Some days they are best buddies. They are honestly pretty similar. There is something about a three-year-old boy and a puppy that would make anyone’s heart jump a little bit, but these two are as good of friends as they are each other’s greatest enemy. They are each equally curious, ornery, smart and quick, which makes for some hectic days around our house. Every morning, when Tate comes shuffling down the hall after waking, the first thing he looks for is Teddy. “Aw, hiiii puppy!” he says in his gravely, sleepy voice. That’s when it starts. Teddy, who is always super pumped to see people, runs up to Tate at full, out of control, puppy speed and knocks him right over. Tate screams at the top of his lungs, which gets Teddy even more excited. At this point, after two months with Teddy in our home, almost all of Tate’s shirts have little holes in the back, where Teddy has grabbed him with his little puppy teeth. Tate is definitely not innocent in this…every time Teddy lays down or settles in with a toy or bone, there is Tate, jumping on top of him or taking his toy and running away, giggling maniacally.
“Mama, I just giving Teddy love,” he’ll explain when I catch him. There is no amount of convincing that will make Tate realize that most puppies don’t like to be “strangled” with love. And there is no amount of dog commands that will convince Teddy that Tate’s screams are not one’s of happiness. He just thinks the little human wants to play! So most mornings and evenings are full of “No, Teddy, no biting!” and “Tate, leave that dog alone!” It’s a loud, hectic life we’re leading.
But every once in a while, I find them snuggled together on the couch watching cartoons, or sleeping together during nap time, twin snores emitting from Tate’s bed. There is so much love here. It might be tainted with screams and little puppy bite marks, but I can still see it. Right now they are about equal in size, but very soon, Teddy will outgrow our little boy, so we are working hard training both of them to treat each other with respect. And even though they bicker, I can already tell they are going to be the best of friends. We are so lucky to have found Teddy. Just proves to me, once again, the good things in life are worth waiting for.
http://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.png00Meganhttp://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.pngMegan2014-01-27 11:26:172014-01-27 11:26:17Tater and Tedders : Best Buddies and Greatest Nemises
This was originally posted last year, right after I returned from the Altitude Design Summit in Salt Lake City. Can you believe it’s been a whole year?! Me either! I thought it might be fun for some of you who are headed to Alt 2014 or just dreaming of a future blogging conference to re-read some of my thoughts after returning from Salt Lake. An honestly, it was a good thing for me to re-read as I’m pondering the future of this blog these days. Hope you enjoy!
————————————————
Alt Summit stirred up a lot of feelings in me, some positive…some not so much. And I’ve spent the last few days trying to figure out why that is. Why do I feel a giant weight of inadequacy about to crush me after I’ve left such an uplifting experience?
I was so overwhelmed with all the goodness at Alt Summit, and I think I was internalizing it in a way that was totally negative. Which, I mean, come on, right? Stop it. But I couldn’t help myself. I met so many people, tons of whom had only been blogging for a year or two, whose lives were overflowing with sponsorships, book deals, speaking engagements and everything else under the sun. Many of the people I’ve spoken to left Alt with a new sense of purpose…a new idea they were going to make come to life or an amazing plan for a collaboration. I left with a book full of notes and a big case of “oh poor me” syndrome. Gross.
But luckily for me, I at least had the foresight to look through that big book of notes and found my answers staring me in the face. Page after page of my notes described talks by bloggers who had started out with the same doubts and worries that I was feeling. In fact, a few of them expressed how they are STILL dealing with those emotions. Suddenly, I felt less alone.
Photo by Brooke Dennis for Alt – Layout by Me
Over and over people had asked for advice during these sessions, and over and over the answers were simple: Be Yourself. Don’t try to emulate others because you’re just going to come off as a cheap version of whoever they are, and you’re so much better than that. Karon Walrond gave a speech on “Finding Your Voice” and one of her main points was to stop comparing. She outlined the difference between inspiration (makes you want to do better) and comparison (makes you feel bad about yourself), and that was a real lightbulb moment for me. I was comparing. And it’s never going to do me any good.
iPhone Photo and Layout by Me
I’m me. Crazybananas. I write a blog about nothing. And everything. I’m not a designer or a professional photographer or someone who can craft my way out of any situation. I’m not usually the most fashionable girl in the group. Sometimes my life is mundane. Sometimes it’s extraordinary. I write about things that I like. I write about my life. I write about TV and pop culture and shoes that I think are totally rad. I’m not an expert on anything. Except for myself. I’m a world renowned expert in the study of me.
And now that I think about it, that’s a pretty awesome thing to be. And that’s why I continue here. This is why I blog. Because I have an internal voice that wants to tell my story. Someday, when I’m old and my grandkids can’t imagine who I was before, I want them to be able to read here and learn about what I am all about…what I liked and who I loved, no matter how mundane it may seem. My voice matters to someone out there, even if I can’t see it yet. And that someone is me.
(Someone remind me to read this before the next time I go to Alt, deal? Deal.)
(Just in case you need to have a dance party after that heaviness…I’m having one right now too!)
http://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.png00Meganhttp://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.pngMegan2014-01-23 19:12:552014-01-23 19:12:55Repost : Why I Blog (Lessons from Alt Summit 2013)
// Photo taken on New Year’s Eve in Gove County, Kansas at the Coberly Farm //
Thanks to my assistant, Trent, who helped me capture this amazingness! //
http://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.png00Meganhttp://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.pngMegan2014-01-13 11:15:262014-01-14 11:59:09Shine On
Tater and Tedders : Best Buddies and Greatest Nemises
/0 Comments/in Puppy, Tate, Teddy /by MeganSome days they are best buddies. They are honestly pretty similar. There is something about a three-year-old boy and a puppy that would make anyone’s heart jump a little bit, but these two are as good of friends as they are each other’s greatest enemy. They are each equally curious, ornery, smart and quick, which makes for some hectic days around our house. Every morning, when Tate comes shuffling down the hall after waking, the first thing he looks for is Teddy. “Aw, hiiii puppy!” he says in his gravely, sleepy voice. That’s when it starts. Teddy, who is always super pumped to see people, runs up to Tate at full, out of control, puppy speed and knocks him right over. Tate screams at the top of his lungs, which gets Teddy even more excited. At this point, after two months with Teddy in our home, almost all of Tate’s shirts have little holes in the back, where Teddy has grabbed him with his little puppy teeth. Tate is definitely not innocent in this…every time Teddy lays down or settles in with a toy or bone, there is Tate, jumping on top of him or taking his toy and running away, giggling maniacally.
“Mama, I just giving Teddy love,” he’ll explain when I catch him. There is no amount of convincing that will make Tate realize that most puppies don’t like to be “strangled” with love. And there is no amount of dog commands that will convince Teddy that Tate’s screams are not one’s of happiness. He just thinks the little human wants to play! So most mornings and evenings are full of “No, Teddy, no biting!” and “Tate, leave that dog alone!” It’s a loud, hectic life we’re leading.
But every once in a while, I find them snuggled together on the couch watching cartoons, or sleeping together during nap time, twin snores emitting from Tate’s bed. There is so much love here. It might be tainted with screams and little puppy bite marks, but I can still see it. Right now they are about equal in size, but very soon, Teddy will outgrow our little boy, so we are working hard training both of them to treat each other with respect. And even though they bicker, I can already tell they are going to be the best of friends. We are so lucky to have found Teddy. Just proves to me, once again, the good things in life are worth waiting for.
Repost : Why I Blog (Lessons from Alt Summit 2013)
/0 Comments/in bloglife, Finding My Path /by MeganThis was originally posted last year, right after I returned from the Altitude Design Summit in Salt Lake City. Can you believe it’s been a whole year?! Me either! I thought it might be fun for some of you who are headed to Alt 2014 or just dreaming of a future blogging conference to re-read some of my thoughts after returning from Salt Lake. An honestly, it was a good thing for me to re-read as I’m pondering the future of this blog these days. Hope you enjoy!
Alt Summit stirred up a lot of feelings in me, some positive…some not so much. And I’ve spent the last few days trying to figure out why that is. Why do I feel a giant weight of inadequacy about to crush me after I’ve left such an uplifting experience?
I was so overwhelmed with all the goodness at Alt Summit, and I think I was internalizing it in a way that was totally negative. Which, I mean, come on, right? Stop it. But I couldn’t help myself. I met so many people, tons of whom had only been blogging for a year or two, whose lives were overflowing with sponsorships, book deals, speaking engagements and everything else under the sun. Many of the people I’ve spoken to left Alt with a new sense of purpose…a new idea they were going to make come to life or an amazing plan for a collaboration. I left with a book full of notes and a big case of “oh poor me” syndrome. Gross.
But luckily for me, I at least had the foresight to look through that big book of notes and found my answers staring me in the face. Page after page of my notes described talks by bloggers who had started out with the same doubts and worries that I was feeling. In fact, a few of them expressed how they are STILL dealing with those emotions. Suddenly, I felt less alone.
Photo by Brooke Dennis for Alt – Layout by Me
Over and over people had asked for advice during these sessions, and over and over the answers were simple: Be Yourself. Don’t try to emulate others because you’re just going to come off as a cheap version of whoever they are, and you’re so much better than that. Karon Walrond gave a speech on “Finding Your Voice” and one of her main points was to stop comparing. She outlined the difference between inspiration (makes you want to do better) and comparison (makes you feel bad about yourself), and that was a real lightbulb moment for me. I was comparing. And it’s never going to do me any good.
iPhone Photo and Layout by Me
I’m me. Crazybananas. I write a blog about nothing. And everything. I’m not a designer or a professional photographer or someone who can craft my way out of any situation. I’m not usually the most fashionable girl in the group. Sometimes my life is mundane. Sometimes it’s extraordinary. I write about things that I like. I write about my life. I write about TV and pop culture and shoes that I think are totally rad. I’m not an expert on anything. Except for myself. I’m a world renowned expert in the study of me.
And now that I think about it, that’s a pretty awesome thing to be. And that’s why I continue here. This is why I blog. Because I have an internal voice that wants to tell my story. Someday, when I’m old and my grandkids can’t imagine who I was before, I want them to be able to read here and learn about what I am all about…what I liked and who I loved, no matter how mundane it may seem. My voice matters to someone out there, even if I can’t see it yet. And that someone is me.
(Someone remind me to read this before the next time I go to Alt, deal? Deal.)
(Just in case you need to have a dance party after that heaviness…I’m having one right now too!)
Shine On
/0 Comments/in Finding My Path, Photos /by MeganThanks to my assistant, Trent, who helped me capture this amazingness! //