Interests and Inspirations

Photography
I started this blog as a way to focus my interest in photography.  I have always been interested in photography and now that I have a new camera I am really enjoying the challenge of figuring out how to use it.  I must be honest that often I just keep it in auto mode and shoot away.  Other times I try to be more artistic and read the manual and get some cool shots.  Obviously my kids are my favourite subjects.  Good thing because I am with them 24/7!  I try to keep the balance of still being able to enjoy the moment without being all "smile for the camera" but sometimes when the light is right it is pretty hard to resist.  Some of my faves are ones where the subjects aren't looking anyways! 

Writing
Outside of academia,  I really have not written except for to chronicle my experiences of becoming a mom.  I wrote letters to both of my children throughout my pregnancies and also wrote birth stories for them.  I already look back at those words and I am glad that I actually took the time to write them down.  Small details and feelings of those very important birthdays will forever be remembered by me and now will also be known by them.  As a recovering insomniac (the kids helped me recover) I still write letters to them sometimes when I am up at night and can't sleep.  Sometimes thoughts need to be put to rest and actually writing them down helps me with that. 

Interior Design
Okay, so maybe really my interest is actually shopping and shopping for house stuff is wonderful because you don't actually have to try anything on!  Our house is actually very understated (read: nothing within toddler reach and neutral paint to camouflage dings and dents).  But you should see the house in my dreams!  Mostly, I like the possibility of colour...there are just so many choices.  I also like rooms that are balanced and relaxed.  I choose calm and simple.  I also have a slight obsession with baskets and bins.  Storage makes me happy.

Sewing
Definitely mostly an inspiration at this point.  In fact, I keep getting so inspired that I forget that I have no real skills.  Next thing you know the sewing machine is out and there are spools of thread, scattered needles and yards of fabric covering not only our kitchen island but also our dining room table.  One night I was up until 1am sewing the "incredible shrinking beach bag".  It started out 20" by 20" but after many mishaps it is now more like a 10"by10" "carry-all".  But I still have piles of material sitting there waiting to be crafted into one of the three patterns in my repertoire.

Baking etc...
Growing up I spent tons of time baking and canning with both of my grandmothers.  Cakes, cookies, pies, cinnamon rolls, jams, pickles, antipasto, nuts and bolts...the list goes on.  They definitely passed on some "go-to" recipes and I do enjoy baking.  I just have never had the patience or inclination to apply culinary skills to cooking dinner.  I have a bad attitude about it.  It is a box that needs to be checked every day and that can hang over my head all afternoon casting a gloomy grey mood.  So I try to meal plan.  Sometimes I do get inspired from recipes I see online.  The problem is that I rarely have the exotic ingredients that it takes to make them and my kids' juvenile palettes would probably not appreciate them.  RKA has had an anti-salad campaign going for the past couple of years so you may say that his palette is not exactly sophisticated either.  So our meals are often geared towards satisfying the mac'n'cheese crowd.  One day, though I will be a culinary force to be reckoned with.

Work in Progress...
So in between wiping up messes and coordinating play-dates I try to hold on to a little piece of the creative beast that lives within.  I look forward to the day when the beast can rear its ugly head and I will have the time and the resources to hone some mad skills.