Only a few more days of school and then it’s summer break! I’m excited for a full summer of weddings, afternoons on the slip-n-slide (which we already pulled out last week!), BBQs, senior portrait sessions, house-hunting and maybe a relaxing weekend or two.  :)  I’d like to hike a 14er at some point before the summer’s over. If you have any tips for this newbie, feel free to send them along.

 

I love using my iPhone camera on a daily basis to capture shots of everyday life happening around me.  Recently I discovered an iPhone app called Labelbox. It’s a free app (!) that allows you to add labels of text to your iPhone photos.  I’m not a huge fan of most of the cutesy looking tags and fonts, but I love the black and red ones that resemble the old labelmaker tags from my childhood.  Here are few of my iPhone photos that have been labelbox-ifed:  

Sooooooo…we’re one month into 2012.  I’ve had several people check in with me about the goals I made for 2012 and I REALLY APPRECIATE that.  Accountability is key. I’m proud to report that I’ve already made some good progress on a number of the goals I made at the beginning of the year. Still lots of work to do, but I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished in January.

One among the 12+ on my list was to visit my grandma and talk to her about her childhood during the Great Depression because someday I’d really like to write a book about it.  Mid-January I was able to fly out and visit her (and my aunt) in Albuquerque and spend the weekend talking to her about her life. I was really happy that I was able to take care of that one so quickly into the year.   I spent most of my time listening and recording but I did pull out my camera once to take a few  photos:

 

How about you?  How are your 2012 goals coming along? If you didn’t make any, it’s not too late! Let’s check back in after a few more months, okay?

Several weeks before Christmas I found an old Yashica TLR camera for sale on craigslist.  I took the timing as a sign that I was supposed to buy myself a fabulous $100 Christmas present–so I did. :)

In every possible way this camera is manual, so creating a shot takes time.  The camera’s meter isn’t what anyone would deem trustworthy, so I first take a reading with my handheld light meter.   Then set the aperture and shutter speed.  Advance the film. Compose the shot, manually focus, and finally, push the shutter release.

Colin seems to be the only one who has the patience to sit and wait while I take a light reading, turn the dials and crank the film, so this first roll was mostly him (with a few of a very grumpy-looking James).  

I love that this camera shoots in square format, I love that I have to look down into the waist-level viewfinder, and even though it sometimes feels like a slow process (soooooo slow!), I do love that it makes me stop and really think about what I’m trying to get. 

Here’s my favorite shot from the first roll–Colin in all his patient cute-ness:

Hello, hello 2012.  Year after year I hear that there is more success in goals written down and shared with others (accountability), so that’s what I’ve decided to do here.  Twelve goals for 2012–in no particular order. Feel free to check up on me mid-year and ask me how I’m doing.  :) 

 

1. Study an artist or period in Art History I don’t know much about.

In 2006 I graduated from BYU with a master’s degree in Art History.  For two years Art History had been a huge part of my life.  Then I graduated.  Moved to Colorado. Started a business.  My family grew.  Life got really busy. Too busy for Art History. 

This year I’d like to re-introduce a little Art History into my life. I’m thinking Henri Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, Rachel Whiteread, or 20th Century Architecture.

 

2. Make a perfect cupcake.

Ever since I became involved in the wedding industry I’ve been obsessed with cupcakes. There is just so much to love about them.  Believe me when I say I am SO FAR FROM THIS, but I would very much like to make a perfect cupcake.  Any good bakers–feel free to send me your tips!

 

3. Begin working on a photo project.

This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time but I’ve struggled to come up with a theme I feel connected to or super interested in.  Anyone want to brainstorm on this one with me? 

 

4. Organize my family photos into albums.

Other than James’ first year of life, our family photos are unorganized in a couple of shoe boxes and on my computer/external hard drives. Not cool.

 

5. Study the New Testament and learn more about Christ’s life.

If you know of any great supplemental reading, please let me know. 

 

6. Run even during the winter and busy months.

During the fall and spring I am reasonably proud of my efforts to stay in shape.  Unfortunately I’m not so good about running during the summer (WAY too busy) and winter (brrrr…WAY too cold).  In 2012 I’d like to stay healthy all year long.  Maybe I need to find a gym with an indoor track or learn to appreciate treadmills. 

 

7. Be a better teacher to James and Colin.

If I just sit down and come up with a plan/schedule I think this would be a lot easier for me.  

 

8. Make more art (not just photography).

A few weekends ago I decided it was time to clean out one of our closets.  Among plenty of other things I found a bunch of my old sketchbooks.  I had almost forgotten that I even knew how to draw.  This year I’d like to draw and paint more.

 

9. Begin work on a book about my grandma’s childhood.

My grandma, who grew up in Texas during the Great Depression, has one of the most interesting lives I’ve ever known about.  I want to spend a week interviewing her and write a book about it.

 

10. Learn to knit.

Another one of those things I’ve been wanting to do for a really long time…

 

11. Pick a destination I’d like to visit and learn everything about it–language, culture, etc. Plan to go, even if it’s five years away.

I’m not talking about a touristy, resort and spa type of destination. I’m talking about a random place that not many people know about. A place full of culture and tradition that I could spend a year learning about and then enjoying.

 

12. Look outward. Leave time in my schedule for others.

This year I’d love to become a better friend/sister/wife/mother/daughter and be more on the lookout for ways to help others.

 

A few other things I’d like to do this year:

Make a bucket list, read a good novel or two, enjoy a fun family vacation, be better at meal-planning and grocery-shopping, come up with a better system for keeping the house clean, write in James’ and Colin’s journals more often, record more family videos. And of course, try to always remember my life motto: life is a journey, not a destination (as exemplified so well by these two):

 

What are your resolutions/goals for 2012?

This morning Colin handed me a present wrapped in newspaper and told me to open it. 

 *taken and processed with my iPhone*

“Wow! Yellow yarn?!?!”

“YEP!  There’s TWO pieces!”

I love it.  Between that and the half-used colored pencils he’s already wrapped up for everyone I have a feeling this is going to be a great Christmas.  :)