Cupcakes with Friends

Delicious chocolate cupcakes with raspberry jam filling and real raspberry icing. Made by my fabulous friend Kristin.

This is my friend Angie.

[photo: Annie Harton]

That's her- there on the left. She is an all-around awesome person. She has a quiet but wicked sense of humor, a ridiculous work ethic, a penchant for befriending religious folk, a stellar social work resume, a love of Stephen Colbert, and a talent for getting into the very best grad schools. In her downtime she enjoys watching hilariously bad karaoke singers at a dive bar called Trevi's with her equally-awesome mother.

 Angie and I met in Rome, hung out by the real Trevi fountain, and continued our friendship in South Bend, Indiana at Saint Mary's College. We may or may not have cranked up the radio and belted to Lady Gaga's Bad Romance on many occasions... while driving to 7am mass. It's also possible that we celebrated the end of our college years at a dive bar called Trevi's, watching some hilariously bad karoke singers, with her awesome mother.

Together with classmates at the real Trevi.  [photo: Mary Miller]

Tonight I had a conversation with Hannah about how going to grad school right after college is not the best idea for a lot of people.

"Except Angie, of course," I said. "She's like a grad school machine."

"Definitely," Hannah agreed, "she's totally meant for academia."

"Yeah, and religious stuff."

"She is social work + academia."

"Religion-Social Work-Academia-World. That's her."

And then Hannah pops out, "You know what? She should just be the Pope."

As I burst out laughing, she continued, "No, but seriously though- if I was a cardinal I would vote for her. Absolutely. She needs to just be the Pope already."


So, Angie: if I don't get to see you in more of these graduation caps, you best be sporting your Pope hat and robes.

Angie between our lovely mothers.

You always wanted to go back to Rome anyways, right? ;)

P.S. Angie, will this do for that recommendation of yours that I'm supposed to write?

A Plea: Love Yourself (Part 1)

Awesome print by  Kal Barteski & Karen Walrond.

   
     If you're one of those people that whines and says "I think I'm fat," or "I feel fat today," we're probably not very good friends. Because my friends and I are not about that crap. If we're in front of a mirror, or trying on clothes, that is not the first thing on our minds. I remember talking specifically about this with my best friend, as a young high schooler, and agreeing upon not putting up with negative body talk. The more you hear it- from your own mouth, from your friend's mouths, from your mother's mouth- the more you'll bring your body into your self-worth. And I wasn't about to start that cycle. I've seen how other girls in high school and college stepped into this, and started the ball rolling down that slippery slope. Of course, there is a balance at stake here. It's good for your health to be fit, eat right, and not carry too much excess weight. It's also good for your health not to stress and agonize over eating and weight and make those part of your self image. My self-worth does not depend on what I look like. Your self-worth does not depend on what you look like. I choose to spend time with people that value themselves on more than just weight. I love the strong, confident, and imperfect people that my friends are.

Perfectly imperfect and beautiful us!

 It breaks my heart when people I love, like my aunts, say some offhand negative body image comment. And even more when they don't think they're beautiful. Are you kidding me?! They don't see their beauty? It is so apparent for me in their comforting words to me, their intelligent speech, their awesome freckles, their unending kindness to all their family, and that unique red hair. I can't imagine not believing and seeing that you are beautiful. How is it that one variable, ONE variable! -fat- has the power to change everything and whisper to us that we're not beautiful? There can be other variables, like how long or short some part of your body is, but weight seems to be the main factor for most people. We can't let one, or two, or three variables about our physical body instantly make it so we dip below the "I'm beautiful" mark. Listen up:  if you lost some weight, or made your legs longer, THEN would you be happy? THEN would you be beautiful? Just how many alterations would it take? If you're no satisfied with being YOU, then it's never going to stop. I think you're beautiful right now.

(Most of) the beautiful women in my family

 IMPERFECT = PERFECT. If we were all Stepford wives perfect, you would be boring because of your conventional beauty. I don't want your conventional beauty. I want your unconventional, imperfect, wonderful, confident YOU, and whatever weight, scars, and imperfections you have. It would also help us both out if you would love yourself all the way- because it's hard show you all of the ways I love you if you don't accept them yourself.

 I don't like it when people slosh the word "fat" around every other conversation, or even sparsely. With a female 6 year old little cousin (who feels more like a niece because of the age difference), I worry more and more about body image for younger kids. Of course, I don't have any kids of my own, but reading about girls as young as kindergarten age thinking things are wrong with their bodies is SCARY. And because my little cousin Kathleen means the world to me, it's enough to get me thinking on the topic as pertaining to young girls. If you haven't noticed, kids are extremely observant. They pick up on everything, especially from those they love. Much of this comes from moms. Much of it comes from society and peers at school. After reading this article, it seems like such scary waters out there for girls Kathleen's age- even if mother and families do a good job of educating girls on positive body image, society can still creep up on them. It seems so unfair, and so much worse than when I was her age. I don't remember any negative body talk until about late elementary school, which is bad as it is. But kindergarten age? Wow.

Kathleen and I

 So this is my plea to those I love & to those who might be reading this (and not just women): Love yourself. For you and the example of those around you. Base your self-worth not off of weight and appearance, but on your character. Embrace yourself, and all that is perfectly imperfect about you. As Karen Walrond says, know that I really am WILDLY CONVINCED YOU ARE UNCOMMONLY BEAUTIFUL. How great is that?

P.S. I would love to hear your thoughts on this- leave a comment below if you would like!
More musings on this topic coming. And read this- hilarious!

Collaboration with Mon Ami Food

Exciting news! I have started collaborating with Leni Reed Nazare who writes a wonderful blog called Mon Ami Food.

Leni writes a food blog from her background as a nutritionist and registered dietician and features "simple, healthy recipes to control weight and prevent diet-related chronic diseases." This post is all about collard greens and their benefits. Thanks Leni!  

 

 Also awesome: PhotoBotos.com, which specializes in "one AMAZING photo everyday," liked the post! Woohoo! Click the links to find out more about how to use and eat collard greens and just how nutritious they are (and why on earth I took photos of them among the milk cartons! ha.)

MLK Day

Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day! (Ok, one day late.) Sunday night Octavia Spencer won the golden globe for best supporting actress for The Help. In her acceptance speech she quoted Dr. King:

"With regard to domestics in this country now and then, I think Dr. King said it best-

And I thank you for recognizing that with our film."

I like that she talked about the higher significance of the film's story. And what wonderful words from Martin Luther King. Though he probably meant it in the context Octavia Spencer brought up, I'd also like to think his words can apply to photography, ART, writing, poetry, etc., because those uplift the human spirit as well. Thanks for your wise words, Dr. King.

I am happy when...

- Errands that need to be run are super close together (library, post office, gym)
- I don't have to talk or listen to talking right after I wake up (just try to guess who I'm referring to)
- Good country songs come on the radio (Luke Bryan, Sara Evans)

It was a good Friday. And a good weekend overall, especially with a visit from two friends from SMC :)

P.S. I am beginning my photography business, Secondhand Exposure Photography. Exciting! Real portfolio website coming soon, but for now, here's a link to the facebook page.

Winter Nostalgia

I've been cleaning and sorting through clothes to my Christmas playlist. In between Celine Dion's high-note-shrieks when I have to turn the volume down (I do love her, though), some great x-mas tunes come on. My all-time favorite Christmas CD is- get ready for it- Snowed In by Hanson. Yup. It is pure boy-band greatness, circa 1997, and is much better than that stupid N*SYNC Christmas CD that everyone likes. I even heard it playing at the grocery store last week.

Also some of my favorites: all the songs from the Love Actually soundtrack, especially White Christmas by Otis Redding and the little girl's version of Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas; Bing Crosby stuff; my roommate Emily's mom's piano tracks; and the Notre Dame Glee Club songs, which took me right back to South Bend, Indiana.

 

There weren't too many things I loved about the other side of the street, but I did love going to the Glee Club's annual Christmas concert. I can remember them coming into the still-dark auditorium singing Wassail. A couple times I got to hear Lux Aramunque, an Eric Whitacre song that I loved  from my high school chorus-groupie days (I didn't ever sing, but basically all of my best friends were in chorus). It was also great when the Glee Club came caroling at each of the dorms at Saint Mary's, singing all the carols with funny twists- making a tunnel for unsuspecting girls that wandered in during the singing,  And oh man, how I miss my old dorm, Holy Cross, with it's huge entryway featuring a double staircase, St. George slaying the dragon statue, and dark, dark, wood everywhere. So when one of their songs came up on my playlist, I got that nostalgic feeling for school that pops up every now and then. Those songs are what winter in South Bend sounds like to me.

So this is dedicated to all you SMC women who I know are feeling the same nostalgia... and to that awesome tree (first picture) on the island that they cut down. I took these pictures 4 years ago, when we were little freshie babies not yet knowing the winter wrath South Bend could unleash (what were we doing out in the snow in formal dresses?).

Geesh. Who knew it would be possible to actually miss being in a South Bend winter?