Photo's of the week

I have been shooting all week to a grand total of 3,000 photographs, yet unfortunately for you readers (and myself as I hate to not share) but I cannot unveil until they are published elsewhere. Boo! But in the meantime I thought I'd put up some work of a talented photographer I came across this week. I stumbled across Mila Wetzler's photos and fell in love with the freedom expressed in her travel photography and the stories they tell. Bellow is several of my favourite but by all means not all of them! You'll have to click this link to delight yourself further.

Shooting this week for Joanie's Junk Lookbook at Balham Bowls Club

Baking

© All photographs copyright of Rebecca Hawkes

I have been in the kitchen this week. After all there isn't the most to do when you are staying with parents in the middle of nowhere. Getting high of sweet treats is the best way to bide the time away.

The first two images I took during a rainy afternoon in London (quintessentially English). To escape the rain I took comfort in Soho's Yumchaa. Yumchaa is a local tea shop specialising in many unusual and exotic loose teas as well as your english cup. I sat with my copy of Apartmento, a new discovery to me after reading so many positive reviews and can safely say that I love it's refreshing perspective and its first hand experience or inspiring interviews with fascinating contributors, and read while sipping a rich hot chocolate. Watching the world go by in Soho was not a bad way to spend the afternoon. It comes highly recommended.

The cookies were made on a Norwegian filled day. I am teaching myself Norwegian to go along with the possibility of a move to Oslo, so after collecting supermarket magazines around Christmas, I decided to translate a recipe. This was for Ginger biscuits. I cannot remember the Norwegian name...the lessons are going well.

Other: Cupcake = Jasmine. Tart = Pear. Muffins = Raspberry and Cardamom Crumble

I think it is about time I got vocal again! These little mood boards are the current enchantments of my mind. I am longing for colour in there most vibrant and intoxicating tones, falling in love with Elin Nalin's effortless exploration of colour as if she took direct inspiration from a paint slicked canvas combining the most unlikely combinations as if straight from a tube. I'm also a little bit spurred on by this stylist/stylish female, due to her crop resembling my own yet on a brighter spectrum once again, in an almost white shade...something to take into considering at my upcoming hair appointment...Since turning my back on magenta in that 'grown out of Barbie' phase I am welcoming it back as my new favourite. It reminds me of childhood days at the same time as it shouts that it's overwhelmingly feminine and doesn't care who knows.

I'm a little late on this weeks photo diary...I did not take many photos last week but nonetheless I should find some time to post up. I have a lot on at the moment and I have been doing well. Excelling to the point that tutors cannot fault my efforts or recommend anything to further them. Great, but a little criticism or passion would help sometime. I want to be able to improve and create something amazing, I question if it can all be plain sailing (is that the correct phrase, I am awful at remembering them). Today I feel a little burnt out. I need a large ammount of sleep to function and I'm not sure if its the ammount of work I have been doing recently (although people work like this everyday of their lives, if not more and cope), missing my boyfriend that lives an ocean away or if I am coming down with something. Maybe it's a little of all these factors. I feel I need the motivation back as right now I feel like I am in a daze most of the time. My life is lived out through emails between eating and sleeping. And I am doing a lot of the latter (eating and sleeping) as it the only distraction that I know I have to do and that won't make me feel guilty. scrap that, I just ate a bag of popcorn for dinner, I feel a little guilty...What I need is motovation so I am going to write a list of what I want to achieve and why, as well as how I am going to try and achieve it. This is a list for me, and to benefit myself rather than my project.

At the beginning of this year I set myself the challenge of cutting meat/sugar on two different months (could not fathom both on the same!) and I managed to cut meat in January. It was difficult towards the end as mainly I think the urge of a banned food item made me want it more, a well as missing the saltiness that does not come from anything other than cured meat such as salami. It did however slim my bloated belly from the mountain of bread I consumed over Christmas and opened my eyes to new recipes and tastes. Cutting sugar has to be the most difficult resolution on the list. Everyone that has read it and knows me have laughed or looked worryingly after they discovered. My boyfriend is not entirely sure he wants to be around me when this month takes place...It's a sure thing to say that I have a sweet tooth. I always have, as well as a lack of self control. I cannot buy sweet snacks in my general shopping as if they are in the house I will consume a whole box/packet e.c.t very quickly. Although I have deliberately inhibited myself from getting my sweet fix this way, the problem is five minutes down the road is the high street brimming with opportunities and a corner shop open to 10pm every night. Recently I have been giving in to my cravings way to often, due to the stress levels (although I may just be using this as an excuse) and my low energy, plus sweet snacks or snacks in general are easy to pick up when too busy too cook. Although a month is a large space of time to give up, I know I will do it this year. Right now I am going to try a week without starting now to see how it goes. I have so much on my plate that I do not want to set an unachievable goal that might hinder my work or increase my stress levels but I also feel my health is important to provide myself with energy. I am going to start with this task and then set myself more to improve my well being. Wish me luck!

Smoothies

http://www.greenlemonade.com/recipes-juices/get-slim-creamy-cucumber-smoothie/

http://www.wholeliving.com/photogallery/smoothies#slide_1

http://www.choosingraw.com/banana-chai-smoothie/#more-8406