a year in thoughts + pictures

Things have been pretty quiet here on my blog, and that's okay. I've spent the last few months focusing on my life offline & and it has been really good for me. I figured since it's the last day of the year, now is as good a time as any to make a post.

Today I was lucky enough to have off work and enjoy my day with Lucy. This morning I woke up and put on my warm winter clothes, grabbed a cup of coffee and took Lucy to the dog park. I was just thinking about how wonderful it is that at about this time last year, Joe and I adopted her. I can't believe its been a whole year since we've called her our own! It makes me very happy just to think about it. Here's a few pictures of her that make me smile...











and here's a picture of Maxine!



Overall, this year has been insanely good to me. I've picked up a few photography jobs that landed me a photo in the paper. That was pretty cool. My (almost) full-time job has been going well, though at times its not fulfilling, I am happy to be employed and afford the things I can. I love our little apartment - though I sometimes complain at how small it is, I think it has brought us closer in many ways. When we first moved here in November of 2010, we knew we had a lot of work on our plates. The walls were dingy and just not pretty, so we painted. And we had such an awesome time decorating - it's like we have our own little house! Really, I can't complain about the location. It's right in downtown Grafton, and although there's not much hustle and bustle on the streets, I enjoy it all the same. Our view from the roof is amazing! Since we live above a business downtown, we get to go out our bathroom window or the attic door upstairs to see the tree tops & cars cruising by below. It's very nice.

In August we went to visit our amazing friends, Alexis & Tony, in Washington state. They were such incredible hosts & made sure we saw everything from Mount Rainer to downtown Portland. It was sensational.














Sadly, I haven't focused much on my shop - but I have determined that needs to change because my shop brings me a lot of happiness. I can't tell you how good it makes me feel to find something that's been discarded & give it life. It may seem silly, but that's what truly makes me happy. On that note, I have had the awesome pleasure of meeting some really cool people who have shop of there own, both on etsy and in brick-n-mortar shops across the country.

This year I have promised myself to make change. I want to phase the negative things out of my life. I want to stop being sad & hateful when things get me down. I want to stop myself right before I say things I might regret. I want to spend quality time with the people (& animals) that I love. I want to be the best version of me possible, really.

Here's a little phrase that I have attached the front of my fridge - to remind me every morning to remind me to keep things in perspective :)



Here's a little Zooey & Joseph for you....