it's official...

what's official you may ask? this ......> it's been 2 full weeks since i stopped biting my finger nails and i know you may think wow who cares (and i won't be at all offended if you don't), however i am a serious compulsive nail biter and picker (onychophagia ) have been for the past few years. i hate the very thought that my nails are in such a hideous state and i try not to show them, i hide them all the time because i'm embarrassed and ashamed of this repulsive condition. i work pretty hard at hiding this disorder when out in public and i also try to hide my fingers and nails altogether...if i could physically hide my hands permanently then that would be fabulous.

however this is a serious disorder i have and this simply won't suit anymore. i can't let it rule or ruin my life any longer and so i am working really hard at trying to deal with this and without any medical intervention. you see i'm simply to embarrassed to see someone about this condition i have and so i haven't for years, but i know it's serious and very painful. although they will never be glamorous and remain very brittle...i am very proud of the fact that they are slowly growing and 'healing'...for now anyway.

so i bet you didn't think that the title of this blog post would reveal something you didn't know about me and probably don't want to. however to help me on my own journey...i need to get this off my chest and out there...yes my own warped sense of therapy in itself.

anyhoo that'll do about me as scary as that was...it's time to move on...it's midweek here, yup finally wednesday has arrived, complete with the rain and winter weather we are having here right at the start of autumn...odd!!! seems the seasons right across this beautiful planet of ours are weird and changing. in all my years i have never had such a cold summer and although it suited me just fine...there was no summer...how odd!!! and now autumn has just started as much as i was expecting milder days and gorgeous autumn weather for a little while we're really seeing winter weather start. like i said most odd and very very weird.

so here's the low down on the interior painting...grace's room is finally finished (with the exception of her floor of course) but everything else in the painting dept is done. the dunny...yep the good old family loo is now painted and all we need to do is replace the tiled flooring. so i'm onto steph's room now and alot of work went into preparing the room for painting. carpet is out, walls are clean and nail holes filled, window sill is sanded and 2 coats of paint went onto the ceiling today. tomorrow we start on the walls and then the trims. so hopefully by the start of next week...steph's room will be done and just in time for her 17th birthday on the 31st of this month.

slowly but surely...the interior will be done...we have so much to do and on a very very very limited and tight budget but we're getting there.

last but not least a few photos for you all to enjoy. nothing fancy just a little of the 'simpler' things in life...

ciao...hugs chris xoxo

so it's monday...

the start of another new week and we're almost done with march...where has the year gone already? to think it's almost easter and here in australia the 1st school holidays for the 2011 school year are almost upon us...wow!!!

it's been a rather industrious weekend, 1st on saturday we had ten pin bowling with families from bendigo autism asperger group joining in and having a much needed and wonderful family fun filled afternoon bowling. it was really nice to catch up with those i already know, meet with new families i had not met before and lots of kids...yep kids on the autism spectrum, their siblings and their families. a truly wonderful time.

you all know i'm slowly painting the interior of our home don't you? of course you do well grace's room is just about done...got one more coat to do on her skirting boards and then (apart from her floor) we're done...finally. i've also pretty much done the loo...yep all white except the dunny seat which now looking at the colour....i think it's time for a new one and of course and i must mention we've finally taken off the wallpaper in steph's room...filling the little nail holes everywhere, turfing out her furniture (into the shed) and starting on that this week too. phew!!! i'm worn out just thinking about it.

tim has done an amazing job removing the driveway gates further up the driveway and fiddling about the backyard doing what men do best...whatever that may be...lol, now after 13 years i think the gas man will be pretty happy he can actually come onto the property and take a reading of both gas meters properly without dogs growling and wanting to rip him to shreds and of course having to take his little monocular out to view the meters over the fence.

the vegetable garden has also been fenced off and there are more ideas for the backyard but slowly and surely we're getting there. so it's been quite busy as you can see and quite productive. now all we need is a huge skip to get rid of all our junk and it would be nice to have the $$$ for a much needed carport for the car as well. perhaps one day the magic miracle fairy will grant that wish for us too. that would be awesome.

ok so while i'm blogging i'm updating you all with a few more pics from the other days shoot with steph. although she wasn't smiling in every pic...her expressions are priceless and i love the fact that not only is she a gorgeous girl but a very photogenic one no matter the mood. enjoy...

so a quick update wishing everyone who passes this way, a great week ahead and may peace, calm and happiness be upon you all. hugs chris xoxo

and so...

i should be apologising to all my followers for not updating sooner....man life gets a wee bit busy from time to time...just not enough hours in those days we have! anyhoo i'm here finally spending my sunny thursday afternoon blogging and tweaking my website - chris turnbull photography instead of painting some much needed trims in the home vivid white.

i'm hoping to eventually start working with families and friends to help capture those precious lifetime memories that we all create. natural light photography and portrait photography with a hint of creativity and loads of inspiration. i've already been asked by a couple of people if i would take photos of their children etc which has been quite overwhelming as in no way did i expect my passion to go down that path. although not at all a professional photographer and i continue to maintain that...my aspiring and budding photography creativeness has been noticed and i appreciate that...like you couldn't imagine appreciate that...wow!

so while i'm here rambling on about photos, creativeness and all things precious...take a look at some of the pics from our latest photo shoot i had with my totally gorgeous girl steph. some of you know she's going through a pretty tough time at the moment and you may see that in her expressions but what an incredible opportunity. even in our darkest moments, sometimes we need to do something different, put the world on hold and take a breath. we all deserve to feel a sense of worth and want, to feel we're important and worthwhile, to be understood and to capture the raw and harsh 'reality' within these moments.  these moments  may not be our best however they are too be treasured because every person has the right to feel  loved, to be loved, to feel wanted, to be wanted and to be special...magical!!!

i might just come back and blog in a day or two and add a few more....gorgeous isn't she and mum's not too bad with the old camera...lol

glorious sunday...

the weekend may be over but today was the most glorious autumn sunny sunday. i've managed to do a little painting today in grace's room and managed most of the trim work. it's really starting to look fabulous and although i wish i could click my fingers and have it done just like that, sadly that isn't going to happen and i've actually given myself until the end of the year to have all the interior of the house done. reason why...it's only me doing it and i as much as i wish i had the time and the $$$ all in one hit....nope not going to happen so it'll be slow going but fabulous all the same.

this week has been quite eventful, however then when isn't it?! life is never dull or boring here in our home and most times extreme...yep extreme at both ends of the scale. there are some days you don't see any positive happy moments and other days you do, just wish some times life's road was a little easier traveled then it appears at times.

this week i'm hoping things will be ok and by ok i mean manageable rather then survivable. not too much to ask really...not too much at all!

anyhoo here's a few happy snaps of my girl steph...enjoy!!!

until next bloggin' take care, hugs chris xoxo