A walk in the woods

Last week-end of winter, it did not feel like winter at all. On Saturday we went to Lade Braes, our local wood. It was full of sunshine and spring blooms.
We did not have rain for the whole week. So finally it was OK to roll in the grass.

Some things never get old. Like boys throwing sticks in the creek. Or sunshine. Or spring vibes in the air.

There are so many things to do outside, games to play, discoveries to make. These two may shout and complain about getting out, and then shout and complain more when it is time to go back.

Hello Spring!

Piú letti

Photo a day - January

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Published on 13th of February 2024 This January has been... different. It should've been great, we had a trip planned for New Year, my brother was expected to visit with his family, Mara and Matteo have their birthdays in January too. It turned out not quite what we planned and expected. The trip to Sila had to be cut short because everyone got ill, which turned out to be Covid, which as a consequence affected also Mara's birthday and made the time with my brother and his family a bit less fun too. On the other hand, it felt like my body and my mind needed this slow time after busy and stressful December, there was a lot to reflect about, a lot of rest and quiet. It's ironic that Covid became the answer to this, oh well. The January photos reflect this slow time too - we stayed at home or visited grandma's garden to collect oranges and to play, we baked and built pillow forts, planted bulbs for spring, read books and baked some more. Cookies and muffins are usually what...
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Photo a day - February

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Published on 25th of March 2024 This February did not feel like February at all. We were hoping to find some snow and were treated to spring-like temperatures and lots of sunny days instead, slow weekends spent outside collecting oranges or playing hide and seek in a giant blooming rosemary shrub, climbing trees, collecting rocks and even some splashing in the sea. Yes it was warm. We went to Scotland to take care of some personal matters, came back with a new cough, as if recent Covid and other cough and ear infections etc etc was not enough. I made a sweater for Mara and realized I've miscalculated the size, what I hoped would last also for autumn is just right for now. She is growing so fast, which makes me both sad and proud. Still loving her dinosaurs and playing hide and seek (the laundry basket is apparently an excellent hiding spot!), discovering 'big kids' Lego and liking it a bit too much, and trying to keep up with her big siblings.   Like what I do? Get in t...
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Tentsmuir forest, continued

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This is second part of our adventures in Tentsmuir fores t. I do not have much to say, I loved it and pictures tell it all much better than words :-) I thought that I've included about half of the photos in the first post. How wrong I was! This one is interesting, because it shows the face Masha makes, when she does not want to be photographed. This time I did it though. With Grandpa. This boy, making faces and running away. Then coming back :-) This girl, with messy bun. She is a modern version of Little Red Riding Hood, in red converse instead of the hat. It was good. We should come back.
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Giveaway! Win maternity photo session - or £100 gift voucher for your newborn photos!

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A new beginning, not quite there yet but you can feel it. How he or she kicks or hickups, how your body changes because of the little miracle it's working on. All the tiny clothes you bought and folded with so much love. All the grainy ultrasound images which you see more with your heart than with your eyes. Pregnancy is a short period in life of a woman, and the weeks when you proudly show your bump are even shorter. And so special. And then the little miracle you made comes to this world, to your arms, and you are absorbed by the haze and beauty of first days with your new little most favourite human. Photograph is one of the few things that can capture these fleeting moments and bring them back to life, to remind you how messy and perfect it all was and how tiny they felt in your arms. That's what my maternity and newborn photo sessions are about. And you can win one! What's included: - 40 min maternity photo session in an outdoor location in St Andrews, to ta...
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Adventures of Maya and the Bear, in pink

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She picked her dress today. And some of the toys to play with. So the poor Bear (which has no name and had indefinite gender so far), had to keep up with pink, necklaces and other girly stuff. There was even mirror, a hairbrush and lipstick involved (fortunately a wooden one :-) So the party got started! Then the Bear was abandoned for the blankie, keeping up with the pink theme of the day. And peekaboo we played.
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3 reasons to have your family photos in Villa Giulia park

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Villa Giulia is a park in historic center of Palermo. It has its origins in 18th century and is remarkable for its perfect square shape with diagonal alleys dividing the park in different sections. Marble statues and fountains, a sundial, shady alleys and open spaces, and wide variety of trees and shrubbery make it a popular spot both with locals and tourists.  If you'd like your family photos to have lush green background with a touch of special Sicilian atmosphere, this park definitely should be considered. It ticks all the boxes - plenty of space, nice surroundings, easy access, lots of options for things to do during your photo shoot to get natural and emotional images (anyway we don't do posed photos on the benches or next to flowering shrubs!).  Here are my top 3 reasons why villa Giulia is a great location for family photo sessions. Reason 1  Lots of space and diversity. The park has an alley with Ficus trees, a little bamboo forest, a hill with cacti and succulen...
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A bit of sunshine

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Let's blame Instagram for this one. I was invited to participate to a photo challenge dedicated to the theme of sun flare on one of the communities I follow there. Parallel to it I was trying to bribe, torture, blackmail etc everybody and anybody (read Maya and Masha :-) to do something with the light shining on their back, so that I could experiment with shooting counter light. So it kind of came together. It is an experiment. I am still not quite sure I like it. We'll see at the end of the year, if I include these pics in the photobook. Or what happens with the Instagram challenge :-) And here's my Instagram , that is to blame :-)
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Grey sea, blue sea

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When you live 10 minutes away from the sea, you may end up there more often than not. Especially as there is added attraction of a playground on the beach :-) Sometimes we go for the playground, sometimes for the walk, or a bit of both. This walk was grey as the sky, Masha overcame all her records of falling in the mud, Matteo had freezing cold hands, and Maya was crying just for sake of company and maintaining general mood :-) The sea was grey and stormy, as the sky. Then there was another walk, and sunny day. Still freezing cold. We have lots of spring blooms already, but it is too early to dream of warm days yet.
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Sculptures

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This story started in May and still goes on, as Masha is working on ballerina sculpture in her art class with Jaclyn Stuart. The children were learning about Alberto Giacometti and his sculptures, and made some of their own artwork with wire, tape and colors. Colors are still to come, as well as tutu - so to be continued
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