March Reminiscing

I'm on my third day back home for the summer and I still cannot believe that fact. I also can't believe I only blogged once this past school year. It was a crazy one, but I didn't realize I let this slip by so often. Sophomore year was so good and challenging. While I wish I had documented it better here, I can't change it now. #regret

These are pictures Ally, my roommate, and I took back in March. One Sunday afternoon we decided to ditch homework and take a walk to Lincoln Park, walking back on a route that went through a beautiful neighborhood with some interesting features. We're not positive what the eggs were hanging from the trees for, but they were so beautiful to see.

Right now I am munching on banana chips, baking banana bread, and trying to get my room organized before I start work next week. While I love keeping things to look back on for sentimental reasons, the minimalist I want to be dies at the thought of keeping ALL my journals from middle and high school. Stay tuned to find out who wins the battle...

- rl

Back At It

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That's right, I'm finally back into journaling! Reading the Princess Diaries series seriously inspired me to get back at it, because Mia wrote in her journal ALL THE TIME. I seemed to think I could only journal before bed. Uh, no. Now I'm journaling multiple times a day. I love it!

And of course I'm counting down the days until move in! 48! Although the day is almost over, so more like 47. (:

And, yes, I've got my cookie monster pajama pants on in this picture. YOLO, right?

- rl

(p.s. this is part of my 14 goals for 2014. You can view all my goals here.)

Far Behind

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Working a lot is nice, except for when you really just want to be caught up on journaling. Sigh. One day I won't have a pile of clock-in/out slips piled next to my bed. (I tape them into my journal because I'm OCD like that). For now, however, they'll have to wait until Sunday...

- rl

(p.s. this is part of my 14 goals for 2014. You can view all my goals here.)

2014 Goals Update: April

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1: one self portrait (per week)
Still going strong! There are way too many of these with my knitting, however that is what I've been doing. Besides, working, of course, but I'm not going to dare setting up my tripod and timer while at work one day. That would be too far.
week fourteen | week fifteen | week sixteen | week seventeen 

2: compose photos (every day)
Success! I'm pretty sure there was at least one day this month that I forgot to take a picture, but I made up for it the next day, so all is well.
094 | 095 | 100 | 101 | 102 | 103 | 107 | 108 | 110 | 114 | 116 | 117 | 120 - which is at the top of this post

3: read the Bible (every day)
Ok! Yes! There is progress with this one. It's not an everyday thing just yet, but I have started a Bible reading plan (which you can read more about here) that I am doing a decent job keeping up with. I find it's best when I listen to the audio from YouVersion on the way to work, however I have had multiple problems where I'll be halfway through a chapter and it starts again at the beginning, so I'm still trying to figure that out. Otherwise, it is getting read. Right now I'm about to be two days behind, but I'll catch up.

4: journal (daily)
There is also progress here! I got a new journal about halfway through the month and have started journaling again from there. I'm a few months behind in my last journal, so I'm still trying to figure out what to do with that. There are too many things higher on my list to worry about that.

5: blog (daily)
Success! Of course I wish the posts were more exciting, but blogging isn't my job, it's just a form of documentation for me, and simple posts are exactly why I have a blog.

6: walk
Fail.

7: bike
Fail.

8: 52 projects
If I have 17 self portraits so far, that means I should have 17 projects, right? If that's the case, I'm down by two, but in reality I have two projects that just need to be blocked, so I'm good. (I'm terrified of blocking. There. I said it. Now I have to overcome it. Soon...)
project 11 | project 12 | project 13 | project 14 | project 15

9: 52 books
Fail. I'm eight books behind, I think. However, I should be able to catch up if I ever get around to dedicating the time to reading the Harry Potter series. I'm halfway through the first one, and I want to read! I really do!, but I've decided I should probably focus my evenings more on training for working in the kitchen at work.
what I read this month

10: experiment with photography
Success! It was just snapping a few photos of an event I was at anyway, but I think it counts because, well, it's my list of goals and I get to make the rules. (:

11: make six new meals for the family
Fail.

12: learn to play the keyboard
Fail.

13: at least one photo book
Fail. I've made zero progress on the book I started last month, and have actually gone in reverse on it, if anything. I really don't expect to actually do this one until later in the year anyway.

14: travel
Fail. 

- rl

Previous 2014 Goals Posts:
Original List
January Update
February Update
March Update

Catching Up

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I've been horrible about journaling this year. This week it's because I'd rather be knitting and watching Downton Abbey. If staying up until 1am worrying about a television drama is wrong, I'm not ready to be right.

- rl

(p.s. this is part of my 14 goals for 2014. You can view all my goals here.)

I Want to Remember: Nightly Routine

This is my nightly routine. It's always evolving. Here's how:

Picture 1: I'm always doing a different craft. Sometime it's looming. Sometimes it's knitting. Right now, it's either reed making or weaving. When I took these pictures the other night, I was still watching Supernatural, but, since then, have caught up and am moving on to getting caught up on a few other shows I'm halfway through.

Picture 2: I've had the snack - banana, rice chex, and milk - every night for a year now. It's the best. Seriously. THE best before bed snack! In April, I started watching an episode of The Office (U.S.) every night. I'm just starting season seven.

Picture 3: Journaling. I go through ups and downs with this one. I journaled consistently for a few years, but have been off and on for the last 18 months or so. I just recently decided to stick with this simpler style of journaling: memorabilia (which can include clock in/out receipts, the notecard I used to keep track of my to-do list, etc.) + a run down of the day.

Picture 4: My boy. Sleeping, as usual.

I decided to blog about this because this is something I want to remember. I mean, that's why I blog in the first place: to put pictures I take and words to go with them together.

- rl

(p.s. Ignore the picture quality. Once the sun goes down, I turn on two strings of Christmas lights I have hanging in my room, so it makes for some fuzzy pictures. I don't mind, so I hope you don't.)