If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! Look at meeeee, blogging thrice in one week! It’s a freakin miracle! And I’m actually writing Things I Love Thursday ON Thursday! And you’ll be able to read it ON Thursday! Isn’t this incredible? We’re such champs. So, let’s get rolling with things I’m lovin’, shall we?
1. The new blog.
I would post a picture of this one, but… um… you’re looking at it. So that would be pretty silly. As everyone has figured out by now, I am constantly refining my vision of my brand as an expression of who I am and what I do, and this blog has endured thousands of mind-changings and ‘executive design decisions.’ It will probably be tweaked a little in the future, especially in the sidebar area. What do you guys think? Seriously, let me know! Too dark? Too boring? Too cluttered? Feedback is the best way to make it more excellent, so lay it on me!
2. I finally picked an album supplier!
Okay, well, I picked two. Edit: I was mistaken on pricing. I had calculated incorrectly, they are not similar in price. However, I will probably still offer both.
The first is a beautiful handcrafted album, with near limitless cover options and upgrades. Faux-leather, real leather, cloth, brocades, you name it. It’s classic, clean, and meticulously crafted here in the US.
 image courtesy of Finao.com
The other album is my FAVORITE. It speaks volumes to my soul, and really captures the magic and romance of life perfectly. If you’re looking for a more artistic, ECO-FRIENDLY album, this would be for you! Hand-crafted in Santa Monica without the use of large machines, this album just looks like a fairytale! It boasts of three paper options: Sugar Cane paper, which uses the byproduct of sugar cane production, is thick and slightly textured, Eco-matte, which is 100% post-consumer recycled paper, and Fine Art watercolor paper, which is beautifully textured and 100% cotton.
They also come in these GORGEOUS reclaimed leather or linen bags!
 images courtesy of Barrett Meeker Photography via wildmagnoliadesign.com
3. My new pricing guide!
It’s taking me foreverrrr to get it printed, but I’ve finally finished my Pricing Guide! This will be printed as a softcover 11×8.5 book, magazine-style. It contains everything from who I am and my style, to pricing, products, and frequently asked questions. I can’t WAIT for my clients to see it!
4. Bookbook.
Somebody buy this for meeeee! This hardcover leather case for Macbooks by TwelveSouth that looks like an old-style vintage bound book! OooOoh, right up my alley.
image courtesy of TwelveSouth.com
5. Tangerines.
I know, this is a really really weird addition to the post, seeing as everything else is all business/tech related. But they are SO GOOD! I had never eaten a tangerine before last week (I am allergic to some types of oranges more than others, so I’m always a little wary), and now I’m obsessed. These little bursts of delight are perfectly sized, not messy, and ten times yummier than regular oranges. NOMNOMNOM!
Guhhh, I think I’m gonna go eat one now. Have a FABULOUS day, Interwebz!
I bought this magnet on a whim from Barnes & Noble about 3 years ago. It was sitting on the little rack of bookmarks and magnets and other doo-dahs with quaint little sayings and quotes on them. To be honest, I really just loved the typography, the design, and the way it reminded me of my mother, so I tossed it in with my other purchases (probably a C.S. Lewis book or another new journal).
 It’s been on my family’s yellowing 1970′s refrigerator ever since, and my mother indeed took quite a liking to it, reminding me of it often. But for me, it never bore much personal resonance… until recently.
This past year has been critical for me as far as finding direction for my passion. My whole life I have been a sort of wild fusion of drive, chaos, and curiosity. I want to experience everything, see everything, and change everything around me for the better- but for a very, very long time, I wasn’t sure how to do it. Then, things slowly started creeping into place. A summer as a photography intern in Nepal, a year at IUSB feeling isolated and disconnected, a great youth group and a family get-together, and here I am. And Internet, I’m scared.
I’ve made many mistakes in the past, from not doing homework in high school to not following through on going to Africa for 6 months; I’ve had many plans that simply have not materialized. I’ve tried to listen to what God wants for my life, but I think I often miss the mark. It makes me worry: what if I fail yet again, or choose to go a different direction again? I don’t want to be the little girl who cried plans, but I feel like there must be others who know this feeling- this tumultuous exhilaration and nervous concern… (and if you do, let me know in the comments! I’ll keep you in my prayers!)
I am one of those people who usually hopes to a fault, but this one thing is so paramount to the direction of my future that I hardly want to speak of the possibility for fear of snuffing it out. It has come at the end of a long, confusion process of discerning where I should transfer to in the fall. First, I cried ‘IU Bloomington!’ because I thought it was my only option. Then, I cried ‘Steubenville!’ since I had long wanted to go there. But after making my 6th visit to the latter campus, I realized that neither school offers what I so desperately desire: an academic setting close to home that is committed to excellence and built on the foundations of the Catholic faith. After a lot of inner turmoil trying to decide between spirituality and academic quality, an answer hit me like a brick wall at 70 mph.
I’m not their ideal candidate- my GPA is a 3.5, not a 3.7, I didn’t have stellar SAT scores and my parents weren’t alumni (in fact, they never went to college). But I think that’s the very reason that I need to be there. The school has plenty of cutouts: girls in short skirts and Uggs who just want to party, folks just in it for the prestigious degree, people who are there because it’s free for them. But I, I want to be there in order to be throttled forward. I want the challenge, the community, the aesthetic. Like my favorite old Apple commercial says:
“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the rou nd pegs in the square holes, the ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
So tonight, I did one thing that scared me. I started my application to the University of Notre Dame. Because anything that scares me this much is probably something I should be doing.
Oh blog, oh blog, how have I forsaken thee!?
I am writing this blog post from Midway Airport in Chicago. It is 1:29am. Why, you ask, am I at Midway Airport in the wee small hours of the morning? Because, my friends, I have just returned from 10 days in sunny and glorious San Diego, California! My plane was SUPPOOOOOOOSED to arrive at 9pm, but it got in at 9:25, making me miss the last possible train back to South Bend tonight. The only available train leaving Midway only went as far as Michigan City, which is an hour from South Bend and it wouldn’t get there till 2am so nobody in my house would be able to pick me up. I was so frustrated, I was sitting in baggage claim crying like a baby! But after a few minutes of tears and sniffles, I took myself to the ladies room, washed my face, and decided to use these idle hours writing a MAGNIFICENT BLOG POST! Okay, maybe not magnificent, but at least well-planned!
This break has been everything a break should be– refreshing, relaxing, inspiring, encouraging, and totally helpful in getting me pumped for the semester (and year!) to come. Before I jump into new things for the new year, here’s a blog-peek into what I’ve been up to:
First, I began break
1. Loving my adorable 10-year-old puppy, Nick. He’s the best doggie in the whole wide world, and we always let him open his own Christmas present every year. This year, we bought him a fluff-less squirrel to obliterate. He enjoyed it and tore the squeaker out in around 15 minutes. The squirrel put up a good fight, though!
2. Sipping lovely wine. I am a huge fan of a good wine. Nomnom.
3. + 4. Chilling with my fam and having a darling little Christmas Eve dinner! We always have our Christmas dinner and present-exchanging on Christmas Eve, and this year we were planning on it just being my grandparents, mom, brother and me. But at the last minute, we found out a bunch of our extended family wanted to come by on Christmas day- just a couple hours after I left for San Diego! Nonetheless, I really really really (really) enjoyed being able to sit with my family and share a delicious meal. The older I get, the more I absolutely love my family. This year is no exception.
Thennnn, I hopped on an airplane and flew away from the ice-ridden tundra that is Indiana, and over to the beeeeauutiful breezy 70-degree weather of San Diego, California. This is the 2nd time I’ve had the blessing of visiting J and his fam in California, and I hope it won’t be the last! I really enjoyed the time I had there. When I visited for 3 weeks this summer, we wanted to do everything and go all over the place, but this time we only had a few special planned things to do, which allowed for lots of nice time relaxing, going in the hot tub (yay!) and cuddling up to watch movies. Some other sweet stuff we did:
1. + 2. Cooked dinner! That’s right folks, I made a nice meal allllll by myself! All J did was separate the cloves of garlic (which I appreciated), but I did all the rest, finally proving to my family that I will NOT fall flat on my face once I’m on my own and my future husband will NOT resent me for my lack of housewifely skills!I made lemon chicken with garlic and herb roasted potatoes, and I looooved dancing around the kitchen singing Glee + Disney songs as we cooked. It was wonderful, and it TASTED wonderful!
3. Went to Disneyland. Sat in the parking line long enough to watch half of Stranger Than Fiction on my laptop.
4. Stood in many lines and made many silly faces!
5. Went shopping at many, many, many malls. Bought lots of AWESOME stuff.
6.Went to J’s family’s family friend Father Harris’ for an incredible New Year’s Eve party. It was J, myself, his sister and her boyfriend, his mom and her friend, his aunt and her husband, and his little cousin Emily. It was a blast! Father Harris (affectionately “FH”) is a hilarious man, a talented piano player, and a wonderful host! His cooking is out of this world, his house is beautiful, and he has a theatre in his basement. Seriously- bean bag chairs and several huge recliners with a 15-foot wide hi-def screen. Awesomeness! We watched 500 Days of Summer and then watched the ball drop at midnight. I’d never had champagne before- weird, huh?
7. Went on a bunch of sweet rides at California Adventure. We went on California Screamin’ about a gazillion times (okay, only three), Soarin’ Over California, and probably most famously, the Tower of Terror! I LOVE stomach-dropping rides, and although J hates them, he lovingly sat through it with me. I was delighted.
8. Last, but certainly not least, J and I MADE A BLANKET FORT! YESSS! I know, I know. This sounds incredibly childish, but I keep seeing all of these beautiful, nostalgic pictures of these cute little blanket forts and I’ve been dying to make one. So J and I put some blankets over some chairs, piled pillows inside, and snuggled with blankets in front of his fireplace to watch a movie. It was fantastic.
What did you all do during Christmas/New Years? Were you in a terrible blizzard, relaxing on a beach, reading a favorite novel or off in another country? Let me know! I need to catch up!
Okay, it’s now 3:27am, so I should probably end this. Just because I’m writing this during an all-nighter doesn’t mean you should have to pull one to read it!
Stay spunky, y’all!
“No one knows truth, not even you…
don’t look away anymore.”
-Joshua Radin
Tonight I saw the incredibly talented Joshua Radin live at Legends. Silky-smooth vocals, meaningful lyrics (mostly inspired by ex-girlfriends, apparently), and a ridiculously charismatic stage presence all came together as Joshua rocked the stage. Unfortunately, after I finished up what camera battery I had left, I resigned to stage left to watch part of the show, next to some girls who absolutely epitomized the word ‘fanatic.’ Upon telling off some drunk guys, Mr. Radin called her ‘darling’ and she about died on the spot. It was at that point that I realized that I do NOT like being a fan. I love being in the front row photographing a band or musician, and I love hearing really good, soul-stirring music, but worshiping the artists themselves seems to really miss the point. *shrugs* I was super bummed that he didn’t play Don’t Look Away, but it was still a great show and since Jason works at Legends, his manager got my CD signed for me. Sweet!
 
 
Hello dear readers (that is, if I have any left… or if I had any to begin with!)… I have, obviously, been a terrible blogger lately. School has become quite hectic as I count the days till finals, and between papers I have had little time to sit down and write a good post. Honestly, I have opened the ‘new post’ window like 5 million times in the past week, but I felt like I didn’t have the emotional time to write something worthwhile. Does that make any sense? I hope so. ANYWAY, since I’ve missed Thanksgiving and all sorts of other things, here’s a brief rundown to catch y’all up.
- Jason and I worked things out. Or are working things out. Or something. His retreat was AMAZING (this kid had never seen the sun rise until then!) and we really needed the time apart. We’re still figuring things out day by day, and we still have a lot of struggles, but we make it work. We shall seeeeee.
- Thanksgiving. Nom.
   My brother and Jason are total dorks. Just sayin.’
- Had my first meeting with the X/Stop group! X/Stop is a wonderful group for photographers in South Bend, and they meet monthly for dinner. We went out for some pizza and it was WONDERFUL to finally feel the support and camaraderie of fellow photogs.They were hilaaaarious. Can’t wait for the next one!
- Got in a car accident. Today. My car is maybe totaled, but maybe not. I’m reeeeeally hoping not. That would be nice. Basically, I ran a light that I forgot existed and some giant GMC supertruck slammed by front right corner. But we were able to drive it to our car dealership and the light on the crushed side was still working… good signs!
- Went to the Best of Acousticafe at Legends of Notre Dame last night to see my friend Chris’ last performance of the year. MANNNNN can that guy play! I love listening to him sing, too. He’s got one of those effortless voices and jazz piano skillz that make me swoon. So jealous! I was super excited to then realize that, on top of hearing some awesome Charlie Brown and a great rendition of Pianoman (a song I normally can’t stand), I would be able to hear a guy I knew in high school rock out with some beeeeeatiful, soul-stirring mellow music. Nick Gunty is one of those guys who’s got it all together artistically. Paints, draws, sings, plays chords on guitar that absolutely bewilder me (I swear he can stretch like 5 frets) and has a hauntingly beautiful voice. One of those voices that feels caught in time, like a memory or a nostalgic breeze.
   
      Tonight I got to spend some time with my aaaaaaaawesome friend Zach. He totally cheered me up after my accident this evening, and is a tres intelligent philosopher/writer. He totally made my day!
  Look at that gooooorgeous face!
Anyway, this weekend is full of excitement! I’m seeing Handel’s Messiah and JOSHUA RADIN tomorrow evening! Perhaps going to a party, we shall see.
So this has been my obligatory cram-several-weeks-into-one-blog-post blog post. I will try to update again soon. And please forgive the ever-changing blog theme. I am experimenting!
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by erinmariehall
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