52 Weeks of Gratitude: a wrap up for 2013, so very late! and those missing weeks!

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love.

Step away from something just that bit too long and it's hard to go back, right? Finally I'm taking a plunge back to move forwards and wrapping up my 52 Weeks of Gratitude adventure for 2013 (I know we are a good 4 months into 2014!!).

It does seem an age ago since my first ever blog post back in 2012, and to my first gratitude post back in September 2012 when my family was in the midst of very difficult times, my dad's health was at it's worst, and I wanted to find a way to find joy and hope in each day.  I needed to find a way to stay  grounded and connected to life, to recognise and appreciate the ordinary moments that make our lives extraordinary (a much used expression I heard again today in the heart-warming movie about time).

My gratitude jar next to my bed holds a smidgen of a whole years worth of wonderful moments captured in images and treasured scrawled notes stuffed tightly in. A jar bursting with gratitude that guarantees a smile whenever I close my eyes and dig deep to find a small moment from my life.

I made a commitment to a year of gratitude because I wanted to give myself that extra push to stick with something that made a lot of sense to me, and that I thought was really something quite powerful. And it has made a big difference (in a subtle way!). What I've also come to realise was that the point wasn't to complete something at the cost of everything, and whilst I had set myself a goal of one post per week, as the end of 2013 neared life got busy, I was spending many hours in front of the computer for work, and more time hanging out with friends in real life. And thus I found I had less desire to update my blog.

But the point was in life away from the blog I was continuing to practice gratitude, noticing moments, looking around me and capturing beauty with my camera and remembering words spoken by others and taking life in with an open heart.

It is with this open heart that I say thank you all for reading and being part of the ride.  It has been a  huge pleasure.

What this space will be from here, I'm not sure. Random posts from time to time I imagine as I continue balance the time to write and document life whilst living it.

Love natalie x

images: scouting for leftovers, botanical gardens, wellington, nz / farm details, murwillimbah / cycling in martinborough, nz / surry hills, sydney / hand dipped beeswax candles made by me / exploring waterloo, sydney / barracuda, christos triolkas, red wine and calamari, inner-city cafe, wellington, nz. 

44 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love. 

A few simple things I'm grateful for that made a week of mostly being stuck in my head, that bit lighter. 

A classic drink on warm days,  water, a good squeeze of lemon and a few sprigs of mint. 

Girls, Season 2 watched, or more accurately, inhaled, over a very short duration of time. 

Morning sunshine on our front verandah. I love sitting at the front door, sun creeping higher in the sky, birds flying from palm to palm,  slowly waking to the day.

Waking on Sunday morning to hear the news that there was a new baby in the world, and he was 8 pounds 8 ounces and named Ruben. Congrats to my beautiful friends Emma p and Matt! And of course to Finn, as he is officially now a big brother. 

A visit to West End markets in Brisbane. What an awesome local market. Stall after stall of good looking fruit and veg, fresh juices, and other foodie delights. It had a real community buzz, people taking time to stop and chat, to smile and draw you in to being a part of the market community.  

 And under the shade of a gorgeous fig tree live music played whilst people enjoyed what I hear is seriously good coffee!

And for my mama and papa and big sister.

52 Weeks of Grateful linking up with Kylie at Octavia and Vicky.

photos: lemon and mint water / morning sunshine on my verandah taken earlier this year in May. 

42 and 43 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love. 

Serenity and peace in the small town of Mullumbimby.  My sister and I took a quick trip to visit friends on the coast and spend a night in a peaceful abode in nature.

Mullumbimby continues to grow on me each time I visit. It's a beautiful town, but given the choice I've often opted to head to the coast around Byron Bay. Slowly this is changing. I'm noticing the energy and beauty of the surrounding hills and space around Mullumbimby and dig the feeling of the place.   Heck, there aren't that many places where you have a Day Spa right in the middle of town that feels like your far away in a tropical rainforest. The massage was bliss. If you're in the area I suggest you spend a few hours relaxing at The Kiva Spa.

And on to the peaceful abode. Simon and his wife, Susan (who was away in Bali) have a beautiful property with self contained accommodation next to the main house. Simon was welcoming and warm, the place, beautiful and serene and exquisitely decorated.

Simon shared his intentions of the space as a retreat for people to reconnect with themselves and the earth; his love of the natural world; the garden he has spent hours planting and caring for; the kookaburra's and his work as an astrologer.

We drank cups of tea on the verandah, read, ate and crawled into bed. The sound and smell of rain was my companion as I drifted off to sleep.

Before we left Simon shared an image he'd sensed when he first met me. I'm not going to share the exact details (sorry folks!) but it linked in with the incredibly strong feeling I'd had the night before pottering around the kitchen. A feeling of being incredibly grounded and a sense of coming home to myself.

A weekend of people, places and experiences I am very grateful for.

52 Weeks of Grateful linking up with Kylie at Octavia and Vicky. 

40 and 41 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love. 

Step inside the Happy Cabin. It's warm, cosy and a place where magic happens. October arrived and it really has been a magical month. Queensland at this time of year is divine. Days are warm and nights are balmy, jasmine is in the air and there's a relaxed vibe on the streets.

October is also my birthday month.   I'm not really a let's make a big fuss over me kind of girl and happy to celebrate in low key style - some good food with good company. Saying this I do also like a party and this year I got the best of both- low key celebrations and a party (that wasn't mine).

Birthday celebrations started on the night before my birthday. A Greek banquet dinner with my mum and sister at a restaurant that has a good reputation and feels more like you're in Melbourne than the Coast. If you've ever eaten good Greek food or been fed by a Greek family you'll know that they don't skimp on quantity or quality.  Feast highlights were melt in your mouth whole lemon snapper, Saganaki cheese, slow cooked lamb and a perfectly simple Greek salad with a whole piece of the creamiest fetta cheese placed on top.

Saturday, the day of my birthday, was a traditional family birthday celebration, a few presents and a cake with a single candle to make a wish. Oh happy days and nights. That evening a friend was having an 'Around the World' themed party, so I got to dress up, dance, eat and laugh but didn't have the fuss or pressure of it being my party!

The party was in full swing by the time we arrived. People and music spilled out into the yard. A yard that resembles a jungle of sorts, wild and untamed. Inside the big, old Queenslander was a place of warmth and life being lived right here right now!- happy party goers, a veggie feast, live music and a room full of crazy costumes. An around the world globe leotard worn with silver and black stripped tights was my personal favourite. Though by the early hours of the morning the leotard seemed tame as costumes were swapped and two tall gents squeezed themselves into genie costumes complete with sequinned crop tops and transparent harem pants. One chose to wear matching blue underwear, the other chose to wear no underwear, and instead improvised with underwear of sorts..a saucepan lid held tightly in place with rope. I'll let you imagine how that worked.

I danced and laughed,  drank a cup of bedtime tea (an unusual choice in the middle of a party!), danced some more before falling asleep as the party continued around me.

It was a beautiful birthday, thanks to my gorgeous family and friends. Thank you for making my heart swell with such joy, love and gratitude x

52 Weeks of Grateful linking up with Kylie at Octavia and Vicky. 

P.s. Kylie I'm sending you lots of love. 

39 Weeks of Gratitude (Spring at Wild Mountains)

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love. 

"I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery - air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, "This is what it is to be happy." Sylvia Plath

I arrived at Wild Mountains, near Rathdowney, QLD late Friday night just as the sun was setting behind the mountains, got out of the car and took a deep breathe in and exhaled slowly. I felt the magic of the place instantly. 

I was on a volunteer weekend joining a crew of about 20 others working on a range of tasks that contribute to this amazing environmental education and conservation centre. 

The weekend was one of the best weekends I've had all years, and was the first time since moving to Qld I felt like I'd found a place and people I connected with. 

So much to be grateful for...

communal living and a kitchen with everything you could want

the joy of the simple and meditative task of weeding to prepare for planting

shared laughter, inspiring folk and good conversation 

fresh, simple, vegetarian fare

plucking edible flowers from the garden for a green lunchtime salad

curry pumpkin soup with pepita and sunflower seeds

noticing the abundance of life and beauty in a tiny space when you are really present in the moment

the crisp night air

spotting a tiny red breasted bird (a Robin perhaps) fluttering from branch to branch

the smell of earth on my hands

the star filled night and a shooting star

that sleepy feeling you get when you spend a day outdoors, getting your hands dirty 

waking up to the breathtaking view, fresh air and the song of birds

going to bed in the the complete darkness of the countryside

feeling the calm of nature seeping into my soul.

I can't wait to return.

52 Weeks of Grateful linking up with Octavia and Vicky.

36, 37, 38 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love. 

A few thoughts I started last Tuesday night....but didn't quite finish.  I've been a bit quiet on the blog front but with the memory of dirt on my hands and wind in my hair I'm inspired to write again.

I practised yoga this evening and I've a spring in my step, my chest feels open, shoulders are rolled back and I'm holding my head high. I can literally feel energy flowing freely throughout my whole body reaching right down to my toes. I am connected to my body again and I feel so calm and present.

 Recently I've noticed how much I enjoy singing on the way home after yoga. The thing is I don't sing very often. I have a rather terrible singing voice, I always have, and once I became old enough to realise I didn't really sound like the girl in the Annie musical I've too shy to really sing.

Not only have I held back the urge to sing when I'm with others but I've also held back expressing myself from time to time over the years. Our fears are strange beasts!  Health practitioners have often pointed out the link between recurrent sore throats and a repression of expression and emotion. Not speaking up for myself, not expressing myself, not singing often or loud enough!

 Now I'm not dreaming of having a singing career but I am making progress towards finding a way to be more comfortable with expression in many forms and I feel very grateful for the knowledge and self acceptance yoga is teaching me.

It has also been a month of ups and downs, feeling frustrated and still struggling to find a place in my new home as I previously rambled on about here. Thank goodness for yoga! and beautiful words from a good friend. She wrote what I'm calling a love letter to her friends, sharing her thoughts from across the seas whilst she travels on why each friend is important to her. Her words made me laugh, smile and cry. Seeing myself through her words I felt I knew myself again.

I'm grateful for these moments and insights that have kept me feeling sane! Oh and Spring, how could I  not mention the gorgeous bunches of Spring flowers that have been bringing nature into the home.

52 Weeks of Grateful linking up with Octavia and Vicky.

33, 34 and 35 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love. 

And here it is. The jumbo edition of many weeks of gratitude! Actually I'm going to keep it short and sweet.

I am very grateful and feeling the love from all of you who read and responded to my last post. Thanks for your support and encouraging words. I've found myself re-reading the comments over the last few weeks and loving the wise advice you shared. 

These past weeks I've been continuing to  take action and investing time and energy into my surroundings. I've been putting down roots and spreading my wings at the same time. On the home front I've been creating cosy little spaces and now have a few kitchen shelves just for my tea collection; burning beeswax candles at night and slowly going through my music collection. Out and about I've been exploring more and more, seeking out new places to go, experiences to have and new people to meet. I'm dreaming again and feeling hopeful.

I am grateful for:

The magic of staying on an island with good friends where days stretched out with nothing to do but relax and play. Oh the serenity!

Spending Sunday with Dad on Father's Day.  So whilst my first attempt at baking something from Jude Blereau's new cookbook didn't quite work out (my sponge came out of the oven completely flat!-I'm sure it had more to do with my inexperience than Jude's instructions. I should have known when I had to youtube the 'ribbon' method). A quick trip to the shops to buy a plain sponge cake saved my arse, and I prettied it up as planned.

Mint and parsley on my little balcony herb garden. Getting ready for Summer time.

A haircut that didn't make me want to cry. I love my new hairdresser. 

52 Weeks of Grateful linking up with Octavia and Vicky. 

Images: Sunset on Great Keppel Island; the Father's Day sponge; minty goodness.

31 and 32 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love.

Crap, has it really been that long? The calendar tells no lies.  I've been holidaying up and down the coast, catching up with friends and it's been so nice to spend quality time doing things I love with people I love. 

On the flip side it's also highlighted a few hard truths. One being, even though I've tried really hard to like the Gold Coast the fact is I don't really like it. It doesn't feel like me. I could go on about why but I won't. There is no simple fix. I've chosen to be here to be close to my family, and that hasn't changed. I love seeing my family re and I still want that. Now to just find a way to like it a bit better!

I do feel a smidgen better already just by coming to the realisation that I don't like it.  Sigh of relief. I can stop pretending now. I've kicked in to action mode and the first thing was to get my home life in better shape, starting with the laundry (always the laundry!) and a quick tidy up of the house this evening. My head feels clearer already with more thinking space and I got a surge of inspiration to sit down and finally share a few moments of gratitude from these past weeks.

 Mountains and windy roads.

The first bunch of fresh flowers in my new home. 

A present from my sister. Gorgeous soap from Melbourne. The scent is divine.

If you've ever found yourself living in a place that's not quite 'you' I'd love to know what you did to settle in and find your place.

52 Weeks of Grateful linking up with Octavia and Vicky. 

30/52 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More Gratitude. More hope. More love.

"Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." Marcel Proust.

Good friends you've known for years. The kind that still send you mail in the post old school style. That know that a book, a recipe and Peace tea with the tag 'drink tea and help Tibet' are the best kind of parcels. Good friends, you can't beat 'em.

Especially when you're down.

There were a lot of shitty days last week. Mostly small shitty. Though there was the day spent at emergency in intense pain. That was big shitty. (Thankfully it turned out to be a minor problem in the end, phew!)

In the midst of the big shitty day, my sister by my side,  I received a beautiful long email from a friend in France.  It was so good I forgot about the pain for a while. How could I not be happy when there was talk of chickens in the French countryside and working up the road in Claude Monet's garden.

A few days later at the end of another long day, and yep you guessed it, I was feeling shitty, an unexpected parcel arrived in the mail from a friend who writes beautiful handwritten letters I long treasure. Shitty mood gone, and in it's place a happy me sipping tea knowing that even from afar, good old friends are always close. xxx

52 Weeks of Grateful linking up with Octavia and Vicky. 

29/52 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love.

"Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude." A.A Milne, Winnie the Pooh

It was a tough week and to be honest I'm just so happy that we got through it and that we could still find moments to laugh about. Even in tough times there is still so much to feel lucky for. I'm beginning to notice the gradual changes in myself seven months into a regular gratitude practice. It's simple really. Instead of focusing on what I don't have I'm focusing more and more on what I do have. The more I focus on what I do have the bigger it grows. 

I made a commitment to a daily practice of gratitude because it seemed a simple way (I could do it anywhere anytime without any fuss) to enhance my life.  I wanted to feel more like I was really living and appreciating my life every day. There's been much written on the benefits of gratitude and studies show people that are consistently grateful are happier. And it's true, I do feel happier and more content. And by happier I don't mean an unrealistic permanent state of bliss!  I'm finding that even in challenging times it's important to be grateful, and by being grateful for the challenges it's easier to acknowledge emotions, feel acceptance and find healthier ways to move through challenges.  And so it was a week of challenges that I also feel grateful for. 

A week of gratitude for:

 - being close to my family and for being able to rely on each other.

- my dad having his shortest stint in hospital for a very long time. in one day and out the next. hoorah! 

- ABC radio in the car. I've listened to some great interviews whilst on the highway for work these past few months.

- unpacking more boxes and slowly starting to make my new place a home. 

- the warming winter flavours of onion, garlic and ginger. 

-  my joggers. I love the bouncy feel, the extra spring in my step. 

- evening walks along the beach in above mentioned joggers.

- taking my joggers off and feeling the sand beneath my feet.  

- this post from House of Humble on gratitude. A new blog find I'm loving.

- Friday fish and chip night. A treat at the end of a long week. 

- after almost a year untouched, the family Scrabble board came out and we dusted off our tactics and skill of trying for more than a 4-letter word. 

52 Weeks of Grateful linking up with Octavia and Vicky. Kylie is grateful for dreaming big this week.

28/52 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love.

As a teenager I grew up in a mid sized coastal town, and being swept up in surf culture was an inevitable part of life. Hours spent at the beach, swimming, watching the surf (and surfers) and sun-baking (back then I wasn't so big on slip, slop, slap). I never grew out of my love for the ocean (I was happy to leave surf culture behind!) but in recent years I've had a renewed love for watching the surf. The swell and sound of crashing waves. The expansiveness of the ocean. The wild nature that can never be tamed. I walked to the top of South Nobby Headland for the first time on Saturday and the salty breeze and views were magnificent. 

A week of gratidue for:

- the ocean

- sun after the rain

- dancing and feeling energy flowing through my body again ( 5 rhythms - it really is amazing, it shifted my tiredness and my headache vanished).

- an insightful post at 52 weeks of now on practicing gratitude "To be able to stop, notice and appreciate what we're grateful for at any given moment, we have to be present, we have to be mindful."

- being reminded of long summer days via pomegranate and seeds. Rebecca's blog is gorgeous and she writes dreamy poetry.

52 Weeks of Grateful link up has a new home at Octavia and Vicky. 

27/52 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love. 

A week of gratitude for:

- a room of my own.

- waking to the sound of the ocean.

- morning light lightly caressing my face as I wrap fingers around a cup of tea gazing out the window.
- finding my way home from the city after getting terribly lost on my way there. 
- catching up with friends and one super cute toddler.

- staying up late, drinking wine and being fine the next day. When you have ongoing fatigue it's really easy to forget to lighten up and have fun. 

- the new energy I have for life. The move across the road has been very good for me. I feel light and playful. 

- the way things keep falling into place and making sense. 

- not forgetting entirely how to read music and letting my fingers find the keys to play the beginning of für elise.
- winter sunny days. they are the best. 

- sunday afternoon baking. almond, coconut and raspberry muffins.

What's been happening in your world folks? What small and big moments are you grateful for? 

52 Weeks of Grateful link up has a new home at Octavia and Vicky. Thanks Maxabella for hosting at Village Voice for 79 weeks!

P.S I've created a Facebook page for the spaces between (and in the process learnt about social media icons-I had no idea those little buttons had a name).  Join me there for daily bits and pieces. 

26/52 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love.

My kinesiologist is always telling me to connect more with my heart and so I keep trying to listen and to learn to trust my instinct. After many weeks of stewing over issues, listening to my heart and trying to trust my instinct, my efforts have paid off and everything fell into place this week. 

Lately I've been really tired; not managing my fatigue well at all. Most mornings I've had to drag myself out of bed Dolly Parton 9 to 5 style...

Tumble outta bed
And stumble to the kitchen
Pour myself a cup of ambition
Yawnin, stretchin, try to come to life... (9 to 5, by Dolly Parton)

My heart was telling me to change this, and to do something about my rising stress levels at work and to sort out my growing issue of living with my parents in a lovely, but smallish unit, where I couldn't get enough space.  My heart and I  found each other and everything fell into place like this: 

Sunday. I saw an ad for a room to rent, walked across the road and up a flight of stairs, and found a new place to live. It all happened so quickly and I still can't believe it met my rather unique criteria, namely having space of my own whilst being as close as possible to my parents without actually living with them.

Monday. Rhonda from Down to Earth started a new series on living a simple life- how to start, looking at your values and making changes around the home and in your life. The timing is perfect for me as I set myself up in my new place and put roots down in Qld.  I don't have to wait until I live the dream in the country to have the 'perfect' simple and sustainable life, I can make changes now. 

Friday. Jodi at Che and Fidel led me straight to this post by my new blog crush becoming minimalist. Two ideas in the post I've heard many times before and feel that now is the right time to give them a serious try are: Read and answer emails only twice per day (I'm going to start with five times per day first up) and establish a healthy morning routine. 

I feel like I'm out of wanting to change but not knowing how and I'm moving forwards again.

With a renewed zest for life I'm grateful for all the 'everything at the right time moments' this week. 

And just in time to start afresh for July. Wishing you a happy week. x

p.s You can follow me over at bloglovin Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Image: From my sister's garden patch in Melbourne a few winters ago.

Joining in for 52 weeks of gratitude here.

25/52 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love.

This past week felt like a good time to pair back the fancy stuff and get back to basics. I found time to embrace the simple things I love doing but that had somehow been missing recently.  Later in the week I was delighted to find that Rhonda at Down to Earth was revisiting elements of simple living. I'm eagerly reading and waiting for new posts.  

Grateful for weekend brunch. Weekend brunch at a cafe is a little bit special don't you think? I keep going back to Vintage Espresso because they never fail to deliver and in Winter the space is filled with sunlight. The food is simple, fresh and healthy. The ladies are lovely and they've perfected the art of chai tea. I had a classic dish of poached eggs on sol pumpkin and rice bread with a side of spinach. And a pot of chai, milky but not too sweet. The bonus to having a pot of chai is scooping the cinnamon sprinkled froth off the top of the brewing tea. Mmm.

Grateful for a few quick rounds of Boggle after a Sunday roast. Have you played it? It's a simple word game kind of a mix between crosswords and scrabble.

Grateful to Kellie at Dear Olive for the inspiration I needed to get a trip to my weekly farmer's market back on the agenda. It is amazing how much of a difference to eating it's made over the last couple of weeks. With an abundance of fresh, seasonal and organic fruit and veg on hand I've been much more inspired to cook throughout the whole week and have been filling up on really good food. Less space for chocolate cravings!

Grateful for being challenged in yoga. 

Grateful for an ordinary week that really was rather extraordinary. 

I'd love to know what simple things make a big difference in your life?

1/ Mmm poached eggs and chai. 2/ View from the table.

Joining in for 52 weeks of gratitude here.

24/52 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love.

Night markets under a clear cool sky. Live music, good food and vintage finds. The Miami Marketta Arts Creative is a regular artist run market in a newish arts precinct in Miami. I do miss the lights and character of a big city. Arts and culture, cafes, the abundance and diversity of food, historic buildings, the grittiness and the buzz of people on the streets. 

There is always so much colour and life in a city. 

The Gold Coast is definitely not a big city, but for a few hours in a one laneway market surrounded by artist studios and a little cafe complete with red velvet chairs I felt the buzz of a place come alive that was as good as a big city has to offer. And the nachos! Healthy and delicious with beans topped with a salad of carrot and cabbage, cashew sauce jalapeños and sprinkled with pepitas.  To make my first trip to the markets even more memorable I picked up a second-hand game of Boggle and had the most delicious cinnamon milky fine tea experience I've had in quite some time.  Mr Harney & Sons I concur, you are master blenders of fine tea. And best of all, the Hot Cinnamon Spice comes in decaffeinated and herbal blend varieties. 

Mid way through the evening I turned back to look at the scene behind me in the laneway and saw the shining crescent moon in the sky. At that moment I smiled and felt giddy with gratitude.

1/ Writing on the wall. 2/ Vinyl.  3/ Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice.

Joining in for 52 weeks of gratitude here.

23/52 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love.

I'm playing catch up again. Trying to write one post per week, and post it in the actual week it occurs, is proving to be quite the challenge. Things have been busy, and I think I fell into that place where if you put something off for a few days it kind of becomes bigger and even less manageable.

Anyway...little jolts of inspiration for writing come at random moments throughout the day, I start dreaming big of what I what I'd like to write,  get excited but then don't always find the time to do the actual writing.  It's all part of the process though and one of the things I love about writing and photographing for this space is the discipline it's given me (sometimes!) to do something creative. On a regular basis. I had often talked with friends about wanting to 'be more creative', but as my profession isn't creative in the traditional sense, I always struggled to find something that fit. Now that I've started this space I gotta say I love it. No hard rules, the freedom to do whatever I please. It's incredibly liberating and scary at the same time. I did set the intention to be more courageous this year so I'm not letting a little fear now and again stop me from doing my thing on this blog.

So gratitude. I'm grateful for all that I'm learning on writing, learning to observe more around me, the buzz I feel thinking about ideas for the blog, being able to sticky beak into other people's lives and thoughts across the world via their blogs and sharing this space with people I know in person and people I don't.

In Week 23 of 52 (a few weeks back now) I went to Bangalow and I almost cried in delight when I saw the main tree in town with its leaves turned shades of red and orange. Ah winter! how I've missed you. There aren't many signs of winter where I live. It feels too tropical. No deciduous trees, no bitter winds, no need for heavy winter coats and gloves. Most of the time I'm happy for the milder climate, but the sight and crunch underfoot of leaves fallen to the ground is a simple delight that doesn't diminish with age. It was my first time at The Channon markets and I have to say it rates in my top 3 market experiences. A super relaxed market in beautiful surroundings with good and plentiful food options, and diverse local arts and crafts. Being so close to Northern NSW is a real treat.

1. Our Corner Store- I couldn't resist buying a new winter knit- their ethos is simple and natural. 
2 and 3. The Channon Markets. 

Joining in for 52 weeks of gratitude here.

22/52 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love.

Happy Birthday to my gorgeous sister

 xxx.

I feel like my sister has always been there for me when I need her, with her warm generous spirit and kind heart.

I am grateful for our bond,  for the way she always makes me laugh and for the adventures we have together.

The birthday cake: Carrot Cake with Cream cheese icing adapted from an old Women's Weekly Carrot Cake recipe. 

To add wholesome goodness I used organic carrots, replaced white flour for wholewheat, vegetable oil for cold pressed olive oil, added yoghurt and halved the amount of sugar. 

(We celebrated a few weeks ago, but with hours in front of a computer at work I just didn't feel like spending more time on the computer. The balancing act of having computers in our lives so much these days can be tricky.)

Joining in for 52 weeks of gratitude here.