at long last, here are all the photos i took and 'instagramed' in february.
i realised early on that it really was a challenge! first, you'll notice there are
only twenty eight photos, not twenty nine. that's because i completely
missed day twenty four. not such a bad thing though, our bathroom
cupboard has been a little disorganised ever since we moved in! second (and
i hate admitting this!) i was forced to cheat more than once! sometimes life
would completely get in the way of my photo a day plans and i'd have to play
catch up and take the photo the following day. this happened more than once!
third, it is extremely hard to be creative when you work all day long and then
head straight home in the dark. i didn't have the time to think of cute and
quirky ideas. on some days i just wanted to get it out of the way so took a snap
of the object nearest to me! hence why my photo collection is a bit random,
just look at the bunnings hoses and bins! fourth, i'd often remember to check the
photo topic too late. for example, on day eight i checked my list at 8:25pm
when i was working back yet again. sadly, that day's photo was meant to
be of the sun which had well and truly set for the day. the next best thing
were the rows of fluorescent lights above me. how bad is that! if i only i had
remembered, i could have ducked out side and taken something far more
beautiful earlier in the day. so i'm a bit disappointed in my collection.
despite all of this though, they do tell a story. february was a busy month
with lots of long hours at work. when i wasn't flat out at there, i was
flat out with life! not much has changed, which is why i haven't attempted
to take part in the march or april challenges! if i do it again, i will be
much more organised and creative. i'll also apply the same filter every time
so they look much nicer when i come to put them together on here!
1. your view today... i was working huge hours at the time that i started the photo challenge. i can't even remember what on now but i had been at work for twelve hours, the third time that week i think. my view at the time (and almost every day of my life) was of my keyboard. not the most inspiring image to begin with!
2. words... the words 'everything happens for a reason' have influenced my life in more ways than one. i believe that most things, not everything, happens for a reason. i was inspired by these words at the time of creating my blog so used the quote as my blog name! i've always loved writing and most days (less often of late) i come here and write down all kids of words.
3. hands... this was taken one friday at after work drinks. because i was the one taking the photo i could only manage to get one hand in! i had coral nail polish and my vintage ring on at the time.
4. stranger... the next day we went out for breakfast and i decided to take my photo of a stranger there. although this guy, who was sitting at a table outside, was a stranger, he looked strangely familiar... he was a total robert pattinson (edward from twilight!) look-a-like. i felt very creepy taking this sneaky shot.
5. 10am... blue sky bliss. i think it had been rainy and grey the few days before but i can't remember now. this photo reminds me of beth's blog which is named blue skies and blue eyes.
6. dinner... happened to be a pear and walnut salad topped with parmesan and balsamic. delish! also very photo worthy as rarely make dinner at home. seeing me in the kitchen preparing a meal (baking excluded) is a rare occurrence, just ask beth!
7. button... this is where things started to go downhill creativity wise! i blame being in an office environment all day and night! had absolutely no buttons in sight except for the one in the lift on my way out so had no choice. plus b is for button which i liked.
8. sun... here is the photo from my tragic story earlier. i simply did not go outside all day this day and then when i realised that my photo was meant to be of the beautiful sun, it was pitch black outside. such a waste, this could have been a lovely photo but it's the best i could come up with! maybe it is a creative take on the sun after all!
9. front door... oh! this photo just reminded me why i was working long hours, i was going to fiji and had a million and one things to do before i left. this is me about to enter through the front door of our plane. i love this photo because i look happy, relaxed and excited for the trip, which i was!
10. self portrait... taken on the balcony of my room before heading to lunch with everyone. i love the lush greenery behind me, it rained the whole time we were there so it looked and felt very tropical. believe it or not, i only took one photo and this was it.
11. makes you happy... weddings make me happy, especially those of people i love. this is my beautiful friend linda and her husband rob leaving the chapel after there marriage ceremony. rob is holding their marriage certificate upside down which made me smile.
12. inside your closet... back in brisbane and here is a peak at what's inside my closet. when you open my wardrobe up i have a chest of draws inside and on top of it i keep my jewellery and perfumes. i love my gorgeous cat ring holder that matt's mum gave me. this photo makes me a bit sad as i think i've lost at least half of the earrings on display here!
13. blue... by chance i happened to wear a blue flower print dress on this day as the sun was shining that morning and i felt like wearing something to match. i took this photo just before hopping in my car and heading to work.
14. heart... i haven't spoken about it at all on here but six months ago my heart was breaking more and more each day and as a result my six year relationship ended. the time between then and now has been an extremely difficult one and it's something i've kept from sharing for so many different reasons. i really wanted to keep my blog as a happy place and source of inspiration. on valentines day i wore a cream lace top and my tiffany and co heart necklace to work which made me feel a little romantic-esque.
15. phone... i often marvel at the wonderful world of the iphone. as much as it takes over my life and despite it being permanently in my hands (just ask my family) i think it's an amazing little device as it keeps me connected with friends all over the globe. with instagram i could see the world through beth's eyes as she travelled through hong kong and then europe. this was one of her photos that i took a photo of for day fifteen. it was her valentines day and there were men all over the city carrying flowers for their wives and girlfriends as they made their journey home from work.
16. something new... another waste of a photo! of all the new things i could have found, bought and photographed. it would have been the perfect excuse to go shopping. instead the only new thing i came across this day was the entire contents of a bunnings store when i was there to buy lightbulbs. i'm sure shopping at bunnings will be just as exciting as new clothes when i own my own home.
17. time... this was taken at home time on this day as i approached my car. i had managed to leave work a little earlier and i was rather excited that it wasn't completely dark yet and that i wasn't one of the only ones left in the car park.
18. drink... this corona was well deserved in my opinion! i had helped friends clean their old place, move out and then move into their new place. after a weekend full of hard work and heavy lifting, a cold beer had never looked or tasted so good. (never thought i would say that!)
19. something you hate to do... on this afternoon we went to the cricket (which isn't the thing i hate to do! it was my first time) but it did end in a misunderstanding and tears. i hate (awful word) that a nice day was ruined because i was rash in my reaction to something very small and harmless. i can be good at being too emotional, especially when too many beers are involved. this is something i don't like to do. i'm sure lots of other people took a photo of their washing or something but sadly this was my mine.
20. handwriting... i love handwritten cards and notes and this is a thank you card that beth left beside my bed when she left for her big trip. she is such a thoughtful person, friend and housemate.
21. a favourite photo of you... i adore this photo. it has lived on the fridge in my last two houses. kahli and i spent our lives in this pool when we were in our early teens and these afternoons were without a doubt the best of my life. we look young and happy, the water looks beautiful, we both braces and we are in an identical position with our arms out in front and our feet poking out of the water behind us. it's such a nice reminder of how close we are (people thought we were twins!) and of a time in our lives when we had so much less to worry about. a favourite by far.
22. where you work... on this day i actually wasn't at work, i was at a corporate golf day which raised money for charity. this was one of the few times i actually played, it wasn't long before i retired to the buggy and just drove around watching! i love working for virgin australia, even more so on days like this!
23. your shoes... for the past few months i've been attempting to wear heels as much as possible. you feel taller, more confident, more professional and all of your outfits look ten times better with a pair of heels on. these creamy beige ones are super comfortable and i just so happened to be wearing them on day twenty three.
24. green... oh green, how i love you. green is my favourite colour (think deep forest or emerald green), even though i don't actually own anything in green. this weekend i was in sydney and the ocean at manly looked green, not blue. it was a stunning day and it felt good to be doing something different.
25. night... it's no secret that i'm a night owl, not an early bird. this night i was staying up late again (blogging!) and the time was 11:11pm which you can see in the top right of my laptop. our family sees this time all the time (i know we're not the only ones either) and i can't help but think 11:11! when i see it thanks to mum and others announcing it loudly and excitedly for as long as i can remember.
26. something you ate... this is a childhood favourite of mine that has become a regular dinner option in my adulthood when i'm home alone. i feel nostalgic when i 'make' it and can't wait to introduce my children to it, and not just because it's easy i promise! we called it a pirates eye in our household but i know others call it a toad in a hole. my favourite part is the little round circle of bread, so yum! to make, butter both sides of a slice of bread, use a glass (or cookie cutter, a heart shaped one would be super cute!) to cut a hole in the centre. then place the bread in a pan over the stove and crack an egg into the hole. add the little circle of bread to the pan too. then, after a minute or two, flip and leave to cook for as long as you wish. longer for well cooked and less for runny. bon appétit friends!
27. money... i wish i had more of it. this is me holding some fijian coins. after my trip i still had them in my wallet and because they look so similiar to australian coins i handed them over to pay for a coffee more than once! now they live in my draw at work where i they can't confuse me!
28. something you're listening to... the radio. i go through phases of loving the radio, then i like to only listen to mixed cds i have made and then sometimes i just want complete silence. february was a radio month. my brother likes to make fun of me for listening to nova too much and not stations like triple j. i'm far too mainstream for his liking. if there is ever a good song or segment of talking on when i arrive at my destination i'll always stay in the car listening until it finishes.
so that's it! if you took the time to not only look at the photos but read each little blurb, well done! i didn't realise each one would require such an explanation but without it you might be left wondering 'i wonder why she took that for that topic' and no one likes not being let in on the story. well i don't anyway! if i do it again, maybe i'll leave an air of mystery and the meanings to your own imagination...
happy snapping to everyone doing the april photo a day challenge. while i am loving watching from afar, i am relieved to have one less thing on my to do list!
