Toothwhale

Inside the Frame

Vacations give us reasons to take pictures. Milestones and holidays do, too. We capture graduations, weddings, new babies, and first days of school. We think to bring out cameras for birthday parties, Halloween costumes, and Christmas mornings.

But what about the neighborhood and Sunday afternoons and just because? Do you take pictures of everyday moments?

I'm getting better about it. Sometimes I prefer to let my memory take the picture, but I am getting better at remembering to bring the camera and at thinking of everyday moments and everyday things as worthy of pictures.

My Project 365 has helped me do that. I'm not sure it's helping me take better pictures, though. That's why I like Inside the Frame.

Inside the Frame is a new photo project created by Brigid of Brigid Day and Shab of No Todo Yago. (They're nice and are giving me credit, too, but I'm pretty sure I was in the bathroom.) I will be joining in the fun of the project, though, and I'll use it as a chance to work on getting a good shot.

Each week we'll post a photo prompt for the following week on No Todo Yago and on the Inside the Frame Facebook page. (You can "like" the page to get the photo prompt updates.) Then, on Wednesday mornings, Shab will post a "linky" on No Todo Yago where you can post a link to the photo you took to fit the week's theme.

We're getting started right away and the theme for the linky to be posted on October 6 is circles. I like how the theme sends me on a mission but leaves me creative wiggle room.

Brigid and Shab and I want as many people as possible to participate in Inside the Frame. You don't have to already be a skilled photographer or have a fancy camera. You just have to be up for a fun challenge. Join us!

Walking in Asheville

Asheville, N.C., is at the top of my list of Places to Go Again after being there last weekend for the Type-A Mom Conference. Asheville would work as a family destination, but my hope is to go with my husband, because being there just-the-two-of-us would mean being able to take our time and really soak in the flavor of the city.

Brigid, Shab, Malia and I arrived in Asheville on Friday afternoon, and on Friday evening, we set out on a photowalk of a section of downtown near the Renaissance, where the conference was held and where we stayed.

 

We started at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial. My favorite part of the Old Kentucky Home boarding house's exterior was its stained glass.

 

We walked on and stopped in Pack Square Park, a green space with a fountain made for splashing and a view of downtown architecture.

 

We walked a ways down Patton Avenue, past restaurants, boutiques, and chocolate shops, and ended at a plaza where dozens of people had gathered for an Asheville Friday night tradition: the drum circle.

Brigid, Shab, and I listened and watched a while. We had lost Malia with the rest of the photowalk crowd by then, and we decided to head back up Patton to Salsa's, a "Mexican Caribbean" restaurant. Shab and I shared platanos good like my mom's, and I got a chicken enchilada so layered with flavor I'll be thinking about it for years.

Asheville is art and architecture, local food and hippie skirts, blue skies and mountains in my mind, and those are things I like. I hope it won't be another 15 years before I'm there again.

Have you been to Asheville? What did you think?

I'm headed to Asheville and the Type-A Mom Conference

You know how when you make plans way in advance, it seems like the time will never come? And then, when it does come, you kind of can't believe it? That's happening to me now. I registered in early May for the Type-A Mom Conference for bloggers. I had summer and the start of kindergarten to get through before the September 24-26 conference in Asheville, N.C., so I thought of it as way, way off. Now the summer's (almost) gone, kindergarten is so far, so good, and September 24-26 is this weekend. THIS weekend.

I don't have the pure excitement adrenaline that I had before Blissdom '10 in February, but I really am looking forward to Type-A Mom, and I think it could be an even better conference for me. I have more experience and confidence as a blogger now than I did then, and I think that could translate to getting more out of the sessions and meeting more people.

I'm hitching a ride to Asheville and staying at the conference hotel with other Nashville bloggers. I can't see how that won't be fun. The first thing we're doing when we get there is participating in an Asheville photowalk. I haven't been to Asheville since Jake and I were there with friends after sophomore year of college, now 15 years ago. I understand my memory of it being a cool and attractive city is right on, so I'm excited the conference is there.

Jake will take care of the kids while I'm gone, and I know we'll have a sweet reunion when I get home. I'll post one more thing before I go, and then next week, I'll tell you all about my road trip to the funky city in the Blue Ridge Mountains and the learning and networking I did at Type-A Mom.

Blog hopping

The big mama of blog conferences, BlogHer, is happening now in New York. More than a thousand bloggers from every niche and nook of the blogosphere are gathering to socialize, network, and learn. I'll be at home in Nashville, but I am joining the fun of Blog Hop '10, hosted by Robin at Pensieve, whom I briefly met at Blissdom in February.

Robin wants us blog hoppers to write some words about ourselves and our blogs, so here goes:

I'm Rebecca. Toothwhale is my blog about being a mom. My experience of being a mom is both unique and universal. I'm living my own little life, but I think other moms can see themselves in my feelings and concerns. We all love our children. We all need to figure out what to make for dinner.

There's more about me on my About page and in my 100th post. You can find me on Twitter, too. 

These posts will give you an idea of what you'll find at Toothwhale:  

Fifty hundred things in this happy life 

Creamy chicken and broccoli

Two simple ways to keep a clean home.

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