FSL Lipdub

I just have to share this fabulous video created by students and staff at Friends' School Lisburn.  My lovely old school in all its glory!  Great job everyone!

Holiday

I'm officially on holiday! It all started on Wednesday afternoon, after my last ever jewellery making session with the lovely ladies in Rugeley it was Christmas Eve number One! R and I had a lovely evening full of twinkly lights, carrot cake making and mulled wine sipping. Then Thursday was Christmas Day number One which was splendid, Santa even knew we were having Christmas early and left us some goodies! R treated me to a fabulous gift which I'm very much looking forward to watching!


During the morning we went for a dander on frosty Cannock Chase, captured some new textures and even enjoyed a few whisps of snow then returned to create the feast and it was mighty! Whilst the festivities were rolling at May Cottage some people were still at work and we got news that the solicitors are looking at an exchange date late January so our move is progressing! Some super freecyclers had given us a host of boxes and R has started packing, me, not so much! Am pleased that we have a few weeks after Christmas to get ourselves sorted and so relieved and excited that it's happening, we're moving to Scotland in a month!
But first, sssshhhh, we've got Christmas number Two swiftly approaching and I'm now back on the mainland that is Northern Ireland, it has been snowing steadily through the night and is getting rather heavy now, early morning photography tempted me but no further than snapshotto in the garden, it's just not the same without R! I hope you are all enjoying the approach to Christmas,

love and blessings,

L xo

Home

I've been back home in Northern Ireland for just over a week and am having a splendid time catching up with my lovely family and friends, including the two beasts pictured above who are probably faring better than me after a weekend ploughing through the waves up at Benone. My right shoulder is aching after throwing Shadow's beloved ball, just check out his focus! I do feel hugely fortunate to have a family I adore and I don't just mean the dogs!

As I'll be going back to school in September I am having quite a few holidays this summer and have a happy amount of photographs building up! Next week I'll be back to work making up new designs, re-stocking my Folksy shops and investigating my new photographs.

Holiday at Home

Last week we went back to my home land! I love Northern Ireland and it was a fabulous week of catching up with my lovely family and friends, walking, talking, eating, frolicking, walking and eating some more! As always I didn't have enough time to see everybody but will be back again in August. On our first weekend we walked from the Giant's Causeway to Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, which, depending on which book or website you consult, is a walk of between nine and a half and eleven miles long. After completing the walk we are convinced it is definitely closer to the latter. During the walk I spotted this tub in a field and am now wondering if there is an alternative available for humans!

Thank Goodness it's Thursday

Thursday is my new Friday! I've had a somewhat emotional and exhausting week, but good things have come my way too. On Tuesday I had an interview with the WEA and it looks like I'll be a tutor for them in September. I have to speak to a man tomorrow about the possibility of running a poetry based course in September and I'm very excited about the new opportunities this opens up for me. At the end of my interview I spoke to the lady who arranges the courses and she is keen for me to run some 'Arty' (her word!) taster sessions at the end of June so hopefully I'll have my first chance to teach Art - eep! Looks like it will be an introduction to making jewellery using beads and wire and possibly some Art appreciation and painting too. All a bit different to teaching English to 11-18 year olds!

By Saturday we'll be here! Yay!

Tonight is purely for relaxation, aided by a nice bottle of wine kindly given to me by a student, and a bit of packing as tomorrow, we're going home to Northern Ireland for the week and I can't wait!

Northern Ireland

I recall a postmodern cultures seminar revolving around a discussion on how terrorism wouldn't exist without the media . . . So have some good thoughts on the wonderful Northern Ireland today!

First up, the football. Well now we find ourselves winning four Internationals on the trot and, you might need to take a seat for this, we are top of our World Cup qualifying Group. What joy! Heard a few phone ins on the radio after the match on Wednesday and could still make out the Windsor Park masses doing the bouncey!

Well done to Mr Feeney and the boys in green!



Secondly, I have been perusing the wonders of Google Street View and, on a tip off from my brother, took R on a virtual tour of Belfast all the way to my Nana's house complete with Hamish the golden retriever!



Can you see him?!

Happy Birthday Dad

This week hosts my Dad's Birthday and as the low-cost airlines weren't so low cost, a wee trip home wasn't affordable this time, boo. So I thought I'd post a photograph for him which I took last May featuring my Dad, Mum and sister. The eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed a bit of a gap between the figures and I must explain that this wasn't due to me shouting instructions through a loud hailer or a huff situation! The reason demands a closer look between my Mum and sister you might just spot a little black and white fellow named Shadow; my Dad is the king of tennis ball chucking and thus becomes the one and only focus of Shadow's attention here!

Not long until beach days - Happy Birthday Dad!

Nowhere Like Northern Ireland

Yesterday was Christmas number one, today is my friend's wedding and tomorrow I'm going home to Northern Ireland for Christmas number two with my family!

Yesterday I won the latest 'Nowhere Like Northern Ireland' group photography challenge on redbubble (a great community for all you artist types - worth checking out!) with my digital ttv style 'Over to Donegal' photograph.

Wahey!

I've nearly had my lovely EOS 400d for a year now, it is my favourite thing (as opposed to people and dogs!) and I've had a great time photographing this year at home, Norfolk, the Peak District, Florence (still excites me!), Wales and Cannock Chase.

So as he gets ready to do his yearly rounds I'd just like to say again, thanks Santa!!