Everyday end

I woke up to a flooded email this morning.

Hundreds and hundreds of concerend fans asking why I missed the last few days of the 'blog everyday in may' challenge.

Firstly, guys thanks for the concern, nothing terrible has happened, I'm still here.

Secondaly, I'm sorry that you missing out on my inspiring daily blog posts have messed up your past few days.

Thirdly, sorry for making all that up.

I'm not a fan of giving up. Who is right? However, the more I tried to follow the blog everyday in May challenge the more I started to realise that I'm just not that kind of blog.

I enjoyed trying on a few topics, I enjoyed the challenge of coming up with something new everyday. I also enjoy, and still will, following along other blogs that are keeping on with the challenge to the very end.

But things just started to feel less organic, less Lanlettie, as the posts went on. The moment I decided that I need to walk away from the challenge was the moment I felt peacefully excited about Lanlettie again, so I'm just going to go with that.

I hope you enjoyed the days that I did do, and I hope you'll keep stopping by as I figure out what it is I want this space to be.  Talking about my most embarrasing moments and my lot in life is not it, I think.

Enjoy these pictures as I continue contimplating qaulity and authentic material for upcoming posts.

From a tucked away Hanoi file, I recently rediscovered and feel like sharing with you for no apparent reason.

Day 21. Sometimes I amuse myself

Day 21... are we there yet?

Topic for today is:  A list of links to your favorite posts in your archives.

Easy enough.

Below are some of my personal favorite blog posts.  My favorites probably because I really enjoyed wrting them, or because the topic has a special memory or because I laugh at my own jokes.

For your enjoyment:

From this challenge:

Teaching you more about South Africa in 'South Africa 101'
Talking about what not to be afraid of anymore

From before:

I like this post about me falling in love with Spokane in the Summer, I remeber trying to imagine what life would be like here. Slow walking in Spokane

Sharing photo's from our road trip to Glacier National Park, here, here and here.

Sharing with you all the DIY projects I've done for our wedding.

Dealing with being homesick, missing South Africa.

Celebrating my 100th post!

Admitting to being a cheapskate in 'Thrifting around'

Do you have any particular favorites? I'd love to know!

two bloggers go on a hike...

What was I babbling on about in the last post? I forget... Oh something about what to do with this blog.  I got over thinking about it so deeply, so I'll just go on doing what I'm doing.

I get sentimental every now and then when I scroll through my Vietnam blog Lan In Nam (I know, how clever is that title!) and even though it's a little cheesy here and there my biggest regret is that I didn't blog more. More of the everyday details, shorter posts, more quickies. Alas. 

I also thought about the aspects I enjoy from my favorite blogs(see here to the side), and it's beautiful photography,  a little window into their lives (in a non creepy way), or something that inspires me. What I feel most inspired to do is to keep on keeping on with Lanlettie.

So that's what I'll do.

Speaking of little updates,

My Spokane blogger/instagram friend Amanda invited me for a little mid week hike last week, and what's a blogger supposed to do other than to post about it?

She, of course posted about it too.  She takes more pictures than I do, and they are stunning!! For the first time I understood what Ben must go through living with me and my constant snapping. (snapping of photos that is...)

 

 Can you believe we met on Instagram?  I love that! ...and they say social media is the end of human contact as we know it. ha! what do they know?

 These, I'll have you know, are my new hiking boots.  I feel so NorthWest right now. May they see many many happy trails and breathtaking views and maybe a wolf or a bear... I'll settle for moose.

If these photos seem a little familiar it's because I popped by here just a few weeks ago with Ben, remember? I told you all about it.

Friday: what to do from here?

Well, I feel I owe you a little bit of an update.

I've been very uninspired to write posts these last few weeks but I also can't manage the thought of just closing the blog down and moving on with other projects. why is that?

This weekend I'll take the time to really think about the direction I want Lanlettie to take in the future and go from there.  For me it's been a place of working out my wedding DIY ideas, dealing with leaving South Africa, in a way expressing life as a newly married woman, keeping sane through unemployment and so on.  Most of these things have changed.

I no longer need to DIY my wedding.
I've left South Africa.
Life as a newly married woman keeps on changing on me and it's great, but hard to put into posts.
I now work as an intern and learn about aprons, hard liquor and craft distilling.  So that take care of the unemployment crazy for now.

I have my green card interview coming up in less than two weeks! The end is in sight. Good news right?

Starting this post I thought I was going to tell you all about my mid week hike and our new healthy habits but for now let me take that content and come back when there is more clarity on what it is I do here. 
Any ideas?

1 year old today

You guys, it's my birthday.

Seeing as I spoke about my actual birthday last week and had a little mini celebration for my 100th post a while ago it seems a little overdone to make a big deal out of the fact that I started Lanlettie one year ago today.

Never mind that, I still feel the need to just mention this occasion for your general amusement.

This is not my first blog you know. I blogged in Vietnam and in South Africa. So Lanlettie was born out of my unexplainable need to blog and need for a geographical-less blog name.  (so now I don't have to start a whole new blog just because I'm moving somewhere new)
((not that I'm moving somewhere new anytime soon))
(((daydreaming about moving somewhere new... like Europe or Peru or California...)))
((((not that I'm unhappy with Spokane, I'm really loving it here now that the seasons are changing))))
(((((Goeie genade girl, stop with the brackets!!)))))

Anyway...
To celebrate this momentous birthday I've decided to share some recent iphone capturings.

 I like to play with vsco cam, overgram, pic stich and afterlight/afterglow if you were wondering.

As always thanks for reading! xoxo

Friday: Thank you and Chick peas.

Firstly, thank you to everybody who sent me a message regarding yesterdays more personal post.  This blog is a weird and wonderful place and despite my love/hate relationship with having one, it does really have it's advantages. 

I hope to keep this blog a real little corner of the internet, and real sometimes will include the challenges of an authentic life.
While I don't feel the need to share 'and today i did this, then felt like that, then saw this...' I do have a deep desire to somehow feel connected to people in my life, not just the South Africans, but people I know from all over and opening up to people I've never met.  Why would I want to do that? I don't know, but I'm doing it.

I'm rambling.

Notice how I've decided to bring back the CAPS? Guess things are getting serious around here.

Secondly, let me share with you my new favorite snack.

And it's healthy! You should totally try it!

You'll need:

a Can of chick peas (also known as Garbanzo Beans)
Splashes and splashes of olive oil
Seasoning of your choice.
My favorites are salt and pepper or garlic powder and Parmesan cheese, but the possibilities are endless. Think paprika, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, Italian herbs...

You'll have to:
Preheat the oven to 425F/ 220C
Drain and dry as much as possible
Toss in a bowl and splash generous amounts of olive oil (but not toooooo much)
Add seasoning
Toss around some more
Stick it in the oven for 25-30 minutes
Let cool and munch away with a smug smile on your face,  feeling superior to potato-chip eaters.

100!!!

this is my happy 100th blog post!

this may be a little more exciting to me than to you.

i should take this special post to reflect on what this blog has meant to me so far. dream of the direction i want to take and share the thoughts i have towards my little space of the internet.

why?

because, it seems like a good idea. share a little 'behind the senses' of lanlettie if you will.

first, a random photo:

because i like sharing my photos with you. do you like it?

then, some thoughts:
things i say to myself often with regards to this blog:

"maybe i should do a post on baking cupcakes"

"what should i blog about next"

"wow, i didn't think that post would get so many reads"

"meh, i thought more people would read that post"

"maybe i should blog more often"

"i don't know what to blog about this week"

"i hate the word 'blog', it make me think of snails and slugs"

"is that a good blog topic?"

"i wonder when my mom will start reading"

"let's just delete the whole thing"

"should i start advertising?"

"do people really want to know about my SAD condition" (something about being depressed by the lack of sun)

"at least i know belinda will like this post"

"why didn't belinda like that post..."

"is this stupid"

"i wish i had a better photo for the blog"

"what am i trying to prove with the lack of CAPS?"

"i love you blog, i would have gone crazy in my unemployment housewife state"

"is blogging about dreams you had a thing?"

"what am i trying to accomplish here???"

"i found this cool photo in my archive... how can i turn it into a post?"


anyhoo, just some insight into that side of things, moving on.

not without another random photo of course.

to be honest the need for this blog has changed a few times over the past year. notice?

i started lanlettie because i needed some kind of outlet, something to do.  above all because i thought it would be fun, and for the most part i really enjoy is... for the most part, to be honest every now and then i think this is all bullsh*t and i should invest my time in other things. like ..... like..... (stares at screen blankly)...

over these past 99 posts i shared everything from my puppy (in sa), wedding diy, lunches, walks, my room, traveling to the States, moving to the States, exploring Spokane, being a new cook, being skinny, being cheap, being a little overwhelmed by these Americans every now and then.

so i'm a little attached see.

i'm also taking this momentous occasion of the 100th post to think about the future of lanlettie.

let me think as i search for another, you guessed it, random photo

it just felt right

 i wonder if i should just take it post for post, like i have been. i wonder about my 'blogger voice' (argh that sounds cheesy), should i continue with the mostly snarky commentary?
or maybe try and be more useful?
can our weekends ever be as exciting to just take photos of the whole deal and post them on monday?  i think about this EVERY monday. 

i have a few favorite blogs that inspire me, see here to the right ------->
see?
and just copying them would be of no use.  i could never be as witty as the everywhereist, show you beautiful photography like afternoons & coffeespoons or chasing heartbeats or write as beautifully as rose and crown and exquisite banana.
and i'm okay with that.

i guess what i'm really getting at is, this space (i say space because i seriously can not use the word 'blog' one more time)... this space is still figuring itself out, and i'm very curious to see where it will go from here.
will you still be here lanlettie once the green card arrives and you've found useful employment?
will your main purpose be to somehow keep those back home up to date on your daily life here?
those who want to know...
will you keep me busy and distracted from winter? cabin fever? the dishes? homesickness? 
will you add some usefulness?
will you grow and grow and someday become the notes for that book written about your life?
lanlettie?

lanlettie is like "uh... i don't know"

for those of you who do check in every now and then, thank you sincerely.

that's all for now.
well that and ANOTHER random photo yay!

the sun is shining! the sun is shining! i'm freaking out.