this is the end

Kodak Portra 400, Canon EOS 500N

I have decided to stop blogging. Instead of just letting the blog fade away, I want to properly mark the end. After 11 (!) years of posting in this space, it's the least I can do.

Kodak Ultramax 400, Minolta SRT 101

After a few months of hardly any blogging, I posted my March stories earlier today. I was thinking I might feel motivated to get up to date on my life 2018 series. Nope. I don't really enjoy preparing that March post either. Afterwards I posted this on my Instagram:

This just happened. A blog update. There might be more coming soon, or maybe not. Trying to figure out if posting feels right or not. I do like this way of memory keeping, but do I really need to do it publicly like this? Is Instagram enough? Is blogging getting old? Any other (old) bloggers out there who feel the same way? Any thoughts? 

Thanks to those of you who weighed in with your thoughts and comments!

Agfa Precisa 100, Canon EOS 500N

I already wrote about this back in January in the post "thoughts about blogging"; is 2018 the year I will stop blogging? It took me six months to come up with the answer to that question, and the answer is yes. Why have I come to this conclusion? Blogging is not as fun as it used to be, and I would rather spend my time doing other things.

Agfa Precisa 100, Canon EOS 500N

It's hard to let go of a habit I have treasured so much, a habit that keeps me grounded. This too I wrote about it said post. Click here and read it if you are interested. While you are at it, you might also be interested in my thoughts about sharing my everyday life and the (2016) reasons why I won't close my blog. You might have read those posts before, but they might be worth reading again because they are all about the essence of what has kept me going for so many years.

DSLR

Speaking of blog post memory lane. Here are a few good ones for you:

thoughts on sharing my everyday life | why I won't close my blog | things I like lately | my pantry essentials | thoughts on dinner planning and grocery shopping | the dinner project | why do I shoot film? | my favorite films | thoughts on organising my photos | thoughts on being a stay at home mom | thoughts on being a teacher | my kind of cabin life | thoughts on wardrobe clean outs | arctic north love | Artist Diner (an art project I did with my friend Trine Hisdal) | DIY: daybed | lists and plans

Kodak Portra 160, Canon EOS 500N

So, what will keep me grounded now that this blogging journey is coming to an end? I think I will be quite content with daily journaling and taking photos, pluss sharing everyday stories on my Instagram account halloastrid - to name a few things. (I think quite a few of you who read this blog already follow me on Instagram, don't you?) I'm not ready to completely let go of social media yet; are you?

Agfa Precisa 100, Minolta SRT 101

Thanks for hanging out with me all these years. I appreciate the company. Good bye!

things I like lately

Kodak Portra 160, Canon EOS 500N

I'm in the middle of my second home exam this semester. The second this semester, but happily the last one - possibly ever. Both my family and I are quite happy about that. Few people put exams on top of their "fun things to do during spring" lists - I'm no exception. Needless to say, I need a little positive distraction in the shape of a happy list. (Lots of repetition of the word "happy" here; that's one of the things I'm writing my exam about; the use of repetition in theatre language *nerd emoji*.) Here we go (it has been a while):

- Scenes Unseen: The Summer of '78 (via Stephanie's stories on Instagram)
- my long sleeve (of course! otherwise my arms get cold when they are outside the duvet) pyjamas is coming to pieces, so I'm looking for a replacement, for example this, this (both a little pricey though), this, this or this
- this animal poster (via A Cup of Jo)
- this new IKEA shelf
- the smell of freshly mowed lawns
- the sound of bird song in the morning
- green smoothies with kale, spinach, avocado, banana and pineapple juice instead of apple juice
- looking forward to binging on season two of "A Handmaid's Tale" once I've finished my home exam
- snacking on cherry tomatoes and walnuts (together in mouthfuls)
- our new sandwich maker (elegantly designed by Konstantin Grcic for Krups) - because grilled ham and cheese sandwiches *praise hands emoji*! (home exam craving!)
- the vending machines at the university for providing chocolate - because motivation during exam writing

- - -

Things I don't like lately

- the time consuming aspect of a home exam
- the lack of (desperately needed) exercise
- the never ending sugar craving

the 2017 film, part VI

Kodak Portra 400, Minolta SRT 101

The last week has felt a lot like spring. There are snowbells and crocus in our garden. We had drinks on the terrace yesterday. Now it's snowing. Because sometimes it snows in April, you know.

the 2017 film, part IV

Kodak Portra 400, Minolta SRT 101

the 2017 film, part III

Kodak Portra 400, Minolta SRT 101

the 2017 film, part II

Kodak Portra 400, Minolta SRT 101

the 2017 film, part I

Kodak Portra 400, Minolta SRT 101 

5 good things

Kodak Portra 400, Minolta SRT 101

1. Picking up the one and only 2017 roll of film from the lab and finding this gem from last winter.
2. Being instantly inspired to shoot more film. One roll in one year should be pretty easy to beat.
3. Walking to uni in the afternoon sun.
4. Playing Wordfeud with fellow Norwegian teachers/colleagues.
5. Stroganoff for dinner (made by Sølve late last night).

things I like lately

from the a roll of film a month archives // Kodak Portra 400, Canon EOS 500N

- a week of successful dinner planning - so satisfying, in many ways (PS: what's for dinner)
- I finally got back to working out. Only once during the last week though...
- so much snow the last few days!
- how to be a minimalist with kids
- happy to see that Ulrika blogs again
- this interview with the ever inspiring mother of five (!), Courtney Adamo
- How I Get It Done: Martha Stewart (via Hjartesmil)
- my sister and her family are visiting this weekend
- homemade cauliflower soup and garlic bread for dinner
- one of my favorite photographers, Maria, is traveling west this spring, so I'm planning to book her for a family photo session
- reading your thoughts on blogging on my post about my thoughts on blogging
- doing a lot of journaling lately - the old fashioned handwritten way
- a big glass of red wine to start the weekend

- - -

Things I don't like lately

- the snow is not ideal for biking, hence there has been a lot of driving lately
- morning rush hour - before we even get in the car. There's so much nagging!
- the sound of our car's heating system - so annoying.

a food list

carrot soup from the archives // Kodak Portra 160, Canon EOS 500N

Soon(ish) I want to make...

- Sarah Bernard in a baking tray
- burger with apple, bacon and red onion compote
- everyday lentil soup
- celeriac + beet salad with lemon, chili + mint (I'm no fan of mint; I think coriander could be a nice substitute)
- creamy French lentils with mushroom and kale
- garlicky kale quiche
- mushroom lentil spaghetti "bolognese"
- sweet potato fries using this trick to get them crispy
- roasted sweet potato with warm spices 
- chocolate mousse with avocado or this version
- cauliflower with tikka masala sauce

- - -

This post has been in my draft folder for ages. Time to make it public - along with all those other draft posts. So don't worry, there won't be a complete radio silence in this space while I contemplate one of life's big questions; to blog or not to blog. (THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your heartwarming comments on my previous post.)

thoughts on blogging

the mountain cabin // Fuji Velvia 100F, Canon EOS 500N

I like blogging for a lot of reasons. I have written a lot about it these two posts: thoughts on sharing my everyday life + why I won't close my blog. As some of you know, my life has been - and still is - extraordinarily busy lately. Work, studies, family life and all that jazz are soaking up all my energy, leaving next to nothing for my hobbies. Somehow I have still kept my posting quite consistent during all of this, especially my regular "life, week x" and "things I like lately" posts. I guess it says a lot about how much I treasure the habit of sharing my everyday stories on this blog.

the mountain cabin 2012 // Fuji Sensia 400, Canon EOS 500N

Despite the fact that I treasure this habit, I have been pondering a lot lately if 2018 is the year when I finally close my blog. Yes, I know, I have said it before. I usually do so about once a year, typically when life is extra busy. Sometimes I feel like I "owe it" to you, my dear reader, to continue. I owe you the weekly updates and the Friday list tradition. Also, after doing this for ten years (!) it's hard to break the habit. The habit of shooting random things in my life, the habit of constantly thinking of captions, the habit of sharing pieces of my life.

South Africa 2009  // Fuji pro 160S, Canon EOS 500N

The blog reading habit is also hard to break, but I'm less inspired by blogs than I used to be. Back in the early days of blogging, blogs were personal. Bloggers shared their everyday lives and hobbies; arts, crafts, photography, cooking, travels. No-one made money from their blogs. Well, some of them had small Etsy shops where they sold their handmade things, and these little shops were silently promoted on their blogs. But it was a completely different ball game compared to the commercial focus that so many blogs have today - at least the kind of blogs that I normally like to read.

Bergen 2013 // Fuji Superia 200, Olympus mju

I miss the personal stories that don't come with an agenda. I discussed it a little bit with Fatima over here. I agree with what she says, social media has become too much caught in a cycle of ads, algorithms and non chronological orders. Ironically a few of my favorite bloggers do in fact have ads and sponsors, like Reading My Tea Leaves, Practicing Simplicity, A Cup of Jo and Hjartesmil (the last one only does ads for her own store though).

London 2010 // Fuji Velvia 50, Canon EOS 500N

I'm not sure what the concluding of this post is, other than for me blogging is not what is used to be. In the early days of blogging and social media (Flickr, in my case) I had conversations with people around the world and I actually made new friends. For example, Fatima and I met up in London 8 years ago. This doesn't happen anymore. Not in my case anyway. A big reason is because I don't prioritise that kind of time and energy for social media like I did when it was still a novelty.

Mallorca 2014 // Fuji Velvia 50, Canon EOS 500N

I might take a break, I might only post on Instagram (I'm halloastrid), I might quit completely. I'm not sure yet.

Denmark 2012 // Fuji Velvia 50, Canon EOS 500N

How about you? Any thoughts about blogging? What are your favorite blogs these days?

PS: I wrote this post Sunday morning whilst Sølve slept in and the kids watched way too much iPad. Poor priority? Yeah, kind of...

a roll of film a month // December, part V

Kodak Portra 800, Minolta SRT 101 // about the project

a roll of film a month // December, part IV

Kodak Portra 800, Minolta SRT 101 // about the project

a roll of film a month // December, part III

Kodak Portra 800, Minolta SRT 101 // about the project