I am Danielle Frawley and am 23-years-old; however, sometimes I feel younger than that and sometimes I feel older. I am a writer, a people-person, a passionate storyteller, yoga student, cat lover, friend-to-many, and fiancé-to-one, kind of a person.

My life pretty much revolves around two things right now: my job and my wedding.

I work as the staff writer at Wind Ridge Publishing. This means that I write for the company's three publications: the Shelburne News, Destination Vermont magazine, and Vermont HomeStyle magazine. Sometimes Shelburne residents recognize me as the only audience member at a Selectboard meeting on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month, or the person calling them up to ask them to be a "Person of Shelburne." I cover many diverse stories for the paper - from dead fish at Shelburne Pond to affordable housing at Shelburnewood. No matter the relative importance of a story, my goal is to find that one thing that will tweak readers' interest to read further in order to understand the things that are unique, significant, and interesting about each topic and person.

In my line of work, I learn a lot about people - it is a wonderful task to gather stories from individuals of varied ages, backgrounds, and lifestyles. To have a wild and wonderful assortment of amazing people right at hand and right here in Shelburne has caused my love of story gathering to grow in great proportions.

It seems to me that people and their true stories make all the difference in everyday life - they can instill even the greyest of days with meaning and a rich range of emotions. When someone tells me a story I sit in awe and try to learn what makes people tick. The interests and passions that form people's lives never cease to amaze me. People hold a great deal of excitement, drive, enthusiasm, and commitment, and on such a grand scale that it would inspire anyone willing to listen.

Sometimes, superficially, a story might initially seem simple or boring, but ultimately, there is always a greater truth and something unique and interesting about every human being.

The other important part of my life right now is planning my wedding. On Dec. 17, 2009, my boyfriend of almost five years proposed. I happily accepted, and we are now planning a wedding for the fall of 2010.

I knew that planning a wedding wouldn't be a simple task, but little did I know how many details go into this one day. Luckily, I work in an office full of mothering women who are always available to give an opinion or lend a hand in the planning process.

I have, however, jumped a hurdle, a big hurdle. I have a wedding dress!

My columns promise to hold a fun and flirty edge, with a touch of common sense, at least according to this 23-year-old writer.