the end...

So, looking back over the blog tonight, I only have 259 posts.  However, I do have 380 photos total.  So I sorta made the goal of 365.  In the spirit rather than the law. ;)

It was fun to look back...mostly personally.  To see my baby at the begining and now, and how much he's grown.  To see how our year looked, now that it's over.  I'm grateful to have documentation of it, more than "photo shoots" where I want things to look good - just taking pictures of cupcakes, forts, pants falling down...every day moments.  When it comes to photography, I think I deteriorated - ha!  The downloading, editing and posting gave way to the iphone shots - so much easier, although not as high quality. 

Looking forward...will I do this again next year?  Hmmm....possibly a variation of it.  If I were to do a photo a day, I would need to make the posting part easier - iphone, I'm afraid.  Maybe posterous, or instagr.am, or the project 365 app?  Or, going a totally different route - I like the project life scrapbook...maybe that would force me to print more photos off and do something with them. 

Regardless, I struggled with how to end the project, and finally decided on this idea from Shutter Sisters - your best shot 2010.  It's hard to do, mostly because the photos are so personal.  I like the monthly (mostly) family self-portraits, and love the photos of my kids...how can I choose?  I think I'll do my favorites instead...

 

How about a reader's choice favorite?  Which one do YOU like best? 

This will be the last post to this blog.  I feel the need to simplify.  You can visit me at my photo blog...maybe if I'm posting to fewer blogs I'll post more often on the one(s) I do have. 

Happy New Year, and thanks for reading!

Ellen :)

the final lap

Oh, how lazy I've gotten.  Scarce posts, iphone photos...I had such ambitions for a photo a day.  It was meant to spurn on my creativity, but I have to admit it had the opposite effect - I started looking for shortcuts, lost steam, found that I was becoming pretty repetitive.  I do think it helped me to be better at recording the daily lives of our family, but I don't know that it's done much of anything for my photography (besides make me want to shoot exclusively with a phone).  So maybe that's the key...photos of my family don't have to be taken on my "nice" camera.  It's ok to rely on other professional photographers to capture the "real portraits" while I just snap a quick photo on my phone.  And maybe I don't need to keep up with a separate blog (I can hear my husband's sigh of relief right now).

Maybe I just need to simplify...
record more "real" and less "perfect"
not worry about what does or doesn't make the blog

not worry about separating my "photo blog" and "personal blog" - maybe I just need ONE that records me...photography, kids, sewing, whatever is going on in my life at the moment (I think I need to finish Everyday Work of Art)


I saw a few inspiring ideas on blogs this month...a one word project from Shutter Sisters (focus) and a post titled "Happy December" with a collage of photos (from various people) showing winter...As much as I like the idea of ending the blog strong with a photo every day the rest of the year, taken from my "real" camera, I think I'll simplify.  One last project, compilation of photos I take the rest of the month, to be displayed at the end.  A farewell of sorts.  I've liked the journey, and what it's taught me.  If nothing else, to worry more about being in the moment, and less about recording it.  Blasphemy as a photographer, I know. ;)

look who can stand...

...the only problem is that he apparently hasn't figured out how to sit back down, so naps and bedtime have been rough - we've had a very tired baby the last couple of days!!

one

fingerpainting

the nutcracker

(shortened schooltime series version, lest you think I'm completely insane)

mama's boy

I'll take it for as long as it lasts...

the perfect tree...

...and my husband's neverending search to find it.

bullseye

uncle cha-chi

We spent Thanksgiving with Walt's family, and here's one of the baby with my brother-in-law.  My kids love him - he's seriously one of the nicest guys I've met.  They have matching jackets - gotta love it! ;)

the baby

(at least she thinks she is!)

more bike riding...

love the nm skies...

small town, NM

tie one on...

http://www.apronmemories.com/tie-one-on-day/

next project...

big boy bike

the famous Suzanne...

...of Hip Stitch fame.  I'm trying to convince her how much easier it is to take photos on an iphone to upload to blogs... ;)  If this had been taken on my regular camera, it probably won't be up on the blog this fast.  Just ask my friends who are still waiting on their trick-or-treating pictures!

September family portrait

Oops, we never did a family portrait in September...can I cheat and just do a compilation? ;)

while brother's away...

...the siblings will play (with his toys)

time with the babies...

...while big brother's at school.

eleven months and one day

project 52?

I know, I'm down to a post a week if I'm lucky.  This week involved a hubby out of town, then sick, Harvest Festivals at the park, Trunk N Treat at church, carving pumpkins, costumes, trick or treating, exercising, trying NOT to eat too much Halloween candy and failing, enjoying my iphone apps more and more each day, weather that just can't make up its mind...

How was your week?

sometimes they actually like each other...

the grey ghost

I saw this parked outside the gym today - the license plate says "the grey ghost."  How perfect is that?  Happy Halloween, everyone! :)

this week...

...we went to a schooltime play with friends,
I got a much-needed haircut,
started working out again after a long, long time,
had coffee with a group of moms - some very different, some very similar,
said goodbye to my cousin,
shot the second-to-last wedding of the season with Kim,
enjoyed watching the leaves change,
corralled a new crawler...

moon

 I wanted a photo of the moon when I was driving tonight (I was on the frontage road at a slow speed and only took two, I promise!)

...and here's how it all looked when I moved my camera - cool, huh?  That's the downfall (or upshot?) of the iphone camera - the shutter speed has to be like 1/2 seconds!!

yummy bagel!

kitty

So I know that technically I've gone over my 30 days of gratitude, but can I just keep using my iphone camera?  Cause it's SO much easier than downloading and editing from my real camera. ;)

grateful for...

...a swift kick in the tush.  Today I'm starting a lose-the-baby-weight program at the gym for moms.  As the one year mark looms in the not-so-distant future, I'm realizing that I'm not getting rid of that baby weight by eating m&m's and not exercising (shocker)!  So today I start meeting with a personal trainer, boot camps once a week, and meeting with a nutritionist who is going to actually ask me what I eat.  So this is my afternoon snack, which normally would have involved caffeine or chocolate to get me through the rest of the day.  Someone asked me if I'm worried I won't be able to follow it, or will just gain the weight back when the program's over...the thing is, it's all stuff I know.  I mean, I actually do know that sitting on my bum and eating junk isn't going to make my baby belly go away (the oldest keeps asking if we're having another baby and I have to tell him no, it's just the leftovers from the last baby).  But I'm hoping the accountability will become habit, and the kick in the pants will just get me heading in the right direction.  Wish me luck. ;)

grateful for fall

grateful for...

...a little nudge from someone who thinks I'm ready for the next step (because I probably never would myself).

grateful for...

...a little reading corner.

grateful for...

...a brother who lives close, my kids love, and is willing to babysit! :)

grateful for naptime...

...in whatever shape it comes.

grateful for...

...my now five-year-old's excitement over birthday toys.

grateful for a certain boy...

...who turns five today.

grateful for...

...little splashes of color along the way.

grateful for my pensive one...

grateful for Cheerios

all my kids have been raised on them (as was I!)

grateful for "my little helper"