Eleonor Collins

So the start of this year saw me focusing on my health, there were some signs of improvement but in the most recent days my health has plummeted. There's a multitude of reasons contributing to my health problems but I'm prepared to face them with the right support from family and friends. Thankfully I have the right medical doctors helping me also. I'd like to acknowledge the support from my husband Daniel who has never failed to be by my side. He helps me find strength when things aren't looking so good. We'll face the next stage together, even when it feels heavy. Watch this space, I will be back!

So a few years ago I made some New Year Resolutions. I probably didn't follow through with many of them but this year I'm hoping will be different somehow...life changing even...I have the support of good friends, family and most importantly my loving husband who has stuck by me no matter what. This year I'd like to focus on my well-being and overall health; physical and mental. So last year was probably one of the toughest years of my life but certainly not the worst. They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and I know how that can feel. To start the 2017 with a real focus on my health was an active decision I took today and I know I will be in good hands, even though I'm a bit far from family and friends. To my husband Daniel, thank you for all your support, love and patience. I will be thinking of you and missing you very much. To my friends and family, see you again soon.

I left my full time job back in April and took a break from design. In the break I thought I'd fill the time with trying something completely different for a while. I took a short 6 month course in Earlychildhood Education and Care at Nirimba TAFE close to home. It was interesting and informed me about how to care for children under the age of 6 years. Every Thursday I had play group at TAFE where the students got to put theory into practice by organising play experiences with the children. I'd never really interacted with young kids like this before so this was a little scary for me. Although we were only with the children for part of the day it gave us a glimpse of what working in a day care would be like. We observed three different children in the different developmental age groups: 0-18months (baby), 18months-3years (toddler) and 3-6years (preschoolers).   The first child I observed was Lauren and she was 4 years old and was at a craft activity. She was very happ...

Photo by: Daniel Collins Meet Milton, a cute jack russell cross that we picked up from the Hawkesbury Animal Shelter late in May this year. He was 5 months old when we put our names down at the shelter.  Milton got his name from one of my favourite movies, Officespace . A character in the film that works at IniTech, who loves his stapler. Our Milton though loves chewing on our empty plastic pots, playing with his toy dinosaur, and chasing wild birds. He has unfortunately made our backyard a war zone with all his digging too!  He gets along with my doves and doesn't come up to the aviary very often which is a relief. Milton is quite obedient and clever. He's picked up the commands of sit, down, shake and up. We're still teaching him how to stay which he doesn't quite understand.  At first he was quite timid when we picked him up from the vet on the first night, but he soon got used to his proud new owners and is very happy to chill with us indoors dur...

It's been a busy last couple of months but just recently Daniel and I came back from our trip to Egypt and Dubai. Both places had lots to offer and were very different from one another. I'm hoping to get round to writing a bit about our adventures very soon with a few pictures to go with it sometime this week. Tomorrow I head back to work at the DET but this time as a full time employee. I've been feeling a little anxious about the position, even though I've been working there as a casual for a year and a half. I'm hoping the nerves stop soon, I do need my sleep! Maybe it's due to the fact that life is moving a little faster these days, with our house edging closer to the finish line this month! We maybe moving in this month too! There's lots of new challenges heading our way but I'm looking forward to it. It feels a little surreal being back home in Sydney after the holidays of extreme heat in Egypt and Dubai where the temperatures peaked to 50 degr...

In the last 14 days...I have felt more alive and happier than I have in the last year...or forever for that matter! I look back at my last post and reflect on the last point '10. Be happier' and I've found it... I found it in Daniel; my fiancé. Daniel made me the happiest woman of ALL TIME when he proposed to me last Thursday the 7th of January at Sydney Tower's 360 Bar and Dining . It was simply perfect... Since then I've experienced and shared incredible waves of emotions with family and friends; for the most part they've been tsunamis of happiness! I've been up...very high up! Up in the clouds...and then I've been down...but still up in the clouds at approx. 30 000 feet high (lame joke...I know). Right now I'm feeling life at it's fullest and it feels amazing! I've managed to control it a bit now which is good! I was starting to look and feel like Mary Poppins! I broke the great news to family and friends over the first 3 days since the...

It's been ages since my last proper blog here...it almost feels 'alien' typing one up! This blog post is inspired by Cameron Chapman's article titled 10 for ‘10: My New Years Resolutions which got me thinking about my top 10 for '10... I will probably open myself up to some criticism here from the people who know me best but ack...I don't mind! Eeeep! ;) It's good to have goals they say...so here are my 10 goals which I'm going to slowly ease into...cos' they're big ones! Well...for me at least! 1. Start the day earlier Yes, I'm no morning person... I'm getting older and sleeping in really isn't the thing to do. It gives me less time for everything which then leads to endless rushing and running around. I'll eventually run out of puff! 2. Go to bed earlier This really goes hand-in-hand with resolution number 1. I've been a night owl for as long as I can remember and I want to change that and get some well deserved sleep! More...

The title really says it all but it's kinda a lie... I have been blogging... ... ...micro blogging! My account at Twitter has been my online home when it's come to blogging and social media networking. I find it incredibly useful and enjoyable. If you have an Twitter account feel free to follow me . Not only have I found countless resources on art, design and the like...but made quite a few friends along the way! Whatever you're into you're bound to find people with like-minded interests. Once you're on Twitter to find others of similar interest try Just Tweet It and to find a Twitter app to use on just about any device look at Twitdom : the Twitter applications database or Twitter Apps . I follow quite a few artists, designers and developers who actively tweet and even lend a hand when I happen to call out for help. The support network is huge and I am so grateful for their on-going support! I am also incredibly thankful to the creators of Twitter because the con...

Gosh it's been over a year since I've written a blog entry! I assure you I didn't vanish off the face of the earth :) It's been a good year for me, one of great challenges and travels. For the most part of the year (since my last blog post) I was working as a Junior Web Designer; my first full time commercial position in web. I found web designing quite challenging but I endeavored to work the best that I could with the knowledge I had. Since leaving my position I've continued to work as a freelance graphic/web designer, completing projects for the Centre of Learning Innovation and finally updating my own website . There's still a few little updates to be made to my website over the next week. These updates will include an auto-scrolling carousel for the portfolio, project information using transparent sliding panels over the project images and a small contact form which will fill in the void. The design inspiration has come from my love of my late dog Spotty w...

Last Thursday the 21st of June I had the privilege of witnessing an unbelievable night of hard core, funk, hip-hop, rock and alternative music! With a line up that big you'd think I went to a festival to see a multitude of performers. Ironically that is what Peeping Tom is! Mike Patton's Peeping Tom is made up of an eclectic mix of genres, styles and performers which come together to make music that is captivating, experimental and inspiring to the taste of a diverse range of fans (including myself). Patton didn't fail to impress the Sydney audience at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney, Australia. His remarkable vocal range changes, beat-boxing abilities, experimentation, energetic performance and audience participation had everyone including my friend, Elisa and I in awe and excitement the entire time. There is probably nothing that Patton cannot sing which is what I love. Having grabbed the last two tickets from just a hand-full available from Ticketek the day before his per...

Today has been a very sad day for dad, my brother Chris and I, as we said our final goodbye to our beloved dog Spot who has been a huge part of our lives for the past 17 years (c.1990-13/05/07). Spot began taking medicine for his failing heart at the start of this year, but unfortunately his condition was not curable and his health was rapidly declining. We made the tough decision to end his suffering and took him to the vet today for one last time. Before Spot was laid to sleep, even in the midst of o ur sadness Spot did manage to make us all laugh when he did a little fart as dad lifted him on the veterinary table. :) Memories such as this and many others we have shared with him over the past years will never be forgotten. They have been some of the most unforgettable years of my childhood, adolescence and adulthood. From the first day we picked him up as a puppy at the beginning of 1990, he made his mark of ownership when he peed on my jumper. He later grew to be a feisty young...

It's been quite some time since my last post and a lot has happened in the last couple of months, good and bad but all in all it's been a worthwhile experience. I no longer work for Xavier Communications but take what I gained from that position into my stride and continue as a designer. I've taken a few blows, but none that I regret happening and for that reason I'm taking in some of the best recent advice given to me by industry professionals; both personally and professionally. I've been given some sound advice and passed through some interviews which has helped me sort out where I want to go. Starting from tomorrow though I'm going on a mini holiday to Victoria, Australia with my long-time school friend Elisa. Just planning parts of the trip before even leaving has been a little daunting and not to mention *time consuming* but after several hours research online and making several phone enquiries we've managed to work out our rental car arrangement...

I came home today and received a surprise email from Noise , letting me know that they have published some more of the work I have submitted to them! It's been a while since I sent the work, so getting an email today was very exciting! All the work I submitted to them has been published! You can find my work on Noise at http://www.noise.net/elly_tapia and just click on the words 'Most recent' at the top of the page next to the Aussie flag. If you have any feedback about my work I'd like to hear from you. Happy viewing!

I can honestly say these past three weeks since coming back to Sydney, Australia has been a roller coaster ride for me personally. Having been away on holidays for so long, I found it difficult to settle back into things, namely finding the right sort of work for me. About 3 weeks ago I worked for a day with RGC Advertising as a freelance Graphic Designer but found out it wasn't for me and then just yesterday I finished up working as a graphic designer for Strategic Campaign Associates after only three weeks. I felt terrible giving notice after only 3 days of work particularly since I had accepted the commitment as a full time employee. However, the company were really nice considering the circumstances as I continued to work for another two weeks. My colleagues were really nice to work with, but due to another job offer coming round, much closer to home with a good grounding for career development, I decided to take the move to Xavier Communications as a Finished Artist. I...

I've been back in Australia for a little over a week now and I'm finally reaquinted with my home surroundings and well over the jet lag as well. :) Last Sunday I caught up with some of the family over a small get together that was held to wish my brother Henry and his girlfriend Megan, all the best for their fantastic 6 month world trip which they begin next Monday, the 20th of November. They finish their trip in London, UK where they will work for a year or two. It's no doubt going to be the adventure of a lifetime for them (especially when they get to South America :)) but we're going to miss them extremely! :( However I can't wait to read up on Henry and Megan 's adventures! Whilst they've been busy wrapping up and relocating their belongings, I've been busy organising my CV and applying for numerous jobs. However I'm happy to say I no longer have to search because tomorrow I start a new job with Strategic Campaign Associates after a succe...

Yesterday evening was when dad and I said farewell to our family in Ecuador. It was extremely hard to let go of the family which I had only just started to get to know. I shed many tears with some members of the family at the airport but promised to return very soon and not every 30 years, which is the length of time dad hadn´t returned to South America. Next time I hope we can come for Christmas and New Year for a BIG family reunion and bring everyone from Australia, which is what I originally wanted this trip to be. We made the most of the time we did have and shared some great weekends with the family and travelled to some very exciting places in Ecuador during the working week. We especially enjoyed our relasing time with the family in Papallacta´s natural hot springs on the second last day in Ecuador. We´d like to take this opportunity to publicly thank our family in Ecuador for everything and for spending time with us over the past month. We have really enjoyed our time with e...

The great thing about Ecuador is that it's a relatvely small country compared to other countries in South America and has lots to offer adventuring tourists. I'm talking about the mighty Oriente, the Amazon! Dad & I just recently returned from our awesome 5 day adventure to the Cuyabeno Reserve in The Oriente of Ecuador through Samona Expeditions. We went fairly deep into the jungle. Just to give you an indication we took a bus from Quito to Lago Agrio (7 hrs), then a van to the Cuyabeno River (2 hrs) and then we took a motorised canoe on the beautiful river to reach our naturally beautiful Samona Lodge(2 hrs). Even though it took a while to reach our lodge the canoe ride over the river warmed us up for the adventures that awaited us in the jungle. Dad and I took a motorised canoe up the Cuyabeno River (the boat about 25m length) manned by two men, Dario (18yrs, the Captain of the boat who was in control of the engine) and Frederico (about 30s up the front of the boat)....

!Buenós dias¡ Today dad and I finished our 5 day trip through the beautiful Galapagos Islands! We went on a boat cruise that took us from Santa Cruz island to Bacha Beach, North Seymour Island, Santa Fe, Española Island, Floreana Island and then back to Santa Cruz Island. It was a fantastic trip even though I feel like I´m still on the boat from all the swaying over the last 5 days. The flight over to the islands went smoothly and I remember my first reaction when we first saw the islands as we flew over. Is this the Galapagos Islands?! It looks like a desert! I had expected the place to be overwelmed by luscious fouliage and trees! We entered Baltra airport which used to be used for US military base. However most of the islands we visited were quite barren as this time of the year the trees lose their leaves even though the rain was well and truely present almost everyday we were there. Some of the best highlights on this trip would first and foremost be witnesssing nature and the b...

Hóla once again. It´s been a while since my last entry and I´ve been quite busy touring Ecuador and a very small part of Colombia. Dad and I visited a small town north of Ecuador called Tulcán for it´s large and well known cemetery there. I hear you saying....Cemetery?! Yep, cemetery. The gardens are the main feature there as the cemetery is lined with giant hedges that are sculptured into geometric shapes, pre-Colombian symbols and various animals. It was such an awesome sight to see! The figures were very cute, especially the animals. The graves were equally beautiful as the burial places are above-ground tombs stacked atop of one another so that they resembled a mini apartment complex rather than a final resting place. The entrance of the tombs are heavily adorned with shrines and beautiful fresh flowers. The day after visiting Tulcán we crossed the border into Colombia to visit the famous church Virgin de las Lajas. A magnificent church built against a cliff face! Absolutely aw...

Hi Everyone! In the last few days in Ecuador, Dad and I have been visiting some of the local cities near Quito, Ecuador. Our family have been showing us around to many beautiful places. Yesterday Dad and I went to Baños which was about 3 hrs drive from Quito. My uncle Marco, his wife (Lucia) and his son (Mauricio's) family invited us out for the day. It was difficult to wake up in the morning because the previous day we went to my cousin's son's Baptism celebration which was in the evening and went through till early hours of the morning. We did manage to wriggle out of bed though. On the way we passed a volcano that errupted 3 months ago, Tunguragua. The whole city had to be evacuated at the time. We stopped to have a look at the destruction that it caused which was incredible. Many tourists were there picking up some of the rocks that were left there. We also passed a town (forgive me for not remembering the name) where they mainly manufacture jeans clothing. There...