Reno, the Girl

Here Comes 2012

2012-01-01T15:34:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! I finally finished up Reverb 2011 and I’m ready for everything that 2012 has to offer. I hope you’re having a fantastic new year so far.

28. What are your dreams for next year?

I’ve never been the type of girl to ‘dream’ about my ‘dream wedding', but now that I’m faced with planning one I dream about having a relaxed, special day. I dream about developing a consistent yoga practice because it’s what keeps me calm and centered and stress-free. I dream about owning a home and simplifying my life. I dream about making every day memorable. I dream about starting a family as soon as possible. I dream about reading good books and eating great food and spending time with the people who matter to me.

29. Who will attract into your life?

Only positive people. I’ve shed the people who don’t contribute anything positive and it feels good.

30. What do you want to do in 2012?

I want to cook more, practice yoga as much as possible, read a picture book a day, read more chapter books, create healthier eating habits,

31. Where do you hope to be on Jan 1, 2013?

In yoga, you set an intention at the beginning of your practice and lately mind has been four words: Alive, Benevolent, Calm, Determined. I repeat those four words to myself and carry them with me through my practice and beyond. If I can carry these intentions through the year and for the rest of my life, I’ll always end up where I want and should be. I hope to have a job and a permanent home and enough money to live comfortably, but as long as I have my co-pilot, my kitty girl, my health, and my family and friends, I’ll be fine even if we’re living in our parent’s basement. My goal is to keep things in perspective and focus on being kind, peaceful, and mindful. I found out the hard way this year that life is painfully short and I don’t want to waste anymore of mine. Here’s to 2012.

Reverb 2011 pt. 3

2012-01-01T15:01:00.001-05:00

21. Where did you spend your time?

Home, work, family, friends, yoga. Narrowed it down to places I truly love. I’ve spent many years hanging with people I tolerate and that’s just not a good use of my time.

22. What were your favorite songs?

I was obsessed with Shearwater this year. They’re what I listened to on all my bike rides and I created an ultra awesome, melancholy Pandora station.

23. Who did you miss?

I really missed my uncle this year. He’s been gone since 1996, but this year I really felt it.

24. When did you take the easy way?

I took the easy way when it came to food this year. I tried to lose weight and it just didn’t happen in 2011. I love working out, but I’m the worst when it comes to eating healthy. My New Year’s promise to myself is to eat healthy foods and drop 90% of the junk I ingest. I mean, I’m not giving up cookies and Starbuck’s altogether, but chips and fast food have no place in my everyday life.

25. Where did you eat?

We ate a lot of Fort Street Brewery. That’s our go-to place when it comes to eating out. I love having a cool neighborhood eatery within walking distance (not that we walk there together, but I’m working on that). The beer is pretty fantastic, too.

26. Which blogs did you enjoy most?

Peanut Butter Runner, Desirous of Everything, Brianne Lee, curls&coffee, Fieldguided, Love at First Shop, New Dress a Day, The Chloe Conspiracy, Wendy’s Lookbook, Om Gal, Girls and Bicycles, One Pearl Button, Do What Now?, Amesmusings.

27. When did you celebrate?

I celebrated finding a job I love, getting engaged, a little one’s first birthday, the birth of another little one, and many, many birthdays of loved ones. I love celebrating.

Reverb 2011 pt. 2

2011-12-30T18:30:00.001-05:00

6. Who was important to you?

My family and friends are always number one in my life. I’m extremely lucky to have a ridiculously supportive, normal family and caring friends. I’m also very fortunate to have my co-pilot who will become my husband in 2012. My coworkers have also become a big part of my life this year, along with my storytime families. I love those kids so much.

7. What do you hope to remember?

I want to remember how I felt when I got the call about my new job and the moment Kyle asked me to marry him. Those two moments changed my life.

8. Where did you spend money?

We spent a lot of money on our cat Precious this year. She was very sick at the end of 2010 and the vet bills carried over into 2011. I paid off the first round but then mid-year she got sick again, but now the vet thinks they nipped her illness in the bud. I’ll be making another appointment to do more tests and hopefully it will be great news. Poor kitty, she’s been through a lot this year. She’s a trooper, though. We love her so much.

9. When were you most scared?

I was terrified when Precious was sick. She’s going to be twelve years old next month, but we’ve only had her for nearly four years. She’s our sweetheart and she’s Kyle’s first pet, so she’s extra special to us.

10. What questions did you ask?

This one has me stumped. My year was full of action, it didn’t leave me a lot of time to ask a lot of questions. The only one I can think of right now is ‘Where do we want to live next year?’ We really want to move, but there’s a lot up on the air right now. All we know is we want to buy and we want to be near my mother and his parents. Future built-in baby-sitters are a good thing.

11. Who surprised you?

I hate to keep bringing this back to omgengaged, but Kyle surprised me when he proposed. Kind of… I accidentally found the ring a week before, but the way he did it was wonderful and sweet and a total surprise. Best day ever.

12. What did you learn?

Countless rhymes and songs, how to manage my time better (I’m still working on that), how to enjoy the present (still working on that, too), how to leave work at work.

13. When did you feel the most relaxed?

I felt relaxed at home on the couch with my boo and at my new yoga studio. Yoga has become a regular part of my life this year and I love it so much.

14. Where did you leave a mark?

I was so nervous starting my new job because I was terrified I wasn’t going to be good at it and everyone would laugh at me.

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. Everything has worked out way better than I could have hoped for. I have amazing storytime groups and and I’ve definitely proved that I’m a hard worker and good at what I do. I’ve said this a million times, but I LOVE MY JOB. I’m so thankful.

15. What movies did you see?

Gah, I don’t even remember. Not many good ones. I’m more of a tv person and I’m not ashamed to admit it. There are so many great shows out there and I want to watch them all. Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones, The League, Fringe, Treme, True Blood, Arrested Development, Buffy, Veronica Mars, Felicity, Parks and Rec, 30 Rock, I love them all.

16. What did you accomplish?

I feel extremely confident about my job and that’s an accomplishment I’ve been striving towards for years. God, I feel like all I talk about is my job.

17. When were you the most grateful?

I’m grateful everyday. I know I’m lucky because of the people in my life and my health and my job. I never take that for granted.

18. Who touched your heart?

My storytime families are the best and I’m amazed at how welcoming they’ve been towards me. It was hard being the new girl when they’d been used to certain people, but they’ve been so sweet and supportive and continue to show up week after week. Kyle’s proposal made my heart burst, but that’s private. Geez, work, engagement, work, engagement. I sound like a broken record. Sorry!

19. Where did you visit?

The closest I got to visiting anywhere was staying overnight in Detroit for a friend’s wedding. I’m saving up my vacation time for our wedding and and hopefully maternity leave in the future.

20. When did you cry?

Not a lot of tears this year. I actually didn’t cry when Kyle proposed, but I did sob a few days later when it had all sunk in. I received some sad news a few months ago that brought on the tears, but I’ve made my peace with it.

Reverb 2011

2011-12-23T23:43:00.001-05:00

Last December I wrote a post using a prompt from Reverb 2010, an online project that encouraged people to reflect and write about their year and what they hoped to accomplish in the next. I was reading Yoga G33k today and she’s doing Reverb 2011 and linked to a set of prompts written by Kaileen Elise, one of the founders of Reverb. Rereading last year’s post made think about how much has changed this year. I’m definitely a much happier, calmer person due to major changes. I didn’t manage to get rid of all the clutter and keep a spotless house, but I don’t have as much anxiety and I devote most of my time to things that matter. I have a lot planned for 2012, but there’s more on that to come.

I’m going to answer all of those prompts by January first.

1. Where did 2011 begin?

I began 2011 stuck at my dead-end job, unhappy and overweight. I was desperate to find a new line of work and didn’t care if it left us broke and living in my grandma’s basement. I was miserable.

2. Who did you meet?

I didn’t really meet anyone new this year, but I did get better acquainted with co-workers when I started my new job. I’d already worked in the building for almost seven years, but I didn’t really know the people in my department that well. I got to know my fiancé's friends, which has been wonderful. He has a fun set of guy friends that I never used to see, but now they come around more and we watch hockey and Game of Thrones. It’s great.

3. What books did you read?

Many. See here.

4. When did you struggle?

At the beginning of the year I was ready to quit my old job with no back-up plan because I was so unhappy. Another thing I struggled with is something I’m kind of embarrassed about now, but I’m going to put it out there in case someone else is in the same situation. I really struggled waiting for my boyfriend to propose. I feel stupid now because we’re engaged and it was totally worth the wait, but it seemed like every week another person I knew was getting engaged or married and I wasn’t. We both knew that’s where we were headed, but it was taking forever. I have a very thoughtful, deliberate partner who takes his time making decisions and plans and I’m impatient and tactless and want things to happen yesterday.

The pressure to hit these milestones in your life is ridiculous, though. I used to feel like there was a life timeline I was supposed to follow, that I needed to be at a certain place in my life by a certain age and that’s just dumb. I’d mostly let go of that feeling except for in this instance and it made me feel foolish. It’s funny, because now that we’re engaged I’m in no rush to get married. I either want to do it tomorrow down at city hall or wait another five years. So ladies, don’t let this dumb stuff get you down. Every relationship is unique and shouldn’t be shoehorned into a way that doesn’t work for you and your partner.

5. What did you discover?

I discovered that I’m a good librarian. I was worried that I’d never get a job using my degree, and once I did get my dream job, I worried that I’d be terrible at it. I’m not perfect at my job by any means, but I’m damn good. One of my goals for 2012 is to get better organized at work and create better systems for staying on top of my duties, though. I hate coming into work with a messy desk and remembering at the last minute that I was supposed to make a sign or booklist.

That’s it for now. Have a fantastic Christmas if that’s your thing! I’ll be back on Monday.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-21T09:10:00.000-05:00

My coworker and I are dying over this.

Here's how they did it. Holla if you miss Calvin and Hobbes. My brother and I had every book growing up.

Katniss's Fire Dress

2011-12-12T15:01:00.001-05:00

InStyle has a piece on Katniss's infamous Fire dress with designers envisioning what it would look like. I love it, even though some are way off the mark.

On Reading: Well Known

2011-12-12T14:35:00.001-05:00

"It is well known that reading quickens the growth of a heart like nothing else." -Catherynne M. Valente, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In a Ship of Her Own Making

Betrothed

2011-12-11T10:58:00.000-05:00

The ring on top is my grandmother’s, and the ring on the bottom is mine. My boyfriend proposed the day before Thanksgiving and now we’re going to be maaaarried.

Married married maaaarried!

We’d talked about rings before and I’d told him I wanted something small and classic and I was thrilled when I saw what he’d picked out. It reminded me so much of the ring my grandpa gave my grandma back in the forties. She took it out yesterday and we were amazed at how similar they are. It made me feel good.

So here’s to impending married life. I know everyone says this, but I’m so happy to be engaged to my best friend and I can’t wait to marry my best friend. I snagged a good one.

The Gift of Reading: Picture Books

2011-12-10T10:44:00.001-05:00

Christmas is less than twenty-five days away and if you're like me, you've done zero shopping.

Oh, wait, that's a lie. I forgot I got gifts for my brothers.

So, if you're like me, you still have about seventy-five percent of your holiday shopping left to do. I really love gift giving, but after thirty-odd years, it's hard to keep thinking up new and thoughtful gifts to give my loved ones. I feel like I've given all there is to give. Photo albums, handmade scarves, ornaments, framed photographs, homemade cookies, I've done it all. That's why I tend to give books as gifts. I'm really, really good at giving books.

This month I thought it would be fun to put together a few gift guides in time for the holidays. The beauty of a book is that you can get really cool ones for a relatively low cost. Even coffee table books can be found for decent prices. I've even purchased previously owned books that are out of print for a good price. There are so many options.

Today's guide: Picture Books

Now that I'm old, all my friends are starting to have kids. For shower gifts, I like to buy about five or six books mixed between board and hardcover picture books as a starter library. Then over the years for holidays and birthdays I add one or two books. Turn them into mini-bookworms while you can. It’s great hearing stories about how the kids discover the books over the course of their childhood. Friends and family are always telling me about a kid who just loves that book I gave him or her years ago. It’s such a good feeling! Here are some great gift options.

The Amazing Bone by William Steig. Steig is my favorite children’s picture book author of all time. Every home library needs at least one book by him and this is my favorite. Classic.

Anno’s Counting Book by Mitsumasa Anno. Lot’s of little details make this a fun wordless option.

Dinosaur vs. books by Bob Shea. Bob Shea books are so adorable and kiddos love the dinosaur books.

Ernest, the Moose Who Doesn’t Fit by Catherine Rayner. This book has a fun expanding panel. I loved reading this one out loud.

Fall is Not Easy by Marty Kelley. It took me a long time to pick this one up because I was sadly deceived by the cover. This book is fantastic and funny.

Follow the Line by Laura Ljungkvist. Another wordless book with amazing details. Very fun to look at.

Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel. Frog and Toad are the greatest. I got this for my friend’s four year old and he ‘reads’ it to himself. Too cute.

Hansel & Gretel by Cynthia Rylant. The illustrations by Jen Corace are beautiful.

I Stink! by Kate McMullan. Nothing gets a laugh like telling a kid out loud that you stink.

Lissy’s Friends by Grace Lin. I love love love Grace Lin. Pick anything by her, but this one has adorable origami animals.

Milo’s Hat Trick by Jon Agee. Cute and funny.

Monkey & Me by Emily Gravett. Gravett is an incredible illustrator. I read this all the time in storytimes and the kids love it.

Monkey with a Toolbelt by Chris Monroe. Perfect for the little handyperson in your life.

Not a Box and Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis. Books about using your imagination are always a winner.

Rapunzel by Rachel Isadora. Gorgeous retelling of this story.

Wow! Said the Owl by Tim Hopgood. Adorable book about colors.

Hey Girl

2011-12-06T22:14:00.001-05:00

Ryan Gosling likes the library too.

Guest Post

2011-12-03T10:33:00.001-05:00

I have a guest post up at Desirous of Everything! I meant to post this the day it went up, but of course I forgot. Anyway, go check it out if you love reading children's and YA fiction. I wrote up a little list of my favorites. A big thank you to Sarah for letting me post! She runs a great blog and is a fantastic writer.

Posting here has been a little lacking, but I have some fun things to share and some way overdue storytime recaps from months ago to put up. I try to be more consistent with posting, but it's never going to happen. I'm fine with that.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Sexy Books

2011-11-13T13:34:00.001-05:00

I'm probably going to get a lot of weird hits from that title, but whatever. Sorry if this is disappointing! I always feel bad for the people who end up here after searching for She Males in Reno, Nevada, too. I'm just a nerdy girl with a book blog.

THE POINT OF THIS POST:

Spike Jonze: Mourir Auprès de Toi

I would not recommend watching this at work, but definitely watch it.

Book Reflection: I Had a Favorite Dress

2011-11-09T22:06:00.001-05:00

I Had a Favorite Dress by Boni Ashburn; pictures by Julia Denos.

My first picture book came in! I could tell by the reviews of this one that I would like it, but reading it made me realize I love it. I think little girls will, too.

A little girl has a favorite dress she wears on her favorite day of the week, but with time she outgrows the dress and she panics. Never fear, though. Mom tells her not to 'make mountains of of molehills, but make molehills out of mountains,' and voila! With a snip snip, and a sew sew, she continuously creates a new favorite article of clothing for the little girl. As she grows, the dress gets smaller but the little girl and her mom always work together to create something new rather than get rid of it.

The story is told with loose, internal rhymes. I usually don't like stories in rhyme, but this one works. It's not sing-songy, clunky, or cloying. The illustrations are absolutely adorable. Julia Denos uses a mix of watercolors and colored pencils with collage and fabric elements thrown in. The word 'sew' is always shown with embroidery stitches which is a great detail. There isn't a lot of white space, but there is so much fun stuff to look at on every page. This book is filled with very fashionable girls. I was actually jealous of almost all the outfits the girls and the mom wear. Mini clotheshorses will love studying these details.

It’s great to watch the favorite dress morph into multiple items and ultimately into something un-wearable, but still wonderful. Kids today live in a disposable world and I think it's a great, lighthearted way to show them that not everything has to be tossed away immediately after a little wear and tear. Just because something doesn't stay the same doesn't mean you can't make it last for a long time. I think the girl’s end product could spark a lot of creativity and possibly work as a cool library program. It might even work as a complicated but awesome flannelboard story. Don’t quote me on that, though.

I think this book would work best for individual readings because there is a lot of detail that might not be apparent in a group setting, but I'd still like to try it for storytime. I might try it for a lower elementary school visit to segue into introducing non-fiction materials, such as craft and fashion/style books. Either way, I’m trying it.

Would I have loved this book when I was a little girl? YES YES YES. I hope our kids will, too.

Bowie’s in the Library

2011-11-03T19:06:00.001-04:00

No, being a librarian does not mean I read all day for a living. Sometimes I make toys.

My coworker is trying to get more teens interested in her teen programs, so she tasked us with helping her make a paper toy display in hopes that they’ll sign up for a toy making program. It was the best day ever. Toy-A-Day has Beatles (Yellow Submarine and Sgt. Pepper’s), Coraline, Einstein, Harry Potter, Edgar Allen Poe toys and lots more. Our teens need to stop being too cool for school and sign up for all the awesome stuff she comes up with. Or maybe we should just do a kid-at-heart program for adults who don’t want to grow up, because I’d sign up. Wait, I kind of already did by becoming a children’s librarian. JEALOUS?!

I made Ziggy Stardust first and it had me humming this for the rest of the day.

“How far out are you, man?” “I’m pretty far out.” “Tha't’s pretty far out, man.”

When Jemaine sings the line “Groovitational pull” I die laughing. His face is incredible.

TBR Stack

2011-11-02T22:03:00.001-04:00

A bunch of my holds came in yesterday. I’m reading Hark, A Vagrant right now and I’ve already decided to put in on my wish list. I need a copy of my very own. I’m really excited about The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. I’ve heard good things about it. Beautiful Days is the sequel to Bright Young Things and is my ‘guilty pleasure’ book. I don’t believe in guilty pleasures because if something gives you pleasure you shouldn’t feel guilty about it (as long as it doesn’t involve illegal or harmful things, obviously), but this will definitely be a quick, fun read.

When I showed my boyfriend the top book, he got the most horrified look on his face. For the record, I will NOT be crafting anything out of my cat’s hair. My cat would produce some damn fine finger puppets, though.

It's a Mystery

2011-11-01T20:37:00.000-04:00

This is such a cool story.

Who Left A Tree, Then A Coffin In The Library?

I avoided the comments, because I love a good mystery.

Yeah…

2011-10-31T21:44:00.001-04:00

I’m doing it again. My third year, I’ve never finished. I’m still going to give it a go. I have a story idea and I’m starting tomorrow morning before my doctor’s appointment. Wish me luck.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:30:00.001-04:00

When I was little, Halloween was my favorite holiday. I loved Halloween more than Christmas and my brother and I began to prepare for it in August. We spent hours making decorations (these were the days before gigantic blow-up lawn ornaments and foam tombstones) and planning costumes. My mom would let us cover our entire front window with our handmade decorations. She was such a cool mom.

This is slightly embarrassing now, but my best friend and I trick or treated until our senior year of high school. We were both short and young looking and always came up with cool costumes. Still, that's pretty lame. We just really liked dressing up and eating candy, ok?!

My intention was to post this list for Five Book Friday last week, but all I did Friday was recover from my Halloween storytimes by taking a yoga class and doing laundry. Better late than never, so here are my favorite books that get me in the Halloween spirit.

1. Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn. This is the scariest book I've ever read. I don't care if it's for kids, I still get scared just thinking about it.

2. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Gaiman does spooky and creepy right. The very first page sets the tone for an unsettling, macabre read.

3. Ghosts in the House by Kazuno Kohara. A little girl and her cat move into a haunted house! The ghosts don't know what they're in for, though. This one is adorable and the perfect mild scary story for little ones.

4. The Omen by David Seltzer. This is actually a novelization of the movie, but I read this in seventh grade and didn't sleep for weeks. I'm not even joking, I'm such a baby I had a hard time going to sleep.

5. Among the Shadows by L.M. Montgomery. I've mentioned this book before, but these short stories are unlike anything you've ever read by Montgomery. When I was a kid, I couldn't leave this laying around cover-side up. It was too creepy.

Do you have any scary story suggestions? I love/hate creepy reads! Happy Halloween!

Serene Saturday

2011-10-22T14:17:00.001-04:00

Curled up with chocolate and A Tree Grows In Brooklyn.

“Serene was the only word for it; especially on a Saturday afternoon in ~~summer~~ fall.”

Five Book Friday: Squeal-Worthy Picture Books

2011-10-21T23:35:00.001-04:00

I like my picture books funny, but sometimes all I really want to do is squeal about how cute they are.

1. No Bed Without Ted by Nicola Smee. Smee is my new favorite author/illustrator. Her books are so cute. Our library copy is a mess because of the lift-the-flap design and I’m sad because it’s out of print, but I found it on Amazon so I’m buying a new office copy. I need it.

2. Not a Box by Antoinette Portis. This one will make you go ‘awwwww.’ It’s everything I love about little kids. They can turn anything into a plaything.

3. Little Gorilla by Ruth Lercher Bornstein. I want to cuddle that baby gorilla so bad.

4. “I’m Not Cute!” by Jonathan Allen. I had all the kids squealing for this one during storytime. Baby owl is cute not matter what he says.

5. Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes. Oh, I couldn’t have a booklist without at least one cat book, right? I love the illustrations in this one, very simple and sweet.

Live Action BFG?

2011-10-18T10:37:00.001-04:00

I was looking for Omar Little quotes this morning and stumbled across a new-to-me site called Paste Magazine. I clicked over to book news and found an article about Dreamworks making a live action version of The BFG. This was one of my favorite books growing up and I loved the animated movie, so I don’t know how I feel about this. It doesn’t seem suited to live action and I hate almost all CGI. I absolutely hated the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory redux, too. I’m nervous.

Sick Day

2011-10-17T19:33:00.001-04:00

I caught a cold, the first cold I’ve had in awhile and I’m being a big baby about it. I went to work this morning and one of my co-workers sent me home. I am slowly getting over feeling guilty about calling off work, but it’s hard. It’s been nice having a day to recover. I slept for an extra three hours, watched a million episodes of Felicity, made an appointment for a physical, washed dishes, and convinced my boyfriend to get me a pumpkin pie blizzard on his way home from work.

I’ve had a headache all day, so I haven’t done any book reading, but I thought I’d post about some of the adult (ok, mostly young adult) books I’ve read lately.

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen. Fun, fluffy YA novel about three flappers in the waning days of the Roaring Twenties. I love the nineteen-twenties, so I was geeked when I found this book. It’s a quick, fun read and the sequel is already out. I put it on hold at work and I’m first on the list.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Who hasn’t read this book? It’s the new DaVinci Code, new Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Everyone is reading it. I was not really a fan for a variety of reasons that have been argued to death on the Internet, but mostly because it was boring and overly long.
The Fates Will Find Their Way by Hannah Pittard. I didn’t really like this book. It reminded me of The Virgin Suicides, a book I liked, but I couldn’t get into this one at all. I think I was supposed to appreciate the literariness of it, but I couldn’t get past the fact that nothing ever happens. Sixteen year old Nora Lindell goes missing and a group of male classmates obsess over what happened to her for twenty odd years. The lives of the boys were overly clichéd and I was disappointed that there was basically no story. I like a good story and I like strong characters, but this had neither. There were moments where I was impressed with Pittard’s writing, but I’d like to see her write something that wasn’t so… deliberate? I’m sick, so I don’t know if that’s the exact word I’m looking for.
Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O’Malley. Graphic novels are a challenge for me. It takes practice for me to synthesize the words and the illustrations, but once I get going I really enjoy a good graphic novel. The Scott Pilgrim series is so fun. I saw the movie first and loved it, but then I read the books and loved them even more. The funny thing is I hate Scott and Ramona. Knives Chau and Kim Pine 4-Eva.

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. This is one of my favorite books I’ve read this year. It’s two stories in one: Mattie Gokey’s, a bright farm girl who is dying to get an education, and Grace Brown’s, the subject of Theodore Dreiser’s An American Tragedy. Grace’s story is told through a packet of letters she begs Mattie to destroy. Mattie’s story is grim and real, unlike any young adult historical fiction novel I’ve read. Good stuff.

Next on my to read list: Leviathan by Scott Westerfield. Next on my to do list: shake this cold.

The Saddest Nursery Rhyme Ever

2011-10-08T08:37:00.001-04:00

I found this in a book of Chinese nursery rhymes over the summer. Yikes.

Haunted House Photos

2011-10-06T22:00:00.001-04:00

Ohhhhh my god, my stomach muscles hurt so bad after looking at this flickr feed. Watch it as a slideshow, you’ll laugh like an ass.

via The Daily What.

One Hundred

2011-09-27T23:25:00.001-04:00

I was updating my GoodReads account yesterday and noticed I've read one hundred picture books this year. It’s not a huge number as far a picture books go, but this years round-up means a lot to me because I read most of them for storytimes at my new job. It took me five years to get a full-time job and I was ready to give up on the whole librarian thing when I got hired at my current position. Looking through the list brought up a lot of old emotions.

The days leading up to my new job were a low point in my life. I hated getting up in the morning for work every single day. I tried to put it in perspective, because it was just a job, but no matter how many times I reminded myself of that I was still dreadfully unhappy. The day I was offered the job I had slipped and fallen down my stupid slippery front steps again. I do this at least once a year, and that time really did me in. I was laying on my couch, sore and miserable, thinking I couldn’t make it another day at my shit job when I got the call that I was officially a children’s librarian. Now it’s almost eight months later and I still can’t believe my luck. I’m so happy to go to work everyday and I never thought I’d be able to say that.

I’ve always loved to read, but every book I’ve read since January has felt like a little victory. They make the two years I spent in library school worth it. They make the five years of job searching and sucking it up at a job I absolutely loathed completely forgettable. This week I get to start ordering the picture books for my library, and that’s the biggest milestone for me. All the picture books added to the collection will be handpicked by me from here on out. The thought of it brings a gigantic smile to my face.

Out of the hundred picture books I’ve read this year, here are my five starred:

Birds by Kevin Henkes
Ernest, the Moose Who Doesn’t Fit by Catherine Rayner
Fall Is Not Easy by Marty Kelley
The Family Book by Todd Parr
From Head To Toe by Eric Carle
How Loud is a Lion by Clare Beaton

I’m the Biggest Think In the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
Joey and Jet: Book 1 of Their Adventures by James Yang
Lissy’s Friends by Grace Lin
Little Quack’s Bedtime by Lauren Thompson
My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza
New Socks by Bob Shea
A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis
The Perfect Tail by Araki Mei
Tuck Me In! by Dean Hacohen
What Shall We Do With the Boo-Hoo Baby? by Cressida Cowell

I plan on reading one hundred more before the year is out. That averages out to about one a day, so it should be a fun challenge! Oh, and my favorite covers are up at the top. I Stink! is so fabulous. I love that grin.

[all images GoodReads.]

Enough

2011-09-20T16:10:00.000-04:00

I am sick of children's book spoofs. Enough already. There are tons of talented writers out there writing incredible, original material. Please publishers, give them book deals instead. Not the spoof writers, not the celebrities, REAL WRITERS. Despite what these people think, not just anyone can write a children's book. It takes a special person to write a children's book kids will sit and listen to. Just because it's shorter and has a lot of pictures does not mean any geek off the street can write a picture book. That mindset is demeaning to children and the wonderful people who write for them. STOP STOP STOP.

Craftiness Awaits

2011-09-09T18:53:00.001-04:00

Stay tuned...

Fall Food

2011-09-05T21:24:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I posted about what I’m looking forward to this Fall. Well, today is FREEZING, so my Autumn wishes might be coming true all too soon. I don’t know if I’m ready to give up warm weather just yet, but I am so ready for Fall harvest. There are just so many good eats in the Fall. If you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, it’s probably pretty apparent that I love pumpkin. I only mention it every other post. I happen to love almost every other squash as well. Acorn, Delicata, Spaghetti, Butternut, and all the other weird little squashes. I love them all.

I love apples. I love apple cider and doughnuts. I love apple butter.

I love chili! Chili is definitely a Fall staple among my friends and family. My girlfriends, mom, grandma and I love getting together for a big old pot of chili and cornbread. I make a mean vegetarian chili that I’ll share on here in a few weeks.

I love soup, too. Soup just doesn’t seem right in the summer. I love a spicy veggie tortilla soup or the amazing black bean soup my friend Jessica makes for girls night.

Hot drinks! In the summer I drink cold drinks, in the fall and winter I drink hot drinks. I love looking forward to drinking each kind when the weather is appropriate. I very rarely indulge in a hot chai in the summer months, so waiting until September/October makes it taste even sweeter. I’m very much a seasonal eater. I love having something to look forward to every year, not to mention everything tastes better in season.

Do you look forward to fall food? What’s your favorite?

I Want Pumpkins.

2011-09-04T20:48:00.001-04:00

I hope you’re enjoying your labor day weekend! Autumn is definitely in the air here in Michigan. We’ve had a brutally hot summer, but it’s finally cooling off. I love this time of year. I’d be fine if we had three seasons and snow on Christmas. Other than that, I have no use for Winter. Our Winters the last few years have lasted about six months each, so I hope Autumn lasts a lot longer this year.

Like most of the Internet, I’m obsessed with Pinterest. I thought I’d share a few of my pins that are making me eager for Autumn eats and clothes. I miss tights and pumpkin everything!

Apple Brie Grilled Sandwich and Homemade Pumpkin Butter!

Hot Chai. I miss it.

Cozy, chunky sweaters and boots and cardigans.

Slouchy sweaters and skinny pants.

And a cute Ginnifer Goodwin photo, just for good measure. She is so adorable. I want that haircut and whole outfit.

All photos via my Pinterest.

Five Book Friday + 2: Donna Parker

2011-09-02T19:26:00.001-04:00

I have been receiving books from a very early age. Before I started Kindergarten I remember telling my mom, "I need to learn how to read." She taught me and I was reader from that point on. I had my own bookshelf in my bedroom and wrote my first story at around six or seven. It was about a girl who eats a ghost, or something weird like that. I have always loved the written word.

People are always giving me books. If they don't have room, if they want to pass them on to someone, if they don't want them anymore, my friends and family are like, "Give them to Michele." When I was twelve or thirteen, my step-mom's best friend gave me a box of books that I absolutely loved. I had never heard of Donna Parker and I quickly became obsessed. I had a fairly tumultuous childhood, and I gravitated towards books about highly functional families and girls who had really nice, normal lives. Donna Parker fit that to a T. Set in the late fifties/early sixties, Donna had two parents, an annoying younger brother, a fanciful, dreamy best friend named Ricky, and a fantastic fifties/sixties wardrobe based on the illustrations. The best part was that not one, but TWO books were set in summer camps, which is a literary wet dream for me. Sorry for that imagery, but OMG I LOVE CAMP STORIES.

There was one time in my late teens when I thought about getting rid of these, but I changed my mind. I’m glad I did, these are due for a reread. Don’t get me wrong, these are not good books. Donna is no Betsy Ray or Emily Starr or Francie Nolan, but I enjoy her anyway. She’s a good kid, albeit sometimes whiny and a goody-two-shoes.

Did you receive any weird, old books when you were a kid?

Power's Out

2011-08-24T13:56:00.001-04:00

The power's out at work so I'm taking this time to weed and explore our picture books. One interesting thing I discovered today: Margaret Wise Brown used the pseudonym 'Golden MacDonald' and several others I was not aware of. I love being a librarian because I learn something new everyday. Now you know something new, too. Or maybe not. I don't know. Maybe I'm the last person on Earth to know this.

Something New, Something Old

2011-08-17T17:32:00.001-04:00

Two new things:
New haircut.
New sandals!
Yes, I am no longer sporting the same pair of silver Sparta Birkenshires (as my grandma calls them). The sandals are actually courtesy of my grandma. I guess she got tired of seeing me wear those silver Birkenshires. And the haircut is growing on me. I always prefer short hair to long on myself, but i wasn't too sure if I liked the shape of this cut. Now I'm fine with it, but I already have ideas for my next cut in September. That's the joy of short hair. You can change it up constantly. My long hair just kind of hung there.
One old thing:
Black cropped pants. I bought these three years ago from Old Navy when I was a size 8. They have cute seams that run down the front of the legs and remind me of senior year when my best friend and I dressed up like fifties movie stars with little capris and neck scarves. Then I gained weight and was not as size 8. More like a size 12. Then I got a new job, lost 99% of my stress, started working out again and now I guess I'm back down to a size 8, at least by Old Navy's weird standards. I'm cool with that if I can wear my cute black pants again.
Cardigan: Old Navy
Tank: Kohl's
Pants: Old Navy
Sandals: Birkenstock

My Week in Vignette (no fancy iphone for me)

2011-08-15T08:18:00.006-04:00

Made a million cookies.
Got a sassy haircut.
Cuddled my favorite bebeh.
Caught my cat making her famous annoyed face.
Ate Salsarita’s for lunch because I was too lazy to make one.
Checked out what I hope is an awesome book.
Rode 22 miles on my bike.
Cleaned my purse.
Planned my next haircut.
Broke my plastic cup full of iced tea in front of everyone at Starbucks.
Mixed bag as far as whole weeks go. Here’s to a new one!
How was your week?

Weekend Happiness

2011-08-13T17:45:00.001-04:00

Here’s a little weekend present from me to you.

Arrested Development LEGO

Lucille Bluth is my favorite AD character, and possibly one of my favorite TV characters of all time.

Five Book Friday: YA Book Trailers

2011-08-12T20:27:00.001-04:00

I have a bad habit of thinking something is cheesy or dumb before I've actually experienced it. Book trailers is one instance of that narrow attitude. When I first heard about book trailers I thought they sounded so stupid. I was wrong. And by the way, how have I not read these?

1. Leviathan by Scott Westerfield

2. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

This actually isn’t a book trailer, but the book trailer was only 16 seconds long. It lead me to this great interview with Jennifer Donnelly, though.

3. If I Stay by Gayle Forman

4. Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

5. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Chopped

2011-08-11T00:08:00.001-04:00

I have a hair cycle. Every three years I chop my hair above my shoulders, then I grow it for another three years. Then the cycle repeats. This the third year.

Two Book LOLs

2011-08-08T22:41:00.001-04:00

I love when a book makes me scream with laughter. Sarah at Desirous of Everything reposted a post she wrote when J.D. Salinger died and it reminded me of the first time I read Catcher in the Rye. Here are two book moments that made me laugh out loud.

1. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
When I was all set to go, when I had my bags and all, I stood for a while next to the stairs and took a last look down that goddam corridor. I was sort of crying. I don't know why. I put my red hunting hat on, and turned the peak around to the back, the way I liked it, and then I yelled at the top of my goddam voice, "Sleep tight, ya morons!" I'll bet I woke up every bastard on the whole floor. Then I got the hell out. Some stupid guy had thrown peanut shells all over the stairs, and I damn near broke my crazy neck.

2. White Oleander by Janet Fitch
An old lady in a tan pantsuit, tan face, tan hair, shoes, a yellow belt, came out of one of the stalls, stared at us. “She looks like a grilled cheese sandwich,” I said.

Which books have made you LOL?

Be Still My Heart

2011-08-03T17:07:00.001-04:00

I think you'd have to live a thousand years to uncover all of Edward Gorey's gems on earth. Or just do some research, but I prefer stumbling across an unknown-to-me book every now and again.

Check out Vintage Kids' Books My Kid Loves to see Gorey's Red Riding Hood.

Farewell, Potter

2011-07-25T21:17:00.001-04:00

I'm going to start this off Golden Girls style...

Picture it. Detroit, Midtown. 2001. I had transferred from a small community college to a big, urban university and I still had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I spent my days immersed in homework and studying, driving from my suburban city to big, bad Detroit, and working every minute I wasn't in school. Cap that off with 9/11 and I was exhausted, confused, and slightly depressed.

All I knew was that I loved to read. I was born to read. And my life was suffocating my desire to do it.

One day that fall I was visiting my dad and looking through my ten year old brother's book shelf to see what he was reading. Four books caught my eye.

"Harry Potter? I thought these were little kid books."

I asked to borrow them. Just like that. I forgot about all the homework I needed to finish, all the reading I already had to do and I borrowed my ten year old brother's books.

And I read them. I read them like crazy. I read them at night, I read them at breakfast, I read them at school with absolutely no shame. I hadn't read a book for fun, for myself in years, and here I was obsessively reading kid's books every waking minute instead of schoolwork. It was nuts. I ate, breathed, and bled Harry Potter for a month, tearing through the first four books. My little brother, who seemed so far removed from my life due to the twelve years between us, became more than the little guy I'd babysat and cuddled for most of our lives. He was a boy with opinions and interests. We discussed, we theorized, we gushed. Well, mostly me. He was not a very verbose kid and his twenty-two year old sister seemed ancient to him then, I'm sure. But we shared this wonderful wizarding world and in November I took him to see the first Harry Potter movie.

We loved it.

For Christmas, I gave my mom the first three books. She loved them. The following November we became a trio and saw Chamber of Secrets together. A weird little group: me, my mother, and my half-brother, who is not my mother's son. We didn't care, we were absorbed with this world. We watched Chamber of Secrets...

And I hated it.

The next year, the book Order of the Phoenix was finally released. Then Prisoner of Azkaban came out in theaters. And so on and so on and so on. My mother, brother and I repeated the cycle for a decade. Reading and loving the books. Watching and complaining about the movies (mostly me). A decade.

On Saturday, my little brother, now nearly twenty, his girlfriend, my mother and I watched the last Harry Potter movie together. It was actually one of the better movies, so I was glad for that. I was still disappointed about the changes, the additions, some of the casting, but I still have the books to reread and enjoy. What I was truly sad about was the end of this era. Ten years of a shared experience was over in two hours and ten minutes.

BUT!

Over the weekend, my brother and his girlfriend started The Hunger Games series and are already done with Catching Fire. I've convinced my mother to start reading them, too.

Looks like we have a good five years of book-to-movie experiences ahead of us. The three of us are thankful for that. None of us were ready to let go of what we had created over the past ten years.

2011-07-19T15:55:00.001-04:00

My keychain got a little lighter today.

Radio Days: Good Mother

2011-07-17T23:46:00.001-04:00

Laying in bed and thinking life and this song popped into my head. My best friend from high school and I used to listen to this song during sleepovers. Great song.

The Best

2011-07-13T12:01:00.001-04:00

There's a young patron who's been asking me for book suggestions ever since I gave her The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate to read on a dare. She'd been turning in books for the reading program that were a little too easy for her, so I teased and dared her into reading something different. She came back a few days later to tell me she couldn't put it down and couldn't wait to check out The Graveyard Book when it was returned. I was really excited, so when she came in last night and asked for more good books, I suggested she read First Light by Rebecca Stead and before I could even booktalk it, she said:

"Oh, if you liked it, I know I'll like it."

My heart almost exploded.

Five Books Friday: New Shelf

2011-07-08T23:52:00.002-04:00

I’m in charge of new books at work and I’m telling you, it’s very hard to practice restraint around so many new (to our library, not everything is brand new) books. This is the running dialog in my head while I sticker and edit new book records: “I want this. And this. And this. Oh, and this. And this and this and this and this and thisandthisandthisandthisandthis.” It’s very overwhelming.
Obviously I can’t read every single book we get, but I’ll be damned if I don’t try. On my TBR list now:
1. Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury

Like I’m not going to read a book about Egyptian mummies and 19th Century London. I thought you knew.
2. The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life With the Chimps by Jeanette Winter

I haven’t finished this one, but it will most likely be my favorite book of the year. It is so cute.
3. Dinosaurs?! by Lila Prap

I picked up this book based on the cover and title. Any book that uses my beloved question-mark/exclamation-point combo is a must read and that dinosaur is all, “Hey! This is a book about DINOSAURS! READ IT, YOU’LL LIKE IT!”
4. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

I didn’t pay much attention to this one at first. The only other Libba Bray book I’ve read is A Great and Terrible Beauty and it wasn’t a favorite. I read a couple of reviews that made me change my mind, so I’ll give it a chance.
5. The Boneshaker by Kate Milford

I’m reading this right now, and the only way to describe it so far: bicycles and the Devil.

Lunch Break

2011-07-08T13:07:00.003-04:00

Working on a friendship bracelet... for myself. If I could go back to any age, it would have to be eleven. I was so awesome back then. I would take my newly honed friendship bracelet-making skills back with me to impress myself. That's probably the only thing my eleven year old self would be impressed with about her grown-up self. "I'm a librarian? LAME. Wait, I can make super cool friendship bracelets?! ALL RIGHT!"

YOUTH: WASTED ON YOUNG. TRULY.

The Boneshaker by Kate Milford

2011-07-06T20:35:00.001-04:00

Page 97. This is a weird, wonderful book so far.

Swimtimes

2011-07-05T08:04:00.001-04:00

I’ve always wanted a bright red bikini, but alas, I have nowhere to swim this Summer. I’m kind of tempted to get this combo anyway for the future, because J.Crew bathing suits are the absolute best. Simple, sturdy, cute, and they always cover up your butt. I still have three pairs from about a decade ago that are in perfect shape. Too bad two of them are too small. Maybe one day!

[photos]

Summer Reading Style

2011-07-04T22:07:00.001-04:00

Being a librarian comes with a lot of unexpected baggage. People have a preconceived notion of how you should look and dress. Buns. Glasses. Frumpy clothing. Sensible shoes. I rock the glasses and sensible shoes daily, and I’m guilty of sporting a bun and the occasional frumpy get-up. I have a very, ahem, shapely body that looks slightly inappropriate when I wear very fitted clothes, so I tend to wear looser, less fitted clothing at work. This can be a problem because my hourglass shape looks terrible without a defined waist. This resorts in some pretty shapeless, sack-like outfits sometimes. Tops are a problem because everything ends up being too low cut on my 5’3 frame, pants and skirts are usually too long and I’m too lazy to hem. Plus I cannot stand anything tight. Dressing is a pain in the ass for me.

I’m not the most fashion-forward person anymore. When I was young I was a lot more adventurous, but now I appreciate a more streamlined wardrobe approach. Especially now that it’s hot and my job has me constantly moving, especially on storytime days. I do our Summer Reading Program storytimes outside and this has been a slight sartorial challenge for me. I hate pants in the summer, I really don’t like capris, skirts are out of the question, and shorts are not an option due to dress code rules. Our building is also freezing, so I have to take that into account when dressing each day. Trying to balance all this out is proving more challenging than my actual job right now. I have my storytime prep down to a science, but getting dressed has me completely stumped. I’m getting into a better groove now that I’m almost four weeks in. I bit the bullet and bought a pair of cotton capris, dusted off my jean jacket, and lost a few pounds to fit back into some of my cute summer skirts. The result isn’t too bad. Comfy, lightweight, with some layering options.

I also figured out why all my pics were turning out yellow. White balance is a beautiful thing. I have two cute Summer Reading shirts I usually wear on Wednesday storytime days. I’ll get a close-up this week, they’re really cute. The art this year is really incredible.

I’m also rocking the half-tucked shirt in the second to last pic. Remember that trick in middle school? Tuck it in the front, untucked in the back. Genius. And yes, I wear the same Birkenstocks every single day. You would too if your feet hurt all the time. I really need to get a few more pairs. The tan lines on my feet are ridiculous.

So that’s my Summer Reading Style so far. A lot of Target, H&M, Old Navy, and Kohl’s. I still haven’t gotten my hair cut or charged my real camera. I’m working on it.

What’s your approach to work style now that’s it’s Summer? Do you have to tailor your wardrobe to fit your job?

Mind: BLOWN

2011-07-01T18:20:00.001-04:00

I've been having a great week. I had another great storytime, used my bike twice for transportation, tried a new yoga studio, used a crazy contraption that stretched me to lengths I didn't know were possible and I got to hang upside down like a bat. These things were pretty great on their own, BUT THEN! I was walking past the children's DVDs and discovered AU PAIR 3! I squealed with joy and the kids were all, 'Um, this librarian is cah-razy.' Whatever, kids, I'm going to watch the shiv out of this movie.

Radio Days: You Are

2011-06-25T06:45:00.000-04:00

OH.MY.GOD. This came on my car radio the other day and I think I freaked the guy out in the car in front of me with how enthusiastically I started singing. I was doing all these fancy hand motions. I cannot express how much I love Lionel Richie. When I see his face I become incredibly happy. Almost any Lionel Richie or Commodores song reminds me of Summer weekends when I was a little girl. My mom and dad had one of those massive, awesome silver stereo systems and would play music all weekend. My mom was the hard rocker, but my dad loved mellower stuff.

Five Books Friday: BSC

2011-06-24T22:23:00.001-04:00

There were a handful of Baby-Sitter’s Club books I would read over and over again back in the day. I was big on re-reading and missed out on a lot of good books because I was too busy reading this drivel over and over and over. So much so I could probably recap the plots in these from memory to a frightening, detailed degree. I won’t do that to you, though.

1. Mallory and the Trouble With Twins

My mom was a real hardass about letting me get my ears pierced when I was a kid. I begged and begged, but she wouldn’t let me get them done until I was ten. It was humiliating. This book was all about Mallory’s lame attempt to make herself over. Mallory sucked so bad, but I still read this one about a hundred times. There were a ton of outfit descriptions as well, so that was a major draw. Too bad it was a Mallory book.

2. BSC Super Special #4: Baby-Sitter’s Island Adventure

What kid doesn’t love survival stories? Did anyone else secretly hate Jamie Newton, though? I hated the whole Newton family. I don’t know why. And WTF is up with the two girls in front? Are those even girls? You can’t even tell. I can’t even figure out who is supposed to be who. I think one is supposed to be Haley Braddock and the other Charlotte Johannsen? How sad is it that I’m pullling this from memory. I don’t even have the book in front of me.

3. Dawn’s Big Date

LOTS of terrible, terrible outfits. So good. I should totally write this one up on here. THEY ARE SO BAD! And the dude Dawn’s with is totally modeled from Garrett from Swan’s Crossing, am I right or am I right?

[photo]

4. Mary Anne’s Makeover

More terrible outfits, plus a BSC fight. I loved BSC fights, especially when they involved Mary-Anne getting pissy. The BSC was out of control in this one, all because Mary Anne got a HAIRCUT and a few new outfits. And didn’t consult the rest of those jerks. I totally remember my friends and I being like that in middle school. Middle school is the worst. This cover cracks me up because for once they made Logan look like a middle-schooler, but Mary Anne looks about forty-two. This book has a major error in it, too. There’s a character named Sabrina Bouvier who keeps complimenting Mary Anne, but we all know Sabrina Bouvier was the name of the creepy little pageant queen in #15 Little Miss Stoneybrook… and Dawn. Seriously, Scholastic should have hired me to edit the BSC books. Hell, they could have hired me and my best friend to write them, because we wrote our own and they were brilliant. That’s another blog post, though. Here’s a teaser, though. They were called The New Baby-Sitters Club, the new members were me and my bff Brandi, and the first two books were called Get Out, Kristy! and Claudia and the Mystery Haircutter.

5. The Ghost at Dawn’s House

This was an early book and it freaked the hell out of me. I read this and Wait Till Helen Comes every other week. I’m totally going to read this again after I finish the new-to-me Gossip Girl book I found at work. Yup, that’s what my weekend reading consists of: Gossip Girl and The Baby-Sitters Club. I’m living the dream!

Librarian Comparisons

2011-06-23T10:04:00.001-04:00

I have two library related things to post about this week, so if you're not a librarian, or you hate libraries, or you think I'm boring, look away. Otherwise, read on for the first installment.

I had my first Summer storytime yesterday and I was really nervous about it. So nervous I couldn't sleep the night before. Lame, right? I've been at my job for almost five months, I've done a dozen storytimes, you'd think I’d have it down at this point. Well, I do and I don't. I know I'm capable of kick-ass storytimes. I've done a few of those and they were the best. For the past month, I've had a few parents express obvious disappointment that I'd be doing Summer storytimes as opposed to my more experienced co-workers. I totally understand because their kids have grown up with certain librarians and people hate change. It totally doesn't make me feel any less crappy, though. It’s really hard being the new person and these moments go along with the territory, but looking it’s really hard to look someone in the eye when they’re secretly appraising you and your abilities. Nothing like a good dose of self-doubt to start off the Summer, eh?

This is a photo from my first storytime ever in a public library. It ran in my local metro paper with an article about budget cuts and I was so embarrassed. I was relieved I didn’t look like a total freak, though.

I've been agonizing over this for a month and the night before I woke up about sixteen times with ‘Down By the Station’ running through my head. My day would have been totally ruined, but then I remembered what my wonderful librarian friend told me when she retired, the one who shared advice, tricks, and ideas with me when I started as a new children’s librarian five months ago: Carry on just as you've begun and you will continue to grow as a librarian. I can't try to be her and be my boss and be my librarian friends. I have to create my own style and do what is right for me and the kids. People can tell when you’re being unauthentic and I don’t want kids and parents to walk away feeling like I phoned it in just because I’m trying to be like what I think they want me to be. Yesterday I did my own thing and it was glorious. The kids had a blast, the parents smiled, I got compliments, it was the ego-boost I needed. I was brought back down to earth with the massive craft explosion later that afternoon, but I’m still carrying that feeling with me now and I will hold onto it until after Summer is over.

Daddy

2011-06-19T13:44:00.001-04:00

My dad loves being a dad. It shows on his face.

Charlotte's Library: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ra...

2011-06-14T16:15:00.001-04:00

I am dying to read this book. I get so creeped out by old photographs! Warning: There are spoilers at the end of this review that I successfully avoided, UNLIKE THE HUGE SPOILER IN THE NEW SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS BOOK. Seriously, stay away from reviews for that book. The spoiler is doozy.

Charlotte's Library: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ra...: "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children , by Ransom Riggs (Quirk Books, June 2011, YA on up, 352 pages) On an island off the coast of ..."

Five Books Friday: Summer Reading

2011-06-11T00:38:00.001-04:00

In honor of our Summer Reading Program kickoff on Monday, here are five books you should read this summer.

1. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City by Kristen Miller

There’s no overlying Summer theme to this book, but it just screams Summer to me: it’s fun, exciting, and full of kickass girls.

2. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall

I never had sisters growing up, just three brothers. Whenever I come across a book with adorable sisters, I have to read it.

3. The Wanderer by Sharon Creech

I read this book while lounging on the beach and it was very fitting. It’s slightly sad, but in a sweet way.

4. The Sundial by Shirley Jackson

We all know Shirley Jackson is a weirdo, but this book is best read in broad daylight. It is one of the creepiest books I’ve ever read. Save it for a nice, sunny day if you can find it. It’s out of print but if you stumble across it in a used bookstore, pick it up.

5. Along the Shore by L.M. Montgomery

I am guilty of loving books about the sea. Sue me. L.M. Montgomery is pretty much perfect in every way, but when she writes sea stories she is transcendent.

Everything has changed

2011-06-08T09:41:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend I discovered audiobooks.

I am in love.

I'm so excited about the prospect of 'reading' an extra book or two a week. THIS IS LIFE CHANGING.

Currently listening: Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes. Now I need to figure out why my laptop isn't communicating with my library's digital library. Then I will be in a constant state of reading bliss.

Bummer

2011-06-05T22:02:00.001-04:00

So, I didn’t finish the 48 Hour Book Challenge. I feel sad because I didn’t put my all into it, but I had an amazing weekend so I can’t be sorry. I finished one book that I’d been looking forward to and turned into an audiobook convert thanks to the challenge, so it wasn’t a total loss.

Reasons for not finishing:

1. Pizza night. I haven’t had my mom and grandma over for dinner since last year because of the crappy winter weather, so I wanted to make something special. My family loooooves pizza, so I made homemade pizza with arthichoke hearts, banana peppers, asparagus, zucchini, and mushrooms. It’s sooooo gooooooood.

2. Eastern Market! We went with Kyle’s parents Saturday morning and it was amazing. I was completely overwhelmed by all the vendors and choices. I can’t wait to go back. I picked up some full leaf teas, garam masala, spelt berries, cinnamon buns, microgreens, and peanut butter chips. We had a great lunch, a lot of sun, and fun company.

3. Grilling. We love our little charcoal grill.

4. Alchemy. I am obsessed with this game on my phone. You try to create a bunch of different elements starting with air, fire, earth, and water. The weirdest things I’ve created so far: alcoholic, caviar, Frankenstein, Kama Sutra, The Beatles, and Zombie. I still have over two hundred elements to create. I will not stop until I create them all.

Ok, so the phone game is a complete waste of time, but spending time with awesome people I love is not. And I’ll have plenty of reading time this summer!

#48HBC: The Penderwicks at Point Mouette

2011-06-04T22:43:00.001-04:00

Oh, how I long to be an honorary Penderwick! I save my rare book purchases for truly special books, and all Penderwicks books qualify. I’m an old-fashioned girl at heart.

It’s summer and the Penderwick sisters are spending their first vacation apart. Rosalind in New Jersey with a friend and Skye, Jane, and Batty are off to Point Mouette, Maine with Aunt Claire and their favorite friend Jeffrey. Skye is officially the OAP (Oldest Available Penderwick) and is anxiety-ridden over this new role. In between keeping Batty from blowing up and Jane from falling in love, she uncovers a shocking secret about a new friend. Rosalind is mostly absent from this book, but it’s still a wonderful book. I was wary about a Penderwicks book without one of the main Penderwicks, but I was not disappointed at all. My little Batty was there, so I can’t complain. She’s one of my favorite literary characters.

I have a feeling I’m not going to meet the minimum reading time, but I don’t even care. I’m going to cheer other bloggers on and read as much as I can until five p.m. tomorrow!

Reading: 4 hours, 33 minutes

Blogging: 24 minutes

Total: 4 hours, 57 minutes

I’ve also been listening to an audiobook, but I haven’t finished it yet. It’s way better than I expected!

#48HBC Update

2011-06-04T10:47:00.001-04:00

I'm taking a little break to go to Eastern Market this morning, but so far I've logged about three hours. I am also an audiobook convert! I was up at eight, hopped on my bike and rode twelve miles and 'read' for an hour. It's amazing!

I'm currently reading The Penderwicks at Point Mouette and listening to Listening for Lions.

Starting Line

2011-06-03T16:55:00.001-04:00

All right, I’m starting! I’m trying out my first ever audio book to keep me company while I enter stats and transition to my car. Then it’s on to my beloved Penderwicks!

I know I won’t be breaking any records with this challenge, but I’m so happy be a part of this event. Thanks, MotherReader!

48HBC 2011

2011-06-03T13:05:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I’m doing it. I’m being pretty lax about it and might not meet the minimum criteria. I feel bad, but it’s my first weekend off in a month and I couldn’t help but make plans with my family tonight, Kyle’s family tomorrow, and brunch with Mandy on Sunday. I’m planning on spending all my free time with my nose in a book, though.

I might even start with an audiobook tonight so I can go for a long bike ride tomorrow morning before my Eastern Market trip. Why do I over-schedule myself?!

I think I’m starting right after work at five-thirty. Who’s with me?

Sum-Sum-Summertime

2011-05-29T20:10:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was the last Saturday I have to work until September! Wohoo! I absolutely love my job, but it's so nice to have weekends off like a big girl in the Summer. My big plans for weekends this Summer include

Historic baseball game at Greenfield Village!
Long bike rides! My goal this summer is to ride 20 miles. I'm up to almost twelve comfortably so far.
Ice cream!
Beach! Lake Michigan is only two and a half hours away and has some of the greatest beaches.
BBQs! Kyle and I love grilling.
Tiger's game! I haven't been to a game for a couple years.
Eastern Market! I'm ashamed to say I've never been.
Brunches with good friends! I already have plans with Mandy for next Sunday.
Reading a ton of books!
Blogging! Yes, for reals! I have books, crafts, food, and random musings to share! I swear!

What big plans do you have this summer?

Back in the Saddle

2011-05-26T07:44:00.000-04:00

I dusted off my bike last week and rode 24 miles total from Friday to Monday. It felt amazing. Our little neighborhood is fun to explore. The Detroit River is a mile away and there’s a little creek behind our block. I miss running, but I think I love biking more. It’s exhilarating.

A few sights from Monday’s ride.

What I Wore (Last Wednesday)

2011-05-25T22:05:00.003-04:00

Or last Tuesday, I can't be sure anymore. All I know is I love this outfit. Kyle told me I looked like a fairy, and that's the exact look I was going for. Mission Accomplished! This is one of those children's librarian shirts that kids love. The wackier you dress, the more respect you get from children. My hair is also long enough for the side braid. Is that look still in style? I don't care if it's not, I rocked it. Braids make everything better. Even hair that's about nine months past due for a haircut. Long hair is also another trick to getting kids to like you, especially little girls. They think you're a princess if you have long hair.

Top: Kohl's (Lauren Conrad! Who would have thought?!)
Pants: Old lady pants from TJMaxx
Shoes: Clarks
Bracelet: stolen from momma
Necklace: self-made
Ring: awesome craft fair find from 1996.
Nametag: Work
Lanyard: Downriver YMCA

Stupid

2011-05-16T21:03:00.001-04:00

It’s been so long since I’ve been sick, so I’m being a total baby right now. I have a cold. I avoided the Great Death Flu of 2011, but I now have a COLD. And I’m miserable. I feel like a tiny monster is trying to bust through the front of my face. I might add that I finished reading The Monstrumologist this morning, so I have monsters on the brain.

Arrrrgh. I hate being sick. I tried using a neti pot today, and I can’t tell if it helped or not. I’m still super congested, so I’ll see if consistent use helps. It’s a totally weird sensation, having water go up one nostril and out the other.

Ok, hot tea is calling my name. Because I’m a hottie.

SMG is my homegirl

2011-05-11T22:52:00.000-04:00

[image]

Five Books Friday

2011-05-07T09:42:00.001-04:00

*I combined my other blog with this blog. Two blogs is dumb (for me), and I post at yet another work blog fairly regularly. I'd rather focus on one than scramble to post on two. So, books are back!*

Five Good Books I’ve read recently.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I have a signed copy and I can tell you, he is sweet as well as incredibly handsome and funny. Total Package.
Bossypants by Tina Fey.
The Cuter Book. I got this book for my birthday and it is CUTE! I bought some felt sheets from Giant Dwarf and I'll share the results of my crafting soon.
The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey. I just started reading this but so far it’s pretty great. I don’t watch horror movies, but I love a good horror book.
What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell. Very well done and it’s set just after World War II ended and I haven’t read a lot of books set in that era.

Happy Weekend!

[images from GoodReads]

Reflection: Bossypants by Tina Fey

2011-05-05T22:49:00.001-04:00

I used to write about books more on my blog, way back in the day. I got out of the habit because there are so many other bloggers that do them way better than I do. It’s also been a long time since I’ve actually thought about literary elements, so even if I wanted to do a straight-up review I’d probably screw it all up and ruin my credibility (hah, what credibility).

Instead of reviews of books everyone has already reviewed, I will be reflecting on books. How does that sound?

So, Bossypants by Tina Fey.

This book caused me nothing but grief. Tina Fey almost ruined my birthday. I turned thirty-two this year and at first I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. I passed thirty and thirty-one no problem, but thirty-two sneaked up on me like my jerk cat when she wants a treat. I turned around and there it was, staring at me with gleaming, murderous eyes. YOU’RE OLD, RENO. I took this birthday hard and I have no idea why. Thirty-two isn’t old, but I felt sorry for myself nonetheless.

The weekend before my birthday I spent wallowing in self-pity. Forget that my family had treated me to dinner, and that my boyfriend was agonizing over what I wanted to do and I was giving him nothing. On Saturday, Kyle worked until ten and I was home alone. I sat around and watched HBO’s Mildred Pierce mini-series, but suddenly I desperately needed to get out of the house. I headed to Target with the sole purpose of buying chocolate. Lots of chocolate. And the third season of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. And a magazine, because what heals the soul faster than a glossy mag filled with photos of young, pretty, smooth, unwrinkled starlets with their whole youth ahead of them…

While I was browsing the magazine rack, who should I see gazing back but the lovely T.Fey. The librarian inside me immediately thought, “This is the magazine section, that’s a book, that doesn’t go here.” Once the nerdiness passed, I picked it, put it in my basket, and headed to the check-out. Now, as a librarian, I don’t buy books anymore. Unless I have a gift card or it’s a book that I absolutely LOVE, I really don’t see the point. I have thousands at my fingertips for free. I occasionally receive them as gifts, but most people don’t even bother because they know what I do for a living.

Yet I found myself impulsively buying this book. Completely out of character.

I got home and went to town on the chocolate (Hershey’s Candy Coated Milk Chocolate Eggs, if you must know) and waited for Kyle to get home. He got home, we discussed what to get for dinner at such a late hour, and then the drama happened.

“Oh,” I said, “Look what I got for us. Look in the bag.”

He looked in the bag. Then he looked at me with the most terrible look I’ve ever seen. A mixture of sadness, rage, and self-loathing.

“Are you kidding me?” he asked.

“Huh?”

“Why would you buy this book?!”

“Wha…?”

“I got this for you for your birthday! YOU DON’T BUY THINGS FOR YOURSELF ON YOUR BIRTHDAY!”

“…sobbing…”

Yes, I am a giant jerk. But so is Tina Fey! BECAUSE THE DRAMA DOESN’T END THERE.

I felt like such an ass, and after I was done crying I told Kyle I was taking the book back first thing in the morning because I wanted his book. The next day we celebrated my birthday at my dad’s house. I open up a gift from littlest brother. I open up a gift from middle brother. I open up a gift from oldest-younger brother… and it’s Bossypants.

The words out of my mouth: “Oh nooooooo!”

This ridiculous chain of events could have ruined the book for me, but I love Tina Fey too much to let a birthday meltdown get in the way of me and her book.

Bossypants is a memoir and it covers everything from Fey’s birth to present day, touching on her childhood, college years, Second City days, her move to SNL, and then 30 Rock. Her writing style is interesting. Sometimes I felt like she was telling me her life story conversationally, and other times it felt like I was reading an SNL skit in story form. She is brutally funny and and totally nails some aspects of womanhood. In the first half about her life before SNL, she talks about a workshop taught by Rosalind Wiseman, the author of Queen Bees and Wannabes that she went to while researching the screenplay for Mean Girls. Wiseman did an exercise where she had the women at the workshop write down the moment they first “knew they were a woman.” Most of the women wrote down instances where men yelled out or did something gross to them. You know the moment. You’re walking to Dairy Queen with your best friend and a group of guys roll by in a pick-up and yell something about ‘titties.’ Gross. Anyway, Fey calls it ‘car creepery’ and describes the moment it first happened to her. It’s hilarious and relatable and I found myself nodding my head at a lot of other moments like this. This book is for women by a woman who experienced most of the same stuff you did. Like faded jeans with four built in belts. I had those, too, Tina. And I tight-rolled the cuffs and matched my socks to my shirts.

I love Tina Fey because she loves women. There’s nothing I can’t stand more than chicks who hate on other women. I hear girls say all the time, “I hang out with guys because girls are such bitches.” That bums me out. I’ve found that girls who spout this nonsense usually have daddy issues. Yeah, I don’t like some girls and plenty of girls don’t like me, but the same goes for guys. That’s life. I’m not a super girly-girl. I grew up with guys, so I learned by default how to hang with guys and how to make them like me. I had no choice, but all my life I longed for a sister and girlfriends. I used every opportunity to be with girls and women. I still do, and I have a close-knit circle of the best girlfriends any girl could have. Girls get you. They are gold. No matter how cool your guy friends are, the majority of them still make crappy comments about women’s bodies and hurt your girlfriends. They are crap at getting your through a break-up and they never complement your new haircut or pitch in and help you plan a party when they know you’re no good at that kind of thing. Guys are great, but they are no girls. Those are the relationships that get you through anything.

There are times where the books rambles and I’m not too well-read when it comes to non-fiction. I found myself struggling to piece together a cohesive story and had to remind myself it’s not that kind of book. Overall I loved it. I would love for Tina to write a novel, and I would bet she’ll churn one out in due time.

May Challenge

2011-05-03T23:36:00.001-04:00

On May 1st, I spontaneously challenged myself to be active everyday for the month of May. Active meaning exercise. I used to be a very active, fit person and I’ve let that go by the wayside for the past six years. I want to be that person again.

To bring you up to speed, here’s what the first three days looked like.

Sunday, May 1 – 30 minutes of yoga.

Monday, May 2 – 60 minutes on the elliptical

Tuesday, May 3 – 25 minutes on the elliptical, 20 minutes on the stationary bike

Tomorrow: One hour strength training class that I started last month with my dp sister. I just made that up, by the way. I’m sick of calling my boyfriends sister ‘my boyfriend’s sister.’ She’s like a sister to me, so I’m calling her dp sister, as in domestic partnership sister. Yeah, I live in sin. It’s great.

Three days in, I feel pretty excellent. I’ve been sleeping like a baby, but waking up easier. Damn these experts for always being right!

Grrrreat News!

2011-05-02T20:13:00.000-04:00

My oven is getting fixed tomorrow! At least, I hope it is. My dream of dreams is that it's unfixable and the landlord is forced to buy a new one.

I have a list of baking recipes a city block long that I'm dying to tackle, so say a prayer for me tonight!

What I'm Wearing Wednesday

2011-04-27T20:01:00.001-04:00

Nothing too exciting, but I've been a delinquent Blogger so this is better than nothing. Appreciate my efforts, interwebs! I hate that I have to take crappy bathroom outfit pictures, but at least there's no toilet in the background, eh? I hate toilets.

This morning my ponytail holder snapped whilst holding up my hair. I've been trying not to wash it as often, so I had it up in a top-knot to mask the unsightly greasiness of my unwashed-for-24-hours hair. When the band snapped, my hair kind of exploded out from my head. I felt like Sideshow Bob. I definitely need a haircut. I was in the middle of trying to tame the beast when I decided to take an outfit picture, so here's my crowning glory in all it's... glory. I'm usually not so disheveled.

I'm looking forward to Summer so I can rock Birkenstock's and sundresses again. How I miss my Birks! I'm investing in a couple new pairs this summer. I shall have the most comprehensive collection of Birkenstock's in all the world. In the meantime, I'm stuck in pants and closed toe shoes. Wah waaaah.

Sweater: JC Penny's. I'm a sucker for bows.

Tank: Kohl's. I usually don't do colors like this, but whatever.

Pants: Crappy old lady brand from T.J. Maxx. I bought them for a job interview last year during a period of weight gain. I sized up to a twelve because the waistband was super uncomfortable, but I was desperate for black pants and they were only twenty bucks. Now I'm stuck with a weird pair of pants that make my stomach look paunchy. Yet I still wear them. The waistband is supposed to be some kind of 'lay flat' waistband. It's terrible.

Shoes: Clark's. Wow. Am I a Golden Girl?! Comfort waistbands, orthopedic shoes... Good lord.

I need new clothes.

Week from Hades

2011-04-02T11:11:00.000-04:00

We had a pretty crazy week in our children’s department this week which resulted in me doing two extra last minute storytimes in addition to my weekly preschool storytime, a fifth grade tour, a baby shower for a coworker friend, and a total revamp of our May schedule due to a lovely coworker having surgery this month. This coming off of a two day conference and a Saturday shift that left me exhausted.

As a result, my regularly scheduled storytime was… a disaster.

That might be overly dramatic, but it was a wake-up call that not everything I do will be wonderful all the time. I’ve been lucky in my new position so far, so it was nice to have a bad day and not have the sky fall down on me. I did gain two new kids that day, so all was not lost! And they had a great time, so I guess I’m doing something right. There will be good storytimes, there will be bad storytimes. Same with programs, tours, readers advisories, etc. I’ve already had some readers advisory attempts flop, all due to the dread Wimpy Kid. For every kid who refuses to read anything other than Wimpy Kid, though, I have a kid or parent thanking me for an awesome book or awesome homework help.

I love being a librarian.

Awesome Salad is not an oxymoron

2011-03-28T23:08:00.000-04:00

I know this because I made one today. I don't like my own salads. I always forget what's good to put in them and I end up with lettuce and dressing. That's it. Today's salad making venture was an other-worldly experience. I feel like my body was taken over by salad-spirits in the kitchen.

In the salad:

Romaine
shredded carrot
pecans
craisins
sauteed tofu and asparagus
Newman's poppy seed dressing

It was beautiful. Thank you, Salad-Spirits.

Written Portraits

2011-03-23T22:26:00.000-04:00

How is this even possible?! I struggled to carve a stupid spoon out a stupid block of wood in high school!

Written Portraits for Dutch Book Week.

My First Time

2011-03-23T22:09:00.000-04:00

I’m off to my first library conference tomorrow. My boss and I are leaving at six a.m. to head to MLA Spring Institute. I’m really lucky I get to go. I’m the newest children’s librarian in our library (and the newest librarian), but the librarian who usually goes is 8 months preggers so I get to go!

I’m really excited about the Storytime session. I feel like I’m hitting my stride, but there is still so much I want to learn about creating really great storytimes. Also, Sharon M. Draper is going to be there! The kids at my old job love Sharon M. Draper.

I can’t wait!

Bizarre Reads: Adventure of Meno: Wet Friend

2011-03-21T20:32:00.000-04:00

I am a lover of the bizarre. It takes a lot to weird me out, but today I read a picture book that totally weirded me out. It weirded me out enough to review it on Goodreads, and I never review anything on Goodreads.

Have you read this? I really can't decide if I like it or hate it. Oh, and that little guy on the cover? He is not a boy. He is a space elf, apparently. Or something like that. I am alternately disturbed and amused by this book. And did I mention an eighties/nineties icon beloved by the Germans makes an appearance? No? Well, there it is.

Pajama Storytime

2011-03-18T20:47:00.000-04:00

We held a Pajama Storytime/Sleepover program last night. It was so cute. We had a few tears when the kids said good-bye to their stuffed animals, but other than that it went great. Each kid wrote down their name and their animal's name on a die cut nametag, decorated it, and then tied it to their animal. We took an individual photo of each child's animal doing something mischievous in the library, printed them wallet sized, laminated them, and packaged each photo with an old summer reading magnet frame. Low cost and the kids loved it.

We're hoping to do more in the future!

The Nerd Inside Me

2011-03-15T08:30:00.000-04:00

I am determined to have an unparalleled collection of nerdy literary t-shirts. I already have this one:

(not me.)

Here's my second one, freshly ordered today.

From Tilteed.

Next on my list:

From Out of Print.

From Wonder-Shirts!

From Etsy: AlisonRose , The Crane and Turtle, Brookish

Other cool options:

Novel-T

Storytime: Cats

2011-03-14T08:30:00.000-04:00

I'm a biased cat-lady, but I think cats are the most entertaining creatures on Earth. They took over the internet, what other evidence do you need of Total Cat Domination?

For my first storytime at my new job, I knew I wanted a theme. I don't think you always need a theme for storytime, but I wanted to stay organized so a theme it was. I wanted to do something I was familiar and comfortable with, so I chose cats. I agonized for almost a month over books, fingerplays, songs, crafts, and whether or not I'd fail horribly. It was brutal.

The day arrived and guess who else? A photographer from the paper. He would be photographing my VERY FIRST STORYTIME AS A PUBLIC LIBRARIAN. Ridiculous.

And guess what? Everything went fine. Better than fine. The kids completed the craft without any problems, they sat, they laughed, they jumped around, they interacted with me and each other. The parents were awesome, my co-workers were ultra-supportive, and I barely noticed the photographer. I love my job.

Craft - Circle Cat
Hello - If You're Wearing Red Today
Fingerplay - Kiera’s Wiggly, Jiggly, Settle-Down Rhyme (I actually forgot to do this, but I can’t wait to try it this week.)
Miss Precious Perfect Drawing Story (changed a few things)
Memory Box (borrowed from Abby (the) Librarian. Love this and the kids did, too) – Cushy chair from What Will Fat Cat Sit On.
Fingerplay - Kitten is Hiding
Book - Why Not? by Mary Wormell
Song – Clap My Hands by Milkshake
Fingerplay - Ten Little Fingers
Book - Drat That Fat Cat by Pat Thomson
Fingerplay – Sticky Bubble Gum
Book - What Will Fat Cat Sit On? by Jan Thomas
Song - Jumping and Counting by Jim Gill
Goodbye - Bread and Butter

I have to say it again, I love my job. I especially love all the librarian bloggers out there that gave me so many ideas. I hope to contribute to something in return one day.

[GoodReads]

Disney Girls

2011-03-10T22:02:00.000-05:00

These have been around for awhile, but I hadn’t seen them until today. They are hilarious. And a little sad.

via Kyle via The Second City Network.

Extreme Storytiming

2011-03-10T20:12:00.000-05:00

Today was my first storytime at my new job. I was super nervous already, and then fifteen minutes before it started, I got hit with the news that it would be photographed for a story in the local newspaper. And not just the local local newspaper, my metro local newspaper. True story. I feel like my life happens TO THE EXTREME!

It was actually a great experience and I truly feel like a real librarian now. I’ll post my program later, but for now I’m pouring a glass of wine and curling up with a book.

Absolutely Amazing

2011-03-07T14:44:00.001-05:00

THE MOST INCREDIBLE THING I'VE EVER SEEN.

Please click through, this guy is incredible.

TBR Pile

2011-02-28T20:04:00.000-05:00

Anything else I should add?

Food Woes

2011-02-28T19:49:00.001-05:00

Hey, before I get into a long rant about food, I started a new blog: Melvil Dewey’s Giant Mustache. If you originally came here for book talk and are sick of reading about my life in general, check it out. I have one post, but hopefully there are more to come. Unless two blogs is too much and I just delete. I’ve been known to do that. A lot. This blog will continue as a lifestyle blog. Hah, I feel weird labeling it a ‘lifestyle’ blog, because I’m not particularly stylish. Whatever.

SO. Food. I’m at a bit of a crossroads with my eating habits. Over the past year I’ve discovered dairy is not kind to me. I used to think my stomach was made of steel, but I experimented with cutting out cow’s milk to see if my skin would clear up. Well, guess what: it did. So I went one step further and reduced my cheese intake to zero. Even better. My skin is less puffy and red, it’s much smoother, and I break out less frequently. Yay! The problem is, once I reintroduced it back into my diet, I realized how shitty it made me feel. I never even knew how awful dairy products made me feel because I’d never gone without them.

Now, I’m not going to get into the politics of eating, but if someone put a gun to my head and made me label myself I’d say I was a Pescetarian. I haven’t eaten meat other than fish since I was 23 years old. I don’t preach about why I don’t eat meat, I just eat the way I want to eat. It sometimes makes my life uncomfortable, but other than the occasional “Is that all you’re eating,” or “How do you get your protein,” people usually leave me alone. This whole non-dairy lifestyle I’ve been contemplating is a whole new world, though. I ordered a cheese-less pizza last week and I felt like everyone at Happy’s was wondering, ‘NO CHEESE? What’s wrong with this girl?’ The pizza was amazing, though.

Have you ever made an executive decision to cut a certain food out of your life? How did your friends and family react?

Hello!

2011-02-25T18:54:00.000-05:00

I'm starting a little book blog over here at Giant Mustache. I blog about my life over at Reno, the Girl, but decided to branch out and blog separately about my book and library love over here.

I'm a children's librarian in Michigan and middle grade books are my bread and butter. I love dystopias, old fashioned girls, time travel, narwhals, squirrels, and alternate histories. I used to be a school librarian, but now I'm in a public library which is where I've always wanted to be. Life in a public library is much different than a school, so I'll be posting about what works, what doesn't, and what's different. I'm excited to create programs where I don't have to hammer kids with grade level expectations.

Posts over here will vary between reviews, programming ideas, booklists, etc. I'm pretty casual with reviewing and most copies will be either from my work or personal library.

Here goes nothing!

Everybody's doing it

2011-02-24T12:24:00.000-05:00

What I'm wearing and eating today.

Top: Target
Pants: Kohl's
Boots: Born
Hair: Dirty.

Soup: homemade minestrone. Delicious.

Checking In

2011-02-20T20:58:00.001-05:00

Hello ye olde blogge. You have gone by the wayside as I acclimate to my new job and generally enjoy life.

I have lots to share, but in the meantime here’s a little slice of heaven for ya.

Thanks to Kyle for always sharing things that make me smile (or laugh obnoxiously).

Daydream Queen

2011-02-08T21:04:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was a fun day. I wish sarcasm translated over the internet. Actually, it wasn’t all that bad, but I sat in a waiting room for over an hour and I’m terrible at waiting. That was the first half of my day. I originally planned on sitting around at home on my last day before starting my new job, but I spontaneously decided to go to the gym. I spent almost an hour on the elliptical and I feel fantastic.

Getting through an hour on a stationary cardio machine is no mean feat, especially for someone like me who can’t stand standing still. When I used to run I usually left my ipod at home and let my thoughts accompany me, but at the gym I get bored even with my headphones. This is where my overactive imagination comes in handy. I put my playlists on shuffle and imagine little stories while I listen and churn away on the elliptical. My favorite song/story yesterday was Loin Des Villes by Yann Tiersen.

As I listened I imagined I was travelling on a train through the French countryside with a beautiful, dark haired little daughter. We cuddle together, reading stories, and drinking chocolat chaud, the scenic countryside a blur in the car window. We reach a rustic train station and a handsome, dark haired Frenchman (who looks amazingly like Joe Manganiello) is waiting, hands in the pockets of a dark coat and a thick scarf wrapped around his neck. I watch lovingly as the little dark haired girl runs into the Frenchman’s waiting arms. My long, perfect hair is blowing around my shoulders as I descend the train steps, a radiant smile on my face. Frenchy and I walk arm and arm, the dark haired girl on his hip, disappearing into the steam emanating from the train. I should write perfume commercials, seriously. Amour Joyeux by Lancôme.

I have neither been to the French countryside nor been on a train. The imagination is a beautiful thing.

Ready

2011-02-04T11:28:00.001-05:00

Today. Last day of the job I have had for four years. They are sending two men to take over my duties, the general opinion of my job being, 'how hard can it be?'

I feel insulted. Then I laugh. In four hours I am moving on. I am taking my mug, sweet drawings from the children, my pride and leaving. If my job is so simple, let them have it. I'm ready to move on. More than ready.

Tonight. Yoga and dinner with a sweet friend, home to a sweet guy and sweet cat and cuddles on the couch. A brand new life, one that I can respect. I am a brand new person.

Let’s Play A Game

2011-02-03T09:47:00.001-05:00

It’s called I Never.

I never… watched a book trailer before today.

Guilty.

I’ve been presented with tons of book trailers by book bloggers, and never bothered to watch one until five minutes ago. My mindset was if it looked like a good book from reviews and such, I’d read the book.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. I think I’m in love with book trailers.

I give you Where’s Walrus?, courtesy of 100 Scope Notes.

Where’s Walrus? by Stephen Savage

Last Snow Day

2011-02-02T11:42:00.001-05:00

This is my last week at my soon-to-be former job, so today is most likely my last snow day ever. The public library doesn’t close too often.

I meant to take a picture of my breakfast today, but I had one bite left before I realized I hadn’t taken that picture. I’d make a horrible food blogger. I made pumpkin waffles, and I must say the box mix I got from Target is a major fail. Tastes pretty good, but makes a pitifully flat waffle. I’ll stick to the classic Good Housekeeping recipe my mom gave me. Perfect, golden, crisp but fluffy waffles. Yum.

Our lovely, snowy neighborhood. And yes, that is one of our porch chairs still on the porch. No, we didn’t store them away for the winter. We’ll be terrible homeowners one day.

I fell again in our driveway yesterday. I twisted and landed on my shoulder, so I’m sore today. Snowmageddon came just in time. Thank god I’ve been practicing yoga, or else I think I’d be in much worse shape.

I’m off to ice my shoulder and watch Dollhouse Season 2. Stay warm!

Save Libraries!

2011-01-31T09:50:00.001-05:00

Aren’t these the COOLEST?!

For more, go here.

For info on what’s happening to libraries in Oxfordshire, check out this speech given by Philip Pullman.

[posters by Phil Bradley via BookSlut vis a vis Bookshelves of Doom.]

Wherefore art thou, Weekend?

2011-01-30T13:34:00.001-05:00

My weekend was half jam-packed, half laaaaaaazy. I kind of like it that way, it justifies laying around watching movies and reading blogs for hours.

I spent most of my time nursing Kyle back from the flu. It’s Sunday and he’s still sick. Poor guy, but poor me, too. He’s amazingly cranky when he’s sick.

I hit the Groupon jackpot this week! My friend Juliet works for a yoga studio and they had an unbelievable deal: 24 classes for $24. My friend Jessica and I snapped them up and met Juliet on Friday night for a class and dinner. The class was great, but we spent so much time on our arms that my upper back and core are so sore. The teacher had us doing this flow that went from hands and knees with one leg extended back, then going forward into a yoga push-up. We did this with both legs for so many breaths. I can’t believe I didn’t collapse. I have minimal upper body strength. Afterwards we discussed yoga, babies, and dental work over soup and salad. It was a perfect night.

Saturday balanced out the pace of Friday. I had a cuddly kitty on my lap for most of it. I think she’s all over me to make up for the attention she’s not getting from Kyle. She is so spoiled.

I nursed my poor baby with tea and chicken soup and watched JFK for the first time. I never gave much thought to JFK’s assassination before, even though Kyle and my dad are kind of obsessed with it. After watching JFK, I’m leaning towards conspiracy.

Now it’s Sunday. Hot chocolate, laundry, and more nurse duties. Tomorrow - work, more yoga, hopefully a healthy household.

90s TV Reunion

2011-01-26T20:30:00.001-05:00

Rickie from My So-Called Life, Warren from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Noel from Felicity all guest starred on in one episode of Grey’s Anatomy two weeks ago. It made for some disorienting viewing on my part, especially since I’ve been watching season one of Felicity. Noel sucks! So does Julie.

Ready To Rumble!

2011-01-25T20:17:00.001-05:00

Last night I did something my ten year old self would have killed to do: I attended WWE Monday Night RAW. I was the oldest of three (eventually four) kids at my dad’s house, and the only girl. If my dad and stepmom didn’t make plans for me to hang out with my girl cousins, I was stuck with the boys. I learned quickly that if I wanted playmates at home, I had to learn to like what the boys liked. Enter baseball cards, hockey sticker books, basement sports, and wrestling. Wrestling was the big one. Wrestling was in what I believe was it’s prime in 1989. Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts, Brutus ‘The Barber’ Beefcake, ‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude, Jimmy ‘The Mouth of the South’ Hart, Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan, Brett ‘The Hitman’ Hart, all those guys were my heroes. Wrestlers had awesome names, wore sweet costumes, and provided me and my brothers with a common interest. Win-win situation.

Parking lot of Bouzouki’s wearing my Spartans hat. Klassy.

When I started dating my boyfriend, I started watching again with him. It’s not as awesome as it was back then, but the live show was great! I was really surprised by how much fun I had. Without the terrible, contrived commentary moving the story forward, we watched the matches organically unfold. The people watching was amazing, and we rode the People Mover! I haven’t been on it since it opened.

R-Truth, what’s up.

Edge.

CM Punk being all straightedge. My friend Jason works for a local radio station and interviewed him that morning. He said Punk is really nice.

No Pants V. No Pants. Nobody and everybody wins with no pants.

The World’s Strongest Man, Mark Henry. His theme music scares the hell out of me. “Somebody’s gonna get their ass beat.” Seriously.

The Viper, Randy Orton! The crowd went nuts when he came out. It’s a given that the crowd will be heavily Cult of John Cena, but he his entrance got a huge reaction. It was really cool.

Kyle’s favorite, Santino Marella. Santino is adorable.

We’re going to see a small time wrestling show next weekend. I think I’m hooked. I’m going to put together a wrestling bibliography for the boys at my new job. I know what boys like. And on that weirdly creepy unintentional note, good night!

OH YEAH!

2011-01-25T18:51:00.001-05:00

HUNGER GAMES MOVIE RELEASE DATE!!!

Save the date!

[photo via EW]

What a week

2011-01-24T17:39:00.001-05:00

In two weeks, I can finally tell people “I’m a librarian.”

I got a new job! I got promoted to a Children’s Librarian at my part-time job this week! I am so excited. It’s taken me almost five years to find a job with my degree, but honestly… the wait was worth it. I’ll be working with people I love, serving people I love, and NO MORE DRAMA!

I’m going to miss my kids desperately, but I’m so happy to be leaving my current position. It’s been a stressful four years, but I’m ready to get on with my life. Yay libraries!

Project Gift Card: Part 1

2011-01-17T21:33:00.001-05:00

I had MLK day off, so I took advantage of my free time and grocery shopped my little heart out. Grocery shopping can be a real pain in the ass for me because I like different things at different stores. I get my fresh veggies from my local farm market, but I don’t get anything else there because it’s waaaaay out of my budget. I go to Target and Kroger for canned and dry goods, so I visited all three today. Yes, all three. My favorite salsa is a Target brand, so it is absolutely necessary to make three trips.

In between Target and Trentwood, I stopped at the local mall and blew through three gift cards from my list. First stop: Charlotte Russe.

I mentioned before that the gift card is about five-six years old. That makes me about 26-27 when it was received. I’m not one to bitch and moan about being old or too old for some things anymore, but dude: I felt like the biggest jackass walking into this store.

Number One: I was the oldest person in the store by about a decade. And even though I was by far the oldest person around, there were multiple young ladies shopping with toddlers. Shopping with toddlers for club clothes. Gah.

Number Two: I looked like a slob. You know how young girls parade around in their leggings and Uggs and messy ponytails, but they are still done up? Yeah, not me. I looked like a weird hobo walking into the place: black wool coat, pink hoodie, baggy jeans, Sorel’s, and greasy, messy top-knot.

Number Three: When the salesgirl rang me up, she said “Oh my God” in this disbelieving voice when I handed her my gift card. I’m sure she hadn’t seen one of those in five years, if at all. My brilliant comment? “It’s really old.” She did not dignify that with a response. I’m pretty sure she expected the card to be expired or empty. I checked the balance before I came into the store, girlie. I may be old, but I’m not stupid.

I walked out with three belts and a ‘cashmere’ infinity scarf that I’m going to try dying red. Not bad for $15.

Next up: Border’s. Now that’s more like it, even if I do absolutely hate how they organize their stores.

I ending up shelling out ten dollars out of my own pocket because the book I wanted was $35. I eat a mostly vegetarian diet and had checked this out from my library a few times and knew I wanted my own copy.

So that’s my first haul. My wallet feels lighter already and I have some new pretties to play with. Next up: Sports Authority.

[images Charlotte Russe and GoodReads.]

Gift Card Mania

2011-01-13T20:53:00.003-05:00

Nobody ever gets me gift cards, yet one side of my new wallet is stuffed with them. I have Border’s gift cards (the curse of the librarian/English major), a Best Buy Gift card, a Sports Authority gift card from 2004, a Charlotte Russe gift card from probably the same year, and a few others.

I’m sick of them.

I’m sick of ruining my wallets. I’m sick of forgetting how much is on them. I’m sick of wasting time calling the stupid gift card hotline to find out. In order to remedy this and lighten my wallet, I’m going on a gift card shopping spree this month. I’m going to spend every last penny on those gift cards and give them to Kyle to punch with his Pick Punch. Yes, he has a pick punch. I got it for him for Christmas. I’m the best girlfriend ever, yeah.
The lineup:

AMC Theaters	$25.00
Best Buy	$4.11
Borders	$22.75
Charlotte Russe	$15.00
Cold Stone Creamery	$10.00
Potbelly	$1.56
Sports Authority	$9.71

Actually, the Cold Stone will remain in the wallet until Summer. Ice cream in the winter is just dumb. Delicious, but dumb.

Guess I’m Done With The Book Learning*

2011-01-10T21:46:00.001-05:00

“All these books, sir! It's like I'm back at school, learning about the dangers of book-readin.” – Kenneth, 30 Rock

I am in over my head with my reading goals and it’s only one week into the new year. I think my choice of Sense and Sensibility for my first week wasn’t too bright. I tried to finish it before New Year’s but didn’t make it past 20 pages. And let me tell you, I’m dying. I love me some Jane Austen, but I think I’ve watched the Emma Thompson film version way too many times to enjoy it. I also have the sequel to Airborn, Skybreaker, burning a hole in my purse. And you know what? I’m going to put S&S aside for now and start Skybreaker. Life is too short to wallow in a book I’m just not feeling right now. I will return to you, Jane! Just give me some time.

Plus, my friends Lauren and Mandy and I started a book club. A ridiculous book club. We are reading all the American Classics we never read as English majors.

January: Moby Dick.

I wish we were reading the pop-up version.

We are morons. I found an old, haggard copy at work, but I think I need a different copy. The copious underlining and margin notes are distracting.

What are you reading?

*More Zander quotes.

300

2011-01-07T21:49:00.001-05:00

Well, well, well, look what we have here. My 300th post. Technically my 301st, but I unpublished a post from May 2006 because it was vitriolic and I didn’t really want it to remain out there in the ether. I can be rather passionate and irrationally candid at times. My five year blogiversary is coming up next month, too, so it only took five years to post three hundred and one times! Wow! Ambitious, aren’t I?

In honor of that venerable 300th post, I’m going to post 300 random facts about myself. Oh, I’m just kidding. Instead, I’ll commemorate with a snippet of a conversation I had with my favorite little kindergartner today after he told me he got a play workbench for Christmas.

C: Miss Weno, guess what?!

Miss Weno: What, C—?

C: I have three things: I have school, I have work, and I have football!

Miss Weno: Wow, that’s a lot! You play football?

C: Yeah, I’m a sports guy!

Sometimes I can hardly stand how cute the kids I work with are. I get hugs and hair compliments all day.

One Random Fact before I sign off: this blog’s original name was Reno: The Biggest Little Bitch In the World. Terrible.