'Happy New Year MMXI' by ~ Maria ~

Happy New Year MMXI, originally uploaded by ~ Maria ~.

Happy new year to you all. I hope 2011 brings you much joy and happiness. I shall keep this short and sweet and leave you with this beautiful New Year's Eve photo. I think the colours are just beautiful and a bit unusual for a champagne glass shot. I really like all the blurry candles in the background as they give it a bit of extra sparkle. I'm also thinking just how much I fancy a glass of bubbly myself right now.

'Ireland kitchen view' by kaysare

Ireland kitchen view, originally uploaded by kaysare.

When I saw this photo I knew straight away that this is the image I'd be sharing with you tonight. It's a really well composed photo with great colours and light. I am also loving that beautiful view from the window. If I could see that out of my kitchen window I know I would never complain about having to do the washing up. This picture was taken in Kerry in Ireland. I've only been to Ireland once. We spent a couple of days in Dublin and I absolutely loved it there and would love to go back. I'd also like to experience the Irish countryside as I just know it is stunning and I'd fill a whole memory card with photos. Actually thinking about it, I could do with booking a holiday!

'Untitled (365/306)' by JenniPenni

Untitled (365/306), originally uploaded by JenniPenni.

Right folks, I'm back properly now. I actually rather enjoyed a really short blogging break and now I'm very excited about finding some fantastic photos to show you in 2011.

As I said yesterday I hope you all had a great Christmas and have something nice planned for New Year's Eve. I must admit I had a fab Christmas. It was made extra special this year because my daughter was so excited by the whole thing. I think her favourite bit was the presents! I got some cool gifts too. My lovely husband got me a new compact camera as the one I carry around with me EVERYWHERE in my handbag is sadly getting worn out from serious over use. I've not really had much of a play with it yet as I've been using my larger camera over the holidays. I'm also feeling a bit sad for my old camera which has done me so proud over the past few years. However, I'm sure my guilt will wear off and I'll be showing you the results soon!

In the mean time here is a rather wonderful snowy photo I found today. It's so simple yet so effective. It's definitely another one of those images that seems to be silent and peaceful. I would love to know if the bike was that deep in snow or whether it was just taken at a clever angle. Great shot that's making me almost miss the snow.

'Flowers in the sun' by Me

Flowers in the sun, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

Hope you all had a fantstic Christmas. I'm just stopping by to say hello as I've been neclecting my blog for the past few days. There just seem to have been so many other things keeping me busy but that's not surprising considering it's Christmas time. Don't worry more beautiful photos will follow shortly so don't go anywhere!

Oh and this is one of mine. My favourite thing about it is the light as you can see it was a gorgeous summer day. I can't wait to be taking sunny flower photos again!

'this is my winter song, december never felt so wrong.' by emma jayne D.

this is my winter song, december never felt so wrong., originally uploaded by emma jayne D. {busy with school}.

Well Christmas Eve has arrived so it's time to properly kick off the festivities and also show you one final festive photo. This one really is so precious and beautiful. I love the soft tone of this, I think candy canes are great and I love the child's cardigan. And you know what I love the most, the little touch of the sleeves being turned out because that is just so realistic when it comes to little one's clothes.

So it's time now to say a very Merry Christmas from me. Hope you all have a totally fantastic time and Santa brings you everything you wish for!

'Bauble' by me

Bauble, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

I have been snapping away at my Christmas tree the last few days as I really wanted to show you a nice Christmassy pictures of my own this week. I must admit I've not found it easy to get the shot I was after but I am pretty pleased with this one. I think it has a Christmas evening glow about it. I hope you like it.

Oh and three more sleeps 'til Christmas.... Woohoo! I really am such a big kid!!

'Making it Sparkle!' by Blossom Tree Photography

Making it Sparkle!, originally uploaded by Blossom Tree Photography.

Only four sleeps until Christmas so I really need to use these next few days to show you some beautiful festive photos.

I think this one is adorable and I wish I had taken one like this of my little girl. This child really looks like she enjoying decorating the tree and at this young age every Christmas becomes brand new adventure. This photo really captures that Christmas magic. And the tree is so pretty. I love the assortment of decorations. I think our tree looks great but I think I'd really like to start collecting some different ornaments along the way now. I hung up two wooden decorations that my daughter had coloured in yesterday and I must say even though they are so different to everything else on the tree they really make me smile every time I see them!

'Snowy avenue' by ZedBee | Zoë Power

Snowy avenue, originally uploaded by ZedBee | Zoë Power.

Well it's still all snowy outside. I did think it was starting to melt earlier today but then it snowed again this evening. Ah well, at least it means I have a great excuse for another snowy picture. This one is beautiful. It's also another one which I think would have made a great picture even without the snow as the line of trees is just fantastic. However, contrast of the bright snow against the branches just finishes this off perfectly. This is the kind of photo that helps me to think about how pretty the snow can be and not how much inconvenience it causes.

'Bench Monday~Practicing Our Carols Edition~ 25 Days of Christmas~Day 7' by fullofbliss

Bench Monday~Practicing Our Carols Edition~ 25 Days of Christmas~Day 7, originally uploaded by fullofbliss.

Just think, this time next week it will be Christmas day. By this point in the evening I'm sure I'll probably be sitting in front of the telly with a glass of wine in one hand and a turkey sandwich in the other! It's actually quite weird because to me it almost feels like Christmas should be sooner than a whole week away. A week is ages! Plenty of time for all the annoying snow to go away but I'll save that rant for another post!

Anyway, on to today's festive photograph. I have been looking at so many lovely sparkly Christmassy images and I really do like bauble photos but this is the one that really caught my eye today. There's not a shiny decoration or piece of tinsel in sight but I love it's traditional feel. I love the thought of gathering round the piano at Christmas time to sing a few carols. And this really captures the that kind of Christmas spirit. And of course it goes without saying that I think the girl's shoes and tights are just fabulous!

'Parachute' by Me

Parachute, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

Thought I'd go for something a bit abstract today. Can you guess what it is? You probably did as as you saw the title of this photo but just in case you didn't see, it's the inside of a parachute. And by parachute I don't mean I've been jumping out of planes - it's a big colourful one children use for playing games with. I took this at my daughter's toddler group Christmas party. I was of course taking pictures of her but with such a colourful photo opportunity in front of me I just had to point the camera upwards!

I think bright multicoloured photos are great but it's amazing how hard it is to find fantastic colours like this to take pictures of. Considering I didn't have much time to take this I think it worked out pretty well.

'.stayin cool.' by *miss*leah*

.stayin cool., originally uploaded by *miss*leah*.

I have been very much looking forward to Christmas so I was really disappointed to learn that more snow has been forecast for the next couple of weeks. As the UK is just so rubbish at dealing with snow I fear that it although a white Christmas would be pretty it would really spoil things. Luckily we are not going away anywhere but we have still got lots of plans in the next few weeks to be out and about seeing people and having people come over to visit.

Therefore I am posting the beautiful summery photo to try and keep the snow away! I love it. I feel warm just looking at it. You can tell it was a sunny day because of all the light bouncing off the water. You can also tell it was really hot and I bet it wasn't long after this picture was taken that the child jumped into the pool. Beautiful summer photo. Definitely one to go back to when it's all cold and snowy outside.

'Merry Christmas' by Me

Merry Christmas, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

I have just realised that the Christmas tree has now been up for two whole days and I've not even pointed the camera at it once! That will definitely be rectified very soon and the results will (hopefully) be shared with you!

And do you remember I said I was very unprepared in this post well just to update you, we now have lots of food bought, most of the presents are wrapped and cards are all written and ready to be sent! I think the Christmas tree must have spurred me on to get things done.

Anyway, will leave you with this photo I took last year. I really like it because it's simple but still rather festive. I love the shine on the bow, the light must have been just right when I took this. And of course red and white are always a great basis for a photo.

'stourhead ice 3' by tamsyng

stourhead ice 3, originally uploaded by tamsyng.

If you are not feeling cold already then this photo is sure to make you shiver. I think this is a lovely photo. The composition is just right and I bet this would have made a beautiful photo even if it had been taken on a hot and sunny day. This is great though because the photographer has managed to capture every bit of the coldness. In fact I'm off to get my hat and scarf right now.

'First Christmas Ornaments' by ·meisi·

First Christmas Ornaments - Explored #8 Thanks!, originally uploaded by ·meisi·.

Another suggestion for photos was made by Kelly from A place of my own. She suggested a few festive photos in the run up to Christmas. I think this is a great suggestion and have featured a few already. However, I've now realised that there are only two weeks until the big day now so if I want to show you some lovely Christmassy shots then I'd better get on with it before it's all over for another year.

So here is a lovely festive photo! I love how pretty and light it is. And I really, really love the sparkly bokeh through the window. It looks like there is a shiny Christmas tree outside. And I love these handmade decorations. They look so nice but I can guarantee that if I made them they'd just look like dodgy bits of cardboard hanging on a peace of string. I guess I'll just have to admire this instead.

'~ Droplets ~' by Diиa ツ

~ Droplets ~, originally uploaded by Diиa ツ.

When I asked you what you wanted to see on this blog christinemosler said she loved macro photography. I love it too so I was very happy to oblige and find a gorgeous macro shot to post here. This one is fantastic. It's not so much the detail I love, because a lot of it is actually purposely burred, but the colour. The red and the green are just so bright and vibrant it really brings this photo to life. Although saying that the water droplets are captured rather beautifully too.

'Making Christmas cards' by Me

Making Christmas cards, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

I can't believe it's just two and a bit weeks until Christmas now. December always seems to go so fast. I was feeling rather smug as pretty much all my Christmas shopping is done now but then I remembered that I've not done anything else. I've not written any cards (or even dedcided needs to get one), not sorted food, not a single present wrapped and I am hoping that my little girl has got a nice stocking hiding up the loft somewhere. She had one last year so there must still be one up there somewhere. Anyway, today to get in the Christmas spirit my daughter and I had a go at making some cards. Not sure if any of these will actually get sent but it was rather fun! So how about you? Are you all ready for Christmas?

'The night before---' by tollen

The night before---, originally uploaded by tollen.

Now the snow has pretty much gone here I can start thinking about it in a romantic way again. I can focus on how pretty it looks and not all the chaos it tend to cause.

This is a fantastic snowy photo. I love that it shows off that orangey glow you get when it snows at night. Snowy nights are always rather magical because of that glow. I love sticking my head out of the window and taking in the freshness and silence.

It feels like the person who took this photo was going home. That they'd been out when the snow started to fall heavily and now they can see a cozy warm home just a short walk away. If you look carefully you can see the snow falling and it looks pretty heavy. I hope there was a huge mug of hot chocolate and a snuggly duvet waiting for them.

'chalk' by japhy2009

chalk, originally uploaded by japhy2009.

When I saw this photo I just smiled with delight as I think it's just so beautiful. It funny isn't it how one photo can sometimes really get you. I love the fact it's so random - chalk in an egg box on a bed. The photographer clearly thought this would work and it really did. What I love most though are the colours. So subtle and lovely and with the slight vintage tone that I adore. I could look at this photo all day.

'Bucket and spade' by Me

Bucket and spade, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

I hope those of you who've had snow have been enjoying it. It was fun for the first couple of days but I'm getting a bit bored of it now. I just want everything to get back to normal now. Although saying that I got a new pair practical boots for wearing in the snow today so if it's stays just a bit snowy then at least I'll be getting lots of use out of them. I must admit it was strange choosing shoes for their practicality rather than their prettiness. But hey, shoe shopping is still shoe shopping.

Here is a photo I took yesterday. My daughter thought it would be a great idea to use her bucket and spade in the snow. We even made snowcastles! This photo wasn't really set up, I just saw the bucket and spade in the snow and thought "Yay, that'll make a great photo. I'll be blogging that tomorrow!"

'Christmas baubles 1*' by Lee Ann L.

Christmas baubles 1*, originally uploaded by Lee Ann L..

I was rather disappointed last night as I really wanted to celebrate the first day of December with a Christmassy blog post. However, I found myself with a stinking headache so took myself off to bed early to feel sorry for myself there. Luckily the headache is all gone now so here is a fantastic photo to show you now the count down to Christmas has really begun.

I think baubles make a fantastic subject for a photo. In fact when ours come down from the loft ready to go on the tree I shall no doubt be snapping away. Really hope to get some nice festive photos this year.

In the meantime here is a great bauble picture taken by someone else. I love all the colours and I love that they are all lined up so neatly. I wonder how that was done as they usually do roll around quite a lot. Also the nosy part of me loves bauble photos as I like to try and see what is reflected in them. I can't see much going on in these ones unfortunately.

Anyway, hope the Christmas season has started well for you and you've enjoyed the first two choccies in your advent calendar!

'Snowy tree' by Me

Snowy tree, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

So it finally snowed in my part of the country. It wasn't a lot of snow but more is apparently on it's way. The best thing about it though was just how super excited my little girl was about it! I decided when we went out today that I wasn't going to go home until I had something on my camera that I could post on my blog tonight. Here is the result. What do you think? I always think that trees make an interesting subject for a photo. On this tree I like how it there was just a thin layer of snow on every branch. I wish there had been bright blue skies today but it was actually rather a grey day so I made this black and white for extra impact. I am sure there will be a lot more snow this winter so I'll make sure I try to get some more snowy pictures over the next few months.

'A Balanced Brickfast' by powerpig

A Balanced Brickfast, originally uploaded by powerpig.

I really like this photo. I like it because it's quirky and creative. My favourite thing about it is definitely the colours though. So bright and happy. I think this would actually make a rather nice poster. Not sure where I would put it but I think it would look great nonetheless.

It also reminds me of breakfast time. I do rather like a refreshing bowl of cereal in the morning. I remember for years I never even bothered with breakfast at home. It's only now I'm at home with my daughter that we share this meal together. And by share I mean we have a bowl of cereal each but he helps herself to mine while I'm eating then makes a start on her own. So that means she gets one and a half breakfasts and I just get half. Oh well, I guess that's a good dieting tip!

Anyway, enough of my waffle (mmm, waffles.....). Now just enjoy this photo. Hope it makes you smile!

'Air France over Maho Beach 2' by Arian Durst

Air France over Maho Beach 2, originally uploaded by Arian Durst.

I thought I'd post something a little different tonight so this one is especially for Unknown Mami. She said she liked seeing pictures of gerber daisies, bridges and oddities and I was intruiged by what photos I could find that could be called an oddity. I don't know if this counts but I think it's pretty amazing. It's not a fake photo, this is a real place in the Caribbean. It was taken on Maho Beach which is on the island of Sint Maarten. Directly next to the beach is the runway of Princess Juliana International Airport which is so short the planes really have to get down low to touch down as soon as possible. I think having a plane fly so low over head head would freak me out a little but apparently it's a really popular spot of plane spotters. I hope you all find this as weird and fascinating as I do!

'Remotiflora' by floridapfe

Remotiflora, originally uploaded by floridapfe.

I've not posted a flower photo for a while so here is an amazing one! The detail in this is simply awesome and it almost looks like it's in 3D. The little flowers really look like they leaping out of the photo.

I'd also like to wish any Americans who are stopping by today a happy Thanksgiving. We don't have Thanksgiving here but I think it sounds like a wonderful opportunity to really think about all the good things we have in our lives and what we can be really thankful for.

'My daughter the photographer' by Me (well it's my camera but it was actually taken by my little girl)

My daughter the photographer, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

This morning while my daughter and I were still in our PJs I decided I wanted to photograph the shoes I wore out on Friday night simply because I love them. Yes, I know it's Wednesday and I should have put them away by now. But anyway, I didn't get a lot of photographs taken as my two-year-old decided she rather be wearing them herself. She loves shoes - I've trained her well.

She also really wanted a go with my nice camera which I don't usually let her touch but today I decide to let her. It's quite a heavy camera for her obviously but she managed a couple of shots of me and some of her feet when she was sitting on my lap. When looking through the photos later this one really caught my eye. I think it's lovely. I haven't edited in any way either. This is exactly how it came out of the camera.

A toddler's eye view of her feet whilst sitting on mummy's lap learning about photography. It couldn't be more perfect!

'le vieillard' by vanil.noir

le vieillard, originally uploaded by vanil.noir.

When I saw this photo I just thought, 'Wow'! It is just so beautiful and so peaceful and calm. You can almost hear the silence - if that makes any sense to you. There really is something so magical about freshly fallen snow and this really captures that.

I also thought I'd better post this now before the snow does really show it's face and everyone gets all cross because it's not quite as magical as we all hoped! Although, my baby is now a toddler who says she loves snow so I think there are going to be a few magical moments there this winter.

'sequoia' by f/stopboy

sequoia, originally uploaded by f/stopboy.

When Emma at A matter of choice told me she'd like to see some dog related photos because she was missing her old dogs I thought I'd see what I could find! Having never had a pet myself I've never really had much interest in animal photography so I thought this would be a great excuse to have a look at some different types of photos myself.

I found I really liked this one. What struck me most about this were the gorgeous colours. I love the shades of brown and the blue of the blanket contrasts so well. I'm sure the photograper didn't have long to capture this image but it really does look like the dog was posing for a proper portrait. I hope Emma likes my choice!

'Wakehurst Place' by Me

Wakehurst Place, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

You said you wanted to see more of my photos so here is one by me! This was taken at Wakehurst Place in West Sussex this summer. I do like it that we are National Trust members. We have quite a few National Trust gardens and properties near us so it's really good to be able to jump in the car and have somewhere pretty to spend the afternoon. The entrance fees are usually quite expensive so we may not have bothered otherwise and missed out on some lovely places. Also because we've not paid to get in we don't feel bad if we only stay an hour and leave. But the most important thing of course is that there are loads of fantastic photo opportunities! I am really pleased with how this one turned out. It's often quite hard to get a photo of this house without hoards of people hanging around the front spoiling the picture.

'Disco Christmas Ball' by myruby

Disco Christmas Ball, originally uploaded by myruby.

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend. I went to my first Christmas party of the year last night and had a rather excellent time. I had my camera with me and took lots of photos but of course they were all of my friends and I having a bit of a giggle on the dancefloor! Therefore here is a rather Christmassy photo to get you in the festive mood. For me this kind of image really does sum up Christmas. The tree, the colours and the lights are all so festive. My favourite bit of this photo is the way the photographer has captured the beams of light coming off the fairy lights. They look like little stars. And of course I like the mini disco ball as it reminds me of Christmas parties!

'Hay Bales' by Monster.

Hay Bales, originally uploaded by Monster..

Thank you for all your lovely responses to yesterday's post. I wasn't fishing for compliments but it was so wonderful to hear you say nice things about my own photography. I will make an effort to post more of my own pictures in future. After all if you can't show off your own work on your blog where can you?

And if was great to get some inspiration from you about what photos you'd like to see. Therefore, I have posted this picture tonight especially for Crystal Jigsaw who said she loved countryside views. Hay bales are something I've always wanted to photograph. The trouble is when I do get a good view of some it's when we are driving by in the car and there's never a good place to stop for a photo.

This photo is great. I think it's really interesting how the field is in two parts - the three bales in detail in the foreground and then an assortment of different bales in the background. I also love all the shades of orange and brown. It shows that a photo like this doesn't need blue skies and fluffy clouds to be great.

'Pink' by Me

Pink, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

I have had this blog for getting on for a year now and must admit I really do love writing it and searching for beautiful photos. I thought however, I'd throw it open to you, my gorgeous readers, and ask what you'd like to see here. Tell me what you love and I will try and find the most stunning photos I can. Is there a particular place you love, a food, an animal, a flower? What photos would make you smile?

Oh and the above photo is one of mine. I think it looks rather surreal in a way. I never get bored of taking macro flower photos.

'Au centre de l'univers 2' by adfo1

Au centre de l'univers 2, originally uploaded by adfo1.

I am showing you this photo tonight as it’s just a perfect photographic study of an insect. The detail is amazing. I especially like how it almost seems to have a human face which is concentrating hard on what it’s doing. The light is beautiful too. It’s very clever how the photographer has captured the subject right in the middle of the sun. Fantastic work.

'bookmarks.' by indierocket

bookmarks., originally uploaded by indierocket.

I like this photo for two reasons. Firstly, it’s a great photo. I think if I'd seen this box of bookmarks I'd have wanted to take a picture of them too. There are so many colours in this shot but it is still so subtle. It makes me really want to see all the different pictures used on the bookmarks as they look like great photos too!

And secondly, I used to collect bookmarks when I was a child so it makes me feel like trying to find where the hell I put them all. I used to mainly collect the leather ones you buy at touristy places. I had loads of them! I kind of wish I still collected them now as I see them everywhere we visit and always wistfully think that would be good for my collection.

It's quite strange that I now don't actually use posh bookmarks at all. My books usually have train tickets, scraps of paper or free bookmarks from book shops sticking out of them.

Do you have anything you've collected for years? Is it more exciting than bookmarks?

'Birthday Cake Sliced' by Sweetapolita

Birthday Cake Sliced, originally uploaded by Sweetapolita.

Isn't this just so pretty? I wish things I baked looked this lovely. When I cook it's just a bit of a mess really. The cake is even sliced perfectly. I obviously love the photo too. The composition, the bokeh, the colours - it all works so perfectly and is a great way to show of such an edible delight. I bet it tastes quite nice too.

Anyway, happy weekend to you all. I hope you all have a weekend as beautiful as this cake.

'My marvelous minolta.' by Sarah{Jane}

My marvelous minolta., originally uploaded by Sarah{Jane}.

When I saw this gorgeous photo I was instantly inspired. It makes me want to go outside and take wintery photos. The light in this makes me think it was a cold but beautiful day. But I mainly was inspired by the combination of gloves and camera. You see I bought a pair of fingerless gloves a few weeks ago simply because they were cute and cheap! However, I didn't really know when I'd wear them. I always get cold fingers why would I want them exposed? Then this photo made me realise that fingerless gloves are for taking photos in. Why, oh why, didn't I realise this sooner? I'd always been taking my gloves off or trying to fiddle around with the camera with my fingers all covered up. Right, I just need to go and find the gloves now! I wonder where I put them.

'Home baking' by Me

Home baking, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

Little one wanted to do cooking today so that's just what we did. It only really involved adding an egg to some cake mix but she loved it. And the cakes turned out to be rather tasty too.

And from a photography point of view it was good too. It was so lovely and sunny today I just really wanted to take some photos but couldn't decide what of. These cakes made a perfect mini photoshoot. Oh and I let my daughter have one before I started taking the photos. I don't think I would have got away with just photographing them and not actually letting her eat one!

'True colors are beautiful like a rainbow' by neloqua

True colors are beautiful like a rainbow, originally uploaded by neloqua.

I don't really have a lot to say tonight. I just thought it was about time I posted a brightly coloured photo. I like this one as it's simple but so summery and bright. It has really captured that summer holiday round the swimming pool feeling. I only wish it was warm enough to fancy diving in!

'Hot chocolate break' by Me

Hot chocolate break, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

This one is for everyone who got caught in the rain today. Although I guess there are people reading this on the other side of the world who are enjoying warm spring weather right now. If any of you still fancy a hot chocolate you are most welcome to join me too.

I took this photo last year in Costa Coffee. I know people probably look at me strangely when I am taking pictures of my food and drink but hey it's worth it to get the shot I'm after. I can't imagine I took much time taking this photo anyway. I imagine I wanted to get stuck right in to the chocolatey goodness. In fact, I bet I only took a picture of the bottom of the glass because I had already lapped up the cream on top!

Anyway, a big chocolately "cheers" to you all!

'Winter Wonderland' by Jurassic-O

Winter Wonderland, originally uploaded by Jurassic-O.

Well it really felt like someone flicked the switch and turned winter on this morning. Brrr, it's got rather chilly. A proper winter coat is definitely coming out of the wardrobe tomorrow. Maybe a hat. Definitely gloves! We seem to have had a few false starts with the cold weather so far this autumn but I guess that's what this season is all about. This time thought, I think, the cold weather is here to stay.

I'm going to try to embrace it this year. That means wrapping up in lots of warm jumpers and drinking lots of hot chocolate! It also means photographing as many wintery things as I can. Winter in England can just be damp and grey but it can also be beautiful. Hopefully I'll be able to catch some of the beautiful moments.

Here is my inspiration. When I saw this I thought it was taken in a fairytale village in Scandinavia. I couldn't believe it when I saw it was Liverpool in the UK. It's truly beautiful. Not that I'm saying Liverpool isn't pretty, I've never actually been, I just don't picture it like this. This really is a gorgeous winter wonderland.

'A Boom Boom Boom' by asmundur

A Boom Boom Boom, originally uploaded by asmundur.

It's Guy Fawkes Night here in the UK tonight. I must admit I rather love fireworks because I'm such a big kid. The minute I hear them banging outside I'm at the window to see if I can see them! I've even been know to stand at my front door and watch a display someone else is having. We never have them ourselves - far too dangerous and expensive. Much better to go to a display. I remember as a child my dad used to buy a box for us to have in the back garden. We'd only have the very small ones that didn't bang but just went "pffffttt" though and perhaps a packet of sparklers. But now I think the bigger the better and I love going to organised displays.

I think this firework photos is fabulous. There is so much colour and energy. And it really is so crisp and sharp. I love how there are two different types of firework captured here. The coloured ones are great because they look almost like lasers in the sky. And although completely different in reality the other ones look so soft and fluffy!

So if you will be watching fireworks this weekend I hope you have a fantastic and safe time. Right, I'm off to the window....

'starfish wedding' by Anita Waters

starfish wedding, originally uploaded by Anita Waters.

This is such a cute and creative photo. It would make a fantastic wedding card or an invitation for a beach wedding. I wish I knew the thought process behind this. I wonder what it's like to suddenly think "I know what would look good on a starfish!". Anyway, I don't really have much else to say about this picture. I think it just need to speak for itself. Enjoy!

'Tower Bridge' by Me

Tower Bridge, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

Yesterday I wrote about how I would love a trip to Paris purely for photographic reasons. However, I was reminded by TheMadHouse that London is a fantastic place for photos and luckily it's a place I am able to visit quite often. In fact we went there for a day trip just this weekend. We did a lot of walking (the London Underground's fault for closing so much of the line), saw lots of touristy things and also went to The Natural History Museum which my daughter loved! Although I did start to feel rather uneducated when she pointed at so many things asking "What's that Mummy?". I didn't have a bloody clue most of the time!

Anyway, enough chatter, here is one of the photos I took. I really wanted to get a shot of Tower Bridge which was a little bit different and I think this has come out quite well. We were really lucky with the weather as we were walking over the bridge so the sky was lovely and blue. It rained later but that didn't matter it just made for some moody sky shots when we got to the museum.

'Tour Eiffel' by PumpkinRose

Tour Eiffel, originally uploaded by PumpkinRose.

I'm sure you'll agree that this photo really does look like a vintage postcard. The processing on this has been done so well. I think photos of Paris often do work best with a vintage feel to them. I have mentioned on here before that I'd love to visit Paris again. I'd really love a purely photographic weekend away! Although saying that I could probably find time to squeeze in a spot of shopping and some nice meals too.

If you could have a weekend away anywhere, with the sole purpose of taking photos, where would you go?

'This reminds me of halloween!!' by Isadora Campos.

This reminds me of halloween!!, originally uploaded by Isadora Campos..

This sight apparently reminds the photographer of Halloween and when I look at it, I feel like I should be reminded of something too. I don't know know what though. I just think it has a kind of excitment to it, like something is about to happen. I don't know why I get that feeling though. I can, however, tell you that I love the composition, I love the colour of the sky and I love that bird formation. Pretty amazing photo in general really!

'The Great Pumpkin' by htekmo

The Great Pumpkin, originally uploaded by htekmo.

I'm afraid I've rather been neglecting my blog this week. As you know it was my daughter's birthday and also my husband has had the week off work so we've had a hugely busy week getting up to all sorts of fun things. Anyway, it should all be back to the usual routine tomorrow so normal blog service will resume!

Tonight's photo was obviously chosen because it's Halloween. I love how much detail is in this photo. It's a fantastic close up shot. And I love the colour too. Such a striking orange but the photo still seems quite dark and moody.

Happy Halloween everyone. Hope you've all been having a lovely spooky time!

'Boat trip' by Me

Boat trip, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

As part of my daughter's birthday celebrations we had a short break away in Poole. We were lucky enough with the weather that we managed a trip over to Brownsea Island which was fantastic. If you've never been then it's definitely worth a visit if you get the opportunity. On the way back the ferry took us on a cruise round the islands of Poole Harbour. It was rather fascinating actually. I took lots of photos of my daughter enjoying her first ferry ride (or rather her second ferry ride as we'd already got the ferry there!) and lots of photos of the islands. The one I want to show you though is one I took whilst simply pointing my camera up to the sky. I am really pleased with how it came out. I love how you can see the wind in the flags and I love how the sky is so blue. Makes it look like it could be a summer day and not the middle of autumn. I also took some lovely pictures of autumn leaves which I'll share with you in another post!

'stuttgart, Germany. beer fest' by parrishplatz

stuttgart, Germany. beer fest, originally uploaded by parrishplatz.

I've been taking lots of pictures this week - it was my daughter's 2nd birthday so it was inevitable I'd be filling up memory cards! I've not really had the chance to have a proper look through them all yet though but hopefully I'll have some nice things of mine to share with you soon.

In the mean time here is a photo which caught my eye tonight. This looks like an amazing ferris wheel. It looks huge! I wonder what the view from the top was like. What I like most of all though is the vintage look this image has. You may think I'm crazy but when I saw it I thought it looked a bit like one of the drawings you used to see in old Ladybird books. How cool!

'145/365 Read to forget' by Gibson Claire McGuire Regester

145/365 Read to forget, originally uploaded by Gibson Claire McGuire Regester.

It's rather chilly out. Winter is just round the corner. I don't mind too much, but that's probably because it's still quite sunny and I am enjoying wearing my winter clothes again. Some old favourites and some new ones like my new furry boots. I'll probably be OK with the winter weather until Christmas because there's always lots going on to distract me. It's January, February and March which are the coldest and longest months for me! Especially if it snows again like last winter.

All this winter talk made me think it'd be nice to post something a bit summery. So for all those of you out there who are experiencing weather a little colder than you'd like here is a lovely summer picture. I just love the colours. The golden tones are just beautiful and I love the red dress. I think I'd rather like to be in that photo myself right now!

'leave no trace' by Mel Oklap

leave no trace, originally uploaded by Mel Oklap.

I find this photo rather mesmerising. It's one of those photos that has a story to tell and I can't help wondering what that story is. I love photos like that. Is the woman happy or sad? Even thought we can't see her face or even her head, I sense she is deep in thought but about what? And I love the colour of this it just works so well. What does this photo say to you?

'Young Love' by Me

Young Love, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

I took this photo yesterday on a trip to the local farm. It’s my daughter and her “boyfriend”. His mother and I are always joking about them getting married one day as they get on so well. They were so cute holding hands all day. In fact I’d love it if they got married when they grew up just so I could give them this photo to put on their wall. I might just put this in a frame for myself now anyway because I’m a soppy old thing. I hope this display of young love makes you smile because it sure makes me happy.