Me, My Camera and the World: January 2011

So I bet you thought I'd given up on my PAD challenge already, right? WRONG! It is well and truly still going. And here is the proof:

January 14th

Dad watching the news while waiting to get home at the hotel. As sad as this photo is, there is something about it that I truly love.

January 15th

When visiting Kieran & Bec, Caitlin disappeared and was very quiet... upon investigation we found madam "working, writing a letter Helly". Absolutely gorgeous - take note of the dummy not far from reach in the bottom left-hand corner.

January 16th

My baby being towed away after breaking down when we went on our mission for petrol... A tear was shed and I felt a pang seeing it being driven away on the back of the truck.

January 17th

Morning traffic on the the way to my first day back at work - amazingly I was rocking out to my tunes and was full of excitement!

January 18th

My real baby back home. She spent a few extra days with my cousins once we got home, just so that it was safe and no snakes were around after the floods... But I tell you, I missed her more, knowing she was just up the road, than I did in England, haha.

January 19th

When I look in her big brown eyes my heart just melts! Yes she's a scruff, but she is such a beautiful dog!

January 20th

Yesterday I accompanied my good friend Katrina to one of the recovery centres so that she could register... I have to say going there reinforced how very real this disaster is...

January 21st

I have spent my afternoon making lolly bags for all the new girls coming into my care.

Well that is all for now... Have a lot to get done before I head back to school tomorrow. Hope you are all having a creatively wonderful time!

H xxx

What a start to 2011! The devastation that has hit Queensland is absolutely heartbreaking. Over the years I have witnessed natural disasters from the comfort of my lounge room... but never - even for a split second - did I ever believe that I would experience the effects of one first hand. In the past I have cried with sympathy and sadness for those who had been affected by such disasters; now I'm crying with heartbreak and sadness for my loved ones and those around me who have been hit... but also there are tears of relief that we were lucky enough to have escaped the wrath of it all - an absolute miracle! At present my dearest dad and I are 'enjoying' an extra few days holiday at a hotel in the city. We flew in from London to find that our suburb is an island and so we are here, while mum is bearing it all with family and friends in our neighbourhood. My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to all affected by this tragedy. God is good, he will only ever give us what troubles we can bear.

Our road... we're so lucky! How this didn't reach our house is a miracle.

Well with the arrival of a new year I have made a few resolutions... I am not making the usual ones of eating less chocolate, being more active, watching less TV etc because they only set me up to fail ☺ Instead I am making ones that will hopefully make me happier, develop my creativity and open up new worlds and adventures. So here are a few of my new year's resolutions for 2011:

☞ Update blog regularly

☞ Learn to quilt

☞ Sew more often

☞ Try new techniques for scrapbooking - leave my comfort zone

☞ Learn to stamp and ink... properly

☞ Attend classes to learn new skills

☞ Be more proactive in achieving my long-term creative goals

☞ Take a photo-a-day (PAD) and share them on here for you all to see

S0 here they are - my PAD photos so far for 2011... (would just like to point out that the days that are missing I did take photos, but for various reasons will not be uploading them here):

January 2nd

View from the plane when landing back in London after our Christmas/New Year in Jersey

January 4th

Pret A Manger - My favourite place! Live on their Pain Au Raisin and sandwiches when in England... ahhh that's where those extra inches arrived from!

January 5th