Baking and loud music.

Loud music, aprons and baking.
Such a great way to spend Sunday morning.
Listening to this album and this one (cute clip, don't be put off by the intro)
... the old and the new.

I'm completely smitten by A Daily Art Journal, 366 Sketchbook by Trisha Thompson Adams today.

Happy Monday xx

{this moment}

An 'occasional' Friday ritual (originted by Soule Mama).
A single photo capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special moment. One that brought a smile to my face.

Have a wonderful weekend. x

Lest we forget.

Enjoying this today. Lovely and gentle. The perfect mixed tape for a hump day holiday.

Songs for the Stripped Down from Release The Sunbird on 8tracks.

To all the Anzacs, my heart goes out. xx

All shapes and colours

A beautiful radio interview on ABC Life Matters with Rachael Robertson author of Reaching One Thousand on love, motherhood and autism. It celebrates & highlights the importance of parenting our children for the individuals they are. Regardless of any clinical diagnosis... there are so many amazing children with a huge range of neurodiversity in our society.
Embracing these differences is an important role not just for the parents but for the community at large. Encouraging our children to celebrate the differences in each other would certainly lead to a more tolerant and accepting community that nourishes the individual and makes the role of parenting that much easier.
My admiration goes out to all the parents taking the time to understand their children for the individuals they are. It's not always the easy road but so incredibly rewarding - as seen in this film, The Horse Boy. x

Now you are 4!

Happy birthday to our beautiful Z man.
Now you are 4 and all grown up...... It's hard to believe.
1,461 precious days spent together.
I feel so very lucky.

I love you little man. xxx

Interview # 4....with Sarah Napthali, author of Buddhism for Mothers.

I landed in 'Motherhood' four years ago, almost to the day. I say landed as though those nine months I was totally oblivious to the fact that I was having a baby.... and in some ways I was. For nine months the focus was on pregnancy, the 'romantic' notion of motherhood and....da da da dahhh, the birth.
I knew there would be a baby but there was little talk of what it would 'really' be like, how bombed I'd feel from lack of sleep, where we would find our support once our baby was born, the second guessing or the incredibly overwhelming realisation that we were responsible for this mind blowingly beautiful little lad 24/7.
From the very beginning it has been one amazing ride. One that has brought more love and the most incredibly tender, melt-your-heart moments. One where I've been called to step up constantly because gauranteed straight after one of those melt-your-heart moments.... the shi@ could invariably (and quite literally) hit the fan. Just when I thought I'd 'got it', came the consistent changes and challenges, met with self doubt and motherly guilt (why did it look so darn easy for everyone else?)...... There was no guide book, G.P., paediatrician or maternal health nurse who could ease my anxieties over motherhood or Z's inconsolable colic. My mum had passed away the year prior leaving a huge deficit and a bout of challenges, all it's own. I itched for a maternal figure to say "You're doing a great job. It's all ok."..... actually, people were probably saying that....I just itched for my mum to say "You're doing a great job. It's all ok."

Fortunately I came across a book by Sarah Napthali, 'Buddhism for Mothers'. Her writing was like sitting down with the most honest, dearest friend. It's a book that I'll cherish forever. Sarah's practical, humorous portrayal of motherhood was like being thrown a life line. I devoured her book. As a mother of two rambunctious boys Sarah made it 'ok'...the self doubt, the questioning, the sheer frustration and moments of escalating joy. My dog eared and well worn copy has been a source of solace and I often return to the book, open at a page and read. It's always the perfect place. It reminds me to slow down and enjoy the ride. Sarah's wisdom and humor offer me relief and a chance not to take motherhood so seriously. To let go, laugh, play and be here, now. As a humble show of gratitude, I asked to interview Sarah.

and to you I say.....thank you. x

Here's an update on how the Gratitude project is shaping up. It's not too late to join in. A big thank you to the friends who have joined in it's been a lot of fun seeing what makes us all smile.

I'll be back soon with interview #4. An interview with a wise and witty lady who has made a huge impression on my life, as a mother. x

Morning reflections

I'm totally in love with Skinny Laminx's new fabric range. I know the perfect job for her wild flower print. Now to get started and migrate this old couch off our back porch and into our lounge, where it truly belongs.
Beautiful work Heather, congratulations on your new range. x

Underground New York Public Library

Happy Monday.

Today I am loving the Underground New York Public Library site. Where Ourit snaps daily photos of people riding the New York subway and gives a glimpse into what they're reading.

Take a peek at her site. If you're a book nerd, like me, it's bound to please. Ourit is not a trained photographer she studied Comparative Literature, Philosophy, and History and says 'I don’t consider myself a photographer. I’m versed in photographic technique. I’m conscious of the rules but I break them if the moment calls for it. Street Photography is an uncontrolled endeavor, especially underground, on moving trains, crowded platforms, and barely lit subways. My efforts are always towards producing high quality images. My priority though is to capture a glimpse of us, even if it means some image noise, blown pixels, or an unexpected visual ratio.'

Sounds a little familiar. xx

{this moment}

I haven't posted a {this moment} photo for some time but here's one from the week that I just couldn't resist.

:::

:::

Have a wonderful weekend. xx

fast = fantastic

I have been trying out PicMonkey, which I must say, I love for fast photo editing! Yay.
Photoshop still alludes me so while I'm in the process of learning to master it (a somewhat timely process....catching periods of time alone in front of the computer is a total luxury...I say all this while I have a 3 year old singing and wiggling around on my knee as I type....I think you get the picture? Fast = Fantastic) PicMonkey is my new goldmine for speedy photo effects.

This photo was taken on a trip to the country last year. There are a few more photos from the day over at the Flickr set here. Now I'm off to entertain this giggling, question firing, 3 year old before we both go stir crazy.

Enjoy your day and thanks for visiting. x

odd jobs for a chilly night

These chilly Autumn nights lend themselves to completing odd jobs left undone over the summer...first of which is the above moss (seed) stitch scarf for my brother-in-law.
Next, I want to finish this quilt for another brother-in-law's dear new baby boy.

I love 8tracks. It makes working so much sweeter. Here's another mix I put together for you.
Enjoy.

Not for the broken hearted from stupendous joy on 8tracks.

Gotta love a fart joke in challenging circumstances!

Here's a mosaic of photos from our recent hike. I'll be adding more photos to the Flickr set over the next week or so, time permitting.
It really was an incredible adventure one I'd highly recommend. It was exhilarating on so many levels, physically & emotionally. At times I really had to dig deep and find my sense of humor in places I thought it had long vacated. As an adult I know I certainly don't laugh as much as I used to (I can see my poor father shudder at the prospect of me and my carefree ways creeping in) but it felt like a huge relief to laugh at the ridiculous. To see the humor in the fact that we chose to do this walk! Even though it was incredibly challenging we would break down into fits of laughter over the silliest things.... stupid things, like fart jokes or someone slipping....the site of our dehydrated meals....or an urge to pee in the middle of the night, waking the entire campsite. Basic things, things that would crack up a couple of kids in the back seat of a car...to the dismay of their parents 'trying to concentrate'. It reminded me that introducing a little more humor into my everyday would be such a huge relief. Really, why so serious?!
It's also such a great feeling knowing we've conquered 75km's of the 95km GOW, from Blanket Bay to the 12 Apostles.
We've decided to head down for another girls weekend to Apollo Bay in August. That way we don't have to wait a whole year for our next adventure (or fart joke!) and can finish the last (or first, rather) 20kms and complete the entire track!

Next year....maybe, Wilson's Prom or the Grampians?

Seems fitting that Chris Guillebeau from The Art of Non-Conformity has a post today on 34 Things I’ve Learned About Life and Adventure. Here's to more adventures, near and far, and definitely more humor.

xox

Happy Easter!

I've again been struck by music this Easter. It's really taken hold.
Music was the one thing that helped me conquer some of those incredible hills on our hike. My trusty iPod was loaded with energy inducing tunes which definitely made the walk that much easier and distracted me from my own negative talk, urging me to stop!!
Then there are songs, like old friends, they seem to know all the hidden corners and make you want to curl up on the couch with a cup of tea laughing..... and crying (often at the same time), totally comforted.

Here's a little snippet of what's making me smile at the moment.

Lady boots from stupendous joy on 8tracks.

I've also been enjoying Susannah's 8 track mixtapes. Thanks Susannah. x

ahoy their sailor!

Z had a pirate party to attend last weekend while I was away so I made him a little vest the night before I left. I used this pattern from Made. It is super easy, using felt.....so no finishing required. My favorite kind of sewing project.

x

Along the track

We arrived back yesterday from the hike. It certainly was way more challenging than any of us had anticipated and at times we wondered why on earth we'd decided to put ourselves through this..... were we really having fun?
The hills were relentless. There were tiger snakes and scorpions, not to mention the countless other bugs and scratchy animals outside our tents at night.
Sleeping conditions were tight and self inflating mattresses.... well after a day of hiking, they offer very little relief to aching joints.
If you've even had the pleasure of dehydrated meals cooked on the trangia you'll know cuisine wasn't a draw card either.
Despite all of this we had an incredible time. We conquered our minds to triumph over some of the most challenging hills and tested our steely resolve when we came face to face with a couple of tiger snakes along the track. We forged greater bonds through our experiences and appreciated the completely unique qualities everyone bought to the group.
We all had our roles to play in getting us through and looking for the humor to make it a truly memorable and exhilarating experience.
We did it!

I came across a quote today which really seemed to capture it (thanks Tracey!):
'An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backwards, so when life (or your pack!) is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it is going to launch you into something great, so just focus and keep aiming.'

xox