My quest continues, to improve my health, my life, my surroundings. I have recently been making some changes around the house, utilizing the age-old practice of feng shui to improve our surroundings. Feng shui must be big in the British Isles, because three out of five of these books on this list were written by Brits. I’m not sure if that means anything, but it is interesting that most of the books that I am picking up to research the subject turn out to be […]
Poppin’ Up in Westeros
While there has been a lot of internet speculation (and outrage) over the latest Game of Thrones episode, “Breaker of Chains,” I have been preoccupied with a new acquisition, the Game of Thrones: A Pop-Up Guide to Westeros. Designed by renowned paper engineer Matthew Reinhart and illustrator Michael Komarck, the book is a blast, with not just the cool buildings that populate the fantasy series, but lots of fun pop-up surprises and pull-out guides to all of the warring houses from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels and […]
A Grimm-moire Guide to Portland’s Creepiest Residents
Grimm is a television show that has been running on NBC since the 2011 fall season. Part procedural cop show, part fantasy, the series follows Portland homicide detective Nick Burkhardt, who is descended from a long line of hunter/protectors known as Grimms. After his Aunt Marie is killed, Nick inherits the family business, from her extensive weapon collection to some super-human abilities. Grimms have the ability to see Wesen, creatures with animal characteristics that live among humans. Many Wesen are dangerous to humans and prey upon […]
Cameron Diaz loves her body (and yours, and yours, and yours …)
“Oh great,” you might think, “Another celebrity diet book.” But Cameron Diaz has taken a different spin with The Body Book: The Law of Hunger, the Science of Strength, and Other Ways to Love Your Amazing Body. Yes, it will most likely garner interest because of its celebrity association. But Diaz is not interested in anyone who might pick up this book to not eat or eat less or grab it as a quick guide to losing weight. She wants to celebrate bodies — hers, yours, […]
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes with Feng Shui
I am definitely on a quest this year, to improve my health, my life, my surroundings. I have been making some changes around the house, trying to eliminate clutter and make our environment more eco-friendly as well as aesthetically pleasing. Our home life is still in a bit of disarray — this is a months-long project — but I am hopeful that by mid-Spring I will finally get my home as I want it, which will have all sorts of great effects on our lives. […]
Good Food Can Be Fast
As an addendum to an earlier post, I picked up a cookbook, Gordon Ramsay’s Fast Food, by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay from our local library. Like Ramsay himself, it is bold and basic in nature. His recipes, from dishes featured on his television seriesThe F Word, range far over various cuisines, but all seem pretty possible to accomplish, as long as one has the right ingredients. Each recipe can be completed in less than an hour, too. The recipes are all designed to be easy peasy (once […]