Oh, hello!

Since the last post in April I’ve been a busy girl! The Summer semester is over and I found myself closing it out with a 4.0 GPA – which, for me, is unheard of! Now that I’ve set the bar that high I’m sure the fall will be that much more fun trying to keep it up there.

Queen City Exclusive is coming along nicely. We’re seeing good traffic on the website and hoping that, in time, it will be a monster all its own. We’re also getting ready for our first print issue to come out – so hooray for that!

Other than working too much and not playing nearly enough things are the same. I’m also photographing a wedding today – my second one – and I’m looking forward to the finished product.

I won’t make any empty promises to keep up with the blog but I’m going to try to get on here a little more often.

I hope you’re doing well and that life is treating you fairly.

Much love,

Kit     xo

Up and Running

Queen City Exclusive is up and running on the web! A successful launch yesterday and we’re feeling good about where this is going. Check out some of my articles online. (www.charlotteexclusive.com)

There are a few reviews and my latest is about a Couture Cupcake shop in the Charlotte area.

Hope you’re all doing well – best blogging wishes!

xo

Really now?

So here it is. This is my blogging problem. I do it  Every. Single. Time. I neglect when I get busy and here it is however much later when I last talked about how I wanted to post and I still haven’t.

This photography thing is a monster! Seriously! I’m taking photos Saturdays and Sundays, have like 5 weddings in the works and am now hardly finding time to do articles for the magazine. However I’ve kept an entirely free weekend next weekend in order to catch up on my articles.

Today I also had to register for my courses – I’m taking Professional Research and Reporting, Intro to Communications, American Politics and a Creative Writing course. That’s a lot to fit into 16 weeks. I honestly have no idea how I’m going to manage all of this.  I guess just taking it one day at a time will be the key.

The camera is working out well. If you haven’t gotten to look at the photography site check it out:
www.wix.com/klmackie/photography

My laptop, on the other hand, has a broken fan and its life expectancy isn’t too promising. If any of ya’ll have a new laptop sitting around throw it my way!

 

As for the blog.. I plan on getting back to it. Just getting all of this stuff sorted first.

Much love to all of you!

I’m Alive!

Holy moly.

I’ve been so busy I’ve totally been neglecting you. I’m sorry!

With the restaurant review, articles and interviews I’ve been doing and now I’m going insane with the photography appointments I’m super busy. Suffice it to say things have taken off with a bang!

I’m 5 minutes to work time so unfortunately I’m on the run again but I wanted to let you all know that I’m alive, things are well and I’m planning hoping to get on here and give you something good soon!

I hope you’re doing well! Have a great day!

Happy Monday!

Actually Monday’s are a drag more often than not. But today I can’t help but be a little more excited than usual. My first restaurant review was published on Charlotte Exclusive and I’m excited to finally be back in my niche.

This weekend was a busy one what with the restaurant review and getting to spend some time photography Aubrey, friend and classic beauty! Photos are available in the portrait section of my temporary website here: wix.com/klmackie/photography

I’ve got both days next weekend booked up to photograph friends. Still working on that portfolio. I might put out some feelers this week on Craigslist for some freelance work. I’m a bit reserved though because I still need to register a business name for Tilted Bliss and all of that other legal nonsense before I start making extra money.

All of that said I’m excited how things are coming along. It’s nice to be appreciated for my work and the editor, JP, at Charlotte Exclusive has certainly made me feel right at home. In fact I’ll have business cards soon and then it’ll be even more official that one again I am, officially, a writer.

With a renewed sense of self I’m getting even more feedback on the photography website which is great too because that’s something very near and dear to me. I’m practically jumping out of my skin about all of this!

In other news NPC and I are happy as ever and he’s in love with his Xbox. Even I have to admit that it’s a fun diversion from the responsibilities and stresses of everyday living. But, like anything else that stimulates the senses, it can be a time-vacuum. I got sucked away yesterday sitting on the couch in my pajamas playing Call of Duty. /le sigh   I’ve never really been a “gamer” but I can see the appeal of relaxing and just letting your mind shut down for a while.

I haven’t been doing too much cooking lately because of all of the excitement and business going on. Hopefully this week I’ll get in at least one decent meal that’s home made. NPC isn’t complaining, though, which is great.

I think after our meal at Barrington’s we’re both pretty well satisfied.

As for the rest of the week I’ll be focusing on work as the district manager is making her way in to meet with us all. 10 – 7 doesn’t pass by quickly enough.

Hope you all have a great day – and thanks for coming on this journey with me.

Kate

Restaurant Review

The website hasn’t officially launched yet but I’ve got a few articles up. The latest is my first official Charlotte Exclusive restaurant review.  The link is below.

http://charlotteexclusive.com/2011/03/13/barringtons-restaurant/

Thanks for reading!

If These Walls Could Talk

My kitchen is small. There is no high tech refrigerator, twelve burner range (I wish!) or handy island to create extra cooking space. Although it is by no means claustrophobic I could do with some extra counter space and a few more cupboards. Apartment life is not ideal for the aspiring and/or hobby cook.

With that said I have had the means to create many wonderful dishes to set at my dining room table, conveniently set five feet away from my counters. I’ve also had many flopped dishes in this kitchen. If these walls could talk they would tell you that for every awesome creation I’ve had two or three failures. They would also tell you that I’ve laughed, cried and jumped around excitedly like a maniac over my dishes as well. Some of which is hardly normal.

Hey, Hay!

If you aren’t familiar with Donna Hay, like to cook, enjoy simple food that is delicious and easy to make then you should get to know her very well. Her cookbooks are deliciously designed and she knows the ropes for simple meals that make mouths water! Tonight’s dinner is brought to you by the lady herself. You can visit her website here and see what I’m talking about.

I’m getting hungry!

No Reservations

© 2011 Tilted Bliss Photography

This morning I was thinking about Anthony Bourdain’s show “No Reservations” and how perfectly named it is with its double meaning. If you haven’t seen the show I highly recommend you catch up on the episodes. Anthony Bourdain is a perfectly snarky, inquisitive, brave and daring chef who travels around the world eating and learning about the food of different cultures. Whether he’s eating an eyeball or pizza there’s always an element of surprise and even sometimes danger. It’s fascinating and inspiring. And he’s funny… like really, really funny.

But back to the name: No Reservations. Obviously the first meaning being the obvious in not having to make reservations to eat in these places but a second meaning that means much more to me lately. Having no reservations (doubts) about what he is doing. He forges ahead into the unknown no matter the consequences (his poor stomach)!

I could use with a little more of that brave, daring go-get-’em attitude. I’m delving head first into all of these things that I’m incredibly passionate about and at the same time I’m so afraid to mess it up. I’m the first person to encourage people to chase their dreams and seem like the last one in line to chase my own.

That said I’m a believer that if you do what you’re meant to do it will work in your favor and I feel like I’m really meant to be writing and taking pictures. I want to tell people’s stories and share the world with everyone. So I’m starting small and hoping it goes somewhere and honestly even that first small baby step scares the ever loving crap out of me.

What dreams are you chasing today?

Photo Walks

I’ve missed you!

The last week has been a whirlwind and the weekend wasn’t any more relaxing (but it was great)! I took the camera out for its very first spin and boy do we have a lot to get to know about each other!

The camera: GE X5 with 15x wide optical zoom. For a little bridge camera this baby has a lot to offer – now I just have to figure out how to use it all. (And it looks like a tripod may be in my purchasing future pretty soon too.)

It’s amazing to be behind the lens again. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I started taking those shots – it’s second nature for me. I feel so alive when I’m behind the camera capturing moments to add to the scrapbook of life. (Insert corny sigh.)

I love it so much that I’ve decided to start my own Photography business. Finally. I’m chasing that dream and who knows where it’s going to take me!

I will tell you, however, where my weekend took me…

On Saturday I went for a photo walk in a lovely but sad town called Kannapolis (Cannon Village, more specifically) here in North Carolina. The history of the town is both hopeful and heart-wrenching.