Looking back, Looking forward

Man oh man, I have been trying to blog for days now, but this moving stuff is tough business. I must completely agree with Matt Walsh's blog post today, in which he advises "If you are thinking about moving, remember to carefully gather together all of the items in your house — and burn them. Burn them all. Just throw them into a pile and burn them. Travel to your new location with only lint in your pocket and a dream in your heart." Amen to that. It is almost gross how many possessions one accumulates without even fully realizing the extent of it until one must unpack or pack them into boxes.

Anyway. This is really the first chance I've had to sit down and reflect on 2013 and/or dream about the new year to come. A lot went down in 2013 - some good things, some tough things. I am not one of those persons who shies away from making New Years resolutions because they think its lame or pointless or cliche or what have you. On the contrary - the first of the year is my favorite time because it just feels so fresh, like a blank notebook or a brand new appliance. Ha. Maybe it's all in our heads, sure, but what's wrong with choosing a day of the year to fully acknowledge the power we have to start fresh? The key, though, of course, is to remember that power stays with us every single day and every single minute. 

I can't say that I'm terribly sad to leave 2013 behind. It was a tough year in some aspects, consisting of loss and unknowns and leaps of faith and lots of waiting.  Going into 2014, we seem to have fresh starts on several fronts - our new home, most notably, and hopefully a job for Matthew here pretty soon. The foreseeable future is all so exciting, and that's just nice. After a year of blah, 2014 is looking mighty fine. But still, I'd like to take a time out and just review some of the highlights and lowlights of 2013, for posterity's sake. I really enjoy looking back on these "year in review" posts on my own blog, and hopefully some of you may enjoy peeking back in time a bit, too, whether for the first time or for the second.

Let's take a little trip down memory lane...

* * * * *

JANUARY

+ Took our annual trip to Fredericksburg and stayed at the gorgeous Buckhorn Cabin. 
+ Also blogged about some great Austin restaurants like Gourdoughs and Eastside Cafe.   


FEBRUARY

+ Wrote the "3 Years of Marital Blish" post - still one of my most popular posts 
+ Wrote Advice For Bloggers Vol. 1 (the crazies: they could happen to you) and Vol. 2 (blogging your life)
+ Posted on great Austin restaurants like Foodheads and Hula Hut

MARCH

+ Wrote "The People I Come From" post just a few weeks before unexpectedly losing my beautiful Grandma to a hemorrhage in her brain
+ Launched the j. noel photography website
+ Reviewed Austin restaurants Walton's and Winflo

APRIL

+ Things my Grandma told me
+ Posted on Houndstooth Coffee, La Condesa, and Epicerie here in Austin
+ More advice for bloggers: Sponsorships, Gettting paid for blogging, and the "I blog for me!"
+ Announced Blog Every Day In May
+ Sold our old house, packed up and moved out (and in with my mom), and finally announced it all here.

MAY

A heck of a lot of blogging took place in May, thanks to the Blog Every Day In May challenge I hosted. A few highlights:
+ Blogging tip: Taking photos in public places
+ One of my most embarrassing moments
+ Reviewed Pieous in Austin
+ Trip to Florida in photos

JUNE

+ Photography tips for beginners, part 1: how to get started
+ Cenote and the 4th & Guadalupe Farmer's Market
+ Summer fun with family
+ Social media pet peeves

JULY

+The Prairie Part I and Part II
+ Photography tips for beginners, Part II: Starting a business
+ Boards went up on our house!
+ Revealed a secret we'd been keeping

AUGUST

+ Texas Style Council recaps 1 (my first major stint with public speaking!) & 2
+ Some words on budgeting
+ Reviewed WD Deli in San Antonio and Dominican Joe in Austin
+ Went back to the Prairie with my MIL and SIL
+ Announced Blogtember

SEPTEMBER

+ A few j. noel photos
+ A story about a time I almost died in a plane crash
+Reviewed Austin's Lick Ice Creams

OCTOBER

+ Our home build in progress
+ Matthew's 10 Things You Need To Survive the Zombie Apocalypse
+ Mexico Trip Part I, Part II, and Part III

NOVEMBER

+ Fall in Austin
+ Reasons why you should probably never build a house
+ Are you living up to your potential?

DECEMBER

+ Turned 27 and didn't have much time to think about it
+ Took a trip to WYOMING!
+ Matthew graduated law school
+ Finally got some family photos! :)
+ Christmas
+ Aaaand we closed on our house the day after Christmas, but I haven't posted on that quite yet. Coming soon in 2014. :)

Thanks for traveling back in time with me today... have a wonderful second day of the New Year! :0

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Christmas 2013

Hey hey, how was your Christmas this year? The past week has been a complete whirlwind. I started my meager Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve (about a day after getting all caught up on photography work), then of course celebrated with family on Christmas day, and the day after Christmas we finally, FINALLY closed on our house, and have been moving in ever since! (follow along on Instagram for updates in real time!) More on that later, because right now I just want to take a time out to look back on Christmas this year. 

To be honest, I almost feel like we skipped the whole Christmas season because I didn't have much time to enjoy it and because so much of what makes me feel in the spirit of things centers around my own home... which, obviously, we weren't in yet during the entire season. However, it was certainly an unforgettable holiday spend with people we love, and that's something to be grateful for.

Some in my family were hurting this year - it was my mom's first Christmas without her mom, my sweet Grandma, and my Grandpa's first Christmas without his sweetheart in over 60 years. The holidays have a way of bringing out the most blissful happiness but also the deepest despair at times, don't they? They tend to remind you both of what you have and what you miss. A strange jumble of emotions.

I can't tell you how excited I am, though, about the coming year ahead. I cannot wait to have my home and office all set up and ready to show you, and I can't wait for the work that will be done there, both professionally and personally.

Enjoy your day and week ahead, my friends!

morning at my mom's...

and evening at Matt's parents'....

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From my family to yours...

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas from me and mine... 

May your holiday be beautiful, peaceful, and bright. See you again after Christmas!

(these photos were taken just this morning... apparently fall doesn't arrive fully in Texas until Christmas! :)

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The materialism struggle (#firstworldprobs)

Ugh. This time of year, you guys. Specifically this year this time of year. Do you struggle with materialism? I do. Always have, probably always will.

This is not a post about what some might deem the deeper and more important things in life - about poverty or addiction or abuse or true suffering. It's just about one girl's struggle with materialism, and who's to say that's not an important thing in life, I guess. A struggle is a struggle.

The truth is, I like stuff. We have this plaque in our bedroom that says "the best things in life are not things," and I jokingly tell Matthew that I disagree... terrible to even joke about, I know.  But I do value aesthetics and the way nice things make me feel, and I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with that, in itself. I like to support those who make beautiful products that make life nicer for others, and I like to enjoy said products. But there's such an undefinably small line between just wanting beautiful, useful things in your life and always pining, pining, pining after the next thing.  How do you find the line? How do you keep to the conservative side of it? How do you not live your whole life working just to enjoy things? Is there really anything wrong with that, if you place a high value on people and health, as well?

I feel like this struggle is always at its absolute peak for me around Christmastime, when the push is on to buy, buy, buy, and stores are pulling out all the stops and wafting the best aromas just under your nose. It's this feeling of not having enough, which I know is an absolute lie. It's the push to buy gifts for others because it's the traditional thing to do, when you really can't afford it and should just say so.

This year I find myself systematically unsubscribing from store emails and purposefully avoiding Instagram and gift guides, just to eliminate that feeling of yearning for things. I haven't had time to shop for Christmas gifts even yet, and Christmas is in less than a week. Oh, and we should be closing on our house Saturday or Monday, so the next week will be a liiiiittle busy. At this point, I'm thinking about just bucking the whole system and skipping it this year. Not buying into the consumerism, since it absolutely isn't adding peace to my life. And isn't that what Christmas is supposed to be about? Peace? Unless you have all your shopping done by Decemeber 1st, which, let's face it, will never happen for me, there doesn't seem to be much peace around the holidays, and I crave that as much as I crave the ridiculous little blue ceramic fruit cartons at Anthrolpogie. Damnit.

This has very much just been a stream of consciousness type of post, so thanks for hanging in there. Believe me, I fully realize that I have a beautiful life and so much to be thankful for. I realize that even admitting this type of struggle will cause some people to bristle because, duh, it's pathetic. But unfortunately it's reality for so many of us in this day and age... and I'm thankful to at least recognize it for what it is, which is the first step to keeping it under control.

Hope you find peace and a reprieve from the consumerism over the next few days leading up to Christmas.... Happy Thursday... :)

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A holiday wreath making party

Despite not being able to participate in some of my favorite holiday activities this year (namely, picking out a real Christmas tree and decorating my home), I've managed to take part in a few festivities, including a holiday wreath making party. This, folks, is an excellent opportunity to get together with friends and drink and laugh and admire each other's creativity and craftiness, or lack thereof. I recommend it. 

Here's a few photos of the occasion... hope you're all having an excellent week! 

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The Great Wyoming Trip 2013

I decided to tell the story of our Wyoming trip in a slideshow set to music above, but unfortunately it can only be properly viewed on a desktop or laptop computer (versus a tablet or smart phone), so I included a few of the photos below, as well. :)

Many of these girls have been in my life for a decade now... we all worked together through high school and college, and now life is taking us other directions... but they will be lifelong friends, regardless. This weekend was such a fun memory. I certainly got my fill of snow and  below zero temps!

Hope you're all having a fabulous week...

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