Holiday Wish List

[batskeets]

STEP ONE: Make a post (public, friends-locked, filtered... whatever you're comfortable with) to your LJ. The post should contain your list of 10 holiday wishes. The wishes can be anything at all, from simple and fandom-related to medium to really big. The important thing is, make sure these wishes are things you really, truly want.

If you wish for real life things, make sure you include some sort of contact info in your post, whether it's your address or just your email address where Santa (or one of his elves) could get in touch with you. Also, make sure you post some version of these guidelines in your LJ.

STEP TWO: Surf around your friends list to see who has posted their list. If you see a wish you can grant, and it's in your heart to do so, make someone's wish come true. Sometimes someone's trash is another's treasure, and if you have a leather jacket you don't want or a gift certificate you won't use--or even know where you could get someone's dream purebred Basset Hound for free--do it.

You don't have spend money on these wishes unless you want to. The point isn't to put people out, it's to provide everyone a chance to be someone else's holiday elf--to spread the joy. Gifts can be made anonymously or not--it's your call.

There are no rules with this project, no guarantees, and no strings attached. Just... wish, and it might come true. Give, and you might receive. And you'll have the joy of knowing you made someone's holiday special.

That's the point- reach out and make someone's Holiday special, that's all.

EDIT: My address is here, for all you friend-o types. If you can't see that, just e-mail me. :)

1. More Money. My credit cards will be paid off in a few months, but it's hurting like hell, in the meantime. I'd like to have a savings account that is actually worth shaking a stick at, or maybe a shot at actually owning a home before I'm 40. I don't want to wait until March to start in on that stuff, but I also don't want to be eating ramen and store brand mac 'n' cheese in order to start saving right away. :(

2. Time with friends. I suppose this is twofold: I want friends to be available to spend time with, and I also want to have the time to spend with them. Time seems to be opening up some on my end, but who knows how long that'll last?

3. More paying photography gigs! I've done enough freebie work to know that people like my stuff, but finding people who will pay for it is the real trick. People who take worse photographs than I do get fairly consistent paying gigs, so there must be a way for me to get them, too...

4. People who say what they mean. Not enough people do that, oftentimes to frustrating results. Some things need to be said, but go unsaid because someone is afraid of a bad reaction or some such thing. I wish that people would be more honest with me, and honest with each other. Of course, I'm not exactly great at this, either, but I am trying to get better.

5. A lens adapter, and lenses! Olympus doesn't make very many lenses, at least not yet. But, if I had a Nikon to Olympus lens adapter, that'd let me use a bunch of Nikon lenses, too. :D I covet the Olympus 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5, because I could do some great stuff with that much zoom range. If I had the aforementioned adapter, this Nikon 50mm f/1.8 would be a thing of beauty. ;_; Also, the Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 would be a fabulous replacement for my crappy kit lens.

6. Real mail! That is pretty much anything that is not a bill, a stupid advertisement, or anything that's addressed to "Current Resident." ;p Letters, cards, packages... doesn't matter.

7. Do something nice for yourself. I said this to someone recently, and it occurs to me that a lot of people get hung up on other people's needs or opinions or whatever else, and avoid doing something that's good for them, even if they deserve it and it doesn't really impede anyone else's happiness. So yeah, give yourself that extra hour of Me Time, get that 20 minute massage, whatever. Be good to yourself.

8. To see more of my family. I really haven't been able to afford it during the past few years... travel expenses *and* taking time off from work is a pretty big hit to take. But I'd sure like to get down there more than once a friggin' year. :( This would be easier if #1 magically came true.

9. Amazon Wish List stuff. I generally only update it around the holidays, but here it is. It's a bit frivolous. :)

10. Paid LJ time. Yeah, I'm an addict. ;)

Comments

[lillilah]

"6. Real mail!"

Hey, I'm going to send out Christmas cards (which you just took photos for). Shoot me your contact info and I'll put you on the list.

"1. More Money."

Two ideas - first, have you considered giving "how to use your digital camera" lessons? My photos suck. I'm guessing that it is more me than my camera, but I don't even know where to start. I'd be willing to pay $15 or $20 for an hour or so of instruction. I'd bet that if you took out a little add saying, "Want your holiday photos to look really good this year? Giving mom a digital camera and want to ensure that she'll use it? I give $10/hour photo lessons on getting the most out of your digital camera." people would probably show some interest. I guess that relates to my second idea too. Try putting up little ads for photography in places like ballet schools and other places that parents with kids go. Come up with a package deal, 'cause knowing how much you'll spend and what you'll get is likely to make people more comfortable buying. The same can be said for your web work. I constantly am finding people who need web work done. If you have a package, $45 to set up and $15 a month - or something - you can hand out flyers if someone says that they need a webpage. Anyway, that's my thought.

[sarapada.livejournal.com]

First of all: My credit cards will be paid off in a few months. That's truly something to be proud of. Good for you!

Second, we can only send you mail if you give us your address! If you'd like, you can e-mail me at collinssarah@hotmail.com.