It all starts with a list...

I'm notorious for making lists. Lists for the grocery store, packing lists when I go on vacation, lists for when I go to multiday barrel races, etc. (you get the drift.)

This past year has been one for - well chilling out. I feel like I've been in a hurry to get somewhere since I graduated high school in 2000. Five years of college, three years of running my own photography business, and a year of learning my way in a brand new extremely stressful job all lead to 2010 being the year of my burnout finally catching up with me. I put aside my camera and photography for the first time in probably 15 years. I did exactly one wedding and two other small photo jobs this year. I was uninspired and truthfully I was just plain tired of worrying what people thought and trying to make other people happy. I just wanted a year for me. I feel like it's the best thing I ever did. I have sewn and grown leaps and bounds as a seamstress. I made a ball gown in January which I am truly proud of. I've started really feeling comfortable with my serger, and I also made my first coat which I have worn the tail off of. All in all I am very happy with the skills I have gained over the past year.

Not to say I haven't taken any photographs, I have but just not at my usual rate.

As I do at this time every year I sit down and try to set some goals for the following year. This is a personal list that I aspire to, but hardly ever do everything on the list. That's not the point. The point is to have goals to reach toward.

I want to begin to compete more with my horses. I have three really wonderful furry kids that need to get out there and shine. We've done all the training there is to do; now it's time to get out there, haul, and compete.

Photography is going to take a numero uno position in my artistic pursuits. I have several wonderful books that I got for Christmas that are really inspiring and I think are going to lead me down a new path for my artwork.

Sewing is going to continue to be something I am pursuing, of course. My fabric bins brimmith over and I can't wait to cut into them.

And the list could go on and on.

Last but not least, I would like to really begin to blog again. I used to love sharing what I did on livejournal, and blogger has taken some getting used to.

Looks like I have my work cut out for me this coming year.
Enjoy the rest of your week kittens!

I need a plan....

I need a plan for my life I think, or at least a plan for my time after work. I have a tendency to let the the boho hippie part of myself take over after 5 o'clock which means I just float along and tackle whatever tickles my fancy that afternoon.

I used to be so diciplined and always had a plan as to what I was going to do every day when I was in college. Maybe that had something to do with the boatload of stuff I had to accomplish every week which pretty much meant that I had to schedule every spare minute of my life.

Hmmm.......

Me thinks I need to sit down and really think about this.

Spring fever!

Have mercy! The post I promised, remember? Well that’s just going to have to wait. I’ve been struck by Spring fever which means horse riding! Monday afternoon was spent feeding and just hanging out. I hardly went to the barn at all last week, my sciatic nerve was inflamed and my back hurt so bad I went to the doctor.

Now, those that know me know what a huge thing that is. For those that don’t well aside from my yearly physical I have to either be beaten, broken, or half dead to go to the doctor. I believe in sleep, aspirin, vitamins, herbs, and the occasional hot toddy. Those five things will see me through most things. But after three days of excruciating pain I tapped out and went to the doctor. An anti-inflammatory shot and an “arthritis medication” prescription later I was feeling a lot better. Yes, I am offically old enough to have “arthritis medication." I did go ahead and take care of myself and stayed away from the barn the rest of the week and went out there Monday for what felt like the first time in a month. Tuesday I rode Joker and Casino (and no I did not buy them for their names, they were bought a year apart and it was total coincidence) and it was wonderful. I had bought a new bit for my mare, Casino, and she worked pretty well in that and if I could just get her to stand up going around the second barrel all the time and not drop her shoulder I would be overjoyed. Joker, my dun gelding, just got a light workout and no barrel tuning. I’d love to take these two somewhere this weekend, but it looks like rain so we’ll just have to see. Hope your week has been going well.

Later my lovelies!

A quick test...

Just a quick test to see if I can post from my iPhone. Hope everyone is having a great day!!!

Beautiful Thursday to you!

A beautiful Thursday to you my dears! Here is a lovely image from Alphone Mucha, "Poetry" for you. I have a real post all typed up, it just needs the pictures and when you leave your jump drive at home it's kind of hard to post them.

Later my lovelies!

What a way to make a living...

After a somewhat lackluster day of work yesterday I came home to find the good Lord's answer to my woes on Fox Movie Channel. 9 to 5 starring Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman. Our three girls are the typical 80's gals who have thrown off the apron strings and have gone into the workplace to make a dollar and find equality. What they find is a, "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot" in their boss played by Dabney Coleman. Most of us of a certain age have seen it and no matter how many times I see it I always hoot with laughter and vow to be more like Dolly Parton. Jane Fonda really doesn't do it for me in this movie, but Dolly and Lily more than make up for it. The dialogue is funny, sharp, and Dolly's outrage when she finds out the boss has been saying she is having an affair with him is priceless.

"I'll turn you from a rooster to a hen with one shot and don't think I won't do it!!!"

If you haven't seen this movie, what are you waiting for? It's funny, uplifting, and the pure genius of stringing up your boss from an automatic garage door opener is worth watching alone.

Hope you are all having a great week and I'll see you down at Charlie's at 5:00 p.m.

(If you don't know what Charlie's is, well you'll just have to watch the movie or google it. ;)

My Saturday in a bulleted list....

Saturday was one of the worst days I have had in a long time. I looked forward to it all week and then, well read on....

*got up and washed my truck-the pollen here is terrible.
*went to the barn and washed and fed the horses.
*drove back to town and went to the bank.
*came back to the house, took a shower and got ready to go to the show
*drove back out to the barn and hooked up to the trailer and loaded up the horses
*got about a quarter mile down the road, saw what I thought was something stuck to the wheel of the trailer, stopped at the stop sign, got out and saw that a huge hunk of side wall had come off my tire.
*turned around and went back to the barn and unloaded the horses
*had a near meltdown and a couple phone calls with the husband and my dad
*drove back to town to the tire store to get a new tire and when I turned them down on their rip off prices and asked just to have my spare put on they said they were too busy to do it and to take it next door
*drove to my house, parked in the front yard and changed the tire my damn self
*had a minor meltdown
*drove back to the barn
*got stuck trying to turn the trailer around to park it
*got unstuck
*had a serious meltdown
*drove home
*had a beer and took my frustrations out on the bushes in the front yard, the side yard, and the back yard
*the end

Next weekend I am going to get new tires and hopefully after that barrel racing will commence.

Have a great week my dears!

Hello my dears and darlings!

I'm back! After quite a long hiatus I am back for more blogging. I have been doing a lot of sewing and reading lately and to tell you the truth had just lost my journaling mojo. I'm on the road to reclaim it and am even starting to write in my paper journal again. You know things are bad with me if I lack the desire to write in my journal. So, on to some pictures!

Last night I went to the Mississippi State University Spring Senior thesis show. It was exactly 5 years ago I was in the same place as these graduating artists. The name of the show is "Naked Sponges." While I have no idea what the meaning of the name is, I am going to make an effort to find out. I went in particular to see the work of a girl who is roommates with one of my coworkers. Her work was a series of photographs of her great grandmother's handmade evening dresses. They were digital prints and framed in old window frames. Very interesting I have to say. There was also some other great student work. One of which I have some pictures, which was a great installation as well as some beautiful paintings, and a really awesome animation sequence. I didn't even bother taking any photos; you just have to see it.

Excuse the terrible pictures, all I had with me was my small point and shoot camera that I carry around in my purse. Visit my flickr page to view any photos larger.

Have a wonderful weekend my lovelies and check back next week for more new content. I promise!