1. Pink Ronnie’s Happy Closet Series.

She went an entire year without buying/adding anything new to her wardrobe.  That is seriously inspiring. I sort of attempted this in 2011 when my one little word was less.  I was so proud of myself but looking back, it was easy enough to do.  I was getting rid of a lot of things that were no longer relevant in my life – maternity clothes and office attire. At the time almost two years had passed since I stopped working at Ernst & Young and things were going well with my paislee press shop so I felt secure enough to let the work attire part of my wardrobe go.

Now, two years later, I’ve again amassed a collection of clothes (some that still have tags on them) and I’m right back where I started. Step one. I have to stop the impulse buying. Step two. I need to pare down my wardrobe.  And somewhere between steps one and two I hope to figure out what my style is.  I think that’s a big part of why my closet is filled with things I don’t wear. I buy things that I think are cute but aren’t really me. At the time of purchase I think I’ll find a way to incorporate it with existing pieces in my closet and hey! it was on sale so it’s really not a huge risk to experiment.  And now here I am, suffering from buyer’s remorse and finding myself back where I started – needing to pare down what’s in my closet, or simply to stop buying things I don’t wear.  I’m looking forward to future installments of Ronnie’s Happy Closet series to keep get me on track.  If you’re new to her blog, be sure to also check out her project life pages. They are absolutely stunning! I love her minimalist aesthetics and she also happens to be a member of Becky Higgin’s 2013 Creative Team (congrats Ronnie, so well deserved!).

The second thing that’s inspiring me right now is a project that I discovered as I was browsing Ronnie’s blog.

2. Jodi’s 52/A Portrait A Week Project

She’s taking a photo of her children, once a week, every week in 2013. You can read more about how her project came about here.  I’ve read about other 52 projects over the years but something about Jodi’s really resonated with me. Maybe because she has two children and each week she features two photos. I’d always thought of the 52 project as a “one photo a week” thing so it didn’t appealed to me simply because the thought of having to choose only one photo made me feel like I’d be playing favorites between my two daughters.  Jodi’s approach has helped me to see that I don’t have to play favorites.  The 52 project can be anything we want it to be.  And now my mind is reeling. This 52 mindset is going to change the way I approach photographing 2013.