project {week in the life}

every year, ali edwards does a week in the life project. it's a project she does herself, but she encourages others to participate along with her. i love the concept, as it is a way to really capture the small details of your everyday life... things that might have gone unnoticed or undocumented.

i often think of how cool it would be to have something like this from my mom when she was my age. or better yet, my grandmothers. as you are thinking of your possibly mundane daily activities, think of it from the perspective of future generations that will be completely fascinated by these aspects of our lives!

so anyway... last year, i tried to participate for the first time. i had a great time collecting notes and information and taking photos. and that was it. i must sadly confess that i never did anything with the things i collected. the pile of memoriabilia, notes, etc...all sat on my scrapbooking desk for over a year before i finally came to terms with the fact that nothing was going to come of them.

as i began reading the preparation posts on ali's blog this year, i kept telling myself to be realistic and know that i couldn't complete this project. i'm actually in an even worse place this year than last year because my scrapbooking room is in complete disarray as we try to do some reorganizing. paper scrapbooking isn't really an option this week, or next, or the next (ok, you get the point).

but i brainstormed some easier ways to take part and this morning on the way to work (the morning the project begins), i decided i will participate. to keep the concept completely doable for me, it's going to be 100% digital. i'm going to take all of my photos using the instagram app on my phone (with which i'm completely obsessed). i will do one daily post here on my blog with lots of words to go with the lots of photos.

one day, i may print those photos and words. but maybe not. and that's ok.

so be prepared for a lot of details in the coming days...maybe more than you care to see or read.

***********************

week in the life 2011 | july 25-31

inspired by ali edwards

see all of ali's week in the life related posts

***********************

testing {blogging on the go}

please pardon this test post. i am doing this from my iPhone. thought it would be fun to post from the road while we are on vacation in two weeks (granted, probably much more fun for me than you!!). so wanted to see if it would work.




last night we watched the gamecocks play in game one of the super regionals. they beat uconn 5-1. Coleman loves watching baseball and likes to practice his swing along with the batters on tv.

you can also see Xander in this picture. he is the son of our friends and just turned one. he is on the move and adorable! Coleman decided to say his name for the first time last night.

goals {april 2011}

it seems that some areas are coming easier for me (organization, for instance), while other areas are more of a struggle (scrap + blog). as i mentioned yesterday, i need to remind myself of these on a daily basis! i created an 8.5x11 printable that lists these goals. i will keep this at the front of my life binder to help me stay focused! i'm excited to see if this helps, particularly because april is a busy, busy month!
{organization}
-- purge downstairs coat closet
-- clean out & organize the kitchen pantry

{time management}
-- select one weeknight for "super productivity"
-- plan out meals for the week on sunday night

{blog improvement}
-- begin making my way through the blog design class (not finish, just start)
-- create an "about the chronicles" page for the blog

{scrap studio}
-- clear off the floor!!!
-- order photos from bridal shower & create album

{weight loss}
-- exercise at least once each week
-- lose at least 4 pounds

{faith + spirtuality}
-- finish reading one thousand gifts (while participating in the book club)
-- read 4 chapters of the New Testament every weekday morning

{financial}
-- manage the best use of extra paycheck in april
-- contact at&t about strange charges

{writing}
-- write four journal entries
-- continue the creativity boot camp workbook.
related posts:
goals for 2011
january goals and january end-of-month progress report
february goals and february end-of-month progress report
march goals

inspired by:
3 in 30, as presented by ap freewriting 101 and the tuckers take tennessee

goal update {march 2011}

i'm not really sure what happened to march. i feel like i blinked and it was gone. we weren't even particularly busy. i think i didn't realize february was over until march was halfway gone! anyway...

{organization}
-- help matt purge some a lot of his clothing :: YES, YES, YES, YES!!!!
      we actually did a total gut and reorg of our master closet! detailed post coming soon....
-- clean out the kitchen junk drawer :: yup!
-- clean out my car ::  yup!
-- purge downstairs coat closet :: oops...not so much.

{time management}
-- select one weeknight for "super productivity" :: sort of...going to have to work a little harder on this
-- plan out meals for the week on sunday night :: failed miserably

{blog improvement}
-- begin making my way through the blog design class (not finish, just start) :: nope...that's two months in a row i haven't tackled this.
-- create an "about the chronicles" page for the blog :: and again...two months, no progress.

{scrap studio}
-- clear off the floor!!! :: no
-- order photos from coleman's birthday party :: no
i need to work on making this area more a priority!
{weight loss}
-- exercise at least once each week :: shame on me...
-- lose at least 4 pounds :: i think i lost about 2-3

{faith + spirtuality}
-- finish reading one thousand gifts (while participating in the book club) :: i haven't finished yet, but i've made my way through 9 of 11 chapters.
-- read 4 chapters of the New Testament every weekday morning (as feasible while reading above book) :: i've made more of an effort to work this back into my morning routine. for a while i was putting the book before the bible reading. i've flip-flopped those. i wanted to keep this as a priority and work the above book into my quiet time when possible.

{financial}
-- work with matt to map out the use of my bonus :: we have reprioritized what we want to spend and pushed aside some bigger projects we were considering.
-- cancel rhapsody & netflix (two inexpensive services that we just aren't really using) :: cancelled rhapsody. after discussing our use of netflix with matt, we decided to keep it for now.

{writing}
-- write four journal entries :: yes...i've done a decent job of writing. it puts me in SUCH a better place!!!
-- start the creativity boot camp workbook. :: i did actually start, but only completed the first two lessons so far. i like that i decided to choose writing as my medium (for the larger workshop last year where i chose photography).

***thoughts & insights***
the last two months i have really stuggled with working on everything i've set out to accomplish. i think the biggest flaw in my system right now is that i haven't implemented a way of reminding myself of these goals on a regular basis. i think about them once or twice a month...i should be looking at them daily. i will brainstorm some ideas for april.
related posts:
goals for 2011
january goals and january end-of-month progress report
february goals and february end-of-month progress report
march goals

inspired by:
3 in 30, as presented by ap freewriting 101 and the tuckers take tennessee

goals {march 2011}

even though it's halfway through the month, i still want to provide a list of march goals!

{organization}
-- help matt purge some a lot of his clothing carried over from february
-- clean out the kitchen junk drawer carried over from february
-- clean out my car
-- purge downstairs coat closet

{time management}
-- select one weeknight for "super productivity"
-- plan out meals for the week on sunday night

{blog improvement}
-- begin making my way through the blog design class (not finish, just start) carried over from february
-- create an "about the chronicles" page for the blog carried over from february

{scrap studio}
-- clear off the floor!!! carried over from february
-- order photos from coleman's birthday party

{weight loss}
-- exercise at least once each week
-- lose at least 4 pounds
{faith + spirtuality}
-- finish reading one thousand gifts (while participating in the book club)
-- read 4 chapters of the New Testament every weekday morning (as feasible while reading above book)
{financial}
-- work with matt to map out the use of my bonus
-- cancel rhapsody & netflix (two inexpensive services that we just aren't really using)
{writing}
-- write four journal entries.
-- start the creativity boot camp workbook. carried over from february.

related posts:
goals for 2011
january goals and january end-of-month progress report
february goals and february end-of-month progress report

inspired by:
3 in 30, as presented by ap freewriting 101 and the tuckers take tennessee

goal update {february 2011}

i'm quite late in reporting on my february goals (which doesn't bode well on tackling march, but oh well). i will begin with a disclaimer that i knew my ability to accomplish much in february. hosting two parties at the end of the month meant a lot of free time was spent planning & prepping. my goals were a little overambitious, to say the least. i wish i had accomplished more but i'm trying not to beat myself up!

{organization}
-- help matt purge some a lot of his clothing nope :(
-- clean out the kitchen junk drawer nope :(
-- bring home 2 binders from work (to use as home management & recipe binders) yes

{time management}
do laundry at least twice a week. yes. i've done well with this. i've been doing it over the weekend and at least once during the week. i also like starting on it as soon as the workday is done on friday (schedules allowing). then, i will do it again on sunday which allows me to start the work week with a clean (laundry) slate.

{blog improvement}
-- begin making my way through the blog design class (not finish, just start) nope
-- create an "about the chronicles" page for the blog nope
in addition, i haven't been posting as often as i'd like...

{scrap studio}
-- clear off the floor!!! unfortunately this got worse instead of better (because of the parties).
-- order photobook of christmas 2010 photos nope

{weight loss}
-- do the elliptical machine (30 min) at least once a week  nope. i did well at the beginning of the month, but then slacked off.
-- eat out no more than one meal per week doubt it.
-- lose 6 more pounds yes (i think)

{faith + spirtuality}
-- read 4 chapters of the New Testament every weekday morning. in order to do the item below, this has to be pushed aside slightly. it's still a priority, but second to finishing the book.
-- begin participating in the one thousand gifts (by ann voskamp) book club  yes. i'm working on chapter 8 right now (of 11 total). in addition to reading, i've been watching the book club videos, reading the blog posts and journaling.   

{financial}
-- finish reading "debt free for life". yes.
-- start making bi-weekly mortgage payments. oops...forgot!

{writing}
-- write four journal entries. yes, because of the book club mentioned above, i've been journaling a lot more lately!!
-- start the creativity boot camp workbook. nope. again, took a backseat to the bookclub.

related posts:
goals for 2011
january goals and january end-of-month progress report
february goals

inspired by:
3 in 30, as presented by ap freewriting 101 and the tuckers take tennessee

celebrate {5 years}

it's hard to believe...five years. five years of blog posts. of pictures. of rambling. of growing & learning. in the same way that marriage or friendship or parenting can seem to go so quickly but also so slowly...that is how i feel. i feel as if i have always had a blog. that i don't recall the days when this was not a part of my daily life. but it's only been five years. and then i feel as if it is still such a new adventure. learning technology and all the roles it now plays.

though it may seem silly to some, i am so full of gratefulness for his tiny little piece of the incredibly vast and growing online world. it's a release. it's a means. it is comforting and sometimes stressful. it is steady and incredibly inspiring. it's scary and reassuring all at once . it's full of potential and possibility.

as i sit here writing these words, i feel guilt. a lack of appreciation shown to my readers, my followers, my subscribers. family, friends, strangers. today marks five years and i have no fanfare to share. no prizes to award. no giveaways to excite. all i have are my words and appreciation.

thank you for five wonderful years.

to celebrate, a quick trip down memory lane. where was i this time each year? what was being highlighted in the chronicles each february?

2.9.2006

my first post. a welcome. a snapshot of our little family.

2.9.2007

a picture-less post. ramblings about color.

2.11.2008

another pictureless post. bullets of our weekend. a series, long since gone.

2.9.2009

a digital layout. christmas.

the next day...3-d view of the child about to enter our lives.

2.9.2010

blog party announcement. recognizing the "anniversary" for the first time.

there ya have it...5 years of february 9th (or thereabouts).

goals {february 2011}

i was pleased with my january baby steps and i'm excited about tackling a new set of baby steps this month!!!

{organization}
-- help matt purge some a lot of his clothing
-- clean out the kitchen junk drawer
-- bring home 2 binders from work (to use as home management & recipe binders)

{time management}
do laundry at least twice a week. since my work schedule changed back to going into the office daily, i have been doing laundry mostly on weekends. my goal is to try and tackle some of it mid-week so i'm not so bogged down with this during our family time.

{blog improvement}
-- begin making my way through the blog design class (not finish, just start)
-- create an "about the chronicles" page for the blog

{scrap studio}
-- clear off the floor!!! this seems easy enough but right now it's a collection of items purchased for parties, computer cords, bags of "works in progress", piles of spencer & coleman's old schoolwork and artwork...just to name a FEW.
-- order photobook of christmas 2010 photos

{weight loss}
-- do the elliptical machine (30 min) at least once a week
-- eat out no more than one meal per week
-- lose 6 more pounds

{faith + spirtuality}
-- read 4 chapters of the New Testament every weekday morning. i will continue to plug away at this until i'm done with the Bible
-- begin participating in the one thousand gifts (by ann voskamp) book club i've already purchased the book. the club begins this sunday (feb 6th).
{financial}
-- finish reading "debt free for life". this book was a free download online that i printed and began reading a few weeks ago. my goal is to wrap it up this month and start taking some of his advice (see next item)
-- start making bi-weekly mortgage payments. the above book states if you make 1/2 of your mortgage payment every two weeks (instead of the full amount once a month) you should pay off your mortgage about 3-5 years earlier depending on your interest rate (this is based on making 1 extra monthly payment).
{writing}
-- write four journal entries. since i didn't accomplish this last month, i figured this should remain a goal.
-- start the creativity boot camp workbook. my goal is to finish this before the live summer session in may.

related posts:
goals for 2011
january goals and january end-of-month progress report

inspired by:
3 in 30, as presented by ap freewriting 101 and the tuckers take tennessee

goal update {january 2011}

in early january, i laid out goals for the month based on my goals for 2011. my plan is all about taking baby steps to tackling bigger things and was partially inspired by the concept of 3 in 30, as presented by ap freewriting 101 and the tuckers take tennessee.

my concern was tackling eight mini-goals in a month might be too much. so, let's see how i did...

{organization}
purchase and implement a system for organizing coleman's toys in our den. complete.
we are considering the addition of a toy box also, but right now, this is working well. my other small organizational project was the dresser in our bedroom.

{time management}
master using my new organizational binder and daily calendar. complete.
i have spent the month using these things daily. i absolutely adore my moleskin weekly notebook. it is truly perfect (particularly for work). though my new binder is bulky, it has been incredibly helpful to have everything together in ONE spot. i am thoroughly enjoying both pieces of my new process. i plan to post more detail on this now that i've tested it for a while.

{blog improvement}
choose a digital kit to use when re-designing the blog. complete.
i purchased a kit, at a great price. the colors are reflective of my *color crush*. as for blog content, i seem to be struggling the most with weekend posting. this is partially a good thing because it means i'm living life and enjoying my family. but i'd like to get better and scheduling posts to come out on the weekends.

{scrap studio}
re-claim the room from the havoc reaked during the holiday season. sort of complete.
i have worked on tidying up this room. a couple of times. and then it falls apart again. it's definitely in a better state than it was during the holidays, which is good. the bad thing is that i'm now planning two (back to back) parties in our house at the end of february. this room will become the "catch all" for party supplies and planning so i need a way to keep that organized and tidy!
as for scrapping...i didn't. but i did order a photobook from shutterfly of our december family photo shoot. i also ordered prints from snapfish that completes coleman's first year.

{weight loss}
this is actually going to be more of a three-fold goal. instead of just saying "lose 5 pounds" in january, i want more tangible & specific goals that will hopefully lead to weight loss. complete +.

1. do the elliptical four times
2. go on a walk four times
3. brainstorm healthier meal ideas with matt

i did a lot more in this area than i set out here. i joined weight watchers and lost 6 pounds. i did the elliptical machine exactly 4 times (though it wasn't consistent each week, as i would prefer). i nixed #2 because it's just too darned cold. and, amazingly i got on my bicycle once (for a very leisurely ride) for the first time in probably two years! i can't say that we accomplished much with #3...i am eating healthier but not doing such a great job of working with matt on that.

for more details on my weight loss adventure, check out my weekly *dieting for dummies* series: january 16 + january 23 + january 30

{faith + spirtuality}
read 4 chapters of the New Testament every weekday morning. complete.
as of today, i've read through the Book of John and i'm currently in the Book of Acts.

{financial}
put together a realistic monthly budget and review in detail with matt. complete.
this one got put off to the very end of the month. but, matt and i did finally sit down and review our february budget. we have vowed to discuss our finances more openly and consistently (instead of just letting me deal with everything). we also made a "wish list" together of bigger projects/purchases and prioritized them. as a bonus, we had our taxes done on the last day of the month. Wooohoo! nice to have that out of the way so early.

{writing}
finish reverb 10 prompts here on the blog and write four journal entries. complete + half complete.
i did complete writing based on the reverb prompts, but i actually only completed two journal entries.

reflecting on the month:
i took a long look at this list after about 3 weeks into the month. i realized that i had done a great job in most areas. so, where was i struggling??? financial, scrap studio and writing. those became my priorities for the final week of the month. it's good to know my weak spots so i can make more effort next month.

coming soon: february goals

2010 {blog recap}

in early august, i decided to sign up for google analytics. considering that i'm an analyst, and i'm anal, and i love my blog...i was pretty sure i'd be obsessed with checking my stats. i was quite surprised, maybe even impressed, that i have not done that. on the contrary, i rarely check it. (for those that are not familiar, this is a site that will provide stats on your blog about visitors, traffic, etc).

on a few blogs, i noticed folks were posting their 10 most popular posts from last year. i'm all about some lists so i figured this would be a good time to check out my stats! below you will find the most visited blog posts of 2010 (technically only august through december).

if you're new to the chronicles, this is a quick & easy way to see what other folks have been enjoying.

and since we're talking about this blog and last year, let's get a little mushy (just for a minute, i promise). i don't blog for money. i don't blog to get famous. i blog as a creative release. i love to write. i love photos. i like to share things. that's why i'm here. it is so super cool to know that anyone actually takes a minute of their day and comes by to visit. my blog doesn't get a ton of traffic, but when i look at my stats, i'm blown away by the fact that so many people have been here at some point - and from so many places (russia, france, argentina...those are just a few of the 52 different countries!). so whether you know me in my for-real-life or you are a complete stranger, thank you.

(1)   free downloads {daily & weekly cards}

(2)   organization {wrapping station}

(3)   photos {gamecock fan appreciation}

(4)   wine {middle sister}

 (5)   whatever wednesday {elsie + red velvet art}

(6)   inspired {progress update}

(7)   inspired {report card} 8.9.10 + 8.16.10 + 8.23.10

there were actually three of these in the top 10, so i'm grouping them together.

(8)   music monday {glee christmas}

(9)   album {coleman's first birthday}

(10)   {the picture}

sidebar story:

bear with me.

i was wondering how on earth my #3 post for the second half of 2010 was something i'd written back in august of 2009...and it was just photos of us attending a gamecock fan appreciation day. random. so, i started digging around on google analytics (there is SO much cool stuff there), and i started to figure it out. i got 15 unique visitors just from the keyword search "spencer lanning" (gamecock kicker) and nine of them were on the day we played in the SEC championship game. who knew! (well, google knew). oh, the beloved internet...such a weird little creature it is!

looking forward {2011}

if you are interested on my thoughts surrounding new year's resolutions, read the first part of my post from last year. i will spare you a recap.

with the new year here, i'm once again pondering what lies ahead. what has worked this year. what needs to change. i'm reviewing my major posts from last year: look forward 2010 and mid-year update, and sharing how i did.

i've been pondering goals for this new year, but more importantly, i've been pondering how to be better focused on making them happen. a blog i follow (ap freewriting 101) has put together a concept of 3 in 30. the idea is to set 3 realistic and attainable goals each month. these can be small, stand-alone goals or individual steps to bigger goals. i'm hoping to lay out the big stuff below and then work to break them down. i think i fell short of a lot in 2010 because i didn't make an attempt to break the "big things" down into "little things".

one significant change: last year's list consisted of a lot of conceptual things. though most of these things are still relevant to my life (patience, balance, etc), i feel my current list needs to be more concrete.

{organization}
i'm a pretty organized person. but i often feel totally unorganized. i'm not sure why that is. it might be because i have great organizational ideas that i never implement. or it may be that my type-a personality just leads me to believe i'm not organized, but i actually am. i typically don't lose things or forget appointments, so overall, i guess i'm doing ok. but there are parts of our home that are getting out of control (in my opinion) so it's time to deal with them.

{time management}
i wavered as to whether to combine organization and time management but ultimately decided to separate them. my biggest struggle with time management is actually based on motivation. after a day at work, it's difficult for me to find the energy to be motivated once i'm home - to do something beyond the standard taking care of coleman and feeding the family...something other than vegging in front of the tv. some days, i can't even find the motivation to get on the computer, and that's pretty sad!

{blog improvement}
i want to work my way through the online course that will (hopefully) help me visually re-design this blog. i also want to get better at planning posts ahead so that there are not so many peaks and valleys in my posting. i want more good quality content, but plan to still wiggle in my useless ramblings (if i didn't, it wouldn't really be *me*).

{scrap studio}
though this kind of falls under the umbrella of organization, i feel it's large enough to deserve it's own official goal. i have accomplished absolutely nothing in 2010 as far as improving this year. no improvements to work flow. no adapting so that coleman can be in there with me. very little purging. as a result - very little creating.  i need to get the room under control and get back to creating!

included in this, i should mention library of memories. i haven't done much of anything with this in 2010. right now i'm not feeling the *pull* to work much on it, probably because of other priorities. but a year is a long time and hopefully other things will come together so i can put more emphasis there. my focus will be on general organization of that room and improving my ability to create. the LOM process is secondary.

{weight loss}
you knew it had to be on there! this was on last year's list. i didn't lose any weight. but sometimes people asked if i did. when i look at pictures from last christmas, something is definitely different. i think what happened is that my body shape kind of recovered from the whole "having a baby" thing. even though i didn't lose pounds, my body resituated itself back to where it was. NOW it's time to lose the poundage. luckily, matt's on board with this. his focus is more on "toning up" which involves exercise (something i hate). my focus is more on controlling diet (a tougher thing for him). i am hoping that by our focus & strengths being different, we'll be able to support each other in the areas where we are weaker. in other words - i can help him eat better and he can motivate me to exercise.

{faith + spirtuality}
matt and i have continued to fail at finding (or even searching for) a church home. i have been consistent in my daily time with God and the Bible in the mornings. i've worked my way through the Old Testament and will continue my current plan until i'm done with the New Testament. then i will find a daily devotional plan that will allow me to dig deeper into scripture. as coleman gets older, i need to search for ways to share my faith with him.

{financial}
matt and i totally fell off the dave ramsey bandwagon and both agree it's time to hop back on! again, matt is on board with this and will take will power from both of us!

{writing}
continue to focus on writing, not only on this blog, but in journals. i am sometimes able to do this during my morning quiet time but not often. during december, i've used the reverb10 prompts for my writing, but i want to get back to the "pen to paper" journaling more often. this seems to be an "ebb and flow" type thing for me. i'm aiming for consistency.

so there you have it. eight main goals for 2011. stay tuned for my focused january plan.

reverb10 {day13}

december thirteen: action
When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step? (Author: Scott Belsky)


when i think of "action" and the coming year, this blog is actually the first thing that comes to mind. during the course of 2010, i've learned a lot about bloggging. whether it be for fun or for profit; for friends or for strangers. the amount of information available on the topic is astounding. through it all, i've made notes and jotted down ideas. i have tons of plans that i'd like to implement here at the chronicles and i hope to focus on those and take action in 2011. i hope you'll hang around long enough to see them!

sidenote: day 12 was skipped intentionally...wasn't feeling it.

***what is reverb10?***

Reverb 10 is an annual event and online initiative to reflect on your year and manifest what’s next. The end of the year is an opportunity to reflect on what's happened, and to send out reverberations for the year ahead. With Reverb 10, we'll do both.

sidenote: i decided to back date these posts to match the prompt dates. new posts will always show up "on top" in a reader, but if you come directly to the blog, you may need to scroll down a bit to find these daily *reverb* posts.

reverb10 {day 2}

december two: writing
What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it? (Author: Leo Babauta)

i must confess the first things that came to mind were laundry, making supper, cleaning up, etc. but i'm guessing that's not exactly what he hand in mind...particularly since those tasks can't be eliminated from my life (well, technically they could...but that could get gross quickly.)

i believe one of the biggest things that sucks energy from my writing (or even squashes the opportunity to write entirely) is our world of technology and media. i do spend a lot of time on the computer, both out of necessity and for recreation. but, honestly the worst creativity sucker for me is the television. at the end of the day, when i'm wiped out and spent, i fall under the lull of just relaxing in front of the television. many times i can recall sitting with my laptop, fingers strategically placed on the keyboard, excited that i have "free time" to write the perfect blog post. and my fingers remain still as i get swept away by whatever crime drama resulted from our dvr.

this is one reason why i like to try and have time for journaling during my morning quiet times. but i also need to start tuning out at other times of the day (particularly evenings) so that i am able to write more productively when the (rare) time allows itself.

one of the many things that takes up my non-writing time: WORK :)

***what is reverb10?***

Reverb 10 is an annual event and online initiative to reflect on your year and manifest what’s next. The end of the year is an opportunity to reflect on what's happened, and to send out reverberations for the year ahead. With Reverb 10, we'll do both.

reverb 10 {day 1}

you know i love a project, right? well, i just learned about reverb 10 from a post over at ali edwards' blog. what is it? in their words:

Reverb 10 is an annual event and online initiative to reflect on your year and manifest what’s next. The end of the year is an opportunity to reflect on what's happened, and to send out reverberations for the year ahead. With Reverb 10, we'll do both.

i'm going to try to participate as close to daily as possible. but i also am shooting for (close to) daily posts about the christmas season. so, i'll do what i can! let's get started...

december one: one word
Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?

well, my "one little word" for the year began as strive but was changed to balance. looking back, i can't say that either of those words really describes how my year shook out. i think i needed balance, but i never got there. i think the better word would be adjustment. we experienced some pretty big things with spencer that took adjusting on our part, as parents. then later, he began middle school...more adjustments. as with all small children, coleman's needs and abilities have changed, requiring us to be flexible. but the one, largest adjustment was work-related. i had to adjust to a new schedule, new demands, and new responsibilities. i'm still working on it.

i'm nor committing quite yet, but right now i'm feeling that my 2011 one word might be focus. i feel like i've managed to rid my life of  some time-sucking activites. however, i still feel like things are under control. next year, i want to focus on what's important. pinpoint the things that matter and focus my time, energy and heart there.

Back to Blogging {Day Five}

this week, i'm participating in the Back 2 Blogging Challenge being organized by the SITS Blog and Community. each day, there is a post prompt and today's challenge (the last one) is to write about what blogging means to you.

i think about blogging a lot. but i don't think i've spent much time thinking about what it means to me or why i bother or what makes it worth my time. so, i definitely feel this is a good, reflective exercise.

four and a half years ago, i started this blog (as you may have read on monday). i basically wanted a place to share photos, scrapbooking layouts, and ramble when i felt like it. my enthuasism for blogging and my commitment to posting has varied greatly, particularly throughout the first couple of years. however, this year, my blog has creeped its way up my priority list and is a much more significant part of my life. though i would never put blogging before my family, it is important to me and is one of the things that gets scratched from my to-do list before many other things (maybe because it's more fun than laundry???).

so, why do i blog?

• i like to write. and sometimes i like to ramble. i'm horrible at keeping consistent journals, despite how much i like to write. for whatever reason, i can blog consistently (possibly because there is an audience).
• i like to share photos and life updates with people i know "in real life". my family and friends can easily see what i've been up to by checking in here every now and then.
• i enjoy showing my creative projects with folks that actually enjoy them. whether it's paper or digital, scrapbook layouts or home decor projects...i can show all of these things to the males in my home and they do a decent job at pretending to care. it's nice to know that here, i have a slightly more enthusiastic audience.
• i enjoy "meeting" new people through my blog and participating in the community of bloggers.
• i get excited to share nifty things - whether it is something cool i found to buy online, or a super fun project to make, or an inspiring article. i have found awesome things at other blogs, and i want to be able to share things with others as well.
• i love, love, love projects, assignments, classes, tutorials, etc. for whatever reason these things are much more prevelant in my world now that i am blogger (and read other blogs).

things that are not reasons why i blog:

• to make money: yes, it'd be awesome to do that one day, but i don't have the time, nor resources to commit to that, at this point.
• to become famous: obviously. just thought it'd be fun to say :)
• for validation: i'm not looking for your pity or your praise. all i want is genuine, friendly interaction.

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Links related to the #Back2Blogging Challenge:

my post from day one
my post from day two
my post from day three

SITS Challenge

SITS BlogFrog Community

Sponsors:

Standards of Excellence

Westar

Florida Builder Appliances

Back to Blogging {Day Three}

this week, i'm participating in the Back 2 Blogging Challenge being organized by the SITS Blog and Community. each day, there is a post prompt and today's is to re-upload a post with a title you are particularly proud of and explain why.

this was an interesting challenge for me because i haven't really given much thought to blog post titles...maybe i should be thinking about them more. looking at old posts, it is quite obvious that i don't get very creative! i do enjoy consistency and like that i've settled on something for a while. and i confess that when i look at older blog posts without this format, i get a little annoyed with myself! anyway, this is one that caught my attention.

Believe... originally posted on 12.12.2006

Saturday evening we turned off all the lights, except for the Christmas bulbs, of course. We made some popcorn and lit an evergreen scented candle. We cuddled under warm blankets and lit a fire. Spencer read The Polar Express aloud to Matt and I, and then the three of us watched the movie together (a first time viewing for myself and Matt). It was one of those memories that Christmas is all about.

It would've been so easy for me to "excuse" myself from the living room to finish up the laundry or wrap the piles of gifts that need it...but I'm so glad I didn't. In addition to the quality family time, the movie was really wonderful - a great film to put you in the spirit and remind you how important it is to believe.

i think the reason i was so drawn to this title, despite it not being very creative, is because it's my favorite christmas word. *believe* conjures up everything about christmas for me - grown-up, childhood, religious, magical...all the good stuff.

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Links related to the #Back2Blogging Challenge:

my post from day one
my post from day two

SITS Challenge

SITS BlogFrog Community

Sponsors:

Standards of Excellence

Westar

Florida Builder Appliances

Back to Blogging {Day Two}

this week, i'm participating in the Back 2 Blogging Challenge being organized by the SITS Blog and Community. each day, there is a post prompt and today's is to re-upload a post you wish more people had read and explain why it's important to you.

i began scanning blog posts from my first year of blogging. very few folks read it back then (for a long while, i didn't even tell my family i had a blog). when i got to this post, i knew this was the one i wanted to re-post.
Library Ramblings originally posted four years ago on 9.13.2006


I love libraries. There is something magical about being surrounded by all of those words and thoughts and information. I hate being rushed in a library. I like to take my time. I go in prepared with a list of “books to read” (an Excel spreadsheet I keep updated and print before a library visit). First I spend a while on the “card catalog” computer, looking for books on my list. I make note of ones that are available and where to find them. I made additional note of ones I’d like to put on hold. I take my time, heading to each section where I might find one of my treasures. This is usually the sections for paperback, fiction, large print fiction and North Carolina fiction. On occasion I will browse the books on CD to see what’s available that might strike my fancy. After carefully making my selections, I head to the checkout counter where the friendly employees will check out my books and place several options on hold for me.


The library I frequent most is the one in the town where I work. I prefer this location for a variety of reasons. It is convenient to my office, being only a few minutes away. My lunch hour is the perfect amount of time to go through the above-mentioned steps. It goes without saying that such a quiet and peaceful place is a perfect retreat in the middle of a hectic workday. This library also allows one additional week of checkout time than my local library, which isn’t even convenient to my house.


In this particular library which I frequent, there is an older portion that was the existing library prior to the recent expansion. The “North Carolina Fiction” books are kept here and I often find Nicholas Sparks and Patricia Cornwell novels gracing the shelves. This is my favorite section to visit. It’s incredibly isolated and quiet. The carpet of the new building changes to hardwood floors at the entry, always startling me with the sharp click of my high heels. The lighting is dim and the scent of antique book pages overcomes you as you enter. I rarely linger in a library long enough to actually read while I’m there, but if I were to, this would most definitely be my location of choice.

six years later, i still love libraries (and assume i always will). i also love book stores. however, i think one reason this post jumped out at me was because i no longer visit the library on a regular basis. i have somehow stockpiled a stack of books here at home that i can't possibly keep up with...making the trips to the library unnecessary. but, after re-reading this post, i am feeling inspired to go spend some time there - necessary or not.

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Links related to the #Back2Blogging Challenge:

my post from day one

SITS Challenge

SITS BlogFrog Community

Sponsors:

Standards of Excellence

Westar

Florida Builder Appliances

Back to Blogging {Day One}

This week, I'm going to participate in the Back 2 Blogging Challenge being organized by the SITS Blog and Community. Each day, there is a post prompt and today's is to re-upload your first blog post and re-write it, showing the "before and after".

my first blog post was written on 02.09.2006 and was creatively entitled "welcome":

Welcome to the Chronicles of a Southern Scrapper – that’s me. After dabbling in the concept of this “all the rage” thing called Blogs, I have decided to create myself a permanent home. I can’t promise you gossipy storylines of a soap opera, or political rantings worthy of water cooler talk. All I can offer is a little piece of me. I won’t be divulging any deep dark secrets or unleashing skeletons from my closet. To be frank, the idea of putting my existence out there for the world to see is a bit creepy. Here in my little piece of the vast universe we call the “world wide web”, you will only find tidbits of me that I feel like sharing. This online home will serve as an outlet for my ramblings – of which I have plenty, a gallery of sorts for my scrapbooking creations, and a studio to which I can post the latest and greatest of my photographic obsession. To no degree do I assume this is a place people will be dying to visit each and every day. But I do hope it will serve as a reference point to which I can point folks to see or read something that I would like to share with those willing to indulge.


I guess I should start off with a quick introduction of the key players in these future chronicles. Here we are: The female one -- that's me. The short, red-headed one -- that's my 7 year old stepson Spencer. The one that refuses to smile in pictures -- that's my husband of almost 4 years, Matt. The two stringy fellows in the back -- they're just props! This photo was taken at our church's Fall Festival in October of 2005. Not pictured: Rio, the four-legged overly-spoiled under-appreciative member of our family.

For today's rambling...


It actually snowed in sunny South Carolina today - can you believe it? After several months of abnormally warm winter weather (even for good 'ole South Kackilack), I was quite surprised to see white flakes falling from the sky this morning. It's way too warm to stick and I don't know if we'll be blessed with a snow able to create a day of fun - snow cream, snowball fights and watching Rio figure out how to go to the bathroom - but I hope we get at least one before winter's end...which is quickly approaching.

looking back, i realize that the original purpose of this blog is still quite similar to its current existence. looking back through old posts, a lot has changed, but the ultimate foundation has remained the same.

for the purpose of this challenge, i decided to write an entry as if i was starting this blog today...

hello, from south carolina and welcome to my new home on the world wide web: chronicles of a southern scrapper. today, i'm taking a step into the scary, vast internet to carve a little spot to call my own. here at the chronicles, i plan to share and express my various passions. this online home will serve as a memoir of my life and outlet for my own divulging. hopefully, it may bring some enjoyment to others that might stop by for a visit.

first, let's have a little introduction of my crew. the tallest one is my hubby of 8+ years, matt. then there's me, holly, the lone female of the pack. the handsome redhead "tweener" is my stepson, spencer, who will be twelve next week and just started middle school. then there's the little tot, coleman, a mere 18 months old. not pictured are our two canine family members - rio & cooper. rio is a mutt we adopted many moons ago and is about 8 years old. cooper is a jack russell that showed up one day and forgot to leave. we think he's probably 3-4 years old now.

in case you decide to come back on occasion, here are some things you might expect to hap upon while perusing the pages of my world:

• scrapbooking - i began *officially* paper scrapping over 13 years and began dabbling in the digital world a few years ago. i love sharing my creations online, as they often get stuffed into albums and put on a shelf here at home.
• paper crafting - as an extension of scrapbooking, i often enjoy making creations for my home, cards or gifts for others, party goodies, etc.
• photos...lots and lots of photos - pictures of my family, friends and randomness...some dabbling in photo editing as well. i recently learned the term "mamarazzi" which definitely describes me.
• writing - where there are photos, there are stories to be told. i've never been great at keeping a journal, though i love to write. here you will find my musings.
• organization - i'm a pretty serious type-a personality and i get unhealthy amounts of joy from organizing.
• parenting - i'm no expert, but i'll ramble about the trials, tribulations and ultimate joy that comes from parenting, step-parenting and working full-time while doing it all.
• savings - i don't consider myself a hard-core frugal type, but i do clip the heck out of some coupons and will share my successes and failures with anyone willing to listen.
• projects - classes, tutorials, and projects...there is something so tempting about each new set of assignments & goals. i simply can not resist. follow me step-by-step on each of my random journeys!

in summary...i love writing, learning & creating. i love my family and i love God. i love people and communicating, so i hope you'll drop a note while you're here.

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Links related to the #Back2Blogging Challenge:

SITS Challenge
SITS BlogFrog Community

Sponsors:
Standards of Excellence
Westar
Florida Builder Appliances

looking back {favorite blog posts}

earlier this year, i spent some time (ok, a lot of time) re-reading old blog posts. it was really interesting to do this!!! during the process, i chose a few favorites to share with you.
Top Blog Posts (2006 - 2008)

photos {30th birthday surprise party}
posted august 27, 2008
i couldn't help but tear up a little when i read this post. the emotions of the night came back to me all over again.

photos {the big reveal}
posted october 4, 2008
obviously...a pretty big moment. and again, the emotions of the day came right back to me as i read the post.

digi layout {i create} and digi layout {halloween 2006}
posted november 22 and 23, 2008
marks the beginning of my dabbling in digital scrapbooking

his heart was a low country heart
posted 7.5.2006

final farewell
posted 7.11.2006
i just liked that this one reminded me of my old job - fond memories.

library ramblings
posted 9.13.2006
four years later, these words are still so true.

guest post {simple scrapper}

part one of my guest post at simple scrapper went up yesterday. the article is a three-part series, with parts two and three going up today and tomorrow. it's called dealing with digital overload and is a detailed description of the process i use to manage and organize my digital photographs. i'd love for you to swing by the site and read part one. please leave a comment over there as well! i love comments!

edit: below are links to all three parts of the series

dealing with digital overload
part one
part two
part three