Day Two

Sydney was lovely and warm today
and I was lucky to spend more than 2 minutes outdoors...it was amazing!
ah, the simple things are the best

 

PS my dad laid this concrete and those hand prints are my sisters and brother
mine and older sis is further up
I have no idea when it was done but I'm guessing 1991

mini baking project

I have decided to do some serious baking around here, for too long has my oven been neglected and forgotten. Too long have I put recipes into my favourites always promising myself I would get around to it eventually. And so, I made a 12 days of christmas baking project of all the recipes that I have been dying to try but have been far too busy to attempt. The only problem is that it won't be twelve days as that amount of baking will seriously do damage around here so I have to restrict it to every second or third day otherwise we are going to have a few santa's in this house. I have a few items I want to try out that include rustic apple tart, baklava, strawberry cream cheese bread, tiramisu and chocolate and salted butter caramel macarons. I still have a few spots that I haven't yet decided what to make but I am sure that if I scour my recipe books I can find a few more.  If you have any suggestions, please send them through :)  The first on my list was the above red velvet cake, it was gobbled up so quickly I never got a chance to take a proper photo.

On another note, son number three has returned from a week long camp with his school and how I have missed him.  It is just me & him tonight so we are having a pizza/movie night and the pizzas smell heavenly.  He did however bring back not so very good news, I loaned him my canon ixus camera and it is no longer working, apparently he took it to the beach without the cover, fingers crossed we can somehow fix it.

Oh! and my two older boys received awards on Friday, just for attendance but still very proud of them.





I haven't been too well lately and I am sorry I haven't been around much or commenting much, I have had a terribly awful time with anxiety related issues. It seems to be getting worse every day and I definitely feel I have a hormone imbalance. I will be starting a cream that supposedly helps and fingers crossed it does a bit of good as this anxiety is a bit overwhelming.

Have a lovely weekend dear friends ;)

my week at home

Not much to say this week, or things to photograph as most of my time is spent at home.
That tomato pictured above came from my garden, originally there were six but only two little tomatoes survived, but it was oh so yummy! so different to store bought tomatoes. The books are some freebies I got from Vinnie's, I was hoping to draw in them BUT for now they are housing some flowers. Don't they look pretty?

weekends bits 'n bobs

This week has been rough, truly rough. So many things happened, some good but mostly not so good. I will spare you all the details and I am sure if you knew the details you would be very happy I didn't share them.  But thankfully the weekend is here and with it comes a breath of fresh air and a time to reflect on all the good things God has blessed us with. I am with my family and we are all healthy, what more could I ask for?

Above are a few of my weekend bits and pieces....my plum tree which still is fruitless, I think it is in need of a belting (an odd thing Chileans do when fruit trees don't give fruit, they hit it which my aunt is famous for) and a little bit of crocheting.  Nothing much but it feels amazingly good now that my uni year is over :D

one of those days

It's been one of those days, the kind of day where you wake up and know things aren't going to go well just by looking outside.  The kind of day where:

• you used up your last undie and you put out a load to wash the day before and dried them outdoors but the rain has soaked them and you have to borrow a pair from your husband
  
• you finally decide to eat healthily only to realise there aren't any fruits left but an abundance of chocolate and yummy cookies
  
• your husband invites you out in the afternoon after a long time of not going out but you have a hundred and one things to do
  
• you get your umbrella out so you don't get wet walking in to the uni building only to still get wet from rain coming from different directions
  
• you decide not to go to the toilet at uni and hold it till you get home only to realise you have to stop at the shops and buy some veggies to make dinner that night and it feels like your bladder will explode
  
• you brush your hair only to later realise your hair looked much better before you actually brushed it
  
  But isn't it funny how it can sort itself out when you get a postcard in the mail
  
  

baking & absences

sitting here in my room, eating lunch at 2pm (daylight savings always messes up my eating habits) and patiently waiting for my cinnamon sugar pull-apart bread to finish baking.   I hope it is yummy and mostly I hope it leaves the yummiest smell in my house.  My need to bake took over today and I have ignored uni work... well, for a couple of hours anyway.

I know it has been the longest time since I have blogged, I have been busy with life, with iron injections, with dropping off my kids and a little uni work too but I also have been lazy and have not felt the desire to blog...THAT is the simple truth.  Does anyone else ever feel like that? I know I definitely do plus I am not a very exciting person in all honesty.

I have taken too long to write the above lines and now there is the most delicious aroma coming from my kitchen and I had better check it. I will try to be around a little more ;)




PS I will also try my hardest to photograph this bread after baking but I am not too sure if there will be any left :/

finally

I'm finally taking the time to post..so many things that are and have happened that are keeping me so utterly busy and occupied that I haven't had the opportunity to blog much. Some bad things, some a little depressing and others just plain boring. Too numerous to mention though.

The photos below are of my props for my next photo shoot this Thursday...unless the strike also affects Uni lecturers. It is a doll inspired photo shoot and it will be wonderful to have professional make-up and hair done :) I still have a few more things to get ready but I hope it turns out well, well one can only hope.

a good day

it was so warm today...it was wonderful, it did my heart some good!



AND my hyacinth has some pretty purple flowers, it is making my kitchen window look so pretty and smell so lovely. My heart feels like it is smiling :)

the weekend is here!

Finally Friday, YES! although that does also mean only next week left before going back to uni :(



This week has been so wet in Sydney and I haven't been able to plant my little tomatoes but I do have my hyacinth, avocado & rosemary on the kitchen window sill. Sorry about the dust on the flyscreen, I definitely have to clean that soon :/





My week via my moleskine



Daughter's toy, they are cute



I was hoping to take the photos for Rhianne's photoswap but it will be too wet :(



A bunch of avantcards I have, one reason I am looking forward to going back to uni, my stock is running short ;)

- - -

A special thank you to all of you who messaged me before my interview yesterday. I never truly know how I go at these things so I am sorry I cannot say anything just yet. I will mention though that I did feel awful during the interview, they always ask you what you have done, where you have worked previously, what you know how to do and there was the briefest moment I felt like I was being a bit braggy. I don't know, I am not good at giving my good points or qualities, so while I was it felt to me that I was being boastful and I truly hope that I didn't appear to be that way :(

I also wanted to explain my previous post, the reason behind it and why it was so long. I often feel like I am hiding my true self on this blog...my blog, maybe out of fear or because I would shock a few readers...I don't know. But I do want to be a little more of myself and if it isn't pleasing to some readers I apologise, I can't be anyone else but me (unfortunately).

Some shocking things you should know about me:

[+] i am not the perfect mother, wife or daughter. There are times I get angry & raise my voice, don't do my bed for a couple of days, get lazy & can't for the life of me rack up the energy to cook a proper meal and spend way too much time on my computer or watching movies than doing homework

[+] i can be quite a perfectionist and get on people's nerves and in fact in my old work I would get in earlier just to clean my desk and my superior would say "ocd Katyha?" I just like things done properly, my fridge has to be arranged and so do my cupboards. I need to see what I have otherwise I would be buying and buying the same things, if this is too perfectionist or ocd then I guess I am

[+] i cannot for the life of me write in my diary with a pen, I prefer pencil (I don't want to wreck it). When I was in high school if I thought my pages looked too messy I would rip the page out and start all over again

[+] andres & I really have not much in common except for our beliefs...religious, cultural & how to raise our children. I love being in the garden and to have a little farm with chooks & a vegetable garden would be the ultimate for me, he hates anything to do with farms & gardens, he hates computers and I love them, after he punishes the kids he will sit and talk to them for what seems hours, I am quite the opposite, he is extremely messy & unorganised and I am like I have mentioned before very organised

[+] i like to answer every comment I receive personally via email, I feel awfully rude if I don't. My emails are often quite long and chatty too

[+] i am very much like Anne (Anne of Green Gables) searching for a kindred spirit. I do like to keep in touch & get a little more personal

if you knew

sorry for my long absence from this blog *sigh* life has certainly kept me quite busy all week and while I am glad it is Friday who knows what life will offer me next week. These are the highlights of my week:

[+] had a free haircut and keratin treatment in my hair. My first treatment wasn't done properly and I emailed the owner and they offered to do it again for me and insisted that the girl that did it was very thorough
[+] finally had my pap smear (after avoiding it as much as I could)...ouch! sorry to any males reading this but the crap we women have to go through isn't fair
[+] Ruby had a reinfestation of nits and I have spent hours trying to get rid of them. I have washed her hair so many times and each and every time I re-checked more would come out. I think she had a family of 100 if not more :/
[+] so much washing to do and changing sheets, towels, clothes due to the nit situation - I finally got it all done only to have a whole heap again today :/ will it ever end? I guess having a family of 4 doesn't help
[+] I've have had the most annoying cough all week and even penicillin has not helped...I can't stop coughing but have not lost my voice. A little explanation: ever since I was little I have wanted to lose my voice (I know...crazy right? my sister and I would scream for what seemed like hours into our pillows or until mum came and told us off to no avail). Still at this age I have never lost my voice :(
[+] I went to the op shop and found these beauties, the books were only 25 cents!
[+] OH and I got my results for my Autumn semester....a credit and two distinctions :D it certainly put a smile on my face





Happy weekend friends :)

the joys of motherhood

I finally finished my present for my little sister! although I must say my arms will never be the same again. I'm not too sure I like it though, I just hope she does.



I got the cutest pastel blue tea set at the op shop the other day that I just had to show. The cups are so tiny but I couldn't resist them. Aren't they the cutest?



I bought the new frankie! but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. After dinner I usually watch masterchef & then the special documentary on SBS 'go back to where you came from' (has anyone else seen it?).   THEN Ruby comes into my room (before her bedtime) and gives me a note from school. It seems there is an outbreak of nits. I checked both Alec & Ruby and they were full of them. So I shall be spending my day tomorrow getting rid of them and washing all their clothes. How exciting! the funny thing with nits is whenever someone mentions them my head starts to itch. I think I am going to need a dose of the special shampoo too. Ah the joys of motherhood!

hi folks

I really am a horrible blogger lately! and I haven't been up to too much either...I think? I don't really remember as the days have gone by so quickly

these are just a few photos of what I have been up to...
[+] handing in the final assignment, relief finally that uni is OVER
[+] photographing rain clouds that this week have disappeared (for now anyway)
[+] a little knitting for my baby sisters birthday in two days and I am really rushing to finish it on time...my arms are so sore! size 12 needles are really very awkward
[+] getting my lovely list done for my swap buddy
[+] spending time away from the computer and going for daily walks and finding pretty heart shaped leaves

not much but I still manage to be quite busy every day

but I'll be a better blogger...promise ;)

this week

Good things:
[+] The trees during winter time
[+] Uni finishes next week YAY
[+] Pepe letting me get really close to take a photo of him
[+] Two assignments left!
[+] Postcard & letter from Jane

Bad things:
[+] Interview on Thursday - got a big NO
[+] My flickr runs out in two days
[+] Headache that has lasted all week
[+] Two assignments left
[+] Not having access to uni camera lenses during break
[+] Being so behind in letter writing

oooh emmm geee!

[+] Eeek! I have been truly a bad blogger lately but truth be told there is not a lot happening around these parts. Nothing but a whole lot of assignments. Oh and I can't forget mini-meltdowns too! I got my second photomedia assignment result and I flipped a little....just a little ;) 13.5 out of 20, I was truly crushed as this is the subject I am concentrating more on. But my spirits have lifted and I am trying not to be so hard on myself, I am truly my own worst critic. I have two photomedia assignments left and I am working hard on both. The top photo is for my third one on tea and my last one is graphically representing a poem or lyrics and I have chosen 'what a wonderful world' by Louis Armstrong which I have so many ideas for, and if they work out like I picture them I will show the results here.

[+] In other news I was approached yesterday by a friends daughter wanting me to do her wedding photography. Now I knew she was interested as she had emailed me and asked how much I would charge them to take photos at their wedding. I thought I emailed her back with a response but I hadn't so they decided to visit and ask in person. For those who don't know me or haven't really read my blog I only picked up a camera last year and I know I have learnt a little but to be the photographer for a wedding? YIKES! it is an extreme honour and at the same time a HUGE responsibility. I kept telling them that I was in no way a professional but they insisted and so in January 2012 I will be doing their photography...I am now a mix of emotions. Excited and in shock that I said yes. Nervous and full of ideas.

[+] The kids are selling chocolates at school. BOY do I hate it when they do as I usually have to buy myself one or a few, I usually forget how many :P

[+] Got a lovely rose by my daughter while she went for a bike ride. It is amazing what that bike has done for her confidence and anxiousness she was experiencing last year. She is like a different person. It is the prettiest flower, who knows from whose house she swiped it from though. I actually got a sleep in today and while it was lovely for a change I had an awful dream about her and couldn't wait to see her this afternoon after school.

[+] 60 followers! I can't believe I have 10. If I ever get to 100 I will do another giveaway ^___^

Have a lovely weekend friends

this is me

my life has been so hectic lately.
my semester is almost over and I still have six assignments left to do but spend a little too much time with the camera in my hand instead. these are a few of my captures for the past few weeks.



and a short video of a Sudanese graduation ceremony we filmed for our 5 minute documentary a few weeks ago.

I really am very boring and quite a homebody though.

me

I got an award! Kylie from Flying Ducks gave me a versatile blogger award. I have received a couple of these awards before but I rarely am able to participate for lack of 'interesting' things to say about myself. It took me all afternoon to finish this list but finally here is my list of random things about me:

• I hate licorice and even the smell makes me feel a little sick
  
• I love medical shows, it is truly a fascination for me although Andres gets very queasy when he watches with me
  
• I cannot eat runny eggs *bleurgh* and just frying eggs also makes me a feel ill
  
• I love rings, especially silver but I have no patience for wearing them
  
• I hate putting petrol in the car and will avoid it as much as I can
  
• I got braces when I was 28
  
• I need to have my tv on when doing assignments even though I am not watching it, makes me feel like I have someone with me
  
  
  
  
  This is a ring my older sister had made for me, I never wear it. The small stones represent my four children. Pretty...but I can't wear it

lately I have...

Celebrated a 9th birthday with a tim tam cake



Made an apple pie poster, this was my rough draft



Went out with Andres and ate apple crumble at Gloria Jean's





Made my first ever brownies



Had breakfast at McDonald's





Photographed this cute doll (again)

Pretty exciting huh?