~ our joyful moments 2015 - weeks 22-25 ~

I'm managing to journal every day (in my 365 diary and doing the life:captured promtpts).  I'm writing post cards most days.  I post on IG (mini blogging) at least once a day ... no wonder I'm struggling to find time to compose/compile real blog posts.

Karin and I chose books as our theme for June - lovely subject matter.

The top photo was my current (that week) reading pile in the bedroom.  I really love Kate Atkinson's turn of phrase.

Next was a flat-lay vignette style shot of my favourite book from last year that I'm currently re-reading  (its fabulous but devastating).

My next shot was my grandmother's recipe book - we were searching for her coconut and raspberry slice recipe.  Its such a lovely keepsake to have - splattered with butter, annotated in parts, little notes stuck in).

This week I found these lovely versions of some of my childhood favourite reads - they're such lovely editions.  I remember reading and acting out bits of the Secret Garden over and over again with a friend.  The water colour is by Meredith Gaston - check her out here.

What are you reading? I'd love to know.

~ our joyful moments - week 47 ~

This week I'm sharing roses from our garden sitting on the kitchen table in the beautiful afternoon light.

Karin has harvested her very first lemon from her tree - a perfect specimen.

#ourjoyfulmoments is a 52 week photography project sharing the small joys of our worlds here and on IG.  

What's your joy this week?

~ March vignettes ~

{women}

{haft seen - or 7 s}

{harmony}

{something most people don't know about you}

{movies}

{fashion}

{italian}

I am completely addicted to the monthly vignette challenge over on IG (run by Jen from Interiors Addict).

This month's words/themes were tricky - and having started with a random piece of material (I have a stash of material that I have no plans for - what's that about?) and some silvery branches I added a secondary challenge of keeping that  going as my background for the week too.  

I think this month I might need to explain the pictures a little more....for women I used a lovely card I had received recently and then referenced the strong, creative, clever, nuturing women in my life.  Haft seen is Persian tradition of setting a table with 7 things beginning with s - this was a loose interpretation!  Harmony was all about music, green tea, meditation.  Something that people didn't know about me was my medical background - although maybe it wasn't as secret as I thought!  For movies I was lucky enough to use the home movies my dad found a couple of weeks ago - I've never seen them - soon hopefully.  Fashion was my interpretation of what I'm posting and seeing most of on my IG stream - feathers, mail, spoons, origrami, flowers... Italian showed biscotti and espresso - two of my very favourite Italian treats!

The silver branchy stuff held up ok - but I still can't find the same light/white each time!  

I found it hard to choose a favourite this time - maybe movies or Italian?  How about you?


 ♥

~ blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places ~

 

 

Pretty snail mail - handwritten notes, beautifully addressed envelopes, postcards with lovely stamps - when/if it arrives - is always one of the highlights of my week.

This week was a good one - I exchanged some snail mail with an IG contact - Laura  - and was very taken with the heart themed mail she sent me - and that quote which is so the underlying theme of this blog.  Isn't her handwriting amazing?! 
(My little package to her is here in last week's snippets.)

There were autumn cards from Helen (check out her beautiful photos here on flickr) and in that gorgeous packaging with the amazing tiger feather is Mel's book of 2013 - a constellation of vital phenomena - I can't wait to get stuck into it.

What's your favourite quote?  Or your best read of the last year?

♥

~ stills as school starts again ~

1.  Pink themed accessories on my very pink bedside table this week.

2.  First day of school for 2014...they're not dentist's children but they're still incognito while I wrestle with how private their lives should be.  Jack is tossing iceberg petal confetti up and wishing someone a happy wedding.  He's been doing it all week.  Luckily there are loads of flowers.  This year marks the first year they're all at full-time school - and the only year they'll be altogether.  This mama is feeling a little lost without her follower at home.

3.  New shoes all round.  I haven't bought the girls school shoes this year as they do sport every day and we're only here for 10 weeks before we head off on the grand adventure.  I may or may not buy some when we get back.  Last year's are virtually unworn.

4.  On the way to school.  Hobart has been very sparkly and shiny all week (and then a mini hurricane tore through here this afternoon)

5.  Snail mail from a lovely IG friend.  She crocheted the stone cover and the photos are hers.  I'm still amazed at how generous the IG community is.

6.  Jack collected these from Kingston Beach yesterday - he's a forager just like his mum

7.  I labelled the pencils with washi tape but cheated and bought slip-on covers for the books this year.  Didn't feel like wrestling with contact!

Linking up with Em at the Beetleshack to share the little moments of my week.

♥ 

~ vignetting in February ~

{love}

{purple}

{water}

 

 

 

 

{handwritten}

{America}

{local}

{heart}

The first 7 days of each month marks vignette time on IG.  This is a competition run by Jen of Interiors Addict wherein she supplies a word for each day and then people submit vignettes showing their take on the word of the day.  The community that participates is huge - but supportive, encouraging and hugely inspiring.  Its a little chance each month to challenge my creativity.

Usually I ponder on the word the night before and then assemble my things and take a photo each morning - it has led to some sleepless nights - ridiculous!  This month I took an hour a day before it started, gathered some pretty bits and bobs from the house and then made and shot each photo within that hour.  No stress, less mess, no fuss. 

I'm really happy with how they turned out this month  - even though they all look like different background they're all on the window seat in our lounge at about the same time - wish I could be consistent in my processing/filtering!

My favourite is the water one. Which is yours?

♥

~ hoopla - a month of vignettes ~

{holiday}

{stack}

{hanging}

{recipe}

{soft}

{reflective}

{paper}

{the whole hoopla}

I've been madly vignetting again this month.  Which means I've been slightly anxious (I'm an over thinker from way back), the house is messy and my phone is full of not-quite-right shots that I never get around to deleting.  

For some reason I set myself the added challenge of using the hoop in all the shots this week (probably to justify buying it last week - total impulse purchase - I can't imagine what I'm going to really use it for).

The top shot is the most exciting one as we are really in the middle of planning a European adventure next year - and Paris is definitely on the itinerary  - more details soon.  I can't choose a favourite this month.

Do you vignette??  Every month there's a little competition over on IG - and you know how much I love that community.  It's creative, inspiring and fun - I'd love to see you there.

♥

~ snail mail love ~

{incoming from @sarahshanahan2}

{incoming from @murderingtime and @sarahshanahan2}

{incoming from @petrinaturnerdesign}

{outgoing - planning stages}

 

{incoming - Ash}

Today is #worldpostday (I think it has to have a hash-tag these days doesn't it?).  Its not too late to write a letter to someone you love and make their day tomorrow (or sometime next week depending on which postal zone they're in...in my case Tassie's zone is like the end of the world - not infrequently we have had letters addressed to here go via Tanzania!!)

I was lucky enough to receive a real snail mail letter today (the bottom one) with special envelopes for my girls inside (these are the characters they are playing in their end of year ballet concert - not the real white rabbit, I hasten to add.. in case you think I am a real ballet mother {I'm so not} but one of a number of white bunnies that don't appear to be in Lewis Carroll's original version - poetic licence much?).

The other letters are part of a mail exchange going on over on instagram (I know I'm talking about IG again here - total IG addict  - but now there's not only pretty pictures and amazingly friendly people but there's beautiful mail exchanges happening too).  I've been lucky enough to receive really heartfelt letters and gorgeous bits and bobs and am making new friends with each letter I send.

So - go send a letter and make someone's day.  Or send me one - and I'll send you one back...promise.
(email me for my snail mail addy or leave a comment here)

♥

~ 10 on 10 (for the very first time) ~

 

I may have remembered it was the 10th today (happy dance) but I didn't remember to charge my Nikon batteries after the frosty marathon yesterday.

So my first ever 10 on 10 are from the phone.  And from a day where nothing much happened as the girls were at a hockey training day and Jack was at daycare.

1.  Our mountain from the back door (Mt Wellington) - all glowy and pink this morning.

2.  Another frost.  Not as bad as yesterday but a very chilly start once again.

3.  Creating shadow monsters in the hockey car-park before the training day started.

4.  A quick coffee before stretchy class at the gym (gym goes better with coffee!)

5. and 6.  On my walk to the post-office.  Only boring mail today :-(  But pretty trees and fascinating walls.

7.  Freshly picked snowflakes sitting in our bedroom 

8.  Journalling - look, I'm even up to date!

9.  A little gift for an IG friend - it really is the most amazingly supportive and friendly community.

10.  Nutmeg in the afternoon sun.

We're off to Melbourne for a flying visit tomorrow.
Hope the rest of your week is lovely.

♥