Le Weekend (in pictures)

I managed to squeeze in not one, but two nights of art journaling. Voila my Springspiration collage and fitness goals for the next 3 months:

My guy BFF and I are doing a book swap for February. He's reading a book of my choice, and I'm reading one of his. My choice for him is Eating Animals (bien sur), and his for moi is Anna Karenina. Admittedly I'm surprised at how much I love it and have found myself unable to put it down lately. Thank goodness for my new Kindle Touch - the hard copy is HUGE!

I've decided that fresh flowers are a new "must" for moi, particularly now that Spring is right around the corner. My room gets very little (read: ZERO) sunlight, so I need something to remind me of the beautiful outdoors. I picked up these babies at a corner bodega yesterday afternoon and felt very SATC-esque whilst doing so.

I hope your weekend felt long, luscious and full of creativity. Gros bisous!

 

Book Review: MWF Seeking BFF

I'm writing this book review, and I'm not even done with the book - that's how much I dig it. MWF Seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New BFF is nonfiction gold for 20-/30-something women who love having girlfriends. Don't believe me? Read below.

"When Rachel Bertsche first moves to Chicago, she’s thrilled to finally share a zip code, let alone an apartment, with her boyfriend. But shortly after getting married, Bertsche realizes that her new life is missing one thing: friends. Sure, she has plenty of BFFs—in New York and San Francisco and Boston and Washington, D.C. Still, in her adopted hometown, there’s no one to call at the last minute for girl talk over brunch or a reality-TV marathon over a bottle of wine. Taking matters into her own hands, Bertsche develops a plan: She’ll go on fifty-two friend-dates, one per week for a year, in hopes of meeting her new Best Friend Forever.

In her thought-provoking, uproarious memoir, Bertsche blends the story of her girl-dates (whom she meets everywhere from improv class to friend rental websites) with the latest social research to examine how difficult—and hilariously awkward—it is to make new friends as an adult. In a time when women will happily announce they need a man but are embarrassed to admit they need a BFF, Bertsche uncovers the reality that no matter how great your love life is, you’ve gotta have friends."

I bought this book on my kindle (my first actual kindle purchase!!) last week before I hopped on a plane to New Orleans for my law school bestie's, Pony's, wedding. After reading about it in several magazines, I knew I had to get my hands on it. After all, I know exactly how Rachel feels/felt. After law school, I found myself in an ah-mazing city (Austin - duh) lacking in the true friendship department. I had my other law school girl bestie, Jenny, and I had a couple of other friends I'd see semi-regularly. But the rest of the time, I found myself canceling plans with so-so friends with whom I felt little to no real connection. Quite frankly, I would have rather stayed home with Lola. So that's what I did.

Fast forward one year and a half, and I was not happy. I found myself constantly finding reasons to leave Austin, whether for the weekend or just the day, and sooner or later I found myself craving a different life altogether. Hello, NYC! 

Now my life is a series of social commitments, and I can hardly keep up. Reading this book, I find myself paying a lot more attention to my social calendar. Take yesterday, for example:

11:30 a.m. - Coffee shop catch-up avec my boys (Will and David) @ Grounded

2:00 p.m. - Brunch avec old boss/dear friend Megan @ Five Points

6:00 p.m. - Art journaling play date avec new friend/fellow art journaling enthusiast Tiffani @ her incredibly decorated apartment (more on this later - I am INSPIRED, y'all!) Psst - I was introduced to Tiffani via Valerie, another blog-y friend. Merci, Val!

In between was catching up with my roomie, another unexpected dear amie Annika. By the end of the day (around 12:30 a.m.), I realized I had been talking for about 12 hours straight. Phew! I was exhausted, but also feeling quite accomplished. All my conversations had been by choice, AND, more importantly, deeply satisfying on many levels. Throughout the course of the day, I had discussed, in no particular order: politics, interior design, goal-setting, boys, boys and more boys, hair color, fashion, self-confidence and affirmations, food... the list goes on and on. I wanted to whip out my iPhone and text Rachel about my successful day (that is, until I realized, we're not BFF's in real life - such a shame).

That is yet another reason I enjoy this book - because Rachel is totally and completely the kind of BFF I would want, so I can relate to her wants/needs/desires when it comes to bestfriendship. 

I highly recommend this book. It's funny, it's endearing, but it's also wicked smart and insightful. What more can you ask for from a BFF?

P.S. Also? I'm feeling so ridiculously, stupidly, blissfully grateful for the friendships in my life. How did I get so lucky? Note to self: Be a better friend in 2012.

 

All About Books

 {photo from Domino - RIP}

As mentioned earlier, I am on a book reading binge. And friends? It feels really good. After months watching episode after episode of Criminal Minds, Bones and Glee (in that order), I am thrilled to say that not only am I completely caught up with those shows, but that I also now have time to indulge in, um, more intellectually-stimulating activities.  That includes reading.

It all started innocently enough with the enormously popular Stieg Larsson trilogy.  A coworker had given me a tattered paperback copy of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo awhile back.  It took me forever to open it and perhaps as long to get through the first 60 pages, but once I was in, I was in.  I inhaled the rest of that book in just a few short subway rides.  Luckily my roommate had the next in the series, The Girl who Played with Fire, so I dove in.  I had an upcoming 3 1/2 hour train ride coming up and knew that I'd be done with book deux before then.  I immediately hopped onto Amazon and purchased the third - The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.  I finished that one during my train ride to and from D.C.

My review?  Definitely good.  The hype is there for a reason, and I now understand why.  That being said, I don't think they are for everyone (and the first one takes awhile to get into) so use your own judgment.  I am immensely grateful for them, as they reminded me of how much I love to read and get lost in someone else's story.  Since then, I've read the following:

Little Bee by Chris Cleave (highly recommend)

The Help by Kathryn Stockett (highly recommend)

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (highly recommend and can't wait for the movie even though I know it will be sub-par)

Love Junkie by Rachel Resnik (interesting, but definitely not for everyone)

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks (I was desperate, and my roomie handed it to me - I read it in 3 hours. It's... well, it's a Nicholas Sparks novel so you can decide for yourself what that means.)

I am currently reading:

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

The Book of Salt by Monique Truong 

In the next couple of weeks, I plan to read:

The Sweet Relief of Missing Children by Sarah Braunstein

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain

Running for Women by Kara Goucher

What's on your bookshelf these days?

Happens Every Day: A Book Review

I'm a reading machine these days. Book club coupled with a library membership coupled with loads of free time = moi happily consuming book after book after book. My best reading happens on those beach days, and when I went this past Sunday, I brought along my newest NYPL acquisition: Happens Every Day by Isabel Gillies.

Like most of my books, I found this one by flipping through a magazine (probably O). When I googled it and realized that Isabel Gillies pays Detective Stabler's wife on SVU, I was even more intrigued. This story is a sad one... but the way Gillies writes it feels so alarmingly real (and at times, even funny) that I could not put it down. It's a story about a young, happily married couple with 2 young boys... and about how one-half of that couple (the husband, of course) leaves his wife for another woman.

I'm neither married nor have I ever been involved in an affair, but this story really struck a chord with me, and I was crying and devastated when I finished it (later that same night, bien sur). It's just so... real. It does happen every day, and it's devastating in every sense of the word. You truly feel for Gillies as you see her acknowledge that her husband has checked out of the marriage, as she suspects that the beautiful new female professor in her husband's department is getting entirely too close, as you watch her plead with this woman to leave her husband alone! I think she handled everything with amazing strength and resilience. The story is sad, and it doesn't end with a fairy story ending (although her real life, I think, did), but that's because the story is real. It's truth. It's the reality that happens to women all over the world every single day.

Which brings me to my next point. When I was young, an important female in my life gave me some advice: "You must always be with a man who loves you more than you love him." And to this day, I believe it to be wise and oh so very true. Last night at our dinner party (and over 4 bottles of wine), my friends and I discussed it in greater detail, and most everyone agreed it's good advice. The fact is, it's too easy for men to leave, especially when it involves another woman. Marriage, children, none of that will stop them, whereas women may think twice or thrice about throwing lives away. I realize this is a gross generalization, but I stand behind it 90% of the time. I'm curious, what do you think? Do you think it's unfair to characterize (most) men this way? Do you know a couple in which the woman is more into the man, and the relationship works out long-term??

The Art of Eating In

So, remember that book I said I couldn't wait to review and discuss? Well, it's finally here! The Art of Eating In is a kind-of-ah-mazing mini memoir that chronicles Brooklynite Cathy Erway's 2 years of not eating out in NYC. Yes, TWO YEARS! I had heard about Miss Erway months ago, as her name and book came up in a few of my magazines. I'd always torn out the pages to remind myself to read it, but with the move and all, it just slipped my mind. Enter: my NYPL membership.

I absolutely ADORE the New York Public Library and can't believe it's taken me this long to get on the library bandwagon. So long are the days of card catalogs and making multiple trips to various branches (although, admittedly, this can be fun, too). You can now search and reserve any book/dvd/cd/whatever you want online and have it sent to your local branch (which, conveniently for me, is on my block). I've been on a library spree since joining, and when The Art of Eating In came in, I immediately picked it up and took it with me to the beach last weekend.

I pretty much read the entire book that day. I remember my friend Steph looking over at me a couple of hours into our beach loungin' and being surprised at how far I had gotten. First, I'm a fast reader. Second, when I like a book, I LIKE a book. I couldn't stop reading and the only thing that forced me away that afternoon was the siren call of the chilly-but-refreshing waves. When I got home, I picked the book up once again and finished it. And now, I'm reading it a 2nd time...

The Art of Eating In, like many nonfiction books these days, began as a blog. Not Eating Out In New York is an immensely popular blog still maintained by Cathy and still fabulous. The book, however, is not merely a regurgitation of the blog, but a story that includes not just food and cooking, but tales of romance, friendship, family and Brooklyn. (Oh Brooklyn... I realize Brooklyn has become very much romanticized over the past few years, but I'm, like, in love. I can't wait to explore more of it and already have a dinner date in Williamsburg scheduled for next week.)

Cathy makes a number of valid points in her book, one of which really hit home for me. She explores how much waste is created by takeout in this city, and she couldn't be more right. Anytime I order takeout, I'm appalled by how much trash I create. From the plastic bag AND paper bags holding the containers of food, the containers themselves, the plasticware, the napkins, the excessive sauce packets... it's no wonder our kitchen trash fills up on a daily basis. Even though I try and request NO plasticware, 1 or 2 sets always finds their way in my multiple bags. It kills me. At one point in the book, Cathy decides to compare how much waste is created between ordering in and cooking at home. The dish of choice is chicken with broccoli, and the results are astounding.

{photo credit: marieclaire.com}

The book also made me examine the whole "ordering in" thang that is so prevalent here (and admittedly, so appealing... at least, at first). You know I kind of died when I realized I could order whatever kind of food I wanted (online, no less!) and have it delivered to my front door. But then I got to thinking... how good is the food I've ordered in? Some of it has been great and has certainly hit the spot (great Thai food, excellent NY-style pizza). But quite frankly, most of it has been disappointing in some aspect or another. Furthermore, I realized that even though the food was relatively cheap, it probably wasn't made with the best ingredients nor was it particularly healthy. And, most importantly, I could probably make it and make it better. So why did I keep doing it? The novelty has worn off, and honestly, I'm sick of eating food prepared by someone else. And I am SO excited to get back in the kitchen.

Another aspect of the book I loved was the emphasis on the social nature of food. "I don't think there's anything more I could have wished for on that night. I had everything that I loved about life: good people (and not too many of them) and really good food (too much of it, but that was okay." I couldn't agree more. Some of my warmest and fuzziest moments from college and law school involve dinner parties, not going out to eat, but a group of us cramped around a too-small table, eating delicious homemade food and genuinely enjoying each other's company. Those were the best times.

Naturally, after finishing this delightful book, I immediately wanted to: (1) cook my heart out; and (2) throw a dinner party. #1 has been well underway, what with my kitchen clean-out and reorg. and my purchase of essential kitchenware. As for #2, it gets un peu trickier, as we don't really have a dining table, and let's be honest, I'm not keen on entertaining here. It's tres devastating, as I adore nothing more than cooking and entertaining for dear friends, but luckily, my friend (and fellow foodie) Stephanie has a fabulous apartment all to herself AND a wonderful outdoor patio (she's the one who threw me a dinner party on my first night in the city - love!). We immediately scheduled an intimate patio dinner party for next week, and guess who's in charge of the entree? Oui, c'est moi!

Cooking for friends who are not vegetarian (let alone vegan) presents a bit of a challenge. I knew my dish probably wouldn't be vegan, but I really REALLY don't feel comfortable cooking meat (let alone eating it). After scouring my fave food blogs, I stumbled across this tasty looking Spanish Tortilla with Kale and knew I had to try it. Simple but tasty ingredients make the best dishes, and Erin's recipes never fail. Still, I felt bad about using eggs... after all, Jonathan Safran Foer makes it a point to state in Eating Animals that eggs are probably the worst animal products to buy in terms of animal cruelty. But hey, I'm living in NYC now! Surely I can find eggs that come from a humane farm in which the hens live happy, pleasant, grassy lives. I found a number of suppliers at the Union Square Greenmarket and plan to do some research on the farms before buying any eggs. (Note: I realize there are still issues w/ buying these kinds of eggs, but I don't want to get into it here. I also realize I could prepare a vegan dish, but I'm not going to get into that here either. Sorry if that offends you...)

{image credit: fresh365online.com}

So, if you enjoy food and cooking, then I highly suggest you read The Art of Eating In. I fell back in love with food and cooking and fell super hard for Cathy. Her fun, quirky personality is most appealing, and let's be honest, she's just adorable (half and half... always beautiful!). I've already ordered my own copy from Amazon (used for only $5!), as I know I'll be re-reading it frequently and trying out some of the recipes (yes, there are recipes in the book!). Don't you just love a good book? Especially one about FOOD?? Check it out, and let me know what you think!

(Note: I originally wrote this post on Saturday. On Sunday, I woke up with a massive sore throat and an ache-y body - no bueno. I immediately declared it a sick-bed-feel-sorry-for-myself-day and spent the first half of the day dozing in and out of sleep and swallowing painfully. Finally I got up and downed several cups of water and coconut water (the only liquids I had in the house) and realized around 5 p.m. that I was starving. Wanting soft comfort foods (think: mashed potatoes), I hopped onto seamlessweb and surfed for literally an hour trying to find something that sounded remotely appetizing. I finally settled on a comfort food/bbq joint from where I ordered a selection of sides and banana pudding. Ugh - this little experiment only further proved my point that restaurant food is rarely, if ever, better than home-cooked. This place was pricier than normal and had received rave reviews so I had high(er) hopes, but the sides were overly salted, heavy, and left me with a bad feeling in my tummy. The banana pudding, luckily, wasn't bad and soothed my throat. But it doesn't matter - I am so not ordering in again for a very. long. time. And I plan to whip myself up a comforting bowl of polenta later.)

(Oh and also? I requested no plasticware, but nonetheless found not one, not two, but three sets of plasticware in my bag. *shakes fist in air* Why?!)

Cleaving: A Review

As I mentioned earlier, I purchased Julie Powell's second memoir, Cleaving, in audiobook form off Amazon for approximately $5. It was a steal. Saturday, whilst browsing through the book section at Target, I saw that the hardback version was on sale for only $10. Hmm... I'm not in the publishing industry, but it would seem to me that if a new book is selling for SO cheap, it can't be a good sign, right?

There is much criticism surrounding Cleaving, and I can see why. Cleaving is nothing like Julie & Julia except that it involves food and Powell's marriage to high-school sweetheart, Eric. This time, Powell opens up her love of buchery and her crazy 2-year affair with "D", the other man in her life (whom, by the way, she thanks alongside Eric, her hubby, in the acknowledgements. The nerve...).

Here are my thoughts... in a way, I enjoyed Cleaving. It's interesting, the storyline kept me engaged, and despite all who disagree, I like Powell's writing. Now, that being said, I can see why so many people, well, hate her now. She is a completely unsympathethic character, ridiculously childish, pathetically insecure, and scarily promiscuous. You wonder why on earth her husband is still with her. You want to slap her and shake her and basically throw her in the corner until she realizes the error of her ways.

And yet... the story is intriguing, as is any story about adultery (esp when the woman is committing it), and her descriptions of buchery and travel are well-written. Powell transports you, whether it's into her kitchen or into her tent in Tanzania, where a large African man forces himself upon her (yes, she goes there). So, all in all, I'm glad I read/listened to it. And now, I will gladly sell my CD's to Half-Price Books and pray that Powell's next venture, a fiction novel, has nothing to do with meat or sex. I've had enough.

Things I'm Loving: Book Edition

Admittedly, I have not been the best reader lately. Usually I consume books (and magazines) like they're going out of style,(I also purchase them that way, too...), but with the Holidays and the general hustle bustle of my life lately (and my latest obsession with youtube), my books (and journal, for that matter) have been tres ignored. That all changed, however, on my recent trip to DC, and I'm back in business, baby.

1. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

This book was recommended to me by my boy bestie J (see DC pics below). He said it was "dark, but really good." I'm always intrigued by "dark" books as they are not typically found in my regular rotation. I brought this book with me to DC, started reading it on my departure day and finished it in a matter of hours. Yes, it was that good (and easy to read). Apparently it's going to be a movie with that hot bad boy Lord of the Rings guy. I bet the movie is going to be sad and scary. I can't wait to see it!

(How weird! My fab friend Nina just blogged about The Road, too!)

2. The Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin

I only recommend this book to those of you who enjoy the occasional "chick lit" and who liked The Nanny Diaries (TERRIBLE MOVIE). Because it's not really that good, but it's good if you want to know what happens next, ya know what i mean? I bought it as a book on CD for my drive to Dallas over the Holidays. Admittedly it took a little while for me to get into it, but once I was in, I was in. There is, after all, nothing I enjoy more than learning about the crazy lives of the Manhatten elite. Why do you think I'm so obsessed with Gossip Girl? (Also - if you like books on CD, I would listen to the original Nanny Diaries on CD b/c Julia Roberts narrates, and she's surprisingly hilarious.)

3. Living etc.

I guess this doesn't technically count as a "book", BUT if you're missing Domino as much as I am, then you're going to like #3. Living etc is a British interior design magazine that is, dare I say, better than Domino. It's chock full of insane interiors, both realistic and somewhat achievable to pure, amazing and completely unattainable fantasy. It's good. Really, really good. (And bonus: its website is awesome, too!) The only thing that sucks is that it's British and therefore includes lots of British-only home goods (augh how I miss them...) AND it costs an arm and a leg to get it in the States. What I do when I'm feeling tres pauvre is visit Borders, grab a latte, and leisurely flip through it. Putting it back on the shelves is always painful, but at least I've gotten my daily dose of design inspiration. (Psst - you can still get Domino inspiration from this fabulous flickr pool!)

4. Cleaving by Julie Powell

I debated whether I should include this one in... I adored Julie & Julia (both the book and the movie), and so it was no question that I would read Powell's latest memoir, despite its tagline, "A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession." (It also got pretty awful reviews.) But when I saw that I could get the book on cd, unabridged AND read by the author herself, for about $5, I couldn't help myself. I popped in the first CD a couple days ago, and well, let me say this. I don't LOVE the book, but it is without a doubt very interesting (in a bad train wreck/Jersey Shore kind of way), and I find myself wanting more. For that reason, Cleaving has made the list. I'll let you know how I feel once I'm done.

(and yes... I am now a fan of the Jersey Shore. le sigh.)

5. Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran

Okay so technically I can't be "loving" this book because I haven't yet read it. BUT, I know I'm going to read it, and that the likelihood of me loving is high. So it's made the list. (I also need a kick-in-the-butt because my vegetarian eating has gotten a bit too lax lately, and I'm not proud of it.) Have any of y'all read it? What did you think? Want to book swap??

Bienvenue: The Joy Diet!

Dear friends, I am SO excited to join all of you on this journey through The Joy Diet, the next selection for Jamie Ridler's online book club: The Next Chapter. I missed out on the Wreck This Journal fun (and honestly, it looked REALLY hard!), but am eager to get started on this new journey.

The first chapter is about Nothing, and the exercise is to "do nothing" for at least 15 minutes a day. I've seen other bloggers discuss how hard this will be to do. At first I thought, wow that's easy! I'll just curl up under the duvet and do nothing for 15 minutes to... 3 hours? Haha, unfortunately I don't think naps count. Still I can lay in bed doing Nothing (no, not even sleeping), and I think it will be divine. :)

You should watch Jamie's video. She introduces the concept of "vision cards" in which she creates mini-collages on big index cards. Um, GENIUS!! I love the idea and can't wait to get started (okay, how many times have I said that in this post??).

E-book Review: Discovering Your Right Livelihood

I had the immense pleasure of being offered a chance to check out this fabulous e-book from the amazing and inspiring Ana of Creatuitive Coaching. As someone who is on a (seemingly) constant quest to carve my authentic path, I was more than delighted to indulge in this interactive workbook. As I'm sure many of you know, there are oodles of books on the market aimed at this sort of self-discovery. The thing I love the most about Discovering Your Right Livelihood, and what I think makes it so valuable, is that it is an affordable and eco-friendly 14-page e-book that you can (and will) actually complete. How many times have you started a self-help book, with the highest of intentions, only to find it 8 months later, covered in dust and under your bed? Exactly. Another wonderful about Discovering is that because it is an e-book, you can complete it time and time again. The exercises inside it are as appropriate for the first timer who decides it's time to discover her passions as well as for the well-seasoned regular who engages in self-exploration on a full-time basis. I highly recommend it!

Also, right now Ana is offering a special reduced price 60-minute coaching session via phone with the purchase of her e-book. Find out more about it here.

Merci beaucoup, Ana, for this delicious gem!!

Austenite

I watched a super cute flick over the weekend (no, not 500 Days, although that was tres cute indeed) - The Jane Austen Book Club. I adored this movie for several reasons (among which is Hugh Dancy - YUM), and I must confess, I watched it twice! It's one of those great background movies to have playing while you clean the house, do laundry, etc. Actually all romantic comedy's are great background movies, which is why I own so many of them. :)

Anyhoo, the movie is about 6 people (5 women + the adorable Mr. Dancy) who start a Jane Austen book club. Each is responsible for leading a discussion on a different book. It got me thinking about Jane Austen and the fact that I am probably the only woman I know who hasn't read Pride & Prejudice (and therefore who isn't obsessed with it). I tried to read it once, but got supremely bored a few pages in. Since then I have yet to pick up another Austen novel.

But after seeing this movie, I think it might be time for me to give Jane another chance. There has to be a reason most women adore her books, right? Some of the novels that I'm considering are: Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and Sense & Sensibility. I really don't want to read P&P (esp since I know the story already), but figure I probably have to.

What do you guys think? Are you Jane Austen fans? Which book should I start with? Is it weird that I didn't love P&P??

Better

Merci beaucoup for all your kind messages re: my stolen phone. It has not been the best 24 hours. Last night I didn't fall asleep until something like 4:45 a.m. because my idiotic neighbors were yelling/laughing/etc. on their balcony from about 10 p.m. to, yes, 4:45 a.m. I even moved to the couch around 1:30 a.m. because it's a little farther away from the noise. Ugh. I'm so over apartment living and yet I don't foresee moving into a house anytime in the near future. Le sigh. Anyhoo, you better believe I called in a noise violation to management first thing today. I kid you not when I say I was 10 seconds away from grabbing my nonexistent gun and going apeshit on those obnoxious college kids.

Sooo, needless to say, I'm exhausted today. But I received good news upon my arrival to work - my (AWESOME) coworker agreed to sell me his Blackberry Bold for only $50. Amazing! IT is working on it now so hopefully I'll be good to go in no time.

Also? I finished all 1014 pages of World Without End over lunch so I am READY for tonight's book club. Bring. It. On.

Now if only I could be as happy as this chick...


{Photo credit}

Morning Rituals, Sleep & Artist Dates

My July goals aren't going so well. I haven't lost a single pound (let alone 4), I have not gone near a treadmill (and it's way too damn hot to run outside, yes even in the morning/evening), I've done zero Rosetta Stone, and I am incapable of creating (not to mention sticking to) a Morning Ritual. Also? I'm tired.

Sleep

Since discovering the ability to watch old episodes of Law & Order: CI on Netflix, I have not been getting my 8 hours of sleep. Y'all, this is why people banish the TV from the boudoir. But I have my laptop, which is basically a small TV that I watch way too closely. I think I need to banish the laptop from my bed, at least for a little while. But! Only during the week. Weekends are fair game. ;-)

Rituals

Why is it soo hard for me to create a morning ritual?? The only thing that's ritual-esque about my mornings is that I wake up and immediately start the coffee pot. Then I go brush my teeth, rinse my face, etc. while the coffee brews, and then I make myself a cup and bring it into the bathroom. And then I start getting ready, and I'm usually in a hurry b/c I've overslept (b/c I stayed up too late watching Law & Order). This is not a morning ritual, or at least not the kind I want.


I want sun salutations, I want moments of peace, I want to write my morning pages whilst sipping coffee and eating a healthy breakfast. Here's another problem - my breakfasts have gone to crap. Nothing sounds good, nothing tastes good, and confession: On Monday's and Wednesday's when I take Lola to daycare, I end up hitting up the McD's on the way to the office. No bueno, my friends. (But yumm aren't their hash browns DELISH?) What do you guys eat for a quick but nutritious breakfast?

Another thing I want to incorporate into my daily life is an evening ritual. I've sort of unknowingly created one over the past week. After dinner and tidying up, I grab my books, journals, laptop, stickers, pens, some some of drink and/or fruit, and Lola and head to my delicious bed. I essentially "set up shop" in bed and for the next 2 hours or so, I write and read and collage and color and yes, watch Law & Order. I'm going to work on this one, fine tune it because I really like having an evening ritual. Do any of you have one, whether intentionally or unintentionally? What are they? What about morning rituals?

Artist Dates

One of my July goals was to have weekly artist dates. I think I have lots of mini-artist dates, whether I call them that or not. Tonight my "artist date" includes watching Food, Inc., brushing up on my French (via Rosetta Stone), taking a long, hot, relaxing bath with epsom salts + lavender/eucalyptus essential oils, and reading. I'm already 400 pages into my book club book, World Without End by Ken Follett. I haven't read his first, but I'm going to after I finish this one! 600 more pages to go before next Thursday... I can do it!!

Tomorrow I am going to yoga and then hitting a hotel pool (with poolside service!) with some friends. PRAY for no rain!!

GIVEAWAY!!

Bonjour, readers! In honor of y'all being so FABULOUS and AMAZING to moi, i've decided to do a petit giveaway (for the first time!). I'm giving away a copy of the chick-lit book A Summer Affair by Elin Hilderbrand. Parfait for easy breezy summer reading, n'est ce pas? To enter, simply leave a comment on this post telling us what you love most about the summer between now and the July 4th Holiday, and i'll pick a winner at random. Yay!

The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry

Book Review: The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn

I started this book long, long ago. Maybe back in October of 2008? Sad, yes. But since one of my June goals was to finish 2 books of the many books i had started, i brought this gem along with me to Little Rock and spent Saturday morning in bed DEVOURING it. Yes, it was that good.

The premise - a thirty-something woman who, after getting laid off from her corporate gig, moves to Paris to attend the famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. In the book, Kathleen documents her journeys through Basic, Intermediate and Superior Cuisine all the while sprinkling in bits and pieces about her relationship with her beau, Mike, and stories of travel, Paris, life and love. What's not to like? I must confess it took me awhile to get into the "i don't want to put this down" phase (hence my inability to finish it back in '08). Still, if you love food and Paris, i highly recommend this one.

But, um, a note about the food. I once harbored ridiculous fantasies about attending cooking school in Paris. After reading Kathleen's story? No more. Meat stuffed with more meat? 32,000 pounds of TRIPE?? (if you don't know what tripe is, google it.) The French's insistence on using every single part of the animal is, although efficient and economical, rather disgusting at times. *shudders* It reminds me of my BAR trip and the couple nights we stayed in Lyon. Every SINGLE menu in Lyon had a dish avec tripe. Moi? Not a fan. I much preferred the cuisine in the Cote d'Azur - oodles of fresh seafood (delicious mussels + fries, incredible pasta avec langoustine), thin crust pizzas, and light wines. I guess i'm not as adventurous of an eater as i thought...

P.S. Coming next? Revisiting my June Goals... can we say FAIL?

Les Livres

bib⋅li⋅o⋅phile [bib-lee-uh-fahyl, -fil]: a person who loves or collects books

In case you haven't checked out my blogger profile (see right), i am a bibliophile, aka lover and collector of books. My love affair with books began long ago when i was in elementary school and lived in Lafayette, Louisiana. My mother had a store in downtown Lafayette, mere blocks away from the Lafayette Public Library. On the days we accompanied my mother to work, my sister and i would spend our afternoons at the Library, reading, absorbing and checking out a multitude of books. (Back then i thought that Library was huge. Who knows how big it actually is because after all, every place seems huge when you are a child, n'est ce pas?)

Every summer the Library had reading contests in which you got little prizes for x number of books read. My mom and dad would sign off on this piece of paper where i listed all the books i had read that summer. I always ran out of space and had to request more and more sheets. I was a voracious little reader, i couldn't get enough! To this day i am frequently reading several books at a time. I'm also a freakishly fast reader so it doesn't take long for me to get through them. (It took me one day, working day mind you so really just a few hours, to read each of the Twilight books, except Breaking Dawn. But that's because i didn't want the series to end, and let's be honest, that book kind of sucked compared to the others.)

Unfortunately, these days i often start too many books at one time and find it difficult to actually finish them. One of my June goals is to finish 2 of the books i'm currently reading, which in theory, should not be that hard to do. The problem is new books are so alluring that i often cannot stop myself from starting another and another and another. This is why my bedside table (which isn't really a table after all but really just a tray, and i desperately need to replace it with something that can actually house some of my books, candles, chargers, etc.) is overflowing with books. It's a serious problem.

I just got home from a trip to Tarjay. While i was there i picked up about ten different books, but only 4 made it back home with me (don't worry, they were paperback and discounted so not terribly expensive). I'm currently seeking chick lit, as it's lighthearted, fun, and i haven't read one in awhile. Plus this summer heat also inspires me to buy beachy reads. I bought:

1. A Summer Affair by Elin Hilderbrand
2. One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell
3. Shoe Addicts Anonymous and 4. Secrets of a Shoe Addict by Beth Harbison (per recommendation by Jen Lancaster)

Have you read any of these? Thoughts? Should i return any of them??

Books I Am Currently Reading (aka have started but not finished):

1. The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn
2. Juicy Pens Thirsty Paper by SARK
3. Make Your Creative Dreams Real by SARK
4. French Women for All Seasons by Mireille Guilano
5. Pretty In Plaid by Jen Lancaster
6. La Dolce Vegan by Sarah Kramer
7. The Women's Comfort Book by Jennifer Louden

See what i mean?

A Note On Audiobooks - While i love hard copy books, i also frequently enjoy a good audiobook, especially these days when i have less time to read due to my annoyingly full-time job. Currently playing in my car is Nora Ephron's I Feel Bad About My Neck read by Ms. Ephron herself. This is not the first time i've listened to this audiobook, i've had it for years, and i adore it. Nora is delightful, witty, and charming. I want to be her friend. I highly suggest you pick this one up if you like audiobooks. I honestly think it's better listened to by the author herself than read. Her tone and inflection are priceless.

I should probably get off the computer now, unpack my Target bags, brush my teeth, wash my face, and get in bed with one of my many "currently reading" books. But let's be honest. I'll probably open one of my newbies. Old habits die hard!

But first, i have to know: what are you reading these days?

2009 = Simplify

I've mentioned before that my "word" for 2009 is SIMPLIFY. To be completely honest, i haven't exactly been living up to it. Sure i've decluttered my apartment (somewhat), got rid of my cable (really missing my daily dose of Friends but i still think it's a good thing overall!), and attempted a shopping hiatus (key word: attempt). But i still feel like my physical and emotional life is so cluttered with stuff. Baggage. Excess. C'est la vie Americaine...

I first heard about Mary Carlomagno's book Secrets of Simplicity while flipping through the pages of one of my many magazines. Since then, my beloved Kimberly Wilson had done a podcast with her, and several other bloggers (like Holly from decor8) have jumped on her bandwagon. What better purchase is there for moi considering my theme for 2009 is to simplify? (Plus i received a $50 amazon gift certificate so it was like this purchase didn't count as shopping!) The book arrived this morning at work, and i can't WAIT to dive in! The beautiful matte finish cover, spiral binding, and cute tabs make for one of the most beautifully executed nonfiction/self-help books i've ever seen.

Spent the remainder of my gift certificate on Influence, the lovely coffee-table-esque book from Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen (how come no one ever says Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen?). I saw the twins on Oprah when this book was first released, and i've been wanting to get my hands on it every since. God i just LOVE books - don't you?? I'm dying to get the Kindle 2 in an effort to be a bit more eco-friendly about my reading (plus it's sooo great for traveling, n'est ce pas?). Does anyone have it? Any thoughts? It's a little too expensive for my taste. Plus i wish it came in a fun metallic pink, like the Nintendo DS (which i also secretly want but will not buy b/c i already own the regular pink version and let's be honest, i don't play with it that often)!

(Also? I totally miss my Amazon Prime membership. That thing spoiled me rotten!)

Atlas Shrugged Le Movie?

Just heard (this may be old news) that tehre's a movie adaptation of the book "Atlas Shrugged" in the works. This is one of my faaaavorite books (if not my #1), and i'm tres curious as to how this would translate on the big screen. Honestly? i don't think it can...

Team Edward

First and foremost I'd like to apologize for my pathetic lack of blogging. Adjusting to work life is WAY harder than i had anticipated... and i hate to admit it, but i'm still not there. In fact, i'm sort of hating the fact that my day-to-day has been reduced to a desk job. Don't get me wrong, i'm INCREDIBLY grateful that i have such a wonderful job in such a tough economy. Listening to Morning Edition on NPR every morning and getting my rather depressing NYTimes updates keeps me grateful. I am. Thankful. Very. BUT, part of me sort of wishes i could go back to college for a little bit. Even law school (post first year, that is). Because then, if i wanted to, i could sit on my couch with Lola and read the Twilight series over and over and over... And i could listen to the new Britney album as LOUD as i want. And i could google Zac Efron and download HSM songs. (Did i mention that i've become a tween lately? That's right. I love High School Musical, Britney (but let's be honest, i've ALWAYS loved Britney), and yes, i've jumped on the Twilight bandwagon.)

Breathe. I need to breathe. Twilight and the world of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen (and yes, OK, Jacob too) has sucked me in faster and harder than i thought possible. No WONDER everyone is in hysterics over this damn series. It's A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Stephenie Meyer, you are a GENIUS. Never before have i become so ridiculously emotionally attached to fictional characters. And i've always been a fast reader, but i've literally been swallowing these books whole. I read the first in the series, Twilight, over Thanksgiving weekend. New Moon I got through Sunday night. Eclipse I read Monday night, and yes, i just spent my lunch break driving to Target to get a copy of Breaking Dawn (one of the last 3!). I. Am. Obsessed. And i am Team Edward ALL the way. I want me an Edward Cullen more than anything right now, yes even more than real live human man. I think i've developed a penchant for very pale boys.. ahem men.

And no, i have not seen the movie. That's tomorrow night. I know i'll be disappointed but i don't care. I want as much Twilight as possible. And i'll probably see it again. And again. I have a problem.

Um, in other news, looks like i'll be getting a new car sooner than i thought. It's definitely not my choice (as i had made the very responsible decision to wait since i had a perfectly capable, PAID OFF car in my possession), but i gotta do it. Once upon a time i would've loved an excuse to buy a gorgeous new luxury vehicle, but the reality of debt and this financial crisis are taking its toll (yes, even on moi). So i'm looking into 1 or 2-year old cars... maybe an Acura TSX or TL, maybe a Lexus, maybe a 3-Series? I don't know. Maybe even a Prius if i can get my hands on a 2010. I'm so not looking forward to visiting car dealerships (and dealing with creepy, craptastic car salesmen), esp. since i have no Edward Cullen to ensure that i don't get taken advantage of. Notes to self: do your research and don't say "like". Emphasize the ATTORNEY occupation. Don't wear pink.

SCORE!

What a GREAT day! Went to Half-Price Books to sell and ended up finding some awesome treasures. A hardback 2-volume edition of Atlas Shrugged (one of my FAVES), two SARK books (Eat Mangoes Naked and Transformation Soup), and I managed to make some $. Well... it went towards my book purchase but still. Woo hoo! Now if only I could afford the Billy bookcases i need to hold all my treasures...\

Also, if you're an interior design enthusiast and you're not already a subscriber (although if you're an enthusiast, you really should be a subscriber), you MUST pick up the newest Domino magazine. It's a pretty rockin' issue. Lots of realistic ideas for small spaces. :-)

Spiritual Cowgirl?

Bonjour from Rowlett, TX, home to my lovely parents and currently my 2 felines, Puffin and Muffin (soon to be only 1.. sniff). My drive from Austin to Dallas was surprisingly pleasant, and i caught up with an old hs/college friend on the phone. I also listened to an HTC podcast about being a "spiritual cowgirl". It was an interview with Sera Beak about her book - The Red Book: A Deliciously Unorthodox Approach to Igniting Your Divine Spirit. It's all about deep, bare, honest self-reflection and soul-searching and sounds absolutely fabulous. Of course it's too late for me to order it from amazon for my trip, and of COURSE the local Barnes & Noble doesn't carry it. But i can't wait to order it when i get back and dig in. You know, cause j'adore self-study. ;-)

Have been having a lovely chat w/ my mom about life and Ma Soeur's life. Told her all is well with the Park Sistas, albeit all of our Park women are just a little bit crazy, haha. We just made a trip to the Super Tarjay in the 'hood and got some essentials for my trip. Also picked up some reading material - Such A Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest to Discover If Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big by Jen Lancaster. I've always wanted to read her memoir Bitter is the New Black so I'm interested to check this one out. Will report later. The truth is i might actually finish the book before i leave...

Anyway all these books and all this talk about books and self-study motivates me to pursue my writing. I've always wanted to write a book, just wasn't sure about what, but i think i'm starting to get a picture. I used to want to write chick lit, as i am an avid fan, but i'm thinking more along the nonfiction route. Sark's new book Juicy Pens Thirsty Paper is all about writing, and i'm eager to pick that one up as well. I just love love Sark! And i just love HTC podcasts and all these fabulous women out there making it happen. It's so inspiring and refreshing, and I'm feeling energized and ready to tackle my next project(s) w/ gusto! Also perhaps while laying on a beautiful beach in Cannes? Mais bien sur!