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

Improving on my photography skills

There is nothing I admire more than the ability to capture beautiful photos.Whether it be a family snap, landscape, pet photography , macro shot or a stunning sunset, I really do dream of being able to capture beautiful photos of the people & things around me.

I recently got a new lens for my camera, it is a Tamron 16-300mm, so very versatile , in fact I haven't taken it off my camera since I got it for my birthday 3 weeks ago.

I really shopped around on price & with delivery it cost around $700 which for me is a huge investment at the moment. 

If you want to know more about this lens you can read all about it here. 

As an entry level photographer with a small budget for gear I highly recommend this one. I am more than happy with the quality of the photos I am getting.

I have challenged myself to be able to perfect using my camera in manual mode, to use it to its full potential rather than cruising by on auto. I try to take a few photos each day,of different things or in different lighting situations, adjusting all of my settings to suit & hopefully it will all become second nature before I know it.

This old guy is always willing to pose for me.

The moon had this odd halo around it the other night & go figure it showed up well in my photo.

A little experimenting with my vintage typewriter

I am super happy with these beautiful frangipani photos, they have such stunning colour.

Now I used the full zoom capability to capture these spiders & it still felt creepy.

My gorgeous little nephew is learning to crawl, he tries ever so hard but doesn't get anywhere just yet.

and I saved my favourite for last. My baby turned 8 this weekend, my how time flies!!

So that's my current obsession & creative pursuit at the moment. If you have any tips, tutorials, or constructive criticism I would love to hear it. Maybe one day I will put some energy into learning how to use photo shop & do some fancy editing. In the meantime I will practice practice practice!!!

CHEERS

Trish xx

Popping by to say Hi!

Hi All!!!!

 

Ive dropped off the blogging planet over the past couple of weeks because life has been so

HECTIC.....

 

In fact my life is travelling by in a blur at the moment.

 

 

Its all good stuff though & I will have

LOTS

to tell in the coming weeks when it all comes together.

 

 

 

I promise to blow your mind if you watch this space........

 

 

I recently did a photography course in Sydney.

 

 

It was Click Walk & Learn Tour of The Rocks area of Sydney

with

Christine Bernasconi Photography

 

 

I now have a full understanding of my camera & I can capably use it in MANUAL mode , which was my goal for the day.

 

 

This is my first ever completely manual photo, but definitely not my last.

 

 

It was a fantastic course in a beautiful location & Christine teaches in such a way that everything seems so simple. I would rate it as the best $89 Ive spent in a long time.

 

I highly recommend it!!!

 

Now I just have to make the time to keep learning & practice, practice, practice.

 

Thanks for popping by, I love to know you have been for a visit so please don't forget to leave a comment, even if it is just to say Hi!

 

CHEERS

Trish xxx

 

 

 



One month down

Well its the end of January already, all major celebrations are over, the school holidays are ending & most new years resolutions will have been forgotten...

OR HAVE THEY!!!!

Not for me, Im still powering on...full steam ahead I say....

Look I will show you!

Here we are at Week 4 over at

Family volley

& the challenge this week was "Daily Routine" & although this isn't exactly my daily routine, it is my goal to make it just that.

How often do you exercise?

I have done some form of exercise 3 x a week for the month of January, but I plan to step it up to 4-5 x a week in Feb.

Just gotta improve my diet & i will be a "yummy mummy" before I know it!!

I am really pleased that I have stuck with it so far...remember one of my goals was to exercise consistently...so....one month down....eleven to go!!!

One of my other goals was to get more creative & of course skillful with my camera.

These photo challenges have been very motivating. Having a theme to prompt you each week really does get you thinking & I have to say, I am really enjoying it so far....it's not to late to join in if its something you have been thinking about. You don't have to have a fancy camera or any great skills, some even just use their iPhone.

I find I have really taken a lot more notice of what goes on around me & how we live as a family because of these challenges & I think that's the part of  I am enjoying most!!!

The theme this week over at

Life with my 3boybarians

was "Self portrait"

& seen as though we celebrated Australia Day this week I thought it would be the best time to take a mug shot of me!

We have an annual BBQ with family & friends.

 We have the same core group of people at the party, all people from our old home town, that have also relocated here to The Hunter Valley  & we try to have someone different from that group host the BBQ each year &then  they invite a few extras from their circle of friends.

This year was at my sisters house, you all know Erin from her blog

Life...Style'n 

I am hoping its my turn again next year, I do love having a good excuse for some decorating!!!

It is always a fantastic day with lots of fun food & games, like back yard cricket & of course your Aussie themed hats, glasses & any other accessories you can get your hands on...

My family  refused to pose for a photo & this is all I got from dream child no4.

I hope all of my fellow Aussies enjoyed some great Australia Day festivities.

Have a great weekend everyone!

CHEERS

Trish xxx