A January Walk (The 2014 Edition)

Standing in puddles is always a good idea - as long as you are wearing boots ;) Last night it rained and rained and rained, but this morning the sun was out! So off I went, into The Wild! 

Well, The Wild... The thing I hate most about the Netherlands is that it's so small, and it's so crowded... Nature is limited to small stretches of green, captured on all sides by roads and towns. And since the Dutch are a very active group of people, it's almost impossible to get some alone time when you're out and about. If it's not very early in the morning, or if the weather is not incredibly terrible, you'll most likely be surrounded by a minimum of 20 people at all times. People running, biking, walking their dogs... 

It's always quite a challenge to take photographs with nobody in it ;)

Mission accomplished! And apparently walking through mud is my new January-tradition ;) 

Happy Sunday everyone!

Pinterest Picks: DIY Photography

As you might or might not know: I LOVE PINTEREST!!! :) I think it's one of the most simple yet brilliant ideas you can find online, and when I think of the way I used to keep track of stuff - by bookmarks and saving pictures to my computer - I can't help but smile :) I now use Pinterest on a daily base for shopping lists, holiday planning, DIY ideas and general inspiration, and with over 9.000 pins I'm on a roll!

So I thought I'd start sharing some of my favorite pins over here, picking a different board every time! Unfortunately Pinterest for some reason decided to make embedding pins an excruciating process (why, Pinterest, WHY?!?) but I won't let that stop me! ;)

So here it is: my top 10 pins from my board... DIY Photography!

#1: DIY Instax Wallpaper (by A Beautiful Mess)

#2: DIY Wooden Polaroid Gift Set (by Sugar & Cloth)

#3: Washi Tape Picture Frames (via Design Sponge)

#4: Create Your Own Photo Book (by Artifact Uprising)

#5: Display your photos using string and wooden clips (via MochiThings)

#6: DIY Polaroid Charm Necklace (via Ambrosia Creative)

#7: DIY Instagram Calendar (by A Beautiful Mess)

#8: Decorate Your Fridge (via Design Sponge)

#9: Instagram Polaroid Coasters (via HandiMania)

#10: Aluminum Prints (by PostalPix)

You can visit the rest of my DIY Photography-pins here:

Follow Jenny Hoogeboom's board DIY - Photography on Pinterest.

The Lost Days

Hey guys! I don't know about you, but my year hasn't been as adventurous as I'd like so far... ;) January always feels a bit like a lost month - it's mostly work, grey days and early nights for me. Last Sunday was an exception: it was the most sunny and bright winter day, and we decided to ride our bikes about 17 miles, visiting family along the way. I can still see the bright sun shining on the water and our shadows chasing each other on the ground. 

Of course, I forgot to bring my camera.......... so this picture of my shoes will have to do ;) After my 365 Project failed last year after only three months, I decided not to do one this year - it felt too much like an obligation after a while. There are certain types of photographs I love making though, and I've been making them for years. One of them is photos of my feet! I love the simplicity: just me standing in different places of the world, on different days, in different seasons, in different moods. 

Here are a few of them, and instead of making it my new 365 Project, I just decided to make as many as possible in 2014! :) 

2014 Weekly Notebook by Flow Magazine

One of the best things about January for me is definitely being able to start a new journal! :) Last year I settled for a weekly journal I got somewhere for free, but I used it so much that I decided to buy a decent one this year. And as soon as I saw this weekly notebook between all the other ones at the store, I knew I loved it. The color, the pattern, the bunny - so pretty!!

It turned out to be the journal designed by Flow Magazine. Flow is a Dutch magazine dedicated to paper, crafts and mindfullness, and I wrote about their Book For Paper Lovers a few weeks ago. They did such a great job with this weekly notebook! It's filled with illustrations (by Japanese artist Aiko Fukawa), colors, patterns, inspiring questions and papery goodness like a mini bunting, little envelopes and stickers. The size is roughly A5 (22x19cm) so it's quite big for a journal; I guess that's why they call it a weekly notebook ;) The quality of the paper is really lovely and there's lots of space to write, so it really does feel like so much more than just an ordinary weekly journal. 

And of course I couldn't resist a little decorating myself ;)

Here's a great flip through video Flow made: 

You can buy your own copy here. 

Why I Skip New Year's Resolutions...

... and choose a Word of the Year instead :)

We are a few days into 2014 and Blogland is booming with New Year's resolutions. Be more creative, read more books, go to the gym, learn how to cook, spend more time with family and friends, etcetera, etcetera. I love the symbolism of a new year: it feels like a fresh start. 

However, I started to resent New Year's resolutions the last couple of years. They didn't inspire me to do anything better or different at all, and usually I forgot about them within the first month. They were just specific little goals which felt more like obligations I had forced upon myself. And if there's anything in life I do NOT find inspiring, it's more obligations ;) 

So last year, instead of New Year's resolutions, I chose a word. This word would be my Word To Live By: a word that I would be able to apply to many different situations and choices I would face throughout the year, and something to hold on to. When in doubt, I would let this word inspire and guide me.

The word I chose for 2013 was freedom. 

As a kind of person who over-analyzes everything, I tend to worry a lot and sometimes forget to enjoy things altogether. So freedom is one of the most inspiring words I could think of. Instead of over-thinking things: do. Instead of feeling shame: be proud. Instead of worrying: live in the now. These are all things that symbolize freedom for me, and having a Word of the Year reminded me of that.

So this year I decided to add a word for 2014: adventure. To me, this word is all about trying new things and having fun. 

I hope my Words of the Year will bring me as much inspiration as last year, and I'm curious to find out what 2014 has in store! :)

Photo credits: 1 / 2 / 3

Happy New Year (and a One Year Anniversary)

Hello everyone, and a very happy, healthy and colorful New Year to all of you! :) I hope 2014 will bring you love, chocolate, good company and all those other things that make life worthwhile. 

Today is not only the first day of a new year, it's also the first anniversary of this blog! Exactly one year ago I posted my first message after months of preparing the layout, design and colors. I needed this blog to be fresh and clean and calm - a perfect canvas for colorful photography and crafts. And after one year of blogging I'm happy to say I still feel very much at home here :) 

Thanks to all of you who are now following this blog through Blogger, Facebook and Bloglovin', the dozens of people who left comments or sent emails, and the many people who shared my pictures and tutorials on their blogs and Pinterest. Although I'm not very good at expressing it online, it's always great to hear from you, and it's always nice to see stuff you've created take on a little life of its own. 

I hope to continue my blogging journey in 2014, with more colorful photographs and crafty goodness. Hope to see you there!! :)

~ Jenny

Another Year - Goodbye 2013

Oh my... I cannot believe 2013 is over already!! And I can't believe how much has happened this year...  It's always a bit overwhelming looking back on time gone by, don't you think?

This year feels like such a journey. It was the year in which I started this blog. The year in which I photographed the sky (for three whole months! ;). The year in which I wrote my first tutorials and got many lovely responses. The year in which I had to undergo surgery for the first time in my life. The year in which I rather spontaneously decided to visit Oxford again after five years of absence, and also traveled to lovely Denmark and wonderful Sweden. It was the year of two funerals and one birth.

So yes: 2013 feels more like a journey than previous years. It was filled with pain and love and sadness and joy. I learned a lot. I feel like I'm on the brink of another phase in my life, although I do not know what that next phase might be. But that's alright. Maybe I'll find out in 2014. Maybe I won't. Either way: onward we go! :)

Goodbye 2013. You were wonderful.