Saturday, February 27, 2010

Paris ...

So here's the thing ... i will be going to Paris in April for the Boudoir Divas workshop & i have a whole day to myself. There will be no husband, no family & thus i don't have to do any of the major tourist places. So here I'm looking for suggestions ... i would love to get in a lil' shopping for the house & maybe head to Versailles but otherwise i just need ideas of places to go & see. Cool little shops, & flea markets are always good.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Jen Kiaba ...

There is so much i want to write here & had to limit myself to only 6 photos but well i have no clue where to start so simple ... Jen Kiaba is a fabulous lady i have met through Etsy. One of those people who is all about helping others & is both full of helpful insights & seriously talented. So take a few minutes, hours or maybe even a couple of days to check out her wonderful, dreamy, story book (i really can't think of another way of describing the whimsical quality ... hmmm maybe whimsical) photography.





Wednesday, February 24, 2010

todays run ...

So I'm posting this blog both here & over on "We Are Go Fish Go" because well i can. & i want to & i kinda feel like it's relevant to more than just running although there are no pretty pictures to share.

Today i didn't have to work & it was also 8 mile day in the training schedule. The last few weeks have been tough, mentally because i have found myself frustrated with many many things, cranky & hormonal. Throw in the lack of running or just plain bad runs I've not been my happy chirpy self. In fact I've taken to hiding from the world. But today i was determined to run, i needed to do this despite what my body might tell me.

So i set off running, heading towards the flight line, praying the rain would stay away & the pulling in my quad would mysteriously vanish the same way it has mysteriously appeared. Well it didn't start so good, i could feel it there, & my knee was a little sore. Yesterday's run was well just plain bad, i made it 2 miles with my legs feeling like led & my mind completely not into it, so here i was not even a mile down the road wondering if this wasn't just a really really bad plan. So i took a couple of minutes, stretched my quad & off i went.

The weather was perfect ... a slight breeze ... a temperature peak for the year at 50 something degrees & it was quiet & peaceful out there. The thing i love most about running round the flight line is that there's not a whole lot going on out there. Yes there's some cars, but they're driving past & not constant, there's a few buildings & well i guess there's the whole plane's taking off & landing thing going on but trust me when i saw it's peaceful out there. & i could honestly watch planes land & take off all day, it still has this almost romantic feel to me.

When i run i run with either someone else or music ... the music helps me to create this bubble i run in. Well he came mental block number 2 as about 3 miles in, right around the spot where we'd had to end our last run out here my shuffle died. It's my own fault for not charging it but here i was left with another major dilemma. Do i turn back or keep going. I turn back & i only have 3 miles without music i go on & well it could be a really long run. I went on because i was not quitting this run.

One of the things that running has taught me is to really listen to my body, it has this amazing ability to tell you the moment something is up & running out there without any music all i was really aware of was my body & feelings going through it & the noises it was making (yeah running loosens things up) & the fact that i still had a long way to go. But i decided to ignore my body, probably a bad thing but no today today was about forcing myself to finish this run. I needed to simple to know i could make it to Vienna.

& so i ran ... not the fastest & not the slowest ... i ran without music ... i ran with sore muscles ... & by 7 miles i found my stride & i couldn't feel my quad & i was stretching out & i had that feeling you get when everything stops hurting. Your body relaxes into the run & all of a sudden nothing matters. & i felt that again today & it felt wonderful & i loved it & maybe tomorrow with hurt a little more running but i pushed myself. I pushed myself through this major mental block i had going on & so it was worth it. Oh whilst today's run was only 8 miles i ran 9 ... again because i can!

& afterwards i had me some fajitas & bought a book & now I'm home getting ready to mat some photos & i have had a wonderful day!

Monday, February 22, 2010

it's the simple things in life that make me happy ...

an empty laundry basket ...
Walkers Pure Butter Chocolate Chop Shortbread (if you haven't tried them you should & if you can't get them i will post you a box ... they are a little too tasty) ...
my work for sale on Fey Handmade ... & Paper N Stitch ...
books of all kinds, shapes & sizes ...
sunlight streaming through the windows in the morning & longer days!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

ode to "Le Cheval"

I'm not sure where to begin (although i know i've mention this before) as it's simple a matter of loving the work of Juliet Harrison, a lady who i feel priveledged to have met. Not simple because of her talent but because she is honest, & open, & wonderful to talk to about especially when it comes to photography. Sometimes i wonder how people coped without the world wide web, as meeting the likes her is something i would never have gotten to do. Yes i know it's twitter but having this little world where i get to talk photography & hand made & business all day long is something incredible special.
Anyways as usual i'm wondering off subject ... Juliet is primarily an "equine" photographer (that's horse for all you not latin speakers out there). & wow does she do a good job! I mean seriously i've always known horses are beautiful but she has this ability to capture everything about them with the click of a button. & with such focus as well. I honestly don't think i could concentrate my work on something so fully & with the skill that she does (ok i admit it i might be a little bit of a fan).
Before i go on i should just mention that she now also has an etsy shop where as well as her fine art photographs you can also buy a book of her work (it's on my wish list) ...
So back to my story ... once i discovered the world of photography i had this idea of producing similar style images to those that Juliet does (this is way back when) but for various reasons i never got the oportunity, but now whenever i see a horse i feel the need to take it's portrait. & today whilst driving home i came across this gorgeous little chap who turned out to be incredible friendly & in the midst of a very long story I got a few photos of his gorgeous self. Not quite Juliet but my ode to her!


Monday, February 15, 2010

it's the simple things in life that make me happy ...

sleeping in ... showering at lunch time ... & putting my pjs back on after ...
being on the front page of Indie Spotter (knowing other people out there like my work makes me all kinds of giddy) ...
proper english cheddar cheese ...
the discovery of a wonderful online shop which i am going to be a part of ...
coming home from a long day at work & relaxing with a cat curled up either side!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

my yearly bunch of flowers ...

Now I'm not a big believer in valentines day (although it gave me a reason to convince the hubby to buy me a sewing machine & he got Bioshock 2) ... i firmly believe it is a holiday created by Hallmark for all those non romantics in the world to be romantic for a day. So keeping this in mind it makes anything done today completely non romantic. But it's the one day out of the year the hubby buys me flowers & i enjoy those flowers (even if they are from the shopette & he did leave them in the car last night so he wouldn't have to take them into the shop & get laughed at, & they possible froze) ... but anyways here are my flowers before the cats eat them!


3/100 (my breakfast)

Saturday, February 13, 2010

sewing & blogging & magazines & a whole lot of random!

So today has been well interesting & when i say "interesting" i really don't mean it in the fun exciting sense but in the sense that a lot happened, half of which i'd rather it didn't. So glossing over this part (although for more information check out the blog "we are go fish go" which is about my part in marathon training) i will more on to the random reasons for this blog ...

1. My wonderful husband has bought me a sewing machine for valentines day. Now here i should probably point out what i know about sewing you could fit on the back a shirt button ... actually said wonderful husband most likely knows more about sewing than me. But i want to learn, i want to be able to make pretty things for my house & one day a couch cover (for the not so nice couch said wonderful husband bought). So here i throw out my first challengy (if it's not a word it is now) thing. I need to find some books that will teach idiots like me to sew & also a list of items i should probably buy since the bx here on base has a whole lot of nothing! Ask anyne who's been to a bx & you'll understand the kind of shopping experience you get on a regular basis.

So now moving onto my next random part to this blog ...

2. There are many many blogs out there i have discovered in the past few months that i adore (not just love but adore). Blogs such as Gathering Spriggs, Bliss, Decor8, Bright, Bold & Beautiful & Handmade Evolution (the list could go on) that provide me with wonderful ideas for my home. Stunning images of places i wish i could live, shops selling everything vintage, handmade & gorgeous, & other such. They give me inspiration on a daily basis & i love to check out what it is they have to say every day, it's become part of my email checking routein (for all those out there who don't have google reader trust me when i say you're missing out). So now my second query for the day ... is there a magazine out there providing the same ideas & inspiration. Will show me wonderful items to buy, projects i myself can do & home decor ideas that make me go WOW? Oh & bare in mind (returning again to the bx issue) our bookmark here again lacks in well anything you really want. A couple of months back i found a wonderful magazine called Boho ... it has never been seen again! *big sigh*

So there's my blog for the day ... hubby is about to head to work & i plan on spending my evening relaxing, wondering through the internet & etsy & checking out all the wonderful ideas i know you fantastic people out there will have for me!

Monday, February 8, 2010

it's the simple things in life that make me happy ...

feeling your muscles burn as you stretch out the last 50 meters of a long run ...
starting your day early & having all your errands done by lunch time ...
being introduced to a wonderful blog for those who require a paint by numbers idiots guide to business ...
England beating Wales at Twickenham in the opening 6 nations game, my boys made me proud ...
the feeling that this could be "the year"!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

short & sweet ...

Today i return to photograph these two lovely ladies in the hope that Rylie (the eldest) was feeling shall we say a little less uncooperative, & with the help of m&m's we got the much need photo of the two sisters!

Monday, February 1, 2010

It's the simple things in life that make me happy ...

the start of a new month with endless possibilities a head, january was good & february will be better ...
pride in a personal achievement & being able to photograph myself in a way i never would have before ...
being featured on a wonderful blog, a blog that i could look at pictures & read for hours ...
being inspired by the work & wisdom of these wonderful photographers: Jen Kiaba, Juliet Harrison, & Tali Schiffer ...
feeling like maybe there will come a day where i get to do what i love full time!