Picture Perfect

So it's been a while since I've done any photography updates.  When I started this blog I had good intentions of blogging about what I'd learn in each lessson.  HA! That went out the window didn't it!

Those of you reading my blog will know that I haven't got a DSLR (it's on the wish list next to the Jimmy Choos) but a lovely chappy on my course lent me his Canon  EOS 350D for a week because he hardly uses it.  How nice is he?! 

We decided to go on a nice family walk to The Roaches and what better place to try out the camera - Please note I spent at least 4 days prior to this excursion reading the manual!!  It's so different to using a compact and I thought I was never going to get the hang of shutter speeds and f/stops.........but you know what they say 'Practise Makes Perfect' and so here are a few of my favourite pics

Let me know what you all think.  I didn't have time to crop them or put borders round them etc but you get the general idea.  Hope you have a great weekend : )

Landscape - View from The Roaches.  It was very windy at the top!!

Macro - Cute little fella dining out for lunch

Motion - Notice how the water isn't frozen.  It's all about shutter speed





** Liebster Award **

After what was turning out to be a pretty miserable day I did not think things were going to get better, that was until I opened my inbox and I realised I'd only been nominated for the Liebster Award!  Woo woo commence extreme *girly claps*  The lovely Niamh over at  One Girl And The World  included me in her nominations and she succeeded on putting a MASSIVE smile on my face for the rest of the day so big thanks to Niamh. 

The Liebster Blog Award is given to upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

The Meaning; Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome.

The Rules

1. Each person must post 10 things about themselves.
2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you plus create 11 questions for the people you've tagged to answer.
3. Choose 10 people and link them in your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them.
5. Remember, no tag backs!

10 Things About Me

Eeek!  I really hate talking about myself so I'm finding this question a bit tricky.  Ok *deep breath* here it goes!

1. I used to be really shy when I was younger.
2. My first crush was the lead singer out of A-HA!
3. I have 3 tattoos.
4. My 12 year old son has more clothes than me!
5. I keep most of my birthday cards from close friends and family.
6. I am naturally very untidy and also a bad cook.  I once set the grill on fire during a family holiday in a caravan.
7. I am verging on the edge of having OCD tendencies.  When I hole punch paperwork the holes must be in the exact same position every time! 
8. I've only been in love once.
9. I never wear my hair up because I think I look like a boy.
10. I wish I'd never given up ice skating when i was younger as I was actually pretty good at it. 

10 Questions from Niamh over at http://onegirlandtheworld.blogspot.co.uk/

1. What's the naughtiest thing you've ever done?  For legal reasons I couldn't possibly say!! lol
2. What's the nicest thing you've ever done?  Hand delivered a letter to a hospital ward which had been sent to my house by mistake.
3. What's the first thing you think of when I say....BISCUIT? Digestive!!
4. Ever had a really bad haircut? (Details Please :P)  Oh god yes!  A very short hair do that made me look like a boy.  I made it worse by trying to put clips in it.  All photos have been destroyed.
5. Would you rather go to the moon or the centre of the earth? Definitely the moon so I could wave to you all.
6. Favourite childhood memory? Going to an awesome park in London that had rope swings etc.
7. What are you most looking forward to? The rest of my life!!
8. Sweet or Sour? Ummm neither.  I'm a savoury girl.
9. Summer or Winter? Summer
10. Hot or Cold? Hot hot hot.  I HATE being cold!

Questions for the people I tag

1.  Ever been to a fancy dress party and if so what did you go as?
2.  Do you have any OCD tendencies?
3.  What is the worst outfit you have ever worn?
4.  If you had to do karaoke what would be your Ultimate Karaoke Song?
5.  If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life what would it be?
6.  What is your greatest fear?
7.  As a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
8.  Name 3 favourite films.  I say 3 because I know could not limit myself to one.
9.  If you could go back in time where would you go and why?
10  Name 3 things you like about yourself.  (I chose this question because we spend far too much time analysing things we don't like about ourselves, particularly body parts!!  Let's embrace ourselves and focus on  the good things)

10 People Who Deserve the Liebster Blog Award (in no particular order and for various reasons)

This was trickier than I first thought.  So many of you lovely bloggers have more than 200 followers!  I actually had to find some new blogs to read and found some lovely musings. So without further ado, drum please...........my nominations are as follows..........

1. Secret Blog
2. Dreamy Roots
3. Koju Bofu
4. Big Greek Adventure
5. Love Lemon
6. You Can Take The Girl Out Of The Country
7. Tatter and Fray
8. Tthirty Something Skellum
9. All Sweetness And Life
10. So Stacy Sews

So there we go! Now to tell these lovely people I've tagged them! :)  Some of them have already received the Liebster Award but I don't see anything in the rules about receiving it more than once so who cares!  It's all about spreading the love!

To Dye For

Whilst rummaging through my wardrobe the other day I came across this dress I'd bought in a charity shop.  Although I wasn't that keen on the colours or the pattern for that matter it fitted like a glove and at £3.50 I was not leaving the shop without it.  Purchased with good intentions of dying it black, the dress took up residence at the back of my wardrobe for a year!  Yes, A YEAR!!  Now I suspect I'm not alone here.  I'm sure there's more than few of you who have purchased an item of clothing only for it to rent a space in your wardrobe and never be worn again.  I know I for one can think of at least 5 items in my wardrobe with the tags on that I thought looked great on in the changing room but after a change of heart at home, never got round to returning.  Of course I always intended on selling said items on Ebay but lets face it, how many of us actually have time to do that!?

Anyhoo..........here is a picture of the dress.  Very flowery and colourful but really not 'me'.  Hmmm I not sure what that says about my personality.  No comments on that please!





The dress before





I was pretty annoyed at myself that a whole year had gone by and I'd done nothing about this dress.  So I went out that day and purchased some dye.

The dye!!

This stuff was very uncomplicated.  Just empty the powder in the drum of your washer.  Add your item and put it on a cotton wash.  Once that cycle has finished wash it again but this time add soap powder and thats it.  Pretty simple I thought to myself but hang on a min.....whats that about patterned items?  Damn it why didn't I read these instructions more careful.  When an item is different colours the individual colours will react differently to the dye.  You must consider colour mixing rules.  OOPS!  So my dress wont come out black then Mr Dylon?

Which it didn't.  But hey I'm pretty happy with the result and might actually wear this dress at the next available opportunity.  Just a word of warning.  Polyester stitching will not dye.  You can see the stitching at the bottom of my dress is still white.  I can easily remove this and restitch in a darker colour but in some cases other items might not be so easy.

My new LBD

Close up

What dya all think?  Have you ever tried dying something apart from hair??

Naughty Me

Well naughty ol me.  I've been neglecting my blog.

After a week of sun and.........

And coming back to this

I've spent the rest of my spare time doing this!

Sorry everyone.  Hopefully after the bank holiday I will be fully recuperated and back to full steam ahead.

Enjoy your weekend.
x