Lisli

New Shop in Town: Occasionette!

2013-04-12T11:11:00.001-04:00

I was first introduced to Girls Can Tell by my delightful bag o' swag from Girl Crush. It was seriously the best gift bag I've ever gotten (not that they're a common thing in my life, but still). The tea towel with Sara Selepouchin's diagram of ranunculus still hangs proudly on my oven handle as one of my favorites. So I was pretty curious and excited when I heard that Sara would be opening her own gift shop in Philly on East Passyunk Avenue.

I stopped by Occasionette a couple of weeks ago to take a few photos of the merch she had set up. The Twitters tell me she's added lots more since I visited. She's having her grand opening tomorrow, April 13, and though I can't be there, I'll be sure to stop by sometime soon!

New Street Stories Design

2013-04-05T13:13:00.000-04:00

I'm excited to finally be finished with migrating Street Stories to Wordpress. I did it for a few reasons. Wordpress is much more flexible in creating custom designs, and I was able to add to an existing child theme to make it just the way I wanted. I'm also in the process of creating my own portfolio site and migrating this blog to Wordpress in the coming weeks (days? we'll see!).

Pop over to Street Stories to have a look. I'm going to be scouting more frequently as the weather warms up. Trying to keep up a solid street style blog in the winter kind of burned me out, but I'm excited to ramp up again this spring!

I got LadyHacked!

2013-03-06T13:14:00.000-05:00

And it was the best thing ever.

There's forever a hackathon going on in the Philly tech scene. They're all pretty male-dominated. But not LadyHacks. The whole point was to introduce hackathons to the women in tech community (and the female content creators, marketers, designers, etc. who support the community). Eighty percent of the attendees, including me, had never participated in a hackathon before.

I registered because I have learned a ton from Girl Geek Dinners and Girl Develop It events, but as it got closer to the event, I started to lose interest. My recent weekends have been filled, and I just wanted a break. I didn't know what I could contribute. After Friday night, I even considered not going back on Saturday. Hackathons fly in the face of my introverted nature, and I couldn't picture myself participating in the entire thing. Plus, I was exhausted.

But I decided I'd let myself sleep in a little bit and not freak out over getting there on time on Saturday morning. I figured I'd stop in and see what was up for the day, then maybe take off in the afternoon.

But then I got sucked in. The energy, the collaboration, the learning, the pieces all fitting together — the day flew by. It was hard for me to even leave the after party at National Mechanics.

She Tech Philly group members Darlene, LeeAnn, and Leslie

Tristin Hightower checking in with our group

Kelsey, Lauren, and Alexandra working on the design & theme

My group worked to create a central hub for all of the women in tech events in the area. The female tech scene is so brilliant and welcoming that there's almost always something happening. With the She Tech Philly site, interested parties won't have to visit multiple MeetUp pages to keep track of what's going on every month. We're also planning to launch a Mentor Match Up forum/board, post job opportunities, and regularly spotlight a different woman from the community each week/month.

Our header, created by designer Kelsey Leljedal

And then we got to present. And I found myself speaking into a microphone on a stage at a tech event. A shy Mennonite farm girl from Central PA with a liberal arts background. It felt huge.

I showed up. I met people. I worked. I learned. I shared. I found out that I had something to say.

Space

2013-02-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

I discovered while living in West Chester that I am profoundly affected by my physical space. I haven't yet determined whether that is good or bad. I'm choosing for now to accept that it just is. I realized that there are a few characteristics of my space that I need to feel optimal.

I need a sunny kitchen with lots of windows and natural light. Also, a dishwasher.
I need a well-lit bedroom. Chad just hung three huge paper lanterns above our bed, and now it feels sunny all day.
I need access to the outdoors. Even a small balcony or porch will suffice, but even better if it's a backyard with a garden plot. We had both in West Chester, including our own balcony, and a shared porch and backyard in Philly.
I need a (mostly) private work space to think, dream, plan, and create.
I need living things. Specifically, Chad, Pablo, Harper, flowers, and plants. I am bad at keeping the plants alive, but I try. After working in a flower shop during breaks from college, I no longer believe that flowers are a frivolity. They are mental health medicine and a form of self care.
I need art around me, preferably created or given to me by family and friends. We are blessed to have lots of that. It's sometimes a pain to move with, but it is more than worth the trouble.

Have other people noticed how their physical space affects them? What artifacts or attributes do you need in a living space?

Iceland: Day 3

2013-02-16T11:30:00.000-05:00

Our third day in Reykjavik was another wander-around-the-city day. As I mentioned, the whole city is really manageable in a day. We anticipated having more to explore within the city center. That is probably the only drawback of my preferred travel style. No tour, just show up and do your own thing. It usually yields excellent results and only rarely lets me down.

We decided to check out the hostel we originally wanted to stay at before we made our AirBnB plans. Kex, a converted biscuit factory, is just as amazing as we thought it would be. Even though it was a little out of our price range (we didn't want to stay in a dorm style room), there's a great bar and patio that anyone can visit. If you choose to stay inside, the library is one of the coziest most wonderful interiors I've ever seen. They have shows there at night, and you can even get a haircut. I really enjoy the aesthetic, and I've got a huge crush on their website.

Since we'd kind of gathered the main concepts of the city layout in the prior couple days, I was able to focus on its more subtle characteristics. Like the poetry in the streets. Delightful.

And we met yet another beautiful Icelandic cat. She was really friendly and almost followed us down to the water.

A Reminder from Regina

2013-02-04T21:19:00.000-05:00

This is what happens when you're anticipating the start of a new semester in a web design program, and you're sitting on your couch with your cat and husband, both messing around on your computers, listening to Pandora, and you suddenly become inspired by some fun Regina Spektor lyrics.

Lunchtime Reads: 2.4.13

2013-02-04T11:54:00.000-05:00

Last week was super busy with all good things. I'm excited to be able to share more about them in the near future.

In the meantime, here's some internet reads for your Monday lunch break. Enjoy!

Found this via my favorite internet girl:

"Suffering is not a benchmark of hard work. Misery is not an indicator of importance. Anxiety does not bequeath great discovery. The grass might be greener on either side, but grass is growing everywhere. You do not have to search arduously to find grass." I'd certainly do well to remember that.

A conversation between Cheryl Strayed and Elissa Bassist regarding the original advice letter that probably made The Rumpus a fortune in mug sales.

More writing advice from almost everyone you could hope to ask for writing advice.

Sarah Bessey. Again. For when we feel too much and think, "Who do you think you are?" of ourselves.

Erin Loechner ponders voyeurism, exhibitionism, art, and the internet.

Iceland: Day 2

2013-01-30T12:16:00.000-05:00

We caught a later brunch on our second day in Iceland at a place I really wanted to try. Grai Kotturin was another place I'd discovered in my research for this article over at Dish Trip. Its name translates to something like Grey Cat or Grey Kitten, which sold me even further. Who doesn't want to eat a cozy brunch in a place called Grey Kitten? I certainly do. Especially after a rainy and cold walk during which a giant truck barreled through a giant puddle and made a giant splash of water that soaked my left side.

I had to take photos of our food everywhere we went because I promised an editor an article about the food in Reykjavik upon our return. That made me feel less silly about taking the ubiquitous photos of latte art.

Each of these dogs has a name, and they are pleasant breakfast companions, silently watching over you while you enjoy a delicious Icelandic interpretation of American breakfast food.

After brunch, we decided to figure out if going to the Blue Lagoon on a rainy day was at all a good idea. The woman in the tourist shop (I know, I know, usually not our thing) said that it would be perfect. She said it would be warm and cozy with even more steam rising off the top of the water, and that going in the rain was her favorite.

The Blue Lagoon is quite the tourist attraction and definitely priced as such. I heard that years ago, before the resort was built around it, you could just roll up and jump in. No more. That's ok. It was totally worth it. I almost wanted to pay the overpriced admission a second time before we left the country. Sometimes when I'm really stressed or my body is sore and tired, I fantasize about going back to Iceland just for this.

After a long bus ride and walk back to the center of Reykjavik, we were cold and hungry and I just wanted more comfort food. We found Cafe Babalu. We struck up a conversation about the music in the restaurant with one of the waitstaff, who happened to be from Boston working an internship with Iceland Airwaves. After we talked for a bit, we discovered that we were also renting rooms in the same apartment, we just hadn't run into each other there yet!

We grilled her about the music scene in Reykjavik and got the down low on the venues, bars, and thrift shops to check out. She also introduced us to the British band Daughter, who will be playing in Philly in March! Some chili, a panini, two plush mounted animal heads, and a new friend later, and we were ready to head back to our apartment for the night.

Famous Farm

2013-01-17T14:31:00.001-05:00

My childhood home is a cover girl. Please excuse the egregious use of Comic Sans or something like it on the cover. It's definitely not the first time the homestead has appeared in this publication; a couple years ago my dad was interviewed as part of a feature on high tech farms in the area.

Iceland: Day 1

2013-01-15T19:59:00.003-05:00

We woke up on our first day in Iceland prepared to wander around Reykjavik and get the lay of the land. Our apartment was in a really convenient location, right in the center of the 101 district, so it was in the heart of everything, including tourist shops, which usually aren't my thing. Reykjavik is so small that they can't be avoided though. It seems like touristy things are mixed in with everything else. We quickly discovered that the 101 district is completely walkable in a day.

We left our cozy apartment and headed up Skólavörðustígur to look for Mokka Kaffi, a cafe I'd read about in preparation for our trip. I wrote a preview piece for Dish Trip, so I'd done a little food research ahead of time, which especially made our first day easy. I am prone to get hangry, especially when traveling.

We were surprised to see that in the mid-40s temps Icelanders still enjoy sipping their coffee at sidewalk tables.

Interestingly, I thought the whole city smelled like waffles.

We spent the rest of the day wandering around Reykjavik and getting our bearings. I love wandering days in new cities.

I took a million pictures of this church, Hallgrimskirkja. It dominates the small city.

This is the organ inside Hallgrimskirkja.

Have you ever seen those TV specials about people who are in love with inanimate objects? I told Chad that's how I felt about this rough mountain in the distance.

The Harpa Conference Center is completely built out of this beautiful honeycomb glass. It's beautiful inside and out, and toasty warm inside. We stopped here for a bit to use the free wifi.

This street-side hot dog stand is the most famous (and oldest?) restaurant in Reykjavik. We returned countless times during the week so Chad could get his fix. Turns out the secret ingredient is lamb. The hot dogs really are delicious, and you're supposed to eat them with a special blend of toppings. Like a true 5 year old, I ate mine with ketchup only.

For something like $5, you can take a teeny-tiny elevator with 8 or so of your new best friends to the top of Hallgrimskirkja and appreciate stunning views of the city from all sides.

Lunchtime Reads: 1.14.13

2013-01-14T11:54:00.001-05:00

Advice for young artists.

"And then I remembered the one thing some Christians will never admit out loud, which is that sometimes Jesus isn't all you need. Sometimes you need Zoloft." Preach it.

I've been in a bit of a creativity and productivity funk since the holidays. This round up might help.

English majors take heart: There's plenty you can do with an English degree.

This is an idea I've been toying with for a while now. Maybe it's time to start.

And more advice from, who else, Cheryl Strayed. I really wanted to go to hear her keynote at the PA Conference for Women last fall, but I still had my 9-to-5. Thankfully, all the talks are now available on YouTube.

"What happens with our best work in the world isn't really up to us."

26

2013-01-08T14:39:00.001-05:00

New Year's week always feels a bit more significant to me, I think, because my birthday is on January 5. So I'm truly beginning a new year, not just of the calendar, but of life.

From Friday:

It feels like a new decade to me. I turn 26 tomorrow, and it's like crossing some threshold into adulthood and real life. Arbitrary, I know, but it rounds up to 30. [25 does too, but this feels different.] The second half of my 20s means seriously working to find direction and then busting ass to work at what I love. It means putting everything I have into crafting a solid & deep foundation with Chad in preparation for expanding our baby family. It means letting go of adolescent fears and jealousies to make room for uninhibited & brave creativity and collaboration...

I spent Saturday wandering through The Reading Terminal Market and taking in views from the PSFS building (ideas that Chad got from Philly Love Notes) and hanging out with some of my favorite people. Chad made macaroni and cheese for supper (because no matter how old I get, my taste buds will always be stuck at 5 years old), and I stayed up til 5 am talking with a dear friend.

It was perfect.

*Photos taken with iPhones by my friends & me throughout the weekend. Posted with their permission, of course!

2013 - What's the Word?

2013-01-04T19:46:00.000-05:00

After a low key NYE, I spent New Year's Day on the couch further trying to recover from whatever nasty thing I contracted right after Christmas.

Chad and I took the opportunity to work through Susannah Conway's Unravelling the Year Ahead year planning tool. The workbook claims it will take an hour, but it took us much longer. It guides you through reflecting on the year that has passed — and man, we have had a crazy one — and leads you through planning and prioritizing for the year ahead. You begin the planning by choosing a word for the coming year. This word can help remind you of priorities when the big picture gets fuzzy, as it is wont to do.

Mine is "craft." It implies thoughtfulness, mindfulness, intention, and preparation. It connotes a process and a product. It also reflects what I profess to believe about the world: that I — and all of us — have been crafted in a particular way to make a particular impact in the world.

We've never done anything so intentional as planning our year before, but I'm excited to see what grows out of it. Have you done any type of life planning? How did it go?

Low Key NYE

2013-01-04T14:07:00.000-05:00

I wasn't feeling any huge elaborate to-do for NYE this year. I've been fighting this seriously disgusting throat/sinus thing for over a week, and staying up all night and drinking too much whiskey didn't feel like a good idea for my body. I spent most of the last moments of 2012 laying in bed and drinking lots of water so I could spend the first moments of 2013 with some of our favorite people.

Chris and Lori and Chad and I ate a fancy dinner in Center City, with reservations at 6:15. It was interesting to see the NYE 6:15 dinner crowd. We felt a little out of place, but eating dinner surrounded by older rich people just made us feel fancier.

We all came back to West Philly by 9ish, played Dixit, drank more wine, (hot toddy for me — I was starting to feel pretty awful by this point) and watched the ball drop. Then, we started all falling asleep by 12:30. Happy New Year, we're old!

Lunchtime Reads: 12.20.12

2012-12-20T12:33:00.000-05:00

I feel like I'm finally realizing the importance of female friendships.

More compelling writing at The Rumpus.

More advice from Cheryl Strayed.

As I dip my toes into web design, it's good to follow those in the know.

I'm thinking I might need to set up rules around my own compulsive media usage. Maybe I'd feel better.

"Contrast is fundamental to beauty." Brett McCracken writes the most beautiful blog posts, especially during Advent.

Thoughts for a Tuesday

2012-12-11T13:26:00.001-05:00

I've been having a hard time integrating The Artist's Way into my days, aside from the Morning Pages, which I have been compartmentalizing. So I thought I'd make something out of a quote I pulled from this week's chapter. I hope the act of creating something with the content of each week's chapter will help me integrate it more fully into my consciousness throughout the week.

Reading: How to Use a Runaway Truck Ramp

2012-12-10T16:47:00.001-05:00

Even though I'm not from there, I feel a sort of familiarity with Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Belleville, the small Mennonite farming town where I grew up, is similar in demographics to Lancaster, and is a smaller, less commercialized nook of Amish Country.

So when I found the Shawn Smucker's blog, soon after he wrote My Amish Roots, I was curious. Like him, my roots are Amish, and I'm always a little surprised and feel a kinship with other ethnically Mennonite/Anabaptist people with a writing bent.

I began following his writing adventures in Lancaster, and when I read that he would be going on a months-long cross country adventure with his wife and four kids, I was a little jealous. Ok, a lot jealous.

He and his wife, Maile, documented that trip in How to Use a Runaway Truck Ramp. It was released today in paperback, with a Kindle edition forthcoming. You can also grab a PDF edition!

What I enjoy most about this book is its honesty. It might be easy for some writers to present a trip like this as a cooler-than-thou On the Road or an always-joyful family adventure, the way some bloggers document their lives as if they are naturally art-directed, free of cat hair and dust and bad days and depression and anxiety and loneliness. Shawn and Maile tell the truth of their journey, without making it seem like just a grand, epic family vacation.

Because it was more than that.

Here's an excerpt from the beginning of their story:

After we returned from The Trip, strange dreams plagued my sleep, visions of scowling grizzly bears and highways that never ended and mountains that rose up in front of me, white and foaming like tidal waves. I dreamed of being trapped in tight spaces. I dreamed of careening over a mountainside, the bus’s brakes failing. We crashed through a guardrail, plummeted thousands of feet, and just as the bus was about to make impact with the tops of the trees, I gasped and woke up.

I was alive. We had survived.

A local television anchorman came to the house to interview us during those glazed-over days just after we had returned from The Trip. This particular anchorman had seen us off, four months before, with an interview that aired on the local news, and he had asked me to let him know when we made it home.

The news truck pulled into my parents’ driveway, and when he came to the door, we shook hands and smiled and felt like old friends. He was as fascinated as ever by our epic journey. First, he interviewed Maile, and she answered his questions with grace and that beautiful smile. Then, I sat down in the chair. The cameraman fished the microphone wire up through my shirt. I squirmed.

The anchorman asked me question after question, and I settled into a groove of answers, the words coming easily. Thinking back over that trip, from which we had so recently returned (relatively unscathed) was fun.

Then something uncomfortable happened: he asked me a question I wasn’t sure how to answer.

“So how do you think this trip has changed you?” he asked.

I didn’t know what to say.

I felt changed. I felt very changed. I thought through our experiences during those four months on the road. Every emotion, from boredom to terror, excitement to annoyance, freedom to entrapment. My mind wandered back through the glorious structure that trip had become, and I realized I couldn’t articulate how I had changed because I couldn’t find my old self. Somewhere along the road, my old self had been lost, and this was what remained. This new me.

I blurted out some kind of an answer to his question, but for the next few days, I found myself revisiting it.

How had I changed? I thought back through our adventure of a lifetime, and I tried to figure out when the old me had disembarked from the bus without getting back on.

Adventures will change you. They’ll saturate you with a fresh view of life. They’ll take every foundation you ever stood on and shake them until they crack. Adventures will tear away layer after layer of you, and in the end, when it’s all over, you’ll step away from that pile of old skins and barely recognize the person you have become.

This is the story of our transformation.

Shawn Smucker is the author of How to Use a Runaway Truck Ramp and Building a Life Out of Words. He lives in Lancaster County, PA with his wife Maile and their four children. You can find him on Twitter, Facebook, and he blogs (almost) daily at shawnsmucker.com; Maile blogs at mailesmucker.blogspot.com.

Iceland: The Intro

2012-12-06T14:50:00.000-05:00

I'm not so into the cold. Really. It took a little convincing for me to go on vacation to somewhere not warm. But I had seen enough Sigur Ros videos to know that the beauty would make up for having to pack a coat.

We rolled into Reykjavik in the middle of the night. Neither of our flights fed us substantially, so I was pretty hungry and decided that the best option would be to buy a packaged sandwich at the bus station because I was afraid that everything would be closed. Not so. Tall blondes were spilling out of bars right and left, and stumbling into convenience store hot dog joints. Turns out, hot dogs are the drunk food of Iceland.

But the weird, gross bus station sandwich had satiated my hunger, and we moved onto a new problem before us: the small dilemma of not being able to find our apartment. After a good 45 minutes of walking up and down the same stretch of street and asking the more sober-looking amongst us if they recognized the address, I was almost convinced we were scammed and stranded in the street at 2 a.m. in Reykjavik with herds of drunk Norsepeople.

After realizing that our street changed names right in the middle, we soon found our building and were greeted by warmth, whites, oranges, and fluffy textiles. I still sometimes fantasize about that duvet and those pillows. It was the coziest, and I am forever an AirBnB evangelist. When we go back to Reykjavik, we will be staying here. How could we not, with this friendly face to greet us?

I realized that I somehow neglected to take photos of the beautiful room we stayed in. Here's one from its AirBnB page. It was really the coziest. In the afternoons, the sun would shine through that great big window and warm the whole room. Some days, we'd take a break and come back for a little siesta in the Icelandic sun.

One Month!

2012-11-30T12:14:00.001-05:00

So, I've hit the approximate one month mark since I left my 9-to-5.

I can honestly say that I don't regret it in the least, and I'm incredibly blessed/lucky/privileged to have been able to leave.

Since then, I've been focusing on writing, learning web design, and working on other projects that I'm excited to share in the near future! I'm calling it "learnployment." I am not unemployed. I chose to leave, and I work from home every day on projects of my choosing. In a lot of ways, I feel more occupied with projects than I did when I commuted to a job in the suburbs.

Though I am still struggling a bit with the schedule I've laid out for myself, and some days I feel like a huge failure in the productivity department, I realize that I have been either learning or creating (or both) every single day.

I'm used to getting it all done. Overscheduling and writing to-do lists that no one could accomplish in a day. I expected that most days I would feel like I haven't done enough or learned enough or managed my time well. And that's been true. But I'm also learning to recognize that progress sometimes comes at a slower pace, in smaller increments than I would like, and that's ok.

Lunchtime reads: 11.16.12

2012-11-16T10:57:00.002-05:00

So... lunchtime reads disappeared for awhile. Truth be told, that's because my structured lunchtime disappeared, too. I've been struggling a bit with implementing a good, solid structure to my post 9-to-5 days, but I'm working on it.

This week, I planned to have lunch. Lunch in which I do not write, feel bad about my level of productivity, or dangerously cross boundaries by eating at my desk. I will eat lunch at the kitchen table and let my mind drift away from work and toward things that catch my eye on the internet (and maybe in print). So that is my mini lunchtime manifesto.

Sarah Bessey tells the truth.

I'm getting kind of restless at home. Maybe switching up my space would help.

Penis envy is not a thing... but beard envy is?

I love the illustration that goes with this article from The Rumpus that's been flying around this week. And, of course, the article itself.

Happy weekend!

Dairyland Antiques: Documenting a disappearing treasure

2012-11-13T15:12:00.002-05:00

It's hard for me to say how long I've loved this place. Since high school, at least. I would wander through looking for vintage scarves, bags, and costume jewelry, admiring furniture I had nowhere to put and no money to buy.

I once dragged Chad through it, stopping to show him a ring I really loved. We were 18. "I think this would be the perfect engagement ring," I told him, totally without agenda.

He went back to Dairyland the spring I was in Spain, with his parents. The ring was still there. Marked down by now, just waiting. He bought it and brought it with him the second time he came to visit me. He carried it with him from State College to Philadelphia to Madrid to Salamanca to Granada to Barcelona, where he gave it to me. I then carried it from Barcelona to San Sebastian to Madrid, back to Philadelphia, and with me ever since. That was almost six years ago.

Later, I went with my mom to Dairyland during a winter break. She hadn't bought me anything for my birthday yet, so I asked for a $17 full-length vintage wool coat. It's still one of my favorite pieces of clothing. Some of the jewelry I found there is among the most-complimented things I own.

A few months ago, a fire broke out in part of the building. The antiques were all okay, but there was structural damage to the building and the owner decided to demolish it. The antique co-op's last day is December 15.

I made it home a couple weeks ago and spent some time in the musty old space. I plan to go again over Thanksgiving.

It is huge and inviting. It used to be packed full of old things, but looks more sparse since the announcement. If I'm able to manage to tune out Rush Limbaugh's incoherent babbling in the background, Dairyland is a totally delightful, almost meditative experience for me. I'll miss it a lot (but not so much the talk radio that the vendors listen to all day).

Starting something new

2012-11-12T14:06:00.000-05:00

I had heard of The Artist's Way before Girl Crush Philly, I think perhaps from Buster Benson's 750words.com. I liked the idea of doing morning pages (writing three pages longhand each morning)in theory, but I never started them. I didn't want to start anything except a job at the time.

I was also hesitant because the website looks, well, a little hokey. But then Danielle did an excellent job of selling me on the book and process during Girl Crush and a new neighbor friend also suggested I give it a try. Seemed like someone was trying to tell me something.

So I bought the book, and now that I've intentionally bailed on the 9-to-5, it seems like the perfect time to get started.

I'm hoping it will help lend structure to my day and also inform my work going forward.

Proper ingredients to begin:

Collage made during Girl Crush

Writing utensils and photo of happy time

Serious stuff

Inspirational mug to help me channel the honesty of Cheryl Strayed/Dear Sugar.

(I had a writing teacher in high school who kept a stash of hot tea in her room. Her reasoning was that when others critiqued our work, holding something warm would make us feel safer.)

A tidy workspace devoid of phone or computer. Bonus: A lighthearted friend with limited vocabulary to keep me company without criticism.

So here we go!

An evening with CocoRosie

2012-11-08T14:09:00.002-05:00

We've gone to a number of shows at Union Transfer here in Philly since it opened a little over a year ago, including Polica with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, St. Vincent, Kishi Bashi with of Montreal, and, last night, CocoRosie.

It was a little bit of a freak show, but in the absolute sweetest way. Really, I mean that in the best way possible.

Week 1: Writing

2012-11-05T14:59:00.002-05:00

So, what in the world am I doing now that I quit my job? A lot.

I got a bit of a slow start last week, with all of the hurricane excitement. Chad couldn't get to his office in Manhattan, so he worked from home with me all last week.

I did manage to write and take photos for an article that was posted to Chestnut Hill Dish today. It's a brunch review of Heirloom. Just thinking about this review makes me really hungry for French toast and cheesecake. Chestnut Hill Dish is part of Town Dish, a network of hyper-local foodie websites I've been contributing to since the spring. I was even able to write a preview and recap of the food we ate in Iceland for their travel site, Dish Trip!

I've also been working on some things for APIARY, a Philly print and web literary magazine. Takes me all the way back to Problem Child.

I'm hoping to keep sharing what I'm working on! In the meantime, enjoy some brunch photos and feel free to read other things I've written, mostly for the Town Dish sites.

An Announcement and a Plea

2012-10-22T22:09:00.001-04:00

I quit my job a few weeks ago. My last day is Friday.

If you had told me three years ago that I was going to quit a stable proofreading job at a small company, I would have laughed in your face and been sure you didn't know me at all.

Turns out, I didn't know me at all. I didn't know the not-desperate version of myself who can leave a mediocre situation to create something better.

As my last day approaches, I'm much more often second-guessing myself. Feeling spoiled and ungrateful. Feeling flighty in this unstable job market, which I know all too well.

I know this is the right thing to do. It's been confirmed over and over by thise who know me best and the intense horror it conjures in my gut. I've always been scared of the things I want most. The things I really need to do.

So here's to doing. I have lots to be done. I'm working on creating structure for myself. I'll mostly be focusing on writing, editing, learning web design, and actively looking for freelance opportunities. I have projects and classes lined up, and I'm excited to keep learning, networking, and carving out my own thing.

I'd appreciate prayers, positive thoughts, good vibes, advice, whatever it is that you do. If you've been down this quit-your-stable-job-for-something-better road, I'd love to hear from you!