'Summer Reading.' by Miss Sydney Marie

Summer Reading., a photo by Miss Sydney Marie on Flickr.

Today I went out in shorts and flip flops. What's that's all about? It's October tomorrow. It's a weird sensation being so hot at this time of year. Mentally I'm ready for snuggling up in the jumpers and boots. I guess I'd better try and enjoy it while it lasts though, apparently we may see snow in October! Where's the regular autumn gone?

I think this is a great summer photo. It's just the way I'd love to spend a sunny afternoon. Before my daughter was born I used to spend a lot of time sitting outside with a good book. In fact this could be me, I even have a hat like this! This is definitely a photo I'll be revisiting to warm me up when the cold weather does come.

'To infinity and beyond' by Me

To infinity and beyond, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

Well they say good things come to those who wait and if you're talking about the weather then they'd very much be correct. Summer has finally arrived. Even though October is only two days away it's suddenly gone all hot and sunny. It's great really because we've got all the beauty of the golden autumn colours mixed with gorgeous warm sunshine and blue skies. I find it hard to resist taking photos when they sky is so blue. This one is a bit of fun. I saw my daughter's little Buzz Lightyear figure sitting around and thought I'd take a picture. I think it's a rather happy picture and she thinks it's great too! Hooray for the sunshine!

'Golden Leaf' by NaturalPhotographySpa

Golden Leaf, a photo by NaturalPhotographySpa on Flickr.

This photo is totally inspiring me. My daughter is obsessed with picking up leaves at the moment and she always seems to be handing me a pile of crusty old dry ones. I've never been convinced they'd make a nice photo so never bother getting the camera out. But now I've seen this I think I might get snapping away at the next selection of dried leaves I'm presented with.

I love how soft and subtle this is. I also love the tiny details such as the cobweb in the top left-hand corner. Did you spot it? Really so very beautiful and inspiring.

'Beautiful steam' by Me

Beautiful steam, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

Today we went to the Bluebell Railway. I am so in love with beautiful steam trains so it was just as much an exciting trip for me as it was my daughter who we were meant to be impressing. In fact after the train ride my husband and her went off to investigate the gift shop while I stayed on the platform taking photos of the engine.

Here is my favourie picture from the day. I like it because it's quite abstract and dramatic. I'll be showing you a few more pictures from today in due course. How can I resist. I do love it when I have a good photo day!

'seaside bunting' by Purple DeeBee

seaside bunting, a photo by Purple DeeBee on Flickr.

I must admit I rather like bunting, especially when it's hung up across streets like this. It really gives the place a festival sort of vibe. I really like this picture. This bunting is simple but effective. Most of all though I love the colour and tone of this. It's got a real retro feel to it and it feels like it could have been taken at a street party many decades ago.

I can't believe Friday is here already. What are you doing this weekend? I'm hoping to be able to shift this horrible cold I've got at the moment. The sun is meant to shine these next few days so hopefully we can get out and about and take my mind off feeling snotty and miserable! I hope you all have a lovely lurgy free weekend.

'Skydiving Nov 2009, 7 way sunset load over the Florabama' by divemasterking2000

Skydiving Nov 2009, 7 way sunset load over the Florabama, a photo by divemasterking2000 on Flickr.

I mentioned yesterday that I love going up high things in cities. I like seeing views that go on for miles. I'm not scared of heights and I'm the person you'll find jumping up and down on the glass floor in places like the CN Tower in Toronto. However, as much as I love these things I can't ever see myself jumping out an aeroplane like in this photo. Quite frankly it looks terrifying. I am sure it's an awesome feeling but I just don't think I ever bring myself to do it. Although if anything did convince me it'd be this picture. It just looks like it's so peaceful up there. The view is fantastic and the sky is beautiful. My favourite bit is the other skydivers. They do look like they're just hanging out casually having a chat over a cup of coffee. Actually it looks quite relaxing!

'London Eye & Big Ben at sunset' by Harshil.Shah

London Eye & Big Ben at sunset, a photo by Harshil.Shah on Flickr.

Here's another beautiful London image for you to have a look at. The colour of the sky is great and the London Eye and the buildings look like they could be cut out of black paper and stuck on to a gorgeous painted background. The composition of this is great too. It makes the London Eye look really huge and I love the tiny little people in the pods.

I have been on the London Eye but it was years ago and I don't think I even took any photos. I'd love to go up again at some point as I love going up high things in cities. I'll make sure I have my camera next time too!

'Bowling' by Me

Bowling, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

A couple of months ago we went bowling for my nephew's birthday. It was a really fun day out and I took lots of photos of my family. I also couldn't resist taking this picture. Halfway through our session the main lights were turned out and they put these on. I thought it would make a really cool photo so I really hoped I'd be able to pull it off. I think I did OK. I'm a bit annoyed it's slightly wonky but I think that along with graininess I added sort of contributes to the charm of it. After bowling we went to Pizza Hut to stuff our faces. That day I was reminded that I'm rubbish at bowling but very good at eating pizza.

'Butlers Wharf in Snow' by cybertect

Butlers Wharf in Snow, a photo by cybertect on Flickr.

Today my daughter and I took the train to London to meet up with a friend and her new(ish) little baby. It was a lovely day. It was warm and the sun was shining so we took a stroll by Tower Bridge before stopping for a bite to eat. It was great catching up as we'd not seen each other in absolutely ages. My little girl had a great time too. She though the baby was super cute. She also loved the long ride on the train and was perfectly behaved.

I didn't take any photos myself today but I thought I'd show you this one of where we walked today. It didn't however look quite like this today. This photo really captured my attention. I do like seeing pictures of well known places in the snow as unless you live or work close by you'll never get to see them like this. I am sure this was a pretty much a black and white scene to begin with but I think making this a black and white shot finishes it off perfectly.

'Bergeronnette printanière' by lilian.lemonnier

Bergeronnette printanière, a photo by lilian.lemonnier on Flickr.

It's hard not to love this photo. It's just so subtle and delicate and the fact that it doesn't contain much colour other than yellow really doesn't matter. In fact, I think it makes the photo. And I think you'll find that if you listen very carefully you can hear the beautiful bird song. Shhh, have a listen....

I hope you've all had a beautiful weekend.

'First day of summer' by Soffia Gisladottir

First day of summer, a photo by Soffia Gisladottir on Flickr.

Here's a bright and happy photo for you to start the weekend with. I love the composition of this as it's a really intersting take on a picture of a sunflower. Normally you'd have the whole of the flower itself and not a great big chunk of leaf but this works really well. I never get tired of looking at sunflower images so it's nice to see something a little different.

Happy weekend everyone. Here's to a lovely couple of days!

'Seaside buckets' by Me

Seaside buckets, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

Here's another photo I took on the beach in Swansea last month. I love taking photos like this, that aren't set up at all. I was just sitting on the sand, saw these buckets and though that would make a nice picture. And it did!

I had been planning to use this photo in a post this week about how it was really starting to feel like September now and how it'd been raining lots but I've been a bit surprised by the weather this week. In general it's been rather lovely. Today was particularly beautiful. In fact the weather was warmer and sunnier today than the day I took this photo and that was August. Fingers crossed for a few more lovely days like this before autumn arrived for real.

'Starlings Swarming over West Pier' by tommy martin

Starlings Swarming over West Pier, a photo by tommy martin on Flickr.

I remember West Pier in Brighton before the fire that pretty much destroyed it. I just don't have any great memories of it as it was just some place I took for granted in Brighton. Just something that was there. I wish I'd taken more time to admire it like I do now. I still think West Pier is beautiful. The remains are so fascinating.

I think this is a great picture of the pier before the fire. Gorgeous isn't it? I love the light but my favourite bit is the starlings. Watching them swarm like that is such a surreal and awesome sight. They used to continue to fly like that around the remains. I don't know if they still do. In fact one day I sat on the beach for about an hour just watching these birds. Totally spectacular.

Apologies to people who've never been to Brighton and don't know what I'm going on about. I hope you can still appreciate this lovely photo. If you ever get a chance to visit you really should.

'Peas in a pod' by Me

Peas in a pod, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

One of my earliest childhood memories is sitting on the kitchen floor shelling peas that my parents had grown in the garden. As they got older they lost their enthusiasm for gardening but when I was small they had a fantastic garden full or homegrown fruit and vegetables. I love the idea of growing my own vegetables but really lack the motivation. Therefore when I cook peas they usually come out of the freezer. However, last week when in the supermarket my daughter was rather taken by a bag of peas still in their pods so we bought them. It made me feel really happy watching her sitting on the floor shelling peas like I did when I was about her age. I think I might buy peas like this more often. And maybe one I might even grown some of my own.

I took lots of photos of the event of course as my little girl was really enjoying herself. I also took some pictures of the peas themselves. This one is my favourite.

'Chucks - Grösse 26' by pixel boogie

Chucks - Grösse 26, a photo by pixel boogie on Flickr.

I know I've recently posted a picture of my new Converse trainers but I couldn't resist posting this one as it's really pretty. I love the colours. I'm not after a pink pair for myself but I can see my daughter being treated to a pair at some point! After all a girl can never have too many shoes. Even if she is still only two years old!

I also love this photo as it reminds me that it doesn't matter if my Converse get messed up a little. They're never going to stay perfect and the lived in look is actually rather cool. I love how this photographer has captured all the little details of this particular pair. Lovely photo for lots of different reason.

'The last blossom' by puffy eyes

The last blossom, a photo by puffy eyes on Flickr.

Just a quick one to show you this really striking photo. I love the contrast between the delicate yellow blossoms and the hard grey pavement. I wonder whether the photographer put the flowers there or if there was a tree overhead that they'd fallen off. Either way it makes for a beautiful and creative image. Love it!

Happy weekend everyone!

'yarn' by ·meisi·

yarn, a photo by ·meisi· on Flickr.

I have a huge wool stash which is sitting around doing nothing. I worked out that I've not really done any knitting in about four years. This led me to make the decision that it might be time to hide it away somewhere such as the loft - I wouldn't be able to bring myself to actually get rid of it as I WILL knit again one day and I WILL learn to crochet! However, after making this big decision today I then went and saw three things that made me question my plans.

Firstly I spotted an advert in the local paper for a new wool shop that had opened near me and I couldn't help but get excited. I love have a good rummage through all the different yarns and pretending to myself I'm going to knit something fantastic. Then I stumbled across this gorgeous photo. I love all the colours. They're just so bright and pretty. I want all these balls of wool. And a pretty chairs like this to keep them on of course. And then finally I just saw this blog post. I have been thinking about getting some letters for my daughter's room and this is a fantastic idea.

Now, what on earth am I meant to do? I think the wool gods might be trying to tell me something........

'Children's bookshop' by Me

Children's bookshop, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

Here is a photo of a bookshop in Lewes, East Sussex which is dedicated to children's books. I loved it! I could have spend a whole afternoon browsing so imagine how excited my daughter was. I love books and over the past few years I have totally fallen in love with kid's books. It's fair to say that my little girl has a lot of them as I feel that they shouldn't just be as a treat. Everyone should have lots of books!

I had to take a snap of the shop as it's just so quaint and lovely. Just how a little book shop should look. I wish I'd taken some pictures inside too. I always feel guilty taking pictures in shops though in case the shop owner disappoves for some reason and tells me off!

'FALL - coming soon' by Baqir Ali

FALL - coming soon, a photo by Baqir Ali on Flickr.

I'm going to show you another lovely seasonal photo today. There are lots of great autumn browns and oranges in this shot. The leaves are really beautiful. The best thing about this that it really is all about this one leaf and the detail is great. The other leaves are just background. Now I'm just waiting for the leaves here to change colour so I can get snapping away. It would be great to be able to achieve something as simple yet beautiful as this.

'37/365' by Kelly Russo Photography

37/365, a photo by Kelly Russo Photography on Flickr.

I love lists. In fact I'm a bit of a list-a-holic. It's not often a days goes by without some kind of list being written or used. My all time favourite list has to be the 'To Do' list. In fact many of the posts you read here will have been the product of a point on a 'To Do' list that reads "Do blog post". And I'll let you into a secret - occasionally I have found myself writing something on my "To Do" list that I've already done just so I can tick something off. Crossing things off a list is so satisfying, it makes me feel like I've been really productive.

I didn't think I'd be able to find a suitably beautiful photo to go with this random musing about lists but I was wrong. This is very pretty. I love the way this photo has been taken with some of it out of focus. Also the handwriting is lovely and I'm very jealous because mine's awful. And the prettiest bit is the pink and brown background - fantastic shapes and colours.

'On the beach' by Me

On the beach, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

Today I've been sewing name tapes into sweatshirts and t-shirts as this week my daughter starts pre-school. She's already done a term's worth of short taster sessions which she loved but this week she's starting for real. Luckily she loves it so I'm not worrying too much about how she'll get on but I can't help feel a bit sad. It's like the end of an era. For nearly three years it's been me and her. We've done lots of things, met lots of people and she's always seeing her friends but we've always been together and had a really great time. I say all the time how she's a friend as well as my daughter. I know pre-school will be good for her though and I know I'll end up appreciating some time to myself. It also means that the time we do spend together now will be quality time. I can get all the boring jobs I have to do out of the way while she's out so when she comes home we can just have lots of fun.

I apologise for being a little soppy there. You'd think she was going away to boarding school rather than going to pre-school for just a few hours each week. I guess I'd not realised until now what a big deal it would be for me.

Here's a picture I took of her on the beach in Swansea. I like it because of the way she's standing. It makes me wonder what on earth she was was thinking about. It looks like it was something interesting. I expect she was considering the best place to build a sandcastle or something equally important!

'The smell of summer ....' by Weirena

The smell of summer ...., a photo by Weirena on Flickr.

Today was a summer day. The sun shone brightly, it was hot and we had ice creams. We went to the park to hang out with friends and it was lovely. I love watching our children play together while us mums have a good old natter. I don't think this weather will continue but it was a fantastic goodbye to summer.

I was instantly drawn to this photo as I can't help but smile when I see bright yellow flowers. I really love the colours and tones of this. And I love that the flowers aren't perfect. Some aren't open, some of the petals are bent and I'm sure there's bug crawling on the lens. But that's what makes it great. It's real and real is beautiful.

Happy weekend to you all!

'Coming home...' by Hankye99

Coming home..., a photo by Hankye99 on Flickr.

Well it's September now and as far as I'm concerned it's autumn. That means that any hot and sunny day is a bonus now not one we should be entitled to as it's summer. In fact today was one of these bonus days as we had gorgeous weather. And cold days, whilst not the best thing in the world, are OK because in autumn it's perfectly acceptable to wear boots, jackets, jumpers and even gloves if need be. The only thing I'm really not looking forward to is the rain. At least with summer rain you dry off quickly but during the colder months if you get caught in the morning you just end cold and damp all day.

Here's a photo to celebrate the beauty of autumn. The leaves here are beautiful and especially striking against the blue sky and water. I love sunny autumn days like this. My favourite bit of this though are the swans. It's interesting how they are all swimming in the same direction. It looks like they're all on a mission to get somewhere important.

Happy September to you all!