hello 2016!

and so long 2015...it's been fun!

i love going back & looking at the past year...
what worked, what didn't...what changed and
what i realize now that i want to change.

this year, instead of reading through journals
i re-read all of my facebook statuses and
went through my photos...
sign of the times.
(well, for someone like me anyway...
who posts probably more than anyone needs to, heh).

2015 RECAP

i read 8 books in 2015.  EIGHT books.
i mean seriously.  that is embarrassing.
i used to read 8 books in a WEEK.
 

LOVED the land of decoration...was a little disappointed by Adult Onset (but the bar was raised high with Fall on Your Knees & will likely never be met again).  LOVED the museum of extraordinary things.

STUFF I WAS PROUD OF:

  • started this squarespace website and imported my blog onto it...which was terrifying for me to do.  Almost as terrifying as the decision to allow people to know about the blog. :)
  • tried improv and it was fun!!
  • told a story at storytelling circle which made me feel ill but was glad that i did it.
  • VOTED FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER
  • did nablopomo for November and only missed one day!
  • auditioned for a part in a play...and got one!  (which...is also terrifying).
  • shot 3 weddings in 3 days (& i did not cry)
  • did school photos for the first time and it was so much fun! 
  • planted two little gardens
  • made a cucumber!

this guy graduated (& I couldn't have been prouder) <3

these were my most liked photos on facebook...hahahaha....from sock monkeys to middle fingers to burn outs and snails...this is the story of my life.

2015 was the year that I

  • made a firm commitment to take 2017 off from photography
  • saw the counting crows
  • waited with the world in anticipation of the muppet comeback
  • got really really lost on a dirt road
  • made a pugosaur for halloween
  • realized i loved blueberry bagels
  • had my lost fitbit replaced and then FOUND my lost fitbit a couple of months later
  • made my whole family into Peanuts
  • dyed my hair black again
  • followed geese
  • looked for F18's and snowbirds
  • took pugsley for his first dairy bar ice cream
  • tried to get photos of a flock of seagulls in a McDonald's parking lot
  • fell twice, for the SAME wedding
  • began a solar toy obsession
  • survived both emma and campbell going away on trips
  • did photo-a-day project until May this time!  Better each year!
  • complained on FB about my lilac shortage so long that someone made a sweet delivery of lilacs to my doorstep!

2015 you were a fairly good year
and 2016 is looking pretty damn promising already! :)
Moving forward with an open mind/heart and a
sense of humor...I'm a man with a plan, stan....bring it on.
I'm ready! 

grateful...

it's thanksgiving weekend here
and i feel that i have plenty to feel grateful for:

  • an amazing little family that gets along and laughs...a lot... :)
  • a fantastic extended family...parents, sibling, in-laws, nieces & nephews
  • a job that i go to five days a week that i love...and great people to work with!
  • a second job that feeds my creative side...maybe a little too well sometimes but it's all good!
  • my beautiful little island in the fall {and every other season really...i love them all..even the dreaded winter}
  • the pug...(and the fact that the pug is about to have new semi siblings...KITTENS!!) (more about them later!)
  • old friends that have know me forever and still love me...and new friends in the making...
  • my fantastic clients and photography friends and supporters...this wouldn't be NEARLY as much fun without any of you!!!
  • the ability and opportunity and freedom to vote, to maybe help make a difference
  • the first season of Roseanne is on Netflix
  • new presets (thank you Pretty Presets!)
  • cold diet coke in a can (cause sometimes...its just the little things)

there is much more more that i could say i'm grateful for
but right now, my eyelids are drooping from turkey overload...
and my bed is calling me with it's siren song of a warm duvet
and maybe a heating pad...(more things that i'm grateful for).

at a standstill & a bit of a snapshot of my week...

i feel like i have been at a bit of a standstill...
since i started working the new website,
i have been ignoring the blog.
i have been thinking about it
but i keep thinking i have to wait
until the website is finished before i use it....
and i'm not really sure that is true.

plus...i am missing it.

i have still been taking my daily shots for my 365 project...
so far i have taken a photo a day for 79 out of 88 days.

and a lot of them involve snow, as you can see below :)

there have other things going on in my life as well
but the snow...well...it's slightly overwhelming :)
i am totally looking forward to spring!

check out my instagram feed if you would like to see more of our winter...
or more of pugsley...heeheehee...
there's always a shot or 12 thrown in of the slightly spoiled pug!