Self Portrait Fridays

This
self portrait kinda says it all about this week.  I've been
wringing my hands.  Really stressed.  And freaking out. 
So here I am...I'm holding onto hope.  It's funny...this morning I
apologized to my daughter for being so stressed out this week.  Her
response, "mom, you're always stressed out".  Great, so
now my legacy to my daughter is that I was a stressed out mother. 
That's not really how I want to be remembered....

What's your
story this week?  How does your self portrait today tell your
story?  You know, it doesn't always have to be a happy story. 
Who's life is happy all the time?  The purpose of these Self
Portrait Fridays to to tell the story of you...in photos.  Whatever
that story may be.

Creativity

Do you know the number one thing I hear at the store every single day?  "I am not creative".  That's what 7 out of 10 people a day tell me.  And it really
bothers me.  I don't really have an answer for that.  Because
they walk in with an "I can't do this" attitude...and it's so not true.  Anyone can scrapbook.  Anyone. 
Seriously.  All you need is a desire to tell your story.  You
can put your photos on a piece of paper with photo corners, add a
little note & call it good.  And you know what?  It is
good!  Your pages do not need to look like the magazines. 
Sure, some of us like that sort of thing.  But what your pages need
to look like is something you love...what you envisioned.  You are
scrapbooking for yourself...no one else.  No one will
judge you.  Your family will be thrilled with whatever you
create.  So take some pressure off yourself.  Seriously. 
Let go of that "It's gotta be perfect" mentality & just
create.  It'll come to you.  It'll all work out.  And
it'll be wonderful.  Trust me.

I saw this interview with Seth Godin on a website today and it really struck a nerve (it's on a website called The Happiness Project):

"There are two secrets to creativity:
1. Understand that there's no gene for it. No cultural or family
history required. Creativity isn't a gift from above, it's something
that everyone is capable of.
2. The only thing that prevents your creativity from showing up is
fear. Fear of being laughed at, fear of being wrong, fear of seeming
uninformed. So many creative exercises and habits revolve around
overcoming that fear.

For me, the single best thing you can do to become more creative is
to be wrong more often. Creative people are wrong all the time (look at
Apple's long string of failures). The goal is to create a safe place to
be wrong, a way to be wrong without destroying yourself. [Along these
lines, I remind myself to Enjoy the fun of failure.] The more wrong I am, the more often, the better I seem to get at being creative.

There are very few chances a day to be really creative, even for
someone who is creative for a living, the way I am. So I seek these
moments out, I treasure them and I try to be intentional. "Here's
something I've waited for a day or a week for... a chance to say or do
something that might change the status quo, that might improve a
system... I wonder how I can mess it up?"

So tell me, how can you be creative today?

Self Portrait Fridays: Sunday Edition

I
decided when I started the Self Portrait Fridays that I was going to be
"real" with the photos.  No dressing up...trying to make myself
look better for you...what you see is what you get...just plain, 'ol
me.  And here's what you get when you see me on a Sunday
morning.  We had just gotten back from the gym, where I sweated my
ass off (literally!). 

This peace shirt is a recent find on a
clearance rack at Macy's...I think it cost under $5...and that's my new
iPod that Kendall & Don gave me for Christmas.  I haven't had
much of an opportunity to put music on it, but I do have the Glee
Soundtracks...Volume 1 AND Volume 2.  There's also some Lord of the
Dance, Vampire Weekend (a new addiction!), Meredith Brooks, The Dixie
Chicks, Jody Messina's Greatest Hits,  Paul Overstreet's Greatest
Hits (hey, my wedding song is on that cd!),  and the soundtracks
from Invincible and Happy Feet.  My daughter is appalled that I
only have 115 songs on it.  I'm working on it...

So what do you look like on a Sunday morning?  And what's on your iPod? 

Well hello there!

Looks like I missed self-portrait Fridays...I was all wrapped up in
our snow storm & wondering about my store.  I'd take one right
now, but it would be super scary.  I'll take a shower first
:)  It looks like all is well at the store & we'll be opening
today.  My husband went in last night...seems we ran out of toilet
paper at home...and you can't have two girls at home & no toilet
paper...and he said the store was good to go.  The red tag is
off.  And our roof is intact.  YEAH!

I got a call from
my mom last night that a friend from high school was sending me a photo
of my mom & that I needed to post it to my blog. 

It's
titled "Bubbles McCully".  I saw that photo & was immediately
struck by how much I look like my mom.  My brother, too!  I'll
have to dig out some younger photos of myself & show you.  I
can never tell the difference between my toddler photos & my
mom's...

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

It's
so beautiful!  This little tree in my front yard is about 4 ft
tall.  It has the misfortune of being next to the driveway, so it
spends much of the winter under the snow.  It looks...hopeful,
though.

As I was out walking my dogs this morning it occurred to
me that lots of folks may not be too happy that school was
canceled.  But as I looked around & saw that 75% of the
sidewalks hadn't been shoveled...that the school by my house hadn't even
shoveled the sidewalks...it occurred to me that I wouldn't want my
child walking to school in this.  Yes, the roads are relatively
clear.  But they're slick.  And because some haven't bothered
to shovel their sidewalks, the kids have to walk in the road.  And
it's just not safe. 

Then I started thinking that just for
today, we should cut everyone some slack.  Maybe your neighbor
didn't shovel because they are sick...have a bad back...are totally out
of shape...or just plain lazy.  Who are we to judge?  And
maybe, just maybe you could shovel for them.  It's good
karma.  And it may be just what they needed.  I have a
neighbor, Jay Ulibarri, who would snow blow every single house on our
street if he could.  He's just that nice.

And
here's the thing...it rubs off on the other neighbors.  Maybe not
right away, but pretty soon, they all start helping out more.  And
Jay?  Well, he just does it because he's nice.  More people
ought to do that.

 

It's
a beautiful day to take a few photos.  I found out about Yaktrax
from a wonderful customer, Kay Treece.  These things are the best
ever!  I don't know how I've lived 36 years in Flagstaff without
them.  Seriously.  They are that good.

Take
advantage of this little bit of unexpected free time &
scrapbook.  Upload your photos.  Order the prints.  I
cannot tell you how wonderful it feels to hold my photos in my
hands.  To flip through my albums.  And remember, you don't
have to scrapbook them all.  Refer to the scrapbook project here if you'd like to simplify your scrapbooking.

It's
a beautiful day to take an unexpected photo.  I shot this right
into the sun.  And I love it.  That's one of those rules
"don't shoot into the sun".  Well, I say, throw the rules out the
window & shoot whatever you like today.  See what happens.

"Stuck"
at home with your kids today...wondering what to do on another snow
day?  Why not start on your Valentines?  Or make some
crafts.  Run by the store & pick up some fun paper &
stickers & some glue...bring the kids...& why not stay a while
& make some fun projects?  (I'm full of ideas for things for
the kids to make...just full of them!) The kids'll love it!  You'll
be out of the house & it'll be fun!  And maybe, just maybe you
could deliver those Valentines to your neighbors...just because. 
Even if you don't know them.  It's all about the karma...

Happy Birthday Don!

 
It's my sweet hubby's birthday today...he's one AWESOME! man...I am a lucky, lucky girl! 

Self Portrait Fridays

This
morning, 6:36 am.  I've already walked my dog 3.4 miles.  Was
going to work out...even started to...then decided I could do it
later.  Not really in the mood, I guess.  My mood
is...iffy.  Maybe I should go back to bed....at least for a
bit...sigh, that's not going to happen...

I started obsessing
about my self portrait for today last night.  I had the shot all
planned out in my head.  I was going to take a photo of me working
out...and I did.  But when I saw the size of my booty, and well, I
deleted it.  Um, yeah.  Time to re-think.  It took a few
more shots (a few more=30+) to get one I was happy with...make sure you
move your focus points around.  I'm pretty sure this is focused on
the chair in the background (not intentional), but it was as close as I
could get.  And you know what, I'm ok with that. 

The
point I'm trying to make, is don't give up.  Move your camera
around.  Use the self timer.  Use the delete button.  I
must have tried 10 or 15 different places to put my camera before I
found one I was happy with.  And even though my mood was a little
iffy this morning, this was fun to do.

I know that there are a few
(ok, a lot) of you that think I'm crazy for asking you to take your
self portraits every Friday.  There really is a reason for
it.  As scrapbookers, we usually take all the
photos.  That means we're never in them.  And that, my
friends, is sad.  We're always waiting to look a certain way...you
know what I mean..."I'm too fat", "I don't have my make up on", "I'm
wearing the wrong clothes"...whatever your excuse, it's just that...an
excuse.  I'm encouraging you to take your self portraits because
it's a snapshot into your life.  And there's a little less pressure
because you're taking it yourself.  You need to be in your
photos.  I believe that with all my heart.  

Happy Birthday Mom!

It's my mom's birthday today.  I have to tell you, I'm the luckiest girl around to have a mom like mine!  She's the best mom ever!  Love you!

Ice Skating

I grew up a block away from the ice rink.  Most weekends you'd
find me there.  Funny how much it's changed since I was a
kid....  Anyway, I went skating with my friends MacKenzie &
Nathan Sunday afternoon.  It's been a few years since I've
been.  Totally forgot how much I love it!  Oh my!  We
ended up skating for 75 minutes.  Which is excellent, since
MacKenzie had just finished playing her hockey game.  That kid has
stamina like no other!

She skates better than the boys...and she is full
of energy!  (When I was a teen, the walls you see on the left wall
were not there...it was actually a chain link fence that opened up into
the forest.  Friday nights, we skated with the stars....oh, the
memories!  I had my first kiss at the ice rink...and couples skate
was so fun, well, if you had someone to skate with...they dimmed the
lights & played romantic music...cheesy now.)

Ran
into an old friend of my brothers, Mandy, and her daughter.  Both
of them were just adorable!  By the time we left, Mandy's daughter
was skating on her own.  It's so cool that they have things to help
the kids skate now...those didn't exist when I learned...and it seems
all the little kids who are learning wear helmets.  A good thing.

My
skating skills we a little rusty.  But truth be told, I was never
all that great.  Always had a great time, though!  I was quite
happy not to fall down, and Nathan told me that I skated really
well...a nice compliment from a 12 year old.  Will I go
again?  You bet!  It was a great workout & lots of fun,
too!

Self Portrait Fridays

Ok, so the post below got me to thinking.  And what I'm thinking
is that Fridays need to be self-portrait days.  And that'll
cumulate into a fun project at the end of the year.  I don't care
if the photos are happy, sad, serious, funny...whatever floats your
boat.  (But let's keep it clean, people!)

So to be fair, the photo in the post below is from last Friday...New Year's Day.  Here's today:

 
 It'l
be fun to see what my mood is each Friday.  And what I'm
wearing...what my perspective will be that day.  Please say
you'll play along too...
 

Good Morning!

I'd like to challenge you to take a self portrait this morning. 
I know, why would you want to take a photo of yourself?  Maybe
you're not even sure how to do it.  It might feel a little
silly.  But trust me, it's fun!  One thing, you'll see if your
clothes have any stains on them.  Had no idea this shirt had a
permanent stain on it until I saw the photo.  Take your photo this
morning & you'll be one step ahead on the page of the week for next
week.  

It'll take a few tries.  Aim your camera's focus points
somewhere close to your face in a mirror.  And take a photo. 
You might find that the bathroom towels are more in focus than you...so
take another one.  

Through trial & error, you'll find that you have to look at the
camera lens in the mirror...that took a few times to get right. 
Don't want to see your camera in the photo?  Hold it by your hip
& crop it out. 

Send me a link to your photo.  I want to see what you look like
today.  It's good to take our photos once in a while...I'm pretty
certain you don't let too many people take it for you...and you need to
be in your albums, too.  Trust me.

New Year's Eve

I've been meaning to share some of our New Year's Eve photos with
you.  We hosted a New Year's Eve party at our house this
year.  The Saurer's and the Fisher's came over to play Nerts (a
super fun card game).  My sister in law & her boys came,
too.  Most of these photos were taken by Ray, who is 4. 
Honestly, it's just easier to get people to smile & have fun when a
sweet little boy is taking their photo.  Some of the photos are a
little blurry.  Ray & I are working on putting the focus points
on peoples faces & letting the camera auto focus.  But then,
apparently, I have that problem too...

Ray

Nerts

My sweet hubby

AJ

Nathan...see, Ray can get anyone to smile...

I have these bears for Christmas that play Christmas songs on
a xlylephone.  Ray loves them.  I now have half a
dozen photos of them....they're cute, but they are LOUD!

I wish this weren't out of focus...it's such a cool photo...

 
Mindy

 
 More Nerts.  The game is intense...I'm tellin' you...

Ray's feet...and the cutest pj's ever!  He took this...he's gonna be a pro :)

There are many, many more photos...but I won't bore you with 12 shots
of my Christmas tree...unflattering shots of Ray's mom...12 or more
shots of AJ running from Ray...and various others.  But I think he
has talent.  I give him my camera every chance I get....much to the
dismay of my brother who thinks he's going to break it.  How else
is he going to learn?

 
 
 
 

One Little Word

Every year, Ali Edwards does a post on one little word. 
She encourages her blog readers to pick one word at the beginning of
the year that sums up what they want to accomplish...their hopes...their
dreams.  Last year I played along & did "sparkle".  This
year, the word was harder for me to come up with.  I've come up
with hundreds such as:  happy, fit, healthy, successful,
strong...ah, and so many more.  But what just popped into my head
is:

AWESOME!

It's
so, like, totally 80's, isn't it?!  While I am a child of the 80's
(really, a teenager in the 80's), it has nothing to do with that. 
AWESOME! is my word because I've decided that 2010 is going to be an
AWESOME! year.  Seriously.  I'm tired of the gloom and doom of
2009.  It's time for a positive outlook & I believe it will be
an AWESOME! year!  If I don't believe that my goals are AWESOME!,
who will?  I have a tendency to be negative & really hard on
myself.  My one little word, AWESOME!, well, that word just doesn't
allow that, does it?

Keep an eye out on
the blog for a project that I'm making featuring my word...it's
coming...and it's AWESOME!  Now tell me, what is you're word for
this year?  What one word defines you, right this moment? 
Need a little push?  There's a worksheet here by Christine Kane that just might help you along. 

Isn't
this the most AWESOME! hair & pair of pj's you've ever seen? 
That's me, Christmas morning, with my treasured peace sign (made out of
some kind of recycled tire re-inflator cans).  I have a project in
mind for that, too!  (it came from Cost Plus, if you're
interested.)