set.

begin transformation here…

sooooo 12 week body transformation. Michelle Bridges. biggest loser. i am sure you have heard of one or all of these in the last few months…

Michelle’s 12wbt has been doing the rounds for a while now with stories and amazing images popping up all over facebook and of course my lovely friend Bec, who shared her tranformation story here, and i am curious… is it all hype? a cult? does it work? can i too have ab’s like that? so, being the “i must know the answer to this” type of person that i am, i signed up, and give me 12 weeks or so and i will let you know :)  but, before you roll your eyes, and tell me i don’t need to lose weight, let me explain why i am doing it…

firstly, i do need to lose a few kgs.  actually need is probably the wrong word.  i want to lose a few kgs.  and i’d love to be able to find my ab’s… hidden there under my ‘muffin top’!  actually, i have something to say about that… how is it possible, or even fair, to avoid (not by choice) all things gluten and pretty much every ingredient required to make muffins, yet still have a muffin top?  hmmmm.  anyways, back to topic… i would like to be more toned. stronger. fitter.

but, mainly for me, i want to re-establish healthy ideas about food and exercise and looking after myself.  i am a typical small business owner with my photography studio nfe design.  working stupidly long hours, putting everyone else first, and more often than not being too busy, or forgetting, to have lunch.  i have all the excuses under the sun for skipping any exercise that i start to plan.  it’s too cold.  i need to work instead.  i am too busy.  not enough time. i should spend time with Liana instead. i have no one to look after Liana when i exercise. i will do it tomorrow.  i should clean the house instead.  ok that last one never happens. but it makes me sound as little more domestic goddess!  but mainly, unfortunately, most of my excuses revolve around putting other peoples needs before my own.  and i am all for sharing the love and helping and doing everything i can for others, but my health is suffering as a result.  and all of those excuses i just listed, i use those same ones for not taking a day off.  not spending the afternoon on the couch with a good book every now and then. not booking in for a massage. not just getting in the car on a sunday afternoon and going for a drive. not going to browse the shops. [note to self, not going to the shops is doing wonders for bank account balance. possibly, try to avoid Alannah Hill for another 6-12 months.  do not, and i repeat DO NOT remember as you are typing this that you can, of course, buy Alannah Hill online. while eating lunch]

another thing to note is i have spent the last 18-24mths trying to resolve long standing food intolerances and sensitivities after a nasty string of tonsilitis and pneoumonia and glandular fever about 3 years ago..  my life has become a general day to day feeling of crap-ness which i have accepted as being normal. an endless path of doctors and specialists and blood tests and bills and every.single.person having a different opinion to the last. but none of them with a solution. i have a list as long as my arm of things i have tried, yet i am no closer to answers. i am the ultimate ‘problem patient’. and you know, constantly thinking about what i should do or eat is tiresome. i am pretty tough, and strong willed and i can ignore things that i don’t wish to deal with, or that are in the too-hard basket, but the time has come to take control. my lovely GP is always saying to me “take control Renee.  it is your body and you know it better than anyone else can… do what you feel you need to do”

so, what i feel i need to do right now is work on my fitness and my motivation.  to get my body stronger, so that [hopefully] it can digest food properly, my horribly leaky gut can repair itself so i can start to bound out of bed every morning full of energy. [of course i need to be careful to not push myself too hard, so i am very wary of that.]  i need to take control of my life and my schedule and leave more time for ME.  not many people can say they have the luxury of being their own boss.  of choosing when and how hard they work. and i absolutely love love love my business.  but i need to accept that it is ok to take a day off.  to ignore a text message that comes through at 10pm, or even worse at 630am [i am still sleeping peoples, and my phone is always on, for emergencies!!!]  and reply in the morning.  during business hours.  i need to have business hours!

i actually enjoy exercising. when i want to do it, but not when someone tells me i should. i love yoga and how much stronger and more flexible i have become as part of that practice.  i love how centered it makes me feel.  i don’t want to keep cancelling my classes because ‘i don’t have time’ and at the same time i don’t want to feel obligated to go ‘because i should’.  the same with riding my bike along the bike paths, or walking through the bush tracks. i enjoy it so much, when i do it for the right reasons.  although i will certainly try as many of the 12wbt recipes as i can [and my diet restrictions allow] i don’t plan to spend my days counting every single calorie.  through all i have learnt about healthy eating and diet restrictions over the last few years, the biggest thing for me to realise is that you have to love your food. be happy. always, always be as happy as you can! feeling guilty when eating something because the ‘rules’ say it is bad, is not an ideal way to live your life.  subconsciously you are then telling your body that this thing you are about to put in it is bad. of course that is going to increase your stress levels. a very wise lady once told me [or possibly i just made this up] that if you are going to break the rules, then break them passionately and enjoy every moment.  be aware of the consequences. notice the consequences. embrace the consequences. then you can be better informed when you are tempted next time.

i eat organically, i don’t drink tea or coffee. or alcohol. or soft drink.  actually all i really drink is water! i avoid fried foods because i know how sick they make me feel. as much as i would kill for a glass of cold milk, i know well enough that the consequences of even a sip make it not worthwhile.  the same with gluten. and preservatives. and chocolate.  i actually have no desire to eat chocolate 95% of the time.  and the list goes on… but i am very bad at planning, so the dreaded “what’s for dinner” question i usually ignored till about 530pm. so i am looking forward to planning.  getting all nerdy and excited about checklists :)

i am super curious to see what the fuss is about with this program.  from what i have heard Michelle is an amazing motivator and trainer [i don't watch much tv so have never really watched biggest loser] and so i am really looking forward to hearing her motivational talks every week and seeing how they make me feel and react.  and i think that the lessons learnt in doing this exercise can follow through to many other areas of my life, and my business.  so i am excited!!  also i am notorious for being easily distracted, so committing to something for 12 weeks and being determined to get to the end is a big ask for me!  not because i struggle to be motivated but because i have so many new ideas and exciting things going on that i sometimes forget about the last project i started.

for the next 12 weeks i commit to making time for me. to scheduling in yoga time, and bar any national disasters, going.  to making time for fresh air and bike rides and maybe even a little jog along the lake edge. to special treats like massages and pedicures and guilt free couch time to make a dint in this massive pile of books i have here. to being spontaneous every now and then and deciding the work can wait till tomorrow. to remembering to have lunch. to taking more notice of portion sizes. [because skipping lunch and having a massive dinner just before bed is not good]. to going to bed earlier, so that i can wake earlier and have more time and less stress getting through the morning rush.  to committing to something, and following it through till the end. to living passionately. to loving my body and all of it’s quirks.

to taking control.

the view from my sunset bike ride on friday…

ps: there is still 2 weeks till the program starts so still time while everyone is still doing pre-season warm up’s if you want to join up.  message me if you are considering it and i can hook you up with an invite [and possibly win a heart rate monitor for doing so!]  and also a big shout out to my lovely group of support gals…  so excited that we are all doing this together!!!

just excuse me while i sit and stare at them for a while.

photography by NFE Design

blue spot butterfly dress juliet’s closet

lace leg warmers huggalugs

ps: someone asked ~ she has no makeup on, just beautiful sunset light :)  hair done by me!

Who  would have thought that one little baby boy could bring so much happiness into so many people’s lives! From the minute we knew of your existance we fell in love. Every heartbeat we listened to, every little face we saw, and every tiny kick we felt made us more excited to welcome you into our beautiful world. To finally hold you in our arms and hear you take your first breath was the most special and surreal moment, and every minute since we thank our angels for giving you to us.
From your acrobatic facials, to your tiny little cries, you make every day so much better than the last. We cannot wait until that first hug back so we know that you know just how much we love you!
Santino, you’ve started our own little family.. let the days of smiles laughter and love begin… You are one very special little man…

All our love today and always,
Mum n Dad
xoxoxo

friends, please meet Santino ~ 12 days new.

Santino’s newborn photos shoot by NFE design

click here to see full portfolio

click here to follow NFE Design on facebook

Aria may be just a quiet, sweet little girl who is happy just to sit and watch the world going on around her, but her name, Aria, embodies everything that is strong and brave and independent.  you see, Aria’s great grandmothers name was Maria and her great great grandmothers name was Daria,  so in a way her name is a tribute to two very strong Italian woman.  add to this  her gorgeous middle name, Della.  Della is Aria’s grandmothers name, yet another strong woman in the family.  three generations of grandmothers all coming together to be namesakes to this precious little girl.  that’s something pretty special right there.

so what does Aria mean?  In Italian it means air and in Latin… lioness.  now tell me, is there any doubt in your mind that this sweet little angel will grow up being a strong, independent woman.  i mean how could she not!  she’s surrounded with so much love and strength and inspirational woman.  her destiny is surely to follow in their footsteps.

Aria…strong.  a lioness.

photography nfe design

instagram is a lovely place, minimal words and loads of gorgeous photos… a way to share snippets of your every day life, and see what friends, family [and strangers] are up to in their corner of the world in a slightly more condensed format than facebook.

the gist of it, if you haven’t seen it, or haven’t really used it that much is you snap photos on your iPhone and apply a variety of filters to the images and then upload them to instagram [and facebook, twitter etc also at the same time if you like]

it is a great way to look at the world around you in a different way.  from differing angles and perspectives. to see beauty in the mundane. to document the day today activities of your life.  i am in the process of putting together a book of the first 4mths of our year, a combo of all the instagram pics, our photo shoots, and some of the blog posts i have written… so excited to get it complete and back in my hands…  the aim will be to do one three times a year!

my favorite way to shoot images on my iPhone is using hipstamatic.  being a professional photographer i love that hipstamatic gives you perfectly imperfect images straight up.  no desire to photoshop and fix and edit…  they are what they are :)  i will occasionally use some of the filters within instagram, but also just recently the fabulous team behind my favorite adobe lightroom presets have created an app called vsco cam.  you can also check out a cool video on how to use it here

if you want to follow my adventures on instagram you can search for Renee Bell or notforeating_naybel or follow via followgram here

and here are a few of my latest instagram uploads… behind the scenes at the Juliet’s Closet photo shoot

so by now I bet you’re all thinking Lisa sounds pretty wonderful right?  well that’s because she is and we’re so lucky to have her on board as a regular feature writer.    we’re so excited to have this wise and wonderful lady share her thoughts, feelings and ideas with us and i’m sure you’re now looking forward to her first post.  well you don’t have to wait long.  Lisa is currently working on a 5 minute passion piece for us and i have to tell you, i’m pretty excited to discover exactly what Lisa is most passionate about…

stay tuned!

image of lisa indulge by nfe design

you can follow Lisa’s blog here and on facebook here

on instagram @lisajanehumphries

view Lisa’s full [indulge] photo session here

snuggling up in bed at night… ugg boots… scarves… tights… boots… gloves… lots of layers… hot showers…

and the absolute bestest thing!  covering up bad hair day’s with a beannie :)

love love love!

in celebration of winter, a little photshoot.  it was cold and it was windy, but loads of fun!!!

what do you love [or hate] about winter?

Minime Laura leather boot

Quince Sacha blue denim dress

Sudo firewire leggings – eclipse floral

gloves and scarf we have had for a few years now – cant remember where they are from.

photography NFE Design

i haven’t made it in a while but i decided to fire up the oven and roast some veges to make one of our favorite dips… and the upside to that, maybe the oven will heat the house a little while it is on!!

we eat this roast vegetable dip quite often as a snack or for lunch. with some fresh raw veges to dip in it or spread on corn cruskits is absolutely divine (and gluten free)…  probably similar to some of the ones that you get pre-packaged in the supermarket, but when it is this easy to make, who would want the artificially flavoured and full of preservatives version??

now before i start with the recipe, remember i don’t do lists.  i guess and i measure in handfuls not cups :)  it is pretty foolproof through, as long as you have a good piece of pumpkin it will be full of flavour…

roast approx 1kg of pumpkin and 4-5 carrots till nice and browned and cooked through.  don’t be afraid of blasting the heat at the end, the crunchy edges add flavour!

set aside and let it cool slightly.

in a food processor combine approx 1 cup full of nuts (macadamias are my preference, but cashews could also be good) and 5-6 shallots roughly chopped.

process slightly and then add all of the roast veges.

thin it out a little with rice milk, or olive oil, just a few tablespoons to begin with (i use the milk, and you can of course us normal milk if you have no dairy issues)

add salt to taste.

the key is to not process it too much, it is much better chunky!  and better eaten while still warm!

oh and don’t skip the shallots, they add the flavour and texture.  tried that before because we didn’t have any and regretted it.

you can also experiment with adding other veges if you like.  maybe some sweet potato, or adding a roast zucchini will give you the moist-ness so you don’t need to use the milk.

i took a few pics for you with my phone.  i contemplated dragging out the big camera, but really it looks like chunky baby food.  a better camera isn’t going to maker it look any more attractive.  but it tastes AMAZING.

enjoy!!!

so perfectly depicting of the little being that visited my studio.

so much personality.

so much hope.

so much excitement for many more days to come, of his lucky parents staring at this face and watching it grow…

friends, please meet Santino…

photography NFE Design

you are what you eat.

we have all heard that before, right?

i love learning, and learning about how to be healthier, how to live a my life in a cleaner, more simple, more nutritious way is such a buzz.  and if you feel better as a result then double bonus!!!

“With access to better information people invariably
make better choices for their health…”  FOOD MATTERS

the lovely Jen from Nourish your Soul who we introduced you to a month or so ago here has arranged for a wonderful evening of socialising, learning, and trying new things…  check out the details below, and hopefully will see lots of you Newcastle people there!!

Film Night Showing – FOOD MATTERS – A MUST SEE FILM!!!

Learn about what makes up a balanced diet, what to avoid and how to get heal your own body!

Tickets are only $10 including a light dinner made with locally grown produce.

Book tickets here

Watch the trailer from the video here

Times:-
5-7pm Twilight Farmers Markets – local and organic produce
7pm Dinner is served
7.30pm Film begins

Please share this event with your friends, its going to be an amazing night!!!

it is a gorgeous dress!!! i think it was just a cheap one from Target – but I certainly got my money’s worth!!!  these pics from Jan 2010…

recently i had to convince her that it was time for the dress to retire, so imagine our excitement when we spotted this gorgeous dress below at the Juliet’s closet Launch party a few weeks ago…  it is blue [her favorite colour] it is flowery and girly and she loves it!!!

so excited that we found a suitable replacement… the old party dress can now be passed on to another lucky little girl!!  or, maybe we will keep it, i’m not sure i could bear to let it go…

if you want to check it out her new dress – you can purchase the dress here from Juliet’s Closet.  the boots, tights and purple undershirt are also available on the Juliet’s Closet website now…

and, some pics of Liana wearing it, when we were out to lunch for my birthday last week :)

1. flowers…. ohhh we love flowers… when i win the lotto, [note i said when not if] the first thing i will be doing is hiring Rach from Sapphire Designs to fill my house with fresh flowers every week.  unfortunately they will have to be ones that don’t smell, but i can deal with that!
2. awesome eyelashes… enough said!
3. talented friends… Rach from Sapphire Designs on flowers and Josie from Tranzformations on hair and makeup…
4. gorgeous models/ clients who let me try out their crazy ideas on them… see more of Jess here
5. beautiful hair… and that reminds me – must.book.hairdresser.appt.pronto
6. grainy black and white photos…

photo shoot from earlier this year:

Photography [indulge] by nfe design

anyways, reading the billy and august blog a few weeks back and the lovely Belinda mentioned a series of books that she had recently read and loved.  i could vaguely recall hearing about them before but didn’t really know any details so i just added them to the list. i made sure to order the whole series since she had said that once you read the first you simply must read the second immediately and then the third…

well, they arrived the other day…

50 shades of Grey.  books one two and three.

i’m pretty much speechless.  i read book one and although i was tempted to read through the night and into the next day i did finally fall asleep.  then i got distracted because it was my birthday and i had no choice but to be sociable.  so i didn’t read it as quick as some claim to have.  but as quick as i could… i think i might wait and share my thoughts when i get to the end of the 3rd book.  but just wanted to say – go buy them!  do it. do it now!  they will make you cringe, they are very confronting, and who knows what else is to come since i haven’t yet finished but just like everything else – if this many people are talking about something then it’s nice to actually know what they are referring to…

amazon (also on kindle if you prefer)

book depository (they have free shipping to AU)

or anywhere else you can find them :) you might get lucky and find them at your local book store and not have to wait…

turns out (and i haven’t had time to read much since i am still trying to devote every spare second to reading the books) that there is a LOT of controversy about these books… websites and facebook pages and what seems like thousands of news articles and forums posts about the books…

if you buy them, enjoy… and let me know what you think… if you aren’t speechless like i am, that is!

Style Me Gorgeous is all about print and web base design for small to medium businesses including logos, business cards, ads etc.  but wait!  there’s more!  Sarah also offers print and party décor.  yep, if you’re putting on a party then you need to talk to Sarah about everything from invites to decorations.  Sarah is one amazingly talented and creative lady and i just had to share her and her awesome business with the rest of you.  i met this lovely lady a few years ago when i photographed her handsome son’s 1^st birthday party.  the detail and thought that went into Max’s party just blew me away and I knew right then that Sarah was onto something special.  since that time i’ve had her create custom designs for many of my parties and get togethers, always with AMAZING results!  i wanted to take the opportunity to talk to Sarah more about her business and the success she has had over the time she has spent growing and nurturing her “Style Me Gorgeous” brand and asked her to share a little about herself, her business and her advice.

Sarah’s a perfectionist. she’s sensitive and she claims she’s a worrier but she has such confidence in person that you honestly would never know.  dream vacation… well that stretches between two extremes.  new york in the winter or somewhere tropical, or maybe both in the one trip.  now that sounds like perfection to me.  Sarah was born in England and lived there until she was 10 year of age.  she’s hopeless at sport, loves the smell of tinsel, in another life would love to be Channing Tatum’s leading lady and her ultimate day would include blue skies,  hot sun, the beach, a boat and friends and family.

so now that you know a little about the personal side of Sarah, lets delve into the business side and find out how Style Me Gorgeous came about and how the business works.

so what motivated Sarah to start her business?

“I studied Graphic Design at university and have been a freelance designer ever since. After the birth of my children Jack and Max, I naturally became more interested in design for all things baby / mummy related and began to specialise in this area finding a huge demand for it as many other mums like myself were wanting to work from home and were starting small businesses that required my services.

When Max was born I was inspired by a few party blogs to design an invitation and matching decor to create a dessert table for his Naming Day. This became my first printable party decor set, the Baby Elephant theme, it was received so well I decided to design more party printables and haven’t look back ever since!”

now when Sarah says the baby elephant theme was received well, she’s being just a little understated and coy.  Seriously… google “style me gorgeous baby elephant theme” and you come across blog posts and forum posts and pictures and reviews from hundreds of people who have used and fallen in love with this popular Style Me Gorgeous theme.  it’s clear that right from the beginning Sarah was onto something big!

the name “Style Me Gorgeous” is perfect for Sarah and her business but how did it come about?

“When I began specialising in graphic design for baby/kids/mum related industries I of course found myself designing a lot of ‘cute’ and gorgeous’ stuff, I was creating a gorgeous and stylish image for small businesses so the name ‘Style Me Gorgeous’ seemed to be perfect.”

what does Sarah love most about her business?

 “I love that I can work from home and be my own boss!”

oh i hear you on that one sister!!!!

now with such a gorgeous range of products and services Sarah must have a favourite right?  we were interested to know exactly what that was?

“The printable party decor packages are fantastic. Personalised to suit your event, they allow you to be creative and style a gorgeous and coordinated looking party for an affordable price.”

ok so we all know it’s easy to come up with an idea or service but it’s not always easy to put that plan into action, get a business running and do it with success like Sarah has.  so we asked Sarah from some tips for people starting their own business.

“Great customer service is key, always be as accommodating and helpful as you can, remembering that word of mouth is a powerful tool. If you are doing a great job and your customers are happy they will tell others, which will help your business grow. Work on building up a loyal customer base, and also join networking groups – these are great to help promote your business and to give you support and advice.”

and the thing all us working business owning mothers struggle with… what about juggling your own business with small children?

“I probably have enough stories to write a book on juggling small children and a home business, but I am yet to find the answer on how to create a happy balance between the two. Everyday if different, some flow nicely from start to end and I get plenty of work done and have happy kids. Other days I feel Im chasing my tail and accomplish nothing.

It is extremely hard to close the doors to the office and ‘switch-off’ from work when you are always there, it takes a great deal of discipline which I am lacking.

I do find that getting out of the house and having a coffee with friends does wonders!

Oh, I just started Pilates and really love it, I think it is going to be one of my tools to help me relax and handle the juggling act better ;-)”

it can’t be denied that Sarah is one very sensible, wise and smart business woman.  she’s taken an idea and grown it into something wonderful.  it doesn’t stop there though.  Sarah has huge plans to expand the party printables range to cater for not only children’s parties but also weddings, engagements, teenagers and adults birthdays.  what a fantastic idea and an awesome goal to aim for. i have no doubt that pretty soon there will be brides all over Australia using style me gorgeous to style their weddings.  Sarah is open to all theme requests and also can offer you some great advice if you find yourself with a party to plan but no clue on styling.

now, i have a very exciting sneak peek of two new designs that Sarah is about to release.  so happy to be able to share these with you all!!!

dinosour and masquerade…

if you want to see or know more about style me gorgeous then visit the website at http://www.stylemegorgeous.com.au

 contact Sarah at info@stylemegorgeous.com.au

and to keep up to date with all the latest news make sure you like the style me gorgeous facebook page at www.facebook.com/stylemegorgeousdesign

meanwhile, a few peeks of past designs…

Max’s first birthday featured in Little One Baby magazine

the invitation from Liana’s circus themed party last year… you can see all the party pics here

and the adorable elephant theme which can be found here

yoga with Claire tonight has made me deliciously energetic and floaty… been cooking and baking and cleaning and writing and it’s very close to midnight… if i were pregnant may be called nesting, but i am not. so i think “you will most likely be tired in the morning” is what it is called… fun though ? — at Verve For Life.

so i am a little delerious maybe, and getting tired and coming down off my ‘yoga high’…

but a few things…. i realised today that i had forgot to share these pics that we took for juliet’s closet last month… so here i am sharing :)  according to Megan this dress has been incredibly popular so if you want one for your little girl [or for yourself if you think you can squeeze in] then you better visit this page asap and grab yourself one…

secondly, i was giggling a little and smiling lots while looking at these photos at just how much Liana and i miss each other when we aren’t together… every morning she bounds out of bed and greets me with the biggest smile you could possibly imagine, every day at school pick up she races into my arms almost bursting at the seams to hug me.  none of that cool and casual ‘i’m too embarrassed for hugs and kisses with my mum” from this little girl!  if i leave her at mums, even for 10 minutes while i go to the shops to get something, she greets me when i return like i have been gone for 10 weeks.  she is always so enthusiastic and so genuine in her greeting. argh, i love it SO.MUCH!  so tonight she went for a sleep over at nanny’s so i could go to yoga, and have a bit of a break… all good in theory – nice to have some peace and quiet.  but i rang her this afternoon to see how she was, how can i resist?  i mean, it has been a whole 6.5 hours since i have seen her.  and then rang again on my way home from yoga to say goodnight and ask how her evening was. and i was very tempted to drop in there on my way home just so i could have a hug goodnight… and i will see her tomorrow before she goes to school and we will behave like we forgot what the other looked like…

haha – i love my life, and my girl!!!  lucky i have so many photos of her to look at – i can hardly forget what she looks like!

photography NFE Design

dress juliet’s closet

flowers sapphire designs

It’s 10:38pm and I desperately want to go to bed. At over 27 weeks pregnant, my tiredness has stepped it up a notch and I feel like I’m running at ‘half empty’ for most of the day.

The MacBook on my lap feels like a lead weight on my body. Worse is the excel document that i have just created to start putting together a run sheet for our wedding (now only two weeks away), which feels like a lead weight on my mind.

Tiredness starts to win. I save my empty shell of a run sheet and make a move toward the stairs. To my left is a mountain of clean clothes waiting to be folded and put away. Straight ahead are piles of paperwork that needed to be filed away in the new filing unit we brought in a mad rush to get our shit together. Turn to the right and the dishes are stacked next to the sink, begging to be washed up. Take a step forward and feel the graininess on the floor that means it’s time to vacuum.

Tears begin to well up as that overwhelming feeling takes over.

Truth is this feeling has been creeping up for a while now. I’m overwhelmed about all this change to my life and body. I’m overwhelmed about planning a wedding largely on my own. I’m overwhelmed about the change I see happening in my closest friendships. I’m overwhelmed about the fact that my parents are leaving for a months holiday on the very day i’m due to have my first baby. I’m overwhelmed about the changes to my professional life. I’m overwhelmed about buying maternity lingerie for my honeymoon. I’m overwhelmed by the thought that in less than 13 weeks I’ll be a mother to a real person. I’m overwhelmed about the disorganised state of my home.

My name is Renee Howells and I am overwhelmed.

You know what the funny thing is? I’m actually shocked by this feeling – completely floored. For a person that keeps things fairly ‘controlled’ in life and generally just rolls with what the world throws up, this feeling feels wrong. It feels like I’ve lost something…

Nobody talks much about this side of marriage and pregnancy. I’m sure it happens to all women (and men) at different times and to varying degrees. We go so far as to celebrate these life changing milestones with showers and parties that we forget to mourn the things that sometimes have to change in order for life to move forward – the shape of our bodies, relationships with others, our careers, how we feel about our family.

Why?

Why are we so afraid to share our fears and real feelings about two of the biggest changes or journeys that we go through in life?

Is it guilt? Do we feel like we have so much to be thankful for that it would be rude and ungrateful to ‘whinge’?

Is it fear? Are we scared that we are the only ones that feel this way and we will be judged for being uncertain/disorganised/scared/frustrated?

Is it expectation? Do we place the expectation on ourselves to just get on with it and deal with it? That everyone goes through this and it can’t be that hard?

For me I guess it’s a combination – D all of the above.

But I’m resolving to speak up. I’m going to share my feelings and I’ll be honest about what’s going on for me. I’m sure I’m not alone.

But, for now I’m going to bed. I’m going to hug my soon-to-be husband (who is shaping up to be a master wedding planner) and tell him how much I love him and how grateful I am for all his help and support. I’m going to lie there and enjoy the kicks and somersaults that come like clockwork at bedtime. I’m going to tell Dean to stop leaning his head so hard on my stomach (I’m certain he is doing it to encourage stronger kicks). I’m going to say good night to our baby and I’m going to sleep.

The run sheet can wait until tomorrow.

with wit, humour, honesty and a little sarcasm, 28 year old ReneeH shares her take on ‘what do expect when you have no idea what to expect’ as a nervous and excited first time mum…. all while putting the finishing touches on her dream wedding.  follow ReneeH as she shares with us her excitement, nervousness, uncertainty and joy about what lies ahead.

part of our real life. real stories series

see all of ReneeH’s posts here

what else to do but stop along the way and go for a quick run along the lake.

now, let this be clear, i am not a runner.  for one i am incredibly clumsy, so it wouldn’t be surprising at all if i tripped over my own feet, secondly i have bad ankles and knees so if i wasn’t actually tripping over my big toe or getting confused as to which is left and right then it is quite common for either my ankle or knee to just decide that it has had enough for the day, and literally just collapse.  not nice!

but anyways, a run was the plan.  or at the very least a little running and a little walking in between…  you would think, given the size of my wardrobe that i would have tights that are full length, but nope, turns out i have three pairs of 3/4 length and nothing at all to keep the bottom half of my legs warm.  besides leg warmers, which i did seriously consider…  so, off i set on my run, very impressed with myself for even considering it, let alone actually getting in the car!  and the combination of the intense cold on my legs and my nose and my ears and the burning in my chest was kinda weird.  and kinda cool and exhilarating.

so, my excuse for not running too much was of course time, since i did only have half an hour, but also i didn’t want to be too sore for yoga… and i must say once i was breathing regularly again and i got to class, i actually felt really awesome.  i felt much more centered, and relaxed and able to go deeper into my poses because my body was already warm.  so there you go!  i’m not sure if exercising before yoga is a very “yogi” thing to do, but i might try it again sometime… maybe once i get some long tights…  or once it is summer again.

btw, class was with Amy at Verve for Life ~ fabulous!!!!

a pic from along the way…

so, while on the topic of yoga, Liana has been learning at Verve for Life also…  this afternoon while admiring the gorgeous sunset on our way home Liana was dancing about so i told her to show me a few of the poses she has been learning…

and here you go :)

all photos taken with hipstamatic for iPhone

i LOVE how much the light and colours changed just in the 10 minutes we were there!!!

the most important of course, would be that it is my birthday

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for “fifth of May”) is a celebration held on May 5 as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride and Childrens Day is celebrated in Japan and South Korea on this day also.

both Chris Brown and Adele were born on this day [maybe i should have a go at singing?]

really though, after about 10 mins of googling i couldn’t find much else exciting about the 5th of may – so i think the decision has been made – the day is all about me :)

i did have a lovely day, and here are a few pics…

so, i was thinking, and since the 5th of May is a pretty special day, i have an offer to make!!!  i have a little space in my schedule early next week, so i would love to meet a special little baby who was born on the 5th of may 2012 to come into my Belmont NFE Design studio for a newborn photo session.  i have a few ideas i want to try out, so the session booking fee [baby photos only] will be complimentary (save $175) and i will also offer one 8×10 matted print as a gift (total value $270)  additional prints can be purchased if wished…

if you or someone you know had a baby on this date then please contact me asap, i look forward to hearing from you…

my newborn photography portfolio can be viewed here

when she looks this adorable dressed in red stripes and flowers who can resist!!!  who says you have to be matchy-matchy?  i love the contrast of this shirt and dress, i love that Liana shares my quirky taste in clothes and i also love that we went searching through the cupboard for the two-sizes-too-small converse because they were red and would work perfectly in the photos.  5 mins to squeeze her feet into them but we got there eventually – all in the name of art!!

skirt and top are both from Juliet’s Closet

i hope you all had a fabulous weekend!! i had a lovely birthday and am truly grateful for every message, hug, gift and phone call that i received, i have some of the most amazing friends and family that anyone could wish for!!!  i will share a bit more about my birthday, and some pics tomorrow, but for now some pics to enjoy and i am off to bed to warm up… i think winter is nearly here!!!

perfect, adorable, divine Perri…

photography NFE DESIGN

on facebook