falling for fall

A big hello (ye'all) all the way from Nashville, Tennessee! We have arrived safely, and despite Lalie throwing up all over me as we queued in the isle to disembark the aircraft (I was forced to wear complimentary Qantas pyjamas off the plane and through the entire customs process!), we've managed to get off to a pretty good start.

Yesterday morning, Paddy and I took Lalie for a little wander through the woods. I've always considered myself to be a Spring/Summer kind of girl, but I have to say... these golden leaves have just about stolen my heart.

Our hometown in North Queensland really only has two seasons; Summer and Swealtering Hot Summer. So, as you can imagine, dressing in boots and vintage tweed blazers has been quite the novelty here in Tennessee, while a rugged up little Lalie Bug is quite a sight to behold (how darling is her woollen bonnet, beautifully hand knitted by Greer at Typically Red?!).

We've got less than a week here at my Dad's before we head to Boston and then on to New York - where we're hoping some level of normalcy will have returned to the city and it's residents after Hurricane Sandy. While we snuggle by the fire and tune in to news updates, our thoughts are with all those on the East Coast who have been affected by the storm.

As they always seem to do on holiday, the days are flying by... we're trying to soak it all in and strike a good balance of sightseeing vs relaxing. So far, it feels like we're doing a pretty good job.

snippets: our last spring days

I shouldn't be posting this. In fact, I shouldn't be anywhere near the computer. I have a list as long as my arm of things to do before we set off, yet here I am...  faffing around with photos and wasting my precious pre-departure packing period. (Wow, that's a lot of p's!).

This is classic Claire procrastination (another one for the road ;). Not because I'm unenthusiastic about this holiday, but because the organisation required makes me so completely anxious... I'm trying to avoid it all together.

So, I thought I'd pop in and document the last of our sunny, Spring days before we immerse ourselves in glorious, cozy, comforting Fall. (As I write this, it's thirty degrees outside... packing boots and woolens seems completely ludicrous - just looking at that pile of scarves is giving me a heat rash!)

I'm not sure how much I'll be blogging while we're away... at this stage I'm thinking I might just pop in with a few little updates and then fill you in on our adventures when we return home in late November. We do plan to be instagramming up a storm though, so if you'd like to see what we're up to while we're away, you can follow along on instagram (oneclaireday).

Paddy gets home today (hurrah!), and then, come Tuesday... we. are. outta. here!

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Take care,  friends... see you soon!

three years on...

Baby, the best decision I ever made was to walk down that isle, stand beside you, and reach out for your hand.

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Toward the end of your speech, you stopped looking at your written notes and looked straight at me, your lips and hands shaking. I could tell you weren't following the notes anymore.

"...Baby... when I look at you... I just get that big love feeling. And I know that together, we can do anything. We can make it through anything...".

I will never forget that moment. I will never lose that big love feeling.

Happy 3rd Anniversary, my Love. I miss you. xxx

(All photography by our dear friend, Marcus Enno.)

home soon

I haven't yet mentioned it here, but Paddy's been working away again. This time he's working in central Queensland in an underground mine, and despite only being a few hours away, I've never felt more distant from him. There's no mobile reception, so he is uncontactable from about 5:30am to 7:00pm every day. I know he's feeling extremely isolated and misses us both like crazy.

Tonight, as I hugged Lalie tightly before putting her down in the cot, she said to me...

"Wan(t) Dadda home... soon".

My heart seemed to shatter with pain and burst with joy simultaneously. I ached desperately to know that she missed him... and I was overjoyed to know that she missed him.

But there's (literally for Paddy) an enormous shining light at the end of the tunnel, and I'm hanging on to the promise of togetherness and the exciting family adventures that are just about to unfold.

Alice (with attitude)

We'll be in America for Halloween this year, which is fun because it's a huge holiday for them. I'm working on styling up a bit of an Alice in Wonderland costume for Lalie... this vintage apron dress borrowed from my Sister in Law is kinda perfect when you add a make shift pinny-style top cut from an old blouse...

...but I'm not convinced Lalie's really nailing the Alice character, what with the devilishly cheeky attitude and double finger suck / nose pick combo. Maybe an Alice band will help? Wish us luck!

hitched...

A few years back, at a New Years Eve party on the beach, Paddy and I introduced two of our single friends, in the hope that they might hit it off...

...And they did!

A couple of weeks ago, we had the pleasure of attending Ryan and Marie's gorgeous wedding. These are just a couple of photos I snapped from my seat in both the church and the reception ( a marquee, on the beach, under that moon!). I love the Father of the Bride's goofy expression while beautiful Marie tries to calm those butterflies.

And while we're on the subject of weddings, it's our three year anniversary on Wednesday. Wow, doesn't it fly? I might pop back in then with some of our own wedding photos.

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

P.S Thank you all SO much for your amazing NYC suggestions. You've really helped me get my head around that  city - I can't wait to try out all your tips and report back!

A New York November...

Exactly two weeks from today, we will board a big jet plane and make our way around the globe... to a little place they call the U.S.A.

We'll be spending some time with family in Nashville, Tennessee (which Im excited about, partially due to this gorgeous blog) before stopping briefly in Boston to visit friends and finally wrapping up with two glorious weeks in New York City.

To say we're excited is a slight understatement. We'll be staying in an historic Brownstone apartment in Brooklyn Heights... a hop, skip and jump away from the promenade which offers the most amazing views of Manhattan. (And there will be plenty of hopping, skipping and jumping!)

But the very best bit? Our babysitter* My beautiful sister is coming with us!

We plan on spending our New York November days snooping in book stores, lazing about in hip cafe's, rummaging through flea markets and delighting in the crunch of fall foliage underfoot as we stroll through Central Park.

As I flick through the pages of Sibella Court's beautiful book The Stylists Guide to NYC, I have to say, I feel we're in pretty good hands as far as the shopping is concerned... but we'd really love to hear YOUR New York tips - please do share your favourite restaurants, cafe's, galleries, parks, museums, markets, shops, tours... we'd love to hear ALL your suggestions so don't hold back!

Oh, and if you know of any great NYC blogs... do tell! I'm currently loving Sweet Fine Day, Reed & Whitney Reeder, The Daily Muse, A Cup of Jo and From Me To You.

 * Just kidding, Steph! ;)

Lalie and the Banyan

  This tree reminds me so much of myself; a tangled mess of loose ends. Indecisive, disorganised chaos.

Just like this tree, I feel as though I can't commit to any one place or any one thing. My ideas shoot off from every angle and end up in a confused and entangled mess.

Part of me is in London still, other parts were left behind in Sydney. Many roots lay here in Townsville while others reach out to faraway places I haven't even yet discovered. I often wonder if I'll ever feel settled.

Sometimes I find it so difficult to find a focus point. So hard to find direction. I have too many thoughts and ideas floating around this head of mine that I just can't seem to pin down and sink into solid ground.

No doubt about it, if I were a tree - the Banyan would be me.