I won’t lie.  It’s been a struggly week.
My beloved is in California while I’m in Renovation Town.
I’m accessing the top floor of my house via a ladder.
Don’t Look Down has become my new mantra.
I’d stay downstairs except there is no downstairs.
This is no longer very much fun.

but, the upside?

When I do find my way upstairs, it’s starting to look a little pretty and the happy minutes we spent in here yesterday made me remember that none of it really matters anyway.
Renovation or not, I have absolutely everything I need.

Because, every single day when I drive this road late, I swoon at the light.
It’s what made me pick up my phone and snap as I traveled home.
Mason asked “what’s Mum taking pictures of?”
and Luca replied “the sun”.
I love that he knows.
I’m not capturing trees or houses or people.
It’s that late, hazy glow.
The golden wash and the sweeping shadows.
That last hour of light.
It transports me.
Calmed.
Inspired.
Without doubt or worry or wishing.
Lost in the moment.
Me.

reno·vate (ren′ə vāt′)

transitive verb renovated -·vat′ed, renovating -·vat′·ing

1. to make fresh or sound again, as though new; clean up, replace worn and broken parts in, repair, etc.
2. to refresh; revive

Refreshed and revived?  Surely you jest.  The home maybe.  The home owners however, are the exact opposite of revived.  We are running out of enthusiasm for being woken daily by large machinery and trying to assemble breakfast on a work site.   We have no flooring, kitchen or laundry.  Walls have turned into plywood on their way to becoming doors.  And oh, the dust.   It all comes down to the dust.  I take it away and someone puts it back again.  Throw some children on school holidays in and you’re on the road to insanity.

The really, really good news though?  Apparently we’re almost done.  If I had a dollar for every person who’s said “it’ll all be worth it in the end” I could have paid for ten renovations.  If we actually get to “the end”, I’ll let you know if they were right.

Here’s Ivish annoying assisting  Dad with the painting yesterday. (Excuse the crazy bed hair.  It was early and her mane is a part nest/part fluff at the best of times.)

Sheye xx

A favorite childhood memory of mine..Summer rain, running around with my cousins..catching frogs, collecting tadpoles.

Given this,  if you’re around at our place when it starts to rain, you’ll hear the same old battle begin.. Fun Loving Mother takes on Paranoid Father as to whether running around in the rain is acceptable.   (Being British, he permanently thinks there is either lightning or ten deadly snakes waiting just outside the door).   Yesterday, arming myself with a gaggle of whining, pleading children,  he was clearly defenseless and yay, we got to do this:

5dm2 | 24-70 2.8 | eye candy actions | velveteen | purple haze | softly

I myself got totally soaked whilst finding out that capturing splashes whilst attempting to keep one’s camera dry is an exercise in speed and agility.

Along with the photos, I shot some video footage..something I rarely remember to do but I’d love to get better at.. I thought I’d share a quick snippet of Ivy’s take on the whole puddle jumping concept.   I just love her confusion that they were actually allowed to be out there and the typical toddler inability to share – even mud puddles.

Sheye xx

I’m a bit slow in the New Year Post department but my excuse is I’ve had a ghastly cold for the last three days.  Not sick enough to stay in bed but certainly too ill to change out of pyjamas or attempt housework.   And to make it a little more unbearable, Crayton had it first (and obviously a much much worse case than I) so there hasn’t been much tea or sympathy around here.

What was nice about today was that I caught up on some email and got to read some really sweet notes from beautiful blog readers.  Thank you so much to everyone who takes the time to send emails and to comment here.   Someone asked recently if I read all the comments and yes, I do.  I very much value what is shared here from readers  and I’m so grateful for the beauty given back to me through blogging.  It still astonishes me. So, really..thank you.

Happy New Year to everyone!

S x
(Until I can get out of pj’s with a camera in hand, here’s a few family snaps I don’t think I’ve shared.)