Photo Blogging Challenge

Talk about a wide-open theme for interpretation.

Letters can cover a whole heap of different things, so it will be interesting to see how people look at things. For me? I kind of went toward a mixture of things, but it was with the idea of the written letter.

When I was younger, I used to love writing letters. I’ve recently discovered a whole new and modern world of pen pals. That is cool because with technology, it’s nice that people still like to take the time to write.

A lot of the newer people who pen pal are uber creative, too. It’s not just writing a letter but so many things that make it a personal and very cool experience. The accounts on Instagram are aplenty if you want to look.

So far, my experience with pen pals is mixed. I have one I made earlier this year and I’m up on the next round of writing. I have an idea on what I want to do and am getting everything together. I also am supposed to start one other person, and I’ve been working slowly on it. It’s a fun and creative process. I’ve sent one other and I hope it’s arrived as I sent it more than two months ago. Maybe it wasn’t what they were expecting. Not sure. Hopefully it went through and all was good. A couple of others were going to start one with me, so I await those in hopes they come through.

Letters overall are fun. They make up a lot of things and as I was working on this, I tended to notice so many items and the letters that go with them.

Below is my take. I hope you enjoyed this month’s challenge!

I also hope, during this time, you are taking care of yourselves, staying healthy, and being safe. Without anything further, here are my five for the month!

1. Stamps

If you are going to send good old snail mail, you need stamps These are four stamps I won in an Instagram contest. How cool are these? Most news stamps, at least that I see in the US, are sticky back etc. They are essentially stickers. The old-school stamps like this are very cool to find. These are definitely older and not sure what I will do with them as I almost don’t want to use them.

2. Stencils

I’m trying to get more consistent with a bullet journal. My way of doing things, though, is using it as a journal. I want to get track of things. Be creative. Have fun. I don’t want it to be a planner, though I do have calendars and stuff in it to mark down important things. I’m still trying to find my style, though.

3. Snail mail

This was the first pen pal letter I received this year. I’ve since sent and then received another. I am working on the next response. Love the wax seal and this inspired me to get some of these as well!

4. Washi tape

As I find my own style with journaling and writing letters, I am trying to get creative. And I’ve discovered washi tape, which is awesome to have. It’s very useful. These are ones I recently received, and I like how those words (letters!) are in English and Chinese.

5. Hand-written signs

For those who know me, you might know I do love signs. And I really like hand-written ones because I feel it’s a slice of Americana. This is one that’s been hanging in my town for a while. I pass it a bunch when I am walking.

And there are my five for the month!

If you took part in this month’s challenge, make sure to link up below.

And for those of you who participated, make sure you try and get to other people’s blogs and comment (here, too!).

Let’s continue to grow this challenge and have a strong community. Come back and check out the others who link later on, too! NOTE: We have a Facebook group for those who participate in the challenge and are interested. I’ll post any announcements there and hopefully it can be a place where things are discussed and some interaction etc. You can access it here.

Make sure, too, to come back tomorrow to see August’s theme!

Photo Blogging Challenge: August 2020 results

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Another month is here and it seems like they are just all merging together … at least for the past several months.

So the summer months are here. Some places seem to be living like normal. Other places not so much. What is happening in our world now is pretty scary, so I just hope you are all safe and healthy, take precautions to protect yourselves, and watch out for the rest of humanity.

Still, it’s a time when things are amplified. The US has their elections heating up. Things around the world have become really crazy. But we all have to find ways to keep sane, healthy, and safe. And how do some of us do it? Photography can help and it’s my hope this challenge helps each of you somehow stay calm, at least for a few moments of your day or week!

And now we move ahead to July. This month is pretty good as I am on vacation for a couple of weeks. And I am hoping I can get some blog reading, writing, and commenting done as well! So, let’s move on with our challenge!

The new theme is below!

So with that in mind, let’s look at the monthly “group” challenges:

Challenge 1: Tell others about this photo blogging challenge and get some friends to come join us.  Let’s see if we can get people interested in the challenge again.

Challenge 2: Make friends with your camera and see what you can come up with. Have fun!

Challenge 3 is at the end of this post (the theme!).

Before this, here’s some housekeeping items. For those who might be new to the challenge, here’s how it works.

• See the theme (first day of the month);
• Take photos throughout the month (don’t use old ones!);
• Select five photos and create a blog post;
• Come back here and link up on the final day of the month;
• Use the official hashtag — #Photoblogchal — on social media posts;
• Hopefully go visit and comment on other blogs.

That’s it. There’s no rules on equipment or anything else. Blog posts can be short and to the point, or in-depth. Interpret the themes as you see fit.

The one big rule?

Have fun!

This month’s theme? Letters. This should and could be good. Maybe you’ve started a new hobby? Or worked on an old one? Maybe you’ve found other ways of keeping busy through all of this. Show us! Please make sure your blog post publishes Friday, July 31. Then come back here and link up.

If you think you are going to take part in this, drop a comment below so we can see who all might be trying to tackle this challenge!

There is also a Facebook group for those who are interested.

If you would like to visit the history of the challenge, which started in 2013, please go to the Photo Blogging Challenge page for more!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

It’s safe to say, I like notebooks.

And I know a lot of people might be using notebooks during this time in our world. I’m in a few groups on social media that deal with different aspects of notebooks, and it’s pretty amazing to see what people are using them for.

For me, they’ve always been something I’ve used … or had. The one issue is trying to make sure they are used up. Instead, I often let them pile up. More on that later.

I’ve been in a few of the notebook subscription services (again, more later) and it’s been tough for me to justify things because of how little I use them. I am, however, getting better with it.

The interesting thing with notebooks is the ability to use them for many different things. Notes, thoughts, art, and whatever else. Heck, just fill it full of scribbles and colors if that’s what you want to do. My biggest issue is making sure I use a notebook to the end. Sometimes I use some and move on. Half the time I don’t think to read back, but I’ve always thought personal notebooks were good way to put down notes to burn them into your head.

There’s so many types and styles and sizes of notebooks, too. I personal like dot or graph, and usually smaller, pocket-sized notebooks.

Below is my take on this theme. How about you? Where did the notebook lead you this month?

I hope, during this time, you are taking care of yourselves, staying healthy, and being safe. Without anything further, here are my five for the month!

1. Bullet journal

OK, my first real go at one of these hasn’t been the best. I’ve done my best, but it’s been hard keeping with it. Part of it I think is how the world is right now. The other part is I haven’t found my groove or style. I think what I’ve found with me is I can utilize this as a way to be creative. Some color, some different aspects and all of that. I can’t necessarily use it as a planner as I always fail with planners and just fall back to Google Calendar. The first BuJo I tried this year I still have, and I will be messing with it in July and August to try and find my own way of doing things. This one is the one I will start using in September. It’s a bit bigger than the one I have now, so that will help. I’ll keep it simple, which should help.

2. Log + Jotter

I first found Log+Jotter a few years ago via Instagram, and I love the quality of these notebooks. They are a monthly subscription service and the cover(s) are not known until you receive your notebook(s) in the mail. I was a member for quite a while, so I have quite the collection built up. I had to cancel it as I was building up too many notebooks. I might look to have a few giveaways with some of these in the future. Eventually, I hope to re-subscribe as they have some great designs.

3. Leprechauns

On a trip to Ireland in 2010, we visited the National Leprechaun Museum. I picked up this notebook .. and a pencil that I should have used for this photo! I haven’t ever used the notebook because I like it so much. The blank pages are really nice.

4. Reporting

Before my current job, I worked in newspapers for many years. One thing I always loved was a good reporter’s notebook. Field Notes, another subscription service (I’m still a member) has these books, and they are great. Field Notes has all sorts of notebooks — the red one is a checklist notebook. High quality, affordable, and the pack comes quarterly. I’m a yearly subscriber to this plan and it’s excellent quality.

5. Different items

To go with the idea of a Bullet Journal, I’ve picked up a few notebooks like these. They keep track of daily things. I’m not sure if I am going to do one every day, or every few days to keep track of patterns. These are something, too, I can tape into the journal when needed. I like the idea of keeping track of things in this regard as it might help me stay focused on everything. One of these is a health tracker, and the other is to break down the day. The notebook under is another version of a health tracker.

And there are my five for the month!

If you took part in this month’s challenge, make sure to link up below.

And for those of you who participated, make sure you try and get to other people’s blogs and comment (here, too!).

Let’s continue to grow this challenge and have a strong community. Come back and check out the others who link later on, too! NOTE: We have a Facebook group for those who participate in the challenge and are interested. I’ll post any announcements there and hopefully it can be a place where things are discussed and some interaction etc. You can access it here.

Make sure, too, to come back tomorrow to see July’s theme!

Photo Blogging Challenge: June 2020 results

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

I can’t believe the official “start date” for summer will happen this month.

And yet, here we are … all in different but similar situations. It’s a crazy world we are currently in. I’m not going to delve into things, but wow is about all I can think of saying.

My hope for all of you who take part in this challenge is that you are safe and healthy. We all stand as human beings and over the years of having this challenge, I’ve come to appreciate everybody who takes part in this challenge. We’ve allowed one another to get a glimpse at our lives and shared our thoughts and other things. So as this world goes crazy, I hope you and your families are safe and that you are able to be outside a bit, breathe some fresh air and be alive. I hope, in time, we can go back to a somewhat normal — yet a normal that will hopefully eventually be improved.

So we move on with this challenge and let’s see what we can all come up with for June.

The new theme is below!

So with that in mind, let’s look at the monthly “group” challenges:

Challenge 1: Tell others about this photo blogging challenge and get some friends to come join us.  Let’s see if we can get people interested in the challenge again.

Challenge 2: Make friends with your camera and see what you can come up with. Have fun!

Challenge 3 is at the end of this post (the theme!).

Before this, here’s some housekeeping items. For those who might be new to the challenge, here’s how it works.

• See the theme (first day of the month);
• Take photos throughout the month (don’t use old ones!);
• Select five photos and create a blog post;
• Come back here and link up on the final day of the month;
• Use the official hashtag — #Photoblogchal — on social media posts;
• Hopefully go visit and comment on other blogs.

That’s it. There’s no rules on equipment or anything else. Blog posts can be short and to the point, or in-depth. Interpret the themes as you see fit.

The one big rule?

Have fun!

This month’s theme? The Notebook. This should and could be good. Maybe you’ve started a new hobby? Or worked on an old one? Maybe you’ve found other ways of keeping busy through all of this. Show us! Please make sure your blog post publishes Tuesday, June 30. Then come back here and link up.

If you think you are going to take part in this, drop a comment below so we can see who all might be trying to tackle this challenge!

There is also a Facebook group for those who are interested.

If you would like to visit the history of the challenge, which started in 2013, please go to the Photo Blogging Challenge page for more!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

How’s everybody holding up?

This world is crazy, isn’t it? It seems we are all trying to “reopen” so to speak. Some places are further along than others. My area in New York has reached the second of four phases deemed by New York.

Alas, hopefully we are all trying to do our part in this world to make it so we can eventually get back to normal. I know we all want to (hey, I need a haircut just as bad as many others) get back to the norm, but let’s make sure we do it in a safe way.

I’d like to believe we are all going in the right direction. We can keep trying anyway and hope soon enough we can get back to a way of life we all would like to be at.

I’ve enjoyed looking at different things on Instagram and such to see how people are keeping busy and doing different things to keep sane during this time. I know it’s not easy. I’ve started walking even more than I used to – and that was quite a bit. There are times when it’s hard though as you want to just break things up a bit more. In time, though, in time. My issue has been my amount of work hours have gone up and it’s made for a lot more stress, so walking is the one thing I’m trying to do to de-stress.

So have you kept busy this month?

This theme, when I posted it last month, seemed like a pretty open-ended one that would allow everybody to think a bit outside the box and find some fun photos. Who knows what it will encompass, but I’m sure we’ll have some great things.

I hope you are all doing well and that you’ve had the chance to breathe a little, get outside some and take some photos. Now, without further ado, here are my five for the month!

1. Writing

A while back, I purchased a Google Chromebook. The idea was to have something I could access the web, and to use to do some writing. And honestly, part of it was to be able to go to a park and write. On Saturday, May 30 it was too perfect not to go do this, so I got about 90 minutes of writing/blogging in!

2. Stopping and looking

How many of you have gone out for a walk or something else, and just don’t even think about what’s around you? Well, that’s what his post is about … stop and notice your surroundings. It’s not a bath thing! (side note: This is taken with the Moment macro lens. So far these lenses are great!

3. Exploring

The one thing about staying close to home on weekends and such, it alsome to check out parks in my area and explore a bit.

4. I’m trying …

During this Covid pandemic, I’ve seen a lot more sidewalk art come up. I usually take the time to stop and read the items and will usually take photos as well. This is something we should all keep in mind.

5. Letter writing

Over the past few months, I’ve really been intrigued by penpals. The activity seems to be in a bit of a resurgence and people on Instagram and YouTube have so much content about it. It’s way cool. I found myself one and I might try and add a few more as I found working on the letter and other items surrounding it were relaxing and rewarding. It’s not the easiest for a guy to find a penpal as it seems very heavily female to female sort of a hobby. Anyway, I saw many do this as well and I wanted to be able do it as well … I love the wax sealing aspect of letters. Very cool.

And there are my five for the month!

If you took part in this month’s challenge, make sure to link up below.

And for those of you who participated, make sure you try and get to other people’s blogs and comment (here, too!).

Let’s continue to grow this challenge and have a strong community. Come back and check out the others who link later on, too! NOTE: We have a Facebook group for those who participate in the challenge and are interested. I’ll post any announcements there and hopefully it can be a place where things are discussed and some interaction etc. You can access it here.

Make sure, too, to come back tomorrow to see June’s theme!

Photo Blogging Challenge: May 2020 results

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!