5 Years

5 Years Blogging - A Retrospective: 2010

This is the last in a series of five navel-gazing retrospective posts celebrating my five years of blogging in which I offer my top five posts for each year. Click here for the first four years. Congrats to Dayle on winning the celebratory giveaway!

2010 was incredibly full:

Creative and writing experiments on my blog;  the Vancouver Olympics; new assignments at work; moving from a 1920's house to a 1970's bungalow (more purging, packing and creating a home); a '70s housewarming party in full '70s garb; becoming an Auntie; a few getaways to Montreal; a Flying Lessons e-course and creative business possibility; summer rest & relaxation; moving to Squarespace and my new URL; gorgeous scenery and hiking in Gaspésie, Québec; a quick trip to NB for Dad's 70th birthday - singing with Sis at the party; new family connections on D.'s side; Thanksgiving on a dairy farm; Squam Art Workshops for a third year in a row; another abstract painting class, painting bigger and painting a lot; my first official solo art show; organizing a Winter Solstice art show; and at the end, a slow and restful December.

me, laughing at the glitter stucco in our groovy '70s basement (photo by D.)

My top five posts...

Creative Triggers - OK, again, I'm cheating here with more than one post. This is a link to a series of four posts describing some of my favourite creative triggers. It was my first time experimenting with a once-a-week series and I liked it. I might try it again.

creative possibility found at a favourite thrift shop

Joys of a Trusty Point and Shoot - Part of my Photography Month experiment, I wrote this post to remind myself that though my little point & shoot camera may not be fancy, it can still be effective in many ways.

Feeling Alive and Grateful - This was written in the midst of Kelly Rae Roberts' Flying Lessons e-course. I was riding on a major creative high that found its way into many of life's nooks & crannies!

belle Gaspésie, Forillon National Park

What's in a Name? (or A New-Manifesto) - A look into my bloggie psyche and how I came to choose Creative Living Experiment as a name.

A Stroll Through Mer Bleue - Because these photos ground and soothe me.

This concludes my little retrospective on my past five years of blogging. Combing through nearly 650 posts, noticing patterns and pivotal happenings along the way was a lot of fun - I highly recommend it!

Thank you for playing along. It just wouldn't be the same without you.

Steph

xo

A Celebratory Giveaway!

OK, so I'm feeling all what-if-I-have-a-party-and-nobody-comes (read: what-if-I-have-a-giveaway-and-nobody-comments), but dagnabbit it's my bloggiversary and I'm having a Giveaway!

Call it a celebration of my still being here after five years and a token of appreciation for your being here with me.

The prize? A 12x12 (10x10 print with a 1" white border all around) of Giselle:

(The print itself has more of the blue & yellow background showing on either side of her hair, this is a  cropped picture.)

Giselle is very special to me, she's my first face painted from scratch - evah. Her wild red hair and the borderline crazy don't-mess-with-me look in her eyes speak to me so. I think the eyes creep D. out a little bit, but she's got EDGE baby! I'VE got edge and so do YOU!

So here's the scoop:

Leave a comment on this post by end of day Friday, January 28th and I will add your name to the pot. When I wake up Saturday I'll print out the comments, put them in a bowl and ask D. to pick one (if Cassie had opposable thumbs I'd ask her). I"ll announce the winner here, he or she can send me a note through the blog's Contact page and we'll go from there. Easy peasy!

I hope you win!