Archive for February, 2011
Monday, February 28th, 2011
Porter and I had an opportunity to have a little one-on-one date over the weekend. When looking at our movie options, it was down to 2 choices: Gnomeo & Juliet (neither one of us was really interested) or Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.
Justin who?
Okay, I’m kidding. I mean, I’ve heard of Justin Bieber. But that’s about it. A) There are no pre-teens in our home and B) I am so not up on current music lately. I hardly listen to the radio or watch tv in this phase of my life. It is what it is.
So … we saw Justin Bieber.
And guess what? Within the first two minutes, I was pretty happy about those 3D glasses on my face because my eyes welled up with tears. I kid you not. And that was the first of several times that my emotions got the best of me.
What the heck? What is this about, right? (No. I’m not pregnant.)
It wasn’t about Justin’s music, although no one can deny the 16-year-old is crazy talented. It wasn’t about about how cute he is, although for sure he is adorable. And this is certainly not about movie reviews because I am so not a movie critic.
I’ll tell you what it was about for me. This kid is in the middle of an incredible journey of ups & downs like the rest of us (just on a much more public level) … and the way they connected his past with where he is today, was remarkable. His mother & grandparents not only dedicated their best efforts in raising him but they recognized his natural talents and interests and they cultivated that growth.
It was about appreciating the fact that they had home video along the way, even back to when he was 2 and 3 years old, hitting wooden spoons to a kitchen chair and there was actual rhythm. They were documenting life. They were able to tell a great story in this movie because they put all those little pieces (pictures + home video) together.
It was about generosity. The way his manager & team went out amongst the people and passed out concert tickets to unsuspecting fans. The way he connected with his little girl fans. (Although if Claire ever acts like these screeching, squealing girls … over ANY pop star … EVER … oh, we will be having a serious talk.)
It was about entrepreneurship. It was about believing in yourself and knowing that anyone — ANYone — can take that little seed of a dream and foster growth if you put forth the effort and are willing to face bumps in the road.
In the end, I think my connection with this movie was my already-firm belief that everyone should cultivate a good life and record it. That does not have to have anything to do with becoming “rich & famous”. It’s about each of us taking what we believe is a good life — it’s different for everyone — and going for it.
And … along the way, make the effort to document and record the journey. The good, the bad, the ugly. Because when we do this, we are honoring our past, our progression, and our passion.
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I created Project Life because I wanted to simplify the process of keeping memories so that more and more people will enjoy the satisfaction of doing something with their pictures and documenting their stories. I deeply care about helping people bring all their “pieces” together to tell their story.
So this week, thanks to the added inspiration I found in a teen-bopper movie on a date with my 8-year-old … I am giving away a Project Life kit every day this week! In the comments, please share what “cultivating a good life” means to you personally, in a sentence or two. Or share one of your dreams or passions or something you’re working toward right now. Or nominate a friend. And mention where you live.
Tags: dreams, entrepreneurship, generosity, goals, Project Life
Posted in giving | 1,325 Comments »
Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011
Like so many of you, I am saddened to hear about the devastation in New Zealand as a result of yesterday’s earthquake. I send my love and my prayers to those of you in that area … and many more affected from a distance, with loved ones in New Zealand. In remembrance of the beautiful city of Christchurch, I am posting pictures on facebook & twitter throughout the day, from our visit there in 2004. It is truly one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
Tags: earthquake, new zealand
Posted in photography, travel | 16 Comments »
Monday, February 21st, 2011
You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.
I don’t remember when I started saying this but probably around the time our kids were old enough to be picky about what food we were serving at the dinner table. And I certainly know I’m not alone in this expression. Raise your hand if those words have escaped your mouth.
It’s not just about food though.
Sometimes life just doesn’t feel fair. Sometimes we’re dealt stuff that makes us feel like complaining and bickering. The thing is — life is made up of this stuff. It’s unavoidable. And we either complain about it or we make the most of a tough situation. We can choose to think long & hard about what lessons we are to learn from the experience. And then we can be better for it. But we have to choose that. We have to choose to not “have a fit”.
This is part of cultivating a good life.
So here is the friendly yet bold reminder, in a printable JPG format … 3 colors to choose from in various sizes. Just head over to the Free Stuff page to download whatever you want.
Put this in your kitchen area to remind your kids to not be picky. Have it on your desk as a reminder to keep on keepin’ on, even when you’re not loving the next item on your to-do list. Wherever you use the print, may it be a simple reminder to keep your chin up, try new things, and have a positive attitude about it all.
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By the way, have you noticed the color change on my website? If not, refresh. Valentines is over so the red went buh-bye and we’re moving on to a fresh coat of paint around here.
Tags: free stuff
Posted in family & children, home, style & design | 60 Comments »
Friday, February 18th, 2011
I love knowing that many of you have taken your camera to work with you. I love knowing that many of you have followed your spouse, sibling, parent, or friend to work to document that corner of their world.
Here are the results of the WORK Photo Challenge — my personal favorite dozen submissions. Bakers Dozen, that is.
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Photo by a friend and submitted by Stacey in Orem, Utah. This is her husband Tyson who is a freelance cinematographer.
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Photo by Gretchen in Michigan. This is her husband Joel who works in his family’s landscape business. During the winter, they snowplow which has been in abundance this year.
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Photo by Linda in Canada (Morden, Manitoba). This is her boyfriend Steve who is a photographer ( expresslife.ca). They were just in the Dominican shooting a wedding.
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Photo by Cherish in Strongsville, Ohio. This is a lightboard, which is a part of her everyday surroundings as an English and Theatre teacher.
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Photo by Rachel in Rexburg, Idaho. This is her husband Andrew who builds luxury homes for a living, and often builds beautiful pieces of furniture for those homes. Here he is staining what will soon be a kitchen table.
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Photo by Bonnie in Emmett, Idaho. These hands belong to Terry, their horse shoer. She says, “His hands tell a life time of stories and hard work!”
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Photo by Deirdre in Moab, Utah. This is her husband Brian who runs the fuels program for the BLM in southeastern Utah. Deirdre says, “Our boys normally just see him working at his desk when they visit him at work. When he fights wildfires in the summer, they obviously don’t see it and there isn’t time for photos. This time of year he directs control burns so the wildfires in the summer won’t burn as hot or big.”
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Photo by Rachael in St. George, Utah. This is Abby, who is a dental assistant for Dr. Scholzen’s pediatric dental practice.
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Photo by Maria in Caldwell, Idaho. This is her son Bridon looking on to the thick of corn harvest. Their dad is a farmer and the boys love to go to work and ride with him.
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Photo by Michelle in Columbia, MO. This is her boyfriend Craig at work in the produce section of their local grocery store. This is where he’s working while they’re in college.
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Photo by Andrea in West Sacramento, California. She is a veterinary research scientist for the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California in Davis. Andrea took this shot using the timer on her camera. She is in the lab cryopreserving some parasites for later use.
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Photo by Ileana in Oregon. This is her husband Dee, who is a perfusionist.
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Photo by Lynley in New Zealand. Familiar sight for many of you? Lynley has recently stopped working partime to be a full time stay at home mum.
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Posted in Uncategorized | 43 Comments »
Thursday, February 17th, 2011
Grateful that you stopped by today. Hello!
Grateful that you really got what I shared yesterday.
Grateful that such a simple line can have such a great impact on us.
Grateful that a few of you requested that simple line to be in printable format so you can see it as a constant reminder. I love your way of thinking. And so … here you go. It’s just a simple 4×6. And right now, it’s my desktop wallpaper. Want to get this on your monitor as well? Just save the image to your desktop. Once the icon shows up on your desktop, you should be able to just right-click and set it as your desktop image.
NOTE: Right-click on the image to download and save to your computer.
Posted in Uncategorized | 36 Comments »
Wednesday, February 16th, 2011
Yesterday: Sick day for the kiddos. Two of our three tested positive for Strep the prior evening, so they started antibiotics immediately and we kept them away from the outside world so as to not continue spreading it.
The bad news: They missed school & friends & everything that happens on a typical Tuesday.
The good news: They hardly had noteworthy symptoms, so they really felt fine. Which meant … I got kind of a “free day” with all 3 kiddos. Yay us.
Welcome to my world: After sleeping in – serious yay — we had a little family council. (This is so me to do this. I get it from my parents.) Together, we came up with a list of what we hoped to accomplish in the day since no one was laying around “being” sick. I reminded the kids that each day when they go to school I have a checklist of things I hope to get done. Every. Single. Day. — that is my life. It’s how I stay focused, stay on track, and get so much done. They were on-board. As long as there was fun.
The first item checked? Climbing a tree, of course. By the end of the day, the only thing we didn’t check off was practicing piano & picking up the backyard. There’s always tomorrow.
So our day was really productive — a nice balance of work + fun. Just as it should be.
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The reason I share this? All day long a thought kept coming to my mind over and over and over. It’s something that one of my college professors shared some 15 year ago and I’ll never forget it.
“The purpose of the task is to strengthen the relationship.”
It was one of my Family Science classes and she encouraged us to say it over & over so we wouldn’t forget it.
The purpose of the task is to strengthen the relationship.
The purpose of the task is to strengthen the relationship.
The purpose of the task is to strengthen the relationship.
Okay, you get the idea. You see — when you think deeply about what this means, it completely changes the way you view every little activity you engage in with a loved one. Going on a date with your spouse, playing a game with your child, talking on the phone with your sister … these are obviously relationship-strengthening things. But think about the little, everyday, mundane stuff.
Think about working on homework with your child. Yes, the purpose is to help her excel. But the purpose is also to strengthen your relationship with her. And when you think about that, well … you become more patient, more encouraging, more engaging, more interested in making this a happy memory for her.
Think about making dinner with your husband. Yes, the purpose is to put food on the table for your family. But when you consider that another important purpose is to strengthen your relationship with him, you find yourself feeling kinder, more apt to ask him about his day and listen intently while preparing food together.
Think about paying bills.
Okay, never mind. But seriously — This line really does affect the way you feel about a task and how you feel about the person you’re doing it with.
Checklists are fantastic. Relationships are more important.
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***SPECIAL ADDITION***
I created a 4×6 print with this line in the next post HERE.
Posted in family & children, home | 62 Comments »
Monday, February 14th, 2011
This weekend I remembered all over again how fun it is to make messy art with the kids. I stopped what I was doing (see point no. 7 of my recent Charity post), put out the paints, and reminded the kids that there are no rules with art.
And then we played.
Porter is currently learning about Jackson Pollock so they created art based on his abstract expressionist style. No paintbrushes. We used yarn and … fettuccine. Yes, that’s what I said. I boiled some pasta and they painted with it. I think they ended up eating more than they actually used.
Posted in DIY, family & children | 15 Comments »
Friday, February 11th, 2011
First, we have 3 quick items of business:
1. The [2] randomly-selected winners of the *Shey*[B] giveaway are … Kelli in West Virginia & Kristie in Queensland (Australia). Congratulations ladies! Shoot an email to projectlife@beckyhiggins.com and we’ll hook you up.
2. Tomorrow (Saturday 2/12) is the deadline for the WORK Photo Challenge. Details in that post.
3. I am loving all the { POTD Idea } submissions and just wanted to remind you that there is no deadline for this. Anyone can submit a picture any time [submissions@beckyhiggins.com]. If you have a picture-of-the-day idea to share, send that little beauty over so I can see. Tell your talented photography friends too! I share favorites via Facebook almost every day.
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Many of you will be familiar with this type of Q+A post that I do once in a while. You ask questions. I answer a handful of those questions in just 3 words or less. Here we go — The February edition of 3 words or less.
Q: How you would describe your decorating style?
A: Traditional but eclectic.
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Q: I still use your sketch books quite often and am wondering if you’ll be publishing a third one anytime soon?
A: Awesome! But no.
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Q: What do you do with the greeting cards that you and your family members receive?
A: Big basket + scrapbooks.
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Q: I love Project Life. You make scrapbooking and memory keeping so much easier. Are you still planning to make another school kit?
A: Working on it.
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Q: How do you keep your home so tidy with a toddler?!?!
A: Kids pitch in.
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Q: Claire was wearing an adorable black & white shirt in the Gratitude, cont. post. Where did you find that?
A: Carter’s Outlet.
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Q: How in the world do you organize your time?
A: iCal + plan daily.
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Q: I absolutely LOVE your kits/books and would not want you to stop your business you have now, but I was wondering if you ever thought about having a job that would use your degree you got in college? If you could go back, would you change your degree?
A1: I use (Family Science) degree. | A2: Nah. Loved it.
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Q: Do you schedule your chores?
A: As needed basis.
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Q: I am wondering where you got that cute sweater you are wearing with the adorable ruffled skirt. I have seen it somewhere before but I can’t remember. I love it!
A: H&M.
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Q: What did you dream about being as you were growing up?
A: Mother, teacher, nature-photographer.
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Q: I was just wondering what your exercise routine looks like. I know you are a busy mom and you have a work schedule as well, so how do you fit it in?
A: Ask me later. : )
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Q: I love your ideas and how you aren’t afraid to tell us and share with us, kuddos! My question is, how did you decide to take that talent of yours and create a new adventure?
A: Passion. Faith. David.
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Alright, that’s enough for now. Have a terrific weekend, everyone. Get out there & do the right thing.
Posted in Q&A | 12 Comments »
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011
You know Shey, right? The camera strap girl, of course! These are the 2 designs I’m currently loving the most. She’s always coming up with something new.
Well … Shey would like to give away a $30 store credit to [ TWO ] of my awesome blog readers! Feeling lucky? Leave a comment with your first name and an idea of where you live. We’ll announce the 2 randomly selected winners on Friday.
Want to just go shopping now? Head on over to the *Shey*[B] shop and be sure to enter LOVE11 at checkout because Shey is giving a 20% discount to YOU, which is more than the current 15% off sale she’s currently running. This discount will last through Tuesday Feb. 15.
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Speaking of giveaways, we’re about ready to reach 17,000 folks who are liking my Facebook page now.
(Say what!? Thank YOU!)
And since I love to spread the love … and I like to make up reasons to give away Project Life … be sure to “like” my Facebook page soon and you’ll have a chance to win! I’m doing that giveaway as soon as we hit 17,000. Actually, we have even more giveaways coming up that will be specifically on Facebook. If you’re not getting that feed, you’ll miss out. You don’t want to miss out, do you?
Plus, we are always having all sorts of fun there. I share photography inspiration — a { POTD Idea } just about every day. I share fun & inspiring links. I share cool things I think you’ll enjoy. And … I even just shared a sneak peek at my newly printed digital Project Life books yesterday!
Tags: camera strap covers, giveaway
Posted in Uncategorized | 1,106 Comments »
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