Stop your whining!

Not too long ago, I was watching a report about a church that was campaigning to get their parishioners to stop complaining. Not forever, just for 21 days. There was some sort of certificate that they were awarded if they completed the full 3 weeks without uttering a single grievance. There was one woman that finally accomplished this goal, but it took her over a year to do so. Basically, if you complain, you have to start all over again from day one.

Well, I kind of forgot about this news report until this weekend. On Saturday I was a total grump. Really not pleasant to be around (just ask my co-workers!). So when I got home, I decided I was going to try not complaining. Not for 21 days, not even for a week, just from about 4:30 - 6:00. Let me tell you, it was HARD! I never realized how many things I grumble about. Not big huge complaints, but something as simple as "it sure is cold in here" or "I'm hungry". I managed to make it until 6:00, but I did nap for 45 minutes of that 90 minute time frame. And the other 45 minutes consisted of me saying things like, "I feel so tired..I'm not complaining though! Just stating a fact." Somehow I don't think that counts as not complaining!

I challenge you to try not complaining for a whole day. Maybe most of you are not as easily aggravated as I am, and will therefore have no problem abstaining from a few rants about the annoyances of your day. Honestly, I really didn't realize how quick I am to complain about things until I made a concerted effort NOT to. If nothing else, I am now aware of it and I am trying to be generally more positive. But how anyone could go a full 21 days without one gripe seems almost impossible! I wonder if silently mumbling to yourself is allowed.

Warm me up...and my coffee...and my muffins...

Byung-seok You is a smart, smart man (or woman?). He (she) has invented an amazing device that I can't believe hasn't been thought of before. It is a ceramic "plate" that is formed to fit on top of your standard household radiator. The heat from the radiator heats up the plate and you can put your coffee, pastries or sandwiches there for a warm up.

Pretty ingenious really. Did I mention that I want one?
yanko designs

Cat-tastic!

Over the past few weeks, I have been noticing some pretty remarkable pet furniture. It sounds strange, I know. For the longest time, the only pet furniture I was aware of was what you could find in the Sky Mall magazine. Usually in a bad plaid with "Baxter" embroidered somewhere on it. But for the pet owner with discerning taste and design aesthetic, there are some really cool options out there. Such as:
This little kitty bed. It's just so stylish! The cool baroque cover is sold separately, in a variety of colors. Check them out here: Rondo cat bed

This one is just a bit more space-aged and comes in a few different colors as well. They have shorter ones that work for little pups, too! Check them out over here: Modern pet beds

These retro numbers would be great for a feline friend or a pooch. Bubble bed

And none of these would I find embarrassing to have in my home. Nestor's happy. I'm happy.

Hey there, Georgie James girl

I have recently dedicated some time to discovering new music. For the longest time I would listen to whatever my boyfriend at the time was into or what my best friends might play while we would be out and about. But now, at the young age of 35, I've started to actually seek out new bands on my own and I am really falling in love with music again. One such musical crush is the Chicago-based band, Georgie James. Laura Burhenn's vocals are beautiful and John Davis (formerly of the Dischord band, Q and not U) complements her flawlessly. I'm definitely no music journalist, so I just suggest you just check out their myspace page here...Georgie James!



And, if you are here in Boston join me at their show tomorrow night at Great Scott. I can't wait and I hope to see you there!
Great Scott

Martha Stewart would not approve

I am not a cook by any stretch of the imagination. Heating up the oven and flipping my chik pattie after 8 minutes is about the extent of my culinary talents, but somehow, even this, is too lazy for me.

First of all, I can't bring myself to eat anything with "blast" in the name. It makes me think of unpleasant moments post-dining that really aren't very appetizing. Not to mention, I'm not a fan of canned foods that come equipped with a spray nozzle. Like Easy Cheese, for instance. Yuck. This must be advertised at 3 in the morning, when people with sleep deprivation are really hungry and not thinking rationally. Who else would buy it? And it seems weird to me that it is organic. Why bother, you know? It's pancakes in a can, for Pete's sake! This is such a strange concept and kind of repulsive, although I will admit that I'm getting quite a hankering for pancakes...made from scratch, thank you very much.

If you want to try them click here: Batter Blaster and make sure to watch the demo...it's "amazing".

Never enough

Ok, I have a shoe obsession. This is no secret. So maybe I made you think it was just an abnormal infatuation with boots, but if I am going to be completely honest with you (which I am) then I must confess that my footwear fixation doesn't stop at the knee. Sneakers, flats, little maryjanes, even flipflops that I SWORE I would never wear, have found a home in my overflowing closet. So when I found these adorable Swedish-made lovelies online I was relieved (as was my wallet) that there wasn't a "buy it now" button anywhere to be found. Aren't they ADORABLE? WAIT! What about these?

Seriously, if you go to Sweden pick me up a pair in 7 1/2 (that's 38 EUR) and don't tell my wallet!

http://www.asawestlund.com/index.html

Pushing Daisies

Have you seen this show? If you haven't, you should. It is so clever and funny and bittersweet. The characters are engaging and there isn't one that I don't like, even the unlikable ones. The concept is odd...a man has been given a "gift" to bring deceased things (people, dogs, bumble bees...) back to life with one touch, but with only one more touch from him, the now living being will once again be dead. He finds a way to use his confounding gift...solving murders. Genius. But during his crime solving, he manages to fall in love with a woman he brings back to life, who also happens to be his childhood sweetheart and who he can never touch again, if he wants to keep her alive. Therein lies the bittersweetness that I mentioned earlier. Not only is the storyline engaging and the characters charming, the set design is wonderfully Tim Burton-esque. I'm smitten and after one viewing, I'm sure you will be too!

Sunshine-y Day

This is not what today is. Today is rainy and cold and supposedly we are being hit with a Nor'easter here in Boston. I can't really tell the difference between that and really crappy weather, but I'm no meteorologist. So, to help brighten my mood (and maybe yours), I thought I would post some pictures of really bright and cheerful places. For your viewing pleasure:



An apartment building in Tokyo. Surpisingly enough, not Tokyo Disney, just Tokyo.



An apartment building in Slovenia. I never would have guessed!



This is no Barnes and Noble. It's the Kid's Republic bookstore in Beijing.

Kid's Republic



An animal shelter in Amsterdam. Oh, to be a Dutch kitten!

And then, to round things out with the cutest, most colorful picture yet...my boyfriend's nephew, Isaac, in his Halloween construction worker costume.



I mean, does it really get any cuter than this?