Pause.

Pause. That's the word that keeps coming to me as I think about this festive season. 

There's so much busy. More than I wish to remember, more than I wish to have to do. And even as I pause, it feels as though our world is still buzzing around me.  

But still I pause. And in that moment I notice where I am. I take a big nourishing breath in, and take stock of where I am. I notice the little things that pull me back to the present, and steer my thoughts from tasks to moments, from rushing to gratitude, from routine to rhythm.

I notice where I am standing. My connection with the ground, with whatever is under foot. I visualise myself putting down roots and connecting as deep down as I need to go until I reach Mother Earth.

I notice my body and how it's feeling as a whole. I allow myself to notice the parts of my body that may be struggling right now. And I give thanks for them. For the job they're doing, despite strain and perhaps despite my full attention.  

I notice my breath, it's rhythm, it's depth, it's sound. I dwell here with the breath, choosing not to manipulate but to be witness to it's presence today. I notice how with my non-judgement and loving attention it naturally slows, becomes deeper, fuller. For my breath, I give thanks.

I notice what's around me. I see mess, I see food that needs to be cooked, I see a lengthy to-do list and floors that need sweeping. I close my eyes, reminding myself to look deeper. When I open them I see with my heart. I see an abundance of wants met, I see healthy nourishing food ready and waiting, I see a beautiful life being lived fully and a home that while messy is one of peace. 

I place one hand on my heart, the other on my belly. I breathe, visualising my life breath travelling back and forth between the two. I give thanks for love and all that nourishes me in each day.

I pause. And in that moment I notice where I am. I return to my day, with an adjusted rhythm. Remembering who I am, where I am, and all I have to be thankful for. Especially when the world may feels like it's buzzing around me.

xx

Pause and interrupt busy with slow, mindfulness and gratitude, and in doing so, nurture. It's my plan for the next month, and going by how it feels I think it's a good one for me. Will you join me? Elisa x

--

---------------->> My free five-day mindfulness bundle incorporating breath work, journaling + meditation {the tools + rituals I use to cultivate nurture + space for what matters most in my day} will launch in the New Year. More info here, if this sounds like you xx <<----------------

I keep coming back to here

I keep coming back to here. Every day if I can. At least five times a week of late. 

The sea reminds me to breathe full breaths. It brings me back to my breath. To one single breath. 

It reminds me that each moment is precious. And to feel all of me in this very moment. Not to think of yesterday's moments or tomorrow's. This moment. And then the next.

When I stand here with the sea, I feel all the more alive. Because here I am mindfulness. Sometimes only for a handful of minutes. Sometimes I'm afforded a whole lot more. But presence, regardless of the time limit, is what makes the difference.

I'm sharing today a round up of images of the sea I've taken in recent weeks. 

Notice how each is so different? Notice how the colours of the sea change each day? As does it's rhythm. 

I've tried to capture the beauty of the sea in my photos, yet none are similar and different aspects have stood out to me each day. 

Each time I pause to observe the sea, I find myself acknowledging how it presents on this day, connecting with its rhythm and giving thanks for it. I never judge the sea. I find beauty in the sea despite its actions, despite its rhythm, despite its appearance. There's a lesson in there. And it's so very applicable to me. 

As I breathed in the sea air this morning, I gave thanks for the me that simply showed up today. I gave thanks with gentleness, kindness and a loving heart. Without judgement. And realised this space feels new to me. 

So here I stand, committing to loving me better. Unconditionally. Stepping into my own power. With big nourishing sea breaths as encouragement. And as a reminder that this moment, this breath, right now is always the perfect time to begin. Again. 

xx

Do you love the sea too? Is my lesson a lesson for you? 

What actions do you take to nurture your heart and soul? To love your whole self better?
I'd love to know. Elisa x

>>>>> See here for what's included in my free mindfulness bundle, which is quite a bit and is looking a bit more mini-ebook worthy than bundle right about now..! I can't wait to share it with you! It includes a bundle of mindful ways + words + activities to encourage you to easily connect with your heart + the power of your amazing life breath. And next month it will launch! I'm just putting the pretty touches on it now :) Elisa x

Interrupt busy with slow

This year started off with the most wondrous of intentions. Intentions to move slowly, be grace, live purposefully, breathe with intention. And I'm not saying I haven't done all those things. To a wonderful extent I have. 

But then along came the chaos. The busy. I'm dubbing it "the scheduled life". When there's so much to be done, and so many commitments that all the moments seem played out in routine. It kills spontaneity. And it turns a slow and mindful rhythm into a routine. And to that mishaps and mess + throw in a tonne of winter colds and coughs. 

I felt it approaching a month or so back. I felt despair. And a whole lot alone and helpless in getting all the things done while carving out the slow, heart-centred rhythm that I need. {I've come to understand that slow and heart-centred is quite simply how I thrive.} 

To some extent, busy cannot be stopped. Maybe, like me, you have three young children. Or maybe, like old me, you have a busy corporate job that works to strict deadlines. It's hard to stop the busy when you simply have so much necessary stuff to be done. 

I've researched this very topic on a personal level for the past 10 years. Rushing and the stress that tagged along with it was making me sick. I needed the antidote to busy and rushing. And I have a conclusion: We need to be okay with some busy. Life simply demands it. But we don't need to become "busy". Busy doesn't need to be our state of being: our sense of self from the minute we open our eyes from sleep to the minute they close again at night. 

So, what to do?

Interrupt busy with slow. That there is my solution. And it's working. For me.

It means slowing down, and taking a dose of mindfulness to heart. But it doesn't mean becoming a constant state of slow and mindful. We can still be mindful and not practise mindfulness every single moment of our waking day. 

I say, begin with a handful of minutes. Or add an extra handful of minutes to your already mindful routine. I'm honestly talking about just a few minutes. And this isn't about setting aside time to be mindful. It's about choosing slow + mindful when your amidst busy. It's about noticing that busy pace, and choosing to interrupt it. 

I fold these mindful rituals into the everyday effortlessly. Because as well as slow and mindful, simplicity {for me} is key. 

RESET YOUR RHYTHM + When I'm running around in the mess that can be mornings with kids, I choose to step away from the chaos, step outside with my cup of tea. I savour those sips, I look to the sky, I breathe. I move slowly. Just for a minute, before joining the mess again. Albeit calmer and more mindful. 

LOOK TO NATURE + When I've had a busy morning or afternoon, I pull the car over by the sea* on my drive home. I step outside {or we step outside, as I almost always have children in tow} to watch the water, taking note of the rhythm the sea is moving to today, breathing deeply and fully, taking in that sea air.  

STEP OUTSIDE + I often choose to eat my lunch outdoors, especially if the sun is shining. I notice the feel of the sun on my face, it's warmth. I pause before eating to just breathe, to give thanks for this moment, my food, the sun's shine. I notice the sky's colour, the patterns of the clouds. I tend to eat slower when I do this. Eat more mindfully. I'm present.

JUST BREATHE + And when I simply can't make make my slow minutes an escape, I just take a minute to tune into my breath. I notice its pace. I listen to the inhalation / the exhalation. I invite myself to breathe deeper and slower than before, and to release that breath fully. I invite myself to move slower. To walk/speak/react at a slower pace. Just for a minute. 

To counteract life's busy, interrupt it. With slow. For me, it works.

xx

Will you give it a go? What activities help you stay centred and mindful in the here and now? I'd love to know. Elisa x

*Of course, not everyone lives close to the sea! But the sky is just as wondrous! Look to the patterns playing out across the sky from home or work, notice how it changes, notice how it's changed an hour later, tune into the rhythms of the sky as you could the sea. Just as expansive, just as mesmerising, ever-changing with the rhythms of life - as are we.     


--------- >> Learn about what's in my free mindfulness activity bundle for embracing slow + mindful, and tuning into the power of your breath here.  

--------- >> I have a new instagram account: @ohhelloheart xx

Taking a chance + starting before you're ready

I've realised {in the past couple months} that I find it easy to overlook myself in the day-to-day. And the problem with that - with not carving out minutes of your every day solely for you - is that soon those days become weeks, months and you look back and realise you've made loads of plans + let ideas swirl in your head... and that's where they've stayed. As floating ideas and hand-written plans. In a notepad.

I pretty much woke up to this realisation. Just woke up and thought, that's enough. 

I realised I don't actually believe in myself as much as I think I do.
I realised that taking a chance on me is damn scary.
I realised that I've been waiting for permission to give more of my heart's writing + soul's stirrings a real go. {Permission from who, I'm not quite sure.}
I realised that now's the time. {Actually, now is always the time.}
I realised that I'm very good at talking myself out of taking a chance.
I realised that even the thought of vulnerability cripples me {used to cripple me}.
I realised that living my truth - writing it, sharing it, speaking it - is where I want to be {always}.
I realised I was giving myself the opposite advice I'd give to my beautiful girls.
I realised if I didn't call myself out on this one. Say "that's enough" and actually mean it, I'd be moving in these circles for many years to come. 

And so, I scribbled words down on paper - words + feelings standing in my way. I came up with "taking a chance on me", "trust", "authenticity" + "vulnerability". And I've accepted they're all really good friends, and I no longer want them to be a roadblock in my way.  

So I've been breathing my way forward. 

This past month has been about pulling back, slowing down and breathing with intention. Focusing on what matters most. And that's meant little time for anything that's not mothering my three + nurturing my heart. 

I'm embracing my ideas little by little, and navigating them into existence slowly but surely. And I'm starting before I feel ready. And those little steps I'm taking, it turns out they feel like bounds once you make a few.

xx

Have you taken a chance on yourself lately? Have you started a new project recently? Any lessons on vulnerability you'd like to share? 

With big nourishing breaths + much much love, Elisa x


~~~~~~~~ >> FREE PRINTS + MINDFULNESS BUNDLE: Thank you to all the lovely people who have signed up early before my mindfulness bundle + breathe prints are ready! Thank you for taking a chance on me! I've added a couple simple meditations and the bundle is almost ready to send. You can check out what's included here. Elisa xx

~~~~~~~~ >> NEW INSTAGRAM: I've created a new instagram @ohhelloheart that's solely for my writing, mindfulness + meditation. Love you to come say hi! Elisa X

Deciding on less and more

I can easily write a lengthy list of what I want more of. For some reason, more seems to strike a chord... and it makes me focus on what I don't have. But when I bring less into the equation, the opposite presents. I find myself dwelling on what I don't need, what I can discard, what I truly need to be happy {and it turns out that's not many things at all}. 

In learning the art of balance and in a bid for clarity, I write my more or less list each year. It begins with a fair bit of thought, but eventually the words just roll onto the page, unfolding into a manifesto of sorts that resonates with my heart. Here it is.

Less screens, more books
Less sugar, more protein
Less procrastination, more meditation
Less talking, more listening
Less worry, more gratitude
Less criticism, more praise
Less fear, more love
Less rushing, more moments
Less doing, more just being

xx

Will you give the less and more list a go? Do you do a similar exercise, and has it helped you? Love to know your thoughts. Leave me a message or link below or even shoot me an email if you create your own list. I'd love to have a read. Elisa xx 


~~~~~~~~ Love some free prints and affirmations to inspire your everyday? You can leave your email here! Can not wait to send this bundle of mindfulness prints + affirmations to you next month. Elisa xx ~~~~~~~~ 

Hello heart

~ This piece was originally written for the free ebook Listen to the Voice of Your Heart but I just know these words are meant to be shared here too ~

Say inner compass and I get lingering with my heart. Always a good thing. This heart of mine has plenty to say. Only I spent a long while pushing it aside; ignoring its whispers and gentle tugs. I was too busy you see, listening to my head – it’s also never short of a word. 

Truth is {and I still get a little embarrassed admitting it} it took this body of mine falling apart – practically kicking and screaming at me from the inside – before I started listening. And when I did, when I first stopped to say hello heart, and listen for its answer – wow! My heart spoke words of wisdom, comfort and love – and it had the answers I’d been searching for, it knew how to heal, and it offered guidance as I navigated change. So much change.

The more I listen to my heart, the more wisdom it reveals. Here’s a little of what I’ve learnt, but of course the learning continues...

~ A heart practise makes me a better version of me.

Doing a little something that speaks to my heart each day is essential to my wellbeing. I used to think of this as indulgent. Not anymore. I know this makes me a better version of me. By tuning in to my heart, my core, my essence I not only give myself energy to simply be, but I create more energy to give.

Finding that little heart-centred something can be the tricky part, as well as finding the time. For me, a simple mindful exercise can be enough. Stepping outside, looking to the sky and giving thanks each morning (a two-minute ritual, perhaps less) can begin my day. Sometimes I’ll escape to the beach (often with my two daughters in tow) to sit and just be, to take photographs, to breathe. Some days it’s not until late at night when the house is quiet that I can find that heart time – and it’s often meditation, yoga or journaling that speak to my heart loudest. Sometimes stopping to check in with my breath can be enough, and less than a minute can be all it takes.

~ Just breathe.

At perhaps the most crucial, sometimes fear-driven, sometimes anxious and sometimes uncertain times of my life, I have turned to my heart and I’ve heard “just breathe”. Putting these two little words into action can be so powerful.

I like to remind myself that to breathe is to have life. And with each slow conscious inhalation and exhalation, I give myself an opportunity to tune into my heart and my body, to notice little moments, to reconnect, to simply be. Just breathing, placing one hand on my heart and one on my torso and feeling that breathe, being with that breath – that’s as good a meditation as any for me.

I think our hearts are full of lessons and love and a wondrous energy that thrives on connection. I think when we tune in to our hearts, when we really listen and express from there, that’s when anything is possible. I think that’s when we learn that something extra about ourselves that can be the change we need in our world.

xx

~ I wrote this piece for a free ebook by my inspiring friend Deb (jewelry designer, writer and author of the blog Inner Compass Designs). The nurturing ebook titled Listen to the Voice of Your Heart is filled with heart-centered words from 14 women sharing their journeys, their wisdom, their hearts, what they know to be true. You can download it for free here.

I'm listening

I wrote about the day I learnt to breathe a little more than a month ago now. And that night I journalled. And that night I asked my heart what makes it sing. And that night and for the forty-two days that have followed I've been reminded to just breathe. 

The words could have been so easy to ignore, but I've been listening. I abandoned the blog {not quite expecting to be away this long!}, and reworked my to-do list to include the essentials only. In doing so, I created time. Time filled with little things {and my little people}, moments that have made my heart soar, big breaths, long exhalations and a stronger, clearer idea of where I want to go from here.

It's reminded me that the advice and wisdom we share (hello learning to breathe fully, trusting where you're at, and finding something that nourishes your mind and heart) is most certainly the advice we need.

xx

What have you learnt this past month? What are you most grateful for? I hope your days have been happy and you've remembered to breathe xx


{Oh and my little escape has seen me forget about my first giveaway!! Winners of this "just breathe" print are Julie @ Off to the Park and Amanda @ Homely One. Please email me your postal address withgraceandeve@gmail.com and I will send your print xx}

A nourishing something

Yesterday I had a conversation about how having a ritual {or a nourishing something that's just for us} that we do each day can be the one thing that keeps us feeling filled, not just going but going happily, with that little bit of extra energy (even when sleep alludes you). Of course, we can go quite wonderfully without that little nourishing rhythm in our day too - but it can make all the difference on some days. 

My time by the sea with my camera, notepad and pen has been a weekly dose of nourishment for me this year. It's most often meant solo time too, before I begin work. And lately it's been just a handful of minutes that it's taken to fill my heart and soul, to recharge and take stock. Perhaps I needed more time in the beginning, but lately it's been so much less - and I think that's because this has become a ritual; helped by the fact that I now effortlessly {no guilt} grant myself this time each week to just be. Just as you get better at something when you practice it, I think you get better at tuning in, letting go, relaxing and reconnecting by creating a weekly/daily space for it too. 

xx

Do you do something each day or weekly that's just for you? Something to nourish your body or heart or soul?

{~ Finally catching up on sharing this year's photo project - weekly images by the sea. Above are images 26-33 and one extra! Elisa x}

Escape

After writing these words, we decided a little escape down the coast would be the perfect way to reset our pace. And a new rhythm we found. One that's left us recharged, and filled up on the joy that is being together with no real agenda for the day. Miss four wanted a journal of sorts of our three days away to show her family and friends; these are a few of the photos {snapped with my phone!} that tell the story of our time away. Just us, simple days, exploring new places, sharing laughter, love and time.  

xx

{Also pic 34 in my by the sea series 52 project. You can view the rest of the images here xx} 

Have you escaped lately? What helps to reset your pace? X

Sometimes

Sometimes there comes a reminder to walk slowly. To wait patiently, and to let go. 

Sometimes there comes an inner voice that says stop. Just stop. Right now. And for no reason. Because you don't need a reason. To set your own pace. 

And so you choose to stop. To press pause for a minute, or two or a little longer.

And maybe it's just to breathe. To breathe fully. Those really big breaths. The ones that can take you a little by surprise and remind you that yes indeed you are alive. 

And then you find yourself realigning with your heart as you inhale, and noticing seconds as you exhale. And suddenly you realise, it takes just a moment to stop, and just a moment for things to change. And that scares you. 

But maybe that's not such a bad thing because it gets you dwelling on gratitude. True heart-expanding gratitude. And it's in those moments of true thanks that you feel your heart speaking. And it's when you turn down the background noise, that you see gratitude exists in the right now, and right here. In what is. 

And you realise that with every breath in, and breath out comes opportunity.
To see things differently. To do things differently.
To say something. Or say nothing.
To kiss softly and slowly, like time is yours.
To linger longer when you hug goodbye.
To say what you've been thinking aloud.
To create a new habit. To let go of an old one.
To choose healing. To choose life.
To choose to see love. In you. And him. And her. And them. 

To ask how love would respond. Before you respond.
To seek joy. 

And so you decide from this moment on to make a little time within each day to just breathe. Or meditate. Or pray. Or read. Or write. To create. Or just be.

To do that thing that speaks to your heart the loudest. 

To choose solitude. And time together. 

To give thanks for today, and tomorrow. 

To listen. 

And to choose to see the beauty that exists in the ordinary. in the everyday. 

in every minute. and within every single breath. 

xx

{I've been away from the online world, and away from this space I love for two weeks now. Right when I felt I was ready to jump back in! And while life has been full of wonder, joy and learning, winter's done it's trick of sending me inward once again. And that's right where I've needed to be :) This post pretty much sums up my heart's thoughts right now, and now feels a good time to share. Something has shifted here, and I'd say it's no coincidence that a new season is on its way. Elisa xx}

What's filling your bucket?

This week I helped out at miss four's kinder, and the topic of conversation on the mat was "What's filling your bucket?" And by that the teacher was referring to what's filling your heart - what makes you feel good about yourself and feel full of love - and what you can do to fill others' buckets - acts of kindness, comfort, friendship. It reminded me of this post. And it also sparked a conversation about what empties our buckets. 

Here were 20 four and five-year-olds openly sharing the words that fill them up, and words that can tear them down. And knowing the difference, and having an understanding of the impact our words and actions can have on others. 

And while this is pretty much my parenting aim - to fill my girls up with love, and help them identify all their emotions, and accept them too - I couldn't be more grateful that my little girl has a teacher who values wellbeing and nurture just as high as other areas of learning. 

It also reminded me that this is a question to reflect on often, and at all ages and stages of life. To identify what's filling me up {nourishing me}, perhaps what I need more of and what I can give more of, and definitely what I could do with less of. 

xx

What are you most grateful for this week? What's filling your bucket?

Just 10 minutes

"Why don't we take time for ourselves?"

"Because there's always something to do when you're a mum."

"But sometimes I just think it would be nice to be... alone. And do something for me. You know?"

"Yes, but the guilt... What would people think if I put myself first? Did something solely for me? It just sounds so.... indulgent."

"I know, I know... but what if it didn't cost money, and what if it wasn't that much time either... maybe just 10 minutes alone. And what if that 10 minutes meant I would move about the rest of my day feeling recharged, a little more nourished and calmer. Mindful even? That would make it worth it, wouldn't it?"

"I suppose if it was just 10 minutes..."

"Maybe 10 minutes is all I need..."

"Maybe 10 minutes is everything I need."

xx

Do you give yourself a few minutes for you each day?

{I choose to give myself 10 minutes most days. Normally to just be, to breathe, meditate, write. Sometimes I read or take photos. Sometimes I lie down, sometimes I walk. Sometimes I'm not alone. And some days I only find five minutes, but even fewer minutes then I'd like make a world of difference. Image during my 10 minutes this morning by a ferocious sea. So windy my eyes watered, and to watch the waves it became necessary to take refuge behind the boat sheds. Elisa x}

Finding joy

Joy. It keeps coming at me. In conversation. In actions. As a guide in decisions of late. I've heard the advice to act with the question "What would love do?" in mind. I love that. But lately, it's been "Will this bring me joy? How can I offer joy? And is there a joyous way to do or think about what has to be done?" The more I ask these questions, the better I come to understand what joy is to me. And the more I seem to find joy. In the little things, and even in the mundane. Maybe joy has always been there, in almost everything I have set out to do - just I haven't always been looking with joyful eyes, and it's that I'm consciously choosing now to honour my heart's kind of joy. Maybe.

xx

Are you seeking joy? What brings joy to you?   

15 minutes

Just minutes I was gone but it felt like an hour before I looked up, remembered where I was, that I was being waited for and that I should check the time.

The sea was rough and energetic, green, blue and white in places and scattered with rocking boats. The cooler than usual wind kept catching me by surprise.

I watched the scene from behind my camera just as much as without it. And I caught myself breathing deeper, walking slower and noticing wonder every step along the way. 

xx
Ever noticed how just minutes of doing something you love, being somewhere you love and being fully present feels so very much longer? And leaves you feeling renewed and oh-so-alive?

~ 15 minutes alone by the sea. Twice. Images 18 & 19 in my by the sea series xx

>> Interested in receiving my free mindfulness prints and "breathe" meditation eBook? I can't wait to soon send them your way. You can sign up for them here. <<   　

Déjà vu

It's been quiet here. Which usually means I've been over-thinking, journalling and taking a little extra time to just be... 

Twice I sat by the water alone these past two weeks. And the first time I felt the same freedom, anticipation and sense of possibility that I'd felt once before but far far from here. 

Much of the scene was the same - crashing waves and a deserted beach. Just me, my heart and my thoughts. And this time my camera. And despite the rolling in of the waves and the hum of the wind, I could feel the silence and hear my heart whispering to me.

...Change is here, now if you want it. Dream! Take a step forward, and then step back again if you need to. But do move! And love those tiny moments that propel you forward, don't just save all that loving for the final destination...

I kept thinking of the joy in beginning something new that can subdued by fear of what beginning could mean, could entail, could create... I kept thinking how ruling that fear can be. And I kept thinking that was just a thought, and a thought can be changed...

By the sea here I was so very aware that I was alone yet not lonely. It was only as I walked away from the water that I noticed that small pile of sand nestled on the wooden post - yet to be blown away, yet to journey back to the sea. And it suddenly dawned on me that someone else had been here moments before me. And I hoped they saw what I saw, and felt even a little of what I felt. That now is the time. And I really am free to be me.

xx

~ Adding to my reflections by the sea: images 16/52 and 17/52.

To soar

I walk outside to check the weather, and there are birds staring at me from the grass.

I look to the sky and a solo bird flies into the frame and sits directly in my view.

I step outside sleepily to watch the sun rise and birds are already perched on the fence and power lines singing their tunes.

And every time I see them I keep waiting for them to soar. You know the moment? When they move from still to up, up and away.  With purpose, with direction, with momentum, rhythm... with power and energy but with grace.

I keep waiting. And they keep on staying still. Fly, I think. Fly! Show me how you can soar.

Eventually I walk away. 

And eventually I come to the realisation that we don't need bold, dramatic or "something to talk about" action to soar. That we can soar immersed in stillness and in presence, in peace of mind and in heart. And sometimes without a word spoken, or written. Without a movement outward, but with expansiveness within.

xx 

{Soaring - how I soar, what I need to soar, to stay present, and to be the best me - has been on my mind this week, as has gratitude and the joy and presence that can come from creating a ritual that both honours and nourishes us. A lot to think about, and a lot I want to write and something I need to share... for another post soon! This week I feel most grateful for time - time alone and time together, and time to just be. Elisa x}

What are you most grateful for today? And what makes you soar?
   

Just breathe ~ 13/52

Some days I just know I should scrap the first line off my to-do list and replace it with just breathe. Today was one of those. And just breathe I did. Here. And to the sound of softly crashing waves.

xx

Alone ~ 10/52

We escaped routine for the weekend and headed here. Forty-eight hours or more of just us. And not a thought about work. It was refreshing, filled with brilliant sunshine, and time to just be. Before we left I decided on waking up a little earlier each morning to go for a walk alone. That sounded like perfection and bliss to me... but both mornings my little ones were up early and eager to join. But later in the day, thirty minutes of solo time came my way. Along the beach I walked, alone with my thoughts to take in big fresh breaths and watch the water's rhythm play out behind these wild irises. A good reminder to prioritise {and trust there will be} time to honour and restore me.  

xx

{More photos from our weekend here}

Do you seek time alone to just be too?

Ten on Ten {finding beauty in the ordinary}

Ten on ten :: one photo an hour for ten consecutive hours on the tenth day of the month. A way of finding and capturing life and beauty in the ordinary things in our everyday.

 

 

 

 

 

1. Up to watch the sun rise three mornings in a row so far... thanks to an early-to-rise little miss four.
2. "Let's follow the flags, Mama! It's like an adventure..."
3. And all the way to the beach we walked. Miss four amazed by the way the sun could sparkle on top of the water. 
4. Captivated by the colour.
5. Succulents are a favourite.
6. Sparkly shoes {and then scraped knees} for our little miss two.
7. Watching the colour of the sky and the colour of the sea, matching in places.
8. Tiny raindrops. But then no more.
9. Miss four's been making a whole lot of wishes this month.
10. A dramatic night sky to cap off a restful weekend.

Photos taken on the tenth, posted here a day late... choosing to trust in perfect timing, and joining the ten on ten photo project with Rebekah here.

xx

Then and now ~ 8/52

A little late in getting this one up. Last week went from crazy to crazier... I headed to a beach I would drive to often when I first got my license at 18. There used to be a jetty here, but it's long gone now. For some reason I thought I'd see the magic here I saw then. But that wasn't the case. An overcast and windy day, and a week of busy and doing my very best to let go of what I can't control may have dampened the view a little... but sitting looking out at the sea, even if for just a few moments, reminded me to breathe. And that was probably what I needed to remember most last week.

xx

Are you doing a 52 project or daily project of some type this year? If so, I'd love to know. I'm rather grateful I chose this photo project to keep me centred on my guiding word this year xx