Is anyone up for an August 2022 challenge?

Is anyone up for an August 2022 photo challenge? If so, do you have any ideas? Thanks!!

I've been feeling extremely meh about my A Doll A Day Project, and about doll & toy photography in general, and about online forum participation. Well, about everything pretty much, really. I don't know what it is -- hotter than typical weather is a contributing factor, the economic situation is depressing (prices! Of everything! And... I could go on a political rant but this isn't the place), I'm feelin' old and fat and out of shape, there's still a lot of residual carry-over from the last two... or has it been three... years of STUPID (I'm withholding another rant), and... okay, I could list a number of petty woes, which would serve little purpose. The plethora of petty peeves, however, even has me thinking about possibly starting to list most of my toys, dolls, and figs on eBay, and if they don't sell, maybe it's time to chuck it all in the rubbish bin. Maybe it's time to give up on this entire hobby. And while I'm at it, maybe I could get a few drachmas out of the camera equipment I never use.

'Kay, but then, at the bottom of the page for this query, where the forum now offers suggestions for related topics, I saw the

Make Happiness Happen August Photo Challenge from 2019.

I ended up looking through the entire topic, looking at all the pix and reading all the captions and comments, and... I actually kinda started to feel a little bit better. Or at least, a little bit less like shoving everything in to a trash bag and hauling it to the dump right this very moment.

So how about a Make Happiness Happen... Again in 2022 Photo Challenge?

I would love some motivation to take some Dal pictures before school (which is synonymous with stress and busy-ness...) starts again in September. I'm cool with whatever themes/ prompts you want to come up with!

davidd wrote:
I've been feeling extremely meh... about everything pretty much, really. ... there's still a lot of residual carry-over from the last two... or has it been three... years of STUPID (I'm withholding another rant), and... okay, I could list a number of petty woes, which would serve little purpose

Pretty much this... up to the point of chucking everything which is a definite NO for me, as the dolls and creative fun with them is one of my sanity-saving activities.
My neighbourhood has gone to hell with noise and disruption, I'm sleeping on the floor in the basement office more nights than not for quiet in the mornings, and I am generally fed up with everything these days. So I am hanging onto the doll photography as one thing I do still enjoy when I can escape being distracted by crap the rest of the time... so I agree we could do with some Happiness Happening.
I'll have to go back & look at that thread too. The photos don't want to load at the moment.

OK let's do it! Make Happiness Happen... Again in 2022

Let's see your photos! Bring yourself some happiness by spending some time with your dolls!

(And I'm the same. Will "normal" ever return? If this is the new normal, no thanks!)

Gardening makes us happy.

(Sadly though, while last year there was a pumpkin big enough for Red to sit on already, this year I'm having trouble getting any flowers to "take". Poop. )
OK, but gardening, for all the work, is still happy!

Gardening does bring happiness! Although I'm having terrible trouble this year with many of my cherry tomatoes having rot? or something. But I'm getting enough banana peppers for me and the two parrots to eat one every day.

I'm determined to take and post a photo today. Thanks for posting.

The Garden Girls look to be in serious conversation about the pumpkin flowers. I'm sure it is a most engaging horticultural discussion, about all manner of fun things like the optimum ratio of manure to loam.

TrueFan wrote:I'm determined to take and post a photo today.

Okay, I'll do one too. Ironically, I've had a hard time getting in to a "happy" space, even though I suggested the theme.

I won't call it gardening, but riotous flowers make us happy. (Doesn't Sanada look positively thrilled?)

Yes, she looks positively thrilled! And that expression of "understated thrill-edness" makes me happy!

Peppers and marigolds!

peppers and marigolds by TrueFan, on Flickr

(My gosh, it is hot, humid and buggy outside today. )

Apples and apple trees make happiness happen!

apples and apple trees by TrueFan, on Flickr

Yay pictures
Sanada does look, well, at least a little pleased. I like her cute shirt. It reminds me of one of my favourite childhood shirts.
That's a really cute dress too. Looks like everyone enjoys a little nature and gardening.

Cats and dolls make happiness happen.

MHH cats and dolls by TrueFan, on Flickr

Oak trees - all trees, really - make happiness happen.

MHH oak trees by TrueFan, on Flickr

davidd wrote:
Blowing Stuff Up Makes Happiness Happen!
      [/center]

hahahaha

Goldenrod makes me happy - and often attracts goldfinches!

MHH goldenrod by TrueFan, on Flickr

She kinda has an ego, that one.

I'm very impressed you can get her to stand in those oversized shoes.

I think oversize shoes are why they can stand on their own.

What do we blow up first??
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.
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Watching stuff grow makes happiness happen.



...and...



"This year there are TWO!!  Yay!!!"



"And this one is we-sized!"
"Having we-sized stuff makes us happy."

Last week the pumpkins were merely flowers, and now they're the size of Pullip heads... which means big!

two! yay!

Flowering mint and the pollinators who visit it make happiness happen!

mint and pollinators by TrueFan, on Flickr