Still Life::Vegies & New Year's Resolutions

Yesterday, Steve brought home some vegies and for some reason placed them carefully on the table. I saw them, saw the beautiful, complimentary colors and had to take a picture.



I took the picture with the natural light (coming in through the window) at 4:30 p.m. The aperture was set to about 29, so that I could make sure all of the vegies were in focus; the ISO was set to 400, to prevent the graininess that my camera produces at 800; so that left the shutter speed to come up with the difference: 15 seconds. A tripod had to be used, of course, but the final result was just what I was looking for: beautiful colors, all in focus, and the lighting was perfect. (In fact, I loved it so much I sent the pic to the printer's for 4x6 and 5x7 copies that will be in my etsy shop sometime next week. :)

Also yesterday I came up with some resolutions and my word: Bloom.
Here is what I wrote down:

Word: Bloom
Goal:

1) Turn my home into a haven.I have looked at other houses, but none have been able to win over my heart more than the one I’m in.
I like the cottage look of my home. I like my neighbors and my neighborhood. I like the people in my small town and I like that they know and like me and my family.

I want to see the shortcomings in my home and try to find ways to turn them around into things that add beauty and value.
For instance:
I don’t like that we notice the billboard & freeway. Solution: lacy draperies would work nicely to add beauty and also to semi block the view.
I need to put the fence back up and paint the house this year.
I need to fix the flooring: it will never be any better than it is right now until it is fixed.
Organize what we have, store what we need/want, and get rid of stuff we won’t use or that is unusable.

2) Become a part of the/a community (town related “stuff”) I’m in, or join a group to give me that sense of belonging.

3) Make sure I’m living and not just surviving. The past few years have made it hard to concentrate on taking care of myself, but I can’t live that way very long. Take the time (and a little money, if needed) to take care of myself. (Photography only counts if it is truly play.)

4) Worry less about what people might think of me and worry more about how I view myself. In the end, I will be a better person for it.

5) Play harder. I work and I rest. I need to allow myself to play more often and with more enthusiasm.

6) Have a schedule as part of my routine. Take time to sit down and evaluate how my day is going and make a schedule, when needed, to get myself back on track.

7) Live healthier.
Take good quality supplements.
Eat healthy foods.
Make menus to ensure that over-all nutrition is happening.
Be active: Exercise every day for at least 30 minutes, whether it is going for a walk, working out with a video, or playing an active game/sport.

I have some things to work on, schedules to make, and menus to plan.

What about you? Are you a word & resolution person too? I've been looking around at other people's blogs to see what they are doing, and it seems to be about 50/50. If you feel comfortable sharing in the comments, I'd love to know about yours.

Have a terrific day!