Tuesday 17 February 2015

10 QUESTIONS... WITH COURTNEY ADAMO



"I love the light in our kitchen and the view out into our back garden. 
I also love that it's where we spend most of our time together as a family - 
making meals, doing art projects, watching the birds and squirrels outside... 
and, of course, those spontaneous after-dinner dance parties!" 

Almost eight years ago I started my first blog - Daily Imprint. I was interested to learn more about people's creative journeys, and so an interview series began. During that time I was also for a period a contributor to the blog of Babyccino Kids. It was when my first child was about 18 months old, and I wanted to showcase some of the great Australian children's brands that I came across in my job as a writer for Real Living magazine, as well as through Daily Imprint. However, time got the better of me, and I had to step away from contributing. But returning to write about the wonderful world of children has always been at the back of my mind. That is why last year I started The Indigo Crew.

Once again, though, immersing myself in this new world has started a new set of intrigues. I am interested to know more about the people behind some of my favourite feeds on Instagram - mothers, designers, photographers, crafters and all-around-creatives. And so I am returning to a format I know and love, the Q&A.

Who better to start the series than a woman whom I used to write for all those years ago. Even though Courtney is based in London, we got to meet while she was travelling along the East Coast of Australia with her family. Along with her husband Michael, her three children (at the time) Easton, Quin and Ivy squeezed into our tiny Bondi Beach garden apartment for a barbecue. Almost five years later she has agreed to kickstart the series, a generous and kind offer given the photo above was taken in the midst of moving house. One last note, for the series, which is scheduled to run on Tuesdays, I have asked each interviewee to provide a portrait in their favourite space at home, and share what it means to them. I hope you enjoy reading 10 Questions.

10 QUESTIONS... WITH COURTNEY ADAMO

Courtney Adamo says she wasn’t expecting motherhood to be quite so addictive. As the eldest child of five, there have been few surprises so far in general child-rearing. “Though I don’t yet have teenagers!” she says. “I guess what I was not prepared for was the bit where you have to come to terms with not having any more babies.” The popular London-based writer and co-founder of Babyccino Kids, a shopping portal and kids lifestyle blog, says she is often asked if she will have any more children, and the answer is no. “But I still can’t bear to say that out loud,” Courtney says. “It honestly hurts my insides to think I’ll never be pregnant, will never go through childbirth, will never breastfeed a baby again. It’s almost like acknowledging a mini death of some sort, or at least the end of a very big chapter in my life. I guess, I always assumed it would be an easy decision to reach, that I would just feel finished. I had no idea it would be so difficult to close that chapter.” But for now she is focussed on the next big adventure in her family’s life. “We’re craving it,” she says.

1 As a child I used to wear... my hair in French braids tied at the ends with ribbons. I think it was my mom’s way of making me look girly and less like a tomboy.

2 My bedroom was... big enough to dance in. I used to put on the soundtrack from Flashdance and dance around my room like that scene in the movie!

3 When I was a teenager I used to... wake early and head straight out to the barn to feed the horses. I would sometimes ride before school or come straight home and ride in the afternoons. I remember my hands always smelled like a mixture of leather and horses (still one of my favourite smells), and I was completely horse-obsessed until I was about 17… when I started caring more about boys than horses.

4 After high school I wanted to be... a broadcast journalist. Although, if I’m really honest, I always knew I wanted to be a mother so that was probably my deepest wish.

5 A seminal moment was... telling my (future) husband that I had a crush on him. It was Cinco de Mayo 2003, and with the help of a couple margaritas, I had built up the courage to tell him. We moved to London together just two months after that, and the rest is history.  

6 I never thought I would... have lived in London for 12 years and have children who speak with an English accent!

7 I've learnt to... stop caring so much what other people think, or at least what strangers who don’t know anything about me think. By nature I’m a people pleaser – I always have been (I’m an eldest child, I can’t help it!), and I’ve had to learn to stop worrying so much about pleasing others, especially in a superficial outside impression type of way, and to really focus on what I want for myself, what is best for my family, and what is truly most important for the people I love. 

8 I know... how to bake the best brownies. Thank you, Smitten Kitchen.

9 I share because... I love when others share with me. I love that the Internet has a way of bringing like-minded people together no matter where they live in the world. I love getting a glimpse of what it’s like to raise kids in Sydney, or Brooklyn, or Nashville or the English countryside... etc. In addition to getting a glimpse at family life across the world, it’s also so inspiring to see how other mothers raise their children – the books they read, the crafts they make, the meals they make, the way they educate and play, and all the other inspiring ideas from mothers around the world. I suppose I share because I enjoy being a part of this sharing circle.

10 If I had an unexpected morning to myself I would... take my time getting out of bed (extra snuggles with the kids), take a long bath (Aesop masque!) write a letter to a friend, and squeeze in a yoga class. That’s do-able in one morning, right?    

image courtesy of courtney adamo

5 comments:

  1. lovely interview with a lovely lady! I am so excited for this new series Nat! Though my questions may be similar - see? Told you Instagram is about condensing all the people in the world down to those similar to yourself! I had to laugh at the answer about no more children - we always wanted four kids and have them. But according to everyone else, we're having more! No one ever believes me when I say this is it! I LIKE the idea of more, but know I cannot spread myself any thinner, plus I don't want to push my luck! Thanks for sharing a little more about yourself Courtney - good luck with your new adventures! x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Belinda. Glad you enjoyed the read and your support means so much. And I'm at the point where I have to decide on that baby end point - I'm finding it so hard. x

      Delete
  2. Such a beautiful connection and interview, Natalie. Courtney, your childhood sounds absolutely lovely and idyllic. Kisses to you both.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Bethany. It's funny how the world works sometimes. All those years ago I could never forsee how our paths would cross again. But that's what keeps life interesting, right.

      Delete