27 Tuesday Nov 2012
Posted in Brianna McClane, Explore Your City, Home and Design, Real Life
Hey y’all!
I’m back from a week down south. The Boyfriend and I made the 11 hour drive to Nashville where my sister and brother-in-law live. My parents drove in from Texas to spend the week with us.
If you’ve never been to Nashville, you’re missing out. Tennessee is beautiful, the people are great, and Nashville is so fun. Here are a few highlights from Antique Archeology. The store is owned by one of the guys who stars in”American Pickers.” It is located in Marathon Village.
–Brianna
07 Tuesday Aug 2012
Posted in Brianna McClane, Explore Your City, Real Life
Tags
dallas, Hill Country, Mi Tierra, Riverwalk, san antonio, schlitterbahn, South Texas, texas, The Oasis, travel
After nine days in the South, it’s good to be back home in my own bed. I had a great time with the family and celebrated an old friend’s wedding. We traveled all over Texas and ate lots of good food. The shots below are just a few of the trip’s highlights. The Oasis in Austin and Mi Tierra in San Antonio are essential spots to visit.
–Brianna
19 Tuesday Jun 2012
Eastern Market must be on your to do list if you’re visiting DC. For those of us who are residents, it’s easy to forget about this treasure in the southeast. Food, books, antiques, original art and fresh produce- Eastern Market has every thing you need to make life a little bit brighter and tastier. I spent Saturday with my friend, Sophie, doing a bit of shopping around the market. Our last stop was at my favorite spot, Capitol Hill Books.
1. Hanging lamps at the flea market. 2. Sophie enjoying some pupusas at Tortilla Cafe. 3. Colorful scarves for sale. 4. Crowded shelves at Capitol Hill Books.
–Brianna
03 Thursday May 2012
White Wine Sangria
Ingredients
•1 Bottle of white wine (Riesling, Albarino, Chablis, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc)
•2/3 cup white sugar
•3 oranges (sliced) or 1 cup of orange juice
•1 lemon (sliced)
•1 lime (sliced)
•2 oz. brandy (optional)
•1/2 liter of ginger ale
(Again, just mix together. Order doesn’t REALLY matter.)
I used dried tarragon leaves instead of fresh ones because…well, who can find fresh tarragon leaves? And I was running late. On the subject of grapes: Fruit is key in chicken salad recipes. It is my favorite food to bring to picnics, and I either put grapes or cranberries in it. Mayo/sour cream to chicken ratio is also key, though much trickier. Often times I’ve made chicken salad and had to add more mayo after eating one serving. Somehow the chicken soaks it up. Anyone have this strange problem?
Anyway, the chicken salad turned out great, even with my shotty measuring and dry tarragon.
05 Thursday Apr 2012
Posted in Brianna McClane, Explore Your City, Inspiration, Real Life, Relationships
Tags
facebook, flickr, photo a day, Photography, photos, project, Tumblr, twitter
We’ve all seen it. On Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr, people are taking a “photo of the day” and posting it online for everyone’s benefit.
Why? Do we even care?
I tried the project myself. I decided I’d take a photo every day in 2011 and post it on Tumblr. My boyfriend had just broken up with me, I was fresh out of grad school and had moved to NYC barely knowing a soul. A project sounded ideal. I started my Tumblr and started snapping.
Projects are a great way to get through a rough patch. Goals help us to refocus and to feel accomplished when we succeed. Knowing that I had to take one photo every day made me leave the house, instead of watching “NCIS” reruns, because there are only so many photos of a couch you can post before people start worrying.
Intrigued?
Here’s some tips:
1. Get out of your house. Do something. Try a new hobby or visit a museum. Just, do something that people want to view.
2. See life from a new perspective. Look up, down, all around. Don’t take all your photos from the normal straight on shot or we’ll be bored. DON’T LET US BE BORED.
3. Post the photos to a blog or a website. Flickr or Tumblr can present the photos chronologically and attractively. People have short attention spans and like pretty things.
4. Don’t neglect the captions. The photo should tell the story but the captions will not only help you remember the name of that awesome sushi restaurant but will inform others so they can also try the spicy tuna roll.
5. Have fun! Don’t get too bogged down & worry about how you have to take a photo to impress that one cute boy who you think may check your blog daily. He probably doesn’t even know you have a blog. You’re doing this for yourself. So have fun with it.
Sidenote: I never finished the “photo a day” for 2011. Read this for why.
– Brianna