This little bookmark is one of the greatest Christmas gifts I ever received.
My nephew made it for me when he was about 8 years old. What makes it so special is how personal and thoughtful it is.
The fact that he would painstakingly make something for me that he knew I would use (I’m an avid reader) means the world to me. Besides, isn’t it absolutely adorable?
The Inspiration: Handmade bookmark
The Why: Because handmade with love triumphs over mass produced any day.
The When: Whenever I need a reminder that I’m loved and whenever I need a little breathing room with a book.
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I heart cookbooks. Always have.
Even as a whippersnapper I’d, um, devour them.
When guests ask me how I know the ins and outs of setting a proper table, I tell them it comes from reading 1950s-era cookbooks.
Cookbooks are fodder for all kinds of inspiration, I think.
My new favorite—and on my Christmas list if you’re interested—is Essential Pepin
The Inspiration: Cookbooks from Chef Jacques Pepin
The Why: Storytelling of a culinary order.
The When: Whenever I’m hungry, restless or looking for something to touch my soul.
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I love me some Via. Too bad The Bux stopped making cinnamon Via, which amps up my morning protein shakes like nobody’s business.
No matter. I invented my own.
While mixing up a batch of Jan’s Cinnamon-Mocha Via, I found another unexpected place for inspiration: the inside packaging.
The Inspiration: Starbucks Via
The Why: Surprise inside. Minimal design. Witty copy. Gives pause.
The When: Whenever I’m jonesing for clever.
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One of my Facebook friends started taking a photo a day about a year ago. She says it helps her see beauty in unexpected places.
Her photos are quirky and lovely and breathtaking all at the same time, so I dared not think of doing that myself.
Until today.
As a writer, cook, coach and blogger, it’s my passion and work to find inspiration in unexpected places. That’s why I’m going to share a weekday dose of inspiration here.
Sometimes I’ll let you into the thinking behind the photo; other times I’ll let the photo speak for itself.
All photos are taken with my iPhone 3GS (I can’t let go of the smooth, rounded design just yet!) or my Canon Powershot. (See, I’m no photographer.)
The Inspiration: Wired Magazine
The Why: Smart, thought-provoking writing on tech trends and possibilities. Makes me feel smarter just reading a few lines. Not to mention the sassy, striped side view. (I love alliteration, btw.)
The When: Whenever I need a jolt of Sorkin-style literacy.
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The hubs and I just came off a beautiful fall weekend. (That’s me playing in the leaves photographed by my weekend charge, 3-year-old Sammie.)
While not particularly restful—we babysat a 3- and 7-year-old for 48 hours—it was super-fun and enjoyable in spite of being incredibly busy.
How did we have such an awesome weekend in the midst of an uber-packed schedule?
Simple.
We “batched” our time.
Batching or bundling is the act of combining like things.
2 CommentsRecipe: Jan’s Best-Ever Snickerdoodles
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Preheat oven to 400°.
Mix butter, shortening, sugar and eggs thoroughly.
Sift flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt, and stir into butter-sugar mixture.
Roll into walnut-sized balls, then roll balls in a mixture of 2 Tbsp. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon.
Bake until lightly browned but soft, about 8-10 minutes.
I don’t consider myself a “yes” person. At all.
Anyone who knows me well knows that I’m opinionated to the nth degree. Um. That’s putting it mildly! :)
On the flip side, I do want people to like me (awcckk, my insecurities are showing!) so I will often say “yes” to a myriad of requests. Plus, I don’t like missing out on things. There’s just too much cool work, fun stuff, awesome people and worthy things to be a part of. And on and on.
Added to all this is the fact that not a day goes by when I don’t hear:
Can you edit this?
Can you just look at this one thing …
We need a wordsmith like you to _____.
Will you bring a snack, make a meal, help with this, that and the other.
I am not complaining.
I’m not.
No CommentsI love blogging. (Good thing … ’cause I’ve been doing it for the past four years.)
With blogging, I can say what I want. When I want.
I.
Can.
Write.
In.
Incomplete.
Sentences.
I can ramble and amble to my heart’s content.
I meet cool people.
I can do it in a box, with a fox and in my socks.
Still … sometimes I’m envious of other bloggers. The ones who get to blog about recipes, habits, home or life.
Don’t get me wrong. I love, love, love talking and sharing about writing—both the craft and the business of it.
I do a fair amount of offline talking to other writers, too, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
But, frankly, being tied to ONLY talking about writing is making me blog-tired. And I need to get over it.
Blogging, I think, should be like parenting: sometimes hard, sometimes fun, always rewarding.
Which is why I’m looking for ways to change that here.
Over the summer I posted infrequently as I tried to figure out what I want to get and to give with this blog. I still don’t have the answer.
I am, however, ready to get over being blog-tired. And that means blogging again … this time about life and feelings and thoughts and whatever else is going on with me.
Yes, writing is a part of that. But so is making snickerdoodles. And struggling with my weight. And growing in my faith. And learning new productivity tips. And discovering new things about my husband. (How did I miss his John Wayne impression after more than two decades together?!)
Ready or not, I’m done being blog-tired and I’m ready to be reinvigorated. Watch and learn … :)
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