a year of motherhood / winter link up

Yes! We've been totally MIA on linky business..

I'm just going to agree with everything Milina said.. there's been holidays (really PROPER ones for Milina!), commitments, full calendars, illness.. and we're both okay with dropping the ball. So we're calling it a winter hiatus. Because that's what you do in winter - stop doing stuff and hibernate.

Anywaaay, the sun is beginning to peek through the clouds a little more often and the days are getting longer again.. there are buds on the trees just waiting to burst open. Spring is on the way and we're shaking off the winter slump. At least if we say it, we can try and make ourselves believe it!

So have a look through your archives over the last couple of months, throw a post together of all your MOTHERHOOD-ish photos and link up. Easy as.

Remember we're over on the website (sort of, almost) daily, Facebook and Instagram (tagging shots with the ever original #ayearofmotherhood).

An InLinkz Link-up

a year of motherhood / (very late) april link up

Is it still fashionable to be late? Arrrgghhh so late!

No long explanations - we're all busy - we all get it.

Milina and I are so in sync. April kicked my arse too. But it's over. And I refuse to let May do the same (excluding May so far, of course..)!

Thanks so much to all who have joined us on the link up! We love stopping by to see how your month of motherhood looked. Of course we want to see it again!

Link up - spread the word - share the love - and remember to hashtag anything you feel worthy of the tag of motherhood on Instagram - which is pretty much anything.

As always, stalk us, here and here. And then join in! x

An InLinkz Link-up

a year of motherhood / march link up

Another month has been and gone! Where does the time go? No bloody clue.

We are limping toward end of term.. doing a little jump for joy over the weekend when I realised school breaks on Thursday, not Friday! How are you doing?

Just like last month, we want to see your Year of Motherhood too. You can link up here or over at Milina's. Thankyou to all who linked up with us, it was so wonderful to see how motherhood looks from where you're standing. We want to see more!

Catherine's beautiful blues brought memories of high school swimming carnivals flooding back! / a beautiful collection with image #3 definitely my favourite / not just beautiful, dreamy photos from Em, but incredibly powerful, honest words to accompany them / I loved all the tiny from Kate / Bel had some beauties; bathed in light, buttoning up for school and bottles covering the sink!

Be sure to keep up with our daily snippets on the blog and Facebook, and remember to use the hashtag on Instagram (#ayearofmotherhood).

An InLinkz Link-up

a year of motherhood / the link up

So we are 59 days into our 365 project, A Year of Motherhood. To date, it has proven to be enjoyable, fulfilling and on more days than I had expected, challenging.

Milina and I have both felt the back to school routine slump this month where leisurely, carefree holidays are all but forgotten and we are back to the clock watching grind of daily life with smalls. Perhaps a little dramatic there.. but some days it feels as though that's all I see. A giant fucking clock, tick tick tick.

I welcomed the new year with great, sparkly, creative gusto and it seems to have fizzled over the last few weeks of this month. But I am pushing through to get back to where I want to be. There is much to do, but some days it all seems too much and I am unsure where to begin. But like someone famous once said - just start.

Milina and I are so VERY grateful for the response we have received from you all since we began A Year of Motherhood. Such warmth and generosity of words and spirit - thankyou! So many of you - mothers - seeing our snippets of everyday life, with no words or explanation, and understanding - fully. The mess, the chaos, the love, the laughter. The great stuff, the normal stuff, the hard stuff; the stuff that will break you by the end of the day when you are waiting for your husband to walk through the door only to hear your phone beep, telling you he's stuck at work and won't be home before the kids are in bed. That.

From the beginning, we set out to include you in our project. But as motherhood goes, time flies past and there is always too much to do, plans are made but not always carried out.

We want to see your photos. Your Year of Motherhood.

At the end of each month (barring January because we were both sucked into the boggy quicksand that is back to school/end of holidays crazy) we will be hosting a link up for you to share your photos of motherhood. Milina and I will share a handful of our favourite images from the month that has passed (this month we're combining January and February) and we invite you to do the same. You can link up here or over at Milina's and your post will appear on both lists. If you don't have a blog but would like to be involved, we would love you to share your moments on Instagram with the hashtag #ayearofmotherhood.

We can't wait to see how YOUR Year of Motherhood looks!

An InLinkz Link-up

ten awesome things

In no particular order of awesomeness, except the first one. Number one is DEFINITELY NUMBER ONE. Yep, it's mostly photography related.

1/ Oh Yellow Balloons
2/ Confidence and motherhood (particularly the images - simply breathtaking!)
3/ This lady and her camera - like nothing else
4/ This 365 project - so, so good
5/ Letting go
6/ Click click
7/ Kids Were Here
8/ Pretty much everything Claire does
9/ The Craft Corner
10/ More motherhood

Yep. Bit cheeky on that last one but ten awesome things sounded better than nine. And it really IS awesome. Totally unbiased opinion of course..

And still not sure why I didn't dedicate a whole post to tooting my own horn on the regular, year-long guest posting gig over at Em's.. school's back and my brain has had to work properly, remembering 739 things a day, for the first time in eight weeks. Ahhh it hurts.

More shameless self promotion which I know you just LOVE..

Find A Year of Motherhood on Facebook HERE, and Bloglovin HERE.
Make sure you watched THIS, and saw THESE. Thankyou SO, SO much for all your beautiful comments and praise.
Keep an eye out here and here for the final instalments of BABY LOVE / A Maternity Series - it's coming very soon - promise!

I'll be back later tonight to draw the winners of the stuck on you giveaway, so make sure you've entered! And if you don't want to enter, there's a funny little video there that might give you a laugh if you've had a bad day..

a year of motherhood / a collaboration

My beautiful friend Milina. You know her, yes?

She's got a big heart, a warm, infectious smile and she gives the best hugs. And we laugh a lot. Like when I pretend to be the same height as her in that bottom left pic. Honestly, I don't feel that tall when I am with her..?

Last year I sent her a book in the mail for her birthday. She had made a decision about something big, but was struggling with her confidence. I am all about the positive energy and getting rid of all the shit that brings you down. I am unique. I am talented. I am enough. We all are. But sometimes we need to be told by others, whether it be close friends, strangers or authors.

Then a couple of days before my birthday, a little package arrived in my letterbox. Which I don't think was actually a birthday gift because the card mentioned nothing about birthdays.. she just managed to time it right by chance.

You've been inspiring me since before I even met you. I feel so grateful to be able to call you a friend.
Here's to continuing inspiration, creativity and making the most of our mornings.
Big love, Milina xxxx

Late last year I suggested we collaborate. We both love being behind the lens and sometimes we can only break through barriers by being pushed by others, or with others. Healthy competition is a very good thing.

My mind has felt very clear since Christmas passed. After months, I finally had time to breathe. It felt as though there was space for my thoughts to move around without bumping into one another. Late one night, a thought popped into my head--like a lightbulb, just like in the movies.

Me, her, a project.

Taking our cue from A Year of Mornings / 3191 Miles Apart, A Year of Motherhood was born. We're not trying to copycat these talented women, no, most certainly not. The project just seemed to fit--like a glove--both of us with a copy of the book--having received it as a heartfelt gift of gratitude, inspiration and friendship. A great foundation for anything to be built upon, really.

Last year I really enjoyed the Kids Were Here series. This year they may only feature every few months, or perhaps, not at all. Because many of the images I would usually use for that series, will end up as part of our 365 collection of motherhood. And I want this one to be special. I want this one to shine.

I'm so looking forward to this project. For myself and for my friend--with my friend. I wonder where it will take us..? Who knows. But I know the road ahead is bright. I know it will only serve to strengthen our bond and fill us with even more gratitude for having made our way into each other's lives. Because of this weird and wonderful thing called the internet.

If you'd like to follow along with our little project, you can do so with Bloglovin' and Facebook. You can find us separately over here.

*These images kindly taken by Milina's lovely sister