:: getting personal ::

I have toyed with doing this post since last week.
I have written and deleted it twice.

For the last 3 years I have build my little nest on the internet. I have this blog, Etsy shops, a website, and tweet and use facebook. I love sharing my creations, current projects and interesting finds. But I have really struggled to get personal. I didn't want pictures of myself on my blog and I sure as hell didn't want people tagging me in snaps on FB!

A couple of weeks ago I had the honour of being asked to do an interview for Chantilly at Mygirlthursday. I had great fun answering her questions and taking studio shots, all be it I had to tidy the place first. But when it came to my portrait I struggled, really struggled. Eventually after my best friend and MrLB took about 100 pics, I settled for one.

I am not vain, far from it, but when I looked at the pictures I felt so sad. Sad that the girl captured on the screen was not the girl I saw everyday in the mirror. So after a teary night and a pick me up chat from a good friend I decided on a CHANGE.

Here is the photo. And now when I look at it I don't feel so sad. I feel greatful for the chance to change. I don't want to grow my hair, change my nose or get my teeth fixed. (In fact I love my teeth!) The cut and dry of it is that I want to get fit and loose these chubby cheeks and double chin!

Please don't click away. I promise that this blog will not become me whinging about diets and calorie counting. For me, neither of them work, never had, never will. Nor am I going to throw myself into some crazy celebrety fitness plan. (I did love doing Cindy Crawford's dvd when I was 17, but a lot has changed since then!)

No, I am going to walk. Nothing fancy, just walk. I have the gift of two boystrous pooches in my life so what better way to get fit then stride out with them. I found a really cool site that has a 6 week walking program to build me up and get me going, so I am quite excited. So far since the evening after my photo upset I got a buddy and we headed around the local rugby fields.

So here, in black and white I am commiting to the 6 week programme. I will update :: getting personal :: on the

19th of August

with a progress report and a new photo. Another really interesting revelation to come from this is how much I love photographing all sorts of things, but feel sick when I need to get my own taken. So I'm going to start a little project over on searchingforspaces and take a photo a day of myself, as a kind of therapy!

I hope this isn't too much information, too dull or too serious. Bare with me :)