51/52 Summer Lovin' at the River

A portrait of my family once a week, every week in 2013

Byron: Enjoying the cool river water on his hot feet
Bella: Listening to the calls of native birds

This is our magical place. A tranquil part of an emerald green valley bordered on one side by mountains of the Great Dividing Range and surrounded by lush sub-tropical forests. This is our home away from the seaside where crystal clear waters flow, tall trees cast dark shadows and visitors form ghostly towers from piles of beautiful rocks. We are drawn here in the summer time to relax and admire the sounds of nature.

~Joining Jodi and friends~
You can follow my 52 collection here.

Love Bella

Merry Christmas

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32/52: Sunset by the River

A portrait of my family once a week, every week in 2013

Byron: The kind natured, sweet man that I love smiles for a 'selfie' down by the river moments before his big catch.
Bella: She is happiest when surrounded by family and enjoying the simple pleasures offered by nature.

us // the cautious stare from a hungry friend // sunset over the river

This week we celebrated our final evening at the gorgeous river house down by the slow moving water. We sang, laughed and chatted merrily as the long afternoon rays transformed the sky into a spectacular orange light show, a sunset perfected by Mother Nature. The giant pelican pictured here floated towards as we cast long lines into the river. With each wiggle of the line, he glided closer to inspect our catch.

As the setting sun dipped below the trees upriver, the silhouette of our pelican friend could be seen against the reflection in the water. With his belly full, he disappeared from sight.

This week my favourites are of inquisitive babes enjoying the river by their favourite cafe, and this sweet little face bathed in the ethereal light of Newfoundland.

My giveaway ends today, be sure to enter for your chance to win one of two raw food recipe books.

These books contain healthy recipes that can be incorporated into your every day meals to take advantage of all the benefits from natural, raw food. GOOD LUCK!

If you have seen a beautiful picture capturing the glowing, delicate effects of light or perhaps some magical shadows on a blog somewhere (perhaps it is one of your own), please share a link in the comments below.

I hope your week is bathed in light and love.

Bella xx

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23/52 The River House

A portrait of my family, once a week, every week, in 2013

Coco: Content to relax in the morning light by the river, she is pictured here looking towards the bone treasures she hid in the garden.

On a crisp winter morning we rose from the warm comfort of our little bed to wander along the bank of the slow moving river. The earth was damp and cool under my bare feet, forcing me to hop back towards the river house to find a pair, any old pair of shoes.

I love to visit the river house in the winter time. The sunlight plays on the water as it hops from one ripple to the next and the whole scene is quiet and calm as nearby floating ducks create wake triangles downstream. Here I sit on the weathered bench and close my eyes. I listen. The distinct sounds of nature can be heard: The musical trill from the birds on the island; the gentle rustle of dry leaves in the breeze and the rhythmic lapping of the gentle ripples against the pontoon and embankment that was built to prevent flooding onto the perfectly manicured lawn.

I stretch slowly, deliberately as I inhale deeply. My worries drift downstream with the ever flowing current and I feel serenity. I have my health, my greatest love, my family, my life to be thankful for and I make a silent promise to myself to come back here. Soon.

My favourite portraits from last week's link up with Jodi's 52 project are of these sweet faces, from the magic of bubbles to the cheeky expression and tiny toes. These are precious images. I was also struck by the humour and sweet nature of this little one as she bathes her brother in the kitchen sink.

Less than one week remains to enter our giveaway. If you haven't entered yet, the link may be found here. I will announce the winner on the 17th of June, 2013. Good luck my dear blogging friends and check back soon for another fantastic giveaway that I'm bursting to share with you all... As my readership grows, so too does my excitement with our giveaways.

You're going to love it!

Bella xx

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An Autumn Road Trip

Here are a few special moments from our Autumn road trip. We travelled north to celebrate my mother's birthday in the beautiful Byron Bay hinterland.

On our first morning we relaxed in the warm sunshine along the banks of the beautiful Northern Rivers region. It was here that we enjoyed a simple cooked breakfast and creamy lattes at a beautiful riverfront homestead. Tiny steam scrolls floated upwards from my coffee, unravelling into ghostlike shapes as the gentle current of the giant river beside us flowed silently towards the sea. Immediately after breakfast, we stretched our legs on the vibrant green lawn and rested on a lonely garden seat. In recent years I have spent many peaceful hours on this antique bench with cups of hot tea and the curled pages of my favourite books.

a peaceful seat // my cheeky husband // super green smoothie

After breakfast, Byron, Mama and I drove through the colourful green countryside to the quaint township of Bangalow. It was here that we wandered the beautiful gift and specialty stores for the rest of the morning. Handmade cotton dresses from Mexico, Aboriginal artworks, local made leather goods that carried the familiar leather scent, fine wooden jewellery boxes with perfect dovetail joints crafted in local workshops from smooth timber and oil paintings from local and international artists filled the tiny stores. Each shop front was adorned by incredible window displays and planter boxes filled with flowers scattered here and there. We stopped for another coffee. Byron had a frothy cappuccino and I recharged with a super green smoothie. Divine.

Byron Bay // cafe with mama // vintage bicycle  

Our afternoon was filled with a perfect cafe lunch and short drive to the iconic town of Byron Bay where we lost ourselves in the culture. It is here that we witnessed people from all over the world gather to bask in the golden sunlight along the busy streets and shores of Main Beach. The streets of Byron (as the locals call it) are covered with tiny street stalls, thriving restaurants, inviting markets and smiles from the visitors and locals. Music can be heard on every corner, which allows you to ease into the laid-back lifestyle. It's more than likely that you will see a colourful kombi van or two, some friendly folks with dreadlocks, many a bicycle in the heart of the town and a young girl having cotton and feathers wound into her hair. You will also see the wealthy folk in their fancy cars and designer casual wear but it's the same happy, healthy energy they exude that can be felt from the backpackers. Byron has a certain Bali feel to it, yet it also feels uniquely Australian and is a must see if you haven't visited our shores yet.

frozen yoghurt // Byron Bay Main Beach // our clean linen  

We snacked on frozen yoghurt with fresh, sweet mango pieces. Our three frozen yoghurt flavours were delicious! Pomegranate, banana with cardamon and ginger and creamy coconut. After our sweet cravings were satisfied, we took a leisurely drive through the winding hills surrounding Byron Bay Main Beach, with uninterrupted views of the distant mountains that seemed to rise mysteriously beyond the sea. We continued to wind around the narrow roads towards Byron Bay light house, the most easterly point of Australia, where we stopped to rest for a short while, taking in the magical views. As the sun slowly set, we picked up some organic fruit and vegetables for dinner and on the way home, my mother and Byron chatted happily about our day trip. It was Byron's first time in Byron.

kombucha tea // kiss me smoothie // colourful cakes  

My mother used to make kombucha tea when I was a little girl, we would drink a glass at breakfast time for good health. It had been over a decade since I last tasted the tea and was pleasantly surprised when my mother found a bottle of kombucha tea in Bangalow, that had been bottled in South Australia. All of those early morning rituals we had when I was a little girl came flashing back to me with vivid clarity as I happily sipped the naturally fermented golden tea. It tasted the same as my mother's version all those years ago.

On our return home, I made kiss me smoothies with organic hemp oil (recipe found here) and we laughed and chatted happily about the beautiful places we had visited. My mother prepared an incredibly flavoursome and healthy home cooked Chinese steamboat dinner, where everyone served themselves with giant spoonfuls of hot, clear soup and vegetables from the deep dish. It was the perfect evening to end a lovely day with my family.

Happy Birthday Mama!

Love Bella xx

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Ebb and Flow

As the final minutes of the day of love quietly ticked by late last night, I was reminded of Valentine's day exactly one year ago. I had just finished a rather stressful day at work, before changing into a pair of dusty rose coloured shorts and a black singlet. I crammed myself into a humid, overfilled train carriage, where several people coughed and I silently begged my immune system to please allow me to stay healthy.

After standing, swaying and lurching with the disruptive motion of the train, I disembarked at my station and raced up the six flights of stairs, taking the steps two and three at a time in an effort to avoid the hoards of workers on the escalators who were also (most likely) returning home from their respective rat running wheels. Avoiding eye contact, I speedily removed my train ticket from my pocket and slipped it into the slot at the turnstile in one sweeping, deft motion. I stepped outside the bustling train station where I was then forced to impatiently wait for the little green pedestrian man to indicate that it was safe to cross four lanes of beeping traffic. It seemed like he was running late.

When he finally blinked at me, I raced towards my tiny apartment, past the Police station, local cafes that had closed for the day and tiny restaurants adorned with fairy lights and chalkboards offering Valentine's Day specials when a familiar figure appeared before me holding a bunch of grassy green lettuce. My boyfriend (now husband), ever the impressive chef had surprised me with what could only be described as edible flowers, the ultimate Valentine's offering for another self-confessed foodie.

The stresses from my day washed away in the new tide of emotions. Love. Sometimes it can be bittersweet, however on this occasion it rippled through me, taking with it my troubles and leaving me with a feeling of clarity, fresh and cool.

At various times during the last year, it seemed as if the river of life ran dry with boring daily routines that were necessary to afford our expensive rent, food and travel passes. There were many grey days, that seemed to blur into one another. Weeks flowed by, murky and dark until we started to plan for our transition from the city to the coast. Planning that move brought a familiar feeling back into my life. Happiness.

No longer did I feel trapped in a repeating cycle, feeling depressed and unhappy, unable to connect with those around me. I had greater momentum, greater flow.

This year I have found that I'm more relaxed about day to day living. Little things don't seem to irritate me as they would have last year. I can confidently begin each day with a long stretch and positive outlook. My home life is more active and colourful than it has been in years. Together, Byron and I have been on frequent day trips to explore our beautiful region, we picked up surfing together as a hobby, run side by side for exercise, take daily trips to sandy shores with our little puppy and have shared more home cooked meals together in three months than we ever had time to during an entire year in Sydney.

This Valentine's Day I was thankful to have had my best friend by my side every day since we celebrated the same lovers holiday on February 14th last year. We've had a busy twelve months, travelled to Malaysia together, moved house twice, quit our old jobs and found new, exciting ones. We even expanded our family to include another fur baby (Coco the foxy-dachshund cross), and one of the more important milestones: Married each other in a (mostly) secret ceremony.

With each passing day, I continue to feel more replenished, more in tune with Byron and more excited at the prospect of enjoying all the joys of this sharing this life together.

Happy Valentine's Day, B. Weigh anchor. I'm looking forward to sailing through more of this wonderful life with you.

Love Bella xx

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After Easter Thoughts

This is my second entry and already I have a confession to make.

I am excited about sharing and especially now as I have just returned from a short break over Easter. The confession I have is that I wished to immerse myself in blog writing but felt that too frequent entries may seem self indulgent. I have decided to write when I am drawn back here. To this very page. No matter the hour or reason and after this entry, the blogs will be shorter.

To begin, Easter saw me make the biannual pilgrimage north to visit various relatives and friends. We cooked, we swam, we ate and drank red wine and homemade iced tea. We collected driftwood and broken shells from the beach and sat on the riverbank with the fox terrier, Sheriff wondering why it is I only visit twice a year as he playfully chased the water dragons from the gardens to the slow-flowing river.

We then played Scattergories, the board game with a timer, which, no matter how many times I played, still startled me to within an inch of my sanity each time it noisily 'clacked' to signal our time was up- pens down, like in my university exams... the pressure was incredible at times! You would be surprised how many ideas seep into your thoughts once the pressure of a 60 second time limit has finished but it is too bad when time has run out as the ideas are unable to flow out of your pen onto your answer sheet.
A body of water beginning with the letter 'P'... I have no idea why I spent half the allotted time trying to think of a river when I could have easily written pond, puddle, pool, the Pacific...

It was familiar and comforting to be surrounded by my family, if only for a week that honestly felt more like a weekend in duration. I managed to frame two of my mixed media pieces, one of which is mounted on my bedroom wall for want of a better location. I also began reading Evelyn Waugh's The Loved One for the umpteenth time, though I faintly recall finishing it twice. Ever. And sadly not this weekend.

I also managed to bring twice as many parcels home with me as what I originally left with. Mostly paints, canvasses, books and a new stick blender which is an improvement on the wardrobe I transported last time. Less is more.

I am surprised at the sadness I felt as I pulled out of the driveway to return to my real home. Jack Johnson did not prevent those blues, though his slower melodies lulled me into fond reflection as I promised myself I would return again soon. This prompted me to think about work and planning more travel around even more work. I have come to realise that I am not involved in a vicious downward spiral, but rather a series of events that repeat at my leisure and convenience. It's not so far in reality, I do not have to board a plane, nor do I have to take another week next time.

Perhaps I could visit for a weekend, arriving in the late Autumn afternoon. The time of year when the mosquitoes have moved on and the sky refects brillant pink and cool blue from the glassy river. I will paint next time, seated at the white iron table and chairs beside the jetty that stretches out from the riverbank. I will sit wrapped in a snug scarf cocoon with a white tea.

What more artistic inspiration could I want in such a peaceful place?

Self-indulgent confessions aside, I must admit I find the whole scene both serene and inviting. What an escape- I hope you were as relaxed as me over this long weekend.

I will stop by again very soon with a brief update and images of some of my recent and on-going projects and another glimpse into my life. Meet you back here?

Bella xx

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