i have a really bad habit.  does anyone else do this?  buy lots of crafty things with no project in mind?  i have so much fabric, trim, thread, ect…. and neraly none of it coordinates, even .  i just got these ribbons on etsy the other day.  aren’t they adorable?  but what am i going to do with them?!  any ideas?  i was thinking of it trimming a matilda jane-ish dress?  or toy holder thing like this?  or putting it on a new camera strap …. decisions!

and i thought this was sweet.  still can’t leave the big one alone with the little one, though.  we’ve never had a mobile before.  partially because our kids have never slept in the crib.  it’s just bunked up against our bed to make sure no one falls out of our bed & give us a little more room to spread out.  better view of that HERE, (before norah moved in with kayleigh & we got stuff up on the walls, lol).  but my aunt sent gift card for all the kids for christmas, so i picked this up on clearance for her.  charlotte really likes it.  it keeps her attention long enough for me to get dressed & brush my teeth even some days, lol!

oh.  by the way, i’m giving up on the 52 week project.  that lasted long, huh?  i just have too much going on with four kids, and a baby who doesn’t like to be put down.  ever.  so i am still going to do some sp’s that i have in mind, but without the pressure of doing it every week i think i can actually have quality over quantity.  hoping to do another 365 next year … but this baby is a lot of work!

i have so much to share, but i have to post my 52w from last week first!  i had a couple different ideas in mind this week, but due to not having access to photoshop, i went  easy.   i have been trying to do the “poor man’s macro,” (when you take your lens off & flip it around & hold it over the hole the other way), but i was pretty unsuccessful.  i am definitely not steady enough, and i was having trouble getting correct exposure.  i got a cheap reverse mount for $10 at amazon & it made it much easier.

the little black circle in norah’s hands is the reverse mount.  such a simple little thing, but it made things MUCH easier!  and the little ball of the end of the hanger is what i used in the pic above.  you can see the “wrong” side of the lens in the reflection.  :)

and just some sweet baby lips with the poor man’s macro.  definitely harder to achieve focus than a real macro lens!

many of you are coming here from my 365 blog (at least google analytics says you are!), so you’re familiar with the concept of the project.  one picture a day for a year.  the goal is to improve in photography, and look back at the past year’s progress.   the 52 week project is similar, but only one picture a week.  something more attainable for a new mom of four.  many, if not most people do their 365 project as a self portrait 365.  i didn’t dare do this!  buuuuttt…. i think the 52 week project will be a great place to do that.  i mean, i can look photo-worthy once a week.  i think i can, i think i can….

i am not going to do a separate blog for the 52 week project.  for one, i’m just not that good at keeping up two blogs (my old family blog disappeared when i started the 365 project), and for two …. it’s only one picture post a week after all.  i WILL tag each 52 week post.  that way, you can click on that tag at the end of the post to see them all.

i had planned on starting with something great, but yesterday was busy and i just bounced my flash for a couple mirror shots.  i promise they won’t always be mirror shots, lol!   i may fall back to a “regualr” (non-self portrait) 52w, but i’m hoping to stick it out and follow through all year.