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"A portrait of our daughters, once a week every week in 2014".

Josephine & Coralie: Reading (and eating) books together in the tent. Such sweet sisters. I hope to see this continue as they grow :)

Taking part in Jodi's 52 Project.

MONTHLY PORTRAIT

Finally posting Coralie's five month portrait. I took these photos a couple of weeks ago, but life right now is busy and time is zipping by like I've never known.

Better late than never though, I'm determined to keep the monthly portraits coming.

At five months our sweet Coralie has changed so much. She's sitting (mostly...some days she's really good, others she's all over the place!) and says 'Da' when she sees Ben. She's started doing this tiny little wave when we say hello and bye bye; she's started eating food. Avacado on wholemeal pita breads, banana porridge and spaghetti bolognaise being her current favourites. Oh, and yoghurt. The girl loves her yoghurt. Seeing her enjoy food as much as Josephine is a real joy. At some point I promise to write a post about our second journey into Baby Led Weaning. I'm so much more confident this time round and it really is so lovely to see our girls eating together and loving every mouthful.

Coralie still adores the water, and splashes her way through every bath time. She properly dances when she's in the door bouncer and Ben puts music on. It's so cute.

Her eyes light up when she sees Ben, and even in the middle of the night she cranes her head to see him in the dark. She gives me proper, big cuddles - arms round my neck, pulling me in - especially before I put her to bed. But mostly, mostly she is infatuated with her big sister. Josephine can make her chuckle a big, hearty chuckle, and it's the best sound. Coralie's gaze rarely leaves Josephine, and that girl is such a brilliant big sister. She talks to Coralie in a special voice and calls her 'little one'. These girls, we're so lucky.

During those first days after Coralie was born, I looked at our girls and wondered if they'd be like my sister and I when we were small. Me (just like Josephine) always on the go, pushing harder, impatient and Dora happy to sit and watch (things have changed a bit since then!) But I've been proved wrong. Coralie is so like Josephine. Shrieking with impatience at not being able to do things yet, always wanting to move; it's impossible to keep her still.

Our tiny little pixie. Making us all smile, everyday.

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"A portrait of our daughters, once a week every week in 2014".

Josephine & Coralie: Pumpkin carving and scary faces on Halloween. Top marks to Josephine for effort...not entirely sure Coralie had a clue what was going on!

Taking part in Jodi's 52 Project.

INSTA-OCTOBER

1. Dinnertime
2. New wellies, and amazing Coco and Wolf bloomers
3. Pixie
4. We headed to the 'big' park to enjoy this morning's beautiful sunshine and Josephine conquered her fear of the huge tunnel slide. So many times Ben has taken her to the top and spent ages in the queue only for her to decide against it. Today, despite being a little fearful and worried, she decided enough was enough and she loved it! There was lots of cheering from the top of the slide from daddy and a big cuddle from me at the bottom. I can't tell you what a big deal this was for her. She was so proud! She amazes us with her determination, wonderful girl
5. My loves :) Sunday afternoon snugs with Daddy. Both girls napped for two hours after lunch!! As my best friend just said (when I text her with glee) 'it's like Christmas!'
6. Today was all about broccoli...
7. Love mornings of fun with my best friend and her boys, especially ones that end in fish and chips for lunch!
8. Such a lucky mama
9. Autumn
10. Scary faces...

INSPIRED: amy & ivor

It's hard not to be impressed with the amazing success Alice at Amy and Ivor has had. I've written about her beautiful Moccasins here, and whilst Josephine spent the summer wearing hers everywhere (getting compliments and enquiries about where they're from wherever we went) Coralie's are taking her into the winter and look gorgeous. This tiny pair of the palest grey are now a little too small, but we have a cinnamon pair just waiting to be tried out, thank goodness.

As a newly launched businesswoman (that sounds kinda funny!), I'm so taken by how Alice has taken her company to the next level. She's a really lovely person and has a wonderful product, and is inspiring me so much right now.



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"A portrait of our daughters, once a week every week in 2014".

Josephine: Sometimes it's the details I want to remember. The pushed up sleeve, the little turned out feet, that sweet polka dot skirt.

Coralie: Nanny-made booties, worn in a variety of colour, almost everyday. They're the best.

Taking part in Jodi's 52 Project.

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"A portrait of our daughters, once a week every week in 2014".

Josephine: Reading a Dutch magazine that incudes some of my photographs! She was rather bemused to see herself in a magazine and hasn't stopped 'reading' it.  

 

Coralie: Grabbing, reaching, eating her toes. Always.  

 

Taking part in Jodi's 52 Project.

 

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"A portrait of our daughters, once a week every week in 2014".

Josephine & Coralie: Is there really anything as sweet as matching sibling outfits?!

Taking part in Jodi's 52 Project.

 

  

 

NELL MALLIA PHOTOGRAPHY

Last summer I attended Tim Coulson's workshop in London and it changed the way I thought about the pictures I was taking. A real passion for photography had grown inside me over the previous couple of years and, listening to Tim, I realised that this was something I'd love to do professionally. I decided on the way home from London that I was going to snap, snap, snap away and one day I'd launch my own business and see where it would take me.

Today is that day, and I'm so happy to be introducing Nell Mallia Photography.

Since that hot July day, my life has changed in ways I could never have anticipated. Not in a million years. The following month we found out we were pregnant again. Then my Dad died, and then Coralie arrived. It's been a year like no other I've experienced. The highest of highs and lowest of lows. But through it all I knew I wanted, at some point, to pursue this photography dream. And as the weeks after my Dad died turned to months, and the babymoon haze lifted, I started taking pictures again and made a start on my website.

Inspired, always, by my beautiful Dad. By his passion for life. And by wanting to make him proud. And by wanting to be as inspirational a parent for our girls, as he was for me.

As with any big step and new venture, it's exciting and terrifying all at the same time. I'd love to hear what you think, and would really appreciate it if you could hope over to Facebook and like my page.

Here's to seizing life, living it to the full and following your dreams.

INSTA-SEPTEMBER

1. Admiring my two year old's unique sense of style. This kid is so awesome.
2. Love this face to the stars and back; her 'why?' face! Questioning why the graffiti in the tunnel on the walk to the canal and been painted over. As always, no answer we could give would suffice!
3. My mama and Coralie, watching the hot air balloons this afternoon xx
4. One year ago today my Dad took Josephine and I to a sweet little farm where we looked at the animals, played in the park and ate yummy food. We laughed so much. It was the last time I saw him in person, he went to Australia 2 days later. Today Ben and I took the girls back there, talked all about Grandpa and had a lovely day. I can't believe it's been a year since I got a cuddle from my dad. I miss him so much, today and always. Love you Daddy xxxxx
5. Cousins :)
6. Coralie, by Josephine :)
7. Happy Mondays
8. Baby toes are hard to beat. So teeny, so cute
9. I love seeing Coralie in the clothes Josephine wore when she was
10. Some morning hand holding :)