Trying To Capture The "Beauty" In Winter

We have been having a blizzard here the last few days and cabin fever is starting to settle in.  I have been inspired to photograph and scrapbook some "winter" pages and try to see the beauty in winter instead of the inconvenience.  It definitely isn't fun to drive in, but it's fun to scrapbook.  Thankfully Clayton has a snow day and I don't have to drive anywhere today.

I have a new appreciation for winter and I love photographing it's beauty.  When I go to an art gallery, I tend to sway towards the winter scenes.  It is God's art of putting a blanket on everything.

Many scrapbookers only do their craft in the cold months.  I try to do it year round but must admit the cold months I seem to be more inspired to sit down and create.

This is my first layout of 2011.  Polar bears scream winter and I love them.  That is why I have chosen this little guy to be the focal point of my layout.

Well I am on to another one.  It is nice not to justify scrapbooking and it's a perfect day to have a nice licorice root tea and sit down and create.  Have a wonderful day!

Healthy Recipe Challenge

Just came up with an idea that I think will be a fun way to try healthy recipes to keep the weight loss journey fun and interesting.  The challenge is to try one new healthy recipe a week.  It doesn't matter if it is a tried and true family recipe, a recipe clipped from a newspaper or magazine, or one from the internet.  Anyone want to try the challenge with me?  It would be a fun, creative way to exchange recipes.  The fun part is that it would be using our creative juices in many ways.  First the recipe, cooking the recipe and making your own twists on the recipe if desired.  Then photographing the recipe to get practice with our cameras and then eating it of course.  You can rate the recipe if you wish and say if it's a keeper or not.  Then if you want to get really creative, a person could scrapbook the recipes in either a layout, mini album or book.  Sound like fun?   Here are the ones I have posted for the first two weeks of January 2011.

 Eating Well Lemon Chicken Stir Fry

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/menus/lemon_chicken_stir_fry_500_calorie_menu

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/apple-cinnamon-oatmeal.html

I am following the new Points Plus Program through Weight Watchers and I calculate the nutritional values for each recipe that I eat.  You don't have to follow the program, but please make sure the nutritional values are included in your recipe.  Also please post the recipe or link it to your blog or Facebook account so that we can see the recipe.

It sounds like a lot of work, but I think once we get going it will be fun.  Maybe we can start a little photography group and scrapbooking group too.  We will have fun!

Encouraging Words

As I start on the getting healthy journey, I wanted to share this as it is a daily reading that I subscribe to from The Brave Girls Club.  It is so inspirational!


Dear Wonderful Girl,

Making progress is amazing! Making great progress for many days, weeks or months in a row is a fabulous feeling,
and sometimes we think that we can go forever without making big mistakes and falling down.

Remember, sweet friend, that a big part of the progress is the mistakes that we make -- the times that we fall down --
the stuff we sometimes call failing.

If you were going along great and then you messed up, or something came along and messed you up, don't you dare even
think about quitting! All you've got to do is pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start over again tomorrow. This is a
part of life that is going to happen over and over again; it does NOT mean you are a failure, it does NOT mean that you are
never going to get there, it does NOT mean that you deserved it. It just means that you are a living and breathing human
being and that you are completely normal!!!

It is going to be ok, lovely, it really is. Tomorrow is a new day. You get to start over. And if you mess up again, there
will be another new day right after it. Just do your best.

You are so loved.
xoxo

Ten Things I Want To Do In 2011

Here is a list of things I want to do in 2011:

1.  Nurture my friendships
2.  Take care of my health
3.  Earn my photography diploma
4.  Volunteer my time to make a difference in someone's life.
5.  Relearn how to knit
6.  Participate in a 365 program where I take one photo every day for 365 days
7.  Travel somewhere where I have never been before
8.  Organize my home
9.  Try a new recipe every week
10. Scrapbook at least once a week

I am not a strong believer in new year's resolutions, but I do love goal setting.  Today in my Weight Watcher's Tracker the tip for the day was:  "Self knowledge is the beginning of self improvement." - Spanish Proverb

My Book Of Awesome

There is a book that I have heard about named "The Book Of Awesome".  It talks about looking at all the little things in life that make it special.  Some people would say they are trivial thngs, but it teaches to not take the small things for granted.

Today I tried to look at life with a new optimism.  There aren't enough hours in a day and it seems like I want to pack so much into a day as life can be so exciting!  There are so many little things I can appreciate.  So many things that make a day special.  Sure there is our families and friends, but there are also things like books and hobbies and trying a new recipe.  I rarely ever get bored because I think of all the possibilities.

I need to embrace living one day at a time and baby steps in so many areas of daily living.  Patience is something that can be learned.

I am going to do a facelift on my blog, once I learn how to do some new techniques.  It is so therapeutic to type away my thoughts on a computer.  I also want to scrapbook and take pictures with my camera  to express myself.   This is going to be the year of optimism and expression.