January PAD

January PAD, originally uploaded by sally_re.

I did it! My new year's resolution is in full swing - I managed a pic a day for the first month. Here's to the next 11......

31/365 INDECISION!!

31/365 INDECISION!! , originally uploaded by sally_re.

My eldest had his "entrance exam" for Eltham today. I am totally and utterly torn as to what I want to happen. If he fails in one way it will be a relief as we won't have to make the decision whether or not to accept the place. But how VERY dare they reject my wonderful boy........we should know in a couple of weeks. He did his best. And I'm happy with that either way.....

30/365

30/365, originally uploaded by sally_re.

Naked. That's what this pic should be called. Not only am I literally nekkid (just before I got in the bath) but I haven't got any makeup on or product in my hair (not that I have on a daily basis anyway). I haven't used a filter, airbrushed anything, touched it up in any way. It's totally me - and I NEVER like having my photo taken. I realised, looking back at this month, that I hardly feature - so I'm going to try and include at least one self portrait every month from now on. I might not be naked next time though.....

29/365

29/365, originally uploaded by sally_re.

28/365

28/365, originally uploaded by sally_re.

Ok I'm boring myself with this one but I have ZERO inspiration today and I've got a headache. But I'm recording the most exciting event of today which is a set of new shelves in my kitchen. I have SO much crap in my kitchen - this will be a godsend (once the rest of the kitchen has been redecorated and I can fill it with crap.) This shall serve as a "Before" pic - will post again when it's full....

Again - apologies for the boredom....

27/365

27th Jan, originally uploaded by sally_re.

I'm a day late in uploading it (cos my silly computer didn't upload it when I thought it had) so belated Happy Birthday to beautiful Clare...my reason for PAD - couldn't let this day pass without YOU being my photo of the day!

26/365

26/365, originally uploaded by sally_re.

25/365

25/365, originally uploaded by sally_re.

Whilst putting Oz to bed, Rob noticed Toby wasn't in HIS bed. Couldn't find him anywhere. Usually he sneaks in the playroom but we'd put something in front of the door to stop him. He hadn't come downstairs. Looked in the wardrobe - eveywhere in the room - nothing. Finally realised he was snuggled under the duvet up in our room - fast asleep despite me having put the lights on and started a bath running! The big black duvet was obscuring him...little tinker!

24/365

24/365, originally uploaded by sally_re.

One of the reasons 2010 sucked was that I gained a lot of weight after an ankle operation went a bit wrong....and it tipped me over the edge into Type 2 Diabetes. I'm not medicating, I'm only just borderline - but I have to lose weight. So I started Weightwatchers before Christmas and today I hit my first target - I have lost 15.5lbs and that's my 5% goal. Still a very long way to go but I feel good!

23/365

23/365, originally uploaded by sally_re.

I made spinach soup for dinner....Toby loves it...he eats it with gusto as you can see.....

22/365

22/365, originally uploaded by sally_re.

I've had my gold sequinned handbag for a while now and everyone comments on it. I love it but it's getting a bit tatty. So I've been religiously saving my nectar points and now I got a new one - in silver - wonder if anyone will notice...(how classy am I buying my handbags in Sainsburys....)

21/365

21/365, originally uploaded by sally_re.

20/365

20/365, originally uploaded by sally_re.

I feel like I've lost mine today.....

I feel I also ought to talk on this blog!

And not just post Photo of the Day on it...I'm quite impressed with myself that I've managed to keep up with this for 19 days. It's becoming quite addictive. Thanks to my lovely sis and sis in law who bought me a camera for Christmas, I've decided officially that I have a photography hobby now. I'm learning from the wonderful Clare who is quite the amateur photographer herself...

And I'm starting to look at things, frame them, play with them. I am learning about filters, cross processing, filters, lomo, bokeh...all that new stuff. I'm also now jonesing for a real camera with a big fat lense I can twiddle with. Danger....danger....

But in the meantime my little steadyshot Sony Cyber-Shot is amazingly clever. And takes fab pics. It's been quite hard to limit myself to one! But I'm going to share this one as well as the PAD - I think it's the best picture I've ever taken. I had a cup of green tea at Yo! last night and was messing around trying to get the light above the conveyor reflected in the tea. And I noticed it was heart shaped. It was very hard to get it right but I managed to catch it. And I've just put a green tinge overlay on this - the photo is exactly how I took it - didn't mess with the heart at all. I'm inordinately proud of it.

Ok I'm a photo bore. In other news.....had an ingrowing toenail removed on Monday (aren't you wanting me to talk photos again now). My ankle is still buggered. And now the arthritis is kicking in again - so technically if the op had gone swimmingly and I had not got a virulent non healing infected wound, I would have had 6 months of pain free ankle. Instead I've had muscle and infection pain for 6 months on a daily constant and now the bone drilling arthritis is back.

I'm feeling quite happy though. Have started a new book club with a gang of Catford Mums. Am enjoying my friends and cherishing them. I'm 11lbs lighter than I was 2 months ago. Oscar is being amazing at school - writing up a storm. He has his exam for Eltham at the end of the month and I'll be angsting until then about whether or not to send him. Ideally they'll reject him and I won't have to make that decision. But then again how dare they reject my amazing son? I'm so Natalied about it (torn....natalie imbruglia...geddit?).

Toby is occasionally nightmarish but usually much more reasonable. I did youtube a tantrum of his - I won't share it again as it's bloody loud but if you search Youtube you can find it.

I'll be 40 in a few months. And I'm not actually that worried about it.....

19/365

19/365, originally uploaded by sally_re.

Ah he's so sweet....and quiet....but only when unconscious....

18/365

18/365, originally uploaded by sally_re.

Clare and I escaped to Yo! in Bluewater....felt very naughty and like a big treat. They've got 40% off in January so we had to take advantage....and take lots of pics of sushi too - I'm sure you'll see them here soon....

17/365

17/365, originally uploaded by sally_re.

It was hard to decide what to photograph today. I had my ingrown toenail removed but that was not nice photographic material...so I decided to take a picture of my most bonkers piece of kitsch - given to Rob and I by a very old friend about 18 years ago - she was already thus named (I can't take credit) and despite moving about 8 times, she's never even sustained a chip. I love her to pieces. I have a vague hope that one day I will take her to the Antiques Roadshow and she'll be worth thousands. A nice fantasy (but totally unrealistic). If anyone out there has a clue to her origins then let me know. I think she was probably from Woolworths circa 1972

16/365

16/365, originally uploaded by sally_re.

Oscar on the climbing frame pulling his monkey face....LOVE his eyes though....

15/365

15/365, originally uploaded by sally_re.

At Emily's fouth birthday party the Mums retreated to the dining room, resisted the temptation of the table and just had a gossip and a cuppa together, while chaos reigned elsewhere in the house!

14/365

14/365, originally uploaded by sally_re.

I was up in London today for an audition - first time up in town for AGES and I love the bustle (much nicer when you don't have to do it every day!) Can't go up to town without going to Wasabi and getting onigiri which I love. Wore my lucky boots from my sister and felt like I did a good job so I won't mind if I don't get it (but would like it if I did!)

13/365

13/365, originally uploaded by sally_re.

Got a script to learn - an audition tomorrow - hoorah - first of 2011 (and my New Year's Wish was to get an acting job). Cross your fingers for me....

12/365

12/365, originally uploaded by sally_re.

I love this little chinese figure - it's a bobblehead...bought it a long time ago in Crystal Palace and it began my kitsch collection. My eldest son broke it when he was 18 months old and it's taken me until today (he's six now) to actually fix it. It's obviously defective but I still love him.

11/365

11/365, originally uploaded by sally_re.

10/365

If you have read this blog at all in the last few months you will know how much of a pain in the ARSE foot my left ankle has been - the last six months of 2010 were spent in slow (and ongoing) recovery after an operation on my left ankle. I'm still in pain and working on physio and it took a long time to heal and got infected and blah blah blah.

NOW today I find out my big toe on the OTHER foot is also infected - chronic ingrowing toenail - and so I have to have a (much smaller, local anaesthetic) operation on it. Enough already feet!

9/365

Messed around with filters on Picnik - loved the fuzzy hair but focused trouser effect!

8/365

Picture says it all really!

7/365

I probably won't feature in many of these pics since I'll be taking them. But this one today made me happy so I'm using it. It's Toby's fourth birthday tomorrow but he had his Build A Bear party today. As usual he had a mini meltdown and so we sat on the floor for a cuddle in the middle. His blue bear has been christened Flubby (Toby said Fluffy but the party leader misheard so it's Flubby on the bear's birth certificate). He now has a Darth Vader outfit on which I will no doubt document at a future date.

6/365

Thanks to two director chairs (courtesy of Mum), one widescreen TV (courtesy of Freecyle) and Rob's XBox...I can upload pics in peace while Oz plays and Toby watches.....

5/365

Oscar was back at school today and he was very happy, though tearful when I picked him up (instead of like most of the kids tearful at going to school - he didn't want to come home!). His favourite colour is still pink....and he chose the frame for this today....LOVE him....

4/365

Spent all afternoon moving the toys upstairs to the new playroom....and it's not just for little boys to play in it seems!

(Posting a day late as I was too exhausted to do it yesterday - oops - first resolution problem)

3/365

Just loved the look on his face....

2/365

On the left is K and Terry after I dropped them off at Heathrow this morning....on the right is a self portrait I took while driving away (I was going very slowly). A good summation of how sad we all were to say goodbye and a lovely touch that my sister and I have the same sadface....

My new year resolution....

I don't normally bother but have been quite inspired by a few of my friends last year who participated in PAD (photo a day) or project 365 - and managed to do it every day of 2010 - especially the lovely Clare

So I'm going to try and do it - post one picture a day. Since my lovely sister got me a cybershot camera for Christmas I have no excuse.....

So here is picture No 1....for the 1.1.11 My dad and my eldest son playing with my playmobil - my mother NEVER throws anything away and I'm very grateful for it! My sister and I used to spend hours playing playmobil - setting up elaborate tableaux in intricate detail. Toby and Oz just roleplay with it - usually aliens and dragons are involved......I've had the most fun today rebuilding it all and have chosen this pic to sum up my day....