Best Challenge 2009

December 9 Challenge. Something that really made you grow this year. That made you go to your edge and then some. What made it the best challenge of the year for you?

*This post is part of the Best of 2009 Blog Challenge.

I can honestly say, this is the first year in many that I have not had significant challenge that I have faced. In fact, this has been a year of recovery and I have been blessed. I did not have challenges making bills, finding work, paying off debt, overcoming bad relationships (that was last year and the year before and before). Not that everything has been perfect, but I have truly had time to blossom & explore not only professional growth but hobbies that I love like photography, travel, and helping with non-profit work. I attribute that to a better personal outlook and learning to treat myself better, but that’s not all.

Moment of Peace 2009

December 8 Moment of peace. An hour or a day or a week of solitude. What was the quality of your breath? The state of your mind? How did you get there?

*This post is part of the Best of 2009 Blog Challenge.

A moment of peace in this sea of a busy world… sometimes you just need to take a moment to meditate.

Photo taken at Houston Museum of Natural Science Terra Cotta Warrior Exhibit

Blog find of the year 2009

December 7 Blog find of the year. That gem of a blog you can’t believe you didn’t know about until this year.

*This post is part of the Best of 2009 Blog Challenge.

This one is easy. I set out googling for a gluten-free pumpkin pie recipe to accommodate a friend I was spending Thanksgiving with and I found so much more. I found inspiration and life, and great recipes for everyone (gluten-free or not).

Gluten-free girl and the chef: Check it out, share it with a friend. And don’t miss the about page.

Best conference 2009

December 6 Workshop or conference. Was there a conference or workshop you attended that was especially beneficial? Where was it? What did you learn?

*This post is part of the Best of 2009 Blog Challenge.

I had the privilege of being one of the organizers for this spectacular conference. I learned so much from the speakers and it opened the doors to so many great ideas and concepts online. The attendees of Mom 2.0 are truly the nation’s innovators in social media.

Best night out 2009

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?

*This post is part of the Best of 2009 Blog Challenge.

The night out I am thinking about literally rocked THE world, but most of all it was a very quiet, simple, beautiful evening. A few months ago, my beau and I visited my parents in Florida. We chose an amazing bed & breakfast to stay at right on the beach and very close to Cape Canaveral. The shuttle was scheduled to launch at midnight, so we took our time, enjoyed a relaxing late night swim in the pool, gathered some chairs and walked out to the beach to watch. When the time came, there was a loud boom followed by a red stream of bright light up into the sky until it disappeared leaving the earth’s atmosphere. It was beautiful watching the majesty of our space exploration program in action and thinking about the possibilities of what else is out there beyond our world. It put things in perspective for me and made me realize how little I really know and how important it is to always continue learning and growing, plus it was a romantic evening of talking, hand-holding and spending time together. We didn’t take any pictures, but it is a memory that I will enjoy for a long time.

Best article + book 2009

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.

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?

*This post is part of the Best of 2009 Blog Challenge.

Today is going to be a 2 part post…and I want to note that it is SNOWING in Houston this morning. Some act of God allowed that to happen today, and it is beautiful. (it doesn’t look like much in this picture, but it is actually starting to stick to the ground)

Ok, to the post.

I am not one for keeping articles very long, but I love to earmark magazines. My favorite magazine that is consistently great – Real Simple. It’s got fantastic easy recipes, awesome organizing tips, and interesting ideas like this one: New Uses for Holiday Things. Not sure about the “muffin tin as a centerpiece” idea but good article nonetheless. But, even more than the online articles, I am a loyal subscriber. There is something magical about actually holding the magazine in your hands & flipping through it, it is just so much better. Maybe it’s because I am a visual person, but magical nonetheless.

As for a book recommendation, I haven’t been reading much lately in the past couple of years, but I did read the Twilight Series – all of them – in about a week. I couldn’t put them down. I truly got engrossed in them, the fantasy took me away. And I love Stephanie Meyer’s bio and the story behind Twilight. It proves to follow your dreams, because you never know where they will lead.

Post Script

I am loving this excerpt from Gwen Bell’s book post and wanted to share it with you. I am definitely going to read this. This is advice I need to follow much more often.

From Twyla Tharp’s, The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

Perfectionism at the Start

Another trap is the belief that everything has to be perfect before you can take the next step. You won’t move on to that second chapter until the first is written, rewritten, honed, tweaked, examined under a microscope, and buffed to a bright mahogany sheen. You won’t dip a brush in the paint until you’ve assembled all the colors you can possibly imagine using in the course of the project. I know it’s important to be prepared, but at the start of the process this type of perfectionism is more like procrastination. You’ve got to get in there and do.

Best restaurant moment 2009

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?

*This post is part of the Best of 2009 Blog Challenge.

Many of you know I have been working with Block 7 Wine Company for many months. I started the project long before they opened their doors & now continue on as a Creative Consultant in the areas of marketing, pr & social media. So, this isn’t really a “moment” but rather a place that I have spent a lot of time and energy at and am proud of what I have helped to establish there.

Blog Challenge begins: Best trip in 2009

My fellow blogger, social media maniac & friend Gwen Bell has inspired me to write. The truth is I have been looking for an excuse to write more often & her Best of 2009 Blog Challenge is the perfect reason. The other truth is she is probably much better at blogging than I am, but I have a plan.

The plan for my blog is (and yes I came up with this in the shower so it’s very clever)…

I should start the story with the beginning. I was thinking about how for many years I loved to read & write, and somewhere along the way I got burnt out on it. I had amazing teachers through school, english & literature were my favorite subjects, I even once wrote a 50 page paper on Beowulf for AP college lit class & got an A. If you have never attempted something that long, 50 pages is not easy to write, especially when every step of the way you need to pause writing & research something. I also used to keep a diary. I started when I was very young, and wrote religiously whether it was 1 sentence or pages and pages about profound things (or at age 13 things I thought were profound) in my life. My diary was my release, my listening ear, my secret escape. I also used to write poetry, I’d lie in the grass or sit on the porch for hours pondering what my life would be like scribbling away and romanticizing the world and my future in it.

All that said, a few years ago, I stopped writing. I became so busy and engrossed in the world and various types of media coming at me and forgot what the release and satisfaction from writing was like. I attempted to start again with this blog, but I put so much pressure on myself to write the RIGHT things that I thought people would be interested in reading, that I never let loose and wrote just for me. And that brings me to the plan…

I love to write lists. I have not lost that. I have always been a very organized person and love to make lists and jot things down on post-its. A post-it just makes things more simple. It breaks it down in a way that allows you to take things 1 at a time. A post-it is easy to manage. And once you have finished the task, you feel a sense of accomplishment. So, that is how I plan to get back into writing… I plan to think of each blog post as a list or a post-it and nothing more. I will not feel defeated or challenged to “come up with something” interesting to write, but rather just write what comes to mind and move on. And eventually I will be comfortable and have forgotten that anyone is even reading this blog (which I’m pretty sure not many are) and just write for me. That sounds like a great way to start 2010 to me.

Thank you Gwen for inspiring me even when you didn’t know you did.

Here goes nothing!

December 1 Trip. What was your best trip in 2009?

2009 was a year of frequent travel, though not really to a variety of places. Here’s where I went, some of the reasons why I went, and a few photos I took there.

Give me a ‘roo roo

Fresh from Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee…

1. Saw the Boss and Jimmy Buffet perform on the same day. Check.
2. Caught a glimpse of Drew Barrymore & her current boy toy. Check.
3. Met the Features. Check.
4. Slept in a tent on the actual ground for 3 days. Check.
5. Photographed more bands in one weekend than ever before. Check.

Here are a few of my personal fave images from the festival & a clever story from my cousin Jess who shared the weekend with me to entertain you.

Click here to view my entire festival gallery of photos on Flickr. Some of the images also appear in the Paste Magazine 1,000 Words photo blog online.

These are a few of my favorite things:

In no particular order…

1. traveling to new exciting (& sometimes old familiar) places
2. capturing a moment on film
3. french fries (my guilty pleasure – but I tell myself it’s OK because I get kiddie size)
4. my iPhone
5. Red-headed men (NOT Conan O’Brien)
6. wine
7. my Arbonne skin care products
8. Real Simple Magazine – because the name is SO true
9. wine (did I already say that?)
10. listening to Band of Horses - ok YES I heard them for the first time for a car commercial, but who gives ?
11. things designed with peacock feathers
12. the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer (yes, I said it, it’s true I am hooked)
13. Havaianas flip flops
14. classic black pumps
15. Paste Magazine
16. shopping on etsy
17. my Catahoula Mabel
18. playing drums on Rockband
19. Lost  - I have never seen it on live tv, but nevertheless the DVDs got me hooked & I am so behind
20. the Gandhi quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world”

Ok, so I know what you are thinking, I am such a cliche. C’est la vie moderne. I am not sure if that is correct French, but you get the idea. Enjoy my new custom designed (with love) blog header to give permanent homage to my faves.

I want to know what you love too though. So, tell me a few of yours. Is it playing laser tag? Boysenberry tea in the afternoon? Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle? or maybe jamming at your desk to Journey while working on spreadsheets?

Whatever it is that you love, shout it from the rooftops! (or comment on my blog)