Serendipity's Project 365 - The 2010 Edition

Day 43 - 12th February - Shutterbug Giggles

2010-02-12T14:10:00.001-08:00

This is the gorgeous baby of one of my friends. I am taking photos of him over the next year and can't wait to see how he grows up. I did a shoot with him the other week but didn't really get any of him smiling so went back for a 2nd go today. He is 3 1/2 months old and has started to really giggle. I had great fun making him laugh (although I would hate to see a video of me doing that!) and I got a few gorgeous shots of him really laughing. This, as they say, is my money shot of the shoot!

Day 42 - 11th February - Serendipity's 2nd Anniversary

2010-02-12T14:02:00.000-08:00

2 years ago today I had a launch party to celebrate the start of my photography business. 2 years in I'm still going strong and am loving my job! I've photographed some gorgeous babies, wonderful families, stunning brides and grooms as well as taken headshots and fashion shoots. I have networked, got to know some amazing businesses and suppliers who I am now working with. I still have to pinch myself that this is happening and is successful and can't wait to see how things get bigger and better in the next few years.
I don't think you can celebrate a birthday without a cake and so my photo had to be of Serendipity's birthday cake. I added the strawberry because of course I am the "strawberry photographer".
Thanks for all of you who have supported and encouraged me in my business.

Day 41 - 10th February - The Cheesegrater

2010-02-12T13:53:00.000-08:00

I led one of my photography training days today with 2 very willing and keen students. I spend the first part of my training day looking at the theory behind taking a photo and then after taking them out to lunch we go out to play with the cameras and put what they have learnt into practice. This afternoon we had a cold wander around Sheffield town centre working with snow showers, grey clouds, sunshine and blue skies! There are always so many photos to take when you are out looking for them. I am always on the look out for red, white and black compositions to take for a collection that I am doing. This photo is of one of Sheffield's most photographed and newest car parks which had a bright red all nearby, perfect for the sort of colours and composition I was looking for.

Day 40 - 9th February - Champagne

2010-02-12T13:46:00.000-08:00

This is a week of celebrations as I am celebrating 2 years in business and my birthday. When my friends Kim and Lou came round for the evening I thought I'd start celebrations off early with some champagne which my parents had left for me. If I had the money I would always have a bottle of champagne in the fridge but unfortunately the odd bottle every now and then will have to suffice!

Day 39 - 8th February - Sleeping Beauties

2010-02-12T13:42:00.000-08:00

I did a photo shoot today with a lovely family. We went up to Graves Park Animal Farm for a family outing. We had to compete with some snow showers so we took some shots in a covered shelter with some animals and then dashed outside for some shots around the farm when the snow had eased up a bit. Life would be dull if there wasn't a challenge involved!
After I had finished taking the photos of the family I went back into the covered pens and had to take this photo of some gorgeous piglets who were snuggled up together keeping warm. Beautiful.

Day 38 - 7th February - Student Night

2010-02-12T13:31:00.000-08:00

I have been commissioned to take some shots of students so in order to get a few "bar" shots I went along to a student night that a friend of mine was involved in. I got there at about 8:30pm after going to a wedding suppliers' networking meeting so wasn't really dressed for a night out clubbing. When I got there the only few people around were the guys who were organising the evening so they became the subject of my photos. These guys had planned the whole evening as part of their degree in event management and as I was chatting to them I realised that they could have been in my year group at school when I was teaching!!! I felt old! I did hang around until about 10pm but still the evening hadn't kicked off so I went home with not as many "student" shots as I would have liked. I was told that if I hung around until about 11:30-midnight I'd get some great shots but with my parents visiting and the thought of a hot chocolate waiting for me I went home!! (I am old!)

Day 37 - 6th February - Mi-Phone

2010-02-06T13:53:00.000-08:00

This is the 20 month old son of my friend Simon. I have taken photos of him since he was 3 weeks old, he was in fact my 2nd ever Shutterbug! He is at a very cute age, chattering away, running around, throwing himself on the floor to show his version of a somersault and hiding behind the curtains in my living room! Simon came over this morning to collect his car after coming round with other BNI colleagues of ours for a WWF (Wine, Wii and Food) evening last night. There was a lot of competitiveness and wine being drunk so taxis were the only form of transport to get people home!
Simon gave Oli his i-phone to play with whilst we were having a cup of tea and I was amazed at how easily he picked it up and started playing with one of the apps! (It was an app that had different animal sounds on it which changed every time you shook it!) The cutest thing was that he started dancing at every different sound that came out of the phone, from oinking pigs to quacking ducks! I-Phone users get younger every day!

Day 36 - 5th February - Peek a boo

2010-02-06T13:46:00.001-08:00

Another beautiful Shutterbug for me to photograph. This little one is my newest and tiniest goddaughter. I have 3 other godchildren who are all wonderful and really special to me but it was a real surprise and an honour when my best friend Kim and her husband Mark asked me to be godmother to Becca. One thing I am doing for them is doing my Shutterbugs "Bump to 1st Year" package and it's going to be really special to document Becca's first year in photos.
When Becca's brother was born 3 years ago I took a photo of him at about 3 days old looking over his dad's shoulder so had wanted to get a similar shot of Becca. She's a few months older but I hope this works. Becca is a very gorgeous baby with the most amazingly deep blue eyes.

Day 35 - 4th February - Mother and Daughter

2010-02-06T13:35:00.000-08:00

This is the very gorgeous (and new) Blair and her mum Jessica. I met Jessica and Alex about 2 years ago when I spoke to them about taking their photos for their wedding which is going to be this year, 1st May 2010. In between now and then Blair has come along and their plans for their wedding has changed slightly. They are still getting married in May and I am very excited to be doing their photos but they have changed a few things on the day to fit in with being new parents and having new responsibilities. When they knew they were pregnant they got in touch with me to ask if I would do my Shutterbugs "Birth to 1st Year" package for them so it was really exciting when I heard that Blair had arrived 2 weeks ago.
We had a great morning doing a selection of photos and I got some lovely ones of her awake but just loved this one of Blair with Jessica. They are besotted parents...and rightly so! I can't wait to take more photos of her throughout the year, as well as photographing Alex and Jessica's special day in May.

Day 34 - 3rd February - My Mobile Office

2010-02-06T13:29:00.001-08:00

I decided that today would be more productive than yesterday. I started with my weekly BNI meeting which is a breakfast meeting from 6:45am-8:30am. I then did a good hour's work out at the gym before ordering a wedding album for one of my 2009 couples. It was then on to sorting through my inbox, updating the calendar and ticking off the "to do" list. All those things were done on my mobile office which has been a godsend since I got it about a year ago. Although yesterday I spent most of the day at home today was different so it was great to be able to keep in touch with everyone who emailed/phoned me.

Day 33 - 2nd February - Pizza

2010-02-06T13:23:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately today was another of those days where I was struggling to get any inspiration. I think this grey weather doesn't help as I found getting started at all really hard. It's days like this when working for yourself and working from home can be a real downside because you don't get out and see people. I thrive on people, it's what I do for my job so to be stuck at home, struggling to get motivated and feeling constantly exhausted the only thing I could eat was comfort food....pizza!

Day 32 - 1st February - Jack Evenings are Back

2010-02-06T13:16:00.001-08:00

I am a big fan of 24 and so with the new series back on Sky my "24" nights with my lovely friend Kim have started up again. They are basically a good excuse for us to catch up, have a glass of wine and chill out in the Penthouse. We only managed to watch the first episode of the series as Kim got a call from her husband Mark to say that their baby Becca wasn't settling so she had to go home. Fortunately we have many more "24" dates booked in.
This photo is taken down the neck of a wine bottle. A different shot to what I usually do but that's what this project is about...trying new things and experimenting.

Day 31 - 31st January - Sheffield Station

2010-02-06T13:08:00.000-08:00

After a great weekend in Newcastle it was time to come back home to Sheffield. I managed to book 1st class train tickets both ways so enjoyed a chilled out journey home. There had been a lot of snow in Newcastle but it was just grey and wet in Sheffield. This photo is taken at Sheffield station. I love photographing this so it was an easy choice for my photo of the day. (The colours in the wall are of the traffic lights at the end of the pedestrian walk way.)

Day 30 - 30th January - Birthday Boy Caricature

2010-02-06T13:01:00.001-08:00

Meet Mark. For Mark's 30th I wanted to get him something a little different and was struggling to know what to get someone who has all the latest gadgets so I thought a caricature would be perfect. The theme for Mark's party was James Bond so I made sure that was incorporated into the caricature. Mark also loves Dr Who, Liverpool FC and his gadgets so they all feature too! One of my business contacts is an amazing illustrator so I asked him to do this caricature of Mark. He turned around my request in record time and produced a great gift that I could give Mark to celebrate his 30th.

Day 29 - 29th January - Fish Face Friday

2010-02-06T12:48:00.001-08:00

Meet my cousin Ben! I went up to Newcastle today for my cousin Mark's 30th birthday party and was staying with Ben and his wife Claire. Ben is also doing the photo a day project and one of our flickr friends has started a group called "Fish Face Friday" so I thought I would do my first attempt at this photo. Ben's photo for today was taken at the cinema. We went to see "Up in the Air" with George Clooney at a beautiful old refurbished cinema. A lovely evening, even if the film was a little depressing!

Day 28 - 28th January - Roses are Red

2010-02-06T12:40:00.001-08:00

During this Project 365 I am fully aware that some days will be incredibly boring and I will be lacking inspiration for a photo of the day. Today was one of those days and so with my camera I went on a search around the house to take a photo of a household object! I then came across this rose which was given to me by my very lovely friend Kim. A great excuse to use the macro setting on my point and shoot, get my photo of the day and make it look like I have an admirer! As one of my photography contacts said about this photo...isn't it funny how photographers think? Most "normal" people would get roses, and think "I need to a vase with some water, and put these on the table near the window". Whereas our train of thought is almost immediately more along the lines of "ok, where is the best lighting so I can get a picture of this sucker"

Day 27 - 27th January - Rivelin Valley

2010-02-06T12:33:00.001-08:00

I am very excited about today's photo. I am working with a new business contact of mine, Laura from Little Wedding Book, who is a wedding and event planner. I only met Laura a few weeks ago but we got on great and it wasn't long before the creative juices started flowing and we were putting together ideas for a photo shoot. Today we went scouting out different locations to do the shoot and found some amazing places in Rivelin Valley. I can't wait to put all our ideas together and do the shoot. It's great to be working with other local businesses and meeting like minded people.

Day 26 - 26th January BBC Radio Sheffield

2010-02-06T12:16:00.000-08:00

I had a call a few weeks ago from BBC Radio Sheffield asking whether I'd want to go into the station to do a stint on one of their shows called "Where in the world". I have been on the radio a couple of times to discuss my business and to give photography tips to the listeners so it was good to do something a little different. I lived abroad as a kid due to my dad's job and have done a fair bit of travelling so they asked me to come in to talk about 2 different places. The idea of the 5 minute slot on the show was to describe the location and then get the listeners to phone/text in with "where in the world" they think I am talking about. I chose to talk about Barbados and they got it in the end but not after guessing Trinidad, Jamaica, Cuba, St Lucia and Antigua.

Day 25 - 25th January - Walking on Thin Ice

2010-02-06T12:07:00.000-08:00

I arranged a meeting with a business contact of mine at the Millhouses Park Cafe. It's still very cold and the small boating lake was still frozen. It was good to see the council had been out in force taking care of the health and safety issues. However I would hope that no-one in their right mind would want to walk or skate on this pond!

Day 24 - 24th January - Gorgeous Baby Feet

2010-01-24T10:21:00.000-08:00

I did another Shutterbug shoot today with a very gorgeous 2 1/2 month old baby, Finlay. I got some lovely photos of him with his mum but I just loved this photo of his very cute feet so this is my photo today.

Day 23 - 23rd January - Fun & Games

2010-01-24T10:04:00.000-08:00

A Saturday night of fun and games at the Penthouse! I'm a fan of board games and don't play them often enough so I invited my uni friends round to mine for an evening of wine, take away and games. We had a great evening with lots of laughs & great company. You can't ask for more than that!

Day 22 - 22nd January - Old School Communication

2010-01-22T14:28:00.001-08:00

What a week! I have met with 4 engaged couples who have all booked me to do their wedding photography later this year. I have taken business portrait shots for 2 young, up and coming entrepreneurs. I have done my first Shutterbug shoot of the year with a very cute 6 week old baby and today I spent the day with a gentleman who had been given my Serendipity Photography Training Day Voucher as a birthday present! This week has seen all aspects of my business which is exactly how I like it!

The training day that I led today was with a retired gentleman who is a very keen photographer. He wanted to develop his knowledge and improve his skills when taking photos. We had a great day and it was a real pleasure to teach someone who was so keen to learn. It was great for me to see immediate results over the course of the day and I look forward to hearing how he gets on in the future. I had to apologise to his wife because I have a feeling he will be taking even more photos than before!

The photo for today was taken in the village where I did my training today. It is a beautiful village just outside Wakefield. I loved this phone box and letter box. These say "England" to me but unfortunately due to emails and mobile phones I wonder how long they will remain. A simple selective colour procedure on this photo makes the dramatic red stand out.

Day 21 - 21st January - A 6 week old Shutterbug

2010-01-22T14:22:00.000-08:00

My 1st Shutterbug of the year! I love doing my Shutterbug shoots. I meet some wonderful families and get to photograph some very beautiful babies. Baby Tommy is 6 weeks old and his parents were given one of my "Birth to 1st Year" vouchers for Christmas. This voucher means that I will be doing 4 sittings with the family over the year and I can't wait to see Tommy growing up. He'll definitely be part of my photo a day project so you will also be able to watch how he grows over the year.

Day 20 - 20th January - "I'd lose my head if it wasn't screwed on.."

2010-01-22T14:15:00.000-08:00

I had a really manic day today starting with my 6:30am BNI breakfast networking meeting. I had lots of people to meet which included 2 wedding couples and several business contacts. By the time it got to 4pm I was shattered and had forgotten lots of things including car keys, pens, memory cards. My sister, mum and cousin all carry Jelly Babies around with them for when they need a sugar boost (OK so I don't have the diabetic excuse they do but...) so I decided to go and buy some for myself to keep me going until I could go home and stop (this was at 8:30pm). The Jelly Babies didn't only give me that sugar boost to keep going but also inspired me for the photo of the day!

Day 19 - 19th January - Business Portrait

2010-01-22T14:05:00.000-08:00

Another business portrait shoot day today. I have been doing work for Ashley for a few months. He has set up a Student Letting Agency business and has needed photos for the website. My job spec was to get "funky, quirky student life style shots" for them. I have taken photos around Sheffield which will go onto the website and then had to do some business portraits of Ashley and his colleagues. I didn't want to do the usual head shots because Ashley and his business is youthful and aimed at students. We did a mix of shots around their office, we took the living room & office outside and had great fun doing something a little different. I love jobs like this as it lets me get creative and experiment with lighting and backgrounds.

Here is another of the shots I did with Ashley. We took the idea of a living room and put it outside the office.

Day 18 - January 18th - An Apple for the teacher.

2010-01-18T12:04:00.000-08:00

One of the jobs that I am doing at the moment is to write a Scheme of Work for Sheffield Museums. I did a job for the Museum last year and it's great to be working with them again. One of their current galleries is Robert Mapplethorpe who is an iconic portrait photographer. I am creating a scheme of work aimed at GSCE and A Level students who are studying Art and Photography. The idea is to encourage schools to bring their students into the museum and see the different galleries that they have. It's a great job for me combining my years of teaching with my love of photography. I thought an apple for the teacher would be an appropriate photo for today.

I also found out this afternoon that my photo of the snowboarder in Sheffield has been put onto the local BBC website. I was also called by BBC radio Sheffield to ask if I would go onto one of their shows next week to talk about travel and photography. It's been a good day. : )

Day 17 - January 17th - Business Woman

2010-01-17T14:14:00.000-08:00

I did a photoshoot today with my friend Sophie. I met Sophie just under a year ago when she needed a photographer to photograph the launch event for her business. Since then we have done a lot of work together, supporting each other's businesses and developing a good friendship along the way.

Sophie works in the Media industry. She started by getting to the semi finals of "Britain's Got Talent" in 2008 with her belly dancing. She is a fantastic belly dancer and part of her business is teaching others to belly dance to combine fun & fitness. She is also working with local radio and wanted to get some more professional shots done for her portfolio. We spent the afternoon doing a mix of shots, coming up with new exciting business ideas and having a good old catch up. I got a good set of photos, the struggle came trying to pick just one for me photo of the day!

I also really liked this shot of Sophie. We wanted to get some relaxed shots of Sophie working at her desk to show a different side, still professional yet fun. This wasn't my photo of the day but was a close second.

Day 16 - January 16th - Snow Geese

2010-01-17T13:54:00.001-08:00

I had quite an adventure today. The snow is finally thawing in Sheffield so I decided to take the car out for a drive in the search of snow out in the peaks! It didn't take long to find some.....and then get stuck in it! I went to see the Alpaca Farm on the outskirts of Sheffield and managed to get stuck in the snow and ice and had to wait for a tractor to come and rescue me. It was all a little embarrassing but whilst I waited for the tractor to make it's way to the farm I had a wander round. Its' an amazing farm and the alpacas are beautiful creatures. I did take a few photos of them but I then came across 3 snow geese who really caught my eye. They weren't so pleased to see me and did spend most of the time "shouting" at me, don't think they were loving the camera! However the contrast between their orange beaks & webbed feet and their blue eyes next to their white feathers and the snow made for some really striking photos. Getting stuck in the snow had it's advantages. However I have learnt that my Yaris is not a 4x4 and maybe I should carry a shovel in the boot!

I did take a photo of the tractor with my car but didn't post it as my photo of the day because I loved the one of the geese. However I thought I'd put it up here so you could see it with your own eyes. It doesn't look like the car is stuck but believe me it is all ice & slush and if I tried moving the car the wheels just went deeper into it! Nothing like an adventure on a cold Saturday.

Day 15 - January 15th - Paperwork

2010-01-17T13:45:00.000-08:00

I have spent the last week chained to my desk sorting through the paperwork side of things which comes with running your own business. It's January which means tax return so I have spent ages working out all the expenses, incomes, fixed rates, capital, etc.... I think my head is very close to exploding so I am very glad to see that it's nearly done. The main lesson learnt is to keep up to date with my expenses...don't want to be having another January like this one again! Who knows, I may even sort myself out and fill in my next tax return in June...now that would be organised!! The photo today was something to cheer me up. With all this paperwork I needed something colourful so the paperclips saved the day.

Day 14 - January 14th - Is it thawing?

2010-01-14T10:09:00.001-08:00

After these weeks of snow and days of treacherous black ice it actually looks like it may be thawing! It's very cold out and more snow is forecast but it was great to see the snow melting, maybe life will start to get back to normal!

In the UK we seem to be so caught up in the winter freeze, which is causing problems for so many, but we appear to have become blind to other things happening around the world. It has been horrible to hear the stories of the earthquake in Haiti. I have been watching the news and have been so saddened by the photos and stories of people who have lost their lives. I think it's really important for us to support the victims of one of the worst earthquakes ever. If you do want to donate then here is a website which is supporting the cause. http://www.dec.org.uk/

Day 13 - January 13th - "I'd like to thank..."

2010-01-13T12:51:00.001-08:00

This morning was our first BNI (Business Network International) meeting of the year. We were meant to meet last week but the snow put a stop to that. Our meeting starts at 6:45am so I was out attempting to de-ice the car at 6:20am....far too early and there was far too much ice! When I finally got going I realised how treacherous the roads were. The snow had started to thaw yesterday and it had rained but then went down to -5 over night so everywhere froze and Sheffield was covered in black ice. When I arrived at Sheffield United Football ground, where we have our meeting, their car park looked really clear...but I soon found out that it was a one pure sheet of ice! I managed to swerve into a space but then had the nightmare of making it down the car park to the meeting. There were moments when I was clinging onto cars just to keep upright. I've never experienced black ice quite like it. There were far to many accidents and I think the ambulance service had all their vehicles out all day.

The BNI meeting I go to is a networking group of 34 different business men and women which meet once a week. The aim of the meeting is to share with all the members about our businesses and then we work on finding referrals for each other. It has been a great way for my business to grow over the last 2 years and I have found that personal recommendations means a lot more to people. As part of the meeting we get 60 seconds each to tell the others about our business and what sort of work we would like people to find for us. We then vote for the best one of the week and they win the 60 second Oscar....this week I WON!!! I only get the Oscar for the week so I'm making the most of it! Now, need to go and write my speech.

Day 12 - January 12th - Sheffield Wheel

2010-01-13T12:29:00.001-08:00

People are finally thawing out after the all the snow we're getting and finally enquiries for wedding photography are starting to come in. Over the last few days I've had 5 emails/phone calls from couples asking to meet with me to discuss their weddings which has been really exciting! Christmas was obviously the time when everyone was getting enagaged!
This evening I had a meeting with a lovely couple called Nathan and Jo. They are getting married in Sheffield in June and I went to meet them in town to show them my wedding albums. I arrived a little early so decided to go down to our wheel which is in the centre of town to take my photo of the day. The wheel was only meant to stay until January 2010 but it is now staying for another year. The views from the top are great so maybe I'll take a photo from there later in the year as one of my photos a day.

Day 11 - January 11th Christmas Chocolates

2010-01-11T13:33:00.000-08:00

I've given in and opened my Christmas Chocolates that I was trying to be good about! I have been sorting out my online tax return and it has been sending me ever so slightly mad so I had to do something to lift me from the pit of accounts. I've never been a big fan of Guyian chocolates but my mum and dad found a dark chocolate version and I love them! I think I'd better go and try another one with a cuppa.

Day 10 - January 10th Travel Companion

2010-01-10T14:46:00.001-08:00

A long train journey lay ahead of me today as I came back up to Sheffield. Sundays are always the worst days for traveling because the trains stop everywhere! Fortunately I had my trusty i-pod, Professional Photographer magazine and beloved Mac Book Pro with me to keep me entertained. I had hoped to get out for another walk by the canal before I came back up north but the light was so flat that it didn't really inspire me. I preferred to stay in the warm rather than go out in the -2 degree weather!

Day 9 - January 9th - Frozen

2010-01-10T14:40:00.001-08:00

Before the birthday celebrations began today I went out for an amazing walk along the Grand Union canal. It was completely frozen and so pretty. I went a bit mad with taking photos so had a few to choose from for my photo of the day. I picked this one because I loved the shadows. I took this photo at about 11am but it looks a lot later in the afternoon...winter sun.

Day 8 - January 8th - Snowbear

2010-01-10T14:17:00.000-08:00

It's only been just over a week since I was down in Croxley for Christmas but I headed back down there again today. My Granny celebrated her 90th birthday on Thursday so we had a family meal planned for her this weekend. Fortunately I had booked the train back home because I wouldn't have wanted to brave the roads in this weather.
When I arrived at my parents the kid in me came out and I went out into the garden to build a snowman! Unfortunately the snow was too powdery to roll round the garden so I ended up sculpting a little snowbear on the bench.

Day 7 - January 7th - Sheffield Boarder

2010-01-07T14:30:00.000-08:00

Another gorgeous snowy day in Sheffield.....and another day of sitting in front of the computer going through receipts and accounts! It didn't take long for me to need to get out of the house and go for a walk in the snow. I live on the top of one of Sheffield's 7 hills and we have a couple of great parks nearby so I wandered round to Meersbrook Park. It's a really popular park in the snow because of it's brilliant hill which is amazing for sledging down. When I got there several groups of kids had found "For Sale" signs and bits of plastic to sledge on. Others had come better prepared with their snowboards! I was really jealous watching the guys having so much fun on the slope. It's all a little cheaper than heading out to the alps but Sheffield council could do with putting in a button lift....it's a nightmare to climb back up!

Day 6 - January 6th Snowy Self-Portrait

2010-01-06T08:11:00.001-08:00

After being stuck in doors for most of the day yesterday I was really pleased to get out this morning. I had to cancel a meeting yesterday and we rearranged it for today so I wrapped up warm and headed down to Sheffield town centre. My road is completely snowed in but I was really impressed with the main roads and Sheffield's Street Force who were out gritting and clearing the pavements.
My meeting was with Anita (education co-ordinator) from Museums Sheffield. I did some work with them last February and they got in touch with me a few days ago with a new project for me to do. I have been asked to create a schools' resource aimed at GCSE and A'level students that looks at some of the photography galleries that are currently in the Graves Gallery. At the moment there is a selection of portraits by Robert Mapplethorpe so that is to be my focus for the scheme of work. However they have also asked me to try and make it a little more photography portrait based so that it can be used for other exhibitions in the future. I am really excited about this project as it combines my love of portrait photography with my 9 year teaching experience. I couldn't ask for a more dream job! After I had had a good chat and found out more about the work that they wanted me to do I went for a wander around the gallery to familarise myself with Mapplethorpe's work....and I loved it! The Graves gallery have also got a Comedians' exhibition which is from the Portrait Gallery and has some great shots of past and present comedians. I had a really self indulgent morning wandering around the gallery and can write it down as work.
I then made my way back up to Woodseats and had a wander through the local park which is where I took this photo....my first self portrait of the year.

Day 5 - January 5th - Snowed in!

2010-01-05T12:37:00.000-08:00

It's well and truly winter...one like we've not had in years! We've had snow since before Christmas and it's showing no signs of letting up. It started snowing again in the night and as I'm writing this at 8:30pm it's not stopped all day! Fortunately I work from home so I cancelled the one meeting I had today and snuggled up with my computer and the accounts!! I did venture out to go and buy some more milk...I had a craving for hot chocolate...and so got a couple of photos. The first one in this montage is of my balcony first thing this morning. The 2nd is of my road....a winter wonderland! I'm hoping to get out tomorrow to take a few more wintry shots. I have a feeling that the snow theme could run for the next few days at least!

Day 4 - January 4th - Snowy Sunset

2010-01-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

The first "official" day back at work and I was faced with the arduous task of getting started on my accounts and admin work! I managed to prolong the start of the day by going to a body pump class at the gym and then got home to settle down to the paper work. It felt like a very long day so it was great to see the sun setting over the snowy rooftops. Tomorrow is another day.

Day 3 - January 3rd - Sledging with Amy

2010-01-03T09:46:00.000-08:00

We have had snow on the ground and below freezing temperatures for the last 3 weeks which is really unusual. It has it's moments of being very frustrating but on a Sunday, when you have all day to play and enjoy it, snow is brilliant! I went round for lunch with my really good friends Kevin, Lucy and their 2 girls Amy and Ella and it wasn't long before we were wrapping up and heading out with the sledge to find the nearest hill. Living in Sheffield that wasn't hard! This is Amy, she is my goddaughter and was very proudly showing off the gaps in her teeth. 6 teeth lost so far and 1 wobbly one....and counting!

Day 2 - January 2nd - Training

2010-01-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

One of my (many) new year's reslutions is to do a 10K run this year. I had been planning to do one this September in Sheffield but have just found out that I am photographing a wedding the day before in Sussex so will have to look for another run to do. I am determined to do a 10K run and started with day 1 of training today. It was a successful day...I managed 4k which really surprised me. Long may it continue!

Day 1 - January 1st Finlay

2010-01-02T03:26:00.001-08:00

What a year the last one has been! This time last year I had no idea I'd be meeting this very gorgeous little man and now here he is! Finlay is the very cute son of a very good friend of mine. He was born on the 1st November 2009 and I am looking forward to watching him grow up over the next year. He may well feature in a number of my photos a day as I am also doing my Shutterbugs "Bump to 1st Year" photo session with him.
Finlay brought his mum over to wish me Happy New Year...what a year it's going to be!

2010 - The start of a new photo a day project!

2010-01-02T03:18:00.000-08:00

With the gentle persuasion of my cousin Ben I have decided to start the Photo-a-Day project again. I did it back in 2008 and really enjoyed it but it was quite hard to get inspired on different days so taking a year out to concentrate on other things was a good move. However we have just started a new decade, my business Serendipity Photography is starting it's 3rd year and I wanted to start the project all over again! 2010 promises to be an exciting year, I have great ideas for my business, my sister is getting married, I've been persuaded to train for a 10K run and we celebrate my Granny's 90th birthday. These are just a few things that I'm going to be documenting in my photo-a-day so keep coming back to this blog to see what I'm up to. Let's do this!

Day 366 - Full Circle....THE END!

2009-01-02T08:36:00.001-08:00

I can't believe it but this is actually by 366th photo! I have spent 2008 taking a photo a day and today is the end. I wasn't quite sure what to do as my last photo but after talking to my cousin Ben, who has also been doing the project, we decided to take a photo that was similar to the first one we took. Ben's first photo was of sparklers spelling 08 so his last photo was of sparklers spelling 09. My first photo of the year was from last year's new year's eve party. I had been to a Murder Mystery party and someone's costume was a blonde wig and big sunglasses. So for my last ever photo I got my friends who were at mine for new year's eve to pose with their backs to me and glasses on their heads! Not my best photo but it does bring me full circle to the end of Project 365+1. It's been an amazing year of photos which have documented my first year in business as Serendipity Photography. Thank you to all my friends and family who have supported me, encouraged me and commented on my photos!

I have decided not to do another Project 365 in 2009 as I want this to be special to 2008. What I have decided to do is to spend 2009 researching other portrait photographers and artists and look at recreating their styles in my own photography. I'm looking to be inspired in 2009.....watch this space! HAPPY NEW YEAR. 2008 has been great but 2009 is going to be even better. x x

Day 365 - Thank You

2009-01-02T08:31:00.000-08:00

It's my friend Beth's birthday today so I went over to hers with my girlfriends to help her celebrate. The run up to Christmas had been so busy that I hadn't managed to catch up with them all properly. Lucy gave me this wonderful card from my goddaughter Amy which had to be my photo for the day! I had taken a photo of the birthday girl but I then opened this card and had to take a photo of this.

Day 364 - Christmas Chocolates

2009-01-02T08:28:00.000-08:00

When I was teaching there were always boxes and tins of chocolates and biscuits but this year I have hardly see any! In fact these quality streets were the first I'd had all Christmas! That may explain why I have lost weight this year and why I struggled when I was teaching!

Day 363 - Candle Martini

2009-01-02T08:25:00.000-08:00

I've had a brilliant Christmas at home with friends and family but it was good to get back to Sheffield and chill out in my lovely apartment. I got these Martini candles from my friend Michelle so decided to light them and relax before the New Year!

Day 362 - Christmas Wreath

2009-01-02T08:23:00.001-08:00

I bought mum and dad a Christmas Wreath which was made by one of the ladies in my BNI group. Jayne and her partner run a Garden Centre and were selling these gorgeous wreaths for Christmas so I thought this would look great on mum and dad's red door.

Day 361 - Boxing Day Orienteering

2009-01-02T08:17:00.000-08:00

Bill came over to join us today for our traditional Boxing Day walk. Mum and Dad bought him a compass for his birthday in November so he was under strict instructions to bring it with him so we could show him how to use it! His friends had found it very amusing that his girlfriend's parents had bought him a compass but when you're going out with someone who's parents are keen walkers and in the guide/scout movement you can't expect anything less! We have an orienteering route in our local woods so after lunch we went out for a walk and to teach Bill how to use his compass. He did really well and we ended up at the pub so I was happy!

Day 360 - Family Christmas

2009-01-02T08:05:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! Christmas Day at home with mum, dad, Fiona, Granny, Michael, Milla and Milla's mum. We started the day off with Fiona waking me up saying "Merry Christmas" in a very silly voice! We then have a tradition of a smoked salmon, bagels and champagne breakfast. What a great way to start Christmas Day! Michael and Milla arrived about 10am and we then spent a great day eating, drinking and opening presents. I think Granny really enjoyed being surrounded by family and it was great to have her with us as she's spent the last few Christmases on her own. This is a definite photo for the family album!

Day 359 - Christmas Eve

2009-01-02T07:59:00.001-08:00

This is my lovely friend Caroline and her 3 boys: Malo (5), Nolan (2 1/2) and Oliver (8 months). I met Caroline when she arrived in Luton to teach French at Icknield and we've been great friends ever since. I've been to her wedding, been around for the birth of all her boys and have been welcomed into her family by both her's and Lee's parents. Caro is French and they have a tradition of doing the big Christmas meal and opening of presents on Christmas Eve so for the last 3-4 years I have gone over to theirs to celebrate Christmas with them. Caro and I took the boys out for a drive around Luton to see the Christmas lights and when we got back Father Christmas had been! It was great to watch the boys open their presents and then whilst they played we opened our presents and had an amazing meal cooked by Caroline's parents. We started with Foie Gras and then had Duck with mango and grapefruit which had all been cooked in the juices. Desert was pear tart with chocolate and ice-cream, plus we had cheese....got to have cheese when it's a french meal!

Day 358 - London by Night

2009-01-02T07:51:00.001-08:00

I stayed at my sister's last night and spent the day chilling out at hers with her boyfriend before heading into London to meet my parents and sister on London's South Bank. Fiona and Bill had got us all tickets for The Lost and Found Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall as a Christmas present. Bill and I went down a bit early to have a wander around the Christmas Markets on the South Bank, they weren't as impressive as we'd hoped but we did get some crepes to keep us warm! The South Bank is one of my favourite places for photos in London. As it got dark I took a few shots of the river and loved this one with the reflection of the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament.

Day 357 - Christmas on Carnaby Street

2009-01-02T07:46:00.001-08:00

I went into London today to meet my friend Marion for lunch. It was great to catch up with her and then spend some time in London. I went to the Portrait Gallery to see their exhibition of "Portrait Photographer of the Year." I came away quite inspired and with lots of new ideas for more portraits. I then went for a wander through Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and finally to Carnaby Street which had to have the best Christmas decorations in London. I then went to Covent Garden and sat watching the street entertainers before meeting my sister to go out for drinks with her friends.

Day 356 - Christmas Lights in Croxley

2009-01-02T07:42:00.000-08:00

I headed back home to mum and dad's today after seeing friends in Luton, St Albans and Kings Langley. As I drove home I had to go past this house which has the most amazing Christmas lights up every year! It's become infamous in Croxley and it's all part of coming home for Christmas. The family who do this raise lots of money for charity...and their electricity bill! It was great to get off the M25, drive through the lanes and into Croxley...home for Christmas..perfect.

Day 355 - Sunset

2009-01-02T07:38:00.001-08:00

We had a bit of a slow start this morning after last night's party. As always I stayed at the wonderful Clarkey B&B with a few others who were out. Leanne was a star with cups of tea, bacon butties and ibuprofen on tap! We finally managed to get ourselves up and dressed and popped round to see our friends Claire, Stu and their little girl Georgie. I then had to do some last minute Christmas shopping so we went down to ToysRUs. As we came out of the shop we were greeted with this amazing sunset and I had to take a photo for my photo of the day. Beautiful.

Day 354 - 2 of my best friends.

2009-01-02T07:30:00.001-08:00

I headed down south today for Christmas. I had to make sure everything was sorted in Sheffield before I headed down the M1 but I wanted to get down for the Icknield Christmas do. I spent 7 years teaching at Icknield High School in Luton and a lot of my friends still work there so I really wanted to go out with them to catch up before Christmas. It was a great night and brilliant to see everyone again. My friend Caroline came out with us, leaving her mum and husband to look after her 3 boys! It was great to be out with her again, no-one quite takes over the dance floor like Caro! A brilliant way to start my Christmas celebrations down south.

Day 353 - Ginger and Cranberry Fudge

2009-01-02T07:25:00.001-08:00

Credit crunch, recession, new business.....all means saving the pennies so this year I decided to have a go at making fudge for friends and family for Christmas. Having lots of diabetics in the family doesn't particularly help but there were plenty of others who I could give fudge too. My friend Dave came round to help so we doubled the quantities and set out to make cranberry and ginger fudge and rum and raisin fudge. We didn't quite expect it to take as long as it did to make and soon got bored of watching & stirring hot sugar but we did and now have lots of fudge to give to friends and family! They'd better like it! Merry Christmas.

Day 352 - BNI Meeting

2009-01-01T11:17:00.000-08:00

Every Wednesday morning I get up very early to go to my BNI meeting (Business Network International). We meet from 6:45am - 9am to do business over breakfast. It's a business group which I joined at the start of the year and has been an amazing way for me to network with other business men and women. It's also been a great way for me to get more business for Serendipity and without these meetings there is no way I would have done so well as I have done this year.

In April I was asked to take on one of the leadership roles in our chapter and then in October took on the role of Chapter Director which has been fun and challenging. For our final meeting of 2008 we did a secret santa and we had crackers on the table so it had a festive feel over breakfast and during out meeting. The main reason for getting together is to help each other get more business and every week we all get a 60 second slot to talk about our business and the kind of work that we are looking for. Will, in this photo, is a videographer but has a keen interest in wrestling so for the final meeting of the year he thought he'd do his 60 seconds wearing one of his masks, slightly different from everyone else's paper hats!

Day 351 - Aston Comprehensive

2009-01-01T11:11:00.000-08:00

I popped into my old school to catch up with some of my ex-colleagues and drop off the Baby Montage frame for Ali. It was really good to catch up with people and realise that it's nearly been a year since I left teaching...can't quite believe it! When I arrived at school I saw that they had done up the entrance way and some of my photos were being displayed in the foyer! It was really good to see my photos up on the wall for all to see.

Day 350 - Baby Montage

2009-01-01T10:58:00.000-08:00

I have been working on my Baby Montages this year and it's an area of Serendipity Photography that I really want to market next year with families. I have been taking photos for a number of families this year and one is for the sister of a friend of mine who I used to teach with at Aston. Ali had asked me to put a few photos, of her niece, into a montage and then get it framed so that she could give it to her sister and brother-in-law for their Christmas present. I went to collect the photo from the framer today and was really pleased with the way it came out. I'm going to get another done for me so that I can show people the type of photos they can get if they book me to take photos of their babies. I'm hoping this is something I can push and see take off in 2009.

Day 349 - Reaching for the bubbles.

2009-01-01T10:46:00.000-08:00

I had a job today taking photos for a family that I have got to know over this year. Jon and Adele Wells had asked me to come and take photos of their two girls' dedication. They were having a small ceremony in a restaurant with family and friends. I had taken photos of Phoebe and Francesca earlier in the year so it was lovely to go and take more photos for them. I'm hoping there may be more work which comes from this job as there were a lot of young families there who were showing an interest in having Serendipity Portraits in 2009!

Day 348 - A Christmas Afternoon

2009-01-01T10:36:00.001-08:00

I took my goddaughter, Amy, to the Botanical Gardens for a Christmassy afternoon. I wanted to spend some time with her and we decided to go and look at the Christmas lights, meet Father Christmas and have juice and cake; a girls' day out.

The Botanical Gardens had been decked out in lots of Christmas lights. We saw Father Christmas but Amy was too shy to actually meet him so we just watched other children talking to him. We did meet a couple of reindeer and there were a few rides to go on. Amy was particularly taken with the train ride as she found a pink carriage with the number 5 on it..."my favourite colour AND my age." Perfect! We finished off our afternoon by having juice and cake...a tradition I hope to continue. : )

Day 347 - 2 Trees

2009-01-01T10:26:00.000-08:00

I wanted to get a photo of my Christmas Trees for my project. I don't just have the one tree though...I have 2! I remember my grandparents having a Christmas tree in the hallway when I was little and I have great memories of it being at the bottom of the stairs and coming down on Christmas morning to all the presents under the tree. I wanted to do the same thing and love my little tree in the hallway and then my larger tree in the lounge. It's all starting to feel very Christmassy. I just need to buy presents to put under the tree now!

Day 346 - Jelly Bean

2009-01-01T10:20:00.000-08:00

My friends Mark, Lucy, Kevin and Yo have formed their own jazz band called Jelly Bean and they were playing at The Ivory Bar tonight. They want a few shots of them performing so that they can put them on their website so I went down to take some photos and enjoy a couple of cocktails!

Day 345 - Christmas Angel

2008-12-10T14:57:00.000-08:00

This is the Christmas Angel from the top of my tree.....in the hallway. (I have a star on the top of my tree in the living room. Yes, I am Katy 2 Christmas trees!)

I thought I'd add a little poem about the Christmas Angel to go with this photo.

A Christmas Angel sent to earth
To make our season bright
To warm each heart and keep us safe
She'll guide us with her light.

A Christmas Angel loved by all
She spreads good will and cheer
The peace and joy she brings to us
We pray will last the year.

~ Charlotte Anselmo ~

Day 344 - Professional Portrait

2008-12-10T14:51:00.000-08:00

I was given a call last week from a PR company who I have worked for in the past. They were calling to ask me if I would take some photos for them of a local solicitor. They needed some photos for a press release and had already sent a photographer to take some portraits but the solicitor had been very unhappy with the photos and wanted them doing again. Janet, the solicitor, is someone who I know from my BNI chapter. She used to be a member so it was great to meet up with her again and take her photo. We had a good shoot and I think Janet was happy with my photos. I was pleased with the results and hope this may lead to some further business in the future.

Day 343 - Christmas Cards

2008-12-10T14:49:00.001-08:00

My Christmas cards finally arrived today. I decided to use a few photos of my Nativity Scene from last year to make my Christmas cards for this year. I got quite a few made up as I want to send cards out to people who have used Serendipity Photography this year and thank them for supporting me in my first year of business. Although they took ages to arrive I am pleased with them.

Day 342 - Christmas Farmers' Market

2008-12-10T14:45:00.001-08:00

A gorgeously sunny but very cold Sunday in Sheffield and time for the quarterly Farmers' Market in Nether Edge. My friend Kim, who runs Sesame (vegetarian and vegan catering), had a stall to sell her Christmas hampers so I went along to support her. It was a great market with loads of local businesses being represented. I got talking to a number who may be good contacts for me and my photography. It was also great to get a little bit of Christmas shopping done...Dad is so easy to buy for when you wander round a Christmas market! I'm not going to say what I bought though because he may read this and then where would the surprise be?!

Day 341 - Flying south for the winter...

2008-12-10T14:40:00.000-08:00

We have been getting some of the most amazing sunsets over the last few days. I think it's a mix of the very cold weather and clear skies that we've been getting.
I took this photo from my living room window and loved it when the birds flew past. It looked as though they were heading south to get away from the frozen north!

Day 340 - Dazed and Confused

2008-12-10T14:34:00.000-08:00

I've had a really odd week feeling quite low and really tired. I'm not sure what's going on, could just be the time of year. I do think it's partly to do with the fact that I've had my confidence knocked with the other photography company arriving in Sheffield. It's been quite an emotionally draining month and I feel really shattered from it all at the moment. I won't let it stop me though because I can't quite believe that a year ago I was still teaching! This has been an amazing year and I have done so much and have so many ideas of where I want to take Serendipity Photography in 2009.
A cup of tea and a choccy biscuit might just help right now!

Day 339 - Solitary

2008-12-10T14:31:00.001-08:00

There have been moments this year when I have found running my own business to be quite a lonely and solitary place. Times when big decisions need to be made or situations occur which I have no knowledge of where to start or how to deal with them. It doesn't happen often but when it does it can feel like the world is a big place.

I went for a wander down to the local park, it was a gorgeous crisp wintry day and I thought these swings would sum up my solitary idea so I pushed one swing to add movement to the photo. It's got quite a spooky and lonely feel to it. I like it!

Day 338 - Ho Ho Ho

2008-12-03T13:34:00.000-08:00

About a month ago I applied to do a Santa Dash for The British Heart Foundation. It was only going to be a 1 mile run but a few of us thought it would be good fun for a good cause. Unfortunately they had to cancel the run due to lack of numbers but I still got sent the Santa Suit which I would have worn for the"dash". It arrived today so it would have been rude not to try it on and do our best santa impressions.

Day 337 - Frosty

2008-12-03T13:28:00.000-08:00

It is starting to get colder but we've still not had snow! This morning was really frosty so I'm hoping snow will arrive in the next few days.

Day 336 - Girlfriends

2008-12-03T13:23:00.000-08:00

On the first Monday of every month I get together with some of my uni girlfriends for a night out. Our evenings range from going to the cinema, chilling out at someone's house or going out for a meal. All evenings tend to include wine, food and lots of laughing. We all met each other in our first few days at uni and 15 years on are still great friends. 5 of us still live in Sheffield with a couple of others living down south so it's not that often when we all manage to get together. As it was our Christmas meal Jan came up from Oxford to join us for the evening, it was so good to catch up.

Day 335 - Rivelin Valley

2008-12-03T13:19:00.000-08:00

It was a great cold, frosty and sunny day so I decided to get out and go for a walk with my camera! I wandered down to Rivelin Valley and went to play with slow shutter speeds. I love taking photos of water and didn't quite get the photos that I had in mind but enjoyed being outside and doing what I love.

Day 334 - Toby

2008-12-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

I had a 2nd photo shoot with a family who I am taking 4 different photo sessions with over the 1st year of their little boy's life. Toby is now about 5 months and such a happy baby. He was a delight to photograph, lots of smiles and laughs. I used my magical bubbles again...my secret to capturing babies' attention!

Day 333 - What is he looking at?

2008-12-03T13:09:00.000-08:00

I did another photo shot today for a family with a 5 month old and a 4 year old. Their 4 year old was quite hard work but their 5 month old was wonderful to photograph. I don't think I've seen so many expressions from one child in the space of 10 minutes! His dad was blowing bubbles behind me which amused him and gave me loads of wonderful photos.

Day 332 - Homemade Album

2008-12-03T13:01:00.000-08:00

Project 365+1 is all about taking a photo a day and documenting my year through photos. One of the main things about this is year is the fact that I have started my own business which has been an exciting roller coaster of a ride. When I started Serendipity Photography I was really keen to use local businesses for some of my products. I found Anne Heppell through the recommendation of a friend. She is a local book binder and has been hand making my wedding and other photo albums for me this year. She makes each album specifically for the couple depending on their choice of colours for their wedding. No two albums are the same and it's great for me to be able to provide such unique albums for my clients. I popped in today to order a couple more albums and to check out the progress of a few that I had ordered. I didn't think I could finish my 366 days without a photo of Anne's workshop as it has been an integral part of my year and my business.

Day 331 - All Change?

2008-11-26T12:49:00.001-08:00

I'm in a business dilemma at the moment. A new portrait photography business has just arrived in Sheffield to set up a new studio. They have been trading in Leeds for a few years and are branching out. The problem is their name is: Serendipity Art!! I was devasted when I first saw an ad that they had done in a local magazine. I have had some legal advice and written them a letter but it's unlikely they'll change their name so it looks like I'll have to and I really don't want to. I feel in limbo at the moment with my business and am not looking forward to all the costs that I will have to pay out to get the name changed. Not only that but I have started to get a good client base who know me as Serendipity Photography so changing my name is not the best idea!
I did lots of brainstorming today....the only problem is that every name I came up with has already been taken. Any ideas anyone?? Please?? I'm officially struggling.

Day 330 - Ella Bean

2008-11-26T11:49:00.000-08:00

I went to babysit for Amy and Ella this evening. They are gorgeous and it's always great to spend time with them. Ella is really growing up and becoming a real little character. She used to be very reserved and not really smile at anyone but that has all changed and she is such a giggler. We had lots of fun playing games. Peek-a-boo was a winner! Aunty Katy has become a bit of a favourite and she had to show me all her toys. There's nothing better than the innocence and unconditional love of a child, always makes you feel better if you've had a bad day. : )

Day 329 - Wrapped up.

2008-11-26T11:40:00.000-08:00

The weather has suddenly turned and it's freezing! I've really had to wrap up warm to go outside but it's a good excuse to wear my favourite hat and lovely winter coat.

Day 328 - Wii and Breakfast

2008-11-25T05:47:00.000-08:00

The weekend of wii continues. After a lazy breakfast the competition began all over again with girls vs boys on Brain Academy. The girls won! : )

Day 327 - Wii Spectacular

2008-11-25T05:43:00.000-08:00

Another WWF night at the Penthouse but this time we went XL! I borrowed a friend's projector so that we could get the wii projected up onto the wall. I don't think I can go back to the TV now! I just need to come up with a business reason for needing a projector so that I can buy one!

Day 326 - Silhouette

2008-11-25T05:34:00.001-08:00

Winter is here; cold, dark nights, trees without their leaves and amazing sunsets!

Day 325 - Satsumas

2008-11-25T05:31:00.000-08:00

You know when Christmas is round the corner when satsumas are in the shops. We always got a satsuma, walnut and pound coin in our stockings on Christmas Day!

Day 324 - Behind Bars

2008-11-25T05:24:00.000-08:00

This is the gate of the local primary school just up the road from me. They don't use this gate anymore but I loved the distress look of it. Quite an eerie look.

Day 323 - Swirls

2008-11-25T05:19:00.000-08:00

I had a day of sorting out paperwork and had to get out of the house so went and met a friend for a coffee. With it being so cold I went for a creamy hot chocolate which was amazing! Just what I needed to get out of the house.

Day 322 - Gorgeously Chubby

2008-11-25T05:15:00.000-08:00

I went to do my 3rd photo shoot for a family today. I took photos for Katherine and Mark when Katherine was 8 1/2 months pregnant and after they had their little girl I went to take her photo at 4 weeks. Today Erin is about 4 months and I went to take some more photos of her. She is gorgeous and I got some great ones of her smiling and having fun but I loved this photo of her...too cute.

Day 321 - St Pancras

2008-11-25T05:11:00.001-08:00

Time to head back to Sheffield. I love being in London and really didn't want to go back to Sheffield today. I think spending time with family made me realise how much I miss being in the south. I caught my train from St Pancras. I love this statue and loved the way he was stationary with the man reading the newspaper behind him whilst the two ladies walked past causing a blur on the photo.

Day 320 - Family

2008-11-25T05:03:00.001-08:00

My parents celebrated their 60th birthdays with a meal in London with family and friends. I stayed at my sister's and we spent the morning sorting out bits and pieces for the meal later. We then went to meet my dad, aunt and uncle at BBC broadcasting house where we had tickets to listen to one of Radio 3's London Jazz Festival shows. We then went for a few drinks and met up with everyone else at the restaurant for champagne and an amazing meal. It was great to meet up with old friends and get the chance to have a family photo.

Day 319 - Banksy

2008-11-23T11:03:00.001-08:00

I came down to London today for my parents' 60th birthday celebrations tomorrow. I caught the train down which was very relaxing. I booked early enough so was able to get cheap 1st class tickets...only travel in style! I met my friend Marion at the Champagne Bar at St Pancras but we didn't have any as it was ridiculously expensive! Instead we went into town and found a great little Japanese restaurant in Soho. We then met up with my sister, Fiona and went to find a bar for a glass/bottle of wine and a chance to carry on catching up. As we walked to the bar we came across this Banksy artwork. He is infamous all over the world for his grafitti art which appears over night. This was on the wall of a Post Office Sorting Office round the back of Oxford Street. The irony was great and I had to get a photo of it.

Day 318 - Wedding Album

2008-11-13T14:45:00.000-08:00

I am going down to London tomorrow for my parents' 60th birthdays so wanted to get this wedding album done to take with me. I took the photographs for Charlotte and Perry's wedding in August and wanted to be able to take their completed album down to London with me to save on postage! I managed to get it all done today which was a relief and I am really pleased with how it has come out. They chose a lovely selection of photos and kept the album really simple which looks lovely. I just hope they like it as much as I do!

Day 317 - Autumn

2008-11-13T14:36:00.001-08:00

This is the view out of my living room window. I am really fortunate to over look a small park which means that it's very quiet and peaceful. The changing colours of the seasons are great to watch and although I don't like the cold and dark evenings of autumn, the colours of the trees are beautiful.

Day 316 - Rememberance Day

2008-11-13T14:28:00.000-08:00

My mum's 60th birthday and Remembrance Day.

For the Fallen
by Laurenc Binyon

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

DAY 315 - New Hair

2008-11-13T14:25:00.000-08:00

A trip to the hair dressers and I have new hair! : )

Day 314 - Chocolate...thank you

2008-11-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

I bought these chocolates to take round to Kim's today. I've been having an odd couple of weeks with lots playing on my mind and she has been brilliant at listening, advising and being someone to drink wine with. I have a few really amazing friends who have been brilliant recently and so although I bought these to take round to Kim's they are also to say a big thank you to all of them to being there, supporting me and encouraging me when I've found things a little difficult. x x

Day 313 - Rugby and Beer

2008-11-10T09:47:00.001-08:00

It was the first England International rugby match today and I made sure I found a pub showing the game. Michelle and I went down to the Walkabout pub to watch England beat the Pacific Islanders. A brilliant afternoon and I think we could be doing something similar to watch the other matches over the next couple of weeks. There's nothing better than having a beer and watching the rugby...especially when the boys pull off a win! Bring on Australia next weekend!

Day 312 - Warm Glow

2008-11-10T09:43:00.000-08:00

It was a miserable day outside today so it didn't take much persuasion to curl up under the duvet, light a few candles, open a bottle of wine and watch a movie with a few friends.

I bought these candle holders in Marrakech so it was good to put them to good use.

I also want to say HAPPY 60th BIRTHDAY to my dad today. He's celebrating the arrival of his free bus pass!

Day 311 - Winning Streak!

2008-11-10T09:39:00.001-08:00

I had a really manic day today where I was going from appointment to appointment. I popped in to see my friend Kim before going out this evening and persuaded her to come along to the bingo with me....she didn't take much persuading! We went and joined a group from the walking group for a night at Mecca Bingo. Kim won £20 within the first few games and then had another £50 under her belt which was great. Then.....I got a full house and won £100!!! Amazing and very exciting! Not a bad night out for us both. Now I just need to work out what to spend it on......