around here

Around here, we have been...

Marvelling at the new morning shadows on sunny days, thanks to the low Autumn sun which casts its glow through our dining room window at breakfast time. I'm dreaming up a photo series based on our shadows.

Walking as much as possible. I have been making a conscious effort to walk as often as it is feasible. Although we live in a big city, there are plenty of places to visit within a 20 - 40 minute walk. I used to have to talk myself into going to the extra effort of walking - it does take a lot longer to get anywhere, but really, that is the only downside. There are some many positives to walking places - Ruby can have an uninterrupted sleep in the buggy, I get some exercise, we save money on fuel and I don't get stuck in traffic. I also love that I get to enjoy my surroundings in a way that I don't get to do when I drive. Some days that means discovering beautiful broken pathways. 

For as long as I can remember, I have loved looking up at the ever changing sky. I love that having a smart phone enables me to capture more of the beauty that I see when I look upwards. I recently watched this inspiring video, and loved this excerpt from it:
'Look at the sky...we so rarely note how different it is from moment to moment with clouds coming and going.....the formation of clouds in the sky will never be the same as it is right now. Open your eyes, look at that.'

Baking: I was commissioned to make a selection of cupcakes, and an 8 inch chocolate orange cake, topped with a spider's web. This job reinforced what I already knew: chocolate is rather fickle and hard to work with. But it is pretty much always worth it.

Exploring: Ruby greatly enjoys emptying bags, containers and cupboards of their entire contents. It is fascinating watching the way she examines each item before discarding it and moving onto the next item in the bag / basket / cupboard.

Loving the colours in nature - especially blue + gold. I love this stage of Autumn where the trees are well and truly shedding their leaves, but the branches are not yet bare.

Cooking pumpkin and carrot soup. So delicious, so healthy and so cheap to make. One batch goes a long way, and I love that about soup.

Dancing with Grandad. Ruby is definitely developing some signature dance moves!

Initiating games of peekaboo with leaves that are bigger than her head.

Sewing quilts and bunting. I'm noticing more and more how I tend to be a bit 'all or nothing'. With sewing, I'll either have multiple projects on the go, or nothing at all, With baking, I am either baking on a big scale, or not at all. With chores around the house, I try and do everything all at once, and then end up not being very productive because I trip myself up with thinking about everything that there is to be done.

What have you been up to lately?