according.to.kim

And the winner is...

 Donna!

Congratulations!

I'll send you instructions for claiming your free seat in Picture the Holidays at Big Picture Classes.

BPC Picture the Holidays giveaway!

You know I love taking photography classes with Tracey Clark at Big Picture Classes. In fact, I've taken all 10 of them! (Nine in the "Picture" series, plus The Art of Composition.) I adore the results of capturing my life through the lens of Tracey's guidance and inspiration.

I'm delighted to help BPC give away a seat in Picture the Holidays, which has been updated for 2013! See more details below. 

To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post before Saturday, November 30 at 11:59am (noon) Regina, SK time (CST). Anything goes. "Pick me!" will work just fine. Good luck!

I'll use Random.org to generate one winner from all entries received.

 

Picture the Holidays with Tracey Clark
Another 31 Days of Festive Photography with Tracey Clark
12/01/2013 $36.00

About the Class

Spend this December taking inspired, artful photographs of the world around you, during the most wonderful time of the year. Picture the Holidays has been reframed and refreshed for 2013, with new prompts and new pictures to help you creatively and mindfully celebrate this season of joy!

This 31-day workshop, from photographer and author Tracey Clark, is the perfect remedy for the holiday hustle.

Every morning, you'll receive a seasonal photo prompt that will not only inspire your inner photographer, but will also encourage you to take a few moments to yourself to get creatively centered before the day's festivities begin. Inside the classroom, you'll also find a class creed, holiday photography tip sheet, live blog, active student gallery, and supportive classroom message board.

Learn more and register here

BPC photo hunt

I've enjoyed doing this photo scavenger hunt over the past five days! The rules said to "be creative" and I really tried to do that with most of my pictures. This photo hunt was an extra activity in The Phone Photography Project at BPC which I'm loving. Tons of great information and it's right up my alley.

1. Something red
2. Something summery
   (waiting for fireworks to start)
3. The first initial of your name
   (from a gluten-free bakery called Kneaded)
4. Symmetry
5. Something sweet
6. Texture
7. Wheels
8. Something odd
   (me taking a picture of someone's yard ornament at 6 am!)
9. A sign
   (Grow Regina Community Garden diptych)
10. Something cold

I took half of these photos on my BlackBerry Curve, three on Neil's HTC Android phone, and two on my iPad. I processed most of them using apps on my iPad: Instagram, A Beautiful Mess, Pic Tap Go, PicFrame, SnapSeed, and HalfTone. I also used an app called 6 x 6 to take the symmetry photo.

I'm posting all of my photos for this class/project on Instagram (@kkbyrns).

Where did February go?

• 25 ringette games - S/M
• 2 ringette practices - S/M
• 3 ringette tournaments - S/M/all
• 12 Irish dance classes - S/M/G
• 3 music classes - G/K
• 20 piano practices - G/K (up to 10 minutes each)
• 12 work days - K
• 12 school days - S/M/G
• 12 lunch supervision days - N
• 48 lunches packed - N
• 2 after-school improv meets - S
• 21 days of paper delivery - N/K
• 2 appointments - girls/N
• 1 sick day - K
• 4 weeks of almost-daily coursework - K (online nutrition class)
• 28 replies to OhLife emails - K
• 1 digital Project Life layout - K
• plus... LIFE in general!

...which may explain why this is my only blog post in February. (I just couldn't let a whole calendar month pass by without a single post!)

Here's my one layout. More to come, I hope!

Supplies: Project Life Clementine Edition; Pockets No. 3: The Basics by Valorie Wibbens; Pagekraft Papers by One Little Bird

BPC Boot Camp giveaway!

I'm pleased to host a fantastic giveaway from Big Picture Classes - a spot in their first-ever Big Picture Boot Camp! This online event features 4 SUPER-inspiring coaches:

• Ali Edwards on storytelling
• Cathy Zielske on design
• Tracey Clark on photography
• Amy Powers on creative living

This is an amazing opportunity to learn from BPC's 2013 4Experts all in one spot! I have taken classes from Ali, Cathy, and Tracey and can attest to the high quality of their instruction. Their influence on my memory keeping and photography has been HUGE! Amy Powers is new to me, and I'm looking forward to learning from her, too!

Boot Camp will start on Monday, October 15 and run for 12 days until October 27. You'll receive a daily "report for duty" email. Each day, log into the classroom for a 10-minute video followed by a 10-minute targeted exercise to help boost your creativity, memory-keeping skills, and more!

Learn more camp details here: Big Picture Boot Camp 2012

***

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment on this post before Saturday, October 13 at 11:59pm (midnight) EST. Say anything you want - it's that easy to enter!

For bonus entries: Mention this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, Pinterest, or your blog -- with a link back to this post -- and then come back here and leave a comment for each mention to your friends and followers. (Maximum of 6 entries per person.) I'll make this easy, too - use the buttons at the bottom of this post, or copy and paste:

Enter to win a spot in the first-ever @BigPictureClass Boot Camp! http://bit.ly/bootcampgiveaway

I'll use Random.org to generate one winner from all entries received.

Good luck!

***

P.S. Pinterest won't allow the bit.ly link in the pin's description, but you can pin the post without it.

First flowers

We're enjoying our first blooms of the season: Pasque flowers we planted last year. We're also enjoying our new camera and learning more about photography through Fundamentals of Digital Photography with John Greengo at CreativeLIVE (excellent workshop!). Neil took these photos April 23 & 24.

My plans for 2012

This month, I've been doing a great deal of preparing, planning, cleaning, and catching up. I needed to do these things before I could mentally dive into 2012. Now I'm ready. And I have big plans for this year!

Here are my plans for 2012. Some are new, some are things I'll continue doing, and some are things I plan to do more consistently. I don't think I've created such a detailed list before, but this feels right for me, right now. I tried to be realistic, but also push myself to accomplish some things I really want to do -- such as scrapbooking, cleaning, reorganizing, and staying on top of things.

Daily:

1. Reply to email from OhLife.com (continue; I have over 500 entries so far)

Weekly:

1. Clear collection basket (mail, school papers, receipts, etc.) every weekend (more often and more consistent than before)
2. Clean up basement - clean/purge/organize one stack, box, or shelf per week
3. Clean up email inbox and computer files - 30 minutes per week (in addition to regular reading, replying, and filing of new messages)

Monthly:

1. Back up computer to EHD (in addition to automatic Time Machine backups) (more often and more consistent than before)
2. Maintain photo organization (choose best, upload, print, share) (continue; I'm up-to-date with this task)
3. Write and post roundup on my blog.
4. Do one-on-one activity with each of my girls (for their birthday this month, they each received "12 Activities with Mom in 2012;" these are scheduled on the calendar on their birthday day, or close to it)
5. Complete 6 layouts inspired by Twelve with Stacy Julian at BPC (this is only half of the class assignments, but still a big stretch for me)*
6. Use at least one Simple Scrapper template in creating the layouts mentioned above (I receive new templates each month as part of my premium membership at SimpleScrapper.com)**
7. Take an informal family photo (5x12 - based on Tara Whitney's six-people-twelve-times project)

Other:

1. Create and promote BSS Bundle #2 (January)
2. Pare down clothing for all five of us (February)***
3. Purge and reorganize kitchen (February)****
4. Finish taking weekly photos for Picture Inspiration with Tracey Clark at BPC (ends mid-February)
5. Complete unfinished layouts (5) (by the end of March)
6. Participate in Picture Black & White with Tracey Clark at BPC (daily photos in April)
7. Clear 2004-2006 storage binders (distribute photos to category files, mini albums, photo albums, and cold storage) (May-November? may be added to weekly list)
8. Create Photos I Love album (year-long project in BPC class, Twelve; may be added to monthly list)

*I'm aiming for 3 layouts in January since I haven't started yet, and my schedule is very full for the next two weeks.
**Affiliate link. I really enjoy the content Jennifer delivers every month as well as the private community on Facebook. Check it out!
***I've already donated about 1/3 of my own clothing this year.
****I'm taking a week off work in February.

It know it won't be easy for me to stay on top of this list, but I also know I'll be very happy if I can get these things done! I've set up a couple of tools to help me stay on track with my plans: Google Calendar and a spreadsheet in Google Docs. I may also look at Mindbloom as a way to stay motivated for certain projects. (It looks cool!)

The Art of Composition

I'm really enjoying The Art of Composition with Tracey Clark at Big Picture Classes! We're now into week 5 (of 12) and it's been worth every cent. I haven't been able to practice nearly as much as I would like, but I've managed a few little photo sessions. Here are a couple of my shots from weeks 3 (below) and 4 (above). I used my 50 mm f/1.8 lens for both of these.

PI 30/52: Hands on

A quick little shoot for this week's prompt.

We have much going on these days: work (intensely busy right now), housework, BSS work, school forms and fundraising, childcare (as in, Neil providing it), dog sitting, kids' activities (ringette camp, dance, piano, cross country), monthly photo tasks, Rams and Rider games, appointments, gathering supplies for Crop & Create Saskatoon... It's all good, but yes, rather tiring! And many things don't get done. C'est la vie.

I need an escape from the flurry once in awhile. Over the past week, Neil and I have watched the finale of Hell's Kitchen and a few videos from the Food & Culture Photography course we purchased. Love it!

I've been incredibly lucky lately! Yesterday, I won (via StacyMolter.com) a seat in Spawn of True Scrap -- which is a big prize! And in August, I won (via Lisa Truesdell's blog) the beautiful Boardwalk kit from Studio Calico. I haven't used it yet, but looking forward to it.

PLUS, I received a Smash Book and accessories for my birthday! I'm so excited to use it! I was very surprised when I received it in the mail. Thanks again, Shauna, Laurel and families! I will start smashing things in it tomorrow. :)

And the winners are...

Koren is the winner of a seat in The Good Life with Amy Tan!

Stacy is the winner of a seat in Double Take with Nic Howard and May Flaum!

Congratulations ladies!

Big Picture Classes Giveaway!

I'm super excited to host another awesome giveaway from Big Picture Classes! This time, I have TWO prizes to give away! One lucky commenter will win a seat in The Good Life by Amy Tan, and another will win a seat in Double Take by Nic Howard and May Flaum. Both of these classes look fantastic!

***

The Good Life by Amy Tan
starts 9/22

About the class:
Each week of class will focus on some of the components that make up the good life. Over the course of four weeks, you'll create and be inspired by fashion, home/office, travel and crafts. You'll also learn plenty of techniques that you can use on your various projects, which aren't limited to just fabric and paper. In this class, you will spend a little time learning, absorbing, feeling inspired and then be able to spend more time actually experiencing and doing. Isn't that what life's all about anyway?

***

Double Take by Nic Howard and May Flaum
starts 9/22

About the class:
Join Nic and May as they embark on four weeks of double fun! Each week you’ll receive four new sketches, eight example layouts, tips, techniques and step-by-step instructions. Working together to create double page layouts, while using your stash of scrapbooking products and making a dent in that pile of photos is the goal - all while having fun with two instructors that love to participate alongside the students on the message board and in the gallery. Nic and May will work together with you in this fabulous workshop to enjoy the numerous handouts, examples and sketches, big tips, and suggestions. In addition to all of that, you will find helpful information each week, the answers to common questions about creating double page layouts, from holidays to vacations and everyday moments in between - they'll bring the ideas - you just bring your photos and supplies!

***

To enter this giveaway, leave one comment on this post before Monday, September 19, 2011 at 11:59pm (midnight) EST. I will use Random.org to generate two winners from all entries received. The first winner will receive a seat in The Good Life. The second winner will receive a seat in Double Take.

Good luck!

Free, Moment, Embrace, Play

Free
"Freedom is the oxygen of the soul." Moshe Dayan // Free time is my favourite thing. It doesn't mean I won't do something productive or valuable during that time; it just means I enjoy being free to choose what I do with that time. I'm a wee bit routine resistant. If something is scheduled, I'll want to do anything but that. (I wish I could enjoy routines more!)

Moment
"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." Buddha // "The best things in life aren't things." Art Buchwald

Embrace
Nic Howard's message struck home: I chose this crazy busy life. Why would I do anything but embrace it? Even when there are so many things happening that we have to strategize to get everyone where they need to be, and it's impossible to do everything I'd like to do, I must embrace it. So much better than the alternative!

Play
When I kneel or sit down in my garden and take pictures to my heart's content, I am playing. That is pure fun to me. Playing with photos on the computer is also something I really enjoy.

***

My first thought with these four words was: More free moments would really help me embrace play!

I didn't manage to make any layouts for the Big Idea Festival, but it was a good exercise to record some thoughts (and quotes) on these words. I may use them someday. If nothing else, they will always be here and in my blog books.

See also:

Share, Wonder, Less, Give

Enjoy, Nest, Cherish, Live

Enjoy, Nest, Cherish, Live

Enjoy
I have always loved this quote by Robert Brault: "Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things." I do try to enjoy each and every day (at least part of it!), and I know my memory-keeping activities help me be aware of and savour the little things in life.

Nest
To be honest, I'm not always thrilled with the physical state of our home (its untidyness; its smallness), but I know it is filled to the brim with life and love, and it's enough for our family.

Cherish
Every smile, every hug, every giggle from my children -- these are most easy to cherish, but I also want to cherish the real, not just the perfect (as Amy Sorenson phrased it).

Live
Diane Ackerman said it so well: "I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well."

***

I'm really enjoying the videos from each instructor in the Big Idea Festival!

See also:

Share, Wonder, Less, Give

Free, Moment, Embrace, Play

Share, Wonder, Less, Give

Share
I like to share words and photos in a variety of ways -- through my blog, scrapbooks, and more. // I've learned recently that I really enjoy writing and sharing advice or how-to information.

Wonder
I encourage my children to have a sense of wonder about the world around them. // I wonder if I will ever have more spare time!

Less
I want less stuff in my house! Much less. I'm working on it. // Peppermint Granberg's journaling was inspiring. She wrote:

Less stressing. More relaxing.
Less worrying. More laughing.
Less work. More family.
Less "stuff". More space.
Less chaos. More organization.
Less eating. More moving.
Less fear. More change.
Less talking. More listening.
Less thinking. More doing.
Less perfection. More acceptance.

Give
I know the best thing I can give to my children is my time and undivided attention. This is a challenge for me and I need to remind myself often.

***

I'm not sure when I'll have time to create layouts with the daily words from the Big Idea Festival, but I thought if I could at least jot down some thoughts about each word, it would be a good start.

See also:

Enjoy, Nest, Cherish, Live

Free, Moment, Embrace, Play

Big Idea Festival starts on Monday!

Big Idea Festival: Words to Live by

You are invited to a FREE festival packed full of big ideas at Big Picture Classes this August! Join us for 12 fun-filled days featuring 12 of our talented instructors. Each instructor will be giving you a word of the day, which we hope will inspire you, along with a downloadable template (in both printable and digital format) so that you can create a mini layout about that day's word and how you applied it in your life.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page to register for the Big Idea Festival. Remember it is free and you will not see a charge in your account, but you do have to check out. If you're new to Big Picture Classes, become a member for free. See how it works.

***

And now a message from me: 

I'm a huge fan of Big Picture Classes and feel very confident in recommending this site for online classes. I wouldn't post the message above if I didn't! I'm excited about this year's Big Idea Festival. I can't wait to see the downloadable template and be inspired by each word of the day. This project looks very DOABLE! I love that. Check out my Big Idea Festival blog post from last summer. I completed eight sentences which captured quite a bit about me and my life at that moment. I also made a layout based on one of those sentences and I'm very glad I did! None of this took very long to do and it's something I wouldn't have done otherwise.

I love that Big Picture Classes offers a free festival like this. (Thanks BPC!) It means we can all try it out even if a scrapbooking class isn't in our budget right now. Not only that, if you don't have time to consume the content of the class right now, it's okay because you'll always have access to the content. All you have to do is sign up before registration closes! The festival starts on Monday, August 15.

The rest of my staycation

I went back to work on Monday after my glorious week off (10 days in total). I loved my vacation time! The weather was fabulous. I loved being at home and doing whatever I felt like doing most of the time. And, of course, I loved crossing a few things off my to-do list. For me, it was a great balance of productivity and play. Here's a recap of some of the things we did after the girls returned from Camp Monahan (aside from regular housework, BSS work, etc.)

Thursday morning, Sophia and I made Dill Pickle Spears. I think they turned out well, but Sophia doesn't care for the taste of the vinegar. She LOVES garlic dill pickles, but these weren't quite right for her (the white wine vinegar, perhaps?). Maybe we'll add more sugar next time or try another recipe; they were very easy to make.

Later on Thursday, all three girls had an annual check-up with our family doctor. They're all doing fine and growing well. (Georgia also began a 24-hour Holter Monitor today so the pediatric cardiologist will have the results at her heart checkup in January.) That evening, we went to Boston Pizza for supper as Neil had a gift card to use (it was a thank you gift for his lunch supervision at school). The girls were excited to eat out as we hadn't eaten out at all in July (making up for some extra eating-out expenses in June).

On Friday afternoon, we all went shopping for school supplies. It was our first time buying supplies for all three. The girls were full of eager anticipation for this event. Before we went out, we "shopped" our house for supplies that could be reused. Georgia is quite happy to use things we already had (for example, she'll use Madeline's scissors and Sophia's backpack from last school year), while Sophia is quite a bit less willing to reuse (which frustrates me!).

We purchased the majority of school supplies at Walmart, Staples, and Costco this year. There were some great deals such as duotangs for 10 cents (we needed 24) and 200-sheet packs of loose leaf for 25 cents. Shoes were purchased at Winners, the Bay, and Payless. Finally, two new t-shirts for each girl from The Children's Place (less than $7/shirt). They all selected a t-shirt that says "Best Sister Ever" with an arrow to their own head. And all three wore it to their first day of K4J Vacation Bible Camp on Monday. :)

After shopping, we picked up the girls' packed bags and drove them to Corinne. Lou met us there and took the girls to Avonlea to spend two nights with their grandparents. We needed a babysitter on Saturday, so this worked very well for us. As always, the girls had a great time out there. They went for a hike in the hills, swimming at Dunnet, and sewed some potholders with their grandma.

On Saturday, Neil went golfing with friends, which is something he hasn't done for years. They golfed at Flowing Springs and had to take a long break while waiting for a severe thunderstorm to roll through. Meanwhile, I was alone for much of the day. So unusual! I listened to scrapbooking podcasts, and worked on July pictures and a series of scrapbook pages I had started in May 2010. (Photos to follow in a separate post.)

I also registered for The Art of Composition this weekend. Pricey, yes, but I see it as an investment in knowledge I'll use for the rest of my life. (I was glad to get a $20 discount as a member of Picture Inspiration, though.) I'm really looking forward to this workshop!

Saturday evening, Neil and I went to the home of our friends, Derek and Lisa, in Pilot Butte. There were about a dozen people there (and no kids, except the host couple's baby). We had a delicious steak supper, and I really enjoyed visiting with Lisa and Karla, whom I hadn't seen for a very long time.

Sunday was painting day. I painted the front door while Neil created and painted a cruise ship to be used in a skit at the K4J VBS this week (Neil is helping with props and stage set-up all week long). They both turned out well! I used the "Exotic Grass" paint that I used to paint one wall of our dining room in 1997. I had wanted to paint this door green for years! So glad I finally did this. What took me so long?

Also on Sunday, Neil picked up the girls at Corinne, and my mom and Buffy (her dog) came over to visit for a little while. The girls and I needed to go to a few stores on the east side, so Mom came with us. Sophia also had captain's training (she's a K4J captain) and a playdate at Meghan's house, before and after our shopping excursion, respectively.

Winner of the Exclusive Kit

The winner of the Big Idea Festival Kit Giveaway is Cathy Boeche!

Congratulations Cathy!

I'm delighted to give away one of the Big Idea Festival Exclusive Kits on behalf of Big Picture Classes. Thanks for entering everyone!

Big Idea Festival Kit Giveaway!

I'm giving away an Exclusive Kit for the 2011 Big Idea Festival at Big Picture Classes! Cool, huh? I've already signed up for this FREE festival (of course!). Have you?

Big Idea Festival 2011 - Words to Live By

You are invited to a FREE festival packed full of big ideas at Big Picture Classes this August! Join us for 12 fun-filled days featuring 12 of our talented instructors. Each instructor will be giving you a word of the day, which we hope will inspire you, along with a downloadable template (in both printable and digital format) so that you can create a mini layout about that day's word and how you applied it in your life. Finally, each teacher will leave you with an inspirational video message and a preview of the page they created with their word.

Exclusive Kit information

Big Picture Classes has also created our first-ever kit to go along with the Big Idea Festival! While the kit is not required to participate, we've designed this kit to make creating your mini album easy and fun. Click here for a complete list of items in the kit.

We have created a limited number of kits, and once they're gone, they're gone!
MSRP: $39.99
BPC Member Price: Only $32.99!

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment on this post before Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 11:59pm (midnight) EST. One winner will be chosen at random from all entries received. Good luck!

Online classes: 2011

For the past five years, I've taken numerous online classes in the areas of scrapbooking, photography, and organizing. I love online classes (which you probably already know if you read my blog!). Through them, I have learned a great deal, accomplished much that I wouldn't have otherwise, and "met" hundreds of virtual friends. Online classes have been very valuable and wonderful for me. At the same time, I will admit there are times when I probably took too many classes (this spring, for example!). Yet, I feel like I have restrained myself -- especially this year! There are so many fantastic looking classes out there.

I thought it might be interesting (or, more likely, convince you that I need help*) to list all of the classes I've taken over the years in a series of blog posts. For each class, I'll give some basic info (class name/instructor/price/time frame/website) and my results or general thoughts. I'll start with 2011 past, present, and future, and then in four additional blog posts, I'll list the classes I took from 2007 to 2010 (in reverse order). You'll see that BigPictureClasses.com is my first, favourite, and most frequently used website for classes, but there are others I enjoy as well.

I also want to note (pledge, perhaps?) that I plan to take fewer classes in the future because my life is getting busier AND I have a number of projects I want to tackle. I have to make space in my life for these things. Wish me luck! :)

2011 Past:

Decorate Life/Darci Dowdle/$18/4 weeks/
BigPictureClasses.com
I enjoyed Darci's class, A Baker's Dozen, so much (twice, in fact) that I couldn't resist this class. It was good, too, but I was very challenged to keep up. The timing (January) was SO bad for me! But I did complete 13 out of 14 layouts, so that's pretty good, I'd say! I don't know if I will ever do the last layout, and I'm okay with that.

Picture Winter/Tracey Clark/$30/1 month/
BigPictureClasses.com
I completed this project in real time and I enjoyed it, although winter is my least favourite (i.e., most challenging) time of the year for daily photos. In addition to taking photos, I also received the huge side benefit of blogging every day during January which was an extremely busy month. I never would have recorded so much during this time period without the additional commitment of Picture Winter. (I know that sounds weird.) Worth every cent for that reason. Plus, this was my 4th of the four seasons of Picture classes and I couldn't miss it! I felt a sense of accomplishment after completing this class.

Embrace Imperfection/Karen Grunberg/Free/2 weeks/
BigPictureClasses.com
I read the two handouts and thought they included some great information and layouts, but did I learn anything new? I don't know. Honestly, I probably would not have signed up if it hadn't been free since I don't feel like I need the information (I'm well aware of the need to resist perfectionism and have been working on this for years) and I definitely didn't have time to create anything new based on the class materials. I may use the included sheet of quotes at some point or re-read the handouts if I feel like I need a reminder. (Embrace Imperfection is still available as a self-paced class.)

Blogging for Scrapbookers/Shimelle Lain/$15/3 weeks/
Shimelle.com
I hadn't taken a class from Shimelle before so I didn't know what to expect. I was very impressed with the content! I really enjoyed reading her handouts. Since I'm a blogging veteran, there were many things I already knew or didn't need to do, but I still learned a bunch and implemented a few things. This class helped rejuvenate my interest in blogging, and for that alone it was worth the money. (Blogging for Scrapbookers is still available as a self-paced class.)

Beyond Blogging for Scrapbookers/Shimelle Lain/$15/
3 weeks/Shimelle.com
I enjoyed this class, too, although I haven't read the last three of 15 lessons or watched the videos yet. This class included lots of excellent information and I'm glad I signed up. I really liked participating in the group projects, My day in photos and 10 things on the 10th. I plan to continue doing 10 on the 10th, read the lessons I missed, and I'm sure I'll refer to some of the handouts in the future.

Finally Get Organized/Jennifer Wilson/Free/4 lessons/
SimpleScrapper.com
I read all of the content from this class, which was good, but I didn't have time to implement anything at the time. Also, I probably didn't need more of this type of information. So why did I sign up for it? I like Jennifer's approach to simple memory keeping so I wanted to see what she had to say about organizing, and since I didn't really need the class, the price was right (free). I've taken several organizing classes, my supplies are pretty organized, and I'm planning to read The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker later this year, so I'm not sure I'll revisit the class content, but it's there if I want to. (Finally Get Organized is still available as a self-paced class.)

Picture Color/Tracey Clark/$30/1 month/
BigPictureClasses.com
I was totally committed to Picture Color and didn't miss a day. This was one of my favourites of all the Picture classes I've taken (seven!) and I've learned more about the settings on my camera than in any other class in this series. I was not only motivated by the daily prompts and the community (such a friendly group and I always enjoy receiving comments in the gallery!), but also my commitment to blog each photo along with some record of the day. While I haven't tackled other popular "everyday life" projects such as Ali Edwards' Week in the Life or Becky Higgins' Project Life, I know that for these months when I blog daily, I am capturing a bunch of everyday- life kind of stuff. And that's good enough for me.

2011 Present:

Organizing with Your Kids/Aby Garvey/$45/4 weeks/
Simplify101.com
I have listened to all three lessons and learned a lot (hurray for MP3s because I don't have time to sit and read the lessons!). While I won't have time to implement everything during the four weeks of class, I know the class content will be very useful to me through this summer and beyond. I have worked with the girls to declutter their toys and I came up with rewards based on suggestions in the first lesson and knowing what motivates my kids. I did approach these things a little differently thanks to the class. I've had great success with other organizing classes from Simplify101, so I'm familiar with Aby's approach to organizing and I know it works well. I will be referring to the lessons going forward, and I'm very glad I signed up.

Finding Photo Freedom (Alumni)/Stacy Julian/Free/
10 weeks/BigPictureClasses.com
This is my fourth time in this class, formerly called A Library of Memories (LOM), and I have done fewer things with each session -- but I was very successful during my first one in 2008, so my LOM is set up and working for me. All I'm after now are the updates and the inspiration to tweak a few areas. So far in this session, I have read some of the handouts, watched several videos, and decided I need to implement one of the elements introduced last year (identify my top five stories per quarter). I am also enjoying all of the new motivational email messages. My main focus for this session is to practice and improve my triaging skills. I have completed all of the triage assignments during each past session of LOM, so my category drawers have hundreds of photos in them (and I have used my category drawers many times), but I haven't been triaging photos (pulling them out of my storage binders) on a regular basis, so that's what I need to work on. I think Finding Photo Freedom is an essential class, and having access to all the new content for free? Priceless!

Picture Inspiration/Tracey Clark/$36/1 year/
BigPictureClasses.com
I am committed to this project and haven't missed a week yet. Sometimes it's a real challenge to make time for this task. When I "just get it done," the result isn't always great, but that's okay; I still like receiving the weekly prompt and having something consistent to post on my blog every week. It also keeps me using my camera on a regular basis which means more shots of my children and documentation of life in general. I'm happy to be in this community. (Picture Inspiration is still available.)

One Little Word/Ali Edwards/$36/1 year/
BigPictureClasses.com
I selected my word (patience) and I think about it quite often, but I haven't done a thing with this class except for posting one picture in the gallery (which I actually took for Picture Winter). Months ago, I made the decision to set this class aside because I have no time for it, and I guess I don't feel motivated by the end result of an album reflecting my word and its presence in my life. Will I use the class materials someday? I don't know. I love Ali's stuff, and I'm happy to have forever access so I could do it if I wanted to, but who knows? I am much more successful with classes when I participate along with everyone else. My bad for signing up for a workshop/ community for which I didn't have time or feel totally committed. I admit I was swept up in the online excitement. At least I did not buy any of the recommended supplies! I'm sure this workshop is great; it just wasn't right for me at this time in my life. (One Little Word is still available.)

2011 Future:

The Art of Composition/Tracey Clark/probably $99 $300**
(I learned after posting)/12 weeks/BigPictureClasses.com
This class will run October through December this year. I'm excited about it and already feel committed. I'm reading the Shutter Sisters' book, Expressive Photography, right now as a primer. I think I'll be able to keep up with this class since I won't have any others running on a schedule, except Picture Inspiration (which shouldn't be any trouble in parallel with a photography class!). (If you're interested, listen to Tracey's audio message on the BPC 4 Experts page.)

The Power of iPhoto '11/Lesa Snider/$19/1 day/
creativeLIVE.com
This is about 5 hours of video. I don't have iPhoto '11 yet (I have '09), but in the few minutes I watched of the live class, I learned some things that I'm already applying daily! I know I'll be upgrading my iPhoto and will use the content from this class, so I snapped it up and can watch the videos anytime. (I paid less than full price b/c I purchased it during the live class.) (The Power of iPhoto '11 is still available.)

Photoshop Elements 9 for Photographers/Lesa Snider/
$49/2 days/creativeLIVE.com
This is about 10 hours of video. Again, I only watched a few minutes of the live class, and I don't have PSE 9 yet (I have 8), but I could see she was covering some methods and techniques that I will definitely use (including some things I can certainly use with my current version). I use PSE all the time and will upgrade at some point, so I grabbed the class on discount. Now I can watch the videos whenever I want. (Photoshop Elements 9 for Photographers is still available.)

Food & Culture Photography/Penny De Los Santos/
$99/3 days/creativeLIVE.com
This is about 15 hours of video. I see this more as edu-tainment for both Neil and me, rather than strictly an online class. When the live class was in session, we had it playing on two computers while we did housework. We knew we wanted to view the whole thing more attentively, so we bought the class and plan to watch the videos on our TV downstairs. Most of the shows we were watching are over now, so I think we'll start watching this soon. (I also purchased this class at a significant discount.) (Food & Culture Photography is still available.)

***

Okay, I know what you're thinking: How does she have time for all of these classes? After making this list, I'm wondering the same thing! Well, firstly, I didn't participate fully in all of them. And that's not how I like to do things, so I absolutely agree that my 2011 Past and Present lists are too long. But I did manage to read most of the class content (except OLW) and complete quite a few assignments. I think this is how: I only watch 2 or 3 hours of TV per week (and some weeks, none); I get up early on weekdays so I have time before work; I have an hour-long lunch break when I'm at work; I have a messy house (i.e., I don't spend a lot of time on housework); and I have a stay-at-home husband who does all of the laundry, grocery shopping, and cooking. Yes, this last one is a major factor! Otherwise, I just squeeze it in; I read a little here and little there. Anyhow, as I said, my plan is to not take so many classes in the future! Clearly, I have plenty of class material to go back to should I feel the need to learn something. :)

The next post in this series will be about the online classes I took in 2010.

*Yes, I could certainly use some house cleaning help! ha ha

**I didn't realize it would be this much. :( But I know this class will be worth it. And this will strengthen my resolve not to sign up for more classes; I'll be pre-spending my 2012 budget!