One Photo and Twenty words

Such a small photo for something big. Introducing Mr & Mrs B by a proud Mum and Mother in Law

With many thanks to Abi over a Creating Paper Dreams.

Wendy xx

My first ‘simply a moment’

Simply A Moment - a chance to pause, connect with our outer and inner worlds and to share in some way, whether through a photo and a few words, a longer piece of journaling, a drawing ... limited only by your imagination!

Those words belong to Alexa over at Trimming the Sails. A regular slot on the 15th of each month I think, I have often had a peek at some of the posts but never joined in. A couple of weeks ago I felt myself inclined to jot down my thoughts one morning whilst sat drinking coffee in the kitchen. I’d forgotten about them and really should have typed them up and posted well before now as they are now a little out of date. Not wanting to lose them though I’ve decided to just throw them into the mix – hopefully its something I can start to join in on a regular basis. Perhaps on time even!! For now though I’ll post it now and then link up to the next one.

Monday 30th September - It’s gone quiet, almost silent. The banging that’s still ringing in my ears has stopped. So too has the voice – a telephone call, he stepped out the front to take it but he has a large booming voice and so I could still hear it. I can hear ladders being manoeuvred out there now but I presume that’s the neighbours getting ready for their day – they’re window cleaners. Footsteps, he’s returned, just finishing up the sweeping he was part way through when the phone rang. It will be lovely when its done – a few hours time maybe? A whooshing noise now – my phone. That’ll be one of my children ‘whatsapping’ me. Yes it’s Grumpy – can’t ignore Grumpy, she only went away to uni a little over a week ago and I miss her – even more than I was expecting actually. I reply to her straight away. She’s bumped her recently pierced nose in the night, lots of pain and a slightly swollen nose now. We have a little ‘conversation’ about it and then she moves on with her day. I’m finding it a little difficult not knowing ALL about her days anymore. I use Instagram and Facebook to gather snippets – usually in the form of photos – but I feel a little like a stalker at times. It’ll lessen, I know it will – she’s not the first of my children to go off to uni. I suddenly remember she needs to make a phone call so I send her a message. I get a ‘I know’ back so I just send kisses and close down the conversation. A little banging has started up again, not as much as earlier. I think it will just be occasional now, and then I hear the sawing out front – oh yes I’d forgotten about that , there will be quite a lot of that today. It’ll be worth it though, a lovely new hall floor, hmm radiators – still not sorted those. I’d better get onto that now – I’ll just finish my coffee first.

Light reflected in my coffee cup

Thanks for dropping by and please feel free to leave me a comment

Wendy

Spec Savers in Action

I have no idea why I did this; I don’t know what possessed me, but for some strange reason I have taken a photo of myself, in my glasses, using the webcam on the laptop. I don’t DO photos of myself. So before I chicken out and before I get around to trying out the suggestions for improvement (my sincere thanks), I share with you the problem lol

I seem to have a thing about Polaroid Frames going on lol. Thanks for dropping by and please feel free to leave me a comment.

PS, I guess this post is only going to make sense if you read the previous one, oops.

Wendy xx

Texture Tuesday

I’ve been threatening to for a while and so this evening I have finally joined in with Kim Klasson’s Texture Tuesday. This is my buttercup shot from a few days ago but with a couple of extra layers including Kim’s ‘not too shabby’ textured layer. I quite like the effect.

Thanks for dropping by and please feel free to leave me a comment.

Wendy xx

30 Day Photography Challenge

I’m playing catch up again on these but I’m still enjoying the challenge, it makes you think. For example, Day 7 was was fruit – all I had was a banana, what can you do with a banana – DO NOT ANSWER THAT!  So you have to really pull out the stops to make this plain old fruit look interesting when shot. Hopefully I managed to lol

Day 8 required a bad habit. Try as I might I couldn’t figure how my bitten nails could be made into anything special so I turned to a recent habit. The courgettes in the veg patch are having a bit of a slimy creature problem and egg shells scattered around the bas of the plant are meant to deter the little blighters, so I am saving them for this reason. I just forget to take them out to the garden.

Someone you love was required for Day 9. Well I do love T’hubby but I do not like this photo. Not his best look me thinks, ‘nuff said.

I needed to record a childhood memory for Day 10 and I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do, but when we arrived at the hovel the buttercups were glorious and reminded me of that little girl thing ‘Do you like butter?’

Blue was the requirement of day 11 and, after a false start, the skies turned blue and the sun shone. Technology however decided to strike again. Unbeknown to me until an hour ago, my phone had somehow reset itself and the camera resolution was way down low and so my lovely blue sky shot isn’t quite what I’d hoped but you get the gist.

Thanks for dropping by and for all the wonderful comments recently, it is lovely to hear from you.

Wendy xx

30 Day Photo Challenge

It just so happened that The Boys provided me with something Green for todays prompt.

Our birdbath is rusty at the bottom, the birds don’t seem to mind though and it does make for some pretty pink clouds.

Whilst waiting for inspiration to strike I was drinking a glass of (healthy) sparkling water. Viola!

Why don’t you take a look at the group on Flickr here, you may not see ALL of them as some are marked as private and only the group can see them (mine are). Thanks for dropping by and please feel free to leave me a comment.

Wendy xx

Would you believe it?

Today’s prompt for the 30 day photography challenge was ‘clouds’. Now come on, we’re in the UK right, we always have lots of clouds to choose from, don’t we? Who would have thought that I’d have to wait hours before I caught even a glimpse of one AND then they were rather uninspiring (purely for professional purposes of course, long may they stay away really ) …. (oops, apart from overnight, then would be good – with rain of course for the veggies, but gone by morning).

As they were uninspiring I  thought a bit of artistic licence was in order.

I’m off  up to Manchester tomorrow to see Take That with my Sister, Diamond and her family (well the female members that is). We’re staying the The Boy B and Diamond and then Sunday I can feel a spot of shopping coming on, woohoo.

Thanks for stopping by and please feel free to leave me a comment.

Wendy xx

30 day Photography Challenge

I came across this challenge at White Peach Photography whilst having one of my first forays into the world of Pinterest. Almost simultaneously I’d been conversing with a new blogging contact, Miriam, about photo challenges. Between us we sort of thought that maybe we’d give it a go, and so we have, although it did take a reminder from Miriam to get me started – how on earth did we get around to June so fast?

The challenge runs for the whole of June with a prompt to each day, photos are posted to a group on Flickr and there’s a discussion linking to all the blogs taking part. Take a look at the link above and maybe you’ll decide to join it too. And so without further ado I present Days 1 & 2.

Day 1 – Self Portrait

Not one of my better ones but as I said, I did need a reminder and ended up taking one in a hurry. It will always remind me that I was washing that day though lol.

Day 2 – What you wore today

It was 15:00 when I posted this shot and I was already on my third outfit of the day. I don’t usually wear that many clothes in one day but on this occasion I’d thrown on the sundress you can see above first thing this morning just for something to make do really. Later, when showered I’d donned the sensible brown trews and top for a hospital visit (you can all imagine I’m sure, hospital visits always require the right clothes for the right type of visit ). Back home I happily discarded that little lot for a cool floaty skirt and plain tee. Phew  ….. 

……..  Did I mention that I popped into an outlet store on the way home and tried on loads of summer dresses?

…….. Oooh, did I also mention that ‘Ooops’ two must of fallen into my basket alongside the teaspoons I needed for The Hovel.

Thanks for dropping by and please feel free to leave me a comment.

Wendy xx

Maisy for England

No little doggies were harmed in the making of this I can assure you lol. It’s all down to Picnic, which is a wonderful little site and what I tend to use now to resize my photos for the web. I’m giving myself a metaphorical kick up the backside today. I need to get with it, need to get back into the zone. Need to be organised, get everything done, keep in touch with friends and family AND scrap. I’ve printed out the photo from Alton Towers that I gave the Hipstamatic treatment to last week and I’m hoping to get a layout done later with it. – Yes a ‘whole’ layout in just one day, don’t anyone hold their breath will you.

The fitters have cried off for today, running a day behind on their last job it seems. So really I should grab the opportunity to get myself out – just waiting for the surveyor to come and go.

Thanks for dropping by.

  Wendy x

Catch up time

To catch up then – in brief. We had a wonderful Christmas in our new home, lots of family days, different visitors and food galore. Amongst some wonderful presents, Pete bought me an iPod Touch, this little gadget is sooooooo good, even enabling me to email back home recently whilst we were in The Gambia! It’s also brilliant for ‘carrying’ around lots of favourite photos, as well as the traditional music, videos and audio books.

New Years day saw us start taking our anti malaria tablets and the day after we packed Christmas away for another year, we left for Senegal. This was an absolutely wonderful holiday and because we travelled to and from Senegal via The Gambia we were able to experience (or perhaps witness) their way of life. So very different from ours, how can we ever think we have it tough!

Back home now to a newly converted garage (we cheated and had the workmen in whilst on holiday) that I need to get decorated and flooring laid etc. The new room is a decent size and will double as an office and crafting space – ooh I can’t wait to get all my stash back out of storage and get stuck in. Following on the heels of this work will be our new bedroom which is scheduled to be installed in a couple of weeks – There’s an awful lot to do between now and then.

Our company is fully set up, registered for VAT and all manner of other bits and bobs. Pete started our first contract this week but unfortunately it’s taking him away from home Monday to Friday so I am feeling that I have just a tad too much peace and quiet at the moment. I’ve not found my rhythm yet and so I find that although I have a great long list of things to do, motivation is severely lacking.

I’ve a digi layout in the current issue of Scrapbook Inspirations so it was nice to see it waiting in the pile of post upon our return. One of the (shall we call it) ‘downsides’ of having no-one here is that I have been easily distracted by various ideas for scrapping some of the numerous shots from holiday, so here’s another.

Credits for the two corner snippets of pp – Bungalow by Danielle Young.

HS:MS Print

Print - To produce in large quantities by mechanical process. Find 'print' in your space today.

So, what to shoot today, I did take a snap of my printer, I also considered a close up shot of the fabric on a skirt of mine I like ( I am tempted to use it as patterned paper for a lo) but in the end I decided to try and stick to the meaning i.e. vast quantities. I do apologise for the poor quality today.

Fortunately I remembered to hit cancel and not print ;-)

HS:MS Cake

And finally to today's prompt. Cake - A soft, sweet food. Find 'cake' in your space today.

Now this one I could do easily today, you see today is Beccy's birthday, she's 11. And so yesterday Pete decided to make her a cake. Pete is a wonderful cook but he tends not to do cakes or puddings. The cake tastes wonderful (succulent sponge and pink butter icing with shavings of chocolate sprinkled on the top) but for the life of him he has no idea why the one half turned out wedge shaped ;-)

So, now I have caught up with these prompts, I need to catch up on my photography course. have to say though that I'm using my cake shot for that too.

More later.

HS:MS SOS

And so toShow off Sunday. I'm using an old one again, must really look through the more recent ones next time. This was taken in Norway at one of the zillions of lakes that pepper the landscape. What I really love about this one is the graceful shape of the girls arms in (almost) perfect silhouette.

Norway is a beautiful country, driving through it is like finding a New lake District around every corner. It's clean, fresh and I've always had gorgeous weather too. Hmm, must go back again I think.

HS:MS SPS

Ok, self portrait saturday - today is Monday though, but as I seem to have a habit of avoiding this one I did deliberately take a shot to use on Saturday just ran out of time to post it.

So we have a portion of your typical portrait pose today. I thought I'd focus on my favourite necklace at the moment. I acquired this whilst we were in France recently, nothing expensive but I do like it's shapes. Em has already borrowed it once so I'll have to keep an eye on it.

HS:MS Talk

Today's prompt is Talk - To converse or communicate. Show us 'talk' in your space today.

No one around today so this is an old photo, in fact it goes back approx 5 years so the girls would be 5 and 6. The photo is taken on top of Cat Bells in the Lake District and I never did find out what they were saying to each other but it obviously made them giggle.

Now I need to get on with my de-junking/packing in preparation for a house move - at some point, we still don't have a date at the moment. Oh well, I'm sure it will all happen eventually.

HS:MS Hold

Today's prompt - Hold - To grasp, carry or support with your hands. Find 'hold' in your space.

This is Black Adam 'hold'ing Colin Lawson tightly. Colin Lawson is Pete's old teddy bear and he's over 30 years old! Black Adam is one of my Robin Rive teddy bears and he's gorgeous and always looks after Mr Lawson as you can see.

Catch you later.

HS:MS Thoughtful and The Last Day

Well today was the last day before the girlies go back to school. All the uniforms are ready, school shoes nice and clean (I think, must check those actually) and one last trip to the shops today to get Emily a new school bag, then we were done. We are without my car at the moment and the van that we have been loaned is sat at the station where Pete parked it at 06:30 this morning (meetings all day in London), so we had to brave the bus. Now I know I have mentioned the bus in a previous post but I was saved on that occasion by my sister giving me a lift. Talking of my sister, she turned up out of the blue last night and saved the day then also. One of the girls had left one of the van doors open and the battery was completely dead. We only discovered this when Pete and Beccy were about to set off for Lilleshall as it was the first training day back at gym - she didn't get there. No-one in the street had any jump leads and you don't seem to be able to bump start a diesel, although we did try. Then my little sister arrived and yes in the back of her car she had a neat little bag complete with the required jump lead - hooray for Suki.

So today we had a trip into Walsall on the bus, we didn't stay too long, just enough time to get the bag for Emily and a steak bake for them each from Greggs. The weather was gorgeous and once back home the girls were out on the trampoline again.

Today's HS:MS prompt was thoughtful - Absorbed in or involving thought. Show us 'thoughtful' in your space today. I've attached two shots of Emily, one taken today but staged and another (candid shot) from a holiday a couple of years ago.

HS:MS SOS#2

I am very, very behind but am quickly posting a favourite photo of mine taken in the French Alps, it's one of my most favourite places. This view is what greets you at the end of a 3 hour trek high up into the Alps- well worth it though.

I'll post the name of it later plus I'll have catch up on the other prompts and updates as soon as I can.

HS:MS Dish

Today's prompt is Dish - A shallow bowl or radio antenna. Find 'dish' in your space.

I couldn't decide between three shots today so I'll post them all for now. One of them is a piece of Darlington Crystal, I love the red in this and I have an absolutely gorgeous vase from the same range.

More later.

HS:MS Cloud

I have realised two things today. Firstly I don't take photographs of clouds, why is that? I have lots of clouds in my photo's but they are incidental, they just happen to be in the shot at that moment in time. I like sunsets, which often include cloud, but don't see many nowadays. So, I intend to be aware and keep an eye out for good shots. Secondly, the more you look at the word cloud, the odder it looks, especially in the font I have used on today's photo.

So today's prompt was Cloud, A mass of water vapour. Show us 'cloud' in your space today. And a wonderful shot was posted by Anita, oh to be able to see that much sky on a daily basis!

Back here there was plenty of cloud but it was the solid, boring grey variety so I have raided my stock and cropped one particular photo taken in the French Alps to focus on the cloud. Hope you like it.