A letter to my neice on her birthday

Dear Miss Lils,

Today you turn two years old. It seems a cliche to say that time has flown but my gosh it certainly has! One year ago we were all in Darwin celebrating your monumental first birthday and the year before that I was absolutely itching to meet you, waiting the four weeks until my visit was almost unbearable. Two year's so far we've been blessed with your unbelievably fantastic personality and I've got to say, our entire family is better for having your input, my little sweet.

But what I really want to say to our little rainbow cherub on her birthday is how important it is for you to always be that outgoing colourful version of yourself that you are. Your outrageousness nature, your creative expression and your individuality may be stifled over time - some people call that 'becoming an adult' but if you can, try to hold on to the wonder you welcome the world with every day right now. Try to continue to find the fun in every situation. Right now there is no peice of furniture, no toy car, no set of stairs, no gym equipment you can't climb and boy do you love to do so. You get to the top and pride beams across your face. Pride and cheekiness. Keep doing that. Keep viewing the world as something you can conquer, something you can experience and appreciate from great heights.

I also want to say to our little rainbow babe, that this week, the week of your turning two, one of our country's greatest allies celebrated an achievement of basic human rights. Gay marriage was finally legalised across America and the world wore a rainbow of colours - just the way you do. I can only hope that by the time you're old enough to understand love and all it's colours, you'll be able to love whomever you want and know that all of your friends and family have the same right to do so in your home country as well. That love of any kind will be the normal expression that it is and not having this right will seem as crazy as women not being allowed to vote. 

Keep showing those colour my darling, always be whatever you want to be and the very best you can and we'll all be here to support you every step of the way.

Until then - just enjoy being your fabulous two year old self and hope you love your new blue suede shoes and the jeans and hoddie Aunty Elle and Uncle Mark picked out for you.

So much love to you, you crazy, fabulous, little human!
xoxo

The last of the sunny days

Winter is slowly creeping up on us over in Perth, we seem to have cold days, rainy days and sunny days all mixed in at the moment. But as June bustles along, it's clear we're heading for the last of the sunny days.

The last weekend in May I took the opportunity to head down to my favourite WA destination with some writing friends for a little R&R. Man was it worth it! The perfect way to farewell autumn and welcome winter with great company, good books, blissful surrounds, tasty food, quality wine, beach appreciation, explorations, realisations, hilarity and silliness and ofcourse a spot of writing.

Lately it's been a mix of creativity, socialising and burying myself under the doona with my favourite Grey (Earl of course) in one hand and a good book in the other - all of which have been an absolute tonic for my soul.

As the darkness of winter mornings make it increasingly more difficult to get out of bed at a productive hour, I'm taking on a training regime for the City to Surf in August to burn off all the extra 'layering' I've done in the lead up to winter. Urrgghhh is all I have to say about that at the moment.

But the thing I love most about the change in seasons isn't just that I can bring out all my favourite cardigans (I am a cardi-lover for sure!) but that it awakens my creative home-body self with writing, knitting, sewing, cooking and other crafty projects all in the works to accompany many a quality glass of winter friendly red wine.

How will you be spending your winter?