13 Things in 2013 : The Final Update

Happy New Year! A bit late, but I figure if I say it now it covers both the 2014 new year and the lunar new year. Two birds, one stone (and a horse…). Seems an age ago that I put together my list of things I wanted to do in 2013. Strange how it feels like the last twelve months has flown by so fast, and yet I can barely remember what life looked like back then. Time is a slippery beast huh? 

I'll admit I do feel more than a hint of trepidation about putting this final scorecard together. The last six months of 2013 threw many a curve ball our way; I'm pretty sure the results aren't going to be pretty! But [insert appropriate quote here about failure and trying and having a go and success] so… 

1. Learn to use Photoshop Elements. B. Not bad, not bad. I can do a simple photo collage, and a logo here and there. I've been playing with brushes and layers and various effects. I wouldn't say I'm competent, but I would say I'm at a level where I can get a result I'm okay with. I feel I've got a good base to build on, I guess. 

2. Learn a new photography skill. D. I did attend a photography course, so that's something. It was Photography 101 taught by Brooke Holm and run by Megan Morton's fabulous The School. It was definitely aimed at beginners, but I still learnt a lot. It was so inspiring to be taught by someone who only shoots in natural light. Really opened my eyes to what is possible without flashes and floodlights and fancy studio set ups. (FYI I've booked in for this Street Photography course with the CCE in April; bit excited about that!) 

3. Do something with my 500px account. And submit some images to Alamay. And put my best ten together to submit to the Getty Images Flickr collection. A big, fat F! My progress on this has been naught, nil, zip, zilch…not a sausage. No excuse either. 

4. Do a monthly project. D-. I managed to get through eight months with Collecting Colours, and then the move and the renovation and just kind of everything got in the way. But eight months - that's a solid effort, right? I really loved working with the diptychs, it's something I want to explore a bit more. And I also want to go back and finish off those last few colour pairs one day too… 

5. Make one pom pom wreath per month. F. I must have been seriously delirious and/or deluded when I set this goal. I think I made three and a half wreaths all up. I still love pom poms though, so when I have a house to craft in again I will make some more. Just not one a month. (Related - crafting out of a suitcase really is hard!) 

6. Get through The Big Project without completely losing my mind. B, and then F, and then C+, and then F. Yep, it's been a roller coaster ride and it's...still…dragging…on. Sigh. I've lost my mind exactly twice. Once when we were pushing for a pre-xmas move in and I could see it just wasn't going to happen and I cried for an entire day. And then just a few days ago when we had to cancel the removalists I''d booked for next Monday, because the house just wasn't going to be ready, and we were going to be 'homeless' again and I'd have to put the dogs back into boarding and it was all my fault, of course. I cried for another day. (Not sure about you but the day after losing my mind I always wake up clear headed and focussed on what needs to be done. My major melt downs may not be fun for those nearby but they seem to be a good 'reset' button for me…) 

7. Do something with my hair. D. I'm still blonde, I still wear my hair up most days. But I do mix it up a teensy, tiny bit more than in the past, and I'm loving my Sydney colourist and hairdresser. Let's see what this year brings! 

8. Remember our wedding anniversary. A+. We remembered it! Hurrah! We didn't celebrate it, there were planes and time zones and different countries in the way, but we remembered it… 

9. Attend a workshop at either Harvest Workroom, Prints Charming or The School. A+. Done. See point 2 above. 

10. Send more mail art. D-. Did I mention all the curve balls being thrown? And the difficulty of crafting out of a suitcase? 

11. Read a book a month. B+. Twelve books read! Though to be honest I'm a bit disappointed that a) I just scraped home on this one, especially as b) two of them were graphic novels. 

12. Maintain my current fitness routine. B+. Some form of exercise is always part of my day now - it's most definably a habit, something that just happens. I may not run (I tried C25K and failed) but whether it's walking the dogs, doing some yoga, or lifting weights at the gym I move every single day and I really notice when I don't. It's pretty awesome. 

13. Make a Collecting Colour calendar for 2014. F. HA! Oh, how innocent and hopeful I was!