Microblog Mondays

February 15, 2015February 16, 2015

Questions for me?

I’m working on putting together an FAQ page. So I’m wondering what burning questions you have about this site and/or me.

I’m posting this on a Monday to include people dropping in from Microblog Monday. (Hello, Microbloggers!)

Whether you’re a regular or it’s your first time here, I’d love to know what you want to know. What piques your curiosity or doesn’t seem clear? What have you always wondered but hadn’t gotten around to asking?

Ask away!

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Microblog Mondays: Don’t overthink it. Just write something. And then read Stirrup Queens.

PS Due to a scheduling error, this accidentally posted a day early – whoops! Hopefully, we can still count it as “Monday” this once.

February 9, 2015August 24, 2015

Flavor souvenirs

“When I travel, I often try to mark the trip with a certain ingredient or smell. Usually it’s more than one, as I’m incredibly inspired when I travel. By setting these tastes and smells in my head, I can travel to these places once again…”

In an interview with VSCO’s Journal, Not Without Salt blogger Ashley Rodriguez goes on to cite Moroccan preserved lemons, Italy’s sweet and grassy olive oil, and “chocolate sprinkles over buttered raisin bread” from the Netherlands as flavors that stayed with her after she was home again, like sensory souvenirs.

Elsewhere, I’ve read that research has shown that our sense of smell is the best at bringing back memories, so this is a brilliant strategy.

sangria-tucson

While I’ve done this a bit, unintentionally (with sangria, for example), her perspective inspires me to make it a conscious practice.

What tastes and smells transport you back to another place? Have you ever tried to capture them or re-create them when you returned home?

Microblog_Mondays

It’s microblog Monday! Read more tasty little morsels over at Stirrup Queens.

January 26, 2015

Minimalist Space Needle

Messing around editing a photo I’d taken of the Space Needle during my Seattle trip, I realized I really liked it in black-and-white and stripped down to a more minimalist form.

So I posted a few of these minimalist black-and-white Space Needle photos on Instagram, including one from the observation deck.

minimalist-space-needle-1 minimalist-space-needle-4

minimalist-space-needle-2

I tend to err on the side of including too much detail, so this was a great exercise in editing and simplicity.

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Microblog_Mondays

Microblog Mondays: Helping bloggers get over writer’s block since about last September. More on Stirrup Queens.

December 15, 2014December 16, 2014

Mr. Cheeseface

My sister-in-law Liz added a lot of fabulous handmade touches to her sons’ monster-themed 2nd birthday party, including a whole pile of brightly-colored felt monsters she sewed for party favors.

Meet Mr. Cheeseface, who Phillip christened before we were even out of the parking lot – inspired, I assume, by the smiling creature’s yellow color. Mr. Cheeseface has shown up in different places around our house, but he mostly likes to hang out in our car and accompany us on trips.

Recently, a friend suggested I should pose him in our travel photos, Flat Stanley style. I liked the idea, but I also have this individualist streak that tends to make me feel I cannot just do what someone is already doing. I need my own twist. So instead of Mr. Cheeseface being front-and-center in our photos, I’ll make him part of the scene and let you guys find him.

He’ll start popping up in posts soon!

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Don’t just stare at a blank screen – write something! Micropost inspiration at Stirrup Queens.

December 8, 2014December 15, 2014

Nathan Fillion crafts

I wasn’t planning on taking video of Nathan Fillion’s appearance at Phoenix Comicon. Then an audience member (dressed, incidentally, as Dr. Horrible) asked him about costumes he’s made and sent me scrambling to capture the moment.

Here’s how it looked from where I sat.

And here’s a much sharper video of the whole spotlight (with costume-making question at 48:40).

They say a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. Apparently, sometimes a man’s gotta construct an increasingly elaborate grim reaper costume with tree branches, foam, glowing red eyes, and drywall stilts.

I just had no idea the Captain was so gorram crafty.

P.S. For more Phoenix Comicon, check out this weekend’s Fan Fest!

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Read a whole buncha great little posts! Links on Stirrup Queens.