An Elf in Our Garden

Quick, someone call Santa... one of his elves has escaped!

Photography: Angela Steyn

Soulful Gift Wrapping

Little Brown Packages Tied Up With String

I have always believed that gifts wrapped with love inspire the soul and make us remember that the joy of giving and receiving is often found in the anticipation of the unwrapping.  The contents of the package can be simple, but if it comes wrapped with care and imagination, the feeling it evokes will be treasured all the more.  AND the best bit is that it doesn't need to cost the earth... here I used cheap brown paper, cooking twine, leaves, sticks and shells to create an autumn theme present.  Total cost = $1.

Photography: Angela Steyn

Photo Play: Vintage Books

Littering our bookshelves with their faded spines and musty smell, our vintage book collection speaks of times long gone but treasured still.  There is something undeniably romantic about the battered covers, the thick starchy pages, the weight of words.

Photography: Angela Steyn

Sunday Wanderer

We are officially old.  Yesterday we went for a Sunday drive.  Partly so a small boy would sleep in the car, partly so we could sit in air-conditioned comfort on a hot day, but mostly because we just wanted to get out of the city and look at stuff.  Yep... old! The thing with these sorts of outings is that you invariably discover little hidden gems that you had absolutely no intention of discovering.  Our meandering drive took us to the little riverside village of Brooklyn, about 50km from Sydney on the Hawkesbury River.  In amongst the rusted out old dinghies and fishing paraphernalia that seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see, we stumbled upon Hang - Nicole Ruiz Gallery and coffee shop.  Heaven I'm telling you!  As we sat on beaten-up retro vintage furniture sipping our chilli-infused chai tea and eating ice-cream with chocolate sauce, it occurred to me that some of the most lovely moments in life come quietly and unexpectedly, tapping you on the shoulder with a gentle hand to remind you that happiness and simplicity are the very best of friends. 

Photography: Angela Steyn

Beach Combing

Little hands scrabbling in the sand unearth the most amazing sun-bleached treasures...

Photography: Angela Steyn

Photo Play - White Light

I've been experimenting with monochromatic, high exposure, high contrast photography lately - I  love the crisp, tonal effects that really amp up the textural element, turning the coral, twine and feathers into the quiet heroes of the shot.

Photography: Angela Steyn

Sleeping Monkey

My little boy, you are a constant ball of energy, a firecracker exploding into glorious colour every waking minute of each day.  You zip this way and that, darting around my legs with a ferocious lust for discovery and a keen eye on the jellybean jar.  Your grubby, chubby little hands take life by the throat, exhausting every drip of goodness that can be found.  Then, like a daisy at dusk, you close up and collapse into a comatose state of angelic peace.  Oh to be two years old and on the cusp of self-discovery.  Enjoy the journey gorgeous child and I shall continue to sit by your bedside and watch your precious eyelids flutter like butterfly wings against the morning sky.

The Little Things Break My Heart

Once upon a time I was told by a doctor wearing a Rolex and a skiing tan that I might never be a Mama... now when I catch sight of my little boy's shoes left lying around the house, or his collection of trucks lined up at the back door, my heart breaks a little wider from the love it is so desperately trying to contain.  These mundane things are pieces of evidence of a life I never dared dream possible.  I would like to thank the angels for putting small, grubby shoes on my chair x

Hey Mickey You're So Pretty!

Vintage Mickey Mouse

Vintage Mickey has sat on my desk, bravely waving at me for nearly ten years.  I found him in an obscure little shop in Avalon, hidden amongst an old tool box full of odd bits and pieces.  He has been my mascot of happiness, my cheery go-to-guy when I'm feeling blue.  Mickey Mouse you have helped me find my smile when I thought it was lost - thank you x

Image: Angela Steyn

Singular Beauty

Sometimes perfection lies in the simplicity of life x

Photo: Angela Steyn