I’ve always been envious of people who can keep up with having lots and lots of acquaintances, I imagine it would be great to be able to pick and choose which friend to make plans with and fill up a calender with a different friend for each day of the week. As for me, I’m either not gregarious enough or maybe just incapable of multi-tasking.

To this end, I have one friend (other than my husband, but he doesn’t count). Vicky has been my friend since school, I guess since about 1994.

We’re couldn’t really be more different.

She loves camping and the outdoors life. I’d rather pluck my eyebrows with a pair of pliers.
She works as a carer in an old people’s home… I tried that job once and lasted 2 days.
She doesn’t really ‘get on’ with technology… I’d literally shrivel up without 24hr intravenous access to broadband.
She’s got a string of cub scouts that look up to her… If it were me, I’d take the cub scouts out into the woods and leave them there.

Despite all these differences, we seem to find a common ground most of the time, but there’s one thing about her that really chaps my ass.

I’ve simply never known anyone over the age of 25 with more beautiful skin. Oh, the bitch tans fantastically too.

No portraiture, no cloning, no healing, no nothing. I’m rethinking this whole ‘friend’ thing now.

One of my images has been selected as one of the ‘final ten’ in the ‘exploratory post processing’ category in Jesh de Rox’s recent contest, and I’m beyond smiley about it.

I’m also really embarrassed to see it up there with what are 9 other infinitely better images and a big part of me wishes I could take it back, does that make sense? I am really proud that it got selected… and not trying to be ‘modest’ or anything silly like that… I’m just embarrased after looking at how GOOD the other images are.

I was bored the night before last, and while I was stalking all the blogs that I love to stalk, I noticed the contest was still running, and instead of doing my usual scanning of posts just to get to the pictures, I read it word for word. If I’m honest, I didn’t know what ‘experiential’ meant and was curious to find a definition.

Anyway, I thought I’d enter my recent image of the crow in the field (the ‘hello darkness my old friend’ one) for the 1st category and as an afterthought really I had a quick peek through my flickr to see if I could find 2 more that might kinda fit the 2nd and 3rd categories. I thought, hey… no-one has to see them bar a small panel of judges, it’s not like I’m walking down the high-street sans clothing right?

I just checked my ‘bloglines’ about an hour ago… and there, right at the very bottom of all the finalists was this:

So now I feel like I’m walking down the high-street naked apart from a pair of clown shoes.

Anyway, if you got that far… I’m going to go and hide under my duvet ’till it’s on the second page of his blog and no-one can witness my foolish late-night bravado, I might peek one eye out a couple of times, but mostly I’m just gonna close them tight.

If you’re not a regular reader… check out Jesh’s blog… it’s limitlessly inspirational.

I feel truly honoured to be sharing a spot over there with lots of phenomenal photographers, share the love, go see them all and vote for your favourites.

…was a really lovely day.

Happy Anniversary to the man who tells shockingly bad jokes, pushes away storm clouds with a smile and made me believe that I was worth being loved.

Always remember, shut the door.

xox

… so I’m pleased Paul’s doing it.

He’s decorating Nan’s old bedroom and we’re moving in ‘cos it’s got MUCH bigger windows than our dungeon.

I am making lots of tea and bringing him cakes and stuff though.

I think the deal is that he’d rather just get on and do it on his own instead of me being up there ‘helping’ whilst complaining every 3 minutes that I got some sugar soap/paint/white spirit/dust on me.

I did pick the paint colours… although I’m already doubting my sense of style. But shhhh… we won’t say anything until it’s done alright? I don’t want to start a mutiny up there.

The second picture is a better representation of the colour than the first (at least on my monitor). I’m hoping the grey comes out all nice and soft, whispery-looking as opposed to battleship grey-looking. I’m also expecting muted stuff from the green… I don’t want it to look like I have a mould problem. The green will go on the wall the bed is against and the grey everywhere else. My main concern is that the green is a touch too dark… but I’ll deal with that problem if it arises.

We’re getting a new carpet too… I want something with a really deep pile…. a bit like this:

Is it a bit bathroom ruggy? tell me, I can take it!

and I want it in a mushroomy kinda colour… mid brown but tonally more grey than red… does that make sense?

This is the kinda colour:

So… blog participation time…. honestly - I need your guidance… what do you think? Better you tell me that the only taste I have is in my mouth before I spend more money and wind up sleeping in a room that looks like it was designed by Dame Edna Everage.

…’cos I’m getting my funk back. I think it’s the tax returns… they’re sucking all life out of me, let alone any creativity.

nice light, nice location, shame there’s no one in it.

~ Today I’ve been putting off doing my tax returns. They’re due by the 31st September… I hate this time of year.
~ Today I’ve been eating peanut butter on toast… no dinner, I’m too full of peanuts.
~ Today I’ve been putting on pillar-box red lipstick and wiping it off again.
~ Today I’ve been wondering how much longer I can grow my nails before I wake up with a gouge in my face from sleep-scratching.
~ Today I’ve been drinking tea and not enough water.
~ Today I’ve been thinking that I should go and do something productive with my Sunday before discovering that ‘Dog the Bounty Hunter’ is compelling TV.
~ Today I’ve been changing my blog page to fit in bigger pics and cursing my inability to come up with a header I like.
~ Today I’ve been typing ‘charlotte is’ into google. ‘Charlotte is able to keep calm by withdrawing from situations’ incase you were wondering.
~ Today I’ve been daydreaming about what curtains I’d have if I lived in my own home.
~ Today I’ve been screening phone calls.
~ Today I’ve been pouting in the mirror and stretching my skin to see what I’d look like with a face lift (fucking funny is the answer).

I honestly dunno how I manage to fit it all in.

What have you been up to today?