Happy New Year

It is time to say goodbye to 2011. It has been an incredible year. This was the year I started on a new journey, one of self discovery. I have been on one before but it was a different kind. In 2011, I found the 'courage' to get 'creative' again & to share it. We are on the eve of 2012 & I can say this. I am a mother, first & foremost. I am a partner. I am a daughter. I am a sister. I am a friend. In 2011, I learnt to say. I am a photographer. I capture life. my life. the life of my loved ones. of the world around me. It is my passion. I am learning to embrace it. I come here to share it. I am blessed that you come here to journey with me. Thankyou.

I am not sure where this journey will lead to next but I do have many creative dreams & ideas for 2012 and a long list of resolutions to make my way through. Some are big & some are small.  I will share these with you over time. I have been thinking of words to represent 2012. I am finding the more I think about the year ahead, I want 2012 to be an 'inspired' year both to receive & to share and I want it to be a year for 'focus'...to focus on defining my style, to take away from the lessons I learnt in 2011 & focus more clearly on the direction in which I wish to go.  so there you have it, 'inspired' & 'focus' will be my themes for 2012.

As you may know, I have been doing a 'Picture the Holidays' project & below is a catch up mosaic. I have 3 more photos to go & it will be complete. I have really enjoyed this project cause I love Christmas time..so I will definately be considering it next year.

1. wrapped with love, 2. you are getting sleepy, 3. attitude adjustment, 4. life is sweet, 5. enchantment, 6. this magic moment, 7. the day after, 8. a breath of fresh air, 9. through the looking glass

In keeping with my themes for 2012, I also really want to share one of the first projects I have signed up for in 2012. It is 'beyond layers' with kim klassen. Can't wait to receive some of Kim's awesome inspiration. Check it out, you should join in too. The more the merrier. 

Lastly, Happy New Year! make it safely into 2012 & may many GREAT things come your way.

Chelle xx

Happy Christmas

I can most definately say 2011 was a wonderfully full year & didn't it just fly by? It was only october a few weeks ago I'm sure! Now, as the year comes to a close, I wanted to say Happy Christmas to you all & share some recent photos. Last Sunday night, we went to the carols & I had hoped to take some firework photographs to share, I havn't taken many before & looked online to get some tips & I found this info, it's handy if you are looking to get some over the festive season too. I set my camera to bulb (so that I could choose when to release the shutter), f/16, iso100, I was using a 17-50mm lens & had it set to infinity, this is the result. I really like the images cropped in, making more of an abstract image, than a firework photo. I hope you like my view of the fireworks. I think they look like unknown galaxies & creatures from under the sea. What do you think?

I have a couple of my favorite christmas things to share with you before I go. This is my favorite white Christmas recipe, I make it a couple of times every Christmas & its so yummy. I wanted to post a picture of it for you but didn't take any of my first batch & the second batch won't be ready until tomorrow. Instead, here is a picture of my beautiful baby girl having a bit of Christmas fun in the kitchen. Kids make Christmas so much sweeter.

& my favorite Christmas song covered by one if my favorite bands I hope you like it also

Wishing all of you a most wonderful Christmas with your families & friends, thankyou for your support, encouragement & inspiration throughout 2011, I am blessed to be able to share this little journey with you, thankyou for taking the time to come here, I truly appreciate it.

catching up

I've been a little tired the last week & getting to bed a little earlier which has been great!! but I havn't been here & I miss it, I have so many things to catch up on. Firstly I caught up with my 'Picture the Holidays' photos, no doubt I'll fall behind again but here is a catch up mosaic. Thankyou for all your sweet emails & messages, you inspire me to keep coming back, so thankyou!! I hope you are enjoying the festive season, we are off to the carols tonight, I'm hoping to get some firework photos to share, enjoy the rest of your Sunday xx

1. It's a Sign, 2. Twinkle Twinkle, 3. Shaping Up, 4. A Whole lot of Happy, 5. Simply Divine, 6. Sincerely Yours, 7. Got Gifts?, 8. The Seasons of Lights, 9. Warm Glow

bokeh party

Hellooo! I've been having fun with my Picture the Holidays project & loving taking photos of all the sparkly lights, creating the beautiful bokeh (blur/haze) effect in the image. I wanted to share a few with you & I'm also joining in on a couple of Bokeh Party giveaways here & here. You should join in too!! Check out some more of my bokeh love over here

pink polka

lilac & jade

starlight

target

bold

a beautiful poem

 I came across this beautiful poem 'In the End' 

& had to share it. 

You can hear more from this poet here & here.

In the end

you won’t be known

for the things you did,

or what you built,

or what you said.

You won’t even be known

for the love given

or the hearts saved,

because in the end you won’t be known.

You won’t be asked, by a vast creator full of light:

What did you do to be known?

You will be asked: Did you know it,

this place, this journey?

What there is to know can’t be written.

Something between the crispness of air

and the glint in her eye

and the texture of the orange peel.

What you’ll want a thousand years from now is this:

a memory that beats like a heart–

a travel memory, of what it was to walk here,

alive and warm and textured within.

Sweet brightness, aliveness, take-me-now-ness that is life.

You are here to pay attention. That is enough.

Tara Sophia Mohr

isn't that beautiful? 

'You are here to pay attention'

All you need is Love

All you need is Love, a photo by magnetised by life on Flickr.

Day 3 of the Picture the Holidays project - home is where my HEART is

I've been taking part in the picture the holidays project & todays photo prompt was All u need is love & to think about it & portray it with a heart in the image, this is a little bit about my day 3 entry. I am loving the creative process of this project!!

It's been a bit of a tough week for us both, sometimes it's hard being in a relationship/partnership/marriage, whatever you wanna call it, we're not officially married but I am sure as hell 'married'. Life moves so fast & things get in the way & before you know it you are having a rough week or month & you need to take a step back & look at the big picture. I won't bore you with details, if you're in one of these, you will understand & some things have to be saved for you & your partner alone. So, although life can be a bit busy & blurry at times, my focus is always at home because it is here where our hearts lie. That's Love & Thats all I need.

Holding onto Gratitude

Holding onto Gratitude, a photo by magnetised by life on Flickr.

Day 1 of the Picture the Holidays project
 I am grateful to be able to share tradition with my little girl, this is her second christmas & with a few familiar faces her ornament collection has grown