Abby, From A to Z (& Photographs of Paris)

Paris by Abby Ingwersen

Bonjour à tous!

Several nights ago, while battling wretched insomnia, I had a teeny, slightly narcissistic idea: why not compose a post about myself, from A to Z? I suppose it is simply a silly excuse to ramble on about moi for a long length of time (26 letters long, to be precise), but, why not? Even if not a soul reads these words, I’ll someday be able to look back fondly at eighteen year-old Abby and her interesting ‘lil quirks and favorite things. So! Let’s begin, shall we?


A

is for Abigail, my full name, which I absolutely despised as a child. As I’ve grown older, though, I’ve come to love it more and more. I was named after Abigail Adams, actually. Just a fun tidbit of information.

B

is for boots. I own three pairs at the moment, of which two particularly stand out. Floral patterned Dr. Martens and a simple black/brown pair from Forever 21. I purchased the former prior to my sweet sixteen trip to London, and the latter while in London. Both are highly comfortable and reliable and I don’t know how I would survive in Paris without them.

Update: Since I first drafted this post, the lifespan of one of the aforementioned pairs of boots has ended, but exciting news! Two gorgeous pairs from Modcloth are on their way to moi at this very moment. 

Update 2: My two new pairs have arrived! Hurrah! They’re so lovely. (And I still haven’t published this post… yikes. I began drafting it in December and now it’s February.)

C

is for California, where I was born and raised. I may not be not a fan of beachy activities, but I know how to, at least, appreciate a stunning view when I see it. ♥

D

is for dresses. I love, love, love dresses. This one is my current favorite. The lace sleeves, though. ♥

E

is for Enchanted. It is such a beautiful song, and has been a fave of mine for years. This night is sparkling…

F

is for France, or French, or français. The country, the language…. J’adore. Hashtag francophile. Hashtag why am I not French. Hashtag brb crying.

G

is for Grimms’ Fairytales. I was utterly obsessed with them for the entirety of my childhood… and maybe still am a ‘lil bit. I adored the lesser-known stories, however disturbing or dark. Mother Holle, The Robber Bridegroom, The Old Woman in the Wood, The True Bride… 

H

is for hair. Mine is naturally dark brown, but I’ve been dyeing it pitch black for nearly a year now now, and I totally heart the change.

Paris by Abby Ingwersen

Paris by Abby Ingwersen

I

is for Ingwersen. My last name has annoyed me for so very long… it itself is long, after all, and quite a few people have had great difficulty pronouncing it, though it sounds exactly as it’s spelled. The surname itself is technically Danish, but my father’s family actually originates from Northern Germany. So whenever it is assumed I’m part Scandinavian, I have to explain…
Interestingly enough, last names ending in ‘son’ are Swedish and those with ‘sen’ are Danish. I learned this from Scandinavian friends of mine I met through school this year. Fun (essentially useless) fact, no?

J

is for J. My middle name…well, technically, letter. No, it does not stand for anything. Yes, I sometimes wish that I had a regular, lovely name between my first and my last. But no, I have no intention of changing it. It is apart of me. (Harry S Truman inspired this decision of my mom’s. She has a thing for American history, what with Abigail Adams and the J and whatnot.)

K

is for kangaroos. Nearly all of my very first memories are from a business trip to Australia I accompanied my dad on at the age of three. I remember packing Crayola markers and coloring books for the plane trip with my mother at our old kitchen table. I remember the unfortunate tomato juice incident that took place aboard the flight. I remember my dad purchasing Australian-animal equivalents of rubber ducks for me and playing with them in the hotel’s seemingly giant bathtub (I’m sure it would appear much smaller to me now). And I remember seeing and feeding kangaroos while at the zoo. They are the first wild animals I have any vivid memory of… how odd that my first zoo memories aren’t of the San Diego Zoo. But there you have it. Kangaroos. 🙂

L

is for lace. I have been obsessed with lace for ages. It makes everything ten times lovelier and prettier, wouldn’t you agree?

M

is for Melody. At the age of three I was entirely obsessed with The Little Mermaid 2, and wanted to change my name to ‘Melody’, like Princess Ariel’s daughter, the heroine of the (way underrated) Disney movie. I told my parents, my doctor, the principal and teachers at my new pre-school… and so, for about one year, ‘Melody’ was my name. When I began attending a different pre-school the following autumn, I decided that I preferred ‘Abby’ and switched right back. To this day, though, my mother affectionately calls me ‘Mel’ every so often.

N

is for ‘naming’. Since I was a ‘lil girl, I have taken great pleasure in naming things. Each and every one of my Barbie dolls (I must have had over fifty) had a name thought up by myself. The same went for my Littlest Pet Shops and stuffed animals. Even now I enjoy naming inanimate objects… my pink Fujifilm Instax Camera, for example, is ‘Margot’. As a child, though, the titles I created were far more silly and imaginative. I would stare seriously at the toy in question for five to ten minutes, determining what he or she ‘looked’ like. Children really are the funniest, aren’t they?

O

is for octopus. When I visited San Diego’s Birch Aquarium at sixteen, I was fascinated by this creature, and it still comes to mind every so often… after all, it is the first thing that popped into my mind when I thought of the letter ‘O’. Visit an aquarium soon, really, and just watch the octopus for at least fifteen minutes. It is incredible.

P

is for pens. I am such a perfectionist when it comes to my penmanship, and my very favorite pens – the ones I just can’t live without, seriously – are these ones. Specifically. I adore them. (Yay for Sharpie Fine Point Grip Pens! Am I a nerd…?)

Paris

Paris by Abby Ingwersen

Q

is for Quidditch. Do I really have to explain this one? Harry Potter for Life. (I’m a proud Hufflepuff, by the way.)

R

is for reading. I adore reading with all my heart and always will. Since beginning college I’ve had so very little time for books, though. Soon enough, that will change. I hope.

S

is for Spring. I love winter, truly, (with the exception of January) but at the moment I just can’t wait to see Paris in bloom. Flowers, flowers, everywhere. ♥

T

is for television. Yes… I know… but bear with me. Sitcoms are the absolute best when the brain is worn out at the end of a long day, but you haven’t the energy to read, write, or work. Favorites include Friends, Parks & Recreation, That ’70s Show, The Big Bang Theory, and more.

U

is for USA. I am an American, and am struggling to determine exactly what that means at the moment. I live in France, and am not quite sure what to make of the typical European’s opinion of the US. Frankly, this displacement of mine confuses me. I am happy here, but I will never be French, or any European nationality for that matter. Even if at some point I were to gain citizenship, it wouldn’t feel true. I just can’t help but wonder whether or not I am welcome here… I’m self conscious, I suppose. These are just thoughts I have that I may or may not sort out over time. This ‘finding yourself’ nonsense isn’t easy.

V

is for values. Compassion. Contentment. Determination. Empathy. Loyalty. Justice. Honesty. Positivity. Simplicity. Thankfulness. Trustworthiness. Understanding. These are a few of mine.

Paris by Abby Ingwersen

Paris by Abby Ingwersen

W

is for wedding photography. As of now, I want to be a wedding photographer when I grow up. My current inspiration comes from Joy Prouty.

X

is a really difficult letter. All that seems to come to mind is X-ray? I’ve never broken a bone? I guess that’ll have to do.

Y

is for yarn. It is one of those things I’ve always loved the idea of, despite having no actual use for the item itself. Around this time last year I attempted to teach myself to crochet, but as it turns out, crocheting is actually quite difficult and I had absolutely no skill for it. Our little shih-tzu puppy Mabel got ahold of the (pink) yarn somehow, though, and watching her play with it was the cutest thing ever. Who needs a cat? (Note: my family actually has two cats, as well, but I’m a shih-tzu person forever and ever amen.)

Z

is for zoo. I have a thing for zoos. Ones that treat animals properly, of course, and provide them with ample space to roam about. The San Diego Zoo is one of the places I especially miss in California. I believe there are a couple in Paris, though, I must check them out at some point.


That’s all for now. Sending hearts to you! And please think some happy thoughts my way… I’m sick… again. Ugh, winter, pretty please go away?

xoxo,

Abby

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10 comments on “Abby, From A to Z (& Photographs of Paris)”

  1. This is the cutest idea Abby! I might just have to take some inspiration from you and try this out over on SDLW! So fun getting to know more about you!

    Hope you’re well, lovely!

    xx Lucy-Claire // sunnydaysandlovelyways.com

  2. I LOVE THIS LIST! How cool that your name is all American History inspired. I also love TSwift’s Enchanted and fairytales…always…YES. And Melody (Little Mermaid 2 IS underrated. Not as much as Lion King 2 but still).And I love reading and TV and lace and values and the zooooo! I also relate to having name issues lol (Blogna…not an easy last name. Esp. because it should be Bologna but the first “o” was removed during immigration and…yeah) And it is SO COOL that your first memories are of Australia! Your life is so interesting!

    and…wedding photography…<3lovelovelove

    • Aww, thanks SO much, Kayle! Most Disney sequels are underrated, aren’t they?? And ooh, the history of your name is so interesting. It’s a shame it makes it difficult to spell and pronounce, but what a fantastic story to tell. <3

      Gah, and isn't wedding photography the loveliest?! I ADORED the photos of your wedding.

      XOXO

  3. This is such a cute idea, and omg I can’t believe that you’ve been drafting this since December! So on top of things. I’ve always been fascinated by Grimm’s Fairytales, but I must admit that I haven’t read most of them, though I have a beautiful collector’s edition that I bought from Barnes & Nobles several years ago. I don’t have it here at college with me though 🙁 Maybe I’ll bring it back with me next time and slowly make my way through it 🙂 // Because I have dark Asian hair, I guess I’ve always been fascinated by light hair. I’ve highlighted it red, bleached my tips, dyed it purple (now faded to a dark blonde)… My hair isn’t as dark as it used to be, especially since I’ve been swimming competitively for so many years. Now I’m kind of intrigued by how I’d look with black hair. I think I’ll make the most of my light hair right now, and maybe in a few years try black 😀 // When I was little, I would feel very passionate about characters in books I read. There were two times in my childhood I wanted to change my name and insisted everyone call me by that new name and even wrote that new name on all my homework. The names were Chrysanthemum (that little mouse) and Harriet (Harriet the Spy). // Do you play Quidditch for your school? 😀 -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s

    • Hahah, thanks, Audrey! Although I don’t think I’ve really been on top of anything at all – I intended for this post to go up over two months ago. Oof, college life, right?
      And ohhhh you MUST read all of Grimm’s fairytales! They’re so magical, and I just love imagining how they were told orally centuries ago in Germany. A collector’s edition from B&N sounds absolutely incredible!
      Hahah, being half Latina, I always had the same sort of fascination with light hair (my dad may be blonde, but those recessive genes are not at all visible on me hah), and actually had golden highlights added to my hair about a year and a half ago, but hated how they looked. Since then, I’ve just been going darker and darker.
      My Korean friend from uni just dyed her hair fluorescent purple/pink and it looks INCREDIBLE on her. I’m sure you looked just as fabulous with purple hair. <3
      Oh, I LOVED Chrysanthemum as a little girl, but could never spell it (and still can't) hahah. I love that you were writing that complicated name on your homework at such a young age. 😛
      And oh, Harriet the Spy... I owned a copy, but never actually read it. Oops. Maybe someday, when I have the time...
      And hahaha I WISH my school had a Quidditch team. But art schools aren't much for sports (which is probably a very good thing given that I'm TERRIBLE at them)

      Hope you're having a great day! XOXO

  4. Abby your photographs are so beautiful!! You should be so proud of yourself – you’re truly so talented! 🙂
    And love this post! hello fellow hufflepuff! 😛
    xx

  5. This is such a fabulous post! I loved reading all these tid bits about you. M was very interesting to me, and I suppose that explains your former blog name as well! 🙂