catching up

Hello.
It's been a while since I've done a non-crafty post. Let's see, what have I been up to?

Real life. Living without a camera in front of my face. It's hard to get back in the habit. I see why so many people have switched to shooting with smartphones these days. I've actually had some practice with that kind of photography lately though, as I managed to destroy (yet again) my primary point and shoot (RIP Canon S95). That's a story for another post though. ;)

Working on many, many secret projects. Some of which I shall be able to flesh out in future blog posts. For example....

I finished three photo books, which required a ton of computer time (scanning, editing, placing in the books, etc). Two were gift books, for Greg's mum and auntie. I also finished the Europe photo book - all 100 pages of it. I used Shutterfly and Blurb, respectively.

I have been working a lot. Taking a lot of work-related classes and learning new skills. Working really really hard on my career.

I went to Hawaii for a whole week in April, and crossed a few things off my bucket list. It was spectacular. And romantic too.

Continuing to work on my relationship with the boy and with my health. Working on being present and working hard on the things that really matter. Trying to keep up with social events and writing letters to the ones I love. Exploring hula hooping as a fitness option (weird, but boy does it work your tummy muscles). Looking really hard for a new house for us to move into.

Been doing a lot of cleaning. Transitioning seasons are good for that. As we've moved from Spring into almost-Summer conditions I've really worked on purging clothes and craft supplies and THINGS that I don't need or love anymore. Am going to be getting rid of a bunch of stamps too, so you know it's serious.

I'm actually planning an online garage sale for the extras, probably by the end of this month. Because who else but people online would want unused Studio AE and Studio Calico stuff? Seriously.

In terms of crafty-ness, after I finished my recent submission to the Sketchbook Project, I kept working in my new art journal/mini book, as started during the class I took from May Flaum (the Field Guide). I've actually got a bunch of those pages photographed, so they'll definitely be posted this week.

I'm working on a friend's wedding invitations, save the dates and website. There's a lot which needs to be perfected and refined, in terms of design and execution. This is where having a crafty friend IRL really comes in handy, lol. Basically, she'll want for nothing, in terms of crafty help from me. ;)

Still working on my 30 before 30 book. All the photos are finally done and I'm just fussing with the design. I've started a minibook for the Hawaii trip. I've actually finished a fully stocked mini for 2012 Week in the Life (which I'm doing in June, because I was in Hawaii when it was being done in April).

In terms of classes and the etsy, I've got a bunch of stuff planned for Fall and the Holidays (because I'm trying to be THAT pro-active). I'm hoping to squeeze in a Summer or non-seasonal option in there too.

So, I think that's enough text for today. I've got a video or two and a bunch of good crafty stuff coming up soon for the old blog. Yay for long weekends!