Friday, May 27, 2011

Jacki's Summer Reading List


Joke title, since this will be a list of books that have been on my ‘to-do’ list for a year –some more! :

Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child This book caught my eye as I was looking through Amazon.  The whole emotional intelligence theory has always intrigued and inspired me.  I feel that this, educating myself on emotional intelligence, is where I could focus my development in most helpful way.  I have this book, I’m about a third of the way through it, and it’s a library book –though I really would love my own copy, as this is one of those books with so much good advice and great articulation of ideas that are so important that I’m sure I’ll find myself wanting to go back to it.


“The Secret” again.  This book (and movie) was such a revelation to me the first time I happened upon it, that I really want to hone in on what it offers, as well as pick apart what its affect on me has been.  There are places to dig deeper, where should I start?  Re-reading this is never a bad idea.  Imagine yourself positive.  (I would also really like to watch the movie again… DAD?!!)





Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook I’ve had this for so long, I bought it after I borrowed it from Millie for months.  This would be so beneficial for me.  More like a project than a read: it would be a great execise to track progress and fill out some of the questionares in the book. A well-done book.

Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness K was seeing therapist at one point (a high point, in my opinion, though any period of therapy is life enhancing) and he recommended this book to him.  This is another one of those ‘revelation’ books for me.  I never finished it, but I’m fascinated.  So unarguably beneficial.  I bought a used copy on Amazon, then ordered another newer edition from Borders.



Principles of Success I need to memorize these.  When I read this a few years ago I was in such a good, motivated, inspired place.  I want to get back there.  A well done self-help book, I think (though I haven’t read all that many).







Three Cups of Tea  My grandmother read this, then recommended it and gave me her copy a few months before she passed away.  That is reason alone to read it.  She enjoyed historical fiction and memoirs such as this.  For her, there was always an underdog to route for, a cause to care about.  Her house is sold as of this morning. 






The Kite Runner  My sister’s recommendation and she lent me her copy months ago.  This book was buzzing around a few years ago, I remember my water aerobics class exclaiming over it… I’ve read about three chapters and I can’t seem to get back to it. 




Note to self: READ.  You’re a reader.  It’s always been your thing, your go-to enjoyment.  What’s going on here? READ!!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

The Sister

So, my sister has made herself a big life decision and I couldn't be more proud of her -and perhaps a bit envious!  She is moving to western Pennsylvania, a whole seven hours away!  She's moving with a friend that she is already currently roommates with (Senum? I think is her name, L says she's Turkish).

My sister and I are not especially close, though I think we both wish we could be.  She's a difficult one, moody, defensive, a bit prone (now much less than before) to explosive anger.  I'm an internalizer, sensitive to people's temperaments, and because I do care about her (big sister syndrome) I've found it agonizing to be around her.  I made a conscious decision to step back (her reaction -or lack of- to my pregnancy was intolerable).  We tend to start out well at first and get to rambling.  We both really enjoy a good convo session, which is one of the reasons I wish we could be closer friends.  But then emotions ring in.  We stumble through a few awkward moments, negativity and/or stress builds even when we are both attempting our 'best behavior' and eventually I end up feeling like I want to bolt.

I managed to get the whole of my family together to send her off last Saturday (Kara's first Hibachi) and the dinner went well.  Thanks to my dad and Uncle D it wasn't the 'monetary investment' I thought it would be -I was trying not to think about it, it was important to me to get together with my sister before she left.  I mean, when would we see her again? We're talking seven hours away!  But the contribution is greatly appreciated.  I invited her to my house afterwards for some wine -she had to pick up a bin of cookware that ended up at my house while cleaning out my grandmother's.  So we had a good talk.  Some great prosecco (a good call by L).  We stayed up late, had fun.  And eventually that need to bolt feeling I mentioned came.  I try to always be positive with her, divulging too much personal information is always bad, and avoid giving her advice.  However, she tends to want to give me advice when I slip up and let down my gaurd, which I did that night, and I had to stifle, and still am, infuriation.  She will never understand my situation, let alone how it pertains to who I am as a person, and because I care about her I hope she never will.  I will not demand respect from someone like L.  Let her go, with well wishes.
 The awesome prosecco we killed on Saturday night, light peachy fizzy flavor.  Definitely getting again.  Zebra sticker courtesy of my little KB.  I got the girls sticker books to keep them occupied at the restaurant.  Which lasted less than five minutes! Ha!

The book, and author, my sister is currently into.  We're both big 'secreters' and this guy is one of the people quoted in The Secret.  

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

My Home: Window Shelf in the Dining Room

I have a dream.  The dream is really pretty broad -having a 'wonderful' and homey home isn't really detailed enough for me as I get closer to believing in my dream.  I want specifics.  As my high school drawing teacher would say, you need to flesh out the details.  I want a house that is interesting, stimulating in some places, calming in others.  I want a house that is clever and innovative where there is practicality -and practicality is a must.  So here is one little detail on the path to creating a great home within a tiny space.

My dining window shelf idea, which I saw in Kurt's Uncle Randy's house the last time we were there for an Easter egg hunt (which is to say that this has been on my project wishlist for a long time. Here we go with another instance where I can say, 'gee, I wish I new a guy who has some carpentry experience who could help us out... hmm...')

This shelf would go across the double windows in our dining room, where we get incredible light streaming through almost the entire day.  (Its one of the things I loved about the house from the start.) The window shelf is great for our house in a lot of ways: artful interest, an awesome, sunny place for plants to freshen the air, fun for Kara, rewarding and calming for me.
Here are some of the fruits of my research...


I had been thinking a simple valance to top the window, since, in my imagination, the shelf is about 3/4s of the way up the window.  But, I really like the top right pic, with another shelf topping the frames (more storage!).  The addition of a decorative glass panel in the bottom pic is really lovely isn't it?(What an adorable kitchen!) But I don't think it will work for my pair of dining room windows as I need the shelf to sit pretty high.
 This one isn't a window shelf (yet it is another great idea!) but I love the brackets.



I will need to learn how to put up shelving brackets, find a stud so the shelf is strong,  and do all this without destroying the walls or the windows. Also, I'll need a board or figure out how to make one.  I'll need brackets: I'm imagining finding something pretty that I will admire every time I look at it.  And finally, time and money.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Sperry Sandals

  Whipped up an entry for a Sperry Topsider contest on Ployvore, but I would love to have everything here.  The glass water bottle is really beautiful, but probably not practical -I'm wondering how it would stand up to being knocked around?  And I am seriously lusting after the Fossil mini-crossover bag.  I need!Sperry Sandals
Abercrombie Fitch sweater cardigan
$48 - abercrombie.com

Abercrombie Fitch vintage tank
$20 - abercrombie.com

Hollister Co floral skirt
$25 - hollisterco.com

Ankle strap shoes
$60 - sperrytopsider.com

FOSSIL vintage style handbag
$128 - nordstrom.com

Sperry canvas handbag
$125 - sperrytopsider.com

Gold leaf jewelry
$14 - lulus.com

Oliver Peoples glass shade
$315 - net-a-porter.com

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

"Work really hard, be kind and amazing things will happen."

ConanO'Brien's Quote...
A quote I saw on pinterest that I really want to hold on to: “Work really hard, be kind and amazing things will happen.”  Love it and totally believe it.  Now to live it…  I ask myself: Am I really working hard? Like, in general? I want to. 
I know I have an excellent capacity for being kind.  But, at this stage of my life I run up against a few stand-out mental obstacles: I have been hurt… beaten. Repeatedly. And I am in the process of accepting that there is no end to that in sight.  Bear and grin. I don’t wear my jadedness on my sleeve, but it is in there.  So kindness doesn’t always occur to me as often as I would like. Also, I am and have always been a combination of shy introvert and apathetic distrusting loner (see previous note).  Kindness usually requires that you interact with people, which, even when I desperately want to, is difficult for me as I do not have much experience here.  Lastly, I am steadfast in my determination to “Rise Above” “The People Who Have or Will Hurt Me” in order to “Be A Good Mother.”  My daughter is my first priority, if I am going to be kind, it will be to her even if at the expense of showing kindness to others.  
My basic thinking on this matter has been that kindness means doing for other people that you normally wouldn’t give a shit about. How does motherhood and family fit into this virtue of kindness?  For now, I will be happy with just doing the best I can in my day-to-day interactions.  But, in the future, I would like to spend more time helping extended family, make more ‘friendly’ phone calls, make friends, give thoughtful birthday gifts and send out a slew of sweet Christmas cards, cook for people. And don’t forget: volunteer at the food bank, do weekend fundraiser runs, donate unneeded items to ‘the poor’ (rather than dream of attempting to make money on craigslist or ebay).

Friday, May 13, 2011

Happy Birthday Isabella!

And Happy Friday! Ooooh, and it's Friday the 13th! (ah, remember Phil13? Never got to fix my tattoo.)


A quote I saw on pinterest that I really want to hold on to: “Work really hard, be kind and amazing things will happen.”  Love it and totally believe it.  Now to live it…  I ask myself: Am I really working hard? Like, in general? I want to.  I know I have an excellent capacity for being kind.  But, at this stage of my life I run up against a few stand-out mental obstacles: I have been hurt… beaten. Repeatedly. And I am in the process of accepting that there is no end to that in sight.  Bear and grin. I don’t wear my jadedness on my sleeve, but it is in there.  So kindness doesn’t always occur to me as often as I would like. Also, I am and have always been a combination of shy introvert and apathetic distrusting loner (see previous note).  Kindness usually requires that you interact with people, which, even when I desperately want to, is difficult for me as I do not have much experience here.  Lastly, I am steadfast in my determination to “Rise Above” “The People Who Have or Will Hurt Me” in order to “Be A Good Mother.”  My daughter is my first priority, if I am going to be kind, it will be to her even if at the expense of showing kindness to others.  My basic thinking on this matter has been that kindness means doing for other people that you normally wouldn’t give a shit about. How does motherhood and family fit into this virtue of kindness?  For now, I will be happy with just doing the best I can in my day-to-day interactions.  But, in the future, I would like to spend more time helping extended family, make more ‘friendly’ phone calls, make friends, give thoughtful birthday gifts and send out a slew of sweet Christmas cards, cook for people. And don’t forget: volunteer at the food bank, do weekend fundraiser runs, donate unneeded items to ‘the poor’ (rather than dream of attempting to make money on craigslist or ebay).

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Living Room Template

Blog surfing this morning I found one of those pictures that I just want to jump into and live in.




Blue is my favorite color and I love the way the color weaves through this room with a great base of warm neutrals to soften it up.  So many things I love about this living room: the comfy-style couch with lots of pillows, the 'large-artwork' idea for behind the couch, the natural wood coffee table, the natural fiber rug, the mix of patterns in different shades of blue, the color coordinated lampshade, the whole seating arrangement!

I'm still so obsessed with pinterest, trying to stop myself from thinking about the hundreds of interesting and inspiring pins I 'm missing when I'm not looking -or when I'm following a link for a pin!

I did some shopping yesterday.  Funny how I set myself to a 'no-spending' goal just as I'm getting into new ways of being introduced to products...  I didn't see my mom for mother's day and Isabella's birthday is tomorrow and Kara was in need of a little reward for trying to do better with her potting training.  And I was in need of a little reward myself. 

Monday, May 9, 2011

Two Week Ab Challenge ...? We'll See!

This self-imposed directive is coming from how deperate I feel when I look at my stomach and how exhausted I feel at just the thought of doing anything about it.  Whose belly is this? I literally look like I could be 5 months pregnant. I had gotten some pretty good results about two months ago when I was all gung-ho; but at that time I was motivated by a water-park birthday party (all the other Mom had on drenched cover-ups, I wasn't sure if I should have felt out-of-place or not -they looked stupid, honestly) and was provided with the tranquil solitude of a Robin-free workplace -I did ab exercises and squats all day, researching new moves in between.

I'm loving Gwenneth Paltrow lately and here are some exercises she does from Self.com, where she was promoting her new cookbook. 

Gwyneth Paltrow's Arm and Ab Moves

Or, Tracy Anderson's Arm and Ab Moves. 
GP endorses Tracy Anderson on her blog, Goop. Goop.com is also one of my all-time favorite blogs, sometimes silly and I am unable to relate to it for the most part, but completely redeemed by the awesome 'Be' section.  Love.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

My Review of Fisher-Price Little People Happy Sounds Home

So this is new for me: posting reviews! good one!

For Easter this year, I thought Kurt and I could get Kara a dollhouse instead of a Easter basket since I figured candy-filled baskets would be in abundance -and truly they were.


Originally submitted at Toys R Us

The Little People Happy Sounds Home is a charming new playset that allows little girls to discover their very first home & provides them with tons of toddler-appropriate activities! Playset folds open to reveal plenty of rooms on 2 levels, plus activities & fun sounds to keep them busy! Sta...

Cute & Kid Approved
By Miss Pee's Mommy from Pleasantville, NJ on 5/4/2011
4out of 5
Pros: Can Withstand Use, Fun, Good Dimensions, Pieces store inside
Cons: Not very realistic
Best Uses: Imaginative Play, Creative Development, Indoor, Young Children
Describe Yourself: Working Parent
Was this a gift?: No
Colorful and sturdy, not really impressed with how realistic the interior of the 'home' is(my daughter was confused about the 'bathtub'). I like that it has sounds and that makes it more intriguing for a little one (the doorbell on ours is very hard to push to get the sound -very frustrating for a two-year-old!). I think its priced a little high. But -most importantly- my daughter loves it and it keeps her engrossed for longer than three minutes! Wow!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Blog Envy + Excited Paralysis

I haven't been 'practice-blogging' for a while... I've been reading/stalking a lot of other people's blogs and besides getting obsessively sucked in, I've also been studying, analyzing and 'swooning' over what people have created and feeling a little...  inadequate.  I realize I am in the process and must simply forge ahead, but my 'research', if I can call it that, has definitely set the bar higher and made me realize what really may be possible with having a successful blog.  At the moment I am exactly halfway between inspired motivation and deflated procrastination.

Just a handful of the blogs that have me in such a state of excited paralysis:

Stephmodo: I came across this blog a while ago, my first blog love, and I find Steph to be interesting/simple/charming and intriguing.  I find myself wondering about the woman herself, her life, her kids, her husband, her reno in france... Her simple, straightforward, daily blog posts make it seem possible to be a blogger by making it look simple.  It takes about thirty seconds to catch up and be brightened by Stephmodo.  I really like her voice.  Not too fashion-y.

Simple Lovely: Beautiful photography, more detailed writing with more of a personal approach.  I love this womans sense of style: there's a lot of fashion, art, home interiors.  I like the voyeristic feeling I get from reading her blog.

A Cup of Jo: "Jo" has sense of humor that comes through in her work that I really like.  I can identify with this blog, its the voice I like, I think, more than the content of the posts.

There seems to be a little bit of popularity 'clicking' among bloggers.  They'll have links to other blogs and a lot of them show up over and over again.  I notice a lot of bloggers have other sites that they write for (or pin for...)

I am currently obsessed with Pinterest.  After waiting a week for my 'invite' I finally got my own account and its a little anti-climactic, but still I think is good to be on.  I just love the endless live feed of people pins... its a happy place.

I also discovered Polyvore, which was fun for a while.  There are other similar sites.  I was specifically looking for a 'make a collage' site and that came up in a google seach and grabbed me.

I was really inspired by Stephmodo's post when she was 'spring cleaning' and posted pictures of things for sale.  I thought it would be a good idea for getting extra interest in craigslist sales and possibly avoiding ebay and etsy fees (which seem exhorbitant and ridiculous). However, I've been dragging my feet on my 'spring cleaning' sales.  The ideas for getting rid of the plethora of junk clogging up my basement AND attic are weighing down my mind.  Something's gotta give.