I remember reading many years ago about how various newspapers differed in their photography skills and how the Sunday Times photography was rated very highly, mainly because they had a certain skill with their cropping.  I remember looking at their photographs of important events compared to other newspapers and it was true, theirs seemed clearer and more intense, mainly through the skill of the person who cropped the photograph.  You see they had got all of the key elements without any of the other distractions that may have been going on.  But over the years I’ve often thought about it and I can’t quite decide whether I like an over cropped photograph or not.  Certainly you can get a cleaner image, but sometimes I think you lose a little something, a little flavour, a little seasoning,  it might just be a sense of an overall composition that could be lost or just not appreciated.

This shot I took of Toile, I think as it stands is very beautiful, the darkness of her outline stretched out on a feather filled cream sofa with cream brocade curtains as a backdrop. We can read that this is one pampered and very content cat.

But we can alter that just slightly and take away a little darkness that is not necessary at the left hand side.  And I think we still have the same effect and have her centered in the photograph.

But then we could take that a little bit further and we can see more of her detail and still have the depth of the cushion to show just how comfy she must be, so you still have a flavour of the original photograph but with more detail of her.

And then if we crop it again, to a fairly sharp crop, we do have much more detail of her, but I feel we have lost the serenity and the feeling of luxuriousness that was captured just at that moment in time.

Most of the time Toile thinks she is all dog.  I find her asleep at my feet, much like my beloved Golden Retriever was, I have to look down before I walk away from the keyboard or whilst watch the television for fear of treading on her. 

Cropping in this case has a benefit, you can still see she is on the floor as her front paw is curled around the leg of a table whilst at the same time seeing more detail.  Although it has to be said, I quite like the uncropped version too.

Cropping the quandary of the digital photographer.

I have at last begun to relax again and enjoy my life as it is at the moment and that is no bad thing.  There was knitting before Christmas but it was a little bit pressured  and because of that I didn’t take careful notes of wool used or even take enough photographs. 

I made my sons a Christmas hat a piece.  I knitted them both, but in different yarns and colours Bray Cap by Jared Flood.  I absolutely adored this pattern and intend to make one for myself for next winter and I think my boys loved them too.

And now my fingers are twitching to continue as they have started.  And before I get into a big bout of startitus I am reigning myself in before it all gets out of hand.  So to that end one of my new year resolutions this year is to finish all of my started projects, or at least to frog them or recycle them if they no longer hold the promise they once did.

I started this particular cardigan over a year ago. 

Gnarled Oak Cardigan by Alana Dakos in Coastal Knits.  Knitted in Wollmeise DK colourway  Petit Poison Nr. 5 Dark.  I’ve loved knitting with this wool, its smooth, soft and strong and has a wonderful stitch definition and did I mention the colour, oh the colour is dark and gloriously rich. it is a thing of beauty and one that I will be sad to finish.  

I certainly don’t knit with the speed and vigour that I once did when I started out on my journey of learning to knit, I just plod along and enjoy every stitch and what more is there to say.

Apart from, enjoy your knitting.

xx

Hurrah, my Look Fantastic Beauty Box for January arrived. 

So happy.

And its certainly a full box and comes with a lovely card telling you about all of the products.   Look Fantastic is £15.00 which includes postage and packing in the UK.

Firstly,  O’Right Golden Rose Oil, £27.00 for 100ml, sample size 10 ml, worth £2.70

This oil repairs cuticle scales to restore the tightness and gloss to leave your hair smooth and silky.  It contains golden rose essential oils and water soluble silicone.  It smells of rose, very pretty, well actually its gorgeous.  It would be nice just dropped onto some potpourri to delicately scent a room.  Although I will save it to put a box of hair products together as a little gift.

And then we have

Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence. £22.00 for 250 ml, sample size 60ml, worth £5.28

This conditioning spray protects against breakage and heat and is suitable for all hair types, so you can ensure your hair is strong and radiant.  I’ve never tried this product, I do know that the beauty box circuit really rate Philip Kingsley products and will be very happy to have this in their boxes this month.

Next we have

My Vitamins Vitamin C effervescent tablets in Raspberry.   Full sized product 20 tablets for £4.49

I think this is based on that it is January, which often feels the longest month of the year and is often filled with good intentions as well as one feeling a little bit drained from all the festivities, bugs going about, or both.  I’ll be quite happy to give my immune system a bit of a boost with these.  I’ve tried them, the raspberry flavour is fine, its all good.

Molton Brown Eucalyptus Body Wash, full sized its 300 ml for £18.00, sample size 100ml worth £6.00

It smells lovely, very green and eucalyptus like, it makes my skin feel soft and I love the fragrance.  This is definitely a winner.

And the last two products.

Gatinaeu Strategie Jeuness Eye Pads. Normally 6 x 2 pads for £34.50.  Sample size 1, worth £5.75

And this is why I love beauty boxes the most. I get to try high end, without the risk.  I think Look Fantastic are really good at this, they understand their market and what women are looking for.  I am not really bothered in the latest colour or texture of lipsticks, but give me a high end product for my skin or delicate eye area to try and I’ll be theirs forever.

Last but by no means least,

Nuxe Masque Creme Fraiche de Beaute.  Full sized sample 50ml worth £18.50

My skin is really dry at the moment and this has made it feel lovely. Its a medium weight cream, it absorbs into the skin really nicely and is a lovely floral fragrance.   Your meant to leave it on the skin for ten minutes and allow the skin to absorb what it wants and then you can remove the surplus.  My skin is drinking it up at the moment.

This is an amazing box and the full worth of the products, £42.72 plus all the fun of trying them.   I love it.

Hubby and I fulfilled one of our long held dreams this year, to watch London’s New Years Eve fireworks by the Thames. 

We did suffer for our art, our timed tickets let us in between 7.00 p.m and 9.30 p.m.  and although I wanted to test the system and get there quite a bit later, hubby wanted to stick to the rules, and he won.  So we were on our feet for over four hours , which we felt.  But the atmosphere was wonderful and now we can say, ‘yep, done that’.

As you can see, even with only 100 thousand ticket holders, it was very crowded.

The shard had moving lights and an illuminated count down.

A quick Selfie and then….

The fireworks began.

And just so that you too can get a flavour of it.

 

 

As 2014 comes to a close I am thankful for my family and friends, without whose support I know I would never have got through this last year, thank you everyone, your kind words, whilst I was in distress helped more than you’ll ever know.

Happy New Year Everybody, have Fun.

Love to All.

xxx

Our family on Christmas day.  We barely took any photographs what with the rush job that Christmas was put together in, bearing in mind I was home several days late because of a nasty cold bug.  It was nice to see my boys and to catch up in their lives.  And I really don’t think I have seen son no.2 smile like that – ever!  I’m so glad I nailed that present – a pasta maker for those interested, he’s getting to be quite a serious cook. Son no.1 enjoyed getting his how to make mozzerella cheese present, so between them I’m expected some decent ravioli next time I’m home.  They had fun with the reindeer hats and  I’m sure they are going to be brought out on more than one occasion.  Christmas – our way.

We were very surprised when Toile pestered for Baklava, she seems to love sugary, buttery confection.

I do love the Christmas Lecturers by The Royal Institution just after Christmas.  I love the whiz and the bangs and the way that my brain wanders off to think of the subject that is being taught to eager young people.

So to that end, here is Toile’s and I tongue in cheek Christmas lecture.

In the autumn a friend of mine pointed out the cats loving circles phenomenon that was trending.   I said I would give it a go and see what Toile thought about it.  The premise was that cats love circles and will enter them, although no one knows the reason why. 

So I made a circle out of bin bags.

Toile came over immediately.

And sat in the middle of it and sat and sat and sat until she must have had a very cold bottom, looked at me rather haughtily and stalked off.  Toile has never had a circular bed, so we can take that out of the equation.

Next I made another circle out of circular knitting needles, I didn’t think this would work. 

Toile immediately started to move. 

Walked over to investigate.

And lay down in the middle of it.  Mmmm, we have got something going on here.

Next I changed the circular needles to the floor.

Toile jumped down and stretched out again.

I decided to change material and just used a strip of fabric I had lying around.
 By this time, Toile was enjoying the game and came over to examine what I was doing. 

Jumped straight into the middle of it

and lay down.

And if this doesn’t prove that cats like circles, I don’t know what will.  Why, is a completely different question.

Happy Christmas Everyone.

May all your wishes come true,

Love to all.

xxx