Hey ya’ll! Just dropping by to tell you about a couple of cool things I found today.
First off, I’m on Vine (find it on the App store). It’s a video sharing app and it is super fun. It’s kind of like Instagram, but with videos. If you are on Vine already, let me know! I want to follow you!
Also, I’ve watched this adorable, hilarious, inspirational video multiple times today.
Not cool Robert Frost!
love,
melanie
I took this picture at midnight on NYE. Fireworks over the Mississippi river.
I’m a little late to the New Year’s game, but it’s never too late to set goals for yourself. Right? In 2013, I’m not resolving, but I’m making S.M.A.R.T. goals to simplify my life and be nicer to myself. I’m not going to share my specific “S.M.A.R.T.” goals because they’re too personal. Sometimes keeping goals a secret is smart too.
I’ve recognized over the past year with the stresses of taking on more responsibilities at work and planning a wedding that I need to be nicer to myself. I can’t beat myself up if the dishes aren’t done or if I never finish the unending laundry pile in my downstairs bathroom. I can’t even beat myself up if my blog posts are sporadic.
I’ve also recognized that I want to live a simpler life– which means owning less stuff and appreciating small things. I feel so lucky to have so much: a new husband, a loving family and a warm place to live. This year, I want to appreciate all I have everyday.
Is anyone else trying similar goals? Let me know in the comments.
love,
melanie
In general, New Year’s resolutions aren’t kept. It’s two weeks into the new year and resolutions are already being pushed to the wayside. Let’s be honest– how many times have we all resolved to “get in shape”? Since resolutions are so easy to break instead I like to make goals. What makes goals different than resolutions? Well, resolutions are broad, sweeping, overly ambitious changes. On the other hand, goals can be S.M.A.R.T. In order to be S.M.A.R.T. goals must be:
| S | Specific | |
| M | Measurable | |
| A | Attainable | |
| R | Relevant | |
| T | Timely |
How to create a S.M.A.R.T. goal is by far one of the best things that I have learned in the past couple of years. By using this method, I’ve attained almost 100% of the goals I’ve set for myself. And the ones that didn’t work weren’t S.M.A.R.T.!
So, what’s an example of a S.M.A.R.T. goal? Well, let’s say you want to “get in shape”. We all want this. So take that broad goal, and start thinking more specifically. Your brain might sound something like this: “Well, I am pretty happy with the way I eat, but my workout plan is horrendous.” Now, you’re narrowing it down, your making a goal more specific.
Next look at the measurable aspect. This should get you thinking about a specific outcome. If you currently work out sporadically, you might want to set a time and date to go to the gym or workout from home. This is also the time to think about attainability. Let’s be real, none of us are going to look like a Victoria’s Secret model overnight and maybe we never will. But that’s ok. Maybe just loosing 2 inches off of your waist by working out at the gym 3 days a week is an attainable and measurable goal.
The last two aspects of a smart goal are relevance and timeliness. Now, I always struggle with relevance because sometimes it causes you to think very broadly. Relevance asks you if this is the right time in your life for this goal. If you just took on 15 other goals, this might not be the time in your life to take on working out too. (Although, you should always have time for your health.) Relevance just causes you to think deeply about the worthiness of the goal at hand.
Finally, we come to timeliness. This one is easy! By what date do you want to accomplish your goal? Going on vacation this summer? Bam! You’ve got a date.
The broad resolution “to get in shape” now turned into the smart goal of “Loosing 2 inches off my waist by June 30, 2013 by working out at the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in order to improve my overall health and appearance.” It’s not quite as catchy as “get in shape,” but it is a heck of a lot more attainable.
Now after all this, I’m going to let you know that loosing inches off my waist is not my 2013 goals. I’m actually going to share my goals with you all later this week. I just wanted to share my successful goal setting strategies in the hopes that it will challenge you to make better goals and achieve your dreams. Corny, huh?
Did you set any resolutions or goals for 2013? Let me know in the comments!
love,
melanie
Here’s a little reminder for you all on this Monday morning.
I need this reminder today– maybe you do too. Here’s wishing for a brilliant week.
love,
melanie
We are going through a huge weeding process at work. Weeding is just a fancy librarian term for taking books out of the library. We weed to get some of the outdated titles off the shelf to make room for updated titles. Anyway, last week when I was weeding I came across a very old book (1880-I think) of Pheobe Cary’s Poems. The first page that I happened to open had the loveliest poem inscribed. The poem was entitled The Mariner’s Bride and told the tale of a sailor’s love for his bride. The line written in the picture above really resonated with me. I don’t think it is for me, but this poem would make lovely wedding vows for a sea-faring couple. The poem and book in it’s entirety can be found here.
Did you incorporate literature in your wedding vows? Let me know how in the comments.
love,
melanie
Remember that job I told you all about? Well, I didn’t get it. Recovering from the disappointment and starting a new school semester has been difficult. In fact, I haven’t been blogging much lately because I’ve been both amazingly busy with the rush of students and I’ve been busy moping.
I’m not afraid to admit to you all that I cried when I found out that I lost the job to another applicant. I’m also not afraid to admit that I ate way too much and maybe drank a little too much that evening in the hopes that it would make me feel better. I didn’t feel better. I just felt bloated.
To cheer myself up on this rainy Monday morning, I made a quick list of things that I am happy about. I forced myself to write 20 items. It was difficult to write at first, because I love to be a pessimist. It’s just my nature of self-improvement, I suppose. But after the first couple of list items, it became much easier to think of things I am happy and thankful for. I have a wonderful life.
There will be more job opportunities in the future. In fact, I applied for one over the weekend. I can’t—I won’t let this get me down.
How do you fight disappointment in life? Let me know in the comments.
love,
melanie
It is upon us! Wedding season! For many of you wedding season has already begun, but for George and I, the majority of our wedding activities are beginning this weekend. The dresses, and devotions, and drinks will kick off with a trip to a friends’ wedding in West Virginia. Then, we’ve got two more weddings in September and our own wedding in December.
Questions always arise about a gift when one is playing the role of wedding guest. The majority of the weddings we will be attending do not have a registry– which can be a blessing or a curse. The idea of a gifting on such a momentous occasion has inflicted a little bit of worry in my mind, but going registry-less can also be exciting. It gives the chance to show-case talents or give the people what they really want– CASH.
With registry-less weddings, I like to give a thoughtful book with money inside. Picking out books is my talent. And yes, I’m spoiling the surprise. Oops! Here’s some of my tips and favorite books for wedding gift-giving.
1. If the couple is going somewhere exotic on their honeymoon, a phrase or guide book is a helpful and entertaining choice. For our friends who were going to Italy on their honeymoon, we got them a Dirty Italian phrase book stuffed with cash. I hope they stunned the Italians with their knowledge and dirty-word skills.
2. I think marriage help or marriage advice books are way too personal to give at a wedding. Those types of books may even send the wrong message to the happy couple. But a book of other people’s love letters? Well, that just sounds divine.
3. Have the bride and groom expressed interest in learning a new skill or do they have a collective hobby? Now would be a great time to give a book on canning, gardening, or homemaking skills– if your couple is into that sort of thing. I particularly like Canning for a New Generation: Bold, Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry. It’s filled with hi-res pictures and makes canning look surprisingly hip.
4. Does your couple like fiction? Classic love stories like this illustrated Bronte Sisters collection would be fitting. Personally, I would prefer a few lovely classic novels to start a personal library in our home together. I’ve been swooning over this classic novels box set for over a year and would love to receive it as a wedding gift. Hint, Hint!
Do you have any tips about wedding gift giving? Have you ever given a book as a wedding gift? Let me know in the comments!
love,
melanie
Today I’m keeping it short and sweet. I’ll be in professional development at work all day. Ugh. And quite frankly, I’m exhausted. I’ve had very little time to do any internet souring this week. But I did stumble on the best flowchart I’ve seen in a long time via Teach.com.
I think I even discovered a few new books!
Have a beautiful and restful weekend, ya’ll.
love,
melanie
Wedding vows are pretty important. Vows are intended to be public declarations of love and promise to one person. Vows are meant to be kept FOREVER. Vows are a pretty big deal. And lately I’ve been thinking about how best to do them.
I might be able to say the standard “’til death do us part” vows in front of my immediate family, but I don’t want to say our “real” vows in front of anyone else. It feels too private to me.
George and I are going to say our “real” vows before we do the legal ones. And before I put on makeup because I’m a huge sap and I’ll probably cry my eyeballs out. But that’s ok.
Since I’m a librarian and a great lover of books, I’ve been looking for a passage or a book that best expresses my feelings. This NYPL post from Kristy Raffensberger, a children’s librarian, has some great suggestions.
But in some ways I want to find my own. It’s the thrill of the hunt.
Here’s the few books I’ve found so far…
This book was obviously intended for the love between a parent and a child, but I think it describes romantic love, as well.
Small, a little fox, questions Large, a big fox, if he would love her (or if she would love him– it’s quite androgynous) in increasingly silly scenarios.
“If I were a grumpy grizzly bear, would you still love me? Would you still care?” “I’d always love you, no matter what,” responds Large.
I can definitely be a grumpy grizzly sometimes and I’m sure George could relate to this one.
Guess How Much I Love You
Sam McBratney (Author), Anita Jeram (Illustrator)
Again, probably meant for parental love, but relevant regardless.
This lovely bedtime tale follows Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare through a series of charming declarations.
It begins with “I love you as high as I can hop!” said Little Nutbrown. And ends with Big Nutbrown’s declaration “I love you right up to the moon.”
A Lovely Love Story
Edward Monkton
I cried at work reading this one. So embarrassing.
Such a cute premise. Two dinosaurs meet and fall in love. One is an emotionally distant dino and the other dino has a penchant for shopping. Regardless of flaws, they learn to accept one another as they are.
“Together they stand on the hill, telling each other stories and feeling the warmth of the sun on their backs. And that, my friends, is how it is with love.”
Have you stumbled across any good wedding readings? I’d love to hear them in the comments!
love,
melanie
Sometimes I think I’m the only book-lover in the world who has luke-warm feelings towards Pride and Prejudice. I know, I know, it’s a sin. Don’t shoot me, but I’ve always thought Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy were snotty, boring and terribly pretentious. I need a heroine with… excuse my expression… balls! I’d take Hester Prynne over Elizabeth Bennet any day.
I always feel guilty about my dislike of Pride and Prejudice, and I guilt myself into reading mash-up P and P novels in the hopes that Elizabeth will grow on me. She never does. My taste is appalling. I know.
When we got the audiobook of Death Comes to Pemberley at the library, I felt obliged to pop it into my car stereo. Alas, if I didn’t listen to this book in audio format, I don’t think I would have finished it. The best part for me about the experience was listening to the glorious accent of the narrator, Rosalyn Landor.
Ms. Landor had a fabulously matriarchal British accent. She might just be the real-life Mary Poppins. AND she had different voices for each one of the characters!
Unfortunately, Ms. Landor was the best part of the novel. The characters I found dull, and the plot, although it involved a murder, had me dozing off at the wheel.
Although this book was a total flop for me, I’ll definitely be on the lookout for audio books narrated by Rosalyn Landor in the future.
Did you read Death Comes to Pemberley? What did you think?
love,
melanie
