Photos from the past

I know it may seem a few weeks too late to do the whole "looking back at 2010" thing, but I guess better late than never?! Also, I think that my reflections are more about the past rather than just this past year. I don't really make new years resolutions, but I think its important to reflect on the previous year and then look ahead and make goals and dreams for the new one. 2010 brought alot of changes and challenges into my life. I don't know if I can say that its been the hardest year that I ever had, but it was definitely a tough one. Not to sound negative or all gloom-and-doom, because there were many beautiful and wonderful things about it as well.

Anyway, I don't want this post to be about all the bad things about last year, because I think in order to move forward its important not to dwell. All this is to say that I've been thinking alot about family and growing up and relationships. Over Christmas my mom discovered two boxes of old photographs of my Grandmother's. Most of them we had never even seen before, because she had them hidden away until she moved into her retirement home. There were pictures of her and my Grandfather in their younger days, ones of my mom and her siblings, and many of me and my sister and our cousins. My sister was sick the day we pulled them all out, so I went and sat with her on her bad and we went through the photos together. It made me feel like a kid again. We laughed at the ridiculous ones, and picked out our favourites. With everything that my family has been through this past year, it was almost surreal to look at how things had once been, and then think about how things have changed so much. But it was no longer painful to think about, and that makes me feel like I've come a long way.

With all this reflection, I'm excited about what this year, 2011, has in store. I feel like a stronger and more resilient person, and ready to take on the world. I went back to school into a graduate program in September, and in one of our classes we have been talking about measureable goals for this year ahead. I think this is really fitting for me right now. I finish school in August and will have many decisions to make, but they are all in my hands. I've been thinking alot about my goals and dreams for this new year, and when I have these more solidified I will make a post about them on here, so all my readers can keep me accountable ;)
It really is exciting, feeling like you're getting a new and fresh start. A tad scary, but exciting none-the-less.

I want to share with you some of my favourites of the photos that we pulled out that day. Just a warning, I took photos of the pictures using my phone, so I appologize for the poor quality. Enjoy!

Handsome Grandpa Sansom

Another of my Grandpa

My nana

Nana and Grandpa

My mom in the 70's

Mom, me, my older sister, and my dad

Spoiled

I just visited the hair salon, which I haven't done since the summer (shameless plug for my lovely Grateful Head). I tend to only go when my hair is at the point of driving me crazy. I always say that I don't have the time or money to go, and most often this is true. HOWEVER, I wonder why sometimes we/I feel guilty about just allowing ourselves to be pampered. Sometimes we need it. Goodness knows we are always in SUCH a hurry and life gets out of control. I don't think I could justify going to the salon or getting a massage or what have you every week, but sometimes its just what we need. What's so bad about feeling pretty sometimes? Or even just good about ourselves? I mean, I got to drink nice hot tea and sit by a fire while my hair gal blew dry my locks (which, I will have you know, is not a task to take lightly. I have alot of hair). I don't do it often, but every once in awhile I like to get my hair done, or my nails done, or even get a nice massage. I'm not trying to sound spoiled or anything, but maybe being a LITTLE spoiled isn't all that bad? What do you think?

                                            The finished product

Commitment Issues

So when I started this blog a few days ago, I made three posts in the first day....because I had ideas. And now I don't, and am therefore afraid that the novelty of having a blog will wear out quickly, as has been the case with every other hobby in my life. I start so many projects and never finish them. I think I have about 5 different scarves in my knitting basket that I started knitting and then never finished. In fact, I think I've done that so often, I've totally forgotten how end a scarf! Sigh. I think its partly my personality, in that I can be so impetuous and ambitious, but once something no longer seems exciting, or it gets hard, I drop it (like its hot). I also think that this came about as a result of the many extra-curricular activities that I plowed my way through as a child. Here's the list:

1.  Highland (Scottish) Dancing
2. Skating lessons
3. Piano lessons
4. Swimming lessons
5. Gymnastics
6. Awana's (kind of like girl guides)
7. Piano lessons (again)
8. Drama camp

All of these activities held my attention for about 2 months each, and then I would tell my mom I wanted to quit. I hated practicing for things or having to work hard at something (this is making me sound VERY lazy!). After awhile, when I would tell my mom that there was a new activity I wanted to sign up for, she refused because she said I would only quit after a short time. I'm sure I pouted, but it was very true. And sometimes the truth hurts.

Anyway, as an adult the goal is to try and actually stick to something, and I think I'm getting there. I've grown tired of moving apartments every year or so and having various jobs that I quit on a whim. I've gone back to school to pursue a practical and long-term career path. AND....wait for it....I'm in a committed relationship. I know. Shocking, coming from someone who for so long had serious committment issues....even towards her knitted scarves (damn those scarves!).

So, you may be wondering where this indepth and revealing look into my childhood and my inner-most subconcious, pyschological being, has come from. It's from starting this blog. Because the moment I made the first post, I committed to this thing, and I intend to stick with it. And hopefully along the way people will actually read it and maybe even appreciate it. And don't worry, I won't bore you with loooooong and verbose postings. Most likely this kind of novel-like post will only happen every once in awhile, and hopefully it will be of more interesting things like I've posted previously. But if anyone out there is reading this, please give me feedback and suggest ways that I can make this better/more interesting. I mean its not like my life resembles Sex and the City or anything.

Adios for now.

Blog pressure

I think I've always felt a certain pressure that it I had a blog it needed to have a particular topic and be really flashy and interesting. I think these two things have always deterred me from actually ever starting one. I've been thinking of starting a blog for quite awhile now, and suddenly decided today, amongst fits of boredum, that I NEEDED to start a blog. So, putting aside my fears of not measuring up in the blog world, I have started this humble (and I hope not too uninteresting) blog. I hope to just use this as a venue for posting my thought, musings, and anything else I find interesting or inspiring. And I'm sorry in advance for the excessive amounts of vintage clothing, shoes, and accessories that are sure to appear on here.

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/2247602/birds-of-a-feather?claim=8t9qt2e87um">Follow my blog with bloglovin</a>