Photo-ness.

 

This month I've created only memories and photographs.

Small Market, Big heart Premiere.

Last night was the premiere of the documentary Small Market, Big Heart.

My boyfriend spent weeks of hard work scoring the entire movie,

and it was finally time to see the fruit of all his labor!

It was my favorite night of 2012 so far. It was filled with excitement, support, and laughter.

I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming thankfulness that God had given John such an amazing opportunity,

and how humbly he took it on.

He did an absolutely incredible job, and I am so very proud of him.

 I spent the entire night running around taking  proud-girlfriend-pictures of, well, let's be honest....everything.

So I'll spare you all and only share 1/4 of the pictures I took.

 

 

 

 

  (During the sound check...so cute.)

 

So cool seeing his name in the credits!

Pieces of Soul.

I hope you did something you love today.

I hope you get the chance to do it everyday.

And if you havent found out what you love to do then I truly hope you find it soon.

Creating is what I love to do.

Anything and everything.

Drawing, painting, sewing, MAKING.

It's truly the most fufillling feeling to be able to  find a way to take a piece of my soul and, somehow, bring it to life.

And it's my mission to find a way to spend my entire life doing just that.

Today I was able to find some time to create little pieces of soul on paper.

"Mr. Blue, Don't hold your head 

so low that you cant see the sky."

Just a quick illustration of a awkward,dis-proportioned man and some water color balloons.

Just something I kept imagining this week.

Also, i got to play with my NEW SEWING MACHINE!! 

[Thank you boyfriend, you are zeee best.]

Now GO!
Find a way to bring little pieces of your soul to life anyway you can.

There is great joy in doing what you love, and that my friends, is a promise.

Things I Don't Do.

Christmas is over, and boy was it a good one.

I had an amazing time with my family. It was peaceful and funny and relaxing and homey and every lovely thing I expected it would be. Returning was difficult but necessary. Day by day I became more settled in to my normal life and more hopeful than ever that good things are in store for me. 

It's officially 2012, and as always talk of "new years resolutions" seems to be on everyone's lips. 

I don't like resolutions. I never have.

To me, resolutions are a recipe for failure. My mammoth cloud of motivation starts out strong and three days later I realize it was filled with nothing but air. Empty. Nothing but hype with a fluffy, fragile exterior. And then comes the third week of January when I come to the realization that I haven't actually made the changes I wanted to and the self-criticism seeps in making me feel more unable to complete anything on my resolution list. 

Positive lifestyle changes ARE a good thing.

But putting added pressure and stress on yourself to suddenly change your current way of living in a day isnt exactly the most solid foundation for a true life change.

So I thought this year I would make a list of things I DONT do. 

Because for lazy folks like me it's so much easier to NOT do something  than to expel extra energy trying.

So here it is, my list of silly and serious...

THINGS I DON'T DO:

I DO NOT COMPARE ME TO YOU.

I have a huge problem with comparing myself to others. I compare my art with other people's art. I compare your gorgeous long locks with my awkwardly thick mid-length hair. I compare your plethora of talents to my 1/2 talent. I compare your to job to mine. Your apparent happiness to my own. EVERYTHING. It just must stop. My life is MY life. My path is different than yours and the light in my life gets increasingly dimmer the more I choose to wish I was different.

I DO NOT WORRY ABOUT MY [lack of]MONEY.

Tithe, give wholeheartedly, save what I can, and pray God will provide.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.


I DO NOT GO TO BED WITHOUT WEARING MY RETAINER.
My parents paid a whole lotta' American dollars for my straight pearly whites and if their alignment is the only thing I can control this year, then by golly, I will.

I DO NOT WORRY ABOUT MY OUTFITS.

 Hi, my name is Nicole and I'm a clothes-a-holic. Before I was on my own I would spend 90 % of my paycheck on clothes. I would buy something and wear it like, once. Sickening, I know. Now things are a whole lot different and the budgets a heck of a lot tighter when it comes to buying clothes. I have 1/4 the wardrobe I used to and I hate it. But life isnt about clothes anyway, no matter how much a cute shirt may sing to the depths of my soul. I'll live without it. Probably.

I DO NOT SPEND COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF TIME DOING THINGS I DONT LIKE. 

I don't like my job anymore. So I'm looking for a new one. I don't like to run. So I'm going to walk, like the 90 year old lady I am inside.

I dont like reading the book I'm reading. So I'm going to read something else. I don't like staying up late.

It makes me feel gross and worn out and I dont care that I'm only in my early 20's, I'm going to bed at 10pm. Suck it.

Happy new year everyone.