2009.

This photo I took sort of makes me inspired with the sun perfectly coming between the Empire State building and another tall edifice on Fifth Avenue. One of those photos that you take and don't realize what you captured until you look at it in the viewfinder.

A new year to:

• Write
• Draw
• Photograph
• Love
• Enjoy
• Read
• Create
• Inspire
• Listen
• Be Inspired
• Learn
• Capture

Photography Monday: Number 1.

Clockwise from top left:
1. tiles on the building facade of the Staples in Chelsea
2. bras hanging to dry off of my bureau (not as effective as a drying rack, I know, but it served its purpose and a wonderfully colored photo)
3. sitting in Barnes & Noble and looking down at my feet
4. the most wondrous morning bowl of cereal (Kashi's Cinnamon Harvest) sitting next to my make-up and watch.

Photography Monday is all about what I have captured the week before in photos from Sunday through Saturday. This is one major New Year's Resolution for myself: take 4 pictures a week, every week, for the year. A year ago I started looking at the wonderful blog, 3191, and they inspired me in a similar way to take photos as much as possible; capturing the small but beautiful things in life. It really only takes a few moments to see something stunning/different/curious and then capture it on my Canon PowerShot, so why not? I am going to also put them together as one big piece because I think the union of the four photos is a unique representation of the week as well. I can see if there was a theme or a feeling that I didn't realize until I put the works together. This week was very colorful–and what a great and inspiring way to start the new year!

I am beginning to hope.

My New Year's resolutions were all written yesterday and I am very excited about this new year of 2008. I think great things are in store for all who are really looking for some life changes for the better and hard work is going to start really paying off. Anyhow, because MY resolutions are done, I was thinking about writing one for someone else. I know these lists are supposed to be personal and only you can decide what you want to accomplish this new year, but sometimes people need a little nudge. Before you tell me I am being pushy, let me tell you who I am going to give a pre-made resolution to: Regina Spektor. She has been my favorite female singer since I took home her Begin To Hope (and her most recent) CD with me one night in April of 2006 from the Virgin Megastore in Union Square. It was one of those times where I wished I lived in the suburbs with a car; where I get a new CD and immediately start opening the plastic wrap from its case the second I put the keys in the ignition. Off the wrapping goes and there always seems to be too much time that elapses before I can get the disc into the player, but when it does and that first sound plays from the speaker – its love at first note. This is how I felt the first time I heard Regina on Pandora many months before. It was her song "Us" that initially had me hooked on her beautiful vocals and piano playing as well as her quirky and smart lyrics that are found in each of her self-written songs. I mean how can you not love a singer who talks about "Summer in the city means cleavage, cleavage, cleavage" and "Remember the time I found a human tooth down on Delancey". If you have not heard of her or heard her music then you must go to iTunes and take a listen. You will be glad you did, and might even send her the same resolution that I am, which is to BEG her to come out with a new CD.

PS. I didn't design this t-shirt. I am not that crazy. Amazon is selling it online here.

The Container Store makes it look so easy.

My intent for this blog is to be one of my new ways of keeping order in my "creatively cluttered" life for 2008 (a New Year's Resolution of sorts). I mean it's really only 20 days early, right? And I have oh so much to learn about blogging which will definitely take me the remainder of this year...at least the next 20 days.

My very good friend over at A Design Affair has insisted a blog is a good way to keep all of your thoughts in order. I figured why not start a virtual Container Store if you will; all of my discoveries, capturings, musings, and observations in one place. I see this as better than emailing myself four times a day everyday when I come upon something online OR to bookmark it all as my bookmarks folder is getting to max capacity and minimum organization.