'Winter leaves' by Me

Winter leaves, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

Two weeks ago I posted a photo of some beautiful autumn leaves while out for a walk. I found all the different shades of autumn colours so beautiful it was impossible not to stop and take a few shots. Anyway, yesterday I walked past that very same tree and this is how it looked. What a difference two weeks makes. The leaves are still beautiful in their own way but doesn't it look much more cold and wintery in this picture? I must make sure I go back in another two weeks to see what the tree is like. I am guessing it'll be bare branches by then.

'A piece of my world' by Kursiv

A piece of my world, a photo by Kursiv on Flickr.

This time last year it snowed. And it wasn't just a spinkling of snow it was the proper thick stuff. A little part of me hoped it would snow early again this year - I think because my daughter is so excited at the prospect - but in reality I'd rather it stayed away until after Christmas. December is always such a busy time and I don't want to spend it worrying about whether things are going to have to be cancelled due to the weather. I wouldn't mind a little snow in January though. After all we've finally forked out on proper snow boots for each of us and of course I really need to get some pretty snowy photos.

Here is an extremely pretty snowy photograph. In fact 'pretty' is the wrong word really because I think it's truly stunning. It's the beautiful light that does it for me. It makes me want to squeal a little in delight. And look at the perfect freshly fallen snow. I wonder how long it stayed like that for.

'Gingerbread house - before' by Me

Gingerbread house - before, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

An impulse buy at the supermarket this weekend let us to kick start Christmas in a yummy way this evening. We bought a build your own gingerbread house kit and it was actually rather a fun thing for us to do together as a family. I had to get a few pictures as soon as it was done of course as this didn't actually stay standing for long. Shortly after this photo was taken the demolition began. Mmmmm, gingerbread!! And we weren't too greedy - there's plenty left for us to tuck into tomorrow. I have a feeling we may have started a new Christmas tradition here. I can definitely see us doing this again next year!

'oh what a beautiful morning' by pam ullman

oh what a beautiful morning, a photo by pam ullman on Flickr.

Did you all have a lovely weekend? Ours was great. We caught up with friends yesterday which involved the best fry-up at their local cafe, followed by spending ages in the local playground. The men did the playing while us girls sat on a bench for a natter. And of course it meant I could watch my daughter playing with her daddy. I love that, just sitting and appreciating what a happy little girl she is. Then today was a bit of a relaxy day. We did a little bit of shopping but mostly spent time catching up with things round the house and doing a lot of crafts with the little one! I even had an afternoon nap. And I NEVER sleep during the day. Not that I haven't tried but my body just doesn't seem to want to switch off normally.

I chose this picture to share with you today as it seemed like a perfect relaxed Sunday image. It was taken just after sunrise apparently. What a beautiful start to the day and perfectly captured by the photographer.

'12/30' by kirstinmckee

12/30, a photo by kirstinmckee on Flickr.

I'm not usually a huge fan of blurriness in photos (except for really beautiful bokeh). I like images to be really sharp, crisp and clear. However, I love this picture. It's just one big blur but it's the sharpest, crispest blur ever. I hope one day I can take a night photo as amazing as this. Everything has been captured perfectly. London has so many opportunities for beautiful night photos. Personally I'm hoping to get some of this year's Oxford Street Christmas lights. Hoping I might get the chance in a few weeks.

Happy weekend folks. Hope you all have a lovely time whatever your plans are!

'Bakery Style Cupcake 4' by Sweetapolita

Bakery Style Cupcake 4, a photo by Sweetapolita on Flickr.

When Designed by RJ said she was always happy to drool over baked goods and sweets I decided I was happy to oblige and provide her with some pretty cakes to drool over. My first stop had to be a photo from the Sweetapolita blog. This lady makes the most amazing cakes. I’d say they were almost too pretty to eat – almost. I’ve not tasted them obviously but if they taste half as good as they look then I imagine they’re pretty amazing.

And what’s just as fantastic are the photos she takes of the cakes. They are seriously stunning. For example the colour and focus in this one is spot on. You can see that this is a whole plate of yummy cakes but it’s all about that one cake at the front. I want to dive right in and eat that one now.

'Fly Away Home' by Hueystar

Fly Away Home, a photo by Hueystar on Flickr.

A little Christmas update... All the presents we bought this weekend are now wrapped. I thought I'd attempt a wrapping session this afternoon with my three year old and amazingly she didn't get bored and we had great fun together. I love the fact that she's excited about the presents we're giving other people and it's not just about what she wants and might be getting.

This isn't a Christmassy photo, I thought I'd save them for the time being, but it did make me go "wow"! The compostion is awesome. Love how the birds were flying by at exactly the right moment. The subject of the picture is adorable. How lovely for the mother and child to be taking a stroll down to the sea on such a beautiful evening. And talking of evening - that is one beautifully captured sunset.

'Up and away' by Me

Up and away, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

I think it's going to snow soon. It has to, there's no other reason for this really mild autumn other than luring us into a false sense of security. Just as we let our guard down... bam... there comes the snow! Fingers crossed though if it does snow I can have a big photo session as I've not actually taken many this month. Therefore here's another one from my trip to Beachy Head watching the paragliders. I am pleased with this because it's so bold and bright and I always love a clear blue sky like that.

'Globule' by Dan in Marseille

Globule, a photo by Dan in Marseille on Flickr.

Hello again. I hope you all had a lovely weekend. We had a rather productive one as we managed to get most of our Christmas shopping done. And it wasn't too stressful as the shops weren't even that busy. I have been feeling super organised this Christmas - I even thought I might start writing my Christmas cards now which is very early for me. Perhaps it some kind of pregnancy nesting thing!

Hope you've also had a good Monday. Here is a photo that I thought would make a rather fun start to the week. It's a fantastic capture. It's hard not to smile at the look on that fish's face!

'Winter trees' by Zenon Lisztwan

Winter trees, a photo by Zenon Lisztwan on Flickr.

I promised you another fantastic wintery photo this week and here it is. Isn't it amazing? It looks like a proper enchanted forest. The angle at which it was taken makes the trees look even taller than I imagine they were. Also perfect in this picture is the sun peeping through the trees. And you've just got to love that rich blue sky. It's hard to feel cold and miserable in the snow when there's a beautiful sky like that.

Wishing you all a happy and warm weekend!

'White Chocolate Mocha' by cheska annelliese.

White Chocolate Mocha, a photo by cheska annelliese. on Flickr.

I think this photo is wonderful. It's just a cup of coffee on a windowsill but the light is totally perfect. And what makes this extra special are the leaves leaves scattered round it. A lovely autumn picture which warms me up a treat. Of course I'm pretending it's hot chocolate in there as I can't stand coffee. Bleugh, horrible stuff! It's one of those things that I can't even pretend to like to be polite. But don't worry my mum always said that I'd like coffee (and tea, as I don't drink that either) when I grow up. Therefore, I may be in my 30s but I am officially not grown up yet! That's kinda cool!

'Autumn leaves' by Me

Autumn leaves, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

I'm always disappointed I never take enough nice autumn photos but whilst walking home yesterday I spotted the most beautiful tree and had to stop to take a few pictures. There were so many wonderful yellows, greens and browns it was hard to pick which image was my favourite but I think this one is it. I really want to go out again now and take some more pretty leaf pictures before they all fall off and winter is upon us.

'walk away' by gato-gato-gato

walk away, a photo by gato-gato-gato on Flickr.

A big thank you to those of you who gave me some suggestions for photos. I must admit I've felt a little inspired and have enjoyed searching for some beautiful images to show you. The first photo is a lovely wintery one as requested by SAHMlovingit. I actually have two I want to share with you so you'll have another one to make you feel all frosty later in the week.

I love this one because the scenery is stunning. I love all that unspoiled snow. Although it feels good I actually feel rather sad being the first to step in fresh snow. It's so lovely when it snows at night and it's just sitting there looking pretty. I find it a shame that in a few hours all the cars and people will have trampled all over it making it icy and slushy.

Anyway, my very favourite bit of this photo is the people in it. Seriously, how far must they have walked? And what about the photographer himself? Was he just out for an afternoon stroll in the snow? That's dedication to get the perfect photo.

Now time to make a hot chocolate and warm up!!

'Vintage Ornaments on White Christmas Tree' by charlie3engineer

Vintage Ornaments on White Christmas Tree, a photo by charlie3engineer on Flickr.

I'm actually getting rather excited about Christmas already which is rare for me as I don't generally feel festive until December. This year though I've been excited since the beginning of November. I am blaming two things. Firstly Pinterest! It's full of pretty Christmas images and I want my house to look that pretty this year! And secondly, this is the first year my daughter had totally "got" Christmas and it's so magical. She currently compiling and present wish list and is busy rehearsing for her pre-school nativity.

Anyway, because of my festive mood I thought I'd show you a sneaky Christmas photo. I love this because of all the pretty colours. Definitely the loveliest collection of ornaments ever. And what really makes this picture special is the the light shining through from behind making the whole thing just shine.

That's it, I won't mention the 'C' word until December now.... Well, I'll try not to.

'Want one?' by MarcelGermain

Want one?, a photo by MarcelGermain on Flickr.

What are you doing reading this? I want you over on my previous post leaving me some ideas for photos you'd like to see on here. Go on, you know you want to help a tired, uninspired, pregnant lady in need. Sob sob.

Oh and as for this gorgeous photo... I'm bribing you with chocolate. Doesn't it just show off these chocolates just perfectly? Really well lit and I love the bright white background. No fuss, just chocolate.

'L O S T D R E A M S O N W A X' by *r3M'S*

L O S T D R E A M S O N W A X, a photo by *r3M'S* on Flickr.

I really am so tired at the moment and have found I’m lacking a little in motivation and inspiration for my blog, therefore I’ve decided to throw the floor open to you lovely readers again. What would you like to see photos of on here? I did this a little while ago and it was interesting to see what kind of things you love to look at. So come on do tell. What kind of photos would you like me to show you? I’d love to hunt out something just for you to make you smile.

And I'm featuring this photo today just because it's pretty darn amazing. I don't know how this was taken but... wow, it's effective. And if the subject itself isn't awesome enough then add together the great colour tones and you've got yourself an truly spectacular photograph!

'Balloons' by Me

Balloons, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

It’s been a while since I announced I was pregnant so I thought it was time for a little update on how things are going. I’m nearly 16 weeks now and still have morning sickness but it’s not too bad. In fact I’d say it was just getting tedious. But that’s a good thing. My morning sickness when pregnant with my daughter was soul destroying and miserable for the whole nine months.

And excitingly I finally have a little bit of a bump. Although to be honest nobody’s really going to notice because it’s nearly winter and I’m wearing coats and big jumpers at the moment. It’s rather annoying actually because most of my maternity clothes from first time round are quite redundant. I lost a little bit of weight recently so the trousers I wore before are all too big for me now. The tops fit fine but because I was pregnant in the summer before I just have lots of little t-shirts which aren’t going to be much use over the next few months. I guess perhaps it’s an excuse to go shopping. Don’t want to spend a fortune on maternity clothes but I have bought some lovely pairs of jeans which are so comfy. As I live in jeans these days I thought a few comfy pairs were an absolute must.

And talking of shopping I don’t think we’ve done any whatsoever for the baby yet. We’ve realised that we pretty much have everything we need already except for a buggy. We need a new one of those as our original one got broken. No idea where to start though as I’m really looking for the perfect one.

Anyway, I could go on but I am sure you’re keen to see a photo of some kind. Well here’s one I took of some of the balloons we’ve had kicking around the house lately. We’ve got so many left over from birthday celebrations and from Halloween. Seems a shame to pop them and I don’t think my daughter would be impressed. I think we may have to discretely let a few go soon though!

'happy last day of summer!' by hannah * honey & jam

happy last day of summer!, a photo by hannah * honey & jam on Flickr.

I'm showing you a photo tonight that I think is really lovely. It's just a simple collection of plants picked from the garden but I think they look so pretty put together like that. I really love the colours here. The yellow and green are so fresh and summery. And of course the light is wonderful. I thought now would be a nice time to look at this as it's finally starting to turn wintery here now. The scarves and gloves are now out.

'Disney - The Wonderful World of Color - In Black & White - Wishes (Explored)' by Express Monorail

Disney - The Wonderful World of Color - In Black & White - Wishes (Explored), a photo by Express Monorail on Flickr.

My husband and I love going to see an organised firework display on Fireworks Night. In fact we've pretty much been to one somewhere every year we've been together. However, this year my daughter's been saying for weeks how she hates fireworks and doesn't want to go. Fair enough I guess. The playing fields we usually go to see them at are very dark and for a little child could be very intimidating. She loved it the first year we went but last year she got all upset and we had to leave. Anyway, we respected her fears and stayed away tonight. So.... how come her and I spent the evening looking out of the window looking at the all the neighbours fireworks? And why after she went to bed was she still getting excited about them? Aparently she loves fireworks now! Oh well, roll on next year!

Here is a surprisingly stunning firework photo. I say surpising because you really wouldn't expect a black and white photo to be very interesting. Surely fireworks are all about the colours. However, this is excellent and the lack of colour makes it all the more striking. In fact I don't think this photo would have made nearly as much impact in colour.

Hope you've been having a nice (and safe) fireworks night.

''Snow Day!', United States, New York, New York City, Snow Day' by WanderingtheWorld

'Snow Day!', United States, New York, New York City, Snow Day, a photo by WanderingtheWorld (www.LostManProject.com) on Flickr.

Well it's turned a bit rainy but all in all the weather's been behaving itself here. I'm actually finding it quite mild still. I'm sure by November I'm usually in scarf and gloves. However, I have heard that winter will probably be here by the end of the month. I guess that means we may even get snow in November again like we did last year. For some reason I'm quite looking forward to the snow this year. I've no idea why. It'll just cause chaos on the roads and panic buying in the shops. Perhaps my daughter's excitement about snow is rubbing off on me. She got new snow boots at the weekend and has been asking me constantly since when it's going to snow!

I totally love this snowy photograph. It's such a bright and lively image. I like how there's so much going on. It shows people getting with their day trying to carry on as normal dispite the snow. The detail in the snow is great too. I can almost feel the crunch underfoot of someone walking over it. The HDR effect on this also works so well. It makes the photo look so crisp (like the weather). I almost feel like I'm there right now.

'Autumn bike ride' by Me

Autumn bike ride, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

I am getting old! This afternoon my daughter and I were looking at photos of me on a school trip when I was about 17 years old. She saw a photo of me and asked, "Is that you when you were younger?". "Yes" I replied. Then she delivers the killer line, "Was that in olden times?" Errr..... Yes... I guess it was... Sob sob.

Oh well, I may as well accompany this post with a cute photo of my little girl. It was a special moment as it was the first time she went out on her new bike! As a proud mummy I took lots of photos and made lots of little videos. It's this one that I think is the most artistic though as I love the beautiful colours of the leaves. I bet one day she'll be telling her children this was taken in olden days!