What happens when you over challenge yourself.

What happens when you over challenge yourself?

 Is that even a correct sentence, over challenge or over commit to challenges.

 Ha ha, great english Trish!!!

I have become a little obsessed with learning or bettering myself this year. I am participating in 5 daily photo challenges now plus one weekly to improve my technique & creative thinking in photography. They all have such different themes, its very inspiring but clearly addictive.

Some of my photos I use my DSLR & others my iPhone as I would like to take great photo's with each of them. I have been thinking I would like to try out some of the clip on lenses for iPhone photography. 

Have you used any?

I am also trying to learn how to edit using Lightroom & Photoshop, which has meant I can now take photos with my DSLR in RAW mode instead of a jpeg. This gives you a lot more detail in your pics but it also means you DO have to edit them.I am only doing the basics in Lightroom at this stage.

 This weeks focus will be creating design boards using Photoshop so I can do a really nice visual presentation for my clients & maybe one day I will be clever enough to do online design work for people, sounds exciting hey....watch this space.

I have had people approach me about doing interior design work with them even though I haven't finished my studies. Not one to refuse a challenge in 2016 I have jumped in feet first... Why not!

It is such a great way to learn & build a portfolio. They are well aware of my experience level. It's so nice to have people have so much faith in you.

The down side to all of this photography & interior design work is that I am not studying as much as I should, I am not keeping on top of my housework as much as I need to, so it resembles a bomb site most of the time, especially the kitchen.

 I need to train my minions better, messy little rascals!

My fitness and nutrition have also suffered, I think I am still in festive season mode in this area & its really showing around my waistline. Either that or as they say "gremlins have snuck into my closet & seen my clothes smaller." Eeeeekkkk!!!!

So what is the plan of attack I hear you say. A tried & true method used by highly organised people.

ROUTINE!!!!

Sounds simple doesn't it.....for me not so much. It is going to require some serious self discipline & a change in  my mentality when it comes to my children's mess.I have gotten into the habit of thinking it is easier to do it myself, but they are getting increasingly lazy & even messier of late.

I began making them clean up after themselves more this week & ensuring they actually do the chores assigned to them.

 It has decreased my work load but certainly upped the nagging factor, ha ha ha not to mention some teenage boy grumpiness.

I have set a post dinner study time so TV off, all technology that isn't involved in homework is off & doesn't come back on until all homework is complete & the kitchen is clean.We begin this torturous addition to our day on Monday, so if you hear on the news a mother in the Hunter Valley was murdered by her children you will know that it was me & my new routine hasn't been embraced.

I will keep you posted on how well, or if this works for us.

Exercise wise I am working towards getting up early again & going for a walk, it really is a great way to start the day. In the gym I will be picking a muscle group or two each day & doing  different exercises on each muscle group. If I can get in the gym for 20 minutes  most days & go for a 30 min walk of a morning I will soon get back that craving for exercising which also brings with it a taste for clean healthy food  & hopefully my clothes will be comfy again in no time....problem solved!

Wish me luck.

CHEERS

Trish xx

Photography Challenges Week 1

So here is a round up of this weeks photo's from my photography challenges. All of my photos this week are taken on my iPhone as I am still working on the editing side of life with images from my DSLR. I hope over the weeks/months to see my work improve so watch this space.

You can catch all of this photos & more over on Instagram @dreamhousetrish

My first photo in the Finding Myself Young 52 weeks of memories

Week 1. Happy Place

My happy place is definitely behind my camera, it really is something that makes me feel relaxed. Do you have a hobby that you find very relaxing?

52

7 days of posts from Fat Mum Slim Photo a Day

Day 7 Reading

I don't read a lot of novels but definitely do a lot of online reading.I do like the smell of  the pages of a book, how about you?

Day 6 Blue

This was hard for me as blue is my favourite colour so I had to many things I could photograph, it was just a matter of finding a way to be creative. I wanted to experiment with dappled light so this is in the morning sun that is filtered by the Venetian blinds in my bedroom.

Day 5 Leaves

I had lots of ideas for this one but we were in the middle of days on end of torrential rain & flooding in our area & this frangipani tree was close to my carport. My phone & I got pretty soaked but the phone lived to tell the story thank goodness.

Day 4 Circle

This is a little something my daughter who is a junior graphic designer created for me, she has tweaked it a little further since this one. If I choose to work for myself I have the logo all sorted. Thank you Dream Child No1

Day 3 Water

This is from the beautiful Lake St Clair in the Hunter Valley, a great spot for water sports, fishing & camping. I would love to be here on sunset one day.

Day 2 What I did today

We are fortunate that my Sister & Brother in law own a beautiful ski boat & are happy to take us out with them. A great opportunity for the kids to enjoy the water, my son really loves knee boarding.

Day 1 Black & White

Whats not to enjoy about black & white photography, especially when it comes to nature.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week ahead.

CHEERS

Trish xx

2016 a year of positive challenges

Its funny how every time the calendar clicks over to a new year we have an overwhelming urge to improve ourselves.

Isn't that something we should think about everyday. I want to do that. I want to wake up each morning & think about what I can do, to be better than I was yesterday.

 I want to be a better wife, mum & friend. Relationships are something that we should all invest time in, especially family.I will be making time for a few girlie coffee dates with friends & dinner dates for the dream guy & I to catch up with friends together. As well as the usual mum time, I have lots of things planned for the kids as well.

My little Christmas reindeer, he falls under the family & fitness category, lots of love & walks for Ralph in 2016

I need to be fitter & healthier. I was on the right track in this department & feeling awesome but the festive season took over & here I am a little chubbier around my middle, bloated, uncomfortable & out of routine when it comes to working out.Oh, how easily I can be distracted.

 So time to find a little discipline & get back on track. I ALWAYS feel better for it!!!

I am desperate to improve my career options this year, maybe work for myself or maybe an employer, we will just see how that pans out. I am doing some pretty full on research into what option of study will work best for me & get me into a role within the interior design world, whilst working & maintaining life as we know it.You know, the current job, household duties, parenting etc etc.

There are so so many course providers, each teaching the same syllabus but with their own trademark style. The prices vary incredibly from college to college & then there is the option of attending face to face classes or online study.Do I do a diploma or just a cert IV. If you have any experiences or recommendations in this area all advice will be taken on board .No decisions have been made at this point......eeeek!!!!

I am a little photography obsessed at the moment, that is my relaxation, it really does transport me to my happy place. Its always on my mind as to how I can improve.
 Practice practice practice I think is the best way. I have decided to learn a little about editing this year & have already started trying to learn how to use Lightroom & will incorporate that with Photoshop, which will also be useful for creating design boards in the interior design world. I have noticed that just through the tutorials I have done so far on Lightroom it has made me put a bit more thought into how I take my photos, so winning already.

I have also joined up with a couple of photo challenges in hope that I can complete  365 days of photo's, or should I say 366 seen as though it is a leap year.Having someone set a theme for the day really challenges you to be a bit more creative. No doubt some of my photo's are going to be boring as some days you just have no mojo but I do hope to produce a few snappers.

 So far I have joined the
 Fat Mum Slim photo a day challenge
 &
 Finding Myself Young 52 weeks of memories challenge
I am yet to join a 365 day challenge, at this stage its just my personal mission. So  once a week I will post the weeks worth of photo's on here or you can catch me on instagram @dreamhousetrish
I think most of these will be taken with my iPhone. As much as I would like to do them on my DSLR the best camera is the one you have on you && for me its my phone. I have no major rules on this aspect as its all for fun. Its not convenient to carry a bulky camera. I often find my best photo opportunities arise when I am out walking or running, luckily my phone is also my workout tracker so I always have it on me & don't have to miss out on the opportunity.
My last personal challenge is to be a better blogger. Blogging has changed since I started but I haven't really moved with those changes so expect to see some new stuff going on around here as well. Firstly though I would like to get back into the routine of regular posts before I get to carried away. All will evolve slowly over time I think.

So how about you, any goals for 2016, I would love to here about them.
Happy New Year everyone, lets hope its a great one full of good health & happiness!

CHEERS
Trish xx

My Christmas Wish List......its HUUUUGE!!!!

Dreaming's free right......

Just as well because my Christmas wish list certainly isn't

I feel like I am ending this year on a bit of a personal low. I don't feel I have achieved any real personal goals. I do feel you should always be learning & improving upon yourself, working towards being a better, smarter, more accomplished person each & every year. I have really dropped the ball this year.

I can say I feel my photography has improved & I have tried to work on lots of different genre's from landscape, portrait,pet photography, home styling, food styling, flat lay & macro

 I have also just purchased a subscription for Adobe Photoshop & Lightroom & a little mini course to teach me the basics on how to use it all because WOW, what an incredible piece of software, the applications are just endless.

 My local photography group are offering a few meet ups in the new on this very topic so I have decided to step out of my comfort zone & instead of just admiring their beautiful photo's on Facebook I will join in & learn from them as well, why not meet a group of people in my area with like minded interests. They do a lot of sunrise meets & this is something I would love to photograph but am often to scared to venture off into the dark alone. Perfect hey, this learning problem is sorted!!!!

Image via ISCD

Whilst working in a tile store is great & affords me the opportunity to help people make design & colour choices for their homes I really do crave a whole lot more of this. I have done a self interest Design & Decoration Course which offered a great deal of useful knowledge but I really would like to take this a whole lot further. 

Whether that means working for myself or someone else Im not sure. I do know I need some more formal qualifications in this area, some in depth knowledge.

At this stage I would be more than happy to study a Certificate IV in Design as a starting point & quite like the look & feel of the course offered by the International School of Colour & Design

ISCD it comes at a cost of a bit over $4000 which you can do through Online learning which suits me with my current work & family commitments.You have 18mths to complete the course & then, if you would like to take it further, you have the option of doing a Diploma in the area you prefer to specialise in.

 Sadly I have to get approval for such a large spend from the financial controller of the house & Im not to sure I will get him over the line on this one.

 Image via The School

I would also love to do a day session or two at the master of design Megan Mortons

 The School

 The Styling Inspiration course would be a wonderful way to get started in a career as a stylist & photography 101 would be a huge asset to have as well to co-ordinate with that styling.

Image via The School

It would be awesome to be able to creatively add a professional edge when photographing your vignettes to effectively advertise your work.

Image my own!

So as you can see, my wish list is pushing Santa way outside the realms of gift giving & perhaps the more realistic approach would be to buy a lottery ticket....Ha ha ha.

Do you have a wish list as long as mine with a price tag of around $5000....eeek!!!

I guess it could be worse, I could be dreaming of a single piece of jewelry, I will sooth my guilty conscience by telling myself its all about improving my future,building a great career as the most fantastic designer & stylist the Hunter Valley has ever seen.... ha ha ha!!

Merry Christmas everyone & cheers to a year of self improvement in 2016

CHHERS

Trish xx

P.S all photos are mine unless otherwise stated!

Pantone chooses two colours for 2016 Colour of the year

I am a little excited about this news.
 I cant believe Pantone have chosen not one, but two of my favourite colours for 2016 Colour of the year.

This means everything I love will become available in my favourite colours, not just in home decor trends but also fashion

Insert a squeal of delight right here!!!!

Here is what Pantone have to say in regard to the latest colour selection

For the first time Pantone introduces two shades, Rose Quartz and Serenity as the PANTONE Color of the Year 2016. Rose Quartz is a persuasive yet gentle tone that conveys compassion and a sense of composure. Serenity is weightless and airy, like the expanse of the blue sky above us, bringing feelings of respite and relaxation even in turbulent times.

This beautiful vignette from French Country Cottage is a stunning example of how to use Rose Quartz. I am seriously obsessed with pinks & coppers at the moment.

How stunning is this inspiration image from the Taubmans website.

There is nothing more serene than coastal style decor wouldn't you agree...

Whilst these colours are great as a stand alone accent the reason Pantone have chosen the two is because they work so well together.

Texas design firm, Collins Interiors

 certainly know how to combine pinks, blues & neutrals to create a serene yet very stylish space.

I wish I had some photos to show of my first ever home back in the early 90's. Yes, I am showing my age now. It was painted pastel shades of blues & pinks throughout,  showing that all things come back into vogue eventually, either that or my style has never changed & I have been waiting for fashion to find me, again, he he he!!!!

What about you, will you be embracing these fresh new colours & incorporating them in a small way in your home, or going completely nuts & painting the entire house?

I have recently purchased some gorgeous new pink linen to sew up some new cushions but that will be for another post.

Have a great weekend everyone.

CHEERS

Trish xx

My Christmas Inspiration

Do you have a Christmas theme or colour scheme?

Each year I try to change it up a little, although I have recycled the gold, silver & white them 2 years running just because I got a new tree last year so I got to change my look without changing the theme. I know, I may be a little obsessed. Christmas ornaments can be expensive so I generally only change a few elements from year to year so as not to get to out of control with the decorating budget & I blew my budget on my new tree last year......oops!

I also like co ordinate my wrapping to my tree to complete the look, do you do this as well?

I'm not a tinsel fan but I do like to use white feather boa's.

 They are a great inexpensive way to fill the gaps in your tree as well! 

Of course you cant forget the rest of the house, you've just got to keep the whole theme going right.....

This year I"m planning to add a little pink to my Christmas scheme, pink, gold & white should have me covered.

I started to drift in that direction last year without realizing it, just because I had beautiful fresh hydrangeas from my garden that I couldn't resist placing around the house.

 I would love to decorate pink, copper & white but I am determined to not over spend in this area, so I will just be adding a few inexpensive pink decorations to my already extensive collection of Christmas bits & bobs.I don't imagine the copper trend will hang around long term where as gold & silver will always remain classics.

I love the idea of using pink hydrangeas on the tree, which I can also use around the house at other times of the year as well so they could be a multi use expense.

What do you have planned for you Christmas decorating this year, do you have an uncontrollable urge to change things up each year like me or are you much wiser & happy to decorate your tree the same every year?

If you would like to catch up on some of my previous Christmas posts just click on the links below

2011

2012

2013

2014

CHEERS

Trish xx

P.S All of the images above are my own from my past 3 Christmas's, thankfully I can see my photography & styling has also improved over time, there is hope for me yet, he he he!!!