With the turn of the season I thought I’d pop in and share what life has been like lately and some of my favourite things that I’ve been enjoying, before saying goodbye to summer.
First things, first…
Above: Edie and I at home on the island, outside the kitchen we are currently renovating.
Surprise! I’m having another baby, and am 6 months pregnant! Little Edie is going to be a big sister. I don’t have any brothers or sisters, so this is something I felt was really important to give Edie if I could.
Summer this year was a strange one. La Nina’s weather pattern meant it was rather damp and grey all across Australia, and Omicron meant keeping a low profile. So Timothy O and I spent our days over on the island, cooking and swimming in quiet spots and wading in gentle tidal pools with Edie.
It was actually really soothing and peaceful to keep the days slow and just listen to the tide and be led by the weather.
Above left: Edie and I on Christmas Eve morning in the sea together / Above right: The beautiful rock pools which act as nurseries for baby fish.
Edie turned ONE which was huge and strangely bittersweet, as I just want to keep her little and squishy forever. Edie is such a delight, with a beautiful calm nature. She began to crawl and now has some of her teeth popping up, like little icebergs rising. It feels as though she is going through a big growth spurt right now.
Above left: Edie on her birthday, we had a picnic on the headland in the sunshine. I love this baby rocker, I take it everywhere with me! / Above right: As well as a wooden swing, Edie received a new sun bonnet for her birthday.
Currently listening to: I’ve had my ‘Weekends Sounds’ playlist going a lot (you can find it at the bottom of the blog post). I have about 11 playlists on Spotify which I have made, though I keep coming back to the Weekends one. It’s just a great one to turn up loud at home or while I’m driving around the island.
Currently watching: I watched the David Geffen doco called ‘Inventing David Geffen’, if you are into music you will love it. I remember being a teenager and loving Nirvana and they were signed to Geffen Records, so that prompted my curiosity way back then into David Geffen. It’s on Netflix.
Currently reading: I read a fascinating book called ‘Castaway’, a true story from 1981 about two strangers in England who met after one placed a newspaper ad seeking a wife to spend a year with on a deserted island in the Torres Strait. Let’s just say it wasn’t exactly Blue Lagoon.
Above left: Edie’s cute bum / Above right: My mother, Edie and I in the wading pool in the backyard under the banana trees.
Favourite recipes: I honestly have just been making food for Edie, as she eats so much now. A really great baby recipe book I reference a lot is called ‘Milk to Meals’. The recipes are so easy and nourishing, I just make larger serves for us. If you have any friends or family who are expecting a baby this would make such a helpful gift. I didn’t have a clue how to introduce solids to Edie and this book really guided me.
Favourite ways to spend time: We spent so much time in the water of rockpools and tidal pools over summer. So calming being immersed in water, and if the weather wasn’t great, we blew up a wading pool for Edie to paddle in.
Above: Timothy O and Edie having a ball in one of our favourite tidal pools on the island.
Favourite self-care ritual: I always look forward to lighting the candles each evening. I have five that I light and I just love watching the golden beeswax light twinkle and dance, while having the fragrance of honey on the air.
I also love watering our garden on dusk and giving it a big drink. It feels so soothing nurturing nature like that, when you slow down and can hear the crickets talking and can smell that unique scent of hose water.
What’s next: I’m really excited about spending more time at my studio. It’s the place where I feel most creative, and I have a few things I’m working on right now that I can’t wait to release into the shop.
Hope you are all well and getting through these strange and emotionally tough days with all that’s happening in the world.
Stay safe;
Kara x
PS: Here is the link to my ‘Weekend Sounds’ playlist. Enjoy!
