hello

I recently read in a Dorothy Sayers novel (it was Lord Peter who said it) that "telling one's dreams is the last word in egotism." I'm not quite sure what Lord Peter would have said about blogs, but I doubt such self-indulgent rambling as generally makes up the content of a blog would have met with much approval. I will try to stay away from self-indulgent rambling as much as possible—as a rule I, like Lord Peter, am not much for personal exhibitionism.

I'm starting this blog because:

1. My sister has a shiny new blog, and I have blog-envy.
2. The world seems too big and all my friends and family are flung to the far and nether reaches of everywhere. And I am crap at the telephone and too lazy for email.
3. I have a snazzy new camera and want to share my budding photography skills with anyone who might be interested. Hopefully you'll see some sort of progression/personal growth/increasing sophistication in my photos over time. If not, just pretend you do. Artistic accomplishment, I'm beginning to suspect, is as much about brash self-confidence as inherent talent.
4. I have a latent but growing urge to write. This is obviously a genetic predisposition, or was transferred through the amniotic fluids, or maybe they put something in my milk as a kid. Regardless of how it happened, there are only two people to blame.
5. I've turned a year older. It seemed like a good time to start something new.
   
6. WORDS+PICTURES MAKE JULIE HAPPY

Besides my photos, I'm hoping to pass along things I find of interest in my web roamings. Expect a lot of design, crafty stuff (both needle and paper), interesting tidbits I find from France, rants and ravings about my love/hate relationship with NYC, and who knows what else. Why? Because my interests and hobbies are just SO fascinating. Obviously.

But I promise I will never write a post about a dream I've had. I will not go so far as that.