Saturday, December 31, 2016

New Years Eve in the Woods ♥

It's New Years Eve. A time for goodbyes and new beginnings. A time to reflect on the year gone by and to make endless plans for the year ahead. It's such a strange time isn't it? I always find New Years Eve to be quite an emotional time, saying goodbye to people and situations which just created negativity in life, even if it hurts to leave them behind and trying to move ahead as positively as possible.

I don't know why, maybe it's because I'm getting old, but I also find myself thinking about people who may not be with us this time next year and I panic, trying to cherish and relish every moment that I have with my loved ones.

We never go out for New Years Eve, preferring to stay at home, ringing in the New Year together - whether we're awake or asleep side by side, at least we were together when it begun and hopefully will be together when it ends too.

We had a lovely family walk through the woods today. Blowing away the last few cobwebs of 2016 and clearing our minds for fresh opportunities and beginnings tomorrow. I hope this will be our year. Our year to succeed and get what we so wish for.

2016 brought us so much positivity, mainly in the form of our little Beau, who has been the best blessing our family could have asked for. His big brother is besotted with him and his father and I couldn't love him more, he's a dream, our little doll baby.

Even if our wishes don't come true this coming year, as long as our beautiful boys are happy, smiling and giggling, I'll be happy. I just want them to have the best life they possibly can, knowing that their father and I love them unconditionally, free to explore the world around them and all the adventures that await them.

Here's to 2017, please be good to us.


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Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Nostalgia, New Beginnings & Flat Lay Photography ♥

It's been two months since I last posted here on this poor little second blog of mine. I have so many ideas and find inspiration in so many places but actually sitting down to get all of my thoughts written and published is another thing.

Life is extremely busy at the moment, caught up in a whirlwind of school runs and cascades of baby bottles, I barely have time to breathe. It can get frustrating not having any time to be creative, especially when the mood takes me but other, more important things, have to take priority.
 
I try to embrace these years of having young children though, because one day I'll have all the time in the world, with no one following me around like little ducks calling out "mummy" at every turn, and when these moments are gone forever I know I'll miss them greatly.

Today I did get a moment though, a moment to improve this blog, which I created with so much love, passion and excitement over a year ago now. I had so many ideas, some implemented, some still stuck in 'pending' mode and I decided that on the cusp of a New Year and new beginnings, it was high time I made some improvements to this blog of mind and gave it some attention.

I now have a new layout and theme which I think highlights my photography more effectively - photography being the main element of this blog. It also looks a lot cleaner and fresher and it kind of similar to my other blog Dolly Dowsie's layout, so the continuity is a good aspect for me too - branding and all that jazz.

I also got a chance to snap some pictures. Since Blogfest, flat lay's are something I've been wanting to perfect and it's actually quite fun putting them together. Today's was snail mail inspired and I have to admit, it was so lovely to look through my boxes of postcards that I collected over the years. It really gave me a sense of nostalgia.

I don't know if many people know but I used to be an avid snail mailer and Postcrosser and I really miss it. Before I had my blog to write down my thoughts I used to write letters upon letters and postcards to people around the world. It was such a lovely hobby and it was amazing to always have such great post coming through my letterbox everyday.

Going through all these things kind of made me want to start Postcrossing again, but I don't think I need anymore postcards - I have thousands! Still, I love post. It was my biggest passion before blogging and photography came into my life.

Looking ahead to the New Year I have so many ideas for this blog. I plan to do lots of creative photography in the new year and try and pursue my dream of becoming a photographer by building up a portfolio and expanding my skills.

Here's to a new year and new beginnings. I can't wait to see what it has in store.
 
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Monday, October 3, 2016

Summer's Last Hurrah ♥

Hello, it's me... no, sadly not Adele, but me, owner of this poor neglected blog.

When I began this new little space on the big, wide internet I had so many plans and was full of inspiration... now I can't even find the words to speak in person, never mind contemplating things to say on here.

I feel like I'm failing so much with my other blog, stuck in a perpetual and stubborn bout of bloggers block, so I've popped over here to my happy and carefree little space, the blog that doesn't expect anything from me and which expects or needs no promotion at all. In fact, I don't even care if no one reads this blog, this one is for me, but if you are reading along and taking a browse through my pictures then thank you so much, you're very welcome here.

Things have changed a lot in my life since I last contributed anything here. I'm now the mother of two children, two beautiful boys, each so different yet also so alike. The baby is besotted with the eldest and the eldest is protective of the baby, it's loud and busy but oh so lovely and I wouldn't change it for the world.

The baby is just four months old but we've already had so many adventures, it saddens me that I haven't shared any here so far, the blog which is supposed to be for my photography, but alas, they're elsewhere and I did manage to take an awful lot of pictures of his first summer on this Earth and for that I am grateful. I'll share adventures from his first autumn here instead and the months that follow... we'll have years of fun together.

We did have one last hurrah to summer though the other day, I can't remember exactly what day it was as they all melt into one now, but we ventured out to a place which I love and which my eldest now loves too thanks to the big lighthouse there, one that you can only admire and not visit mind.

The sun was splitting the stones as my Dad would say, it was a glorious day here in Ireland, as if summer was lingering on not wanting to let go and give way to the dullness, the clouds, the wind and the rain - which have all since arrived by the way. Summer gave us one last, beautiful hurrah and it was perfect.

I sat on the slipway with my babies, looking out to the ocean, glittering from the beating sun, foamy, white waves lapping at the shore and I thought to myself "this is perfect, I could sit here forever" and I really could have - I may have to bring a cushion for that stony slipway though!

Our life isn't perfect, nor is it overly exciting, but it's ours and I like it and capturing all these memories for my children, of our spur of the moment outdoor adventures is something which I love and will continue to do until they no longer want to join in.

Until that day I'll continue snapping away and relishing every impromptu or planned outing with them because they are my babies. Forever.
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Saturday, May 14, 2016

Sunshine Days ♥

Things have been quiet on this little blog of mine once again. I find it's best not to post here unless I'm truly inspired or have something beautiful to share. I've been so consumed with my other blog lately, Dolly Dowsie - trying to up my page views again and get regular content out, having become quite lax at blogging during my pregnancy, that it's refreshing to have this little blog, Fawns & Fables, as my own little space to tend to as little or as much as I like.

I had big plans for this blog when I first began it over a year ago now - it's amazing how quickly time ticks by - but life always seems to get in the way and since becoming pregnant, my ability to go out, explore and capture some amazing photographs has been hindered. I can't wait to have this baby (I'm currently overdue at 40+2 weeks) and have my adventurous side and stamina back.

These images of a beautiful rape seed field were captured yesterday by my beloved partner Jacek. We were on the road to a beautiful beach down in East Cork and spotted this carpet of yellow over the hills. He just had to stop on the way back and capture some snaps of it all, it was breathtaking to look at and it smelt so sweetly too, a real sign of summer.

I'm so happy that we've been blessed by some sunshine days recently, it really does lift my spirit and makes me dream of getting outside, little ones in tow, camera in hand, snapping away at the wonder of the world around me. I've been captivated by wanderlust at the moment and I'm so ready to dust off the cobwebs and start the next chapter of mine and my family's lives after we welcome this baby into the world. I've always said that spring is my favourite season but believe me, summer is a close second.

My little family and I have been enjoying copious amounts of ice-cream, beautiful surroundings and laughter lately. It's made us all so happy and I'm looking forward to seeing what else the summer has in store for us.

Sunshine days really do warm the heart and the soul.
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Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Hints Of Spring ♥

Spring, my favourite season, so full of the joys of life with it's delicious splashes of colour and new life in bloom all around us. After the long and stark winter I so welcome the world transforming from dull and grey tones into the bright and beautiful hues which symbolise the coming of warmer weather and days spent outdoors with those I love.

Yesterday, whilst I was looking after a dog for his owners, I took my camera out to explore their beautiful garden. There were so many pretty plants and flowers blooming and I couldn't help but take a few snaps of the ones which caught my eye the most. There was an abundance of daffodils in the garden but I neglected taking pictures of them in favour of the other shades in sights now - I've been viewing yellow since January now it seems so it's lovely to be seeing splashes of pink and purple again.

It was such a beautiful and sunny evening that on the way home from dog minding I decided to take my son to see his Grandad. I love going back 'home', home being the house I grew up in and I only wish I appreciated it and its beautiful surroundings when I was a youngster - oh how I long to live in the countryside again. Out home we discovered another hint of spring, some adorable baby lambs, whom my son has since christened Milly and Molly - luckily they are girls! One of the lambs was in love with the camera, turning her head to look at it whenever she got a chance - perhaps Tyra would have been a better name for her!

I love seeing hints of spring everywhere now, it's such a joyous season, full of new life and colour. I'm looking forward to capturing more of the delights of my favourite season as the weeks go by and shall try my very best to share them here, on my very much neglected second blog...

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Sunday, January 17, 2016

The Fairy Prince ♥

Yesterday I went to the woods and I found the fairy prince...

It's amazing what a pair of rain and wind battered fairy wings can do for a child's imagination, and for a photographers creative vision too. My little prince was delighted with his newfound wings and he skipped off through the woods with them on his back, it was the sweetest sight.

We ventured through the woods, me with camera in hand, him with filled with a sense of wonder and magic... it was perfect. We admired all the offerings of the child-made fairyland, little trinkets scattered at the bottom of trees, surrounded by moss, ivy and fallen twigs and leaves. It's amazing how something so simple can make a place feel so magical.

At the very end of the woods my fairy prince found a clearing, one we had stumbled upon in the summer too, but this time the view was quite duller, the bright greens and bright blooms of summer missing from the vista on this visit, still... he loved in nonetheless.

On our way back through the wood an abandoned farmhouse settled in a nearby field caught my eye. I just had to go and explore it. Ivy clung to the derelict walls, reminding me that even discarded things can be embraced. A blue door was ajar but the path was blocked by overgrowth and something that resembled and old pram. As we explored some more we came to the front of the house and I imagine that it would have looked utterly beautiful and homely in its heyday. An abandoned blue car with the door left open remained outside and the shattered living room window revealed a floor strewn with book pages and cups ready for a nice cup of tea left on the table. It's as if the former occupants of the house simply vanished and no one had visited the house since... I fell in love with the place, although it did give me a spooky sense too.

Back in the woods my fairy prince hid behind a tree and an old iron bedhead which has since grown into a tree. His bright blue eyes peeped out at me through the leaves and the darkness. We could have played peekaboo all day long and he'd have never become bored.

Our final stop in the wood was at a mossy tree where he sat with his best friend Puppy, posing for a picture and giving lots of cuddles. These are some of the sweetest pictures I have captured of my fairy prince in recent times and I'll cherish them.

We had such a magical adventure in the woods and I couldn't have wished for a better exploring companion than my little fairy prince...



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