some exciting news

on my desk 

an ocean wash, where we spent my 18th birthday.

his cheekiness. 

covered. 

undecided 

sneak peek: smoothie recipe coming soon! 

Guess what's coming in the mail?

A NEW CAMERA!!!

Hip, hip HOORAY! 

I've just sold my old camera (a Canon 1100d/T3) and a new one is on its way (Canon 7d with 30mm 1.4 lens).

Also, changes are underway!  I'm slowly making adjustments to this small space.  I hope to weave watercolour, photography, lifestyle, food and how-to posts which promote a minimalistic, fresh and natural approach to life.  With a new camera, I also may be doing a few photo shoots with friends and sharing them here.  I'm excited to just do it. 

Thank you for tagging along on my blogging journey; each one of you mean the world to me. 

Have a lovely week!

Acacia xx

psst: Pop on over to my Facebook page for more regular updates on my photography.  

MELBOURNE

 

 My mum and I popped into Melbourne the day before my birthday.   We rode on the trams, watched bicyclists rush past, took pretty pictures of skyscrapers, bought mangos and passion fruit, ventured into potentially one of the world'd largest H&M's outlets, ate a delicious lunch, got lost, asked for help, missed our stop, and hitched a ride to the right station with the loveliest lady and her two daughters.  We adventured well, to say the least!   

What places are on your to-visit list?  I'd love to visit New Zealand. 

xx

PS The first & second picture? Pumpkin pizza and greek salad, which we ate seated at a small restaurant on one of Melbourne's quintessential cobbled roads. Still can't get over how crazily delicious the pizza was. 

A STUDY OF COLOUR, PINK + PURPLE

1. soft, baby toes
2. asparagus at Melbourne market
3. pinning together
4. breathing
5. roses on a summer day
6. curled up in a blanket
7. fluttering
8. glances
9. heat
10. tiredness
11. plush
12. pastels

 My bedroom is white with richly-coloured pages of a Degas calendar by my bed, anklets and necklaces hanging on the wall, inspiration and watercolours and pinterest images taped above my keyboard piano, and my bookshelf crammed with books of almost every size and colour.  I love colour and adorn it wherever I can.  

This little project is dedicated to celebrate the beauty of colour.  Even small hints of colour -- like the pink and purple featured in these photographs -- can change the way you see something.  

Life is pretty with pink and purple.  What is your favourite colour?

xx

SIMPLE, DELICIOUS PANCAKES

These pancakes are scrumptious.  Whip them up in less then 30 minutes and treat yourself!  I love waking up in the morning to the smell of pancakes, so this morning I decided to whip up this rendition of simple but incredibly delicious pancakes.  

Makes 12.

 PART 1 

1 1/2 cups milk

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups self-raising flour

1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/3 cup caster sugar

25g butter, melted

Pour milk, egg and vanilla into a bowl and whisk.

Using a sifter, mix bicarbonate of soda and flour into a seperate bowl.  Mix in the sugar.  

Make a well in the centre and add milk, egg and vanilla mixture.

Stir until just combined.

PART 2

Heat a frying pan on medium heat.  For a healthier alternative to butter, dash around 1 teaspoon of coconut oil on to the pan.  Plop your pancakes onto the pan using a 1/4 cup measurement and wait to flip until bubbles begin to appear on the surface of the pancakes. 

PART 3

Topping suggestions:

lemon/lime juice & sugar 

maple syrup

honey

bananas 

berry juice 

Greek yogurt 

What do you love to eat breakfast?

xx Acacia

The day

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives."

― Annie Dillard 

1 

 just hundreds of metres from the ocean, in melbourne, australia, i'll turn 18. who would have guessed?!

2

click: don't worry, be happy

3

It’s happening all too fast.

Growing up.  

University.

18.

Life.

4

 Life rushes past and I hold my breath.  I try not to sink.  I sprint faster.  Breathe.  Sprint again.  Breathe.  When can life switch from sprint to marathon?  Paced and steady.  Slowly, life is winding down.  I just finished this semester at university.  Switching to marathon mode. 

5

 I am because He is. 

6

'How to do nothing' by Kinfolk  

7 

life is pieces of the ocean, drops of raspberries, a touch from the sun, a breath of longing, sighs from the wind.  life is warped and tangled but real, honest and true. 

8

"Stop comparing where you’re at with where everyone else is. It doesn’t move you farther ahead, improve your situation, or help you find peace. It just feeds your shame, fuels your feelings of inadequacy, and ultimately, it keeps you stuck. The reality is that there is no one correct path in life.  Everyone has their own unique journey" Daniell Koepke 

9

 turn my eyes from looking at worthless things and give me life in your ways. 

psalm 119:37 

In other words, I've just finished this semester at university (cue clapping and dancing); it's almost my birthday; I lacked inspiration to post so I wrote a list of discombobulated thoughts and threw in a few photographs I've taken; I'm also really inspired by the idea that how we spend our days is how we spend our lives.  

How are you doing?

xx

TRAVEL with Carlotta Cisternas

 instagram | twitter | blog | tumblr

Today I'm thrilled to share a short interview featuring Carlotta. God led Carlotta to an au pair opportunity in Nairobi and she has been there for the past 5 months; she heads home in less than a month.  From travelling essentials, trying moments, trusting God, and encouraging lessons (alongside her beautiful photographs!) Carlotta shares her journey and her heart. 

In terms of makeup, clothing, food, and books, what are your travelling essentials this year?  

Less is more. When you travel for 6 months, you naturally simplify. I've been using coconut oil religiously on my face and have simplified my makeup routine to just eyeliner and mascara. My wardrobe consists of basic pieces that I can mix and match. I didn't bring any books other than my Bible with me because space was tight, but you can almost always purchase inexpensive paperbacks at your destination. I would also recommend bringing some sort of protein/energy bars when traveling! Traveling is exhausting but there isn't always time or opportunity to eat.

Was moving to Kenya harder or easier than you expected? 

Both. I underestimated the homesickness that would hit me in the gut almost immediately, but adjusting to living in Kenya was easier than I'd anticipated. When you first move a foreign country, you have to live day to day, otherwise it will be too overwhelming. And as far as culture shock goes, I've had it easier because I live in Nairobi, which is the most developed and metropolitan city in East Africa. There are good days and bad days, though, and they come in waves.

What tips would you share to someone travelling overseas alone for the first time?

It can be scary, but don't let yourself think about all that could go wrong. Enjoy it! Traveling alone teaches you a lot about yourself and it's fascinating. The hardest part is leaving, and once you get past that, you'll be alright. You are stronger and can withstand a lot more than you think. 

What has God been teaching you having lived and flown ‘solo’ for a while? 

He's been teaching me the importance of community. He's made me more relaxed and easy going, allowed me not to sweat the small stuff. He's taught me about home. Most importantly, though, he's taught me about himself.

Is there a particular memory or life-lesson that you be taking home from your journey to Kenya?

It's hard to say what will stand out until I'm back home, but God has made me a stronger person in Kenya. He's smoothed out some of my rough edges and has built my faith to be stronger than ever. I never knew what it was like to fully trust in Jesus until I was sitting in my apartment sobbing because I felt so weary and lost and sad. He's tenderly picked me up over and over and given me grace day after day. I suppose I've truly learned that even when I'm alone physically, I'm never without his strength and guidance. 

Where to next?  Has this journey made you want to travel even more? 

I'm not sure where life will take me next! I don't think I'll ever lose the travel bug, but I've also realized how important coming home is.

Assuming this trip required a lot of bravery, courage, and trust in God, how would you recommend building that sense of bravery and trust?  

Well first off, I'm not brave or courageous. My strength is 100% from God and he has worked wondrously, miraculously in me. If you follow where God leads, he won't let you down. There's a wonderful quote by C.S. Lewis in which he says, "I know the words ‘leave it to God’ can be misunderstood, but they must stay for the moment. The sense in which a Christian leaves it to God is that he puts all his trust in Christ: trusts that Christ will somehow share with him the perfect human obedience which He carried out from His birth to His crucifixion: that Christ will make the man more like Himself and, in a sense, make good his deficiencies. In Christian language, He will share His ‘sonship’ with us, will make us, like Himself, ‘Sons of God’." 

all photographs taken by carlotta 

Thanks, Carlotta, for the opportunity to interview you! 

Where have you travelled?

xx