Newcastle Photographer and Content Creator, Mandy Charlton, Always on a quest for adventure, often seen on buses, trains and planes. On a quest to be happier and healthier. Lives in Newcastle with her 3 cats, Iris, Maggie and Arthur. Loves good vibes, musicals and cakes. Full time professional wedding photographer in the north east of england alongside content creator on Tiktok, Instagram and Facebook

Wednesday, September 07, 2016

It's Over, Done, Finished...



Heaton Park, Newcastle, Mandy Charlton



Well that's it, over, done, Looby went off to school on her own on the bus for the very first time, I'm not sure given Looby's track record of getting the bus home from school and occasionally ending up in strange places that I am entirely happy with it but with Abigail living in Cramlington now school is very much not on the way!  It does also mean that she's now getting herself up in the morning, going out and I didn't even get woken up, great for me who hates mornings but that same time, it's one of those moments when you realise just how grown up your kids are.

So now for the first time in what seems like months my house is quiet, the low level hum of children playing in the streets is no more and starting the day with a bowl of porridge with just a squeeze of fresh honey, I felt the change in the seasons.  It's also nearly 30c in my back garden currently so I feel we're a long way off winter woollens but if you look beneath some trees there are signs that autumn will soon be here.

Yesterday I sold out all of my sessions on 3 separate weekend dates in October, this year a last minute session does not at all seem possible, I would advise you now to book your Autumn or Christmas card photo shoot right now, it's better to book your session now and get a date in the diary than it is to be disappointed.

These next few weeks are about planning for new projects, collaborating with new brands and catching up, a lot of catching up, I have the most adorable mug of Holly sent to me by Joy who runs Have A Bru I just need time to get it out of it's protective shell and photograph it, I have some gorgeous flowers arriving from one of my lovely clients and the most fabulous autumn coat from another, all just waiting to be showcased and one thing I'm planning this year, instead of a series of gift articles I am going to produce my very first PDF gift guide which will be available for download from October, I'm still looking for more companies to collaborate with on this so if you have a great product or experience you would like to exchange for photos, articles and a page in my gift guide get in touch

September is a difficult month for me, too many demons and memories of Septembers past combined with the blues of the return to normality after an amazing summer I'll never forget but I know all I have to do is plan some great new things to look forward to and after reading Laura's blog this morning I know I'll be adding a little more Hygge (pronounced Hoo-ga) to my home this year, I've already ordered a book called The Cozy Life, rediscover the joy of simple things through the Danish concept of Hygge, I'm actually pretty good at creating cosiness and spend most of my summer hiding in my cool bedroom because my living room is too hot but I'm back in the living room this morning planning a space for a new desk as well as a Hygge corner for relaxing, reading and chilling as well as taking the decision that I am going to take Mondays and Tuesdays off work from next week because I work every weekend, nothing ever happens on a Monday anyway and I'm always exhausted, it really feels a bit alien to take two days off a week after it took me 7 years to just take one but like the Danish it's time to get my work/life balance back and I know it may seem like I'm always going places and doing things but it's just work in other words and a 30 hour week seems like a good plan to me, maybe I am destined to be Danish one day!

Iain was 20 yesterday and Looby will be 13 in 18 days, my children will be 13, 14 and 20, no longer small and dependent on mum, all independent, spirited feisty fully grown young people in their own rights, time I think to not just plan for autumn but for the future, short and long term, lots of changes and maybe some times of turbulence but all for the best, a couple of huge decisions I've yet to make and I am currently sleeping on waiting for signs from the universe, once I know the paths I have to take you can be sure I'll write it here.

So I hope that this first week of quietness after the summer hullabaloo isn't too awful for we know that in just six or seven weeks we'll all be reunited again for half term and for the first time I am planning to work at the weekends of half term and then I'll be going away and doing something fun on the weekdays because life is too short to not have fun dear reader, now go and plan your next adventures
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