Daily Life – Page 15 – helenthura.com

December 22, 2008

Christmas Lights

I have gone out two times in the last few weeks to have a look at Christmas Lights, the first time it was just Karl, Mum and I. We stopped first at a street in Carina which is where the following photos were taken.

We then continued on our way to Rochedale South where Mini Sal (the little brother of a friend of Karl’s) had put on a *little bit of a light display*. Such a *little display* that he won the best new entrant in the lights competition. Which is pretty cool. So cool that he got on Gizmodo a couple of days ago. It was so cool.

Here is a little bit about the display as written in an email that Mini Sal sent.

– It’s all computer controlled, with almost 300 individually controlled channels of lights,
– It’s synchronized to music, which is played on speakers in the yard and broadcast over a low power FM transmitter (which you can listen to by tuning to 91.7 FM),
– There’s about 600 metres of rope light and about 420 sets of fairy lights used in the display, which gives a total of more than 70,000 individual lights,
– The entire display consumes about 85 amps of power when fully on — I don’t actually have the power capacity to turn it all on at once, even after getting 6 extra dedicated circuits installed for the display. 🙁
– The display this year is dedicated to the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation, and there’s a collection box out front if anyone would like to make a donation.

The display was soo cool. Lots of red, white and green lights, Christmas music and a whole heap of lights. Here are a few photos from the display and then I will put some of the youtube videos at the bottom which give a good picture of how the display works.

This row of Christmas trees was probably my favourite part of the display, so keep an eye out for them in the video and watch them dance.

The introduction to the loop and a little about the display.

Silent Night – I love how the the lights “wake up” in this.

Wizards in Winter – like many others inspired by this youtube video from a couple of years ago

Good King Joy- watch the row of Christmas trees.

Jingle Bell Rock – do the rock.

Christmas Eve Sarajevo – lots of colour runs in this, I love it

The house is on Childs St, Rochedale South, so if you are in Brisbane and have a free evening, take the kids, take the dog, take the neighbour, it is well worth it.

December 3, 2008

happy

There were flight delays out of Singapore and again out of Sydney but finally a plane landed in Brisbane carrying four special people. My brother, my sister-in-law and my two nieces. One of the first things they girls did when they arrived was hopped on the net, spoke to each other on MSN and played various Flash games. This photo is so much more than just a girl at a laptop, it is Birta, in the living room of my parent’s house in Australia playing on my laptop and that makes me smile.

One of the things Karl did shortly after he arrived yesterday was to have a little look through the camera bag I had with me. Today, though he had more of a play with my lenses and I had a little play with his 24mm f/2.8, which let me take this image.

This afternoon after the girls had a little nap, all of us bar Mum and Pabbi went to the park and played French Cricket for a while which was a total ball and I am looking forward to quite a few more French Cricket games between now and Christmas Day. Oh I am so looking forward to the next few weeks! Tomorrow I am back at work though after taking the last two days off for the arrival of the Icelandic contingent.

December 2, 2008December 2, 2008

1240 days or thereabouts

Is roughly how long it has been since I last saw Karl, my big full brother. I can’t really say he is my big brother because I have four of them and Karl is the youngest of them. To say I am excited is something of an understatement.

We have just picked up Karl from the airport, which was all very exciting and this is one of the goodies he brought with him. I keep on bringing the package up to my face and inhaling the delightful smell. mmmmm dried fish!!!!

November 29, 2008

a little bit of class

I remember the first time I saw a Spencer and Rutherford handbag, Grandmum, Mum and I were in the city David Jones. Grandmum was buying stockings, I think it was even the trip when Grandmum bought Mum her good straw hat. There was a sort of inbuilt fancy shelves in the wall and there was a sign that said Spencer and Rutherford and it was filled with these most gorgeous handbags; lots of beads, lace and fancy fabrics.

Since I have started full time work, I have often looked at the Spencer and Rutherford display in DJs and ummmed and ahhhed about buying a bag but time and time again I just couldn’t justify the price. Yesterday when I was flipping through this weeks Brisbane News and saw a little ad, advertising a Spencer and Rutherford clearance sale at the RNA. I ummmed and ahhhed about going but I am so glad I went now! I picked up three beautiful pieces.

I was so taken by this bag – Beatrice but I just couldn’t pay $200 for it. It was so so so so pretty. This is the bag that I really ummmed and ahhed about the most. It looked like it would fit my laptop but what if didn’t? I rang Mum and got her get my laptop measurements off the website but of course I din’t have a tape measure with me. I sized it up with a piece of A4 paper and my drivers licence. Then I spied two laptops at the “cashier’s desk” so I asked if I could see if they would fit, they both did and the cashier aka a man who I am pretty sure was Chris Michaelides the business manager of the company said his wife (who if I am right is Kim Michaelides the creative designer) used to use this bag as her laptop bag and she had a macbook. When I got home, I sighed my laptop well and truly fits inside! This bag cost me $99, on the website they are selling it for $171 and I have seen it DJs for round the $250 mark. nice!

This is the other bag I got. I had been looking at a larger bag of the same fabric in DJs on and off for the past year, so when I saw this bag, I picked it up to my chest and sighed. So gorgeous and so classy yet still cheerful enough for me. I am looking forward to swinging this off my shoulder 🙂 This cost me $79 and in the shops it is round the $220 mark.

My final purchase was a new wallet. I have been using a gorgeous little coin purse that I got at Fossil a few years ago but wanted something a little more grown up and more than just the single pocket. This is what I picked up $39, though mine is a navy colour not the red in the photo. So pretty! If you click on the picture it will take you to the listing on the S&R website and you can see the Matryoshka doll coin purse that is inside it.

November 26, 2008

Gatton and beyond

A few moons ago, Mum, Grandad and I took a trip out past Gatton, just to drive the roads and see what was around. It proved to be a great day for me taking photos with my then new to me 135mm f2 lens. Here are some of the photos

The first set were taken by the side of the road looking at a field of what had contained cabbages and broccoli. I just loved the colour and the patterns. The second series were taken at the Glen Rock recreation park, where we had lunch, a little walk, a read in the info shack and some photos. It was a relativity brisk day for September and at one stage I had a tea towel wrapped across my back to keep out the wind. The wattle was just gorgeous and I loved taking these photos. There was also this gorgeous field of long grass which has the most amazing seed tendrils.

The day ended with us having afternoon tea sitting on the footpath outside the Gatton craft shop as the parks were too windy, which was something we have done before but still quite a sight to see.

November 25, 2008

Getting closer

Monday night is SES night and last night was Monday night. Myself and one of the other newbies got to out with a crew instead of staying at group training like the others. We got to do real jobs this time as well, like filling sand bags to hold tarps down, climbing ladders with said sand bags to pass to the workers on the roof, clearing branches and wet carpet. Man why on earth did it take me this long to finally join? We only have about a month or so now left on probation and then we get to go on all sorts of things.

In other news, my teeth are still driving me mad. “Braces, free to whoever removes them”. I went back last Thursday and had a new wire put on them which is slightly less painful in some ways but more in other and I got pink and purple bands put on (I let the girls at work pick a colour each). That whole biting, chewing thing is not something that my teeth enjoy doing at the present and I can’t yawn too much as it causes the wires to grab on my cheeks. sigh. I only hope that in another month they are relatively pain free as I need/want/have to be able enjoy Christmas and all the goodies we will have this year. We have been organising our list of Icelandic goodies that we want Karl and Toti to bring out, they of course include AppelsÃn, Prince Polo Bars and Dried Fish…. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Dried Fish.

Unlike a yoyo craze, unlike a marble phase,
I love it everyday – Dried Fish!
Unlike a hopscotch craze, unlike a knucklebone phase,
I love it everyday – Dried Fish!
I love it everyday – Dried Fish!

I chatted to my nieces on MSN last night, I have never done that before. We had a great little chat and I think I will make more trips to the beach this coming month than I have in the last couple of years! I am so looking forward to next week.