Every year, journalists from across the state gather to celebrate the Idaho Press Club Awards.
As a writer for both Boise Lifestyle Magazine and Meridian Lifestyle Magazine, I’ve been privileged to share unique stories from across the Treasure Valley and from my own travels. This year, I entered two of these stories into the running for Idaho Press Club Awards.
For Meridian Lifestyle, I tackled the Photo Essay category with the photos I took in Seattle’s beautiful NorthCountry (a piece called Down by the Sound). A snapshot can tell its own story, from the soft autumn foliage that covered a wooden set of stairs in a forest to a ferry crossing the Puget Sound. I was able to take this trip with my mom, Sheri Gray, and we had some fun figuring out how to take photos of ourselves. Selfies were a must, but we also pulled off a good shot using a mirror meant to help cars with a blind corner. Meridian Lifestyle and I took home 2nd for this effort.
And since I couldn’t leave Boise Lifestyle out, I sent the judges “Here Comes the Easter Cat.” This story detailed how Crash of Simply Cats in Boise earned the title of Cadbury Bunny. I’ve always had a soft spot for cats. Combined with the nostalgia of the “Bunny Tryouts” commercial every year and Crash’s personal story of triumph after a car crash gave him his name and his new home, and I couldn’t pass up the chance to tell his story. For this, Boise Lifestyle and I took 1st in the Light Feature Writing-Periodical division followed by Sun Valley Magazine.
It's always gratifying to be recognized by one’s peers and rewarded for your work. But I couldn’t do any of this without our loyal Lifestyle readers. You’re the reason I get to keep doing what I love and I can’t wait to talk to more of you and tell your stories as well!