Life...As I See It

 

13 Weeks of Project Gratitude

Week 37: 3-Day Weekends

 

Week 38: Guilt Free Dessert
 

Week 39: A Work Schedule that Gives Me Time to Drive Alec to School (and he wants me too!)

 

Week 40: Her Happiness

 

Week 41: Just-Because-Flowers From Chad
  

Week 42: Her Drive and Amibition

Week 43: Even When Recovering from An Injury She Gives It Her All 

 

Week 44: Photography
 

Week 45: Time with Papa
 

Week 46: New Libraries
 

Week 47: My Relationship with My Dad
 

Week 48: Celebrating Their Birthdays
 

Week 49: Well Earned Opportunities

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."  Melody Beattie

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With the end of the year...

...comes reflecting. Goals. Photo projects. Word of the year.

2009 Goals

 

1. Master the Mac - I'm sure I haven't utilized all of its potential but I consider this accomplished.
2. Create 10 projects from my project to-do list - I wasn't interested in doing some of the projects anymore so I created 7 instead of 10 from the to-do list.
3. Train smarter - after an injury that prevented me from running for months I was determined to do everything I could to prevent another injury. Not to push it when I know I shouldn't. Cross training. Strength training. I'm ending the year with only one injury!
4. Read 50 books - I'm reading my 66 book now.
5. Strength train 3 times/week - this ended up being twice a week consistently.
6. Complete 2009 Project Gratitude - I just posted Week 50. Now to decide on how to compile these photos into a book or album.
7. Reverse or stop Osteopenia - this was a biggie. A stress fracture leads to concerns about bone density which leads to a Dexascan that leads to a diagnosis of Osteopenia. After getting over my frustration of wondering why and how when I try to do everything I can to stay healthy I decided to set goals and make a plan (put this in my comfort zone.) This goal is pretty much the catalyst behind 2 of my other goals as part of the treatment. I'm happy to say I have stopped the loss of bone mass!!  

2009 Photo Project 

52 Weeks 52 Photos 52 Blessings

In 2009 it has been Project Gratitude. 2010? I'm considering a Project 365 but I need direction and focus. I don't do well with random. Maybe a theme or joining a P365 group. Still thinking about this one.

Word of the Year

Inspired by Ali Edwards' One Little Word in 2007. In 2007 my word was Balance. In 2008 it was Time. And 2009 is Simplify. 

 

Love this concept and I'm amazed how effective it can be. I have simplified and as a result less stress and accomplishing more. I haven't even began narrowing down my choices for 2010. 

So, that is 2009. What of 2010? I will set goals. I will have a word of the year. And I will complete a photo project. More details after a little more thinking and planning :)

 Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. George Bernard Shaw

13 Weeks of 2009 Project Gratitude 

52 Weeks...52 Photos...52 Blessings

Week 17: Alec and Alyssa's love and enthusiasm for learning

Week 18: Creative educators

Week 19: Being mom

Week 20: Running is a family thing

Week 21: Alec learning to play the sax

Week 22: Running a race with Alyssa

Week 23: A new job

Week 24: Alyssa's determination

Week 25: Having a son

Week 26: Summer break

Week 27: Good books

Week 28: Freedom

Week 30: 16 Years

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2009 Project Gratitude

52 Weeks...52 Photos...52 Blessings

Week 11: the tiniest hints of Spring

Photjojo always has the coolest stuff...

Wrap-Around-Corner-Frames  :)

and Project Gratitude Week 10: Photos 

The economy hitting close to home.

As hard as I try, there are some times when being positive or finding "the bright side" seems impossible. After spending 3 hours at the gym last night I realized I can only work out so long or run so far. All in my attempt to avoid. To stop thinking just for a while. 

So, I thought this would be the perfect time to share a few 2009 Project Gratitude photos. A little reminder to myself.

Week 8: iMac

Week 7: Blue Skies

 

Week 6: My Studio

The rest of the photos and what will become the journaling can be seen in this album 2009 Project Gratitude. Keeping it all simple and doable :)

A lot of digital lately...

With switching to Mac I also have to change and learn a new PS program. It has worked out to be the best! I've learned a lot of things that I never took the time to learn before. 

I thought I would pass along a few sites that have been the most helpful in my endeavor to learn PSE.

Learning photoshop? I recommend...

Jessica Sprague's site- user friendly tutorials, great classes and freebies too :)

Photoshop Elements- a free year long class! 

Elements Village 

- every PSE question I've had has been answered here!

Considering digi/hybrid? Try it out with freebies...

CoffeeShop Actions and Tutorials

Digi Free

DigiScrap Depot

Scrappin' withIkeagoddess

Designer Digitals (also my favorite site to purchase digi elements)

And because it wouldn't be a blog post without a photo :)

Project Gratitude Week 5: Sense of Humor

I'm grateful for Alec's sense of humor. He makes me laugh with his quick wit, his Flip videos, and sometimes just being a boy. He sees the world in ways that never would occur to me :)

Alec had to go to work with me and I remember thinking he was good at keeping himself entertained. Little did I know! When I came back to my office after a meeting I found him doing this. Yes, he is photocopying his face and subsequently a variety of other body parts too!

Gratitude and Creating!

Project Gratitude: Week 2

Family. The 3 of them make me a better person.

Creating!

Except for the gym and going to the grocery store (and Facebook) I spent the entire weekend creating! I decided to place one big order of photos for all of my in-the-works-projects (too many photos to print at home). On Friday my order came!! Throughout the weekend I've been creating a 2009 Goals mini album, Project Gratitude, Family Gratitude Spinner and December Daily 2009. It was awesome! The Gratitude Spinner and December Daily are almost done so I can share a few peeks. 

December Daily 2009

Day 1

Day 2

Day 9

Family Gratitude Spinner

Embellished pocket pages

Quote

Embellished transparencies. One for each of us.

Alec and Alyssa

Chad and Jill

I need to add a few things to both projects. Final touches. I was so happy with how they're turning out I couldn't wait to share. A perfect weekend...time in my studio, Alyssa had a sleepover and Alec and Chad have football (and from the sound of them downstairs I'm guessing the Steelers are winning)!

Have a great Monday!

New Projects for 2009

This year instead of doing Project 365 I'm joining Gratitude Project. I'm excited to have found a site to share, support and encourage this project throughout the year.

Week 1: My Health

I'm grateful that I'm healthy and strong enough to do the things I love.

My next new project is using my 7 Gypsies ATC spinner. Last year I tried just adding random notes, photos and stuff. Turns out it "random" really isn't my thing. That and the fact that I'm an avid quote collector. So, I'm using my ATC spinner for quotes. Words that inspire and motivate me. I started with one of my all time favorite quotes:

Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who come alive. Harold Whitman

Quick and easy. Keeping it simple and doable.

My next project. With my new scanner :) I've been scanning pre-digital camera photos to add to my Family Gratitude Spinner project. One of the many favorites, that I scanned yesterday, is of my husband, Chad. This is the man I met 17 years ago. A young flight student at Pensacola Naval Air Station. Love this photo!

Starting the new year with projects, still getting the hang of my Mac and a new photoshop program. Tomorrow I go back to work and Alec and Alyssa go back to school. I'm going to miss the extra reading, scrapping, running and just hanging out with family time!

And after 2007 of balance and 2008 of time, inspired by Ali Edwards as you probably know, My Word for 2009 is SIMPLICITY. See more words for 2009 here {A}. In the next week or so I'll be creating my Simplicity canvas.