Hi everyone,
I hope you are having a nice Fall. It's been a while (4 months in fact) since I've written a post about what's going on with me, so I thought it was time. I have a lot of things to cover, so let's get started.
1. Oliver
Oliver (my 17 month old son) is doing so well. In fact, he's a bit of a celeb. I post a lot of photos on Facebook, and wherever I go people ask me about him. He talks ALL THE TIME. "Hey mama," "uh oh" and "choo choo" are on the top of his phrase list, but he can say just about anything. I think he's going to be a talker like my husband, so his wife is going to be super lucky. :) Oliver's other passion is music. No surprise there since Jimmy and I both love it, but it's very cool to see your joys manifest in your child. Jimmy and I love dancing as much as we love music, and I think Oliver got that love as well.
The older Oliver gets the more he turns into a little person, which I know is obvious, but it's so cool to see. He loves airplanes (he comes by that naturally - Jimmy works at Delta) and trains (Jimmy and his dad used to go on train trips together) and dogs (finally, he got something from me). He is kind but also fiercely independent. He found himself a girlfriend and kisses her all the time. I'm so proud of the person he is, and I can't wait to see more of his little personality. (See more about my wishes for Oliver here).
2. Blog
Last year around this time, I refocused my effort on this blog. I switched to Squarespace and began posting more frequently. I researched articles and began writing about all the things I love in Atlanta. In a year's time the blog has grown by leaps and bounds. I put so much effort into it even when I'm not writing or photographing I'm thinking of ideas. I love connecting with people and companies, and I feel like it's on the cusp of getting bigger (I hope). Next month Lowe's offered to fly me to NYC to go to their Spring Preview Show. That's the biggest thing that's happened to me in 6 years of blogging. Coincidently, I'm looking for a great hotel in SoHo if anyone knows of one.
Last week The Huffington Post published a blog post of mine and asked me to be a blogger for them. This comes with pros and cons, but it seems like an accomplishment to me, and I am very proud. You can read my second post for them here.
I've also started listening to a new podcast called Pro Blogger. If you've ever wanted to start a blog or if you currently have one, I highly recommend listening. Blogger Darren Rowse encourages bloggers to have goals and answer the question, "why are you blogging?" This is not new to me. My father-in-law asked me that same question a year ago.
It's taken all my courage to put these goals into print, but how do you achieve goals if you don't put them out to the universe/your friends and ask for help?
- Eventually I would like to write a book about my favorite homes in Atlanta that I've photographed.
- I would like this blog to be known as one of the top blogs about life in Atlanta. That's a huge goal, and there are many many blogs already filling that space, but I would like this one to be in the conversation.
- I would like to work with brands (like Lowe's) and people to tell their stories. This one is vague, but my interview with Wesley True is the type of work I'm talking about. I loved that piece and want to do more with Katie Oblinger.
- The biggest goal I have is to be on an Atlanta morning TV show with a segment about the hottest things going on in Atlanta. Every time I've ever been on TV I loved it and think I would be good at doing this segment.
- I would like to write for Atlanta Magazine, Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles, Veranda or Garden & Gun. See some photos Rod and I took on Atlanta Magazine right now!
- I'd like to gain the confidence to photograph people, which is a skill I lack.
I know those are very lofty goals and not ones I need to achieve anytime soon. My reason for putting them down on "paper" is because I started this blog as a way to achieve goals. Back then I wanted a photograph hung in a gallery with representation, to go to a professional photo critique with a series of images, and to get a photo published in a book. All of those dreams came true as a direct result of this blog, and I am forever grateful. I hope I have some luck this time as well because putting your biggest dreams and goals on a blog is risky, and I feel pretty exposed.
3. My father-in-law's book
My Father-in-Law, Jack Macauley, just helped write and published his first book. The name is Noel, Tallulah, Cole & Me. The book is about the life and memories of Broadway director/producer John C. Wilson. Wilson was my father-in-law's great uncle. My father-in-law inherited Wilson's memoirs and made it his mission to get them into print. I went with him on one of many meetings where he sat down with people in the industry to discuss the possibilities for the memoirs. Out of these conversations he found a publisher and co-author and worked tirelessly getting the piece ready to be published. He is a phenomenal writer, and although we've been talking in the family for a long time about how great it would be for him to write a book, this project came out of a deep love for family and their history as well as his belief that these memoirs were an important piece of history that deserved a place in print. I am so proud of him, and I find his hard work and dedication truly inspiring. I have not read the book yet, but expect more mentions and thoughts when I do. You can preorder the book on Amazon here.