Best Of.

2012 has been the weirdest year and truly full of ups and downs, I know that that's something people often say but I've never really seen my life to be as much of a rollercoaster as it has been this year. I've been unemployed, on jobseekers, got a job, got a better job, got a cat, moved out and feel like I've changed a lot.

Now I'm in Florida writing this and I know it's only for a holiday and that I've been here many times before, but that itself is quite strange too. I'll be seeing in 2013 as the first new year in over six years that I haven't seen it in with Mr Moon, hopefully I won't be quite as cold as I've been in the last couple of days.

Anyway, here are some of my personal highs from 2012, here's hoping that 2013 will bring even more welcome change and surprises.



1. Meeting Little Doll

There's no argument that having this cutie tumble into my life has certainly made a huge impact. She's come with me on my journey and seeing her grow is amazing. It's not always easy but she definitely makes things interesting, she can be such a nuisance and she's really odd but I don't think I'd love her as much without her quirks. I hope 2013 sees less of her bringing in worms and more of her learning how to behave better.

2. Moving Out

Obviously I've been away from home before, but this feels proper, I love our little flat, it's strange that it doesn't even look like that anymore. There are a few improvements that we're making one step at a time but I'm looking forward to getting it how I like it and having more visitors next year.

3. A first 'proper' grown up holiday

After being students, then jobless and 'only just' having enough money for such a long time, for Moon and I to treat ourselves to a real life holiday abroad, even if just for a week, was something super special. Turkey was the perfect place to visit and somewhere we've been meaning to go to for a long time, I'd definitely go again. Hardly as 'jet set' as 2011 felt to be, but hopefully next year will be just as exciting. I see Reykjavik in late 2013, but we haven't decided on our summer holiday yet, 2012 has made me really look forward to seeing the world with this guy (*vom).

4. Getting a job

(Twice). I definitely count working at the cinema along with nabbing my current job together for this one. Without the cinema I never would have been able to move out and live in my little flat, or go on holiday, and I did meet some great people along the way. Equally, I feel so lucky that I got the job I have now at the same time that Moon lost his job, I don't know what we would have done otherwise. More than anything I'm happy that I'm happy in my current job and even more than that, I'm overjoyed to not be sat applying for jobs - and moaning about it - day in and day out.

5. Taking more pictures.

This will always be something that is important to me. Keeping records and taking note is something I think I strive to be good at without realising, even if I don't always succeed. With this being something that I've progressed so well with this year, as well as taking more, I actually feel like I'm taking better photos as well. There's definitely a marked improvement between my photos from the last time I was in Florida to those I'm taking now, but I'm actually really enjoying it, taking photos of different things, different ways and learning is really fun and I definitely want to keep it up!

I think gaining more personal confidence definitely deserves a special mention too. 2012 was the year that I began to realise that people don't really care - they do but not actually - about anything that you do or say so you may as well do and say what you like, enjoy yourself and get on with it and I think it's definitely a mantra I want to bring forward for the future.

New Year's Eve 2k11/2

Well hey, it would seem my exciting news is growing by the day but I'll put it all in a new post because otherwise these photos will never be seen, unless you count Facebook, eventually.

So, New Year's Eve was kind of uneventful and maybe if that's the case that's exactly how the rest of the year will shape up, although the last five days have definitely gone against this.
Moon and I stayed in at his house, after picking his brother, Edward and his brother's girlfriend, Charlotte, up at the airport in the early evening. We played Ring of Fire, which is arguably a bit 'Uni', I know, but it loosened people up, and it was quite fun. I think the last picture pretty much sums up how I was feeling by the end of it, and that's pretty satisfactory.

Excuse the horrid face, apparently drinking a mixture of everyone's drink is not really a good idea.

Naturally the boys picked on each other a bit in the end, but it was a satisfying way to see in the New Year, and probably better than spending lots to get into a nightclub I wouldn't have wanted to go to and even more for drinks that probably aren't even nice.
Moon and I rounded up the evening with the tail-end of Jools Holland's Hootenanny, which was pretty poor in comparison to previous years, and watching a really long highlight reel for Glastonbury 2011. Not too shabby really, go to the next post and I'll tell you some more current things, New Year's Eve is so five days ago...

NYEE2K11!

I guess that this will probably be my last post of 2012, so I thought that I would make it a big one.

(via HelloGiggles)

I don't think I'm really doing anything for New Year's Eve, as per usual, but I'm saving my energy for the whole year so it's irrelevant that I happen to be spending New Year's Eve just like most Saturday nights rather than with my spread-out friends as I would want to...

I suppose I should finish off this year the way that I would plan to start any new year, with my resolutions. I dislike the assumption that people who make resolutions end up breaking them (and therefore become depressed about it) within the first few weeks. Maybe I will break them or fail in the first few weeks, but it might be spectacular, and I have a whole year to come back to it and achieve it if I want to. So here are my goals for this time next year.

1. Get a job.
This one is a pretty big deal and integral to doing what I want ever, I don't want to be on JSA any longer than I have to. I hope that the New Year brings more prospects and the chance for both further work experience and the chance to earn some cash.
2. Make it so my someday home is just my home, i.e. move out.
Both this and the first are linked, as fine as I am with living at home, I would be happier with my own space, my own kitchen, my own lounge, it will be great and it will be mine with my things. Probably the worst thing about 2011 was moving home and back to just having a bedroom, which is fine for the holidays but not great for any longer than that.
3. Spend less, way less.
I'm coming to terms, hard and fast, with how important it is to save money and how I need to not live so hand-to-mouth. It's lame not having any money for big fun things like trips and holidays but more dresses that I will ever wear in a year, I don't even have anywhere to go because I spend all my money.
4. Do at least one creative thing every week.
I had wondered whether it would be a good idea to begin a '52 Week Project', but that feels a bit too forced and camera-centric. Additionally, I also think that I do need to keep myself creative in other areas, start drawing more, making things and even watching more films, plus if unemployment continues, at least it will keep me active.
5. Pass my driving tests.
With my theory test looming, I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that I'll be able to pass and have a car by Easter, I'm still a bit wary of it but not nearly as scared as I was before I started driving. I need to do it and most importantly, I want to, it will be fun.

Other than the standard 'drop a dress size' that comes with the calorific season that was Christmas, I don't think I'm asking myself to do anything particularly unachievable. This is going to be the year that I turn into an adult, probably.

(via The Dainty Squid)

Awesome time-lapse/stopframe video of the view from Eirik Solheim's window. Captured in 2007/8 but still a pretty nice way to see away 40 seconds, and people are still reflective in 2011/2 are they not?

(via The Dainty Squid)

All the Buzz Satchel, Modcloth, $79.99


Bronx Lace Dalmation Brogues, New Look, £69.99
V. high on my wish list, other than those (now discontinued) Minnie Mouse creepers from Lazy Oaf, these are the most awesome shoes of this kind that I have seen. I think I need them and it's important that I have them.

This is probably the last 'new to me' film of the year that I will see and man, did I make it a good one.
I picked up on it thanks to Verbal Vomit's 'How to Be A Hipster' post. I figured that, apart from Garden State and Donnie Darko, that I liked all the other films mentioned so I may as well give this one a go too. URGH, it's too perfect, I've already downloaded the soundtrack and am keeping some serious tabs on Glen Hansard. Who knows? Maybe I am a hipster... #fangirlend

I think I'll round up this post with a final Verbal Vomit related recommendation. 'The Internet Owns Me' is v. relatable both to how I feel after using the Internet for extended periods of time and in relation to my 13-14 year old self, who totally 'had a website' which is definitely probably still discoverable in the deepest, darkest depths of the internet, not to mention the Myspace days; guess who always unnecessarily had the best one? Yep.
If you're willing to check out the above post you should definitely look at the rest of her blog, it's awesome and she posts some of the best links to things through the medium of her neat drawings. Run by Hannah Hillam, an American illustrator, it's probably one of my favourite illustration/lifestyley blogs at the moment.

Verbal Vomit.

Well, I suppose that's it. Finito, done and dusted.
Tomorrow I think Moon is making Mexican food and I'm going to be forced into watching Black Dynamite, something I probably wouldn't have any scruples about if it hadn't be quoted to death at me despite the fact I have never seen it. #goodjob
If I'm not going out, just as long as I get to watch the fireworks, I don't mind.

I hope that you have a very happy new year, and would like to thank you very much for reading. ♥

Happy 2011.

Excuse the short absence, I haven't been doing anything interesting but seeing in the New Year quietly and working on my dissertation - I'm onto the conclusion!
Here is the short version of how I spent New Year's Eve, I think it might be necessary to make real plans for the next one.

© Ruth Johnston 2010/1

Add Toy Story and some very average television to these photos and that's pretty much it.

3rd decade.

From 2010.

Exhibiting my work for the first time.

Making new friends and finding out who my real ones are.

Losing a bit of weight and toning up.

Braving Glastonbury and enjoying myself, not to mention the bitchin' tan.

Paris, my first holiday booked and planned without the help of my family.

Recruiting strangers and eventually a respectable amount of people for a Photography project.

First proper Photography job, even if it was only for Malden Fortnight and The Village Voice, it brought me work shooting at a birthday party.

A bit more confidence, I'd like to think it means I'll eventually be able to call myself outgoing.

Managing to keep up this blog and becoming better at writing.

Turning 21 and having a great birthday party with all my family around me, then being whisked off.

Getting closer to my sister.

Taking more photos!

Seeing 2011 in with more spots than I've had in my life and ghastly roots.

It might even be another New Years Eve in with boyf, Bucks Fizz and nibbles. I'm not really sure how much I care about this, it's nice to be a bit boring as I've not seen him for an extended period of time at all this holiday.
I'm looking forward to everything exciting next year is already promising; Disneyland Paris again, graduating, final exhibition, finding a real job with a career path, perhaps even moving out. eep!