through my eyes

the end of an era

it was such a hard decision but yesterday I resigned from my position on the shop and crop DT. I have been a part of the team for 2 sensational years. Sasha helped me to realise so many dreams, supported and encouraged me and became one of my dearest friends. I was finding the elusive quest for balance and time management too much and although I could find the time to make the layouts, I struggled to manage the other requirements of being on a DT. Something had to give, and sadly it was my cyberspace home. I will miss being a part of such an amazing team, although I do hope Sash asks me to play with some product for her every once and a while! LOL! here are my last 2 layouts for the upload at s&c. The girly one is the new wrmk kit and the one of jack is the 5 products 5 ways. 

*sigh*

ok...what else has been happening. tuesday was a good day with the kids. we had a play date with kim and benson in the morning, then Jack had his first speech therapy visit which went well. Then home to play in the cubby. dinner= steak and fried rice. yesterday, the kids had the day with grandma and I spent part of the day hanging out with a fellow local photog., learning and talking and inspiring each other. good fun. Then yesterday afternoon my gorgeous friend Kirsty lent me her husband who very kindly crawled into my tiny and awkward roof space to put a ceiling fan above my desk in my office nook. 

today was a busy day. Lucy and I did lots of errands after dropping Jack at pre-school. Then she had a playdate while I went to my business networking meeting. We then did some more errands (including picking her up a very very reasonably priced little point and shoot camera. 8MP , face detection, and image stabilization. she is happy and so am I as I plan to borrow it sometimes..LOL!) loved watching her struggle to get used to not having a viewfinder...LOL! and then watching her snap photos of all sorts of things. I cannot wait to download them and see what she sees. 

tomorrow is lucys last weekday before school starts on monday. we are having a girly fun day with my bf and her daughter who also starts school next week (at a different school so the girls are not going to see each other as much which makes me rather sad). 

so thats it for me. I have tennis to watch and chocolate biscuits calling my name! seeya

moving right along

thank you to the gorgeous people who commented or emailed regarding thursday. I REALLY appreciate it. I am all good now. I hurt hard but seem to recover quickly. Just a little bit of bruising remains. The cubby house is almost done. I forgot to photograph it today as we were hurrying out the door to go to the Australia day celebrations. So heres my last few photos of the day. 

saturday

had a play with my lens that came back from Canons service centre on thursday. I could not believe they fixed if for me under warranty ( i dropped it and it seemed a little soft in focussing since then)..but they did and I am VERY VERY grateful. I hate to think how much $ it should have cost me. Happy chappy! so i needed a willing subject with eyeballs that would look at me to test the focussing..and I only have 1 of those in this house. My little poser...Cubbyhouse building continued on sunday. Jack wanted to help but got bored quickly and decided the platform would make a great stage for his whistling act. Couldn't keep it to one shot..he totally cracks me up!

Foreman Daddy dismissed him pretty soon after this last shot..he was more hindrance than help. LOL!

Today. the walls are up, the roof is one. The balcony and slide are in place. I desperately want to paint it and make it all pretty but there is still a door to put on and screws to be countersunk (that and I don't actually have any time to do it..LOL!) I made Brad down tools this afternoon so we could go into the harbour area for the australia day celebrations. We wandered around the stalls, ate lots of yummy food, went on some rides and then settled on the beach to relax with a few beverages while the kids played in the water and watched the Surf life saving demonstrations. It was gloriously lovely. I didn't take my camera because 1. I had enough to carry, 2. I wanted to be in the moment not just capture it. 3. i didn't know ronald mcdonald would show up and my kids would be broken hearted to not get a photo with him. Maybe I need a point and shoot just for moments like these. maybe....

but just to keep up my quota, here is a photo from last year. 

the sky wasn't blue today but the level of patriotism has increased and I love that. I could do without the drunken teenagers wandering aimlessly around the foreshore but otherwise a great afternoon. love this country!!

tomorrow we have a playdate, a speech therapy appt for Jack and I imagine some playing in the cubbyhouse to do. so for now, seeya!

time flies

when you are having fun? sort of. Its been an up and down kind of week. More up than down but its funny how those downs give you an extra kick in the guts for good measure. just to keep up with my photos for the month..let review the week. Monday was mothers group. we went to the beach. Lucy an Jack had a blast. i snapped Lucy making sand angels and I have to admit, the thought of this much sand stuck to me makes me shudder with yikky...I hate sand. 

it was a long hot sandy day and we came home happy and hot (and my right thigh was flaming red..seems I missed it in my sunscreen patrol. ouchy!) 

Tuesday the kids spent the day with Grandma and their big girl cousins visiting from WA. I filled in the day with a thousand million errands and before I knew it, we headed down to get the kids and hang out with family for dinner. The big girl cousins (or my nieces) are both such beautiful, sweet and patient girls. Lucy is besotted by them..I wish they lived closer...

wednesday i booked into the hospital for my op at the end of feb. then we went on a playdate with a local photographer and her kids that I have been emailing. I was lovely to chat with someone in a similar position as me..sharing and encouraging each other. Then we came home to clean up my studio because I had clients coming over and I hadn't sorted it out since the photography workshop on the weekend. heres my little helper..although she did more managing from the couch than actually helping (and Jack didn't want to know about it at all)

thursday was a bit of a blur. I remeber the feeling of Thursday but not so much the moments. I took lucy to gymnastics, Jack to school. Organised some stuff then headed off to my weekly business meeting. Thursday afternoon went downhill and I let someone I don't even know hurt me and cause me to doubt myself. felt stupid for that.

I have always been a sensitive soul..more often than not I am ok with it but every once and a while I wish I was tougher..less easily brusied. Its all good now of course but at the time i was crushed. Thats the beauty of time though I suppose..and some sleep/perspective  helps too.

friday, lucy and I took Jack to preschool, then we had haircuts and saw a movie (Bolt..so cute!)..and mixed in that I did some planning and organising some printed material for the bridal expo I am holding a stand at next weekend. 

then off to swimming lessons, home to proof images and watch the tennis. 

I haven't downloaded my card from today but the day was spent doing some errands with Jacko this morning and then this afternoon I have been the help while Brad started to build the kids new cubby house. He has erected the elevation kit and put the floor on (all in 40 degree heat..i tried to stop him but 2 little people didn't care so much about the heat!) hopefully he will have it finished tomorrow so we can spend Monday hanging out as a family at the australia day celebrations. Anyway, I might go have a shower and settle in for a perv on haas and nadal..seeya!

photo fun.

saturday was filled up with hanging out with my kiddos, a family photo shoot in the late afternoon and then dinner with a friend while Brad was at work. Have I told you already..I love what I do! LOL!

sunday I took the kiddos to Grandmas as I taught my photography workshop here at home in the afternoon and Brad was still at work. I love hanging out with people who are passionate about photos and learning. I had lots of fun chatting with them and watching them play with their cameras. We practiced shutter speeds with a dripping tap we found in the park.

Brad is still up and just wandered past me mumbling about how crazy it is to be awake at this time....hehee..this is early for me! Almost 1am and I am not even tired yet. My body clock is so screwed up!! Lord help me when I have to get up early and be organised when Lucy starts school in a few weeks! I should go to bed..force myself.Although the tennis is on.......

tired.

i need some quality uninterrupted sleep..although I would settle for a nanna nap on the couch. Unfortunately thats not aobut to happen. I have 2 noise makers that won't allow it...LOL! Brad has gone off to work for the afternoon so the kids and I are chillin' until my photoshoot later this afternoon. The last few days have been busy. Thursday Lucy had the day at gymnastics while I had a newborn session..this little guy knows how I feel..LOL! (i cannot look at this image without simultaneously yawning meself...anyone else?)

then I had a business meeting, picked up jack and lucy, went out to the movies and shopping with Brig and then home to work on some photos. Friday, i had the carpets cleaned, received my new advertsing postcards from the printer and had a new screen door installed in the morning. Then Lucy and I went out for lunch, she played with the neighbour kids while I did some more computer work and some secret squiirel scrapping. we picked up Jack and lucy and daddy went to swimming while Jack and I played and tidied the house. Then I sat at the computer finalising plans for my trip to Moree on the 14th feb to teach my photography workshop, check out my desk...i NEED a filing cabinet...i am a list maker...

i could do with a personal assistant too..or more hours in the day...lol! or just some more sleep and a big tidy up! hehee! anyway, must away to see what the munchkins are up to.and I have some tidying up to do as I have 12 people coming to learn how to better use their cameras here tomorrow! 

i have a black eye.

and brad didn't want me to post this because he was worried what it would do to his rep.  He was involved, but only his forehead. I cannot explain how I did it..I really don't know. We had just settled into bed. He was on his side and I was on mine. I flipped over at the same time he did, plus I kinda jumped because the cat jumped up onto the bed at the exact moment i moved which gave me a start and crack..as I bought my head down onto what i thought would be my soft pillow turned out to be brads very hard forehead..right on the point of my eye. wowsers! it hurt..ALOT! All day I have been a bit slow on the uptake..I told brad I probably had concussion. He didn't feel all that sorry for me even though his forehead came away with not even the slightest mark. p.s. i think I am now regretting exposing my face so close up on the internet....I don't wear makeup but after looking at this I might start..LOL!

anyway...what else is new. Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing a delightful little newborn and her family..

the rest of the day was spent painting my studio (all finished..woohooo!!) and playing with photos. 

Today the kids and I went to the beach. Lathered in sunscreen, hats on, bodies covered..we spent 3 hours there which was so much fun. Playing, building sandcastles, splashing about in the water, eating fish and chips..love that we can do that so easily with the beach only a 10 min drive from home! anyway, when I took my watch off tonight I was in awe of my watch mark..

I am olive skinned and tan easily but this was pretty impressive if I do say so myself. Lucky i wear my watch everywhere cause it would be hard to conceal!

Tomorrow, I have another newborn session, a meeting, lucy has Gymnastics all day and then dinner with Brig..so I'd better get to bed!

happy Monday!

it has been a great day. the kids and I went to the beach this morning to meet up with the mothers group gang. They swam, played, built sandcastles and then we had fish & chips for lunch. They all went home and we hung around for a bit more playtime/running on the beach time and an ice cream! Then home to relax and rest.

 I had a parcel that needed to be put in the post box around the corner (5 houses away, no rads to cross) and I asked Lucy to run down and post it. She was so excited! I followed behind her out of sight the whole way and had to run back in front of her so I didn't get caught out..it was so worth it..she was SO proud of herself. The joy of spreading your wings...

and to spread the love..as I walked back inside with the camera, I walked past Jacks room and saw him strumming away to Hi5..love that I caught this moment. Love that I have signed him up for music lessons starting soon...

I am excited about a newborn session tomorrow..and some kid free painting time to finish my studio ..fingers crossed. bedtime. nite.

the day flew by

with a photoshoot this morning, 

and this evening..and somewhere in the middle I downloaded photos, ate an icecream and generally flitted the day away. I love sundays!

my photo says it all

i love having fun with people and details and objects and keepsakes. Capturing connections and emotions, meeting new friends, laughing and freezing a moment in time. 

i had a fun engagement session this afternoon with a guy who loves both his car and his girl. you can see more here if you are interested.

Tomorrow , a family session and an engagement session. Plus more painting of my studio and I want to sneak in a quick trip to freedom too! LOL!.

off to bed. Nite!

oops..missed again.

I at least take the photos..just forget to post them. Not sure what I did last night..I was at the computer and obviously it was very productive since I have such strong memories of it..LOL! Anyway. Yesterday Lucy and I had our first solo day together as Jack went to childcare. We went shopping, ate lamingtons, did lots of errands and generally pottered around. 

and today we drove to Sydney to drop off my daddy bear lens to be fixed after i jarred it when I took a tumble at the beach a while back. I need it for my upcoming weddings and the focus has been a little soft since then..so off to the repair guy! Thankfully my parents got me a GPS for christmas so the trip was easy and uneventful (unlike my other trips to Sydney lately!LOL!) We were stoked up on technology for the trip with Lucy plugged into the DVD player with headphones (yeah..I really do not need to listen to camp rock AGAIN) Si i listened to an audiobook on my iphone and lucy sang along to camp rock all while the american lady told me where to go...woohoo! life (and technology) is good.

we then headed onto Miranda to get Lucy some school shoes and see Madagascar 2. Lots of fun.. 

Tomorrow I have a photoshoot, a baby shower and a visit from friends...and I am looking forward to some scrapping time too!