Picture Per Hour - Behind the Scenes

I started doing Picture Per Hour (PPH) posts back in January 2012 and have kept up with one post every first day of the month since then. I get lots of positive feedback from readers; sounds like a lot of you enjoy these posts and have considered doing them yourselves. I say go for it -- it certainly is fun and interesting to look back on.  Here are a few notes I have about the inner-workings of PPH.

- On the night before a PPH post, I place my camera in a very visible spot (next to the bed or by the stairs), so that I remember to get started right away when I wake up. I then carry my camera with me the entire day. I also write "Picture Per Hour" on my to-do list as a small reminder throughout the day.

The very first PPH picture

(January 1, 2012) 

- When I first got the idea to do this, I gave myself a few unwritten rules. My picture-taking window was +/- 5 minutes from the hour (but as close as possible). I vowed that I would only take one picture to really capture that precise moment in time. That did not happen. I'm the kind of person who takes 10 shots of the same thing to get it just right or to have options. And I continued this trend as soon as I started PPH. But hey, I'm ok with it.

You would probably get a lot of this (blurry mess) if I only took one picture each hour

(March 1, 2013)

- I take an average of 150 pictures on PPH days (that includes pictures I've taken between the hours).

- You will never see a picture of me undressed, using the toilet, or anything else that one would not want to see. These things are easily avoidable on the hour.

- I don't "set up" pictures or do special things on PPH days just for the sake of the pictures. It wouldn't really serve its purpose if everything was fake. I do, however, try to add variety in terms of composition or people.

My all-time favourite PPH picture: 

Early morning, right after nursing Jessica

Not the kind of moment you would typically capture on camera, but such a sweet one for me.

So glad I have this.

(February 1st, 2012)

- The posts end up being a neat recap of our day, but I'm always surprised at how much is missed as well. A lot happens in an hour, including cooking/eating meals, watching TV, playing, etc. You're really only seeing a small fraction of our day.

- While I love PPH posts and looking back on what our days looked like months ago, I have to admit that I am so relieved any time a PPH day is over. It can be pretty intense to be constantly looking at the clock all day long. After a few months, you get used to it and it almost becomes a routine (your mind can tell when it's been close to an hour!). But still, once those last few hours of the day are past, I happily put my camera away.

Hard to believe this is what the house looked like back in December 

(December 1, 2012)  

- For my own purposes (and in case you're also interested in looking back), here are all of my PPH posts to date:
Picture Per Hour - January (2012)
Picture Per Hour - February (2012)
Picture Per Hour - March (2012)
Picture Per Hour - April (2012)
Picture Per Hour - May (2012)
Picture Per Hour - June (2012)
Picture Per Hour - July (2012)
Picture Per Hour - August (2012)
Picture Per Hour - September (2012)
Picture Per Hour - October (2012)
Picture Per Hour - November (2012)
Picture Per Hour - December (2012)
Picture Per Hour - January (2013)
Picture Per Hour - February (2013)
Picture Per Hour - March (2013)
Picture Per Hour - April (2013)
Picture Per Hour - May (2013)
Picture Per Hour - June (2013)

Beachy Morning

Our morning consisted of a quick trip to Sandbanks Provincial Park. The weather was perfect and the girls really enjoyed it!
 

Not just a beach... a playground too!

My two little monkeys

Here's to (hopefully many) more beachy adventures this summer! 

Lorelei's Baptism

We celebrated sweet Lorelei's Baptism this weekend! It was a lovely day filled with friends and family from all around. We had a few relatives arrive from Quebec, so Steve and I hosted a dinner that evening for the visitors. My sister also asked me to take pictures during the ceremony, so there are quite a few!

Little lady all dressed up

Lorelei and her godfather

My sister and her goddaughter

Lorelei was not a happy camper for the most part!

Meanwhile we tried to keep the girls entertained with drawing and colouring, but it didn't last...

Daddy had to take the crying girls away

Grand-Maman & Grand-Papa's choir

Asleep at last!

Big supper at our house!

Emily is always up for helping to open presents!

Tante Becca playing with the girls

(Writing silly words on the carpet)

Jessi waving "BYE!"

Building a Home:: An Overview

Here we are -- my last Building a Home post! Who knew that this whole process would end up taking over a year. It started back in May with finding our lot. 13 months later, we're living in our beautiful home and loving every minute of it. The journey here was filled with many, many, many decisions, stress, sleepless nights, research, help from family and friends, satisfaction, and joy as we watched it unfold.

Here's an overview and a few comments about our home-building process.

Week 1

Week 3

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 16

Week 27

Week 28

Week 31

Week 35 - Today

(Posts still need to be painted!)

Perfect Timing. I really feel like the timing was perfect for the home build. It was late enough that Jessica wasn't a nursing infant anymore (which helped for getting out of the house for extended periods of time to make selections), it was early enough that now Emily will be going to the same school from the start (versus building in a couple of years and having to make a switch), and it was also nice that the build was during the winter so that our summer days were not wasted on doing house stuff. It helped that the kids were independent enough to play while we worked, and also old enough to grasp the idea of building a home. They were very excited throughout the whole project.

Thanks to all the readers. I got so much positive feedback from my readers. I'm glad you all enjoyed watching this project unfold and I always appreciated your comments. Thank you!

On Making Decisions (*edited June 22). A lot of readers mentioned that they can't imagine having to make all the decisions. The funny part is that Steve and I are very indecisive people! We hate making choices/decisions -- most of the time. But I also don't like having someone else make decisions for me, if that makes any sense. With the home building process, there's a lot of help along the way. There are clear deadlines, experts there to give you advice, and of course lots of resources on the internet. The decisions all gets done, one way or another. I don't regret any of the time I put in because in the end I got exactly what I was looking for.

Love Affair with Painter's Tape. One trick I often used to help with my decisions was using painter's tape! Whether it was figuring out window sizes or working out the kitchen details, it always helped to visualize the options.

Painter's tape and makeshift pendants

The Budget. Early on I talked about my strong desire to stay on budget... Well, it didn't happen. We went over, way over. Just goes to show that I should not quit my day job (as a happy stay-at-home mom) and try to flip houses or something!

If I could do it all over again, what would I do differently? There are two main things I would do differently (and possibly a few small details). I would either keep the dormers in the kids' rooms, or at least open up the ceiling in the main floor office/playroom to make use of the front dormer. We were too late on that decision, so unfortunately the dormer remains non-functional. The other thing I would definitely change if I could is our kitchen sink!

Thanks to Geertsma. One thing I would definitely not change is our builder. They were fantastic the whole way through. They were always friendly and informative, quick with responses, and understanding and accommodating to all of our requests/changes. In the seven-month period of construction, my project manager and I wrote over 400 emails between us! Now that's a hard worker.

26 Steps. Finally, for reference purposes, here are all 26 steps involved in building our home:
Step 1: Finding a Lot
Step 2: Setting a Budget and Obtaining Financing
Step 3: Increasing the Budget
Step 4: Selecting a Builder 
Step 5: Deciding When to Build/Sell 
Step 6: Accepting Delays
Step 7: Determining the Property Lines 
Step 8: Designing a Floor Plan 
Step 9: Choosing a Front Elevation 
Step 10: Owning the Lot
Step 11: Selecting Windows
Step 12: Upgrading the Front Door 
Step 13: Selecting Plumbing Fixtures  
Step 14: Making Exterior Selections
Step 15: Choosing a Fireplace
Step 16: Selecting Kitchen Cabinets/Counters
Step 17: Selecting Flooring
Step 17: Selecting Flooring (Part 2)
Step 18: Plumbing/Electrical Walk-Through
Step 19: Delaying Closing
Step 20: Selecting Doors & Trim
Step 21: Selecting Paint Colours
Step 22: Designing the Kitchen
Step 23: Purchasing Light Fixtures
Step 24: Adding Decorative Elements 
Step 25: Purchasing Accessories
Step 26: Finding and Fixing Mistakes