Instacollage Application

I can't believe I've only just started using the Instacollage App and that I've had a lot of FUN! using it. Just the other day I read a nieces status on Facebook who has just recently began using the App and how she's loved using it. The app is great for giving your photos an even better look, with a wide range of frames, colours etc. Here are some of the photos I've worked on using Instacollage.

In My House There's A Picture On The Wall

I have always had a love for Family Portraitures. As I was growing up my Grandmother Mama Hina Kauta Tauariki Marsters would always call the local Photographer and make a sitting appointment to have our photos taken. During most holidays Dad would drive us down to Tokoroa from Auckland (New Zealand) to spend quality time with Mama. She would take my younger sister and I clothes shopping, mainly for dresses, especially for our family photo. I loved getting dolled up and smiling for the camera.

After getting copies of our photos, Mama would always post a copy for us to display on our wall. I always felt at home while at Mama's because I would see the exact photos in our house on her wall. We called her wall "The wall of Love". My father would do exactly the same up in Auckland, having our family portrait taken with all six of us children alongside our parents and sending a copy to Mama.

My husband and I have carried on that tradition within our own home. It is vital to place photos of your immediate family in your home. It displays the love within the home and most importantly, within the family. It creates good and lasting memories, taking you back in time to a joyous and memorable past. That was my Mama's recipe to a happy family and I'm glad she passed it onto me, because I honestly don't think I could live without it. At times, it has been my life line. No married couple is perfect and believe me, we have surely been tested along our journey.

When we moved country, I missed my family so much especially my parents. We moved with the essentials to start us up. In the first year, I pleaded with my husband three times to relocate back home. Our daughter and I visited home during our second year and that's when my mother suggested that I take some of our family portrait photos back with us and so I did. It helped a great deal. Our next visit home, my mother gave me their photo albums to bring back with me. She said, "Darling take Dad and I's photo albums in hopes that it will help you settle into your new life. Your home is where your husband and daughter are". She was always a supportive mother to all of us, her children.

By the third year, I was settled. Seeing photos on my wall of my parents, my siblings and my own little family, completed me. My home was finally HAPPY! It is truly amazing how a family portrait affects you in life. Everyday I wake up seeing the smiling faces of my family and pause to think - Damn we're a good looking Family! ha ha ha!

HAPPY LIVING EVERYONE!

My Papa Te & Mama Hina Kauta Tauariki Marsters

Dad & Mum with their granddaughters, my niece and our daughter

baby - 18 months old - 2003

My beautiful Parents - 2003

My Family - 2003

My Family -  2003

Our baby girl - 18 months old - 2003

Our daughter - 18 months old - 2003

My Family - Our daughter 10 months old - 2002

My Fathers Graduation Day - 1996

Me - 10 months old - January 1976

Me - 10 months old - January 1976

Myself, my brother and sister

 

Our daughter - 2012

Our daughter - 2005

Me and my brothers & sisters - March 7th 1996

Bridal Makeup Tutorial

Getting Married? Watch this beautiful and simple tutorial and you can't go or look wrong on the day. As a photographer, the worst thing I hate is when the Bride has oily shiny skin because make-up with SPF has been used on her skin. This could save the dreaded oily look photos on the day.

On The Mend



It's been a while since I last blogged, so where do I start. Since February 2013 I was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy due to my type 2 diabetes and it hasn't been an easy journey getting my health back on track, but I've managed to endure endless days and nights of antagonising pain with the help of Hospital Specialist and my dear family. My husband has been my rock and a great support, taking on Work and duties within the home, cleaning, cooking, laundry etc. and not to forget our beautiful daughter helping alongside him.

The nights were the worst of it, keeping me up till early hours of the morning before I would finally nod off to sleep, due to pure exhaustion. My daughter would help to relax me by ways of massage and at times playing relaxation music on YouTube, which did help a great deal. She would prepare my breakfast in the mornings before leaving for school and make sure that I had loads of water in the chilly bin beside my bed, what a sweetie. She would come home from school and do her homework beside me on the bed and read to me from books she would get from the school library. I loved listening to her read to me.

My dear mother flew over from New Zealand to be with me and I must say it did wonders having her around. We would have great conversations about anything and everything, she always knows how to make me laugh and cheer me up. During her stay she was content to just stay home with me and care for me, I truly love her for that. She would tell me stories of her childhood days growing up in the Cook Islands, how she cared for my great grandmother in her old age and when she passed my grandfather then took her to Rarotonga to further her education. She trained to become a Primary School teacher and loved being surrounded by children.

I've always had a love of listening to people talk and have always had a fascination with watching people, even if they're just walking by. She would also pray for me as I slept, my mother has always put her trust in God and would always tell me that without God, we are wondering souls in a lost world. I thank God that I have a good relationship with my parents. Her visit really lifted my spirits, healing my body, soul and mind.

During my first visit to the Hospital my blood results weren't looking good at all. So after my mothers visit I had my second check up and my blood results were surprisingly very good. The Diabetes Specialist was very pleased to announce that all my vital organs especially my renal results were very good and that he was pleased. Since then I have been able to exercise again, mainly swimming in our pool. I however have found that I exhaust easily and so I don't push myself too hard, but just enough to get a daily exercise done. Some days I get on the exercycle/bike and do a 20 minute cycle which works up a good cardio workout.

My daughter on the other hand tells me not to do too much and most of the time I think she's correct. She's always saying "Listen to your body Mum! If you're tired then rest for a little bit"...She's the BOSS! in our house. I just want to get better so that I can get back to doing what I normally do. But am happy to report that I am definitely on the mend. I love my family so dearly. Treasure the ones you love with your life, even if it means that you have to sacrifice all the sweet things that life has to offer.

Happy Living Everyone! Here's hoping to get back into Photography business soon.

Photos of our daughter (the BOSS) when she was 3 years of age (top) and now 11 years of age.



 

Pinterest

Well what can I say, the fairly new web sensation Pinterest is my new best friend. There are so many brilliant aspects and ideas to this amazing website. Thanks to my sister-in-law who introduced Pinterest to me, I found a great deal of on-going interests that I just haven't got bored yet. So many people around the World have joined adding their personal photos as well as other photos not their own, recipes, quotes which by the way is a favourite of mine and just so many things.

What it entales is you sign up agreeing to the terms and conditions which are pretty straight forward. You then begin to build your page by creating boards, kind of like file folders, where you name your boards e.g. My favourite quotes, Exquisite hairstyles etc. You then enter into the search space what it is your looking for ... e.g. Quotes, it will then direct you to a page with qoutes. You then pick which quote you like and PIN it to your "My favourite quotes" Board. It's as simple as that.

You can also check out other peoples boards and follow their boards if it is of interest to you and others will do the same. You will see how many boards you are following and how many are following your boards. I have thoroughly enjoyed going through Pinterests search from animals to fashion to food to science and so many other subjects that you can think of, it's a blast of a great time

Here are just some of the amazing photos I have come across.

Appreciating Family

It's been exactly 3 months since I last blogged and how terrible of me especially seeing the amount of views taken place since I've been away. My dear father had a triple bypass heart surgery in November 2012 and my daughter and I flew over to be with him as soon as we got word from my sister.. Even though I didn't show it, it was defiantely a hard time for me seeing the strongest man in my life so helpless and lifeless. However we were so fortunate that he was in the best hands at Auckland Hospital I.C.U and then Ward 42. Dads recovery at home was so good, he was determined to get well physically and it help tremendously with the help and support of all his children, grandchildren and extended families and friends. It's amazing how messages, thoughts, love and prayers can carry a person through their toughest times of sickness and help with the mending during their healing stages.

I am pleased to say that my father is truly well and on the mend to a healthy person. After the first two weeks of being discharged we started taking him out, by this time he was walking, with assistance and was enjoying getting out and about. We had to make sure he didn't over exert himself. The family was so thrilled that Dad was still with us for the Christmas and New Year, it was what his grandchildren prayed for and it was answered...Ask and you shall receive.

During our time in New Zealand we also had time to catch up with other family and friends. My mothers side of the family had a family reunion organised and so I attended on the day that was scheduled for our family to host, cooking etc. I was pleased to have met my family that I haven't seen for years and haven't also met. My daughter was so happy to have met her grandaunties, granduncles, aunties, uncles and cousins, most of them for the first time. I want to say thank you to my Uncle Teo, Auntie Trudy, my cousins Eli and Martha Cummings for being there to represent our Papa Eli's family, we did so well considering the amount of mouths we had to feed...hehe! We had fun times and don't you think I cook the best chicken curry!

On my fathers side of the family (Katoa-Mairi family), they always have a meet up once a month, with each family hosting the event. So last month January was our families turn and so Dad suggested to take it to a Park and so my sister and I thought of Cornwall Park. We had such an awesome time, playing tag, volleyball and then sharing a massive lunch with each other. I miss these times with family now that we live on the Gold Coast, Australia. But in saying that, I have learnt to make the most of your time, making the effort to spend quality time with family.

#MakingItCount#