Tuesday, August 30, 2011

The Horse Head Doorknocker

"I bought that when I was nine years old and living in the UK" the owner explained.

I had spotted the knocker from the street and stepped up onto her porch to get a closer look. The lady had come out to put her bin on the curb and saw me peering at it. She didn't mind at all and went on to tell the story of how the horse doorknocker came to be on her front door. She had kept in in her posession for many years after buying it at a garage sale. She had never owned her own home before and when she came to purchase the darling little cottage in North Adelaide the knocker came out of hiding and became the unique antique that sets her home from the rest.

"It's a little wonky...", she continued. But it's so beautiful that noone but her would notice...













Saturday, August 27, 2011

The big two six

Oh yes it’s the best time of year again. Tomorow is the day, 26 years ago, that I was born.  I love birthdays – the cake, the singing, the cake, the presents, oh and the cake!

Favourite things about my birthday:

1. The arrival of the perpetual birthday card - My friend and I have an ongoing Bday card that we begun when we were 21...it has gone across the world and back in the last 5 years following us on our adventures.

2. The birthday dinner tradition - A friend and I have been out for chicken snitzel parmagianas, raspberry soft drink, followed by chocolate dessert every year since we first met at university. This dinner is NEVER missed.
I’m not a huge fan of being the centre of attention and like to keep things on the quiet side - this year I celebrated with dinner with family and tomorrow will be spent seeing friends, relaxing and eating cake.

I have some AMAZING friends...these gorgeous tulips arrived at my work yesterday from www.flowersfresh.com.au...



Monday, August 15, 2011

Am I creating art?

I was blog stalking one of my current inspirations, Toni-Lynn, and one of her posts struck a chord with me. It was about photographers and ‘do we have to be an artist to create beautiful art?’
Who didn’t love art classes in high school? Having free reign over the art room and being able to splash paint around, using different and unusual mediums was always super fun but I definitely wasn’t a natural talent my art was ho-hum and I knew I wasn’t the next Picasso. And I was happy with that.
I’ve always painted at home too I love to paint simple, colourful canvases with acrylics. I have paint brushes handed down to me from my Granny and she first introduced me to canvas and acrylics after buying me supplies one Christmas. I know they aren’t fabulous, they would never sell and you can see lots of mistakes if you look too close but sometimes I find a need to paint...so I do. I probably complete one a year and it’s not unusual for a painting to stay unfinished, hanging on my wall for a year until I find the motivation to finish it (there is one on my wall at the moment which people think is finished...but is far from it!).
When I first bought my DSLR though I was so worried that I wouldn’t be able to capture what I wanted to and that I wouldn’t be as creative as I wanted to. I had already labelled myself as a logical thinking, typical accountant who had no creative bones in her body – so how on earth was I going to master this creative art!??
I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately and have remembered that, yeh, I am creative in a few different ways. Even my Mum asked, ‘why can’t you be good at both?’. She then bought up the fact that I was always drawing (mostly houses and flowers) when I was younger, painting with watercolours, my Derwent’s were one of my most prized childhood possessions (they are still in my cupboard now!), and how I would take her film camera and photograph things around our family farm.
So, that’s it – I’m determined to take myself and photography more seriously and not hold myself back because ‘I’m analytical’. I can be an artist - who is to say I can’t be analytical and creative!

And just because a post is bare without photos - here is the gorgeous Luke, modelling his golf outfit and new (read: bargain, retro) clubs :)



Sunday, August 14, 2011

Baby Shower

It is seriously baby season in my life at the moment. Lukes sister has had little Amelia back in April, our friend Sarah is due in September, my sister is having a little boy in October and Lukes other sis is having a little one in November!

Sarah had her baby shower on Saturday and her friends Jaymee-Lee and Kara, along with Sarah and Jonathans mums did a fantastic job planning, decorating and catering for the day. So many gorgeous ladies and girls and so so so many wonderful presents.

Sarah and Jonathan are going to make wonderful parents and their baby-to-be is one lucky bub to have so many great people already in love with it!


The 'baby shower committee' had a gorgeous purple giraffee theme on all the stationary and games - super cute!










Guess how many lollies in the bottle :)











These cupcakes with little feet decorations were cute AND delicious






















Things I LOVE...Fruit

When I was little I hated fruit and vegies - besides the odd salad sandwich, cut up piece of fruit or vegies with dinner I wouldn't touch them. Fast forward 20 years and I am in love...with fruit. I eat tons of it - especially at the moment and it's paying off - I haven't been sick all winter (apart from a sore throat that lasted about 1 day, so that hardly counts, right?). Friends at work often comment about the usual two or so pieces hanging around in my in-tray and on my desk, and I always tote around an apple or two in my handbag or camera bag if I know Im going to be out of the house for more than a couple of hours.

Even as I sit here typing this post I'm making my way through a bowl of fruit - an orange, kiwi fruit, 1/16 of a watermelon (yup I just had to work that out...in my head!), and about 4 strawberries...yummmm.

As I begin getting older (Ill be 26 this month!!) I am starting to get more and more interested in healthy eating, exercise and using natural products and what they can do for our body. One of my favourite blogs to follow is http://www.koraorganics.com/blog/ which has tons of natural, preservative free receipes, products, and lots more fabulous stuff for our bodies. Kora Organics is an organic skincare company by Miranda Kerr, and we all know how much Miranda looks after her body - and it pays off - she is gorgeous!

So there is a little taste of what I'm loving in my personal life...




Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Erin + Aidan | Adelaide Children's Photographer

When my work friend Lizzy asked if I could photograph her neice and nephew I jumped at the chance. I'd seen their cute little faces in a photo at her desk and who can pass up playing with little ones!?
We met at Lizzy's parents house, I drove up their drive and knew it was going to be a great place for portraits - huge garden with lots of different areas.
Inside, I met Erin and Aiden and oh gosh, they were little cuties! Erin showed me her cabbage patch baby and stole my heart (I am a cabbage patch lover from way back - I own 5!).

We ventured outside and they both hammed it up for the camera - such cheeky grins and they loved checking out their pics on the LCD screen. Hope you enjoy seeing their little faces as they add some sunshine to your day :)

A big thank you to Sally for letting me take these sweet photos...










They love their Nanna, adorable!










I swear this girl will end up on the stage, she loves the camera. And the camera loves her...





















Friday, August 05, 2011

Run Forrest Run

If you had met me a few years ago you might have been impressed by my motivation, my health, or maybe even my sun-kissed tan...or maybe not impressed at all, haha.

I used to be pretty fit and ran, cycled and swam my way the week in preparation for regular weekend triathlons and corporate athletic events. I loved the way excercise made me feel, how healthier I ate and how alert at work I would be after getting my heart pumping!

Over the last 12months or so I have totally gone down hill, I have been sick, stressed out from study, busy with Luke and I'm sure many more (weak) excuses which stopped me excercising. But at the end of the day I have regretted letting myself get out of shape and lose my fitness.

Bring on a bit of sunshine in the past week and running is back on my agenda. I feel like I'm starting my running journey over again (yeh I know I'm making it sound very deep and inspired, haha).

My workmate who first made me sign up to the Life Be In It Corporate Cup (which led to the City to Bay which led to the BRW corporate triathlon which led to regular triathlons...) has signed us up again. Wednesday was our first run and boy, we have plenty of improving to do!


Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Summer weather on a winters day...

Adelaide has had such gorgeous weather lately that you would never guess that it's the middle of winter! The sun has been out and the rain has stopped. Luke and I wandered into the city last Sunday with our cameras and just spent a relaxing day walking around in the sunshine! I think everyone is impatiently waiting for summer to arrive now.

A quick shot looking out of the train station...