An extra 2 hours a day

That is all I really need, just an extra 2 hours a day, then I could keep this updated, get my photo time in, my family time, see my friends... No, perhaps I need an extra 4 hours a day. :)

I have some great pics to share from the Mid Summer Masked Fae Ball on the weekend but I am not near a computer that I can upload them on to. Hopefully I will get it done in the next few days.

Till then, here is a pic of my new toy - I am in love....

xox

Personal Photo Challenge 3/1

Personal Photo Challenge 2/3

I only went out 3 days last week so this is the last of week 2.

Personal Photo Challenge 2/2

Personal Photo Challenge 2/1

Taken on my photography tour last Saturday.

Busy Busy weekend

Flying in for a quick update. Had an incredibly busy but amazing weekend. Started with a photography tour/workshop on Saturday morning with a professional photographer. It was very full on, very intense, and very amazing. I loved every second although was exhausted at the end. I will upload some of the shots when I have a chance to review them.

The afternoon was spent shopping with friends which is always amazing. I bought a fabulous handbag.

Sunday was shopping (again), Tupperware and dinner with friends. I am exhausted, but happy.

To top it off I finally got sent a copy of the photos from the Steve Parish talks from last month. Here is my favourite.

xox

Personal Photo Challenge 1/5

It is spring, so expect a lot of flowers for the time being. :)

Personal Photo Challenge 1/4

I was inside getting ready for work this morning and I heard some birds in the gum tree out the front. I grabbed my camera (with my new lens) and ran out to see what we had. Several Sulphur Crested Cockatoos were sitting high up in the tree.

Personal Photo Challenge 1/3

Personal Photo Challenge 1/2

I went out with my Mum taking photos today. We found a beautiful rose garden, went to a very old cemetery, and to the beach. These are the best shots.

Personal Photo Challenge 1/1

An online photo group I have recently joined has a monthly themed challenge. This month is "Small".

And yes, I did eat the rest of the block to get this pic. The things I will do for my art... :)

xox

Movies and Challenges

Last night Ross, Sarah and I went to see....

O... M... G.....

I am a fidgeter during movies. Drives Ross absolutely nuts. But I did not move a muscle during this movie. My butt was so numb at the end from staying perfectly still, and of course being so tense. If you like scary moves, check it out. If you get scared easily, don't do it... LOL

I am setting myself a photography challenge. A lot of people do the 365 Day Project, which is where you take a photo every day for a year. I have tried this several times and realised that my life just does not allow for this. At least once a week I will have a day where I leave home at 7 and don't get home till 11 that night, and barely have a chance to breathe during that time. So this does not work.

But I do want to challenge and extend myself. So here is what I am going to do. 5 days a week (at a minimum), for the next 52 weeks, I will find 15-20 minutes a day to get out there with my camera. Any type of shot (not snapshots though as this is about improving my skills). Week 1 starts tomorrow. I may not post the pics each day, but I will try and get them up at least once a week. Hopefully as the weeks go by I will start to see an improvement in what I am putting out there.

I am also looking to join a local camera club. I am in a photography meetup group where we get out with our cameras every month or so, but that is quite a casual group, with no real teaching involved. This is an organised camera club that have competitions, guest speakers, workshops etc. A place where I can hopefully really grow my skills. I went to one this week and am checking out another one next week so I can decide where I want to end up.

Am off to a friends for a "de-stress" night tonight (read - alcohol fuelled entertainment). Am really needing it right now.

xox

I ate some fish and I liked it....

First things first though. I bought a new car...

I love it! It drives like a dream and is so easy to maneuver. It is awesome. :)

Friday night Ross and I stayed in a fancy hotel in the city. It was awesome. We got the Deluxe Spa Suite. The weird thing though...

Yep, the spa was in the main room... LOL A bit weird but it was fun. It was only the 2 of us after all. :)

For dinner we decided to take the plunge and order a fish dish. We couldn't decide between the Atlantic Salmon and the barramundi..

So we ordered both and shared. :) And Oh. My. God! They were absolutely divine! We have been missing out! LOL Seriously, some of the best fish ever. So soft and succulent. And the good news is, neither one of us felt sick afterwards.

Of course, we had dessert as well.

Pecan pie for me and lemon cheesecake for Ross. This we didn't share because I don't like cheesecake. :)

I have spent today taking photos to turn into Xmas cards. I got a couple that turned out well. It was a really fun morning taking all the shots. I have just finished editing and will head down to drop them at the camera shop to get printed shortly. Will have them on the FB page by the end of the week for anyone interested.

Nothing more to report. Happy Sunday everyone!

xox

Interesting

I was reading a new friends blog today - Dan's Dabbles - and found a saying that really struck a chord with me....

Ahh... The elusive no fear question. The one we are all too afraid to answer, and sometimes too afraid to ask....

The weird thing is, I read this not expecting the question, and the answer came right to me. Instantly. But it is a scary answer and one I am not sure I am ready to do anything about.

How strange is it that when I think about these things, I can not come up with an answer, but when I am randomly confronted with a question the answer is right there, staring me in the face....

xox

New Stuff, Music, Hexies, Study - Random Ramblings

I have been on a bit of a spending spree lately. New underwater camera. New lens for my Olympus. New car! Well, I don't have the car yet. I am picking it up on Thursday. I was meant to get it tomorrow, but the Sales man called today and said he got it serviced today and the clutch is on its way out, so they are going to replace it before I pick it up. YAY for an honest used car sales man! :) I bought a 2005 Hyundai Elantra. I balked a bit at spending that amount of money, but the car is fantastic and should last us many many years. I will post a pic when I pick up the car.

Yesterday I went to see my favourite local band - Spiral Dance - at a local pub. We had a fabulous afternoon. Great music. Great venue. Great company. Ended up at a Vegetarian restaurant in the city for dinner which was absolutely fantastic.

My hexie flowers, that as long time readers will know I have been working on for around 16 months, are finally finished! I laid them out (and forgot to take a photo) and have now started adding the green hexies to join them. Once I have a few together I will put a pic up for you.

And lastly my studies. How have they been going? Not too great I am afraid. I seem to have lost my motivation. I am nearly 2 months behind where I should be which is freaking me out quite a bit. But I think (read - hope) I am ready to get back into it. I am going to do one subject at a time so I can focus, and I will apply for a 3 month extension at the end if I need it. The main problem is that I want to do a 6 month photography course, which would be amazing, but I know I need to concentrate on what I am doing as this is what is going to get me away from where I currently am. Yes, it is hard. But I just have to knuckle down, suck it up, and get it done!

xox

And now to completely contradict myself...

On Monday I talked about being 2 years meat-free and how I was happy with that choice.  And I am. But lately I have wanted to eat seafood. Just occasionally. So I have been thinking about becoming Pescatarian - which is a meat-free diet excluding fish and seafood.

There are a few reasons:
 - I do not believe fish ever made me ill
 - I feel that there are a lot of nutrients in fish that are difficult to get from a plant based diet
 - To be honest, it would make eating out a whole lot easier
 - I really feel a strong craving for fish

I always said when that if I ever got strong cravings for meat then I would look at eating some. Since I have not done this for "ethical" reasons there is no real need for me to avoid fish if it does not make me ill.

I am still thinking about this, but I am definitely considering the re-introduction of fish and seafood. I will keep you posted.

xox

2 Year Veggie-Versary!

It is easy to remember my Veggie-Versary - Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

So 2 years ago today I decided to try and go for a few days without eating any meat. Two years later and I am still going. I do miss chicken sometimes, but usually only when I want chicken and chips, or a chicken burrito with lots of gooey cheese or something like that. :)  I am actually a bit stunned that I have gone this long. I really enjoy vegetarian food, and have found ways to get through most situations without being obvious about it. Some restaurants make things difficult, but most now offer many alternatives.

Next year we are going overseas for a few weeks, so I understand I may not have a lot of options but to eat a bit of fish or something over there as SE Asian countries (particularly rural Cambodia where we are spending a week hopefully) are not familiar with vegetarianism. I am actually okay with that. But I still aim to get through the next year (Australian time being counted only) as a vegetarian. As always, I will re-assess again, but for now I am happy to stay with it.

xox

Halloween Party

Last night Ross and I had a Halloween party. It was a really fun night. Everyone got into the spirit and dressed up which was so awesome.  Here are a few pics.

Girls Night In

Last night I held a Girls Night In fundraiser for the SA Cancer Council. I was expecting 15 people. but only ended up with 6. However, we had an absolutely incredible night and raised over $200. There was Zumba, Belly Dancing, Karaoke, wine, great people and lots of laughs. Here are a few snaps of the night.

Excited

I am so freaking excited I feel like a little kid the night before Xmas...

This weekend I am going to listen to Steve Parish talk about his life as a wildlife photographer. If you don't know who Steve Parish is go here. He is absolutely amazing and is my idol as far as photography is concerned.

He is running 3 talks/workshops over 2 days and I am going to all of them! I feel like a groupie. I am hoping to get his latest book signed on Monday night and I just know I will be a big baby about it. LOL

It is weird, I have never really gotten like this about anyone famous before, but as soon as I heard he was coming here I was like a little kid.

I have also started a new photography challenge for myself. I want to take a new photo every week, one of quality, not a snapshot. I would love to really expand the cards I have for sale, plus I have another project I am working on that needs 42 photos - so far I have none I am happy with for that. I will put my pick here each week and you can let me know your thoughts. Or not. :)

I will definitely let you know how the talks go. :)

xox

PS - Detox bombed. Will try again next week.

Detox

I am starting a mini detox today. I am aiming for 4 days, but to be honest I would be happy to get through just today. :) It is not a harsh one, here are the rules:

- No caffeine or alcohol allowed. Substitute herbal teas, dandelion root coffee and fresh juices.

- No dairy foods are permitted on the 7-day detox. Milk and cheese increase mucus production and are difficult to digest. Lactose is a common food intolerance. You can replace milk with almond milk, rice milk, oat milk or soya milk. Sheep's and goat's products are easier to digest if you really cannot do without dairy.

- No wheat or gluten-containing grains, such as rye, which have an acid effect on the digestion. This means no bread, pasta or white rice. Choose oats, brown rice, millet and quinoa instead.

- No meat or poultry, because of the antibiotics and food additives they contain. For protein, choose plant sources, organic eggs, tofu or oily fish from organic (non-farmed) sources.

- No processed or ready-made foods whatsoever. Everything should be fresh and cooked without salt, sugar or sweeteners. Use fresh herbs for seasoning.

- Eat three meals and two snacks every day, making sure that you have something to eat every three hours. Most of your food will be vegetables and fruit, whole grains and plant proteins. Within the [What To Eat And Drink] category there are sample menu choices for a 7-day detox.

- Do make sure you get at least 20 minutes of exercise every day.

- Drink 2 litres (3 ½ pints) of water a day and have cups of herbal (non-caffeine-containing) teas whenever you feel like them.

- Dry-brush your skin before a shower or bath at least once a day and, if you can bear it, follow your bathing routine with a cold shower.

(http://www.detoxaustralia.com.au/7_day_detox.htm)

I will let you know how I go...

North Haven Marina

Yesterday I went out with my photography group for the first time since January. We went to North Haven Marina where we wandered around taking photos of the boats then waited for the sunset. It was wonderful to be out there again.