At Home with the Hendroffs

The Hendroffs asked me recently to come and photograph their beautiful family. 

They were on the verge of selling the home they had built and wanted to get some shots of themselves in it before they moved on.

Heather said to me, as she welcomed me in, that it was kinda sad to see it go. 

I guess it would be hard when you were the one who chose that particular window sill, and that particular colour paint in the bathroom. 

I wandered through their immaculate  home and came across a series of Dora the Explorer stickers stuck on the floor, pointing towards their daughter's bedroom. Familiar with the annoying effort it takes to get them off the floor I laughed out loud.

"Oh the stickers!" Heather said realising what I was laughing at.

"Yeah, my boys do it all the time and it drives me crazy trying to get them off!"

"Well, apparently this is the bridge into her room," she said with a smile. "We decided to leave them on there until we go."

I got to thinking. Houses come and go, but you will always find home when the imagination of a child  puts stickers on the floor welcoming you into her castle. 

Home is the laugh they bring as you chase them down the halls ready to tickle the life out of them. It's the charming reminder that they will always be part of you no matter where you are.

Home is holding the one you love in your arms after a rough day. Home is family. And nothing competes with that even if the window sill is awesome. 

So I loved taking this family's photos. I loved the privilege of watching home taking place from the ridiculously amazingly talented musician father and husband, to the stunning and beautiful mama who loves so beautifully on her kids. The gorgeous full-of-life-and-personality daughter, to the quiet gentle soul of their little man. 

I loved my time spent here. At Home with the Hendroffs.

Love Riv x 

Friday....

I am an Aussie girl.

My heart lies between the rich red dust and the stunning glassy blue seas.

I love the word G’day.

I love Australia’s people.

I love pineapples and kangaroos, emus and cockatoos.

I love our rich heritage.

I love our traditions.

I love when our young 16yr old girl sailed around the world and the whole nation cramped around their “tellies” to watch her come home and let out cheer when she planted her sea legs on solid ground after 7mths at sea.

I get proud when we come together for the good, when we see a new year in and when we host the Tennis Open.

I love the Aussie Spirit, “She’ll be right mate” and “no worries”.

I tear up when I travel the Harbour Bridge and let out a sigh when I stand on the edge of Bondi Beach and stare along it’s shore it in all its beauty.

Yes. I love my country.

The lucky country.

I have lived in Sydney for 15yrs and decided I need to explore more of its sites and invest into the small businesses that make up this country.

So many places untapped in my experience.

I have been in mummy land. Glorious mummy land! Ha!

So today was the beginning of Friday adventures with my bestie.

We planned a day where we only have one child each, eliminating the other four that make up our families.

We headed into Alexandria to “The Grounds” café  http://groundsroasters.com , ate the most delicious brunch, and coffee and then headed to “Dug up on Bourke” http://www.douguponbourke.com.au .

I’m still shocked I haven’t been there before. But confession had it, I hadn’t.

It was a world onto itself.

It was rich with vintage collectors items.

From bodiless deer heads to worn out church pews, “Ten Pin Bowls” pins and old world Globes. 100yr old suitcases and seas salted sailing ropes. Each item holding lost Australian history I craved to know.

This place oozed creativity and house redecorating.

It had potential to overwhelm me! Everywhere I looked my mind buzzed with thoughts of where “I could put that………” or “this is perfect for ………”

We headed home full of vision for our homes and of course drove past Starbucks at for Ice Caramel Macchiato and extra hot Chai.

So today was a good, good day.

Hope you enjoyed yours wherever you were and whatever you did.

Much love Riv xoxo