April – 12 months project

April has come and gone, and I finally have my blog post and photos up! So sorry! I’m always late and behind on everything…

For this month (meaning April) I took more than one photo! I figured since I was late, I needed to do something extra to make up for it! I hope you like the photos and hope that April was an amazing month for you!

And without further ado – here are the photos I took for April’s theme Colors:

I would love it if you would follow the links to Jen’s and Katayoon’s blogs (I’m doing the project with these two amazing ladies!) to take a look at what they created this month and to show them some love! And if you are joining this project with us please feel free to post your own links to your photos in the comments! We would love to see what you all created for this months theme Colors! And if you are wondering if it is too late to join in – then absolutely not! You can join in at any time! We’d love for you to join us!

The theme for May is “Reflections”. I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with for that theme so get out and create!

If you want to read more about the 12 months project and see the themes we’ve chosen to follow, I wrote about it here.

Happy Saturday and here’s to May being a little warmer than April!

March – 12 months project

Happy Easter, friends! I hope you have a lovely day with your friends and family eating lots of chocolate and sweets – at least I know I will do that!

It’s crazy to think that 3 months of 2013 has already gone by. This month has been crazy and just went by before my eyes. March is my Birthday month, so I had a lot of fun celebrating, and I received an amazing new lens as a Birthday present and actually used that to take my photo for this month! I know I didn’t get a photo up last month, but it is still my intention to take the photo and post it sometime in the future. You should hold me up on that, actually.

This month I took my photo pretty early on, and I am so glad I did! Only a few days after taking the photo it started snowing AGAIN and all the pretty new blossoms and flowers were dead and ruined by the snow again.

So here is my photo for March where the theme was Rebirth!

I would love it if you would follow the links to Jen’s and Katayoon’s blogs (I’m doing the project with these two amazing ladies!) to take a look at what they created this month and to show them some love! And if you are joining this project with us please feel free to post your own links to your photos in the comments! We would love to see what you all created for this months theme Rebirth! And if you are wondering if it is too late to join in – then absolutely not! You can join in at any time! We’d love for you to join us!

The theme for April is “Colors”, and I’m so excited for this theme! I love colors! I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with for that theme so get out and create!

If you want to read more about the 12 months project and see the themes we’ve chosen to follow, I wrote about it here.

So again Happy Easter! I hope you have a great day!

Dear Kiddi

Dear Kiddi,

Today I re-discovered this photo of you while looking through some old albums on my computer. The photo was originally in colours and taken over two years ago, when I had just received my camera as a Birthday present on March 2nd 2011. I remember this day when this photo was taken perfectly well. It was March 8th 2011, only two days before you passed away on March 10th. These days before you passed away were so hard. You had been feeling worse, and we had been in and out of the vet for days trying to figure out what was wrong, and if we could do anything to make you pain-free and to make you feel better. You were struggling. Eating was difficult, even drinking was hard. I remember the pain in your beautiful face when we had to force the medicine into your little mouth and that still makes me cry just thinking how much pain you were in. There was nothing we could do and the only right thing to do was to put you down so you wouldn’t be in pain anymore. I’m glad that you have peace now, and I know we did the right thing. I know you’re up there looking down on us and taking care of us from above.

The time after you passed away was very hard. Oh how I’ve cried. I’ve cried so much and life has not always been easy without you here, but who ever said life would be easy anyway? You were my best friend in so many ways, and I miss you every day. I don’t cry anymore when I think about you. Not because I don’t miss you or wish you where here, because Kiddi, I do. More than anything I wish you were still here. Here to comfort me when I’m sad. Here to listen when I have a lot on my mind that I don’t feel I can tell anyone, but you. Here to snuggle up under my duvet with me on cold days. Just here with me. But you aren’t here anymore, and although I don’t understand it, I have learned to accept it. Instead of crying when thinking of you, I smile and I remember all the beautiful moments we’ve had together. I remember how soft your fur felt, how your eyes would become smaller when I was petting you right before you would go off to sleep for hours. You loved sleeping so much, just like me. I remember how you always tried to distract me by stepping on my papers and homework whenever you wanted my attention, and how you would play with my pen when I was writing. I’ve never had cat like you before. A cat that meant so much to me. I can’t even express how grateful, and happy I am that you were chosen for my family. I still remember the words the people on the farm, where you were born, said when we came to pick you up: “We’re sorry, but we only have this ugly one left.” And just look how wrong they were. You grew up to be the most beautiful cat ever, and I’m so happy you were my cat for so long. I’m the luckiest girl for having met you.

I just re-edited the photo of you today, and I’m so happy with the photo and how the black and white edit turned out. I used an action made by Alex Beadon called “Black hearts White”, and I think it is amazing on this photo. This photo really means the world to me. I love this photo of you, and I will treasure it forever. It’s not a perfect photo technically speaking, but to me it couldn’t be more perfect, because this is you! This is how I remember your beautiful self and sweet, loving face. The photo was taken over two years ago when I knew nothing about photography, and yet it remains one of my favourite photos I’ve ever taken. I love this photo, and I love you, Kiddi. <3

Love,

Me

January – 12 months project

So here we are guys! The last day of January 2013. And we all know what that means. A new month will start tomorrow, one month has already gone by (and is it just me or does time just fly by SO fast?), but it also means that it is time for the very first photo of my new project! I’m so excited to show you guys!

So last-minute as I am, I just now edited the photo (however, I did take it before today), but I do have a valid excuse! I had my last exam yesterday so I have been extremely busy preparing for that! More about it later down this post.

But without further ado here is my photo for January! I hope you like it!

I would love it if you would follow the link to Jen’s blog to take a look at what she created this month and to show her some love! And if you are joining this project with us please feel free to post your own links to your photos in the comments! We would love to see what you all created!

The theme for February is “Someone you love”, but it doesn’t have to be human! I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with for that theme!

PS. I had my final exam for the first semester at my university yesterday, and I did surprisingly well! I was so nervous that I wouldn’t do good, but I’m so happy to say that I did really well! I couldn’t be happier, and now that it is finally over I will hopefully have a little more time to write more blog posts and to take more photos! The new semester starts this Tuesday so not a long break before a new one starts, but that’s okay! I’m excited to go back to “normal” instead exam periods!

I hope you have an amazing Thursday and soon weekend too! Happy last day of January!

A New Logo

This year I wanted to start off fresh and be more inspired than ever so I decided that I needed a new logo! Something that screamed ME. So I talked to one of my amazing photographer and designer friends, and she immediately agreed to help me create a new logo! And so the process began. I was so confused and undecided  as to what I wanted, but I quickly wrote down a few ideas, and Katayoon started creating.

I couldn’t be more happy with the end result! I love yellow (it’s my favourite colour!) and I thought the gray looked great with the yellow. The “open” heart was my idea. I have a little book where I do doodles and writings and such in, and I love this kind of heart. So I thought it might make it more special and more ME since it wasn’t just a normal heart, but instead one I created in my doodles. The heart also symbolises my love for love, and I hope people will associate it with me. I’ve also been told that I have a big heart so I hope that shows in the logo as well.
So what are your thoughts? Do you like my new logo? I hope you do!

A New Project

As I mentioned Monday,  I am starting a new project this year. In 2012 I attempted a 52 weeks project which I failed miserably at week 34 around the time when school started. I just felt I didn’t have the time to keep up with it because everything was new with school and getting to know everyone and investing my time in homework and new friendships. At first I didn’t want to believe that I couldn’t finish the project (I mean come on 52 photos over a whole year? That’s not SO much) and I kept saying that I would eventually catch up with the project, but I never found the time to do it even though I really wanted to. Just thinking about it makes me sad.

SO this year I’m starting a new project! It’s called the 12 months project! Basically you just take a photo (or more!) each month of the year. That should be easy and manageable, right? Let’s talk later when the year is finished I am determined to do this though (and finish it!), and I will be doing it with two of my favourite photographers that I am lucky enough to call friends. Jen and Katayoon are two amazing girls, and I trust they will push me to do this with them if I am about to quit.

We are going to post our monthly photos on our blogs (Jen’s blog and Katayoon’s blog) on the last day of the month, and we will be linking the posts to each other so you can easily take a look at all our photos! I am so excited to start the project!

Anyone who would like to join our project is very welcome to do so! The more the merrier! Feel free to follow the themes we have chosen or make up your own! And be sure to post a comment on our blogs so we can come and see all your beautiful photos every month! If you don’t have a blog or if you would rather post the photos somewhere else like Facebook or Flickr that is totally fine too!

Here are all the themes we have chosen for this year. The design credits goes to the amazing Katayoon of Katayoon Designs!

I can’t wait to take and post the first photo this month and can’t wait to see your photos either!

A New Year – A New Beginning

Happy New Year beautiful people! I hope you all got into 2013 safe and sound and had an amazing New Years Eve!

I am so happy to be back on the blog, and I hope you will see me much more on here in 2013 because let’s be honest, I’ve been kind of a stranger in 2012. Mia who? I’ve set some goals for this year about blogging, but more on that later!

As you can see I have made quite a few changes here on the blog, and it will continue over the next months along with so many other things! So many exciting and new things are happening and I can’t wait to share everything with you guys!

First, here are some photos taken on New Years Eve in 2011. I didn’t get to take any firework photos in 2012 so these will have to do! I love fireworks! All the pretty colors up in the sky exploding in a big bang before turning pretty! (PS. did I ever mention that I am an over user of exclamation points? Because I am. At least now you know.)

I have decided that this year I will not make resolutions. I make resolutions every year, and I fail miserably at making them come true and happen in the new year. So this year, year 2-0-1-3, I am not making resolutions. Instead I am making goals. Yeah maybe it is just calling it another word, but I hope that will help me reach my goals and make things happen this year! I just know that twothousandthirteen is going to be my year. I feel more refreshed this year, more inspired to do things, to make them happen, to reach for the stars. Plus this year I am making some of the goals very simple (just so I know I won’t fail all of them, haha).

Here are my GOALS for 2013 (not in any particular order):

1. Blog more (So you didn’t see that one coming did you? I can’t really say a number of times per week because I don’t know how much time I’ll have on my hands, but just more than in 2012 and that shouldn’t be too hard should it?)

2. Go to the gym (Yikes! Let’s see how that goes, I’m going for the first time this Thursday! Wish me luck!)

3. Stop procrastinating (or at least not do it so much this year and just get things done instead. This is going to be a hard one for sure!)

4. Finish the 12 Month Project (more on that later!)

5. Take more photos of people (simple right? No. I don’t know what scares me so much about this goal, but I am scared. SO MUCH. I need to get out of my comfort zone and take a step in a new direction and try new things. Of course this goal also includes taking more photos in general and become a better photographer over time.)

6. Read more books (do I dare say the number 12? That would be one each month of 2013. I need to start small and then at the end of the year I might have surprised myself positively! PS. books for school doesn’t count!)

7. Focus more on school and exams (and do my best to succeed! This is on my list every year as with some of the other goals, but I really feel like it is important to have this goal every year since it is after all about my future.)

8. Get a new lens (this has been on my bucket list for so long and this year it is going to happen! I am still a little undecided as to which lens I will purchase so if anyone has any amazing suggestions I’d love to hear them. PS. I shoot Canon.)

9. Floss every night before bed (haha, I can’t stop laughing at this one. As simple as this sounds – it isn’t! There have been many nights where I just want to brush my teeth and be done and go to bed, but my dentist has recommended that I floss at least one time a day so I have decided to make that happen and take care of my teeth. So far so good!)

10. Stop comparing myself to others and stop caring so much about what people think of me (Phew, this was a long one! Whether it be my photos or me as a person I need to stop comparing myself to others and caring so much about what other people think. This is crucial for me. Comparing myself to others doesn’t make me happy, it makes me sad and frustrated and depressed, so it needs to stop. Period.)

Bonus goal:

11. Find joy and delight in the small things (and in everything really. Start documenting life more and find beauty in everything.)

So these are my goals for the new year! Then at the end of 2013 I will go back and see how many of these goals I have reached and hopefully it will be most of them if not all of them! We’ll see at the end of December! I just know that this year has some amazing things in store for me and I can’t wait to explore them!

May 2013 be YOUR year, and may you make all YOUR dreams and goals come true this year!

Happy 2013!