an inky treasure

"tumble down the rabbit hole and find yourself in an inky black-and-white wonderland."  the secret garden: an inky treasure hunt and colouring book by johanna basford is simply beautiful.  

it's a book full of gorgeous black and white line drawings crying out for some colour.  at the same time, i would worry of messing up the pretty illustrations that i don't know if i would have the nerve to start colouring!

the illustrations - a flower garden, a wreath, a lantern, an owl, a backyard, and so much more - are pretty.  each scene has little critters hiding, frogs, bees, butterflies, etc.  there are mazes in which to get lost too.  these illustrations are meant for sharing (as my mother-in-law did, see below) or keeping as your own and framing them.  

there's something so meditative and simple about colouring.  i loved it as a child and wonder, maybe i should pick it up again.  secret garden comes in journals, postcards and notecards.  

what do you think?  colouring for adults...

  

 

we gifted the secret gardens postcards to my mother-in-law who enjoys the relaxing and de-stressing nature of colouring and she loves sending greeting cards so we thought the gift would be perfect.  not long after the holidays, we received one of her postcards in the mail as a thank you.  lovely, right?

for the love of books

i would love to read like it's my job.  a non-stop extravaganza, wouldn't that be lovely?  sadly, that isn't the case.  i find myself not reading enough.  i want to.  i love getting so very lost in books; being transported into people's lives, learning from them, adventuring with them, feeling for them, and the sense of zeal i get that every single person i know must read the book.  books are so special.

and when i do find myself reading it usually isn't from cover to cover.   i start a book and then i get stalled by, well, life. it's rare for me to plow through books but when it happens i am so. very. happy.  this was the case when i was recently reading lisa genova's first two books, still alice and left neglected and i would highly recommend both.  i am looking forward to her third novel - out in january 2014 - love, anthony.

there are plenty of books that i have been wanting to read and with my new kobo (a birthday gift from stefan) i can't wait to download some.  but there's one thing -  i wish i had more time for is reading.  along with yoga, it is at the top of my list of happy makers and yet it (and yoga) fall by the wayside.  'to read' is always on my to-do-list. 

here's what's on my list of books to read right now and when i look at my list i feel panicked that there's not enough time to read them all.

 

       

       

 

         

 

      

 

       

 

so, here's to committing to read more often, finding the time, and delving into this favourite activity of mine.  how often do you get to read?  

 

the following favourite books are ones i would highly recommend and see this post, if you like, for others i have recommended.

 

alice munro

i was giddy with joy upon learning alice munro was awarded the noble prize for literature. she is the first canadian and the 13th female writer - out of 110 - to win the prize.  it feels perfect that she won; i am so happy for her. 
 
i love stories about women, about their relationships and i love short stories - alice munro, i think, is brilliant at it all.  she has an understanding for women's varied ordinary lives and great empathy.  i have her latest book of short stories, dear life, and i can't wait to get to the last four stories which are somewhat autobiographical.  alice munro says, "they are the first and the last – and the closest – things i have to say about my own life.”

photo from here



pick up an alice munro book - the love of a good woman or too much happiness perhaps - and have a lovely long weekend. 

the coffee table

you know when you are almost done with a room but waiting to find the perfect something before it feels complete?  well, that was our living room until i finally found the coffee table.  for many years we have been using either an ottoman or poufs as a coffee table which worked just fine but i was longing for a real coffee table.  and now i have one!!!

marble top + stainless steel legs = perfect for our living space


 
now i want some coffee table books!





      i actually own this one, thanks to the hubby, the photos are gorgeous 

      saturated hues of the city of lights... looking at these images of parisian

      life makes any day better





 



have a lovely weekend.

the trumpet of the swan

 

kai and i finished reading the trumpet of the swan.  it’s one of those books that you don’t want to ever end.  kai confessed that he would read ahead because he couldn’t stand waiting for our next reading session yet not wanting it to end all at the same time.  we think it’s one of the best books we have ever read.

 

louis, a trumpeter swan, is born without the ability to trumpet and such begins the story of his courage, determination, and honesty.  it’s also a fabulous story about friendship and love.

 

here is the last paragraph, beautifully written:

 

On the pond where the swans were, Louis put his trumpet away. The cygnets crept under their mother’s wings. Darkness settled on woods and field and marsh. A loon called its wild night cry. As Louis relaxed and prepared for sleep, all his thoughts were of how lucky he was to inhabit such a beautiful earth, how lucky he had been to solve his problems with music, and how pleasant it was to look forward to another night of sleep and another day tomorrow, and the fresh morning, and the light that returns with the day.

 

i love giving books as gifts and this will be one that i definitely give.

 

gobble pasta

i recently purchased a cookbook.  yes, me.  it's like a memoir/cookbook... i love a cookbook that reads like a novel.  dinner: a love story by jenny rosenstrach has been enjoyable thus far.  she and her husband are passionate about nightly family dinners with their two daughters - and swear it's possible if things are kept simple and fun.  she actually has a diary of every single dinner she's made since 1998!

the back to school routine is underway yet i don't think stefan and i have gotten back into the dinner making rhythm yet... so i am trying to help us out with doing some research via dinner: a love story.  who knows, maybe i will learn something and start cooking up a storm.  i have already dog-eared a recipe, a simple curry that i plan to make this week. there is hope.

when jenny writes about meaningful meals i immediately thought about the gobble pasta that stefan has prepared since kai was a little one. it's a meal on heavy rotation in my house.  tagliatelle with ragu became gobble pasta after watching kai devour his huge plate of pasta each and every time it was placed in front him (not surprising since he does have italian blood in him after all!).  do share any meaningful meals you love to cook for your loved ones, i'd love to hear about it!

stefan adapted the recipe slightly from the original found in the food of italy cookbook 

 



home reading

kai and i are currently obsessed with reading the chronicles of narnia.  there are 7 books in total... we are on book 3. 

we read a chapter or two every other day but before we close the book we read just a few sentences of the next... i love how wrapped up kai gets in the stories. he asks about the meaning of words he is unfamiliar with, he sometimes wants to go back a few pages to reread a certain passage for clarification, and it inspires a conversation.

 

the land of narnia is rich in details and creativity.  we'll be sad to leave this fictional world... it's been a delightful trip so far... but thankfully we have four  more books to get through!

 

     

then again

movie poster from here

then again is a charming book.  it reads pretty much as diane keaton speaks - rambling and endearing.   what prompted me to purchase the book was that it wasn't a typical celebrity memoir but instead focused on family, in particular her mother dorothy keaton hall.  in a way, the book is her mother's memoir too - thanks to the countless journals her mother wrote throughout her life and from which diane keaton quotes copiously.

what surprised me most was finding out that diane keaton experienced feelings of inadequacy.  she was open and honest about her personal and professional insecurities.  some reviews of the book haven't been very kind because she's too self-critical (and not enough celebrity kiss and tell) but i think it took remarkable courage.  and really, many of us feel much the same way at some point in our lives whether we share it or not.  it's common.  i like to read stories that resonate with me.

if you like quirky, this book is for you.  when my in-laws are flying home tonight and my hubby is out tonight and my little guy is asleep tonight, i will be cozy on the sofa watching annie hall. 

museum of innocence

i am currently reading the museum of innocence by orhan pamuk which is fitting for the month of love.  the book is all about love, loss, and the desire to put things back together.  it's one of those books you cannot put down and if you do, you want to go right back to it and immerse yourself in istanbul in the early 70s.  i have only read a few chapters and am enjoying it - i hope it remains true throughout (the reviews have been good).

the book is about a society boy who is engaged to a society girl but falls in love with a shopgirl, an old family friend.  while their love affair is taking place he collects mementos to keep and eventually to put in a museum of his own creation.  he is in fact creating a memorial to her to show the world of his love.  kind of creepy yet pretty incredible, yes?

i enjoy reading and it is only when i immerse myself in it that i remember what a magical experience it is to be taken away by someone elses experiences.  if you have any great fictional reading suggestions please let me know.

currently reading

kai overheard stefan and i talking about the battle hymn of the tiger mother and so now it's a joke that when kai is being especially naughty i will tell him that maybe i should be more like the tiger mama. his response is always an emphatic, "nooooo!" 

the author, amy chua, writes about her efforts to raise her two children in a traditional, strict “Chinese” upbringing. 

there has been controversy about her parenting tactics and about what seems like advocating the 'chinese' style of parenting as superior. but right from the beginning she acknowledges that others also practice strict parenting including 'western' ones so i am not sure what all the fuss is about. this is her memoir, her experience as a parent (i hear that her parenting mellows by the end of the book).  

thus far, her parenting is resonating with me. i love her honesty. in one scenario she describes having her daughter practice the piano until she got a particular piece of music perfect. whenever her daughter complained she couldn't or didn't want to do it, the author would threaten to take away toys, state there would be no presents at xmas, and even had her daughter go without dinner until she got it right. well, her daughter did finally master it and was so excited that she wanted to keep playing it over and over again.  although her tactics were harsh, i understood immediately what i think the author wanted to achieve - to teach that hard work, practise, and belief in oneself can achieve goals and increase confidence.  i think there is nothing better for confidence than learning you can do something you thought you couldn't.

i can become a bit of a tiger mama myself (well, maybe with a loud purr instead of a roar).  although skating and skiing are not activities he needs to be successful in life (and the real tiger mama would disapprove of), we live on the west coast with the mountains at our doorstep.  the first time kai tested me was when he was 4 and i put him into skate lessons. he spent all but one of six lessons on his bottom, refusing to get up.   my girlfriend who also had her son in lessons suggested that i pull kai from lessons since he didn't want to be there. i balked at this idea.  he wasn't even trying to skate, how does he know he doesn't want to be there.  so instead i told him that i would continue to put him into skate lessons until he showed me that he would try his best.  the next set of lessons he didn't sit on his bottom, he tried and he focused.  this continued with subsequent skate lessons.   he still lacks in the technical aspects of skating but he now skates with no fear, is fast, and most importantly, he has a great big smile on his face while skating.  we went through a similar scenario with skiing.  when it was time for pick up, his instructor would direct me to the hut, kai refused to ski after snack time. but i still took him week after week.  he now loves skiing, has fun doing it, is extremely good at it and he looks forward to skiing each winter.  if i let him give up, how would he know whether he loves something or not?

i remind kai about these scenarios whenever he tries something new, even a new math skill.  practice, patience (and listening to your mom) can result in good things.  especially at this young age, i want kai to be optimistic about learning, i want him to be successful, i want him to live life without fear.  most importantly, i want him to feel passionately about whatever he chooses to do in life. 

between stefan and i, i am definitely the stricter parent but i acknowledge that my loud purr can be stubbornness on my part and am working towards purr-ing more softly.  it's a journey and as a parent, i am anxious about whether or not i am doing good, as most parents do.

good books to read

highly recommended books that i have recently read:

 

 

currently reading:

i am not sure about this one.  i bought it thinking it would be a really good memoir.  however, it isn't really reading like a memoir.  sure she writes a bit about her childhood, growing up as a teenager in a traditional family, about being female in a male dominated profession, and motherhood i am sure she will barely touch that subject.  she divulges very little and i find myself wanting more after each chapter has ended.  here is this powerful woman who was the first female comedic writers on saturday night live, the boss of a successful tv show and an influential female comedian yet the book feels empty.  instead, the book reads like a comedy sketch.  it's funny but i want more than funny.  it's enjoyable but i want to be inspired.  it's concealing and i want self reflection. it isn't satisfying me and i am nearing the end.