I live in a small, 1,000 sq. foot condo I like to refer to as The Love Shack. That’s right, as in Love Shack, baby!!!
When I moved into my husband’s condo after we eloped, it was stuck in the late 80′s, complete with the signature 80′s textured ceilings, sponge-painted bathrooms, and light fixtures we all love to make fun of. For some crazy reason, I never took pictures of the old lights, probably because they frightened me a bit. Over the past years, we’ve done some home improvements, and turned this 80′s love shack into a much nicer looking home.
My favorite home improvement, next to the new air conditioner, of course, was our new light fixtures. Lights are something affordable to replace, and could be done by my husband’s own hands, saving us even more money. He worked his butt off replacing everything, and I think the results are fabulous. Out of everything we’ve done, I think replacing the lighting probably made the biggest impact in the looks department of our condo.
Here you can see my ceiling and hallway lights, which I love to call the nips, for obvious reasons.
This is our kitchen ceiling fan. My kitchen looks a 1,000 times better with this fan, as out last one was a cheap $20 brass and white plastic fan that can only be described as a disaster waiting to happen.
This is our bedroom ceiling fan. My only regret is that I didn’t replace it sooner. Spending 5 weeks in bed after my hysterectomy, staring at the old, loud and probably dangerous ceiling fan made me go a little crazy. This fan, however, is a joy to look at and listen to, since it is so quiet I can barely even hear it.
Our downstairs bathroom lights, which I love, but are slightly crooked because whoever designed this love shack in the first place put in a few things on an angle. Hubby tried his best to fix it, and you can barely notice it, unless you have OCD like we do.
And, our upstairs bathroom lights, which took me 2 years to find on the internet, because I was not going to pay full price for authentic wrought iron.
We only have one more kitchen light to replace, and that is only because I don’t know what to install in its place. Any suggestions?
I think you should be reading Simon Van Booy because he is fabulous, both off and on the page. I had the pleasure to read his first book last spring, and then meet him a few weeks later during BookExpo America week in New York. In person, he is sweet, smart, considerate, and a real gentleman. On the page, he’s even more dreamy than his photo.
Whenever I read a book by Simon Van Booy, I turn into my 20-year-old love-sick, dreamy, hopeful, former English major self. I don’t see the side of myself much these days, being an old, numb and jaded hag of 40, broken down by a genetic condition that causes multiple chronic illnesses. If that wasn’t enough to steal my soul, I’m also struggling with my unemployment and the dysfunctional family demons that continue to haunt me, long after I’ve moved out of the ghetto. After I read a Simon Van Booy book, I feel a little more alive, shiny and loving, if that makes sense to you. Simon has this rare gift of talking about life and love that very few authors have ever shown to me. And, if Van Booy’s words can move me as much as they do, being in the state of pain and negativity that I am these days, then certainly you normal, well-adjusted book nerds out there are going to go absolutely nuts over him. I believe with all my heart that anyone in need of a few moments of joy must read his books. The Secret Lives of People in Love and Love Begins in Winter were two of the most beautiful books I have ever read.
Simon Van Booy has 3 new books out, Why Our Decisions Don’t Matter, Why WeNeed Love, and Why We Fight. These books, edited as a trilogy, explore the three important questions that smart women and men have been trying to answer for years. Van Booy has edited these collected works and does a brilliant job of introducing the topic of each work:
I believe that philosophy is a subject we have a natural gift for, but a subject often regarded as one with no practical value – and closed to anyone outside the walls of universities. I am committed to the idea that these central questions of life are part of our everyday lives – that we all possess the skill and agility to tackle them, and that by pondering them, we can experience more fulfillment in our relationships, in our work, and in how we view ourselves.
One celebrated aspect of literature is that unlike the ambitious exactitude of science, literature is often ambiguous - meaning that two people might have very different ideas about what a play, poem, or book is about. While at first this implied vagueness might seem detrimental to literature, it’s one of its sustaining virtues, and allows people from different cultures, and even different time periods, to learn something about their own lives from a single story.
Why We Need Love not only shows you how people have viewed love over time, but it will illuminate (or perhaps darken) your own beliefs about love, by using works about evolution, loneliness, erotic love, and maternal and brotherly love. In this collection, you’ll find the inspiring works of Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, John Donne, William Blake, George Eliot, Emily Dickinson, O. Henry, W. B. Yeats, James Joyce, E. E. Cummings, Anais Nin, Marc Chagall, J. Krishnamurti, and others. As I suspected, this was my favorite book of the trilogy, being a secret romantic and all.
The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.
–Mother Teresa
Sensuality often makes love grow too quickly, so that the root remains weak and is easy to pull out.
–Friedrich Nietzsche
Why Our Decisions Don’t Matter totally inspires philosophical debate. These collected works talk about fate, God, and how we will all find death in the end. Each one has some reason on why our decisions, in the end, don’t matter, and how that might be a good thing. Let me try to push this book on you in s simple, pop culture way–If you loved the tv show Lost, (which of course, I did) then you’ll love this book. In this book, you will find works from Homer, Sophocles, Horac, Shakespeare, Rembrandt, Voltaire, Blake, Dickinson, Twain, Rilke, Camus, Kerouac, Sarte, Borges, Beckett, and others. I really enjoyed this book, almost as much as I did Why We Need Love.
… a man can do as he will, but will as he will.
–Arthur Schopenhauer
The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.
–Mark Twain
Why We Fight is a thought-provoking look at the reasons why we fight (and don’t fight), by looking at biology, evolution, religion, and the environment. It is amazing to me that words written thousands of years ago still ring true today. In this book you will find the works of Sophocles, Tacitus, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, William Shakespeare, Emily Bronte, Abraham Lincoln, Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo, Walt Whitman, Friedrich Nietzsche, Oscar Wilde, James Tissot, James Joyce, General George Paton, and others. Another great philosophical book, but perhaps my least favorite of the trilogy, which came as a surprise to me.
You shall not treat the people with arrogance, nor shall you roam the earth proudly. GOD does not like the arrogant showoffs.
–The Koran
No matter how much cats fight, there always seem to be plenty of kittens.
–Abraham Lincoln
I can’t say that all three of Van Booy’s books were easy to read. But I feel you can certainly handle them. These books weren’t difficult by no means, but I did have a bit of trouble with Konrad Lorenz’s On Aggression. What I can say is this–isn’t anything worth reading supposed to be not easy to read? Shouldn’t a person take a few moments to think about what they are reading, rather than just breezing through it. Aren’t all of the important things in life a bit hard to understand, like love and war? I promise you, your mind will thank you if you decide to read any Simon Van Booy book. Don’t you owe your mind a good book every once in awhile?
Simon Van Booy was born in London and grew up in rural Wales and Oxford. After playing football in Kentucky, he lived in Paris and Athens. In 2002 he was awarded an MFA and won the H.R. Hays Poetry Prize. He is the author of The Secret Lives of People in Love and Love Begins in Winter, which in 2009 won the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. He is the author if a children’s book, Pobble’s Way, and the editor of three philosophy books entitled, Why We Fight, Why We Need Love, and Why Our Decisions Don’t Matter, and his essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Guardian, and on NPR.
He lives in New York City where he teaches at the School of Visual Arts and is involved in the Rutgers Early College Humanities program for young adults living in under-served communities. His work has been translated into ten languages.
His debut novel, which I can not WAIT to read, Everything Beautiful Began After, will be released in the United States, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom on July 5, 2011.
Visit Indiebound to purchase a copy of Why Our Decisions Don’t Matter, Why WeNeed Love, Why We Fight, Pobble’s Way, The Secret Lives of People in Love andLove Begins in Winter today.
As a Detroiter, I’ve loved Sammy Hagar ever since I heard Montrose’s Rock Candy on WRIF (or maybe it was WLLZ) for the first time. My god, just listen to Sammy back in the seventies.
I think it was one hell of a song, and I’ve followed Sammy wherever he’s went. I loved his solo stuff before Van Halen, and Dick in the Dirt is one of my favorite early 80′s songs.
Then again, so was I’ll Fall in Love Again.
And, my god, how I loved Can’t Get Loose, which was like my mini-theme song back then.
When Eddie Van Halen announced at Farm Aid that Sammy was joining the band, I thought it was a match made in heaven. I loved my original band, but if Dave was gone, I was happy to hear my man Sammy was joining Van Hagar Halen. 5150 was a fabulous album, the sort of epic we’re back album that might only be topped by Back in Black by AC/DC. Can you believe it’s came out 25 years ago this week? I can’t ever listen to Summer Nights without thinking of high school, in particular my freshman year when that song was all the rage, and of course, because that was also the year I got to see Sammy and Van Halen in concert for the first time.
When Van Hagar broke up, reunited, and broke up again, I was devastated, because I knew it had something to do with Eddie Van Halen, and not Sammy, who was a cool, laid back guy. Eddie had been my teenaged crush–I even wore a heart pendant with Eddie’s picture in it. I had my walls plastered with VH posters, and even planned to move to California when I was 18, of course only after changing my last name to Van Halen.
So, when I learned that Sammy was planning on writing a tell-all book about his life in music, I knew I had to read it. I’ve been dying all of these years to know what happened between Sammy and Eddie. I can’t tell you how happy I was that It Books sent me a copy of Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock to review for my blog. I knew Sammy’s tell-all was going to be THE tell-all of all tell-alls, and it was. The man doesn’t know how to keep a secret, and I like that about him! This book is just filled with fabulous sex, drugs, and rock and roll stories.
You want to hear great sex stories? Then read Red, because Hagar shares with his readers that during Van Halen shows, Eddie, Alex, Michael and Sammy each set up tents under their stage, and while their concerts were going on, they would each sneak off to their individual tents to have sex with groupies that were rounded up by their roadies. Sammy even goes on to say that he was having sex with at least 5 women a night, every night, night after night. Yikes!
Wanna hear about drugs? Again, Red is where you’ll find out dozens of tales of Sammy and his fellow musicians smoking, drinking, snorting and shooting up everything they could get their hands on. Even Eddie was injecting liquified pieces of his tongue and shooting them into his body. Apparently, that was how he believed he saved himself from tongue cancer.
You want to read good rock ‘n’ roll stories? In Red, you’ll read tales of Sammy’s musical adventures, as he’s played with everyone from Montrose to Van Halen, The Grateful Dead, Toby Keith, Chickenfoot, Kenny Chesney and of course, David Lee Roth. OMG, you will die when you read the David Lee Roth stories!
What I love most about this book is that Sammy comes from humble beginnings. He worked his ass of for many years before finding huge success with Van Halen, but his life has continued to be filled with high and low moments. He comes across as a regular type of guy, despite living in the rock ‘n’ roll world. Sure, Hagar made a lot of money with his tequila business and bar in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. But he also had a mentally ill first wife, he had an abusive, alcoholic father, come from a poor family who picked fruit and raised chickens, and toured for years with other bands before making any money, not to mention suffering through the loss of his beloved friendship and partnership with Eddie Van Halen.
I love all the little stories Sammy shared with his readers, like the times when he gets pulled over for speeding. You may remember his famous anthem, I Can’t Drive 55, which put him on the map once that video aired on MTV back in the mid-eighties. I loved hearing how excited cops were to pull him over, only to let him go, esp. this one cop who had been looking for him and pulled Sammy over while he was driving the same car he was driving back in the video. If I was a cop, I probably would do the same thing, too.
Even though I’ve been a fan of Sammy’s since the late 1970′s, this book isn’t just going to appeal to his uber fans. My husband heard our local radio station (Drew & Mike) talk about this book, and he was so interested in what they had to say (before I had a chance to tell him), that he picked up my review copy and started reading it, even though he hasn’t touched a non-electronic book in nearly a year. Sammy Hagar is simply fascinating, and I read this book while listening to all of his albums, which made it extra-fun for me. If you plan on reading this book, I suggest you do the same, especially since this book is #1 on the NYT Best Sellers list today. If you haven’t considered reading this book, I suggest you go out and buy a copy RIGHT NOW.
I am so tired of watching bad television! Who in the heck is making the decision to air these programs? Back in the glory days of tv, I had dozens of great shows to watch each week.
Today, all we have is glorified game shows, entertainment programs, or reality television featuring white trash Italians, rich housewives, divas at any age, or people with fat asses.
I decided it was my duty to list the 40 worst shows on tv today, just in case someone out there who produces these programs honestly thinks that these shows are entertaining. Trust me, they aren’t. These shows are dumb, bland, tasteless, and people are simply forced to watch them because nothing else is on during that time slot, or worse, people are too lazy to change the channel.
If it were up to me, I’d yank every single show off the air immediately. I’d rather watch reruns of Friends than watch one more show staring a Kardashian.
I have extremely dry skin, due to an autoimmune disease called Sjogren’s Syndrome. As I’m also a big reader, so I touch a lot of paper, and by the end of each day, my hands can look a little scary. I’m not thrilled to show you this picture, but I must.
Having dry skin isn’t pretty, and I’m forced to normally apply 3-4 different types of lotions on my hands, feet and body every day, multiple times a day. I’ve tried dozens of lotions and creams in my lifetime, and I’ve struggled to find the perfect bottle of lotion that soothes my sensitive skin. At this moment, I have 13 full-sized bottles of creams and lotions in my bathroom, and 4 smaller bottles next to my bed and couch. When it comes to lotion, I am very demanding, and I’m always on the lookout for that one lotion that doesn’t smell bad, absorbs and heals the way it should, and is pleasing to my touch, as I also have a Sensory Integration Disorder due to also having Fibromyalgia.
Recently, Skin MD sent me a bottle of their Skin MD ™ Natural lotion to try. Skin MD Natural was designed with over 7 years of research and 741 test batches, resulting in a shielding lotion that is 6 times more moisturizing than the industry standard. Skin MD ™ Natural is a face, hand and body shielding lotion that is used and prescribed by dermatologists. Skin MD ™ Natural is non-greasy, has no fragrances, no parabens, no petrochemicals & no dyes, and it’s also vegan, cruelty free & eco-friendly, as it is made in a facility that is 100% solar-powered.
I didn’t have any expectations when first trying out Skin MD™, and the first thing I noticed while applying it is that this lotion is thin, not thick and greasy, and glides on like water, which is something I am not used to at all. I should also tell you that I put on way too much my first time, so keep in mind that one small squirt goes a long way. Skin MD™ is one of the only lotions that I have ever used where the lotion complete absorbed into my skin almost immediately, and didn’t leave behind any residue.
I started using Skin MD™ last week. The directions state to use it every 2 – 8 hours, until moisture level improves, then just once every 12 – 24 hours. I applied it every few hours the first five days, then twice a day over the weekend. By last night, my hands, legs and feet looked much better and were softer than before I started using the lotion. Just take a look at my before and after results in the photo below. I’m really pleased with Skin MD™, and will continue to use their lotion in the future. If you suffer from dry skin, or super dry skin like me, I am telling you must try out this lotion, because you deserve to have smooth, healthy skin!
Since I also have Rosacea and a connective tissue disorder that involves a loss of collagen, I didn’t try Skin MD™ on my face, even though it is made to treat Rosacea. (Shame on me.) In my defense, I have to wear a special medicated cream on my face, as well use other collagen-infused products. However, I am interested to know if this product works just as good on a typical face or a Rosacea-affected face, so if you’ve used it on your face, please let me know. Skin MD™ Natural has also been found to be very effective on a variety of dermatological conditions, including eczema, psoriasis, skin allergies, skin problems caused by hormone imbalances & other dry skin conditions. Check with your physician if you have any questions about whether Skin MD™ Natural is the right skin care product for your skin condition.
Skin MD ™ also comes in a SPF 15 formula. Why not order your own bottle of Skin MD™ online now, or in a store near you.
SKIN MD™ GIVEAWAY – 1 WINNER WILL RECEIVE A FREE BOTTLE
RULES:
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**Must include your email in your comment, unless you signed in to leave a comment with your “real” email.
**All comments must be separate to count as separate entries. For example, if you follow me on Facebook and Twitter, leave 2 comments, one with your Facebook name, and one with your Twitter name. Or, if you posted about the giveaway on your blog, leave 5 comments, all with the link to your giveaway.
**Mandatory Entry:Visit SkinMDNatural.com and leave me a comment telling me telling me something fun or interesting about them or their products.
+1 MORE ENTRY: Becoming a fan of Skin MD on Facebook.
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+1 MORE ENTRY:Follow me on Facebookand share a link on your wall with the following commentI entered The Girl from the Ghetto’s Skin MD giveaway here http://bit.ly/g9zofs. Make sure to leave a comment below with a link to your Facebook profile or with your Facebook name.
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+1 MORE ENTRY: Follow me on Twitterand tweet the following RT @NerdGirlBlogger I entered the @Skinmdnatural #giveaway here http://bit.ly/g9zofs. You can tweet 4x a day (Once every 6 hours) for even more chances to win. Make sure to leave a link to your tweet in a comment below.
+1 MORE ENTRY: Subscribe to my blog via email or Feedburner.
+1 MORE ENTRY: Enter one of my other giveaways and tell me which one you entered.
+1 MORE ENTRY: Comment here and tell me whyyou need to win this giveaway! Do you have dry skin? Or, do you just love winning free stuff?
+5 MORE ENTRIES: Write about this giveaway on your own blog as a separate blog post. Make sure to post a link to this giveaway, as well as a link to my main page, http://thegirlfromtheghetto.wordpress.com. And, don’t forget to leave me 5 copies of your link via comment here.
Contest ends Friday, April 1, 2011 at midnight. Good luck to you all!
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