the sea for me

Last weekend Curt bought me a long board and I got back in the water to surf for the first time in almost five years. It's hard for me to put into words how good it felt. How I could've ever left it so long. I only caught a few small waves and it will take me a while and a lot of practice to ride with anything resembling grace but I can't think of anything better than the journey to that point. It seems crazy to think that when I still lived in England I would drive for hours on end to get to the coast and that for the past couple of years we've been living almost right on the water and it's taken until now.

I suppose the all consuming nature of growing and raising little people just completely took over and when I was pregnant with Rose I sold my neglected board as we needed some extra money. I've long admired the elegance of long boarders, that dance along the board and the innate connection with and respect for the water beneath them. This time around I instinctively knew this was the way I wanted to go. A shredder I am not and never will be. Right now I'm so thankful for the chance- the board and the time- I've been handed and a husband who just knew it was exactly what I needed to do. Best of all has got to be that feeling of getting back a little but crucial piece of yourself that was lost, or at the very least well and truly buried.

Below is a short vide clip showing the beauty of long boarding at its very best, featuring renowned surfer Belinda Baggs and shot by Macauley Rae.





The top images are by surf film maker and photographer Nathan Oldfield. His blog Look and Sea is a great read for anyone with an affinity for waves and the ocean. His latest film, The Heart and the Sea, is definitely worth watching and beautifully explores the joy that lies at the very centre of a surfing life: family, friends and a shared intimacy with the sea. It premiered here in Torquay last month and Curt and I were lucky enough to get the chance to go and see it. Highly recommended.

the first veggie box

This is the year I decided it was time to get it together when it comes to the food we eat and to stop making the same old randomly put together meals, probably featuring sausages and fish fingers a little too often, usually conceived of fifteen minutes before the childrens dinner time. To start actually using some of the stack of cookery books I own, to plan more in advance and cook good, simple food. I wanted to start buying less but better quality ingredients and making more conscious buying choices which support local producers when possible. Another key factor was that I was also pretty sick of the below average fruit and veg from the supermarket which was often starting to go bad before I'd even got it in through the door.

So in addition our very young vegetable patch in the garden, I also signed us up for an organic box scheme with a newly launched local co-operative not long after we moved here. After a few months of patiently sitting it out on the waiting list, they finally had a space for us to join. This Thursday, our very first weekly box of organic vegetables and fruit was delivered to our doorstep. Rose was so excited she actually tried to climb inside the cardboard box with it all.

We made a beeline for the juicy plums and oranges, oohed and ahhed over the lovely array of vegtables and pondered over the remaining few ("....Erm, so what exactly is that then?"). Thanks to google, they have now been identified as beetroots. Slightly embarrassing to admit when I grew up in the countryside, on a farm no less. It would seem I didn't pay much attention to things of little interest to me at the time, including vegetables. I will also come clean that I had to watch a video on you tube about how to prepare a leek (with Lila peering over my shoulder adding helpful observations along the lines of "Mummy, why aren't you chopping yours as fast as that lady?"). It's all a learning curve though and the resulting leek and bacon risotto topped with a poached egg was worth the effort and the large pile of washing up. I have no accompanying picture because as a general rule, I would rather eat my food as soon as possible than stand around photographing it. The kids finished every bite without even the mention of a post-dinner biscuit bribe, so that can go down as the first veggie box success story.

What shows up in the box every week will be completely different, depending on the season and what is in abundance, and the idea is that this will force me to be more creative and venture away from the old favorites on permanent, boring rotation. No doubt there will be a few surprises and a fair amount of what arrives may have never made it into my shopping trolley before. I know that some days it's likely to all feel a bit overwhelming but it will be Autumn here soon and so when all other inspiration fails then I can just throw it all in a big pan to make soup and at the very least it should keep us warm.

life on the surf coast

There's nothing like living by the ocean to make you feel alive. One of my favourite things to do is to head down to the beach when Curt gets home from work and take a walk together as a family, feeling the sand underfoot, the wind blowing our hair and salt on our lips. Often Curt surfs while we play on the beach and watch, or if the waves are smaller he takes Lila out on her little board. When it's flat then we dig or build palaces and collect shells. I feel so lucky to be able to do this and give the girls an appreciation and respect for the water and nature.

We've been even more lucky for the past couple of weeks as my parents have been visiting from England, so we've been able to share with them all that we love about living here. Today we had to say goodbye until we see them again in a year. Until then I will just have to treasure all the memories we made and throw myself back into daily life and working on our home and garden.

Next week the new term starts and Lila will begin kindergarten. I will begin painting again. My new easel, my best Christmas gift, has been sitting patiently waiting for me to find the time to pick up my brushes again and create just for the love of it. I also have a new Etsy shop waiting to be filled with images and listings of all my necklaces so I will be keeping busy to help to ease the emptiness and the inevitable void that is left behind after the farewells have been said and the aeroplane has departed.

Photos taken by Curt.

things i want my children to know

My beautiful girls...

Never stop dreaming. If you allow yourself to dream you will find out what your heart truly desires, your passions in life and you can begin to carve your path. And whatever you dream of, it is all possible. If you long for it then do everything you can to get there and make it happen. We will do all we can to help you. For of course it's not only about the dreaming but the doing. Don't be afraid of failing, pick yourself up, learn from the experience and try again.

Read books; to escape, inspire and broaden your horizons. Travel, not only to find yourself but to find out about the world. Carry on learning and be curious. Talk to people, from all walks of life. Make a connection because everyone has a story and often people come into your life for a reason, whatever that may be.

Choose to wake up in the morning and have a good day. Don't get hung up on the small stuff, take a step back and take a look at the bigger picture. Know the power of positive thinking. Believe in yourself and your goals and try not to let what other people think get in the way. Trust your instincts. Stay true to yourself and be yourself and people will respect and love you for it.

Don't dwell on the past too much or wish away the present, even if it's a place you'd rather not be. There is something to be learnt and taken from even the most shadowy moments. And broken hearts do heal, eventually. Live in the moment. The simplest things bring the biggest joy and shared experiences are usually more valuable than material possessions so breathe and take it all in. Hold you family and true friends close to you. Be grateful. Smile often. Be kind and treat others as you want to be treated.

Most importantly, know that I love you. More than anything, always. Whatever happens, no matter the choices you make or how ever many miles away I am, if it all falls down around your ears, I will be here to pick up the pieces. Whatever you do, wherever you go I will be by your side and I believe in you.

Your Mama xxx

'tis the season

For dancing around the living room to Christmas songs, enhanced by the faint crackle of spinning vinyl. For homemade Christmas decorations and crafts and a house covered in a fine film of glitter. For taking Lila to the department store to choose this years Christmas day dress (for Rose, there is an elf outfit...we couldn't resist. I promise you can choose a dress or an outfit next year too little one). For eager anticipation of what the days advent envelope will bring. For the Christmas books, brought out to be enjoyed and pored over for another December. For baking Christmas cookies this week for our kind neighbours. For holding loved ones tightly and being thankful for it, all of it.

  

wishlist // the Christmas edition

Santa, if you happen to be reading...

         

A subscription to The Simple Things magazine // Really enjoying this new-ish UK magazine, the strapline of which is 'Embrace a Simpler Life', which is a concept I am always harping on about. I suppose I could download the online versions on the ipad but I really like to be able to have my favourite publications in paper form. Somehow the experience of reading them is just so much more satisfying that way. And I just like things that I can hold, and collect... and clutter up our home with :) 

Boxes of Madagascan Vanilla and Strawberries and Cream loose leaf tea by T2 // This Australian tea company produces a seriously epic range of teas. I was never massively into tea until I came over here (and there's no way I can ever replace my morning coffee) but these are seriously good. There's something about the age-old ritual of tea making and drinking that is very appealing and comforting.

Peter Pan Print by Emily McDowell // I love this so much, both the typography and design and the sentiment (the last thing Peter Pan ever said to Wendy before she grew up). Every time I see it I get a lump in my throat...yes, as pathetic as it sounds, it's the truth.

Hanging Planter by Farrah Sit // Made from porcelain with a leather strap, this is just downright rad and would look excellent in our lounge where I've got a collection of succulents on the go (they seem to be impossible to kill which is a bonus). I fancy something a bit more trailing and ivy-like which would be great in this vessel. 

Marshmallow Bathing Elixir by MOR // Now we are finally living somewhere with a bath I've hit a glitch in that I can't seem to find anywhere that sells nice luxurious bath essence, bubble bath for grownups if you will. It seems to be mysteriously lacking from Australian shelves. Except Radox, which is fine, but not really what I had in mind. Some intensive searching has however revealed this, which sounds heavenly.

Rope and Mesh Necklace by The Vamoose // A perfect summertime accessory to throw on with a plain tee and a pair of denim shorts, with just a touch of the nautical about it. From one of my all-time favourite jewellery labels, anything in fact from The Vamoose would make me very happy indeed. 

Things I Love by Megan Morton // I'm a fan of her first interiors book- Home Love, and this one appears to be just as covetable (I had a sneaky flick through in a fancy book store). I was so keen to go to her recent interior styling workshop when she was in Melbourne but we had just bought the house and there wasn't enough dollars in the coffers to make it happen. Next time I hope :)

I'm also pretty keen for a lovely retro style bicyle with a child seat for Rose and a new surfboard but sceptical that either of them will emerge from my stocking this year....but there's no harm in putting it out there in case Santa is feeling really generous. Or on the off chance Fairy Godmothers really do exist!

getting lost

In a book that is. It's one of my favourite things to do, and thankfully my little ones seem to feel the same way. Heaven knows they didn't get the reading bug from their dear father who has never picked up a book to read for pleasure in all the years I've known him...though credit where it's due, he dutifully reads aloud to Lila every night before he tucks her in so maybe we can still convert him yet. On our weekly library visit, we always come home laden down with armfuls of new selections to add to our already heaving book shelf. Funny thing is, until I had children I never used my local library. However over the past few years, every time we've moved somewhere new, one of the very first things I've done is to seek out our nearest one and join it. We often go along to the storytimes and aside from all the childrens books, I also come back with plenty of books, magazines and dvds for myself.

I'm still trying to figure out Lila's criteria when it comes to choosing books, as she likes to mix it up with some pretty random choices but I admire her commitment to being interested in anything and everything. She is equally drawn to stories about knights and dragons as she is those princesses and fairies. Which is just as well, as there are only so many stories about fairy princesses a person can read aloud without wanting to bang their head against a brick wall. When it come to childrens picture books, I am first and foremost drawn to the ones with beautiful illustrations, every time. If they also have a slightly unusual or inspiring story or subject matter then I love them even more. Here are some recent discoveries that have become big hits around here.

All Through the Year by Jane Godwin & Anna Walker

Precious Little by Julie Hunt, Sue Moss & Gaye Chapman

Cinnamon Baby by Nicola Winstanley & Janice Nadeau

Little Blue by Gaye Chapman

During the past month, Lila has actually made the big step to having a chapter from a book read out to her at bedtime, rather than just a story from a picture book. We have begun with The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton (the first book in the Faraway Tree series). This was one of the first books I ever read and I may have been a little obsessed with it. I have been beyond excited for her to be ready for this, mainly so I get to re-read all of my old favourites again, and of course in the hope she may love them too. I've already started gathering together copies of all the childhood classics I adored. Although we are nowhere near ready to retire the picture books yet, here's to a new chapter.