We just adore Birthdays in our house. So I like to make each one special and unique.
Even if we aren't having a Birthday Party....
My answer to this is the Birthday table...Piled high with individually wrapped gifts and favourite snacks of the Birthday boy or girl.
I try and reflect their personality at the time of the Birthday, to give us a little glimpse into the guest of honor at that age

​When Lilah turned 11...it was unicorns!

When Eadie turned 14 she loved the colour mint and mustaches .

 The Gallery Of Modern Art is an amazing place for all ages to actually experience art not just look at it. The art works allow children to interact and react in ways that other Art Galleries do not encourage. It has certainly become one of my favourite Galleries after our recent visit!

The other part of what we love about Art Galleries is their Gallery Shops...and GOMA has a good one. The range of books and gifts is unique and wide ranging....the girls loved it!

  A slice of history with splashes of colour and and warm water...it was an afternoon in heaven. The Spring Hill Baths
are a stones throw from The Johnson Hotel and well worth a visit.

I have a total soft spot for a boutique hotel in a re-purposed building...and The Johnson is one of my favourites. Formally The Department of Main Road Building, this Art Series Hotel has been transformed into an Uber Cool Hotel with lashings of beautiful art work every where you look. You can't help but be in love with the work of abstract artist Michael Johnson by the time you leave! 

The pool was designed by Olympian Michael Klim and has a gorgeous slice of Brisbane view over rooftops of Spring Hill. We were drawn to this space daily, soaking in the sun and the view after a day of wandering the city.

Travelling as a family of four is getting a little tricky at this stage of life. The kids are becoming too old to be classed as children but too young to have their own room, so finding a boutique hotel to room us is getting a little difficult. The Johnson's Deluxe Studio Twin was perfect for our family. So roomy and comfortable with a view....it was perfect.

The Johnson is walking distance to the city, has an amazing in hotel restaurant, lush rooms and a stunning pool.....what more could you ask for?

Every year in March the levee in Maitland is filled with stalls of yummy food and quality local products. It is Maitland's Taste Festival and once again it was a delicious day out!
We shopped in our favourite stores, we ate from the food stalls and left with our arms full of local products...
Not a bad way to spend a day!

We have two little girls who couldn't be more different. The little one loves loud music and dancing all night but the oldest would rather stay home under a blanket with a warm drink...so when we went to see Passenger in concert recently ,it was just the three of us!
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The concert was at The Enmore in Newtown so we decided to stay at The Urban due to its super close location. The parking situation isn't ideal but otherwise this place is a little urban oasis for a family who wants to hit the town for a night! Proximity to shops, restaurants and The Enmore are unbeatable.

On arrival guests at The Urban are offered a welcome drink and nibbles.....the littlest person in our party took quite a liking to the delicious greek style nibbles.

The industrial Styling of the hotel, city atmosphere and all the eating and shopping at your door step makes this place a great base for exploration of the inner city suburb.

We recently visited family who were staying at Bob and Bettys Boat Beach Bungalow at Seal Rocks.... and we fell in love...
What an inspiring house in a breathtakingly beautiful place!

After a trip to The Art Gallery Of NSW to see the Exhibition of Frida Kahlo a wave of mexican influence started sweeping through our house. So when Christmas ideas were being thrown around naturally they began to have a mexican feel...
Flowers for the girls hair, hats for the men folk and a party with a pinata .....a bright Christmas was had by all!

We used cactus ice cube trays to make cactus chocolates for treats and cactus ice cubes for the virgin cocktails. 
All the gifts were topped with artificial flowers as decoration and bowls of colourful fruit covered the table.
We ate bowls of chilli , with five different varieties of salsa, all topped off with handfuls of corn chips!
What a wonderful way to spend Christmas...

I am obsessed with beautiful images....and so when it comes to my own family photos being shot I want them to be, not only beautiful, but unique to us. I wanted our family photos to be a reflection of who we are.... right now.... in this moment in time. This is why I adore the results of working with the amazing Isabel Bowden!

Isabel uses her skill to create little stories...As I look through the results of our shoot, I see so many lovely short stories about our family and our interactions...

It was also one of my hopes for the shoot to show the change and development of the girls, particularly our teenager. 
The image below is just what I hoped for...

And she perfectly froze our dancing queen in time...

Just the Four of us...moving through life.

Those looks....the way we sit....tiny details I never want to forget!

We love a wander through the streets of Newcastle and a bit of lunch afterwards...Today we found the charming and unique Family Hotel. Full of Quirks and friendly service..... we enjoyed our baskets of delicious bar treats, as the kids read their comics and we drank cold glasses of beer.
A nice way to spend a day.