I haven't been posting as regularly as I used to, primarily because I've been practicing my photography more than I ever have before. Over the long bank holiday jubilee weekend, with the weather rainy and a couple of free afternoons to spare I decided to learn how to use my DSLR camera properly- using the manual settings.

It had been annoying me that I wasn't able and didn't know how to create images like the ones I saw all over the photo sharing website Flickr. So I started exploring the site, looking at the settings people had used to take certain styles of photos, researching on the net water photography and started experimenting. Since, I havn't been able to put my camera down and its been holding my attention for most of my spare time.

If anyone is interested I've updated my Flickr page a lot recently, and I'm quite pleased with how its coming along http://www.flickr.com/photos/57811197@N04/. Since I've been learning how to use my camera I haven't spent too much money. However, the main things that have happened this month are as follows; the BF has started his new job (yay!) which means that he no longer gets free food at work and our food shop is a bit more expensive as a result. However, as he's been working nights (boo) I've been making extra portions of my evening meal, making a portion for me for lunch the next day and a dinner/lunch for him too. This means that I won't be able to siphon off as much from our joint account as I had been doing previously, but that we'll be better off in the long term :).

Next, whilst out on a media night (the freebie music quiz) myself and two others got a little carried away after a few drinks, and we ended up breaking my friend (and managers) kindle- eep! Its quite a long story and a little awkward for me but basically I think and hope that on Monday (payday) we'll chip together to buy a replacement for him.

Approaching payday and taking the kindle replacement into account I have £32.00 left over in my budget- I would have had £64 but hit the H&M sale. For £32 I got six tops/dress type things and a pair of every day wear- smart enough for work shoes. Though my clothing situation isn't extremely bad it definatley needed topping up. I only wanted to spend £14, but I spotted some cute dresses which were £3 and could resist buying three- think they call it stockpiling lol!

I need to buy my Dad some beers as a belated fathers day gesture and a gift bag for the freebie champage which I'll give my M&D for their anniversairy- hopefully I can put away around £25 which I'll put towards BF's b'day present, along with any spare funds from next months pay to soften the blow in August- until next time!

I haven't posted in a little while, it seems my creative efforts are being poured into my photography at the moment; as I seem determined to overcome my fear of using the manual settings on my SLR camera. I mean I was given my camera after bugging my Mum & Dad for a proper camera just over a year and a half ago which they bought me as a combined birthday/Christmas present. Its time to move on from the auto function.

I've been researching settings on the net and trying new things; I've posted some of my personal favourites for you to see. Anyways, I've also been getting these horrible migraine type headaches, I'm not sure whether its the weather or related to the contraceptive pill I'm on but whatever it is I've not been feeling myself for the last few weeks.

On the finance front I picked up about ten extra hours of bar work over the jubilee weekend, which always comes in handy and will cover expenses such as Father's day presents etc and my sister's birthday present. I also did a mystery shop in the week, and my Quidco has updated to confirmed, now I just need the payment run to run smoothly and for the money to actually materialise into my bank account.

I also went to another media music quiz, this time we came second taking home with us a bottle of champagne each which will be saved for possibly my Mum & Dad's wedding anniversary. My name was also pulled out of the hat to win a spot prize- I won a three month subscription to premium Spotify (an online music streaming service) worth £30.

Not much else to say; there's another two weekends left before payday; one will be spent bridesmaid shopping with the family and at my sister's birthday BBQ and one will be spent with an old friend in Kingston. I think I should make it through as I have about £140.00 left.

June's Happy list

It's that time of the month again; this month I've been noting down the little things that make me happy as I go along on my phone so have found it much easier compared to when I was compiling May's happy list. Here goes-

1. The feeling of laying on cool, clean bed sheets after a bath- priceless!
2. Yummy poached eggs on seeded toast. A lovely weekend breakfast....
3. I had a craving for brie and pickle on crispbread so treated myself as it wasn't in our normal shopping list.
4. The warm sunny weather we've been having, especially the longer evenings.

5. Discovering a cool new photography iPhone app- Marblecam. Try it!The pics above were all processed with it.
6. My credit score increasing by 37 points.
7. Completing another month within my shoestring budget.
8. The upcoming jubilee weekend- Four whole days off!
9. Cycling in the Surrey countryside
10. The best of all this month, the BF's new, better job!!! - though have just found out for the first six weeks he'll be working nights 10pm-6am. The down side, I won't see him as much as I thought I would, the upsides, he'll get time and a half pay, my sleep won't be interrupted in the middle of the night like it is now and we'll still have weekends together.