5 mediums, 6 ways = 30 projects in November [Wenatchee photography + design]

Project 2 (paper): I made this mini-album out of a set of 6x4" numerical (31) tabbed index cards. I decorated the cover with a vintage book page, some misted paint over a stencil, sewing machine stitching, a punched shape from an old card ("life") and some letter stickers. I used my wire-binder and punch to bind. Not entirely sure how I'll use it yet. One thought is as a perpetual notable dates calendar. On each page I list all the birthdays, anniversaries, etc that fall on that numbered day. No matter what month, I can turn to that page and see if anything is coming up. I have this routine when I am standing in a store where I'll say "OK, it's XXX month, today is XX. What is coming up that I need to remember? Anyone's birthday?" With this, no matter what the month, I can turn to that day (or a day coming up in like a week) and know what's on the horizon.

Another idea was as a one-line journal. Have you seen those? Journals where the intent is to just list one item for each day. The books are fairly small, yet contain 5 years worth of notable comments. I've seen them made in book format and in boxes with index cards. For that use, you could either write directly on the tabbed cards (always writing on the appropriately numbered day no matter what month) or write on index cards and add them to the book behind the correct tab by pulling apart and reclosing the binding.

5 mediums, 6 ways = 30 projects in November [Wenatchee photography + design]

I love the start of a new month. Each one signals a fresh start, a chance to create some lasting body of work. Photo-a-day projects, knit-alongs, holiday gift-a-thons. I love them all and fail to remember that my personal biggest challenge is not getting bored before the time period is up. I am more of an idea girl, only passionately in love with creating that one sample that shows my idea worked. It's pure genius! Look at what I created! I'm going to make 1,000 more! I often get so far as to buy all the supplies, get them started, assembly style (because I like being efficient) and then...well, I get bored. The project(s), in various states of doneness, sit on the kitchen table and taunt me, until, finally, I get rid of them.

Well, November rolled around and, guess what? I want to do a monthly project-a-day kind of project. Go figure. But this time it'll be different. No, really! I figure if I give myself a little variety (5 mediums), but still a little constraint (6 ways) (too much freedom is often paralyzing), I have a better chance of completing my self-imposed challenge. Plus, I'm hoping I end up with a few holiday gifts I can check off my list. Even if they only go to me :)

My 5 mediums are paper, photo, fabric, pen (real and/or digital) and string. Wish me luck!

Since I just came up with this hair-brained idea today, I'm keeping today's easy. I loved this simple photo, taken this morning, of the view through my windshield as I started my car to go to work. Love the color and suspended leaves. Fall is so magical. Decided to make this into a desktop background for my computer. To keep it functional as well as beautiful, I included a monthly calendar and some organizational panels for my desktop icons. (I place related icons on those colored areas so they don't get lost in the photo.)

Fall hiking [Wenatchee photography + design]

Awww, fresh air, crisp air. We're finally getting a little Fall without fires and smoke and although it seems like Winter is rapidly approaching (snow on the hills already), I plan to soak up every minute I can. Also, after having asked for snowshoes each year for more years than I can remember, I decided I'm just buying my own. Plan to keep the outdoor activity up even after the snow flies. Hopefully these views will last for quite a while longer, but if not, I'll be ready. Get outside wherever you are. Look up. Look out. Listen. You might just love what you hear.

Zoo Boise [Wenatchee photography + design]

Gram [Wenatchee photography + design]

Born in 1917, she turns 95 this month. She was a teacher and married to my grandpa, a probate judge, the country coroner, justice of the peace, school superintendent, insurance salesman and owner of the title company in town, among other things, in a small town where people often wore many hats in the community. She has a sweet tooth like no other. She passed it to my dad, who passed it to me and when we're together, there will always be cake or ice cream or cookies, or all three at once. This was such an occasion as we celebrated her monumental birthday and she was funny as she not-so-patiently insisted it was time to cut the cake. Conversation continued and she kept bringing it back to the cake. My grandma Elsie taught me to crochet. Grannie squares her lesson of choice and I remember the multi-colored afghans draped over the couch. She is funny and witty and smart and still loves to play games. She made mudpies with me and we played dolls on the river's edge while my parents and brother fished. She once threw me a birthday party, I was, oh, 5 or 6 maybe. It was a June summer afternoon, on the side yard with a bright paper covered picnic table, kool-aid, plenty of sweets, my younger brother and neighbor kids I only saw when visiting her house in that small town in central Idaho. I think I vaguely remember it, but there is a photo of that exact scene and sometimes I wonder if I remember the scene because of the photo, or the other way around. Either way, it reminds me of the importance of pictures and I was so happy to have the chance to visit and snap a few of her this weekend. Happy birthday Gram!

Edited to add the birthday photo. The back says "9th birthday" so I was a bit older. And I fixed my Grandpa's jobs. Mom said he wasn't a sheriff, as I had listed, but he was a whole lot more than I knew! And check out the full on mullett I was sporting!