brissymama

Herbal Hair

2012-02-11T21:00:00.000+10:00

What am I cooking you may say? But it is not cooking but my new shampoo and conditioner. I have been reading a bit about people going no shampoo and it got me interested. I have had dermatitis on my scalp for years, the only time I have not had it was when I was pregnant. It manifests itself in a sore, itchy and flaky scalp. So my thought is what do I have to lose. I am not as worried about if my hair is too oily as many of my fellow no -pooers are online. For me oil is good. So let the journey begin.

My recipe that I tried was 1 tabsp Bicarb soda to 1 cup of water and for the rinse 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (don't ask me why apple cider Vinegar but that is what all I read used) to 1 cup Water. I added a handful of rosemary (because I know that is soothing and good for scalps) in the vinegar/water mix and warmed it up and steeped it like a tea.

Oscar Starts School

2012-01-27T18:54:00.001+10:00

I have finally reached a milestone, my youngest went to school this week. I did not know how he was feeling about this momentous occasion as he had not expressed excitement or displeasure at going to school. Monday morning he woke up got dressed and proceeded to ask are we going yet - at 7am. So I knew my answer. I Was not at all sad as I have been waiting for him to go to school so I could start a new phase in my life - I am going to University to study teaching. He is enjoying school but is still wondering why he has to go to school every day-

Happy 2012

2012-01-21T17:46:00.002+10:00

So why am I only writing Happy new Year now well I have been travelling for the past 5 weeks. We travelled overland to Adelaide via the outback. It was one amazing experience and I just wanted to share some of my highlights.Pelicans at Coorong National Park, South Australia. I have wanted to go here since studying the book Storm boy as a child at school. We stood watching older birds teach the younger ones how to land on water and how to fly in formation.
Emus on a salt pan at Coorong National Park. I love these birds and it was stunning to see them in the wild.
Long endless roads. Not as boring or as lifeless as I thought they would be.
Isabella in a field of Lavender in the Barossa Valley. She was so taken with these lovely scented rows.
Desert Sunset - What more can I say.
The Flinders Ranges in South Australia was Anthony's highlight it made him want to paint again. The ancient rocks and the vistas just are too stunning for words.
The kids at Maggie Beer's farm in the Barossa Valley. The are just all standing there taking in all the birdlife on the lake.
Isn't this the most gorgeous sunset - I could not help but grab my camera. It is on the Murray River
That was one long drive! And that is Kilometres!

Hope you have enjoyed just a snapshot of our 5 weeks.

Family

2011-11-05T20:38:00.003+10:00

I have just spent a lovely afternoon with my mother -in- law's family. I had not seen many of them for years, but it was lovely to spend time with them getting reantiquated. It was lovely for the kids to work out how all these people fit into the scheme of things , that Grandma actually has brothers and sisters. I am slowly beginning to realise that I need to see past all the blemishes that families have and enjoy them for who they are - FAMILY!

The Advent of Summer

2011-11-03T11:39:00.003+10:00

I sit and write and marvel how summer is almost upon us. It is now November and we are just starting to put away the jumpers and the blankets. Normally they are long put away by now but for some reason the coolness has been hanging around. Don't get me wrong I am not complaining but I am wondering. Wondering if we will have a summer that is as wet and as destructive as the last or will it be too hot to do anything but hang out at the local pool any chance we get. I feel that summer makes you feel alive, as in the heat you feel every limb, every breath you take and your skin becomes so sensitive to another's touch (basically don't touch me as I am too hot).

This series of photo's were taken at Bribie Island, an hour north of Brisbane. We had a lovely day there playing, swimming, eating fish and chips, eating ice cream and chillin. It was perfect except for the dog getting a paralysis tick from the bush and having to go the vet the following week. I think our dog enjoys the beach as much as we do and you can see her spirit lift in the open outdoors.

Anyway I had better stop writing and go and do some gardening there are weeds needing my attention

It has been a while

2011-10-31T21:50:00.004+10:00

I has been nearly 2 months since I last sat down to write or do anything remotely creative. That all goes by the wayside when you get caught up in the mundane of life. So yesterday I hauled out my camera and blew off the dust and took some shots. October in Brisbane is the month of the Jacaranda when the streets are paved with purple as the trees shed their lovely flowers. One thing I did enjoy about taking a photo a day was seeing the landscape around me change. Maybe next year i may try that lovely adventure again. Also I wanted to take some photo's of Isabella as she turned 8 this month. I wanted to capture her at this lovely age. Hopefully I will pop in to chat a bit more.

Finally I did it!

2011-09-04T20:24:00.002+10:00

I have been playing around with crocheting for a while but never really achieving anything. I could not read patterns or had any idea of what I wanted to achieve. But.... a couple of months ago I found this book in a local fabric store that had some great patterns in it but also it taught me how to interpret and read those patterns. So this the finished project and I am mighty proud of it. The different colour band is by default, I ran out of wool and of course the dye lot was not available.

Camping and cows

2011-08-26T17:28:00.003+10:00

We are a camping family, and it had been some time since we had been out in the great outdoors. So my birthday weekend we headed west about an hour and a half from home (for those who know SE Queensland it is just near Cunningham's Gap) and camped on this lovely cattle property. It was so lovely to be outdoors and to sit by the fire on a crisp winters night. We were lucky it was not too cold. All the stresses and strains of city life just ease away as soon as that car door opens and the tent goes up. And for the cows.... they came to visit us in the morning.

Day at the Koala Sanctuary

2011-08-08T21:45:00.002+10:00

Today I went a local Koala sanctuary with Jasper's class. I had never been there before and it was great. There are more Koala's than I had ever seen before and they were so close. I could have sat and watched them all day if I did not have a bunch of 6 year olds to watch out for. Jasper enjoyed the day and I love this photo of him as it shows his thoughtful personality.

Old time beauty

2011-08-06T20:48:00.003+10:00

Brisbane in terms of world history is quite a young city. But this house we visited, Newstead house is one of the older specimens in the city. I love it for it's wide veranda's that you could imagine the early settlers sitting on taking their tea whilst enjoying the view and the afternoon breeze. I so love the tropical cottage garden that surrounds the house and even though it is not traditional it evokes that same feel. There is some thing about this old house that is missing in our newer Queensland home and I think that word is practicality. We often build or renovate now for what it looks like but low and behold we put something into our home because it is practical and not pretty.

Also I could not help but share these gorgeous photo's of my kids. Hard to believe we are in the middle of winter.

Winter?

2011-07-26T09:17:00.002+10:00

Yesterday I went for a walk along the Brisbane River. It was a glorious winters day that only Queensland can deliver - with those crisp bright blue skies. Even though I was in the midst of the city I was reflecting on the play of nature, light and the concrete structures and how they all tend to sit together in harmony.

This is a carry basket in a mangrove tree - a hangover or a reminder of the floods in January.

Weekend Antics

2011-07-17T22:16:00.004+10:00

I don't know about you but at the moment weekends don't seem to be about relaxing too much at the moment. They seem to be more about cleaning, cooking and running around to soccer. This is a note to self to stop and enjoy the weekends a little bit more. I have a couple of Saturday morning rituals that I strictly adhere to, firstly it is up early to the local farmers market to buy fruit and veg for the week. There is a baker who has woodfired sourdough there on site every Saturday, so it is a treat for the week. When that bread gets home it is topped with a freshly poached egg - yes fresh I go down to check if the girls have laid any eggs that morning an if so that is my breakfast, with the local papers of course. Soccer beckons by mid morning so there goes my Saturday morning bliss. What rituals do you have on the weekends?

No school today

2011-07-15T14:04:00.004+10:00

Every term the School has what is called a pupil free day, where the teachers get a day of inservice training. This does not affect the Kindy kids so earlier this week I had the older two kids at home for the day. We decided to go to the Botanical gardens, which are only 10 minutes from our home. They have such an amazing and diverse bunch of plants from all over the subtropical world. There is also a lovely Japanese garden complete with amazing bonsai trees, some being nearly 50 years old! Our highlight is the sculpture trail which the kids meander through the gardens looking for each sculpture. So on our pupil free day the two older kids ran through the gardens experiencing the delights of both the natural and artistic worlds.

Cooking in the olden days

2011-07-07T12:37:00.002+10:00

My mum gave me my one of my granny's cookbooks a few weeks ago. I do not know if it was a favourite but it was certainly well used. I had such a giggle this morning over some of the recipes especially making a salad with lemon jelly crystals! How much have our palates changed. But saying that I did find some unusual recipes which I am keen to have a go at.

Winter glory

2011-07-06T09:37:00.002+10:00

Unlike other parts of the world our winters here in Brisbane are mild but it feels cold to us. So most trees still have their leaves and plants still flower. Actually some only flower in winter. I just wanted to share with you some of their splendour!

Gratitude...

2011-07-04T16:46:00.004+10:00

I am often reflecting on the topics of simplicity and gratitude and realise how much these two go hand in hand. I live in a rather affluent part of Brisbane and see how easy one can become discontent with every thing you have as you are constantly comparing ones self to others in the community. Rather than choosing to view life as full and and abundant. That desire to accumulate is so insidious that often it creeps into our lives and we do not realise it is there until it is well and truly entrenched. So as an ode to the simpler things in life I want to speak out some of the things in my life I am grateful for:

That I have all the basics of life.
That I am loved
I can sit by a gum tree and enjoy a lovely fire
That I have a curious mind and enjoy finding out how things tick
I can curl up and read a good book - that I have often borrowed from the local library
for my hens that are scratching the ground as I write, that I can give them a good life.
my photo's they give me a time and place in history
sitting under a starry sky looking up at the milky way and just be amazed

My list could go on but I do want to write more frequently about what I am grateful for because it will help me to remember what is important. What are you grateful for?

Sitting by the sea

2011-07-03T10:27:00.003+10:00

Taking the kids out of the house we ended up down by Moreton Bay for a bit of fish and chips and a bit of scootering (it is the new thing to do in our home). I arrived feeling very weary and stressed but being by the water blew all that away. I had forgotten to bring my camera, which I was not happy about because the light was beautiful and in my minds eye I had all these lovely shots lined up. In the end I had to make do with the iphone and I love the quirkyness of these photo's. What is it about the sea that refreshes our soul? No matter how you are feeling it just ends up invigorating the soul. But saying that the bush does that too.

Life is a zoo

2011-06-17T17:39:00.004+10:00

The kids decided they wanted to set up a zoo at home. Great idea and some really creative play or so I thought, until I saw what they wanted to charge me for holding an animal. Seems that someone has been paying attention when we go to an animal park!

Simplicity

2011-06-16T18:56:00.002+10:00

We had climbed to the top of this rock and in the pale afternoon light were these beautiful purple grass seed heads fluttering and swaying in the breeze. In certain settings these grass heads would be weeds but here they were just pure beauty.

Life and all it's busyness

2011-06-10T18:06:00.004+10:00

This year has not been one for me for blogging or doing anything I really cherish doing much at all. Maybe it is time for my mid year resolutions? I wonder if I would have much more success at keeping them? I have only 6 months left before I start 4 years of intensive study so I am thinking I had better make the most of them. So from now I resolve to complete all unfinished projects, to spend more time writing, reading, running and photographing and to not to get so busy that I miss out on the little things. So how do you think that is for a start? There is so much I desire to do but unfortunately life does tend to get in the way. These photo's represent a snapshot of my life at the moment and some of the things I do not want to being doing and some thing I would love to do more of.

Cooking a never ending chore and delight. Some days it is the last thing I feel like doing and then others I cannot wait to produce something amazing.

It is June and I have only just got the enrolment papers for Oscar for next year for school. I need to do them soon

Head lice- a problem we have been battling weekly for the past 6 months and unfortunately it has taken the yukky stuff to get rid of them.

Tasmania and gardening and both at the moment are a dream. We would love to move to Tassie but there are a few things holding us back. And there will not be a vegie garden this year unless I seriously chook and possum proof the garden as both have destroyed my efforts.

Work an essential necessity but something at the moment I wish I did not have to do as I could surely use those 2 days to do other things. This month I have worked for Starbucks for 10 years and I have truly enjoyed working for them - they are a great company. They have given me a tent for my 10 years of service.

Two joyful things in my life Running - something I love but do not get time to do and I really want to change that. And Mainly music a program of music and movement for families. I so enjoy presenting it an meeting the families that come along.

Reuse recycle

2011-05-14T13:03:00.003+10:00

My Sewing stuff has been bothering me a bit lately very untidy and unorganised so I was not sure what I was going to do. The other week at my in Laws home I spied this shelf which they were getting rid of and I thought that would be good for something - What I did not know. So after scrubbing all the grease off it has come up really lovely and has made a good home for all my sewing stuff

Winter is coming

2011-05-12T12:23:00.000+10:00

My glorious Wattle tree with so many buds on it that in August it will be a mass of yellow flowers.
Unlike many of my Northern hemisphere and southern Australian/New Zealand friends, Autumn and winter are the time to start getting our Vegetable garden ready for planting out. In Summer here in Brisbane the days are hot and humid and many of the plants succumb to various fungal diseases. In the photo's above you can see my attempt to stop the possums from eating my parsley plant and boy can they demolish a plant in one night.
The strawberry patch is very healthy and hopefully we will get a good crop this year.
Alot of work to be done as all the rain has washed away the soil.
Trees and herb seedlings waiting to be planted.

Rainy Days

2011-04-18T11:46:00.004+10:00

Today is the first real day of the school holidays and would you believe it it is raining!!! So the next question is what does one do, especially since the last lot of holidays were during the big floods. You can't go to the cinema or museum as they are so packed so we are resolved to a day at home.
So we have been baking banana and choc chip muffins and cupcakes. They will be iced this afternoon.

All the lego comes out and onto a sheet for an easy cleanup.

And of course a visit to the DVD store for a new movie to watch. What do you do when it is raining I'd love to have some new ideas?

Saying goodbye

2011-04-16T22:33:00.003+10:00

Yesterday we said goodbye to a lovely lady - Anthony's Grandma. She had reached a lovely age of 93. She was one of the world's quiet achievers, never said alot but always made sure you had plenty on your plate and a cup of tea in your hand. Unfortunately by the time I got to know her she was starting to lose her hearing and she could never seem to hear the timbre of my voice (if you had higher pitched voice then it was easier for her), so I really did not get to know her. I was reflecting on how much change she would have seen in her lifetime as she was born in 1918. I was wondering if I will see that much change in my lifetime. It is also sad because she was the last of my children's great grandparents.

My Boy plays Soccer...

2011-04-02T19:25:00.002+10:00

Today Jasper played his first ever game of soccer. I felt we had reached a major milestone in a boys life - first team sport. Most of the kids on his team are aged 6 and they did not have the finer skills of soccer down pat but they had a great time. And of course they won 6-5.

Where Have I been?

2011-03-27T14:23:00.002+10:00

I know in blog land 3 weeks is an eternity but life has sort of got in the way and one thing had to give and that was updating my blog.

I was accepted into university this year to study Early childhood teaching i.e. birth to 8 years old and was absolutely thrilled to be doing that. I had decided that with Oscar being in Kindy and this being my tenth year of working ( here in Australia if you work for a company for 10 years they give you up to 3 months extra leave) I would only do one subject a semester. Unfortunately the University will not let you do things that way and I had to pick up an extra two subjects semester. I did think about it but realistically there was no way I could do that this year. So with a very disappointed heart I had to withdraw from this year. So look out QUT I will be back with a vengeance in 2012.

At the start of March my brother in law told us he was moving to Victoria. Very sad cause we will miss him but an amazing opportunity for him. So every weekend I have been up the coast helping to get his house ready for rental. It has been a huge job as it is an older home and it has been a while since he has done some work on the place. My mum has graciously looked after the kids whilst I have been doing this but it still has meant being away from home for most of the weekend.

And my final complaint is after school activities. We only let our kids do one activity gymnastics for Bella and soccer for Jasper. Swimming is a necessity here in Queensland and therefore we also have to fit in 3 lessons a week. I tried to get everything on only 2 days so the kids have 3 days after school to play but this year that formula is not working due to schedules. So as a result we are running around 3 nights a week and the worst part is trying to negotiate the horrible traffic here.

So hopeful some calm and organisation has entered my life and I can get back to posting a few times a week.

Artist uncovered

2011-03-05T19:41:00.003+10:00

Just over 6 weeks ago my youngest boy started pre - prep (the year before school starts for real). I have been amazed to watch how he has put himself into creating little artworks every day he goes to preprep. He has an explanation for every piece he creates. One piece he did was a mash of colours and he said to me "that's because I wanted to see what the colours would look like on the paper". I am taking so much pleasure in watching him discover his artistic soul.

Confession time

2011-02-24T18:00:00.003+10:00

I am doing a 365 day photo project but I have to confess I have not had much success at doing a photo a day this month but it has been more like every second day. I feel like I have cheated myself so much as I said I would not do this but life has really got in the way. I know I am being so hard on myself but I really did want to be a purist about this.

Chaos in My ordered world

2011-02-22T10:37:00.002+10:00

I do not know about you but I do like my area's around me to be neat and tidy. These photo's are of the kids play area the top one is how they usually leave it and the bottom is how Mum likes it. The question is how do we get the kids to tidy up with out me going blue in the face. I am curious to know when the desire to take of their own environment kicks but saying that I think my mum is still waiting for that to happen with my brothers and they are 37 and 25!

O turns 4

2011-02-12T19:18:00.003+10:00

Today was Oscar's 4th birthday party, in our family the kids have a party every second year, and this year it is Oscar's turn. At my husbands insistence we had to have the party in a local park. I do not mind it being in the park but I feel it is alot more work especially trying to make sure we remembered everything. It was a hot day but thankfully the breeze made it a bit more bearable.

As Oscar has just started kindy we decided to invite the whole class (we have never done that before) so we and the other families could get to know each other a bit better. So there were quite a few kids all running around.. It was nice not to have to organise any games but we did draw them all together with my kid's favourite party game - a pinata. By the time we got to the birthday cake it was so warm the icing was starting to slide off the cake.

It is sad to think that this is my last 4th birthday party but it means that we are leaving those early childhood years behind and moving onto the school years.

Snapshot of my week

2011-02-11T12:23:00.003+10:00

It has been a week or more since I last sat down to write. Now school is back life has settled into a hectic pace. Trying to get the get the kids out the door by 8.30 but failing miserably despite all my best intentions. We are often pulling up to the gate after the second bell has gone. I am a naturally fly by the seat of my pants person and take life as it comes so routine and organisation do not come that easy to me. Yet since the kids started school and kindy I have had to introduce routine into our lives and sometimes we get there sometimes we do not.

This week has been the busiest of all. Starting of with Roster day at kindy. It is a day where you go in to kindy and help out the teacher and get to experience kindy with your child. A fantastic day but nothing gets done at home. Then before I know it I am back at school and heading off to the after school activities. A highlight though was I met a lady at swimming who was knitting and she gave me all this helpful advice.

Tuesday and Wednesday are work days so you pretty much write them off. Yet on Wednesday morning there is a bright spot where Oscar and I meet up with some other mums and kids for a play and coffee. This time helps me get to the end of the week. When I go to work around lunch time I am often are not home till 8.30pm so my husband has the joy of the night time routine which includes cooking dinner.

Thursday I was out all as we have a birthday party on Saturday and have not done any preparation for it (didn't I say I tend to fly by the seat of my pants) usually I am rather good at spreading out the preparation of parties but this time it just all crept up on me

Anyway it is the end of the week and I feel like I have done nothing yet Have done so much. I sit and wonder how I will fit the university course I am about to undertake into my life, but I am sure somehow I will find a way.

Knitting at last!

2011-02-03T10:08:00.003+10:00

I have always wanted to learn how to knit but when I tried when I was younger I had shocking co-ordination and just could never get my fine motor skills around the finer parts of knitting. A couple of months ago I bought some needles in the hope I might be skilled enough to give it a try. So on Sunday afternoon I sat down in front of You Tube and learnt to knit an by jove I got it!!! Now I just need to get fast enough so I can actually make something.

Last Winter I finally learnt to crochet and have been plugging away at a number of granny squares. I wanted to share with you the results of my efforts. Not much to show but I am slowly getting there.

New Boots

2011-01-29T22:32:00.003+10:00

Today I went out with Jasper and bought his first pair of football boots. I felt the same way about buying these as I did his first pair of shoes. These mean he has reached a milestone - he is now big enough to join a team and to play soccer. I don't know if he will be good or even if he will enjoy it but he will be out there trying just like when he was learning to walk.

End of Summer

2011-01-26T21:54:00.002+10:00

Here in Queensland the kids have gone back to school. To me that always seems like the end of summer, the thunderstorms get less, the days usually sit around 28 - 30 C ( I know that may seem hot to some but there tends not be the scorching hot days) everything seems to become that little bit routine. There is now less time to go to the beach and no more long evenings in the back yard cause if the kids are not in bed by 8 they may be a wee bit feral for their teachers the next day. But now I have written this I am sure we will get the hottest February on record.

365 Days -photo's of Late....

2011-01-20T18:26:00.004+10:00

Well I am still going and proud That I have not given up yet. At the end of Feb it will be 6 months.It is a challenge to work out what to photograph daily but I can't seem to resist those landscapes.

Brisbane Floods...

2011-01-12T19:59:00.005+10:00

As many of you know Brisbane is experiencing some amazing but destructive floods. I am safe as my home is up on a ridge away from the Brisbane river. Today many people in low lying areas of the city have watched as their homes have gone under the flood waters. I just wanted to share with you some of my experiences of this time with you.Brisbane city - the river is just about to break it's banks

This is The Brisbane River in full flood it is about double this width.
We use to live here - turn left at the white house and this was our street - very glad we do not live here now

A major intersection just around the corner from a friends house
that friends back yard this morning - it is expected at the peak of the flood it will more than cover this clothesline
The front Steps
the back steps

The parking meter outside my friends house and the photo previously is 12 hours later. My friends managed to get most of their belongings out of their house before it went under.

Many lives have been devastated by these floods both here in Brisbane and in other parts of Queensland please think of these people and pray for them.

A quilt in time

2011-01-10T20:30:00.002+10:00

A day ago I finished this quilt but it has been 6 years in the making. My mother in law turned 60 6 years ago and me in my wisdom decided it would be a lovely thing for her to make her a birthday quilt. So I go all the people/families attending the party to bring a fabric square with their names on it and I would sew it into a quilt. But since that time life and children have got in the way and the squares lingered in the bottom of my cupboard until last October, when I found them in a clean up. Looking over the squares I was amazed at how things change even in 6 years, children are born, marriages break up, people pass away and people drift out of your life. All the same it is nice to have a reminder of that particular point in time. I gave her the quilt and she too had forgotten about it and was reminded of those memories.

Rain, Rain and more rain

2011-01-09T06:57:00.004+10:00

Water is laying everywhere!!!

the path the water takes from the front to the back yards

One of the delights of all this rain is seeing beautiful fungi like this come out of rotting timber

Weeds galore I certainly have a job ahead of me

Since before Christmas, Brisbane has not seen too many days of sunshine. I love the the rain especially for what it signifies but for a rain lover like me it is all starting to get a bit soggy. I have not been in the garden for at least a month and the weeds are starting to take over, more work for me when the sun does shine. I have been doing a bit of reading and this wet weather is all part of a cycle that we usually have 3 wet years then 7 years of drought or very little rain. Is so true what they say about Australia being a land of drought and flooding rain. Anyway just take a moment to think of those in Central Queensland an WA who have lost nearly everything in the floods.

Music and photographs

2011-01-06T22:33:00.003+10:00

The other night I was watching a documentary on this photographer, Anton Corbijn, whose primary subjects were rock stars and famous people (he is the the guy that took that amazing photo on the cover of U2's Unforgettable Fire album and Joshua Tree album). Anyway half way through the documentary I was struck with how his backgrounds albeit they are very simple say something about the artists or where they are from or where they are going. It got me thinking about when I take a photo how much do I think about my background and does it say anything about my subjects. So I took a couple of my kids with the VJ timber walls in the background as they are throughout my home. I happy with what I go but there is always room for improvement.

Anton's photo of Joy division in a tube tunnel ie they are from London

This one of Bella is the one I am happiest with it shows the background yet it is a great photo of her

Lego mania

2011-01-02T11:40:00.003+10:00

Yesterday my wonderful Aunty bought around 3 boxes of Lego that her boys had grown out of. It was such a fabulous gift as we have just spent the morning making our own lego town - Mum included. As the boys are still young the creativity with lego does not happen quite yet but this morning it took off without much prompting from me.

1-1-11 Welcome New Year

2011-01-01T15:11:00.003+10:00

The wet view from the back step

Today is the first day of a new year albeit a wet one. So what does that mean to some it is a year full of possibilities yet to others it is a reminder of things not done or achieved. It is certainly a time of reflection for either the optimist or the pessimist. I have not yet sat down to think about my year to come but a wonderful friend a year or so ago told me about how she set her New Years goals. She broke them down to sections of her life ie work, spiritual ect and thought about what she wanted to realistically achieve for all. She said it was surprising how many of those goals she actually managed to achieve.

Happy New Year and hopefully you will achieve some amazing things this year.

365 day project still going

2010-12-30T09:08:00.004+10:00

I have not shared many of my images that I have been taking for my 365 day project for a while so I thought today was as good as any. I have surprised myself that I have not given up, and at times it has been hard to keep going. But as time has gone on my focus has changed too. When I started out I was doing this to solely improve my photography but now I am really enjoying documenting our lives over the year. As I look over what I have taken over the past 4 months I can point to activities or incidences in our lives. As this has become the overriding theme I am tending to use my phone camera when I am out and about to take these snapshots of our lives. So it is now not about the result but about the journey.

The Last Few Weeks

2010-12-28T09:32:00.003+10:00

Well Christmas has now come and gone and it is time to think of putting away the decorations but I can't quite come at doing that yet (seeing as it took forever to put up only 2 1/2 weeks ago). I trust you all had a lovely Christmas - we did. My husband had to work all through the holidays - that is one of the annoying things about being a nurse they do not close hospitals at the end of business. We had a very wet Christmas period and many families in Queensland have been flooded. It is still raining as I write this 4 days later.

The kids wrote amazing and generous letters to Santa, to make sure he and his reindeer were well fed.

Christmas dinner was a BBQ in the evening after Anthony got home from work. It was the first time I had a BBQ for a Christmas meal and it was really lovely and easy too

I feel a bit sad it is all over as I really enjoy the celebration that Christmas is. I wish it could be like some festivals that other cultures have that go for many days.

Brisbane Storms

2010-12-17T09:30:00.003+10:00

Yesterday we took the kids into the Museum in the city and whilst we were there a summer storm built up - I was fascinated and watched it developed for about 15 minutes and boy was it spectacular. It rained so hard you could hardly see in front of you. Aside from the damage I love storms.

It is finally starting to look a bit like Christmas

2010-12-13T21:04:00.003+10:00

We have finally put up our Christmas tree. My husband would be more than happy if we skipped Christmas altogether but we have 3 little darlings who get oh so very excited about christmas. so where does that leave me some years I am very excited others I am very ambivalent. This year I have not quite decided how I feel yet. Christmas in Australia is very different to the Northern Hemisphere it is hot and it is the time of the year where everything winds down. Days are long, can be very sticky and baking (even though it should be) becomes not a priority. So what is good about Christmas in Australia, for me it is mainly about family and a time of reflection on the birth of Jesus and how this time changed history. Anyway the kids had so much fun putting up the tree and we are happy.

Rain and fun

2010-12-05T22:34:00.003+10:00

Every first weekend in December for the past 10 years a group of us has gone away together to catch up and to reflect on the past year. It is a weekend that all of us hold sacred. It started off with us just all saying in one house to now having more kids than adults that there is no way we could fit into one hose let alone two. So now most of us are now camping.

So with this previous weekend being the first weekend in December we headed down to a lovely farm 2 hours south of Brisbane. It rained and rained but we still caught up, the kids still played, everyone still crowded into the sauna and we still had the thrill of riding on the back of the ute.

It is nice to have this history and that my kids are growing up with this yearly tradition.

Camping at Girraween

2010-12-02T13:32:00.006+10:00

Girraween National Park would have to be one of my most favourite places in the world (I know that is a very bold statement but I have been to many places in the world and this place still tops the list for me) It is a dramatic landscape that is characterised by huge rocky granite outcrops. I first went there when I was going out with my husband and I was a very young 18 year old but I fell in love with the place and we have endeavoured to go back there at least twice a year since. Now we have children we are showing them the beauty and magic of this place.

Some of our highlights of the trip we have gone on is the kids being able to walk comfortably 5 kms, a kangaroo and her joey eating the grass at the campsite next to ours, the kids making up unbelievable games and stories in the bush and rocks next to our campsite and finally the beautiful wildflowers that were flowering along all the walks we took.

Also sorry I have not written for a while - life just got a little bit in the way.

Simple sewing

2010-11-10T17:40:00.003+10:00

Lately I have had a few sewing projects on the go and I have managed to complete them. Overall I am happy with the end result I am not happy with the hidden mistakes that I know are there. I have really enjoyed picking up the long dormant sewing skills and creating something lovely out of just a piece of fabric.

My first finished project (for a better word) was an everyday tote that I got out of a lovely book called "Weekend Sewing' by Heather Ross This was surprisingly easy the result looks great.

Next was a gypsy skirt for Isabella in her Favourite colour of the moment - purple! I loved making this and am so happy with how it falls and of course twirls.

And finally a shoulder bag that was created out of necessity. I am going on a plane with only carry on Luggage so it means I can't take my hand bag so I needed a bag for when I got there so out of my head came this design. Don't you just love the gorgeous fabric I found to line it - thank you Funky Fabrics.

Mosaic games

2010-11-08T22:58:00.003+10:00

It is already 8 days into November and I have not posted anything - so much for my goal to to do at least 3 posts a week.I have been working on a number of creative endeavours Sewing and photography. I will post the sewing ones next week. I wanted to share a mosaic I had been playing with of the same photo but with different effects. I do not have a very sophisticated editing software but I do like different effects I was able to do - I particularly like the one of Bella with redish hair.

Any way I won't be posting 3 times this week as I am heading down to Victoria to visit my family for my Aunts birthday. I am so excited especially seeing as the kids are staying home.

Backyard fun

2010-10-29T18:07:00.004+10:00

Now the days are getting longer we find we are spending longer and longer time in the back yard. Since getting the new animals the kids are busting to go outside as soon as they get home no more asking to watch Tv. They have been tremendous in helping to care for the animals and keeping Xena the dog in check when she tries to round up the chickens. Often we are not wandering upstairs till 6.30pm and then it is help what's for dinner and quick hop in the bath for the kids.

Yesterday we had this massive storm come over and it was so spectacular to watch it roll in over the ridge. Unfortunately I got soaked on my way to pick up the kids from school.

October Photo's

2010-10-24T15:48:00.002+10:00

These are a collection of photo's taken for my 365 day challenge over the past few weeks - some are great and others are not. I must admit I am starting to see what my passion is for and that is nature photography be it landscapes or a gorgeous flower. I don't what it is but the composition of these types of photo's come so much more naturally to me. But when you look what is around you it is hard to not get inspired.

Challenge continues...

2010-10-21T19:06:00.002+10:00

I am slowly settling into my 365 day photo challenge. Some days it is difficult to get to take a photo due to life. so I have decided to take a photo from my back step that over looks the neighbourhood. It will be interesting to see the changes in the environment over the year. At the moment all the beautiful Jacaranda's are out in flower. Anyway enjoy....

Kids grab the Camera

2010-10-16T18:19:00.002+10:00

"Please Mummy can I take a photo" is a familiar cry around our house from the kids. I am a bit reluctant at times to hand over my precious DSLR (thoughts of the lens hitting the ground run through my head) but I know how they love to create images. So yesterday I pried my fingers from the camera and gave the kids a chance to have a go - so here are their efforts.

Welcome to the family

2010-10-15T17:12:00.003+10:00

Lily

Harriet (blue band) Rainbow Magic (purple Band)

Sparkle

Charlie

Over the past week we have had a few new additions to the family, 2 guinea pigs and 3 chickens. The kids have all thought up names for our new additions - the guinea pigs are Charlie and Sparkle and the chooks are Rainbow Magic, Lily and Harriet. We were quite delighted to receive our first egg yesterday courtesy of Harriet. At the moment the Kids are really enjoying helping to looking after them. Lets hope that continues. Our dog has accepted the new members of the family but does like to bark at the chooks if they do not notice her.

I thought I would include an up to date photo of our little vegie patch. It has been really productive, thanks to all the rain we have been getting but unfortunately that brings forth all the weeds as well.

365 day photo challenge - yes I am still going

2010-10-05T21:56:00.003+10:00

Well I am now a month into this photo challenge and I am happily still going. But I thought it was time I share some images. Some I am happy with and others are rather ordinary but isn't that life.

A few days in Sydney

2010-10-04T20:51:00.004+10:00

I have finally sat down to write about our trip to Sydney last week. We decided to take the whole family down to Sydney for 4 days last week as the kids had been asking us for a while if we could go to Sydney. We only told them a couple of days before we were about to go and they were so excited - "you're the best mum and Dad" was uttered more than once.

There were so many highlights - uneventful flights, seeing venus from a 130 year old telescope, watching the delight on the kids faces when they see the Sydney Opera house for the first time, seeing the industrial history of Cockatoo Island, retracing the steps of the children's book Alexander's Outing just to name a few.

Last time I went to Sydney I was 7 weeks pregnant with Isabella so in some ways it was precious to take her back there as a 7 year old.

After this holiday I really encourage anyone to think outside the box when visiting a popular tourist spot cause the unexpected delights we discovered made the trip something out of the ordinary.

Home a bit earlier ....

2010-09-24T22:55:00.004+10:00

Here we are home a bit earlier than we thought....the weather was too lousy to go camping. Plus Anthony and I were so knackered the thought of putting up a tarp and a tent just made us feel even more tired! That is huge for us as we love camping and often complain we do not do it enough due to work and activities. But our little holiday house was lovely and we had a wood fire to keep us warm. We even ended up with a lovely runaway dog staying with us for a few days before his owners manage to find him. The kids played on the muddy slope, they played army men in the long grass (thank goodness it is not warm enough yet for the snakes to come out of hibernation) and made a mountain of craft. Anthony and I just read and slept and kept the food coming. We have another adventure next week but that is till then.....

Boonah here we come

2010-09-18T19:35:00.004+10:00

I am just about to go off to a gorgeous place in South East Queensland.....Boonah. It is about an hour and a half from where I live, nestled in the foothills of the Main Range. We went there a few months ago and had a marvellous time. The kids played outside all day only coming inside to eat and sleep. My husband even begun to unwind and relax. It reminded me of when I was a kid and life was so uncomplicated. Anyway enjoy the photo's of our last trip to Boonah and I will see you in a week or so.

Second week

2010-09-15T22:43:00.004+10:00

Wow I have managed to get through a second week. They are tending to be a real mixed bag of photo's but as a famous movie quote says "Life is a box of Chocolates you never know what you get". That describes my photo's exactly.

Tribute to Mum

2010-09-10T19:05:00.005+10:00

This week was my Mums birthday and I just wanted to write something to pay tribute to this amazing woman who just happens to be my mum. Mum is a rock and a constant in my life, she is ever reliable and I can truly say she has never let me down. My gives so much of herself to others from her job as a teacher aide to being heavily involved with the State Emergency Service which involves dropping things to go and help people in trouble. My mum is never judgemental and takes people at face value - she often is willing to see the best in people. Mum is not perfect and she has her areas in which she struggles to gain control of in her life but haven't we all. But my mum has a character and personality that is worth looking up to. I love her gentle sprit and her willingness to have a go but also her desire to make herself to be a better and whole person. These are attributes that I hope my daughter inherits from her.

Take a moment to think of your Mum and thank her for the things you love about her.

1st week down 51 to go

2010-09-05T20:10:00.004+10:00

I managed to get through my first week of my 365 day challenge. I am finding by putting the photo's up here and on Facebook I am being accountable and therefore will have much more of a chance of succeeding. This week sees me starting my online SLR course with the lovely Faith and if it is anything like her last course I am going to be challenged and stretched.

Mt Cootha Botanical Gardens

2010-09-04T20:35:00.005+10:00

Today was one of those rare Saturdays where Anthony is not working during the day. So we took off to our local Botanical Gardens. As it is the start of spring all the flowers are coming into bloom and the gardens look magnificent. There was an exhibition of Native Australian plants on at the gardens and we were able to get some cheap plants for the garden. We had a picnic by the lake and saw all manners of wildlife - water dragons, turtles, ducks and not to mention the Ibis that kept hassling us for food. So much so they stole Jasper's bun out of his hand - he was not happy with that. But that is the joys of being outdoors and surrounded by wildlife and I would not trade that for anything

Shorts and sewing

2010-09-02T19:15:00.003+10:00

TToday at a drop of a hat Oscar and I decided to go to one of our local fabric stores. At Oscar's insistence I was to make him a pair of short -Today!!! So he chose this lovely orange and yellow fabric with planes on for me to use. When we go home he pestered me to make them so in between honey sandwiches I made them before picking the other 2 up from school. I am quite happy with the result - what do you think?

I just wanted to share with you some of the delicious fabrics I have bought lately - don't you just love the colours and patterns?

Spring is here Yipee!!!

2010-09-01T21:25:00.003+10:00

1st September first day of spring. One of my favourite times of the year why? It is the end of cold weather, the Jacaranda trees begin to flower (photo's in a few weeks time), people generally seem to have a new spring in their step, It is not too hot, plants begin to grow and flower - just too name a few things. This time of year has the most beautiful light and I took this lovely photo of Isabella.

Day one.....364 to go

2010-08-29T22:08:00.002+10:00

I thought I would share with you my first photo of my 365 day photo challenge. So I am starting with a self portrait - not too bad except for all those wrinkles. And if you want to join me go over to www.madelinebea. com and get the low down from Meagan whose brilliant idea it was to do this.

365 Days Challenge

2010-08-28T21:59:00.002+10:00

Wow what a challenge. Can I do it? That is a question. So what is the challenge - to take a photo a day for a whole year. That is so big but I think I can do it. Don't worry I won't post a photo every day but will do the whole week in one hit. So starting August 29th 2010 till August 28th 2011 I will take one photo a day. But that has got my think what will happen in that year, what will I see, what will I experience, what will change. How exciting to be heading off into the unknown.....

Sewing rediscovered

2010-08-22T19:11:00.004+10:00

As a teenager I used to make the majority of my clothes, I even made a pair of shorts that I had screen printed. I sewed mainly because in the mid eighties it was far cheaper to make your own clothes rather than buy them. For many years I have let those skills lay dormant for a number of reasons, it is cheaper to buy clothes now, the range of fabrics were quite uninspiring and I did not have a sewing machine. So what has changed now. Well there are some amazing fabrics out there these days and discovering an amazing fabric store a couple of suburbs over (thank you Funky Fabrix) So I want to share with you a couple of my first projects

This is a dress that I made for my daughter Isabella. There is a story behind the fabric. About 19 years ago I went to Bali with a group of people and I saw this fabric in one of the markets in Bali and fell in love with it. So it has sat in my sewing box since then. Just Lately Isabella has saying how much she loves purple and I remembered this fabric. As I was ironing the fabric out I noticed it has little fish on it and of course Isabella loves sea creatures. Amazing eh!

These are my husbands pyjama's for the summer. I spied this fabric on Funky Fabrix's facebook page (isn't it so awesome) and I thought how much I liked it but it wasn't until Anthony was complaining how many holes his pj's had in them and how he would have to get a new pair that I knew what I could use this fabric for. So I cut up those holely pyjama's and used them as the basis for a pattern for these new ones

It is Birthday week

2010-08-15T20:20:00.003+10:00

There is one week of the year my family looks forward or certain members dread - it is Birthday week. In the space of a week 5 members of our family have birthdays including myself. It is funny how different people react to their birthday's. To me it is a celebration of the life of that person's life, a time to reflect on how much that person means to me and the important part they play in my life. It is a time to rejoice, a time to thank Jesus for them also a time to look back on the year just gone and every thing that has come to pass. Some years the year has been awesome and amazing yet other years have been full of challenge and struggle. But the most important thing is look back and realised we have grown. Whereas my husband struggles with his birthday every year and wishes the day was scrubbed off the calendar - especially this year when he turned 40. What is your birthday like for you is it a time of celebration and reflection or is a day you would rather forget?

It's August it's EKKA time

2010-08-08T19:11:00.002+10:00

To those of you who do not come from Brisbane/Queensland you be wondering what on earth is the EKKA. It is our yearly agricultural show, it is the place where the city meets the country. So in the midst of city you can experience cattle, horses, Wood chopping, chickens, pigs goats, baking, jams ect. Along with the delights of side show alley, show bags and fireworks to end the day. My children love going to the Ekka and it is one of the highlights of their year. They were anxious to get their show bags and had them chosen before we even got through the gate. Now they are getting older they are discovering the excitement of rides and games. This year Bella and Jasper had their first rides on the dodgem cars - they were so excited. We left all so very tired but the kids were asking can we go again next year. I think it is something they will never tire of. If only we could harness that child like joy and enthusiasm.

All done...

2010-08-01T20:48:00.006+10:00

Today I uploaded my last photo to the e photography course I have been doing. It has been a month full of learning and have learnt so much more than I expected. My final photo is of a peach blossom taken in the glorious afternoon light.

Books glorious books!

2010-07-29T20:40:00.003+10:00

Talking with some of friends today about a book club made me think of the effects of books on my life. I am an avid reader and will read most genre's but my weakness is crime novels. While the kids were little I tended not to read a whole lot but now I am making up for it. My friend put some of her favourite books on her blog and thought I might steal her idea(sorry Rach).

So what does this pile mean to me let me show you how they fit into my life and thoughts

1. Bible - what can I say but the ultimate guide book to life.

2. The Time travellers Wife - Christmas present from Anthony and a ripping read

3. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - One of my all time favourite books read too many times

4. Nikon D90 camera manual - still trying to work out what all the menu's and button's on my camera do

5. Private - a nod to my crime novel obsession

6. Cut the Clutter - trying to synthesise this book and it's elements into my life (not succeeding)

7.Notebook and Real Living - a girl has to have magazines

Brisbane like we have never seen

2010-07-25T15:41:00.005+10:00

Anthony and I were fortunate enough to be given a day to spend together - yes it is a very rare occurrence. So we went into the centre of Brisbane to the Art Gallery to see an exhibition that we have been wanting to see for quite some time (it actually finishes next weekend). It was by a sculptor called Ron Mueck and he sculpts people and they have such a life like quality to them. A few years ago we saw a sculpture he did of a pregnant woman at the Gallery and I was totally transfixed by it. In this exhibition there is a sculpture of a baby and it is so impressive that you just want to reach out and touch it.

I took my camera with me and decided I wanted to capture some of Brisbane through the lens of my camera. Even though I have lived in Brisbane for many years I have never really took photos of the city. I was pleasantly surprised how amazing the city looked and have a new appreciation of it

Winter at it's best

2010-07-17T15:45:00.006+10:00

Today is a beautiful Brisbane winter's day - sunny and warm but not hot. You can just sit in the sun and lap it up. It is not that great for taking photo's though the light can be a bit harsh. Anyway the kids and I have been enjoying it immensely first we started the day off going the markets for our fruit and veg, we had a walk with the dog, then a play in park and ended up with a picnic on the front verandah. Making me so appreciate this time of year.

I am so proud of our little vegie garden it is thriving and has been so productive so far I have been able to give produce to my friends. The tomatoes are growing like some one has given them growth hormones not to mention the zucchini's. We have also managed to get some freebie mushrooms thanks to the mushroom compost....no they are not magic.

For this next Assignment for the workshop I am doing I had to take photos of flowers something I do not find easy to do. Isabella fell in love with the flowers I had and wanted me to take a photo of her with them - I tweeked the photo a wee bit and am happy with the result.

Finally just a thought to leave you with "Live simply so others may simply live" I took a photo of drinking water as many in the world do not have access to drinking water.

Growing through photography

2010-07-15T18:29:00.010+10:00

As a commitment to find my creative niche I have taken on a photography course and boy has it been challenging me. I am learning things that I have been too slack to learn and should have learnt many years ago. So I hope you enjoy some of my efforts.

I have been home from holidays for nearly a week and already the mundane of life has set in much to my frustration. I came home with a renewed optimism to change the things that had been driving me crazy such as messy home, lack of time for exercise, lack of time for creative pursuits just to name a few. I think I will have to really sit down and find a way to resolve some of these issue before they really begin to get to me. Any idea's would be most gratefully received. I am beginning to see though that I am not alone though in this dilemma and many women in my situation (ie. small kids, working ect) are trying to work out this but not too many of us are succeeding. What a journey I am on lets hope I grow rather than get bogged down

Northern New South Wales Road Trip...

2010-07-12T21:27:00.004+10:00

Well I have just come back from 2 weeks holiday travelling around Northern NSW. As a result of doing so much in the past 2 weeks that I was wondering about how to write it up so the kids and I came up with a list things that describe what we have been up to.

Dubbo Zoo animals Otters feeding giraffe's Monkey's frost bouncing pillow Warrumbungles telescope making maps emus kangaroo's raining Lightning Ridge fossicking underground mine opals fossils hotsprings cabins old trucks Mt Kaputar clouds wet kangaroo's joey's campfire cold panoramic veiws snow gums Narrabri sunset radio telescope cotton Moree hot springs

Fruitful Saturday.....the photo's

2010-06-21T21:06:00.003+10:00

Isabella's version of a cup cake recipe.....notice the emphasis on the icing and toppings.

And the bookmarks even I had a go.

An Afternoon in the garden

2010-06-20T19:43:00.002+10:00

Today was a gorgeous Brisbane sunny winter afternoon, so of course the vegie garden was beckoning. Brisbane winters are unlike winter anywhere else the days are beautiful and warm and the nights cool. So you can grow things in the vegie garden you can't usually grow in winter.

This is the first time Ant and I have done a vegie garden on any major scale so much of it is trial and error. We were talking today and saying that even though both our parents were gardeners how little we know about planting vegetables. It has made us a bit more determined to impart to our kids the results of our gardening experiments. Experiments you may ask.....well many of the plants we may have planted too close together or with non companion plants but it is all learning.

Today we had two main tasks to create a compost bin and to plant out some strawberry runners. Do you know most average families throw out 50kg of compostable waste and that is what has prompted me to do a compost bin. We made it from wooden pallets and wire good for air ventilation. Lets hope it is secure enough so the dog doesn't eat the compost like she has previously. And strawberries what can you say about them except you have to have them in your garden. Gives the kids something to pick in a few months.

Fruitful Saturday

2010-06-19T16:56:00.002+10:00

Well I have finished creative boot camp today and throughly enjoyed the experience. It was great to put my brain into that creative gear. Although I did not get into the journalling side of the experience as I would have liked just thing through the prompts was an enjoyment in itself. I am hoping to do a similar thing in July so we will see the path that leads me on.

This afternoon the kids and I went to Spotlight (A warehouse type store for craft and fabric) not a good move as every man and his dog was there as they had 20% off but we had things to get- things to make bookmarks for the kids and wool for me. We managed to get out unscathed but my wallet was considerably lighter.

First task getting home was to make vanilla cupcakes - Isabella made up a recipe it was good but needed a few adjustments. So off to the net to seek out a recipe - done. The kids helped and made a mountain of mess - that is still waiting to be cleaned (I am not a domestic goddess). Whilst they were in the oven (the cupcakes not the kids) we headed out in the gorgeous afternoon sun and made bookmarks with stickers,glitter and far too much glue. There were some lovely ones pity I have not got my camera today to record them....maybe tomorrow

Catch Up time for Boot camp

2010-06-17T16:33:00.017+10:00

Hush

Drizzle

Full bodied

Fly

Fluid

Grow

Heavy Metal

It has been nearly a week since I posted anything from my creativity boot camp. With being away and then going straight back to work I think I have finally caught up. Much as I have loved doing this finding time has been my biggest enemy. This is the biggest killer for any creativity as it is the thing you do when you have time.

What a weekend!

2010-06-14T21:41:00.009+10:00

I have just spent the most amazing weekend staying on a farm near Murwillumbah in Northern New South Wales. I was also fortunate to spend this weekend with some of my dear friends from home group. All up there was 8 adults and 13 kids so it made for quite noisy meal times. The most refreshing thing about this place was there were no rules just common sense.

Even though it was freezing cold to be camping in the middle of winter just being so close to the elements is refreshment for the soul. Anthony did not come with me as he was working all weekend so it was just myself, kids and Xena the Wonder Dog (She always has as much fun as the rest of us sometimes more). That in itself is very stretching as there is no one to hand a child when they get so upset and you cannot fix the problem....gives me a greater appreciation of single parents.

The kids loved the farm especially being able to get up and personal with some of the farm animals. When asking what some of their favourite experiences for the weekend were they came out with - Isabella: patting guinea pigs

Jasper: lighting fires

Oscar : riding fast in the back of the ute

Mine would have to be the Bush swing - A swing that is where you are winched up to a tall tree and then you free fall and begin to swing. I felt so exhilarated after that. All the adults had a go and most of the kids - the youngest being 6!

It definately is one place we will return to again with all it's quirks and delights next time we are bringing Dad along.

Isabella feeds one of the girls

Feeding the cows from the back of the ute

Day 2 and 3....

2010-06-09T09:16:00.003+10:00

There are 2 days of themes here picnic and multilayered. Both exciting and challenging for me. I can see how far I have to go but at the same time I am becoming more intune with my camera and light. The only hassle I am finding is the lack of time to think through the processes.

Creativity Boot Camp - Day 1 Ivory

2010-06-07T21:17:00.004+10:00

What is this you may ask? Well it is fabulous exercise I stumbled upon whilst reading a blog. Over 2 weeks we are given a theme daily and we are to use an artistic medium to portray the theme. At the same time we are given some thoughts to journal through the process. So far it has made me dive into areas of my brain that have been stagnant pools for quite some time.

My chosen medium is photography. I have often felt very inadequate in this area as I have some amazing and talented friends who are stunning photographers. I find that I am drawn to the Australian Landscape so this is the area I want to grow in. So I hope the next 2 week will help this.

So day 1 has the theme Ivory. So what does a carved wooden camel have to do with ivory? Well it start off with ivory comes from elephants that is often carved so then I thought of carving and this wood is beautifully carved. But I also came at it from another angle as well that elephants are found in the far East/ India and this gorgeous camel was purchased in Pakistan. I know the second thought is a bit of a stretch but you never know where your thoughts can take you.

I also went walking today when Isabella was at gymnastics and I took my Camera. I was amazed at how beautiful weeds look. and managed to take some lovely photos

Welcome to Winter

2010-06-06T12:17:00.004+10:00

Well this is my very first post. Why am I writing this you may ask....well I feel as if I am on the edge of the unknown and about to take a step off. I want to write about my journey. Also I am beginning to get in touch with my long dormant creative side so there will be many adventures as I seek to find that again.

This photo perfectly describes winter in Brisbane, perfect light, perfect weather and a chance to do things that you can't do in summer because it is too hot. Which is a good reason to make changes in ones life.

Looking forward to the Journey......