Been looking at a lot of portrait photography and liking it- black and whites especially. So tried to recreate it with a lay attempt- ie take a snap and try to do the work in the dark room so to speak. But I liked it even though it wasn't what I wanted it to be. For my standard anway, hence the lead image.
Its been the most lazy week I have had for a while. Not even been out except to put bins out and other little things. The weather has been atrocious. The gales have been blowing, the rain falling. Reluctantly at times having to put the heating on when we can take no more of the cold.
Last week of holidays for the kids which has made for a long one full of very long days. Don't get me wrong its no fun for them either. They got scooters for Christmas and longingly looked out the window each morning to see if the weather was good enough to get out- never was. But I've been finding it mentally tough. So much noise, fighting, arguing and huffs galore. It also created a bit of tension between me and my wife who is much more sedate and allows them to stay up later than I would like- sometimes as late as midnight. So it causes a difference of opinion. She is also less lenient with them which is why I have that "Mr Grumpy" mug.
We've had a few visitors too this week. A visit from my wife's father and older sister. Her older sister adopted two kids late last year and this is the first time I had seen them. Lovely looking kids. Still very young- both younger than our youngest. As usual mixed emotions. Good and bad. A "we can't stay and don't have time even for a cuppa" transpired into a visit of over an hour but I got through it.
One of the things the kids enjoyed about being stuck indoors was a colour in wendy house my youngest girl got from Santa. They spent ages decorating it with pens and paint- one side anyway. And had a lot of fun with it like here.
Such a shame. Just flimsy cardboard with a print on it. They would have been as pleased with the box it came in. I noticed a lot of stuff we bought this year was cheaply made. Quality really is a thing of the past when it comes to toys. Long gone the job of the toy maker in favour now of mass production cheap plastic junk with a higher profit margin. Honestly some of the stuff was beyond belief and won't last long at all.
A bit like a standing light my wife bought at the weekend. It was half price and had obviously been handed back. No wonder. The thing won't even stand up straight. So flimsy. I told her to take it back but she is determined to find a way to keep it upright. So its sort of hanging in a corner looking like it might topple over if you breathed on it.
