The real photos

Every year we take a photo for Mum and Dad for Christmas. It is very tempting to just show you this. The finished article. But my word, did it take a while to get to this stage! 

Trying to persuade an 18yr old and a 16yr old into a photo shoot is hard enough. Trying to get them to then behave on said photo shoot is impossible...

And then there are pictures like this... I mean what is a girl to do?!

50 photos later we have 5 that can be used. A good ratio I think.

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Changes to instagram

This is a long post with a lot of thoughts in it. I suggest grabbing a cup of tea before you start reading. You have been warned! 

After posting my instagram photos the other day a few of you asked about the changing policy for instagram. 

Here is a bit of background for those of you who don't know. Feel free to skip straight on past if you do!

In a nutshell it has caused mayhem in the internet world because instagram stated that they effectively had a right to sell users photos to advertising companies without royalties or user consent. 

Within the last day Instagram have issued a form of apology stating that they would never intend to sell users photos and that the terms of use were easily misinterpreted. The claim that what they were trying to do was avoid traditional banner advertising on the app and instead connect users with "meaningful advertising" by using their  profile details. 

Now this is NOT official. The above is my interpretation of the media and the official instagram blog. 

I am in two minds about this change in policy. 

At first I was angry. I was angry that pictures I posted could be used without my consent, I was angry that something simple and good like photo sharing was turning commercial and I was scared for my privacy. 

It raised real questions in me why a picture taken with my SLR, used without my consent was stealing but a photo I shared online and had taken with my phone wasn't. I was just confused over this. I mean we all blog, we all share photos and we all trust that they won't be taken. How different is this to sharing on the app? 

Now after reading the small print I am slightly calmer! Instagram has stated that it will remove any language within the policy that claims that they could sell your photos to advertisers and makes a point that if you are a private user only those who follow you can see your photos. 

They are however still sketchy over what form the advertising will take. I think I am satisfied that they won't use my pictures in adverts without my consent however I am uncertain as to whether instagram will use my photos to connect me to other things. 

If I'm honest I don't know how I feel about this. Instagram is a social sharing app. I knew that when I signed up. Therefore there has always been a degree of caution in me over what I post and what I keep private. In a way it is like facebook. We know that facebook can access our details and that is why we never reveal too much. That said I think photos can reveal far more than words can. 

It worries me that I will have to really think about what I post on instagram now. It worries me that every time I use this app there is a twinge of uncertainty about where that picture will go and what it could show about me. 

Where to go from here? 

I have been thinking about this a lot. I love the idea of instagram. I love that it has made me focus on everyday things. I love how I can be more creative, I love that it has changed the way I look at mobile photography. Don't get me wrong this app has a whole heap of good about it. 

I won't be deleting my instagram account BUT I will be checking regularly for more updates from instagram over how my photos might be used. 

In my opinion I am buying into social networking and that comes with a lot of good but also a heavy weight. We need to be careful. We need to think with each photo about whether this will jeopardise our safety. In the same way we do with blogging we need to be careful. 

I am staying private. At first I went private because I was getting spammed, now instagram have made a point of saying that if you are private only your followers can see your photos. This has to be good folks. I know it isn't as sociable BUT if it keeps me safer I am all for it! 

In short I am hanging on in there. Until we get more information. I will keep posting photos. I will keep exercising caution. I will stay private.

What do you think? Feel free to raise questions or opinions in the comments or drop me an email. 

I found these sites very helpful...Instagram blog, cnet, Daily telegraph, Huffington post. 

Life Right Now- according to instagram

This is life right now according to instagram...

Top row left to right: Beautiful Christmas lights in Durham. Celebrating the end of November with a "movember" formal dinner. Coffee- always lots of coffee!

Middle row: I have been so blessed with great friends this term. We spent a night in eating chocolate. watching winter close in.

Bottom row: Our CU carol service was packed. We finally had a sprinkling of snow and it was so beautiful.

Top Row: Snow across the rugby pitches. In town enjoying the flakes!

Middle row: Due to heating problems all our lectures were relocated to amazing buildings like this! I did a bit of craft with felt. Meeting up with old school friends.

Bottom row: The end of term approached before we knew it. Waiting for our taxi to the station. I go to uni in a wonderful place.

I haven't been instagramming as much this month but still love the app. I am sharing more on facebook so apologies to those who have seen this pictures a few times already!

As usual if you want to follow me my username is abibeach.

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Simply a moment...

After two and a half months walking through the familiar heavy white door.

The lights are low and the christmas decorations twinkle. 

There is the smell of radiators and christmas food. 

I see a figure rising from the chair and  before I know it the littlest brother who isn't very little has wrapped me up in a huge hug. 

Home. That word sounds nice. I wheel the large and heavy bag into the hallway and race up the stairs.

My room is half empty, expectant. Fresh sheets and post piled up on the bed. 

I dump my bag and head back down into the warm kitchen. The kettle is already on the Aga, the cat slinks around my legs and the candles twinkle across the red tablecloth. 

I hear the front door open and then everyone is home, Mum and the middle one. The house is noisy with greetings and questions, with hugs and laughs. 

We shut the dark out and enjoy this moment. This moment with family.

This post is brought to you from the lovely Alexa's meme "simply a moment".  

Let's get festive

If i'm honest, Christmas has come slowly this year.
I think it was the weight of essays that hung over the first seven days of December.
It is also how fast everything seems to be going. One moment we are settling into uni life the next advent is upon us and we are thinking of home.

I adore this season though.
I love that we can celebrate the saviour's birth,
that we rejoice in anticipation.

This last week, now that I am done with work, I have tried to embrace all that is festive.

So far I have been to four carol services, three of which were in the Cathedral ( I mean you can't get more christmassy!)

Sung in three different choirs. The last of which we wore our gowns for. Have I mentioned how much I love those gowns?

Helped organise a secret santa and received this beautiful fabric from a sweet friend.

And started playing around with some card and craft ideas.

With all of this I am finally feeling that Christmas is upon us and am so ready for all that this season brings.

First stop..home on Saturday.

An unashamed plug: I am participating in a Christmas Crafts competition and will offer you virtual hugs if you wouldn't mind following this link and liking my pin on pinterest. I could win amazon vouchers folks, and this student has a few text books to buy! Thank you! 

DIY star garland

Each Christmas I try and make some sort of new decoration. I saw something similar to this in a shop the other day. It was one of those moments when you look at the price, nearly fall over and then think, "oh I could make that!"

So without further ado here is how to make your very own star garland. Super easy and fun. 

1. Cut out two star five pointed star templates. You could do any size you like. Just to give an indication of mine. The big star was 5.5" point to point and the small start was 3" point to point. 

2. Start with the white felt and cut out two large stars. Then with the red felt cut out one small star. 

3. Take one piece of the white felt and machine sew the red star to the middle of it. I have to admit mine are a bit wonky. In my opinion there is a time and a place for being neat and this wasn't one of them. It all adds to the charm friends! 

4. Pin this star to the other white star. Now you are going to blanket stitch all the way round. I suggest finding something good to watch on tv, grabbing yourself a large mug of tea and then set down to work. 

5. To blanket stitch, use a contrasting thread and push the needle in between the layers of felt so that the knot is hidden inside. 

6.  Then push the needle through the front to the back, next to the stitch you just made. 

7. Don't pull too tight so that there is a loop still showing. Push your needle through this loop from the back to the front. Voila. Blanket stitch.  

8. Go all the way around the star but leave one side open. 

9. I stuffed these stars to give them a nice puff. I wish I could say I stuffed them with nice stuffing. I didn't. I'm a student. I stuffed them with wool! The trick is not to overstuff, just put in enough to make them soft then blanket stitch the star up. 

10. I made another of this type of star and then made one in reverse colours. The choice is all yours though. 

11. For the smaller stars, grab your small template and cut out two stars from the same colour felt. Really simply pin them together and zigzag the edges on the sewing machine. 

12. To join the stars together decide on your order and then grab some twine or ribbon. Turn the first star over and lay the twine across the back like this and sew a few stitches on the end of each point.

A simple Christmas garland! Now just decide where to put it!

I am entering this into the art of crafts competition. I would be so grateful and would thank you with a virtual cup of tea and biscuits if you popped over to the Pinterest page and liked my pin. Thank you! 

This DIY is part of my 20 for 20 project!

The best...

I have finished my assignments.
That means I can now return to the land of the living!
And what better way to do that than to be greeted with this on the way to my lecture. Man, I am lucky to be living here.

Snow is the best. I don't even mind the cold feet so long as I get some of the white stuff!

Do you have snow at the moment?