For final year school girls, the Matric Dance (Senior Prom)  is undoubtably THE highlight of the year.  

I have known Lara since she was about 11 years old.  My sister and I got her involved in synchronized swimming and coached her on and off for about 5 years.  She was - and is - the funniest little character ever.  Except now she's not so little!  She's gettin' all grown up - and absolutely gorgeous!!

I took a bit of time before Lara headed off to her dance to get some portraits. This girl really knows how to work it.  

I attended the same High School as Lara and had my Matric Dance 9 years ago. For fun, I've added a photo of me and my 'then-and-now' boyfriend .  We  clearly DIDN''T know how to work it. :)
This is my boyfriend and I about 9 years ago at MY Matric Dance.  His brother David joined in on the excitement and decided to wear a suit too - just like his brother and biggest idol.
 
So the last desktop lasted approximately 6 days on my computer and I'm BORED.  So here is my new one - This pic is from Marilize and Nico's wedding which I photographed about 2 weeks ago.  We had such fun!!  

Feel free to use it if you like...


 
I slapped a pretty quote onto an out-of-focus photo at a wedding - and VOILA! We have a desktop picture.

Made me think... maybe you CAN make something good out of a mistake.

If you're like me and tend to outgrow your desktop photo after a few days, you should check out The desinglovefest Blog. It is an AMAZING blog and constantly supplying new and creative desktops for download!! 
 
Do you know how many hours and HOURS a photographer can spend at their desk editing photos and running their business?  I can't give you a figure, I'd rather not know - but it's A LOT.  My friends come over some evenings for social visits - like normal humans do - you know, for chats/coffee/dinner - and have banned me from opening my laptop. 

Yup, it's that bad!

Well, I wouldn't remain sane if it weren't for music.  I listen to Jango where I have created a radio station with music that makes my heart happy.  Feel free to tune in and share a bit of my joy.

Otherwise, here's a list of some favourites for anyone interested:
Mumford and Sons
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Alabama Shakes
The Freelance Whales
The Tallest Man on Earth
The Naked and Famous
Kongos (Originally South African)
December Streets (South African - YEY!)
James Vincent McMorrow
Florence and the Machine
Ellie Goulding
Bon Iver

....and that's just to list a few.

Today, this is the song that is keeping me going....

 
Something a little bit more personal for this lovely Tuesday evening. 

A few years ago I read a book called Brida by Paulo Coelho.  Something in that book really stuck with me - and that was a little theory on soul mates.

Now you must know - I consider myself quite a romantic (I blush in a BIG way!), but have never really been a believer in 'soul mates' or a 'one true love'.  There are many many wonderful people in the world and a few I have been lucky enough to meet.  Some have left a real impression on my soul and allowed me to feel more whole - and this is my experience of a soul mate.  I can only hope that I continue to cross more beautiful souls on my journey of life...allowing me to feel more connected to the Universe and myself.

From Brida:

'We are eternal because we are all manifestations of God,' Wicca said.  'That is why we go through many lives and deaths, emerging out of some unknown place and going towards another equally unknown place.  You must get used to the fact that there are many things in magic which are not and never will be explained.  God decided to do certain things in a certain way and why He did this is a secret known only to Him.'

'The Dark Night of Faith,' thought Brida.  So it existed in the Tradition of the Moon as well.

'The fact is that when this happens,' Wicca went on.  'And when people think of reincarnation, they always come up against a very difficult question: if, in the beginning, there were so few people on the face of the Earth, and now there are so many, where did all those new souls come from?'

Brida held her breath.  She had asked herself this question many times.

'The answer is simple,' said Wicca, after pausing to savour the young girl's eager silence.  'In certain reincarnations, we divide into two.  Our souls divide as do crystals and stars, cells and plants.'

'Our soul divides in two, and those new souls are in turn transformed into two and so, within a few generations, we are scattered over a large part of Earth.'

'And does only one of those parts know who it is?' asked Brida.  She had many questions to ask, but she wanted to ask them one at a time, and this seemed the most important.  

'We form part of what the alchemists call the Anima Mundi, the Soul of the World,' said Wicca, without replying to the question.  'The truth is that if the Anima Mundi were merely to keep dividing, it would keep growing, but it would also become gradually weaker.  That is why, as well as dividing into two, we also find ourselves.  And that process of finding ourselves is called Love.  Because when a soul divides, it always divides into a male part and a female part.'

'That's how the book of Genesis explains it: the soul of Adam was split in two, and Eve was born out of him.'

Wicca stopped suddenly and sat looking at the cards scattered on the table.

'There are many cards,' she said, 'but they're all part of the same deck.  In order to understand their message, we need them all, all are equally important.  So it is with souls.  Human beings are all interlinked, like the cards in this deck.

'In each life, we feel a mysterious obligation to find at least one of these Soulmates.  the Greater Love that separated them feels pleased with the Love that brings them together again.'

'But how will I know who my Soulmate is?' Brida felt that this was one of the most important questions she had ever asked in her life.
 
I am seriously grieving right now!!!

JUST as I was about to hit the 'Publish' button, my internet decided to flip and I lost my blog post.

I am now too angry to do it all over again, so instead am having a rant! Yes, yes - procrastination is not one of my best qualities, but perhaps this will help speed the grieving process along so that I can re-do to the blog post that I spent the whole of Grey's Anatomy doing.

1.  DENIAL
"The internet DID NOT just freak out and close, it's coming back - wait, give it a few minutes - it's coming back!!!"

(Holds thumbs)

2.  ANGER
"WTF???? NO, YOU DID NOT!!!! AAAAAHHHHHH.....I HATE the African internet.  I want to go back to Singapore where things WORK! I hate my life, I hate my macbook (not sure I really mean this one!) I hate this chair!

(Bangs head against wall)

3. BARGAINING
"Come on, come on, come on....I promise I won't scream at you again little and oh so wonderful laptop - please bring my blog post back. I'm sorry, OK? (Quiet prayer to the internet Gods.)

(kneels in quiet prayer)

4. DEPRESSION
"I can't believe this has happened.  SOB! I'm going to have a marshmellow easter egg and a small cry."

(Walks to kitchen, has easter egg and small cry then comes back to laptop.)


5.  ACCEPTANCE
"Guess I gotta learn to save as I go along.  My bad!"

(Sit's up straight, ends procrastination session!)
 



I had an AWESOME December.  Photos from my road trip will be posted soon!!

In the mean time, watch our Road Trip Movie - it's down there at the bottom of this post.  

It's really rather rad :) :) :)
Goodness me - I have not updated this blog since November and have such a back log of photos to post!  SHOCK HORROR!!!

The reason though is a good one. (I reckon!!) 
In December I left Singapore, and moved back to my home town of Durban in South Africa.  Those last few weeks leading up to my departure were MANIC.  You forget how much there is to do - all the good byes, packing up, tying loose ends.  When I got to South Africa, I had a holiday in Cape Town and road tripped down the coast to Durban with 3 amazing people.  You can check out our Road Trip movie here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3128p599S_4) It's epic!

Once back from Cape Town - it was Christmas, then reconnecting with old friends, then trying to get some work started and now I've just returned from a working holiday on Lake Kariba. (I know - tough life!) ;)

Anyway - I am now home and trying to set up shop.  NOT as easy as I thought it was going to be.  I am just having way too good a time being home.  Not having set work hours makes it hard to turn down social invitations...as well as having a friend who owns the best coffee shop in town. (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bean-Green-Coffee-Roastery/154905321272717)  Go like her page, and if you're in Durban - pop in for a coffee.  I'm sure you'll see me there, pretending to work but more like chatting to the peeps!!!

I'm going to have to get my act together soon though - cos March is going to be crazy.  I will be spending some time in East London and then in St Francis, doing a wedding and some family shoots.  After St Francis, it's straight back to Durbs for another wedding.  I am REALLY looking forward to it.

Right - time to buckle down and get up to date with this business of blogging!!!

BRING ON 2012!!!! WHOOP WHOOP!