Dares s'up - this was a toughie subject "If I knew then...." as I don't have any pictures of me in my younger days. Go and check out this weeks array of yummoness. Sunset pictures (by kind inspiration of
Ms T) are of Belle and the kids you see omn my blog entry for the 24th Aug)
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As well as biographies I also love "chick lit". For those that don't know what that is (god - what do i sound like .... some book guru, a sarcastic know-it-all, a pompous twit? - yep all of the above!!). "Chick lit" is girl books. Not romance, well maybe a little bit, but not your full on Mills and Boon numbers.
The type I like are the funny-girl-next-door-who-haphazourdously-gets-herself-in-a-bit-of-a-pickle-and-overcomes-the-crossroads-in-her-life-by-realising-the-erros-of-her-ways-and-meets-boy-by-some-kind-of-fete-and-they-fall-in-love-and-he-helps-her-realise-her-shortcomings-and-she-then-accounts-for-all-her-errors-whilst-stitching-up-the-people-involved-in-her-downfall-then-she-puts-right-in-what-was-wrong-and-totally-redeems-herself-an-all-is-well-again You know the ones, don't you?
Its not the predictability of chick-lit that I love. It's the one liners and quick wit (crumbs, that rhymes with chick lit - mwahahahahahahahaha). I don't like to command attention and I always get so embarassed when all eyes are on me but I think its hilarious to feel "allowed" to suddenly laugh out loud by a quiet pool side and have everyone dying to know what is so funny (or probably they wish someone would remove me and take me away in a white van for medical research). Thats why I love chick-lit. Laughing out loud (and crying through books for that matter) prooves that emotion through the written word is just as powerful as the spoken word.
Ellie, on the other hand read "Cat in the Hat" about a gazillion times. I love that Ellie has gained the confidence through books these recent weeks. She is two years behind her peers but has suddenly sky rocketed her interest in books and we are overly delighted. But that book (as bonkers and as nonsense that it is) has made me ultra proud of her. If a child with reading difficulties as hard as hers can manage to read and enjoy a book like that, well my admiration goes out to their perseverance. This milestone in her reading life will not go unoted - thanks to Dr Seuess... the crazy mother.
Aside to my life changing in the past few weeks though the written word, I also want to praise thanks to something else that uplifted my spirits. And that is though the medium of music. Listening to the radio (where anything can play at anytime) I feel that it can take you back to the moment you heard that song last and you can connect to that time again, be it feelings of joy or sadness. Mark and I swapped iPods for the day and I hit the shuffle button as he has over 600 tunes on where as I have just 82. I did have a lot more but I - er- wiped them when I rebooted my system and pressed some crappo function button and wiped my iPod when I came to download more tunes (i did have almost 800 tunes on there. Can you imagine my fright?). Well Marks taste in music far outweighs my sensible listening so hitting the shuffle button was like a real treat - NOT. Jeez, Mark. I had no idea you listened to so much cack. I was feeling particulalrly low one morning by the pool when one tune came hurtling down the wire to my sad little ears. I am just a-gog at how much a 3 minute tune can suddenly change your mood and have your feet tapping on those granite hard sun loungers, make you get up - go for a cappucino with your daughter and snap you out of a very dark cloud. Thanks to The Source feat. Candi Statton "Yoo got the love". Man - I love that tune. This remarkable happening tune is also the climatic tune played at the very end of the end season of "sex and the city" and could easily have twisted me to ordering "no sex on an island" ... lol
Now back to Billy Connolly, the book that had me completely entranced during my first few days on holly. His wife, the very funny Pamela Stephenson, is now a Doctor in Psychology. This is a subject I find utterly amazing. My interest in the human psyche in parallel to being obsessed with biographies, reality TV, blogs and gossip mags has given me an urge to study this subject. This in addition to learning Italian and making better eggs benedict. (Did I just type eggs benedict? What the hell are eggs bendict? .. for once I really can't muster the energy to type this into google in fear of finding out that its some weird sexual position and in turn cram my pc with unwanted pop-ups that will infect my pc forever and ever, with links to websites with horses asses and smelly feet fetish sites - i know it)
By being so keen on human nature I kind of try and understand how we all work. Moods, emotions, reactions etc is what make us "us". My concern lays mostly on the "cause and effect".
Every situation you face in your life has a cause and effect. How we deal with a cause of course brings on the effect. I sometimes wonder how different I can handle a cause because of my sensitivity. My effect is guaranteed and written on the wall for all to see. I am the same old, same old. So by studying psychology I'll be able to conquer why I act like I do and be more wiser into the bargain. Dealing with the demons, regressing whats really making me who I am won't necessairly change me but I can try and understand me and in turn understand you. So not only will you get to have your photo's taken by me in future, I can provide a psyhciatry session in the same breath! Food for though, huh?
On that note I actually have some slots in my diary for photo shoots. Im not sure if you are aware but I do travel. I have bookings in Darlington and London soon - I love the road! September is booked to the hilt and Im looking to fill October except the 14th. Im setting my studio with christmas props too but nothing like a tree with baubles and kids clad in plaid cloth - yeeeeeeeks.
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apparently. Thats where I am - Evesham....... a place in abundance of fruit and ONIONS???!!! Seriously, there is a blossom trail in this area as displayed on the map here.
I don't normally graze on junk food much whilst Im working but today I had the incredible munchies. My fave heart attack food is walkers plain crisps and jaffas washed down with tea. Mark and belle went to see Cars at the cinema whilst I finished off various odds and ends and deadlines. He had made a tomato and chilli soup for lunch but put one too many chilli's in and it was like spooning in molten lava. Pheeeeeeeew! And cos I didnt eat that liquid fire I sure had the muncho's by 3pm. I was in heaven and now, at 11pm I have weighed myself and I have put on 23 pounds. But Im happy and full of jaffa-rey goodness, high on sugar and buzzing from the carbs. Is it too late to go for a jog?
Ellie's room is almost done but here is the "before" picture. This, I may add was the picture taken mid "sort". Her room is normally quite tidy as various scrappers will tell you. We have had loads of them stay in her high captains bed from Sue to Jo and to Natalie - the Ed of The scrap mag. Ellie has proudly shown Anna, Jenny, Sarah and Julie around her room but did she offer to open the cupboards busting at the seams? No - you see my Belle is a little minx and in her bed yesterday we found 36 teddies stuffed under her pillow, down the side and at the end of the bed. The poor lamb just loves her beanies so much, she cant bear to put them in a cupboard. Oh no, in the cupboard go educational books, beads, stationary, clothes, school stuff and little bits that fly out of the cupboard at 3 million miles an hour and right into your eyeballs, up your nose and down your pants.
but worried about it being laden with over 3 trillion calories so I only had a small porsh. Simply made out of maderia cake drenched in bacardi combined with mascarpone cheese mixed with custard, whipped cream, strawberries and crushed amaretti bickies. Then decorated with more strawbs, amaretti bicks and shaved chocolate. If anyone wants the method of this recipe I'd be happy to mail you xx 
Yesterday saw me tidying up the hovel that is Belles bedroom. She has no room for anything so we ripped her cupboards bare and made three piles. One for the bin, one for the childrens hospital and one for saves. It broke her heart to part with things she never even played with but when I explained to her how sad it is to spend time in hospital with nothing to play with, her toys would make a great gift from her to make them feel better. Two large refuse bags for the hospital, 3 bags of rubbish and a semi-tidy room later we can heave a sigh of relief. But with her birthday and christmas looming - I kow its going to be chocka-block a again. Why do I bother?
This is Paula and Demi. Paula's eyes (the mum) are just so twinkly twinkledom and greyscales works a treat for bright blue eyes.
Ellie is not the most bravest soldier in the camp but when left alone she likes to gingerly try things out without aid. This is Ell's in her super coolio mega funk-a-rama dude shades which broke on holiday. Im desperate for any America blogger to find me the exact pair and I will pay them highly for their help. We love these shades because they have a close fit wrap-around style which allows ellie to enjoy the sunshine without being blinded or having her retinas feel like they are being gouged out with a spoon!!
This factor 25 girl came back almost as white as she went, I hasten to add. I love the sun, she does not but she did have her trusty plant pot hat and yucky yellow sunglasses (her others broke on holiday and Im desperate for any of my american freinds to help me replace the old silver "killer dude" shades that I bought for her in Cali. The yellow ones are her standby issues!) 
Ellie's dips in the pool were sporadic and she wouldn't let us take her in. She simply got up when she felt like it, edged her way in and when she was brave enough to go waist high she beckoned us in the pool to twizzle her round. What a bossy old boot! 
Ok ok ok, I went to "rest" on my jollies but I also did some work out there - you know... a busmans holiday. How could I refuse the beach and sunset opportunities? Its suicidal thinking about not being able to take shots. The resort was not that interesting photography-wise. I actually prefer to snap people - especially children. Children are at their most happiest on holiday and I wanted to get the best shots for their parents. I took some shots of an autistic boy, George and his sister, Lilly (who Ellie kept calling Izzy, so funny!) and managed to get shots that his mother was so happy with. As you know, children with autism show very little emotion on demand. But grabbing these tender moments with his sister was an absolute joy and even though they were literally just moments of tenderness (later they ended up having a real good fight) it goes to show that the camera never lies!
This is Jack. He has the most and I mean the most BEAUTIFUL eyes enveloped by the most luscious eyelashes. His parents and my gang became really good freinds. Just normal, holiday freinds. Generally most of my freinds are made through scrapping and Marks freinds through the army. It is such a refreshing change having so little in common and managing to have a lively holiday on the back of it. 
And finally meet Demi. Sweet, freckly Demi who was so very shy and quiet until I tripped over my sarong and when I fell over when I squat down to take low angled shots. She is so pretty and with those freckles and that beautful smile this little girl is going to break some hearts indeed.
I did a shoot last Thursday near Preston and was delighted to spend time with Katie, Julies beautiful daughter. She has such a fantastic smile and is so photogenic. She didn't much like doing the moody shots, like her brother Mike did, but this one is just lovely. She has such stunning elfin like qualities and a really pleasant personality. Thanks for making my job so easy, Katie xx
Her tumbling curls, her peachy skin and rose bud lips just melted my heart.
They are, you know. You just have to go and have a look. This weeks dare was to incorporate the word "serendipity". How hard is that? The only thing I could identify with anything was when I bought some hair wax in Boots for 10p. I wasn't looking for hair wax, I have tonnes. But 10p for hair wax was a bargain not to be missed. And how that hair wax shines and manages too. Its the best thing I ever bought and I haven't seen it in shops since. It must have been an "end of line". Poo.
Come and meet Elsie, myself, Gisella Homer, Hils and a host of other teachers at Scrap Camp this year in Bristol. Bring your Elsie book and have it signed and meet one of my most favvo designers in the scrapworld. 
I forgot to upload my Dare for last week's speshals. The title was "What if" which I found incredibly difficult to transpose to a layout (I finished off the title with ...... K Swiss didn't make such super cool trainers?). The day I made this layout I had just come back from summer sale shopping and bought these K swiss, extra swish trainers. My brother and DH wear K Swiss trainers, notoriously more popular in the States. I had to buy them becuase I like plain white trainees (or sneakers, as some of you call them). Ive always wanted a pair because of their supercool status and now I own a pair. These are from the tongue twister range which means you can twist the tongue for a new leook. The otherside of this tongue is navy bllue. Super coolio mega funkerama or what?
Beside the majestic presence of Pisa's famous tilting tower, I'd like to show you my gastronomic construction made entirely out of clam shells. It had to be done and Im so proud of my creativity. The Italians would have gone crazy over this design and pulled down their version in my honour. But Im kind of taken with the original and it doesn't smell of fish.
It was unkempt and felt so lifeless as if the passion had been ripped out of its city boundaries. Im so grateful we didn't just go to Pisa. Im now realising that the hideous 130 euro taxi fare to Florence was worth every darn penny.
And finally - the only piture of both Sarah and I together was taken in the reflection of some swanky shop window. I would have given the camera to someone else to take a picture of us both but the place is full of, quite sadly, thieves and pick-pockets.
