Day Two:

Day 2- A happy girl

Happy Girl- Andrea Hempel

Day One:

Day 1- A normal girl

Normal Girl- Andrea Hempel

 I'm not sure what the definition of normal is. For me it's many things so this one could have technically fit in any number of descriptions. But to me, this seems normal in that it is just pensive. And that's my normal resting state. I'm always so very pensive, sometimes it becomes a burden. But most often it makes me a more observant, compassionate, thoughtful human being.

New Challenge!

Challenge Accepted!

I've decided to continue with my streak of blogging productivity. I perused the internet and found this lovely blogging gal and her witty and resourceful listings. One of them included a 30 day challenge which was very similar to the one I just completed. Another one was slightly different, but more geared towards photographic blogs. Then I stumbled on one that felt unique. I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to tackle this one, but it got me more excited than the others so I figured what the heck. I like to draw. And I usually draw girls.


Drawing Girl Challenge:

1- A normal girl
2- A happy girl
3- A sad girl
4- A clown girl
5- A cave girl
6- A cloud girl
7- A fancy girl
8- A horse-jockey girl
9- A winter girl
10- A summer girl
11- A geisha girl
12- A warrior girl
13- A war girl
14- A superhero girl
15- A fairy girl
16- A cotton candy girl
17- A rose girl
18- A sexy girl
19- A coffee girl
20- A ghost girl
21- Cheerleader girl
22- A photographer girl
23- A 20’s girl
24- A 50’s girl
25- A 80’s girl
26- A hippie girl
27- A cutesy girl
28- A punk rocker girl
29- A mummy girl
30- A girl holding a banner say “IM DONE!!!"


Wish me luck!

Day Thirty:

Day 30: A picture of yourself this day and 5 good things that happened since you started the challenge!

5 Good Things From This Challenge:

1. I have (kind of) been more regular with posting to my blog. The point was to become regular about writing on a blog, to set aside time to do it, and the prompts were to give something that was easy to write about. And, I think it did just that. When I look at how many entries I had before starting the challenge, as opposed to after, it's pretty clear that it helped me. Did I actually do it in 30 consecutive days? No. Not even close. Something to work on!

2. I learned about posting quick photos to blog posts and that it makes it more interesting to read when there are pictures attached. 

3. I have gotten more creative with my pictures since learning that the pictures are worth 1000 words and good pictures are worth even more than that!

4. I have discovered new and interesting things about my city since trying to write about it. It has led me on adventures and trying to see my new city through a new lens. 

5. Writing, I have found, is therapeutic. I am ready to accept a far more intimate challenge next. Perhaps this quest will lead me to start writing without a challenge having to be put in place! (New Goals)

Me, today

 

Day Twenty-Nine:

Day 29: 3 Wishes

This might just be indicative of my mood but here are my 3 wishes (assuming the genie were to ask me today, right now, this very minute...)

1. To Be Confident

(To be confident in my decisions, to be confident doing things that scare me, to be confident in how I speak, in my actions, in my looks and in my relationships).

2. To Be REALLY, REALLY, REALLY Good (like PHENOMENAL) at One Thing (and pretty good at a lot of other things)

 (That thing could be any of the following, which are interests of mine but which, woefully, I am not PHENOMENAL: writing, gardening, teaching, photography, drawing, painting, bicycling, dancing, playing piano, playing guitar, singing, giving motivational speeches, training dogs, creating websites, baking, cooking, running, crafting, scrapbooking, doing hair and, finally, acting). 

3. To Be Able to Go To A Place After Departure from the Earth.

(I really want to see my loved ones again...)

 

Day Twenty-Eight:

Day 28: Something that stresses you out...

Oh things that stress me out...let me count thy ways....

Stressin'

 

Day Twenty-Seven:

Day 27: Original Photo of the city you live in...

Houston, Texas
Photo by Andrea Hempel

Houston, Texas - "A Work in Progress"

Houston may not be pretty- but they are working on it. My husband and I just spent the past weekend biking all around our city. We were able to bike to the movies, to restaurants, bars and parks. Yea...there is some work to do. Bike paths need to be better connected and better protected. Parks need to be cleaned up and communities could use some "beautification" so to speak. But, as I passed this scene, I realized there is hope. There are positive changes being made. I passed several community gardens popping up in places near downtown (downtown, by the way, an area that has historically been deemed "unlivable" for much of the past few decades). We passed signs that displayed plans for future parks, trails, bike paths and improved waterways. I'm excited that this is the direction the city is headed. I just wish it could've been started sooner. But...better late than never! 

Day Twenty-Six:

Day 26: Your Dream Wedding

Well, this one is hard because I'm already married and I no longer have a "dream wedding". I really enjoyed the wedding that we had, but there are also things I've seen since that I really like and kind of wish I could have done. 

So, to make this one fit a little better to my experience, let me say 5 things I liked about my wedding, and 5 things I would change. It could be good advice to anyone planning a wedding in the future, should that be you!

FIVE THINGS I ENJOYED:

1. My dress 

I got this dress on sale on a whim. They were having a Sample Sale at a local bridal boutique in Austin and my friend who was getting married before me invited me to come with her while she tried some on. I saw what great stuff they had (and how much cheaper it was than the normal price!) so I immediately made an appointment of my own for later that day and quickly told my mom to meet me down there. This was the first dress I tried on. I loved it so much. Some other girl was eying it while it was on me and I felt like she might take it if I didn't act fast. I'm glad I acted quickly because it really was a steal. Originally priced at $3000, I got it for $500. Pretty good steal.

 

Photo by Bill McCollough

 2. My cake

I loved going to the cake tasting and I LOVED how they completely created what I had envisioned. Plus it tasted good. (If you're wondering who the baker was, it was Michelle's Patisserie in Austin, TX). 

Photo by Bill McCollough

3. Our Getaway Driver

This guy was awesome! Loved the classic car and he even took pictures of us afterwards. Pretty cool dude!

Photo by Bill McCollough

4. Our Dance Floor

Definitely needed and loved getting our groove on!

Photo by Bill McCollough

5. The Flowers 

These ladies did a phenomenal job! Rosehip Flora, Austin TX. Highly recommend.

Photos by Bill McCollough

FIVE THINGS I WOULD CHANGE:

Okay, so this is hard but there were definitely some things I would do differently if I could. I don't want to be mean to anyone, but there were certainly some vendors that I will not recommend to my friends who have yet to be married. 

1. Communication with Photographer about Desired Photos

I didn't speak in detail to my photographer about what photos I wanted. I just assumed he would know. Which isn't wise. Because now I wish I had a picture of my dress before I put it on, a picture of me dressing, a picture of me with some of my friends individually, a picture of certain relatives, etc. etc. You have to remember that the photographer doesn't know who is who so to him taking pictures of that girl that someone brought one time as a date seems just as important as your best friend. Because they don't know! Seriously, I got tons of pictures of a girl I didn't know who was brought as a date (and who is no longer dating the person who brought her). I really don't want those pictures! So my advice- take heed- sit down with your photographer and write a list, go over the list, be specific. Be very specific!

2. MY DAY OF COORDINATOR!!!!

I won't name names because I feel that is bad taste (of course I'll tell anyone who asks or those friends who want advice for a wedding planner)...but yall...this lady was nuts. We met her over a year before our wedding date. At first we weren't sure about her. But then she kept emailing and calling to say how much she wanted to work with us and how she could cut us a deal on the price if we went with her. That should've been my first sign. We signed a contract and after that it was too late to back out (unless we wanted to pay her dues then hire someone else). From the get go things seemed weird. She kept adding all her credentials and talking about all her experience every time we discussed things. She also just did NOT get my vision for our wedding. I wanted to keep it super low key and casual. She didn't understand at all and in fact advised me to do things that now, in retrospect, I didn't really enjoy doing and wish I could've done differently. But, despite all this, I figured it wouldn't be that big of a deal...how wrong was I. The rehearsal and day of wedding she couldn't get my name right (we talked monthly leading up to the wedding, emailed more often than that and also met in person several times...she should know how to say my name). She also kept getting things confused from other weddings she was planning. The worst thing she did was at our wedding (obviously I was not in the ceremony space in order to correct this)she told the ushers (our friends) to keep the first two rows open(behind our parents and immediate family). She told them they were reserved for family. Of course, we don't have large families so the only reserved seating was our parents. Who were already there seated in front. So there were two empty rows at the wedding. And people standing in the back. Our friends who were ushers felt stupid because when the wedding started, it was so awkward to see those rows just open there while people holding kids and babies had to stand near the doorway. WTF? Oh man. I'm still upset about it...gotta move on. But my advice...really feel out your day of coordinator. They can make or break some things. If you are in Austin and want to know who NOT to hire, contact me. I really don't mind saving someone else from this experience. I should've put this as number one. Dang it. oh well, moving on...

3. Date of wedding

I picked a July wedding because a)it worked for everyone that it surrounded July 4 holiday (or so I thought) ... b)it was cheapest (in Texas) and c) I thought I'd be teaching and summer is the best time for teachers!

Well, it turned out that people made July 4 plans that interfered with many things leading up to the wedding (my bachelorette party being one of them). Kind of a bummer. Also, July is cheapest because it is 110 degrees in Austin Texas in July! 

It ended up that on my wedding day (outdoors) it decided to rain on everything in a freak torrential shower starting at 6:30pm (the starting time of our wedding). I cried. Things were frantically moved. Many things got wet. The cocktail ceremony in the butterfly garden was relocated to...??? The musician had to remove all his set up and move to...??? And when the rainstorm ended, the hot, 110 degree ground began to sizzle and it created a sticky, humid, sauna. So everyone was drenched in sweat. Awesome. I guess it makes for a good story! 

If I had to do it over again, I would think this through and plan it for a cooler time. Seriously. What was I thinking???

4. Smaller Guest List

You may think a big wedding is fun, but since our wedding I've been to smaller, more intimate ones and have had a BLAST. I would rather be surrounded by just my closest of closest friends and no one else. But, sometimes you are led to believe that if you invite so-and-so then you HAVE to also invite so-and-so. And then it grows and grows and grows. And then you are meeting people at your own wedding.

5. Pricey things

It really doesn't matter in the end. Don't go for the high end of things. No one notices or cares. Just go with something that's simple and it'll do the job and you won't be left with hefty debt afterwards. Things to splurge on: Cake, Food, Alcohol, A decent wedding coordinator (if your venue doesn't provide one) Music. But even those things can be pared down and still be good. 

 

Day Twenty-Five:

Day 25: Put your iPod on shuffle, First 10 Songs...

First of all, this day's prompt proved very interesting! My Itunes shuffle ended up being quite a diverse collection of music and artists. It definitely reflects my eclectic taste and also reminded me of different times in my life. For example, I remember when I first uploaded some of these songs... I went through a White Stripes phase as well as a Michael Jackson phase (immediately following his death I got EVERY song he made). I also fell in love with Corinne Bailey Rae many years ago when she first appeared on the scene. The Busta Rhymes song reminds me of the music video (back when people used to watch MTV for music videos!). The Alicia Keys song is new and I LOVE it! She is definitely one of my all time favorite artists. So talented. If I would've done 20 songs I'm sure there would have been some 80s hits, Christmas songs, and classical music for my ballet classes I used to teach. I highly recommend doing this yourself and seeing what ends up playing. 

Here's my list: 

1. Brand New Me, Alicia Keys

2. Cups (Pitch Perfect's "When I'm Gone"), Anna Kendrick

3. Remember the Time, Michael Jackson

4. Babylon Flamenco, Gaudi & Ojos de Brujo

5. You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do What You're Told), The White Stripes

6. 1904, The Tallest Man on Earth

7. Il Mare Impetuoso Al Tramonto Sali' Sulla Luna E Dietro Tendina Di Stelle, Zucchero

8. Daydreaming, Corinne Bailey Rae

9. What's It Gonna Be, Busta Rhymes & Janet Jackson

10. Suena Mi Guitarra, Federico Aubele

 

Day Twenty-Four:

Day 24: Something You've Learned

I've learned that moving forward is the sometimes the only thing you can do to fix a problem.

I've learned that there is so much that I don't know, and that I will never know, and the more I learn, the more I am aware of how much more there is to know.  That sounds like a tongue twister. 

I've learned that passion is a prerequisite to happiness. 

I've learned that you have to tend to friendships just as you would a garden. You can never neglect them or they will begin to wither. 

I've learned that every place has something redeeming to offer, no matter how bad you may think it is initially. 

I've learned that reading is an excellent way to induce clear thinking. So is walking or running outside. 

I've learned that animals can be the best of friends, sometimes better than humans. 

I've learned that a child's innocence, imagination and playfulness are treasures and should be kept intact for as long as possible. 

I've learned that loyalty to one's family and friends is far more important than loyalty to a political party. 

I've learned that eating well and eating amongst friends is one of the best things in life. 

I've learned that coffee in the morning can make things feel a little easier. 

I've learned that it doesn't really matter how old you feel on the inside...your body will begin to let you know how old you really are on the outside and there's nothing you can really do about it. 

I've learned that it's okay to break rules if it serves for a better purpose. 

I've learned that history repeats itself in the most moronic ways and we are constantly having to relearn the same lessons over and over again. 

I've learned that life is all about learning. Discovering your world and yourself is the point of it all. 

Photo by: Andrea Hempel

 

Day Twenty-Three:

Day 23: Favorite Book

AHHHHHH! Another one of these that I couldn't possibly narrow down to just one. One favorite book?? ONE??

So I'll leave you with TOP 5 (and you should know that this top 5 changes often so this is really just TOP 5 for June 2013).

1. Wild, by Cheryl Strayed

If you have not read this book, then go, run, NOW and get it. From your Library, Bookstore, or friend. I guarantee it will change you. Some thought it a bit difficult to read (difficult meaning emotional, gruesome, morbid, sad), and, yes, there are difficult parts, but you reap the rewards of getting through it when you get to the end. Trust me. I was a mess when I finished this book. So great!! In fact just talking about it has made me want to go re-read it.

2. The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz

This book helped me change my perspective on life and many of the elements in life that serve to confuse or frustrate or degrade you. It's lofty and philosophical but also very uplifting. I recommend highly. Then you can follow with the other books related to this one including The Voice of Knowledge, The Mastery of Love and various others.

3. The Kite Runner & 10,000 Splendid Suns (Tied)

 Both of these books are incredibly well written and moving. The setting and culture is so foreign and yet the emotion and humanity of the stories are universal. They are both incredible reads.

4. The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch

This book is wonderful. Uplifting, yes, but also thought provoking. From someone who is at the end of his life, looking back on what really matters most. Yea, okay. It made me cry. I'm not the only one. Geeeez, I'm tearing up just writing about it.

5. Make the Impossible Possible, Bill Strickland

I like this book because it's about an art school/trades school in Pittsburgh that I actually attended. The man who started this school overcame so many obstacles in order to make this place a success, not only for him but for his community. It's a story of perseverance and hard work and is inspiring to anyone who wants to tear down those walls of defeat and naysaying.

Day Twenty-Two:

Day 22: What's in your purse?

Purse

Contents

Notes

Passport Photos, Loose Change

Miscellaneous 

Day Twenty-One:

Day 21: Favorite Picture of yourself... 

Why?

I'm going to preface this by saying I had to change the title based on the fact that I do not think I could, nor should, pick a favorite pic of ALL TIME simply because that's so arbitrary.

So I'll post this one simply because it represents a time in my life where I enjoyed myself so fully, felt like I came into my own and where the world was opened up to me. I was also young and yet growing into the woman I have become.

I lived in Italy at this time. I was in a novice film photography class. My friend took this picture of my and I developed it in the dark room- one of my first! Clearly it's not the best photo, and I look less than stellar (I think this was taken after a long train ride without much sleep) but I see light and life in my eyes, curiosity, excitement, and those chubby cheeks of youth (not to mention eating pizza and pasta every day!).

Day Twenty:

Day 20: Nicknames

I have only a few nicknames. 

Drea - an obvious abbreviation for Andrea (pronounced both ways that you say Andrea)

Dre or Dre Dawg- pronounced just like the Rapper. I got this one a lot back in the day. Now that I'm 31 and not as hip it doesn't appear as often. Shame. 

Peanut- this nickname was originally given to me by my 7th grade math teacher, Mr. McClain. I was really little and really tan when I was younger. I guess he thought of me as a little peanut. 

The really funny part about this nickname comes from a 'Most Embarrassing Event EVER' moment in middle school. We were all about to take a test so the room was quiet. I accidentally dropped my pencil off my desk and reached over hurriedly to pick it up off the floor. As I reached out to grab it, I let a HUGE fart slip. I sat back up and my face turned bright red. Everyone turned to look at me and laugh. To make matters worse, my 7th grade crush sat right behind me and he was shaking his head in disgust. And good ol' Mr. McClain called out, "Was that you, Peanut??"

Yes, Mr. McClain. It was MEEEEEEE! (said in the style of Jim Carrey in Liar, Liar). 

That's what I wanted to say and do. But instead I just sat turning brighter and brighter shades of red. I think sweat droplets may have formed on my forehead. Anyway...that was nearly 20 years ago but the nicknames still stands. 

My husband calls me this everyday. 

Day Nineteen:

Day 19: Something You Miss

Riding cable cars like true tourists

My friend and I about to take a boat ride

The beautiful bridge

Majestic views

Coit Tower

Falling on my bike (this happened A LOT)

Ferrying across the bay after our bike ride

Beautiful city at night

Other side of the bridge

Winery tours

I left my heart in San Francisco...

Day Eighteen:

Day 18: Favorite Place to Eat

MMMMMMMM.....

I love talking about food. 

Well it technically says favorite place (singular) but there is really no way to say one particular favorite because, as with most things, it depends on the mood (and sometimes my desire, or lack-thereof, to dress up). 

Here is a list of TOP 5 FAVORITE PLACES TO EAT (in no particular order):

1. Il Pizzaiolo, Mt. Lebanon, PA 15228

Yum Yum Yum! This place was one of our favorites while we were living in Pittsburgh and I still crave it daily. I will take a trip back just for this restaurant. So authentic and such a great ambiance as well. 

To Try:

Arancini

Margherita D.O.C Pizza with Buffala Mozzarella

Burrata Cheese

Caprese Salad

Gnocchi al Pesto

House Chianti

Tiramisu

2. Uchi, Austin, TX 78704

Not as familiar with the menu here, but the times I have been have been phenomenal! My sister and her husband go here a lot more than I do so they usually help us in ordering. That being said, I don't think you could really go wrong in your ordering here because everything is delicious. I love sushi so I thought of the best sushi place to be my number 2 and this is it! 

3. Thundercloud Subs, Austin TX 

Yeah, you may not have expected that one but, I gotta tell ya, I love eating here. There are various locations. I really like the one near Lake Austin Blvd. Also the one off Riverside. My husband prefers the one near Lakeway where we grew up, for nostalgic reasons. Either way, I love their fresh ingredients, their bread, their lettuce and I always feel good after eating them, never bloated or gross or filled with shame. See next entry for that feeling...

4. Primanti Brothers, Pittsburgh, Pa

So, this one is awesome but I have a feeling it's not the very best for you, health wise. However, I love it and I dare not admit that to my husband because I gave him such a hard time for going there several times a week (sometimes several times a day...) The key here is to add the egg to your sandwich and don't skimp on those fries! 

5. Church Brewworks, Pittsburgh, PA

So, this picture doesn't really justify the amazing food and beer here, but the part that is really fantastic is that the experience takes place in an old Catholic church. The church was abandoned and set to be torn down and someone had the brilliant idea to turn it into a microbrewery and restaurant. The food is really, truly some of the best I've ever had and the beer is DIVINE. (Get it...). Worth a trip all the way up to the Burgh. 

Day Seventeen:

Day 17: Something you're looking forward to...

Well, to be honest, there is a lot that I am looking forward to. But, in the more immediate future, I am certainly looking forward to my upcoming trip to Italy for my friend's wedding. 

I'm returning after not having traveled there since 2008. It feels like forever ago. The last time I went, I was there a short 10 days (kind of like this time will be). I took classes at a language school Monday through Friday, participated in some evening tours and activities, visited my friend and then also my wonderful Italian family for whom I was a nanny back in 2005. Then it was back to the US. 

This time I am bringing my husband. I'm kind of nervous about how that will play out. He's not the most well traveled person. And he gets easily frustrated with crowds, foreigners, strange languages, difficult situations...basically our two days in Rome when we arrive may end up being a disaster! I hope not, but I have no way to know how he will react. I wish it weren't that way, but he's like an extremely large ticking time bomb when it comes to his frustration levels and the way he ignites himself over issues. 

But, this is a post about looking forward to things! 

I'm looking forward to: 

1. Eating delicious food

2. Strolling the streets and seeing the sights and taking it all in

3. Hanging out with Alissa and all her friends and getting to meet different people

4. Trying to speak Italian

5. Seeing the Tuscan countryside

If I were going on this trip with a friend, or my sister, or myself I would say I am looking forward to the outrageous comments from the Italian men or their extreme politeness, but that doesn't happen in the exact same way when you are traveling around with a man. Especially an American man. So basically, I won't be offered free drinks or bottles of wine. Che peccato. 

Anyhow... wish me a buon viaggio! I depart at the end of June!

Here are pics from that last voyage there (mostly Bologna, Venice and Padua).

Bologna Streets

Delicious Pizza!

The Many Bikes of Padua

Waiting patiently for my pizza

Roma

Posin in Venezia

Day Sixteen:

Photo Courtesy of The Aestate

Day 16: Dream house

This one is a little tricky. 

My dream house is constantly evolving. It helps that I have a dad who is a home builder. But then again that also makes it hard because I have grown up seeing so many awesome houses and thinking of them all as readily attainable. Not so! 

Fortunately, my tastes have changed to follow trends and current events (i.e. the recession, over population, sustainable food movement, slow food movement, simplify life movement). That being said, here are some desires for my dream house: 

1. Large outdoor space to spend most of my time within. 

2. Ample raised bed garden along with other gardened spaces, providing a mixture of food plants, herbs, flowers and native plant species. 

3. Green house. 

4. Floor to ceiling book shelves filled with BOOKS!

5. Unique, hand-made and/or local artwork filling each room. 

6. Colorfully painted walls. 

7. Wrap around porch. 

8. Shade trees. 

9. Large open kitchen. 

10. Child's play room/create room/inspire room

11. Artist's studio

12. Yoga room (this could also be within the artist's studio).

It may sound like my house is huge, but notice I do not care too much about space for the other things. I actually would love it if my future little family members all shared a room so that they became super close with their siblings while also learning important lessons on sharing, tolerance, close spaces, and respecting other's sleeping time. I know this may not actual happen like this in the real world, but we are talking about my dream house and dream world here so, ya know, let a girl dream. 

I also envision rooms with natural light, indoor plants, hearty wood tables and unique features that conserve energy and make it easier to recycle and waste less. 

Here are some images that kind of represent this dream house: 

Photo Courtesy of Carlota Santamaria

Photo Courtesy of Linsey Hasenbank

Photo Courtesy of Apartment Therapy