#tolfotochallenge Day 12: Bright Lights

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 12: Bright Lights

"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light."
                                                                                                                                        -J.K. Rowling

#tolfotochallenge #day12 #harrypotterquotes #wisdom #positiveliving #brightlights

#tolfotochallenge Day 11: Home

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 11: Home

Home is where the heart is and my heart belongs with these amazing people.

#tolfotochallenge #familylove #homeiswheretheheartis

#tolfotochallenge Day 10: Transport

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 10: Transport

As a child my summer holidays revolved around my bicycle. I am extremely close to my Gran and we used to go cycling every evening. My memories of those evening bike rides are some of the most precious I have ever made. 

I photographed this bicycle, which I spied in a little alleyway, in Rome during the summer. 

There is always something magical about getting onto a bicycle and taking yourself out into the open. The fresh air blows all around you as you venture out into the world, the conductor of your own journey. 

I have always associated cycling with an immense sense of freedom. Growing up in the country-side having a bike was like having an open ticket to explore your surroundings. 

Nowadays my cycling days are few and far between but whenever I get the chance I still get a thrill as I set off on the open road. 

"Bicycle bicycle bicycle

I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like"
                     -Bicycle Race by Queen

#tolfotochallenge #day10 #childhoodmemories #freedom #iwanttoridemybicycle 

#tolfotochallenge Day 9: Hair

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 9: Hair

Growing up I always hated my curly hair. It was unruly and I envied the other girls with their perfect ponytails and sleek locks. Towards the end of my teenage years I learned how to tame my mane and grew to love my curls. My hair is wild and I love it. Of course I battle sometimes. Windy days result in my looking line an explosion in a mattress factory and rain makes my hair frizzy unimaginably. Having said that I would not change my curly tresses for straight ones any day. My motto? Big hair, don't care!

#tolfotochallenge #bighairdontcare

#tolfotochallenge Day 8: Black & White

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 8: Black & White

As a child and throughout my adolescence I was a person who very much regarded things as either being black or white. In my opinionated mind there could be no in-between. I wasn't the most tolerant  and severely impatient. I was outspoken about things I felt passionate about; women rights and equality and I was a vegetarian to boot. I had a clear idea of what was right and wrong, there was no maybe for me.
When I was around fifteen I started to discover that I was different to other teenage girls around me. Instead of wanting to get male attention I wanted the opposite. Suddenly I was faced with a dilemma. I found myself to be in an area of grey matter. I struggled through my black and white world for a couple of years more, carrying my grey matter under a cloak of secrecy, terrified of being found out. My sexuality was starting to make me question my own place in the world. I didn't know anybody gay, I was fifteen and it was not something my generation spoke about openly. Things I had seen or heard in relation to homosexuality had always been negative and this confused me in my black and white world. In order to be myself and survive I had to start seeing more than black and white.
Slowly I started opening my eyes and I discovered the world was far from black and white and that I was far from grey matter. Once I let myself look beyond I saw such a wide array of colours. Little by little I started to come around, retreating to my black and white world every now and then, not quite ready for the rest.
Going to college saw the colours begin to bleed in, diluting and in many cases covering the black and white which once defined me. Moving to Mexico was the cherry on top as I learned how to be tolerant and accepting, how to be patient and understanding and most importantly I learned to accept myself. I was finally ready to live in colour!
To this day I am still fiercely opinionated but not afraid to challenge the black and white. I can still be intolerant when things really deserve not to be tolerated but a black and white state is reserved now only for photographs. It only took me around a decade but I have come to realise that the world can be a beautiful place when you allow yourself to look and see the colours.

#tolfotochallenge #black&white #day8 #irishbeach

#tolfotochallenge Day 7: Books

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 7: Books

"I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book." 

                                                                                                         J. K. Rowling

As a child I was lucky enough to have a bedtime story read to me before I went to sleep every single night. This planted a seed in me from a very young age which would eventually grow into an undying love for books. Reading has always been, for me, something which induces a feeling of bliss. There is nothing more incredible than picking up a book, reading those first words and being absolutely enthralled. 

Books allow you to discover new people, places and things while never leaving your bedroom. They allow you to stretch your imagination as far as you possibly can in order to create a visual world in your mind built strongly on the foundation of the words in the book. 

Some of the most important books in my life have left me with lasting memories and more importantly lessons. Opening your heart and mind to the characters and story of a book is something you will always be glad you did.

Growing up, fiction was always my genre. Whether is was Harry Potter, Peter Rabbit or a good piece of chick-lit, fiction was my type of thing and I loved it! About six months ago I started reading more biographical books and discovered a whole new world of books. This genre had never appealed to me before but I have really gotten into it over the past number of months, as you can see from today's picture. (Yes Please by Amy Poehler and Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham)

On an impromptu trip to Dublin City last week I found myself in my favourite type of shop; a book shop. Walking through those double glass doors into a world full of books just instantly soothes my soul. Naturally I left with books in a paper bag, dying to get home and start reading! I did just that and I am now working my way through my second book. 

Books, books, books. How I love you so! 

#tolfotochallenge #day7 #bookworm #yesplease #notthatkindofgirl #ilovebooks

#tolfotochallenge Day 6: Numbers

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 6: Numbers

Our lives revolve around numbers. Your age, weight height. Your bank balance, the amount you have in your savings account, your rent. The number of books you have read, songs you have listened to, people you have slept with. The number of calories you consume, the miles you run, the hours of sleep you get a night.

Everything in this world is measured in numbers yet trying to think of something to photograph today was extremely difficult. Luckily as I was doing some grocery shopping this evening I wandered down the isle where they stock the party items and came across birthday candles in the shape of numbers. So here you have it my photo of numbers for today.

#tolfotochallenge #day6 #numbers

#tolfotochallenge Day 5: Dinner

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 5: Dinner

Dinner on a Sunday is a bit of a non-event. It is day of late breakfast and even later lunch with the result that dinner is often completely left out of the equation.

#tolfotochallenge #dinner #day5

#tolfotochallenge Day 4: Focus

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 4: Focus

Always focus on the most beautiful, positive and precious aspects of your life. The people who bring you great joy, the places which make your heart sing, the activities which set your soul free. Focus on the good and you will quickly find that the negative with fade away.

#tolfotochallenge #nofilter #lookforthebeauty

#tolfotochallenge Day 3: Shoes

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 3: Shoes

I have this little substance abuse problem...expensive footwear.
-Carrie Bradshaw

A shoe is not only a design, but it's a part of your body language, the way you walk. The way you're going to move is quite dictated by your shoes.
-Christian Louboutin

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who'll decide where to go.
-Dr. Seuss

Ah shoes. I like shoes, I really like shoes. However, I only like very specific types of shoes. Brown shoes are my favourite. I also like navy. My favourite thing about shoes is that your foot size never changes. I find this fact very comforting. It takes a lot of the stress out of shopping for people like me who are not good at shopping as an activity. 

Pictured are my latest shoes, they are new as I wore my last ones out. I am a creature of habit which means that when I have found a pair of shoes that I like I will wear them to death. On more that one occasion I have been that girl on the train/plane/bus with holes in her shoes, you know the one, because I just cannot bear to throw them away. 

Shoes are our most essential accessory. You can survive without a coat or a bag, without your earrings or rings but shoes are a must. They take us everywhere we need to go. I sometimes think that shoes are not given enough praise. Often times they are just thrown violently into the back of our wardrobe. 

Perhaps we should all take a page out of Carrie Bradshaw's book and appreciate our shoes more. 

Happy Friday!

#tolfotochallenge Day 2: You

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photo Challenge - Day 2: You

I own a very small make-up bag. 
It contains the following:

• small glass jar of gel eyeliner (black)
• brush to apply eyeliner
• mascara (black)
• compact powder (white)
• brush to apply powder

I started wearing eyeliner and mascara about eleven years ago and I have not been seen outside the house bare eyed since! Wait, I lie! I may have been seen in Portugal bare eyed last November. In my defence I was horribly sick and too weak to even contemplate putting on make-up. That is the only occasion. 

Today I am sharing a picture of me with naked eyes. This is me, as I am. No eyeliner, no powder, no mascara. Just me! 

#tolfotochallenge #day2 #nofilter

#tolfotochallenge Day 1: Love

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photo Challenge - Day 1: Love

A picture of the inside of my wedding ring. True love is :)
#tolfotochallenge

New Week, New Challenge!

by Dani Mc Mahon

As you can see I have been absent from the world of blog for the past week or so. Last week I completely gave in to my lazy alter-ego's demands and spent my entire week watching movies from the comfort of my bed/couch/floor.
This spell of laziness extended on into the weekend and I even dragged my wife over to the dark side with me. Yesterday I woke up and decided that it was time to shed my laziness and get on with things!
As a result I have decided to initiate a 25 Day Photography Challenge which I hope some of you will join. 

As you can see, each day has a theme which allows you the freedom to really put your own spin on your photo. If you feel like joining you just have to add the following hashtag to your post on social media: #tolfotochallenge 

So, the challenge has been set, we will start here on The Overleaf with Day One of the challenge tomorrow. Happy clicking everyone!

Quote on, dear friend. Quote on!

by Dani Mc Mahon

Inspirational quotes; love them or hate them? Over the holidays I heard a lot of people dissing quotes. This has largely to do with the fact that on any given day your Facebook newsfeed may be filled to the brim with quote after quote and the truth is that after reading all of these quotes they really start to loose their meaning. 

I have a soft spot for quotes myself, usually sarcastic ones, but quotes none-the-less. However, I am not one for flooding my time line with them. I like quotes that I can write on a post-it and stick on my desk to give me a boost for the week ahead. I like to write quotes in my notebook to take a look at occasionally. 

Every month my mother buys a copy of Psychologies Magazine, not being a huge magazine buyer myself, I read the latest instalment when I come to visit. As I took a flick through (you have to flick before you can read!) I noticed that there were motivational or inspiring quotes throughout the magazine which I decided to share.
The start of a new year can sometimes be a bit of a struggle. Rewiring your brain to go to bed and get up early, to make healthy lunches and getting your ass off the couch and get moving. With that in mind I am sharing these quotes. As part of your new year consider choosing a few quotes each week to inspire you through the next week.
So here is to the week gone by and the great week to come!
Which quotes will you be using to inspire you through the week ahead?

New Year, New Goals.

by Dani Mc Mahon

Tomorrow officially brings to a close the festive season. Christmas trees will be undressed and disposed of. Decorations will be packed up once again and stored away until next year.
At the start of each New Year we feel refreshed and we seem to gain the ability to see a blank canvas in front of us. The minute the countdown for New Year's begins we start shedding the past year and getting ready for the next leg of the journey.
I am not a person who likes to set herself impossible resolutions for the year ahead but I do have a few goals which I would love to achieve this year.