While the boys are asleep...

Mummy will throw a page together and get it posted in record time! I've lost track of which challenge this is, but I've sneakily left out the stencil one due to lack of both time and stencils! This is for the 'journal on patterned paper and use it in a mini book' challenge, although I just don't have any idea how I could have done a mini book! So in my quest to keep things a bit simpler I have just printed on to one little piece. Admittedly a pain to read on screen but it's done now. Love me this Basic Grey range, and I will always have space for a Scrapworks Tailored Tab! Get some if you don't have any - you won't regret it!

I could eat him up!

Seriously, I could! He is just the most cuddly, smiley, gorgeous bundle of baby. Now I know it seems like I might be biased, but I would challenge you (if you actually could) to pick him up and not instantly agree. If he wasn't asleep right now, which I am thankful for after another rubbish night with him, I would interrupt this post and go and cuddle him right now! Just look at him...

He's just too yummy for words!

On another note, I've been meaning to post this picture of me beside one of my storyboards for ages. This is one I did for a friend of her family and new baby. It's 5' wide and 2.25' deep and it hangs on the first wall you see when they open their front door! Better advertising couldn't be bought! This is me lying on the floor beside it to give you an idea of the size (not one of my better shots,but it serves its purpose).

If you fancy one for yourself, you know how to find me! Have a great weekend :)

Just wanted to say thanks!

You know you're really sad when you get the boys down to bed and the first thing you do is trundle off into the study to check whether anyone posted on your blog or not! It totally makes my day when you girls (and the occasional boy!) take time to comment on something I've said or photos I've taken. And on days like today where I felt like I'd done a day's work by the time I got the boys to my mum's at 8am your comments make me smile:) Maybe it's because you all say such nice stuff! In fact I've never seen a negative comment on a blog anywhere - and I read plenty! So I just thought I'd say something nice to you all as well - THANKS!

And Jo, you know I'd love to do proper photos of these gorgeous boys!

I'm totally mortified!

It was all a bit of a "worst nightmare" scenario. There I am, Janine Boyd, photographer, armed with camera, spare batteries and even some bubbles to help attract little one's attention for the perfect shot. Had a cup of coffee, chatted with mum and dad, took a few test shots........and then my memory card died:o(  And I mean it totally died. Wouldn't let me take any more. Stupid gadgets. This was the 3rd attempt to actually photograph this little girl (who was too cute by far, not that I have any photos to prove it!) and now I've had to reschedule again. I felt like such an idiot, but they were very gracious and understanding.

These, however, are from a shoot I did a few weeks ago for a really lovely family. Their little girls were beautiful to photograph and I'm pretty pleased with these. Do enjoy while I go off to order some spare memory cards!

Two become four

Teeth, that is, not children haha! Conor finally decided, after about 2 months of dribbling and paying no attention whatsoever to my cunning plan to get him to sleep through the night, that it was high time the top two teeth made their appearance in his mouth! Thank the Lord! He has been hard work this past week or so, off his food and milk and generally not his usual smiley self. So that's 4 down, 18 or so to go. I can hardly wait for the molars!

Anyway, check me out with my super fast scrapping today. I did these 2 layouts for Annie's challenges # 6 and 7. I'm now officially only 3 behind and am feeling altogether chuffed with myself. This one was a challenge to use triangles of patterned paper and some stitching. In a bid to make life easier (and hence more enjoyable) I used rub on stitches. These are some of the first pictures I took with my camera and I love the warmth of the colours and the glow the fairy lights cast.

This next layout is an 8x8 for a book I'm doing just for me. It's simply going to be a place for me to record the things that make me happy. I'm sure the boys will be interested in it someday!! The challenge was to use 7 different patterned papers to create a background.

I love that I got both of these done so quickly. I'm sure it's because of the challenges. They're also making me be a bit more spontaneous with my choice of papers and not worry so much about the placement of photos or embellishments. Instead I'm just doing what I feel like doing and hoping for the best. And who cares if you can see the odd glue mark or the rub on stitches aren't quite in a straight line?

This idea of making life easier and more enjoyable has been on my mind a lot lately. Maybe since I'm back at work and have a lot more to cram into my days and less time at home to do the things I really want to. I bought a great magazine today, a US one called Real Simple. It's based on the premise that life should be lived and not done. That we should spend more time just being and not doing. I like the sound of that. So today I spent a lot of time on the floor with Conor and did some puzzles with Patrick. And the white wash is still lying upstairs waiting to be done. But guess what? The world didn't stop turning and I have a few more moments to treasure when the boys are both at school and I can't do those things with them anymore.

Go on. I dare you to leave a chore undone tomorrow and just do something nice instead! Or don't even do anything! Let me know how you get on.

And before I go, please stop by my friend Sheila's new blog and say hi! She's a hoot and I love that she's been totally sucked into the world of scrapping and blogging!

Hello......is anybody there?

I'm fairly sure that the few friends who had been stopping by here have probably given up looking since I started back to school and have become sloppy with my posting. But I shall plod on in the vain hope that someone is there. My mother better be since it was she who commented that there weren't enough photos of the boys anymore! I'll be expecting a nice comment from her tomorrow ha ha! I better not make too big a deal about her though or she'll start charging more than grandson kisses for the childcare she provides!

So anyway, how are you all? Things have been pretty hectic around here. I'm trying to balance the photography with school and looking after the boys, and so for 3 days I'm teacher mummy and then for the next 4 I'm fun photography mummy. It's working out ok - I think! Lots of positive comments about my photographs and a few lovely orders too. So I've taken the brave step of having some flyers produced to deliver around some of the young family areas of Bangor. Do give me a shout if you're interested or if you can pass some of these on to your lovely friends and families!

And I am still promising myself some scrapping time sometime soon, but my friends keep having babies that I'm dying to take pictures of as well! Maybe at the weekend if I'm lucky!

So until then, I'll leave you with a few photos of the boys (especially for Sandi!) Practising with my new 50mm 1.8 lens.

Here we have the 'I'm so cute' poses from the beautiful Conor.

Followed by the 'I'm the spitting image of my dad' pose!

The ever fabulous 'fake laugh' pose from Patrick (I was lucky to get anything at all!)

And my favourite shot of them for ages - the 'genuinely happy to be brothers' pose!

And this is how I imagine they will remember me in years to come - crazy photographer lady with camera attached to her face!

We can't wait to see you!

Blaaaaaghhh!!

This is how I feel. Not because I am unwell. Nor indeed because of the 4.45am start Conor has favoured the past few mornings. I think it's because I don't like the teacher version of me! She's really not a lot of fun to be around. In fact, today she made two different classes go back outside her classroom and practise coming back in properly! She's a right old targe! I hate this swapping in and out of roles when I'm at work, teacher Janine one minute and then mummy Janine and occasionally just Janine. Sorry for droning on about this. I promise I shall be cheerier for my next post.

On a totally different note and not at all blaaaaghhhh, Patrick started nursery school last Thursday and he seems to be loving it so far. He's only been going for an hour a day but he doesn't mind being left and really seems to look forward to it each morning. Long may it continue:) He is so ready for this, for mixing with other kids and trying new things. Just venturing out of his comfort zone for a bit. And I haven't cried once (although just today I was lamenting the fact that he's not even a toddler anymore, and I honestly can't remember his baby days very clearly at all. Next thing he'll be coming home engaged and I'll have to find a hat to fit my tiny pea head!)

I'm leaving you with just one picture from a session I did on Saturday for an old colleague's son's first birthday party. Check out how huge his eyes are! His mum needs to start worrying now!!

Real life takes over

It's a real disappointment when the bubble of your fantasy life is mercilessly shattered by the sharp edges of your real life, which is exactly what happened this week. School started on Tuesday and I really wasn't that excited to be back. All summer I've been pretending I'm a photographer, and then I realised that I'm really a teacher! Boooooo!!! Anyway, it's made me all the more determined to do something about it, so here's one of my favourite shots of my last few shoots. She is the daughter of my friend Nadia and is so gorgeous. Wasn't a bit interested in having her picture taken, just wanted to colour in and play with her doll!

Cannot wait to photograph their new baby when he/she makes an appearance in a few weeks! There are more from this shoot in the galleries at the side if you fancy a peek.

Oh go on then, I'll post one more!

And obviously since reality has hit me I've fallen way behind on the scrapbook challenges, but I will get to them. I'm promising myself!

That's me!

On the contents page of The Scrapbook Magazine issue 18! And my layout made the cover:) I admit I'm slightly giddy!!

Apologies to those of you for whom this means absolutely nothing, and also to those who have done that and bought the t-shirt, but jump in and be giddy with me anyway!