A 7 Days Farewell

I'm so behind on blogging (are you noticing a theme?)...I wanted to do this DURING the final round of 7 Days but, as it happened over the Christmas holiday, there was really no time. I still need to go in and finish commenting on everyone's photos...sheesh.

Anyway.

7 Days is a project that I was invited to by a longtime internet friend.  It is was a group on Flickr in which, four times a year, members would take a self-portrait every day for 7 Days.  The creativity and ingenuity and just overall badassedness of this group of people welcomed me in with open arms and just-slightly-too-tight Internet bear hugs.

I participated for 3 years of the 7-year life span of 7 Days.  I got more creative with my photos.  I met some incredibly amazing people.  None of whom I have met in real life, mind you, but with whom I've become very close and of whom I've grown very fond.

I've mentioned them before.

I'm so glad for Internet friends, and for Twitter and Facebook, which allow me to keep up with them constantly, whether they like it or not!

Anyway...You can view my sets on Flickr here:

Spring 2011
Summer 2011
Fall 2011
Winter 2011

Spring 2012
Summer 2012
Fall 2012
Winter 2012

Spring 2013
Summer 2013 (unfinished because I was overly pregnant and OVER EVERYTHING)
Fall 2013
Winter 2013

And here are some of my favorites of all my 7 Days shots:

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Dottery

Some readers may know/remember that I'm a part of a Flickr group called "7 Days."  Four times a year, we take seven days of self-portraits, ranging from your basic extended-arm selfie to very creative, reflective shots in various shiny objects.  I have only blogged about it once, but I've participated every cycle for almost two years (!!) now.

I have to say, this is my favorite internet group I've ever been a part of. I've met some REALLY amazing internet friends (none "in real life"....yet...) through this group, and we're all quite friendly via Twitter and Facebook and our individual blogs.

One of the things that has been kind of a 7 Days "staple" is Dottery.  How does one define dottery?!  Well, ask Bethany!  I believe she started the trend!  At least once per every 7 Days cycle, some dottery will make an appearance.  Bethany makes dottery ceramic items (mugs, bowls, plates...) and sells them (or gifts them, as she is known to be very generous)...and I think even her iPhone case has been dotterized! (I'm too lazy to go search her MANY awesome Flickr photos for the photo evidence!)

I even have my own mug!

"She is startin' to damage my calm..." Firefly quote from the one and only Jayne Cobb

ANYWAY, back to the title of this post.  Recently I got an email from Sonja offering me a dottery maternity shirt!  She sent it immediately upon receipt of my excited "YES PLEASE!" along with an impossibly tiny and adorable knitted hat for Baby R, and a very sweet card:

When I read "Welcome to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Maternity Shirt!" I got a little bit teary-eyed and emotional, and let me explain why...

Wait, first let me explain that this shirt started with Bethany, was sent to Jen (my favorite [favourite?] Canadian, who has been known to send me ketchup chips and lemon cookies), then on to Sonja, and finally to me.  (I'd post their Flickr photos of them wearing the shirt, but as we've all been pregnant while wearing it, they may murder me...) Who knows which 7-Dayser will get it next!

Anyway...here's why it makes me feel so special:

A group of local girls (including a couple of family members and some friends from high school) has been passing around a pair of overalls from their pregnancy for the past 4-5 years I suppose.  The most currently pregnant woman receives them to wear during her final trimester, and everyone has signed and dated them.  I always felt a little -- okay that's a lie, a LOT -- sad that I'd never be able to participate in this because...well, facts are facts. These girls are all teeny tiny little things, and those overalls wouldn't have fit me at my pre-pregnancy weight, much less with an added (COUGHCOUGH) pounds in my third trimester of pregnancy.  So, there's always been a part of me that's been sad to not have been included in such a tradition.  Not by malice, of COURSE, but just by logistics.  My ass = too big. :)

But now I'm a part of something shared. Included in a "sisterhood" of women who are, essentially, strangers to me.  I feel like I know them and their families, but I don't.  We see, quite literally, only snapshots of each others' lives, and yet they included me in this tradition.  It's a testament to how amazing social media and the internet really can be, and I'm so thrilled to be a part of it.  And I hope to carry on the tradition to the next 7-Days person to expect a child!

7 Days Wrap-Up: Summer 2011 Edition

I'm part of a really awesome group on Flickr called 7 Days, in which members post self-portraits every day for seven days.  Two of the days are theme days (different every time), and this summer edition was my second time to participate.  (You can view my Spring submissions here.)

Seriously you guys?  This group of people is at least 10 kinds of badass.  I have SO much fun looking at everyone's creative, fun, beautiful, silly (insert other adjectives as you will) submissions and reading their comments.  I will spend SO much time going through and commenting on everyone else's photos and laughing my head off (comment love is what it's alllllll about, yo). 

You should definitely join the group.  Just click on the link up there, and send a request, and play along with us in the fall!

So, here are my photos from this round, along with my captions:

7 Days, Day 1 -- Freckles & Lip Gloss

Hooray! 7 Days is back!

I thought this might be a good start to the Summer 7 Days cycle because it features some of my summer staples: freckled shoulders, sundresses, and lip gloss!

It's a toasty 102 degrees in Texas today, and I'd MUCH rather be out by the pool drinking frosty beverages, but lunch with the in-laws called. I hope you're all having a wonderful Saturday!

 

7 Days, Day 2 - Celebrating in Style! (Theme: BLACK)

As I mentioned yesterday, my father-in-law and his wife are in town this weekend. Tonight we celebrated both Father's Day AND his 60th birthday!

We were told to dress up, and imagine our surprise when a BLACK limo picked us up! I was wearing a BLACK strapless BCBG dress and hubs was wearing a BLACK shirt and coat.

We went to the Mansion at Turtle Creek in Dallas, where we spent a GLORIOUS 3.5 hours eating and drinking some incredible cuisine and having awesome conversation with family we haven't seen since our 2008 wedding.

It was an excellent day!

 

7 Days, Day 3 -- God, I Hope I Get It!

I was really hoping to be able to pull off this shot, and I'm pretty happy with it!

Tonight, I went to an audition for the musical "Gypsy" at a really amazing local theatre (only one in the area that uses 35-40 piece orchestras to play original Broadway orchestrations).

I sang really well, and I'm happy with it -- no matter how it turns out!

(Bonus points if you catch the reference in the title & the homage that is my pose!)

 

7 Days, Day 4 -- A Watched Pot

On the menu tonight? Chicken spaghetti. But it takes SO long for the water to boil and it gets SO warm in my kitchen in the summer that an ice cold Corona seemed to be just what the doctor ordered!

 

7 Days, Day 5 -- Sign says (woo!) "Stay away, fools!" (Theme: WHITE)

'Cause love rules...at the lo-o-o-ve shack! This is a GREAT new place to eat in Denton, TX -- the Love Shack!

I wore a white shirt today hoping to find a photo op to fit today's theme, and when Whitney (my sweet friend who helped me snap the photo) suggested lunch here I remembered the AWESOME wall outside! Voila!

 

7 Days, Day 6 -- In the Summertime

(note: this is a screenshot of a video submission)

It's been an interesting day. I got about 3 hours of sleep (I don't even know why...), I was up at the gym by 6am and at work by 7:30...then I had a doctor's appointment and found out I have SHINGLES. GAH! And might I add, "Ouch." I feel like a leper or something.

Also? It's back up to a kerjillion degrees outside, which makes it a gazillion and ten inside my car. But the local Oldies station was playing some summertime favorites so I decide to have a little fun for my 7 Days submission today.

Thank goodness tomorrow is FRIDAY.

 

7 Days, Day 7 -- Day of Rest

This is what I've been doing allllll day. I slept 12 hours last night, went to lunch with the hubby, nearly fell asleep on the 15 minute drive home, then took a 3 hour nap.

Think my body is trying to tell me something?

I'm feeling better, but the medication is making me feel a little weird. I hate ending 7 Days feeling under the weather,but once again, I've had a GREAT time!

I hope to see you all again in the Fall!


**********

So that's it for this round of 7 Days!  Come play with us next time around!  It's SO much fun!