30 Day Challenge(s)

Okay so I’m all about killing several birds with one stone. And I’m about to attempt to kill four over the next 30 days with White Peach Photography’s 30 Day Photography Challenge.

1.) Improve my photography skills and just get out there and actually photograph stuff. This continues to live on my perpetual “To Do” list, so I needed something to jump start me into action. And this beautiful little list was just the ticket.

2.) Teach myself how to use Photoshop. Sadly last month my old Mac desktop died after I blew a fuse when it was booting. Whats even more sad is that I’ve been using iPhoto for the past 5 years to edit all my pics, despite the fact that my boyfriend has Photoshop on his PC. Now that I’ve temporarily been left to share his laptop, I’m turning my loss into a learning gain and teaching myself, albeit slowly, to use Photoshop.

3.) Blog. Yes folks, I’m still determined to become a true blogger. At least you all know you’ll get 30 days of posts. Hopefully more, but lets take one thing at a time…

4.) Lose 13 pounds. Yes, you heard me right – I am using the 30 Day Challenge as a means of visually recording my attempt to return to the weight I was when I left Weight Watchers in 2005. Six years ago I joined WW in an attempt to lose as much weight as possible before my 10th high school reunion. I lost 55 lbs in 10 months and promised myself that if I gained more than 10 lbs back that I would return to WW.  I’ve “returned” several times over the last year, but somehow I never seem to stay very long. So the only way to hold myself accountable is to publicly record my process for all to see. And with that I present Day 1 – Self Portrait:

This is as close I’ll get to your traditional “Before” shot. I love the way the sun shines through my french door curtains in the morning and the light was perfect for this shot. The only Photoshopping I did to this one was a little cropping – I liked the way it turned out.  So far, so good. Now I only have 29 days and 13 lbs to go…

What Are You Waiting For?

Like many folks, I absolutely love stories like this one, where everyday people take control of the chaos in their personal lives and channel it into something positive. Why not? Because really there is No Day But Today…

As someone who detests the very idea of regret, I’m quite a fan of the bucket list. When I was a junior in high school, long before the bucket list phenomenon evolved, I was compelled to make my own “99 Things To Do Before I Die” list after reading a how-to in the publication that has empowered teenage girls for decades…Cosmo. Yes somewhere in between “31 Sizzling Ways to Please Your Man” and the “What Does Your Underwear Drawer Reveal About You?” quiz there was a tiny, inspirational nugget. Reading over the actual list via 1993 legal yellow notebook paper, the Cosmo influence is clearly evident.  #17 – Drink champagne out of a high heel shoe. #43 – Go wild in Rio during carnival. #79 – Let someone feed me peeled grapes. And while I’m sure I will likely never cruise gently down the Nile in a white sailed felucca (#48) or own and fix up an abandoned lighthouse (#62), I must say I am honestly proud to have crossed 26 items off the list.

Goals for my 34th year on this planet? #7 – Have a picnic on the beach in the winter. #56 – Go up in a hot air balloon. #94 – Plant a wildflower garden. And if I’m really ambitious maybe I’ll even swim with a dolphin (#16).

What about you? What tops your list?

Practice Makes (Picture) Perfect

Blogging isn’t the only thing I’ve jumped into whole-heartedly, only to abandon it a short time after. I tend to do this a lot. There are just too many skills I want to learn and master for me to focus on just one! Currently I’m going through a photography phase, which was actually brought on by the desire to take better food photos for my blog. Sigh. In any event I have tried my hands twice now at the 365 project, unsuccessfully. Now I’m taking the same attitude with my photography as I am with my blogging – practice as often as I can, no pressure. And it seems to be working. Still I wouldn’t mind one day coming up with a simple, yet ingenious photography concept like these folks…

 

A self doc on Levitation from Yowayowa.

 

An inspirational (and completed) take on the 365 Project by Parker Fitzgerald.

 

 

Beautiful in its simplicity, both concept and execution, Of Recklessness and Water by Elizabeth Weinberg.

A Sassy Revival

I’ve been wanting to take yet another stab at the blogosphere for a while now, but I just needed the proper inspiration. And today I found it. As I was cleaning out my craft room I ran across this page from the January 1992 issue of Sassy magazine.  And somehow this discovery felt larger than a mere addition to one of my random Facebook photo albums or a witty TwitPic share. Yes I’ve been holding onto this worn page for 19 years now. So much can be said through this one small act.

They say third time’s the charm, right? Here’s to hoping that statement holds true for Show Some Moxie. And who knows maybe I’ll finally get around to making that necktie mini…

Weekend Wrap Up

After a thoroughly stressful July, this weekend was an absolute dream. I can only hope that the rest of August is just as enjoyable. Some of the highlights include:

If you have not seen any of the films that Studio Ghibli has produced, then you need to promptly add this to your “To Do” list. After finding nothing we wanted to watch on TV (why do I pay extra for On Demand again?), Eric pulled out this collection and we began our weekend tour of awesome Japanese animation. I am now obsessed with all things Totoro, as are most Japanese children under the age of 10, apparently. (Any of you out there reading who may not know me personally, will come to find “Child at Heart” to be a central theme to many posts – I get this from my mother who is the biggest little girl I know.) We ended the tour with an old favorite, Spirited Away, and Eric is now contemplating a No Face Halloween costume.

photo by (SHOCHU) Blackbox Studios, Inc.

On Saturday morning we ate breakfast at Big Jones in Andersonville. I have been diligently working my way through the restaurants in the a la card Chicago 2009 deck and Big Jones is one of the only cards left in the deck that serves breakfast. I love the a la card deck, as it has saved me money while getting me to try restaurants I wouldn’t normally drive 45 minutes to dine at first thing on a Saturday morning. But as soon as our waitress landed a plate of complimentary sugary beignets on the table, I knew we were in good hands. While my bacon and cheddar omelette was simply okay, the fried green tomatoes, Niman Ranch applewood smoked ham and cheese grits were all definitely above par. The service was excellent too, although I think it helped that there were less than a dozen customers in the place. And even though we were both absolutely stuffed by the time we left, I still insisted we pick up some deliciously good treats from the Swedish Bakery to bring to the cookout we went to that afternoon. I’m just sad I didn’t choose to bring any home for us.

Thanks to to Time Out Chicago for suggesting that readers bike 16 miles to the Chicago Botanic Garden, or else Eric and I may never have come to experience this beautiful place. We spent close to four hours exploring the 26 different gardens, and I am now planning on becoming a member. Not only can I picture myself taking virtually any visitor that comes to Chicago to see these gardens, I also want to go back every month simply to spend the day reading or embroidering in one of the numerous peaceful areas, like the one pictured above.  The only thing that disappointed me was their Japanese Garden, as both San Francisco and Seattle have much, much more beautiful and seemingly authentic ones. So I guess I’ll just have to spend my days in one of the 25 other gardens – darn!

Lots more good stuff happened and some not-so-good stuff (like failing my car emissions test), but all in all it was the best weekend I have had in a very long time. The challenge will now be to continue this pattern of actually relaxing and enjoying the weekend. I think I can do it.