The top ten of the previously unseen

And to (almost) complete my 52 Shots collection for 2009, may I present to you, the top ten of the previously unseen (in no particular order)

Number 42:

The day before the Cedars Road horror finished. One last evening on the salmon pink sofa.

Number 43:

When we still all went out and had fun after work.

Number 44:

Another pic of that time I cooked nine things for nine great people.

Number 45:

The girls take on Amsterdam

Number 46:

Besties go to the beach - Piha, NZ

Number 47:

Slaving away - Xmas 08
(not technically a 2009 photo, but I just had to throw this one in...)

Number 48:

The now 'not so baby' baby Beth

Number 49:

A possibly sometimes windy spot on the South Downs

Number 50:

The 2009 Bramwell newborn - Baby Niamh

Number 51:

The wedding of the year - the wonderful Kate and Brent tie the knot

52 Shots #41

And so it grows.....

'9 Whilst I'm Still 29'

Way back in May, I created a sixth challenge:

6. Make a patchwork quilt by hand

I'd like to be craftier than I am. I think I have it in me. My mum is a craft genius. I want to be just a little bit more like her. I plan to make a quilt made up of fabric I have collected from family and friends. Important little scraps of their lives all brought together by my hands, a needle, and some thread.

Then I pretty much forgot about the quilt, and focused training for the marathon and cooking large scale dinners. Until about a week ago that is.

52 Shots #40

I seek out the lights of Sloane Square in an attempt to unearth my Christmas spirit.

I leave a little bit more broke, but feeling a bit more festive.

52 Shots #39

Manchester shows its garish face on a working day filled with quite the opposite of hope and joy.

52 Shots #37 & #38

Fifteen people come for Christmas dinner. Highlights include: the bubbles on arrival, Mark's beef and horseradish starter with homemade onion marmalade, and the apple & blackcurrant crumble with vanilla bean custard.

Quote of the evening: 'Kath - I don't want to make a scene, but something brown is dripping out of the oven and pooling onto our floor'. A small Emma 'I'm never having another dinner party again' tantrum ensued.

But the serenity is restored by dessert. And a large glass of Merlot.

52 Shots #36

Clapham is treated to a magical dusting of icing sugar-like snow. The cars are all in rows, lightly coated like little Christmas mince pies.

52 Shots #35 & Random Act of kindness #2

Random Act of Kindness #2 - make cupcakes for your colleagues

52 Shots #34 & Random Act of kindness #1

Random Act of Kindness: rescue two refugee goldfish from almost certain death

It was like some sort of special forces rescue mission with Martin going high-speed (as high-speed as you can on the Brighton to Victoria train) to get the rescued goldfish to their new home within the hour and a half time limit, before they suffocated in their plastic bag.

Rescued from almost certain death in an over-crowded tank at a garden centre somewhere outside of Brighton, these two fish now have a home next to my desk, in the middle of the office. After much debate they were named John and Jerome after two rather disliked consultants who left us not long ago...

52 Shots #33

Me and baby Niamh spend our first 'Auntie - Niece' time quality together whilst she happens to be hanging out on this side of the world.

Niamh is so ridiculously cute I start to doubt whether we can possibly be related.