Life + Self

A Very Bookish Birthday

July 28, 2015 by Abbigail Kriebs 4 Comments

Scott had been acting a little odd. He was “slightly grinning” a lot when we asked me questions about my schedule. He planned a birthday dinner out with friends a couple of weeks in advance. I thought it was just him getting in on the calendar in what was shaping up to be a hectic summer, but no: he was colluding with my friends.

And they threw me the coolest birthday dinner ever: one where they each brought a book that they loved to give to me.

My friend Jamie gifted me The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. I loved reading this book in middle school – and I’m pretty sure I’ll love it again when I read it soon. Cassie surprised me with a title I had never even heard: Tales of the Otori: Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn. Cassie’s a big fan of strong characters, and I can’t wait to dive in and meet Takeo and Kaede. And my friend Sue gifted me with a gorgeous box set of The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings Trilogy from J.R.R. Tolkein, after I confessed earlier this year that I had never completed the series [hangs head in shame]. I’m giving the whole series another try, starting fresh, sometime this year.

And Scott tied it all together with his gift of The Book Map – a gift suggestion he lifted from my own blog. The scoundrel.

It was a very bookish birthday, an evening in which I felt spoiled, loved, and completely embarrassed when the entire restaurant sang to me. Par for the course. :)

I think 28 is going to be a good year.

Have your friends ever surprised you with gifts that were the perfect fit for your personality?

Word of the Year Check-In: Am I Creating?

July 7, 2015 by Abbigail Kriebs 6 Comments

Is it really the second week of July already? Yowsers.

It’s cliché to say that, I know. And serious writers are supposed to avoid clichés like the plague (see what I did there?). But all clichés had to start somewhere, and I imagine this one started when the first person in the world realized that the year was flying by faster than they intended it to – and by golly they felt the need to comment on it.

Clichés aside, it’s time for a mid-year check-in on whether or not I am living out my Word of the Year.

Am I Creating?

Yes. And No.

I’ve not made much progress on my novel since my critique class ended. Life has been full, which is part reason and part excuse. Between weekend duties for the day job and travel to visit family and a much-needed week of vacation where I tried not to touch a computer, there hasn’t been a lot of free time on the weekends to really submerge myself in the text. And I need to give it some large blocks of undivided attention. My critique class reinforced that I have some things to fix, and they are going to take time and steep reflection.

Based on this point alone, I would feel like I had failed my Word of the Year in the first half. But luckily, I know me and gave myself a little wiggle room in my definition. I chose “create” instead of “write” because I knew I would need some.

And I have created.

I have been diligently posting twice per week here on this blog all year long. Every Tuesday and Thursday, without fail (although sometimes in a very down-to-the-wire fashion), I have a sent a blog and little piece of writing or photography out into the world. It’s felt good to be consistent, to treat this blog like a job and to keep my promise to myself for once.

I’ve spent time in community with other writers and readers, mostly on the internet – but it still counts, right? I’ve created dialogues and met new people and have created a space where I can share – and where I can listen to others.

I’ve taken more photos – and better photos – than ever this year. In fact, I’m wrapping up my first ever corporate photoshoot this week – at my day job! Our company wanted new head shots for all 40 employees, and it just so happened that I have a camera and some growing photography chops. In addition to all those portraits, I also took some for Claire, did a family shoot with a friend, and in general grew less shy about pulling out my camera and snapping shots whenever I felt like it – even in public!

I’ve read a lot of books, written about some of them, and learned when to a quit a project that just isn’t working. I’ve written a few freelance articles, put together a Madison, WI city guide for Feast + West, and continued working on The Collaboreat.

It’s been a full year, and it might not seem like I’m making progress. But I have been creating.

Now if I could just take Ashley Brooks’s advice and focus on one thing at a time…

Here’s to creating in the second half of 2015. Will you CREATE with me?

Around & About: Photos, Words & June Dairy Month

June 9, 2015 by Abbigail Kriebs 4 Comments

Life’s been a bit hectic lately.

Photos

I’ve been taking a lot of photos lately and am WAY behind on my editing. I usually try to post one or two on Instagram each week. Otherwise, I still have photos on my desktop from March – March! – that haven’t seen the light of day yet. What do they say about dentists’ kids’ teeth? They always have the most cavities. They could probably say it about the unedited photos of a photographer, too – except that they don’t have cavities, but that they get lost in the black hole of a cavity called “in progress,” found on a hard drive near you.

Words

Elsewhere on the internet I wrote a piece about budgeting with your significant other. There’s so much emotion wrapped up in how we spend our money, especially when we have to decide how to spend it “together.” I hope there’s some practical tips over at The Penny Hoarder for anyone who wants to tackle the topic this summer.

And after a brief hiatus, I’ve jumped back into writing and reviewing mode with my critique partners. I know the writing exercise will be good for me eventually, but right now its just painful. It always takes awhile for me to settle into the routine of writing and editing long-form stuff like my novel, but this last couple of weeks has been exceptionally painful. It’s a little bit like the rollerblading I’ve started doing this year: painful now, but hopefully fun and rewarding on down the road. In the meantime – Ouch!

June Dairy Month

Since we’re returned home from vacation, I’ve not had a day off of work. Our events for June Dairy Month are in full swing, and I’ve been chauffeuring this lovely lady around the state the past two weekends: meet June the Dairy Cow.

If you like dairy as much as I do, make sure to check out one of the farm breakfasts across the state at www.dairydaysofsummer.com. I had ice cream for breakfast on Sunday. :)

And that is what life looks like lately. What about you?