Retro analogue FUN with the Polaroid Spectra II

As an aspiring hipster, I decided to take up crap photography. And no Lomo endeavor is complete without a journey into instant photography. I found this fantastic Polaroid Spectra camera at an antique shop, mint in the box, for only $2.50. This is a much better price than the refurbished models available online, but I was taking a chance with an untested camera that had been sleeping in someone's attic for decades.

Of course, I had to drop $34 on a twin pack of expired film to test it out, but that is the price you pay for coolness.

It fits nicely in its assigned shelf in my fridge...

This, of course, is a symptom of an illness.

Last weekend, we went on a photography adventure, and the Polaroid came along for some fun instant gratification. We got some really interesting shots as we experimented with light settings and angles. Because we were using film that expired in 2009 that had been living in the fridge for a year, we discovered some obvious imperfections, but those just added to the excitement. I primarily focused on my favorite humans and canine for this experience, as my fondest childhood Polaroid memories center on capturing special moments with the family.

But I threw in a shot of an inanimate object to see what would happen, too.

The Spectra has three light settings - Lighter, Normal, and Darker. We found that the Lighter setting resulted in washed-out images when used outside or in brighter inside light. The Normal setting worked best inside, and the Darker setting yielded the best results for outside shots, like these of my crazy dog, Cooper O'Connell-Myers-Ferrell:

My next project will be testing the two Polaroid 600 cameras I recently picked up at yard sales, for $3.00 each. I grabbed a pack of Impossible Project film at Urban Outfitters over the weekend, and I have high hopes for some analogue heaven! Stay tuned, my friends!

Happiness is making goals...and ACHIEVING Them!

I decided to let the new year inspire me in 2013. After all, I've made so many positive changes over the past year and a half, and I am very proud of what I've accomplished in my personal life. At the dawn of 2012 I didn't have any goals except to be happy. As often happens, my most important accomplishments arose from challenges. As life - and the people in my life - threw obstacles in my path, I was forced to summon the nerve to make tough choices and stand up for my family. It was difficult and painful at times, but the people I love held me up when I faltered. And here I am, beginning 2013 with the big obstacles behind me and the opportunity to design my future in front of me.

My year-long resolution for 2013 involves creating something new every day of the year. I will continue to redefine what it means to create as I learn and grow, and I am over the moon with excitement about my plan. This morning, as I pinned inspiration for my creative journey, I decided to take this one step further. After all, why should I have all the fun?

Enter Daughter. She thrives when she is organized and has a plan, so I decided to give her a New Year's assignment to inspire her creativity in 2013. Her instructions:

1) Make a list of 5 BIG THINGS she wants to accomplish in 2013.

2) Make a list of 3 things she wants to do in the month of January.

3) Make a list of new things she will need to learn to complete numbers one and two.

She is soooo excited! She grabbed her clipboard and has been writing furiously for the past hour. I can't wait to see what she comes up with!

So it looks like my precious daughter will be taking this journey with me! I am thrilled to travel this path with her, because everything is better when you share it with your kids!

Finding Joy Every Day

I was sitting in my doctor's office yesterday, waiting for my appointment. Without a 3G signal I was bored, and my eyes wandered to a magazine on the counter. I think it was Good Housekeeping, a publication I would not normally read. But I needed something to do, so I scanned the articles. A short piece about finding joy caught my eye. I am all about being positive and looking at the bright side these days, so this looked like a worthy read.

The author talked about looking for reasons to be grateful each day. By doing this, we bring ourselves closer to finding joy in our daily lives. It sounds so simple, but it isn't. How often do you find yourself focusing on what you don't have or what isn't going well? I know how easy it is to get bogged down in the negative stuff because I spent years letting that drag me down. At the risk of sounding like a Pollyanna, I am determined to turn that thinking around. In case you hadn't noticed, that is the point of this blog.

This fits perfectly with my Facebook friends' November obsession: a daily countdown of things for which they are thankful. Although I rarely jump on the bandwagon, I decided to give it a try. So here are the things for which I am most grateful today:

1) My partner and best friend, Jesse

2) My beautiful daughter, Genevieve

3) The opportunity to freelance with a fantastic company called Lion Tutors. (I get to create study materials for Penn State business undergrads. It is like taking refresher courses in Management and Marketing every semester, and I even get paid!)

4) My growing Initials, Inc. business, which gives me the opportunity to earn money while selling purses and bags (one of my obsessions) while meeting wonderful women and getting to know this great town of State College, PA.

5) The opportunity to redesign this blog and my website and learn more about web design and coding.

6) A wonderful home office where I can create, connect, and earn a living surrounded by things I love. This precious space allows me to blog, research, and live my dream every day!

And with all these inspiring thoughts in my head, I am about to embark on a blog design course so I can make this little blog a true reflection of my style, my vision, and my personality.

Stay tuned for more about my home-based business and how it is enabling me to build a better life for me and my daughter!

Taking time to relax, create

My daughter Genevieve recently decided to learn crocheting. Her lessons have not been going well, because I am not a good crochet teacher. It would seem that I learned it incorrectly and have been doing it wrong for decades. This weekend, while shopping, I decided to grab some crochet hooks, beautiful soft yarn (Lily Sugar 'n Cream), and a beginner's book. I started over from scratch, and I made this:

Sure, it's only a little square consisting of three simple stitches (chain stitch, single crochet, and slip stitch). But it is a start, and I hope it will inspire my daughter to try again. I forgot how relaxing and centering crocheting and creating can be! As I worked, my mind was flooded with fond memories of my childhood, when a cherished babysitter taught me how to knit and crochet. She used to make little outfits for my Barbie dolls and help me make special gifts for my family. Now I hope to do this for my little girl and create for her some special memories! So it isn't always about work. Sometimes it feels wonderful to make something out of nothing and share the beauty with the people we love most.

The unifying theme in my life is happiness

For weeks I have been pondering whether to start a new blog to tie together my work and personal interests. Being an eclectic person with interests all over the place, I was unable to find a unifying theme. This morning, while enjoying my coffee and listening to Radio Paradise, I hit on an idea that just seemed to encapsulate my mood over the past few months - Happiness.

Yeah, I know it's corny. Extremely corny. But that is ok, because it is true. Everything I do today - my freelance work as a content creator with Lion Tutors, selling personalized purses and bags as an Independent Consultant, and experimenting with photography - is tied to, and contributes to, my happiness. The people I see every day - especially my precious daughter and my beautiful partner in crime, Jesse, are the reasons for my happiness. And this over-the-top sense of being HAPPY motivates me to work, love, live, and create in this crazy world.

So it is settled. I christen this blog Enjoying the Happy. And herein you will find nifty tips and tricks to harness your own happy. Because why should I have all the fun? How is that for corny? I think it works.