Keeping Your Memories Safe

“Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.” 
― L.M. Montgomery, The Story Girl

I have a box of old slides – a collection of frames that keep moments of our family history, stories from my childhood. I remember, being a little girl, sitting in our dark living room on a winter’s night, watching the slides being projected onto a screen. We don’t do it anymore, right? We sit in front of our computers and occasionally go through the recent photos taken by our digital cameras, and let’s be honest, it does not happen that often anyway. And printing photos is not something that is done regularly these days, so a lot of our precious memories are stashed away, without resurfacing for years.

And setting up the projector (which I do have), and getting the slides out is not something that we  have time for in our busy digital lives. It has become a thing of the past, something we did when we were little.

I sure do have my printed childhood photos too, mostly black and white, arranged in albums. But those old slides have always been a bit more special  – full of colour, full of memories. There was also more effort involved in watching them, all that setting up of the projector and the screen, plus you had to wait for darkness to set in to be able to see those pictures.

So I had this idea for a long time, too long I would say, to scan the slides and to make a book. It took me a couple of years, but I finally did it (not without help – thanks Mum for spending hours scanning the slides!), and now those memories are more alive than ever. I can pick up the book any time. I can show my son where I came from, if he looks like me when I was a baby. I can relax that those slides are now safe, as time is not too kind to the film.

It is very easy to do. I have a very simple scanner like this one, and the results were surprisingly good when printed. I made the book using Blurb, and I could not be happier with how it turned out.

Keep your memories safe. Old photos cannot be replaced.

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Life Lately

“Everything flows, nothing stands still”

– Heraclitus

Babies are one of the biggest reminders of how impermanent life is, how change is an essence of our everyday, and how often this truth is forgotten by us, the adults. Once the tiny human being is placed into your arms, time feels so different. The days often drag by, weeks feel like hours. But it has been one and a half months since our Mr. D joined our little family, and it feels like an eternity.

When you don’t have kids, you are settled into your everyday routine. You know your alarm will go off at a certain time tomorrow, you know the day will bring certain things, you know what your weekend is going to be like.  Your shoes will still fit you in a year’s time, your favourite dress will still look good on you next season.  So we often live under the illusion of stability and permanence, forgetting what life is all about – constant change.

Babies turn it all upside down for you. Clothes that were so big on this tiny body yesterday have to be put away today, and a bit of sadness sets in as I fold that cute little onesie with teddies and bunnies on it – will I ever pull it out again? Your baby looks different today than he did last week, and you see new emotion on his little face every day. He learns, he changes, he teaches you. One morning he is happy to join you on your weekly groceries run, next Sunday he is screaming bloody murder in his Ergo in the frozen produce aisle. He sleeps like a champion today, and tomorrow he is super-alert, and every single thing surrounding him is a fascinating novelty for his wide-open eyes. He changes so fast that if you don’t pay attention, you will miss the most precious moments.

So I take pictures. Every day. Maybe I will slow down a bit later down the track, but at the moment my hard drive is bursting.

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Tania - January 30, 2014 - 8:17 am

what a great post to start my day :), thank you Mr D and Stacey :)

Our Baby

I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
As long as I’m living
my baby you’ll be

– Robert Munsch

Here is our little one, at 9 days old. So sleepy and squishy and cuddly, tiny eyelashes flattering, skin so soft and precious.  It was rainy and gloomy on Christmas Day, but warm and cozy inside, and the mellow light streaming from our window was just perfect.

I am so grateful to have been able to capture these moments. They will be cherished forever.

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Jen - January 12, 2014 - 4:20 pm

Oh my gosh Anastasia….you have captured him SO beautifully. I agree…you will cherish these for always and forever <3

Anastasia - March 29, 2014 - 8:22 pm

Thank you so much for your beautiful words Aymie xxx

The Nine Month Journey

“A Grand Adventure is about to begin”

– Winnie the Pooh

Our precious Mr.D.  You are in our arms already, you are four days old, and our life is changed forever, but before you make your first appearance on this blog I would like to go back through our family snaps taken during the journey that brought you to this world. From being a tiny little cell, a sweet and prayed for surprise, to taking all free space inside of me, hammering your little feet against my ribs, eager to stretch and play.

We did not yet know, but you were with us already.  I was taking my monthly self-portrait, which, as it turned out, was the last one for the year – I had no energy to keep up with that commitment for a number of months. 

And the day we found out we were expecting you. You changed our plans for that day – instead of the trip to Hunter Valley, we went apple picking in Bilpin instead. And continued to the beautiful Mount Wilson, where leaves were golden, and the rain was making everything dreamy.

And by the middle of winter you became a tiny little bump:

So you have already been to North Queensland:

And this was the place where I first felt your little movements, sitting on the balcony of our lovely hotel room:

And the bump was becoming more and more visible:

And then the spring came:

And here are my favourite photos from the whole journey – us at 35 weeks, surrounded by the golden light of the setting sun:

We met you the next morning. Almost 40 weeks:

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All these photos (well, almost all of them), were taken by your talented Daddy. Now, be prepared to be in front of my lens for the years to come, little one – there are so many precious moments that are to be captured.

Jen - December 21, 2013 - 1:02 pm

Anastasia these are absolutely …… breathtaking. You live my dream. There is something about your documenting and your life that makes me want to know you better and enjoy some of your moments. You have a very talented husband too! Bless you all on the journey of parenthood. There is NOTHING like it! <3

Kari - December 21, 2013 - 3:00 pm

You are such a beautiful person and Vlad captured your essence. You had an amazing journey with Daniel and it shows how much love you both had for him before he was even born. He is a lucky boy and you are lucky parents to have found each other in life. Treasure being a family.

Mel Riddell - December 21, 2013 - 9:11 pm

So amazing and so beautiful! Your journey brought me back to my own memories, and how wonderful it really is. Enjoy every second. Wishing you much love! xx

Angela Skerman - December 21, 2013 - 9:15 pm

These are so, so beautiful Anastasia! What a wonderful way to document your journey into motherhood. Congratulations on the safe arrival of your little bub too!

Nina - December 22, 2013 - 12:04 am

What a great journey with fabulous pictures along the way, but it’s only a beginning… A great beginning for a breath taking, amazing experience of motherhood and unconditional love. enjoy !

Tania - December 22, 2013 - 7:50 am

What a wonderful post! That is the attitude every little soul should be brought to this world with! Congratulations to all 3 of you, as you found each other! And lucky lucky Mr.D, who would never be short in supply of unconditional love, support and attention :)

McLaren Vale Wedding

“…here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)”

– e. e.cummings

I do know that this blog of mine is in need of attention. And now that I am officially on maternity, and with a couple more weeks of quiet to go (and the baby room is all set up, and all the little clothes washed and folded), I can finally spend some time in front of my monitor.

This stunning and intimate wedding of Alisha and James happened a number of months ago, at Chapel Hill, one of the most picturesque McLaren Vale wineries. Despite the threatening clouds, the weather was amazingly cooperative, holding off the rain until right after the ceremony stopped, and later treating us with soft afternoon light while we took photos in the vines.

I will probably not find enough words to describe the emotions that were in the air. It was hard not to tear up many times throughout the day, looking at how beautifully two families were becoming one, how much love Alisha and James have for each other. So I will let the pictures tell the story:

 

Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Retreat at Chapel Hill Winery, McLaren Vale, South Australia

Dress: Pronovias

Hair and Make-Up: Michelle MacDonald

Flowers: The Flower Emporium

Cake: Angel Wedding Cakes

Celebrant: Annette Perryman