My photo’s someones Quote: Day 122

“I Believe the most important single thing, beyond discipline & creativity is daring to dare.” 

Maya Angelou

July31

Ruby Tuesday: 18/19 Weeks

Hi everyone,

I cannot believe how time flies by. Ruby is growing up fast now and started taking things from the counter tops and tables. Now to get her to stop it.

For a few weeks she has been very naughty leaving us surprises in the house, we gave her a “hiding” with a rolled up newspaper. This seemed to work because she is coming to me again and asking me to go outside. Shame it I take to long she’ll stand up against me and moan then she’ll start running towards the garage door.

Sometimes she also asks me to go out but then she just runs around in circles. The next few days the weather is going to play along so we can go for walks in the mornings.

Here are some photo’s I took today on one of our visit’s outside…
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My photo’s someones Quote: Day 121

July30

 

Dear God, Today I woke up. I am healthy. I am alive. Thank You, I apologize for all my complaining. I’m truly grateful for all You’ve done.

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 120

“What is true happiness? It’s not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”

Helen Keller

July29

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 119

“You don’t stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.”

Michael Pritchard

 

July28

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My photo’s someones Quote: Day 118

July27

Travel theme: Sweet

This weeks travel theme is sweet. The first photo to pop into my head was the Carrot Cake at Aspidistra Nursery near Stellenbosch.

The cake is to die for and I keep trying to get an excuse just to go back and have another piece…..

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Please visit Where’s my backpack for more on this week Travel Theme: Sweet

 

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 117

“Today walk with your head up and your shoulders back in the confidence that only God can give you.

YOU ARE AMAZING!

July26

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My photo’s someones Quote: Day 116

July25

Armand’s 25 hour X-Box sleepover party

My oldest  son Armand turned 13 on the 18 April. He decided on a sleepover party. I agreed to it but I was not part of the design of the invitations.

About a week before the party my friend who’s boy was also invited told me that she takes her hat off for me I have allot of guts having 11 boys over from the Friday 16:00 till the Saturday 17:00. Say what???  I called Armand and asked him about the times and he said yes he decided he wants his friends with him the whole day….  Well how bad can it be they will play games eat and drink, eat and drink………. Oh yes and take over my studio….

I decided that I need to lay down some rules for the boys so when they were all present I told them that if they make a mess they will clean it up before they go home the next afternoon.  We only had one accident when a bottle of cool drink fell over and spilled on the one mattress. They asked for a mop and they cleaned up the mess. Then they continued to play games.

Needless to say the aim was to play X-Box for 98% of the time. The boys who had extra remotes brought it with and if you were looking for the majority of the boys  you’ll find them in front of the TV and X Box.

Armand’s brother Lian and two of their mutual friends spend most of their time in front of the computer playing games there.

For supper we made Stokbrood with Sausage in it. The boys really enjoyed this. Only after supper I gave them their goody bags filled with sweets for the two day’s.

At about 3 o’clock Saturday morning I told the boys that  they must settle down… It took them about 15 minutes to fall asleep games must be very hard work….

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Saturday morning at around 7 o’clock when I walked into the studio some of the boys were still sleeping and the others were at it again…

I made flapjacks for breakfast and could not fill up the bowl the boys ate and ate and ate and ate and ate….. At least I knew they had a good steady breakfast for their day of gaming… After all the tummies were filled up there were a few flapjacks left in the bowl.  Every time the boys came to throw in some cool drink they would take one. It did not take them long to polish the leftovers too. For lunch I made hotdogs and just before they left we cut the cake….

That evening around 8 o’clock a few mom’s send me messages firstly all the boys except mine was passed out by then and all of them enjoyed the 25 hour  sleepover party allot….

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Now I have to prepare myself for next year. Lian is turning 13 and he wants the same 25 hour party……

 

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 115

If someone is talking behind your back, that means that your life is obviously more interesting than theirs….

July24

Getting rid of clutter in my life and business…

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About Four years ago I bought the book Crystals, Colour and Chakra to help me to get to know the different types of Crystals and their healing powers. I started reading it but never came very far.  A few weeks back I was a bit bored when I were suppose to sit and relax so that my hernia could settle soI grabbed the book and started flipping through the pages. Then I got to a part were it explained clutter and a few pages further on about the different rooms in your house.

I started with my kitchen cupboards and after I have rearranged nearly all the cupboards and got rid of all the stuff we never use and all the goodies with expiry dates long past.I suddenly felt like spending more time in my kitchen. I love that everything is together and my kitchen tops are clutter free…. In the past I did not feel like cooking at all, now I could not wait to get cooking and baking again… The old me is back. I used to love cooking and baking and over the years the clutter consumed my eagerness…

While lying in my bed one evening I came to the conclusion that I need to do the same with every room in our house. I read the book the secret and in there they also talked about making space for the things you would like to have. Well I want much more business so the next room on my list was a office space… So the past weekend was spend on this task…

My dressing room also doubled as a office space and before it did not have any room for creativity. It was cluttered and my desk had heaps of bills, papers, magazines. The shelves was full of clothes some I never even wear and I have a cupboard that was also full of stuff that I never use and frankly I really don’t know why I kept it all.

When I decided to make and huge career change from a Tax Practitioner to Photographer I was still studying Law also. I would never go in that direction again so  I got rid of all my notes and textbooks and in the process freed up two shelves….

I went through my clothes and shoes and decided to donate it to the charity shop around the corner of our house. Now my clothes are all in the cupboard.

I had a dressing table in front of the window and it was  full of old books, boxes and stuff I can’t even remember we bought. I got rid of all the books and boxes and moved the dressing table to our room. It now doubles as a bedside table… I also had a cream curtain and it did not do anything for my new look so I brought in some color.  My mother gave me a lovely orange curtain and a Peace Lilly. I brought in a round table with a sand colour tablecloth and I put the Lilly on it the room transformed instantly.

I am still not finish with this room I still want to bring in some more yellow and Orange and also want to buy myself a small water feature.

I also incorporated my crystals throughout the space….

I am also still busy  getting rid of old files on my computer  and two external hard drives because this is also clutter that can prevent more work coming my way… I must say I enjoy going through my old files and deleting all the photo’s of  bad quality. I can also see the progress I made over the past four years and I must say I am very proud of myself.

Now this may seem to good to be true but now with my new office space I feel much more confident and also feel like writing more posts and start posting some of my work that I did when I just started with photography….

Hmmm I must admit all this getting rid of clutter is giving me more energy….

I chose the following colours for my Office space:

Orange:  Abundance, Fertility, Health, Joy, Attraction, Luck, Marks the boundary between the self and others; associated with the sun, Projective  energy

Yellow:  Communication, the Intellect, Learning, Concentration, also movement, Travel and change, associated with Mercury, The element of Air, the east, projective energy.

Green:  The heart and emotions, Love, also nature, gardens and growth, money and prosperity, employment, associated wit the Earth element.

I also would like to bring in blue and pink. Still thinking on how to incorporate this. Maybe I must use these colours in my studio together with green. But when I get there I’ll write another post on the studio and before and after photo’s this time…

 

Ruby Tuesday: 17/18 Weeks

Ruby is really growing up fast and she is also very busy. We need to walk with her more often but the weather is not always playing along.

This morning it was raining again so I took some photo’s of her in her bed that’s getting to small and of course on our bed.

It’s a struggle everyday to make our bed and I have to throw an extra comforter over to ensure our bedding stays clean. When I am trying to make the bed she starts bringing all her “toys” a coke bottle, a piece of wood, an old shoe and her ball. I then start throwing everything on the ground I have hardly started and she’s back on the bed.  This morning  I ignored her and she picked up her ball threw it on the ground jumped off the bed picked it up and jumped back on the bed then she barked at me.

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The day I first came to live at my new family my new mommy gave me this old crock of her’s. It’s my favorite chew toy…
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My Granny and Granddad bought me this ball with rope. Love playing with it…

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Mommy keeps telling me my bed is getting to small for me and all my toys. So I’ll throw them out and squeeze myself in the bed

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My photo’s someones Quote: Day 114

July23

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

 

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 113

Think big, dream big, believe big…. and the results will be big….

July22

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 112

“Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.”

Pope John Paul II

July21

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 111

“We must find time to stop and thank the people who have made a difference in our lives.”

Dan Zadra

July20

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 110

“Nothing will work unless you do.”

John Wooden

July19

My Photo someone’s Quote: Day 109

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“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”
Robert Collier

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 108

July17

“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”

Thomas Jefferson

 

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 107

“Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”

John Wooden

July16

Ruby Tuesday: 16/17 Weeks

Ruby_3685 Ruby_3692 Ruby_3693 Ruby_3696 Ruby_3698 Ruby_3694 Ruby_3699 Ruby_3705 Ruby_3706 Ruby_3707 Ruby_3708 Ruby_3709 Ruby_3710 Ruby_3711 Ruby_3714 Ruby_3715 Ruby_3718 Ruby_3722 Ruby_3731 Ruby_3732 Ruby_3734 Ruby_3736 Ruby_3737 Ruby_3739 Ruby_3740 Ruby_3741 Ruby_3742Ruby is really growing up fast now. She knows when she did wrong because she disappears when you call her. Normally we’ll find her under the bed.

She barks allot these days and sometimes the hair on her neck stands up. When she see herself in the mirror she would stand and bark at herself  till I pat her and then she’ll calm down.

It’s winter here in Cape Town and there is always wood and logs lying around the fire place. Ruby loves this chew toys. As soon as you take it away from her she’ll get up and go get another one. I permanently have wood on our bed.

Today I realized that Ruby loves the camera. She poses so nicely for her human Mommy… Love her to bits….

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 106

“You are successful the moment you start moving toward a worthwhile goal.”

July15

Surprise birthday party for Lian’s teacher Mrs Geldenhuys

What a lucky lady Mrs Geldenhuys are. The kids in her class decided to give her a surprise party. They cleared it with the headmaster of the school and send out emails to all the parents to inform us of the party. They asked me if I would come and take some photo’s at the party.  At first I could not make it for I had to meet another client the same time as the surprise party were held. As usual everything works out for the best and they had to move the party to later in the day.

We did have a plan B in place. Lian my youngest son who also want’s to become a photographer would then take the photo’s at the party. He was very sad when I told him that the party is being moved and I will be there to take the photo’s. He then asked me if he could use the back up camera and take a few photo’s. My answer of course was yes. I do believe to encourage my children to pursue their dreams and the more he practice the better he will get. Lian really had his job cut out for him the reason I say this is my Canon EOS 500D’s shutter button is not working 100% and needs to be fixed. At this stage I only use it to capture still objects because it does not always focus when you press it halfway. I mostly use it with my 50mm lens and in Manual mode.

Here are some of the photo’s taken at the Surprise party and I also included some of Lian’s photo’s.

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One of the boys in Lian’s class baked and decorated his teachers cake. WOW I hope he want’s to become a baker or a chef because the cake was divine.2 3 4

Lian asked me if we could give his teacher a gift voucher for a photo shoot so I said okay we could put it in as an little extra surprise. When Lian saw how happy his teacher was with her present and voucher he came to me and asked me if I saw how happy she was. Priceless…

I must say Lian and Armand my two boys are always telling everyone to phone me for a photo shoot because their mom is the best photographer in the world…5The following photo’s was taken by Lian. It was his “job” to capture the kids while I concentrate on Mrs Geldenhuys.

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My photo’s someones Quote: Day 105

“Grace isn’t a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It’s a way to live.”

Jacqueline Winspear

July14

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 104

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”

Hans Hoffman

July13

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 103

No matter where we are in life, God has more in store. He never wants us to quit growing.

July12

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 102

Don’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream the farther you get.

July11

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 101

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again. This time more intelligently.”

Henry Ford

July10

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 100

“God doesn’t require us to succeed; He only requires that you try.”

Mother Teresa

July9

Ruby Tuesday: 15/16 Weeks

Ruby_3197The past 10 days I was on bed rest and this morning I had a photo shoot. I was exhausted and only realized it’s Tuesday a bit late. So I took photo’s of Ruby in her corner of the kitchen. When I am busy in the kitchen this is her spot.  She went to the Vet yesterday and they are very happy with Ruby’s health.  With her next visit she is getting her chip.

Here is a few more photo’s of Ruby in her little corner…

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My photo’s someones Quote: Day 99

“Everything will line up perfectly when knowing and living the truth becomes more important than looking good.”

Alan Cohen

July8

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 98

“Life is not a spectator sport.”

Jackie Robinson

July7

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 97

But even when I am afraid, I keep on trusting You.

Psalm 56:3

July6

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 96

“Friendship, love, health, energy, enthusiasm and joy are the things that make life worth living and exploring.”

Denise Austin

July5

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 95

“Sometimes it is better to be kind than to be right. We do not always need an intelligent mind that speaks, just a patient heart that listens.”July4

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 94

“Do what you know is right & important, it is the highroad to pride, self-esteem & personal satisfaction.”

Margaret Thatcher

July3

Our Family 2010 World Cup Tour finally edited

I am very happy to share the following news with you!!!

I HAVE FINALLY FINISHED EDITING OUR 2010 SOCCER WORLD CUP TOUR PHOTO’S!!!

It took me a good three years to finish talking about taking once time… I took the photo’s on our tour with my Canon EOS 500D with my Canon EFs 18-200mm IS lens.

Now I want to share these long waited photo’s and stories with you so for the next few weeks I’ll write a blog here and there and post some photo’s from our journey. I would really  like to give you a little bit of background of the towns we passed through and also the places we visited on our tour. This will keep me busy quite a while we visited allot of places and had a very busy month. We left home on 9 June 2010 and returned home 10 July 2010.

The boys are still talking about this holiday so at least I know they did enjoyed it.

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At the back: My mother Dot and my father Ivan
In the front: My youngest Lian(with blue beanie) Myself Coreen and my oldest Armand

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The road leading to different places….
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The transport and 4×4 when needed…

In March 2012 I did write a post regarding our tour but that was were it ended. I got so busy with work and the holiday editing was pushed to the background…. Read more here 

Ruby Tuesday: 14/15 Weeks

 

This week I could not really move around and take stunning action photo’s of Ruby. I have a Inguinal hernia and was told by the doctor to keep still he is not going to operate. So today I took a seat on stump and took some photo’s of Ruby. 

Since last week she started barking at everybody entering our house or if she hears the other dogs bark outside she’ll sit on our bed and bark and bark and bark…. The others has stopped along time ago but she goes on and on. Then she also barks at our African Grey Spyker. Luckily for Ruby he is still tolerating her even if she stands up against his cage. 

Something new she’s doing now is bringing in bottles, yogurt holders anything she can play and chew. Where does it land up? On our bed…. If I throw it on the grounds she just jump down and pick it up one by one and put it back on the bed. She now needs to learn that the bed is for sleeping at night and not a playroom…

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My photo’s someones Quote: Day 93

July2

 

Be thankful for what you have. You have no idea how many people would love to have what you’ve got.

My photo’s someones Quote: Day 92

“You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit.”

Vince LombardiJuly1