New Photo Challenge

I recently met Emily, a very talented photographer and artist. She invited me to participate in a weekly photography challenge that she co-hosts. Since I'm almost done with my Project 365, I thought this weekly challenge sounded fun. Those of you who enjoy photography may enjoy participating in some of the weekly photography challenges, too!

This week's challenge is shoes. (Click the link to see the original post and the submissions.)

Here's my contribution:

(Day 340 of 365)

I know I'm not nearly as talented (yet!) as many of the other photographers who participate in the challenge, but I'm hoping to learn more about photography, practice photographic techniques, and get feedback on my pictures.

If you enjoy photography, please consider joining the weekly challenges!

Blessed Irony

I will soon be re-entering the workforce outside of our home. I just got a call today offering me the position of church secretary that I applied and interviewed for at our church! I'm really excited!

I'll be training with the current church secretary May 1-15 and completely assume the position on May 16. I won't be doing childcare in our home anymore. The hours are 5 hrs/dy, 5 dys/wk, and it's in the same building where our kids go to school.

Getting this job and going back into the "real" workforce (albeit part-time) is happening a bit earlier than we'd anticipated since we'd planned for me to wait til our youngest was in kdg or 1st grade, but so many things fell into place with this secretary position. And, of course, the irony is that if Hannah, or even Grace, was here, I wouldn't have even considered taking the job since they'd be so little. And to learn that I got this job on the day Hannah was due? His ways are certainly not our ways.

Mel's Extraordinary Layouts

Well, I did it! I now have a site offering free blogger background layouts and headers. Here's the link: Mel's Extraordinary Layouts.

There are only a few there now, but there will be more in the future!

Checklist

• Redesign my weight loss blog ... DONE!


• Redisign my recipe blog ... DONE!


• Redesign the girls' memorial blog ... Not done.

I'm still debating whether or not to redo Forever in our Hearts because I really like the footprints background, but I'd like to have a matching header, so we'll see.

In the meantime go and check out the new looks on More Than Numbers and Star Recipes. I'd love to know what you think!

Redesigned

As you've obviously noticed, my blog has a new look. I'm proud to say that I figured out how to download free digital scrapbooking elements and used them to create the background and blog header all by myself! I got some help from a tutorial on making your own backgrounds at The Cutest Blog on the Block and learned how to get rid of that pesky blog header border from The Blog Doctor. Believe it or not, I didn't really even use any of that html I've been learning!

How do the background and header look? Do they display well on your computer? I'd really like some feedback and constructive criticism! If there's anything that doesn't look right to you or you have any suggestions, please let me know! Thanks!

Renewed Venture

Day 14 of 365
(For some reason Blogger keeps turning this picture sideways even though it's the right way in my computer files.)

Okay, I know our bathroom scale is a pretty dull picture for my project 365, but there's a reason for it.

I struggle with my weight. To be honest, I like food, and, in many ways that's the problem. I like it too much.

I've done Weight Watchers twice in the past and have had success when I stuck to the plan ... losing 30 lbs the first time and almost 20 the second time. However, whether due to expecting a baby or just falling off the wagon, I've quit WW both times and gained weight back. Although I do not now weigh as much as the first time I joined WW (which was my highest non-pregnant weight), I'm only about 10 lbs shy of that mark. I do NOT want to reach that point again.

As I've linked before, I'm currently undergoing testing for hypothyroidism and PCOS (both for reasons unrelated to weight) which may or may not be affecting my weight. Health and medical issues that others I know have been experiencing have given me a wake-up call. I need to get my weight back within a healthy range for my height to hopefully avoid my own weight-related medical issues and achieve a healthier body.

So, what have I done? I've started another blog (Yes, another one!) in the hopes that it will keep me accountable to my goals of eating less and better without joining WW again but using what I've learned from my past experience with the program to help me. I don't anticipate the blog will be very exciting since I mostly plan to use it to keep track of what I'm eating, but you're welcome to visit it and give me a kick in the pants when you see me not doing so well.

I've added a weight loss ticker on the side of this blog to track my weight loss here also.

Ultimately I'd like to lose 28.8 lbs, but right now my short-term goal is to lose 18.8 lbs by May 1, 2009. (If you're wondering why the ".8" ... As you can see we have a digital bathroom scale, and that would bring me to a nice even number.)