flow

Gabi: it was pure magic going through the "River of Lights" in the dark and see all the lanterns flowing on the ground and up in the trees. Definitely an evening we all will remember for a long time.

vintage

Gabi: I have always loved to mix modern and old stuff together. It is a reminder that pieces of my past are still part of my present and will be a part of my future.

 Harmony: I am in love with my bookshelves. They house a collection of new, new to me and vintage finds with family pictures thrown in.

connect

Harmony: Tea, great conversation and watercolours, I can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon connecting with a great friend.

Gabi: the lake is a place where we all connect. With each other, with nature.
Sometimes having no modern technology connection is the best way how to connect with each other. 

soft

Gabi: at the end of the day, no matter how hard or easy it was, the darkness takes over and softness up the rough edges of the day. It is the right time to take a deep breath and just let it go...

 Harmony: My go-to paint has always been acrylic. I have been using watercolours more and more and I am loving the softness they bring to the paper.

open

Gabi: my one little word for this year is wholehearted. For me it means to live my life with open heart and mind. To be open to the joys, ups and downs, challenges of everyday life. It is all about personal choices and I'm open to listen to my heart what it wants.

 Harmony: I am opening up to new creative endeavors, they are scary, frustrating, and exciting all at the same time.

7 PM

Harmony: In the summer, 7 PM is a favourite time of day in our family. Dinner is done, the heat of the day is dissipating, and we are all outside being active and having fun.

Gabi: we started our Saturday with mountain biking in the forest in the early morning, after lunch we went for an adventurous obstacle course and by 7pm everyone was happy to just crash on the sofa and watch the Olympic Games. It was definitely a perfect family day.

nourish

Harmony: In the last 2 weeks I have been drawing, taking pictures and designing; it is nourishing to my soul to be creating again. I need to remember how good it feels and carve out the time to make the needed me time happen.

 Gabi: being a part of a very active family means that we are constantly on the move. Instead of sitting at home on the weekends, we bike and hike and spend a quality time as a family together exploring our beautiful forests. Even though sometimes it can be a hard workout and not an easy walk, these adventures absolutely recharge me and nourish my soul. I believe I was  meant to be a west-coast girl.

self-care

Gabi: when you go out into the woods and you look at trees, you see all these different trees. And some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens, and some of them are whatever. And you look at the tree and you allow it. You appreciate it. You see why it is the way it is. You sort of understand that it didn’t get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don’t get all emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree. The minute you get near humans, you lose all that. And you are constantly saying “You’re too this, or I’m too this.” That judging mind comes in. And so I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating them just the way they are. ~ Ram Dass

 Harmony: I have been in denial that I have health issues; not adjusting my lifestyle for my health. Self-care for me is stepping up to the extra effort needed to plan my meals, take my medications, and keep tabs on my numbers.

fresh start, new beginning

Hello world!

Have you ever been in love with something but got overwhelmed by everyday life and had to stop what you were doing? And then few months later (well, a year for us!) you realized that you miss it so much that you want to do it again?

Well, that's what happened to Harmony and myself and this blog. Speaking for myself, I always couldn't wait to see what Harmony will come up with for our weekly theme and was always blown away by her creativity. It's so fun to see how two people think about the same thing in a different way, isn't it?

So, we have decided to give another go to this blog and  see what happens. We don't promise anything but I bet both if us will make our bests to keep up and nurture our souls with creativity.
And who knows, maybe we might inspire someone to pick up on a new hobby or get back to their old ones...

Let us know if you have a theme you would like to see and don't be afraid to see Hi!


~ Gabi

rise

Gabi: What defines us is how well we rise after falling.

 Harmony: This young man is rising up to the responsibility of being a role model for his little brothers.

cool down

Harmony: The heat has been relenting with no break in sight. Many days have been spent at our little river spot cooling down and enjoying our lazy summer days.

 Gabi: they went down the river, walked back up, down the river again. Giggling, splashing and just having fun. Hot days don't stop us from  having fun, we just need to find the right place to cool down.

take it all in

Harmony: I have been going, going and not stopping to listen to the "mom, come play with me!" pleas. Yesterday I said yes. Yesterday I stopped to take in all the joy that is running through a field of long grass with my boys.

 Gabi: I was watching my son (in the middle) getting ready for a swim during his triathlon race. It's always a rush of various feelings for him before the race starts. The excitement. The nerves. The competitivness. The "will I be the fastest one?" sort of questions. I was taking all of this above in - the excitement, the mama worries, the proud feeling of being his mom... Go, buddy, GO!

ready

Gabi: I'm ready for long evening walks during the golden hour. For chasing waterfalls from sprinklers in our neighborhood. For school routine to be out of the window for two months. For slowing down a little bit. For more time spent with my little ones. Summer, I'm ready for you.

 Harmony: He's ready to be a big boy just like his brothers and that means I have to let go (a little bit). His first walk home from the neighbour's, I wasn't ready but he obviously was.

on my mind

Gabi: so many things have changed in our everyday routine in such a short period of time. My mind is constantly racing with thoughts how we will manage. We will get used to it, I know it. We always do.

 Harmony: I'm transitioning into a new role at work. It is beyond my comfort zone but I see good things emerging from this change. It is scary, but I am pushing through.

out of focus

Gabi: We are a family always on the go. We love being outside and having fun together. And if I get lucky, I might even get a perfectly imperfect photo like this one.

twilight

Gabi: I was preparing dinner when I noticed the beautiful light from sun going down behind the horizon. The last few breathtaking seconds before the night takes over everything.

 Harmony: I've always been a morning person. And prefer the dawn and the day's new beginning instead of the twilight.

give

Gabi: this little fella of ours is so energetic, loves running and won't sit for a second but when he is "calm", he loves to cuddle and gives a lot of love around. 

I smell

Gabi: the smell of the rain in the forest. that's the smell of our home.

Harmony: I smell gingerbread, my new favourite tea. 

in the middle

Harmony: My middle son; we try to beat the stereotype that the middle child feels left out. Sometimes I think we do well, I just hope they outweigh the times we don't.

 Gabi: in the middle of the challenging times, we are going through at the moment, the play of shadows on the wall just made me stop and notice the little things. It put a smile on my face as well.

a sign

Harmony: A friendly reminder to smile.