About

What?  You’re curious about me?  ME?  Really?

Houston Mom Blogger

There’s not much to say.

  • I’m a pale, green-eyed, curly-haired brunette.
  • A girl (in case you didn’t notice).
  • A wife.  A mommy  A Christian.  A friend.
  • I consider myself to be crafty.  Disorganized yet Organized.  Creative.  Witty.
  • I know I’m pessimistic.  Sarcastic.  Occasionally, petulant, vain, self-doubting.  But, I’m also Loyal.
  • I’m a wanna-be knitter, a shower singer, a mediocre pianist, a reader of British Detective Fiction, and a writer of bad poetry.
  • I’m a symmetry FREAK and a lover of antiques, architecture, and apple-betty.
  • Coffee.  Coffee.  Coffee.  Coffee.  It’s good stuff.
  • I’m a fledgling foodie, dabbling with slow-cookers and immersion blenders… proof I’m living on the edge, people.
  • I like taking pictures.  But my kidlets don’t appreciate my “skills”. Whatever…. I’m just storing all their bad photos away for future blackmail opportunities.
  • I like to write and I love to laugh.

The “Official Blog Bio”:

Rachel, a wanna-be knitter and unashamed shower singer, is busy mommy of three wild and precocious children and the wife of a pure-bred Texas boy.  As the author/owner of Following In My Shoes, Rachel uses her humor and love of photography to blog about mommyhood, family-friendly food, and life in Houston, Texas.  

When it comes to partnering with brands, Rachel works hard to promote the companies and products she loves in an organic way – maintaining her unique and authentic voice as she shares brand information with her community of readers.

On Facebook:  http://facebook.com/followinginmyshoes

On Twitter:  http://twitter.com/Rachel_L

On Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/rachellacy

Email: rachel@followinginmyshoes.com

 

Still want to know more?  Oh, I’ve got options for ya, baby.

And, oh yes, the three people I discuss the MOST at Following In My Shoes:

The Little Lady, Mr. Boy, and Barney Kneeknuckles

FAQs (just a few based on questions I’ve been emailed)

Why does your blog design always look different every time I visit?

Well, I have what I call BDOCD (Blog Design OCD) — I am perpetually tweaking my design, the layout, the header, the functionability…. in part because I want your visit here to be a pleasant one, visually speaking.  But, also because I seem to be on a never-ending quest to create the “perfect” blog design.  Sigh — one of these days … one of these days.

Um, you’re an English teacher, right?  What’s up with all the fragments and run-on sentences?

Yes, I was an English teacher for several hundred ninth-graders.  And, when I was grading papers, I was swift to attack the dangling participle, the fragment, the run-on sentence, the vague pronoun reference…. UNLESS, the writer intentionally did any of those “no-nos” for effect or emphasis.  Then, I applauded those efforts, because carefully crafted written imperfections are hard to pull off.

On this ol’ blog, I am always paying attention to rhythm, syntax, and diction and I am not afraid to “break the rules” if I feel it gets a point across or makes someone laugh.

I like your pictures.  What camera do you use?

I currently shoot with a Nikon D7000 and (for the most part) use a 50mm 1.8 lens.  I have not taken any formal training (as any professional can tell by looking at my photography), but I have read tutorial after tutorial and have asked question after question.  Slowly, but surely, I am starting to understand the mechanics of shooting in Manual and the science and art of composition.

So, why do you post recipes?

I love to cook; it’s one way I show my family that I adore them.  And, truth be told, I love to eat.  Cooking, like photography and writing, is just another creative hobby I really enjoy.  I love experimenting with flavor and looking for ways to recreate recipes into a delicious, healthy, family-friendly dish.

You really cook all that food?

Yes, I do … unless it involves, the grill; in that case, I let my Husband be in charge of the open flames.  He’s the pyro in the family.

So, I see you have written a bit of about “healthy living.”  How do your recipes fit in with that?

Well, for the most part, you will see primarily “real food” : fresh vegetables, lean meats, whole grains.  I rely on very few convenience foods or ingredients, so you will NOT see a recipe using cream of anything.  Oh, and I use Olive Oil AND Butter.  Yes, yes, I do.

For me, there are a lot of components to living healthy: hydration, eating the best and freshest foods (and watching your portions), and exercise.  Food is just a part of the bigger picture.

All that said, yes, you still will find some “naughty” foods, like my Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies.  But that’s just because brownies are brownies, people.  They want to be eaten.

Do you make you recipes from scratch or do they belong to other people?

Every chef, foodie, or home-cook finds inspiration somewhere; sometimes I adapt someone else’s recipe and sometimes I create my recipes after fixating on a flavor or after eating something amazing at a restaurant.  But, I’m upfront in my posts: if I was inspired by someone else’s published recipe, you’ll see me credit them.  Otherwise, all recipes are my own creations.

I really like your recipe — can I repost it and your pictures on my site?

If you are doing a recipe round-up, I do not mind my food photo and the recipe name being shared; however, you should never repost anyone’s recipe verbatim.  Duplicate content can get you in trouble.  It’s best to always just link back to the original when sharing a new favorite recipe.

Wait a minute.  You adopted the Little Lady because of infertility issues.   What happened with Mr. Boy and Barney Kneeknuckles?

Well, every stranger I meet will tell me I simply fall into the category of a “family who adopted then got pregnant”.  Um, not so much; yeah, everyone always talks about those stories but it really only happens about 7% of the time.

No, we believe we were meant to be the Little Lady’s parents, which is why we ended up needing adoption to become parents.   As for the boys … I guess God felt I needed to experience pregnancy induced insomnia, cankles, and heartburn.  So, I got pregnant.  By surprise.  Twice. 

Yeah, we’re still trying to figure out how that happened.


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