January 31, 2012

Photography: Souvenir Foto School

Besotted Brand Blog
I'm about to embark upon a journey...a photographic journey that is. In keeping with some of the goals I made for myself this year, specifically that one about exploring my creative side, I decided to join the Souvenir Foto School. What is that? Well, it's a sort of online photography class hosted by Miss B at Besotted Brand Blog and Michelle at Creatocrat, where a group of us (about 50) will take a photo a day for 30 days using the alphabet as a guide and be held accountable for posting that photo each day. As  a group, we'll be able to learn from each other, ask questions and watch our photography progress (and hopefully improve) as the month goes on. 

Class starts tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited. Especially because it means I'll be here, on the blog, posting a photo everyday, so you all can follow along with my progress. Accountability to all of you as well...if that isn't motivation, I don't know what is! Here's to a February full of photos! 

January 17, 2012

Weekend Snapshots


This past weekend was spent relaxing and crafting, in almost equal parts. The long weekend allowed me the time to reflect on the resolutions I've made for myself and to begin acting on them. Aside from watching some good movies on the couch with my new kilim pillow (thanks to my wonderfully thoughtful brother and sister-in-law) indulging in some decadent chocolate and drinking many chai teas, I was able to hammer out some designs and concepts I've had floating in my head for some time. It was definitely a most satisfying weekend.





January 9, 2012

Inspiration: CharitySub & Some Resolutions


Simple. Collective. Giving. Three words that really resonate with me as I enter into 2012. I'm not usually one for making New Year's resolutions, but this year, I'm changing things up and setting out to do things a bit differently. I'm hoping that by setting some goals, I'll challenge myself in ways that I never have before, forcing growth and embracing change in my life. Here's a short list of some things I hope to accomplish this year:

Be More Creative: Whether it be creating more personalized cards, dabbing in more DIY, improving my photography skills or even taking up painting - I want to exercise the right half of my brain and let the artist in me loose.


Take More Chances/Fear Less: What have I got to lose? That's the attitude I need to take in this new year. Uncertainty has had a hold of our life for over a year now and I'm ready to take charge and stop being afraid of the "what ifs" and "we could never do thats".

Give More/Want Less: I began working on this resolution at the end of 2011 and it kind of goes with my desire to simplify things. I want to draw from the old adage "less is more", especially in terms of "stuff" we have. More importantly, this goal encompasses giving more to good causes with what little we can spare (be it money or time); knowing "the more you give, the more you will receive".

Now, let me get back to those first three words of the post and the new online giving endeavor that truly encompasses them, CharitySub. This new website is a great way to start giving on small scale with the benefit of knowing your money is making an impact on a large scale. Take a moment and watch the video above; it explains it all: $5/a month, a new cause each month, 3 non-profits to choose from and reporting back to see how everyone's $5 made a difference collectively.

My sister-in-law, Alexis, her husband, Brian, and their two friends, Jim and Amy, started CharitySub and have been working hard, developing the concept and building the site, for over 6 months. With a launch on New Years day (midnight exactly), the site is up and running and taking subscriptions! Now how does this relate to my New Year's resolutions other than the giving part exactly? Well, the whole endeavor reflects many of the goals I'm setting out to do: from the creativity in the site design, videos, stats, etc. to the chance they all took in starting this new website. Challenging and scary? Yes, but completely worthwhile and awesome.

Check 'em out; this month's cause: Childhood Obesity. And don't forget to sign up!

January 1, 2012

Handmade: Holiday Greetings


The feat was accomplished - I succeeded in making our holiday cards this year! I tried my best to keep them as simple as possible; sending around 50 cards made that a necessity. And what fun it was visiting family and friends over the holiday and seeing our card displayed with other holiday greetings they received.




Hope your holidays were Merry and Bright and I wish you and yours the happiest of new years!
 

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