Great Smitten

January 10, 2012

I’m Obsessed With ___.

In addition to working with the homeless, my cute husband is also a sound engineer. In fact, that’s what he studied in college, and what he did as a job for years.

He still does some recording and some live sound and, in fact, he’s recording our friend Zoe Joy in our front room as. we. speak. Zoe Joy works with Simon, but she’s also probably going to be a famous worship leader and/or songwriter at some point, so I just want to drop her name here, so when that day comes, I can be like, “Oh yeah, no biggie, she just drank orange squash in my front room while my husband recorded her first album. Whatevs.”

So anyway, I’ve been snapping some photos of ZJ (that’s what we call her, you know, cause we’re so tight) that I’m hoping to squeeze into her album cover, but now I’ve been banished to the kitchen while she records a vocal track. So here I am, drinking a glass of pinot grigio and just about to tell you about some MORE things I got for Christmas that I totally love. I’m not bragging. I’m just really, really excited about this stuff.

This CD.

I completely forgot to tell you about this last week, and I really can’t believe it, because I just love it so much. Remember when I told you about this John Lewis commercial, and this one? This is an album of songs from all the John Lewis commercials. They’re all sensitively done covers, and I’m just so in love with this CD. Simon bought it for me. Because he knows me so well. The first time I listened to it, I sat in our big red armchair and cried. It’s that good.

My favourites are Ellie Goulding’s cover of Elton John’s “Your Song”, and Fyfe Dangerfield’s cover of Billy Joel’s “She Always a Woman” and…

Oh, who am I kidding? I love all of them.

This so-sweet headband HANDMADE by my friend Emily and mailed to me from the Windy City. Emily also made Adlai’s superhero cape.

My friends are ridiculous.

And speaking of that…

My gorgeous friend Sarah (who you know from here, and here, and here) sent me this lovely charm made from a vintage typewriter key…

…which I immediately threaded onto a silver chain and vowed to wear at all times.

Except for when I’m hanging it on my Christmas tree for a photo shoot.

I LOVE IT.

…

When I look at these things, not only do I see things I love, I see people who love me. How blessed am I to have people like Simon, and Emily, and Sarah, who lavish me with gifts they’ve lovingly chosen (or made!)?

Friends and family like this just make life so, so rich.

5 Comments

Filed under I'm Obsessed With ____., marriage, music, thanks, women

Tagged as Christmas gifts, Christmas rundown, crochet crafts, crochet gifts, handmade christmas gifts, handmade gifts, John Lewis advert, John Lewis Reworked, typewriter key jewelry, vintage typewriter

January 5, 2012

What My 20s Taught Me: Everyone is Faking It

Here's me, faking like I'm a middle-aged British woman.

When I worked as a magazine editor, I had a great friendship with our publisher. Her name was (and still is, actually) Brenda. She was in her mid-40s and one of those women who just oozes confidence. She had a wicked sense of humor, a commanding presence, and a really, really nice shoe collection. She’d done very well for herself – an editor by 26 (like me), a decades-long career in journalism, with a knowledge of the industry that made me want to sit at her feet and soak up everything she knew. She was one of those people who knows how to get what she wants by treating people well, but also has an ever-so-slightly intimidating edge – just the right amount to keep people from messing with her.

Anyway, I was sitting in Brenda’s office one day, having a discussion about an upcoming issue of the magazine, and we got onto the subject of fear.

“My greatest fear,” said Brenda, “is that one day, everyone will realize I have no idea what I’m doing. They’ll all figure out that I’m just an impostor.”

I was floored.

“You too?” I asked.

When I started out in my editor role, I was so easily intimidated. I just knew that everyone I talked to – designers, advertisers, sponsors, interviewees…everyone – knew exactly what they were doing. And they knew that I didn’t. I was sure they could smell my fear from twenty paces and, at any minute, any one of them could out me.

Impostor! Liar! Fake!

When Brenda – a seasoned journalist and experienced businesswoman twenty years my senior – told me she had the exact same fear, I realized something that changed my life:

Everyone is Faking It.

The restaurant owners who played hardball as we negotiated the terms of our sponsored cocktail hours. The people at the national magazine office who called up to have a go at me for not running a page they thought I should run. The photographers who wanted their photos published. Brenda.

All big fakers.

And that’s how I learned not to be such a scaredy cat. If 50% of being good at your job is knowing what the heck you’re doing, then the other 50% of being good at your job is convincing other people you know what you’re doing. I suddenly realized that all these big fakers were more concerned with making sure they were faking it well than they were with trying to figure out if I was faking it or not (And I was. A bit.).

Sure, I knew what I was doing. I’ve got a Master’s degree in Journalism, for heaven’s sake. I’ve got seven years of experience in the industry. I’ve interviewed world-renowned musicians, covered murder cases, and edited a magazine with a readership upwards of 75,000. (Am I convincing you yet? I’m a bit rusty at this whole faking thing.)

Brenda knows what she’s doing, too. Trust me. She really, really does. Because, despite her worst fears, you can’t fake it to that many people for that long and get away with it.

The thing is, although we think what we’re faking is our qualifications, our knowledge, what we’re really faking is our belief in ourselves.

Once I learned that everyone – even the Mighty Brenda – was faking it, I suddenly didn’t have to try so hard to fake it myself. Those meetings with the tough-as-nails restaurateurs became a piece of cake, because I was pretty sure they were preparing for them the exact same way I was – by sitting in their cars beforehand (or in their kitchens, whatever), gathering their thoughts and their notes, and reminding themselves that they did know what the heck they were doing; they did pass all their classes in culinary school; they did make a mean yang chow pork and shrimp fried rice(or write a mean lede).

Now it may seem like what I’m telling you is that you can fake it because everyone else is. But, as it turns out, that’s not it at all.

You see, when I figured out everyone was faking it, it suddenly hit me that I didn’t have to.

My false confidence slowly started to turn into real confidence. I didn’t have to be afraid anymore. I didn’t have to walk around thinking everyone had it figured out except me. They didn’t.

The best part about realizing everyone is faking it, is that you get to stop faking it yourself. You get to be totally, authentically, comfortably confident in what you know and who you are.

For real.

6 Comments

Filed under confessions, learning, What My 20s Taught Me, workin' it, writing

Tagged as being real, faking it, lessons for businesswoman, lessons from my 20s, no one knows what they're doing, succeeding in business, what i learned from the work world, what i learned in my twenties

January 4, 2012

I’m Bringing 30 Back

There are just nine weeks left until my 30th birthday. I think. I’ve never been very good at counting. In fact, it’s very possible I’m only 28.

In the run-up to the Big 3-0, and inspired by this girl, I’ve decided to write once a week on a lesson my 20s taught me. And there are a lot of them.

Come back tomorrow for the first of these unmissable, life-changing lessons, and please, for heaven’s sake, learn from my 20s, so that I will not have humiliated myself and made a thousand stupid mistakes in vain.

See you then!

Oh, also, if you haven’t answered my poll, go ahead and do that.

And like Great Smitten on facebook.

K? That is all.

5 Comments

Filed under What My 20s Taught Me, writing

Tagged as lessons from my 20s, the big 3-0, turning 30, what my 20s taught me

January 3, 2012

Where you be?

Would you mind doing me a(nother) wee favor? I’m doing some planning (Me? Planning? I know, right.) for the coming year, and I wondered if you could just take a sec to let me know where you live. I’m not going to come to your house or anything – unless you invite me, and bake me cookies and make me nice coffee – I just want to get a better idea of who’s reading this here little blog so that I can plan content that you like. (And also so I can let interested advertisers know who they’re advertising to. Advertisers! I know, right.)

I very much appreciate it. Thank you! You’re the best.

Oh, also, did you see I got a facebook like button over to the right? Thank you, wordpress, for finally making this possible. (It’s about dang time, really. It’s 2012.) Anyhoo, if you like Great Smitten, well then, please like it. Cause I like you. Mwah.

10 Comments

Filed under England, home, workin' it, writing

Tagged as blog readers, poll, reader demographics, where do you live?

January 2, 2012

I’m Obsessed With ___.

I’m just coming up for air after a ridiculous Christmas season and a month of sickness in our house. From broken ankles (I have a real problem descending stairs gracefully), to chest infections, to stomach viruses, we’ve really run the gamut of illnesses.

Christmas Day saw Adlai the sickest he’s been in his thirteen months. It was heartbreaking as his mama to see him so drowsy and unable to keep any food down, and I hated every minute of it.

That said, Simon made a turkey that would’ve made my grandma cry, and brussels sprouts that made me like brussels sprouts, so all was not lost. Also, we got some awesome Christmas presents, and this post is all about that!

Here’s to a happy and VERY healthy 2012!

This sweet canvas my brother-in-law made me for Christmas. He’s making one for Simon, too, so we can hang them side-by-side in our room.

*Love*

This Super Adlai cape my friend Emily made. Simon has a matching one, but I haven’t managed to snap a photo of him in it yet. Look at this though! So cute. And those chubby legs ain’t too bad either.

This perfume Simon bought me. It smells like roses, but better. I’ve wanted it since 2007. (I have a never-buy-anything-for-myself problem.)

Harry Potter.

I bought Simon the box set of the films, and the past week has been completely consumed with watching them. Last night we finally watched the final one – the only one we hadn’t seen yet – and now my life feels empty and lacking in direction. What am I supposed to do with myself?

…

Kidding.

I know exactly what to do with myself. And it includes laundry and dishes and making nice meals for my boys.

And maybe reading The Hunger Games trilogy.

2 Comments

Filed under I'm Obsessed With ____.

December 31, 2011

Sarah’s Holiday Crafts, Part II: Prayer Cards

Today’s craft from my friend Sarah is a great little something to work on as you think about ringing in the New Year and getting 2012 started off right. I was just talking to Simon the other day about wanting to invest more in my prayer life and spend good quality time talking to God, so this project gives me some great inspiration. Also, for someone like me who needs a bit of help with organization and time management, and who gets distracted very easily, even while praying (“Dear God, Please watch over my…wait…did I turn off my straighteners?…Anyway, yes, watch over my family and…my family. I miss my Mom. I should call her later…”) this is a big help.

Enjoy it, and please send me photos of your finished projects!

Hi again, Great Smitten readers! Last week, I wrote about my sister and her gift of generosity. Karla and I would agree that her generous and kind heart had a great deal to do with my mother.

My mom, holding my little boy minutes after he was born

I call her my steel magnolia because she has the most joyful soul and tough-as-nails heart of anyone I know. She is also a prayer warrior. So much so that my friends call me just to ask me if she will pray for them. She takes prayer seriously. And she does it with faith and determination.

One of my favorite childhood memories is waking up around 5 or 6 am when it was still dark outside and sleepily walking into the kitchen to get a drink of water. So many mornings I would glance into the living room and see my mother kneeling at the foot of our couch, her heart wrapped up in a desperate prayer.

I never knew exactly what she was praying for on those quiet mornings, and I usually padded back to my bedroom without interrupting her, but what I did know is that my mother had a heart for taking things to the Lord and that when someone asked her to pray for them she did.

I want to be like that. I try to be like that. But I am not there yet. While I am still figuring out how best to juggle the roles in my life now that I’m a mother, one of my biggest goals is to be more accountable with my prayers. No matter how God has gifted you, everyone is called be to faithful prayer.

Because I love visuals, I made a set of daily prayer cards. I ripped out a few pages from a beautiful journal (another Lotta Jansdotter find at the consignment sale!). Then I laminated the sheets to make them durable and wipeable since I’d be using them in the kitchen.

(By the way, laminating things is one of my small pleasures in life. I bought my own personal laminator from Target to use in my classroom when I taught elementary school. For twenty dollars you can experience this amazingly satisfying experience for yourself!!)

Before writing, I sat down and wrote a list of the people I wanted to pray for regularly. I divided them up into groups and assigned them a day. This doesn’t mean that I only pray for these people on this assigned day. In fact, I pray for people all of the time when I happen to think of them. But it does ensure that they are prayed for, earnestly and faithfully, every week.

I wrote my prayer list with a Sharpie marker. This way, it’s durable but I can wipe it clean with nail polish remover if I want to change or update it.

Here’s what I wrote on each card:

Give Thanks!

I always want to start my day with a prayer of thankfulness first.

Pray for Steve/Sarah

My husband is using these cards too and praying for each other is essential for our marriage.

Pray for Wyatt

OMG

Oh…

My…

Gosh.

Christmas Granola

I promised you a Christmasy recipe, and a Christmasy recipe you shall get! I was inspired to make Christmas granola by some granola I had from this bakery back in North Carolina. My recipe is very different than that one, but just as delicious (if I do say so myself).

Here’s what you need (this is for 10 cups of granola – feel free to cut it in half or double it as needed!):

6 c. oats

2 1/2 c. dried cranberries

1 1/4 c. hazelnuts, chopped

1 c. sunflower seeds (hulled, obviously)

5 tsp. freshly grated orange zest (I found three large oranges gave me about the right amount of zest)

2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/4 c. honey

3 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. salt (I prefer coarse sea salt, but table salt might just do the trick)*

Start by preheating your oven to 160 degrees celsius, or 320 fahrenheit.

Then, combine all your dry ingredients – oats, cranberries, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt – in a large bowl. Just dump it on in there, like this:

Now, put the honey in a saucepan on LOW heat (listen to me – LOW heat) for about 45 seconds, just until it starts to get runny. Add the vanilla, stir it around a bit, and then pour that over your oat mixture.

Stir it up.

For a minute you might think, “This is not enough honey. It’s not going to touch all my oats and nuts and fruits.” You’re wrong. Keep stirring.

See? Told you.

Now, spoon that gooey goodness onto a baking tray or into a roasting pan. Don’t pile it too thick, but you don’t have to spread it paper thin either.

Stick it in the oven for 20-30 minutes (oven heats vary – mine took more like 30). Every 10 minutes, take the pan out and give it a little stir, and then spread it out again, so every bit gets toasted. When it’s golden and lovely, it’s done. (But don’t let it get dark brown. Dark brown = burnt)

When you take it out, you might think it’s not done because it still seems gooey. But it is done. Set it on the counter and let it cool completely, and once it’s cool it’ll be crunchy and delicious and perfect, like this!

I had to make several batches, because 10 cups is actually quite a lot. Once they’d all cooled, I scooped the granola into glass jars, which I covered with a circle of brown butcher paper, and tied with some red yarn.

Voila! Christmas Granola and delicious gift for all your nearest and dearest.

*I put salt in EVERY sweet thing I make, ever. The tiniest kick of salty makes sweet treats and baked goods that much sweeter.

1 Comment

Filed under cooking, recipes, seasons

Tagged as cheap christmas gifts, christmas baking, christmas granola, granola recipe, holiday granola

December 21, 2011

Sarah’s Holiday Crafts, Part I: Wrap it up!

In honor of Christmas this weekend (eeeeeeek!), I’ve asked my lovely friend Sarah to give us another craft project tutorial. The one you’ll see today is so timely – I think you’ll see why. If you’re super-organized and have already wrapped all your gifts, well done you. If you’re like me, and have wrapped a couple, but are still rushing around choosing last-minute things which you’ll be wrapping Christmas Eve at 10pm, well then, this is for you…

The second project, which I’ll post next week, is perfect for starting the new year out right.

That said, enjoy the first of these two special projects! Take it away, Sarah…

Hi Great Smitten readers! I’m so happy to be back to share a few more ideas with you. These ideas are inspired by the two most important women in my life: my sister and my mother.

My older sister, Karla, has a knack for finding things. If I’m looking for a certain hard-to-find item, I don’t even attempt to try to find it myself. I know the only way I’m going to get it is to call her. She loves the thrill of the hunt and I think she secretly hopes things are out of stock so that she can find them “her way.” But I don’t judge her because she knows I can eat an entire tube of Pringles in one sitting and she doesn’t judge me for that.

Here's Karla...amazingly beautiful with her little boy.

So, besides my sister’s unrivaled search skills, perfect skin tone and extensive knowledge of 90′s rap music, she has another quality that I admire more than any other. She is generous – with her time and with her money. She loves to give gifts. When she’s out and about she shops with more than herself in mind. More often than not, when we see each other (which is usually once a week), she will open up her bag, whip out an item and slide it across the table. She does this without any expectation of a “thank you”. She just sees something that she thinks I would enjoy or have a need for (usually something toddler related since we both have 18 month old boys) and buys it out of pure kindness, thinking nothing of it. To her it is a small gesture. To me, however, it means I thought of you, I wanted you to enjoy this. It’s never the actual gift that she gives me, but her kind intention behind it that reminds me over and over again that she loves me. Who knew a three-dollar sippy cup could mean so much?

In honor of my sister and her generous heart, I wanted to write about gifts and some fun and unique ways to wrap them. Wrapping a gift is nearly as fun as giving one!

My go-to wrapping paper is brown butcher paper. I pick up mine at the dollar store. It’s a huge roll for just a buck! The bow options are endless with such simple paper. Here’s a picture of the brown paper with a stack of brightly colored ribbon. I wrapped this for my Goddaughter’s 2nd birthday party.

Other ideas for the brown paper are:

Tying a twine bow and adding a simple flower from your yard, a sprig of Baby’s Breath (for a baby shower), or a beautiful Christmas ornament (so many can be used throughout the year).
Tying a long thin piece of fabric into a pretty bow. I love the frayed edges.

Scrapbook paper is such a cheap and pretty way to wrap a small gift.

A simple and clever wrapping for a teacher’s gift – notebook paper.

Calendars are a fun way to make a package pop. Recycle your calendar after you use it! Here are the art and month pages from my 2010 Masha D’yans’ calendar (one of my favorite artists!).

Write Happy Birthday on your recipient’s birthday date.

If you have little ones, get them involved too! Before celebrating a play group buddy’s birthday, Wyatt decorated this plain-white paper with his own design. Watercolors on white paper can be a fun and beautiful way to wrap a gift. For a more sophisticated look, paint it yourself with a simple flower or design.

Mailing envelopes can make great wrapping paper. It’s fast and easy. No scissors or tape required. These fun envelopes are designed by Lotta Jansdotter (I found a pack of them at a consignment sale).

Another simple and sweet wrap idea is to use a paper doily. I bought 30 for a dollar at my local dollar store. Here’s a little gift our group put together for our dear friends, Emily and Rusty (and their sweet little girl, Larkin) before they moved away. The 4×6 frame was the perfect size for a large paper doily. It’s pretty and simple. Top it with a flower from outside and you’re done!

Come back tomorrow for a Christmasy recipe, and next week for Sarah’s second holiday craft!

4 Comments

Filed under Guest Posts, Hand Craft, seasons

Tagged as cheap gift wrapping ideas, christmas wrapping, gift wrap, holiday craft projects, holidays, unique gift wrap

December 12, 2011

I’m Obsessed With ___.

Pretty much everything I’m obsessed with right now has to do with photography.

This picture of my beautiful son, which was made possible by my second obsession…

My new 50mm lens. I can’t take a picture of it because it’s on my camera. But if I could marry a piece of photographic equipment, this would be it.

Jose Villa’s book, Fine Art Wedding Photography. My sweet friend Sara mailed it to me all the way from the US of A.

Sara, by the way, is a former editor of skirt! (like me!) and has just started her own business. She’s über talented. Not to mention one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever seen in person.

…

Check back later this week for some gorgeous photos I took over the weekend with my ~~fiancé~~ lens!

1 Comment

Filed under I'm Obsessed With ____.

Tagged as 50mm, camera, photography, taking photos

Great Smitten

What My 20s Taught Me: Everyone is Faking It

I’m Bringing 30 Back

Where you be?

I’m Obsessed With ___.

Sarah’s Holiday Crafts, Part II: Prayer Cards

OMG

Christmas Granola

Sarah’s Holiday Crafts, Part I: Wrap it up!

I’m Obsessed With ___.

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