Tuesday, April 27, 2010

accomplished

 this little find is bringing a smile to my face when i'm at my craft desk.
so in love with birds right now.
and this freshly reorganized space is bringing me much joy and enthusiasm as well. i felt so accomplished this past weekend, finding spaces for treasures and letting some go into a bag to find a new home. feels good.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

week in the life 2010: saturday


 laundry
 can't decide. . . think i'll keep both
 ready to hang pictures next weekend
 [upside down] projects in progress
 picking up my new camera
 here it is. . . back to instant photos
 lunch
 sewing buttons
 needs ironing
 still drying
 outfit for katie couric
 spring coat

Great Saturday (especially the sleeping in much longer than I had planned). Chores and a few quick errands, then started "project reorganize the craft room." Will have to finish up tomorrow. Attended the UMAA annual celebration tonight with a donor couple. Katie Couric was the keynote speaker. She started out sort of corny, but delivered an inspiring message and was fabulous during the q&a. She says she was born on a sunny day and has always been smiley and optimistic. You could feel her positive energy in the room.




week in the life 2010: friday

donor lunch (she invited me here). . . don't think a gift is going to happen. sigh.
gulp
recognition
potbelly decor
@ west elm
more west elm
the weekend project


week in the life 2010: thursday

behind the door
earth day
just a branch
reflected happiness
time
pioneer hall
frame
treat
dinner

Much happier today. Put it all into perspective and made some plans that helped realign my thoughts. Discovered a new workday routine that I love - walking around campus during lunch time. This seems like a given, and I'm not sure why I haven't taken advantage of this more during my 3.5 years at the U. Now is the time.

week in the life 2010: wednesday


 view in morning
 my kind of breakfast
 packing lunch
 a corner of my life
 connecting with purpose
 thrid floor home
 recognition
 simple dinner

Today I felt like life was leaving me at the curb and everyone else was passing me by. It just wasn't a happy day for me. It was perfect that tonight was my tutoring night. Getting out of my own thoughts and helping others was a true blessing. And I so know this because my day job is all about thanking people for their gifts of time, treasure and talent, but this is National Volunteer Recognition Week, and it meant so much to receive a thoughtful recognition from the program I work with. Tonight it just touched my heart in a different way because I was really feeling down today. I realized as I climbed into bed that I've come a long way so far in life with dealing with these feelings. There was a time in when they would stall me at the curb for much longer than they needed to. Now I've learned it's OK to feel them and I allow myself to feel them. I take good care of myself during these times, and am careful not to "should" all over myself. A good night's sleep doesn't solve everything, but it helps create perspective and clarity for the next day.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

week in the life 2010: tuesday

I was watching the movie Star Wars recently and wondered what made the movie so good. Of course, there are a thousand reasons. But I also noticed that if I paused the DVD on any frame, I could point toward any major character and say exactly what that person wanted. No character had a vague ambition. It made me wonder if the reasons our lives seem so muddled is because we keep walking into scenes in which we, along with the people around us, have no clear idea what we want.
Donald Miller, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

So much for focusing on images this week :) I decided to read for a half hour tonight while I wasn't sleepy, and picked up Million Miles. I wasn't so sure about this book when I started it a few weeks ago. It took me a couple chapters to get into the pacing of the author's voice. Now I'm at the place of knowing a book is good for me - when I can't put it down, and simultaneously, want time to slow down so I can savor every word because I don't want the story to end.

These sentences captured my attention tonight for a few reasons. One, watching the original Star Wars trilogy (which I've never done) is on my list of 34 things to do this year. Of course I zeroed in on that mention right away. Now I'm even more eager to watch the movies to observe how each character knows what they want. And the idea of life being unclear because of not understanding what you want out of it is one I've been pondering a lot lately. I've thought about it using different words, but the idea is the same. Hmmm. . .

Today:









Monday, April 19, 2010

week in the life 2010: monday

I'm documenting a week in my life with words + photos, along with Ali and the many, many others she inspires. The heart of this project is simplicity - what images, routines and words comprise your daily existence? Who are the people you share your life with? In the frame of one week, who are you?

This week is about taking photos of your life and writing down some words about your days. Photos of anything. Stories about anything. Tucking away pieces of paper you touched.

Next week(s) is about putting the pieces together in an album. The skeleton of my album is all set to go. The album and pages, the decorative papers and extras are gathered. I'll have my photos printed next week. I'll write about my day each night before bed on a notecard and set it aside until assembling time.

I'll likely share just a few photos each day this week. . .light on words. . . unless the word sharing mood strikes.