Monthly Archives: March 2013

A wise woman once said … nothing.

Posted on March 7, 2013 by maryjane

Do you tend to …

shy away from certain kinds of group activities?
express yourself in writing?
enjoy solitude?
dislike small talk?
listen more than you talk?
do your best work on your own?
avoid conflict?
think before you speak?
feel drained after group interactions, even if you’ve enjoyed yourself?

Photo by Andrew Kudrin from Novosibirsk, Russia (CC-BY-2.0) via Wikimedia Commons

If you answered “yes” to most of my questions, join the club.

Don’t worry,

I’m not talking about a club where people party to the beat of loud music, or meet up in noisy restaurants, talking over one another.

I know that would make you uncomfortable.

I’m using the term “club” figuratively to describe 57 percent of the U.S. population

(that’s right, more than half)

who are introverts.

You may be wondering what exactly separates introverts from their polar opposites, extroverts.

“Extroverts are energized by people, and wilt or fade when alone. They often seem bored by themselves, in both senses of the expression. Leave an extrovert alone for two minutes and he will reach for his cell phone. In contrast, after an hour or two of being socially ‘on,’ we introverts need to turn off and recharge,” writes Johnathan Rauch of The Atlantic. “This isn’t antisocial. It isn’t a sign of depression. It does not call for medication. For introverts, to be alone with our thoughts is as restorative as sleeping, as nourishing as eating.”

Still with me?

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photo-of-the-day

Posted on March 6, 2013 by maryjane

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Giveaway! Magnolia Pearl Clothing

Posted on March 6, 2013 by maryjane

Imagine a place where vintage clawfoot tubs rest, chandeliers greet you lovingly from worn wood center beams, and intricately detailed tin ceilings blush with a touch of rust from above.

That place is Magnolia Pearl Ranch and now you can have a piece of it.

Courtesy of Fiona and Twig. http://fionaandtwig.blogspot.com

This beautiful and lovingly crafted house was the creative outlet for Robin Brown and her husband/business partner, John Gray, and their company, Magnolia Pearl Clothing.

Courtesy of Fiona and Twig. http://fionaandtwig.blogspot.com

Their ranch’s intricate sense of style reflects a colorful and free-flowing Bohemian flair with just a splash of Victorian and a large dose of girly. It’s everything funky, delicate, and artistic.

Courtesy of Magnolia Pearl. http://www.magnoliapearl.com/

And the ranch is for sale for $665,000 because she and her partner have moved to another part of Texas to begin fixing up another place. Drool with me here. Did ya know she also has an Airstream? But not just any Airstream.

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photo-of-the-day

Posted on March 5, 2013 by maryjane

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Nuncheon, anyone?

Posted on March 5, 2013 by maryjane

It’s barely 10 a.m.,

but you feel like munchin’ …

You’re craving some crunchin’ …

Can’t wait for a luncheon!

No worries, my dear.

Let’s do a nuncheon.

I didn’t make this one up,

honest.

“Nuncheon” is every bit as real a word as luncheon,

and both were invented in the 19th century

(by Mother Necessity, of course).

After all, a gal can get mighty hungry come mid-morning.

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At the beginning of the nineteenth century, breakfast often occurred well after sunup, and dinner came along in mid-afternoon, so lunch as we know it wasn’t really an issue.

But as time went by, dinner got pushed back hour-by-hour, and, well, you can see the obvious problem.

“Luncheon” began to light upon the tongues of the hungry, but some cynical soul deemed it a vulgar term.

Somehow, nuncheon (which may have been pronounced noon-shine) was easier on the ears.

Go figure.

According to period author Regina Scott of Nineteen Teen, nuncheon food “was laid out on a sideboard in the dining room, and you could pick from cold meats like ham and roast beef, pickles, fruit preserves, and dessert-type items like cakes, buns, and tarts, all washed down with ale or tea. You might even grab up a sandwich of bread, meat, and cheese.”

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Girl Rising—it’s here!

Posted on March 5, 2013 by maryjane

News flash!

In October, I wrote about a must-see movie in the works …

Remember? It’s called Girl Rising.

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The title grabbed me right from the get-go, and the more I learned about it, the more hooked I became. It’ll be an experience that none of us will want to miss.

Girl Rising was created by the 10×10 global action campaign for girls’ education in order to share the extraordinary stories of 10 girls from 10 countries who are fighting to overcome impossible odds on the road to realizing their dreams of education.

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photo-of-the-day

Posted on March 4, 2013 by maryjane

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My Strange Grandfather

Posted on March 4, 2013 by maryjane

Repurposing.

I love that word. Repurposing.

I could ramble on …

(well, I think I have over the years),

sharing how many divine objets de junk

I’ve repurposed into things pretty, functional, and simply, way cool.

From cowboy boot flower pots and purses to t-shirt rugs and gelatin mold wall sconces,

repurposing is a process that not only births the banal anew,

it also satisfies a deep craving we have for frugality and make-do.

But, instead of jabbering on about my love of junk all day,

I want to share with you another little treasure I found.

(I admit, it’s brand new. But it’s ABOUT junk.)

I’m smitten with a little film that was artfully animated by a Russian cinematography student named Dina Velikovskaya.

Dina’s images express the junker’s passion eloquently,

without uttering one. single. word.

All it takes is less than 9 minutes to experience My Strange Grandfather:

My Strange Grandfather from Dina Velikovskaya on Vimeo.

Project F.A.R.M.

Posted on March 4, 2013 by maryjane

Oh my, look what came in a box to us from two women seeking their Project F.A.R.M. (First-class American Rural Made) status. Get on over to their website and fetch yourself some certified rural-made goodies, all of them adorably farm themed. Chicken phone cover? Goat Chick mouse pad? Rooster soap? Crazy Chicken Lady key chain? Hen apron? (Actually, it’s called a “chicken saddle’ to be used when there’s some hen-pecking goin’ on, or worse, over-mating. Now admit it. That put a smile on your face.)

Travel diaper for your pet chicken or rabbit? They’ve got it all.

I’m thinking gifts. How about you? Here’s where you can can find Brenda and Mandie (mother and daughter business team) and their adorable rural-made creations, louisescountrycloset.com or LIKE them on Facebook.

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And check out this cup and cell phone case.

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Bee My Cure

Posted on March 3, 2013 by maryjane

Spring allergy season may seem like a distant glimmer on the horizon, especially if there’s still snow outside your window.

But, if you suffer from seasonal sniffles, you can actually start preparing now for a more peaceful encounter with pollen.

How?

Before the world bursts into bloom and sends you sniffling your way to the tissue box, be sweet to yourself and start indulging in a daily dose of honey.

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Pesky (and sometimes paralyzing) pollen allergies arise because of continuous over-exposure to the same plants. When honey bees collect pollen from the flowers of these plants, trace amounts of the pollen ends up in the honey that the bees create.

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So, when you eat honey that is produced in your local area, you consume tiny bits of the very pollen that causes problems. In this way, your body becomes accustomed to dealing with it gradually, which boosts immunity.

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Monthly Archives: March 2013

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