We’ve established that 2009 was a pretty good year around these parts. I can’t complain, and I’m really looking forward to this new year and all that it could possibly bring about.
I was thinking the other day about resolutions, about the goals I set for myself last year, how I did with those and what I want to accomplish this year.
So I’m resolving the following…
- Be all here. This will be a lot easier this year, thanks in part to being where I want to be, being with my boy again and being in a town that is larger than 50K. I want to live each moment to the fullest in this new year, and take advantage of every new opportunity that presents itself.
- Be active. I’ve been inactive for entirely too long, and I want to be fit again. I don’t want to spend hours a day at the gym, and I don’t want to lose weight, but I do want to feel better by working out a few times a week. And I want my pants to fit.
- Along the same lines, be choosy about what I eat. Now, more than ever, I am paying attention to what I put into my body. I feel better whenever I eat healthier foods, and I want to continue this. I also want us to join a CSA, so I’ll have all kinds of fruits and veggies throughout the spring and summer to enjoy.
- Volunteer. Find an organization I like, and help out!
- Compete. Once I start working out, I want to train for a race or a triathlon. I don’t remember the last time I competed, and I would love to pursue that this year. And since I have photographed at least four triathlons, I have a hankering to try one of those, too. … Who wants to join me in these?
- Write more. For myself AND for any freelance projects that may come my way.
- Stand on my own two feet, financially, with freelance photography. This one is a bit of a reach, especially since none of my freelance projects have panned out yet. (Note to self: Update portfolio site with new location. Small steps…) However, by the end of the year, I’d like to be in the position where I could go full-time freelance.
- Be brave. Do something every day that scares me or puts me on edge. I’m not talking thrill-seeker stuff, but life stuff. For example, I’m scared of spiders, being alone in our big house for extended periods of time and driving in winter-y conditions. … Do something pertaining to these.
What are your resolutions/goals for the new year?
When I started blogging, I never imagined becoming a part of a community. I never really even imagined making “friends” through it. I was a bored college senior, and I wanted to document the weird things people said to me. True story.
And somehow, it evolved into so, SO much more. It went from weird Internet people to meeting new best friends, thanks to the World Wide Web.
Today, I have friends around the globe. Some, who I have spent hours with, and others who I have never met, but hope to one day meet. I don’t think I could have survived in my little town without these friends. The outpouring of support and love from bloggers near and far got me through some tough times when I lived alone in a town where I didn’t know a soul.
When I first started blogging, I joined a 20SB on a whim, not really knowing what to expect. It has been an interesting ride so far, and I look forward to all the future commentary members of the community will provide.
Last week, I learned I was nominated for not one, but two 20SB Bootlegger Awards –Blogger We Wish Would Blog More and Least Likely To Be “Marked As Read.”
I’m at a loss for words and can only say…
THANK YOU!
I am completely shocked and honored to be listed among the other fabulous nominees. I never imagined I would be nominated for one award, let alone two. Never in a million years. It’s an incredible feeling, and I am continually, (almost always) pleasantly surprised by this blogging community.
I won’t ask for your votes, but I will encourage you to go cast your ballot if you’re a member. If you don’t know the bloggers nominated, check out their site. Read a few posts. See what the buzz is all about, maybe reach out to a new friend. And then vote.
Got it? OK… go!
That’s right, lovelies. To celebrate this new year, as well as celebrate my love for spending time in the kitchen, I’m starting a new feature on StyHand. I hope that it will help me share some of my favorite recipes with y’all.
I spent my day doing laundry, knocking items off my to-do lists (plural), brainstorming and a lot of other things. When it came to dinner tonight, I knew I wanted something easy, delicious and warm.
Last week, my sister and I were flipping through a book my mom was given for Christmas and stumbled upon a zucchini soup recipe that sounded incredible for a cold winter’s day. And today? Was a freaking cold winter’s day.
Of course, I didn’t think to write down the recipe, and I basically made this soup up as I went, but it turned out well.
Zucchini Soup
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 large zucchinis, grated
1 t. garlic, miced
2 C chicken stock
1/2 C heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste (and Tony’s if you would like a kick)
A pinch of Parmesan for garnish (or more)
In a medium stockpot, add olive oil and onions. Sauté for five minutes. Add grated zucchini and minced garlic, and sauté for another 10 minutes. Add chicken stick and heavy cream. Bring to a boil. Season to taste.
And that’s it. Unless you’re like me. And then you want to put the soup in a food processor to make the texture more consistent. And it explodes in your face and spews soup all over the freaking kitchen.
Yeah. Oops.
It all turned out OK, though. And I even toasted some multigrain bread topped with a little Parmesan. Mmm.
I’ll definitely be making this one again, but learning from my experience with the food processor…
What’s your favorite meal for a frigid day?
It feels weird to say and even stranger to write. (Also? I will be writing the wrong year on checks for the next two months…)
2009 was a pretty good year, on my end.
I met 25 friends in Vegas.
My boy popped the question, and I said yes.
I quit my job and then moved to a new city shortly after.
And so, so much more.
This past year was a year of change for me, and I know 2010 will hold even more surprises. Finally, I am moving in a direction I want to go, and I look forward to everything this new year has to offer.
It has already been good and relaxing. I rang in the new year with my boy and his family at their Louisiana home, watched a LOT of football (and no, I don’t want to talk about LSU’s game. It was THAT awful), spent quality time with my future in-laws and my family. It has been amazing, minus the horrific football game on New Year’s Day.
I am now back in Nashville for the next few weeks, at least, and am snuggling with the Lucy pup on the couch. I have a lot of things to check off my to-do list, but I couldn’t be happier.
How has your new year been so far?
I received an e-mail last night from a personal favorite blogger that simultaneously touched and broke my heart. I’m sharing it here, and I know many others sharing it on their blogs.
If you feel inclined, say a prayer and/or send a positive thought to Brandy and her “hot awesome dude.” Repost this on your blog. Send them an encouraging e-mail. And keep the good thinking coming throughout this time.
Take a moment and let Brandy’s words sink in…
***
My name is brandy. And I have a blog.
And a plea.
I use my blog to showcase the crazy I meet everyday, share the stories of the kids I teach and document my love for tequila, dairy products and the abdominal muscles of Ryan Reynolds. Rarely do I talk about personal issues on my blog- as personal as the dude that I adore (who I actually met through my blog- single ladies, let that be a very good reason to blog, the possibility of meeting someone as wonderful as my man), but I need your help. And it involves my dude.
He’s a guy who made math comics for my class, so they would love learning about addition. He’s the kinda guy who sends my friends gift cards when they are having hard times, who remembers every story I ever told him, who was the first person I celebrated with when I got a teaching job. He’s the guy who sent flowers to me at school- dozens of my favourite pink roses just because he loves me. He’s a guy who has spent a year patiently explaining (and re-explaining) everything there is to know about football during the important games when silence is preferred. He’s made me word puzzles and comics and stayed up late playing Scrabble with me (even though I beat him almost every time). He’s listened to me cry about school and family and jobs. He is everything I never knew I needed and everything I always knew I wanted.
The holidays have hit us hard. He’s recently been told he may have something called multiple myeloma- an incurable cancer, that gives a person an average of five years of continued life. Though this news has came as a shock, he continues to be exactly who has always been- spending his time worrying about me, rather than worrying about himself. He’s the most selfless individual I know- (he stayed late on Christmas Eve to work, so his co-workers could leave early) and a post like this would never be something that he would promote or encourage but when I’m overwhelmed and feeling helpless, the blogging community has always given me tremendous support and comfort, two things I desperately need at this time.
As I write this, the future is uncertain and we aren’t sure what’s happening. He’ll need to see an oncologist soon, to verify what’s going on in his body. My hope is that everyone who reads this think positive thoughts and if you are a person who prays, could you add him to your list? (You can refer to him as ‘brandy’s hot awesome dude’). If you don’t pray, please keep him in your heart.This cancer is only a possibility and I believe that the prayers and positive thoughts of people can make sure it never becomes a reality.
I want to give a big thank you to the blog owner who scraped their original blog plans and graciously put this up. My goal is to get as many people as possible to see and read this post. If you are reading this and want to help, copy and paste my plea into your blog or send a link through twitter, so more people can keep him in their thoughts. I would be so very grateful (even more grateful than I am to my friend who first showed me the picture of Ryan Reynolds on the cover of Entertainment Weekly. If you haven’t seen it, Google it. You. Are. Welcome).
I realize this all sounds dramatic, a Lifetime movie in the making- but this is life. Right now. And I’m throwing away any hint of ego and am humbly asking for you to pray or think kind thoughts. If you are able to pass this on, thank you and if you know anything regarding MM- please email me (my email is on my blog). This isn’t a call for sympathy or a plea for pity. It’s just one girl hoping you can think positive thoughts for the person she adores. If my current heartache provides you with anything, let it be with the reminder that life is short, love is unbending and no one knows what could happen next. Maybe it is silly, but I really do believe that positive thoughts can make a huge difference. Thank you for reading this and if you haven’t already? Please tell someone you love them today.
I did.
A view of our family Christmas tree. Notice the purple and gold ornament in honor of my alma mater...
While things have been a little crazy at my house (and let’s be honest, whose house ISN’T crazy around this time of year?), it has been a lovely day, and I hope today has been amazing for all of you.
Merry Christmas, y’all!
A week ago, I moved away from my little Mississippi town and into a fancy schmancy condo in a booming Tennessee metropolis.
While I may have been a bit snippy while (re)organizing the kitchen, things at the new place are finally coming together, thanks to the boy and my mother.
I couldn’t be happier that I am finally where I need to be and that things are somewhat coming together.
My boy finished his exams last Wednesday, and I wanted to fix him a nice final dinner of the semester Tuesday night. The dinner, itself, was delicious. The preparations leading up to the meal? A minor disaster.
I don’t know what happened, but something fell beneath the burner of the smashed potato pan, and, umm, the entire thing basically caught on fire. Like, flames were coming out of the burner. We quickly moved the pot (and the potatoes weren’t scalded, thank goodness!), but it took a while for the flames to go down. And all our fire alarms were going off.
Luckily, the dinner was tasty, and we chose to put the potential kitchen fire behind us, never to speak of it again. (Or so we thought.)
On Friday, we came back to my hometown, and things have been going splendidly here. The boy has left for his home, and I’m spending time here until after Christmas. My mother and I have shopped ’till our hearts content.
And firewood was delivered to our house yesterday afternoon.
(I know y’all can see where this is going.)
Today, I was deadset on having a fire in our fireplace. Something to warm up the chilly family room on a cold winter night. Something to make us both smile after a long day of shopping. Something that would feel Christmas-y.
My mother and I tinkered with the flue and came to the conclusion that it had been open ever since we bought this house. (Hint: We were wrong.) I carried in a few pieces of firewood, tossed in some crinkled up newspapers and lit the fire.
And smoke immediately started pouring out of the fireplace into the house. And since it’s a two-sided fireplace, smoke was pouring into two different rooms.
Both smoke alarms were screaming by the time I could get the smoke under control. All the fans were turned on to high-speed and the doors were opened. And my mascara is still blotched because of my eyes watering as the house was filled with smog.
The house cleared out in about thirty minutes, and when we spoke to my sister, my mother revealed that I almost burned down her house.
Correction: I almost smoke damaged the front portion of the house. Nothing was in danger of actually being burned.
The good news? We figured out the flue, and there is now a roaring fire in the fireplace without our home being filled with soot.
The bad news? The entire home still smells faintly like a fire. (And probably will for the next few days.)
…
So, between this and the semi-kitchen fire this past week, my boy came to the conclusion that I shouldn’t be allowed around any more open flames this holiday season. Something (else) bad could happen.
Agreed.
What is one of the craziest things that has happened to you during the holidays this year?
A year and eight months ago, I moved to small town Mississippi with no idea of what I was getting myself into. I knew I was going to be a photojournalist. I knew I was going to have a crazy schedule. I knew I was going to work holidays.
But I didn’t know a lot of things.
I didn’t know what it felt like to work a 16-hour day. (And then to be so proud of everything I accomplished in that day that the hours and exhaustion didn’t matter.)
I didn’t know what it was like to cover a fire, a wreck, a funeral, a murder, etc. (I wish I didn’t know what those were like, especially the last two.)
I didn’t know how much my co-workers would affect me. I didn’t know how much my photography subjects would also affect me. And I didn’t know how people would come to know me as the “photo girl” and would constantly speak to me, whether I was on assignment or simply buying groceries on my time off.
I didn’t know how sad/excited I would be to leave for other opportunities.
…
Yesterday was my last day at work, and it was weird. Weird because everything I did was the last time. Weird because I only received two hugs. Weird because my boss ran out to do something and didn’t tell me goodbye. Weird because I’m never going back.
Don’t get me wrong: I am over the MOON about starting anew in Nashville in TWO DAYS (!!!!!), but for now, reminiscing about my overall work experience and my final day is strange.
I have completed my first “big girl” job. The entire experience, the good and the bad, is behind me. I’m moving to a bigger city. I’m going to be able to spend time with my love and call my own shots now. But you better believe I’m taking the lessons learned here with me.
And for now, that is more than enough.
I know you’re super busy up at the North Pole and receiving the wishes of children worldwide, but I wanted to make a list of my own.
Not a “grown up Christmas list,” per say (thanks, Amy Grant), but a wish list for a girl who is striking out on her own. Also? I realize this entire list is pretty much impossible, but I figure if I can’t be ridiculous on my blog, where else can I be?
But Santa? If you can, help a girl out this Christmas. I’ll love you forever.
An iMac, for all my photo editing needs.
Adobe Photoshop, plus Photo Mechanic for the previously mentioned photo editing. And I wouldn’t complain about Lightroom because I hear it’s fabulous.
The Canon 24-70mm 2.8 L series lens. It would be the perfect addition because I need a mid-length lens. My camera bag would love you, Santa.
Santa, I feel kind of like a tool asking for these, but you KNOW how cold I get. So I want a pair of Uggs because Nashville is practically the great snowy north compared to my little Mississippi town. Let’s aim to keep my toes cozy, shall we?
I realize this last wish is something you can’t help with, Santa, but I’m wishing for it anyway. I want a wedding date. I want everything in line so I can start planning. I want to not have this hanging over my head anymore. And I want to be able to tell people whenever they ask, “Oh, we’re getting married on _____ at ______.” But until we find a reception site within our budget that we don’t have hang-ups about, this will be challenging.
…
What are you asking Santa for this year?
I decided late this week that it might be fun to do Gwen Bell’s #best09 challenge. And since I was late, I’ve decided to do this weekly, as opposed to once a way. That’ll work, right?
So let’s get this thing started!
December 1: Trip
What was your best trip in 2009?
Vegas. Definitely. Meeting so many old friends for the first time… it was just incredible. And I will leave it at that, because I could go on and on, and I know y’all don’t want to hear my gush about it again. But while we’re on the subject, I am so excited about the trip this coming May, as well. Seriously. You ALL need to come so it can be bigger and better.
December 2: Restaurant moment
Share the best restaurant experience you had this year. Who was there? What made it amazing? What taste stands out in your mind?
My favorite restaurant moment came right after we got engaged. After calling our families, we decided to go to Carraba’s to celebrate. Hello, Italian food. The evening started off with a bottle of champagne (since they apparently don’t sell champagne by the glass.) Then we got our dinners — mezzaluna for me and seafood pasta for him. Delicious. And then we got dessert since it was a special occasion. Vanilla ice cream with caramel and pecans. It was perfect.
December 3: Article
What’s an article that you read that blew you away? That you shared with all your friends. That you Delicious’d and reference throughout the year.
Well… it’s not really an article, but as a photographer, I tend to watch a lot more of these than reading articles… “Choosing Thomas.” I saw a link to this on the SportsShooter message board (hello, nerdy PJ), and had to check it out. I’m a sucker for any multimedia presentation, and this one blew me away. I cried like a baby after watching the first installment. It’s beautiful, touching and heartbreaking, all at the same time.
December 4: Book
What book – fiction or non – touched you? Where were you when you read it? Have you bought and given away multiple copies?
My little sister recommended “The Time Traveler’s Wife” to me earlier this year, and it did not disappoint. While it took me a little while to get into the book, I was attached by the end. And even though you expect the ending to come, I still wept when it did. I stayed up late one night to finish it and convinced Lucy to snuggle when I was done crying. … It was one of those nights.
December 5: Night out
Did you have a night out with friends or a loved one that rocked your world? Who was there? What was the highlight of the night?
I’m not really one for going out much anymore (confession: I’m an old person), but I had a lot of fantastic nights this year! One of my favorites was the night friends in my little town gathered to celebrate my engagement. It was hilarious. From chatting about how we got engaged to ragging other friends when they were getting engaged, it was an amusing night all around. And I had a lot of wine that night, too, and one of my friends made me a honeymoon fund bucket, which brings a smile to my face whenever I see it. (Which is a lot because it resides on my desk and collects all the spare change I have…)
December: 6 Workshop or conference
Was there a conference or workshop you attended that was especially beneficial? Where was it? What did you learn?
Unfortunately, I didn’t go to any workshops or conferences this past year. (I blame my hectic work schedule.) That doesn’t mean, though, that I didn’t want to go to some. Next year, I WILL attend Women in Photojournalism and maybe a wedding photography/portrait photography conference because it’d be fun to learn a little more about those!
What are your answers for these questions?
