styled shoots, collaborated with other creatives, travelled the length of the East Coast and created a soon-to-be-published magazine. She's an inspiration! She is also a brilliant example of the power of blogging -  by publishing our thoughts, opinions and creative work online we are reaching out to like-minded people who, in turn, introduce us to others. Never underestimate where your words or photos will take you.

nine | practicing simplicity

Living a less-distracted life : your small* home begs for simplicity

Our humble table is the centre of our home. It's where we gather to eat and talk, play and work. More often than not it holds the weight of our days; literally and metaphorically. We place books, pencils, homework, diaries, cameras and flowers on it. Over meals we laugh, talk, divulge, confess and argue. 

A few days ago I cleared the table and left a candle, some freesias and a pot of thyme; it was a relief to see the surface with all its imprints; marks of makers and too-hot teapots.  When I rose the next morning I found Che playing there whilst the sun and window created shadow plays on the wall. He stayed there while I cooked pancakes and took photos. Right now it's the foundation for an array of miscellany and I'm typing amidst it all. 

Our home is a little rough around the edges; thick cobwebs vignette each window and the paint is chipping on the edge of the walls. If I stand in the middle of it I can see each room (it's easy to find quiet toddlers). Sometimes Daniel talks about the day when we have another baby and the fact that the house will be too small. I then tell him about the beauty of small homes; so conducive to good conversation, cuddles - actually living together. But more importantly, small homes are comfort caves to return to once evening falls; they encourage you to move out into the world, even if that means walking barefoot to the bottom of the garden. 

I think we're accustomed to large homes in this country. But in reality, a lot of us, out of necessity or choice, prefer small spaces - spaces that require less of our time and are therefore, easier to live in. However, little houses get filled easily; with school notes, collected bits + pieces, children's projects. If you don't stay vigilant piles of "things" start to sprout from the table, windowsills, benches, door handles. Before long you realise that your simple home has become a higgledy piggledy cottage complete with scooters in the hallway. 

And so, as spring nears and the seasonal clean approaches, I am starting to get rid of the wintry clutter - giving the walls some space to breathe, giving us a little more space to move. 

So : live a less-distracted life by, quite literally, clearing the distraction. Get rid of the unnecessary to create physical and mental space. 

I don't think I've ever asked you about the size of your home. Is it big, small or tiny? Do you like it or do you long for the opposite?

*I've never lived in a big home so I can't really comment.

33/52

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

Che: early morning lego session...the eyes say it all; joy!

Poet: holding onto her hat (and her apple). The August winds are in full force.

This week the wind carried the scent of freesias and we wore cotton instead of wool. When I looked through the lens I noticed...the kids have grown! Warm, spring sun will do that, I suppose.

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Katherine takes a photo a day of her children and this one of Lamb is, I believe, her best yet / Ronnie's four boys are beautiful; I love how she photographs them together / Wild thing! - Casper lost in a book / dancing with a tambourine and bathed in warm, yellow light / and a young beauty in Newfoundland...utter perfection. 

simple - good - free

The past few days have been abundant with almost-spring sunshine and homegrown gifts, including:

/ a bountiful bunch of greens from Popa's garden (our fresh juices are monster green!)

/ lemons from a backyard tree, delivered in a paper bag

/ wild freesias. I am pushing the definition of "gift" here as I may have ran into a neighbour's garden and picked as many flowers as I could before they opened their blinds and demanded I get off their property

/ nasturtiums; from Mama's garden

/ eggs, from the chooks that Poet likes to chase. Yolks imbued with herbs, an entire meal within an ivory shell

/ a bag of mandarins left on the front doorstep. I'm still unsure who or where they came from but I'm grateful all the same

What's growing in your (or your neighbour's) garden? 

Happy weekend!

the craft sessions - a giveaway

Creativity is medicine for the soul; a means of nurturing the emotional and mental self. Coming together to create is age-old; for women it is primal, an integral part of life. 

But life is busy and, unfortunately, collective crafting isn't a priority for most of us. Yet deep down we all know that a quilt made amidst a chorus of chit and chatter is imbued with the energy of those who witnessed it come together. That quilt is so much more than a blanket; it's a memory keeper; it holds stories of marriage and family, of neighbourhood gossip. Perhaps it's even stained with tears, or tea.

Craft is synonymous with community and four Melbourne women are making sure it stays that way. Introducing: The Craft Sessions 

 ..."a weekend retreat of creative workshops, delicious food, quiet moments and inspiring people. It is an opportunity to play and learn, to talk and share ideas. It's about coming together and sharing a love of 'making', appreciating the beauty in the smaller things, and delighting in the pleasure and simplicity of all things handmade." 

The weekend will be held from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th October, 2013 in a tranquil bush retreat in the Yarra Valley. Teachers from all corners of the Australian and New Zealand crafting world will come and share their love of making; teaching new skills, inspiring creativity and uncovering the joy of paint, yarn, fabric and dye. 

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The teachers of The Craft Sessions have each contributed to this delightful giveaway. One winner will receive the following:

1. A handknit reversible 100% woollen cowl in a rich shade of clay. The pattern for this cowl is available for free download here. 

2. Dropcloth Artwork from Maze & Vale. Designer Leslie Keating says: "The dropcloth that I use to cover my screen printing table picks up little bits of prints and colour, mixes them in an amazing way that could never be replicated if tried. Each little chunk forms a bit of art in itself and so I decided to mount them on 300lb watercolour paper, stitch a little sewn line to keep them extra secure and hope that they may bring a bit of modern colour and form to someone's wall, book shelf or pin board." 100% cotton canvas, screen printed by hand with solvent-free ink. Each print is numbered by hand, this edition of 18 is from the third drop cloth to come off the Maze & Vale printing table. 

3. Sophie is teaching the "Sewing with Knits" class at The Craft Sessions and has kindly contributed Sew U Home Stretch; just in case you want to get ahead with your sewing. A handy how-to guide, it includes step-by-step instructions ad patterns for a variety of t-shirts and dresses.

4. A copy of the Milo Pattern from Tikki Knits and enough organic Australian yarn to create it with (you choose the colour!). Milo is a universally loved classic and suitable for an adventurous beginner. Knit in the round from the top down, this pattern is a deviation from the classic vest; it's boxy, funky and relaxed. 

5. A two-colour cowl by woollenflower. Created on a hand-operated vintage knitting machine, this double-layered neck warmer keeps warmth in and wind out - made from 100% Scottish lambswool in Marlin/Jasper colourway. 

6. A unique hand-embroidered drawstring bag by Tiny Happy. Made from striped grey and cream linen and embroidered with wildflower bouquets, the bag is lined in fine poppy print cotton. Perfect for keeping small projects or art supplies.

This giveaway is open to international readers. To enter all you need to do is leave a comment answering this question: how does crafting nurture your creative self? Together, the teachers from The Craft Sessions and I will choose a winner, based on the comment that best resonates with us. This giveaway closes on Thursday 22nd August at 9pm. Winner will be announced shortly afterwards.

Comments are now closed. Thank to all who entered! The winner is #58 - Clare. Congratulations, lovely one x

If you would like to stay up-to-date with The Craft Sessions, pop over to 'like' them on facebook or join their mailing list.