Life is a Canvas : Musings on Creativity, Good Food + Mindful Living

Blog Blues.

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Befuddled Caiti is befuddled.

Sheesh, this place is full of cobwebs, isn't it? *Gets out broom and feather duster.*

But before I dive back in, can I Real Talk with you all for a minute?

There must be something in the blogging water because I've read about a dozen different posts confessing mixed feelings towards the current blog world. And if you'll allow me, I will be adding myself to that list of bloggers with the blues. I don't want to contribute to the discontent, but I also can't move forward with the way I'm currently feeling (thus the longest silence on this blog since I started it three years ago).

My feelings echo many others (especially La Midge). I love that the internet has opened the doors for so many people's entrepreneurial dreams and allowed them to pursue non-traditional paths. It's great.

But...

As a blog reader, I used to follow a ton of inspirational and personal development blogs. These days it seems like there are so many coaches out there with products and/or lifestyles to sell. I used to buy a lot of this stuff. And a lot of it IS good. But maybe I'm growing more secure in who I am because I'm finding myself moving away from the feelings that I need to "fix" myself and more towards authenticity and real expression, however unpolished and messy it can be at times (I emphasize that I'm not knocking these coaches' businesses, and there is still a good handful of people whose work I personally resonate with).

On the other side of my interests, many craft/lifestyle/decor blogs don't draw me in anymore because so much of the content looks the same when they share the same series and sponsors and trends and links to Pinterest.

Really, this is less about other blogs and more about my own feelings and ambitions. I thought I wanted to start an online business doing freelance design, creative consulting and running my Etsy shop, at least as a side gig. That was my eventual goal even when I started this blog, and I sort of expected to follow down the typical "blog as a brand" path-- sponsorships, giveaways, regular series, blog "networking" and all. But I never really committed to it, and these days, it's lost a lot (all?) of its appeal. I don't want my blog to be a marketing vehicle for my business or tell you how to be. I want deeper connections, online and in real life-- deeper than designer-client / blogger-reader seems to allow.

With my shifting goals, I'm left wondering why I'm blogging. Why do I feel compelled to share? Am I being as real as I want to be? And as Kate Miss recently tweeted, "It's the dilemma of our generation: Is an event more special because it's online? Or because it's not?" Yep, that spun me right into an existential blogging crisis.

So I've thought about quitting. A lot. But in an effort to keep moving forward and not abandon this little corner of the internet all together, I've compiled a little list of tenets to make the blogging process a little more fun for me and remind myself what I loved about it in the first place. And funny, pretty much all these things are the exact opposite of what you might find on a "10 Tips for Effective Blogging" list.

Here's my Personal Blogging Oath:

I declare to blog only when I feel inspired, and never because I feel I have to.
I will not apologize for my absence between posts.
I accept that I have no interest in maintaining a blog sponsorship program.
I promise to write from the heart, even more so than I have in the past.
I will comment on others' blogs not because I want anything in return, but because I have love, acknowledgement, or support to share with the writer, and ask the same from my readers.
I will feel no guilt in unsubscribing or clicking away from blogs that make me feel less than or that seem to be selling to me constantly.
I promise not to concern myself with blog metrics, SEO, subscribers, keywords or page views.
I will remember I am a person and not a brand, with varied thoughts and interests that may not fit inside a specific niche.
I accept that I can't please everyone-- that's not why I'm here anyways-- and I acknowledge I might lose readers along the way.
I will continue to support artistpreneuers and small business owners whose dreams I believe in.
I will blog about life-- and never live life just to blog about it.
I commit to never taking blogging too seriously because, hello, it's just BLOGGING.

Hopefully, with this change of perspective and commitment to doing it MY way, I'll be able to fall back in love with blogging. Here's to keeping on keeping on ;)

In Love with Edinburgh, Pt. 2

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Tue, 08 May 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Here are the rest of the snippets from our Edinburgh weekend. There was cashmere scarf buying, savory waffle eating, museum browsing (The National Gallery and the National Museum of Scotland), park discovering, and Scotch whisky tasting. Notice the photo of a £10,000 bottle of whisky above; we did most certainly did not taste THAT. In the park behind the castle, I posed like a goober with a statue of Bum the dog, a vagabond dog from San Diego, California. Apparently, a sister statue of Edinburgh's Greyfriars Bobby resides in San Diego-- we'll have to look for Bobby when we visit San Diego someday :)

Overall, Mark and I both put Edinburgh at the very top of our lists of favorite places we've ever visited. It was the perfect mix of ancient and modern, culture and fun, and city and open space. We're super glad that Mark's company made him leave Ireland for the weekend due to visa issues and sent him to Scotland. We're already hoping they do it again, and maybe we'll get to visit Spain or France next time :)

PS - The Design*Sponge Edinburgh guide was a fabulous introduction to the city if anyone happens to be traveling there. Which you should, because it was AWESOME. We certainly didn't stick to the guide exclusively, but it was nice to keep in my pocket for last-minute recommendations and general descriptions of the different areas of the city.

In Love with Edinburgh, Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Our weekend in Edinburgh, Scotland, was magic. We spent 90% of the time either looking up at beautiful, ancient buildings or down upon the city from one of its many of the vantage points. I had no idea it was so hilly in Edinburgh, with streets curving up and out of sight, giant staircases tucked in the tight alley ways between buildings (called closes), and parks resting in valleys. We felt like we'd stepped back in time or been transported to a movie set (in the non-cheesiest of ways), and couldn't stop saying to each other, "Where ARE we?"

Aside from our wide-eyed wonder at our surroundings, we enjoyed tasty food (Mark even tried haggis), caught wild street performers with drums and bagpipes (here's a short video clip), and strolled through boutiques and museums-- I'm so happy most museums are free admission around here!

We passed by The Elephant House, where JK Rowling began writing her infamous series. While we were trying to surreptitiously snap a cell phone photo (because we try not to stick out as tourists TOO much) a little Scottish woman passed by and said, "That's not the only place she wrote, you know." We chatted with her for a minute, and she told us about some other cafes where Jo was often seen writing and described how the view of Edinburgh from the rear of The Elephant House shaped some of the scenery in the Harry Potter books.

More photos from Edinburgh will be coming tomorrow. I was initially let down by my images from our weekend, but then I realized that there was no possible way that photographs could compare to the beauty of actually being there.

{Photos above taken with my Canon + iPhone}

On My Nightstand, Vol. 2

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Wed, 02 May 2012 10:30:00 +0000

For this month's installment of "On My Nightstand," I have three new books I'm immersed in. Technically I finished Divergent last night, but since I started creating this post before I was done, we'll still allow it to be on the list :)

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth. I picked this book up a while ago for Mark to read, since we were both mourning the completion of The Hunger Games series and wanted some other young adult dystopian story to fill the hole. He wasn't overly thrilled with Divergent, so I put off reading it until last week, when I checked out the e-book on my Kindle through my library back home. I thought it was a great read, and I'd rank it slightly below Hunger Games in terms of story so far. It has a similar feel to the HG series in terms of action (I even thought that the violence in the first half of Divergent was harder for me to handle than HG). However, the world that Divergent creates is not as strong as that of the Hunger Games. I wanted more context for the forming of the factions, and why the story was only focused on Chicago (what about the rest of the US and world?). But I'm being picky... I still quite enjoyed Divergent and I'm eager to read the other two books when they come out.

2. The Art of Earning by Tara Gentile. I picked this ebook up when it was on sale for $0.99 recently after hearing many good things from various Twitter followers and blog friends. Tara is one of those online personas that I really admire-- focused, intelligent and strong. In this ebook, she shares her belief that making money should be a beautiful process stemming from our talents and passions. It's more about examining our relationship with money than a how-to guide, but I personally think that's a very important process if you hope to generate income for yourself.

3. Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism by Maria Emmerich. I first heard about this book when Elise blogged about it. It's a pretty science-y read, and the author is fairly opinionated about her nutritional views. From what I have read so far, she promotes lean and clean proteins, high fiber, high-quality fats, lower carbs, and no processed sugar, with an emphasis on whole, real foods. I was attracted to the principles behind the book because I'm dealing with an endocrine (a.k.a. hormonal) disorder (which you can read more about on Stratejoy, as I begin to share the story). I'm learning how much the food I eat affects my hormone levels, which in turn affects a whole host of other things like metabolism, acne, fertility, etc. The book seems to make a lot of sense from a physiological standpoint. However, I do still want to research more about how I can incorporate vegetarian meals while still following this kind of higher-protein approach-- totally possible, but will require some extra research and planning. Note: In mentioning this book, I'm not advocating or promoting this or any other diet. I strongly believe that we all need to find a way of eating that works for our own individual bodies :)

What are you reading these days?

Monthly Faves : April

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Monthly Faves is a series featuring my favorite links and bits around the interwebs.

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• Best thing I read all month: Amy wrote this awesome and motivating post on making herself happy.
• This was a HUGE light-bulb article for me: Getting Better vs. Being Good.
• Also super thought-provoking, especially for this personal development junkie: Why You Should Give Up on Self-Improvement.
• Great advice that stems from the worst advice Brene Brown ever received.
• Love the gorgeous home of blogger Camille Styles featured on Design*Sponge (Photo #1 above)... Fun fact: Camille was one of my students when I taught a design class in college. She was a doll. {And, yes, I do have moments of raging jealousy towards her blooming career. And stunning house. And charmed life. And general adorableness.}
• The ever-wise Anne Lamott on finding time for our creative pursuits. It's an old article, but still a great read.
• For the bloggers: 10 Rad Blog Post Ideas from the ever-inspiring Joy The Baker, and Marta Writes on Finding Your Voice and Getting Unstuck.
• New-to-me blog finds of the month: The Fresh Exchange (great style and hand-drawn elements; Photo #4 above), I am a Food Blog (amazing design and bold photos-- just try not to drool on your keyboard), and The Forest Feast (pretty photo recipe illustrations). And although you all have probably seen this linked a million times this month, it is HILARIOUS and addictive: What Should We Call Me.

1. A Story for Tomorrow by Gnarly Bay Production Co. // 2. Address is Approximate by The Theory // 3. I Would Run to You by Weiden+Kennedy for Nike Free

• As a hardcore Parks & Rec fan, I adored this podcast episode of WTF with Marc Maron featuring Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally. Nick has the BEST giggle.
• I LOVE the new album from Of Monsters and Men (link to iTunes; Photo #3 above). It reminds me of a combination of Mumford & Sons, Kate Nash, and The XX, if that's possible.

• Discover: What type are you? This is perfect for designerds, and my result {Archer Hairline} was quite accurate, and from one of my favorite font families.
• Download: (also for the designerds...) Font Shop's plugin that allows you to preview ALL their fonts within Photoshop. How AWESOME.
• Create: cinemagraph-style gifs with the iPhone app Flixel.
• Buy: one (or all!) of Elise's adorable stamps (Photo #2 above).
• Eat: healthy and crispy Baked Onion Rings, to make something indulgent less so, or this Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding, to make something indulgent even more so (I don't think I could ever stomach making that, but I had to link to it since I can't believe it's a REAL THING).

Do you like my Monthly Faves posts? Then make sure you follow me on Twitter! I've found that I end up with more links than I can possibly share each month, so I'm going to be regularly Tweeting some of the extra finds that don't end up in my Monthly Faves posts.

Listed // Homesick

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Tacos @ Pinches Tacos by d:space

When I get up in the morning, one of my favorite little rituals has been to grab my phone and scroll through the Instagram photos that have piled up while I sleep (a six-hour time difference from home means that a lot happens after I go to bed!).

This morning I discovered that last night was apparently Mexican food night for 2/3 of the people I follow. And it made me SO JEALOUS. Why? Because there isn't really Mexican food in Ireland. Spanish tapas, yes (and a fair amount of Asian and Indian as well) but--with only a few exceptions in downtown Dublin-- there's not much Mexican. I should have figured this would be the case since, duh, the States are a lot closer to Mexico than Europe is, and we obviously have a significant Hispanic influence on our culture. So, all that to say, I miss tacos. And burritos. And homemade chips from a restaurant, still warm from the fryer. And mole! And even Chipotle (particularly their GUAC!). And tamales. Mmm, tamales. (Side note: I should have eaten breakfast before writing this post.)

This longing for Mexican food led me to create this little list for fun of the things I miss about home. I'm not boohoo-ing over any of these, but I sure will be excited to get back to them after this whole trip :)

List 07 // Things I Miss About Home

01. My kitty Misfit.
02. Mexican food.
03. Our Henckel knives. Or sharp knives in general (the knives that came in the apartment are pitiful, which led me to this amusing FB rant).
04. Our pillow-top queen bed.
05. A gas stove.
06. My blender/immersion blender (oh, how I miss smoothies and blended soups!).
07. Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.
08. Parks & Recreation (and, in anticipation for when Season 5 starts up, Breaking Bad).
09. Hulu, Pandora and any other site that blocks me because "We're sorry, we don't stream content in your country."

No surprise, over 50% of the things I miss are cooking/food related. That's reflective of how much of my brain is devoted to food & cooking thoughts :)

Currently... {April Edition}

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:30:00 +0000

CURRENTLY...

Re-evaluating. After my recent Stratejoy post detailing my overwhelm at my various interests, projects and passions, I realized I was in serious need of a second look at my goals for the year. This meant finishing the final audio session for Create Your Magical Year (yes, I know it's APRIL-- my bad), which was a perfect kick in the pants. After all the planning I did in January (seen here, here, here and here), it was so great to update my goals based on the changes that have happened over the past few months. Re-prioritizing is a wonderful thing.

Dreaming about Project Life. Yes, I realize I JUST mentioned having too much on my plate. And yes, I'm traveling, which makes PL impractical with the supplies and printing needs. But I can't help but lust after all the creative ideas I'm seeing from bloggers who are participating. My favorites are Elise, Jamaica Makes and Paislee Press. I asked the people of Twitter to kick me in the shins for even thinking of starting it, but I only received encouragement. You all are a bunch of enablers.

Sitting outside on the covered patio during daily rain showers. The rain shows up like clockwork, usually right around 4:30pm. It rains anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, and then the sun shines again. And everything smells so crisp and fresh.

Enjoying Barre3. I brought my DVD and the inflatable rubber ball with me to Ireland, and it really is a great option for a workout without needing a lot of supplies. I love that it's challenging in the way it makes my muscles shake, but doesn't leave me so sore that I can't do the video everyday.

Getting excited about a weekend trip to Edinburgh, Scotland! Mark is being sent there due to some work/visa issues and of course I had to join him. I've always wanted to spontaneously fly somewhere for the weekend (it's even on my life list) and I think that this trip will count :)

Walking. I found a nice path right behind our apartment when I first moved in, and have since discovered there are trails that run through the neighboring golf course and woods, as well as a nice gravel path that goes for miles along the length of the River Liffey. Maybe now would be a good time to start Couch to 5K again?

Eating dark chocolate. I've started eating 1-2 little squares of high-quality dark chocolate per day, which I find satisfies my sweet tooth while avoiding so much processed sugar and chemical junk that is in cookies and other snacks. Plus, aren't there a whole bunch of studies showing how good dark chocolate is for you? Yeah... sure, that's the real reason I eat it :)

Well Said : Freebie Desktop Wallpaper from Me to You!

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:30:00 +0000

This week, I was being a total nerd {or just procrastinating} by creating a cover photo for my Facebook profile. I placed one of my favorite Anais Nin quotes over a recent photo from our hike in Wicklow, and I quite liked how it turned out!

Then I realized it would make a pretty awesome desktop wallpaper... so I decided I'd offer it up to you all, because you're awesome. Yay for awesomeness! Plus, how great would it be to take a break during your workday and imagine staring out at that blue water? I can feel our collective stress levels dropping as we speak :)

So click here to go to Google Docs and download the desktop image for your own use-- just right click and go to "Save image as" or "Set to desktop background." It is designed to fit 1600 x 1200 resolution screens or smaller. Of course, this image is for personal use only and is not for redistribution or resale.

Enjoy! Let me know if you decide to use it :)

Loving Lately : Food Photography Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

For those of you who are curious about what I decided in regards to the Helene Dujardin workshop, I ended up determining that I couldn't quite stomach the $1600 registration fee right now, especially since I've been pining away for a new camera body and lens since I'm outgrowing my Rebel XTi. The workshop would have been amazing no doubt, but it was a clear Pro/Con List situation that tipped towards some new gear. But thank you all for the words of encouragement! If only I could find that illusive money tree :)

Since making the decision, I've been doing a bit of digging on the interwebs to see how I can learn more about food photography while I save up to take a workshop in the future. And, I shouldn't be surprised, but there is TONS of good info out there! Of course, Helene's book is on my wishlist; I already checked it out from the library a while back and know it's packed with great information.

These are a few of the best links that I found online on the topic of food photography and styling:

1. A look at a behind-the-scenes set up and system of the food photographer for the blog Wrightfood.
2. An amazingly thorough analysis of what it takes to achieve good food photographs by 6 Bittersweets-- setup, camera basics, tips, styling, composition, props. Awesome resource.
3. A tutorial for making a wood backdrop for photos from Love and Olive Oil.
4. The principles of design applied to food photography from Gourmande in the Kitchen.
5. An alternate method for a wood backdrop and other styling tips from Recipe Girl.
6. An interview with Helene Dujardin herself on My Cooking Hut that gives insight into her process.

I have the feeling that when I get back home, you all will be seeing a lot more recipes and photos here on the blog. Hope that's not a problem ;)

Dreaming.

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Photo via Helene Dujardin/Tartelette

YOU GUYS. Helene Dujardin of the blog Tartelette and author of Plate to Pixel is running a workshop in Ireland WHILE I'm going to be in Ireland-- food photography, styling and cooking lessons. This sounds like a dreeeeeeeeam. A handful of awesome blog & Twitter friends even thought of me when it was announced and forwarded me the link-- seriously, how awesome are you all??

I'd been hoping to register for Squam Art Workshop's Italia session in October, but with Mark's work assignment (most likely) ending in September, the timing might not work out as I hope, which is why I'd been holding out. But maybe a 3-day immersive workshop would be even better than two days of various classes at Squam. Plus, I have to say I'm loving photography lately and think this kind of workshop would be both a growth opportunity and personally fulfilling. I mean, my food photography skills have improved quite a bit since my early days, but with some instruction from a pro, I think I could learn loads more.

The thought of the workshop is super exciting to me... I just have to give pause to the registration fees {uuuf}.

Oh boy.... should I go for it?? I have until Monday morning to decide...

PS - I decided that one of my goals for when I return home to the States will be to start collecting and thrifting plates/platters/serving items/napkins for a prop closet. It won't ever look like Martha Stewart's, but maybe I can have something like Tracy Shutterbean's.

Monday Update: After some thought and a lot of waffling (just ask Mark), I decided against the workshop-- womp, womp. While I still think it would be super awesome, I don't have unlimited funds and my pining for an upgraded camera body and new lens has won out for the time being. I read a ton of reviews from participants in Helene's prior workshops, and based on their posts, it seems that the material covered is pretty close to what is in her book. That couldn't quite justify the $1600 workshop fee to me at this point in time. But SquamItalia might still be an option :)

Connemara Coast & The Cliffs of Moher.

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 10:30:00 +0000

This is the Ireland I was expecting when I came here. Moody, wind-whipping, so cold you can't feel your fingers, and WET. Like wring-out-your-clothes, did-you-just-step-out-of-the-shower? WET. I'm pretty sure my bones were damp. This is clearly why Irish tea is so important here.

Most weekends have been beautifully rain-free and surprisingly sunny... almost too much so, says this girl who loves Portland-like weather and hates squinting. And sweating. Plus, overcast skies just makes for better (or at least less contrasty) picture-taking in many cases... so long as the rain is not assaulting you and your camera, which is why I only got two measly pictures of the Cliffs of Moher between hiding my camera inside my coat and feeling my fingers go completely numb.

We visited the Connemara Coast just north of Galway on Sunday, and it started out overcast and cool, but dry. That all changed when we were in the middle of Connemara National Park on a hiking trail. It took all of 10.75 seconds before we were damp from head to toe, so when Mark wanted to continue down the trail and UP THE MOUNTAIN, I reluctantly followed behind him because, heck, we're already wet so why not? (Side note: WHO AM I?) It rained the whole way, and a giant cloud of fog masked the top of the mountain, making it impossible to see anything but white mist outside of a fifteen-foot radius as we climbed. When we got to the ridge at the top of the mountain, it was so windy and effing cold that I thought we were going to be blown right off the mountain trail never to be seen again. Or should I say "trail," because there wasn't any identifiable markers in the rocks-- just a big craggy pile to crawl over. We ended up deciding to turn around and climb back down the way we came, instead of going over the peak and descending down the second half of the trail. I'm not sure if this technically constitutes "climbing a mountain" since we didn't complete the trail loop, but being as though we are still alive now, I'm going to call it good as done.

Back at the visitor center we warmed up over hot chocolate and assessed how utterly unprepared we are for mountain climbing-- we were seriously wearing jeans (which weighed an extra 5 pounds by the end after all the water they absorbed), non-traction walking shoes, and definitely-not-water-repellant jackets. Maybe we should get some proper gear if this is going to be a regular thing? (Side note #2: At Mark's influence, I'm trying NOT to plan the crap out of every side-trip we take... so I can blame him for my wet jeans).

On the drive back to Galway/Kinvara, we passed through an adorable town called Westport where I suggested we stop for dinner once I saw the cute streets and colorful buildings. We shopped in a food market/kitchen supply store (my favorite kind of shop) and ate in a restaurant above a pub where we had steak (him) and seafood (me) seared on hot stones at the table. If we happen to be driving in the northwest at a later date, I'd love to stop back in Westport and explore further-- with more than just my iPhone for pictures :)

Despite the wetness and the cold (and let's not forget my burning thigh muscles after climbing a freaking mountain!) we had a fabulous day in Connemara and Westport. It'd be one of my top recommendations so far to anyone traveling through Ireland because it's so beautiful... and beautiful in a way that photos could not capture. Plus, half the fun is the drive around the coast, and I've learned that it's way more trouble than it's worth to try and take pictures in a moving vehicle.

An Afternoon in Galway.

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Over the long Easter weekend, we took a trip to the west coast of Ireland. Our first stop was Galway for the afternoon, after hearing that they'd be hosting the city's first ever food festival throughout the weekend. Except for a few minutes spent in the chef demo tent, the festival itself was underwhelming, but perhaps I'm spoiled by my experience with The Taste of Chicago back home.

After strolling the streets, we popped into a random stone-clad pub called The King's Head for lunch, and obsessed over the most delicious seafood chowder and my first ever fish-and-chips with mushy peas (I think the peas were my favorite part! But the fish was amazingly fresh as well). Over lunch, I told Mark about an article I recently read detailing a traveler's top 5 favorite meals in Ireland-- one of which was a seafood chowder at some restaurant in Galway whose name I couldn't recall. When I got home and looked it up later, I discovered that the article featured the same pub and same chowder that we had so thoroughly enjoyed-- quite a happy coincidence! And I learned that the building itself dates back 800 years.

We spent the twilight hour sitting on bank of the bay as the sun set, watching creepy hordes of swans beg for food and two seal pups peeking their heads out of the water. Dinner was pizza and wine in a tiny trattoria before we headed out to Kinvara to stay at the house of a local that we arranged through Airbnb.

Good food, sunsets, street musicians, and bicycles propped outside of restaurants made Galway a perfect place to spend the day.

Morning Ramblings.

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:30:00 +0000

As much as I love them, blogs are funny things. I sometimes have to remind myself that we are only seeing a sliver of a person's life, and sometimes it's a lot more of the shiny/pretty/happy parts and less of the Real Life bits. In reminding myself of this truth, I'm inspired to be more transparent and honest about the time in between my own "blogworthy" posts.

We got a comment recently from a loved one about the Ireland excursions I've been blogging about and posting photos of. I'm positive it wasn't meant as a criticism, but she said something along the lines of, "Does Mark ever actually work?" I assume that she saw my posts, and wondered if we were spending all of our time frolicking in the Irish countryside.

And if you were to consider only what I blog about, it does look that way. But those posts represent only four or five days out of the twenty-seven or so that I've been here. Those are the special times, not the in-betweens.

The in-betweens look like these photos. Weekdays are quiet, and sometimes lonely, as Mark leaves early for work just as I'm waking up. There is lots of tea, solo breakfasts, reading and yoga-pants wearing. The town is adorable, but it is small, so unless I want to bus into Dublin for the day, I don't have too many places to explore. I tend to spend a great deal of time on the computer, working on various projects until I look up and wonder how it's possible that so many hours have gone by already. Mark comes home late, giving us just a few hours together in the evening, when he is often tired after a long and dedicated day of work. On occasion we go out to dinner or a pub, and sometimes we lay around playing each other on Words with Friends while Friends or South Park is on in the background. Sometimes the neighbor in the apartment next door plays their music too loud.

When it comes to the blogworthy and the inbetweens, neither is superior to the other. I wrote in this week's Stratejoy post about how great things are going over here, and I mean that in terms of both the special and the everyday moments. The mundane helps relax and restore me for the weekends when we are able to squeeze in a trip to frolic in the countryside. It makes me even more grateful that we are able to have a home-base, where life can achieve a level of normal-ness and stability that isn't usually found while traveling. These everyday moments show me what I really enjoy about our life back home, and the weekend excursions teach me about the attitude I'd like to bring towards exploring my own city once we return to the States. Our time here is so much more than the sum of a few pretty blog posts.

Snapped Snippets : Spring Dining

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Back home, I know everyone's been talking about the recent streak of unseasonably warm weather. Here, it's still slightly on the chilly and windy side and not many trees have begun to bud yet. But that doesn't stop people from enjoying the sunshine and dining al fresco at one of the many restaurants in town with outdoor patios. One evening last week, we were running low on groceries so we headed out for a bite at a grab-and-go crepe deli. It turned out to be a lunch-only operation, but its sister restaurant next door pulled me in with its beautiful outdoor seating area framed by an ivy-covered stone wall and neighboring castle.

Here are a few snaps from dinner and drinks. I've determined that our town back in Illinois really needs a few more restaurants with outdoor patios; there's just something special about enjoying a delicious meal, good company, fresh air and the twilight hour.

Snapped Snippets is a blog series in which I share bits and pieces of my creative life that I capture on camera. You can also follow me on Instagram @CaitididDesigns for peeks into my world.

Dreaming & Scheming 2012: Ignite March

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:30:00 +0000

For those new to my blog (hello, new friends! *waves*), these monthly reflection posts take a look at the progress I've made towards my goals and One Little Word for 2012 (Ignite) over the course of each preceding month. It's meant to be a little bit of accountability for what I want to achieve this year.

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Can we all pause for a minute and let it sink in that we're a quarter of the way through 2012 already? Craziness. This month has also had its fair share of crazy. If last month felt like waiting, March feels like constant motion and changes. I started out the month in Illinois, living at my mom's house. I'd been apart from Mark for just shy of a month, and was dealing with some feelings of loneliness. My, how things change.

In March, I:
- Moved to Ireland, completing my 2012 goal to take an international trip or long road trip. In the process, I'm also checking a few more items off my Life List, including visiting somewhere for longer than two weeks and adding a new country to the list of places I've visited.
- Started blogging for Stratejoy, and in the process have taken some steps towards being more authentic and confident.
- Culled my blog roll and cleaned out my Google Reader. I reduced the number of blogs I subscribed to from over 100 to 50 (and I'm likely not going to stop there). With one or two exceptions, gone are all the blogs with curated content-- it's all about original content for me these days. I'm realizing that I want to hear a blogger's story or learn from them, not just see a constant stream of posts of stuff from other sites. I'm happy to see that several design-y bloggers are starting to incorporate more of their own life into their blogs (ex. Jessica Comingore, Elephantine, and many more).
- Became more committed to putting my health first and developing an eating plan that will hopefully take care of some health issues. I still struggle when we go out to eat (I always feel like I want to "treat yo self" when I'm at restaurant), so I'm working on being more mindful when dining out.
- Took just shy of 500 photos in three weeks (granted, some of them were swill), making my goal of taking 2,000 photos this year while traveling seem a little bit of an underestimate.
- Learned some new Photoshop and ACR tricks while editing photos.
- Researched upgrading my camera body (from my ancient and very entry level Canon Rebel XTi to a Canon 60D, or if I'm really dreaming, a 7D or 5D) and lusted after a new lens or two.
- Tried Guinness for the first time (and probably the last) and learned I much prefer Bulmers Irish Cider.
- Saw Marching Mizzou in the St. Patrick's Day Parade.
- Took weekend excursions to Glendalough, Dublin, Drogheda, and Wicklow. Also worked on not feeling guilty for deciding to stay in over the weekend when I was feeling under the weather.
- Started the Fierce Love ecourse, and learned-- among many other things-- how much I adore taking a minimum of 15 minutes to read on my Kindle before bed.

It's funny, this month I probably achieved less individual action steps (maybe 8 out of 27?), but it feels like I've accomplished much more this month than any other, or at least made a lot of memories and learned more about myself. That just goes to show that it's not about sticking to a plan, but enjoying the journey.

As we head into April, I hope to play around with my daily schedule a bit. Between blogging for two sites, editing photos, ecourses, and some other wonderful opportunities that are popping up, I'm feeling like I haven't found a good flow to my days and often spend more time than I'd like on my computer during the weekdays. Aside from that, I'd like to put a priority on prolific creativity without worrying about expertise. I'm loving these concepts: "start every day as a producer, not a consumer" and "It's not about being the world's greatest expert, it's about being expert enough to accomplish your goals." My perfectionism could certainly use a use a reality check from these ideas :)

Any ideas or specific goals you're working on for April? I'd love to hear!

A Seaside Hike in Wicklow (aka my new Happy Place)

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:30:00 +0000

There's something about the combination of big expanses of water and rocky cliffs that I adore. One of my favorite memories from Chicago is when Mark and I took a drive up to Evanston (where Northwestern University's campus is) and spent the afternoon sitting on some rocks staring out at Lake Michigan.

Wicklow was like that, times a hundred. More water. Bluer. Rockier. Cliff-ier.

We hiked for about three hours, and only passed a handful of people the entire time. Mid-way through, we found a section of the coastline that was topped with the spongiest earth and the softest grass you could possibly imagine. I dare say it was more comfortable than our pillow-top queen mattress back home! Naturally, we napped in the grass with the sound of the waves crashing below our heads.

A field full of sheep also made an appearance, and I discovered that there is nothing funnier than the stubborn bleating of a fluffy sheep (kind of like this. So amusing). Apparently, I have the sense of humor of a four year old who is obsessed with animal noises.

For about the millionth time, I found myself saying, "I love it here."

Monthly Faves : March

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Monthly Faves is a series featuring my favorite links and bits around the interwebs.

Editorial Note: The videos are SO GOOD this month, so if you're short on time,
go straight for the "Watch" section ;)
_____________________________

• Best thing I read all month: These are the ways you can love yourself by Chelsea Talks Smack.
• Wonderful tips from Elise on being a prolific creative person/maker no matter your level of expertise.
• The most touching yet heartbreaking wedding story I've ever read. {Warning: Grab the tissues.}
• A thought-provoking lesson from elephants thanks to Life as an Artistpreneur {Photo #3 above}.
• I already shared this in my travel links post, but I liked it so much I'm sharing it again: How to find your tribe from Jen Louden.
• Pretty much the best rant I've ever read: I Love Photography.
• An inspiring interview with chalk artist Dana Tanamachi on The Great Discontent.
• I love cheer-inducing acts of kindness like this Sunshine project from Hula Seventy {Photo #2 above}.
• Fun! A peek inside traditional Irish homes on Remodelista. Note: Our apartment looks NOTHING like these images.

1. Seconds of Beauty by The Beauty of A Second // 2. Birth of a Book by Glen Milner for The Daily Telegraph // 3. YLE - Your Story by Kennel Helsinki // 4. Joy the Baker's French Laundry Visit {Tears! So happy for her success.} // 5. Sweeping Beauty Calligraffiti by Niels Shoe Meulman

• Thanks to this interview on Kara's blog, I've been listening to Andreya Triana and enjoying her jazzy, soulful vibe.
• I'm utterly obsessed with Wye Oak's song "Civilian" after it appeared on The Walking Dead, which we've been catching up on.

• Create stop motion and time-lapse films on your iPhone with Frames.
• Eat TOAST! I could eat toast for *every meal,* no joke.
• Participate in ALT Summit-like online classes from World Function, with topics like DSLR basics and growing your blog readership.
• Cook one of these mac and cheese recipes from this delicious roundup on Design Crush.
• Learn how to avoid the most common cooking mistakes {a thorough and awesome list of tips!}
• Make a visual goal display {except I strongly discourage the use of Weheartit as the post suggests; even if you're taking images for personal use, it's much kinder to the artist and more ethical to search for royalty-free stock images or Creative Commons licensed photos. Just a friendly reminder!}
• Follow Rachelada from Elephantine on Instagram; she has the most beautiful Instagram feed EVER {photo #1 above}.
• Craft some pretty paper towel flowers. This is a much nicer version of something I regularly did with kleenex and markers as a child!

Do you like my Monthly Faves posts? Then make sure you follow me on Twitter! I've found that I end up with more links than I can possibly share each month, so I'm going to be regularly Tweeting some of the extra finds that don't end up in my Monthly Faves posts.

On My Nightstand

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:30:00 +0000

After my first two weeks in Ireland, things are slowing down a little bit. Part of that was due to the nasty cold that Mark not-so-kindly gifted to me last week, but also because it's starting to feel a little less like a vacation and more like settling into a new (albeit temporary) home. This means I have been incorporating some of my favorite activities back into my daily routine, which of course includes a good bit of reading, especially right before bed.

Here's what I've been immersed in these days:

1. The Art of Eating In by Cathy Erway. This is another one of those "I'm going to do a challenge for a specific amount of time and blog about it" kind of books, which might be getting a little overplayed these days. But I fully support the general idea behind the book (cooking at home instead of eating out in restaurants), so I gave it a try. I'm about 75% of the way through, and I've enjoyed how Cathy has explored the different reasons for "eating in" and she tries a variety of food-related activities including urban foraging, underground dinner parties, and cookoffs.

2. The Fierce Love Course from Stratejoy. This is not technically a book at all. But there is a pretty workbook you can print out! And fun audio and videos from Molly! This course is centered on the idea that a joyful, authentic life should be built upon a foundation of self-love. I'd definitely recommend checking it out if it's something that interests you. I'm at the end of Week 2 right now and enjoying it. PS - I've been blogging as a part of Stratejoy's Season 6 team for a few weeks now. In case you missed my posts, click here for the first two, and you can always click the button in my sidebar to get to my posts. I blog every Tuesday, so check out a new post from me tomorrow (it's a juicy one)! The rest of the Season 6 girls have amazing stories as well!

3. Cook's Illustrated magazine. I saved a few recent issues of different magazines for the plane ride over here, but I haven't gotten around to reading any of them until now. I love Cook's Illustrated for its no-fuss approach-- there are no advertisements, and the magazine is printed in black and white with illustrations to accompany the articles. I think it's is one of the best resources to become a better home chef, as I'm always learning something new from their scientific and methodical approach. And their "Best Recipe" recipes really are the best (did that sentence make any sense?).

What are *you* reading these days, friends? I'm always on the lookout for new recommendations!

Happy Hunger Games!

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Happy Hunger Games! by CaitididDesigns on Etsy

Apparently, when I get excited about movies coming out, I make Etsy treasuries. I did it with Harry Potter, and now we've got the Hunger Games (albeit a cutesy, handmade version).

And let me tell you, I am bonkers excited. We have our tickets to an 8:00pm show tonight (which will be mid-afternoon Thursday for those in the States) and I'm counting down the hours. We paid an arm and a leg for two tickets though; this will likely be the ONLY movie we see in theaters over here. But it'll be worth it.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

Who else is pumped?!

St. Patrick's Day Festival and Parade in Dublin

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Despite my Irish heritage and my very Irish name, I've never taken part in many St. Patrick's festivities back home-- you know, the ones involving guzzling green beer, bar crawls, group t-shirts, daytime drinking, and neon green rivers (at least in Chicago). You'd typically find me holed away pretending I *wasn't* Irish, dining on pizza or Chinese food and laying low until the streets were no longer crowded with crazy, drunk college students.

But when I realized I'd be IN Ireland on St. Patrick's Day, I couldn't rightly avoid the holiday, nor did I really want to. The St. Patrick's Festival in Dublin is a four-day celebration with music, performances, carnivals, and-- of course-- a parade. Mark and I figured that we'd spend a day or two in Dublin, soaking in some the festivities (well, at least the daytime ones!).

And then, during a completely random Twitter search, I learned that Marching Mizzou, the band from my beloved alma mater University of Missouri, would be traveling to Ireland to perform in the parade. That totally cinched the deal.

We took a crowded train into Dublin on Saturday morning, hours before the parade, and spent an hour or two wandering the streets full of people in leprechaun hats, shamrock tights, Irish flag wigs, and emerald green feather boas. We made our way towards the end of parade route near Christ Church cathedral, and happened upon some street food vendors selling various international foods in the church's courtyard. After we snacked on an Indian naan wrap (me) and German bratwurst (Mark), we staked out a "front row" spot for the parade.

I loved that we ended up in an area that seemed to be popular for families with young children, as they provided endless entertainment and adorable people-watching for us. I also got to practice shooting my camera from the waist, as to not look like a total creep-o taking shots of random children. I was happy to see that a few of these photos came out just fine.

The theme of the parade was science, and the "floats" and performances were gorgeous and intriguing, with themes like color, nature, and the ocean. Many groups had a decidedly steampunk vibe, using metal, gears, and chains to create their floats (unfortunately, the photos I captured of them weren't among my favorites, so the steampunk feel isn't as apparent in my photos as it was in person).

But my favorite FAVORITE part had to be seeing the tiger on Marching Mizzou's banner come around the corner. They paused right in front of our section of the crowd, and Mark bellowed out a big, "M-I-Z," to which one of the banner-holders shouted back an enthusiastic "Z-O-U!"

... And then they started playing the fight song.

And then I started to cry because I was so happy and hadn't heard the song played live since 2005, at least. No shame-- I freaking ADORE that school and love all the memories I made there. I'm so happy to have Mizzou be a little part of the memories I'm making here in Ireland.

PS- I learned that Marching Mizzou won first place at the International Band Championship in Limerick, Ireland, on Sunday! I had really hoped to attend the competition, but Mark was fighting a bad cold during the parade on Saturday and I caught it from him on Sunday. So we spent the rest of the weekend and Monday's bank holiday trying to get healthy again. I'm super bummed to have "wasted" a chunk of weekend time as I really wanted the weekends to be full of fun and adventures for us, but it's important to put our health first, right?

A Hike in the Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Wait a second. Have I crossed the pages into some children's fairytale story? Where else could you find two pristine, clear lakes nestled in the valley of the mountains? With children frolicking and families picnicking on the emerald lawn? And fluffy sheep on a hillside? And medieval castles? And rocks that seem to be made of glitter? Where the air is crisp and clean and dewy?

We had a lovely time hiking through Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains. We were surprised with clear blue skies and bright sunshine (which made for awkward and contrasty picture-taking, but I think I managed okay after a little editing). At one point, when we reached the lookout point high above the lake, I turned to Mark and said, "I do not feel one single molecule of stress in my body right now." Which, if you know me well, is basically a miracle.

A Stroll Through Dublin.

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:30:00 +0000

After brunch on Saturday, Mark and I hopped the bus into the city. It was fun to see the places along the way-- where Mark works, the hotel he stayed in his first few weeks here, random cute towns, and the mall with the movie theater where we'll be spending WAY too many Euros to see the Hunger Games next week (priorities, friends).

Once we got into Dublin, we made a quick loop through the streets just north of the River Liffey, but I was somewhat turned off by the abundance of t-shirt and souvenir shops, stands selling cheesy leprechaun hats, and guides hawking tours. Once we crossed south of the river, I was a happier camper. We wandered through Trinity College's campus and saw the queue for the Book of Kells-- we decided to return on another day, since we're in no hurry to see everything. We walked pretty randomly up and down the streets, passing through St. Stephen's Green where we saw giant seagulls nipping at children, a man sitting (and conversing?) with a swan, and dozens of casual rugby players gearing up for the big Ireland vs. Scotland game that evening.

We dined on the patio at a stylish, modern crepe shop and then walked through the infamous Temple Bar area. Its narrow streets lined with pubs were cute, although I'm sure that would be the last word I'd use to describe the area post-nightfall. It reminded me quite a bit of New Orleans' Bourbon Street. After a bit more wandering past some big, ancient churches (history is obviously not my my strong suit), we headed home for the evening. We turned on the Ireland vs. Scotland rugby game for a bit, but I quickly realized the extent of my rugby knowledge extends to that one episode of Friends where Ross plays with Emily's mates. Needless to say, I was just a little lost (but highly amused by the players being hoisted into the air by their shorts)!

I'm sure I'll elaborate more on this later, but it's a really interesting experience to be able to go "home" after a day out on the town. As much as I love traveling, I think I'm going to really love having a home base where we can cook a simple meal and hang out in the living room watching Netflix while we recover from a day of sightseeing. It really is a pretty sweet deal--but I kind of knew that already :)

Hello, Ireland.

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

A few observations as I get settled into life in Ireland:

It's always worth giving up a little sleep to watch the sun rise from high up in the sky. And if you happen to tear up like the sentimental goober that you are, no one else will be awake to see you anyways. Except maybe the flight attendants. But they've ~~probably~~ certainly seen worse.

Jet lag is not fun, but forcing yourself to stay awake for the twentieth-some-odd hour means you'll sleep like a rock the second your body hits the bed, and you'll be as good as new the next day.

In an email Mark sent to me prior to my arrival, he described the town where we're living as such: "Think little town. Now think cute little town. Now think cute little college town. Now think cute little European college town. Now think cute little European college town with a castle. And you have Maynooth." He was not lying one bit. It is adorable and perfect, and I haven't even explored the whole town yet.

A tapas restaurant decorated with hundreds of candles, wrought iron and exposed brick make for a wonderful ambiance for a reunion meal with your husband.

The eggs here have the most vibrant, glowing yolks. It makes me happy.

IRISH BUTTER, Y'ALL. Every edible item in the apartment has now been judged and ranked according to its potential to be a vehicle for butter. TROUBLE.

I'm really glad I'm not allowed to drive while I'm here.

The electric tea kettle that brews water in 1 minute flat? Amazing. And I already foresee my one cuppa day habit turning into 3 or 4.

This place is going to be stunning when all the flowers and trees bloom in the next few weeks.

Above are a few pictures from Maynooth, the town 15 miles outside Dublin where we are living. We had a fun brunch this weekend at a little cafe in town and took a stroll around St. Patrick's College before heading into the city for some exploring. I'll have some photos of Dublin to share with you tomorrow!

See you on the other side of the Pond.

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

And I'm off.

Here's to adventure.

And new experiences.

And pushing my boundaries.

And deepening my relationship with my husband.

And making new friends.

And visiting old friends.

And weekend trips.

And taking thousands of photos.

And making a new apartment a home.

And learning to love Guinness.

And soaking up every moment.

Sláinte.

Loving Lately : Travel Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Caiti) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I'm down to my last day in Illinois. WHOA NELLY. The last few days have been full of time spent with my family and cuddling with my kitty-cat {who I'm going to miss in a way that probably puts me squarely in the category of Crazy Cat Lady}. I've packed, gotten a bigger suitcase, and re-packed again. It's hard to plan for seven months abroad, yo! But I do believe I'm ready to roll. Let's do this.

Here are a few travel-related links that have been inspiring me as I prepare for Ireland:

1. Little Brown Pen's Paris by Color series is giving me some great photo inspiration for Ireland (and challenges me to venture beyond too much "emerald green").
2. Travelista has some great tips for packing and traveling light.
3. The brand new online magazine Wayfare is *goregous* and full of wanderlust-inspiring photos and stories.
4. How to survive a long-distance relationship has given me some pointers for the last few weeks I've spent apart from Mark.
5. I am Packed indulges the voyeuristic traveler in me.
6. This bag, the Tom Bihn Tri-Star, looks like the most perfect carry-on ever.

Bonus: 6 Ways to Make Friends While Traveling and fabulous suggestions for how to Find Your Tribe.

I'll pop in with a brief post tomorrow, but posting will likely be light for a few days as I get over my jet-lag and reunite with my man!