Sweet Children's Books

Have you seen these sweet board books yet? Jennifer Adams' Little Miss Austen: Pride and Prejudice and Little Miss Bronte: Jane Eyre seem like the perfect counting books. A great way to introduction a little one to the classics.

For the slightly older stylish munchkin, I discovered these stories about Audrey Hepburn and Coco Chanel. Take a look at the trailer for Just Being Audrey.

Image via Fab Audrey.

Book Review

As a librarian, I often have friends ask me for reading recommendations. Recently I was asked about best self-help and professional development books. I recommended Daniel Carnegie's timeless work How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936). It's so fascinating to see how, while times change, human nature remains true to form. 

Unless you’re embarking on a career in monk hood, chances are, you may have to interact with other people at some point during the day. And you are not guaranteed an easy ride. Even if you are someone who loves people, and understands people, the best of us can still be emotional, unpredictable, and unstable. Whatever the complexities in our behaviour, we are always forced to interact with others. So there is always a probability of friction. (And not always the friction that Harlequin’s are made of.)  Interpersonal skills, let's face it, are as necessary in job interviews as they are at family dinners. Because of this challenge, I recently picked up Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People (Simon & Schuster, 1981).

Carnegie originally self-published his work in 1936 and it went on to sell over fifteen million copies. With so many social trends, and self-help crazes, coming and going, I was especially curious as to why and how this work still had a home on bookshelves today. Perhaps there's a good reason. It offers very relevant common sense about how to strategize with phenomenon that will never change: inherently complex human emotions.

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A Vintage Treasure

This is my latest vintage find: a sweet 1950s dress. It needs a small alteration, but otherwise, it's perfect. I can't wait to wear it - er - in four or five months.

Love Is...All Around

Tiffany & Co's True Love In Pictures just makes me melt. These three were my favourites, for obvious reasons.

Missed Connections

I have a confession.

I love reading the Missed Connections posts on Craigslist. In this section people try to reconnect with strangers that caught their eye as they passed by on the street, on the subway, or in a smoky bar. It also contains posts to lost loves and secret crushes.

I read it like modern romantic poetry.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011
-m4w
I know you'll never see this but you are so pretty.

The image and post was borrowed from Sophie Blackall's blog Missed Connections NY. Backall has also been reading this section of Craigslist and illustrating selected posts. She even published a book last fall called Missed Connections: Love, Lost & Found. 

A Bookstore At Night

This incredible video was filmed in Toronto's Type Bookstore on Queen Street West. There really is nothing quite like a real book.

Tips for the Single Woman: 1938

Since it's date night, I'm sharing these Tips for the Single Woman from 1938 via the Retronaut.

I am crying with laughter while reading this. Most of these tips are still very relevant today. Here are a few samples:

Don't pick his ears. 

Don't flirt with other men. (In fact, don't rub any man's head out of flirtation or otherwise.)

It goes without saying...

Learning To Calm Down

Image borrowed from Zoe, with Love

How was your first week of 2012?

I just threw myself into work and my new responsibilities. I was so excited for my new beginning, that I think perhaps I took things too far.

Today my good friend and colleague ever so subtly alluded to the fact that perhaps I was a bit too intense.

Oh dear....

It's easy to get so be so determined and passionate that you lose perspective, begin micromanaging, and throw all work-life balance out the window.

So this weekend I'm going to take a step back. Drink a lot of tea. Play with Alex. Do some yoga. I won't stop working as hard, but I'll be a bit more self-aware from now on.

Take it easy. (Keep it sleazy.)

Farewell Christmas Tree

In Toronto, Christmas tree collection begins this week, so this evening I am accompanied by the twinkling lights in the corner of my living room for the last time.

Technically it's only the ninth day, out of the twelve days of Christmas, so I feel as though I can squeeze in one more holiday before it's back to work again.

My mom and grandparents were German immigrants. We celebrated Christmas during the evening of the 24th, which I still find to be the most magical time of the holiday season. As a tradition, my grandparents would always send my sister and tree ornaments that they either hand made or imported. (Depending on their health that year.) I still have all of these ornaments and that is what I use (along with a few additions) every year. Most still have the year written on the back.

The last one was an addition. I know, nothing says Christmas like Tom Brady.

Okay, that's the last post about Christmas you'll here from me. (Until next December.)

P.S. Right now, on CBC Radio 2, they are playing holiday arrangements by jazz pianist Bill Mays and bass player Neil Swainson. You can listen here.