The Amazing Jen!

This is the wonderful new camera "tool belt" that my friend Jen made for me. Isn't she clever? Through some discussions over the phone and trusty msn she managed to devise a pattern and make it work without even seeing my lenses and other gear in person.

I wanted something like a tool belt becuase with all the kids I'm photographing at the moment, I've got way too many things around my neck and I'm forever dropping stuff. This gives me a lense pocket, heaps of little pockets for CF cards, keys, batteries etc and my favourite bit...my light meter is on a clip on retractable cord thingy so I can't drop it and it's easy to slide back into it's holster!

I dragged Steve outside today to take some photos of cause I'm so proud of it. She even used some funky fabric to match the colours I wear for work. Jen the Habby Chic (her business name for her handbags) I think we definately have a new product line! Love you heaps xxoo

For Grant & Cath

While I'm frantically searching through photos for my website I came accross this one of Miss Amelie. So Grant and Cath, must be hard having such a cutie pie for a daughter!

Beautiful Boy...and a Madam!

This afternoon I took the kids for a walk down to the vacant block at the end of our street. It's going to be a sad, sad day when they bulldoze it for the next installment of townhouses :-(

I told Isaac we were going on a bear hunt, but unfortunately that seemed to freak Cassidy out although she loves the book. Once I calmed her down that there were no bears, that we were just pretending she made up her busy little mind that there were snakes in the grass. She kept going on and on about these snakes and them going to bite her. By this stage I was thinking maybe a little snake nip on her foot wouldn't be too bad an idea.... :-)

Isaac thought it was fantastic and I got some shots of him to add to the rare collection of "Isaac not making a silly face".

The last one of Madam was her directing me on how to use the camera. After the other day when I got her to take shots of me, she has declared herself an expert and apparently there's a few techniques I need to work on....

Gorgeous Girl

Sorting through all my photos looking for stuff for my website, I found this one of Missy Moo.

I just love her expression, only Cassidy could pull off sweet and innocent so well - yet we know the truth! Tonight at dinner, Cassidy was in fine form, talking incessantly, circling the table, pinching our arms and calling us all "cheeky monkeys". She had Isaac and I in stitches while Daddy desperately tried to maintain a straight face and keep order at the dinner table...he failed miserably!

Free Location Sittings

It's been a long time coming but the new InHouse Studios website isn't too far away!

Because I want some fresh new faces and images to go with my website, I'm offering some free location sittings (either at your home or a funky location). Babies, kids, teens, families...I want them all!

No pressure or expectation to buy

If you are interested or know someone that might be, please email me at kate@inhousestudios.com.au for more information.

My New "Do"

These shots were really for Jen :-)

She asked me to send her a photo of my new hair-do but only Cassidy and I were at home. So I set up the tripod and got Cassidy to push the button. She was so cute, she took her job so seriously and was very interested in the whole thing and literally jumped aroound with excitement when her pictures appeared on the LCD! Needles to say most were out of focus, or were me jumping up to stop her pressing un-authorised buttons on the camera :-) but she was so cute. I used the timer to get a couple of me and my girl too.

btw...I feel like I should be in grade 5 and sporting pigtails with this fringe!

Mr Boggs

Who is Mr Boggs?

Well we don't quite know! Cassidy came up with him all by herself. One day at Nanna and Pa's I asked her to do something and she said, "No, I don't think so Mr Boggs!". Emma and I just fell about laughing, and of course so did Cassidy. Emma now calls me Mr Boggs, and the kids always cack themselves if I call THEM Mr Boggs....

Cassidy has said Mr. Boggs is from "Ice Age" but we don't know of him...

If anyone can enlighten us as to where there may be a Mr Boggs character, we would be most grateful!

So not sure if Mr Boggs will be around for a long time or not, but he's certainly one I will look back and remember with a giggle :-)

Bonnie has Arrived

...but not at our place thank goodness! No, Nanna and Pa have a new "baby", a Moodle named Bonnie. What's a Moodle I hear you ask? (Believe me, so did we at first!) It's a Maltese crossed with a Poodle. A couple of friends have them and Mum decided they are the perfect dog! The don't lose hair and don't smell...well not much, not like "real" dogs :-)

The kids, especially Isaac, are just so taken with her. She is a beautiful little thing and very hard to resist when she runs frantically towards you! I just love Isaac's face in this shot, he just loves cuddling Bonnie and doesn't let her walk very far without giving her a helping hand!

I've Been Tagged!

by Carrie...she knows I'll get her back one day :-)

1. Four of my favourite jobs
2. Four of my favourite local places
3. Four of my favourite foods
4. Four of my favourite international places
5. Four name's of people I am tagging

1. Hmmmm tough one....to find four I mean! Obviously being a mum...the best, worst, most rewarding and toughest job in the world. I absolutely love being a photographer. It has allowed me to express my creativity in so many ways, I get to meet new people all the time - both clients and such very talented photographers. It has opened my eyes to looking at things in a new way and it feels so good when I can capture a piece of people's lives so they will always have the memory. Ok, this is sad but although I complain about it I love cleaning my house. The feeling after it's done is just too good...in fact that's so sad I think it can count for my thrid and fourth :-)


2. Local places....can I say my own house?! I just love being at home, for work or just not having to go anywhere and be with the kids. I love going to Mum and Lyall's....where we, as a family, always feel so wanted and loved (besides they have a cool new coffee machine!) I love our local House & Garden shop...if you need a present or something groovy, I always seem to find it there. If I had more time...I could spend hours wandering aimlessly around Spotlight or our local scrapbooking shop...I can never have enough supplies "just in case"!

3. My Nonna's spaghetti (for all of you out there, I'm sorry, but you just haven't had real spaghetti till you've had my Nonna's), the Caramel Swirl Cheescake that you can snag at most Gloria Jean's and Coffee Clubs...try it, the texture is like ice cream, you won't regret it! If I can toot my own horn, I make a pretty good Lemon Meringue Pie when I can be bothered and can I say a cup of tea as a favourite food? I really think some days I could survive just on cuppas....

4. I travelled a lot as a kid as my dads a pilot so from what I can remember....America - can't wait to take my kids there one day and do Disneyland and the whole kit and kaboodle. Switzerland is absolutely beautiful. Um, can I just do two? I truly think that apart from our ridiculous taxes :-) we live in one of the best countries - we have the best beaches, we have snow and compared to a lot of countries we are so well-off and live how we want.

5. Jen, Heidi, Cathy & Kylie...maybe later I'll figure out how to put all those links in!

Vintage Girl :-)

Yummy Mummy to Be

This is my lovely friend Kara. We had a great time last week taking some belly shots :-) and I had the opportunity to boss her around - I don't get to do that with my regular clients!

We got some gorgeous sexy ones, but I wouldn't want to risk our friendship by posting them here - we've been friends for a long time and I'd like to keep it that way!

But I think everyone would agree that she's just beautiful.

Come Fly With Me

I love this shot of the boys....they hardly took their eyes off the

plane the whole time. What is it about boys and planes ?

Miss Gillian being very sneaky and ducked behind Hannah at the last moment!

Yesterday we met Bruce and Gill and Hannah and Declan down at Redcliffe Aerodrome to go for a fly with my Dad. Not sure who had the better time, the kids or Bruce!! I didn't get many shots as I was making sure all the kids didn't make it out onto the runway :-)

Thanks Dad, we all had a great time...Cassidy thought it was okay, but decided it was safer behind the fence (see above!)

The Need for Speed

We take slot car driving very seriously around here :-)

He's Home!

Steve's home! We are so excited to have him back :-)

For those that haven't heard the long story of why he had an extended hospital stay...

After Steve's type of surgery, they make you wear pressure bandages on your legs to prevent clots. They pump up to a certain pressure every couple of minutes. Steve's however, weren't working properly. While he still had the epidural in, the bandages were pumping up far more than what they should have, hence bruising the muscles and restricting circulation in his legs. Once the epidural wore off, Steve had severe muscle pain in his legs and could feel the bandages tightening WAY too tight.

So, as you can imagine, we were not thrilled with this and Steve's longer stay has mainly been to get the pain in his legs under control. He's doing much better now, he still has pain in his legs but it's now mainly nerve pain. Because the operation moves his spinal cord into the correct position, it also "jerks" all the nerves that run down his legs into a slightly new position also. This is making his legs and feet very tingly and sensitive to certain pressures. This will go away slowly and hopefully significantly so in the next week.

His back itself feels really good and is only causing a dull ache. Everything's healing well so he just has to keep taking it slow until everything re-adjusts. After his check-up with the surgeon in around 5-6 weeks, he'll be able to start rebuilding the muscle he's lost with some physio. Till then it's just gentle exercises and letting everything heal properly.

The kids were so excited to have Daddy home! There was an extra special suprise of a flash new slot car set when they got home - something special and "easy going" for Daddy and Isaac to do together until Daddy's better! They are in looking at it as I type, so I better go and check it out before this year's Bathurst gets underway right before bedtime :-) :-)

********

An extra special thankyou to Mum and Lyall for having us stay while Steve was in hospital. If you need somewhere to stay in Redcliffe it's five star... you get porridge for breakfast, washing magically gets washed, they mind kids, co-ordinate hospital visits, do kindy runs... and Isaac is also now experienced in installing water tanks :-) :-)

Seriously, I could not have got through this last couple of weeks without you both, you are wonderful...thankyou so much from both of us xxoo

Kids in Flannies

I love my kids in flannelette PJ's. They're just so warm and cuddly!

This is Cassidy at Nanna and Pa's, as usual, getting undressed. I find her undressed most mornings, either that or in some outfit she's chosen for herself.

She loves being naked and it's sometimes hard to keep clothes on her. Her other favouite pastime is changing clothes....she stands on a chair to get clothes down from her wardrobe and then leaves items of clothing all over the house.

I thought I'd have a few years before this started but trust Cassidy to catch me while my defences are low... :-)

Ava's Memorial Website

Sheye has started a memorial website for Ava. Please visit it and read Ava's story in her mummy's own beautiful, eloquent and raw words. Sheye has a way of putting her feelings into words that is nothing short of breathtaking.

http://avarosemeyer.memory-of.com/

Sheye's Blog

http://www.sheyerosemeyer.blogspot.com/

Sheye, I could never hope to find words like yours to say. I can only send my constant prayers and my deepest love xxoo

Steve

I'm so relieved to post that Steve's operation went really well. They have already had him up and taking some tentative steps, which was painful for him (I was watching him and suddenly I could see all the colour simply drain out of his face...a bit scary) but the surgeon said everything is fine. He's doing a bit of physio each day and will probably try some sitting up tomorrow, just for short stints at a time. The epidural is out and he's mainly having panadeine for the pain. His lega are very sore because of the way the operation has shifted his nerve endings, but that will gradually get better. He's had to have pump-up leg bandages on to reduce the risk of clots, but he's hardly slept at all because of the constant tightening and deflating. Luckily they took them off this morning so I'm really hoping he gets a good night sleep tonight.

I took Isaac in for a visit yesterday and he was most interested in all the contraptions hanging off daddy! Today he asked me some very indepth questions about "what the doctor did to daddy's back" and I went into an lengthy explanation of how inside daddy's back the pieces are like a tower of leggos and one of the leggos had slipped out (rather creative I thought, I was very proud of myself) until Isaac shot me down in flames with...

"you meant to say bones, didn't you mum".

Nothing like a four year old to keep mum's creativity in check :-)

Five Little Ducks

Missy Moo really loves the collection of ducks they have in their bathroom. I bought a big one for using for shoots, I was given one other big one by a lovely client, and I bought the little ones for Cassidy because she loves the "Five Little Ducks" song. Today she actually asked me to take a photo of her with her little ducks, so here she is!

Super Duper

I think I may have posted these shots before, but I've only just got around to scrapping them :-) Did you know we have our very own Mr Incredible around here? Well, we think he's pretty incredible anyway...

An Interesting Day...

What a day, although the lead up to it really started on Sunday...

On Sunday Isaac came down with a bit of a tummy bug. Not too bad, but he was sick off and on all day Sunday and Monday. This morning Steve and I got ready to go into the hospital. Steve was feeling a bit "squirmy" but again not too bad. When we went through all the pre-op discussions at the hospital, the surgeon said he couldn't risk the operation because of the risk of infection. They don't like operating if there's the chance you have a virus which could get bacteria into your wound.

So home we went! All a bit of a let down as we were packed, organised and geared to have this over with. We will speak to the doctor tomorrow, but Steve's likely to go in next Monday or Tuesday, so hopefully there'll be some better news next week!

Let's just call today a dry run :-) :-)

Steve's Operation

Just to keep everyone in the know...

Steve is going in for his back operation next week on Tuesday the 17th. He'll be in hospital for up to a week, maybe less, it will depend on how he goes. For anyone that can't reach me at home or on my mobile, I will probably stay at Mum and Lyall's for the week to make it easier with the kids.

I'll be sure to post the first chance I get and let you all know how he went. Once back at home, we'll be laying low to give him the best chance to get back on his feet as quickly as possible. From all of us, we value your love, thoughts and prayers at this time.

Looking forward to having our healthy daddy and husband again :-)

Miss Amelie

I don't normally post clients on my blog, but the three lovely ladies I did a session for today don't really count as clients :-)

I have done photos for Grant and Cathy and the gorgeous Amelie before but this time I got to meet Cath's mum, Carol for shots of just the girls.

It was a session meant for the studio, but Amelie took one look at the big scary "moon" (my studio light!) and point blank refused to go in there! We decided rather hastily to head down the end of our street for the shots instead!

I haven't had the chance to sit down and look through them all properly yet, but here's a few cute ones that caught my eye. (Yes Cath, I changed the colour of the lollipop in the close-up of Amelie to match her cute shoes!)

Self Portrait

Okay this is scary :-)

Since I haven't made Steve's usual calendar this year for our anniversary, I decided to have a go at a self-portrait...using my tripod and a timer obviously! It was really hard. First of all I felt like a complete wally. Second, it was near on impossible to get the thing to focus when I wasn't sitting there to focus on (I had to press the button on the camera then run into postion as my timer lead wasn't long enough). To a fly on the wall, it must have looked hilarious.

Anyway, this is the end result.

My darling husband bought me the dress recently :-)