I love Minis, flats and sunshine

My new shoes I got today at Le Chateau for 6.50$!!

Well today was a good day...it was gorgeous outside (about 15-16 degrees in April!), and I had a chance to take a nice long walk back to work after an appointment, and I just so happened to stop in at Le Chateau to check out their stuff, because, well, I love them, and I saw that a bunch of super cute shoes were on sale, plus an extra 50% off! So how could I resist? Well, I couldn't, I got these cute tennis flats for the weekends, and I also got a cute pair for work, flats, but with a tiny little kitten heel, bow on the front, black leather...perfect for work...and only 15$!! In total: 24.75$ for 2 awesome pairs of shoes :)

So people have been asking me about my "I love Art" mini, and I debated whether or not to show it, since I'm not super impressed with the overall result, which is a bummer, 'cause I was super excited about it when I started, but every time I sat down to do a page it just seemed to go from bad to worse, haha...but it's done, and it's what I wanted it to be, so I guess that's the point, I won't remember in 20 years if I had wanted to use different papers, or embellies, I'll just remember the content of it, what I considered Art in my day (I know the title is deceiving, but I actually did an album about creative outlets, I guess you could say, not just about "traditional" art like painting and sculpture.) Anyhoo, here is it:

Also, got some good news at work, can't really say what yet, but it's finally coming together :) On the downside, my dad also told me that the bank wants me to call them about my loan, since I was supposed to transfer it over to begin payments a year after I graduated...that was 2 years ago in May :S So we'll see how that goes, I'm scared to know what the payments will be...ugh, money.

Oh! Something awesome I found today through Ali's blog is this amazing scrapbook kit...it's not really a traditional scrapbooking kit though, it's mostly envelopes and journaling cards and file folders, things like that, it's called "Details Enclosed". The reason I think it's so awesome is because I've had this idea to create a mini called "bits of life", that was basically going to be a collection of items from my daily life, with some small pics, bits of journaling, etc tossed in...I saw Kate use an envelope to keep journaling inside it for one of her minis and I loved the idea of that, so I was going to incorporate it into this mini, to tuck receipts, emails, whatever inside...and then this kit comes along, all envelopes and other cool stationary-type stuff. It's a definite lust-after item.

So, I'm getting kinda disappointed with my photography lately...I want to be able to take awesome shots, but I just can't seem to do it, and it's not the camera's fault this time. I haven't had any real camera experience before, so I'm sure that has something to do with it, but also I just think that I'm too afraid to really go for it, you know? It sounds weird, but I get outside to take shots, and I become painfully aware of all the other people out and around me, and I think "They'll think I'm a loser if I get down on the ground to get this shot, or pose in a kitsch way in front of my timer." But I know that that's exactly how awesome shots are found, by going to the extreme, seeing the overlooked and just going for it, no cares. I need to get over that if I'm going to get what I really want: beautiful photos. (Oh, and looking at Flickr isn't helping my confidence much...so many absolutely stunning photographers on there, it's unbelievable really, and can really make you think how, well, bad yours are, hahaha)

Right now I'm doing my 365 and everyday I'm just blank for ideas (it's much harder to take self-portraits I find, and I wish someone could take shots of me, but that's the challenge I guess.). I suppose once I get better at it the shots will come, and I'm going to work really hard at not caring what other people think, and to climb on the rock if I want, or to pose pose pose! Also, I really need a photoshop program or some sort...does anyone have any suggestions? I need something fairly simple, but something that I can add effects/filters, blend out blemishes (I REALLY need this one lately!), and crop/do basic edits to...I think that editing shots is becoming just as important as taking them these days, so I'm working with only half my equipment right now, and I need to step it up.

Well I guess that's todos por ahora, Dan is in play-off mode right now, but I don't think his team will get very far this year...poor Ottawa. I think that I'm going to see my friend Sara and her babe Judah this Saturday, I hope to do a little session with him, so I'll maybe post some pics when that's done.

Night all!