Goals for October.

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September feels like it passed in a blur, it's the first time in ages that I've managed to get so many posts 'out there' though and I'm really pleased with that side of things.

Starting a new job has completely messed with my routine in the last couple of weeks though so the start of a new month, feels like as good a time as any to take stock and plan ahead.
After all, when you're staying home because you're as skint as a mint, all you can really do is make lists and plan... and do housework, too much housework.

• Be a better friend – Take more time catch up and 'be there'
• Manage time better – Spend less time vegetating on the sofa and more time doing things
• Make more me-time – It's not to push Moon away, but I think it's important we pursue our own interests from time to time
• Play with Doll more – We've noticed that Doll actually loves it if we take a few minutes out to properly play with her, with real toys as opposed to just winding her up. When we do this, she'll then sit with us and I mean with us, not near us and generally is much nicer. I know it's a silly cat-owner thing to notice, particularly after almost three years but I want a happy cat and it's such a small thing for her to ask for among the other things she needs
• Embrace the new routine – I don't like change but I didn't like where I was before everything changed so this change can only be good. It will only work if I try to slot it in around things I really want to be doing, did I say change enough?

I'm hoping to not stress myself out quite as much this month and take it all in my stride. Having realised that since my birthday I've been caught in some really unnecessary drama that doesn't concern me, what I've really been needing to do is concentrate on myself and I think sometimes that's how it needs to be.

Hope you have a relaxing, chilled out Sunday.

Resolutions.

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I feel like my New Year's Resolutions for 2014 are incredibly obvious and easy ones but to give me a reason to keep it up, I figured sharing it with you was as good a way to motivate myself as any...

Although I do often feel as though starting a new year with a list of things to do does feel a little cliché, it still feels like the right way to start - beginning it all with a fresh head and some new goals.

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1. Read More.

This is something I've been doing really well with in recent months, having read three books since August, it's definitely something I don't see why I can't keep up and I would so like to be able to do a few reviews a la Becky Bedbug. I have so many beautiful books that are just taking up space on my bookshelves longing to be read and I have a feeling it's going to feel so good once I get around to it.

2. Save more, spend less.

One that's been on my list for a few years now and I feel that turning 25 in 2014 means it's really about time that I nip it in the bud. I found a great source of saving tips on Pinterest, the 52 Week method is my favourite and seems like a good place to start. 

3. Eat more healthily & exercise a bit...

Feeling like a 'bit of a girl' about this one and it's one I'd love to be able to do privately and come out surprising everyone with how great and self-motivated I am, but it doesn't work like that so this is the year I'd like to have more patience for it. I don't even really want to do it for any particular reason, it would just be swell to have a lot more energy and I'm hoping this would do it.

4. Take back my lunchbreaks.

This is a bit of a tough one. Sitting behind a desk all day is all very well and good and I actually do quite enjoy my job but, and it goes very much hand in hand with 'Resolution #4', I just need more fresh air. It's just another thing that I think might combat day-to-day lethargy.

5. Be better at staying in touch.

I think this year has been a great one for making new friends and seeing old ones, but I still feel like I can do better. If we stay there, we'll have been living in our little flat for two years in April and I feel like I should have had more of my family round or at least been better at extending an invitation. I also want to keep up more with birthday cards, maybe not always presents but definitely always cards - it feels quite grown up but I quite like that.

6. Sort out the 'frame situation'.

Moon and I have so much framed stuff on our walls, and I like that, but we also have quite a few things that are yet to go up. All we'd need to do is rearrange a few things but the main thing stopping us is lack of nice frames for our lovely artwork that's yet to go up. Why's that a problem? Well, because all we need to do is get measuring and go buying, it's quick and simple but we're still putting it off - at least if it gets to this time next year and nothing's been done then I can recognise that we might have a problem.

7. Print more photographs.

I'm not too bad at sharing photographs but I'm terrible at printing them. I know it's something my Gran would like me to do and I've actually got a (huge) folder sitting on my laptop waiting to be printed. This is the year I do it, then I'll have photos to go into albums and up on the wall (if we ever sort out that darn 'frame situation).

So there you have it, what are your New Year's Resolutions? I'm just hoping I've picked things that are nice and realistic, funnily enough, Buzzfeed seems to think so.

Bye bye, January.

January sure has been sleepy, but that's not to say it's been without nice things.
I started off the year with fireworks in Florida, visiting ice sculptures and Disney World while Moon started it with a new job, it's quite exciting but it would have been better if we weren't so skint.
I've spent most of this month getting back into the swing of things and watching a lot of documentaries.


So it's kind of little weird that we're already 1/12 down isn't it? February does mean that spring is kind of the way though and it's a good excuse to get out of the January slump.

The Good

• The joy of routine – I do relish in everyday things, although I like to make a big deal and to do new things, I do like to know what I'm doing and when too; dull things like cleaning the flat and doing laundry.
• A more affectionate little cat – Doll maturing is just about the best thing.
• Cooking, a lot – From baking to creating tasty mains, this has been a good month for putting food in my face. I've discovered so many great new recipes that will definitely be making it into our weekly meal plan, my absolute favourite is Oven Brinner, delicious but perhaps not something to have all the time.
• Making plans – Thinking about what we're going to do that doesn't involve sitting around the house is great. We're already pretty much booked up until the third weekend of March!

The Less Good

• Being such a terrible blogger – I know it's not important but 6 posts in a month is pretty lacklustre for me so I'm not that happy about it. I guess it's a combination of adjusting, not doing anything interesting and not really having anything I wanted to talk about. It's definitely something I'm going to change in February.
• Driving – It's just something I'm absolutely terrible at, so let's move on...
• Snow/Rain/Wind - Snow's pretty but it's also pretty dull, I'm so looking forward to more consistent sun.

What's next?

• Read more, much more! – I'm not doing too badly at reading a bit more so far, but I still haven't finished a whole book yet, which is a little frustrating. It is basically because I haven't really tried but I'm halfway through the book I'm reading at the moment so I hope to read at least one more this month.
• Stay awake – I'm quite tired of being so tired so I want to try and force myself to have a little more 'get up and go', as I discovered a few days ago, actually doing things is less tiring than sitting doing nothing so I may as well give it try.
• See Wreck-It Ralph – Other people's opinions about this movie are irrelevant, I'm desperate to see it for so many reasons and I'm so excited that it's finally out in cinemas over here next weekend. It's a bit of a silly goal but I don't think it's too silly to get excited about movies, is it?
• Start editing my short film – Sounds a little pretentious like that, but I've got a ton of videos from Florida that I want to put together for my family and I've not even started to get down to it yet!
• Blog more – Easy peasy.
• It's St Valentine's Day! ♥ – I love Valentine's Day, and the cheesiness and the mushiness and the lovehearts. I love people watching too so sitting squished with couples isn't as bad to me as everyone keeps saying.

I don't know how I feel about round-up posts, but after such a slump I felt like I should write something.

This month I've been listening this a lot, put it mainly down to my obsession with American Horror Story.

Good Afternoon.

Having just finished my first year of Photography at the University of Portsmouth, but being in a period called, "self-directed study", I thought I would create this blog in order to keep myself creatively active.

In the past, my blogs have been heavily opinionated and often about people I know, I then get sick of talking about people, essentially behind their back and abandon it, particularly if a lot of people read it.
I like to think that I'm quite an engaging writer and when the things I'm writing put me off, I only have to have further consideration for my audience.

Due to just completing an Autobiographical unit in which the main focus was supposed to be on a visual diary style, I have been inspired to try and continue this way of working.
I looked at Flickr in some of my research for the project and came up with many examples of "online visual diaries" - where people have selected images that show their recent activities. This is therefore how I intend to use this blog, particularly as there is a lot planned so far for my Summer, it will be interesting to see what kind of images I collect and create.

So, while showing people what's going on, I won't be bitching or complaining. That's part of something I can't be bothered to do anymore.
Although occasional mockery will occur, that's beyond my control when it comes to my personality.

I am mainly going on my own criticisms of my previous blog on Xanga, which was a lot more wordy than I wanted it to be, with nowhere near enough photographs or pictures, but 100 times more complaints and posts about how rubbish it is to live with someone lazy who you hate. It bores me, why would anyone else be interested?

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, I'm aiming to update with something at least 3 or 4 times a week.
Thanks for reading.

Tools of the trade:
Digital: Adobe Photoshop CS4, Macbook 2.4Ghz, iLife, Photobooth,
Epson DX7450.
Nikon D60 with 18-55mm lens & 18-105mm lens.
Canon Digital Ixus 90IS
Manual: Pens, pencils etc.
Polaroid camera, Canon Eos 300X 35mm with 28-90mm lens.