The Gallery - Shoes

I have quite a few *cough* shoes. Heels mainly, lots of them. In fact, until I was pregnant with Mini Cheddar I didn't own a pair of flats apart from some flip flops for holiday.

Today it's a different story. I very rarely wear heels. Most of them are now in boxes collecting dust in the bottom of my wardrobe. I think something happened when I became a mother to trigger off a reaction to wearing heels. No longer can I spend hours drinking and dancing the night away...give me a pair of slippers and I'm happy.

I'm almost 37, not 77, I promise.

However, I do have one trusty pair of heels that will always be with me and always get an airing. A pair of Kurt Geiger peep-toes that have been with me for years. I love them, they are part of me.

My beloved 'Kurties' to my friends and I.

Even now when we arrange a big night out my friends will say "Are you wearing your Kurties, Heath?"

These shoes have been with me through all sorts. I've got drunk in them, I've eaten in them. I've walked in them, I've danced in them. I've laughed in them, I've cried in them. I've been sick in them (not literally). I've fallen down stairs (and cracked a rib) in them and I've even had sex in them!*

One thing's for sure though, I'll never part with them.

*If I end up wearing these to the Mad Blog Awards later this month, please ignore this!


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The Gallery - World Photography Day

I had grand plans for this weeks Gallery. Tara wanted us all to make sure we dug out our cameras to capture a moment from Friday (or the weekend) to mark World Photography Day.

Great I thought!

A perfect excuse to dust off my DSLR and take a photo with my camera remote control of Mini Cheddar and I doing what we do best - having fun together. More often than not, I'm the one behind the camera so very rarely do we get any photos of the two of us. I think the last half decent one of us was taken in March 2010 and resides on my About Me page.

I was excited! I even put her cute little camera t-shirt on to mark the occasion.

However, she had other plans.

She didn't want the camera set up, not even the remote control could get her interested. She had a strop, she got upset, she got all snotty and she dribbled. A lot.

So this is my entry this week. A moody toddler captured forever to mark a great day in photography. Shame on you Mini Cheddar.

Now head on over and check out all the other entries...

The Gallery - Black And White

I haven't got a lot of time at the moment so I'm going to try and make this a brief Gallery entry and try and let the photos speak for themselves as much as they can (I have ended up with 3 this week, sorry!).

They were all taken in Vancouver so, once again, I appear to be dragging the 'travel theme' through the weeks.

Under The Boardwalk

Waiting For Master

The Search

If you'd like to know more about these photos, have a look at my Flickr stream.

Normal service will resume next week, I promise!



Now head on over and check out all the other entries...

The Gallery - Water

I've not joined in with The Gallery since the 'Travel' theme. I've been brave and missed a couple of weeks so, although I felt incredibly twitchy missing my first week, I now know I can do it.
*curses Tara and her addictive link-up*

I've ummed and ahhed about which photo I could use for this weeks theme of 'Water'. I have some cute pictures of Mini Cheddar in the paddling pool.  I also have countless images of lakes, rivers and seas - some of which I've already shared but this week is going to be a different take on the theme. It also ties in with the Travel theme so is a good way to get back on The Gallery train.

On our last trip stateside, Matt and I spent some time in Seattle. Before we went we pre-booked a window table at the top of the Space Needle for dinner.

We expected it to be really cheesy as the restaurant rotates 360 degrees so as you dine you get to soak up the views of this amazing city and the beautiful Puget Sound (was so close to using a photo of this). However, it wasn't cheesy at all. The meal and champagne were fabulous and we loved seeing the city so clearly as we chatted and ate.

Then I went and ruined it all.

I ordered their signature Lunar Orbiter dessert.

Now let me explain... this is gourmet ice cream served with melted chocolate sauce and strawberries. Nothing extraordinary there? No, but it's served on a large bed of dry ice! When it arrives at your table the waiter pours hot water on the dry ice and you can imagine what happens.

Matt hates attention and the whole restaurant was looking at us as we disappeared in the massive ice fog. Eventually the dessert cloud lifted, we were able to see each other again and I was able to capture a photo.

The thing I love the most about this photo is you can see how red and embarrassed Matt looks. He's just trying to discreetly tuck in to his crème brûlée.

It never ceases to make me smile.

You can also see the beautiful Puget Sound out of the window. If you like, you can have a nosey at my other Seattle pics here and see the Puget Sound in all its watery glory.



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The Gallery - Travel

I almost whooped when I saw the theme to The Gallery this week.  I adore travel so I'm VERY excited to look through the entries this week.

I've been lucky enough to have been to some fabulous places in the world and have already blogged about seeing the Northern Lights in the Arctic Circle (The Gallery - Green) and travelling the path of Route 66 across America.

Ah the good old US of A.

I have a great love affair with that place, have travelled over there a few times now and it even featured a couple of times in my Top 5 Places I've Visited (one of my very first blog posts).  I find the country so vast and so different from state to state - I think I've visited about 17 of the 50 states so far - and I have quite a few relatives over there too which is always a bonus!  We've travelled to the major tourist spots such as New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles and also been off the beaten track in places like Amarillo in Texas and Yukon in Oklahoma.

Then there's it's sister Canada.  Again, I love that country (I do SO wish I'd added it onto my list).  The scenery is stunning and the people are lovely.  My husband and I spent our 1st wedding anniversary at Chateau Lake Louise which was just amazing.

So, it's only right I dedicate this post to my favourite photos from my trips to both those beautiful countries.  I've not been out there since BMC (before Mini Cheddar) but I'm hoping to get back there someday soon to notch up some more states and provinces.

I think these photos sum up the diversity of the countries perfectly.

An icy Lake Louise, Banff, Alberta

Peyto Lake Lookout, Banff National Park, Alberta

Reflections of Patricia Lake, Jasper, Alberta

Night time in Vancouver, British Columbia

Dusk over Shuswap Lake, Salmon Arm, British Columbia 

The Space Needle, Seattle, Washington

Pike Place Market, Seattle, Washington

Sunset in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii

Hotel view over Waikiki Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

Capitol Hill down Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC

The Grand Canyon, Arizona (see the people on the cliff edge on the left)

Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois

'The Bean' (Cloud Gate), Chicago, Illinois

Just off Broadway, NYC, New York

If I haven't bored you already and you want a nosey at my other photos then most of them are in my Flickr stream.

Now head on over and check out all the other entries...

The Gallery - Grandparents

I was unsure whether or not to join in on this weeks Gallery theme of 'Grandparents'.  Simply because I've already blogged about my grandparents who have passed away but this gives me the chance to talk about my parents - Mini Cheddars Grandparents.

My parents are wonderful Grandparents to her and she loves them both dearly.  She always talks about "Going to Grandma and Grandad's house on Friday" - they look after her every Friday so I can do my volunteer work.  I'm so lucky in the fact they are both retired and they live about a 10-15 minute drive from my house.  Mini Cheddar squeals with delight whenever she sees them.

I know a lot of people don't have any support from their parents, they have passed away or they live far away.

So each day I try to remind myself just how lucky I am.

Taken by me March 2010

I hope in years to come that I can be as wonderful to my Grandchildren as they are to Mini Cheddar.

"Grandchildren are the dots that connect the lines from generation to generation" 

~Lois Wyse

Now head on over and check out all the other entries...

The Gallery - My Weekend

As Tara is lazy nosey busy, she's chosen a simple theme for The Gallery this week - My Weekend.

I should imagine more than half the entries this week will contain photos of conference halls, booze, Sarah Brown or dildos.  Blimey, I never thought I'd use Sarah Brown and dildos in the same sentence but there's a first time for everything!

Yes it was CyberMummy this weekend.  THE parenting blogger event of the year which was much hyped and talked about for many months and I'm glad to say I got to go.

I had a blast!

It was a whirlwind day and I didn't take my camera - just my iPhone and I'm actually gutted as I could have got so many great pics.

I deliberated over which photo to choose for ages but eventually I decided on this one, which sums up the weekend nicely.  I'm actually surprised there was any left after Jane's repeated visits to Rowan's table of delights!

I have (ahem) already taken advantage of the £40 off and I have 6 large bottles of beautiful prosecco that have just arrived on my doorstep.

Cheers! *hic*

For more on my CyberMummy experience you can read these posts:
I Laughed, I Cried, I Ate, I Drank...I Went To CyberMummy
Silent Sunday #24


Now head on over and check out all the other entries...

The Gallery - 3 Word Gallery

That Tara over at Sticky Fingers has come up with a gem this week (not that she doesn't always, obviously).  She's pinching using the idea from Simon Mayo's radio show - he does a 3 Word Thursday where listeners give 3 words which sum up their day/week/life. That's it, just 3 words.  So Tara is having a 3 Word Wednesday today.

Simple for me.  Please don't hate me but my 3 words are:

Want Another Holiday

I know, I know... I've only been home a week!  I'm not a greedy person but I need to say it as it's how I'm feeling.

The only downside to going on holiday is coming home. Obviously I love seeing my family and friends but I always suffer badly with 'holiday blues' after a great trip abroad.

The thing is though, I'm not the only one with holiday blues.

Mini Cheddar keeps saying to us "Go back to Italy".  Here's why...

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The Gallery - Dads

The Gallery took a holiday last week which was very lucky as so did I!  How lucky am I that, as yet, I've not missed a gallery (lucky or sad)...I only got off the plane from Italy at 5pm yesterday so it's been a bit of a scramble to get this post prepared.

I didn't want to miss this as it's 'Dads'.

I could write about what a great Dad my husband is to Mini Cheddar but I think that I've talked about that a few times.

So this is a post dedicated to my Dad.

My Dad is a great man.  He's done so much with his life and I'll always be proud of that - he's run local committees, been a local councillor and a core member of the community, he's even been to the Queens Garden Party (oooh get him!).  He has strong opinions and can sometimes be set in ways but he's the first to admit that and I love him for his honesty.  I love the fact he loves his golf and has himself a hobby that keeps him fit and active.

He has always worked hard and looked after his family financially.  Mum and Dad always went without when we were younger and they didn't have much money to splash about.  Now my parents are financially secure and they are loving their retirement...and I love them.

He's also the perfect Grandad to Mini Cheddar and she loves him dearly.

If I'd known about the Gallery theme before today I would have easily captured the perfect moment yesterday at Liverpool airport.  Dad came to pick us up and 10 nights without Mini Cheddar seeing her Grandad sent her into squeals of excitement and stamping of her feet and then a mad run towards him for a big cuddle.

Sadly, I didn't capture the moment but I'll share with you one of my favourite pictures I took of Mini Cheddar when she was only 6 months old and her Grandad - my wonderful Dad.  It's not exactly highlighting my photographic skills, far from it, but I love it for the look on my Dads face and the touch of Mini Cheddars hand on his face.

Now head on over and check out all the other entries...

The Gallery - I'm Grateful For...

As our blogging friend Chris over at Thinly Spread embarks on her epic journey in Mozambique for 'Save The Children' this week, it's time for The Gallery to reflect on the things we are grateful for.

But before you do anything, if you haven't already done so head over to the Save The Children website and sign the petition to plug the funding gap for vaccines for children across the world.

Thank you!

There are a lot of things I'm grateful for in this life, such as the health and happiness of my family and I'm grateful for the lovely home and things we have to fill it - although material things pale into insignificance compared to the love and happiness that's inside the walls.  I know that sounds naff but it really is true when you sit and think about it.

For me though, there is one thing that stands out that I'm grateful for.

I'm grateful for my family and my friends.  I don't know what I would do without them.

I'm grateful that I found an amazing husband and that we were able to have Mini Cheddar together. I've already mentioned on this blog that my parents went without when my Sister and I were younger so we could have things we needed or wanted and I've be forever grateful for what they did for us and how they continue to love and support us even now we are in our 30's.  I'm grateful for my older Sister who is like my best friend and she is a brilliant Aunty to Mini Cheddar.  I'm also grateful for the fact I got to have 4 Grandparents in my life for such a long time.

I'm also grateful for my extended family, even though they are a strange mixture of characters sometimes!  I'm grateful for my young Brother-In-Law (pictured below) who makes me laugh and Mini Cheddar adores him - he is fantastic with her.

I'm grateful for all my beautiful friends who I've known for years and who have supported me through the good times and the bad. I love them all dearly for various reasons.

So thanks to my family and my friends I'm grateful for the love and happiness that fills my life.

I'm grateful for a lot.

Now head on over and check out all the other entries...

The Gallery - My Backyard

Blimey, is it Wednesday already?  Where are the weeks going?

I know I've been saying the past couple of weeks that I wasn't going to join in with The Gallery but this week was definitely going to be the week. Yeah yeah, I failed again.

By the way...did anyone else snigger childishly at the theme of 'My Backyard' (metaphorically speaking)? Just me then? Moving on...

I wasn't going to join in this week as my backyard is not that exciting.  Basically I'm no Alan Titchmarsh (I would say Charlie Dimmock but I wear a bra) and I really dislike gardening. My fingers aren't in the slightest bit green. We have a fairly large back garden but it's mainly just grass and patio. Oh and the 'den'.  I have a few pots with some crappy flowers in it but that's about it.

So, I ran out in the garden yesterday afternoon and snapped these. At least I joined in and I can sleep at night (damn you Tara for causing my Gallery addiction).

Now head on over and check out all the other entries...