250 words

And so begins day one of the Blog Every Day in May challenge. Today's topic is "the story of your life in 250 words or less" (a very brief auto-biography, if you will), and as I sit down to write this, I think to myself, "self, what were you thinking on that one?! This is quite hard!" But here goes. My life story, the condensed version...

using a jumprope as my microphone. therein I began my budding career as a singer... not

I was born in Montclair, New Jersey on December 5th, 1986, and my left eye was always crying until I had surgery on my tear duct when I was a year old. To this day, I can't fake cry out of that eye. We moved six times before I was ten, and this lack of real roots is a part of who I am. I embrace change. I lived in Germany for three years and have traveled to many different countries, though now I've lived in Texas most my life. I hated Texas for approximately the first 13 years I lived here, but finally I broke down and started to love it. I was homeschooled until 7th grade and was that stereotypical awkward homeschooled kid for longer than I care to admit. I worked at the same little restaurant from age 15 until I graduated college and married my husband, and the things I learned and the people I met there taught me many of the most basic things I know about life. Now we live in Austin, TX with our two dogs (which we are obsessed with), and writing and photography and beautiful things and people I've lost and people I love define my life. I don't claim to have a lot of answers about life or love or God or any of that big stuff, but I do try my best to live authentically and humbly and with an open mind and heart. My life is good. BOOM.

Word count that ish. It's 250 on the MONEY. 

Leave your links below, and don't forget to stop by some of the other blogs participating! :)

***In the "Name" box of the linkup you have 50 characters, and I encourage you to write the name of your post, your blog, or something extra instead of just your actual name - that will make things more interesting on this list! :)

Stay drunk, my friends

You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.

Ray Bradbury said that, and I have to agree with him. There's almost nothing more intoxicating for a writer than to sit down with purpose and just write. Personally, being able to share my life in this space has been exactly the coping mechanism I've needed to help me handle things that've happened in my life the last few years...  blogging has been my message in a bottle, the note I've scribbled out on parchment and released to the world to take it as you may... and in doing so, it's helped me tremendously to purge sadness and negativity from my life and just be happy. Blogging is fun and therapeutic and fulfilling, and I can't tell you how glad it makes me to see people getting so excited for the Blog Every Day In May challenge, starting tomorrow. I really hope that you will all carve out a lovely little space for yourselves each day, where you can sit down and truly enjoy the process of the writing - whether that's in a sunny corner of your home with a glass of iced tea (or wine) and a lit candle, a crowded coffee shop to feed off the energy of its patrons (and its caffeine), or any other cozy spot that lends itself to your creativity. I know that's not always practical - some of us (myself included!) will have to schedule posts sometimes, but that's okay. It's all okay! :) See you tomorrow for the challenge. I cannot wait to read what you all have to say.

*above photo in my new little workspace at my mom's... I don't hate it here. :)

Hazel & Olive giveaway

It's actually not all that often that I get really excited about a new online shop... we bloggers have seen it all, you know? BUT. This one! Hazel & Olive! When I first heard from the shop owner Taylor, and when I first browsed the virtual aisles of her store, I think my jaw dropped to the floor and I squealed something along the lines of "soooo freakin cuuuuuteee!!"  Hehe. I prepared just a little tiny sampling of what Hazel & Olive offers there in the collage above, but you simply must go browse to see the rest. Remember this post? Hazel & Olive! Love that cute thing.

We're giving away a $30 shop credit today, so, lucky you. Enter for your chance to win in the Rafflecopter below. GOOD LUCK!

*PS - Are you joining in tomorrow for Day 1 of #BlogEveryDayInMay?! It's gonna be a party! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Homeless

I don't even know where to begin. It feels so strange to say this, but as of this morning, we are officially homeless. Signed over our beautiful home to a new family. Left all of the blood, sweat, and tears in the past behind us. Closed a chapter. Wiped the slate clean.

Or more accurately, we have officially sold our home and moved in with my poor mother. ;) Even though this process has consumed my life for the last month, I haven't written about it here for safety and privacy reasons, but now that the home is in the new buyer's posession, I'm free as a bird to lay down this burden of information. Do you know what it's like to have a blog called "Story of My Life" and not be able to share this massive thing going on behind the scenes?! Ha! It feels weird, that's how it feels. I'm not very good at keeping secrets... we're talking sweaty palms and nervous trembling here. I would never pass a lie detector test. Any time I try to be sneaky, I get caught. So it's been weird keeping this from my blog. 

Truth be told, I am beyond exhausted. Too tired to feel very much emotion. Matthew and I did the work of five burly men and a team of housekeepers in one four day weekend by ourselves. Every night we fell into bed, bruised, sometimes bleeding, feet and back and hips and shoulders so sore we could barely walk, and then we started over again the next day. I feel like a 70 year old woman, and if I feel that way, I can't even imagine how Matthew feels. That man never ceases to amaze me. He did all the hardest work for us, and now he has finals to take the next two weeks. Major props to that guy. We are both going to be super pleased when this whole "law school" thing is over. ;)

But yes, our home... our beautiful, beautiful home that we poured ourselves into and completely transformed the last three years... it's now a memory. And I'm OK with that, I think. I haven't shed a single tear (yet). It just wasn't right for us anymore. We were living beyond our means while Matthew is in school, and piling on so much more stress than necessary, so we're downsizing to something smaller and more affordable but lovely just the same. The new home won't be built until early fall (FINGERS CROSSED), so until that time, we are living with my mom and Norman (the basset-weinie), and we are so, sooooo grateful to be here. There will be lots of adjusting and tweaking to do (most notably with Gracie and Cooper, who want to slap Norman on a bun with a little ketchup, mustard, and relish and eat him for dinner), but we will manage and I think we might even have FUN. Thank God for family, especially when you even really like each other.

So that, my friends, is my confession. The little secret I've been keeping. Feels good to get it off my chest! I can't wait to continue sharing this crazy, beautiful life with all of you... there's so much more good to come.

Here's a few phone photos I snapped of the house when we finally got every last bit of our stuff out... it looked so pretty, and of course I felt a twinge of sadness... but then I remembered what a bitch it was to keep clean, and didn't feel so sad anymore. ;)

Goodbye, house. It's been real. 

If you're new around these parts, check out some house tour posts from the past! Or take a little trip down memory lane with me....

Master bedroom *you better believe we're redoing that gallery wall in the new house!

Kitchen nook

Dining room

Kitchen

House at Christmas

Blog every day in May: a challenge

I have a challenge for you, fellow bloggers. I was reluctant to issue this particular challenge because, let's face it, I wasn't sure if I could actually do it myself. Blog every day for an entire month? Specifically, a month with 31 days in it? Blog even on weekends?! Whaaa??! Elizabeth (one of my favorite bloggers!) did this back in January, and I was so impressed. I think when you force yourself to blog every day, you stop feeling so much pressure for every post to be perfect. I do that (the pressure thing) BIG TIME, and lately I've been so frustrated by the fact that I'm not enjoying the experience of blogging as much anymore. I want to get back to the basics. You know, the writing stuff. I don't know about you, but I miss my English classes in school where we were given a topic and told to run with it. Something I may have never had the motivation to write about before, but wound up really enjoying once I got started. Do you remember that? We bloggers feel a lot of pressure to write something "cool" and funny and relatable and enjoyable, and that's GREAT, but sometimes the pressure can be too much and so we don't write at all. 

That's what this little challenge is all about. I am challenging you and me both to blog every single day in the month of May, and I've even come up with post topics for us. Aren't I nice? If you're anything like me, just figuring out what the crap to blog about is the hardest part. So. Will you join me?

Here are the rules:

1. There really aren't any rules. If you miss a day, you can make it up or skip it. The blog police will not come knocking.

2. I will be including a linkup option at the bottom of my post each day, so you are welcome to leave your links here for others to peruse, as well. 

3. You can still post other things every day, too. I plan to do normal outfit posts, life posts, around-Austin posts, and sponsor posts just like usual.

4. I'd seriously love you if you also include the "blog every day in May" button (below) either on your sidebar or at the end of your posts, but again, the blog police will not come knocking. My main goal here is to get us all back to the basics of blogging, not to gain a million new readers (though I wouldn't mind that). 

5. Here are the topics. You can be as creative and awesome or as boring and bland as you like with these. Take 'em and run with it. Use creative post titles. Interpret each "prompt" however you like. There's no wrong way to do it. Have fun.

Day 1, Wednesday: The story of your life in 250 words or less (or one paragraph... no one will be counting your words... probably)
Day 2, Thursday: Educate us on something you know alot about or are good at. Take any approach you'd like (serious and educational or funny and sarcastic)
Day 3, Friday: Things that make you uncomfortable
Day 4, Saturday: Favorite quote (from a person, from a book, etc) and why you love it
Day 5, Sunday: Publicly profess your love and devotion for one of your blogger friends. What makes them great? Why do you love them? If you don't have blogger friends, talk about a real-life friend or even a family member
Day 6, Monday: If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question, 'what do you do'?
Day 7, Tuesday: The thing(s) you're most afraid of
Day 8, Wednesday: A piece of advice you have for others. Anything at all.
Day 9, Thursday: A moment in your day (this can be just a photo or both a photo and words)
Day 10, Friday: Most embarrassing moment (s). Spill. 
Day 11, Saturday: Sell yourself in 10 words or less
Day 12, Sunday: What do you miss? (a person, a thing, a place, a time of your life...)
Day 13, Monday: Issue a public apology. This can be as funny or as serious or as creative as you want it to be.
Day 14, Tuesday: Ten things that make you really happy
Day 15, Wednesday: A Day in the life (include photos from throughout your typical day - this could be "a photo an hour" if you'd like)
Day 16, Thursday: Something difficult about your "lot in life" and how you're working to overcome it
Day 17, Friday: A favorite photo of yourself and why
Day 18, Saturday: Tell a story from your childhood. Dig deep and try to be descriptive about what you remember and how you felt.
Day 19, Sunday: Five of your favorite blogs and what you love about them
Day 20, Monday: Get real. Share something you're struggling with right now.
Day 21, Tuesday: A list of links to your favorite posts in your archives
Day 22, Wednesday: Rant about something. Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel. (a pet peeve, a current event, a controversial topic, something your husband or roommate or neighbor or boss does that really ticks you off)
Day 23, Thursday: Things you've learned that school won't teach you
Day 24, Friday: Your top 3 worst traits
Day 25, Saturday: Something someone told you about yourself that you'll never forget (good or bad)
Day 26, Sunday: Something you read online. Leave a link and discuss, if you'd like.
Day 27, Monday: A letter to your readers
Day 28, Tuesday: Only pictures
Day 29, Wednesday: Five songs or pieces of music that speak to you or bring back memories. Use Grooveshark or YouTube to include them in the post
Day 30, Thursday: React to this term: Letting Go
Day 31, Friday: A vivid memory
 <center><a href="http://storyofmylifetheblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/blog-every-day-in-may-challenge.html"><img src="http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m553/jennilu07/May200x200_zpsf8349f10.png" border="0"/></a></center>

Will you join me NEXT WEDNESDAY, May 1st, to BLOG EVERY DAY IN MAY?! We can do this!

#BlogEveryDayInMay

Win a spring scarf from Lilia Vanini

Hello my friends! Today's giveaway is brought to you by Lilia Vanini, a sweet shop based in Peru and stocked full of gorgeous scarves, many of which are the perfect pop of color and fun to your spring or even summer outfits.  I chose this mustard yellow lace one and it's just lovely. Below are a few more of my favorites, but you can choose your own if you win today's giveaway, of course. :) Winner gets their choice of any scarf! Enter in the Rafflecopter below if you're interested, and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Epicerie

This place! So, so good. I've been wanting to try it out for some time now (it's relatively new, and apparently it caused some tension with neighbors who didn't want the restaurant creating extra traffic in the 'hood, though I would love it if this little gem was in my front yard!). My mom and I finally stopped in and were really impressed. Friendly staff, delicious food, great atmosphere, light, bright, clean, and yummy. We went on slightly off-peak hours during the week and had no trouble finding a table, which I hear is the way to go with this one. I'd highly recommend a cup of fresh drip coffee and a piece of melt-in-your mouth shortbread. A great place to go for a quick lunch or a catch-up chat with a friend. We'll be back, Epicerie...

Show someone you love you love them today (+Friday Features)

j. noel photography

I'm not usually a huge fan of kissing pictures, but I think this one from a recent session is perfection. But maybe it has more to do with the perfect subjects than anything else? I am one lucky photographer to wind up with such good looking clients! ;) 

May this sexy, lip-locked photo be a reminder to you to show someone you love you love them today... a sweet text, a hand-written note, a kind gesture... not complaining even when you want to. You can change the course of someone's whole day today. Try it.

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Meet Kiersten from the sweet blog Good Day Sunshine. Kiersten is a college student studying Communication and Journalism and practicing her writing chops here in good ole' Blogland! She gives you a little background on herself and some "what to expect from the blog" right over here, so that's a great place to start. Drop in and say hello to miss Kiersten!

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

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Next up is Row House 14, a great stationery shop with TONS of adorable/funny cards, including lots of cute Mother's Day cards. (Mother's Day is in just a few weeks, by the way! Sunday, May 12th!). If you'd like to learn a little more about the creator of these fun cards, stop by Heidi's blog (here's a great place to start!). She's a teacher in Baltimore by day, stationery-maker by night, and I think you'll enjoy getting to know her. :)

Shop | Blog

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Last but not least is a little plug for my favorite photographers and their incredible tutorials over at Photography Concentrate. I get a lot of questions about my photography, everything from technical camera questions, to editing questions, to starting a business questions, and my answers almost always include links to these amazing tutorials. I started with Extremely Essential Camera Skills (which teaches you to shoot in manual in literally only a few hours and will transform your understanding of your camera), and then I worked through Super Photo Editing Skills, which teaches you Lightroom. Those are the two best things I ever did for my photography. Highly, highly recommend. Backup or Die is a new, just-launched tutorial on photo backup, and it's currently on sale during the launch. Definitely something every photographer needs to learn about and DO!  Check out Photography Concentrate's freebies over here, and the rest of their tutorials here. If you want to take your photography to the next level, this is the place to start.

Blog | Tutorials

 Happy FRIDAY!

Snaps from a rainy morning

turn the speakers up. close your eyes. listen.

 

We woke up to a cool and rainy morning, and something about that little change in the weather inspired me to snap a few photos. We have a lot going on right now... things I can't talk about just yet, but will in due time. Anyway, those "things" are consuming so much of my thoughts and time, but more than ever I'm enjoying little moments and simple pleasures, especially while there's so much scariness out there in the world, and you just don't know what the next day's news might bring.

So many other people have better things to say than I do this morning, so here's a few links to browse, if you're interested...

"stop instagramming your perfect life"

naked yoga?! (thanks, but no thanks.)

a beautiful article about Christianity and gay marriage.

I'm obsessed with this song and video. I think I've watched/listened 400 times. Nate Ruess, I love you...

Here's MIchael Grubbs from Wakey!Wakey! playing the song I included at the top of this post. Just saw him play here in Austin last weekend, and WOW. Talented (and hilarious) guy.

I've been chipping away at making some of these detox smoothies... yum!

Happy Thursday :)

"No one will ever like me!"

Yesterday I logged into an old blog account and started reading posts from years ago, which is weird and interesting and sort of feels like peeking into someone's mind who looks familiar but altogether different. Different home. Different city. Different job. Different man. Hadn't lost someone. Hadn't found myself. But the voice was the same. I recognized the voice. I recognized and related when that girl back in 2008 said she wants to work from home, set her own hours, be her own boss, write, be creative... I said, "I am, always have been, and always will be, a writer. A creator. An artist. A free spirit." That much has not changed. 

In related news, I also discovered a folder of my old poetry the other day, and I had a good laugh reading through some of them. HOLY MACKEREL, was I dramatic. You would think I lived the hardest life ever, if you'd only read my teenage self's poetry. It went back even farther than that, actually, as evidenced by a poem I wrote in 1998 (age 11). I still feel like that little girl sometimes, but I think (I hope!) that most of this is now behind me. Here, have a chuckle.

No One Will Ever Like Me

"No one will ever like me!"

Said Jenni (last name) one day

When my hair finally does look right,

For certain it won't stay that way

My glasses take up half my face

My pimples own the other space

My bangs do never stay in place,

"No one will ever like me!"

One ear is bigger than the other,

"You're beautiful!" Says lying mother

I know I'm not, 

It's clear to spot,

"No one will ever like me!"

*If you remember reading this poem already it's because I shared it in a guest post a couple years ago

Oh, the angst. Actually, those descriptions of myself were pretty accurate, since that poem was written around the time this photo was taken. Eek.  Have you seen this video on self image? Pretty captivating. We're all our own worst critics. 

Here's some outfit photos featuring a dress from the SWEET new online store, Hazel & Olive. I am actually a little obsessed with this shop. Right down my alley. 

And that concludes today's randomness.

{ Dress: c/o Hazel & Olive, Hat: Target: Shoes: Aldo, Bag: Thrifted }

Have you ever sat on or very near to a fire ant mound and been stung multiple times in very sensitive areas of your anatomy?  I have.

Boston + GrrFeisty giveaway

I don't talk about current events much on this blog because words mean so much to me and I hate it when they feel empty and like not enough or like I'm saying them so people don't think I'm insensitive or ignoring a tragedy. I've been glued to the news, though, and my heart breaks to think of those hurting right now, and those whose lives are forever altered by this event (who were seriously injured or lost limbs or a family member). I'm thankful for another opportunity to prioritize my life and remember what's truly important and also remember that goodness outweighs bad in this world, at least in my opinion. I liked this quote I read (which went pretty viral, so you may have seen it too), and I'm reminded again of this song that brought me to tears at the Tyrone Wells show I saw this weekend here in Austin. I struggle with my beliefs, but I do believe and hope in something more. 

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Today's giveaway is from my sweet friend Roxy of GrrFeisty, the namesake of both her blog and cute crafty Etsy shop. I got to meet this cool chick at Texas Style Council last year, and we bonded over a mutual obsession with our dogs, and, of course, blogging! She's also a legit professional roller derby skater, which is incredibly cool and looks so fun! Today she'd like to give away a sweet little handmade prize package from her shop, which includes the items you'll see in the collage below. Check out her blog and enter to win this cute prize. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Reduced Fat Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

You guys! This enchilada recipe! So, so good.  Matthew claims it's now in his top five (though I calculate at least ten recipes in his "top five"), and I love that you can make a massive batch of these and freeze the extras for a quick and easy meal during the week. They taste EXACTLY the same reheated.

And they're reduced fat! Made with fat free yogurt and lower fat cheese. Hope you try 'em!

Reduced Fat Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups boiled, chopped chicken breasts
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced fat 4 cheese Mexican blend cheese
1 2/3 cups plain fat free yogurt
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed reduced fat, reduced sodium cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 (4.5 oz can) chopped green chiles
8 (8 inch) flour tortillas. If you can find these "homemade" somewhere, like at your grocery store's bakery, those will be best! Texans, HEB's bakery makes amazing flour tortillas.
1 TBS canola oil
Cooking spray
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Directions
1. Boil chicken breasts and preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Remove 1 cup chicken mixture; set mixture aside.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, brush oil over both sides of tortilla. Add tortilla to pan; cook 5-10 seconds on each side or until toasted and soft. Remove from pan; arrange 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center of tortilla. Roll jelly-roll style; place filled tortilla, seam side down, in a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining 7 tortillas, remaining oil, and remaining chicken mixture. Spread reserved 1 cup chicken mixture evenly over enchiladas. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle evenly with cheddar cheese and green onions; bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Serve with a fresh green salad, some crisp white wine, and enjoy! :)

Original recipe here.

Have a great weekend!

( Dress and necklace (similar): c/o Tailor and Stylist (10% off your purchase with the code storyofmylife10), shirt: Banana Republic, Shoes: Blowfish

What are your weekend plans? Fun stuff, I hope! We are going to be busy bees getting caught up on work over here, but we'll try to squeeze in some fun and relaxation time... and I'm pushing for gourmet doughnuts, too... :) I better go get to it, so I'll hand this over to today's featured sponsors. Say hello to my little friends...

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First up on the chopping block (just kidding) is sweet Adrienne of Black White Color. This lovely lady is an RN on the trauma unit by day, blogger and reality TV addict by night, and she explains the meaning behind her blog title here in today's post! You can also get to know her a wee bit better there, so go get to it. :)

Blog | Facebook

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Michelle is the blogger behind Mish Lovin' Life, and she is one of those girls that is just bursting with personality you get a feel for right through the screen. Funny, adventurous, and a little wild. Her and her man are San Diegoans, but guess what? They just quit their jobs, sold all their belongings, and are now traveling around the globe. Intrigued yet? Currently they're in Thailand, and you can read a little more about their water gun fights and scorpion eating here in her latest post (and go here to learn a little more about Mish and the blog!).

Blog | Twitter

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Read Eat Create is a blog by a Wisconsin girl named Erin with a passion for interior design and fun DIY projects, sharing yummy recipes, fun finds from around the web, travel, and even the occasional book review. Erin is a sweet and creative lady you can get to know a tad bit more here. Be sure and let her know you stopped by.

Blog | Facebook

Happy Friday...