happy birthday, magazine monday!

Just over a year ago, I came up with the idea of creating a recurring blog post for the  new & unlimited blogsite.  I wanted to combine something I love, with something a bit practical, but most importantly, I wanted readers to be able to get a strong sense of who I was, outside of my photography business, from these posts . . .  And so, Magazine Mondays with Meredith, now simply known as “Magazine Monday”, was born!

You can find out a lot about a person through the magazine’s they read and the articles they love.  Whether they’re a foodie, a traveler, a DIY-er, or an outdoor enthusiast, a few of their favorite articles can show you things about people, you would’ve never known otherwise.  These Magazine Monday posts have allowed me to incorporate and share many of my loves, while often trying out something new – whether it’s a delicious looking recipe or a lifestyle tip from one of my favorite magazines.  It sounds a little cliche, but I honestly never thought people would love my Magazine Monday blog posts the way they do.  As with my other posts, in the beginning the only commenters were my mother & my sister — what love!  But now, all kinds of folks share their comments on these posts- photographers, clients, family, friends, even strangers (!).

These posts have allowed me to incorporate my love for magazines and photography, while trying out something new- whether it’s a delicious looking recipe or a lifestyle tip from one of my favorite magazines.  It sounds a little cliche, but I honestly never thought people would love my Magazine Monday blog posts the way they do.  As with my other posts, in the beginning the only commenters were my mother & my sister– what love!  But now, all kinds of folks share their comments on these posts- photographers, clients, family, friends, even strangers (!).

While I was at Brooke & Matt’s wedding in June, I was catching up with one of my 2009 brides, Amanda, and she told me that she loves being able to really keep track of what I’m doing up in Maine by reading my blog regularly.  I definitely have my Magazine Monday posts to thank for that- they’ve really given my clients, friends, family, and prospective clients a peek into what daily life is like.  Or at least what tasty recipe we’ve tried lately . . . !

I realized two days ago that the one year anniversary of Magazine Monday was today and I couldn’t stop smiling.  In the last year, I have written 47 Magazine Monday posts, which also means that I have only slacked off a handful of times.  We’ve tried some of the most fun (& tasty!) projects in the last year because of Magazine Mondays.  While scrolling through the archives of these posts with Michael, I realized how much of a diary this blog, as a whole, has become for us.  For our life together.  Since many of the Magazine Monday posts have very little to do with my professional life, the posts are even more of a personal visual scrapbook for us.

In honor of Magazine Monday’s first birthday, I thought it would be fun to highlight some of the . . . Magazine Monday Milestones, if you will.

The most delicious posts (read: try these immediately!) were the Cheesecakes with Raspberry Hearts (my first post!), Real Simple’s Apple Pie (I’ve made it no less than 10 times since November!), Martha’s Panzanella (again, we’ve made this about five times since late June!), yesterday’s Sweet Corn with Beets & Basil, June’s Lavender Lemonade (now a staple for client meetings & when guests come to town!).

The biggest Magazine Monday failure was the disastrous Salted Caramel Ice Cream of last August.  Trust me, just visit Willard Scoops, the ice cream shop next to the & unlimited studio, and buy their Salt Caramel ice cream.  It’s my favorite!

Some of the most memorable Magazine Mondays include The Preble Street Pie Party (mmmm!), Martha Stewart’s Easter Egg making extravaganza, and Martha’s Panzanella.  Each time, friends who all happen to be fans of Magazine Monday, helped out in the kitchen, not only helping to make the experiences tasty or beautiful, but full of lots of laughter & good times.

And, finally, some of the most well-loved (or at least the most-commented) Magazine Monday posts:  Keeping it Real Neat, Preble Street Pie Party, What’s Your Decorating Style, and Martha’s Panzanella.

Thank you to all of my loyal Magazine Monday readers.  Your visits to the site & your comments (both online & in person) always make my day.  I hope to have plenty of interesting, unique, and tasty Magazine Mondays to share with you in the coming year!