Thank You 2012

I want to start this post with an apology. I’ve always wanted this blog to be personal everyday life, with a side of recipes and how-tos and a splash of professional or working projects, but I spent most of this year working and this blog suffered because of it. Tom was gracious enough to swoop in and help out by doing posts on Friday’s, but it still left me feeling anxious and grumpy and overall disappointed in myself.

I learned a lot about myself this year. I discovered that if I let myself, I’ll work myself to death, and that is not a good thing. I justified my actions in 2012 by throwing around phrases like “strong work ethic”, but in the end I suffered on a personal level. I love blogging, and it was something I really missed. This year I really need to learn to balance play and work, and learn that it’s okay to say “No” or “I can’t”. It was even the number one goal on my 2012 list and still I missed it. It was almost as if I was warning myself. All that to say is, I have been putting the wheels in motion to start blogging regularly again and I hope that you’ll have me back. (This reads like an apology letter to a friend that you send after you’ve been a bad friend, but it’s how I feel.)

2012 Goal List

✗ Learn that it is okay to take breaks.
I completed failed at this one. But I learned a lot from it.
✗ Shoot 12 rolls of film.
Nope. Not even close.
✔ Organize my hard-drives and become a digital minimalist instead of a digital pack-rat.
✔ Keep up with my fitness regime.
I’m not sure if I should cross this one off or keep it checked, I kept up with it 9 months out of 12, so I think that counts for something.
✔ Do something that scares me (photography related).
I shot a newborn baby! In my house! In low light!
✔ Take a vacation to somewhere new, again.
Collingwood, Ontario!
✗ Learn 200 more kanji in my Japanese study.
More like an embarassing 100.
✔ Stay joyously happy, grateful for every moment, and unabashedly in love.

I kick off the new year with a birthday and The Sunday Times uses a photo in their paper.

I start working for Toronto Cat Rescue, a dear friend opens her monthly issue of Redbook Magazine to find a photo of mine, Tom and I have a quiet Valentine’s day, and I develop film from 2011.

I get a little geeky about my new rain boots, develop more film, made Tom levitate, and spent St. Patrick’s Day in Milton.

I spend most of April working on releasing the first part of my actions Seasons Collection, cut my hair, and start booking shoots for the summer.

May starts with me welcoming home my very first designated work computer, meet up with The Little Toronto Photo club for the first time in High Park, Quick & Easy Low-Cal Vegan Comfort Food hits the shelves, I’m a photographer at the World Steam Expo, and I keep shooting portraits.

In June we visit Michigan to see (and shoot) my childhood best friend as she ties the knot, take Tom to the State Hospital, and keep shooting.

Of course July begins with 4th of July, Pumpkin and I are featured in TIME magazine’s Health blog (They also bought this muffin, but I rely mostly on readers or friends to help me find where images land and I didn’t see where that one ended up.), and meet some really cool people and make up artists.

I spend August glued to my computer culling and editing photos and working on actions, find a little time to relax by the pool, and keep shooting.

September is packed! I meet up with the Little Toronto Photo Club at Figs and then hit up Adornments on Queen, shoot a baby shower, and set up a home studio, meet a dear old friend from the same website that Tom and I first found each other on. (That makes a total of six people from there I’ve met online, with a few still on my “wishlist”) We also host a little gathering to do a frist table read of Tom’s stage play. (It’s a comedy that I hope to share with you some day.)

Tom and I celebrate 4 years together with a train ride (Tom shared a post too) and an Anniversary Project, we
carve pumpkins, dress up for Halloween, and despite all that I still manage to shoot my first maternity session, an adorable couple in High Park, and still more.

I end the 2012 working season with a week long vacation up north with my family, Tom and I celebrate both Canadian and American Thanksgiving, and I take time to write another silly novel for NaNoWriMo.

Tom and I try a new theme for the Christmas tree, we put our cats in holiday sweaters, I do my very first newborn shoot, and my sister and mum surprise me with a visit.

I also met and made some really neat friends this year, and Tom and I found some new places to visit and enjoy, and overall I’m very happy with the way 2012 provided for me. 2013 feels like a whole new world right now, and I plan to explore all it has to offer.

Lessen next year’s work load by half (and be okay with that)
Play more with video this year (and make 12 homes movies)
Rekindle my relationship with my Flickr account (and re-establish taking daily(ish) personal photos)
Try a year with natural medicine, beauty, and hair remedies (like homemade shampoo, face creams, and treatments for headaches etc)
Start playing the guitar again (and learn 12 songs)
Take a vacation to somewhere new (again)
Learn 200 more kanji in my Japanese study.
Stay joyously happy, grateful for every moment, and unabashedly in love.