Non-Fiction

Kiss Chronicles

2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Non-Fiction, Women /

How old were you when you had your first kiss? 14? 19? 24? Older than 30?

Most of you are probably laughing at the idea of not having your first kiss until after you turned 30 but it happens. To normal (or mostly normal, hi Virginia!) people. Like Virginia.

I remember the first time I saw her on BlogHer, it took me awhile to wrap my head around the never been kissed idea. Then, when I realized she was writing a book (and donating the money from the sale to charity) I knew I had to read it.

And now that I finally have read it, I guess I understand a little better how Virginia has gone this long without a first kiss. Sort of.

Go download Kiss Chronicles (and make a donation to the American Cancer Society!) and let’s figure out how to get Virginia a first kiss… at BlogHer ’13, maybe? lol

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Moon Spotlight Savannah & the Georgia Coast

2013, Books in Bed, Non-Fiction, Travel Log /

When I started thinking about where we might move next, and started thinking maybe it would not be Gainesville, I realized I didn’t really know all that much about the coast of Georgia. I like the idea of the Georgia coast but that’s only from looking at some houses that are for sale and the prices of those houses.

I figured a guide book might be a good place to start to learn more about Savannah, Darien, Brunswick, St Mary and all points in between.

And it was. I really enjoyed the Moon Spotlight: Savannah & the Georgia Coast. I kind of want my next vacation to be a week traveling up and down the coast of Georgia.

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Lean In

1 Comment / 2013, Books in Bed, Feminism, Non-Fiction /

I wasn’t going to read Lean In — too much hype, too much angst, too much infighting.

But, Sheryl Sandberg is keynoting BlogHer ’13 so I figured the least I could do would be to read her book.

I’m glad I did.

No Sandberg doesn’t represent all women, or even most women I know. It’s impossible for ANY woman to represent ALL women, that doesn’t mean her message isn’t valid or appropriate or important or… right.

Yes, the point she’s addressing is that women have to step up errr lean in and make things better for themselves and for other women. That’s totally true. No, she’s not addressing the bigger systemic issues, the patriarchal issues, but she mentions that right up front (and several times) — she never suggested that the ONLY solution is for women to change. She said (several times) that these are things we can do, right now.

Things. We. Can. Do.

And I like that.

Because lord knows the system isn’t jumping up and down to change. Rich, white, men in power aren’t jumping up and down to change. Institutional discrimination. Cultural expectations. Psychological issues. Yea, there are a lot of things that have to change before the working world (and the world at large) is a better place for women (and as a result, a better place for everyone.)

But how do you change those things?

Slowly. Very slowly.

And, by doing the things YOU can do right now.

I get that.

Lean In isn’t a perfect book. I groaned a lot. I rolled my eyes at Sandberg’s stories because they are so … privileged… it was hard to look beyond the surface and really hear what she was trying to say.

Which is a problem I think most of us have.

When we try to talk to each other about race or religion or gay rights or women’s rights or any other social issue, we have a hard time relating to what others are saying and sharing because those aren’t our experiences. We have a hard time letting go of the details and looking at the big picture.

Sheryl Sandberg is a powerful, wealthy white woman none of which means she shouldn’t be sharing advice with those who aren’t powerful, wealthy white women.

Have you noticed powerful, wealthy men who give advice and talk about all of the things we can do to change, get ahead, succeed, don’t get slammed because they are powerful and wealthy and can’t relate…?

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168 Hours

2013, Books in Bed, Don't Read This, Non-Fiction /

Some people I know (ahem) swear by 168 Hours. Some of those people told me I should read it. Some of those people told others they should read it. Some of those people should be SHOT.

What a waste of time, speaking of time management. AHEM.

I thought the book might have potential and after the first chapter I was looking at time trackers (again.) Also, why isn’t there a 168Hours App? Seriously. You have this book with PRINTABLE PAGES and you don’t have an app? Ho hum. Also. AHEM.

No.

I quit the book half-way through it.

I don’t know if I’m just good at managing my time. Or if I’m not all that unhappy about not having time to do x, y or z so this book doesn’t speak to me. Or… I don’t know.

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Two Mixed Media/Collage Books

2013, Art, Books in Bed, Non-Fiction /

I enjoyed Collage Playground but most there weren’t a lot of new techniques in this one, for me. That doesn’t make it a bad book. I’ve just watched a lot of videos, read a lot of books and done a lot of collages in my day. I think I’d probably recommend this book to someone who hasn’t had a lot of collage experience. The step by step instructions were excellent.

I was a little disappointed with the Collage Discovery Workshop, at first. I think I was expecting more — possibly because I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Hellmuth’s work in person and the collages were a little simplistic considering some of the pieces I’ve seen. After I slept on that, I decided I actually liked her book. Rather than it just being a showcase of her talent, she brought collage to a place where anyone would feel like they could do this.

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Two More Art Journaling Books

1 Comment / 2013, Altered Book, Art, Books in Bed, Favorites, Non-Fiction /

Yep, still all art journaling all the time around here. Or at least reading about art journaling and watching videos about art journaling. Not a lot of actual journaling going on, though. Not none, just not a lot.

The Art Journal Workshop was excellent. So excellent that I’m going to take a peek at the dvd that’s attached to the book. (I never do that.)

I’m also not much of a “prompt” kind of person but I really liked all of the exercises and prompts in this book. Of all the art journaling and mixed media books I’ve read recently, this is my favorite.

Painted Pages is not my favorite. It’s probably my least favorite. Not because it’s not a technique book but because the pages here just don’t work for me. Not a bad book, just not the book for me at all.

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All Art Journals, All the Time

2013, Altered Book, Art, Books in Bed, Favorites, Non-Fiction /

I ran into Raw Art Journaling while looking at another art journaling book and figured what the hell, I’m on an art journaling kick – might as well go with that for awhile.

This one was slightly different from the others I’ve read. More life coach-like. I liked it. It was nice to read a book that didn’t forget that words are a part of art journaling. Sometimes we get hung up on the color and the collage and the texture that we leave out the word portion of the journal.

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Acrylic Techniques in Mixed Media is all technique, all the time. Most are techniques I know or have seen but there were some new ideas. And, in a couple of cases techniques I might not have tried were made more appealing. I am going to hold onto this book for awhile and try some of these.

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Art Journaling, Altered Book, Tag Book, The Pocket Scavenger — Gah!

2013, Altered Book, Art, Books in Bed, Daily Dose, Non-Fiction /

I’m seriously into the art journaling thing right now. Big change from the how many years I’ve had this unaltered altered book and the one year that I’ve had two tags of a JMP tag journal and … yea. Totally into it. I think it was the Doodle a Day in April that helped spur me into it.

I did the daily doodle in my altered book, which means I moved away from the idea of turning the book I hated into a book on the topic that I loved. Instead, it turned into art journal, junk journal, inspiration journal — just journal journal.

Giving myself “permission” to play with that book, that way — and keeping it on my desk every day so I’d remember to doodle, well, that did it. I’ve done some type of art journaling or doodling every day since April 1.

And it’s awesome.

I blogged about a review copy of The Pocket Scavenger over at BlogHer and I’ve watched about a zillion youtube videos of art journal techniques and flip throughs. I’m totally into this. My only problem is… my stuff is everywhere. I don’t have one good place to art journal (particularly if I want to keep my stuff safe from the darn dog.)

I’m almost tempted to let TW re-arrange the furniture in hopes of finding a space that allows me to paint a bunch of pages or gesso a bunch of pages or glue a bunch of pages all in one place — and be able to leave them alone to dry. Or be able to leave them out, open, with art materials out so I can walk past or get up and add something/change something whenever the mood strikes.

Blah. It’s such a production to do anything more than doodle with gel pens or markers (the only two mediums that are on my desk all of the time.)

OK enough griping, I’m off to gesso some tags or something.

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