Building a Bathroom

This blog is about my life, so I will be including all aspects of my life. At the moment, I am currently remodeling a bathroom in my house. I am planning on updating this site with our work-in-progress. I really like the marble counter top and matching marble floor that I found through Katy Elliot's site.

On Women and Working

Wall Street Journal reviews books on women in business.

Tina Brown on the Future of Journalism

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Brigitte Dale...Super Woman

This girl is fantastic! Vote for Brigitte here.

A Day In The Car

Yes, this is the face of someone who battled traffic all day!

Better to Give

We always hear that it is better to give than to receive. This article from the New York Times (along with the studies included) shows that this may in fact be the truth. It is a wonderful story for this time of year.

shopping

I wrote an entire post while waiting in line at the Coach store in Wrentham Village Outlets and the moment I finished and was about to post a woman bumped into me (quite aggressively) and I accidentally pressed the back arrow button, thereby erasing my entire post and the last bit of patience I had so determinedly held onto.

Basically, my deleted post stands as a symbol of the craziness I encountered. I do, however, highly recommend looking for discounts this holiday season. It will allow you to make smart financial decisions, keep your wallet full and give you the opportunity to buy more *stuff* for those you love. And seriously, isn't the fun of the holidays opening a whole bunch of surprises?! Wouldn't you rather have a lot of really nice presents to open than one overpriced item?

My Novel

Well, it is official and by putting it on this blog, I will be held accountable. I am finally putting pen to paper (actually fingers to keyboard) and writing a novel! It is a brand new story and I think I am in love with it! I have been working on one story off and on for about five years and I think my constant revisiting was thwarting any forward momentum.

I know that I am late on the National Novel Writing Month (November) but I think that the purpose of that month is that it shows us all that it doesn't take years to get something significant completed. You can start anywhere, anytime.

Beautiful Envelopes

One of my favorite sites is Creature Comforts and they brought these fantastic envelopes to my attention.

Holiday Postcards

I am always drawn to the personal, handwritten note, even more so when it comes time for the holidays. We are becoming more and more impersonal as we become more technologically advanced. I am still a sucker for the photo Christmas/Holiday cards, but I also like the handwritten note inside the card. Some people just sign their names, like they are signing a check. Or worse, they have their names printed on the cards. Some people even send a list to the printers, who print the cards, seal them, and apply postage. I want something more meaningful. Give me a quick update, a note to say "hi" and spread some holiday cheer. Maybe if we all slowed down a little and took the time to personalize our holiday cards, it would benefit our hearts and souls and bring joy to others, as well.

I am really loving the Holiday Postcard idea!

{photo courtesy of Rifle Paper Co.}

Beauty

Anyone else ever dream of being a ballerina? I am thirty-years-old and still find myself hit by a tinge of sadness when I realize that I will never be a ballerina. The grace and elegance is inspiring. I think this is why women try to emulate a "ballerina look" on their wedding day.

{photo by anna wolf}

Book A Week

With the new year right around the corner and my reentry into the blogging world, I wanted to add a specific dimension to my site. I want to read a Book-A-Week and report back on it here. I am a book publicist, so reading is my job and I tend to get lost in my client's books and stop reading for my own enjoyment. I want to incorporate this Book-A-Week challenge into my site because I think it will not only be a great way to bring titles to readers' attention but it will also be a great place for me to record my own travels through the literary world and will hold me accountable to update the site with my particular books of choice.

Reading is a great escape and there isn't a person alive who doesn't need an escape from the trials and obstacles that life presents on a daily basis. I also like the exercise of writing about reading. I have an affinity for book clubs and reading is not only my escape but my passion. I have appeared on Oprah five times to talk about her book club. Now, with her show ending, and with it the Oprah Book Club, I need a new outlet to infuse my obsession with reading.

Not every book I pick will be deep and meaningful, some may be light, fluffy and, dare I say, "Chick Lit!" This is for pure enjoyment, which is what reading is meant to be and I do believe that no matter how trivial a book may seem, you always learn something. So every week at least one post will be part of the Book-A-Week project. I am already half way through this week's book...which I started this morning...and will let you know my thoughts later on in the week.

What I love most about this project is that it is really for no one else but me. But hopefully, along the way, it will inspire others to pick up a book and READ!

Urban Beautification

Look what a splash of color and polka dots can do for the city streets. This was installed by "anycoloryoulike" in 2008 on the streets of New York as a vivid art intervention for urban beautification and environmental awareness.

Literature Love

If you are looking for a gift for a book lover who already has every book she could ever want, you could always consider going an alternative route. Literature Jewelry! Apparently these books are actually usable and wearable!

Here is the description from the creator's Etsy shop:

My books are made using archival insides and antique outsides. Inside you'll find lineless strathmore drawing paper - thick, hand-torn, acid-free pages that work perfectly with ink, pens both thick and superfine, pencil, charcoal, and myriad other mediums. the pages are each hand sewn with archival linen binder's thread. The books' covers are made using hand-picked scraps and worn leather from wherever I can find them, cut to fit the appropriate size. The books can be carried daily and beat up. They are quite strong creatures.

Index Cards

I am always amazed and impressed by the talent I stumble upon on the internet. This site, Record the Day, shows us a new and inspiring way to use index cards to gather the daily bits of beauty we find during our journey. I just love this creative way to express yourself!

The New York Times Best Books of 2009

The New York Times has released it's list of the best books of 2009. Because no two reviewers are assigned the same books to review, they are all selecting from their own separate set of titles, which just means more suggestions to add to your Holiday Wish List!

{photo courtesy of Tony Cenicola/New York Times}

The History of Love

“Even now, all possible feelings do not yet exist, there are still those that lie beyond our capacity and our imagination. From time to time, when a piece of music no one has ever written or a painting no one has ever painted, or something else impossible to predict, fathom or yet describe takes place, a new feeling enters the world. And then, for the millionth time in the history of feeling, the heart surges and absorbs the impact.”

-Nicole Kraus

Realistic Fiction

"Good realistic fiction offers truth through imagination."-Nina Sankovitch

Nina Sankovitch, creator of the fascinating (and inspiring) website has written an interesting essay over on The Huffington Post about the power of fiction to inspire, educate and illuminate life.

The best books are the ones that do not follow a formula or try too hard to be a certain genre. When I read a book I know when I am being manipulated (messed with) and when I am being told a truth. The best stories present a truth about life in any way that the author finds best, even if it is in lies. An author has to be fearless in just not worrying about the verisimilitude of the story, or is it too romantic, too gross, too quiet or too loud. If the author feels the scene is a genuine, guts-out presentation of the ideas she wants to get across, she has to go with it, go for it, and give it to us. She cannot worry if her story will sell or tank completely (that's the agent's job). She has to write without fear of refusal.

New York City

I am delighted to report that these beautiful tubes of color are M&M's. Yes. Over six feet tall, filled to the brim with delicious, candy-coated chocolate of the M&M variety. This was the highlight (for my six-year old niece) of our trip to New York City. What was not the highlight was when I took her into a restaurant bathroom only to be greeted by a cockroach.

My niece has a paralyzing fear of bugs. Ants, teeny, tiny ants, make her scream bloody murder. So you can only imagine how she reacted to this GIANT bug scurrying up the wall of a well-lit, crowded bathroom. As she ran from the stall trembling in shock, a woman who was washing her hands looked at me through the reflection of the mirror and said, "That's New York for you."

We left that restaurant immediately, luckily we had yet to order, and landed in Tony's, a fantastic Italian restaurant a block from Times Square. How can you go wrong with family-style dining and larger-than-life menus posted on the wall? We filled our bellies with homemade fettucine alfredo, baked ziti and chicken marsala. The unmentionable from the previous restaurant was nothing but a bad dream.


We ended the night with a trip to the M&M store in Times Square. Piper found out that if she were an M&M she would be a "Mixed Bag." And what is better than finding out you have the rainbow inside of you? She was thrilled and the cockroach was officially forgotten...hopefully.

Memorial Day

My aunt Fran passed away last Saturday. It was one of the most horrific days of my entire life. She had been battling Soft Tissue Sarcoma for two years and even though we were aware that it was incurable, we had hope. Because what else is there in life if you don't have hope? My aunt Fran was braver than any human being I have ever known, but I only really saw her bravery when this disease came into our lives. She battled sarcoma with everything she had and she did not lose faith for one minute. She stayed positive and upbeat and didn't let the disease take over.

The hardest part about her battle was what it did to her physically. She lost her hair, her ability to walk and her independence. But she continued living on the sunny side of life. She refused to dwell in the darkness of "Why Me?" She wasn't a victim. Fran remained excited about the little things and allowed them to bring her happiness; a nice dinner, visits with family and friends, a good TV show. That's how she lived her life before the illness and that's how she was determined to live her life after the diagnosis.

I read an article in today's Boston Globe about terminal patients refusal to understand the reality of their own mortality. The article clearly explains that this is something that needs to be addressed by health care professionals. I completely understand the direction of this article, but having seen it from the other side, I think my aunt's determination to not accept her negative prognosis is what allowed her to live, truly live, those last months and days of her life.

Now I'm not saying that we don't need a stronger, more emotionally balanced approach to helping people deal with end-of-life plans. Death is an uncomfortable discussion that people need to have. We need to know the wishes of our loved ones. But we also need to have professionals who can help them deal with the emotional impact their disease is having on their life.

We created a memorial site in her name to record any memories that friends or family wanted to express. Here is what I posted:

My aunt Fran is so much more than the few words I can use to fill up this simple square of a guest book. She was silly and caring and fun. She loved the little things and her enthusiasm was infectious. She was fearless and brave and bossy. She loved her friends and her family and made everyone feel special. She was happy and curious and real. She was so much to so many people. She was my aunt and my friend and my life will never ever be the same without her. I miss her so much that even typing these words makes my heart ache. I can't imagine life without her, but I am thankful for the time we had together. I love you Fran!

Love Jocelyn

As the week following Fran's death passed by in a blur of tears and phone calls from worried friends and family, I found myself constantly looking back, remembering happy times when everyone I loved was healthy and together. I found it completely appropriate that Memorial Day arrived just as I was coming out of my haze of mourning. I spent this Memorial Day weekend packing up my aunt's belongings, flipping through old pictures and trying to grasp the finality of death. I don't understand it. I never will. But I know I will grow stronger every day because that is what we do, as human beings. We break and we get stronger in the broken parts. I will never be the same girl that I saw in those innocent pictures from the past. But I am so much more now. I have experienced tremendous sorrow and I have survived. I am brave and I am strong. Because of Fran I will live in the sunny side of life, as she taught me to do, during the darkest hours of her own short life.