August has ended up being an especially busy month for us even though we’re not on school holidays. It’s not to say we haven’t squeezed in a little fun these past two weeks though. Peppa Pig World and Whipsnade Zoo were definitely the highlights although POD made for a mean pirate!
Welcome to Project 365 | Weeks #33 and #34.
Day 221
One of POD’s friends had a pirate party today. Not only did Daddy make the best costume ever, there was a pirate ship to play on too.
Day 222
A busy day today catching up on lots of admin. Photographed these wonderful Meze headphones for a review, we absolutely love them! We also told POD we were going to Peppa Pig World the following day. She took ages to go to sleep she was so excited.
Day 223
POD announced she loved Peppa Pig World before we’d even entered Paulton’s Park – she squealed when she saw Grandpa Pig! We had the best day seeing the characters, checking out the rides and exploring the gardens. You can read ‘That Moment When They First See Peppa Pig World’ on the Paulton’s Park site.
This is one of the official photographs taken inside Madam Gazelle’s School. Just look at the joy on POD’s face, she can barely contain herself!
Day 224
Back to the usual working routine today. An incredibly busy one but lots done. Came across this beauty when I popped out.
Day 225
The latter part of the week is currently spent working in London. Although not the same as oggling at blooms, I do love the architecture including the old theatres.
Day 226
After work on Thursday, I met up with a friend for dinner near Waterloo. Heading over the bridge it was inevitable rain was on its way!
Day 227
It’s great spotting blooms in London, few and far between usually. Every now and again you get a wonderful surprise like this one.
Day 228
It was a day of playing catch-up today. Daddy kept POD entertained with a spot of animal sticking in preparation for our trip to Whipsnade Zoo.
Day 229
Today we were able to surprise POD with a TOMY Stack Track. She loves Chuggington and was so excited when the first track was built. It provided hours of fun and we’re looking forward to putting it through its paces!
Day 230
Today was my birthday so we headed over to Whipsnade Zoo in Buckinghamshire. I used to visit as a child and have been itching to go back. It was far grander than I imagined and having the access we had to the animals was great. I loved this giraffe, probably the best eyelashes ever!
The lions were amazing too. I had a feeling this chap would turn around so I just stood with my camera attached to my face until he did. It’s almost like he saw me! I absolutely loved photographing the larger animals
and POD had a great time too. Here she is doing her best roar ever!
Day 231
A hectic day today but a good one with lots done before the week’s commute to London.
Day 232
I lived in London for 20 years before moving to Surrey. Every now and again I see something I’ve not seen before. Like a restaurant absolutely surrounded with flowers and arches made of leaves. In Drury Lane of all places.
Day 233
In London slightly later than usual tonight following a drink after work.
Day 234
St Lincolns Inn, one of four Inns of Court in London, is such a peaceful place to walk through after work. Hard to believe it’s just off Chancery Lane.
Day 235
Today we embarked on a spot of blackberry picking. POD began by helpfully holding the bowl over her head, it didn’t last long. We did make a fabulous crumble though – blackberry, apple and raspberry. Yum yum!
Thank you to everyone that joined the Alphabet Photography Project over the past week with letter N.
Having toyed with a few other options for letter O, in the end orchids was the winner. I love orchids, such wonderful flowers and so varied too. The Lady’s Slipper orchid featured above is one of my faves, what an incredible flower!
How to join in
The Alphabet Photography Project runs every Wednesday. A Linky is live from that day until the following Tuesday so you can upload a short post or an Instagram photo. If you include a link back to PODcast I’m happy to share it for you.
You can post a photo on Instagram (PODcast is here) using the hashtag #alphabetphoto. There are also Pinterest, Facebook and Google+ groups.
Ideas for letter O
The #alphabetphoto theme can be interpreted in any way you choose. Your letter might be a photograph for example, an object that resembles a letter or an adjective. Have a look at the letter O hints in last week’s post. If you get really stuck, an online Scrabble dictionary is a good point of reference!
Inspiration for letter P
Here are a few ideas to get us thinking about letter P:
Peaches, pears, purses, paintings, pens, pencils, pearls, patterns, pineapples, pins, pebbles, peppers, peeling paint, plant pots, peacocks, pride, people, perspective, pink, purple, polished, plain, poppy, poised, precious, pure, poor, powerful, prickly, pug, pig, puma, puff, push, puss, pure, pond, plum, play, pool, posh, pips, pine, pick, pies, pets, puppy, potato, prunes, power, puddle, pretty.
There are also lots of inspirational photographs on the #alphabetphoto Pinterest board:
Hello everyone, welcome to What’s The Story? for w/c 18th August 2014. If you’re reading this on Monday, it’s my birthday today so we’re heading to Whipsnade Zoo for some fun with the animals. I’ve not been since I was a child and POD has never been so it promises to be a good day.
I hope those of you on school holidays are having an amazing time and managing to keep the children entertained. August is always a busy time for us so apologies if I’m not getting to comment as much as usual. Working and blogging aren’t always as compatible as I’d like them to be!
How to join in
If you’re new here What’s The Story? is a photograph based Linky which enables you to share the stories behind your favourite photographs. To join in all you have to do is share a photograph and the story behind it. You can write as little or much as you like and your photo/s can be from any time.
Feel free to use the What’s The Story? badge or include a link to PODcast in your post – I’m happy to share it in return. Please do take the time to comment on some of your fellow bloggers posts when you can. What’s The Story? is open every Monday through to the following Sunday.
There’s a community on Google Plus so do pop over if you haven’t already. You can find me at Charly Dove or PODcast.
Have a great week peeps #whatsthestory.
Thank you to everyone that joined in with the Black & White Photography Project last week. It’s such great fun, such variety in the photographs we choose too. I keep referring back to the black and white photography tips in an attempt to get better!
This week has been especially busy but I had to squeeze in some monochrome loveliness. Dandelion clocks are always so wonderful to photograph so I’ve been tinkering with those. I’ve shared two images but I think the favourite has to be this one. I just love the detail of the seeds.
How to join in
To join in with the Black & White Photography Project, just link up a short post, with or without words, featuring a black and white photograph. You can link up a collection of black and white photographs too if you prefer. The photograph/s can be from any time – old and new are welcome.
Do share your photo on Instagram using #bwphotoproject (PODcast is here). You can also share your posts and photos in the B&W Photography Project Facebook Group.
The Black and White Photography Project runs every Sunday. The Linky is live from that day through to Saturday. If you include a link back to PODcast or the blog badge I’ll happily share your post for you.
Inspiration on Pinterest
If you’re looking for inspiration, the Black & White Photography Project board has some awesome photographs.
Meze Earphones: iPhone, Android, MP3, MP4 compatible.
The white packaging features an embossed logo and stylised imagery of the earphones on the front. The reverse copy highlights the handcrafted nature of the product inside, all of which gives a first impression of quality and raises expectation. Meze for most of us is a tasty Aegean treat. Could it now become synonymous with a crisp and natural audio experience as proclaimed on pack?
On opening the Meze earphones box you will discover a leatherette pouch, also in white with a silver zip and silver logo emblazoned on the front. For me it has a nautical feel. I can imagine the pouch sitting ready for use on the table of a yacht – possibly next to a tall glass of something bubbly!
Inside the pouch is a towelling lining (adding to my nautical theme). The lid has a mesh pocket which houses three very useful additional silicon earbuds and a metal clip which emphasises portability. The Meze earphones themselves are in a resealable transparent packet in the base.
The handcrafted wood body described on pack immediately catches the eye. The attention to detail is evident. The use of a luxury colour palette – bright white, silver and gold along with the featured wood grain scream craftsmanship. It’s obvious a great deal of thought has gone into creating these headphones. My expectation of their sound quality was high.
The moment of truth was conducted on my iPhone. The earbuds fit comfortably in ear. My music tastes are varied so I was interested to hear how the sound quality measured up across the musical genres.
For me however the litmus test is with one of my favourite classical pieces, Adagio in G Minor – made more poignant by the finale of the war film Gallipoli, as these classical pieces often are. The haunting organ and melodic double base accompanied by the drifting violins filled my head (and usually brings a tear to my eye).
This time was no different. The earphones delivered a deep and as promised crisp and natural sound. Moving on to a more contemporary song I chose John Newman’s Love Me Again. As one of the voices of recent years and with a pace which speeds up and slows down, incorporates drums, piano and the latest production techniques I thought this too would be a good benchmark. I wasn’t disappointed.
Finally I turned to one of my favourite bands the Foo Fighters and their Live album Skin and Bones. (I’ve also seen them Live three times.) Their track My Hero is much played and another great combination of instruments, acoustic and electric guitar, thumping drums from Taylor Hawkins, piano and of course Dave Grohl’s distinctive vocal. With the introduction of the crowd I was keen to hear just how Meze earphones would tackle this challenge. Again my expectations were met.
Meze earphones are a stylish addition to my audio hardware which delivers a rich and natural sound experience – a real treat for my ears! For more information, head over to the Meze headphones website.
Disclaimer: We received a pair of Meze headphones for the purposes of this review. Opinions are own own.
Thank you to everyone that joined the Alphabet Photography Project over the past week with letter M.
Letter N really had to be for nature. We appreciate it so much more having moved to Surrey (from London) four years ago. There’s lots of National Trust woodland to explore locally – POD loves being surrounded by nature. We’re also regular visitors to RHS Wisley which is where this photograph was taken.
How to join in
The Alphabet Photography Project runs every Wednesday. A Linky is live from that day until the following Tuesday so you can upload a short post or an Instagram photo. If you include a link back to PODcast I’m happy to share it for you.
You can post a photo on Instagram (PODcast is here) using the hashtag #alphabetphoto. There are also Pinterest, Facebook and Google+ groups.
Ideas for letter N
The #alphabetphoto theme can be interpreted in any way you choose. Your letter might be a photograph for example, an object that resembles a letter or an adjective. Have a look at the letter N hints in last week’s post. If you get really stuck, an online Scrabble dictionary is a good point of reference!
Inspiration for letter O
Here are a few ideas to get us thinking about letter O:
Oranges, ocean, ornaments, objects, Olympic, opulent, orange, oak, obsession, old fashioned, old, open, outstanding, oink, owl, opal, otter, opera, offer, oasis, outdoor, oxygen, oyster, owning, others, orchid, octopus, olives, oops, outjump, outlast, ostrich, orchard, orbit, one, officer, overjoyed, once, overlook, overleaf, overboard, omelette, own, off, our, oar, open.
There are also lots of inspirational photographs on the #alphabetphoto Pinterest board:
POD is always saying she wants to build a snowman – you can guess why! Almost as regularly she asks if she can build a sandcastle at the beach. Although we headed to the wonderful Frensham Little Pond recently, Surrey isn’t known for its beaches.
We had last week off work so we spent a few days in Suffolk. POD’s Grandparents, affectionately known as Baba and Gagam, live there. They’re only half an hour away from Felixstowe too – an Edwardian seaside town on the North Sea coast.
There’s something calming about being near the sea and hearing the sound of the waves. It was a glorious day too so the sun just sparkled on the water. A gentle breeze made for a perfect temperature.
Although POD has been on beaches in the past, she wasn’t old enough to remember. This time she wanted to go in the water almost as soon as we arrived.
The waves and the chilly water spooked her a little initially. But those little toes were in the sea for the first time and it didn’t take long for her to gain confidence. She headed out with Daddy and Buba with the water up to a chest at one point.
Back on the beach she was able to dig sand and fill her bucket. She also got to search for shells, checking each to make sure there weren’t housing any ‘friends’.
Her stripey rainbow hat was used as a makeshift bag to collect them.
It was wonderful just sitting there watching her whilst taking in the views and seeing the sun glisten on the sea.
POD even walked down the waters edge on her own and just stood looking at the sea. She looks so tall in her toweling dress.
She got to make sandcastles before she left – a combination of sand and shells.
Then it was time to pick out the shells, fill a bucket with water and add sand. It reminded me of making mud pies with my brother all those years ago.
After the beach, next stop was lunch at the quirky Ferry Cafe in the Felixstowe Ferry village. We sat outdoors so we could enjoy our fish and chips with harbour views but the American style diner offered some fabulous 50’s-inspired nostalgia inside.
We then headed down to the docks to watch people crab fishing and have a look at a few of the boats
before finishing the day off with the largest ice-cream in the World.
Linking up with #whatsthestory here on PODcast.
Hello everyone, welcome to What’s The Story? for w/c 11th August 2014. Hard to believe it’s only a week until my birthday, this year has flown past so fast!
We had last week off work so we managed to squeeze in lots of fun including a few days in Suffolk. This week’s #whatsthestory post focuses on our time at Felixstowe beach.
How to join in
If you’re new here What’s The Story? is a photograph based Linky which enables you to share the stories behind your favourite photographs. To join in all you have to do is share a photograph and the story behind it. You can write as little or much as you like and your photo/s can be from any time.
Feel free to use the What’s The Story? badge or include a link to PODcast in your post – I’m happy to share it in return. Please do take the time to comment on some of your fellow bloggers posts when you can. What’s The Story? is open every Monday through to the following Sunday.
There’s a community on Google Plus so do pop over if you haven’t already. You can find me at Charly Dove or PODcast.
Have a great week peeps #whatsthestory.
