REALationships: What About Me?

I know you have heard that quote: "If you don't love yourself, how the h--- are you gunna love somebody else?"

I heard it most recently by Ru Paul (yeah, I'm a Drag Race fan). But I really think people hear this and it goes in one ear and out the other. So often people are worried about what significant other they need to find fast, when it really should be, "am I my best self right now?".

Are you living up to your full potential? Do you truly love yourself flaws and all (and not obsess about weight, hair, etc.)? This is just something to think about. So often people have baggage that they aren't even aware of, and it affects potential relationships. Baggage could be from past relationships--with a previous S.O. or even a parent or sibling. Think about if there is any baggage that you are carrying around right now. Maybe you have been hurt by a friend or someone you confided in and you haven't ever confronted the situation. All of these things affect you and hinder you from being your best self.

So...I am going to give you a love yourself challenge. I came across this website the other day called FutureMe.org and it allows you to send your future self an email! You can even choose the date for when you want it to be sent (a year from now, 2 years from now, next month).

I won't tell you what to write yourself, but it can be about anything--a love letter to yourself--expressing all of the things you love about you, an encouraging letter or even a congrats for making it this far letter. Anything you want to say to your future self--give it a try! If you need some more ideas--there are tons to read on the website. You can even write more than one.

Feel free to share what you are going to write about in the comments. Maybe it will inspire somebody else :)

Love,

Rose

Culture: Do YOU know how to use a Rabbit?

A Rabbit corkscrew that is (wine bottle opener)...

The Rabbit is perhaps the simplest way to open a bottle of wine. It looks fancy and will have you looking like a pro in front of your company--when in fact it only requires some basic instruction. I'll tell you a personal story. My parents had a Rabbit corkscrew when I went home to visit a couple years ago and I decided to take a stab even though they weren't around to help me. Well....I ended up pushing the cork all the way INTO the bottle of wine. Oops!

Luckily a close friend of mine got us one as a gift and after learning how to do it right--it is so easy that I actually want to be the one to open the wine now (before I didn't feel like manually screwing the opener into the cork... yadda yadda yadda). I found a video to show you how to on You Tube (by TheWineEnthusiast)...

Rabbit corkscrews retail for as little as about $19 bucks, but you get what you pay for, so you may want to invest in a good quality, so it will last you a long time. If you want to learn more about wine check out the blog I did about it here. Be sure to SHARE with friends...

Cheers!

Love,

Rose

Fabulous Fall Festivities

There is no doubt that it's fall--and how fabulous fall is! I lived in Southern California for the last five years, so the fact that I now live in a place where there actually are seasons, (and fall is one of the seasons that truly blossoms) I am amazed at how beautifully charming a season it is.

I was invited to a dinner party a few weeks ago, and the couple that invited my husband and I were true "New Englanders" and promptly told us that we had to experience fall in the traditional New England style. We had no idea what that meant, but were instructed to meet them at 2pm at an unidentified address. We showed up to discover that we were meeting them at an apple orchard (Scott's Yankee Farmer)! We had never been to one, but boy what an experience we were in for (plus it was a perfect 74 degrees and a gorgeous clear blue sky)!

We met up with the kind couple that shared with us that we were to help pick apples (for the apple crisp that would be our dessert). Now I don't know about you, but I have never had an apple freshly picked, and when I say it was the crunchiest, sweetest, most beautifully colored apple I have ever had--I am not exaggerating! Empire apples were my favorite--but there were about 6 other kinds of apples that were dripping from every branch of every tree for as far as the eye could see. The insanely sweet smell in the air filled your nostrals and was like a light perfume that kept luring you back to the tree for more! I don't have to tell you that our basket was full of apples in a matter of minutes--they were all so gorgeous that you didn't want to pass any up!

After we finished, we were instructed to stay along for the tractor ride, the cornfield maze and a trip to the pumpkin patch to pick a fresh pumpkin. Now I am a city girl, and our pumpkins have always come from the grocery store or farmer's market--so actually seeing a pumpkin patch like in Cinderella was so amusing that I felt like a little girl again!

Here are some of the pictures from our day...

One other fall highlight that I have enjoyed this year is the Roger Williams Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular in Warwick, Rhode Island. I'm talking pumpkins carved like you have never seen--somewhere around 5,000 to be exact! This event attracts over 80,000 visitors annually over the course of the month of October, and we had the privelige of witnessing it first hand! Check out our favorites--yes all of these are carved, 100% REAL pumpkins!

and for the full effect watch the video...

Be sure to look into whats happening in your neck of the woods and discover some of the festivals and celebrations that make this season something that we are all so thankful for...hurry--before the season is over!!

Also stay tuned for my favorite ways to wear a scarf for Fashion Fridays!!

Love,
Rose

Inspiration: Blinded By Sight

Rarely do I write a personal blog, but this has really been on my mind this past week and I thought I'd share my recent inspiration. Let me give you some backstory (the first half of this blog)...

I was drawn to working* with children because of their simplicity. There is an innocent bluntness about them that LACKS a filter--which keeps me on my toes.

One child inparticular has fascinated and inspired me so much so that I’m going to blog about it. Let me introduce Jacob** , an adorable 8 year old who loves reading, jumping on the trampoline and can tell you anything about baseball because it is his favorite sport. You can find him skipping down the hallway or chatting with his friends. He is very inquisitive, asking about anything and everything. What makes Jacob so different is that he is BLIND.

I promise if you weren’t looking closely, he blends right in with his classmates. The only difference is that he reads Braille instead of regular books. Jacob doesn’t walk around the school with a walking stick—he actually knows the campus so well that he literally tries to jog to class sometimes—just like any other child. He is spunky and doesn’t see his blindness as a weakness, but as something that makes him unique.

I saw this when I witnessed Jacob meeting a new friend the other day. “Hey...can you see anything?” a curious little boy asked, as he ran up and waved two hands frantically in front of Jacobs face.
“Well…” (looking in the direction of the little boy) “I can see some color, but other than that—nope! I can’t!”
“Cool!”
“What’s your name? Would you like to play Bop It with me?” Jacob responded.
“Okay!” and the boys proceeded to play a game of Bop-It. The little boy didn't see Jacob's blindness as an issue because Jacob didn't make it one. See? Simple.

Working with Jacob has really challenged my thinking—I saw it as an obstacle to work around and he is so at ease that he sees it as something special. I couldn’t resist asking him about his story when we first met. He wasted no time asking me about mine! He told me how it was hard when he was a baby, but now he knows every familiar environment almost by heart—and almost everyone’s voice in the entire school! Of course I had to test him one day and when I called to him, he shot back "oh hey Mrs. Rose!"

SN: He showed me how he reads Braille and even read the Braille under the “storage” sign by my room (and promptly told me that “somebody made a mistake—this says 'Korage!'”). How funny! But I digress...

It’s so amazing to me how in tune with his other senses he is—instead of depending on vision to guide him—he uses his heightend sense of sound, smell and touch.

Working with Jacob has reminded me of two experiences that I have had. 1. Watching that Val Kilmer movie At First Sight where (**spoiler alert) Val Kilmer’s character has an operation (because his girlfriend urges him to) to restore his sight after a lifetime of being blind—and once he is able to see, he is lost, because he only knew what things looked like by touch. Therefore he would see an apple and have no idea what it was until he picked it up and felt it. Didn't think of that, did you? He went on to hate being able to see and started blindfolding himself so that he wouldn’t feel so lost in this world. His girlfriends plan backfired on her and in fact she was the one who wasn't able to see that as a possible outcome.

How crazy is it that we assume a blind person would be lost in our world when in fact sight is sometimes what screws us up! It is sight that causes us to be judgmental and superficial. And sight that causes so many prejudices and at times segregates this broken world. Yeah--marinate on that for a minute. Sight is a strong source of sensory information--so much so that many times it overrides our other senses—(hence optical illusions).

The second thing I thought of was a beautiful experience I had with my sister-in-law last summer in Atlanta called “Dialogue In The Dark”***. This is an exhibit that was a little over an hour and was in TOTAL darkness. That’s right—they take away your vision so that you can truly experience how a blind person feels in our world. How amazing and profound it was to have to rely only on my sense of touch, smell and sound!

Prior to entering, you are equipped with a walking stick and later hear that you will be following a guide (who is blind) and then you are guided through a variety of environments that you may encounter on a typical day. At first I was terrified of the darkness, and felt lost and alone in the pitch black of our first location--but quickly located the voice of my sister-in-law and my heart stopped pounding as we grabbed each others hands tightly the rest of the tour.

They don’t give you any hints as to where you are—you have to use your other senses to figure it out. You even have to recognize and follow your guide’s voice in a crowd of people to know when to walk and where to walk to. By the end of the tour I knew by the clearing of his voice which guide was mine and in which direction I needed to walk to stand by him.

The one thing that you don’t realize until the very end of the tour, is that you only know the voice (and approximate height) of your guide. So when you exit into the light and you can see again, you find yourself in a large crowd--but you have no idea who your guide is until he speaks! I had this image in my head of this 65 year old, gray haired, paper thin skinned chocolate man based on his voice alone—and in fact he looked like a 38ish year old, fare toned Bernie Mac! How funny that a voice alone created an image in my head based on my previous life experiences and visual influences. What If I had never seen before like Jacob? I wonder how I would imagine then?

The highlight of the tour was the very end, where we got to ask our guide whatever we wanted. People asked him about his life, how he came to be blind, and even how it has affected him. It was refreshing that he had such a positive outlook on his life—and even though he lost his vision as an adult (from getting accidentally shot with a stray bullet by being in the wrong place at the wrong time) he took it as a blessing, and talked about how he wouldn’t have met all of the wonderful people that he has if it wasn’t for his accident.

I feel honored to have met 2 people in a similar situation BOTH with such a positive outlook on life, considering how much others would see it solely as an obstacle.

This has inspired me to appreciate what I have and to know how truly amazing it is to be able to see the vibrant colors, landscapes, beautiful faces, and scenery in the world around me. It has also opened my eyes to see that sometimes you don't have to have vision to appreciate other beautiful things in this world...personality, laughter, the sounds of nature and my personal favorite--hugs.

Maybe this has tickled your brain enough to sink in. My hope is that it will influence your way of thinking and allow you to appreciate the little things that you have been blessed with that make YOU unique. Appreciate yourself today. Flaws and all...


Have a great Monday!

Love,

Rose

P.S. I also encourage you to try the Dialogue In The Dark tour if you are in the Atlanta area--it would be a great family outting, girlfriend get together, or second+ date! Definately makes for great conversation!

*Professionally, I am a certified/licensed pediatric occupational therapist—and I’m a badass!

**names have been changed to protect the innocent

***Dialogue in the Dark has been presented in over 30 countries and more than 160 sites in over 110 cities throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East and America since it’s opening in 1988. So far, over 6 Million visitors have experienced Dialogue in the Dark worldwide, and over 6,000 blind candidates have found employment through Dialogue in the Dark. In the USA, there is an exhibit in Atlanta, Georgia.

My Bucket List

As a modern renaissance woman, there are times where you must go outside of your comfort zone and try something new. A great way to challenge yourself is to have a bucket list! Everyone should have a bucket list—have you thought about what would be on yours? Skydiving? Skinny dipping? Shaking President Obama's hand? I have crossed out quite a few things off of my BL in the last couple years , and two very recently—so I thought I’d share. The first is riding in a hot air balloon! Fortunately a friend of mine told me about a hot air balloon festival held annually in a small town about 45 minutes away—and of course I said heck yeah!

There couldn’t have been a more perfect day—it was 80 degrees almost no clouds in the sky and there was a gentle breeze. I knew that there was a small chance that someone would be offering rides, but hoped that it wouldn’t cost too much. Luckily there was a crew giving rides up to 200 feet for only 10 bucks! This was perfect because my husband didn’t want to go all the way up and we both didn’t want to pay the $275 for a full trip (about 1 to 2 hours).

That day we witnessed about 30+ balloons set up, blow up, and take off--and the pictures from the rest of the day speak for themselves, so enjoy!

P.S. If you are interested in finding a festival near you, HotAirBalloon.com has the most complete directory and calendar of hot air balloon festivals, fairs, rallies and events around the world.

The second thing I was able to do was attend a Pow Wow. Like the real deal! A friend of mine invited us up for Labor Day weekend to meet her family and learn a little about the culture and history of the Shinnecock Indian Tribe in Southampton, NY. There were arts and crafts, food, dancing, and the most amazing and colorful traditional wear! This was a beautiful celebration to witness and I was so humbled to have been invited to be a part of the annual harvest. I even bought some really cute moccasins! For more info check out their website at http://www.shinnecocknation.com/. Enjoy the pictures below:

What's on YOUR bucket list?


Love,
Rose

Better Than Beauty, Are You Charming?

My summer reading list included a “penny sale” book called Better than Beauty, A Guide to Charm by Helen Valentine & Alice Thomson. It is an easy and surprisingly witty read considering it was originally published in 1938. Some parts are a bit outdated, BUT--most of the information is timeless and includes very valuable lessons. The illustrations are quite amusing too, so check out my highlights below and if you are interested in a copy of your own, see below for the link. Enjoy!

Here are my favorite little excerpts from the book:

“Charm is much like a beautiful dress. It can be acquired. But it means very little unless the personality it covers is clean and properly cared for.”

“People talk about the charm of childhood, as though it were a matter of age. It isn’t. The vital essence of childish un-self-consciousness can permeate your personality through life. It removes fear. It stirs a perennial curiosity about the world and the people in it. It generates so lively an interest in other people that it overcomes narrow preoccupation with self.”

“If one short sentence could be read and learned and felt by all women, there would be fewer neurotic women wandering around. LEARN TO LIVE WITH YOURSELF. Make yourself over as much as necessary to adapt your life to others, but accept yourself as you really are.

“Our true faults do not distort and spoil us. Our refusal to admit them, to accept ourselves as very inadequate human beings, is ruinous. So get rid of your need to think of yourself as a heroine. Know every one of your mean, petty, unreasonable traits. Then learn either to get rid of them or to live with them. And it is just possible that you may erase those qualities that make the record look too unpleasant. But, best of all, you wont need to justify yourself to yourself by all the unpleasant devices so common to women today (no one else need know your honest names for yourself).”

“The woman who makes herself comfortable with those about her, the woman who makes others feel comfortable with her, will be remembered as delightful after the very witty woman has been dismissed as slightly awe-inspiring.”

“Even more boring than the person who tells her troubles is the person who smothers every anecdote under a mountain of irrelevant details. When you tell a story, remember that brevity always was and always will be the soul of wit.”

“Use the gifts you have. Use your warmth, your imagination, your kindness; use your wit, too, as long as it is used kindly. The real life of the party is the person who has no time for consciousness of self. She is too busy exploring others, in the friendliest of fashions.”

“Some people ask “How are you?” and, while you tell them, their minds are wandering to something else, or they are thinking of the next bright remark they plan to make. Do not ask how people are unless you want to know and intend to give them the courtesy of your undivided attention while they answer your question.”

“Ladies remember that you spend most of your time with women—so you are pretty dependent upon their goodwill. The woman who boasts that her friends are all men is headed for social insecurity. She’ll get around in her twenties, but she’ll sit at home after that, unless she changes her tune. Women are the invitation givers, the social arbiters. Make them your friends, give them your staunchest loyalty. If you don’t, you may find yourself practicing allure to the four walls of your own room.”

“It is difficult to give a recipe for successful conversation. But it would certainly include three fundamentals. Assemble good ingredients, mix and spice with your own thinking and serve attractively...”

“…To assemble the ingredients, read. Read lots of different things. Read newspapers that express a viewpoint contrary to your own; read periodicals that have thoughtful, provocative articles; read books that tell of places and persons of current interest; read fiction, of course, but not to the exclusion of all other things. If you do not have time to read your newspapers thoroughly, at least read all the headlines and subjects carefully. ”

“We’re not the first to state it. Try to get inside the skins of others. Think how they feel, how they react, and guide your own conduct by that.”

“Profanity on a lady’s lips used to be a sign that she was no lady, and perhaps not even a virtuous woman. Profanity today may mean anything from bad taste, or a weak vocabulary, to a superficial talent for doing as the Romans do.”

“It isn’t smart to be hard, and we use the word smart in both of its meanings…we are not competing with men, but rather working with them…the successful woman, at home or in business, is the woman who is contributing her efficacy and her talent as a woman…hardness and imitation of men have gone out of fashion.”

“The young [woman] has her set of rules for liquor. At the top of the list are two words—“Go slow.” If you drink at all, nibble food and dance while you make a single drink outlast two or three of your date’s. Alcohol permits elders to feel young and carefree again. But you don’t need it. It will not help your figure, your skin, or your eyes. Indeed it tends to do the opposite. So go slow. And never feel that you are a goody-good if you don’t drink at all.”



“Better than Beauty, A Guide to Charm” by Helen Valentine & Alice Thomson can be purchased on Amazon.com for as little as a penny! Click here --> Buy The Book

F4: My Favorite Five Foreign Films

Sometimes it is good to look beyond your culture and surroundings and experience something totally different to give you perspective. A great way to do that is to travel abroad--but sometimes that is not always so easy. My back up idea is to rent an amazing foreign film! Here are my top 5 with summaries (wikipedia) and my opinion. Please feel free to share more in the comments! Also, to respect the actors--you have GOT to see them with subtitles--no english voice overs. It really kills the mood.


5. La Vie en Rose

La Vie en Rose (French pronunciation: [la vi ɑ̃ ʁoz], literally "Life in Pink"; released in France as La Môme, referring to Piaf's nickname "La Môme Piaf," meaning "The Little Sparrow") is a 2007 French-Czech-British biographical film about the life of French chanteuse Édith Piaf.

Plot: Essentially the life story of singer Edith Piaf

My review: This movie captured my interest because the actress Marion Cotillard (the wife in Inception) won best actress for playing Edith Piaf (also the singer of the songs they woke up to in Inception). I actually watched it on a long flight home and was so intrigued by the story line. I had heard her songs before but never knew who she was or what her story was about. It is a bit sad, but it kept my interest the entire 140 minutes! My recommendation--you may want to watch this one on your own-its kinda heavy.





4. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon


Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (simplified Chinese: 卧虎藏龙; traditional Chinese: 臥虎藏龍; pinyin: Wòhǔ Cánglóng) is a Chinese-language film in the wuxia martial arts style, released in 2000.

Plot: Two warriors in pursuit of a stolen sword and a notorious fugitive are led to an impetuous, physically-skilled, teenage nobleman's daughter, who is at a crossroads in her life.


My review: This story had some awesome cinimatography and my favorite part was that the women were the bad asses! It was the perfect balance of action and romance to keep both women and men's attention...so feel free to see it with any type of friend....that is willing to read subtitles the whole time that is...


3. Amélie



Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (French: [lə fabylø dɛstɛ̃ d‿ameli pulɛ̃], French for "The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain"), or simply Amélie, is a 2001 romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet.



Plot: It tells the story of a shy waitress, played by Audrey Tautou, who decides to change the lives of those around her for the better, while struggling with her own isolation.


My review: This story is the cutest little chic flick--and I absolutely adore it! My big sis recommended it years ago when it first came out and actually bought the movie for my mom, but I never got around to watching it until very recently. It is choc full of wit and whimsy and a really cool thing is that you will recognize several themes/songs that are derivatives of/inspired by this movie (Wale's song, Travelocity gnome) So invite your girls over, break out the Nutella and crêpes and prepare to say "awww!!"




2. City of God




City of God (Portuguese: Cidade de Deus) is a 2002 Brazilian crime drama film directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, released in its home country in 2002 and worldwide in 2003.



Plot: It depicts the growth of organized crime in the Cidade de Deus suburb of Rio de Janeiro, between the end of the '60s and the beginning of the '80s, with the closure of the film depicting the war between the drug dealer Li'l Zé and criminal Knockout Ned. The tagline is "Fight and you'll never survive... Run and you'll never escape."

The film received four Academy Award nominations in 2004: Best Cinematography (César Charlone), Best Directing (Meirelles), Best Editing (Daniel Rezende) and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) (Mantovani).

My opinion: This movie is HEAVY and extremely raw, but packed full of action! When I say raw I mean children shooting children...slums...shoot outs...crime--anything you can think of that does NOT typically come to mind when you think of Rio de Janeiro. But there is a lot of reality that you should be aware of. Great movie. The guys love it--and make sure you see it with people who are not afraid to voice their opinion, because there is a lot to talk about after you see this movie!




1. Slumdog Millionaire



Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan.[2] It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A (2005) by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup.





Plot: Set and filmed in India, the film tells the story of Jamal Malik, a young man from the Juhu slums of Mumbai who appears on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (Kaun Banega Crorepati in the Hindi version) and exceeds people's expectations, thereby arousing the suspicions of the game show host and of law enforcement officials.

Slumdog Millionaire was nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 2009 and won eight, the most for any film of 2008, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also won seven BAFTA Awards (including Best Film), five Critics' Choice Awards, and four Golden Globes.





My opinion: This movie was so amazing! You have a roller coaster of emotions as you watch it--sad, happy, disappointment, suspense--you name it! You are truly rooting for this boy to make it--after all of the craziness he has survived and had to tolerate. That's all I can tell you without ruining anything! Okay one more thing--the soundtrack is also pretty amazing--and includes M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" (if you are into her). 2 thumbs WAY up!


Well that rounds out my 5...share your opinions after you see them!

Love,
Rose

Save it or Shred it?

If you are anything like me, you sometimes get bogged down with sorting through the mail. It piles up so quickly right!? Frankly sometimes I just don't feel like shredding, sorting, or filing so the pile can get pretty intense!

Another problem that I have run into is an overflow of thick files from years and years of filing statements and other papers. Since I was never told how long you are supposed to keep this stuff, I did a little research and I found out some answers! Here is what I found:


Keep for ONE MONTH:
• Credit card receipts
• Sales receipts for minor purchases
• Withdrawal and deposit slips (toss after you have checked them against your monthly bank statement)

Keep for ONE YEAR
• Paycheck stubs
• Monthly bank statements
• Monthly credit card statements
• Mutual Fund, 401K, any other Retirement account statements

Keep for SIX YEARS
• W-2s, 1099s, and other guts of your tax returns
• Year end credit card statements,
• Brokerage and mutual-fund summaries

Keep INDEFINITELY
• Tax returns
• Receipts for major purchases
• Real estate and residence records
• Wills and trusts

Keep in a SAFE DEPOSIT BOX

• Birth and death certificates
• Marriage licenses
• Insurance policies

Hope this helps!

Love,
Rose

Travel: Weekend Getaway? Ladies, Pack Your Bags!

Summer is the time of festivals, concerts, road trips and beaches. Warm summer nights, frozen fruity drinks and great music all pull you closer to that goal of using some of your hard earned saved up “vacation time”. Don’t feel guilty thinking about your Christmas ticket home, or the 4 weddings you were invited to this year…just pack your bags and go! After all, you deserve it!

Of course when you travel you will connect with old friends--so you want to look your best. But that dreaded feeling hits you when it is time to pack, right?

Have you ever gotten somewhere and either under or over packed? I know I have! It is funny that for a 2 day trip some need a suitcase that rolls! I'm guilty--but now I can pack for up to 3 weeks in that same bag (and I have, trust me)

With that being said, here are some tips that have simplified my packing and kept me looking effortlessly chic:

1. M&M: When packing for a weekend getaway you always have to be organized and make sure that what you pack can be paired with multiple pieces—this way you can mix and match and create combinations that suit you. Try not to get stuck in “this comes as an outfit” mode— break it up!


2. Layers—seriously! Whether you are going to Costa Rica, or North Carolina you will need to pack a few layers just in case! A light cardigan, wrap, or blazer will keep you like the girl scouts—prepared (and stylish).


3. Versatility—bring pieces you can dress up or dress down depending on the occasion—if you choose right, the same dress could be used for the beach, dinner or for a night of dancing! You never know what could pop up when on vacation, so arm yourself with the right tools—a funky sandal, cute heels and of course some jewelry of choice!


4. A nice book (see blog) be it a travel book, a self help book or a novel—bring something just in case—and besides, you will gain a little culture while tanning your toesies ;)


5. Keep the foundation of your ‘fits (skirts, dresses, tops) basic, so you can spruce things up with accessories—remember that a colorful scarf can change a whole outfit!

6. Use lightweight and easy to pack fabrics--they will take up less space, and won't require ironing or any fuss-- try jersey, linen, or even seersucker

Okay, that is all for today. Have some fun in the sun (and get ready for fashion Fridays)!

Love,
Rose

Reading Rainbow, Summertime reads

Remember that show? Well, summer is the perfect time of year for picking up a new book (I promise it has nothing to do with my mother being a retired librarian...okay maybe a little)! Many times we travel during these months and can read on the plane, train, or in the car. You can read at the beach while soaking up some rays, or a little each night right before you go to bed (like I do). If reading really isn’t your thing, try reference type books such as how to guides to get you started. There are thousands of these types of books on Amazon.com covering everything from manners to relationships to friendship. Most books start at $0.01! But be sure to read the reviews, because that will tell you a lot about what is really inside.

If you want some light reading I suggest something like Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding









or The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus.









A book that I have been hearing about for ages and finally read with my BFF is The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom. I started out being over it fast, but continued and fell in love with it--now it is one of my favorites!









And one of my all time favories is Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Its about how a little boy ends up on a life raft with an adult Bengal tiger--and so much more...see where his story begins and ends...'cause I'm not tellin'!









Any of the Harry Potter books are amazing-- if you have a vivid imagination (start with the one that you have not seen on a movie screen yet)

Lastly, A few books that I have picked up for summer are:

Better than Beauty: A Guide to Charm by H Valentine

And

Bringing Out the Best in People: How to Enjoy Helping Others Excel
By Alan Loy McGinnis

I am also finishing up the last 2 Twilight books (gag!) which are way better than the movies, but still a little too sappy for me.

Happy reading!

Love,
Rose