Back to Photography

Hi everyone,  I first started this space after taking a break from my photography business and finding that I still had a need for a creative outlet.  Well, I'm back to photographing and I thought I'd share a link for those of you interested in seeing my work.

www.hardiephotography.blogspot.com

Look it over and let me know what you think!  I'd love the feedback.
And don't worry.  I won't be leaving this blog anytime soon.  Up next, a requested apartment tour!
Thanks always for reading here.  Your friendship means a lot.

Finding your Calling

A regal lady in the Met

You know what it means when you see a photo of a statue up here.  It means I've come across something that's made me think and I want to share it with all of you.  I hope you will read through this post and then contribute to the conversation in the comments -  I really want to know what you think!

The Marriott School Alumni Magazine published an article recently that my dear Joe encouraged me to read.  Based on a campus devotional address given by Professor Jeffery Thompson, the article is called Finding Your Calling.  [click the link to read the full text].    Thompson discusses the anxiety we often feel when we think about what our calling may be in this life.  Did I miss it?  Am I up to the task?  Is there really only one way?  Are you serious - this is IT?  I ask myself that last one a lot.  Thompson presents the misinformation (what he calls heresies) to which we often fall victim when we consider our callings in life.  He then corrects them with real life examples and gospel principles. 

Here are the heresies along with a few of my favorite quotes from the article:

1. You might have a calling or you might not

2. You have to find your one true calling

3. When you find your calling, work will be bliss

4. The world will celebrate your calling

Thompson discusses the challenging work of zookeepers (which is pretty much the same as mothering); how they are often underpaid and overworked but still feel a great sense of satisfaction with their work.  He concludes:

The pain and sacrifice were not threats to their sense of calling - they were part of it.  The work was meaningful because of the burdens.

Also:

You may do the most important, exciting work in the world, but some days will be mundane.  You will be called upon to sacrifice.  We can't expect deep meaningfulness from our calling unless we are willing to assume its burdens as well.

Remember that it is a heresy to believe that work is meaningful only when it gives us status.

When you focus your work first and foremost on blessing others, you will become extraordinary at what you do.  You will find fulfillment and success much more reliably than if you work to get ahead.

There are not enough surfaces in my home for me to cross stitch all of these gems.  But I would like to remember these principles on days when my work feels like pure drudgery.  Friends, what about you?  What are some of the callings you've considered for your life?  What are the dreams you still hold on to?  What are you doing to achieve them?  What holds you back?  How do you bridge the gap between dreaming big and performing the day to day necessities?  I guess all these questions boil down to fulfillment.  Are you fulfilled?  If so, who is your therapist?

Just to get the juices flowing here's a fun list of things I'd love to be.  Some are just pipe dreams, others are really going to happen:

- lounge singer

- paramedic

- ASL interpreter

- awesome gardener

- neighborhood watch lady

- community theater star

- birth photographer

- expert quilter

- zookeeper (I wanna hold baby monkeys)

- volunteer for NILMDTS

- photography mentor

- author

Fashion Friday: transitional weather

Well, it certainly feels like spring, but some days are still a bit chilly.  So what do you do when your heart yearns to dress for spring, but your legs beg for some protection?  Ellie has your solution.  Pair a short springy dress with thick tights and a long lightweight jacket.  Cute and warm.  Topped off with an adorable headband, Eleanor's cuteness factor is through the roof!

This is her pouty face.  She's branching out.

Turns out our little fashion segment has inspired Ellie to seek our more serious modeling gigs.

I love this little girl so much!  I'd try to tell you how much, but I'm afraid you wouldn't believe me.

Make it count

Statue in Washington DC

Yesterday I heard a fascinating interview on The Diane Rehm Show with man named Joshua Foer, who wrote a book called Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything.  The interview was basically about improving your memory and what it's like to be a memory champion.  Yes, there is such a thing.  Anyway, while the whole bit was interesting, the interview took a poignant turn for me when Mr. Foer uttered this little gem:

I have to say if there's one takeaway that I had from this experience of training my memory, it's not memorizing shopping lists and decks of playing cards... It's that if you want to remember something, you've got to be the kind of person who remembers to remember. You know, you can be the kind of person who throws down your keys and doesn't pay any attention and you can do that with everything in your life. You know, you can move through and not pay attention and not be mindful. But if you are going to remember your life, you're going to have a memorable life, you've got to be there, you've got to be mindful. You've got to be paying attention. 

Wow.  Thank you for that great reminder.  I'm determined to really be here (wherever that is) and to be mindful and to make my life one worth remembering.  How inspiring.

If you get a chance,  you should really listen to this interview - Foer also offers up a theory as to why we feel life speeds by us so quickly, the older we get.  Everyone wants to know that, right?

Recipes from me to you

I have mixed feelings about March.  Most of the time March makes me extremely happy - especially compared to January and February.  The days start to get longer, the sun is brighter, and every once in a while there's even a warm day thrown in.  It's blissful.

But then there are the other parts of March when the wind is biting cold and you feel that you will never break free of winter's cruel grasp.  In an effort to be more optimistic, on these days I think, "Why don't I make a nice chili?  Once spring and summer come, chili will be long gone, so I should take advantage now."  And for that reason I'm sharing these two AMAZING chili recipes with you today.

Also, I feel like I should mention that these are vegetarian recipes.  I mention it 1) because good veggie chili seems like an oxymoron but these recipes prove that it's not and 2) because I like to tell people I cook vegetarian meals because it makes me feel fancy and cool.  Just being honest here.

Moraccan Chickpea Chili

image from here.

This is a recipe first brought to my attention by my friend Ariel and we LOVE it!

ready in 35 minutes

Ingredients

 2 tsp. olive oil

1 C chopped onion

3/4 C chopped celery

1/2 C chopped carrot

1 clove minced garlic

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground turmeric

pinch of pepper

pinch of salt

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground red pepper

1 1/2 C water

2 Tbs. tomato paste

2 (15.5 oz) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

1 (14.5 oz) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained

2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes.  Stir in cumin and next 7 ingredients (through red pepper); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add 1 1/2 C water, tomato paste, chickpeas, and tomatoes; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.  Stir in cilantro and juice.

* I know the ingredient list looks long, but it's mostly spices and they are so so so good!  Also, a tip for success is to prepare everything before you heat up the oil.  I like to combine all my spices into one small bowl and get all the canned goods opened and the veggies chopped.  That way, once you start to cook it moves along very quickly.

Sweet Potato Chili Bake

This MINDBLOWING chili comes from Taste of Home.

Thanks again to the amazing Debbie Hardie!

prep time: 30 min, bake: 20 min

Ingredients

2 C cubed peeled sweet potato

1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 C vegetable broth

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

4 1/2 tsp. brown sugar

3 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 package (6.5 oz) corn bread/muffin mix

1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese and chopped seeded jalapeno pepper

Directions

 - In an ovenproof Dutch oven, saute sweet potato and red pepper in oil until crisp-tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes, broth, beans, brown sugar, chili powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. 

-  Meanwhile, prepare corn bread batter according to package directions; stir in cheese. Drop by tablespoonfuls over chili. 

 - Cover and bake at 400° for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve with toppings of your choice.

*FYI - when we made this recipe we were out of chili powder so we used ground red pepper (cayenne), and just cut it in half.  Boy was it spicy!  But still very very good.

This weekend...

I'll be spending my time with these two people. One of whom has a 5 hour GMAT prep course, the other of whom speaks very little English.  I'm sure we'll make the most of it.

Above photo credit: Christy Turbow

How did I get so lucky?

Bonus:  Here's a photo of Eleanor that we agree looks exactly like Joe's baby photos.  What do you think Hardie Family - anyone see a little baby Joe in our baby girl?

Fashion Friday: headpieces

Our interpretation of a GapBaby ad.  What do you think?

Wow.  Where did the week go?  I realized it was Friday and time to do another feature of Eleanor's fashion bit and I was shocked to see that I haven't blogged since last week's installation.  Sorry about that folks.  It's been busy around here with the mothering gig and the part time photographer stuff.  Add in a couple days of sunshine and there just wasn't much time for blogging.  But we're here now with Ellie's fashion tip of the week: headpieces are essential.

While she usually opts to wear a colander on her head, Eleanor received a special treat from Rachel who made some adorable headbands, one of which is modeled for you today.

Please excuse the random objects in the mouth, as well as the plentiful snot and slobber.

We've got molars coming in -- enough said.

When sporting a headband, it's important to maintain your coiffure.

You can use a brush; Ellie prefers an empty lint roller.

For a more sophisticated look, Eleanor prefers baby extensions.  She finishes the outfit with a fancy diaper clutch and comfy shoes.  This babe is ready for a night on the town!

Fashion Friday: brassiere couture

We're starting a new segment around these parts.  Fashion Friday!  Every week you can get tips from the trendiest babe in NYC and check out all of her fashion forward choices.  And to kick it off - an idea Ellie came up with all on her own.

We call it brassiere couture.  Don't you just love it?

It's really quite comfortable if you can just figure out how to get the dang thing on.

Now, this is not a look everyone can pull off.

But Eleanor is daring YOU to give it a try!

Beardfest 2011

Believe it or not, I actually participate in a few activities that don't involve toddlers.  I know, it's a shocker.  So, what do we do on a night out with the girls?  Maybe we sneak down to Brooklyn, hit up a bar, and scope out some bearded cuties.  Don't judge.  Leslie's face says it all:

It was magical.

Beardfest 2011

bearded music

bearded wares

even bearded women

I want to be this cool.  I wish I wish I wish.

Of course the highlight of the evening is the beard and mustache competition.

I had no idea facial hair could compete in so many categories.

A few of the favorites for your viewing pleasure.

 To the man above: your beard is NOT the first the I notice.

To the man below:  I think my husband is the only man in the WORLD cuter than you.

There were a few heartbreaking face-offs. But in the end, a victor emerged.

That, my friends, is the face of triumph.

Here are the faces of my best bearded friends forever.  BBFF.

Erin channels her inner seductress.

Anna channels her inner french man.

Leslie channels her inner Wario.

Oh yes, thanks to Leslie's blog you can also enjoy this photo of yours truly

channeling her inner creep.

Beardfest 2011 - it's a lot like the Miss America pageant, minus the talent and swimsuits.

Ellie at 13 months

So, I blinked and my sweet girl grew up!  I am shocked at how much Ellie has changed lately.  She's actually 14 months old right now, but I realized that these are the only photos I have of her 13th month so I thought I'd share them.  Heaven knows she'll be completely different in another short month.

At 13 months old Ellie was a walking fool and super talkative.  Her hair grew at an astounding rate.  Every object was a phone to her.  She started experimenting with dress ups.  She clapped after commercials.  She charmed me every day.

Is that MY daughter posing for the camera?  I'm bursting with pride.

Work it Ellie!

**A note to other moms trying to photograph their children:  It's gotten extremely hard to photograph Eleanor lately.  Not only is she obsessed with grabbing the camera (and thus drops whatever she's doing the moment she sees it) but she's also very fast.  I finally discovered a way to turn her obsession to my advantage.  When I want photos of her I put her on one side of the room and I run to the other side and jump up on the couch.  As she runs toward me I aim the camera at her and fire away.  When she gets to me I run to the other side of the room and continue shooting.  Repeat, repeat, repeat until she loses interest and starts acting natural or I get enough frames I like.

That's a little tip for free - remember, you heard it here first.