~ january reflections ~

Wow.  I am in too many projects right now!!!  I'm not sure how I can find or maintain any sort of balance in my life with all this stuff going on!  Unfortunately, you can see it in my photos, which doesn't make any of it fun.  I should just embrace the fun that is creating and go with it, but I've been stressing over every. little. thing.  I'm sure it's because I am spreading myself too thin!

Speaking of which, the month of February brings "February's Alphabet Fun" over on flickr.  I'm doing it, of course.  Feb. 1 = a is for....  Feb. 2 = b is for....you get the idea. I'm sure explore will not find me this month!

a is for apple

b is for breakfast

Both of these photos were also placed in the group We're Here!, and part of my 365. So three-fers, bonus. 

I've noticed that this 365 attempt is quite different than my first failed one; both good and bad differences.  I'm probably taking better photos overall.  Like before, I am thinking about it often and looking at life through that lens, so to speak.  I find myself, often, thinking, "Wow, that would be a great picture".  Or thinking about the lighting, the composition of what's going on around me -- can what's going on around me have composition?  I'm not sure how to word that!  I think you get the idea.  But a couple of differences:  I'm caring too much about it. I am completely stressed out about the fact that my last few uploads have been...not so hot.  Isn't that the silliest thing ever?  I know it, but I can't seem to get past it.  Also, I'm not taking nearly as many photos of my family.  The whole purpose of buying the camera and getting back into creating scrap book layouts was to take better photos to document our lives.  How did I stray!? 

I enjoyed the OLW blog hop!  As I'm looking around at all of the creative fun around me I'm wondering "How do these people do it??"!  And I haven't even started back to class yet!  Next, week I start a new graduate class, but it's OK because this time next year, I will be DONE (or close).  Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel is a good thing, but I'm not sure how I to balance it all between now and then; family, work, photos, OLW, scrapping.  YIKES.

So, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed today.  "Really?" you say,  "I couldn't tell!"  On the upside, look at all of the orange in the photos above!  Whew!  Awesomeness!

~ explored ~

Busy, busy, busy around here!  I've done a few of my December Daily pages, but I'm still not done!  I will finish!!  :-)  The good weather that we were having when I last posted has left us, and we are experiencing full on winter!  The girls have enjoyed playing outside on occasion.  More snow predicted for later this week!

12/365

M & B on sled

M saying "cheese"

 The last two days I've had photos "explored" on flickr.  This is all new to me, and kinda silly, but also kinda fun!  I find it interesting that I would consider both shots "over done" or a bit cliche.  But, oh well, I'll take it! Here are the two photos.

~ minimal liquid ~  16/365 and 2/52 weeks (theme "liquid") and "minimal" for We're Here! group

 ~ bright & colourful ~  17/365 and "bright and colourful for We're Here! and 112 pictures in 2012

I cannot leave you without a B. story.  She loves pistachios!  I have photos of her eating them.  She can even say the word, and it's quite cute!  Last night, we were watching Pinocchio and B. looked up at us and said, "Can I have some Pitocchios?"