The same Autumn colours, still beautiful every year.

Autumn favourites – Japanese windflowers

We enjoyed the Year 11s’ (including Maxim’s) performance of their compositions at Dizzy’s Jazz Club in Richmond.

Lent and Lenten sweets (coconut)

I’ve been trying to give up sweets but it hasn’t been working

Easter holidays have started, time to recharge. I love bookshops; such a sensory experience, not unlike an art exhibition. Tactile and gorgeous.

A different world…

Browsing well worn parts of Melbourne. Do you remember the eccentric Michael’s fabric store. You never know what you can find there. Finally closing.

Finding the beauty in well-known places

I’ll try and visit occasionally with photos.

Some of them are just beautiful.

The postcard of spines is gorgeous

I wouldn’t be able to pick one favourite, would you?

I’m sure I’ve seen this one before – or something similar

Strong, simple design

Another strong one.

In the mood to knit 60 jumpers?

A clever one.

Not sure how romance fits in the context of explosives

And I definitely need to learn how to detect illogicalities in other people’s mental processes

Here’s something I missed in my early development

I wonder if there is a version for unintelligent women.

And who could resist the Penguin John Lennon

I have a boxfull of these!

Apologies for not cropping these – too tired tonight.

I had fun with my photo apps on the iPhone yesterday. Coming into the city early to secure a parking spot close to St Patrick’s Cathedral – our school celebrated 50 years with a mass – gave me a chance to enjoy a quiet walk which took me past the many green spaces, beautiful old buildings and interesting smaller streets with their individual character.

Playing around with iPhone photography apps is the best thing for people like me who know nothing about photography and don’t really want to make the effort to learn.

Interesting how the colours in the photo above differ from the same photo below. The second photo looks ominous.

I love a bluestone church; our previous church building was bluestone, and although not set in beautiful grounds (no grounds, actually), still made its architectural mark on the street. Making this photo look aged reminds me of the photos we have of us outside our old church and casts my mind back to those days, people I don’t see any more, a history captured on paper.

The last photo hasn’t been edited and shows the warm sunlight filtering into the interior of St Patrick’s. Spaces are very important to the way we feel.

I was thinking it’s a pity that mobile phones are banned at school; what a simple way to enhance a photostory project using the effects provided by photo apps. Imagine how easy it would be for students to play around with mood for a particular purpose, then provide reflection. Visual literacy.

Sometimes I feel as if I’m not moving, set unnaturally in concrete. The start of the school year is an abrupt change of pace from the alternate reality of the long Summer holidays. Suddenly the old head has frozen, overjammed with information and commitments.

Only now I feel I can inch forward and find the head space I need to orient myself and take control of things. It doesn’t look like I’m moving but I am.

Not much to say… late Summer days disappearing into the routine of school. Trying to look twice so that I don’t take for granted the last Summer sun making the brightest green outside. Afternoon light has already mellowed, still lovely.

Mail came and it was another beautiful paper garland from Italy, handmade – sewn together, amazing. Each little circle, every one different. Quite long really, hang it from the ceiling and it is anchored by the seven or so circles resting on the floor. I love the fact that this craftsperson has beautiful handwriting and it’s all over the envelope.

A picture of the view from the back after rain.

That table’s going to weather…

Still on a cleaning and clearing frenzy, one of the areas I attacked today was the stationery cupboard. Amongst all the bits and pieces I discovered an inordinate number of spare envelopes which we had saved over the years for our correspondence.

It makes me think about how infrequently I need to use an envelope, how rarely I write letters or write anything by hand. A few days ago I received a letter from a friend who lives in Canberra. She’s always been a lover of letter writing, and it was a joy to read a traditional letter from her, to see her familiar handwriting.

This kind of communication is fast fading. I’m guilty of neglecting hardcopy correspondence in favour of email, Twitter and Facebook messages. It’s so much faster, easier to edit, easier to send and I’m afraid my handwriting has deteriorated. How many people are in a similar situation? Definitely our students. Modern methods of communication are so much more instantaneous, interactive and collaborative. I wonder if handwriting will soon be a featured display in museums.

I’m feeling better now that so many corners have been cleaned out and organised. No time for that kind of thing once school starts.

Roses will no doubt display their beauty unseen. Then wilt without being noticed.

Coffee out won’t be enjoyed.

These places will be missed.

Not so much time to play around with apps.

Still, the last couple of weeks have been very productive, cleaning out amassed stuff in the garage and back room. I’ve started weeding books in the house, hence the new gap on the bookshelf, previously unimaginable.

First time I’ve been able to see through the window from the garage.

Ah well, I may as well embrace the new year. Hope yours is a good one.

It’s easy to create these special effects. Addictive too. I’m going back to school next week, and I thinking about how much fun it would be for students to play around with different apps. In my new role as Coordinator of Learning Enhancement, I can think of many apps for different areas of the curriculum. Students would have such fun, they wouldn’t even know they were learning. Now, to find a way to get my hands on a few iPads for school….

Any ideas?

The rest of my Maxim Photo Studio FX series is here on Flickr.

Just before the cake went into the oven – and before the berries were submerged into the dough.

A very sociable cat received much attention from our company walking back to the car after a good meal out.

Back at home, it was time to tuck into the dessert. I’ve become too lazy to take my camera when I go out, so I apologize for photo quality.

Tiramisu was good. Recipe here.

The cake once baked.

Homemade chocolate brownies and store-bought almond bread.

After dessert…

This day always reminds me that I must face the end of my long holidays. Nooooo!!!!

This is what I’m going to do: I’ll keep up the blog but only when I can. The Daily Shoot won’t feature every time. I want to keep in touch with my favourite photo bloggers, though, but I won’t be able to do that every day. This is the reality of online activity; I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about.

So here are a few of today’s photos. I was going to try and fake the Daily Shoot (stripes) by tricking you all into thinking my photos were stripey but I changed my mind.

Morning market photos:

Hang on, the organ pipes are definitely stripey, so I’m going with this for Daily Shoot. We attended an amazing orchestral workshop for Melbourne Youth Music Summer School today directed by the energetic and inspirational Richard Gill (my younger son’s guru). All age groups’ orchestras/bands were showcased with lots of talk about the type of teaching the kids received throughout the week. Definitely an impressive and powerful lesson about the importance of music education for every child. The quality of teachers/tutors really stood out.

Amazing building, the Melbourne Town Hall. (I think the ceiling’s leaking…)

See where the sun filters through, that’s where the glass is broken. Wonder if the rain gets in.

See you next time I have time and something worth uploading.