So, you know that saying that things happen in 3′s… well all 3 (I think) has happened in the last week.  The question is… is it 3 things a week or a year… ‘cos if it’s not for the year then 2012 is going to be one EXPENSIVE year!!

The 3 things that have happened…

1. Lance somehow dislodged the bottle rack in the fridge and it broke in half.  Thankfully, I’ve managed to find a Samsung Service centre close by, and it’s only costing R120 to replace.  I had visions of buying a new fridge when this happened!!

2. On Monday I dropped my beloved iPhone… and smashed the glass.  It was well and truly buggered up.  After initially thinking I would upgrade to a 4S, I quickly changed my tune after discovering how much that would cost, and thanks to #Twoogle, I found 2 places that repair iPhones. I went on Tuesday morning to get it fixed on the way to work… R1550 later though!! And the place I used, Part Store in Honeydew, was R800 cheaper than the 1st place I tried, G Mobile near Northgate!!

3.  Then this morning, Beauty informs me that the vacuum cleaner started smoking yesterday.  Then she told me that she’d tried to clean the bedroom carpet with soap and water, and dropped the bucket and then decided to use the vacuum cleaner to dry the spill. It’s not a Wet/Dry.  She told me that she was “encouraged” when she noticed bubbles in the filter chamber.  She’s blimmen lucky she didn’t get electrocuted considering it was smoking from the cable!! Anyhoo, because of the huskies I needed another very very powerful vacuum cleaner… so R2000 we’re sorted again (I stopped at Makro at lunchtime today)

This has been one expensive week… not counting the school fees and new uniforms I’ve bought in the last week!!

There goes my idea of buying a couch sometime soon!

I’m going to open a bottle of wine tonight I think

I decided to take a few extra days leave, and I ended my year of corporate work yesterday.  Corporate work only, because I’ve got so much editing to finish before I can really relax… and in fact I’m hoping I do get to finish it before the next shoots start next year and I do get a break.

So my idea for my blog post was to show you photos from my day… but alas… that’s not to be.  I’m reviewing a Sony camera and after using it, I realised I didn’t get a cable to connect to the Mac… and I don’t have a SD card reader.  And now I’m just freaking annoyed.  I went and bought a SD card reader tonight while Christmas shopping, and the bloody thing doesn’t work… so no photos I’m afraid.

Anyhoo, what a busy busy day!

Took the dogs to Walkhaven, and Connor, like normal forgot to take shoes (and I only realised too late), so he spent most of the time waiting for us at the car because there were too many thorns and rocks on the ground.  I have SUCH problems getting him to wear shoes!! He’s only got one pair of flip flops again… heaven only knows what happened to the other 2 pairs… it’s not like he wears them!

Then we went home for a quick swim before heading off to the shops.  I only wanted to get boxes for my photography, because my stock is too low and my custom boxes are only arriving in Feb… but the shop seems to have closed for Xmas (I found a new packaging place that I wanted to try).

Then we dashed home again to have a spot of lunch before the kids’ friends arrived for the afternoon.

And while they played and swam and played again, I edited… and finished another shoot

And after supper, I went shopping again.  That’s right, I started my Xmas shopping at 7pm.  That’s how I roll every year.  Thankfully one of the shopping centres still opens that late!! I was so surprised when planning my shopping this year, that Sandton City’s idea of Christmas trading hours is until 7pm… and Cresta until 8pm! Madness! Anyway, Clearwater got all my business then.

So I’m done… all presents bought and just need to be wrapped… and tomorrow I can relax… and edit some more.  And try get the photos off this stupid SD card.  So far, I’m not enjoying this camera… not just the hassle getting the photos off, but I don’t really like the way it works (it’s almost their top of range DSLR, the A77)

Ooh I do have a photo… one from Walkhaven that I took with my iPhone using Path –  and that’s my new latest favourite app btw!!  How awesome is that grass… next time I go, I’m taking a proper camera.

All the Girlguides bloggers were invited to the iStore last night for a shindig with Core Group.

Was so very awesome and entailed lots of chocolatey goodness and champagne. In between loads of chats and giggles we got our faces mapped by Dermalogica and we got to know the Core PR peeps a bit better.

Oh and then there was a fun handstand competition on the lawns outside… Sans cameras of course because most of the girls were wearing skirts and dresses. Was quite impressive actually

Anyhoo, the Dermalogica thing was good and I think I’m going to try out the range… now that the shock of having my face mapping has waned. Hearing about “deep lines” and “dehydration” is not pleasant and brought home the fact that I’m not getting younger

Ooh and we got to take home some goodies too. The boys were thrilled with their Pokemon playing cards and Mario bros stickers. And I really like my docking station for my iPhone and iPod

It was an awesome evening

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!!

So, thought I’d update you on the latest about my boudoir shoot after the umpteen beautiful comments that I got on my last blog post, as well as the umpteen tweets about the location etc.

I got a DM last night from the photog, saying that the location we were going to use, is no longer available.  So now there are only 2 options… rent a hotel room or use my bedroom.  At this point I’m going with option B, because:

• I looked at a few hotels on the interweb today, and none of their rooms jumped out at me.  They were either too OTT or too small or downright boring… apart from the villa suites at the Fairlawns hotel… holy moly that looks nice!
• The last time I did a boudoir shoot in a hotel we actually got the room for free, but I doubt I’ll get that right again, and although the room was great it wasn’t the most private of spaces, which I’m not too keen on.
•  I don’t actually have time to waste looking for a room and getting a good price.
• My bedroom needs to be redecorated anyway… Lance painted a few weeks ago and nothing matches anymore… so this is an excellent excuse.

As for my outfits, that shopping is going pretty well.  I popped into La Senza this afternoon, and bought a little hot pink body number with suspender straps very similar to the one in the image  LOL this is going to be fun

So, in a nutshell, after my little shopping spree to find the rest of my bedroom stuff, I think I’m set for this Exciting times!!

• My mom‘s carrot cake is the shizz… especially when you get a take-home piece to eat after a long day of photoshoots!
• I noticed a new patch of gray hair this week
• I’m SO looking forward to my boudoir shoot next month.  Quite anxious about being on the other side of the camera, but it will only make me a better photographer
• I would love to get a new house and not have to worry about changing our current place, and I would love to live on a quiet road where the kids can go cycling on the road.
• I have something big I have to do next week, just need to get the courage to do it. Or maybe the following week.
• A big shopping spree would be really appreciated right about now.

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

When I got a Whatsapp message from Mandy last night telling me about her pop-up shop that’s opening in Bryanston for a limited number of days this week, I knew I had to share the news

I think I’m going to pop past during lunch! See you there!

It was my last day of leave today, and I left the boys in Lance’s care (he’s on leave for the whole week ), and met up with my mom (you have to visit her blog if you haven’t already) for a coffee date at Vovo Telo in Parkhurst.  It’s a bakery/cafe that’s recently opened it’s latest branch on 4th Ave.

First I need to say that I wish I could meet her for coffee more often.  When I was on maternity leave with both boys, I would meet her regularly for coffee in the mornings, and I miss it. She also likes browsing shops as much as I do, especially interesting little decor and clothing shops so it’s always nice to wander around with her.

And such awesome coffee too!! I just loved the decor and the way that they kept the pressed ceilings in the building.  As for the food, I’m going to have to go back there for a lunch because I loved the sound of the lamb burger as well as the black forest ham and strawberry pizza!  I’d already had breakfast, so opted for the pain au choc… which is the rolled pastry with chocolate and covered with toasted almonds in the photo above.  It was stunning because it wasn’t too sweet.

I simply love wandering around Parkhurst, so after the coffee we went window shopping… and I was so very tempted to buy a dress… in fact, I think I’m going to have to go back there… maybe on the way home from work one evening.

Hmm… I just love shopping!

(The photos… I only used my iPhone and the first one is edited using Instagram, and the others edited with Camera+ )

I bought myself a Kindle with the idea that I would have time to read a lot this holiday.  It arrived on Friday just in time for my holiday. We arrived in Ballito today…  and I have yet to use the Kindle.

And the reason… because Bradley discovered that it’s got a dictionary built into it.  I showed him the dictionary, and he spent a few hours reading a book about animals and running upstairs to look up words that he wasn’t sure about.  And then I bought him a Famous Five book by mistake (seriously it was by mistake, I got a sample to see if he would read the book on the device, and then pressed “buy” by mistake).

And guess what he did for most of the journey down to KZN?  Read his book on MY Kindle.  And in fact, after there was a tussle around Pietermaritzburg, I quickly bought a story about a dragon for Connor too, and the book read to him using the “text to speech” function (thankfully he’s not that enamoured by it yet)

***sigh*** so now I’ve, in essence, lost both my favourite toys… my iPhone gets nabbed by Connor to play Talking Gina and Angry Birds as soon as he sees a gap… and now Bradley is reading books on my Kindle.

I supposed I should really get him one.  Now that’s one device I really have no qualms buying the kids! Something to encourage reading.