Friday 5 August 2011

An Irresistably Sweet Bloggy Award from Alison, Funky Photo Time & some thoughts on Adolescence.





So just for a bit of weekend fun - Remember the "blog awards"???
Well they're doing the rounds again & I snagged one the other day courtesy of my English friend Alison in Spain.


I'm required to let you know 7 things about me
{So I'll try to make it 7 things you DON'T ALREADY KNOW!}

1.  I spent several years on a stud farm & as a result know quite a bit about horses, including how to ride them!

2.  I've always been a "worker" & had my first holiday job as a young teenager working at a TV Hire Shop {weird I know...}

3.  After qualifying as a Fashion Designer I travelled for a year with my now husband Shane & we got engaged overseas, in England.

4.  If I could live anywhere in the word I would choose The Netherlands.  It looks picturesque, clean, safe & scrappy!

5.  I subscribe to an English magazine called NOW & read it cover to cover every week when it arrives.  That's how I stay in the know on "who's who & what's what!" {fortunately it's not very thick!}

6.  I love the look of the sea but hate lying on the beach - it's so boring!

7.  I cook because I have to but have never really derived any great satisfaction out of it to be honest :)

And officially I am required to pass this award onto 7 bloggers but I'd hate to disappoint anyone, so am making up my own rule & allowing anyone to enjoy this award, as if you are here, you are awesome enough to have earned it!  Enjoy!!



On my daughter's last night with us before she returned to University, I realised I didn't have ONE photo of all the kids together, and I like to get one every time she visits, so I had to go for night shots in our badly lit dining room, and they were pretty awful, but nonetheless they're still my kids :)


Luckily I'm really enjoying funky edits at the moment, and they can salvage the worst of photos.


Any basic editing program can achieve these results in minutes. 
 I always start with cropping, then straightening if necessary (or the opposite of that - moving about to get a dynamic angle) then I hit the controls & adjust the light & tone, lastly I desaturate or oversaturate, depending on what looks better...


So there you have my colourful bunch of kids - and yes, my eldest boy Jack is now 2 inches taller than me & has even overtaken my gorgeously lanky eldest daughter, so I now have 2 kids significantly taller than me :( thanks to my husband's genes {he is 6ft 5inches} but lucky for me I LOVE tall people so it only makes me love them MORE!

Love your kids while you can.  Before you know it they have left home & you only get to see them on occasion, or they are so busy studying & playing sport that you hardly ever get to see them even if you live in the same home, or they become engrossed in teenage "emotional stuff" that can make you wonder at times if they are absorbing all the love you are giving out.  

I read something the other day that said that kids need love especially when they least deserve it. 
This is so true.  Not that my kids are naughty, they're not, but adolescence doesn't come with absolutely no rebellion.  
Teens wouldn't be normal if they didn't make us aware of "the generation gap".  

This week 2 teenage schoolboys here have died, one tragically hit by a car whilst on his skateboard {people here drive far too fast & carelessly & road accidents are plentiful all in the name of hurry scurry...} and the other or cancer.  
  
So just love your kids while they are around to love :)





10 comments:

Jess said...

beautiful children...love the funky editing! my heart goes out to the parent of the boys...how heartbreaking!!

Diana said...

great funky editing
sad about the two kids :-(
interesting to read those little things about you

Rachael Funnell said...

Just LOVE those Photos & how you have edited them!!!
My moto is Love & stand by your KIDS in good times & Bad No matter what, Cause if you don't Love & stand by them who will...
Have a Wonderful Weekend Helen!
xx

Julie Tucker-Wolek said...

Loved reading more about you...and love love love those photos! :):):):):):):):):):):)

Alanna said...

Love your pics of your kids! And what gorgeous children you have!! Love the shots :) Especially the 3rd one with the black and white with their clothes in colour. Awesome!

Heather Jacob said...

helen what a fabulous collection of pics here ... your children are divine ... my heart goes out to the parents of those boys as you know we lost our beautiful Mark to a motorbike accident ... so heartbreaking ... we miss Mark every single day ... hugz to you, special friend of mine .. hugz x

tania said...

Geeeeee!!!these are great edits! maybe you should think of putting a step by step to edit;) i am sooo stupid with that! lovely award;)

Stefanie said...

I just want to slow the growth rate down now, phase of life we're in...soon to be the shortest in the family.
Great photos and loved the butterfly LO. Great colour combination. Made me lus for ice-cream though.

sandi said...

Awesome editing Helen! Yes, you got to enjoy your kids, stand by them no matter what...in the end they will develope into beautiful young men and women that you can be proud of. Being a parent is not always easy, but it's so worth it!

Eila Sandberg said...

You so totally rock the editing too! love the funky pics of your darling four, they've all inherited the good looks of their parents you know. Ha ha thanks for the 7 things about yourself, The Netherlands you say hmmm and got engaged in England hmmm 6'5 is mighty manly I say! My ex-DH is 6'3 and I think that's rather tall. Handsome hunk your Shane is too! xoxoxo