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A fortune I opened the day after starting this blog; I shit you not. 

A fortune I opened the day after starting this blog; I shit you not. 

What are YOU waiting for?

September 15, 2014

Today’s the day. I’ve decided I FINALLY, actually, seriously, really am going to start a blog. It is something I have contemplated for months and months… and I am finally taking the damn plunge. I’ve thought about it so many times before, and I constantly made excuses and put it off. What is the “theme” of my blog going to be? What will I name it? Will anyone really read it? Will anyone care? Am I a good enough writer? The whole world is going to judge the shit out of me. I’m going to wait until I have a full-time steady job. I’m going to wait until I have my own apartment so I have a prettier interior to photograph. I’m going to wait until I have things to blog about. I’m going to wait until people know who I am. No more waiting.

Putting yourself out there is always scary… but recently I have been telling myself more than ever that it doesn’t matter what other people think. Comparing yourself to others is toxic. I’m going to write about what interests me, and see where it takes me. In time, I have hopes that people who are interested in the same things will find me and follow along on my journey.

So what are my interests, you ask? Believe it or not, it took me a summer of soul searching to figure this one out. I like too many things, and for whatever reason I defined this as a “problem” in starting a blog – thinking that it would lack focus and feel scatterbrained. I’ve decided my blog will focus on 3 of my main interests, as opposed to specializing in just one. For starters, I am a recent graphic design grad – so naturally design is one of the things I hope to incorporate on this blog. I hope to share work that inspires me in addition to sharing some of the things I’m working on. I also have a serious case of wanderlust. I have only been on a plane once, but I dream of traveling the world. For now, I have been exploring my local world of NJ/NY and will be sharing some of these adventures. Some day I hope to share my worlds travels with you. ;) I also have a passionate love affair with food… I like making it, photographing it, eating it, going to new restaurants, trying new recipes, and experimenting in general. I am by no means the next master chef, but I hope to share some of my food ventures here too. Writing and photography have also always been two hobbies of mine. I keep a written journal that I sporadically write in, and I take pictures every day. Why haven't I started a blog yet? Exactly.

There are many things I want to do in life, and making a blog has been one of them for the longest. If there’s something you want in life, you have to ask yourself: what are YOU waiting for? Stop waiting, and just do it – because. Nike knows best. :)

I will end my first entry with something I posted to Instagram a few months ago, a motivational page from Austin Kleon’s Show Your Work!. I read this book in June, and it has definitely been a huge part in me finally taking a leap of faith and starting a blog. 

austinkleon.jpg
In real talk Tags Austin Kleon, Show Your Work!, blog, motivation
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AMYVENTURES

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wanderlust, wellness

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@AMYVENTURES
dinner at @scarrspizza 🍕, dessert at bananas @morgensternsnyc 🍦, and @rustonkelly (& @sam_macpherson) at @boweryballroom 🎶

some unexpected joys along the way: 🏮 at @stickyricenyc and 🥔 snack chandelier at @champagneproblemsnyc ✨

#nyc #lowe
kickstarted a fun saturday night in the city with the newly opened analog photobooth museum @autophoto 📸 was bummed the color film and wide format booths were out of commission 🥲 but I guess that just means a return trip is necessary in the future
we’ve encountered this young buck a few times in recent months on our walks, and he always lets me take his picture 🦌 - he seems more curious than scared (even when the dogs bark) and grazes so close to the path 😅 the last photo was from this
the life of a tomato girl ✨🍅👩🏻‍🌾✨

made the executive decision to harvest the rest of my tomatoes last week when we got our first fall freeze warning 🥶 went out there at 9 pm in the dark and filled up all 3 of my larger sheet pans 😂 (they&r
one last dose of summer this weekend in one of our favorite places 🌞 new @taylorswift music blaring from my car’s speakers down the parkway ❤️‍🔥 ocean beaches back open for the dogs 🐾 the clearest and bluest skies, water warm enough to s
so long september 🍂

the last days of summer and first glimpses of fall ✨ savoring every last tomato and flower in the garden (and collecting seeds for next year) 👩🏻‍🌾 celebrated stewie’s 6th adoptiversary too… how quickly 6 year
first fall bake of the season ✔️🤭🍎 an apple galette where I measured nothing 😅 baked on a very foggy night 🍂

- 3 apples, thinly sliced
- lemon juice, cinnamon, ground ginger, brown sugar, corn starch, salt (tossed the apples in all of this)
- 1
rounded up all the yummy things I made this summer on substack (link in bio) 🌞

🍑 peach wineberry chia seed jam
🍄 chicken of the woods mushrooms (various ways)
🍕 peach pizza
🌶️ jalapeño garlic basil pesto 
🍅 cutting board salsa
🫐 bluebe
we’ll always have summer 🌼

#summer #endofsummer #summerdump #jerseycollective #rescueismyfavoritebreed #summergarden #summergardening
doing @sangennaronewjersey with your brother, boyfriend, dad, and cousin is the only proper way 😏

🍕 pizza from @coneyislandpizza (included some photos from last year too)
🇮🇹 arancini (rice balls) from @thelittlesicilian
🥔 tornado potato from @s
fall is in the air and chilly nights are here - which means tis the season for warm and cozy dinners again 😋🍂🍁

I’ve been making this curry noodle recipe on repeat using veggies & herbs from the garden (eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, zucch
the summer I turned (half the backyard) pretty 😆(and into a sunflower field) 🥹🌻☀️

why re-plant grass when you can have flowers instead? 🙃 I’ve loved studying the way the sun hits them throughout different times of the day and seeing all th
mid august abundance from the garden 🥹 I always love taking an annual bounty photo when the biggest variety of things are growing and that time is now ✨👩🏻‍🌾🍅🍆🥒🌻🌶️

extra grateful for it all this year because flashback to this spring I wa
been wanting to bake blueberry cornbread muffins for what feels like weeks and finally did yesterday 😋🫐🌽 used @thefullhelping’s vegan recipe & topped with leftover crumb topping I had from a fruit crisp ✨ some things are worth turning th
a beautiful fall afternoon with @vacayjenny and her pup Frankenstein 🍂🐾 first stop was @hacklebarney_farm for apple cider and donuts 🍎 then we hiked at Hacklebarney State Park just down the road 🥾 the leaves are peaking and the weather was perfec
dinner at @scarrspizza 🍕, dessert at bananas @morgensternsnyc 🍦, and @rustonkelly (& @sam_macpherson) at @boweryballroom 🎶

some unexpected joys along the way: 🏮 at @stickyricenyc and 🥔 snack chandelier at @champagneproblemsnyc ✨

#nyc #lowe kickstarted a fun saturday night in the city with the newly opened analog photobooth museum @autophoto 📸 was bummed the color film and wide format booths were out of commission 🥲 but I guess that just means a return trip is necessary in the future
fall hikes with @takearecess and my best girl 🥰🍂🧡 my favorite flavor lately has been grapefruit tangerine 🍊 but they’re all so good ✨

you can use my code “amyventures” for 15% off 🫶
https://app.devotion.club/brand/recess/amyve
we’ve encountered this young buck a few times in recent months on our walks, and he always lets me take his picture 🦌 - he seems more curious than scared (even when the dogs bark) and grazes so close to the path 😅 the last photo was from this the life of a tomato girl ✨🍅👩🏻‍🌾✨

made the executive decision to harvest the rest of my tomatoes last week when we got our first fall freeze warning 🥶 went out there at 9 pm in the dark and filled up all 3 of my larger sheet pans 😂 (they&r one last dose of summer this weekend in one of our favorite places 🌞 new @taylorswift music blaring from my car’s speakers down the parkway ❤️‍🔥 ocean beaches back open for the dogs 🐾 the clearest and bluest skies, water warm enough to s so long september 🍂

the last days of summer and first glimpses of fall ✨ savoring every last tomato and flower in the garden (and collecting seeds for next year) 👩🏻‍🌾 celebrated stewie’s 6th adoptiversary too… how quickly 6 year first fall bake of the season ✔️🤭🍎 an apple galette where I measured nothing 😅 baked on a very foggy night 🍂

- 3 apples, thinly sliced
- lemon juice, cinnamon, ground ginger, brown sugar, corn starch, salt (tossed the apples in all of this)
- 1 rounded up all the yummy things I made this summer on substack (link in bio) 🌞

🍑 peach wineberry chia seed jam
🍄 chicken of the woods mushrooms (various ways)
🍕 peach pizza
🌶️ jalapeño garlic basil pesto 
🍅 cutting board salsa
🫐 bluebe we’ll always have summer 🌼

#summer #endofsummer #summerdump #jerseycollective #rescueismyfavoritebreed #summergarden #summergardening doing @sangennaronewjersey with your brother, boyfriend, dad, and cousin is the only proper way 😏

🍕 pizza from @coneyislandpizza (included some photos from last year too)
🇮🇹 arancini (rice balls) from @thelittlesicilian
🥔 tornado potato from @s fall is in the air and chilly nights are here - which means tis the season for warm and cozy dinners again 😋🍂🍁

I’ve been making this curry noodle recipe on repeat using veggies & herbs from the garden (eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, zucch
a beautiful night enjoying golden hour at @riamedefarm earlier this week 😍🍎☀️ 

founded in 1952, Riamede is the oldest PYO apple orchard in NJ with 54 varieties growing on the historic property (owner Ashley & her team work hard to preserve its
the summer I turned (half the backyard) pretty 😆(and into a sunflower field) 🥹🌻☀️

why re-plant grass when you can have flowers instead? 🙃 I’ve loved studying the way the sun hits them throughout different times of the day and seeing all th
some scenes from my favorite place to be in august… home in the garden with the dogs 🥹🏡🌱🍅🌻👩🏻‍🌾🐾✨

#summer #august #garden #njgardening #njinbloom #jerseycollective #njisallgood #homegarden #home
ending summer the same way I started it (with @takearecess) 🌞🍹🌻💦✨

my code “amyventures” gets you 20% off through 9/2 for labor day weekend 🫶

https://app.devotion.club/brand/recess/amyventures

#takearecess #nonalcoholic #mocktail #
mid august abundance from the garden 🥹 I always love taking an annual bounty photo when the biggest variety of things are growing and that time is now ✨👩🏻‍🌾🍅🍆🥒🌻🌶️

extra grateful for it all this year because flashback to this spring I wa been wanting to bake blueberry cornbread muffins for what feels like weeks and finally did yesterday 😋🫐🌽 used @thefullhelping’s vegan recipe & topped with leftover crumb topping I had from a fruit crisp ✨ some things are worth turning th
the most magical moment with a monarch butterfly this morning 😭🦋🧡✨ can’t believe it didn’t fly away and we got to hang out for a bit 🥹

#jerseycollective #monarch #monarchbutterfly #summer #njisallgood #njisntboring #glimmer

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Amy Chen (unless otherwise stated). If you decide to reference anything from my blog / website, please give proper credit. Thank you! :)


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