august break

August 26, 2012 by Tara 1 Comment

I really don’t know why I sign up to things. I joined the August Break with gusto, and did what, one post?! In my rather pathetic defence my phone and my computer are both being extremely weird lately and it’s taken this long just to get the photos from one to the other. Anyway here’s a little bit of my August thus far.

{paddling}

{maca powder heart}

{ a gift from my father’s abundant garden}

{a sandwich containing the first ever food I grew myself ~ tomatoes that is, not cheese. obviously no one ‘grows’ cheese}

{a contemplative walk}

{a contemplative sit down}

{been getting to know these guys ~ i can now officially stop and go forward, pretty much nothing else}

{hangin’ with my homey Jae}

{watching my other homey Amber in her element}

{sunbathing}

There’s more, but you know, phone…computer….technology…meh.

****************************

PS. Just a couple more days to enter the giveaway to win an exclusive Flora Bowley print!

Filed Under: photography Tagged With: august break, family, photography

August 6, 2012 by Tara 1 Comment

I’m not exactly what you might call ‘sporty’, but I do like to feel fit and healthy. I will do cardio related activities but they have to be fun, or I won’t do them. Nia is fun. Swimming in the sea is fun. Rollerblading is fun too; I had a pair of blades years ago but they got nicked so at the weekend I treated myself to a new pair and had MUCH fun zooming up and down the seafront.

D filmed me but it wasn’t quite the elegant display I imagined, so I won’t be sharing that.

Filed Under: photography Tagged With: august break, rollerblades

August 3, 2012 by Tara 8 Comments

Doesn’t this look like Greece or somewhere? But no, it’s Brighton. On the way home from Nia this mornng I was stopping every ten metres to capture all the flowers. I thought I’d keep it simple and just show you one though.

And also, thanks to my incredible Mum, the purchase of the new dream flat is now all systems go! I’m so excited to get in there and start the new dream! Here’s a sneak peak of the art studio at the top, ‘borrowed’ off the estate agent’s website… {It currently belongs to an actual ~ and quite well known apparently ~ watercolour artist, hence the beautiful ready made stude.}

Filed Under: photography, studio Tagged With: art studio, august break, flowers, new home, photography, property, roses

August 2, 2012 by Tara 4 Comments

You guys do blow my mind you know. I went off for a nap earlier {waiting is exhausting, apparently; I seem to be physically and emotionally drained}, and when I woke up I found a bajillion lovely little well wishing notes in my comments section! Thank you so much for your supportive, genuine words.

It reminded me even more of what I’d been thinking about this morning, that the manifestation of this new dream home has truly been a group effort; I saw an image in my mind’s eye of one of those fences made of twigs bound together, surrounding me and holding me up.

{banana and nectarine smoothie}

Every person who over the last couple of months has wished me luck, supported me through doubtful moments, championed my dream, spoken to their guardian angel on my behalf {true story!}, patiently listened while I rattled on ad nauseam about the properties I’d seen, supplied hugs, advice and even money, has been an essential component of bringing it all into being.

You are probably familiar with the Law of Attraction; well I used it to the max for this one! I visualised, dreamed about, told myself stories, wrote lists, concentrated on staying in the happy place {not always easy when dealing with the business side of property transactions} and found in myself a determination, faith and courage I had either forgotten or wasn’t really aware I possessed.

I am veering into a dramatic speech of Oscar proportions here! Part of me is thinking, “Tara love, you’re only buying a flat, not ridding the world of evil”, but then another part is saying, “This is a huge step forward into your life purpose, disguised as bricks and mortar”. It truly feels like this place is going to be my springboard into doing what I’ve wanted since I was a teenager; offering something of value, something I can be really good at and confident in, that fulfils me AND others equally.

I don’t know exactly what that will look like just yet, but I can tell you it will most certainly involve that luscious airy art room at the top of the house, with its portholes that look down to the sea, its beautiful big butler’s sink and its sloping wall of skylights.

{I just counted 27 tomatoes on my tomato plant! Abundance is everywhere!}

*Images are for August Break Day 2; rambling gratitude speech is because I couldn’t hold it in.

Filed Under: home, photography Tagged With: august break, fuschias, property, smoothie, tomatoes

August 2, 2012 by Tara 7 Comments

Ahem. I haven’t said anything about this because it’s all been very up in the air , but for the last couple of months I’ve been in the process of selling my flat and buying another one. If you’ve been around these parts for a while you may be having the same reaction as most of my family and friends, which was based around the question “What the…. WHY?!?!?!”Especially given the place I live in now, which was only a few months ago featured in a magazine.

So anyway, although my current home is a dream of a place, it turns out that for me at least, you can live in a haven of perfection, but if it’s in the wrong location, it just isn’t somewhere you can stay. So after two years of living here, I’ve decided that I can no longer NOT live right by the seafront. I mean, why move to a seaside city and not live by the beach?! Especially if you’re a sea obsessed Piscean who spends most of her time there anyway.

So I started hunting for places nearer the sea. I put my flat on the market and it sold in six days, unsurprisingly. Then I looked at well over thirty places before finally viewing ‘the one’. I was trying to stave off the panic of having sold mine but not having anywhere to go, and accepting that I may have to rent for a while, which was NOT my preferred scenario.

But when I saw this place, I got the butterflies and the adrenaline and I looked at what it offered and I knew that not only is it a beautiful place {just off the sea front but with sea views from the south facing roof terrace, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a dedicated art studio upstairs}, but it also felt so very strongly like it was the home that would move me FORWARD. Where I would be able to realise some long held dreams to do with offering value, helping others, and using my creativity and healing gifts to do that. I mean, it’s a little bit crazy how perfect it was.

And this morning I heard the news I’d hardly dared to hope for. My offer was accepted and all systems are go!! I almost don’t believe it, and I know that there is still a way to go yet, but there is a very good chance now that before this year is up I will be stepping forward once again, stepping UP actually, into a bigger dream than I even imagined when I found my current home.

And that is an extremely long winded way of explaining why I didn’t post anything yesterday, the first day of the August Break! And so much for just posting images; I have way too much to say! So these photos are from yesterday {with a little help from my friend PicMonkey}, and now I have to go and phone the solicitor.

Filed Under: home, photography, the beach Tagged With: august break, moving home, photography, property

July 31, 2012 by Tara 3 Comments

I took part in Susannah Conway’s August Break last year, and am definitely in the mood to do it again. For various reasons my creativity output is erratic at best at the moment, and a photo a day feels like something I can do to keep my eye in, as well as being a fun way to document the month.

Despite my inner visions of sunny days, beachy photos and sparkly light filled images, ‘they’ tell us that August will not be coming up trumps weather wise this year. However, the thought of capturing tiny moments each day really appeals to me right now; I’ve been thinking a lot about gratitude lately and this seems a good way to take note of all the things in my life for which I am grateful.

Susannah says:

“Okay, here’s the plan for the August Break: you simply share one photo (or more!) per day on your blog – Monday to Friday, or every day. Or whenever you feel moved to share. Using any camera – DSLR, compact, Polaroid, Holga, iPhone (my choice), Instax, film or digital – with or without words – anything goes! – for the whole of August. No pressure – just looking at August through your camera lens as a way to be more present this summer. And to have a little break from the pressures and expectations of regular blogging.

There are NO RULES, people! Just sunshine (hopefully) and a bit of fun. And lots of lovely photos to look at.”

There’s a blogroll and a Flickr group too, and an Instagram hashtag {#augustbreak}, although I don’t really know what that means or how it works! Feel free to enlighten me!

Are you going to take part? Let’s photo it up.

A day early, but here’s a photo from last week of my friend Tibi and his little girl at the seashore. Loving that sparkling sea and perfect sailboat.

Filed Under: creativity, just for fun, photography Tagged With: august break, photography, susannah conway

August 26, 2011 by Tara 2 Comments

I am very happy about my new hair.

I did mess with this a bit but only to get it looking how it looked with my eyes. Good lord, those colours!

{it’s possible my eyes supercolour everything}

Filed Under: photography, self-portraits Tagged With: august break, hair, haircut, self portrait

August 19, 2011 by Tara 2 Comments

This arrived as part of a package I received in the post and now I have it propped up on my laptop so I see it every day. Amazing how three words can nudge you over and over to remember the possibilities that are just hanging in the air all the time.

Filed Under: journey, photography Tagged With: august break, miracle, photograph