The Showroom

See you in 2007

   

I am not sure whether I'll have the opportunity to post at all during my vacation, so I wish you now all the best for 2007: happy moments with family and friends, success in any endeavours, health and happiness.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all who took the time to play and post their top 10. I hugely enjoyed it. I hope I posted to everyone, if I missed anybody I apologise. I tried to. Elma, your comments are disabled I think so I could not comment. Thank you for the inspiration, it was amazing.

Jamie, I have to thank you especially, because you have been such a great help to make me "see" where I should be heading. Always challenging me, making me think otherwise. I still laugh at that baby picture by the fireplace, which I thought was outstanding and had waited for so long to try it. But you had the guts to tell me that: no, yes it could work but I was just trying to follow the trend...I know I can rely on your honnesty. The message was just to be genuine, stay yourself. I just need to read the "hmmmm..." in hello to know that it is not good. But I needed some wake up calls. And thanks for the laughs, when all seemed lost, difficult, under/over exposed etc..Oh and no thanks for making me (with E's help) addicted to L glass!!!

(By the way, the parents LOVED that picture!)

Thanks to all who gave me comments, posted on my blog, helped me with these, to find my path. I really feel I have reached a little something this year and I am glad (ok a little bit of self satisfication never hurts, does it?). What I noticed from my top 10 is that almost every picture is including the background/surroundings. This is something I really wanted to achieve. I used to be a close shooter.

Thanks to the bloggers I stalk for the inspiration. It always brigthen my day.

I hope 2007 will be a great year for our photography whatever level, direction, style or path we wish to follow.

We as a family had a great 2006. Peaceful and rather healthy, and always very fun. I think we (me especially) managed to get down to the important things and realise that not everything should be achieved perfectly to be happy (I am a bit of a perfectionist and control freak!!!), and that not everyone's wishes have to be met. Set priorities, look for the little things, enjoy now...

Merry Christmas-

Frederique

Never too early to train them...

We went to Jamie Oliver's restaurant 15 in Amsterdam on Sunday with our London group. Our annual Xmas dinner is pushed back this year (due to my kitchen being renovated..) but we still decided to do something. 15 has a kids' program every Sunday afternoon from 15:00 to 18:0 where kids turn into chef making chocolate chip cookies and what have you else. They had a lot of fun (took it very seriously!LOL!!). Parents could have a nice meal and enjoy an unbroken conversation.

For the Dutch that make it to my blog, I would really recommend it. It's a cool place. They have that amazing grafitti wall and I already arranged to get allowed to come back for a photo session: very urban/hip/trendy style. Should be fun!

Ok, with my low quality P&S, flash, horrible lighting....If you pass that, you can see what my guys were up to:

 

Top 10 of 2006

I did choose 10 but I had to sacrifice some pictures I loved too. So that was hard! I think there are about 3 or 4 that I love equally but did not include.

Again I excluded all clients' pictures. Just a choice. Here they are...Caption was one of the first few words that came to my mind once I opened a picture in PS.

No special order...

Tik Tak Tik Tak

Time is ticking and I'm still stuck on 33 pictures..You know why? I've banned myself from the computer till Sunday night (ie the whole weekend)..Yes I'm cheating..DH is busy, he can't see me. So I'll just post a little note to say that I'll post my top 10 tomorrow evening.

We're leaving on Friday to France. We're driving to Lyon first to stay overnight at my sister and celebrate Xmas. It's a 10 hours drive (help me please!!!). I hope DVD's and gameboys will help. On Saturday we head to a little ski resort for a week. I can't wait!!!

The issue is that between now and then, I have a gazillion things to do:

1) Finish the fire place (paint) and put everything back in place in the living room 2) Empty the kitchen as the guys are starting Jan 2 and DH will be back late at night the day before 3) Set up a kitchen in the family room 4) Organise the Xmas dinner at the boys school 5) Work (for my boss...) 6) Wash the stuff we need and pack 7) Finish Xmas shopping (yeah I know I'm late..) 7) choose my top 10 pictures of the year.. and so on...I won't bore you!

DH is just taking everything as it comes. Let say planning is not his thing. Let me share a little secret: he still believes in Santa Claus. You see he turns up Dec 25 by the fire place and VOILA....All presents are nicely packed and distributed...Obviousl by Santa Claus!! Because he has not done anything about it, so who else???? So I have the feeling he's trying to do the same with our list of things to do. Yeah right, darling, you will come down tomorrow morning and the kitchen will have moved itsell and the fire place will look beautiful with my pictures on top...Sigh..

We finally did our Xmas tree, and the kids decided to decorate it alone and told us to get a nice coffee reading the newspaper in the kitchen (pure bliss, kids busy, silent..)..When we came back, the tree was kind of interesting looking, it was slightly hanging on one side: well, all the xmas balls and other ornaments were hanging on that side. LOL. It was so funny... We reaveraged the whole thing..And for the first year: no balls were broken...

Back to ironing fun! Don't forget the deadline!

Don't mess with my boys...

Because they got their second yellow band in Budo = a mix of karate and judo. This is for the 4 to 6 years old. At 6, they choose one or the other. Saturday, at their second exam, they looked pretty strong and it's definitely looking like something recognisable. Last year, I sat through a few lessons and well, it really looked like a bunch of pre-schoolers running around, tumbling, laughing, nothing else. Fast forward one year and it looks great. Maxim won most of his judo fights, and Nathan, well..he's very good at defending himself, not easy to pin down both shoulders on the ground..A little snake wiggling out every time..

Anyway, try this at home and let me know if you could do it: 1) lay down face to floor (ie on belly) 2) Bend your knees to bring your feet closer to you 3) Grab both ankles 4) Get up WITHOUT letting go of your ankles except when you're up on your feet and need to redress.

Ha! I thought the coach was joking when he asked everyone to do that!!! My boys were up first. Yeah!

Here the story in images (an overload), b&w because my iso was set to 1600 and grain looks better in b&w, right? Actually WB was set to automatic and it was not bad at all. I Love my 5D!!!

Tensed (not!) in our garden before leaving for the exam.

Lining up

In the steps of the master

Maxim's karate kicks

Nathan's first fight

Looks fun but these guys (Maxim and J.) were for real

Nathan's second fight

The rewards

We had a GREAT weekend as usual. Budo exam Saturday morning, swimming lesson in the afternoon, ski lesson Sunday morning, and MIL birthday party in the afternoon. Kids were beat in the evening, in tears when they had to leave their cousins. My SIL who was there too has 4 kids and they all play so well together. The kitchen people called us on Friday that they could not make Monday afterall. WTH??? We had ordered a container already. But ok, they started plastic surgery on our fire place. I was getting so jaleous on everyone's mantelpiece to show off their beautiful pictures, I needed one too!!! And our fire place is so ugly, it was started to make me physically sick...Can 't wait...

I think it's enough for today...Still trying to select my 10 pictures. I'm down to 33!LOL! Going well...And thanks for playing, it's fun.

Fun!

Found this on Sarah's blog and wanted to check it out for myself...

Your Theme Song is Born to Be Wild by Steppenwolf

"I like smoke and lightning Heavy metal thunder Racin' with the wind And the feelin' that I'm under" A total independent spirit, you can't be held down or fenced in. You crave the feeling of wind on your face... and totally freedom.

What's Your Theme Song?

Ha! I'm ROFLMAO..honnestly. I have to show this to DH. He will tell you, yes..When I met her, long gone..But maybe that's my true spirit?? Like it anyway!!!

Ok time to play...

This year has been a turning point in my photography. I learnt a lot about it (the tech stuff) and about myself. I was looking at the earlier stuff and WOW, can you spell BRIGHT colors!!! I won't go in the details of the path that led me to more subdued, natural colors..But I think I have reached something I like. I also learnt to appreciate b&w pictures, mine that is. I always liked others'.. Finally I know where my photography - style speaking - should be going. I am not there and I still have a long road ahead but the direction is good. The problem is..I should be about 20 years younger..Because I'd love to be a lifestyle (interiors) photographer, a food photographer, a kid fashion photographer and a modern lifestyle portrait photographer...I may have to drop some...

I will be posting my 2006 favorite pictures (bewteen 5 and 10). And would like you to do the same. As I said, they don't have to be technically perfect, can be anything, color or b&w..One requirement: each of them must have a caption: 5 words maximum.

Sarah, Jesse, Jamie, Julie, Amy (AFM), Amy (Estee's), KathyP, Brenda, Lanne, MichelleTW, Anna J., Leah g, Laureen, Tina, Holli, Jeanette, Angela, Wendy....And anybody else who wants to play. Can you post a comment on my blog and let me know where you posted? I really want to see yours. Hope you will play..Deadline is Dec 18.

Some more of my favorite hotel, not only for the rooms/decor but the whole atmosphere. A great place, Hotel Dominion in Quebec city.

He's on his way back to Spain...

Sinterklaas that is...And Nathan told us this morning at breakfast that we could now get ready to celebrate Xmas!! I think I just need a little break in between. To recover...

We had a really good time on Tuesday. Boys shouted loud and clear after unpacking each present that Sint was way coooool, he got them exactly what they wanted!!! The only disappointment was that He had no time to sit with us for a cup of tea but just rang the bell and dropped the presents...Manouk was wandering around from one to the other, trying to make each present hers...So the boys decided to hijack the wooden playhouse she got and turn it into a parking lot for their cars. The teletubbies are sharing their bedroom with a various racing cars! No one seems to mind! LOL!

The boys obviously got cars and some hot wheels track, and few small goodies. We stayed very reasonable this year. They are really into crafts & so, so Xmas presents will be for that.

Sint treated me with an ipod!!!!It was a long long wish of mine that for some reason remained unsatisfied. I won't tell you how many GB it's got, it's insane. Guess I'll be storing the gazillion favorite pictures of mine. Dh got a cool jacket.

Other news: the new kitchen is coming next Monday. The whole place is being renewed which means 2 weeks without a kitchen!! So if anybody wants to have us for lunch/dinner, send the invite over!

Lastly, I really want to post my 5 favorite pictures of the year. Emotional value will be more important that technical value in my selection process. And I want to nominate 10 people to play with me. So stay tuned, I'll list the names in my next post, tomorrow, and I hope you'll be game!

2 weeks to Xmas break. We're going skiing for a week and I cannot wait. The last time we went, this is the view we got on our first morning when we opened the curtains. It has snowed the whole night. Such a view makes me HAPPY, always!

 

"Zie ginds komt de stoombot...."

Last weekend, Naxim and Nathan's best friend  - H - came to stay over. These 3 boys are just so close, always have been. They can spend a whole w/e together without any argument. Amazes me all the time. If you have read my long post from last week about Sint's traditions, you know that every Saturday evening the kids will put their shoes by the fireplace and will get a small surprise the day after. Nothing is for nothing..songs must be sang. They did!

(Excuse the tired faces of my lot, they just came out of their swimming lesson and were exhausted - And yes DH had again thought of the good idea to make them cycle 10 miles in the afternoon!!! Under the rain!!! Men...Sometimes I wonder..But ok this time he is excused, he was playing Sint. He could have taken the car..maybe??)

And this is what they got...At 5:30 in the morning. I was not amused...Why can't kids sleep at weekend???

Kids' conversation at the dinner table:

Nathan: You were a pirate before?

H: Yes

Nathan: So you were 5, then became a pirate, and went back to being 5 again

H: Yes

Nathan nodding, finding that soooooo cool..

Nathan: And what did you do?

H: Well my dad was also a pirate, and we fought mouses (!!!) in the middle of the night

Nathan (totally untroubled by the story of fighting mouses..): were these nice or nasty mouses?

H: nice mouses...

Nathan: oh...

And it went on and on again. Maxim was too tired to participate and could just find the strength to nod (not so sure he was that impressed).

DH and I were trying so hard not to laugh....I love that age.

Photography is so cool...

Because without it I would have probably forgotten the details about this - the beautiful rooftops in Quebec city - and this - one of the coolest hotel we stayed whilst there.

Canadians you have a beautiful country. We'll be back, probably skiing!

I haven't finished proofing our vacation there in March. I went thru a few today and played a little.