Entries Tagged 'Books' ↓
September 7th, 2010 — Article, Books
Excerpted from Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn?, by Pamela Keogh, to be published in October by Gotham Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc.; © 2010 by the author.
1. DURING TIMES OF STRESS, YOU …
a) go for a walk on the beach.
b) meditate.
c) pour gin in your tea.
2. FOR YOU, SEX IS …
a) uncomplicated and fun!
b) a way of saying, “Thank you.”
c) a means to an end.
3. BEFORE YOU MEET A MAN FOR DINNER, YOU …
a) shave your legs.
b) run a Dun & Bradstreet on the guy.
c) break out your tippy-tallest Manolos and hope for the best.
4. YOU WAKE UP EVERY MORNING …
a) with your day completely planned.
b) and do whatever you feel like.
c) turn to the person next to you, and say, “Hello, dear.”
5. YOUR CHILDHOOD IS SOMETHING …
a) not discussed.
b) to be celebrated.
c) you’ve been running from your whole life.
6. YOUR FATHER …
a) loved you and gave you confidence.
b) was Clark Gable.
c) taught you to throw a football.
7. YOUR MOTHER …
a) scares the hell out of you.
b) left you all of her Balenciaga and Schlumberger.
c) secretly loves your little sister (you know, the “pretty one”) more.
8. AFTER YOU SLEEP WITH SOMEONE FOR THE FIRST TIME, HE …
a) offers you the lead in his movie.
b) asks you to marry him.
c) has a Cartier bibelot on the breakfast tray.
9. IN YOUR OPINION, MONEY IS …
a) everything.
b) no, we mean it—everything.
c) not that important—as long as you have a roof over your head and Veuve Clicquot in the fridge, you’re cool.
10. MEETING YOUR FUTURE MOTHER-IN-LAW FOR THE FIRST TIME, YOU …
a) convert to Judaism.
b) brush up on your French.
c) eschew underwear.
11. FORMER BEAUX KEEP UP WITH YOU …
a) on Facebook.
b) on the front page of The New York Times.
c) they don’t. They’re still devastated by the breakup. They’ll never get over it. Never.
12. YOUR BEST FRIEND IS …
a) your roommate from prep school.
b) your hairdresser, makeup artist, stand-in, publicist, housekeeper, majordomo, Peggy Siegal—or some varying combination.
c) just you, baby. Just you.
VF.COM EXCLUSIVE QUESTIONS
13. WHO SAID, “ALL MEN ARE RATS AND CANNOT BE TRUSTED?”
a) Jackie’s father, John “Black Jack” Bouvier
b) Gloria Steinem
c) Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot
14. WHO SAID, “JUST GIVE ME CHAMPAGNE AND GOOD FOOD AND I’M IN HEAVEN AND LOVE”?
a) Oprah Winfrey
b) Ina Garten
c) Marilyn Monroe
15. OF THESE MODERN-DAY CELEBRITIES, WHO IS THE LEAST MARILYN-ESQUE?
a) Madonna
b) Scarlett Johansson
c) Lindsay Lohan
Answers at VanityFair.Com
August 26th, 2010 — Advice, Books, The Husband
Don’t sulk when things go wrong. If you can’t help being vexed, say so, and get it over.
Don’t say she needn’t stay up for you. You know she can’t sleep until you are safe at home.
Don’t hesitate to mention when you think your wife looks especially nice. Your thinking so can give her no pleasure unless you tell your thought.
Don’t forget to trust your wife in everything – in money matters; in her relations with other men . . . Trust her to the utmost and you will rarely find your trust misplaced.
Don’t call your wife a coward because she is afraid of a spider. Probably in real danger she would be quite as brave as you.
Don’t scoff if your wife wants to drive the car.
Don’t rush out of the house in such a hurry that you haven’t time to kiss your wife goodbye. She will grieve over the omission all day.
Don’t ‘talk down’ to your wife. She has as much intelligence as you colleague at the office; she lacks only opportunity. Talk to her of anything you would talk to a man and you will be surprised how she expands.
Don’t sneer at your wife’s cookery or bridge-playing or singing, or indeed, anything else she does.
Don’t increase the work of the house by leaving all your things lying around in different places. If you are not tidy by nature, at least be thoughtful.
Don‘t try to regulate every detail of your wife’s life. Even a wife is an individual, and must be allowed some scope. – “Don’ts for Husbands and Wives, 1913″
July 22nd, 2010 — Books, Kids
April 30th, 2010 — Books, Etiquette
Drew Barrymore did it. Angelina Jolie did it. Britney Spears and Courtney Love and Whitney Houston did it. Well, those last three seem to be going back and forth between doing it and not doing it—but my point is that it’s completely possible to go from being a train wreck to being a good girl.
Look at the cases of those first two: Barrymore and Jolie. These two fine young beauties came back from a world of vices (Barrymore had a substance abuse problem and was in rehab before she was a teenager; Jolie’s adolescent tales were sordid, involving vials of blood around her neck and making out with her brother), and transformed themselves into caring, nurturing, smart women who are now world-famous actresses and, perhaps more importantly, great role models. Joining them is a whole roster of successful young women who rehabilitated themselves, from First Lady Betty Ford to actress Eva Mendes, to former reality show devil Nicole Richie.
Here’s why I bring this up: Even if you’re a train wreck, even if as you’re reading this book you’re drunk at a store and thinking about stealing it so you can trade it for a cigarette in the parking lot, there’s still hope for you. Even if you drink too much or pole dance to pay for your cell phone bill, you don’t have to be destined to an emotionally painful, liver-damaging, yellow-toothed, overly tattooed existence. Everyone has had a vice. Without fail, everyone still has one. (The person who tells you he or she doesn’t have any vices is lying—in fact, dishonesty is a vice in and of itself.)
Abraham Lincoln said, “A man without vices is a man without virtues.” So don’t lose sleep over your past. After all, part of youth is growing up and learning from your mistakes. Though your mistakes shouldn’t be so damaging they’re permanent: Don’t do something so toxic as a young woman that when you’re older you have a seizure every time you hear a bell ring; don’t pump your body with so many chemicals that when you have babies later in life they come out with three heads and twelve fingers.
But don’t beat yourself up, either. Even if you are a mess, even if you have become the type of girl no one respects, even if you are a tramp—it’s never too late to turn yourself around and become a lady. There is such a thing as second chances. (And third and fourth, for that matter.)
Here’s the thing: The perfect childhood doesn’t exist. Temptation is as old as time; or at least, the history of temptation extends as far back as the moment Eve gave Adam that serpent’s apple. But what sets the lady apart from the tramp is the ability to acknowledge she needs to clean up her act—and then, of course, the fact that she actually does clean up her act. Living a better life is an important decision, and one you have to make for yourself (no one else can make this decision for you, and it’s crucial to remember that you can’t make the decision for someone else, either).
Some of my best friends here in New York have pasts I have a hard time reconciling with the people I’m close to now. But I wouldn’t change them— or their pasts—for anything in the world. Their experiences are what made them the people they are today.
And perhaps more importantly, their experiences have provided me with some of the most amusing stories I’ve ever heard. – Whitney Vargas for Elle.Com
April 27th, 2010 — Books, Wedding
Melissa Anderson Sweazy was a bride. When she learned that historically, the groom positions himself next to the bride so that he can hold her with his left hand and draw his sword to defend her (and himself from angry family members coming to reclaim her) with his right, she realized she needed to learn more. She did. A zillion wedding fun facts later she wrote this book called “Veiled Remarks: A curious compendium for the nuptially inclined.” $13.00, Amazon.Com
April 27th, 2010 — Books, Wedding
Sometimes, the bride’s support system needs a little support of her own—and who better to turn to than the wedding experts at Town & Country? This indispensable guide will help any bridesmaid fulfill her duties with elegance, grace, and complete confidence. It explains, in a clear and practical way, what her position entails, the proper etiquette for carrying out her tasks, and even crisis management. The Bridesmaid’s Companion covers contemporary concerns, such as the appropriate (and inappropriate) use of email, bachelorette and shower ideas, and financial tips for getting through a sometimes-costly process. And, because the book is organized chronologically, with time lines, checklists, and strategies, nothing will get lost or forgotten in the excitement. Highlighting the practical and informative text are anecdotes from former bridesmaids about their most memorable attendant moments…and reflections from real brides on how their bridesmaids helped make the big day so special. $14.00, Amazon.Com
September 27th, 2009 — Books, Quotes, The Husband
“So You’ve decided to have a child. You’ve decided to give up quiet evenings with good books and lazy weekends with good music, intimate meals during which you finish whole sentences, sweet private times when you’ve savored the thought that just the two of you and your love are all you will ever need. You’ve decided to turn your sofas into trampolines, and to abandon the joys of leisurely contemplating reproductions of great art for the joys of frantically coping with reproductions of yourselves. Why?”
– Bill Cosby
August 29th, 2009 — Books
The Second I got out of the Film “Julie and Julia” I Instantly wanted to buy her book about her time spent living and cooking in Paris. Unfortunatly when I went to Barnes and Nobles, the book I was searching for had the terrible images from the movie on the cover. Why do Publishing companies find it nessescary to butcher the cover of a classic book by putting actors of the movie on the cover. No I do not want to see Meryl Strep on the Cover of Julia Childs book…. I want to see Julia Childs on the cover of her book. Enter Amazon.com… I found a hardcover copy from 2006 with the orginal cover art. ( like shown above ) I got it in the mail yesterday and I’m as happy as a clam!
Available at Amazon.com for 16.95
July 16th, 2009 — Books, Kids
“All right, Noah, dear. It’s time to leave,” says Noah’s mom. Noah has other plans. “No,” he says. And then says it again. And again. And each time, his nose get crazier and crazier. A shattered, red-colored No! matches his rage, while a small, cursive no encapsulates his blithe obstinance. That’s just for starters: Warburton features two nos per page, then quarters that into four nos, then nine. The goofy creativity multiplies along with the refusals—Noah says Nyet wearing a Russian hat, O-nay as a pig, Negative as a robot, Hon’-Ka-Zhi from a tepee, and even uses hieroglyphics and Morse code dots and dashes. The pastels of the watercolor-and-pencil art quickly explode into a colorful chaos that concludes with the entire cast of Noahs singing “Nooooooooo” in a chorus. It’s a lot of fun and will feel familiar to any parent up against a child’s tireless opposition, and kids (maybe) will recognize their own silly stubbornness. The educational use of various languages extends the book’s age range a bit, too.
Harper Collins Publishing
$17.99
July 16th, 2009 — Babies, Books
This amusing shower or new baby gift celebrates the ups and downs of breastfeeding and gives the rapidly growing number of breastfeeding moms something they can really use–a good laugh!
Of the approximately four million women who give birth each year, 70 percent will choose to breastfeed. This delightfully funny book helps those 2.8 million nursing moms laugh out loud, learn with unexpected tips and trivia, and de-stress during the most exciting new phase of their life.
$12.99
July 1st, 2009 — Advice, Books
Words of wisdom for a happy marriage from nearly a century ago…The advice comes from a set of guidebooks on marriage written on the eve of the First World War…Penned by Blanche Ebbutt in 1913, they were first published at a time when women stayed at home while their husbands went out to work. Times have changed since then, but the advice could be considered as relevant today as ever.
I was so thrilled when I read an artical about these very fascinating books in Vanity Fair last year. And was actually shocked when I found them on amazon.com over the weekend. ( and very cheap a little over 4.00 for each ) These Books paired would make an amazing engagement or wedding gift. I’m still searching for first editions of both.
DON’TS for Wives:
DON’T let him have to search the house for you. Listen for his latchkey and meet him on the threshold.
DON’T try to excite your husband’s jealousy by flirting with other men. You may succeed better than you want to. It is like playing with tigers and edged tools and volcanoes all in one.
DON’T expect your husband to be an angel. You would get very tired of him if he were.
DON’T bother your husband with a stream of senseless chatter if you can see that he is very fatigued.
DON’T forget to wish your husband good morning when he sets off to the office. He will feel the lack of your good-bye kiss all day.
DON’T moralise by way of winning back the love that seems to be waning. Make yourself extra charming and arrange delicious dinners which include all your husband’s favourite dishes.
DON’T be jealous of your husband’s bachelor friends. Let him camp out with them for an occasional weekend if he wants to. He will come back all the fresher and full of appreciation for his home.
DON’T say, “I told you so” to your husband, however much you feel tempted to. It does no good and he will be grateful to you for not saying it.
DON’T let breakfast be a “snatch” meal. Your husband often does the best part of his day’s work on it and the engine can’t work if you don’t stoke it properly.
May 5th, 2009 — Books, Cooking, Mothers Day
What, exactly, do “ladies who lunch” eat at their posh parties? Dishes from “Park Avenue Potluck”– a recently released collection of personal recipes from New York’s top hostesses. Compiled by food writer Florence Fabricant and members of The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the book presents foolproof dishes for successful entertaining.
April 26th, 2009 — Books
February 1st, 2009 — Books, Cooking
Making your baby’s or toddler’s food needn’t be time consuming or complicated – and it allows you to control the quality of ingredients, taste and freshness. Written by Lisa Barnes, this cookbook takes all the guesswork out of cooking for young children. Each age-specific chapter features fresh and wholesome ingredients that are perfectly tailored to a growing child’s needs, from 6 months onwards. This essential volume begins with cereal grains and simple vegetable and fruit purees, then moves on to chunkier foods, and finally to real meals. Tempting photos and sound advice enhance the 80 recipes. Softcover, 143 pages. A Williams-Sonoma exclusive. $19.95 
As a mother of three, Jessica Seinfeld can speak for all parents who struggle to feed their kids right and deal nightly with dinnertime fiascos. As she wages a personal war against sugars, packaged foods, and other nutritional saboteurs, she offers appetizing alternatives for parents who find themselves succumbing to the fastest and easiest (and least healthy) choices available to them. Her modus operandi? Her book is filled with traditional recipes that kids love, except they’re stealthily packed with veggies hidden in them so kids don’t even know! With the help of a nutritionist and a professional chef, Seinfeld has developed a month’s worth of meals for kids of all ages that includes, for example, pureed cauliflower in mac and cheese, and kale in spaghetti and meatballs. She also provides revealing and humorous personal anecdotes, tear–out shopping guides to help parents zoom through the supermarket, and tips on how to deal with the kid that “must have” the latest sugar bomb cereal.
But this book also contains much more than recipes and tips. By solving problems on a practical level for parents, Seinfeld addresses the big picture issues that surround childhood obesity and its long–term (and ruinous) effects on the body. With the help of a prominent nutritionist, her book provides parents with an arsenal of information related to kids’ nutrition so parents understand why it’s important to throw in a little avocado puree into their quesadillas. She discusses the critical importance of portion size, and the specific elements kids simply must have (as opposed to adults) in order to flourish now and in the future: protein, calcium, vitamins, and Omega 3 and 6 fats. $14.99
February 1st, 2009 — Books, Cooking
The French baby-food maker that has won praise throughout Europe is finally available to American families. This compact countertop appliance multitasks as a steamer, blender, warmer and defroster to prepare fresh, healthy meals for baby. It starts by steam cooking vegetables, fruits, meat and fish in less than 15 minutes, preserving their vitamins and flavors, then purees or blends them to your desired consistency. You can also use it to quickly reheat or defrost precooked foods. $
149.95
Simplify treating your baby to a variety of healthy homemade meals. This BPA-free silicone container is designed with 2-oz. cups for freezing seven favorite sweet or savory foods. Its airtight plastic lid preserves their fresh flavors, textures and nutrients. At dinnertime, the individual frozen portions slip out, ready for reheating in the Beaba Babycook or a microwave oven. Microwavable and dishwasher safe. 8 1/4″ diam. $19.99
January 30th, 2009 — Books, The Husband
J crew’s debut Men’s Guide by Max Blagg, featuring 50 Essential principles or minor Refinements for the way men live.
$20.00 Dollars at J-crew.Com
January 9th, 2009 — Books
January 4th, 2009 — Books
My mom gave me this book for Christmas! It’s been on my wish list for quite a while…. I absolutely love it and it answers every question I could ever possibly have about orginization and cleaning! Already I’m Driving my flatmate crazy, Re- orginizing every room in the house and scrubbing it clean. What can i say, Martha Just inspires me!
Folding a Fitted Sheet
This Technique yields a fitted sheet that will lie flat in the linen closet.
(Instrustions are for a right handed person; reverse them if your left handed)
With the sheet inside out, place one hand in each of two adjacent corners.
Bring your right hand to your left, and fold the corner on your right hand over the one in your left, so the corner on top is right side out. Next, reach down and pick up the corner that is adjacent to the one that was in your right hand (it wil be hanging in front), and the fold over the other two corners; this third corner will be inside out.
Bring the last corner up, and fold it over the others so it is right side out.
Lay the sheet on a flat surface and the shape as shown. Fold two edges in, so all the elastic is hidden.
Fold the strip of fabric into a rectangle. Continue folding until the rectangle is the size you want.
November 10th, 2008 — Books, Sex
Good Sex had great health benefits: So if you have a good sex (Meaning Better Quality and Quantity) life can lead to the following:
* You can look 7 – 12 Years younger
* Your Immune system is 33% stronger
* You can have a 50% decrease in heart disease
* You can have Less stress and Less Insomnia
* Sex is also a great pain reliever, Orgasms are great for relieving cramps and headaches.
One mistake couples make is that they think sex should happen naturally, Dr. Berman says. But that’s not always the case. “Especially if you’re in a long-term relationship, you’re always going through ebbs and flows physically, socially and environmentally,” she says. “You can’t expect everything to be working perfectly all the time. You’ve got to fine-tune things along the way.” Dr. Berman says couples need to keep gender differences in mind when striving for a good sex life. Men take an average of 5 to 10 minutes to reach orgasm, while women need about 15 to 20 minutes. “If men are a microwave oven, women are a slow-burning stove,” she says. “It’s a big difference.”
Over 60% of women fantasize about being dominated. Because its beyond your control and your being forced to surrender. Because most women have trouble letting go and relinquishing power. She came up with the idea of a “surrender date” Where your husband makes all the decisions and has all the control. He will decide what you wear, where you eat, Etc.
Also Start Kissing your Husband for 10 Seconds everyday, Instead of that standard quick peck. How can regular couples improve their own bedroom behavior? Dr. Berman says it starts with a kiss. “Kissing is so important and goes by the wayside so quickly,” she says. “Remember in the beginning of a relationship, you can’t stop making out with one another? Women, in particular, love that. It’s part of their erotic template —what turns them on.”Dr. Berman has a homework assignment to help couples get in the mood. “Start giving your partner a 10-second kiss at least once a day,” Dr. Berman says. “You’ll be surprised to see what a difference it makes and how long it feels compared to what you normally do.”Dr. Berman says the emphasis should be on kissing for the sake of kissing. “The only time that women get kissed in a long-term relationship is when it’s a prelude to sex. So you want to make it not about sex but just about kissing,” she says. “
Available at Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble 25.00
Or Oprah.com For More Information.
October 20th, 2008 — Books
I came across this book and found it utterly hilarious. Although it doesn’t come out till the end of October, It just might be this decades “The Rules.” So for those women out there who are just dying for a proposal… This book just might be for you.
What’s a gal to do when her man’s giving her everything she wants except a ring? This irreverent guide will help the marriage-ready woman evaluate the severity of her not-so-ready man’s excuses for delaying marriage and sharpen her abilities to dismantle them. With a funny but firm hand, Lori Uscher-Pines, who herself maneuvered for a ring from her now-husband, offers the reader serious tips for securing a marriage proposal from the excuse-ridden, free-milk-gulping man she loves.
Buying the Cow in the Age of Free Milk includes:
*How to know if it’s really time to push for a ring
*The difference between me excuses, you excuses and institution of marriage excuses
*The “severity” scale of common male excuses, and the associated tactics for changing his mind
*Behavior fouls not to make on the quest for a proposal
Pushing for a proposal is about female empowerment, and this must-have guide will help the reader take control of her personal life without giving up the romantic, “then-he-got-down-on-one-knee” moment she’s always imagined
October 9th, 2008 — Books
Discription: Tired of chicken on Wednesdays and sex on Saturdays, Wifey is hungry for change. Then one morning, a mysterious motorcycle flasher reveals himself to her and brings her frustrations into rigid focus! Wifey sees her wildest fantasies taking flight, and she has an itchy–and uncontrollable–urge to catch up to them!
Judy Blumes “Wifey” Is a great Fall read! It became an instant classic of mine. Below are a few of My Favorite Qoutes from the Novel…
“Myra Let Sandy try on her Engagement Ring and from that moment on Sandy’s goal in life was to become Engaged.”
“Make His interest Your interests. Make His Friends your Friends. When He’s in the mood Your in the mood. Dress to please Him. Cook to please Him. What else matters? A Happy Husband is the answer to a Happy Life.”
