“In joy and in sadness, flowers are our constant friends.”
Fables and Flora was born out of a love of stories and flowers. Through this symbiosis there are opportunities to connect, reflect and do work that allows us to grow and learn.
Services include passions and projects workshops, art classes and artwork photography for artists.
email info@fablesandflora.com
Passion for the things we love can take us many places. My love of flowers led me to photography which has taken me on journey of wonder and discovery and recently led me to the stage at TEDx Emerald Glen Park.
Butterflies in the Poppies:
My passions for storytelling, community and all things floral collided in a blissful moment that urged me to encourage others to follow the paths where they seek to make a difference.
If you’re waiting for a sign to take a leap out of your comfort zone then please take a moment to view my TEDx Talk – Community, Connection and the Art of Storytelling.
It’s not for everyone but it might just be for you.
PS: Flowers at the TEDx Event:
Amazing that it included a pincushion bloom from the Western Cape in South Africa! Stocks symbolize a happy life and contented existence. Orange roses represent enthusiasm, passion and gratitude. The Feverfew daisy-like flowers are a medicinal plant for treating headaches so this is a perfect TEDx bouquet!
Happy Earth Day!
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." Dr. Seuss
My thought for today – we are fueled by the things we care about and we benefit from things that others care about.
Nature nurtures us all and we will all be better if we care about and for her a whole awful lot.
Photo 1: Better is Beautiful
Photo 2: Daisy Profusion
Today my blog is three years old!
Photo 1: Pink Indian Hawthorn
When I started it I had no idea where this journey would take me. All I knew is that I wanted to share what I cared about. It was an opportunity to document what I see and what moves me.
It is still that today.
Photo 2: Yellow Daffodil dreams
Thank you to all my followers who have joined me on this adventure and encouraged me!
May your days be filled with beautiful moments that drive you to live your life with passion!
Photo 3: Blue Muscari
Following the blogging frenzy during the week of the #YourTurnChallenge culminating in my debut tv appearance it has been a bit of a mission to get my head out of the clouds.
Photo 1: Welcome February
I felt so energetic and driven it was like starting my blogging journey all over again even though I’ve been doing it for three years. Now that the euphoria has settled it’s back to business as usual but the feeling of striving to fulfill my dreams has been reignited.
Photo 2: Sunflower signals
I’ve always wanted to do so much, to make an impact while making a difference and uplifting and inspiring those around me in the process. This year has gotten off to a remarkable start and I am looking forward to reaching for my dreams with renewed vigour and adding some pizzazz to my floral photography.
Thanks for joining me on my journey! Have a fabulously floral February everyone!
This week has been quite unusual at ours. My husband, Robin, and I have both participated in the #YourTurnChallenge to blog every day for a week, initiated by Winnie Kao, project lead for Seth Godin.
“Are you reading something Daddy wrote again? asked my son “You two have been doing a lot of writing this week!”
Indeed we have – we have been shipping with a group of like-minded individuals from across the globe – and it’s been awesome, frustrating, challenging and liberating.
Photo 1: Spring buds and blooms in the park this morning
Spring Blossoms in the Park
I have had my floral photography blog for four years and have steadily plodded along. I’ve blogged because I love to share what I experience and what I care about. I have a writing blog (needing a post) called Stories in #10Tweets a Genetic Counselling News SA blog (in stasis) a motherhood blog called MumDay (discontinued) and my floral photography blog that just keeps going and now my martial arts blog Junbi.
When I first started blogging I was hooked on the stats. Was anyone reading it? Did it resonate with someone? Did people like what they saw?
When the stats remained dismal for the first year I was initially demotivated but then I changed my perspective. I realised that I was blogging because I enjoyed it, so I would just keep sharing things I felt passionate about.
I love it when people like my posts and send me comments. It’s a great way to connect and I usually comment on and follow their blogs too. Connecting is what makes social media social.
So my newest blog Junbi is steadily taking off. It has allowed me to connect with those I meet in other settings in a more in depth manner. I asked more questions in my Kuk Sool Won martial arts class so I had enough material to blog about.
I paid better attention to what Master Saidi said during my lessons so I could recall the key points he was conveying.
I asked more questions after Tai Chi class and discovered that Tim was also an author.
I had something different to talk about when I met another expat Mum in the park this morning and we chatted about blogging, martial arts and floral photography.
By being a brand advocate for Seth Godin I was also one for Kuk Sool Won, Tai Chi, Remarkable Runs, Fables and Flora, other challenge bloggers and myself! A very unique combination, generating chatter and making a ruckus.
Blogging this week has also allowed me to watch Robin unveil his writing skills and allowed me to peek into his mind during a run. Our kids got to see us committing to a challenge and shipping and they started writing their own thoughts too.
So we now have budding and blooming bloggers in one household! Congrats to all who joined the challenge this week and happy shipping on your journey forward.
Live. Lead. Contribute.
I have joined the #YourTurnChallenge and started a new blog called Junbi. I would love to hear your thoughts on it!
This blog was initiated because of a challenge by Winnie Kao, the Special Projects Lead for Seth Godin, linked to his book What to do when it’s your turn (and it’s always your turn), to do a blog post a day for 7 days.
To follow Seth’s key theme in his book – it’s my opportunity to take my turn and to make a difference. We all have the opportunity to contribute, to lead and to live our lives to the full.
My husband is blogging for this challenge too. Read his posts on Remarkable Runs.
I have been blogging for a few years now. I have tried various approaches and some have worked while others haven’t. Fables and Flora has been my most successful as I think it’s involves the content that I am most passionate about – flowers of course! My aim for 2015 is to revamp Fables and Flora and take the content to new exciting places so watch this space.
Hope you enjoy the journey with me and please give Junbi a read too!
I have recently started writing blog posts for the World of Expats website and decided to do my second post on my favourite subject – taking photographs! I however did not have a suitable photograph to go with the theme and I didn’t have much time before submission. So while I was in the garden, taking photographs of course, my husband appeared camera in hand to take a photo of me with my old Lumix camera so he provided an ideal model. The light was nice in one spot in the garden but I didn’t like the background so I took the photo in the nice light then swapped the background with the other side of the garden where the Japanese maple grows. The fun of Photoshop! Please have a read of my post “Life through a lens – photographing your journey” – I would appreciate your comments.
Photo 1: Hubby with the Lumix
Photo 2: The Japanese maple leaves
