From my polaroid a day project.
I miss you all and wish I could post more, but lately things have been just so busy, and now that I don’t have blogging everyday as a requirement for myself, it kind of go pushed aside a bit. But be sure, I have LOTS of great stuff to post, plus some other polaroids that I took over Christmas that I really want to show. Soon, I hope, soon! Hope you all are doing well :)
Literally translated to “Good Year,” which is the French greeting after a new year.
Since I am no longer doing a photo a day, there is less pressure to post personal stuff on here, but after talking with so many people about it, you guys actually miss my daily photos and musings (!) — so I’m going to try and post some personal stuff once a week – try being the operative word! I’ve got a lot lined up this upcoming week in terms of blog and shoots, but at the same time I do want to pace my posts. :)
Something I’ve been thinking a lot about is the new year, and for a lot of people, that means resolutions, turning over a new leaf, etc etc. I admit, I’ve always been one for goals for the year, like my last year photo a day. This year I tried to rack my brain with what I wanted to accomplish – so many things have been popping into my head – many of which I LOVE but I know at the same time I probably won’t be able to carry out the entire year simply because life will probably take a hold of me!
I do have [more than] a few goals though, despite the fact that it’s already been more than a few days into the new year, and there are a few I haven’t really started yet. So here’s what I’m hoping for the new year :)
* Not buy anything NOT business or food/necessity (toiletries, medicine, pet care) related for a month.
This means no more shopping for cute things, book buying (my weakness) and things like that. Right now I’m trying it only for a month, but if I decide, I may extend it longer depending on how I feel. So far I really enjoy it in a way – it’s liberating because it forces me to use and enjoy what I already have, rather than thinking that I need something cuter/better/trendier/new.
* Go through the book The Artist’s Way & do the morning pages every morning.
I actually started this last month, but I got way to busy to keep up with it, so I decided to pick it back up after the new year. It’s quite an interesting journey so far, and I’m intrigued on how I will come out after the next 9 weeks. As well as how the morning pages will affect me over the course of the year.
* Ride my bike everyday.
Zach got me a bike (yay!) for Christmas. I picked a pink one, simply because I was too impatient to wait for another one to come in. But now I’m sort of wishing I had a red one. Either way, I’ve been riding it everyday since I got it, and my favorite ride is right at the top of an overlook by my house. I circle that area quite a bit when I’m there. :)
* Make a 27 things to do before I’m 28.
To be done :)
*Polaroid a Day.
Now this isn’t something I started yet, but it’s something I want to do for 356 days.. maybe I will start today! I may also post it everyday on a separate blog, but I will keep you all posted on that one. :)
*Plan a trip to France.
Now this is the biggie and something that I’ve been dreaming about since high school. The travel bug has been biting me harder and harder in the past year, and in the last couple of months, it seems that all I want to do is visit France (luckily Zach has the same huge desire). It may not happen this year, but the goal is to have things BOOKED by the end of the year. Exciting!!!
So those are my goals – my large continuous ones throughout the year at least. I know people don’t like to make goals/resolutions because they end up breaking it, but I always enjoy seeing where life took me over the course of the year. :)
Any goals that you may have this year?
I steal moments.
I capture them, and hold them in my memory, hold them in my hand.
I can present these memories for the world to see, or these memories are held close to the heart for me only.
27 years of having my eyes open, life flashing before them. My hands reaching out to grab them, if only to hold them for a second.
27 years, of joy and sorrow, happiness and sadness.
27 years of splashing in puddles, running through fields, seeing animals in clouds, dancing on my toes, laughing till my stomach hurt, crying when sad, stressing when something overwhelms me, getting upset if something feels wrong.
27 years of love, giving and receiving.
27 years of being human.
27 years of life.
It’s been a beautiful year, and I can’t wait to see what the next year brings me.
P.S. For those who can’t tell, it’s my birthday :)
P.P.S. What am I going to do for my birthday? Go to Disneyland of course! :D :D
P.P.P.S. If you didn’t catch it before, I decided to extend my deadline due to life being way too crazy… I’m now aiming for Dec 1st for my 26 things. :)
I turn 27 in a little under a month, and I was inspired by this post to make a list of things that I want to accomplish before my next birthday. :) Let’s see how many I actually accomplish before November 21st, which I hope will be all of them! I also have a list for my 30th birthday, but that will be posted in due time. :)
Also, to make it a little more fun, I thought I would make a little contest/giveaway! Make your own list and post it or a link to it in the comments section by this Friday at 11:59pm, and I will choose one of you to receive a very special polaroid gift – a one-of-a-kind polaroid image, taken by me, just for you! I haven’t even taken it yet :) A bit of nostalgia, from me to you :)
26 things to do before I turn 27.
01. Take a walk everyday (unless it’s raining) and of course, bring Gromit!
02. Create an inspiration board (or something similar)
03. Make congee/rice porridge successfully *
04. Buy The Perfect Boots [done 11/2]
05. Visit Julian for autumn [done 11/14]
06. Have something letterpress printed (or buy something just for me letterpressed) [done 11/29 - thanks angela & kenny!!]
07. Decorate for Halloween [done 10/31]
08. Spend a full day (24hrs) using no electricity except for cooking (this includes phones!) [done 11/2]
09. Blow up and frame this image, and maybe more
10. Take a bikram yoga class [done 11/6]
11. Bake another apple pie
12. Buy something for myself on etsy
13. Figure out a way to display my polaroids
14. Start a mini herb garden
15. Sleep under the stars one night
16. Buy a new plant for the living room
17. Buy white or opaque tights or socks (to make some cute outfits!) [done 11/26]
18. Buy a Kodak Brownie or simiar camera
19. Get a dramatic haircut! (ahh!) [done 11/5]
20. Create a pose/wedding inspiration book (thanks to Stacy for the idea!)
21. Create and keep a daily skin care regime
22. Figure out what I’m doing for Christmas gifts!
23. Make apple butter
24. Break a bad habit
25. Attend my Jazz 1B dance class! (I am so bad)
26. Do an act of complete selfless kindness to someone I don’t know (pay it forward)
*I tried it once and it was disastrous!
I will be updating this list as I go, and crossing anything out once I complete them, and posting my results before my birthday if I can. :)
So let’s see your lists!!
P.S. The tomatoes in the photo are called dry farmed tomatoes, and they are the BEST THINGS EVER. They don’t require watering, they bury themselves deep into the soil and grow that way, and are harvested only a few weeks out of the entire year. Because of this, they are a bliss of concentrated flavor! Even my boyfriend who isn’t a fan of tomatoes loves them. Do yourself a favor and head over the Jimbo’s and grab a few!
Sometimes, being a photographer for your job, you get tired of bringing your camera everywhere in life. Before I became a photographer as a profession, I would have my camera with me ALL the time. It was glued to my hip. Afterwards though, you saw it on me less and less. Every now and then I’ll bring a different type of camera with me when I go out, just to mix it up; to play with it. :)
There are moments best captured in the film of memory, though. I had a lovely weekend with my dear old friend, whom I see a few times a year. We hung out, chatted about life, love, the past present and future. We visited lovely spots that were gorgeous, the weather was perfect, and I truly enjoyed the moments as they happened in front of me. And I didn’t bring a camera with me once. Sometimes, moments like those are better for your memory than they are for film. :)
Good for the soul, I think. :)
I’ve been posting a lot of polaroids lately because I got three free packs the other day, so I’ve been playing around. :)