The lawnmower is broken and the grass is way too long. But I don’t care because instead of fresh-cut grass, we’ve got a carpet of daisies basking in the sunshine.
It’s finally springtime and I’m jumping for joy.
Why is being a kid so amazing? Because when your mum picks you up from school and it’s a warm spring day without a cloud in the sky, you can play around and have fun with the other kids rolling down the hill. Doesn’t matter that you might get freshly cut grass all over your clothes. You don’t care about that. You don’t even know that’s an issue. You’re just happy and having fun playing with your friends and life is good.
Looking back through the past few weeks of self-portraits, I’ve realised that I’ve done black and white A LOT. I do love black and white, its simplicity, how it removes distractions, leaving you just to focus on the lines, shapes, and light. And with so many images today over processed in Photoshop, black and white remains timeless, not trendy.
But maybe the black and white has also been a reflection of life lately, its starkness indicative of the miserable dreary winter that wouldn’t end. Maybe subconsciously I just haven’t been able to see in color the past few weeks.
Today though, today, I went for a run in shorts. Shorts! Two days ago I was feeling so optimistic that I cleaned off the deck and retrieved the outdoor furniture from hibernation, all while wearing capri pants and flip-flops. The flip-flops were admittedly a stretch though.
So this week, color, lots of lovely spring color. The seasons are turning (finally) and I can see in color again!
Ah, the sea. I miss the sea, the beach and the salt air. Maybe it’s because I went to the beach so much as a kid, but the sounds and the smells of the beach (and ideally the sunshine) just instantly make me feel better.
But I live on an island. How is it even possible that I miss the beach? Maybe it’s just the unfamiliarity of my surroundings and the fact that travelling into the unknown with a 3-year-old in tow is a slightly more considered thought process.
So on my birthday we went to the seaside for the day. And when we got there I said to myself, why on earth have I not done this more often? Granted, it was an easy journey on a random weekday when then weather was typically English (read gray, windy, cold). Certainly, the traffic on a gorgeous summer’s day would present its own challenges. But still, this was a reminder to get us out exploring much more often than we do.
It wasn’t “the beach” by my definition of the beach, I’ve still not learned to fully appreciate the rocky shores of England, I want vast expanses of smooth soft sand. But it was a lovely day spent with my little man. And there were plenty of rocks to dig through and treasures to find, feathers, shells, and pieces of fishing net filling up his little bag.
And I do love me some colorful beach huts. Even on the dreariest of days, their little rainbow stretching along the shoreline can’t help but put a smile on your face.
Welcome to the first installment of a monthly collaborative photo project I’m participating in with several talented photographers I met through a recent photography class. Our theme for this project is Everyday Moments, focusing on capturing small memories and details that makeup our everyday lives. Life slips by so quickly and I’m a firm believer in capturing all the unscripted moments in life, not just the big milestones and events.
Each month we’ll share images around a sub-theme related to the over-arching theme of Everyday Moments. Technical perfection isn’t the point of these images, it’s about sharing stories that makeup our most treasured memories. The people I connect with in the vast online community continue to amaze me and I invite you to follow along with me on this project.
This month our theme is Around Town, the idea to capture our normal comings and goings, the places we go as a family, the places we don’t normally think of as photo opportunities. But these places are part of our everyday lives, part of our everyday adventures.
Our favorite spot for a weekend lunch out is the Gourmet Burger Kitchen. I’m not saying its the healthiest lunch in the world and I usually don’t want to eat for a couple of days afterwards, but it’s such a wonderful indulgence.
Of course, I now measure restaurants by a different standard. It’s not about how posh the place might be. But crayons and a colouring book to entertain the little man? High marks!
You know you’re a photographer when you choose the seat in the dark corner that forces the rest of your family to sit in the delightful window light.
I just cannot get enough of these little skinny fries. And this salt reminds me of the Lawry’s Seasoned Salt that I miss so much from America. Though I now know how to make this for myself at home thanks to the wonderful Michelle over at The American Resident.
And we all love strawberry milkshakes so much, he even does a little dance, the strawberry milkshake dance.
I encourage you to continue around our small blog circle project beginning with Crystal.