I watched a documentary series on Netflix that I hadn’t seen before: Made by Design—which features interviews with creatives like Demi Samande (photo below), the CEO of Majeurs Chesterfield, a furniture manufacturer based in the UK and Nigeria. I guess her company is the place to go if you want a $1700—$5,000 sofa. But what I found fascinating about this interview is the fact that Samande, an architect, turned to manufacturing furniture—particularly the Chesterfield style of furniture (click here if you have no idea what that is)—and opened a business with an international following.
Maybe she had moments where she wondered if her idea for the business wouldn’t work and maybe she should do something else. But that didn’t stop her from continuing to move forward toward success. She wound up restoring furniture for the prime minister in England not because she wasn’t sure she could do it, but because she knew that she could. She was invited to do so because of the excellence of her work.
Here is the vision statement of her company:
We envision a world where one will find a Majeurs Chesterfield piece in every home, office and public space.
I was fascinated by her interview, because as I look back over my life, I never once thought, I want to see a copy of my book in every home, office and public space. Please don’t read that as mockery. I’m simply stating my lack of a vision this wide. Mostly, I thought about working to pay rent or writing stories that are like safe havens for children. That sort of thing. Very ground level and unfocused.
I think what separates Samande and I is a mindset. I’ve never met her, so I am not 100% sure about this. But the results and the confidence she exuded during her interview speak for themselves. She comes across like, “I’m going to do this.” But I am often of the mindset, “I don’t think I can do this.”
I’m old now—a year older today in fact. But I know that low-level mindset needs to change even at my age. And no I will not reveal my age. But I know I need help from God to change. That may not be your way of thinking. But it is a truth for me.
How about you? What do you aspire to do? While you think about that, Laura Bruno Lilly get ready to celebrate. You are the winner of Moonwalking, the collaboration of Lyn Miller-Lachmann and Zetta Elliott!
Thank you to all who commented.
Chesterfield sofa from the Majeurs Chesterfield website. Photo of Demi Samande sneaked in by L. Marie.
Um, hi. I feel like I should reintroduce myself because of my recent disappearance. A huge revision editing project sailed away with most of my time. A bad cold (is there a good one?) had already swamped me. Added to that, the flu-like symptoms (days of that) from a shot and well, here we are.
So, how are you? You good? *Nods and shuffles like I do at a party when trying to make awkward small talk before giving up and going off to find food, preferably a cupcake.*
My birthday happened toward the south end of April. I couldn’t post about that until now. This is not a pitiful cry for birthday wishes, however. This birthday wasn’t a significant milestone. In fact I can only describe it by this emoji: 🤷
Ever since I left college (ages ago; Fred Flintstone and I were classmates), my need for birthday parties or excitement on my birthday has diminished. Oh this is not to say that kind friends and family haven’t taken me out or celebrated in some way (though the factors mentioned in the first paragraph prevented any sort gathering this year). But I no longer have the requirement of doing anything on my birthday.
How about you? Do you like having a big celebration on your birthday?
This post is my annual birthday giveaway weeks late. Traditionally, the giveaway involves a present similar to what I received. This year, I received a number of Amazon cards, so I will be giving away a $25 Amazon card (or the equivalent on Amazon UK) to one commenter.
And no, I am not giving away one of the actual cards I received. I spent that money! If you are anti-Amazon, and would prefer some other retail outlet, please let me know in the comments.
See, it was like this: I wasn’t looking forward to my birthday. Accepting that I have reached this age took time to process (and no I will not share what age). Not only that, the master cylinder on my car had just decided to quit working and was demanding a pension. And I had deadlines on the same day. And rejections.
Still, I felt celebrated thanks to the well wishes of family, friends, and acquaintances, and the many meals out that I have enjoyed with family and friends, one of whom treated me to this . . .
. . . . which graciously premiered on my birthday. OF COURSE I WON’T SPOIL THE MOVIE! What do you take me for? Stop shaking your finger at me, please.
So anyway, I came out of my pre-birthday funk, though the days after my birthday looked like this . . .
(Yes. You are seeing correctly. That is snow. I think of the past weekend as Revenge of the Sith or The Empire Strikes Back. Winter was determined to get the last word in when I told it to leave.)
Recently, I felt a nudge at my elbow. When I turned, I saw this:
Me: Um, what’s this? Henry: I’m giving you Boo Bear. Me(noting Henry’s trembling lips and teary eyes): I can’t take your bear. Henry (bravely): I want you to have him. He helps me when I’m sad.
I thanked Henry for the lovely gesture and decided to stop whining about birthdays and snow and master cylinders that conk out when I’m in the middle of driving.
Henry reminded me of the coping methods people use in challenging times. Henry has Boo Bear. Malik meditates on his own awesomeness.
Even Kitty chimed in with the fact that therapy has helped. In fact, she has enjoyed her sessions with her therapists, especially since she only has to pay them in Skittles.
What gets you through challenging times? Comment below to be entered into my birthday giveaway. What am I giving away? Certainly not Boo Bear. A $25 Amazon gift card. Nothing cheers me up like giving stuff away. I love to give presents similar to what I’ve received. So, it was either give a gift card or these:
Winner to be announced when I post next. (Sometime next week. Hopefully Monday or Tuesday.)
Avengers: Endgame movie poster from impawards.com. Other photos by L. Marie.
I saw Avengers: Infinity War last week. Please. You don’t have to leap at me to slap a hand over my mouth. As if you could reach me from where you are. This is a spoiler-free zone, so don’t worry.
There is so much hype surrounding this movie, that I don’t blame anyone for being a little fatigued. This post is not so much about the movie as it is a high five to Marvel Studios for the ten-year process leading up to the movie.
I’ve never had a ten-year plan for anything! Years ago, both of my brothers tried to get me to make a five-year business plan, but I flubbed it. I barely outlined novels! At the time, the thought of proposing enough novels or other writing projects to fill five years was
But now I see the value of at least coming up with a plan beyond my usual, “I just wanna write lotsa stuff.” I think about Charles Yallowitz and how weekly he discusses his writing plans. If you follow his blog, you know he sometimes he talks about his writing plans for the next year or so!
A good business plan really needs a good vision statement as well. (If you’re still in Marvel mode, you might be thinking of the character Vision. Ha ha!)
According to BusinessDictionary.com, a vision statement (also known as a mission statement) is
An aspirational description of what an organization would like to achieve or accomplish in the mid-term or long-term future. It is intended to serves as a clear guide for choosing current and future courses of action. See also mission statement.
If you’re curious, here is part of Microsoft’s vision statement:
Microsoft is a technology company whose mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. We strive to create local opportunity, growth, and impact in every country around the world. Our strategy is to build best-in-class platforms and productivity services for an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge infused with artificial intelligence (“AI”).
“To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.” Wow! Talk about a big goal. But that’s the value of a mission statement. It gives you something to work toward. If it’s achievable right now, then it’s probably not a big enough goal.
So, I’m working on a vision statement too. After all, I can’t get anywhere if I don’t have a destination or a plan for getting there. What about you? Got any long-term or short-term plans you’d care to talk about? Do you have a vision statement for what you want to do? While you think about that, I’ll move onto the winner of the birthday giveaway. Wondering what that’s about? Click here to read the post that announced the giveaway.
The winner of the birthday giveaway, thanks to the magic of the random organizer, is . . .
Is . . .
Is . . .
Is . . .
FictionFan!
But since this is my blog, I can have two winners. (Surprise announcement! Oh yeah!) So, the second winner is . . .
Is . . .
Is . . .
Is . . .
Penny!
Please comment below to confirm! FictionFan, I will need to get the email you use with Amazon UK at some point. Penny, if you have a preference for the items mentioned in the birthday post, please comment below to confirm.
Thank you to all who commented.
This is what’s great about spring.
Avengers: Infinity War movie poster from comicbook.com. Marvel Studios Ten Year logo from screenrant.com. Vizzini inconceivable image from quotesgram.com. Vision image from wpaperhd.com. Other photo by L. Msarie.
I had a lovely birthday last week, which was celebrated through phone and Facebook greetings, dinners, breakfast, and a tea party. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for having me! #Blessed
Yes, you really are seeing glowing flamingos decorating that present above. Fun, aren’t they? I’m not sure where they were acquired from by the friend who gave the present to me. If you are really curious, I will make inquiries.
As is my tradition, I’m giving away a present to a commenter. Here are a few of the ones I received.
While I won’t mail you my actual present, natch (the presents were given to me after all), you can choose an equivalent gift: the book, Stash Glazed Lemon Loaf tea (tastes just like the lemon loaf you might get at Starbucks), or a $15 Amazon gift card or its equivalent at Amazon UK. Just say which one you would like in the comments and you will be entered in the drawing. Winner to be announced next week (probably May 7)!
Eye see you!
Yes, this creepy tree is a haven for squirrels nearby. #Random
Babette is a little huffy, because she did not receive any gifts. So, she refused to pose for the camera, and instead gave me her stiff profile. If I didn’t already know she was an owl, I would swear she was a cat.
Today is my father’s birthday! Happy birthday, Dad! Since you enjoy good quotes and memorable sentences, this post is right up your alley.
Back in the day, sentences like this were all the rage:
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. From A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Don’t get me wrong. That’s an incredible sentence. It ranked number 9 on American Book Review’s list of “100 Best First Lines from Novels.” But with shorter attention spans these days, sentences like the above aren’t as much of a draw. See, there’s a reason why Twitter posts have a 280-character limit. (Though that used to be 140, so maybe things are changing? Anyway, Dickens’ quote is 611 characters with spaces.)
Why am I harping on first sentences? Because we’re told that a reader needs to be interested from the first sentence of a book. As I read in this article, “How to start a novel: First sentences, first paragraphs” (which you can find here):
When starting a novel, you have one goal: To create an inviting entry point into your story.
And your first sentence is that entry point, beckoning a reader to draw near. But it needs to hook the reader. An article by Jeff Vasishta entitled, “Opening Lines: The Most Important Part of Your Story” (written for the Institute for Writers) describes it this way:
A newspaper headline serves one purpose–to make you want to read the article beneath it. The opening sentence in a novel tries to do something similar. It should make you want to read the second sentence.
And the next, according to Mr. Vasishta.
One of my favorite first sentences in a novel comes from Three Times Lucky, a middle grade novel by Sheila Turnage:
Trouble cruised into Tupelo Landing at exactly seven minutes past noon on Wednesday, the third of June, flashing a gold badge and driving a Chevy Impala the color of dirt.
It has verve.
Olive the Ostrich and Babette the Owl have verve though they are not sentences.
It made such a good first impression, I had to read the second sentence, and then the first page. That being good as well, I finished the book.
What about you? What was the last sentence that really drew you into a book? Do you have a favorite first sentence to share in the comments below? If you’ve written a book, how many sentences did you go through before you landed on the sentence that starts your book?
Birthday image from sodahead.com. Photos by L. Marie.
Last week started off like a gentle breeze literally and metaphorically. The temperature was warm and inviting. I had a lovely time with Kate Hosford on the blog. (In case you missed that post, you can read it here.) And I read a beautiful post by Penny over at her Life on the Cutoff blog. The photos of colorful flowers paired with a poem by Robert Frost made a powerful and uplifting combination. (You can read that post here.)
My birthday happened midweek. I spent much of the day in a windowless room without wifi. I’ll say more on the why of that in August probably. I can’t discuss it now. In celebration of the day, a friend gave me flowers (below) and a ton of my favorite tea.
Inspired by Penny’s post, I went in search of flowers to photograph, but found many of them windblown and defeated looking.
The gentle breeze earlier in the week had turned cold and dreary, thanks to the relentless rainstorms that shoved their way into the area. Fitting weather for the events ending the week. First, a friend texted me to say that her mammogram resulted in the need for a biopsy of “something suspicious.” And then my sister-in-law texted to announce that her mother had been rushed to the hospital.
It doesn’t look good, she wrote. Less than half an hour later, I heard back from her: She’s gone.
Yes, sometimes, storms come.
Even if a loved one has reached old age after living many years in poor health, you still aren’t ready for that person to leave. But after taking turns with my brother to desperately give her mother CPR (no response) until the paramedics came (still no response) and watching the medical team at the hospital try to rouse her mother (no response), my sister-in-law reluctantly let go.
So that was the week—a grim reminder of the cycle of life: birth and death.
On Saturday, the friend who learned of her need for a biopsy handed me this hyacinth:
A reminder that though storms sometimes come, life goes on.
Speaking of life going on, thanks to the random number generator, Lyn Miller-Lachmann, you can expect a copy of How the Queen Found the Perfect Cup of Tea to come your way. Please comment below to confirm.
What do you see in the photo below? (This is not a trick question.)
When I asked two people that question, both said, “Two trees.” One added, “One with pink leaves, one with white leaves,” for extra credit points, I guess.
Now look.
It is one tree, or at least two that became so interrelated as saplings, that they are now one tree. Changes your perspective a bit, doesn’t it?
You’re probably waiting for me to correlate this image with diversity—the fact that we’re all different, yet we’re part of the same “tree”—humanity (humani-tree, I guess). When I began this post, I thought I was going to do that. But something else more obvious struck me: I walked by that same tree year after year, and never noticed that what I thought was one tree is really two until last week.
Observant much? Yep. That’s me. But sometimes, I get smacked in the face with something that’s always been there, waiting for me to finally take notice. Like a beautiful sunrise or a sunset I’ve been too busy to stop and admire.
Life surprises us in delightful ways, occasionally. Which is good, because lately, I’ve had enough of the bad surprises, like when I learned that a teen I know has to deal with cancer yet again—this time a much more aggressive phase, or when I heard of the sudden death of a friend’s mom. And there were other surprises that sent me reeling in the last few weeks. Even writing has been frustrating.
The blows we take in life can change our perspective too—toward the good or the bad. The choice is ours, of course. Unfortunately, I haven’t always chosen a good perspective. I struggled with that recently. Lately, I’ve felt like cracked clay. But breath-catching moments, like when I finally noticed the tree above, also are soul-sculpting moments. What do I mean by that? Moments when I feel my soul expand like clay taking shape on a potter’s wheel. In those moments, I’m reminded that beauty still exists in the world. And good surprises.
So, yeah, in the midst of a sobering week, I celebrated the fact that this tree surprised me. I also celebrated my birthday last week. Because I posted an author interview (and arranged for others), I didn’t post my usual birthday giveaway. But rest assured—there will be surprise giveaways in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a couple of photos of craft projects I’ve been working on in my spare time to unwind after a hard week—making doll furniture and crocheting friendly looking dragons (a change from the T-Rexes I had to crochet for a kid’s party weeks ago; patterns for fiercer looking dragons are not free, however). To make the doll sofa (it is about 7″ wide and 5″ tall), I watched a tutorial on a great YouTube channel—My Froggy Stuff. The sofa was made out of cardboard and a fabric remnant that I paid $1.49 for at Michaels. The pillows were made out of felt (39 cents at Michaels). The dragon came from a pattern that can be found here.
How have you been surprised in a good way lately?
Clay on the wheel image from somewhere on Pinterest. Other photos by L. Marie.
I’ll get to the birthday giveaway in just a minute. But first, this. . . .
In my quest to cut back on violent imagery (which I discussed in this post), I watched three movies with a softer touch. Two—The Secret of Kells(2009) and Song of the Sea(2014) were directed by Irish filmmaker/illustrator Tomm Moore.
Tomm Moore
Both were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
(To avoid overcrowding this post with trailers, the Secret of Kells trailer can be found if you click here. But only if you want to.)
Lego Batman has fight scenes so innocuous a five-year-old can view them without twitching. That’s not a criticism. I loved it and Tomm Moore’s gorgeously animated films.
The Secret of Kells is based on a real book—the Book of Kells, a medieval illuminated manuscript of the four Gospels on display at Trinity College Library in Dublin. It features Brendan, a boy living the monastic life in a walled village, where his uncle, the abbot, fears an impending attack by the Vikings. A visit from a famed manuscript illuminator sets Brendan on a life-changing journey. In Song of the Sea, Ben—one of the main characters—grieves the disappearance of his mother while avoiding his six-year-old sister Saiorse, who has yet to speak a word. Being sent away to live with a stern grandmother sets Ben on a journey of discovery about his sister and why their mother left.
Book of Kells Chi Rho page, which the film mentions
What I love about both films, besides the utter beauty of the art, is the exploration of Celtic mythology. Fairy stories are generally a way to gain my rapt attention. Brendan meets a fairy—one of the Tuatha De Danann. Ben thrives on stories of fairies and selkies.
Brendan with Aisling, the fairy Brendan meets in the forest
Ben (bottom right) with Saiorse (the little girl in the center surrounded by fairies)
In an interview at the GhibliWorld.com, Moore cited Hayao Miyazaki (Ponyo; Spirited Away), Genndy Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack; Hotel Transylvania), and Michel Ocelot (The Princes’ Quest; Tales of the Night) as influencers. (If you know Miyazaki’s work, you know that Studio Ghibli was founded by Miyazaki and another filmmaker—Isao Takahata.) If you’ve seen the work of these filmmakers, you know the beauty and scope of their projects. I have certainly appreciated their work over the years.
Hayao Miyazaki
Genndy Tartakovsky
Michel Ocelot
I know what you’re thinking. An attack by Vikings? Evil villains teaming up to destroy a city? (If you saw the Lego Batman trailer, you’ll know who the villains are.) Aren’t those violent acts? Yep. There are scenes of peril in all three movies. But the peril is definitely palatable for a young audience. The deliberately softened edges in some scenes help.
And that’s what I appreciated overall—the rounded edges. In his behind-the-scenes presentation, Tomm Moore talked about the deliberate choice to match the style of the Book of Kells by featuring circular imagery in many of the scenes. In his commentary, Moore described these images as “a little bit more friendly.” If you look back at the imagery on his films’ DVD cases and the other pictures above, you’ll see the rounded edges of the heroic characters. The antagonists, however, have sharp angles.
Moore is not the only one who has this opinion about rounded edges. I found this article on web design: “5 Colors, Shapes, and Techniques That Make Your Company Friendlier.” The writer, James George, states
[A]dding circular elements to your website can help to break the mold and make your website look friendly and more inviting.
Another article that talks about the inviting quality of rounded edges is this one.
I can’t say I know for sure what the thought process was behind Lego Batman. But Lego minifigs usually look inviting. In the film, many of the characters smiled a lot, which made them look, well, adorable.
I never explored the idea of rounded edges being friendlier until I began writing this post and heard Moore’s discussion. Perhaps that’s why I love the rounded tops of some Tudor-style doors. I don’t know about you, but I want to walk through these doors.
So that’s what I’ve been up to lately. I’m feeling much more relaxed—relaxed enough to announce the winner of the birthday giveaway. (If you’re not sure what I mean, go here.)
The winner, without further ado, is . . .
Is . . .
Is . . .
Penny of the Life in the Cutoff blog!!!
Penny, please confirm below, and provide an email address where you can be reached. Also, let me know your choice: coffee or tea.
Thanks to all who commented. Have a happy Avengers 2: Age of Ultron weekend!
Song of the Sea DVD cover from dvdsreleasedates.com. Secret of Kells DVD cover from mysfreviews.com. Tomm Moore from purepeople.com. Lego Batman from flicks.co.nz. Ben and Aisling image from twitchfilm.com. Song of the Sea still from cinemarcado.com.br. Brendan from cinematheque.fr. DC heroes from watchcartoononline.com. Doors from homecurbappeal.com. Genndy Tartakovsky from cn-cartoonnetwork.wikia.com. Hayao Miyazaki from cinekatz.com. Michel Ocelot from lejdd.fr. Avengers 2 logo from comicvine.com. Book of Kells Chi Rho page from-ireland.net
I woke up today to discover that Kitty and Jordie were missing.
This is Jordie and Kitty if you wonder who they are.
My first thought was to check my wallet for missing credit cards. Kitty is a supervillain after all, while Jordie is a bit impressionable. But they turned up eventually before I could alert the authorities. I was touched that they had enlisted the help of others to surprise me with this.
Awww. Makes me ashamed for having doubted their integrity.
Yes, it’s that time again. (Though by the time you read this, Monday would have rolled around, signaling an end to my birthday.) I enjoyed a number of good meals over the past week and weekend with friends and family. I have good leftovers in my refrigerator and fond memories.
Though it was my birthday, I want you to have a share in the loot. This is one of the gifts I received:
The coffee, rather than the crocheted car
The Caribou Coffee shops near me are now Peet’s Coffee shops. But Amazon and other stores still sell Caribou coffee.
Now let me tell you what I’m going to do. I will send to one commenter a 12-ounce bag of medium roast Caribou coffee and one of the above tiny crocheted cars. (I had to make a bunch of them for a child’s upcoming Hot Wheels-themed birthday party.)
The busy roadway and a Hot Wheels car I could not crochet
If you have a Keurig, um, sorry. I don’t have a Keurig. I’m giving away a gift like the one I received. Unfamiliar with Caribou? Don’t worry. Since I also received some Starbucks gift cards, I can have a bag of Starbucks ground coffee sent to you. Not a coffee drinker? I’m willing to send a box of Tazo or Harney & Sons tea—whatever Target sells—since that’s something I would supply for myself with a gift card.
Comment to let me know what you would prefer (Coffee? Tea? Nothing?) or what your favorite morning beverage happens to be. I’ll announce the winner on April 30.
Tazo tea from javaestate.com. Harney & Sons tea from luxebc.com. Peet’s logo from glutenfreeville.com.
El Space--The Blog of L. Marie 