This weekend in Spain we celebrate the day of the Three Wise Men, it is when children receive their Christmas gifts, so as a gift to you, I bring you ane interview to Marta from the blog Lluvia al pasear. Although we live in the same city I met Marta through Instagram. Through her photographs on this IG and her blog Marta tells us what her motherhood is like as the mother of an adopted child. I adore their naturalness talking about issues such as adoption or racism, always making you think, encouraging you to make small turns in the language that do it cost you nothing and mean a lot to those who listen to them… I have being inspired in her little boy when I wanted to create dolls with his skin tone, like the mermaid Casilda, the ballerina Misty or the cyclist Taylor, I hope to contribute my grain of sand so that these children have dolls where to be reflected and not feel excluded.
But now I don’t talk more and I leave you with Marta and after reading the interview I invite you to walk through her blog and her Instagram account @lluviaalpasear.
Hi, Marta! Thank you so much for letting us to get into your house and for this little interview. First of all, please, introduce your family (how many kids you have, how old are they, where do you live…)
Hello, Laura! Thank you for inviting me! Well, we are a small family of three, my husband, me and my little one who came into our lives four years ago. We are and also live in Asturias, although my little boy was born in Ethiopia. My professional life is nothing exciting, I am an accountant, although a few years ago I discovered photography and thanks to it I am exploring my creativity.
Where does the name of Lluvia al pasear come from?
Well, it’s a tribute to my land, where the rain is very usual and also to the land where my son was born, where survival sometimes depends on a good rainy season. Attached to something that represented my wait during adoption and that was walking, long walks along the coastal routes of Asturias where my mind found peace and tranquility.
When and why did you start to be interested in photography? Where do you find inspiration?
Images have always caught my attention, I stopped to analyze and enjoy them, wondering how they would have been made. But it wasn’t until my son came into my life that I didn’t decide to dust my husband’s camera from the drawer where I had it forgotten. I had no other objective than to photograph his childhood, to capture everyday moments of his infancy. I started enrolling in courses to learn how to handle the camera and until today. Here I continue, photographing and learning.
What are you trying to convey with your photographs?
Naturalness. I like those images in which there are no forced poses, but a real moment is transmitted, the sincere expressions of people.
What’s the best thing about being A.’s mother?
Learn by his side. I think it happens to all moms and dads, that when they reach to our lives, we rethink many things, open our minds to other perspectives. Children are amazing teachers.
What’s your favorite plan to do with children outdoors?
Strolling, going to the beach, going out with the bicycle, doing a mountain route or a coastal path. Fortunately, we live in a land where the environment allows us to do many outdoor activities, although the weather prevents us from it sometimes!
And if it rains and it’s time to spend the afternoon at home, what’s your favorite plan / activity to do as a family?
Wow! We have a good repertoire, because this happens a lot. From playing parchesi or some card game, baking biscuits or cookies, coloring, playing hide and seek, taking a trip to the library and reading. Reading has always been present in my life and it is something I try to instill in him too.
Tell us, how it is your child’s room? What do you like the most of it? What should be a must-have in a kids’ room?
Well, the truth is that it is a very simple room; I don’t like too ornate decoration and this I also extended to his room. Light tones to reflect light and clarity, functional furniture adapted to their age so that the child didn’t see their autonomy subtracted. Both the bed and auxiliary furniture allow him to move easily and access to his toys without having to depend on anyone. We have given the special touch with photographs that represent special moments for us and a picture of a lion. The lion is the national symbol of his country of birth and we wanted his origins to be represented as well.
What is A.’s favorite storybook? And yours?
Well, here we both agree, A Boy Like You by Frank Murphy. There is no week in which we don’t read it at least a couple of times. It’s full of messages for our boys, eliminating any stereotype of masculinity. It talks about generosity, kindness, courage, intelligence, the importance of listening to others, of knowing their stories. And his illustrations are amazing, several ethnicities and cultures are represented.Something that is very important for me when looking for books and toys for A. Children should be represented in what surrounds them and there are not always dolls, stories, movies, etc. … where children of other races are represented.
What are his favorite toys? And what was your favorite toy when you were little?
Since he was a baby he became inseparable from his stuffed animals, he always appeared at home with someone hanging under his arm and a dozen in bed before sleeping and now he has incorporated Taylor into the gang; he and Bernie (his stuffed dog) go everywhere with A. The wooden blocks have always liked him and he still uses them to build robots, superheroes or whatever comes up in his imagination. Outside the home the ball, scooter and bicycle win the game.
What are your favorite children’s brands (clothes / toys)?
For clothes I usually look for comfortable and simple garments, organic cotton if possible, I don’t have a favorite brand in particular, I like several and according to designs, price and needs, I supply the closet. With regard to toys, without a doubt I like wooden ones, brands like Hape and Haba are the recurring ones when I look for games for A.
And to end, what do you like the most of Lauvely? Who’s your favorite Lauvely Friend? What would you like to find in the next collection of Lauvely?
Lauvely is craftsmanship, respect for nature, pampering in every detail, but especially for me it is Diversity. That A. feels identified in Taylor, in his skin tone, for me has an incalculable value. And that a craft brand like Lauvely takes care of these details, creating multicultural collections, has a lot of merit and that’s what I would like to see in future collections.
And to end this lauvely interview we bring you a Christmas wishlist inspired in Marta and her family! Thank you so much Marta!
1. Box of colors of different skin tones by Lyra. 2. Cyclist Taylor by Lauvely. 3. Storybook “A boy like you” by . 4. Safari Puzzle from Hape, in Eurekakids. 5. Bike by Trybike , in Elenfhant.
All the pics in this post belongs to Marta. You can follow her on her IG account: @undiagris
I hope you have enjoyed and have being inspired!
Love, Laura