#73 - COMPLETE

73. Enter a photography competition. Bonus points if a finalist or winner.




Well, I actually crossed this one off. I entered a local studio's annual competition for professionals and amateurs. It's called SEEN. It's the 6th iteration of this competition.  I kind of entered on a last minute whim, and only had the time and the funds to submit four photos. Photos are selected and judged by a blind jury - which is a good thing since it is a mix of people who take photos for a living and those who do it as a pure hobby, like me.


I'm still kind of in shock that one of them got picked. In addition to the honor of making it into the show, you could place first, second or third in your respective category and/or first, second or third overall.

Sadly, I didn't place but there were SO many amazing images that I was up against. I an purchasing the photobook of the show to inspire me for next year. To be in an exhibition with those artists, is truly an honor.

The piece that made it into the show is this one:



I had it printed on metal at the suggestion of my mom and the woman at the lab, and I don't regret it one bit.

So here's to giving myself a goal of taking more SEEN-worthy photos for next year. A bonus point for making it into the show itself but next time I'd like to earn some for placing. Now that I have a little more confidence in my photography, I may try to enter more of them around town or otherwise.

#6 - COMPLETE

6. Go back to writing good old-fashioned letters.

In this digital age, I find it important to slow down and write by hand. In the age when cursive is not being consistently taught, it's lovely to take a real pen to real paper and write a heartfelt note to a friend.

One such friend, L, and I have corresponded now via letter for about a year. Sure, we still talk on FB or email and have even seen each other in person. We comment on each others blogs. But we're still taking the time every so often to mail each other a real note.



We shall continue this tradition for awhile, I hope. I hope it continues to spread to other friends. I do make it a point of sending out real, physical holiday cards - I've been doing that for awhile. But this took a little extra effort and reciprocation on the part of a very good friend.

#52 - COMPLETE!

52. Locks of Love. I'd love to be able to help someone out by growing my hair long again.

After 14 months of no haircuts, I finally achieved the length needed by Pantene Beauitful Lengths (a program very similar to Locks of Love, but only required 8" instead of 10"). My hair is luxuriously thick and I don't use hair products nor blow dry or flat iron my hair, so it should make a wonderful wig for someone in need. Pantene's wigs still go to patients with cancer.

Here's a before picture:

In process:

 

And now the after picture:

Monday, I'll ship it off. I sure picked the hottest summer on record to chose to do this particular goal, but I didn't know that when I started it. I'm glad I did it and I'm glad its over. I feel pounds lighter, even though the hair bundle is only a 1/4 lb. I just measured it - the longest strands are about 11" braided, so I may have cut off a larger amount than I thought. Hooray!

Task #13: Complete

13. See a movie at a drive-in.

Item number 13 on my list was "See a movie at a drive-in". When I grew up in St. Louis, there were several drive-in movie theatres scattered about the metro area. As I got older, they slowly disappeared until there were none. The only one remaining in the near metro area is in Belleville, IL, about 20 miles from me.

A friend and I were talking about drive in theatres and right before my birthday, one of those LivingSocial deals came up and she snagged me one for my birthday. "Men in Black:3" was showing this weekend, so we decided to go see it.

It was, in some ways, nothing like I expected. People showed up FAR in advance, there was a playground for the kiddos and our fellow theatregoers were essentially tailgating (probably without the alcohol) prior to the movie.

It was totally fun to watch the movie from the car, with the movie playing over the radio. We didn't stay for the second feature, mostly because it didn't appeal to us.

A life-long yearning and a coupon may have made this one happen but I can definitely see going again and caffinate-ing myself up for a double feature!

#60 and #62 - Complete

60. Travel overseas again. I’ve only been twice, and I should go again.

62. Get hired overseas.

Well, I got that done in one fell swoop in late October. Don't need to link back to the pages because that's all I've been posted about for the last month and a half. :)

#2 - Complete

2. Live in a city I love, or at least, don't hate.



It is time I cross this off the list. It's official. I love St. Louis. I grew up here, went to school here (not for university), and my family lives here. I wish more of my friends still lived here, but that's how life goes.

So St. Louis has my heart for family reasons. But it has my heart for other reasons. St. Louis is home to Forest Park which is an amazing, huge greenspace located near to where I once lived and also now live. But Forest Park alone isn't what is great. Forest Park houses many great things like the Zoo, Art Museum, Jewel Box and was the location of the 1904 World's Fair.

And so many of St. Louis' attractions are free: History Museum, Art Museum, St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis Zoo, Science Center.

Others have a nominal or small fee: Jewel Box, City Museum, special exhibits at the History Museum, Art Museum.

And who can forgot the Missouri Botanical Garden. It's world-renowned and makes most other botanical gardens I visit pale in comparison. It is worth every single penny that I pay for my membership so I can go appreciate its beauty at any time.

And St. Louis' Metro area also is home to Queeny Park, Faust Park, Laumeier Sculpture Park and Grant's Farm.

There's also an amazing array of truly amazing restaurants and the cuisines are from all over the world. It's a wonder that we're not one of the fatter cities in the United States because of all the amazing food that is offered to us.

And I could go on and on. I really do love this city. I've lived in Indiana, Los Angeles and Houston… and I've returned to St. Louis quite happily.

#53 - Complete

53. Have one of my photographs hung on the wall of someone else's house.

I've accomplished this a few times over. I've gifted several people with vertical collages of some of my favorite photographs. Though it doesn't much count for this item, my roommate requested that we hang some of my photos up on our walls. I made a collage of roses for one of my best friends, gave my roommate's parents a collage of palm trees and beaches (some of their favorite things), and a pair of collages for my parents - daylilies for dad, and irises for mom.

And at some point, i will come up with a collage or collection of photos for another one of my best friends who is an amazing photographer in her own right. She has very graciously reserved a wall space for me in her new apartment. We're not quite sure what will go there yet.

Someday, I might be able to update this entry with pictures of aforementioned wall-hangings, but for right now, I will enjoy the fact that people enjoy my photography enough to have my pictures up on their wall.

#43 - Complete

43. Be a bridesmaid.



My cousin on my mom's side got married this summer in her hometown of Bozeman, MT to her man of five years. It was a fun-filled week of getting to know her again (we don't see each other often), and getting last-minute details done. Had my first mani-pedi of my life, as well as my first experience in making bridal/bridesmaid bouquets.



It was a lot of craziness, a little stress and a lot of fun overall. Here's to a lifetime of happiness for JNA and CMA!

(Ceremony photo by my mom - because, obviously, I can't take it if I'm *IN* the wedding)

Task #14 - Complete

14. Take a picture every day for a year.

What a year it's been. I'm using blurb.com and making a photo book of it - and it is going to be amazing.

---

365/365



My what a year it's been. It is amazing where I (and subsequently this camera) have been in 365 days.

364/365



A lovely sunset after a rainy day in Forest Park.

363/365



Clematis, up close and beautiful at the Missouri Botanical Garden.


362/365



Exploring Forest Park - this is the rear 'lobby' of the Muny in Forest Park.


361/365



Our garden at my parent's house. Flourishing away from our TLC.

360/365



Not every day can be a great picture - today was a day of mundane tasks including laundry.

359/365



Black and white cupcakes made for Mother's Day.

Task #48 - Complete

48. See a sunrise or sunset on a beach.

I didn't do this one on purpose per se. I rarely went to the beach when I was in LA, (mostly due to traffic and laziness, plus beaches on the West Coast are not known for their warmth or lack of winds).

But LV and I bundled up (as one would for a chilly LA night) and headed towards the beach. The wind was pretty brisk and regretted not bringing a kite. We walked the beach, picking up shells, shell bits and smoothed glass along the way. We stopped and sat down... and then we stayed long enough for me to see an actual sunset.

I wasn't born yesterday, I have seen the sun set before. But I actually literally "watched" this one sink lower and lower. The pictures below were taken between 7:19:42-7:34:10 pm.

Go to flickr to see the larger ones, they're shrunk here for space...

#75 - Complete

75. Have a photo published somewhere other than flickr or my blog.



This picture was published in the Houston Press, a local independent arts paper (similar to St Louis's Riverfront Times) in their review of "Falstaff". Opera in the Heights also submitted my photos to the Houston Chronicle, but as far as I can tell, they never made in the paper. I was out of town at the time and the one paper I had a friend pick up, didn't have it.

I'd love to have been published in the Chronicle, but I'm pretty darn proud of being published in the Houston Press.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to have shot their dress rehearsal and to the opera company for choosing my photos to be a part of their press package.

Happy Lists: A Year In Review

A year of Happy Lists, from late 2008 to late 2009. A lot happened in the last year.

I've been asked if I'll continue. Most likely. I think that I'll probably post them when I can/want to versus weekly. Life's going to get kind of busy soon so I don't want to make promises that I can't keep. My 365 project is my priority right now.

Happy in review:

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Weeks 10 and 11

Week 12

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15

Week 16

Week 17

Weeks 18 and 19

Weeks 20 and 21

Week 22

Week 23

Weeks 24 and 25

Week 26

Week 27

Week 28

Week 29

Week 30

Week 31

Week 32

Week 33

Week 34

Weeks 35 and 36

Week 37

Week 38

Week 39

Week 40

Week 41

Week 42

Week 43

Week 44

Week 45

Week 46

Week 47

Week 48

Week 49

Week 50

Week 51

Week 52

#49 - Complete

49. Start Assignment: St. Louis.

When I started to get into photography more seriously as a hobby, I joined a group in Houston called "Assignment: Houston". Every month, there would be a new assignment. A color. A theme. An event. Everyone could submit up to 3 photos into the pool along those themes. There were newbies like me to outright professionals in the group. Everyone has a slightly different eye. I've learned so much from them.

When I knew I was moving to STL, I started researching St Louis flickr groups, and noticed there was nothing like Assignment: Houston in St. Louis. I asked permission from the founder of Assignment: Houston to borrow her idea and adapt it, and she gave me her blessing.

After participating in a meetup.com meetup at the Botanical Garden, I bounced the idea off my walking companions and they seemed into it. So I adapted the rules for St Louis and started the group. The initial invites were for three people.

Today, Assignment: St. Louis has 37 members, including me. We've had three assignments so far and I love what I'm seeing. I think we have varying levels of photographers in the pool and I love seeing St Louis through someone else's eyes. I haven't been able to participate in the themes since the first one, but I love seeing what the group comes up with. The response has been positive. I'm looking forward to it becoming a more active group/community with meet ups of our own and/or more interaction.

#1 - Complete

1. Make a weekly happy list for a year and publish it here.

I plan on making some alterations to my Life List in the near future, because some of them are repetitive in nature. I've been doing some research on making it a better list.