Tuesday, November 29, 2011

333/365

333/365 by sally_re
333/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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And here's a selection of the pictures I took on Sunday. They aren't great but each one was a specific exercise in using my camera correctly and NOT keeping it permanently on the automatic setting! I really learnt a lot and recommend Frui if they pop up on a groupon again!

332/365

332/365 by sally_re
332/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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I've always wanted to take a picture where the object I wanted to focus on sort of popped out of the background - and now I understand how to do it - this isn't the most interesting picture but it really showed me how to use aperture to draw peoples eyes to the object I'm wanting them to!

331/365

331/365 by sally_re
331/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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I went on a fab photography course today that I bought on a Groupon - run by Frui.co.uk it was a beginners guide to DSLR and it was really useful. Our tutor Alex Macro (www.alexmacro.co.uk) is a passionate professional photographer and he was really great at teaching us. We sat and discussed the ISO/Aperture/Shutter speed capabilities and then he took us outside to SHOW us - which I found much more helpful.

So here is Alex demonstrating how important shutter speed is when taking pictures of fast moving things!

330/365

330/365 by sally_re
330/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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Saturday usually means park day for us! This is Rob and I in Manor Park

329/365

329/365 by sally_re
329/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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And another one as a bit of a filler...

328/365

328/365 by sally_re
328/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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A photo from my recent trip up to London - love these

327/365

327/365 by sally_re
327/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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I've decided to branch out with my singing classes and set up on my own at a restaurant in Catford. They have a fab room under the restaurant where they run a playgroup and as of the 5th December will have me in my new incarnation - I asked for suggestions for names on Facebook and this was the most popular!

326/365

326/365 by sally_re
326/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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I went up to London tonight for an acting workshop which was brilliant. I have a strange tradition - if I'm up in town I HAVE to stop by this statue - my favourite - and touch Oscar's hand. He's one of the reasons my son is called Oscar...love him...

325/365

325/365 by sally_re
325/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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This little rose is blooming in our garden. In November....it's rather beautiful but rather wierd to see it in full bloom at this time of year!

324/365

324/365 by sally_re
324/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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For some unknown reason Toby dragged the pop up post office toy down from the playroom and proceeded to entertain us with a puppet show - using our baby einstein puppets that we haven't played with for ages. It mainly consisted of the tiger roaring at the monkey and them both fighting eachother.....

323/365

323/365 by sally_re
323/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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Rob has been in America all week for work and came home this morning. The boys were overjoyed to see him and mobbed him on the sofa!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

322/365

322/365 by sally_re
322/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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The infant school has been selling balloons for CIN and this was the launch. Each child's balloon has their name on it and the address of the school - we let them all off and the one that gets the furthest (if anyone actually sends the tag back) will win a giant teddy.

Lovely to have had blue skies for this launch even though it's mid-November!

321/365

321/365 by sally_re
321/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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We snuck off to Bluewater today after dropping off the kids (apart from Claud) to look for spotty boys clothes for Children In Need. James and Toby can wear their own clothes but it's a spotty theme for CIN and have you any idea how hard it is to find boys' clothes with spots on?

We didn't succeed. But we had a nice coffee/smoothie and I played with Hipstamatic, my new camera app to make these pics so purple!

320/365

320/365 by sally_re
320/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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It's the festive season and glitter is everywhere...I saw these shoes in M&S and I covet them.

Unfortunately I cannot walk in any kind of heel (even 1 inch ones) so they can never be mine........

319/365

319/365 by sally_re
319/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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On Tuesday I picked up James from school and then Anne came over with Claudia and Hope and Alice and we had a Mcdonalds Feast. (Well the kids did).

Due to a burst water main, the traffic was insane and poor Anne had to park a few streets away and walk up to mine with 3 girls and 2 sacks of McD's....and it was quite late by the time she got there so we didn't have a huge amount of time to talk!

Oscar was, as usual, was all over Alice and ecstatic that she was there (for about 10 minutes then he started playing his DS)

Alice had a chip and a party ring so she was also ecstatic!

318/365

318/365 by sally_re
318/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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After Weightwatchers on Monday we escaped to Sapporo! Since I hadn't eaten all day, Clare and I got there first and managed to polish off quite a lot before the others joined us!

As is becoming tradition, we had to take a cheesy self portrait! LOVE her....

317/365

317/365 by sally_re
317/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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I'm filling again....this is another Toby creation - axe wielding Sir Clown.....eek!

316/365

316/365 by sally_re
316/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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I've been meaning to go to Brockley Market since it opened a few weeks ago - then I was the lucky winner of their 1.000th follower on Twitter and won a round of drinks from Dark Fluid Coffee so had to go! Took my friend Liz and her family and we had a lovely wander around. It's not cheap - probably the most expensive of the local farmers' markets, but the quality and variety is amazing.

As are the doughnuts! Absolutely the best bit!

315/365

315/365 by sally_re
315/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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I got Toby some lego figures for the plane journey. He has a surreal imagination at the best of times and has been making bizarre combinations ever since. This is Mr Pie Head. And his gun....

Sunday, November 13, 2011

314/365

314/365 by sally_re
314/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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Looking back at all the pictures from our holiday, these two are my favourites. Unfortunately Kirsti took em! But I'm still stealing them and posting them here....Love my boys....

313/365

313/365 by sally_re
313/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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And now I have an iphone I can play with Incredibooth pics! LOVE it!

312/365

312/365 by sally_re
312/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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A pressie from my Mum! She saw someone on Big Brother wearing one...I love it!

311/365

311/365 by sally_re
311/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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I bought this back in September, when Oscar's tooth was first wobbly. As you know, it fell out when we were in Detroit and I safely kept it and brought it back to put in this beautiful little silver box. It looks so small out of his mouth! Shhhhh....don't tell!

310/365

310/365 by sally_re
310/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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One thing I was looking forward to though....getting home to my new iPhone! My first iPhone and yes, it's the 4S and I love it. I immediately (although jetlagged) went out and changed my sim to activate it and bought a blingtastic purple cover. My lovely mother had charged it for me so it was good to go! Hoorah! Amazing camera too....

309/365

309/365 by sally_re
309/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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It was an amazing holiday - the best Halloween ever for the boys and my sis worked her butt off to spoil us all rotten. It was very hard to say goodbye.....

308/365

308/365 by sally_re
308/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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Terry loves to roll in the leaves and so do the boys. They love her so much!

307/365

307/365 by sally_re
307/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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One of the boys favourite things to do has been go to the local parks here in Detroit. They love it. Zip slides, mad climbing frames.....I don't mind as my lovely sister also goes to the drive thru starbucks on the way. Today was also the day I first drove in America! I've been too scared to do so before but was jonesing for a little ME time - so I drove to Oakland Mall and had a minishopping spree!

306/365

306/365 by sally_re
306/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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And also the day after Halloween, it's Christmas in America as the red cups come out so I had my first Eggnog latte of the season. Whilst in America I also discovered Pumpkin Spice Lattes which they don't do over here and I bloody wish they did!

305/365

305/365 by sally_re
305/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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So the day after Halloween (probably helped by all the candy) Oscar's first ever wobbly tooth fell out. The American tooth fairy visited and he got $5 AND £2 cos it was his first! My baby is growing up!

304/365

304/365 by sally_re
304/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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And finally Halloween proper! We all dressed up and the boys trick or treated the neighbourhood and got a TON of candy. Brilliant brilliant fun. Next year it's going to suck in comparison. We weighed Oscar's haul from the last few days - 6lbs of candy.....

303/365

303/365 by sally_re
303/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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We went to Greenfield Village to trick or treat. It was amazing - dark dark dark but lit by pumpkins. There were various costumed people around and this man just seemed to look perfect stood next to me! Oz was most disappointed that the first two trick or treat stations gave him an apple and a toy'

302/365

302/365 by sally_re
302/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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Whenever I'm in the States, some of my girlfriends always come and see me...not so many this year but Kate drove ALL THE WAY from Cincinnati for one night of wonderfulness - Drag Queen Bingo! Tiff won the first round. We laughed, ate pizza and stayed up till 2am talking. So grateful for my friends.

301/365

301/365 by sally_re
301/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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And so, the Friday before Halloween was our first official trick or treat at Detroit Zoo. The boys loved it. The reptile house was full of plastic dismembered body parts and you got a lot of sweets. What more could you want? I as you can see, dressed as Queen Elizabeth, Toby is a Clone Trooper and Oz a Jawa

300/365

300/365 by sally_re
300/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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Zehnder's Splash Village is the most amazing hotel. Not only is it next to the biggest Christmas store in the world but it also has a water park off it's reception. We spent 6 hours in it. There's a giant water bucket that empties on your head every five minutes. Kirsti and the boys loved it!

299/365

299/365 by sally_re
299/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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We went to Frankenmuth overnight. It's a mad place outside Detroit which is called "Little Bavaria". Lots of large Americans wearing Leiderhosen. But I love it. We stayed in a water park hotel (more tomorrow) and ate at Zehnders which does the best fried chicken dinners ever. And Oz and I found one of these. LOVE this pic!

298/365

298/365 by sally_re
298/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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The autumn colours are amazing in Detroit - real reds and purples. Love how Toby's hair matches the leaves....

297/365

297/365 by sally_re
297/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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Rob usually does the carving in our house (if we get round to doing it at all). This was my first ever pumpkin carve and I'm quite proud of it!

296/365

296/365 by sally_re
296/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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And so...our first real day in America and we did a very American tradition - went to a cider mill with a pumpkin patch. Had cider, donuts, corn dogs (I had two) and played on haystacks and in corn mazes. We picked four pumpkins!

295/365

295/365 by sally_re
295/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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Thanks to the DS and medication, the flight wasn't quite as bad as I imagined though it was pretty rough. I was exhausted by the time we touched down so on the way home from the airport, my lovely sister stopped at my favourite place....IHOP! Chicken fried steak, eggs, hash browns, pancakes and a LOT of coffee (I still look dead rough in the pic though!)

294/365

294/365 by sally_re
294/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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We go to Detroit tomorrow! I'm flying on my own with the boys....argh! Pass the valium!

293/365

293/365 by sally_re
293/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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Considering he's scared of most animals...dogs, cats etc...Oz does quite like squirrels. And considering he has ADHD, he's bloody good at staying very still so they literally eat out of his hand!

292/365

292/365 by sally_re
292/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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A rare calm moment....Toby and the tree....

291/365

291/365 by sally_re
291/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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Not a lot to say about this - love how massive my handbag looks!

290/365

290/365 by sally_re
290/365, a photo by sally_re on Flickr.

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It has been remarkably sunny! This is Oscar in his favourite tree at Manor Park...his favourite cos it's so easy to climb!