Fur Will Fly

2012-01-27T21:32:00.002Z

My right middle finger is getting a little sore from my knitting attempts, so I trawled the net and found Finger Gloves which protect your fingers from the sharp needles, only to then not be able to find them in the UK - how annoying.

2012-01-26T23:08:00.000Z

Often when you see something with a scientific eye, you fail to see its beauty.

Military Bling - A Weekend Outfit

2012-01-26T21:06:00.003Z

If I'm feeling uninspired for what to wear, I can always bring out this favourite jacket of mine to add a bit of bling!

Jacket: Spy Exchange from TK Maxx

Dress: Primark

Buttons on dress: Vintage Military buttons from my mum's collection

Boots: Barratts

Ring: Accessorize (I think!)

Hair: New style I came up with!

2012-01-25T20:16:00.003Z

An early night calls for me, and my planned blog post will just have to wait until tomorrow.

2012-01-24T22:34:00.000Z

I think I am going to have to give in and finally start using Photoshop Elements as my main photo editing software, even though it looks scary!

2012-01-23T22:43:00.000Z

I've been having some pretty weird, and somewhat scary, dreams lately, so I'm not really looking forward to going to sleep tonight.

Happy Lego Bench Monday!

2012-01-23T21:00:00.000Z

Fancy that? The postman delivering a letter to a bench address! Now that is a good service.

2012-01-22T23:01:00.001Z

Still can't get over the news about Picnik closing - it's a travesty.

Please Help Save Picnik!

2012-01-22T21:13:00.001Z

If you're anything like me you've spent all weekend in grief, shock and anger at the news of the closure of Picnik. I still can't believe it. I use Picnik to edit pretty much all of my photos and am on it every day. I'm always telling people how great it is. I have it open on another tab right now, but it is tinged with sadness because we only have 3 months left together. This might seem like an overreaction, but many others feel the same, and there are angry comments being left on the Picnik blog and petitions to sign.

If you are affected in any way by the closure of Picnik, please sign this petition and lets hope somehow we can save it!

2012-01-21T23:50:00.000Z

I finally know my answer to the question of which celebrity I'd most like to meet - it has to be Karl Pilkington - I'd just love to have a chat with him!

From the Attic - Project 52 Week 2

2012-01-21T22:44:00.001Z

This was a genuine attic find. A while ago I was rumaging in my mum's loft when I found this 1960's/70's original Bullworker complete with fantastic photographic workout instructions! It belonged to my dad and as he is no longer with us I get all sentimental about his things so I knew I had to keep it. It has been sitting in my cellar for a while now with my other exercise equipment, but it hasn't been used since. I did try having a go but it is really difficult. I guess it wasn't aimed at females anyway. I will try out some of those other exercises from the sheet - if only for my own amusement.

2012-01-20T23:00:00.000Z

Quiz nights are always good for learning new facts and tonight I learnt that Cyprus is a Commonwealth country and Salisbury cathedral has the tallest spire.

2012-01-19T23:08:00.000Z

Getting a little obsessed with Barbie shoes; on the pretence that they are only props for a photograph.

Meet the Fish!

2012-01-19T21:06:00.002Z

So far my fish have proved to be pretty camera shy, but that actually says more about me than them. It is so hard to get a good shot of them. Anyway, they've been named after 2 of my favourite TV shows - Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Mentalist. Meet Buffy and Angel (the black ones) and Rigsby and Van Pelt!!

2012-01-18T23:40:00.000Z

Watched a very odd documentary on Channel 4 tonight called Talhotblonde - quite disturbing.

Pink and Green Should Be Seen - A Weekend Outfit

2012-01-18T23:07:00.000Z

I don't often wear pink as I'm not really a big fan, but a little splash of pink once in a while doesn't hurt!

Jumper: Apricot

Skirt: H&M

Boots: Faith

Gloves: La Redoute

Scarf: Christmas gift a few years ago

Ring: Can't remember!

Earrings: Dorothy Perkins

2012-01-17T23:09:00.001Z

I'm still fighting with my knitting, but I think the wool is winning.

2012-01-16T22:00:00.000Z

It feels like winter has finally arrived, and I'm not overly happy about it.

Happy Lego Bench Monday!

2012-01-16T21:21:00.001Z

Looks like this businessman felt a bit tired on his way to work this morning.

2012-01-15T22:59:00.001Z

I never knew goldfish could have individual personalities!

First Glimpse of My New Little Friends!

2012-01-15T20:54:00.000Z

I'm very excited - got my first EVER pets today - 4 little goldfish!! I have literally never had any kind of pet so my excitement is probably a little over the top, but they are pretty cute. There are 2 Ping Pong Pearlscales (great name) and 2 Black Moors. Here is just a quick glimpse for you:

2012-01-14T21:01:00.001Z

Why does hair dye never come out as the colour on the box - grrr!

2012-01-13T18:51:00.000Z

Origami, trees, sunshine, a camera and the park - that was my afternoon.

2012-01-12T22:11:00.001Z

Trying to learn knitting from a book is really tricky, although that could just be me.

Number 1: Spend time alone in a coffee shop

2012-01-12T18:30:00.000Z

I thought I should update my ongoing '30 before 30' project. I have been plodding on with lots of the items on the list but some can't be finished until June anyway. I can tick number 1 off the list though. When I took a day trip to Hastings back in August, I ventured alone into Costa coffee. I read my book, people watched out of the window and looked through the days purchases while I drank my favourite skinny caramel latte.

2012-01-11T22:24:00.001Z

Arguing is one of the most stressful things ever.

Ellenburg Photography Project 52 - yay!

2012-01-11T19:03:00.000Z

I was so sad when the MCP Project 52 ended, and while I will be doing their new Project 12 this year, it just doesn't satisy my photographic urges. So thank god for Daphne at Ellenburg Photography who is running a new weekly themed challenge this year! The themes really test you to try new things with your photography, so I really encourage anyone reading this to join in too! If you're tempted at all, please have a look at the flickr group and the blog.

The theme for the first week was resolution. I've been making the same resolution most years since I was about 12 years old - stop biting my nails. It has worked in the past for anywhere between a day and 6 months, so while the odds on success are low, I will be trying extra hard this time (yeah yeah I here you cry). So to help keep me on track I photographed these pretty rainbow nail polishes. I just hope I get chance to use them this year.

Post-processing: increased the highlight exposure using Picnik

Purple Storm - A Weekend Outfit

2012-01-10T18:16:00.000Z

It wasn't the warmest day to be posing aroud outside but I took off the layers gradually and snapped away quickly! I've had a huge obsession with the colour purple for some time now and I love wearing it as much as I can.

Dress: Just Ginger

Belt: Peacocks

Cardigan: Topshop

Coat: Topshop

Scarf: Republic

Tights: Asda

Boots: Clarks

Ring: Accessorize

Necklace: Dorothy Perkins

Hair: Simple Gibson tuck - see tutorial

2012-01-10T17:10:00.001Z

It looks like I might be on the way to getting my first pets ever - some little fishes!

2012-01-09T21:38:00.001Z

I seem to have a bit of an artistic block at the moment when it comes to writing and drawing, but I'm trying to work through it.

Happy Lego Bench Monday!

2012-01-09T17:55:00.001Z

A new little project I'm very excited about this year. The idea came to me as I was looking at my collection of Lego minifigures and accessories, and trying to find an excuse to play with them and buy more! Then it came to me - so from now on, every Monday is officially Lego Bench Monday!!

Week 2 - This young lady ventures out to her bench to brush her wigs and decide which one she wants to wear today.

And last weeks:

Week 1 -The start of a New Year's resolution to getfitter and work out more. I think most of us can relate to that.

What new projects have you started this year that you are excited about?

2012-01-08T23:10:00.002Z

Sometimes I just want a computer expert on hand to do all those things I can't work out how to do, but then I'd miss out on the massive satisfaction from working them out myself, even if they do take forever!

Plush Team 2011 Review Video

2012-01-08T21:38:00.000Z

If you like plush toys then please take a few minutes to watch this great video showing all the challenges and ideas the great Etsy Plush Team came up with in 2011! And remember, you can always visit our team shop too!

2012-01-07T23:05:00.001Z

Taxi Driver left me feeling as if I'd fallen asleep in the middle if a film and missed the most important part, only I had in fact watched every long minute of it.

2012-01-06T23:21:00.001Z

Starting to become mildly addicted to origami - never thought I'd be saying that, but its strangely calming and satisfying!

2012-01-05T22:52:00.001Z

Jillian Michaels nearly killed me today with her 30 Day Shred DVD, but as she says, we can always do with a good chest flye in our lives!

MCP Project 52 Weeks 48-52

2012-01-05T22:31:00.004Z

Well the last few weeks of Project 52 2011 were quite sad actually. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and created so many unusual photos that I would never have thought of otherwise. I will be joining in with MCP Project 12 in 2012, which has a new theme every month instead of every week. I hope to come up with some fresh new ideas.

Week 48 - Twinkle Twinkle

My first attempt at creating bokeh shapes with light. It took a lot of attempts but I finally got a shot I was happy with. Seeing as I only have the kit lens I was pretty pleased with this. I added the cross filter to add some extra twinkle!

Week 49 - Traditions

Another first attempt this week - a clone shot. You can't tell how cold and windy it actually was this day, but I was very glad when the shoot was over, as my hands were almost completely numb. I used a great tutorial for Photoshop Elements, and it turned out to be quite simple to create in the end.

Week 50 - Festive Colours

Some magic snow and a dustpan and brush were required for this one!

Week 51 - Holiday Cheer

This was another freezing cold day. I'd threaded all the foam snowflakes onto white cotton at home and carefully folded them all up to take with me, but naturally by the time I got to the woods they were all completely tangled up! Luckily there wasn't too much wind else this just wouldn't have worked at all.

Week 52 - What Life is All About

My last photo was this rather sad snowman shot. It fits the theme for me for a number of reasons - either that life is made up of fleeting experiences and people, or just the natural circles of life; birth and death etc etc. Very deep I know! It also gave me an excuse to get the magic snow out again too.

Here's a look at my years worth of photos all together:

2012-01-04T22:09:00.001Z

Feeling desperately in need of doing some exercise as the holiday food overdose is catching up with me.

2012-01-03T21:49:00.001Z

Sometimes it's well meaning others that end up derailing your good intentions, but I'm trying not to feel too bad about it.

Mustard & Rust - A Weekend Outfit

2012-01-03T19:24:00.000Z

I know that loads of bloggers write great outfit posts, and I love looking at clothes and fashion combinations, so I thought I'd try doing one myself. Now I'm no fashionista but I do love clothes and bargains (especially when I don't have much money to spare) so most of my clothes can be found on the High Street along with a few vintage or charity shop finds. Being winter at the moment I won't be venturing into any glamorous or exciting locations so my garden will have to do for now!

Dress: Rare from TopShop

Shrug: Primark

Tights: Marks & Spencer

Shoes: Primark

Necklace: Christmas present!

2012-01-02T23:11:00.001Z

I pondered my plans and decided my one word mantra for the year is 'organised'.

One sentence journal idea - hmmm...

2012-01-01T22:34:00.001Z

I first read about the one sentence journal in 'The Happiness Project' book by Gretchen Ruben, and thought it sounded like the sort of diary even I might be able to keep! The only problem is that I've already got a massive list of new and continuing projects and ideas I want to try out this year, and I'm prone to taking on more than I can manage. So I'm going to try it for a week on this blog to see if it suits me. After all, how hard can it really be to write one sentence a day! Hmmmm, we shall see. I'm even writing this post from my phone so it's just like texting really. Here is my first entry:

On the first day of 2012 my true love cooked for me, a tasty goose from Hungary (yes, you have to sing it!).

Happy new year!

2012-01-01T22:22:00.001Z

The festive period seemed to take over for a while there! I've taken lots of photos but just haven't posted any yet. Hoping to get round to it tomorrow. Got a few new projects up my sleeve to tell you about too!

December Daily - 19th

2011-12-19T22:11:00.000Z

December Daily - 18th

2011-12-18T21:28:00.000Z

December Daily - 17th

2011-12-17T20:42:00.000Z

December Daily - 16th

2011-12-16T20:42:00.000Z

December Daily - 15th

2011-12-15T20:34:00.000Z

December Daily - 14th

2011-12-14T22:09:00.002Z

December Daily - 13th

2011-12-13T21:58:00.001Z

December Daily - 12th

2011-12-12T21:54:00.000Z

December Daily - 11th

2011-12-11T21:54:00.000Z

December Daily - 10th

2011-12-10T21:00:00.001Z

December Daily - 9th

2011-12-09T20:52:00.000Z

December Daily - 8th

2011-12-08T20:51:00.000Z

December Daily - 7th

2011-12-07T20:49:00.000Z

December Daily - 6th

2011-12-06T22:07:00.001Z

December Daily - 5th

2011-12-05T23:27:00.001Z

December Daily - 4th

2011-12-04T23:25:00.000Z

December Daily - 3rd

2011-12-03T21:05:00.001Z

December Daily - 2nd

2011-12-02T21:39:00.001Z

December Daily - 1st

2011-12-01T21:36:00.000Z

AEDM - Day 30

2011-11-30T20:34:00.001Z

Well what else could Art do today but wave you all goodbye? We both wanted to day a big thank you for stopping by, and a special thank you to all of you who left comments and messages for us! If you haven't already, please add yourself as a follower of my blog and look forward to more fun features soon!

AEDM - Day 29

2011-11-29T20:32:00.001Z

This month of modelling seems to have taken its toll on poor old Art - I found him dragging himself to an energy source this afternoon!

AEDM - Day 28

2011-11-28T21:16:00.001Z

Well I've known Art for 28 days now and I only just discovered what a great break dancer he is! Check out these moves!

AEDM - Day 27

2011-11-27T17:00:00.001Z

Art tucked in to my favourite snack of the moment - a yummy packet of Wotsits! Good choice Art!

MCP Project 52 Week 47/52 - Water

2011-11-27T08:30:00.000Z

I have a love/hate relationship with water - I love relaxing in the bath, watching the sea and gazing at lakes, but I hate swimming baths, being in water deeper than waist high and having water run over my face. So, I wanted to portray the best bits of water in my photo. A nice bubble bath with a cuppa and a great view - perfect. If I could've made it to the coast it would have been rolling waves in the background, but sadly that wasn't possible (so no seaside excuse to scoff fish and chips either!).

Reject shot:

AEDM - Day 26

2011-11-26T15:19:00.001Z

I found Art out in the garden making a phone call this afternoon. I wonder who he was calling.

MCP Project 52 Weeks 44-46

2011-11-26T08:30:00.000Z

Week 44 - Muted Tones

After looking around my house for possible muted colour items I could photograph for this theme, I settled on Walter the bear. He's a bit scruffy but he is getting on a bit. I sat him on my windowsill and I thought the way the light hit his face made him look thoughtful and kind of sad. Maybe that's just my imagination.

Week 45 - Book Title

I love the old copy of Black Beauty I thrifted a few weeks ago, and thought it would make a great shot alongside my little black horse.

Week 46 - Over the Top

There are so many different meanings of 'over the top' but the one that came to my mind first was from World War I, used to describe the process whereby infantrymen emerged from their trenches and scrambled into No Man's Land to attack the opposing enemy trenches. This also seemed appropriate because of Remembrance Day. So this is my interpretation.

AEDM - Day 25

2011-11-25T18:15:00.001Z

After discovering a pair of roller skates in the toy box Art couldn't wait to have a go. He was a bit like Bambi to be honest.

Best of 365 Self - Halloween time

2011-11-25T08:30:00.000Z

I had over a week near Halloween where every photo was scary-themed, and they were so much fun. I love having an excuse to dress up, play with props and generally act like a big kid.

AEDM - Day 24

2011-11-24T17:16:00.001Z

Creativity was on the agenda for Art today!

Best of 365 Self - 27th Sept - 22nd Oct

2011-11-24T08:30:00.000Z

I don't know why I keep forgetting to update my blog with my 365 Self photos, but I haven't shared any since the end of September!

More things that make me smile....

2011-11-23T21:12:00.001Z

...my Tiger claw slippers!!!

Every winter one of my little pleasures is to choose a new pair of warm, cosy slippers! Since I discovered the website Monster Slippers a few years ago, they are my first port of call when I'm on the prowl for some new footwear. I tend to wear my slippers to death, and am always popping out in the garden in them (although I haven't yet become one of those people who wear them to the local shop - not yet anyway), so a good durable sole is very important. I'm also quite a clumsy person so huge novelty animal slippers are not a good idea if I want to stay upright. After ordering a pair of very thick soled leopard fur lined boots that were just huge and fell off my feet when I walked (not the best asset for a pair of slippers to have), I bit the bullet and ordered something a bit different for me, and somewhere in between sensible and novelty.....and here they are.......

I am totally in love with them! They are warm and comfy, and the best thing is they make me smile whenever I look down!!

AEDM - Day 23

2011-11-23T16:46:00.001Z

Art decided to try to get fit today so he spent a good while working out with these weights.

AEDM - Day 22

2011-11-22T17:25:00.001Z

Art took his favourite rubber duck to the lake at the local park today. They had a lovely peaceful time.

AEDM - Day 21

2011-11-21T19:22:00.001Z

Art tried his hand at badminton today. He wasn't half bad either!

AEDM - Day 20

2011-11-20T20:24:00.001Z

I came home today to find Art striking a pose and practising his ballet moves. Interesting outfit you have there Art!

AEDM - Day 19

2011-11-19T21:31:00.001Z

Being an artist's mannequin Art has picked up a love of, well, art! Here he is doing a spot of painting in the sunshine.

AEDM - Day 18

2011-11-18T21:52:00.001Z

Art treated me to a nice cup of tea today - how very nice and civilised of him!

AEDM - Day 17

2011-11-17T21:10:00.001Z

Art felt like showing off his circus skills today - very impressive!

Things that make me smile....

2011-11-16T18:14:00.001Z

As I was munching on a packet of crips today, an idea came to me for a new blog series - I'd like to share some little things that make me smile! I am often easily amused by things that most people wouldn't even notice or care about, so I thought these things deserve me pointing them out and sharing them with you, and hopefully they will make someone else smile too!

So here is the first one and the inspiration behind this idea.......the tiny Wotsits I keep finding in the bottom of the pack - too cute!!!!

AEDM - Day 16

2011-11-16T18:09:00.001Z

Well I did warn him yesterday that upsetting toy soldiers wouldn't end well! I think Art has learnt his lesson.

AEDM - Day 15

2011-11-15T18:21:00.001Z

Oh dear, it looks like Art has upset some toy soldiers. I bet that won't end well.

AEDM - Day 14

2011-11-14T23:20:00.001Z

The weather wasn't so nice today so Art brought out the domino set and had a few games.

AEDM - Day 13

2011-11-13T18:36:00.001Z

Art fancied a quiet day today so he spent some time wandering round the garden in the sunshine. The only flowers left are these fuschias - very pretty.

AEDM - Day 12

2011-11-12T12:36:00.001Z

Art had a go at Tarot reading today - I wonder what lies in his future?

AEDM - Day 11

2011-11-11T13:13:00.001Z

What else could Art do today but spend some time remembering all those who've died in the line of duty? So he wore his poppy with pride today, and I hope you did too.

AEDM - Day 10

2011-11-10T19:23:00.001Z

Today I learnt that Art shares my love of photography!

AEDM - Day 9

2011-11-09T17:02:00.000Z

The weather brightened up a bit today so Art made the most of it by having a kick around in the garden. Perhaps he might need a smaller ball though.

AEDM - Day 8

2011-11-08T17:06:00.001Z

Art spent today contemplating one of the big questions - which came first? Judging by his body language he hasn't worked out the answer just yet.

AEDM - Day 7

2011-11-07T17:42:00.002Z

Oh no, looks like Art is in trouble today!

Some more Halloween snippets...

2011-11-06T18:43:00.000Z

Here are a few more shots from my Halloween. The first few are taken using the colour sketch feature on my dSLR camera. I am loving this effect at the moment! It can make such ordinary shots look really interesting. I also tried out a few candle shots using the full manual mode. I am still struggling on trying to learn how to do this with my 'for Dummies book' but it is slow progress at the moment.

AEDM - Day 6

2011-11-06T14:52:00.000Z

What better way for Art to spend his Sunday than playing games on the PlayStation? None, he cries!

AEDM - Day 5

2011-11-05T17:25:00.002Z

It's Bonfire Night tonight and even though we're not going to watch any firework displays Art didn't want to miss out so I bought him some indoor sparklers. He had to be very careful, being made of wood and all!

AEDM - Day 4

2011-11-04T17:51:00.003Z

Art spent today hanging out with some of his family. Being the smallest he needs someone to keep an eye on him sometimes.

AEDM - Day 3

2011-11-03T18:08:00.000Z

What a greedy guy Art seems to be in today's shot. He devoured this Beetroot and Chocolate cupcake in a matter of minutes. I had to be pretty quick to get this shot.

AEDM - Day 2

2011-11-02T15:32:00.001Z

It's only day 2 of Art Every Day Month (AEDM) and Art has already decided to take it easy and put his feet up with a cuppa!

MCP Project 52 Week 43/52 - Shadows

2011-11-02T07:30:00.000Z

In keeping with the time of year I went for a scary-style shot this week. The killer shadow was out to get me!

And I was featured in this weeks top 10 - yay! Even if it was only because there weren't many entries to choose from!

Art Every Day Month - Day 1

2011-11-01T22:07:00.003Z

I took part in Art Every Day Month last November and I thought it might do me good again this year. I've decided to take a photo every day, but with a theme and a slight twist. So, meet Art, the mini wooden artist mannequin. Over the next 30 days I'll be following him around with my camera! You'll see what Art gets up to every day.

Day 1: Making the most of the last remaining pumpkin.