You know how it goes… photographers never have photos of themselves. Well, the same is true for me

The only reason I took this photo of us this evening is because Connor’s theme at school this week is “Me and my family” and I had to do something about it.  So out came the camera and I rested it on a chair (I don’t actually have a tripod) and set the timer

So now… there we all are… I think for the first time on this blog

And Connor has his photo for school  Mission accomplished!!

Ooh and btw, it’s our 15th wedding anniversary this week!!

Bwahaha I found this on Melinda’s blog, and had to share.  I can so see myself in this!!

Just a list of randomness from my weekend of slothfulness.

1.  No photoshoots meant that I spent the weekend like I did pre client-shoots… just with the kids… and afternoon naps

2.  I did do some editing and finalising of albums though no rest for the wicked.

3.  Yesterday, we went to Fiona’s little Zoe’s 3rd birthday party.  I had a ball!! The kids loved playing with their friends in the pool, and around the pool, while I drank homemade ginger beer and sangria Was just divine to sit and chat to people I haven’t seen in ages.

4.  We got a skip (those huge big rubbish bins thingies) for random rubbish that we needed to get rid of, as well as a few trees that needed removing.  Andrew is the most incredible gardener that works magic, and he managed to finish chopping both trees down (and don’t moan… the conifer was diseased and the lemon tree wasn’t bearing fruit anymore and I’ve already replanted new shrubs ) and mow the lawn and tidy the garden yesterday.  Anyhoo, the skip was quite something.  We put our household rubbish (you know, old boxes, old broken see-saw and slide, old poles and random scrap metal etc from cleaning up the garden and the left over carport pieces that were mangled) in the skip on Thursday, and then more on Friday… and yet more on Saturday afternoon.  And every time, within an hour, it was magically emptied.  We even heard someone rummaging at 1am on Saturday morning! It worked out perfectly actually, because then there was enough space for the trees!

5. It was hot, the pool isn’t exactly sparkling at the moment, but we swam a lot.  I told Bradley it was like swimming in a dam, he needed to get over himself. The pool is actually clean, but not blue.

6.  I took the dogs to Walkhaven this morning, and they had a ball.  I wore my new wellies so for once I didn’t get my flip flops stuck in the marsh area.  Aren’t they cute!?! They’re covered in jelly beans! It was beautiful there, and I forgot to take my camera… huge regret!! I would have loved to take macro photos of the veld flowers today.

7.  One of my resolutions is to be in more photos this year… I would love to have a shoot in the veld at dusk… in that beautiful light with the gorgeous flowers that are around at the moment.  For now, my wellies are in the photo from earlier today when we had a massive thunderstorm… on Connor.

8.  We have a bowl of nuts in the diningroom, with a nutcracker on hand for snacking.  Kimo got hold of a few nuts this afternoon, and had a bit of a feast by himself.  Silly dog!

9.  I really need to sort the house out this year, we need so much, and it’s going to cost ever so much money

10.  Lance broke the drinks compartment in the fridge… and he can’t fix it.  So this week, in addition to looking for an electrician that’ll actually pitch to do this work (there’s a crap load of work that needs to get done), I have to find a Samsung parts place… or buy a new fridge.  I wish we had a bigger space for a fridge in the kitchen, but one thing I’m considering doing is buying a fridge, and then a small seperate freezer.  Or buying a new fridge, and keeping our current fridge in the garage for extra drinks etc for when we have guests.

And now, I’m going to pour myself a glass of red. Get the kids to bed, and hopefully finish editing a wedding!

I can’t concentrate on my editing tonight, and didn’t take a photo so can’t blog on my photoblog… so what’s a girl to do, other than find a few random thoughts to blog about here…

- I’m so looking forward to my Cape Town trip.  I’m going down to take photos of my aunt (who VERY excitingly has been given the ALL CLEAR by the oncologist this week).  I’m so thrilled!! And I’m going to visit my other aunt and uncle in Hermanus too.  And then, because my weekend isn’t full enough yet, and you know how much I like relaxing… I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to meet up with some Cape Town peeps… so the plan is to meet up with a whole pile of you on Sunday morning at 10am somewhere in Cape Town.  Please please please say you want to meet me and I’ll set up up a tweetup or something.

- I was proud of myself last night ‘cos I set up Mailchimp for a friend last night, and I designed a cool voucher for her using my images from her shoot… oh and by the way, my friend Mandy (of So Divine! fame) is having another pop-up shop next week in Bryanston, details are on her Facebook page.

- I’m chomping at the bit waiting to see the boudoir photos!!  Oooh and excitingly, I’ve booked a boudoir shoot today, so my plans for next year seem to be starting to take shape… with 3 boudoir shoots booked for the next few months already.

- I feel so guilty about leaving the kids alone with Lance for the whole weekend, so I’m taking Friday and Monday off to be with them.

- Cameratek will be seeing me on Friday… I still haven’t got my 50mm f1.4 fixed… I tweeted about that drama… it stopped working even though it’s only 14 months old

- I’ve been invited to attend the African Fashion shindig tomorrow night as a guest of Intel!! How cool!! So I’m doing a spot of shopping in the morning at So Divine’s shop to find a little funky something to wear… Mandy was wearing the most awesome LBD today from SLICK and I think I really need it!

- I turned down 2 shoots in the last week because I decided that type of photography wasn’t my strong suit very proud of myself for saying no.

- Canon announced their new flagship camera, the 1D X … OMW I would LOVE it.  However, not sure where I’ll get the $6800 by March 2012 You should see the video of the shutter speed! OMG!  Ooh and the ISO!! Wow!

- On our next date night, I’m definitely booking at La Cucina di Ciro in Parktown North, their food at this weekend’s wedding was sublime!

- I’ve been watching so many videos lately explaining why photogs need to increase their pricing… so I’m really tempted to hike mine again.

- I read a very eye opening blog post on one of my usual financial blogging haunts this morning about an estimate of 150000 jobs that will be lost in the financial sector in London in the next while.  Really sobering.  And yes, I not only have about 200 photography and lifestyle and mommy blogs on my blog reader, I have work related ones too

Told ya it was random

Anyhoo, hope you read to the end… PLEASE don’t forget to let me know if you want to meet me in Cape Town this weekend!!

• If you’re lugging around a laptop bag that looks like a handbag, then don’t carry a handbag too… you look like a fool (just something I noticed at work this morning)
• Woolies needs to sell nicer vest tops. I’m tired of the shoe string strap ones that Woolies has sold for the last 10 years (or so it feels), I want the more funky, more “in” vests to wear under sleeveless dresses/tops. I want to be able to wear a bra without the straps sticking out. Woolies, you’re forcing me to buy wardrobe staples from Mr Price, and their quality is not great even though their price of R35 for a sleeveless vest is amazing!
• On the subject of clothes, I love love love Tashkaya’s and Slick’s clothes now that I’ve done a shoot with their clothes for Mandy.  Now Tashkaya has the most amazing vests… the fabric is awesome and they’re long so they don’t ride up (I have a grey one)!
• My career is going to change soon, that’s inevitable, the direction however is completely unknown right now and it’s stressing me completely.
• I haven’t taken a photo since Sunday. I can’t remember when last I didn’t use my camera for 5 days.
• Taking photos for myself, and my art, is becoming more of a need… I miss it.
• I haven’t done anything about my bucket list again… ho hum…

all found on Pinterest

I saw this on Laura’s blog, and decided to join in

We’ve been on holiday for 5 days… and yes, I have learnt something in the last few days…

• I completely underestimated the weather, so I’ve had to go buy a few warm pants and tops to keep myself warm.
• I’m really grateful that I cancelled the photography workshop that I was going to do in Ballito… I’ve really needed the break.
• I get a HUGE headache on the 3 rd day of every holiday we go on, and this time was no different.
• It’s so cool that the kids are older now… I can relax just a little on the beach.  No scratch that… the worries are different.  I’m no longer concerned about Connor eating the sand… now I worry that I can still see him and that he’s not too brave in the ocean.
• It’s been really hard leaving the dogs behind this time… our first holiday as dog owners.  I’m really hoping they’re ok and not howling every day.
• The Kindle is awesome.  Should have bought one ages ago… however it’s costing me a bomb considering the speed at which I read!! Buying a book a day at the moment!
• I read a Sophie Kinsella book yesterday and haven’t laughed as much in ages!
• I haven’t lost my knack with the fishing net… and I’ve caught a crab and a sand fish.

I’m actually feeling a bit overwhelmed at everything I’ve got to do before our holiday in just over a week’s time.

1.  4 photoshoots, and possibly a 5th that’s urgent and can’t wait

2.  Deliver 3 photoshoots

3.  Deliver 3 photobooks (and the DVD’s that go with them) and design another book from one of the photoshoots I’m doing this weekend.

4.  Discovered tonight that I need to get Connor a yellow t-shirt before Thursday morning, and I’m in meetings ALL day tomorrow!! That actually sent me into my tailspin… there’s always a trigger for this breathless feeling… and today it was a t-shirt.  But seriously, WTF isn’t this piece of news on the news site that the school proudly advertises!! FFS I’m just annoyed now.

5.  I also forgot to buy Bradley a long sleeve collared shirt (that’s not a school shirt) before Thursday morning when he’s a mayor in a play.  This one I did actually know about but forgot about.

6.  Getting my tattoo on Thursday… woohoo!!

7.  Try a fit in a hair cut and colour… and a bikini wax.

8.  Find a dog sitter!! Oh crap just realised I forgot!

9.  Try sort out my job… which I’ve actually just resigned myself to the fact that it’s not going to sorted out before I go away, so I’m more relaxed about it.  Just have to go with the flow at this point no matter how annoying that is.

10.  Meet a bride.

11.  Buy the kids summer clothes for the holiday because they’ve shot up and last season’s stuff doesn’t fit at all.

12.  Go to a kids party on Saturday.

… and I’m sure there’s something I’ve forgotten…

I feel a little panicked right now… but I’m sure all will be well with the world again in the morning and I’ll regret this stressed post.

If you follow me on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook, you may know that I bought a ring yesterday.  It was a spur of the moment birthday present from me to me.

At lunchtime yesterday I heard some of the girls in the office talk about a person selling jewellery in the building, so I went to investigate thinking a funky black stoned ring would be a great addition to my wardrobe.  There are often private people selling stuff in the building and you have to be on the mailing list to know about it… but this time I didn’t get the email… and I’ve discovered that there are 2 mailing lists (both of which I’ve now ensured that I’m added onto).

LOL, you know how much of a shopaholic I am… so of course I was keen to see what she had on offer, especially after I’d scoped her website out.  The lady (can’t remember her name) from Silver Garnet was selling silver jewellery with semi-precious stones.

So anyhoo, I go and look, and nearly buy a black ring as planned, but then spot this ring… it’s much more organic in design than the other rings she had on offer, and the stone is green.

Not what I was looking for at all, but when I put it on, it just felt so right. So I bought it, and I LUUURRRVE it.

Anyhoo, then I get home and decide to google the stone… a Russian Amazonite.

According to all the sites I found, the stone’s benefits include (just copied the things that relate to me)…

worry; fear; negative energy; aggravation; hair loss.  Its energy is that of personal truth, allowing one to express ones heart through communication. This stone also assists one in identifying how ones words have created current reality, and how to change ones communication to reflect a higher, more aligned reality.  Amazonite is helpful for those who dont know what they want, what they feel, or what they have to offer the world; this stone can assist them in gaining clarity, gently pointing them toward their knowledge and gifts. Amazonite also assists those who have difficulty setting appropriate boundaries. Because of its ability to help overcome fear of conflict, it frees one to identify and set strong and clear boundaries on physical, energetic and emotional levels. These can be internal boundaries helping one to develop self-discipline, or external boundaries assisting in defining ones personal space.

And now the question is… did this ring choose me?  Seriously, I could not have chosen a more perfect ring… I think I’m going to have to wear it every day.