Like it's 1982 in the caravan at the beach.

Since we bought the Kombi we just can't stop listening to this album. I'm such a sentimental old fool, here is why.

It was one of the coolest albums my parents owned and our whole family loved it. It reminds me of the drive from the suburban bliss of Greensborough to the then quiet coastal village of Anglesea where we'd spend the summer in our permanent caravan. There was plenty of good music in my folks record collection but some pretty.....shall we say questionable albums that seemed to get the high rotation treatment, which might I add they did NOT deserve. Classics that are forever burned into my memory, The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Julio Iglesias, ABBA, Manhatten Transfer and my personal favorite Richard Clayderman.
There wasn't any Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin or Dylan but there was a splattering of Beatles, Eagles, Chicago, Patsy Cline, Mental as Anything and even a Ringo Star album. It's Stevie Wonders 1980 release; 'Hotter That July' album that really made me smile.

I also remember these summer memories. Which are best remembered while looking through Dad's photos or his classic slide and movie nights.

* Once at the beach I found a $20 note. I was over the moon with the excitement of buying myself stuff. My folks persuaded me that it would be a good idea to buy all the family ice cream. You can imagine the thrill of sharing I experienced.

* Alby Mangles movies in the Anglesea Hall. Classic. This is were I found my passion for short shorts and busty babes.

* 'V' the original TV series. Big hair, flesh eating. Surprisingly no nightmares.

* I once swallowed some lego pieces whilst playing in the caravan annex. Mum knowing full well that I would survive the night played up the whole 'this could be your last night'. She made me feel better with cuddles, ice cream and M&M's. I think that night was my first anxiety attack/'I'm going to die' experience. My kids don't play with Lego.

* Boogie boarding at the surf beach and being really good at it.

* Wearing fake Ray Ban Aviator sunglasses and riding our dragster bikes feeling like I was Erik Estrada from CHIPs.

* Going fishing but never catching anything.

* Bruce Springsteen's 'Born in the USA' played over and over again. I don't get his music to this day.

* Sweaty head bands and wrist bands and tennis socks with baubles. Don't ask.

* Playing some sort of astro space invaders game on a Commodore with a cassette tape drive. I was king.

* My brother was my best friend but we fought like ally cats. He started it.

* Crawling under the cash registers looking for dropped coins. I made a pretty good living from this. Still to this day I really have to be in mental control not to get on my knees for a look. "Opps I dropped my car keys....I'll just bend down for as look"

* At the end of the holidays getting wildly excited about new school books, new stationary and new Clarke's shoes, which always cut into the feet for the first week then they became a second skin. The promise of a new school year was actually really exciting.

Talkin Love...

Some recent pics from wedding season

Some say Karma is a wonderful thing

Okay so I'm not the nicest person around. Well actually I'm one of those rare old school bastards that actually tells it how it is. Sometimes that gets me into trouble. My personality is such that I tend to tell people what I think of them, a situation or an experience. I'm a little more open than whats good for me.

So sometimes this little lovely trait of mine gets me into a bit of yucky poo soup. Some call it Karma.

What a terrible weekend we just had. The little beach get away with the girls in the Kombi and the last supper with my lovely big sister before she and family move OS for a year all went horribly wrong. Dottie decided to blow a fuel pump on-route.

Was it my cranky post last week? Which did inevitably upset some kids, for that I was surprised but also left feeling icky that I had un-intentially upset someone. My bad. But then again this is my life. This is what I do. And let me tell you I am disaster-ly good at upsetting people. It's my thing.

The blog is an extension of our emotions. Maybe someone has written a thesis on the subject. I don't really care, I'd never read it. I haven't even finished the first Harry Potter for fucks sake.

By serendipity I met my hot chick over 13 years ago, and it just so happened that she is the most tolerant of the females. Good for me. Thats why I have her tattooed on me numerous times. When 'the people' get to me, she's the one that calms me down and sets me straight. Pretty rad huh? She may not eat olives, mushrooms and be slightly deaf in one ear but to me she is perfect. Ti amo Kimmi!

In any case the weekends events of our Kombi abruptly faltering have got me thinking. And I'm sure the rumour mill is in full swing.....let it swing I say. The more people that dislike me the better. ;-) Theres nothing like people making there mind up about you without knowing you or the situation. Thats the reality. Thats Karma.

We still can't laugh about it. A dark day for Dottie.




Please do NOT take a pic of me......
(this is us picking up the hire car at the airport of all places)



How interesting is this place? Comedy gold!



Our trip to the airport. Was such a great family event. Pity we didn't fly anywhere.



Another one for the family album. Check out the arrrccchhhiieetexture

Happy Camper!

In the mail yesterday I received a lovely little thank you gift from Alison. It was a real little gem at the end of a crappy day. Inside was a lovely thank you note for the pics I took for an article thats now printed in Real Living Magazine. Accompanying the lovely thank you note was a great gardeners notebook, which Allison thought of me when she first saw it. How sweet! Thanks Alison!

Also this week (brag brag) I got printed in Peppermint Mag (Although they didn't credit me so I might be completely making this up)







I don't remember taking the pic of Allison....? Paul maybe?

Weddings

A few posts ago I mentioned a 'glamour' girl that I will be taking photos for her wedding next year. Her name is Emma Hyatt and she is the creator and owner of Psychoglam Jewelry based out of Ballarat.

I hope that using the word 'glamour' to describe her won't offend, because in-fact I see it as an endearing complement. This lady is always looking fabulous, and in such a rare natural way. Emma and her lovely partner Joel met me as their wedding photographer, however I'm glad to say that all of us have become friends.

Their wedding is extra special to me and I'm really chuffed to have been chosen to to it for a number of reasons. Firstly because it's Emma and Joel and they rock Joel's panel van featured in Thaw #5). Secondly Emma has exceptional taste, so it's going to be a visually smorgasbord. I'll be working my butt off to make sure I capture the realism of the day. I can't wait. And thats why I've set it as a goal to loose some weight by. For myself to feel good on the day.

Emma has passed on this little blog called Style me Pretty. It's a design wedding type blog that has some really cool stuff in it. So many weddings I do are filled with the same stuff. Sometimes not much thought goes into it. But when that bit of effort goes into it the individuality of the day shows up very evidently in the images.

Less then 12 weeks to go!

All images from Mille Holloman

Happy Happy Joy Joy

Yesterday, not so good. Today, completely the opposite.
Your support is uplifting to say the least. Thaw is a labour of love, it's been a ride over the last year thats for sure. I've had some lovely comments today and a blog post from the blogtacular blogaliscious Jodie which was a wonderful gesture.  Thanks Jodie and everyone else, that either work their butts off for Thaw or just help by spreading the word.


Respect.

Forever cranky

Today whilst feeling quite aarrghshitfuckpoobum one of my favorite Dylan songs comes on my iPod. It made me feel better. 

The new Thaw is out today.....but still we aren't getting it out to enough people. Probably due to our lack of marketing slash marketing budget. What can we do to get it out to the unconverted? Any marketing ideas that you think would work please tell us. It almost gets to the stage where I find myself asking is this worth the disruption to my little family life?

Forever Young

May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

Oh thank you so much for making me feel so......Oh super joyful!!! It's like you've sprinkled fairy dust of happiness all over me.

Thank you to the lovely people that have made me supernova happy today.

I really appreciate and accept your decision.

It's not an insult to all the hard work we do for this town in anyway.

Have a lovely day!

Daylesford Makers Market.

A great little market, put together by this chick. Well done Steph and great work local makers. 

I'd like to write more but I'm flat out processing clients photos so my grey matter is a little blue. Oh and PS...guess what arrived from the printers?

All the ladies went goooo over this fella.

In 12 weeks I'll be photographing this glamour girls wedding! Can't wait...I need to loose weight for this one! 

Apparently this chick has talent.....;-)

HELP ME!!!

On which blog did I see this lamp? I think it was from a shop somewhere in Vic.....can someone help????

My garden this Spring

It's just the best time of year for the green stuff, especially when there is plenty of sunny stuff and wet stuff to boot. Yesterday I finished work a little bit early and got a chance between visitors and kids, to play in the garden. I dug up all the baby potatoes and boiled a few to have with my baked salmon dinner. Just delish! Oh and garnished with my own chives of course.

I've processed a little amount of broad beans to dry out and use next year, or maybe to use in a stew. I've left a few of the plants in the patch for a little fav dish of fresh broad beans (blanched) with Peccorino Cheese, French Tarragon and a drizzle of Virgin Olive oil. A great little summer starter.

Hows your garden going? Post some pics!

These are the tommies I grew in my micro hot house from seed.



Look how well these grapes are doing! The middle one was just a cutting a few years ago, and I've been moving it from house to house waiting for the right place to plant it. Now it has a home. I call him Terry (as in Terry Table Grape)



The most practical of all lettuce. Just snip off a few leaf's and it continues to grow!



Of course the Coriander has gone to seed. It's such a poonzy bastard..."Oh a little bit of sunshine and too much heat....I better drop my shit and go to flower". Although it's a flavour trap and a little bit poofy, I don't mind it going to seed. The flowers are pretty.



Cute stuff



Native paper daisy. I have no idea why I don't see more of these in backyards. The are really hardy you can find indigenous varieties from your region and they keep for years when dried. These are from the north side of the divide, but still very pretty.



Harvest!

River Cottage glutt

I ordered this DVD set over a month ago, and I've been impatiently waiting it's arrival from the UK. It's finally arrived and it's brilliant! I think Kim has a small crush on dorky Hugh. I on the other hand admire his way of thinking and the foods not bad either!

It's great that Hugh and others like Jamie are promoting the idea that growing your own in your backyard is easy and has benefits for all of us. Although I'm pretty sure Jamie has borrowed a few of Hughs ideals. Either way I'm glad they both are representing the good cause.

Buy it now....only $55 Aus I think, but you get 10 DVDs....7 Series. Value plus!

Our first trip.....now back to Thaw

I wish we could have stayed for weeks but the magazine deadline beckoned. Sob.

Dottie

So I woke up this morning and took my cuppa out to the front porch as part of my daily routine to welcome in the day. This morning there was a very big green surprise waiting for me. This fantastic teal green kombi was parked out the front. Suddenly it all came flooding back to me, like a hung over morning remembering why I declared never to drink again. This was ours, our ticket to freedom and barefoot adventure. Beach trips, bush exploring and taking showers wearing thongs.

She's a bloody rippa. She's clean, fresh and has a heap of new bits and pieces. But she's also a bit temperamental and demands a little respect. She's old, but not done yet, still plenty of fun left in her.

We've decided to call her 'Dottie' in memory of my crazy fun Nan Dorothy Gribble. Who gave so much in her life, yet had a heap of fun on the way. This kombi has Dot's spirit of adventure. Hopefully though she won't hang out a big skid around a gravel corner at high speed like Nanny Dot did in our Renault T16 hatch back in the 80's. Scared the crap out of my brother and I, until we caught our breath back, then we asked her to do it again. Nan just smiled her cheeky smile, with a hint of devil in her eye. What hope did I ever have of not being naughty?










My nan 'Dot'

Hot and bothered

I've just got home from todays fashion/cartoon shoot and I'm stuffed. I feel so drained, like everyone want s piece of me, the mag is unending and I'm no where near as healthy as I want to be. Tomorrow is a new day. But today, right this minute I feel like my sad little bunny friend. You'll see more of him in the upcoming issue of Thaw. By then hopefully I'll be a happy bunny. I guess it's not helping writing this post and listening to Gram Parsons, $1000 wedding. Absolute tear jerker.

Magazine deadline is next week. What, me worry?

Yes that right, next week, deadline. Ouch!

And so far this morning, the scanner died, 'old trusty' the Editors Mac notebook died and Kim has blisters from cutting out the props for tomorrows fashion shoot. But I guess we wouldn't have it any other way. Would we?


Thanks Alfred E. Nueman for keeping me calm.

I'm in SOOOO much trouble, does anyone have a spare bed for a few nights?

Okay so most of my bloggi mates and real life mates know I work my big arse off!
So please keep that in the back of your mind when you read this shocking yet unbelievably TRUE tale.

Every now and then I have this twitch in my eye, I'm not sure where it comes from, but it makes me do really silly things. Like buy things that will make my DARLING BEAUTIFUL BEST-EST SEXY LOVING WIFE Kim a tad angry.

This afternoon I had 'the twitch'

If I had to be taken 'down to the station' to give a statement this is what I'd supply as a true and real account of the experience.

I just happened to come across this really interesting website called AMAZON, have you heard of it?
They have all these things to choose from, it's amazing. Suddenly the phone rang, an office peer asked me a tricky question, I received a few emails all at once, the fish needed feeding and my desk lamp blew a globe.

I was, so to speak in a fluster. Suddenly, like a flash of lightning and in all the office confusion my innocent little eye started to twitch. My arm, (uncontrollable by this stage) moved ever so close to the mouse, my fingers no longer my own moved and twitted feverishly. Numbers were entered via the keyboard, items were clicked on, boxes where checked.

Meanwhile my brain was saying "NO NO NO! Give me back control of my body" but alas it was too late. The evil twitch had well and truly completed it's hideously evil task.

Another purchase for the Kombi trips. We NEED to document every trip, yeah?
I DO work really hard for our money yeah?

Does that justify it?
Will I get into more deep do do because I tried to squirm out of it on a blog post?
Will my blogutation be tarnished with my irreverent actions?

Tune in tomorrow to find out.
Or just read the obituary pages.

Look at her.....isn't she a cutiiii! I call her mini me.

I've been busy

Okay so I've been a naughty blogger! I'm busy, is that a good enough excuse?
Life is just great, and extremely busy. Jobs left right and centre.

I'm still in the middle of buying this beauty of a Kombi, it looks like it might all go ahead, once I can get my head above water that is. And the first weekend free, let me guarantee I'll be at the beach with the girls. Thats what all this work is about.......working to eventually have some down time with the fam.

Anyhooo here is a pictorial essay of my last week or so. Being a photographer (what ever that means) allows me to document whats been going on. Here are my pics.

Day on the Yarra

Just going through a clients wedding shoot from a few weeks ago and found some interesting stuff I forgot that I shot. No real reason to post them, just keeping my blogutation intact.