Diving for Pearls

Helena

This shoot was long overdue, and once we decided we'd stop 'waiting for the weather to improve' haha, we decided to stop wingeing and get on with it, indoors. Actually, it was OK- enough light; it just needed managing a bit!

 

Everything felt very natural and easy. Helena was a dream model.

This one is for H's Dad, just a little reminder Jonny *wink*

Love, indeed.

This one (above) is this week's image for the caption competition!

Cool yes, wicked, totally!

I think this one is a bit Vermeer? All she needs is a pearl earring.

And this is just joyful...

Last shoot of the year- how fab is that!

 

Shabby Journal.

I have joined a bunch of lovely ladies online, in making a shabby scrap journal. Led by Mary Ann Moss, whose 'free and easy and make it up as you go along, anything goes' style suits me perfectly. This has been seriously fun to do . Not finished yet, but cover done. I suppose I'll have to put it aside for a while whilst we get on with the festivities!

 

 

Driving Home for Christmas...

Actually, driving out for a day at the Paternal Grandparents', hoping that the Big Freeze* wouldn't cause us to be stranded away from our home, our presents and our turkey. It didn't, we are back home safely and awaiting the arrival of the maternal grandparents from the (relatively) frozen SouthWest.

Have a safe and enjoyable Christmas everyone!

*to my Northern American friends, this is a relative term, referring to the hype and hysteria that follows the gritting lorries as they ply their salty trade when temperatures fall below zero- centigrade, of course!

A Jolly Hockey Christmas Party...

The FlashBangPhotoBooth set up shop at Lydney Hockey Club's Christmas Bash; a mad bunch who could hardly wait for us to finish setting up before they piled in to strut their stuff- a hilarious evening for all!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And so on...... more coming soon on FlashBang PhotoBooth....

Sinful Cinnamon Rolls.

Feeling the urge to indulge my inner earth mother and pamper the 4 teenagers that slept (apparently) on my floor last night I tried Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Roll Recipe.

The outcome was slightly different to PW's; but they went down a storm. I neglected to photograph the work in progress, mainly because my fingers were stuck together with glutinous, yeasty, doughy matter.

Couldn't decide whether to add the icing- but erred on the side of caution...

They turned out alright in the end, and though I was tempted to cut out the middleman that is my stomach and stick one roll on each thigh and and a couple on my waistline I did make a strong coffee and enjoyed a small one. Or was it two?

Were you wondering why the girls have blue writing on their limbs and faces? Yep, me too.

Out with the glue and glitter...

Even though the children no longer want to spread glitter throughout the house with such abandon as in previous years, I feel myself drawn to the sparkly reds and greens and the snowflakes and ribbon in my craft drawers. I'm trying to focus less on food this year as the focus of my creative output and more on making a few things for those who will, I hope, appreciate the homemade-ness of these little pieces! Yes, I'm baking and freezer filling too but I have to say I'm eager to get it out of the way so I can craft some more goodies. Better for my waistline and my Christmas spirit. I do have a tendency to the bah-humbugs if I spend too long in the kitchen...

Before, during, after.

Saturday night. Before. Clean, calm, scent of cinnamon and allspice. Waiting for the good times.

During. Banter, giggles, and belly-laughs. Wine and friendship. Melted Brie, spicy tagine and cherries and cholcolate. Crackers and jokes and silly toys.

After. Cool morning light and rain on the window. Crumbs and chairs and napkins abandoned. Memories and mild hangovers. Sunday papers and unhurried dishwashing.

Another Saturday night. 

A Forest Wedding...

A lovely wedding on a perfect autumn day! In fact the only nice day recently so we were all lucky- Judith and Cetin must have been good:) Just look at this light...

 

And, as Judith is a forester, we had full access to the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail for a quick photo shoot! This one is called the Cathedral... an al-fresco stained glass window.

 

And anyone who has ever visited the area will have seen the Giant's Chair...

 

But it's not often you see a bride and groom frolicking amongst the beech trees!

 

 

                              

Fabulous four....

How hard could it be to get some good pics of this fabulous foursome?- answer....not very. Beautiful people make beautiful photographs.

 

They were so kind and patient with me and my inexperienced ways...

 

And it was no hardship at all for me to edit these photos I can assure you. Sigh. If only I was 20 years younger, LOL. Sorry, inappropriate!

 

It was so windy when we took these outside ones, the umbrellas blew away, and they weren't even unfurled!

Luckily with our new orangery/ studio (Posh word for conservatory:) we could get the shoot nailed with some natural light indoor shots.

 

And the winners are....

Thanks again to everyone who commented on the 500th post, or by email or Facebook. I have sent £65 to Children in Need, whose total this year has reached £20.3 million. I promised to send 20 of you some maz-made mailart....because it gives me an excuse to make things and of course I'm really looking for more things to do at this time of year, LOL!

So I printed of all the comments and used the Random Number Generator to draw 20 names 'from the hat'. And they are....

1.Elanor

2.Kristi Duncan

3.Rachael

4.Amanda

5.Bobs

6.Spread Your Wings

7. Rachel

8.Robyn Beresford

9. Becky

10.Anne Newell

11.Zoe

12.Ailsa

13.Elizabeth Harper

14.Carol Evans

15.Natalie

16.Bekka

17.Brij

18.MikeandNicki

19.From the Pines

20.Kate i

Some of you I know, and many I don't. Well, only 'virtually'. So please send me your address if you'd like to receive something ([email protected]) and as soon as I can- no rash promises here, I'll get something off to you. (I will try and contact you by email too incase you don't get round to reading this post.....)

So this week I've been busy dog sitting. Two little beauties; no 1, Rosie.

Half Yorkie, half Jack Russell, half Chihuahua and more than half human, she's a big character in little body. Loves her cuddles, has a supermodel's attitude to food, and love to hang on to Miller's furry underbelly byher teeth. (Sorry I didn't get a photo of this...)

And then, just when Miller thought he was safe, Tallulah arrived.

All long legs and Lurcher charm, she stole my heart with those eyes, pouring her velvety body over mine like treacle. She chewed a lot of cardboard and slept a lot.

 

As she nibbled my toes I have been photo editing like a mad woman and hope to have a few to show soon.

TaTaForNow!

x