As I mentioned before, I’m one of the lucky 300 bloggers participating in Blog It Forward, an idea launched by SFGirlByBay. We’re all writing about what inspires us personally. We’re each being introduced by the blog before us (thanks to my intro blog, Diary of a Budget Fashionista!!) and we’re making sure that you know to check out the blog after us (definitely check out Dig Under Rocks tomorrow!). I’d really encourage you to check out all of the different posts, though, because they have been so amazing and inspiring in and of themselves!

For my part, I have to say that I really get inspired by everything. I see things and read things and hear things all throughout the day and they inspire me. Some inspire me to write a certain blog post. Some inspire my creative writing or poetry. Some inspire my desire to learn new things. Some inspire me to be kinder to others. Some just give me that wonderful feeling of vague inspiration that doesn’t get channeled into anything specific but makes me feel a little bit brighter about life.

I could go on and on forever about every little thing that inspires me but I’ll keep my list down to 100 inspiring things:

1. Live sketching events where artists gather together, create art as you watch and post it on a wall for sale right there
2. Watching children do anything that reveals that childlike wonder for things that we adults consider normal or mundane
3. Watching people work on computers or consumer electronics because I just can’t do it well myself
4. Hearing about the memories of elderly people
5. Reading books on creativity and artful living
6. Huge libraries filled with floors and floors of so many books that I’ll never be able to read them all
7. Wandering around the city people-watching
8. Indie arts and crafts events where hundreds of crafters gather together to show off their work
9. Browsing through Etsy
10. Watching absolutely any film that’s shown in IMAX 3D
11. Being handed a plate of food that’s almost too beautiful to eat but tastes so good that you can’t help it
12. The smell of coffee
13. Taking walking tours especially through areas I’ve seen a hundred times but want to see in a new way
14. Those grand things that inspire everyone like magnificent sunsets and huge ocean views
15. Finding pictures in the clouds
16. Stop-Motion video
17. People who can take really amazing pictures and then make them even better with photo editing software
18. Listening to auctioneers do their thing
19. Checking out antique stores in small towns in the Midwest
20. Long road trips with just me, myself and the radio
21. Pandora and how well it seems to know what I want to hear!
22. Anyone who can find the silver lining in a tough situation
23. The amazing women who have entered my life over the years
24. Great quotations from authors both known and unknown
25. Magic shows
26. Cirque du Soleil performances
27. Lomography
28. Random links posted on social networking sites for me to click on
29. Vintage postcards
30. Learning new crochet stitches and making something I haven’t made before
31. Scrapbooking the photos taken throughout the month
32. Journaling
33. Reading the published journals/diaries of other people, especially writers and artists
34. Documentaries that are both interesting and informative
35. Reading “strange news” websites and blogs
36. Fingering the fabrics in luxury clothing stores
37. Piecing together outfits from the items bought in second hand clothing stores
38. The changing skyline of San Francisco
39. Everything about my little sister
40. Doing things that scare me at first like riding ATVs
41. Long hikes
42. Long conversations
43. Live theatre events where a single actor plays multiple roles
44. Listening to people beatbox
45. Open mic poetry readings
46. Coloring books
47. Those 3D posters that you had to really stare at to see the picture
48. Crazy competitions like the fastest texters or the fastest Rubik’s cube solvers
49. Elaborate sandcastles
50. Project Runway
51. Women who can walk in six inch heels
52. Elderly people who are trying new things, performing in plays, really out there living life
53. Anything that manages to actually make me laugh out loud
54. Coming across really funny typos
55. Stunning strange shoes like these
56. Seeing videos of people doing free running and parkour
57. Terrific slideshows of beautiful things set to music that just really goes with the images
58. Daydreaming
59. Unique architecture, bionic buildings, upside down houses
60. That moment when you feel like you’re really connecting with a stranger
61. Collage art
62. Watching glass blowers in action
63. The smell of used bookstores
64. Burlesque performance
65. How people come together in a crisis
66. Getting groups of adults together to do things like color Easter eggs or make gingerbread houses
67. Stunning Christmas light displays
68. Seeing people use creative approches to doing the things that we do every day
69. Viewing other people’s random collections - music or salt shakers or aprons or whatever they may love that I didn’t until I saw their passion
70. Children twirling around until they fall down
71. Science museums
72. Car shows and museums filled with vintage cars
73. Articles that show specific changing technology (like how cell phones have changed over the years)
74. Fingerpainting
75. Yoga, pilates, meditation, and hula hoop dancing classes
76. People who speak half a dozen languages or more
77. The Northern Lights
78. Rainbows
79. Conventions for odd interests like the movie The Blob or the merging of sex and technology
80. Weird niche books on topics like pedestrianism or obituary writing
81. Unusual museums like the Liberace Museum in Vegas
82. Stumbling upon unique free events
83. Travel memoirs
84. The fact that scarves can be worn so many different ways
85. People who can make crazy outfits or makeup look good
86. Costumed events
87. Meteor showers
88. When you find the exact word to specifically describe something
89. Keeping a list of “ugly words” with my dad and getting excited about coming across a new one
90. Those moments when I actually feel like I’m really living in the moment
91. Weird hotels
92. Funny signage especially when it’s not intended to be funny
93. Leafy sea dragons
94. Visiting aquariums
95. Trying to cook something new and having it come out exactly right
96. Setting and meeting random goals like trying twenty different sugar-rimmed drinks or watching all of the movies with a particular actor in them
97. Riding on the back of someone else’s motorcycle
98. Collaborative projects with cool creative people
99. Exploring caves and lava tubes and ruins and old mines
100. Falling in love

My goal for this blog is to try to post three times per week. I like to stick to loose schedules and to keep the commitments I’ve made to myself. But I’m a little bit delayed in getting posts up here this week.

There have been some good reasons, though … 10 of them in fact …

1. I recently took on 3 new clients. The first few weeks of working with a new client are always time-consuming because you’re fleshing out the details, figuring out the right formatting, etc. More time was eaten up than I expected.
2. I caught a cold. I did everything I could to fight it off and to get healthy again as quickly as possible. That included resting a lot when I could’ve been working on blog posts instead.
3. My body didn’t want to cooperate. In addition to being sick, I somehow managed to hurt my wrist. It’s tough to type all day with a wrist that isn’t working right. I had to call it a half day that day and let it rest.
4. There was so much sunshine this week. I admit it, I played a little bit of hooky while the sun was shining. I knew we’d be back to rainy days soon and I couldn’t help but want to get outside to do some hiking.
5. I started playing around more with Google Buzz and sharing things in Google Reader. I’ve eased back to a normal level of social networking now but I spent a bit more time on those things at first than I probably had to spend.
6. I had overworked last week. Usually I stick to a good schedule but sometimes I just never get off of my computer. I realize it once I’m cranky and frustrated and feel like I’m always online. I needed time away from the computer.
7. I was finishing up some books I’m planning to review on the blog. I’m still mulling over what I want to write about them so the reviews aren’t ready yet.
8. I started a new class. It’s a wonderful hula hoop dancing class that I’ll tell you more about later. Even adding one new class to my schedule forces me to rearrange some of the things I do and when I can do them.
9. I was back and forth between here and Berkeley a lot. That commute time can be conducive to blog writing … or not.
10. I didn’t have anything that I really wanted to say. One of the things about living a smart life is that you know that sometimes it’s best not to say anything until you’re ready. Otherwise a bunch of dumb drivel just comes out. Safer to wait.

One of the things that I love about writing on this blog is that I don’t limit myself to a specific topic. Diary of a Smart Chick is just about all of the random things that tend to capture my interest. I think that’s how real people are - we get intrigued by tons of different stuff that doesn’t fit neatly into a box. That’s what makes us unique; it’s what makes us who we are.

Because I like so many different things, I tend to read a lot of different blogs. I don’t stick to one topic. I like stuff that’s kind of off the wall. Here’s a glimpse into some of the stuff I read regularly just to keep myself interested in the world around me:

1. Weburbanist. I love to check out the weird and interesting things that are collected on this blog. This stuff is creative, weird, eye-catching and compiled in a way that makes it even more compelling. This is the site that introduced me to steampunk and to storage container housing. I loved the recent post on patching buildings with Legos.
2. Live Science Strange News. I love reading about advances that are being made in science. From nanotechnology to crazy medical discoveries, this stuff is interesting. I particularly love the “strange news” channel of this site which gives you all kinds of info on stuff that is almost unbelievable and yet apparently true.
3. Retro to Go. This great little blog collects information on all stuff retro. I love checking out the furniture, fashion and other fun stuff that they highlight on this blog.
4. Weird Asia News. This blog shares all of the odd news that is printed in Asian newspaper. I just get a huge kick out of some of the things that are shared here.
5. SF Girl By Bay. I used to be a big fan of Apartment Therapy until I discovered this San Francisco-based design and style blog. It’s got a funky edge to it that I adore and yet offers info on so much pretty stuff.
6. Lomography Blog. This is a photo topic that I’ve recently started to take an interest in so I’m enjoying learning more about it from the blog. Cool stuff.
7. Fail Blog. I’ll admit that I don’t check this site out daily but I always get a kick out of it when I do. I think I love this blog for the same reason that I love typos. I love the mistakes that people make that show off our humanity and provide humor for our lives.

I think one of the most important things that you can do to keep yourself happy is to keep learning new things. This inspires you. It motivates you. It gives you a reason to wake up in the morning. It stretches your boundaries and makes life more interesting.

I try to learn new things all of the time. Most of what I learn comes from random experiences and ends up being about stuff I never planned on learning. However I do think it’s good to think about the things that you want to learn more about.

10 things I plan to learn more about in 2010 are:

1. Crochet. I just barely learned how to crochet over Thanksgiving weekend and have completely fallen in love with it. It’s the first craft that I absolutely can not get enough of. I want to learn new stitches, new projects, new use of yarns and fabrics. (The photo above was made from an old sweater and some black cotton yarn.)
2. Lomography. I recently learned about this interesting type of photography. I want to know more about it.
3. Photoshop. I FINALLY took a photoshop class late last year and started to learn the basics. I really want to actually start using this program and learning how to do stuff with it which I haven’t really done yet.
4. Pilates machines. I really like my pilates mat class but I want to branch out and learn more about how to do pilates using machines. Haven’t tried that yet but will have tried it by this time next year!
5. Celebrity fashion. This isn’t a topic that I thought I’d ever be interested in. However I’ve started exploring it for a new blog I’m helping out with (the blog for super cool Bay Area clothing company Edgi). I’m actually taking a keen interesting in this and want to learn more.
6. Pandora. I just started using this online radio program (behind the times, I know) and think it’s something I’ll be exploring a lot in 2010. Any suggestions from people who already like it?
7. Various types of dance. There are a couple of workout-style dance classes that I want to take this year. I want to learn fire dancing. I want to learn hula hoop dancing. We’ll see if that leads to any other dance interests.
8. Snow and Water Sports. This is a hands-on goal. I know a bit about things like skiing and tubing down rivers but I want to learn to actually do them.
9. Buenos Aires. I’ve read a lot about this city and have wanted to visit for awhile. I don’t know if I’ll actually get the chance to explore it in person this year or not but it’s definitely a 2010 goal to aim for.
10. San Francisco. I know a lot about this city that I live in and love but there is always more to learn here. I definitely plan to keep exploring and learning more about it!

My siblings and I have been kicking around the idea of starting a business together for a few years now. We’ve talked about it. We’ve mentioned it in passing. Every now and then we’ll actually start to make some plans to do it. However we’ve never really committed to it before because we weren’t all in the right stage of life at the right time to make that kind of commitment. I think we might be there now.

I’m excited about the possibility of doing something crafty and entrepreneurial with my siblings. Smart people love to work for themselves and I’m not sure if I could imagine ever working any other way again. Being able to do that with my smart siblings would be even better.

However I do know that there are pros and cons to working with your family members. On the positive side you have a built-in support system within your small business, a willingness to stick things out together because you know you’ll still be family when it’s all over and a lot of different potentially-compatible traits that can be assets in a group endeavor. On the other hand you have various conflicts, issues because of sibling birth order and a desire to do your own individual things away from the family.

I think what is going to make this business work for us is that none of us are overly invested in it. We’re launching slowly, starting to plan and aiming to make this a side project to the other things that we’re each doing on our own. This approach feels like it will maximize the benefits of working together while minimizing the problems that can come up as a result of working with your family.

Does anyone here have experience working in a family business? What were the most outstanding pros and cons for you?

The majority of the photos that I post here daily are photos that I have taken myself. That’s because the point, for me, is to start getting in the habit of taking pictures on a daily basis and to get comfortable sharing those pictures with others. It’s also good because it forces me to look closer at my photography and to get better at it which is something I want to do.

However, today’s picture was actually taken by a photographer who is much more talented than me. It’s a photo of me that she took back in March as part of a project called I Live Here: SF. I wanted to put the photo up here because I think it’s a really great portrait photography project and I would love to see others check it out. The photographer is TangoBaby.

Someone recently asked me why I don’t often cover the topic of writing on this blog. After all, as someone who writes for a living, this seems like a topic that would come up a lot, right? And it’s true; it does. In fact, it comes up so much that I have an entire blog where I write about writing.

That blog is called Real Words. I write there as often as possible (daily if I can or several times a week if I can’t). I try to share my thoughts on the writing process and the life of being a writer. Sometimes I share tips and resources about writing although it’s a personal blog (not a professional one per se) so it’s mostly just about how I see writing.

Do you also write about writing? If so, I’d love to check out your blog. Leave me the URL in the comments here.

I studied Spanish for five years in junior high and high school. At the time, nearly all of my friends were from Spanish-speaking homes so I was able to practice the language regularly. I became mostly fluent. However, I graduated from high school over ten years ago and I have failed to realy practice my Spanish since that time. I keep trying to find new ways to practice it but nothing’s worked consistently so far. I am hoping that I just stumbled across the answer - perhaps I can use Twitter to practice my Spanish.

The problem with practicing is that I don’t do it regularly right now. I occasionally read books that are in Spanish with English translations. I sometimes watch movies in Spanish. Every once in awhile I’ll check out a Spanish class or group but then fail to follow through with it. I guess the truth is that I’m not committed enough to keeping up with my Spanish to consistently study and practice it.

However, I miss the Spanish language. I love Spanish. I think that there are some things that you can only really say in Spanish because the English equivalent doesn’t express the same type of emotion. And I don’t want to lose my Spanish. I’m actually surprised at how much I’ve retained over the years without too much practice and I know that it’s only a matter of time before I lose it all. As it stands now, my vocabulary is pretty good but my ability to conjugate verbs or speak in the correct tense is almost non-existent.

Enter Twitter. It occurred to me today that I could probably stick to a schedule of daily Spanish practice if I did it through Twitter. The short 140 character DM messages allowed by Twitter keep it concise enough that I can mostly understand what’s been said and I can respond promptly without much hassle. I have already found a few friends on Twitter that I can exchange thoughts with in Spanish. I would love to find some more!

Find me on Twitter @KathrynVercillo and send me a message en espanol!

I write about a lot of different topics. One of the topics that I write about is writing. After all, it’s what I do for a living so it makes sense that I would write about it. Mostly I write about the writing life over on my other blog, Real Words. However, I’ve also recently started writing about writing over at Scribophile.

Scribophile seems like a pretty great community of writers so far. You sign up as an author and then you can post your work so that other writers can read it and comment on it. People seem to give really fair and interesting feedback.

Two articles that I’ve written for the site so far are about how to stay creative when you write for a living and why I don’t mind typos even though I’m a professional writer. Many people post fiction pieces and other works of prose or poetry over at this site.

Have you used Scribophile? What do you think of it?

I really love guest posting on other blogs. It provides a great opportunity for writing about new topics and networking with others who write about the same things that capture my interest. I’ve been really lucky to do a lot of guest posting recently on the topic of frugal living which is a topic that I really enjoy writing about.

Some of my most recent guest posts on this topic were:

• Tips for Talking about Money with Your Spouse. A lot of people have a tough time discussing money and it can really lead to problems in a marriage if you aren’t careful!
• 5 Reasons Not to Save Stuff for Later. I fully believe that you should get rid of everything that you’re not using to declutter your home and your mind!
• Earn Money by Hosting Travelers this Summer. This is something I’m thinking seriously about doing myself!
• Low Cost Summer Activities Can Be Yours! I love the fact that there are so many different ways to keep entertained this summer without spending a lot of money.
• Positive Things Caused by the Bad Economy. I think it’s really important to stay upbeat despite problems with the recession.

If these articles interest you, you might also want to check out the list of frugal living guest posts that I did last month!