All.The.Things!

eek!
I've been busy!

I find myself running around town mumbling this under my breath like a mantra:
All!The!Things!

Trying to remember all the places I have to be, all these things I need to do,
all the promises I have to keep..


In the meantime I missed telling you about...
... An Excellent Adventure in Melbourne Town:

A photo posted by Leanne (@hbfotografic) on Feb 4, 2015 at 2:33pm PST

and a Shining Jewel by the Beach:

A photo posted by Leanne (@hbfotografic) on Mar 4, 2015 at 3:44pm PST

There's also been another two tours, a trip to Japan and more kinders than I can blow
raspberries at .. plus corporate work and all.the.things.

( I started writing this blog post months ago and never finished it O_o ! )

I did mention on my Facebook Page that I am totes booked out this year and have been
referring people onto trusted colleagues, but i've been neglecting this space, so there it is.

I'm bone-tired and have my sights set on 2016. Because this year? Gone. Bye. Hasta.

One day .. hopefully soon ... everything will align and run smoothly and money will just
magically appear for minimal effort.

But, for now, just heavy slog with dubious re compensations :)


xx
Lea

2 Weeks in Spain with a sideorder of Dubai

Arrived home tonight - what a trip, what a treat!




I grabbed these pics from my Instagram account, which I updated daily while I was away - it was fun.. I really do love travelling in the cyber age .. people give you real-time feedback and tips, and you can look things up as you go if you get stuck ( such as the time I wanted a bowl of olives but the lady had no idea what I was talking about.  I google-translated automatically on the spot and got the Spanish translation: "de oliva".  Yeah, I know .. lost in translation .. ha ha! )


 

To view them chronologically, you have to start at the bottom image and work from the bottom right corner, reading left and moving upwards.  Or, if you view them "the regular way", you can start at our day of between-flights rest in Dubai .. and work backwards.

The itinerary over 2 weeks:

Melbourne
Barcelona
San Sebastian
Biarritz, France
Bilbao, Spain
Leon, Spain
Lerma, Spain
Madrid, Spain
Dubai
Melbourne


Today is reality - washing, shopping for food, picking up the cats, and back to the packed lunch whining.. ah well .. all good things must come to an end, and Home is good too.  I know we are all looking forward to kitty snuggles tonight :)

Thanks for following!

- Leanne

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I Have Very Exciting News

What if you scored your dream job?

What if a company you had admired for many many years and dreamed of working for employed you?

What if you beat out over 700 other applicants to get it?



This my friends, has happened to  me.





You are in the cyber-company of the newest contributor to Apartment Therapy.


How excitement!!!!!!!!

Seriously, a dream come true.  It went kinda like this:


- See ad calling for applications
- Not much time to apply
- Work deadlines ahoy
- I have to do this, I have to make this happen!
- Friend contacts me about some product shots.  Ignore her to take long shower

- Ruminate on application while enjoying uninterrupted shower time.
- It needs to be someone with both an awesome home and that will support me as well as
   keeping secret squirrel and not thinking I suck if I lose....

-  * LIGHT BULB * ( use Gru's voice from Despicable Me )

- Call back friend and tell her how it's going to be.
- You have an awesome home, I say.  Let me shoot it!
- Enthuse and squee! a lot so she will feel really bad to say "No"
- She says "Yes!"

- We do it!
- I collate application in a way I truly hope will make me stand out
- Involving working in Photoshop at 2am the day before deadline ( the only way to work )
- Apply
- Wait, feeling ill
- Worry, knowing they are inundated, and I am in Australia anyway
   and there will be so many applicants
- Receive THE email from the Executive Editor
- Go freaking nuts and almost pass out from adrenaline overload.
- Tell friend.  Have an hour-long happy dance phonecall


Which brings us to today!  Yay!
All official, on the books after a midnight Skype training call from New York.

I'M IN BABY! :D


However ... you will have to wait and see the images I took of Jo's house when they debut
on Apartment Therapy.  I'm a little excited and buzzed on coffee even as I type this,
so i've thrown in some rando images of my own house. 

I know, they're old and you've seen them before .. but I cant do a house post and talk about
A.T. without images!  Sacré bleu!





Anyway, if  you are still reading, I need your help!

Do you have a cool house?  It doesn't have to be the prettiest or the most perfect ..
I want homes with stories attached, with interest and variety.  I have noted a few of my friends
& readers across Melbourne and they can be expecting me to hit them up in the coming
months and lock them in.

It's Apartment Therapy kids - of course you wanna be on it!
Maybe your friend has a cool house - nominate them too!
They don't even have to be Melbourne - have interesting abode, will travel.

I've set up a little click-box over there on the side, or you can just contact me the regular way.
I'm committed to quite a few posts per year, so don't be shy - I love other people's houses
and i'm quite enthusiastic about getting to see your stuff. 

Let's be friends!  True, call me! We'll do house.

xx
Lea

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Spring 2013Style!

Yes, it's been a while, bad blogger, no updates.


The house is now finished,
furnished and wonderful.

 
Sure there's some thought that needs to go into wall decoration and finishing touches,
and yes, I need to photograph it.


What happened?
 Life, life happened.


I went back to work and also started a new job-aside with a friend.


In fact, I can't tell you how nice it is to *collaborate* again.
Running your own ( solo ) business, even in this online age where I have a 100 colleagues
online to lean on, doesn't match the fun and energy I used to get from working alongside others,
bouncing wit, combining ideas and brainstorming. Much fun.

But i've popped in tonight as it's been Wonderful in old MelbsTown recently.


It wasn't a bad winter at all, but there's something about the blossoms and scent in the air ..
the late afternoons sports where the kids protest in confusion "but why isn't it dark yet?
It's supposed to be dark.."

We've got a sleepover tonight, and it's been a glorious day - 3 loads of washing dried
in the sun, started on weeds, did some pruning, marveled at new growth, then we headed
on down the beach for some sandcastle action and watched 9 ( NINE! ) brides battle for
the best position on the beach with their hired photographers and the hordes of many
taking pics with their i-pads.

Ugh.
No envy.






So anyway, a great day.
We came home & ordered fish & chips and walked up to collect them.
The kids watched a movie, and then had icecream.
And I loaded the dishwasher with a contented happy sigh.

"Did you have a hard day mum?" said my smallest? ( reacting to the sigh )
"What?" I asked, bemused ( because I didn't have a crankyface on )

 "Did you have a hard day, having to look after 3 kids?" ( with HIS concerned tv-dad face )


So cute, his empathy only topped off a great day.



House pics soon - I promise! x

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HÓpa!

While we were away, we ate at a café where my youngest fell in love with the waiter.

Everytime he delivered a drink ( or a bowl of hot frites, which is basically all the youngest lived on while we were away ), he'd call "Hopa!" as he placed them on the table with a flourish.

The 4yr old locked onto the word like an anthem and soon it was infectious and we were all calling out Hopa! randomly, despite having no idea what it meant ( I assumed it meant "here it is!" based on the waiter experience )

Luckily, these are the days of wi-fi, which really broadened my travelling experience. 
See an interesting sign you can't understand?  Simply snap it on the i-phone and translate/research it that night on your i-pad.  Share with your family ( or the world, via facebook if you wish ), and viola! - the world just got a little bit smarter.

Fabulous.  I love the modern age.

So back to the hopa!  ..
It appears to be a slang word, and the clearest definition that fit I found here:
http://kingofromania.com/2010/04/21/slang-word-of-the-day-hopa/

So .. whoops-a-daisy! 




Anyway, we are back home in Australia now, and this post is prompted by a rather interesting lunchtime conversation I just overheard:



Eldest:        "Hópa!"
Youngest:  "That's a Paris word, we're not in Paris anymore, don't say it"

Um, err.  Someone just got told ?!


If you'd like to see more shots from our vacation, I just uploaded some from an amazing Train Station we visited over at my hbfotografic blog.  Yes, train station. 

I'll be uploading bits and pieces as I find time and inclination, so if you're interested, be sure to bookmark my page!

Hópa!
- Lea

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Violator

I feel i've fallen out of step with my personal photography - I spend hours, hours editing, prepping, saving, fastidiously backing up on multiple hard drives, images I take for other people.

When I get a spare moment, someone requires food, or attention, or something requires cleaning, or maintenence of sorts. I fall by the wayside and regularly appear at school pick up in a dishevelled zombie-like state.

Sometimes I wonder what happened to the joy?

So i've embarked on a 365-Project. To do something for me, for my family.
I'm quite aware I may fail - starting in the middle of my busy period isn't particularly smart, but I needed a date and it sure as hell wasn't going to be January 1st.. that never works.

But at least you may see more random updates, more joy.

I hope so!

xx

10.10.10

Yesterday marked 2years since my first photoshoot.
Naturally, because I like to jump in the deep end(?) I started not with family & friends, but a complete stranger.

And it wasn't half bad.

Yesterday I was photographing a wedding in the Yarra Valley, and it was gorgeous.

I'm sure the lovely couple won't mind if I share some of their cake here to celebrate my own little milestone..

;)

Xx

Bobby Xx

We had to call the Vet today - we picked up the boy early from school and the Vet paid a house visit. Their bedside manner was nothing short of amazing.

Taking these pics seems kind of ogreish, but the boy asked me to get my camera. The younger was napping, Dad was counselling, and I felt a bit strange actually, taking photographs. I don't have any other images of my children crying, in grief..

The younger awoke when the Vets arrived, and we all crowded in the bedroom. AB took the baby and I hugged the elder. I asked if he wanted to watch or go, and he elected to watch. The Vets were SO KIND and caring and explained every step.

It wasn't very nice when they had to put the line in. Bob had 'old man' veins and they had to try twice, he growl/ye-owled a little then and it was a bit upsetting. I have no idea what the bill will be, but i'm so glad they sent 2 people. The assistant held Bob firmly and sweetly and mumured sweet nothings to him. We did the same and petted his head.

Pretty quickly, he succumbed.



Afterwards, he looked so peaceful. It made me realise how much pain he must have been in. He was curled like a cat should be, like Bob always was, but not like he has been these last few days.

And tonight he sleeps cold in the ground.

I hate that, I really hate that.

It was only when I uploaded these photos tonight I realised the bedcushion ship's dial was set to STOP. I hadn't noticed. It made me cry all over again.

At least he's back out in his favourite sunspot in the garden again.

But it's still pretty awful.

:(

Happy New Year, Friends !

We've been away in the 1850's - no internet you see.

Oh, how my husband indulges my whims ( this photo has been a dream of mine since I was like 10yrs old )

I hope your 2009 is more delightful than the current government is spruiking, and that no-one stakes a claim to your gold mine.

Merry Merry

xx

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Photographic

Busy.
Thankful.
Behind.


AB and I have almost finished 'up the side'. Just need to replant all the hydrangeas on the shady side .. but the sunny 'kitchen garden' side is now complete: rosemary hedging, kaffir and tahitian limes, mandarin and meyer lemon.

I must say the man of the house is pretty chuffed with himself. He never used to be 'Suburban Bunnings Dad', but it's really grown on him, loves it. If I mention I have Mother's Group, he'll be out there making sure the lawn is mowed for the kidlets.
He's a good man.

But really, what i've been doing is processing photos for other people - I know a few of you have been wanting to see what i've been up to, but i'm still rather shy, mind .. and even though I have permissions from people to use photos i've taken for them, a personal blog just doesn't seem to be the place. I suppose i'll get over it as my confidence grows, but I just want to say 'thankyou' to some people I know who read here, who are generous and helpful and kind.
*thankyou*

Tree went up tonight. Undecorated as yet.
My children don't sleep, and the youngest one has decided that life is unbearable unless he's welded to my hip at all times. Oh, and I guess we're weaning, as the sight of my breast in the daylight is like offering garlic to a vampire.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, kid.
But at least i'll be able to wear that chest-tight dress earmarked for Dec 25th, right ?

Oh - and the hair ? Apologies to the 'dresser'. It took a week, and the purchase of a new brush and some SERIOUS boy-putty in 'Surfer-Skate-Rock X-treme' .. but now i'm rocking it. I've *nevah* had hair that actually looks better the grottier it is, but Day 4 is awesome. If I can combine it with a 'inside-outside-frontside-backside' underwear routine .. just imagine how urban grunge I could be ?
Just don't stand too close.