365 Day Challenges: Day 36

Old Camera- This is an old Brownie that my partner has from his grandfather. It’s incredible.

February 5- Call Me, Maybe

 My phone is not necessarily my lifeline, but I do call it that.   I hate not having it with me, but I can survive without it.  I much prefer the convenience of having it with me. I’m capable of remembering back to a time when you actually had to look up answers in books, and not just the google device in your pocket.  Do I find that having google in my pocket it easier? Yes, I love it.   But, it can definitely be something in between a buzzing nuisance and a lifeline.   Sometimes it can be really annoying to have (phone calls at dinner etc.), but when you need to reach someone it’s nice to be able to reach into your purse or pocket and just press a button

 

365 Day Challenges: Day 35

Elephant Collection- These 3 Elephants Started the collection and the woman that inspired it.

 

February 4- Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

When I need to make a major change in my life I like to do it incrementally.  Cold Turkey seems like a harsh thing to do in my opinion.  Perhaps major things need to be done cold turkey sometimes, but it doesn’t hurt to ease into things.  I think the most major decision I’ve made recently was where to move, we were planning on moving in the same area, where it was convenient for both of us. We looked at several places before we decided to move to where we currently live.   We both had this place in mind, but before we took a look at it, we checked out several other places.  And sure there were better apartments for far more money, but this place is great and I’m glad we made the choice AFTER weighing all the options.   Then when we were moving, I got the keys early to set up the place.  I still have two rooms to paint and plenty of DIY projects to make this place feel like home.  But, we didn’t just jump at the first place we saw, we eased into our decision as I’ve done for most other decisions.  Another example? Switching majors in college.  I did it gradually, taking classes in both majors until I felt comfortable completely changing over.

365 Day Challenges: Day 34

Vintage Light-I got this lamp from a friend, it’s one of my favorite things on earth, I think it’s so cute

February 3- Writing Room

If I could design my own dream reading and writing room it’d be nothing but cozy!   I would have it be a bit on the smaller side, perhaps connected to an in-home photo studio.  The walls would be a nice light color, but in a calm, soothing tone (like a blue, yellows or green).  The floor would be carpeted but covered in FLUFFY, FLUFFY rugs!  I’d have a comfy, old, vintage wingback style chairs, and it’d be the most comfortable library ever.  Floor to ceiling bookshelves with kickass rolling ladders everywhere.  When I chose to write I’d have a big old fashioned rollback desk, with a giant, comfortable executive style chair. At my job I spend most of my day hunched over dogs, so I am usually incredibly sore at the end of the day; so my reading and writing room has to be super comfortable.  For just resting and relaxing in the room I’d have to have one of those awesome vintage style, tufted chaise lounger, with lots of cute throw pillows to boot.  Reading and writing is one if my favorite things to do ever, so I would probably want to live in my “library”. If you can imagine an older library, with all the accoutrements and old school stylings…just with a feminine twist.  None of that old dark woods, but lighter, brighter and vibrant throughout.  It’d be the best reading/writing room “EVER!”

365 Day Challenges: Day 33

Stamps- I got these super cute stamps for crafting!

February 2- Think Global, Act Local

I guess a really huge deal in the world right now is same sex marriage bad equality.  I mean the Olympics start soon in a country where homosexuality isn’t exactly welcomed with open arms. And they’re not the only country opposed to it, (although they haven’t necessarily compared homosexuals to pedophiles, like Putin).  Here in the US we are starting to be more accepting of it, and are welcoming the idea of same sex marriage, again not EVERYONE welcomes it, but in many states the ability to marry your same sex partner is there.  However, here in Wisconsin we don’t yet have those rights, but I hope someday we too can have the same rights.  I’m not gay myself, but plenty of my friends awe, and someday I’d like to see them married as well.  Gay marriage is not some abomination, it won’t ruin the marriage between you and your heterosexual spouse, it in fact shouldn’t even bother you.  Everyone should have the ability to love who they love.  You should be able to share a commitment of that love no matter who you are! So someday soon I hope that Wisconsin steps on the progressive train and allows for all to be equal.

365 Day Challenges: Day 32

Just a close up of some bike gears, think that’s what moves your bike!

February 1- Generation XYZ 

I believe that 80’s babies are Generation X, so I guess the next generation is the generation Y.  When I was graduating high school these were the generation moving into high school,  and many of those kids didn’t care! They didn’t care about showing up, their grades doing work or working hard! When I was 15 my parents told me if I wanted to buy things I’d need a job. So I did and have been working since 15. I don’t remember any of these younger kids having jobs personally.  I feel like these younger generations aren’t taught the same values that our generation was.  And I don’t think I’m the only one, I have plenty of friends who plan to raise their kids like they were raised: spanked, scolded, not rewarded for everything.  Which is kind of scary because I also have plenty of friends who are childless when the younger generations seem to be having more kids that they’ll probably raise the same way they were raised! I’m not saying every member of these generations is this way. However it seems that my generation looks for life experience through college, traveling, expanding friendships and figuring life out before they settle down.  Younger generations are looking to Bieber for life lessons, and having kids young, then getting married young and missing out on some life experiences (you can’t backpack through Europe as easily with a baby!) I know I’m not the only one that feels this way right?!?!??!

February Side Note

February Sidenote:

This month I did print out the prompts for the photography challenge, but I didn’t like being constrained to those choices last month, so I may choose to just take my own photos for this month, as I also wanna work on expanding my abilities!

365 Day Challenges: Day 31

Horse: This is Morgan, he’s been gone awhile but this picture still makes me laugh. He’d over eat grass and get sick so he’d have to wear this “Hannibal” mask, and sometimes he’d convince the other horses to chew it off him! Lol

January 31- Burnt

Remember how my house burned down yesterday? Well here’s what I regret not taking:

1) Vintage pictures of my parents: sure I have digital copies but they’re just not the same!

2) My Elephant Collection: This collection started with a statue my grandma left me after her death. I’ve now accumulated over fifty elephants and I love them dearly! I’ve got them all displayed in a little “nook” in our apartment and it’s really cool looking.

3) My other Grandma’s Jewelry Box: It’s beat to shit, falling apart and a slightly tacky stained glass thing with roses and black caulk all over it.  However it’s something that holds a special significance as I had played with the costume jewelry it held for many years, from about 4 on!

4) My Elephant Necklace: I also got this from my grandmother after she died and I’ve had it reserved for my wedding day as it is something so special to me, I don’t want to lose it ever!

5) My Camera Bag: sure I’ve got the camera, but all the lenses and accessories were lost, that’s sad!

Good thing I have renters insurance and I don’t like to play with fire!

365 Day Challenges: Day 30

Focused: I love reading, and diving right into a new book

January 30- Burning Down the House

My home is on fire, luckily my animals and significant other are safe. I’ve only got time to grab five things, I’d grab:

1) My Camera: I understand that this is easily replaced in the case of fire.  However I’d want the memory card out if it, so I’d probably rush to save it. I just couldn’t imagine all those memories being burned in a fire!

2) My External Hard Drive: again, this is filled with pictures from the last 5 or so years, including the pictures I repaired in Photoshop of my grandmother and the last pictures of my horse before he died. Plus it contains a lot of my favorite music I’ve accumulated over the years.

3) Pictures of my Grandmother and my horse: I’m counting these as one item because they’re right near each other so it’d be a one hand grab! These pictures are very meaningful to me and irreplaceable, as both my grandmother and horse are gone.  The picture of my grandma is her on a staircase in Chicago at about my age, and you can see similarities between the two of us and she’s just so beautiful! The picture of my horse is him being goofy while I was laying on the ground taking pictures. It also contains a lock of his mane in the frame and I could never lose that!

4) My Kindle- yes I know this is one of those trivial things that is easily replaced as well, but I’ve got so many books in it that I can’t imagine trying to replace, and until we found a place to live I wouldn’t want to go without reading!!

5) My Purse- I’d want my ID and debit cards to survive and drive, as well as my Chapstick (I get horribly chapped lips!!) plus I could store all the stuff I took in it and hopefully my car keys are in it too so I can leave the burning rubble!!

365 Day Challenges: Day 29

Lively: Poe was running under and around chairs in the living room at the time I was typing this, carrying around his little catnip toy…I just happened to catch him mid romp!

January 29- BYOB(ookworm) (Chose a different prompt)

This is the dust jacket of the book I would write if I had the time:
“‘In her stunning debut novel Caitlin tells the story of a little girl lost, and how she finds her way.’ Morgan is a quiet kid, an angry teen and a lost adult.  Dealing with a rough childhood, secrets she keeps and struggles she faces, she turns to anything and everything to make her feel something. In and out of jail, her family has completely disowned her, her friends don’t recognize her and she can’t find the path back out.  One day Morgan meets someone who will change her life forever and show her the way out of the darkness, if she’s just willing to open her eyes to the light.”

365 Day Challenges: Day 28

Return: Anybody else suck at remembering to return these bad boys? They charge you an arm and a leg, so I’ve gotten better!

January 28- Obstacle Course (Chose a different prompt) 

Last week I wanted to get my entire apartment cleaned up and scrubbed from top to bottom and finally get all of my wall art up.  However with work, unexpected appointments and other commitment I didn’t get it done.  Not to mention being partially lazy as well.  Sometimes the simplest excuses become the biggest barriers too.  I mean I’m sure if I had just stopped dwaddling I could have gotten everything done, but I didn’t and I have to continue to try to finish it this week so that we can have a little celebration with our friends for my partners birthday. Sometimes during the week work and previous injuries make me so sore and ache-y, that I lose all interest in doing anything but laying on a heating pad and relaxing instead of lifting and moving things.  I want our place to finally feel like home, but I think in order to do that I need to stop using my excuses as a barrier and just get the cleaning and decorating done!