Day 181: I didn't think it was possible but...

...my love for him has grown even stronger, after seeing him in a scarf! Haha. Sarah made him a few of these super cute scarf/handkerchief bibs yesterday, they're amazing! I want one.

Day 180: Skedder Banter!

This photo is absolutely perfect for today's blog post...it was taken at Katherine's flat, on our last night of banter, before she moves back home to Edinburgh, having successfully completed her degree in Physiotherapy. With a 2:1 might I add!!
What can I say about this girl...it was like love at first sight, for me at least; she can't remember. Haha. She's been an absolutely wonderful friend, and I'm so so glad that God brought her to Aberdeen, and in to my life (and not just because she's also a lanky lady)! I can't believe it's been four years...but, this is not the end. It's simply the beginning of our friendship as grown ups, out in the big bad world! Haha.

So, Katherine Sced...I love you too!

Day 179: Look who's crawling!

Isn't he a genius! Ok, I know, it's not like he's the first person to crawl, ever! But, come on. He's so cute!

I love this 365 project, because he makes me pick up my camera every day to take some sort of photo. And I know it's sometimes the case that I photograph something totally rubbish and pointless, but then there are days that I end up getting so many photos that I LOVE! And it's difficult to choose just one for the blog. Granted, it's usually the case that the photos are of Finlay, but still. Perhaps, when he's 20, I'll open up an art gallery dedicated to his life. He's gonna hate me.

Day 178: Rainy Bench Monday

So, I wanted to find a bench, that had a massive puddle in front of it, so that I could create the above masterpiece (ha). But, when I realised I had no clue where I'd find such a bench, I decided just to go to Crathes Castle, hope for the best, or just stand on any old bench. On arrival, I noticed a few picnic benches down beside the kids play park...and saw that two of them had been pushed together...which meant they weren't cemented to the ground. So...I dragged one a few metres, down to the path, where there happened to be this beautiful puddle! Good story huh. I'm thankful it was after closing time, and no one was there to see me vandalising public property. Apart from three old Italian men who parked next to me, and went to photograph the castle, each with their individual cameras and tripods. Good times.

Here's a humorous fact for you, the me that's standing on the bench, is actually the me who's really close to falling backwards off the bench because it's really slippy and I can't balance on my heels in sandals.

Day 177: Glad I spotted this!

I was sitting working on a photo of Fin for today's 365 photo, but then, 10 minutes ago, I looked out the window and saw this! I decided it was a far better 'In The Moment' snap for Day 177. Yummy!

Day 176: Sunshine Boredom

I was going to take a photo of JD for the blog today, because he got his, I'm ashamed to say, first ever wash today, by, I'm ashamed to say, the lovely lads at Union Square. Ha. He's all shiny and clean now :) But, I decided against it, because you wouldn't really get the full effect of just how wonderfully clean he is. He's pretty chuffed.

So anyway, instead, you've got me! The garden looked so warm and inviting, and I wanted to try using a piece of kitchen foil to reflect the light on to my face under Mumsy's pretty sun hat. So I did. And there you go.

Day 175: The Final Day in the Best Place on Earth...

This photo cracks me up; my sad face looks so fake and pathetic, but I assure you, I was very upset. I had such a fantastic week, with my good friend Katherine, in my wonderful housie on the Isle of Lewis. I absolutely love it up there, and it was great taking Katherine there for the first time, showing her all the places that I love, and trying to fight my claim as half an islander, and persuade her it's a wonderful place! She definitely came away thinking that, for holidays! But she's pretty sure she couldn't LIVE there...I used to feel the same way...but it was really tough leaving this afternoon. I love being so closely surrounded by the sea! But, I have a super cute nephew here, and until he's old enough to realise how uncool his auntie is, I'll probably be sticking around.

I arrived home tonight to an absolute bomb site of a bedroom...finding my bed later is gonna be interesting...and a letter informing me I might possibly be summoned for jury duty. Joy. D'you think I'd be allowed to take in some pick n' mix?

Day 174: Casually Contemplating Life, with Cupcakes.

Day 173: Three Windswept Beauties, and a Yummy Door!

Day 172: Banter on a Boat

Day 171: Bench Monday on Garry Beach, aka my fave!

Day 170: Visiting Ishbel in Carlabhagh

Day 169: Best Sunset in the World

Thank you Ness.

Day 168: Lovin Life

Day 167: The Journey to the Best Place on Earth

Day 166: Organisational Skills

It's been a busy week, and tomorrow...I'm off to Lewis!! I'm hoping to be out of the driveway by 9am...but I've yet to pack the car...or even pack my suitcase. In fact, I've yet to get the suitcase out of the bathroom cupboard. Basically all the clothes I plan on taking with me are currently in the photo above...in the very early stages of drying. I've not had the time to do my washing until this afternoon, and by this point it would probably have been a better idea to just wait till we got to the house in Lewis, and done my washing there. Oh well.

I need to go look out the bodyboards, and the picnic basket...but the car may end up being a tad full (due to the fact that I'm taking stuff up the road for relativesss relatives), so I may just have to settle for the tea flask and some cups.

I'm a little bit worried about the chances of successfully posting tomorrow's blog photo...I'm putting my trust in an O2 dongle...so Lewis folk, don't be surprised if you find me at your front door holding my laptop. Just go put the kettle on. Please.

Eeeek! Tomorrow!! Oh, I was gonna put some tunes on a CD for the car too...so totally organised.

Day 165: I love getting me some free cake, and a balloon snake...giraffe

I've just had a rather humourous/embarrassing/lovely evening out for dinner with Rachael at TGiFridays. I know their waiters and waitresses are supposed to be enthusiastic, but our waiter tonight was amazing. Haha. He offered to make us balloon animals, and I stupidly mentioned it was my birthday yesterday, TOTALLY forgetting that the waiters all come over, make you stand on your seat, and sing a birthday chant to you...and the whole restaurant. But the amazing thing is, I also got a free piece of cake!! Which was delicious!! And massive. Rachael and I shared it, of course.

But anyway, back to the balloon animals. I asked what he could offer me, in the way of different kinds of animals, and ended up requesting a snake giraffe....and he did it!! By make a giraffe...totally wrongly proportioned, but whatever, and then a snake, with amazing 'realisticity', and then joined them both together at the 'tail'. Weirdest looking animal ever. But it was hilarious, he definitely met the challenge! A very good evening, completed by receiving a beautiful top from Rachael that I had been eyeing up the previous week. It's so pretty!!

Ok, for the second night in a row, it's super late!! I must go to sleep.

P.S. I really was out for dinner with Rachael, she just didn't want to be in my photo, that's why the seat across from me is empty...not because I was out with my imaginary friend.

Day 164: Birthday Bench Monday, not quite to plan...

This is my whole wonderful family, in the A&E ward of Aberdeen Hospital, sitting on my big bro's bed for the night. I had planned to have us all standing on a bench holding cake, but due to the huge abnormal size of Ali's elbow, that didn't happen. The poor guy's being kept in the hospital over night, drugged up, to try reduce the swelling. You see the thick pen line on his left arm? Yeah...that's where the redness and PUFF has progressed to over the last few days, if you look super close you'll see the line from yesterday, and the day before. He doesn't feel too good, but the drugs are having a hilarious effect...he told Mum he loved her when they were on the phone this afternoon, as I was driving him to the hospital. Good times.

The rest of us had pizza takeaway at home after work, before heading in to the hospital to see him, and bring him more of his toys, and a cupcake. We then came home and had birthday cake, and I went out to the back garden to get this week's Bench Monday shot...

Thank you very much to my wonderful family, for putting up with me the last TWENTY TWO years, and all my friends for their birthday wishes today. I feel very very blessed to have all of you in my life.

P.S. I LOVE getting older. Many say that'll change when I reach 30...maybe, but I doubt it! This past year has absolutely flown by (I've still not sorted out my box of remnants from my 21st Birthday), but it's been an incredible year, and I look forward to the years ahead and what the Lord has in store for me.

Day 163: Wanting to be like Daddy

Day 162: Too cute to waken

Day 161: Hens on the track...

I was gonna upload 4 photos from Catherine's wild Hen Party Day today, but this project is really supposed to be just one photo a day...and I'm really not always good at doing that! So, I decided to pick just one...and since we're simply Lovin Life in this photo, I had to choose it. This was us before our go karting adventure, which was SO MUCH FUN! Congratulations to Julia for coming first, and then it was myself, and then the Bride to Be :) And I have to thank Katherine Sced for our little duel right at the end there, spiced things up a little...Ha.

But the fun wasn't over after that! We headed back to the girls flat for some spa banter, and a few more girlies joined us at that point, and we then went out for a lovely meal at Little Italy. During our evening out there were many wonderful tasks that Catherine had to complete throughout the evening, and photographic evidence of these will no doubt be shown on Facebook in the near future. But right now, I really need to sleep!

P.S. Apologies for this post most likely making no sense due to the rather late hour.

Day 160: I like pudding

This is a photo of my pudding at the Holiday Club 'Get to know each other' meal tonight. I ate it all.

Day 159: That was a good cuppa

There's nothing like a cuppa, and a bit of fun, after a long day at work...

Day 158: Ma new specs!

D'you like them? I made them myself. Well, coloured them in myself, at kids club this evening. Tempted to go on the hunt for a pair of Actual specs like them...perhaps with slightly thinner frames...just slightly though!

This is definitely one of the photos I'm going to look back on at the end of the year and think "Why on earth did I do that...?". Good times.

Day 157: Invasion Bench Monday

When the end of my day at work was drawing closer, I was trying to think of where I could go for todays bench photo, and the Lipp family jumped in to my head. I knew they had a nice sturdy bench in the back garden, and basically I just wanted a wee visit! So after nipping home for my tripod, and spending a bit of time wondering whether I should crash the Lipp household or just go on the hunt for a bench, not surprisingly, I headed to the Lipps! 

At first, Niall thought I was there to take a photo of just him for the blog, and was pretty disappointed when he realised everyone else would be joining in too, including me. Sorry Niall! From left to right we've got Emma, Catherine, Joanna, myself, Al and Niall. And then it's just us kids at the bottom :)

Hopefully next week there'll be a massive cake next to me on the bench...or better yet, I'll be standing on a MASSIVE bench shaped cake! That would be something. And then the next week, I'll be on a bench somewhere in the wilds of Lewis with Katherine...as long as the wind doesn't blow us off.

Day 156: Poor wee Squidger

My little Finpops hasn't been feeling well the last few days, and today he most definitely still wasn't feeling right. Poor little guy was half unconscious most of the afternoon, snoring away, in his cute wee dressing gown, and now he's off home to bed. Hope you feel better soon Squidger! (Yes, 10 months old, and he can  already read. It's incredible.)

Day 155: My new house...

If I don't get a house beside the seaside, I'm gonna buy this, fix it up, with underfloor heating, and have picnic's by the stream that runs through the garden. I'd need to build a big snow barrier bubble that would appear just before winter though as it's at the foot of the Lecht so I'd probably not be able to get out the driveway for a few months.

Day 154: I made a new friend...

...and may have increased my repertoire. There were a couple kite surfers out at sea when we arrived at Balmedie this afternoon, so of course I had to get my camera out, then one of them spotted us and came in to shore and we got chatting away. After he commented that Katherine and I MUST be sisters. Haha. Two lanky beautiful blondes, of course we have to be related. Anyway, he ended up taking my business email address, and is possibly going to get in touch about me coming along to photograph some of the Kite Surfers in the area. There are a few, pretty darn good by the sounds of things, photographers who go to the UK tour, but none of them are locals here.

So...that was an interesting trip to the seaside! Another way of incorporating water in to my photos. I'm most definitely up for some water sports action, but we'll wait and see if it ever comes to anything.

 P.S. Here's a photo I couldn't resist posting of Katherine and I making a run and dive in to the sea shortly before we headed home this afternoon...You can just see my leg above the waves, and Katherine dove straight through a wave shortly afterwards, lovin life!

You 

Day 153: The Latest Tiny Miracle

This afternoon I had the pleasure of carrying out my first ever newborn shoot, with the absolutely gorgeous Lydia Marie Worthington, a very well behaved model. I knew it was going to be difficult to choose just one photograph for todays blog post! I started working on a few photos when I got back home this afternoon, but having images from a previous shoot to continue working on, I had to leave these super cute pictures for another day. It wasn't easy! But here are three wee sneak peaks for you all...isn't she adorable!!

I have to say...I.Love.My.Job.

Day 152: Megan's leaving us for a year!

We had a wee goodbye party this evening, and night, and a little bit of morning too, for my friend Megan who's off back to her family in the States for summer, and then she's going to Peru for a year in September. So we're not going to see her again for about 15 months!!

It was an excellent evening, with a BBQ, in the beautiful sunshine and bizarre heat in the evening, at the girl's flat. Then some of us went off to our Neighbourhood Fellowships, and rejoined the party again later, when it was then moved to the  beach for some water lantern, baseball in the dark, and marshmallow banter. We'd made a pit stop at Tesco to buy a Pinata before heading back after Neighbourhood Fellowship, and we watched as Megan attempted to beat up her new friend, back at the flat at around 1am. It was quite a hilarious end to the evening!