After careful consideration, I've decided to close up shop at The So-Called Wife. I created this blog when my life was kind of all over the place, and now that I've re-prioritized and refocused in the new year, it's hard to come back to a blog that reflects a lot of the chaos from the past few months.
But I'm not totally disappearing from the blogosphere. Over the past couple of weeks, I've been working hard on getting a new blog up and running. It's much more focused and reflective of where I am right now. It's also much prettier. My design skills are still amateur at best, but with a lot of practice and patience, I am getting better. At least I hope so.
If you feel so inclined, I'd love to have you stop by at my new digs. I'm at The Book Lovers' Nest these days where I write about a whole slew of topics, including good books, the writing process, and life as a newlywed. I hope to see you over there! Be sure to update your readers if you're interested.
Thanks for all the love and support!
Signing off for the last time,
Mrs. So-Called (Allison)
Monday, January 30, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Breaking the silence
Hello lovelies! I apologize for the radio silence around these parts. Mr. SC and I have been bouncing back and forth between family over the holidays, and I decided to take a few weeks off from blogging and the internet in general. As much as I love the world wide web, sometimes I just need to take a break and unplug. It's nice to just live life each day without checking my email every five minutes, worrying about my next blog post, or keeping up with everyone.
But having enjoyed a nice break and a lot of family time, I'm back in action and excited for what this new year holds! I'm still not exactly sure what that is - I've done a lot of soul searching these past few weeks, and I'm in a very strange but exciting new place in my life. There are a lot of unknowns right now, and that's kind of scary. But I'm focusing on the positive, trying to do a better job living each day to the fullest, and exploring all the new possibilities on my horizon. Sorry I sound so vague - I really am working through a lot of things right now (my brain is a jumble of thoughts most of the time!), but I'm definitely going to talk more about what's going on with my life on this blog very soon.
On a happier note, how were everyone's holidays? I hope that they were full of love, joy, and heartwarming memories. Mr. SC and I spent Christmas with his dad's family, and then we headed north to my parents' for New Year's. We had a lot of fun with everyone, catching up with family and good friends and generally just enjoying life. It was exactly the break we needed after Mr. SC's first semester of law school and grueling round of finals.
But having enjoyed a nice break and a lot of family time, I'm back in action and excited for what this new year holds! I'm still not exactly sure what that is - I've done a lot of soul searching these past few weeks, and I'm in a very strange but exciting new place in my life. There are a lot of unknowns right now, and that's kind of scary. But I'm focusing on the positive, trying to do a better job living each day to the fullest, and exploring all the new possibilities on my horizon. Sorry I sound so vague - I really am working through a lot of things right now (my brain is a jumble of thoughts most of the time!), but I'm definitely going to talk more about what's going on with my life on this blog very soon.
On a happier note, how were everyone's holidays? I hope that they were full of love, joy, and heartwarming memories. Mr. SC and I spent Christmas with his dad's family, and then we headed north to my parents' for New Year's. We had a lot of fun with everyone, catching up with family and good friends and generally just enjoying life. It was exactly the break we needed after Mr. SC's first semester of law school and grueling round of finals.
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| Our first Christmas tree. |
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| Rocking some fake fur at the Michael Kors outlet with my cousin. |
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| Ice skating with Mr. SC's family + a few friends. |
How was your holiday season this year? Did you spend it with family and friends?
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Guest Post on the Vintage Modern Bride
Good morning, lovelies! Sorry for the sparse posts around these parts this week. Mr. SC and I are getting ready to go out of town for the holidays, and like most people, we have been kind of busy with general Christmas craziness.
But I just wanted to pop in today and tell you all to stop by the Vintage Modern Bride if you have a moment. Stephanie and I have become great blogging friends, and I have so enjoyed sharing in her wedding planning journey. She and her new husband Mathew are off on an amazing honeymoon right now, and I was so excited when she asked me to write a guest post for her today. I'm talking all about first looks, and I'd so appreciate some comment love over there. Stop by and say hello if you're so inclined!
But I just wanted to pop in today and tell you all to stop by the Vintage Modern Bride if you have a moment. Stephanie and I have become great blogging friends, and I have so enjoyed sharing in her wedding planning journey. She and her new husband Mathew are off on an amazing honeymoon right now, and I was so excited when she asked me to write a guest post for her today. I'm talking all about first looks, and I'd so appreciate some comment love over there. Stop by and say hello if you're so inclined!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Christmas Ornament Palooza!
A few posts back, I mentioned that I have been making Christmas ornaments, and I seriously cannot stop! I have made so many in the past few days, and I may or may not have stayed up all night recently to finish off a few of these cuties. They are just so much fun to make, and the end results are perfect for our Christmas tree.
I thought about doing a "how to" post, but I don't have any definitive instructions for how to make ornaments. I don't have any tools or any real plan when I start making an ornament - I just try things out as I go along and see what works. And I make plenty of mistakes along the way and have to start over or rethink what I'm doing. I will tell you that I use Sculpey III from Michaels, and I have no complaints. It comes in a variety of colors, is easy to work with, and bakes beautifully in the oven.
Here is a sampling of the ornaments I have made:
Pretty soon, Mr. SC caught my crafting bug and had to get in on the ornament-making action. Here are his proudest creations:
And speaking of awesome ornaments, look what arrived from Mrs. Starfish this week:
Isn't it adorable? I love it! And it looks exactly like my Weddingbee icon.
Apparently, tis the season for crafts in the SC household! What holiday crafts are you working on this year?
*All photos are personal unless otherwise noted.
Monday, December 19, 2011
WEverb11 #16, #17, #18, and #19: Persevere, Discover, Teach, and Laugh
Playing massive catch-up on WEverb11 today.
Describe something that disappointed you in 2011 and how you persevered.
The biggest disappointment of 2011 has to be my search for a full-time job in my new city. I'm blessed that the non-profit I was with up in the Bay Area over the summer has allowed me to work remotely for them, but it's just part-time work, and I'm really anxious to find a full-time job down here already. I'm tired of sending out application after application only to hear nothing for weeks (if ever). It's especially difficult because I didn't think the job search would be this hard. I'm not naive enough to think that an amazing job would just fall into my lap (if only). But I know that I have a lot of amazing qualifications and a lot of valuable experience to bring to the table, and I want to put these qualities to good use at a new job.
The reality of how difficult it is to find a job in this economy really hit home when I applied for a particular job earlier this month. It was the ideal job for me, everything I could ever ask for in a job, and I was perfectly qualified for it in every way. And I still didn't get it. Ouch. It's really hard to keep going when something that perfect doesn't work out.
I think that it's important to remember not to take these difficulties personally. That's really hard for me--I assume that every job I don't get is because they don't like me or I'm not good enough. But more often than not, I don't get it because there's just not enough jobs and too many qualified applicants. And a lot of other people are struggling like me. It's not uncommon for someone to graduate without a full-time job now, and often the job search just takes time. I'm doing my best to keep my chin up and keep going, reminding myself that I will eventually find a job that's perfect for me.
What did you discover (big or small) in 2011?
I discovered that I can read and translate academic German texts really well if given enough time and a good dictionary. I didn't think I could become proficient in German so quickly, and I'm proud of what I accomplished. I also discovered that learning a language doesn't have to be stressful. It's not easy, but it can be a lot of fun and very rewarding, especially when you get to read about really interesting things.
What lessons or advice were you able to pass on to others this year? Why was it important to share this information? (Or...what lesson would you like to pass on to others who read this?)
I'm going to take this one literally and say that the most important lessons and advice I passed on were those I discussed with my writing students this year. Working with students on their writing is one of the most amazing experiences ever. Being there when a student discovers a new idea or figures out a way to make their writing stronger is exhilarating. It's kind of like watching a baby take her first steps. You can almost see the wheels turning in your student's mind, and you can see them growing as a writer right in front of your eyes. And that's priceless. It doesn't matter how big or small the lesson is, whether the student is learning how to write a thesis statement, organize their paragraphs, or edit their grammar--every small step that the student takes forward is a success. If they leave feeling just a little more confident in themselves as a writer, then I've done my job. And I'm thankful I had the honor of being a part of their writing process.
Tell us about your biggest belly laugh in 2011.
I recently stumbled upon the 50 Funniest Tweets of 2011, and I could not stop laughing. I can't remember the last time I laughed this hard. They are all hilarious, and I suggest you take five minutes to read through them. For now, here are a few of my favorites:
Describe something that disappointed you in 2011 and how you persevered.
The biggest disappointment of 2011 has to be my search for a full-time job in my new city. I'm blessed that the non-profit I was with up in the Bay Area over the summer has allowed me to work remotely for them, but it's just part-time work, and I'm really anxious to find a full-time job down here already. I'm tired of sending out application after application only to hear nothing for weeks (if ever). It's especially difficult because I didn't think the job search would be this hard. I'm not naive enough to think that an amazing job would just fall into my lap (if only). But I know that I have a lot of amazing qualifications and a lot of valuable experience to bring to the table, and I want to put these qualities to good use at a new job.
The reality of how difficult it is to find a job in this economy really hit home when I applied for a particular job earlier this month. It was the ideal job for me, everything I could ever ask for in a job, and I was perfectly qualified for it in every way. And I still didn't get it. Ouch. It's really hard to keep going when something that perfect doesn't work out.
I think that it's important to remember not to take these difficulties personally. That's really hard for me--I assume that every job I don't get is because they don't like me or I'm not good enough. But more often than not, I don't get it because there's just not enough jobs and too many qualified applicants. And a lot of other people are struggling like me. It's not uncommon for someone to graduate without a full-time job now, and often the job search just takes time. I'm doing my best to keep my chin up and keep going, reminding myself that I will eventually find a job that's perfect for me.
What did you discover (big or small) in 2011?
I discovered that I can read and translate academic German texts really well if given enough time and a good dictionary. I didn't think I could become proficient in German so quickly, and I'm proud of what I accomplished. I also discovered that learning a language doesn't have to be stressful. It's not easy, but it can be a lot of fun and very rewarding, especially when you get to read about really interesting things.
What lessons or advice were you able to pass on to others this year? Why was it important to share this information? (Or...what lesson would you like to pass on to others who read this?)
I'm going to take this one literally and say that the most important lessons and advice I passed on were those I discussed with my writing students this year. Working with students on their writing is one of the most amazing experiences ever. Being there when a student discovers a new idea or figures out a way to make their writing stronger is exhilarating. It's kind of like watching a baby take her first steps. You can almost see the wheels turning in your student's mind, and you can see them growing as a writer right in front of your eyes. And that's priceless. It doesn't matter how big or small the lesson is, whether the student is learning how to write a thesis statement, organize their paragraphs, or edit their grammar--every small step that the student takes forward is a success. If they leave feeling just a little more confident in themselves as a writer, then I've done my job. And I'm thankful I had the honor of being a part of their writing process.
Tell us about your biggest belly laugh in 2011.
I recently stumbled upon the 50 Funniest Tweets of 2011, and I could not stop laughing. I can't remember the last time I laughed this hard. They are all hilarious, and I suggest you take five minutes to read through them. For now, here are a few of my favorites:
***
For more information on WEverb11 or to join in on the fun, click here.
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