Growth!

Here is the first tomato plant to emerge for the gardening season of 2012! We are up and running! This photo was taken about a week ago, so even now the tomato is sharing true leaves with the world. I have said it before and I will say it again...I love gardening!

Geocaching is awesome! Check it out!

The 2012 garden has been officially started! Oh, I love gardening. It gets me outside in the sunshine with dirt under my nails and I get to nurture something. Oh, and check out the shadows in the photo...the sun is out! We haven't seen the sun in about a week. Today was beautiful and I am thankful I was able to enjoy it. The above plants will be part of our garden, but I am prepping even more for a charity garage sale come late March or early April at my brother's house. I will give more information closer to the event. Come on out!

Acting on 2012

These photos are not incredibly "wow" but it is the first roll I have had developed since the New Year. To me, it means that I am actively pursuing some of the things I wanted to achieve in 2012. The photos were actually taken back in Summer of 2010 at a fish fry in Augusta, GA and the flower was taken in Highlands, NC.

I am continuing to make good on my desires for this year, which it a true accomplishment for me. I tend to have great ideas but difficulty with the follow through aspect of the mission. I have learned the basic stitch for knitting, actively pursuing photography, have read more, possibly found a new church home, etc. I am thankful for these opportunities and truly blessed!

2012 Desires

Desire List for 2012:

1. Have another child
2. Laugh more
3. Love more
4. Read more
5. Breathe deeply and move my body
6. Experience the joy I find in photography, again
7. Grow a garden
8. Destroy my craft room through creativity
9. Be part of a flash mob
10. Learn to knit
11. Pray and seek God
12. Find a church home
13. Fall more in love with my husband (than I already am)
14. Travel to visit with friends that have moved away
15. Welcome and cuddle friend's babies that are expected in 2012
16. Ride my bike more
17. Learn more about the relationship between food and how it effects my body/emotional health
18. Discover amazing cheeses ( I tend to stare at specialty cheeses from afar)

First Craft Project of 2012

Accidentally spilled Limoncello is what created the pretty but random teal-colored spots on the above shirt. While I was disgruntled when it happened, I ended up liking the added touch.

What better way for me to start off the 2012 than with a new craft! Matt and I have been talking about exploring screen printing, but lacking the time and finances to get it off the ground. Fortunately, my cousin mentioned using blue craft glue, letting it dry and then following through with the regular cloth dyeing process. I am thrilled! They came out better than I could have imagined. This project has opened up quite the can of positive worms! Try it yourself!

Happy New Year 2012!

Oh, wow! A new year...now that is exciting! So much hope comes with the turn of a new year and having a new hope is something that 2011 left behind in me. We have had quite the year, my husband and I. But if I think about it, which I am, every year is 'quite the year'. Every year has its ups and downs whether you welcome them, embrace or celebrate them (or not).

The above photo is the first photo I took in 2012...Buckley, a sweet pup. It was actually one of only two photos I took the entire evening celebrating with people that are so dear to us. I failed to take more but I do have the sweet memories, along with the hope, for our friends and ourselves, that comes with bringing in a new year. Happy 2012!

A Desire for the New Year

This year I want to dust off Ole' Rosie, the camera, and bring back what I feel is the lost art of using a 35mm camera, completely manual and without a flash. I relish extending the length of the shutter while tweaking the aperture to create a photo like no other. A photo that I will put MUCH thought in to as I can't delete it and there will be an added cost, yet I do not mind. All this to say, I love the sound of the shutter clicking closed and the film advancing. Advancements in technology cannot replace this even with nifty sound effects. I love manual cameras. I enjoy Ole' Rosie.

My Favorite Christmas Gift

This necklace was given to me by my loving husband on Christmas morning. It quickly warmed my heart and brought hurt at the same time. A few tears and quiet hugs later, the necklace was donned around my neck and felt instantly at home.

I relearned today how important exercise and physical labor are in helping fight depression within myself. If you see that I am getting down, hand me a rake and stick me in the middle of a yard with a massive amount of leaves and my own thoughts.