2012!

Remember when 2012 was in the unimaginable future? We would all be driving hover cars, and eating astronaut ice cream for breakfast, lunch and, dinner. Well, I woke up this morning to find that my car is still solidly on the ground and, thankfully, my ice cream isn’t dehydrated. Still, it does seem hard to believe that we’re already here.

image via.

Yesterday, my husband asked me what my New Year’s resolutions were going to be. I told him, “None! I hate resolutions!” But, then I started thinking about why I hate them, and it occurred to me that they are most often tied to losing weight or giving up whole food groups (yes, dessert IS a food group!), and they most often fail. However, after reading some year-end recaps on some of my favorite blogs, and seeing how much these other ladies accomplished over the course of the year, I decided that maybe resolutions aren’t so bad after all.

So, how about a year of gaining and giving instead of losing and taking away? For myself, and for others, here is what I hope to accomplish this year:

1. Unpack our stuff, and organize the basement.
2. Learn to crochet.
3. Knit something that a person (or animal, I suppose) can actually wear or use.
4. Organize my craft supplies.
5. Help my kids to sleep in their own beds.
6. Finish thank you notes for the wedding (yikes! that was in 2010!).
7. Send out thank you notes for the baby gifts.
8. Blog for confidence (see button on the side).
9. Do a 365 day photo project.
10. Do a major clothing purge and donate what we don’t want.
11. Do something special with my husband on our anniversary, sans kids.
12. Give something to charity every month, even if it’s only a dollar.
13. Participate in some political activism.
14. Save $20 a week for an iPad, as my current computer is on its way out.
15. Create a handmade gift for every member of my immediate family next Christmas.
16. Have a ridiculously immature birthday party for myself (turning 31!).
17. Write letters to my grandmother at least once a month.
18. Find time to read to both of my kids everyday.
19. Explore all of Walpole’s nature preserves.
20. Cook dinner with my husband once a month.
21. Be better about blogging!…and make this my own space.
22. Overcome my fear of tofu, and use it more in my cooking.
23. Read at least two new fiction books. Doesn’t seem like much but,
trust me, that would be an accomplishment!

I guess twenty-three resolutions is probably enough, though I am reserving the right to add to this list if I think of anything else. And, I would love to hear what yours are, if you’re making any!

I hope 2012 brings you happiness, joy, and fulfillment (and a few challenges, to keep it interesting).

Happy New Year! Prospero año nuevo! Bonne année et bonne santé!

christmas card

Here’s our holiday card for 2011, designed at Shutterfly.

Photo Card
View the entire collection of cards.

adoption

Today, my daughter was born for the second time. After eight years of having “not stated” next to the Father’s name on her birth certificate, she can finally say, with absolute certainty, that she has a dad. We had our adoption hearing this morning and my husband, who just yesterday was only a step-father, is now a true, legal father. I plan to write more about this, but just wanted to share my joy in this moment.

{this moment}

{this moment} – A Friday ritual, inspired by SouleMama. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

hairy coo

I Heart Photoshop (and CoffeeShop)

One of the reasons I wanted to start a blog is because I derive so much pleasure from looking at the gorgeous photos that other mamas take of their kids and the events in their lives. I wanted to share my own life in that way. We have an okay camera, the Canon PowerShot SX10 IS. It’s not a total piece of junk, but it’s not a DSLR. I used to find it endlessly frustrating that I could get great shots lined up, but the color always looked washed out or the photos came out grainy. Some of this is user error (okay, most of it), but some is just the equipment and that can’t be remedied by adjusting settings.

However, one day, while I was mindlessly cruising around Pinterest, I came across The CoffeeShop Blog, a site created by a stay-at-home mama named Rita. Oh my goodness. I am in love. (With the site not with Rita, though she seems nice enough!) This amazing woman has created Photoshop action sequences that can be downloaded *for free* and applied to your photos in a matter of seconds. No more trying to learn the 85 steps necessary to make your photos look like they were taken by a professional. Now, you just click a button or two.

Usually, I don’t like cheating. But, in this situation, I am all for it. Just check out how awesome some of my pictures have turned out using her actions!


My daughter Lillia at her Waldorf school’s May Day celebration, 2010.

For some of her actions, Rita includes multiple choices for different effects, which is really helpful.


Lillia at home on May Day this year, 2011.

Both sets were enhanced using Rita’s CoffeeShop Color Pop 2 Action. I highly, highly, highly recommend you visit her site, if you have Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. You will be amazed at what your photos can turn into with just a few clicks!

Thank you, Rita, for your talent, your creativity, and your generosity!