It's time for my monthly roundup of what's good and great out there in the world and this month was all about refreshing, wether that be your look, your garden or your home, it's only a short roundup this month, Easter and Mother's Day both being in March meant a bumper round up and I found my inbox to be a much quieter and calmer place although I was still sent a handful of gorgeous products.

I always think of April as the opener to the year, we've suffered through winter and now spring is here at last although if you live in the UK like me you're probably still imagining that we're in the throws of the most grim winter we've ever known.  Hopefully these products might make you smile, and some might even make you want to run outdoors, although, I'd take an umbrella with you if I were you.

1. Small Window Box in Hampstead Lead from Bay and Box, Now I should say that I had plans to have these planted up already but oh my the weather, I have 2 of these boxes and yes, we're growing our own funky veg in them, I think you're going to have to stay tuned to see what we do with them.  They're actually planned to go on brackets on the wall but even the gardener dismayed at the weather, once that sunshine comes though, they're going to look fabulous. I'm ordering an Arbour for the garden so it's a big transformation project, we really do need the weather for it though.

2.Cable and Cotton Fairy Lights, I love fairy lights, I have them all over my house and it's only a couple of weeks ago when I decided to take down the icicle lights to replace them with these beautiful rainbow lights from Cable and Cotton, the best thing about this brand is that you can have any colour combination you want, in all honesty, I haven't quite decided if they're going to stay in the lounge, they're USB powered so they have to stay in the house but they could go out doors for short periods when I'm entertaining and I think they'd look amazing.

3. Sweeties and Treats from Haribo, the darlings at Haribo sent these for the March guide but sadly they arrived just after it had been published so I wanted to include them in April, I mean just because it's past Easter doesn't mean you can't get some spring themed games on the go, it is the long Easter holidays currently and anything to entertain the kids is a good thing!

4. Buff Infinity Scarf - Lastly, my good friends over at Buff sent me an infinity scarf and I can't tell you how handy this has been during all of the cold and rainy/snowy weather we've been experiencing, it's snuggly and warm and huge and it's certain to last me for many years to come on my many dog walking adventures with Holly Bobbins, did I mention that Buff do a dog wear section?!

So there you are, short but sweet but wonderful, thanks to all of the companies involved, my monthly roundup could not happen without you.

Welcome to my garden, a work in progress

It's been another week and it looks like the weather is on it's way to transforming, I had my garden made over on Wednesday and it's really helped with my mood because now instead of it looking like it's overgrown and strewn with rubbish from winter storms it looks spacious and ready to fill with plants and flowers.

I love my garden so much, I have high walls and fences so it's my little urban hideaway, I can't wait to get planting and I need some new seating, perhaps one of those sweetheart seats with the 2 chairs which face each other and the small table in between, I think one of those with pretty floral cushions would work so well and of course after those aforementioned storms, I also need some new garden lights, I just have to decide what kind!

As you can see from the last photo, there's much to do, to get it back into shape, tons of room for planting new thing s so whilst it's a little bare, there's so much promise of things to come and you know, I think it might even be time to pack away the sledge for another year!

So, my current table was lovely until Looby stood on a chair so she could sit on the wall (as you do) and so now I only have 1 chair which isn't exactly what you would call sociable!

As my garden takes shape again this year I'll be sharing lots of photos, we're actually hoping to grow some micro salad, Looby is going to be in charge of it and a large pot is on it's way, we love eating fresh veg from the garden but since we've had Holly it's potted veg only as she does like to nip onto the garden to "fertilise" it occasionally.

When you live as close to the city as we do, the one thing you forsake is a large garden but I do believe you can have a tiny urban garden that you love, it's just a shame that we also need to have so many bins in our garden, we have a recycling blue bin and our green bin which usually sits next to the gate and our compost bin, the compost bin was our choice though as I believe in giving back to the earth as much as possible and it makes for fabulous worm filled fertile soil, perfect for growing summer flowers in.

My Mini Photo Shoot Schedule for 2018

Monday morning and all is quiet, so quiet that I don't seem to have written anything for nearly a week!  I'll be honest, last week was a huge challenge, several business things caused headaches, I had arguments with both of my lovely teens, I had a man fitting Sky Q which lead to having absolutely no internet for over 24 hours, not because we were changing over (heaven forbid no, Sky broadband is awful).  I'm not really sure what he did but our super fast broadband became super non existent and then the Hive installation engineer turned up so I ended up sorting out lots of things via the phone which I hate but now our house is well on it's way to being fully automated, which depending on your point of view is either terrifying or quite exciting.  The smart lighting is next followed by individual smart thermostats but they're not cheap and I'm saving for a Canon 24-70mm f2.8L MkII, go click the link and have a look at the price, it's quite scary but I've had one on hire for the last couple of weeks and I know it's going to be the best lens for my business and I.

Yesterday for anyone who wants to get ahead with booking their 2018 mini photo shoot, I finally published my mini photo shoot schedule right up until the end of September 2018, if you click that link it will have all of the places and dates plus a link to book and tell me what time you would like, it's the most bodacious move I've ever made and when they're gone, they are gone, I'm booking no more until the Oct/Nov/Dec period but I really didn't want to publish those just yet as it feels like I'm wishing the year away already.

Speaking of which, I currently have no travel plans for this year, you might remember that I booked a cruise with Abigail but then she asked if I could cancel it as she'll be at a "really important" Youth Parliament thing and I know for her this is once in a lifetime where as you can go on a cruise any time you want now so I took one on the chin and cancelled but it does make me crave for travel on a daily basis currently.  I currently have a couple of trips I'd like to do with Looby, one of which we're going to be talking about this week, Looby has an interest in geography, rural studies and of course all things horse and countryside so I'm going to try and plan a week travelling Scotland and will hopefully make it on a couple of train journeys I've always wanted to take but haven't so far, those being the West Highland line and the Far North railway line.  I'm hoping we can take Holly Bobbins along too and stay in some lovely dog friendly places, if you have any recommendations please do let me know in the comments.

This week is the week everything should start to change, we are on the downhill slope into spring and I for one am so ready, spring is my favourite season and the one which makes me the bounciest happiest lady in the whole of the north, fancy skipping into the spring flowers with me?

This week on Tinder...

In case you aren't one of those ardent calendar page flippers like me, It's March people, the spring is going to be with us in 19 days, well unless you are a weatherman in which case you're already dancing amongst the daffodils because it's the start of meteorological spring today, whichever one you prefer to celebrate, one thing we can all be grateful for are the longer days, increased light levels and the sight of flowers growing on grassy banks. 

This week there have been the first signs of the rise of my business (thank God, the heavens and the universe) we really are all waking up again after the long winter slumber and that makes me happy, for spring, as I have probably already mentioned is quite my favourite season, I get bouncy and happy as the sunshine hits my face and I have an increased zest for life.  I return I suppose to my normal self instead of the woman with SAD who lives like an angry bear who's been woken up from hibernation too early!

This week on Tinder, well I've matched with more men than I've had conversations with, I did have a message from someone who was 150 miles away last night which said "Mmm, yeah, yummy" well, Mr Longdistance, what in the hell do you expect me to do with that information?  Actually, don't answer that, I think we all know the answer of how I was supposed to reply, I didn't though, I'd rather keep my dignity thanks!  The there was the young (33) engineer who's only a few km away from me but I just found myself lacking the enthusiasm to get excited about him, he was kind of hot, good job, not far away but I don't know, just no real gumption maybe?

Our final fine example of the male sex I'm still actually chatting too, he's a beagle daddy and that got him 10 bonus points and he's 37 and currently on his way home from Macchu Pichu, I did ask him why he was on Tinder whilst holidaying in Peru but we all know the answer, it's because men are strange and I'm guessing he's planning his next move, sort of holiday done, time to start dating maybe?  Anyway, I'll have to see what happens but for once I haven't resigned him to the man bin just yet, his beagle is really super cute and I'm sure Holly Bobbins would love some male beagle company.

Oh, something I forgot to mention, this month I'm going to be writing for Huff Post once a week, the truth is that I can write as often as I like but I have issues in that when you are writing for Huff Post you want it to be the very very best that you can do, sort of less rambling than my own blog so I tend to only write when inspiration strikes but I've decided that I'll never increase my readership on there until I write more often so that's the plan.  You know what's weird, though?  Writing for a huge publication where anyone can comment introduces you to the general public and their interesting points of view, let's just say I've had my eyes opened!

This weekend I have a review on Friday, I'm going to review G4 in concert, G4, yes, remember them, runners up on the first XFactor, I loved then and I'm sure I'm going to love them now!  Other than that and apart from a photo shoot with a lovely family on Sunday I'm just writing, writing and writing some more, this is the year when success is going to be mine, I have the excited feelings in my tummy that great things are coming, both professionally and personally, one thing I know, I'm starting to feel stronger and better than I was last month when I had a breakdown and today as I flipped the day on my bedside calendar was a poignant quote from John Milton himself...

"What doesn't not destroy me, makes me strong"

The rules of being a hermit

Over the last few days I've reinvoked my hermit clause, that is, at any given time I may choose to retreat from the world as much as possible, speak as little as possible and sleep as often as possible. I'm binge-watching Sex in The City and so far this week I've eaten at least 3 bags of varying kinds of mini chocolate eggs (thank you Easter) and today I've even eaten Pizza courtesy of my kind son and Pizza Hut.  These are all items on my banned list and I really need to sort myself out soon before I end up looking like a cross between Miss Piggy and the Marshmallow Man.

My thumb is sore from swiping left too often on Tinder and I've officially run out of men in a 50k vicinity.  My work calendar is so quiet that I've questioned if I'm even still alive and it's still not spring, as the kids would say FML!!

Now I don't mean to get all maudlin and really, you shouldn't feel sorry for me but I do think soon the tides have to turn a little, for every bad time, slow time, down time I've had an equal an opposite period of joy and fun and glory, my life I guess is symptomatic of bipolar, go figure!

I keep thinking that transitional times are good for the soul, being a hermit is good for the soul, you have to be alone so that you appreciate the times when you aren't so alone. So I am embracing my hermitage even if it is 20 minutes away from the city centre and not on the top of a rugged cliff on a remote island somewhere in the pacific.

If I have to go out for work or groceries or if one of my teens isn't walking Holly Bobbins then I'm going but you can bet that as soon as I possibly can I am returning to my nest, my small quiet sanctuary where mostly life is quiet and straightforward, where 4 people can simultaneously watch Netflix at once (yes I upgraded) and where real life doesn't hurt quite so much.

I commented to Laura yesterday that I really need some sunshine and maybe a book or two which will restore my positivity, I'm usually one of the most positive people and I'm not sure how I've gotten to the point where I feel that life is genuinely beating me over the head with a big stick.  I'm sure I get to this point at the end of each winter though and then just when I'm about to give up all hope, spring happens, I get some sunshine in my soul and life feels good again.  I think I'm going to need some tactics to get through the next 22 days.  Did you know by the way, that spring officially starts on the 20th March at 10.30am, so 10.29am it's winter and then boom, 1 minute later and it's daffodils, tulips and the great slide into Easter, I think this year I may have some kind of ceremony at the exact moment of springs arrival if anyone wants to join me?

What do you say we all synchronously plant up a tulip at 10.30am on the 20th March followed by diving straight into a packet of Dime mini eggs?  A welcome to spring party we can all get on board with, feel free to pop in, the mini eggs are on me!

10 reasons to love February

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Last month I wrote my 10 reasons to love January list and I thought I would continue it as a monthly series, I can't believe it's February, for me it's the real start of the year, if I'm honest, nothing really happens in January, I'm too busy hiding away from the dark and cold and winter but February sees the return of light in the mornings and the evenings once again begin to stretch their light filled arms embracing us with just a tease of a cuddle that spring is somewhere waiting around the corner. Here's my 10 definitive reasons to love February...

1. If January is a month of beginnings the theme of February has to be about love, now it may not be that you are in a relationship but this doesn't have to mean that you don't have love in your life, in February it's great to remind yourself just how much you love and are loved, what form that takes and who it's with is entirely up to you but I for one have never felt as loved in my life as I have since I adopted Holly Bobbins, my crazy beagle companion never fails to give the best cuddles and as she nestles her head in my lap I know that she's telling me just how much she loves me.
2. Whilst we're on the theme of love why don't we all send a valentines card this year, just as gifting should always be about the giving and not the receiving why not send a card to a friend or child or even your pet telling them just how much you love them and how important they are to you. It doesn't have to be a full on declaration of love but it's always likely to make them smile.
3. If you are of course loved up and in a relationship don't forget that it's the 29th of February this year, this day in fable and legend means for one day only ladies everywhere get the choice to propose to their beaus and should they refuse (how very dare they?) they must buy them 4 dresses, now I'm not one for collecting dresses but it's a good excuse to update your wardrobe!
4. As we return to lighter days and nights it's a great opportunity to start welcoming in spring. My console table in my hallway gets more springlike every week as the seasons start to change and the availability of spring flowers becomes more readily available.  You don't have to spend excessive amounts on floral treats though, I find that even Lidl and Aldi have a great assortment of fresh flowers which change on a weekly basis, I've just taken out a subscription to Bloom and Wild, a monthly box of flowers I get to have a faff with, that alone makes me feel joyous.
5. Have you noticed that the shops are full of heart shapes?  Someone once told me that if they could put a name to my decorating style it would be love and it's true, I have hearts everywhere and little signs with cute quotes which make me happy so it's always a great excuse to pick up new heart shaped delights.
6. February weather on a good day can be sunny and lovely and it's great month to get outdoors, to feel some sunshine on your face, to go an extra mile or to walk somewhere you've never been before, go search for snowdrops or early daffodils, finding outdoor patches of loveliness is a great way to warm the soul.
7. Whilst there are days of spring and warmth and sunshine February is the month we are most likely to have snow days so if those magical snowflakes do start to fall get out there, build snowmen, drink hot chocolate and embrace the joy of winter whilst it lasts.
8. February I find is the last month for a while that I'll feel like burning candles, it's a funny thing but I've noticed I rarely burn candles between March - September but during Autumn and Winter I adore the soft warm light and the heady scent of loveliness that you only get from a candle.
9. The light in February whilst still quite low has a lovely soft glow perfect for photography so what are you waiting for pull on those wooly jumpers and book yourself a family photo shoot, it's the quieter lull of my year so you might not have to wait 3 months for a weekend date, Indoor sessions are cosy and intimate, outdoor sessions lead to rosy cheeks and sunny smiles so to book your session just drop me an email and we'll set that up!
10. I don't know about you but February makes me want to get more organised, this week I've just treat myself to Spark Joy, An Illustrated Guide to the Japanese Art of Tidying and I'm hoping it's going to change my life, it's a really pretty hard backed book I know that and even holding it makes me feel better, it promises to revolutionise my life and that's not a bad thing!

The lull in the seasons and the promise of summer

After the noise, fun and chaos of Nethermined last weekend, this weekend has been a whole different story, it's been the first weekend in ages where I haven't worked and it took me about 30 minutes yesterday to have that feeling of thumb twiddling and boredom that I get.

Whilst I think I'm much better at having a work/life balance than I used to be I have to admit that I'm not a fan of not working.  I think maybe it has something to do with the fact that to me photography and writing are so much more than just a job to me.  

I was thrilled this week to find out I'd been nominated in the photography category of the Mad Blog Awards 2015, think the Oscars but related to blogging and you're somewhere near to what winning one would mean to me.  I've blogged now for nearing 10 years and to be rewarded for something I just adore doing would mean the world.  The first stage is about getting as many nominations as possible with a view to making the shortlist so if you're reading this and could spare a moment to nominate me that would make my day/month/year.  I've won awards but this one is the one I want to win, I get nervous just thinking about it, it seems those butterflies that live deep within the tummy surface and flutter around my tummy every time I think of the possibilities.

Speaking of blogging and writing, I've had an idea, I don't want to say too much at the moment because I haven't fully worked out the details yet but I think I might have found away to combine my photography and telling stories with the way that I write, I adore photos but I love the stories that go along with them, that's pretty much the way we can accurately preserve history, I guess I've always done that on a personal level with Scrapbooking but if this idea comes to fruition I could see couples not only going away with photographs from the most special day of their lives so far but also some beautiful words which would preserve history forever.

In the photography sense of the word this week has been a welcomed lull before the madness of summer commences, I've always found that April and the beginning of May heralded a quiet time, possibly due to the bank holidays and unpredictable weather we always get but before long we'll be experiencing long summer days with photography moving to mornings or evenings and late afternoon to avoid the harsh midday sun and take advantage of the yummy soft sunshine you get when you shoot earlier or later in the day.

I think sometimes it's always easy to see when spring starts to dawn but spring into summer is a much less noticeable seasonal change, sometimes it sneaks in so softly you barely notice it and then one day you wake up and there it is, summer is waiting for you, long days, bare feet and shoulders, the switching off of the central heating, the de-cloaking of the winter woolens and overcoats and for me at least the longing to be beside the sea every day.  I adore the beach but in summer being near to the water as often as possible is almost an inner calling.  I guess I'm lucky to live so near to the beautiful Northumbrian coastline and I try to get there as often as possible for away days, weekends and holidays.  There's simply nowhere else like Alnmouth beach in the summer, the warm breezes and sheltered coves make it the destination everyone seems to rush to but it bustles with such a gentle pace, charming children and happy puppies make it my favourite place on earth.  Let me also tell you that I went there for my Birthday day out in February when it was still the most beautiful place on earth but colder than the actual North Pole with a keen wind that cut right through us!  I recommend Alnmouth in spring, summer and early autumn and then I want to hide by the fire during winter!

Almouth Beach in summer, there's nowhere I would rather be.

If you are holding events during summer or you would like to speak to me about travel photography please get in touch via my Website/Facebook or Email

I have loved, I do love and I will love again

I said in my last blog dear reader that this week has been a challenge but I have emerged from the other side of it stronger, better and wiser and I feel that I really have, I guess we never stop learning from life, ourselves and others.

1 thing I really need to do is reconnect with a social life.  Don't get me wrong, I am rarely home, I am always off on one adventure or another but it's usually quite insular, Holly and I traverse wide and far and we meet interesting people on our journeys but I do sometimes feel I lack the joy of other people and the experiences they offer.  I have friends, wonderful friends who will always be there for me and but I think for one reason or another we just haven't had time to arrange lunches and trips out for cocktails.  I miss two of my friends Elanor and Li so very much, both moved away last year to fabulous new and inspiring lives and I just haven't seen them enough. I must make more effort and arrange things!

I hope my holiday next week with Abigail and Looby (and Holly) will be the start of the healing process for me really, I say to myself, "it's been 7 months since Paul left, how can you not have sorted yourself out yet?" I've always been a survivor (sorry Beyonce), I know my own self in that respect but I guess 15 years (and it will be 15 years on the 14/4) is harder to move on from than I ever imagined it would be and maybe in some way there are parts of me I'd given away and they will remain gone for the rest of my life, that's what you do isn't it, when you marry someone?  You give parts of your soul and they're just not yours anymore, it's part of the contract of marriage, you have to give all of your heart and soul on that day when you walk down the aisle because you have to believe that you will be together for the rest of your lives.  I still believe that, I still believe in unbreakable, enduring true love which lasts forever.

For now though in whatever form I have to live most days on a path of my own and I'm sure as I walk down this new road I'll meet friends along the way and I'll stop to drink from fountains of life and I'll gaze at beautiful vistas and my heart will smile back at me.  This week whilst walking many many miles (over 45 so far) my heart smiled at me as I simply enjoyed the company of my dog and the sunshine on my face and the sounds of the birds in the trees, nature is at it's most splendid and miraculous in spring.  Maybe that's what it is, maybe I've had to wait until spring to feel able to start again?

What it is I guess is that when it all comes down to it I know I have loved, I do love and I will love again...

Impatiently waiting for spring

I don't know about you dear reader but I am so sick of the cold, central heating and having to go out wearing a hat, scarf and gloves.  I am yearning for spring with all of my heart, warm sunny days where you can leave your coat at home.

I woke up with a sigh to see damp and frost on the roofs this morning, this week, to me it's seemed like spring was just on the verge of being sprung but its still been a lot too cold for my liking.  My poor Reynauds fingers and toes are still way too cold and white and sore by the end of long dog walks unless I bundle myself up like a large squidgy marshmallow when I go outdoors.

Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed every minute of feeling the sunshine on my face, I just wish it was a teeny bit warmer.

My Mothers Day sessions on the beach look like they're going to be freezing cold again this year, I shall be wearing 16 pairs of socks and 22 pairs of gloves...(or maybe not).

So universe if you are listening, I know it's not astronomical spring until the 21st of March (I know this because my good friend Darren tells me off every year if I mention that it might be spring before that, it's his birthday on the 21st so early Happy Birthday if you're reading) but if you could just see your way to providing some warm with your sunshine I would love you forever.

One thing I have noticed though is that the crocuses seem to have bloomed everywhere, huge carpets of them, I'm not sure if there's been a mass planting of them when I wasn't looking but I can't remember there being quite so many in previous years.

I'll take any promise of spring at this point, especially today when the mizzle I can see through my window does not look inviting for my 10k steps for the day.

Maybe I knew, I had a bit of a nesting thing yesterday so I must have known that today would be a soup day!

I'm off to meditate to the universe now and along with abundance and peace and vitality I shall also be asking for warm, coatless days and central heatingless evenings!

That's not fog it's vintage haze

Dear reader, I'm a bit sick of the fog and mist and even calling it vintage haze does not seem to be working, I'll show you the proof -

Sunday, Mothers Day up at Ladyburn Lake, Druridge Bay, couldn't see beyond our own noses

at work, working on vintage style fine art prints for my Etsy store Philomena's Boutique

So I've added a bit of a vintagy haze on the bottom one, no haze needed on the top one!

Having a bit of a chill on the tummy day so I'm on the sofa with a tartan blanket and trying to catch up and get ahead with my newsletter, blogging, social media, you know I think there's every possibility that life was a lot easier in the days of the carrier pigeon!

On Saturday you might remember I photographed 4 generations of the same family and delightfully I'm going to photograph 3 generations of the same family  for another lovely client, at least this one is indoors so it'll be warm and cosy all the way!

This weekend I am outdoors and I think the weather is supposed to get much better which is brilliant, on Saturday I am photographing a couple of lovely families in Saltwell Park and on Sunday I am photographing a couple of lovely families in Jesmond Dene, if you would like me to add in a mini session or regular session for you and your lovely family/kids/love of your life then do get in touch either via email or you can click through to my website 

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!

Mothers Day and Mini Session Availabilty

Mothers Day is coming dear reader and it's a really great excuse to buy a gift certificate so she can celebrate the wonder that is being a mum!  Gift certificates are available from as little as £20 for a mini session with complimentary 7x5 print, to buy one just drop me an email 

Those Mothers Day Mini sessions sold out within 8 hours of announcing them, booked solid which is brilliant!  I thought I would update you on the latest availability if you are looking to have a mini session.

So

Jesmond Dene, 15th March, 11, 11.30, noon

Tynemouth Longsands, 16th March, 1, 1.30, 2, 2.30 and 3pm

Saltwell Park, 22 March, 10, 10.30, 11, 11.30 and noon

Mini sessions are £20 and include a 7x5 print, web gallery for 30 days, 15% off for the first week your gallery is live and prints start at £10 for a 7x5.

and here's a couple from last weekend at Tynemouth Longsands