This trifecta means my office is my safe place. I love my office. There are a few things I would change. Like a bigger, comfier chair. Or adding a funky lamp. If I’m not binge watching TV or cooking, I’m in my office.
I like my home to be as comfortable and cozy as it is light and airy. For me it’s a combination of dark and bright, heavy and light, fluffy and stark, cute and functional. Everything serves a purpose. Sometimes that purpose is bringing a smile to my face. I don’t want my office to just be comfortable for me; it has to be a place Beau enjoys being. Wherever I am, she also is.
I have a desk away from the wall but far from being in the middle. A papasan is nestled into a bay window. I used to have Beau’s Serta dog bed in the bay window, but she refused to sleep in it there. I like to keep the floor as open as possible so Beau can run in and out and play with her toys on the floor while I work without me getting in her way or vice versa. I ended up moving her dog bed next to my chair, up against the bookshelves because she could touch me and see out the window at the same time.
The other day, my friend brought me flowers. I put them in my office because I love how much life they bring to the room. She gave me the best compliment: It’s so calm. Ugh. Yes. That’s my aesthetic. Calm. Probably not. Between my high energy and Beau’s energy, calm is not the immediate aesthetic of my home, but when I walk into my office, I do feel calm. Beau doesn’t, but it is truly our safe space.
bisous und обьятий, Beau and RaeAnna
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Worth a Read Most Definitely Length 304 Quick Review Sarah McBride is a transgender woman active in politics living her life to the fullest. I was in happy and sad tears the whole book!
I believe change happens when people are moved by people’s stories. There is power in a story. Sarah McBride opens up in Tomorrow Will Be Betterabout her story as a trans woman, a person, a wife, and an advocate. People are more than one adjective; they’re many. Sarah is more than a trans woman. She is a woman with a beautiful, uplifting, and heartbreaking story. If you read this without being moved you’re a gargoyle. I was in happy/sad tears the entire book.
The book starts with a forward by Joe Biden, which is very touching.
Sarah McBride grew up in Delaware and is a “stateriot.” I just love that term because I feel a little bit like a stateriot for my home state: Iowa. She fell in love with politics at a young age and worked on the governor’s campaign before graduating high school. In college at American University, she won student president. Before her senior year of college, she came out to her campus as transgendered. The university embraced her for who she really is. To officially mark the birth of Sarah, she threw a party asking everyone to bring things to fill her brand new closet. (This is such a smart idea! A complete wardrobe change is expensive. Especially as a woman.) After college, she stayed in Washington D.C. working for trans and human rights. She fell in love with the man who would become her husband. Tomorrow Will Be Betteris an apt title for a book full of hardship dripping in hope.
The book focuses on two major parts of Sarah’s life. The fight for trans rights in Delaware and her journey with her husband, Andrew.
Sarah fought and helped pass the marriage equality bill in Delaware. In an unprecedented move a bill to include and protect trans people was passed a month after the marriage equality bill. Sarah was an integral part of passing that bill and bringing other trans people to Delaware’s Congress so their voices could be heard. I remember hearing about this in the news, and it was moving then.
Sarah and Andrew fell in love during her senior year at AU after meeting at a White House dinner. They dated for a year, when they found out Andrew had cancer. Sarah stood by and helped him through the journey. It is a heartbreaking story proving the power of love.
More than anything, I appreciated Sarah’s honesty and her voice in Tomorrow Will Be Better. Being a white, trans woman is a unique perspective. She went from being perceived as a white man with all the privileges that implies to living as her true self, a woman. The experience was incredibly jarring, “I never realized just how disempowering, unsafe, and unsettling it would feel to have a stranger assume they were entitled to comment on my appearance or my body.” The implications of being a woman in the world and being a trans woman in the world are complicated and ultimately dangerous. Transphobia combined with toxic masculinity are dangerous.
Trans rights are incredibly misunderstood if they’re understood at all. For the people who do accept people for who they are, it can come as a surprise the absolute lack of right trans people have. For the people who don’t accept them, it’s (hopefully) from a lack of education. Sarah explains the hurdles trans people face and how it compounds when they are not accepted, a minority, in poverty, etc. Sarah explains so many aspects of the trans experience without anger or judgement. She is patient and kind with a general attitude and hope that Tomorrow Will Be Better. She touches on privilege, names, documentation, medical awareness, and so much more.
This is an incredible story. Sarah McBride is an inspiration. I highly recommend the beautiful memoir, Tomorrow Will Be Better, to anyone who wants to learn, feel, and strive for hope.
Memorable Quotes “”If we cannot change our college, then how can we expect to change our country.”” “There is a unique kind of pain in being unseen.” “Somehow society manages to treat women like both a delicate infant and a sexualized idol in the same moment.” “I felt a moral responsibility to use that privilege and those relationships to subvert the power of prejudice.” “For many of us [trans people], though, we are reluctant to give out that information because it often becomes weaponized against us, invoked instead of our chosen name to ignore and deny our gender identity.”
Read Yes Length 176 Quick Review Nikita Gill transforms traditional fairy tales into beautiful pieces of poetry in Fierce Fairytales extending beyond the stories we are familiar with. Reading this was supremely satisfying.
This is one of those tiny books that pack a powerful punch. Fierce Fairytalesby Nikita Gill is an intense 176 pages of poetry. She uses traditional stories to talk about issues affecting today’s world. It is a seriously feminist undertaking, but she advocates for men and women within the pages.
The stories are retellings. Although, I wouldn’t call it a traditional retelling. Some provide background, others new perspective, and some are epilogues. The women in the stories are strong without need of being saved. They are powerful yet underestimated. The women manipulate men the only way they can – the way women did for centuries – by allowing them to believe the women are in need of saving all the while gaining more power and confidence in themselves.
Gill uses fairytales to discuss abuse of many kinds because abuse is extremely present within them to begin with, but since we grew up with them as normal, we view them as acceptable behavior. Some of the abuse Gill touches on in Fierce Fairytalesis gaslighting, rape, domestic violence, abandonment, and more. There is also a lot of focus on racism; how people of color feel they and their struggle has been forgotten by the world and society.
The book is a book of poems, but some of the poems are written in prose form. Even her prose has a beautiful cadence to it. Her syntax, language, and rhythm pulls you in deeper as you read. The poems are often paired with illustrations, which pull the reader into the story even more. The combination is stunning. It is reminiscent of Rupi Kaur’s poetry in the sun and her flowers(read my review: here).
One of my favorite things about Fierce Fairytalesis the complexity of it. Gill forces the point that nothing is simple, black-and-white, cut-and-dry. Life and abuse are complicated issues. People have reasons and motivating factors behind their actions. Abuse leads to abuse is a running theme through the book. In one story, Gill explains Cinderella. In the following story, Gill takes on the perspective of the evil stepmother. This juxtaposition reveals the complexities of life; showing people are not born evil.
Fierce Fairytalesis a piece of literature, which will stick with me for quite a long time.
Buy on Amazon | Buy on Book Depository
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Memorable Quotes “Princes fail all the time.” “First and foremost, girls are survivors.” “A clever woman is more lethal | than a freshly crafted wand,” “anxiety makes more heroes than history would care to repeat.”
Read Yes Length 256 Quick Review Stephen Hawking isn’t an anti-social genius. He’s brilliant, no doubt. He’s also witty, sarcastic, charming, and completely relatable in his book Brief Answers for the Big Questions, published posthumously.
I had a wonderful time reading Brief Answers for the Big Questionsby Stephen Hawking. This is the first book I’ve read by Hawking. I read it on airplanes on Thanksgiving day, so the only break I took was walking between terminals. It’s a book that pulls you in and keeps you even if science isn’t your thing.
I was under the illusions Stephen Hawking was a one of those scientific geniuses who I’d be unable to have a conversation with because he’s that much smarter than me. Except that’s exactly what feels so wonderful about Brief Answers for the Big Questionsthe intimacy of it. It’s a conversation between Hawking and the reader. He doesn’t shove science and math down your throat; instead he is warm, funny, charming, and absolutely relatable.
His sense of humor is evident from the very beginning. The forward is by Eddie Redmayne, who played Hawking in the movie The Theory of Everything. Hawking is funny, blunt, and very self-deprecating “Eddie Redmayne plays a particularly handsome version of me…” It makes him even more admirable in his humility. The word “surprised” was used far too often when Hawking discusses his successes. Even though he was brilliant and earned everything he had, he seems completely shocked looking back at the things he accomplished.
There are very few things non-sciency people will need to look up because Hawking does not drown the reader in things they probably are unfamiliar with or equations. He wants Brief Answers to the Big Questionsto be accessible to all. He talks about theories and equations with a sense of humor because he’s talking to people not scientists. M-theory – I did look that up- and Einstein and quantum mechanics and The Big Crunch “In Britain, people don’t seem too worried about a possible end twenty billion years in the future. You can do quite a lot of eating, drinking and being merry before that.” are all there but understandable. It’s not just science, though. He constantly references everything from history, science, philosophy, literature, and pop culture ie: Jurassic Park, Star Trek, etc.
Has funny little Q&A’s throughout the chapters. They usually sum up in a sentence or two his personal feelings about the overarching question being asked in the chapter. My favorite being the Q&A on page 141 when he mentions throwing a party in 2009 for legitimate time travelers. It culminated in him sitting alone in the college hall because he sent out invitations after the party was over to ensure there would be no phonies
I learned that Non-Euclidean geometry exists. Had I known this before, I could have been a total smart ass in formal geometry in high school. I found out triangles do not have to add up to 180° in flat three-dimensional space, but space would be curved and therefore non-euclidean. New information!
I highly enjoyed the small little jabs he made throughout including, “If there are beings alive on Alpha Centauri today, they remain blissfully ignorant of the rise of Donald Trump.” I don’t have to wonder too hard how he felt about the election.
Brief Answers to the Big Questions is highly entertaining. Hawking answers the questions, but really he’s just posing more. He is FULL of huge ideas. It’s absolutely amazing all the things he accomplished in spite of the obstacles he overcame. One of my favorite quotes is in the last pages of the book, “Opening up the thrill and wonder of scientific discovery, creating innovative and accessible ways to reach out to the widest young audiences possible, greatly increases the chances of finding and inspiring the new Einstein. Wherever she might be.” I love his inclusivity and call to action while simultaneously empowering the young women and men of today.The last two paragraphs are inspiring and a call to action and empowering.
Lucy Hawking, his daughter, summed up the sentiment of who he seemed to be through his own words in her own afterword, “He was a surprisingly modest man who, while adoring the limelight, seemed baffled by his own fame.” Reading Brief Answers to the Big Questionswas an absolute pleasure. Professor Hawking will be greatly missed for generations to come.
Memorable Quotes “Although, if there were such a God, I would like to ask however did he think of anything as complicated as M-theory in eleven dimensions.” “We don’t expect the universe to end in a brick wall, although there’s no logical reason why it couldn’t.” “This is a pity because, if they had, I would have got a Nobel Prize.” “The producers of Star Trek even persuaded me to take part, not that it was difficult.” Particle Accelerators: “They would have to be larger than the solar system and they are not likely to be approved in the present financial climate.”
Read Maybe Length 304 Quick Review Pat Barker retells the Iliad in The Silence of the Girls from a new and forgotten point of view: the women. Briseis was queen of a city before it fell making her a slave to Achilles.
We know the story of Helen of Troy. We know of Helen through the stories of men. What about women? Where were they? What is their story? They were lost to history, so Pat Barker gives them a voice in The Silence of the Girls through Briseis, a queen who fell with her city.
Briseis was still a teenager and a queen of a neighboring Trojan city when the Greeks attacked her city. As a little girl, she lived in Troy spending time with Helen. She was a proud Trojan woman. She watched everything and everyone she cared for destroyed by the Greeks led by Achilles. She became a slave to Achilles in the Greek camp outside of Troy. Briseis is used as a pawn and as a woman, but she listens and watches. The Silence of the Girlsis Barker’s take on what the women, who were barely old enough to be called women, went through as victims of war. Pawns of men.
The women in the camp have one role: serve the men. They do it in a variety of ways: being “bed-girls,” working in the medical tent, weaving, and serving. They go where they are told, when they are told, and they do it silently. They are no longer women; they are objects with a purpose. They were a fundamental reason the Greeks won the war.
The Silence of the Girlsis told mostly from Briseis’ perspective. There are minor chapters told from Achilles’ perspective. Briseis is strong and broken and full of disgust for her owners and situation because who wouldn’t be. BIG BUT. Briseis is the flattest character in the novel. The side characters were far more interesting. Briseis showed almost nothing but disgust the women who were fond of their captors. Achilles was the enemy, but he was complicated as all humans are. As a woman with a past of abuse, it’s far more complicated than the simplicity of emotion that Barker illustrates in Briseis. Stockholm syndrome is real and complicated. In a world where there is very little kindness, Briseis was on the receiving end of a lot of kindness, which would affect how she felt about her captors, but it just doesn’t in the novel. Barker really needed to dive into the psyche of an abused woman, and she didn’t.
I’ve seen The Silence of the Girlsreferred to as a masterpiece. It’s good, but it’s not that good. The emotions fall flat for the situation. The Washington Post’s reviewsaid the only remnant of Briseis’ past as a queen is a tunic of her father’s and that Pat Barker upends the storytelling of famous women, who have the most privilege. Except this isn’t true at all. Barker is telling the story of a privileged woman. Briseis was a queen and a young, beautiful one at that. She was Achilles’ concubine because she was a queen. A “prize.” Had she been a woman of lesser or no status, she would have been one of the women scavenging under tents and dying with the rats. Briseis complained of her life as a slave, but even her atrocious status as a “bed-girl” was much better than women of lesser status. She was not beaten. She was not passed around. She was not starved. She was not on the receiving end of so many possible horrors. There is no gratitude for that, and victims of abuse always, always, always see how it could be worse. Briseis doesn’t.
I truly did enjoy reading The Silence of the Girls. It was a really entertaining book to read with the right amount of mysticism and historicity. It could have been more, though. It could have been a triumph for abused women. Instead it fell flat.
Memorable Quotes “Oh, I watched him all right, I watched him like a mouse.” “Men carve meaning into women’s faces; messages addressed to other men.” “How on earth can you feel any pity or concern confronted by this list of intolerably nameless names.”
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Title: The Silence of Girls Author: Pat Barker Publisher: Doubleday Copyright: 2018 ISBN: 9780385544214
I love fashion. I have always loved looking my best. When I was in 2nd grade, I was frequently called into the front office because my outfit was “adorable” and needed to be seen. I always dressed up in middle school, high school, college, and the corporate world. Now I work from home, so I don’t get dressed unless I have a pressing reason to go out into the world. As a blogger, I have a reason to look nice when I’m content creating.
I’m also a tall girl. I’m 5’10”, and that comes with its own shopping and dressing complications. Cute shirt… if I were four inches shorter. Awesome pants! Where’s the flood? Pretty dress: DO. NOT. BEND. OVER. The list goes on. Every once in awhile, I’ll be sharing my favorite outfits, which are tall girl friendly.
Since I started this blog (and long before in my personal life) people have been complimenting and asking where I get my clothes. I figure, I might as well start writing about! Maybe make a little money. Even when I’m not writing about fashion, I will be linking my outfits in all of my posts!
I’ve never been much of a t-shirt girl, but when I found this one on Amazon, I knew I needed it. It is very, very me! Books, Coffee, Dogs & Social Justice??? I mean how much more me can a piece of clothing get?!? You can buy it here. It’s less than $16!!! You probably need it too if you’re following along.
I love over-the-knee boots. I never owned a pair until last year. These black otk boots are so cute. They literally go with everything from jeans to skirts to dresses; you could probably pull an Ariana Grande and wear them with shorts. I’m not that confident. I got these on JustFab, and they are definitely worth it.
I love Express because their clothes range from classic to trendy, and they’re more likely to fit me than other retailers. I bought this great blazer there. I love pairing them with jeans, but it would also work great to the office or really any occasion. The jeans are from Abercrombie & Fitch. They’re high waisted and super skinny; more importantly, they’re super comfortable. I have worn them a ton and washed them almost just as many times. (Really, who washes jeans EVERY time?) They have held up so well!!! The houndstooth silk scarf in my hair is from Forever 21. It’s a fun little accent.
The highlight of this outfit is for sure the graphic tee. I loved strutting my stuff in this outfit. I was really comfortable, but felt like the bad-ass boss babe I am trying to be!
