Brief hiatus

Between the three of us getting ill and the deeply saddening recent loss of a loved one, I will be taking a short break from blogging.

I am torn up and grieving right now. I need  some time.

Here are a few shots of the new digs...

Goodbye for now.

We are Radiant

How we came to be

I do believe I mentioned during my last entry, A Kinder September, that Connor and I were lucky enough to have won a couple's photoshoot with Sarah of The Salty Sea blog. I am overjoyed that I can now share these images with all of you - Sarah is an incredibly talented photographer. She doesn't just capture moments in time, she captures the magic happening within them. There is warmth and feeling within her work that seems far too rare in this world.

Our Wild Hearts

Today I would like tell you all about the adventure my close friend Natalee and I shared together a handful of months ago. 

Last year, during the third trimester of my pregnancy, my husband and I happened quite by chance to stumble across a beauty spot very close to our home. It is located near Boscawen Park in Truro; which is a very popular area we have visited on occasion over the years. However, we had no idea this place was hidden so close by. That is truly one of my favourite things about Cornwall, it never reveals all of its secrets at once. It retains mystery and chooses what it wants to share with you and when. I never tire of it.

However, I am terrible at keeping secrets and I love to share. So, here we go...

A Kinder September

September begins on the same day of the week as December every year, because there are 91 days in September, October and November, which is a multiple of seven. No other month ends on the same day of the week as September in any year. 

There are times when existence itself can feel overwhelming. I hurt too easily - although I loathe to show it and the seemingly unceasing cacophony of thoughts, memories and ideas are just too draining...too painful, even. I would like to, on occasion, leave my head somewhere and come back to it when I've had time to recharge and leave the entire planet for a while to hide away from all the noise. Get away from that sense of something slowly closing over the chest and throat.

Now You are One

Meaning of the name Robin: Famed, bright; shining.

My beautiful little bird turned 1 on the 29th of August. For his father and I, it was a bittersweet day. Truly, it is  a wonder to see that he has grown so strong and confident  under our tireless care, but there is also disbelief in just how fleeting a year can really be. It is milestones like this that give me a renewed appreciation for photography - the power to pause time, to me, is my most cherished ability of all. I have a terrible memory and photography allows me  to freeze moments and look back upon them with perfect clarity. It is a magic power I will never willingly give up.

These sweet moments with this adored child are mine forever, and will be unmarked and unchanged with the passage of time.

 A year! I still cannot believe it. It only seems like yesterday he was just turning 1 week old.

Sarah in the Gardens

If you had told me last year that I would one day discover a people-craving extrovert within myself I would have laughed in your face. No...wait. That's a lie. I would have been far too shy to do that. I certainly would never have imagined I would be meeting and spending time with strangers on a semi-regular basis.

How glad I am that the walls I once surrounded myself with are crumbling. How freeing it is not to feel as if there are a million judgmental eyes always fixed in my direction. I can't tell you where this new confidence came from and neither can I pinpoint the exact moment it burst into existence, but as I mentioned in Here Ends Dinosaur I am forever grateful that it found me. So many new possibilities have come my way and I have met such wonderful people as a result.

Once of those people is Sarah of The Salty Sea Blog. You can read her journal entry about our day together here. She takes gorgeous photos and has an absolutely magical way with words. Not to mention, it is always rather fun to read two different accounts of the same event!

I would also like to apologise for the delay with this post - I want to make regular entries but I am finding it difficult juggling work and family life...but balance will come in time, I'm sure.

Here Ends Dinosaur

On the 22nd of this month I turned 26. Not a notable age. Certainly not any kind of milestone, but recently I felt a change come over me. It is subtle, but it is there and I have welcomed it. Perhaps this small change has nothing at all to do with the passing of years but however it came about I am glad to have it. I feel a little braver...more sure of myself and for the first time ever I am experiencing the dizzying sensation of true confidence.

I think a lot of it comes down to having a young child. When Robin was born I knew immediately that I did not want him to pick up on and possibly adopt my insecurities - it just wouldn't be fair. But that tired old mantra of 'fake it until you make it' had never worked for me. How do you go about faking something you have absolutely no understanding or knowledge of whatsoever? Subtle social cues and body language always befuddled me and any attempts to mimic them always fell flat. I felt so disconnected.

Eventually, the fear of other people left me. It took time. The need to constantly please vanished. Eye contact no longer felt quite so jarring (although to this day it suggests a level of intimacy to me that I'm not always comfortable with). One day, I'll talk about it in detail - but that will be a separate post.

Now, I was originally talking about small changes and bravery. With bravery comes exploration!

Hello. Here I am.

Something you should know about me: I do not like introductions. I certainly do not like having to do them more than once. I am about to demonstrate my dislike in full-force.

If you have already read my 'about' page, you do not need to read this blog entry.

First things first: I have an extreme aversion to writing content for 'about' pages.

I would liken the experience to being groped by a moist and sweaty stranger in the back of a pick-up truck*. Not enjoyable, and not something you would ever want to repeat. So, I better get this right the first time...and then swiftly forget this page exists.

*Purely hypothetical, I assure you.