Category Archives: {daily}


simple sweetness

cinnamon swirled donut with maple icing
long straight roads, met on each side with rolling amber wheat as far as the eye can see


endless sky of blue and white fluffy clouds
baby cows lounging in the sun
music on the radio and an iced drink to sip

oh i often crave this.. the simple road trip to somewhere or nowhere at all..
getting in the car and just driving, meeting roads that are wide and new, and all of a sudden turn into tiny, old, red cracked pavement- leading into tiny towns with their water towers painted with the pride of the local school.. having the windows down and the wind in your hair, the hum of the engine, the heat of the sun. mmm yes. something so simple and sweet.

it wasn’t quite that-
my love not by my side, hand in hand, talking endlessly about everything and nothing at all..
but it was good just the same
on a little road trip to great granny and papa ed’s- to have an early mothers day lunch and let claire run around and make them smile.
simple sweetness

By edarcy | Comments (1)

on the go

being a mama on the go is completely new to me.
at home, we’re normally home all day and just take walks around our little town. we don’t have a car and places are within walking distances- sometimes i wear claire, sometimes she walks, other times i bring a little stroller- but we’re never that far from the house.

it’s been a completely different experience here, and i’m kind of awful at it. i am sure that i look like a mess when out and about. i’m not used to packing a bag of tricks to bring, snacks and toys- i normally would leave the house without anything. each outing here i’m thinking ‘aaaagh! d’uh! why didn’t i bring this or that’

here, i am the mama sitting down on the floor in the middle of a store to nurse claire, in a way to entertain and distract her from having a tantrum.  i’m in my own little survival mode, with blinders on- and i have no idea if anyone even notices us, and i guess mostly i don’t care. i nurse over the top and haven’t considered if it’s okay with people or not.

i’m the mama carrying a child on my hip that has her hands down my top, trying to pull my boobs out because she wants a sup so bad.

i am the mama with the toddler without shoes, that i am struggling to carry because she wants down so bad

i am the mama with the child running around the place- smiling and waving and talking to everyone

i’m learning how to power shop, er.. but i’m not good at it- i am not good for shopping to begin with, and having a toddler to keep happy while you’re trying on clothes doesn’t make it any more fun.  i’m the mama spinning around in circles in the dressing room, singing and dancing and trying to entertain a crying baby as i get dressed.. shopping has never been so exhausting.

everyone we have met has been so lovely and gracious though.

we’ve been having fun. spending way too much money on clothes, getting treats, experiencing new things. i keep forgetting to bring my camera with me, because it’s just one more thing to keep up with.
i’m awful at thinking of words to tap out here
mostly…we’re just here. enjoying.

By edarcy | Comments (1)

this past week (already)

. the earth is red and the air smells sweet

. the wind is hot, and. well. it’s all hot.
. our pale irish skin is a shocking contrast in the sun, heh
. shopping with my mama, buying lovely girly clothes that fit and make me feel lovely
. hair cut with my mama
. allergies that drip down my face
. the sweet full moon hanging in the sky
. naked baby booty cooling off in a little plastic pool

. little sick baby, poor thing. these past few days just hasn’t been herself, i wasn’t sure if it was the travelling, new surroundings, heat, teething, or just simply a little sick. or maybe a combination. she’s tucked up with a second nap today after getting sick a few times. bless.
. handmade goodness spoiling this babe, we’ll be going home with a bounty of beautiful homemade treasures and clothes. spoiled and loved up
. deaf puppy that claire has already learned the signs to tell her to sit, and being sweet and lovely- knowing boundaries already with the very grumpy puss named london.
. long car journeys on straight stretches of endless roads

By edarcy | Comments (2)

our adventure

tales from the sky – version one (because it’s only the first leg of our journey, and there’s certain to be an adventure on the way home)

. we woke at 3:40, after just a few hours of sleep for the both of us
. we were picked up by my MIL to drive us 30 minutes to the city, where we said our goodbyes and got on the bus
. tearful and a bit unsettled, and then 15 minutes in the bus journey she threw up all over herself and me. heh
. i took off her clothes and she stayed there in a nappy and socks for pretty much the whole journey. 3 hours.
. about an hour to the airport she fell asleep, and i managed to get her into the carrier to get off the bus
. met by a kind woman, who recognized me by wearing claire ‘do you know ina may?’  uhm YES! so we got talking and i said how i had wanted to go to the home birth conference in dublin, but i lived too far away to travel both ways. she let me know that she just dropped ina off at the airport and that she would be on the same flight as me!
. then it took over an hour to check me in, because there was some mix up with airlines about my ticket. oi vey.
. rushing to our gate, as it was already boarding.. oh. but i have to stop at the bathroom… aah
. i got a glimpse of ina may and her husband boarding
. saw where she was sitting, and as i was looking for my seat.. further and further and. aaah. completely at the back of the plane. drats!
. sat with a woman and her 2 year old twins.
. i was THAT mama with the crying baby. screaming baby. frustrated stewardess rudely asking ‘DO YOU HAVE A BOTTLE?!’ to which i answered ‘uhm no. i’m breastfeeding and i’m trying here, she’s tired’   finaaaally she slept. phew
. i sat there thinking about what i could say to ina may… going through my head of how i was going to say it, and how i didn’t want to be rude and bother her while she was travelling- but that i HAD to say something. once in a life time opportunity, how could i be so lucky to be on board with her- and no one else there would recognize her. so then she got up and started coming to the back of the plane for something else- i made eye contact and smiled, she smiled at me, and then turned back around- and i shook her hand and told her how beautiful she was on the tv interview the other day, how wonderful it was to have her in ireland, how happy i was to meet her and yadda yadda blah blah. i was all nerves, shaking, giddy, in love. she thanked me and smiled and was so lovely. and then went back to her seat. i sat there shaking for a while afterwards, unable to breathe. hahaha! the woman beside me had no idea who that might have been, but reassured me that i didn’t sound like an idiot. hee
. the turbulence was incredible, dropping out of the sky and bums coming out of the seat. like a roller coaster, delightful
. bleeding like a motherfuck. bled all over my vomit dried pants. heh. the joys of travelling as a mama right?! taking a baby in the tiny airplane toilet, trying to clean yourself up.
. finally landed in atlanta, got ourselves all changed in new clothes again. ran around the airport for a while, and then boarded a tiny little plane for the last leg of the journey
. thankful for the man that sat next to me that entertained claire through her screaming and crying again. it wasn’t so much the ear thing- as she was just scared of all the sounds and feelings of the plane taking off and descending again.
. and THEN! we arrived. whew! exhausted
. mama, papa, one of my best friends and her daughter there to greet us
. aaand then we rest. got home. took a shower, ate some food, and slept. sweaty and sticky and hot here.

an adventure to be sure. heh. thankful to be on the ground for a while

By edarcy | Comments (8)

april 25th, 2012

. rainy day. the house is glowing warm on the inside, as if it were a blustery autumn day outside. wind howling past the windows and making the letterbox fluttery in the wind, with loud clinking noises as it’s mouth opens to speak.

. naked toddler, drawing with markers on the white board, on the floor boards, on the belly and toes. (day two)

. a pot on the stove, chopping vegetables up for soup. bubbling over

. little naked thing signing ‘more’ and ‘eat’. a spoonful of peanut butter.

. a dream, so clear- whispering and spelling out the name of my future daughter…

. craving for a bit of mindless crafting, perhaps i’ll do a little embroidery while the babe naps. i know i should be painting.. but i just can’t bring myself to try to force watercolours that will not be tamed.

. bugs discovered in that beautiful soup just as i was going to take a bite.. must have been hiding among the broccoli.. damn it.

. lashing rain on the windows, tucking claire in to nap with her papa.. my heart.

By edarcy | Also posted in {365} | Comments (3)

preparing for the sky

in preparation for our journey.. stuck in a metal missile in the air-
i went to the shop and bought a chalkboard/magnetic board/dry erase board in one. it came with some chalk, a dry erase marker, and magnetic letters.
i bought some oily crayons- that are probably a bad idea in hindsight, maybe i won’t bring them. i thought that they were twistable crayons but are more like oil pastel twistables. lovely all the same.
i made her her own little sketchbook.. but it may turn into a little diary for me to write in about her trip to oklahoma and arizona. (hahaha i think there’s a song about that, right? Three Dog Night? heh)

and i’ll be making some homemade playdough

i’ll bring one of her favourite babies.. but oh, what one to choose?

and i am sure that she won’t really play with any of them. that she’ll just nurse and entertain other people.. rip apart magazines and hopefully nap.

i’ve already packed some rescue remedy for myself, airports are always such a stressful thing for me..
and have some teetha tablets for the wee girl to soothe her ever growing collection of pearly whites.

i know that the flight is going to be totally okay. that it will be smooth sailing, and that myself and claire will be just fine. it went better than i ever expected when i last flew on my own with her when she was 10 months, and now, 10 months later- though she’s an entirely different animal (hee) it will be great. and my heart is bursting full knowing that i have so many people in the world that love us, and i can’t wait to share claire with them..

By edarcy | Comments (3)

april 22, 2012

oops, i’ve been majorly slacking on writing. but each time i come to this blank screen.. i find i have nothing to say

recently i’ve been-

.connecting with some local mamas and feeling my heart so full to bursting… finding women that feel like hOMe to me. letting our kids run around together, picnics on the grass and being invited to come hang out.. a gift of eggs from backyard hens, a morning of sharing tea and homemade scones.

the hug. you know the hug.. the one with your girlfriends that feels so comfortable and normal and close. that you probably take for granted. the hug that connects you to sisterhood, a relaxed ease and physical affection that i have been missing so much of… and then just the other day, a warm embrace, kiss on the cheek. oh. i didn’t realise just how much i had been missing and needing a friend like that.

. embarking on my journey with birth work- doula studying with one of the most amazing mentors, leigh. it is so divine…

. watching the clouds shapeshift and drift.

. preparing myself emotionally- and physically for the journey ahead. waking up with moments of panic and anxiety.. knowing that i have bags yet to pack, a 4am bus to catch, a 3 hour journey to the airport. all on my own with claire. a flight to check in to and saying goodbye to my love.. landing home and being with family, and being so far away from my own. all bittersweet, and i am looking forward to all of it.. all the gifts of it- even though it breaks my heart to say goodbye, always goodbyes. there are also the sweetest hellos.

. feeling the dark pull of the new moon, as always.. feeling the *noise* of technology around me. wanting to disconnect. wondering how deafening true silence would really feel… how it would feel to only know what *i know*. how my body would speak and flow in tune with nature.. and i would *know* without asking or doubting. i would know everything i needed to know, and there would be no reason for anything more, i would know it all.

. really needing to paint. with commissions and people relying on me.. the muse leaves me high and dry. trying hard not to just bury my head under the covers and hide from people.

. made the best broccoli cheddar soup, the secret ingredients are cardamom and nutmeg.

. dreaming of a babe. of a full womb.. of birth. wondering when it will happen for us again. feeling so vibrant and energized with the thoughts of gestation, growing full, healthy body and mind.. nourishing myself well… sharing that experience with claire. feeling hopeful that it will happen on it’s own, that i will randomly realise that i’m pregnant, and not have to try- not have to experience the aching moons of yearning and bleeding. but i’m also in a different place right now, knowing more about my body- about what’s available to me, and having a greater respect and understanding for the time..the cycles..  all i know of opening yourself for your babe is the world of (in)fertility that i knew with claire. how dark i was, how lonely i was- that’s all i can grasp and understand, and yet this time- it would be so different.

. april showers. swollen heavy grey clouds. sound of the wind through the cracks of the windows. the loud tick-tock of the kitchen clock. the slight breath of the babe sleeping. the tapping of my fingers on keys. the toys strewn here and there, baby dolls and clothes, books and musical instruments. and blah blah blah

By edarcy | Comments (7)

april 3rd, 2012

. feeling something in me shift. wanting to find and wear clothes that fit and look lovely. to feel girly and feminine. to look pretty and only have clothes that make me feel great.

. randomly bought myself a few new makeup lovelies from e.l.f.

. dressed up to run errands to the post office

. caught in a sudden shower of hail stones, while still lovely and sunny out

. first thrift store find ever. i’ve been so daunted by the little old lady thrift shops, i’ve never actually browsed the racks. found a dress to bring home. left two that were really cute, but afraid they might not go past ma boobehs.

. ticket for home purchased. surrounding myself with positive energy, that the flight is going to be easy peasy. no hassle, easy toddler to mind while sitting in my lap for over a million hours. looking forward to a beautiful may in oklahoma.. to seeing my family and watching my girl run around and discover somewhere new. looking forward to meeting up with girlfriends, my sisterhood tribe of lovely yum yum pots of delicious magic- in the desert. looking forward to just. being home. breathing the familiar air. settling my feet in the red earth. going on new adventures to old places. but really not looking forward to leaving my man, not looking forward to taking my babe away from her papa for a whole month. but. but but. oh. looking forward to the sweet reunion when we arrive back home. seeing him in the airport and smelling him again, feeling all those butterflies and memories of meetings in the airports. tingly kisses and hands held.

. signed up, and SO excited for this holy work’s doula eCourse if you’re interested in birth work, oh. register! it’s going to be absolutely beautiful..

By edarcy | Comments (1)

march 29th, 2012

in love with her dirty little feet.. the way they’ve changed from sweet baby feet into stinky toddler toes. the way her toes curl around your nose, and her nose scrunches up- sniffling for you to smell, giggling wildly.

in this sweet spring ‘heat’.. her curls are dripping, soaking wet with sweat.. she runs around without clothes on. the poor dear, it’s only just 60 degrees..
she is definitely an irish babe. i can only imagine what this summer will be like, in the heat of oklahoma and our sweet venture to the desert of arizona.

the windows open, and dough rising in the sun

planting garlic bulbs that had already sprouted

hoping i can get this sweet potato to sprout some roots.. waiting. waiting. eagerly checking

the sound of lawns being mowed and scent of grass filling the air

buzzing bumblebees lazily dance in and out of the open window

a pencil lost, but always found tucked behind my ear or in my hair..

treasures collected, reminders of these sweet memories

sweet lazy dripping honey days.

By edarcy | Also posted in this moment, {365} | Comments (4)

flower fairies


it was an absolutely beautiful day here today, african winds bringing the sun…  my girl and i went for a walk this morning, in search of flower fairies hiding here and there. living in the land of fae is certainly a bonus.  i’m so absolutely in love with them- and will be on the search for more throughout the week.. possibly something else up my sleeve with them.

and what a great project to do with your kids. to get you all outside, and engaged with each other and nature.. looking around to see what is blossoming in season… finding colour, shapes, textures. identifying plants- and using imagination to put all of the found treasures together. a must must, for yourself- with your kids. just because.
*it’d be sweet to press and frame some for keeping…


today, our hearts are full… our cheeks are sun kissed, and our hair smells freshly whipped by the cool wind.
so excited to be on the look out for more fairies this week, i’d love to see what the flower fairies that live around you look like…

By edarcy | Also posted in inspiration for the uninspired | Comments (4)