My view today – from my front deck. It makes all those stairs worth it!

Hi, remember me?

I’ve been a bit ]]>

My view today – from my front deck. It makes all those stairs worth it!

Hi, remember me?

I’ve been a bit AWOL recently – school holidays tend to do that to me! Something about a small Munchkin using up all my head space. I wonder how those wonderful writers and artists with young kids do it?

There are lots of things I’d LIKE to do this year on the blog (including asking you all what you’d like to read), but I thought I needed something quick and easy to get me back into a routine. Enter Fat Mum Slim’s February Photo a Day Challenge.

I like that I have a theme to photograph to. I like that I can use my iPhone and Instagram to do it (something new I’ve started playing with this year – expect some experimentation and possibly disaster). I like that it’s only for 29 days. I hope I get a little creative and back in touch with the photographer in me… the one who is going to use that fancy new lens I’ve just ordered.

After today, the photos will only be posted up here weekly, but I’ll pop them up on Instagram (@leafjournals if you’re interested), Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest each day. Let me know if you’re doing the Feb Photo Challenge too and I’ll keep an eye on your progress.

Hopefully, by the end of the month, we’ll all have a little snapshot of our lives, just as they are now. Have fun!

It’s that time of year again.

The shops are full of glittery things and bad carols. The kids are writing lists. ]]>

It’s that time of year again.

The shops are full of glittery things and bad carols. The kids are writing lists. You’re writing lists.

There’s rush and mayhem – shopping, planning, decorating, wrapping to do. There are old friends to contact, parties to attend, gifts to select, recipe books to rifle through.

All for one day… a day which promises magic, laughter, celebration, perfection.

And all things considered, it usually meets at least some of our crazy expectations. The kids dive into their stockings, the tree looks stunning, the meal is delicious, the family gathers. There are presents and stories and lots of laughter.

A celebration.

One day of celebration.

Yet life is full of celebrations. Of Summer days, first steps and daily rituals. Of picking and eating home grown produce, the appearance of the first daffodils, the special “creation” that has just arrived home from daycare/preschool/school.

Tiny, special moments. Every day.

I sometimes wonder why we try and cram all our kindness into one small part of the year. Why can’t we be generous on the other 364 days? Why don’t we smile at the checkout chick every week? Why do we only have a street party with our neighbours once a year, in December?

What would life be like if we treated every day like Christmas?

We could give our kids gifts for no particularly good reason, other than we feel like it. Or send cards to friends just to say hello. We could host a party just because we want to be social. Or gather our family around to enjoy the comfort and warmth of knowing you’ve shared some great times together and want more.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Christmas just as much as the next person.

But too often it feels like a let down – all that preparation and excitement, poured into one day that goes by too quickly; a day that is too often filled with obligations to meet everyone’s needs. Travelling from one big meal to another… overloading the Munchkin with gifts that he doesn’t get an opportunity to enjoy… wishing for more time to spend with everyone… wishing for less hassle.

My Christmas wish this year is that we’ll spread out the Christmas goodwill across the year. That we will recognise that LIFE is worth is celebrating, and that we don’t need Christmas as an excuse to be our best selves. That we can spread the peace and love and joy that we “save up” for this time of year, every day.

One thing is certain. The world surely needs it!

Merry Christmas everyone. Thanks for your support, generosity and kindness this year. It means the world to me.

This post first appeared as an article in Tiny & Little Magazine (Issue 5). It was inspired by Leaf’s Christmas Story Starter conversation cards. The subject cards selected were “My Christmas Wish…” and “Celebration”.

The Munchkin Magazine project is underway. I am taking a big breath as the scope and size of the project ]]>

The Munchkin Magazine project is underway. I am taking a big breath as the scope and size of the project slowly dawns on me. I have just 8 weeks, and a seemingly endless list of tasks to complete. I wonder how some people put these productions out each month, or quarter or whatever.

At least I have listed some of the more important tasks to achieve, with top of the list being the interview with The Bears.

For those of you who haven’t met The Bears, here’s a quick bio.

Teddy (pictured left)

The original baby bear – perfectly chosen by an Auntie who knew exactly what she was looking for – sewn face, machine washable, no beads in the stuffing, small enough for a small child. And cute! Plus she turned out to be an absolute bargain at $5 from Ikea…

My choice of bear, Big Bear – a big, expensive, gorgeous creature – still sits lording it over the bunk, with barely a cuddle. Teddy, on the other hand, goes EVERYWHERE! Which is why she got lost, along with Cat, in a wardrobe safe in an Adelaide hotel.

Teddy’s had a hard life. She’s been lost in Bunnings (more than once), treated like ordinary mail (thanks to the staff of said Adelaide hotel), been inadvertently raised as a boy, had her nose completely destroyed by a toothy Munchkin, followed by a full facial reconstruction earlier this year, and numerous crash landings out of the climbing tree and the top bunk.

However, life is much better now that she has Beebee to spend it with.

Beebee (he’s the one on the right)

When a friend had a baby, I MAY have visited Ikea and stocked up on small, brown, washable bears… So when Teddy went tragically missing in Adelaide, I had an instant replacement. The then 22 month old Munchkin was no fool. Admittedly, unlike his Auntie, I had not spent endless hours in Ikea choosing the cutest bear. Also, unlike Teddy, this bear didn’t have a chewed off nose. However, the Munchkin took him into his arms, instantly named him Beebee, and since then the three have been mostly inseparable (four, if you count Cat).

The Bears look particularly cute hanging out of respective pockets of Daddy’s cargo pants, or peeking over the top of my handbag. But mostly they are somewhere near the Munchkin. Usually jumping on top of you, via said Munchkin’s hands. Or eating your dinner. Or getting totally muddy. Or hiding in the most unlikely places – like a toy box.

Interviewing a couple of bears sounds like an interesting task. It is! Firstly, I had to fully brief the bears’ manager (i.e. The Munchkin) who was a little uncertain about exactly what an interview was. YouTube and Kermit the Frog to the rescue (I have heard Michael Parkinson’s interview with Miss Piggy is well worth the look too.)

With this now understood, The Bears joined me on the couch in the studio for a candid interview. Thank goodness for the iPhone’s recording feature. I don’t think I could have kept up the writing pace. I have discovered I am not the world’s greatest interviewer, however, I think we have established that The Bears like honey, enjoy cuddles and refuse to talk about flying lessons.

The Munchkin was, however, far less obliging and decided to sweep the studio mid-interview.

A quick photo shoot of The Bears and some of their other best loved friends – for a new feature article – Real – and it was all over. (I’ll feature Real next week – I’m so excited about how it’s turning out).

Wow, I have my little boy recorded, pretending to be The Bears – they have different voices and distinctly different personalities. That is gold! I just have to make sense of it all, and type it up into… something.

School holidays have started in our house – 9 long weeks of them. I’m not quite sure how that happened, ]]>

School holidays have started in our house – 9 long weeks of them. I’m not quite sure how that happened, but somewhere between a private Pre-Prep finish and a local Prep start, they added up.

Which must mean it’s time for a school holiday project.

With the The Plan working so well last holidays, I thought it time to up the ante, and finally create the journal project I’ve always dreamed about (and often talked up, written about, encouraged others to do) – a mini magazine about the Munchkin.

So this morning, while he was otherwise engaged with ABC Kids, I’ve been gathering data from Facebook posts, brainstorming article ideas and laying out the first draft – well, the front cover anyway (see above). I won’t say it’s going to win any publication design awards, but it’s better than looking at a blank page.

My aim is to complete an article a week, plus a few extras things such as “Munchkin Style”, book, music and movie reviews, and some photo editorials. Then hop on down to Officeworks and print it all out as a soft cover magazine. If it looks any good, I might even print a few.

As this is a rather personal project, I won’t be sharing the finished product on my blog, but I will keep you up to date on the process, progress and any funny stories that happen along the way. Promise. I’m not much good at “behind the scenes”, as I always just tend to get stuck into something and think about it after I’ve finished, but I’ll do my best.

My support crew (i.e. The Munchkin, Teddy & Beebee (The Bears), Cat, Alexandria the Dragon and Cheetah) are very keen on the idea, but got a bit side-tracked by my iPhone this evening while I was trying to get some creative input. Looks like some strong leadership is required! Might have to bring Daddy in on the act as well…

This week’s task is an interview and photo shoot with The Bears. Wish me luck!

Note: The Munchkin Magazine project will replace my regular blog posts for the duration (and subsequent recovery period) of the school holidays. I hope to return to normal programming some time in February.

I’m not as addicted to it as some… but as a visual person, I do enjoy pottering around ]]> I love Pinterest!

I’m not as addicted to it as some… but as a visual person, I do enjoy pottering around every now and then. Mostly, I love that I can keep things that inspire me visually near to hand – without having to print it out and paste in on my “real” pinboard.

If you haven’t discovered Pinterest yet, you really must! It’s fun, it’s inspiring and it’s a great way to share ideas, products and pretty things. With Christmas coming up, it’s the perfect spot for inspiration.

Here are a few highlights from my Christmassy Goodness board to set you on your way.

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Last weekend the Munchkin became the fourth generation in our family to hit the stage in a dance concert.

His boys’ ]]>

Last weekend the Munchkin became the fourth generation in our family to hit the stage in a dance concert.

His boys’ hip hop class absolutely wowed the crowd. He was the littlest (and the cutest, I reckon)!

I’d say he’s the latest in line in a family of dancers – but that would be overstating the abilities of at least one of us – the “fairy elephant” of the family.

I think his great-gran had the shortest dance career of all of us… but produced one of the sweetest photos – with frizzy blonde hair and teeny ballet shoes. There’s something weird and wonderful about seeing your Nana at the tender age of 4…

My Mum danced for years with May Downs Dance Academy and her dance career reads like a history of Melbourne during this era. She was in the same class as Patti Newton and Denise Drysdale. She performed in pantomimes and Moomba Parades over a period of 8 years – from tot to teen. When I was a little girl, I used to LOVE going through her photo albums, drooling over the costumes, hearing her tell the stories of the classes and performances, of the fire that wiped out their show and her beloved costumes, of the hopes, dreams and escape that dance gave a young girl, whose life away from the stage was certainly no fairytale.

I was a late starter at 8 – but put in a considerable effort, dancing for over 7 years before that niggly big toe of mine (that just doesn’t bend properly) had to be put into pointe shoes in order to continue. For me it was the end of the line. While I was never going to be a dancer, it certainly improved my co-ordination and confidence, and as my Mum handed the costume making over to me at about 13 years old, my sewing ability.

However, it is my bro who has had the most successful and illustrious dance career. For nearly 20 years he taught dance professionally – first as a ballroom teacher and then swing dancing. He’s been in music videos and performed at festivals and in shows. He’s good – really good! Here he is in action.

It’s weird to look back at a family tradition such as this and know what to make of it.  The memories, the characters, the costumes, the stories are part of our collective family psyche. My Mum helped out on Friday night backstage – and the memories came flooding back. Of the curls and costumes, makeup and mayhem. I too was taken back to my own childhood, remembering the rehearsals and performances, and the endless sewing (I’m so glad we don’t have to make our own costumes any more!!!)

Now the Munchkin has become part of that tradition too. As he performed the other night, it was as if the stage was his natural habitat. I’m sure it’s not the last we’ll see of him up there!

What special traditions and talents do your family share?

PS.  I’ve been informed by my Mum that he’s actually the fifth generation – she has a photo of her grandmother in a dance costume. Now, that’s got to be some kind of record!

I went for a walk around the lake today.

I am restless. My head has been buzzing since 4am. So I ]]>

I went for a walk around the lake today.

I am restless. My head has been buzzing since 4am. So I walk.

The wind blows across the lake. It clears the clutter. A little rain washes away the anxiety. Baby moorhens, only a day or two old, remind me of how young these new opportunities are – how much there is to learn, to grow. The vastness of the sky gives my thoughts space to soar, like the ibis overhead.

I used to come here all the time when I was working – an hour of sanity in my crazy, cluttered life.

A truth hits me with the next gust of wind – I can’t go back. I must go forward.

The lake is one of many sacred places in my life… it is my place to clear my head.

The forest is a place to dream. The beach a place to remember friendship and youth – a certain lake, forest and beach. Other lakes, gardens, forests, beaches, restaurants, cities, streets, will hold sacred meaning for other reasons – a first kiss, a major breakthrough, a connection, a moment of pure joy.

What are your sacred places? Why?

My team and I have finally moved into the new studio. We’re settling in to our new environment well, and ]]>

My team and I have finally moved into the new studio. We’re settling in to our new environment well, and looking forward to some really exciting times ahead.

“Team”, you ask. “Aren’t you like… working at home… on your own…?”

Well, technically, “Yes”. But no, I’m not alone. I’d like you to meet my team.

They are the wonderful artists and creators who inspire me every day; the “paper” entrepreneurs, who have smoothed the road before me; the lovely ladies I meet at markets who share their knowledge and experience; the friends who love hearing about this week’s adventures, and pick me up when the news is less than great; the support networks I have built – online and in real life; the family that surrounds me love.

When I was a paper rep, I visited a lot of studios. I saw some wonderful creative spaces for creative people to inspire creative work. One of the things I enjoyed seeing most was the designer’s inspiration wall. A Wonder Wall!

I knew I wanted one when I finally had my own studio.

Thanks to Ikea (although apparently, I am now banned from there for at least 18 months), I have been able to create an amazing “wonder wall” of my own. Not everyone in my team is represented here… I don’t have that much wall space! But it’s certainly a good representation, and one I can change as I please.

Works by: Kelly Exeter (The Smile Collective), Madeleine Stamer (Little Circus Design), Maria Pizzirusso (AVE) and Lilly Blue (Little Boat Tree, BIG Kids Magazine), Jane Fitchett (KABwares) and Danielle Quarmby (Curiouser), Nada Gisonda (Red Mango Photography) plus my fantastic designer, Amanda Brizzi (Hello Creative) and artist Claire Bridge, Sweet William, Little Branch and my friend Kerri, Rebecca Gillard (Petite Marguerite) and Madeleine Stamer again because I’m a bit addicted to her work at the moment. (This gorgeous print came inserted into BIG Kids Magazine.)

Oh, and here’s what the rest of the studio looks like.

Image: Another random Pinterest find – LOVE the typography. Find it here.

I attended my regular Body Balance class this morning. ]]>

Image: Another random Pinterest find – LOVE the typography. Find it here.

I attended my regular Body Balance class this morning. It was GOOD!

My teacher Mel is a complete giggle. Always.

The music and exercise is just the right pace for a tired, sore body in need of strength.

I have a long way to go to get back some of the former glory. For now, this is enough. I love the flow of Tai Chi. A long time ago, before my car accident, I did Tai Chi. It takes me back…

I love the gentleness and depth of yoga. A long time ago, before I was married, I learned yoga. I use it to connect.

I’m not so keen on pilates, but I know it is good for me. I cope. I know it is building strength.

At the end of the class there is a meditation. I lie down and relax. I need it. I need to stop. To stop… thinking.

Balance may not always be on hand the rest of the week, but for one hour, it is mine!

It’s my last day of My Happy Place for Easy Peasy Kids’ 30 Day My Happy Place Challenge. Thank you for sharing the journey. For all My Happy Place posts, click here.