Yesterday was New Year's Day in the Chinese calendar so I thought that I would start a photographic challenge I have failed twice: 365 Days. This essentially means taking a photograph of yourself every day for a year.
I love the idea of recording a year as well as trying to learn to use the different functions and effects that my camera, previously used on auto, is capable of!
So on Sunday night I took a few to get into the feel of it, shown above and below, and so it begins...
Day 1: "Year of the Ox"
Day 2: "Before Ballet"
I may post them once a week or so ;)
Also yesterday I started a similar project for Toby and this week I will restart his growth pictures, something I sadly got out of the habit of at week 12.
I have been working hard, as has Billy, which has left me alone to look after a newly backwards crawling and solid feeding Toby for the majority of the time. I am hoping that making lists of essential tasks (including Christmas thank you cards just in case anyone is wondering), setting aside time to dance, wearing makeup and starting to once again document Toby's growth and my weight loss in weekly changes in photographs will help and stop me hiding away from the world.
I am also reviving my once nightly indulgence of writing a journal, complete with pictures that inspire me. I have bought a pretty, shabby little Cath Kidston notebook for this purpose and, though it is very different from the plain paged books I used to write and paste images in, I am hoping it will be the start of something just as successful. I love reading back and seeing how I have changed and that I am strong underneath it all!
So, in a new vein of looking at the world through clearer and rosier glasses forced in front of my heavily lined eyes, here is a set of images of those things around me that make me smile. The series is inspired by Posy
Dainty little rose bushes on the kitchen windowsill
My family picnic basket, handmade drawribbon bag and striped fabric covered box storing my felt, fabric, polyfil and threads
Fluffy pussy willow branches sitting by the fountain, next to a chrysanthemum head in a beautiful chocolate vase covered in immaculate porcelain roses
My collection of Cath Kidston. My thread tin, pin tin, postage labels, diary and felt needle case
Toby's sea grass toy chest, donated by my mother
and, saving the best for last, my precious baby in his brand new highchair ;)
On Friday we started Toby on solids. We bought organic carrots, pears and bananas to add to the organic baby cereal (his favourite is rice with raspberry and apple) that he has been eating for a few weeks.
His first try was banana, which he loves and he has been eating it quite happily for 5 days...
...but today I introduced pear, which he seems to loath. I have more in the fridge to mix with banana tomorrow to wean him onto it gently.
The next one is carrot...wish me luck ;)
Every time he reaches a new milestone I feel a strange mixture of excitement, pride and grief that he is no longer my little baby. I have no idea whether this is normal but I am, at the same time, happy he is growing up and sad that he is growing up.
We are buying a highchair this weekend which seems like a huge step. I just hope he adjusts well to not being fed on Mamma's knee...
I am slowly getting used to the new year: packaging away Christmas decorations ready for Chinese New Year ones, "helping" Toby write his thank you letters (he only needs help, naturally!) and working on having my resolutions in place by the end of January.
Every year I try a do or die strategy of resolutions. If they are not all in place, complete, by the time I go to bed on January 1st I feel I have failed. But this year Christmas was so busy and full on, and was our first chance to really both take time off together, that I slept most of New Year's Day. I was unbelievably tired. I kind of wish I hadn't allowed myself to stop as I am far more shattered after stopping for a week than in any of the 7 previous months!
So by the end of January 2009 I want to:
1. Be back into decent eating habits and well on the way to looking in the mirror and recognising, maybe even liking, what I see. I have stuck a photograph on the fridge of me at 30, in Paris, for inspiration.
2. Start dancing again seriously. At least 4 times a week. It makes me feel wonderful and stronger, plus I am hoping that it will help me take some time for myself and keep Toby entertained at the same time. He loves music and laughs when I dance in front of him!
3. Try to work out ways of seperating work and home and me. They have all become too wrapped up and cluttered and I need to find a way of keeping them all at least slightly separated! I'll get back to you on how I plan to do this as presently I have no clue...
4. To design and make at least 3 new pieces a week for my business, and work on at least a couple of specific pieces in time for each major holiday. As traditional British food does not enter into Chinese New Year the next ones are St Valentine's and Easter.
5. To start doing the 365 days photography project on me, a 52 weeks project on Toby and restart his progression pictures. I hate that I have missed so many weeks but I cannot change that so continuing now after a gap is better than never starting again I suppose!
6. To make our home beautiful every day, not just at Christmas. I will so miss the tree and the lights and need to work out ways of making it lovely all the time to fill the gap the tree will leave come Monday.
Also, thanks to Mum and Ruth, I now have a sewing machine so I can actually make things for the house quickly without having to handsew long straight seams ;)
If I don't get all of these set up before the end of January I will be disappointed, but life just keeps getting in the way!
If you see me straying give me a gentle nudge!
PS. if any one was following my Advent series I will be posting the rest soon both here and on Flickr ;D
