#PhotoChallenge30

PHOTOCHALLENGE 30

Day 1

Self Portrait

This was hard. I hate being in front of the camera as it reminds me that the camera never lies and those wrinkles are for real!
Anyway I positioned a book in the appropiate place and used photoshop as well as I could. Here is the result. I love the message on the book and try to pass on these values to my family.

Day 2

Something that makes me smile

First I went for the obvious choice of my grandaughter but the more I thought the more I realised how much my Dad makes me smile with his querky ways. He will feature quite a lot in my blog so I have chosen a recent photograph of which reminds me of my travels with him to see my sisters in America and Belgium. His coat with the dodgy zip and his stick needed only as a visual aid.

Day 3

Something that you collect.

Well this was easy as I collect everything from old cameras to ironing!
My daughter would say I collect boxes but as I looked around I realised I have lots of things in 3's!
I am one of 3 sisters and we are always looking for things that come in 3's. We send each other postcards and always sign of with three kisses.

So heres my photo for today

Day 4

Something that Stresses you out

Having to work instead of blog or cloud watch when I am on holiday.
Today is the last official day of my holiday as I dont count weekends as holiday days! I had to force myself out to the car to get out my school bag.

So today's photo reflects how work interferes with my hobbies and I get stressed because I dont seem to get the work/life balance right

Day 5 

A Cup you drank from today

They say you tell a lot about a person from the cup they drink from. Having started a new school with new colleagues I have discovered quite a lot about my new workmates from the cups that they use.One has a particular cup and no one is allowed to use it, another has a really big mug that is always left half full, and then there is the Head of Dept who uses everybody else's cup and never washes up! I wonder what my new colleagues would make of my cups!!!

I love cups with quotes! I had several cups of coffee today so I have cheated a bit and put two of my cups together. I reckon they are almost as informative as my self portrait! I am interested to see if any new cups arrive in Dept when we return after the holiday!

Day 6

Someone who inspires you

Well for me this was easy. I am sure I may not be the only one who mentions her on this challenge. The problem is getting a photo today was impossible so I have had to use one that we took in the Summer. She is more often than not behind the camera rather than in front of it.
Jane is always there when I need her and is such a clever lady. She has taught me so much about photography and teaching I wish had the same effect on her when it comes to cooking but if you know me and you know Jane then you will also know that thats an impossibility!
I hope that my kids find a friend like Jane because we all know that life can sometimes be tough and it can also be great fun. People like Jane stick around and even though she doesnt cook she makes a great cheese sandwich and there is always a chocolate to go with coffee.
What more inpiration do you need?
Cheers mate.

Day 7

A Picture of my Phone

Actually I felt sorry for this  phone so thats why its in this blog rather than my I Phone.
This little phone sits on my desk and I never answer it because the only people who call the land line are cold callers and those people who don't own a mobile phone, which in my case are the in laws and my dad! So day after day it sits there and if it could talk it would probably say

"Remember when you loved picking me up and having long chats with your mates? "
"Remember when you had a shared phone line and to have a phone line all of your own was a privilege?" (They were called party lines and yes I do remember them! That shows my age!)
"Remember when you couldn't take me into another room because I was attached to a cord?"
So just to make the phone feel better I have included it in my blog!
Thats my good deed for the day.

 Day 8

My Lunch Today

One of my resolutions for 2012 was to be a size 12 in 2012! I seemed to have put on so much weight after the death of my mum and I crept up to a size 16!
I had not been size 12  since I left university way back in 1979 so this was a bit of a challenge for me, but I always like a challenge.
So on 18th January 2012 I joined Slimming World with my daughter. 12 months later I am the proud owner of several pairs of size 12 jeans and I even wore my classic size 12 LBD for a christmas party!
So here is my picture of my lunch today. Its all worth it!

Day 9

Your Favourite Shoes

Now this doesn't say they have to be yours it just says they have to be your favourite ones, so I chose these. They belong to my Dad and he wore them on a recent visit to Belgium. He obviously hadn't worn them in ages and they literally disintegrated on our travels through airport security. Having been asked to remove them at passport control it was down hill from there.
As he walked into the departure lounge he was leaving a trail of perished leather behind him and when we arrived in Belgium both soles were hanging off.
He looked so comical walking through arrivals in Belgium with his stick, his coat with the dodgy zip and a pair of boots with no soles
Told you he made me smile. (See day 2)

Day 10

Something that you've made

I have always loved cutting and sticking. If you are old enough you will remember those A4 books that simply said "SCRAPBOOK" on the front. As a kid I made random scrapbooks with photographs that I had taken. As I grew older I used to make a scrapbook of holidays we had been on and then as a mum I spent time with the kids making scrapbooks of family holidays and birthdays.
Now of course I have no excuse apart from the fact that I love cutting and sticking. I have journals, scrapbooks and diaries full of events I have taken part in. None of my diaries are finished and my journals jump from one month to another, but I do love making memories through scrapbooking.
So this photo shows some of my latest stuff based on on our first granddaughter.
Computers and word processing make it a different experience these days and I must admit that I still love to handwrite my journals and cut and stick stuff to put in them.

Day 11

A Picture of your Pet

Now this is easy today. Tia is our Staffy. She is about 5 years old and is the softest and most loveable dog you can imagine. Staffy's get a bad press but she is so gentle with our grandkids and just fits in. She is a bit mad though and will greet you most enthusiastically when you walk through the door.
I always said I wouldn't have a dog but when the opportunity arose to rehouse Tia at about 5 months old we couldn't resist her.
In this shot you will see that when Tia chooses a stick to carry it has to be the biggest one she can find!

Day 12

A Picture You Took Whilst Out and About

Today is Saturday so when I received a text from my my fellow tweeter,blogger and photographer to get out and about for photochallenge 30 the ironing just had to wait.
So having been chatted up a deaf old man on his allotment and chased by Rottweilers at a nearby farm we decided to go back to the local lane and see if we could capture some shots of the robins.
Here's my photo for today. This little fella was so tame and just loved posing for the camera.
Thanks to my friend Jane for enticing me away from my computer, school work and ironing.

Day 13

Something out in Nature

I am really spoilt for choice because those who know me will tell you that I am quite sad and take photographs of trees, clouds, sky, rainbows, sheep, mushrooms, you name it I will photograph it if I am out with my camera.
My favourite has to be trees. I just love their shape, their magnificence and their texture. I imagine them telling a story as they stand and watch the seasons go by. I have a folder on my computer of trees....thats how sad I am. My friends send me photos of trees and even hug them for me.!!
So I have cheated a bit and included one from my collection which I have framed at home.
Notice it is all in a collection of 3 ( See Day 3)

Day 14

Somewhere You Went Today

Snow was forecast today so like many of my colleagues I was rather hoping for a "snow day"
Unfortunately the snow was quite sparse so......... I went to work today.
Horizon Community College is a brand new school which opened in September. Having worked at my old school for 30 years moving here was a big challenge! I can't say its been easy but things are getting easier. As a PE teacher snow causes us lots of problems especially when some of our spaces are full of exam desks. I took this shot as I was leaving although it was just as dark and cold when I arrived.
Bring on the summer!!

Day 15

Something You Own But Never Use

I am sure I am not the only woman who owns one of these. Mum called them "Vanity Cases" One Christmas mum bought me and my 2 sisters one each. I have never been sure what to use it for. Its the wrong shape, the wrong colour and most definitely the wrong size to put anything I own in there.
I don't do make up and hair so it is currently full of  travel accessories such as international chargers and adapters, earplugs and several  miniature products,taken from hotel bathrooms from around the country. Maybe one day it will travel with me but for the moment I reckon it will stay at the bottom of my wardrobe where it has lived for a number of years.

Day 16

Something you have too much of and is taking up space

I just love boxes. Any sort of boxes. Shoe boxes, plastic boxes , empty boxes. I never throw a box away because I know one day I will find a use for it.
Most of my boxes have photographs in at the minute and I am running short of places to put them. There is no room on my shelves so now my floor is piling up with boxes of different shapes, sizes and colours!
My family know I love boxes and if they are stuck for anything to buy me they just wrap up a box! Simple Things!!!

Day 17

A Picture of Something Fun

Every time I switch this little guy on it makes me chuckle. Its a singing hamster and he's about 15 yrs old!
He sings "Rawhide" and cracks his whip as he sings. Don't ask why I find him so funny but he never fails to cheer me up when I press his little on button! This challenge is really showing how sad and simple I am. Or maybe you are all secretly thinking
" I remember those singing hamsters and I wish I had kept mine instead of selling it for a pound at the local car boot!"

Day 18

Whatever......

Well it had to be the weather. In England we don't know what to talk about you can always rely on the weather. We are currently going through a freezing spell whereas in Australia where my daughter is it is 47 degrees!

This photo was taken on my way to work this morning. I am timetabled to teach Hockey on the Astroturf this morning but as I was walking up the path and saw the area I definitely thought "Whatever????"
Now I love the snow but many of the girls I teach don't like snow and like hockey even less.
So at 8.30am I found myself with a group of teenage girls not at all dressed for the freezing conditions holding hockey sticks and wondering how come I am teaching  in the biggest and most expensive school in the north of England yet I still find myself without an appropriate indoor space in which to teach and inspire 14year old hormonal girls? We soon returned our hockey sticks and went for a bracing walk instead where I was able at least to chat to them and come up with some ideas for the warmer weather.

Day 19

The contents of my handbag

Like all women my bag is far too big and is full of stuff I think I will need on a typical day. Hence the pencil case, the stapler, the keys memory sticks camera and deodorant. Not sure why the 3 D glasses were still in there but I was glad for the paracetamol and Slimming Word hi fi bar today. What I find quite funny is that I carry another smaller handbag inside this big one because the small one is just not big enough. Work that one out??

Day 20

Someone that you love

Like most women I have siblings, parents and children that I love. But today's #photochallenge30  has got to be my hubby, Mark. We have been married 10 years got 4 kids, 3 grandchildren and another on the way, a dog and a fish tank and some would say that we bicker constantly. That said, I wouldn't change him for the world.
He cooks me things from the Slim World Magazine, he wears clothes that are unironed and he is a friend to all my friends and family. My kids now accept him as a role model and he is coming to terms with being a granddad to 4 grandchildren at the tender age of 47! He laughs at his own jokes and has a weird taste in music. All this and more make him that "someone I love"

Day 21

A Picture of Something Sweet

Well for me the sweetest thing I know at the moment are my grandchildren. Interestingly enough I have 3 of them at the moment and they are all adorable. I said earlier that three was my favourite number although it will not be long before I have my 4th!!!

Day 22

Something I am currently borrowing from someone

While my youngest daughter is in Australia I have been making the most of her wardrobe. This is great for several reasons. Last year as a size 16 I would not have even been able to consider wearing Emma's  size 12 clothes let alone looking ok in them. But having lost 2 stone since last winter the coat I wore last year is too big so rather than buy another I am wearing Emma's. So I have saved money, gone up in the fashion world and feel good knowing that I look OK in the clothes chosen by my 18 year old daughter.

Day 23

A souvenir from a vacation

We collect "Boggits"
These are tacky souvenirs from tacky shops. We have a bit of a thing going with our friends and family to find the tackiest souvenir possible for under £5 and bring it home! Whenever possible we plant these "boggits "in each others houses as a bit of a joke. These are my favourites from Malta and Lanzarote!. Its sometimes quite embarrassing buying these things but someone has to!

Day 24

A book you are reading

I do love books and can have several on the go at once. I have resisted buying a Kindle as I just love the smell, feel and texture of all books. I can spend hours in book shops and just love old book shops.  I collect camera books and  I never give books away. I keep a book journal and have a mixed collection of books on my shelves at home.I am currently reading the latest book by Jodie Picoult. Now I know she gets mixed press but I haven't read one of hers yet that I haven't liked. So my photo today is of my collection of Jodie Picoult books of which I have every one.

Day 25

A picture of something new

I'm not very good at treating myself and I'm not a fan of spending money or going to the shops so I struggled with this one.  Then I realised that I am always renewing my displays and pictures at home. I have just changed my little office display and have put together 2 new collages. I have changed the pictures of my grandchildren and my family to make them more current .
So my picture for today is put together with a new App I downloaded showing my new collages in my room. I love it!

Day 26

Something that means a lot to you.

I had to really think about this one.The things that mean a lot to me are the same as most people my age. We come to appreciate our health, our families and our friends. All those mean a lot to me. I am not materialistic and apart from my photographs, my camera and some special jewellery there are few possessions that I feel I could not live without. I am in good health and do not want for anything. I have a well paid job, no financial worries and the most amazing family you can imagine. So what I decided to choose for my picture for today is my upbringing.
I owe everything I have to being brought up with traditional family values. I rarely go to church but I consider myself a real christian. I was taught to appreciate the small things in life and although we didn't have much money when I was a kid I never felt poor. I lost my dad when I was 3, my mum was left with 3 children under 5 to bring up on her own (there's that number again!). I loved my childhood. It would have been so easy for my mum to have made us feel sad and deprived but instead she always told us that god is good, and to count our blessings! Thats what I have tried to instil into my family because it worked for me.
So how do I portray my upbringing. Well I found this collage in a folder on my computer called "Snaps of my Past"

For me this place symbolises my upbringing.
We didn't travel far as children but we spent a lot of time playing in fields near our house. There were 2 rocks at the top of the field that was our aeroplane, this was our special place. Its still there now. We imagined travelling all over the world on this aeroplane and our imaginations ran wild. Little did we know that we would indeed get to all those places that we dreamed of and  in the case of my 2 sisters actually live abroad.
These 2 rocks symbolise my aspirations in life.
My upbringing gave me aspirations and that means a lot to me.

Day 28

Your favourite colour or pattern

Blue has always been my favourite colour. As a young child I often wished I was a boy and so I wore blue for a boy! As I have matured I am drawn the natural beauty of the sea and the sky and the amazing shades of blue. I cloud watch and look for patterns in the sky and I love the way the sea meets the sky when photographing horizons.

I took these shots on a recent visit to Lanzarote but I have hundreds more in my collection.

Day 29

Something in your Fridge

My children will always say my fridge is empty! To a certain extent that is true but its only empty because as soon as I fill it up with nice things like pork pies, scotch eggs, fresh ham yogurts and other types of snacks it is empty within 24hrs!

So I learned to fill the fridge with healthy snacks and fruit and veg so it now always full.

Unfortunately I adopted the same principle with wine as my kids did with pork pies.... so I had to stop buying that too! 

So when I look in my fridge now all I see is healthy stuff but if you look a bit harder you may spot a clue that my liking for alcohol is still being met even if its not with wine.

Day 30 

Self Portrait 30 Days Later

Not much different really. Still struggling with all my new technologies but hugely enjoying this photo challenge. Lets hope I can keep it up!
I keep reading about my new Mac and I am learning all the time.
I hope I never lose the buzz of learning something new.