Very Mary

Foto Friday: Goals/resolutions

Yesterday, I mentioned Foto Friday, a creative photography challenge that Rhonda, Heather and I are planning to do once a week during 2011. We've picked a theme for each week of the year, and we'll share our three interpretations of that theme in one collage. Our first theme of the year was "goals/resolutions." (Naturally.)  

I attempted Project 365 last year, but failed miserably somewhere around March when I was in a state I like to call "too pregnant to give a damn." This year, I am willing and ready, though I admit, I have mixed feelings on the whole photo-a-day phenomenon since I get very easily frustrated when my camera is in hand. Hopefully, I can overcome the frustration and find the creative joy this year (and hopefully, my family will still love me and my camera when all is said and done). Regardless, I cannot seem to resist this project, so on the list it goes! Weeeeeeee!

Listography: A Year of Projects

Over the years, I've read and filed away a variety of ideas for projects that I'd like to attempt, and this is the year to try them on! When I started this blog, it was with the idea that I'd be practicing my writing skills, but then it became more of a scrapbooking blog, and during this last year, it's kind of floundered around as the reoccurring, somewhat neglected item on my "to-do" list. This year, I'm hoping to revive the blog as a home for my creative projects (photos + stories) and as a way to keep in touch with family and friends. 

Blogging can be problematic. Sometimes I think of something great to blog about, but then I forget. Other times, I sit down at the computer and my mind goes blank and then, of course, I start surfing the internet, and voila! evening wasted! A solution? Lists. I love lists! I make lists all the time. It helps me get my thoughts organized and gives me a sense of direction. Of course, sometimes it makes my mind spin off in a panic, but that's usually when I've written lists that are too long, and let's not go there right now, shall we?

My friend Heather was talking about doing a series of lists, like Listography, on her blog, so we decided to make it a joint project. Once a week, we'll be posting the same list, and this is the very first list of 2011! I have a terrible habit of writing a list and subsequently losing it long before it has ceased to be useful, so this first list is entirely practical - it's a visual reminder and a reference point for some of the projects that I want to focus on this year:

1. Listography: my life in lists. I plan to write a random list - some serious, some not so very - about me every week this year. 

2. Project 365: a photo a day. For practice. For motivation. For documentation. This project is going to reside on Flickr with an occasional overlap here. 

3. Ten on Tuesday: 10 random snippets. I've loved reading these on other blogs, and I particularly love how it can be random without brain-wracking writing. 

4. Foto Friday: a weekly photo challenge. A creative challenge with two of my photo buddies, Heather and Rhonda.

5. 4 People x 12: a family selfie + monthly update on us. Every couple of days, I am dumbstruck by how quickly my kids are growing, so I decided that I wanted an organized way of documenting our life. I'm hoping to snap + write on the last day of the month. 

6. 12 on 12: 12 photos on the 12th day of the month. A (fun!) photographic look at life on the 12th of every month. 

7. 52 Projects: 52 things/projects to complete this year. Early on, I was planning to create a list of creative things that I've been wanting to do, but this list has mutated into the ultimate "to-do" list. Some things are fun and some are just annoying little things that need to get done but keep getting filed under "procrastination." Subject to change at whim, of course.

Ten on Tuesday

1. The Christmas 2010 Recap:

• 12 days at Grandma's house
• 4 suitcases
• 4 carseats
• 1 Jumperoo
• 4 princess dresses
• 3 trips to the walk-in clinic(s)
• 6 different types of medicine
• 2 ear infections
• 1 Santa sighting
• 1 all-nighter (pretending to be Santa's elves*)
• 4 trips to Hobby Lobby 
• 3 cans of spray paint
• 1 holiday dollhouse
• 4 sugar cookies**
• 2 pieces of coconut cake**
• 2 brownies**
• 2 pumpkin spice cookies**
• 3 pieces of caramel tart**
• 2 pieces of fruit pizza**
• 2 cinnamon rolls**

2. *Staying up all night on Christmas Eve? Not for the weak, and definitely not recommended. Unless of course, you are simultaneously guilty of procrastination and a believer in prolonging the magic.

3. **And the food? Um, yeah, that was only what I consumed by myself. I can't even blame pregnancy this year. But at least it wasn't all in one day. Although, come to think of it, that could've been helpful on Christmas Eve.

4. Speaking of food (and gluttonous behavior), I watched Jamie Oliver on The Hour last night, and I'm super excited to see the new season of Food Revolution. Healthy eating fits right in with nearly everyone's resolutions, right?

4. I'm adding "winter driving" to the list of Things I Do Not Like. Derrick does not allow me to drive on family road trips because he says he "prefers to drive" or "doesn't mind driving." I am suspicious that he does not believe that I drive fast enough, but I make up for this character flaw in abundance by white knuckling the arm rest and repeatedly asking him to "slow down" or saying, "this looks icy. Is it icy?"

5. But at least the sun was shining:

6. Caleb now crawls on four points. But he much prefers walking. Assistance is required, which makes it much harder to photograph.

7. Happily removing the Christmas decorations:

And when I say, "happily," I am not referring to me. I have a case of the Januaries.

8. I have yet to see a Canadian TV show that I actually wanted to watch again, but even so, I'm pretty excited about The Pillars of the Earth tonight.

9. Once a week, Sadie has ballet class for exactly 30 minutes. I especially enjoy this time if Caleb is not napping because that means it becomes a family outing/coffee date! This time, the coffee house was packed, so we stopped in at the tea house instead. We had green tea lattes, and Caleb had his bottle. The bottle. Initially I was disappointed that he weaned himself from nursing, but it's really been such a blessing. His dad can help feed him, which is such a sweet thing to see, and more importantly (!) he's been less hungry and so that means he's finally sleeping through the night. 

10. Project 365 has officially begun. Are you in?