Hello dear friends,
Thank you for all of your wonderful birthday messages. I truly appreciate them. I am coming to you with The Chic Assignment Check-In for July.
Chic Assignment no. 1 André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra. André Rieu has done a wonderful service to the world of classical music. I am linking another stellar performance of The Beautiful Blue Danube. Mr. Rieu's Johann Strauss orchestra provide such joyful performances to watch. In today's video I also go over the life of Johann Stauss II, who was known as the "King of Waltz". I would love to know... did this month's music selection also bring you joy?
Chic Assignment no. 2 We explored the world of Emily Dickinson this month and if you haven't already seen my unexpected Emily Dickinson makeup and hair tutorial, you can check it out here.
If you would like to know more about Emily Dickinson's life, here is a short documentary that I found interesting on YouTube.
I read Emily's poem, A Bird came down the Walk in today's video.
A Bird came own the Walk (328)
by Emily Dickinson
A Bird came down the Walk—
He did not know I saw—
He bit an Angleworm in halves
And ate the fellow, raw,
And then he drank a Dew
From a convenient Grass—
And then hopped sidewise to the Wall
To let a Beetle pass—
He glanced with rapid eyes
That hurried all around—
They looked like frightened Beads, I thought—
He stirred his Velvet Head
Like one in danger, Cautious,
I offered him a Crumb
And he unrolled his feathers
And rowed him softer home—
Than Oars divide the Ocean,
Too silver for a seam—
Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon
Leap, plashless as they swim.
Emily often wrote about nature and, even though she was a homebody and actually spent the majority of her latter years never leaving her family home, she loved the garden and observing nature as is evident in this poem, with its keen observations. I hope you enjoy our discussion of Emily's work in today's video.
Chic Assignment no. 3 Be mindful of (mindless) snacking. This month, I noticed the times when I did mindless snacking. I tend to mindlessly snack when I am stressed, tired (at the end of the day), or when I fail to plan properly for meals. Chapter one of Lessons from Madame Chic discusses this in more detail. I would love to hear your experience with mindless snacking.
Chic Assignment no. 4 Give a compliment. Did you give a compliment this month? How did the recipient respond? How do you respond when you receive a compliment? I received a compliment from reader, Lisa R. below:
Dear Jennifer,
I saw your challenge for July. Or, maybe it was June, and I am late to the party! :) Well, either way, here is my compliment: You have done a wonderful job setting up your YouTube channel. It is a benefit to women and I have learned a lot from it. By way of explanation, I am a Mom of 7 who has *no time!* for anything. Yet, I find myself watching your videos and feeling very encouraged to make the time, for my sake and for my family's. It is worth it. Thank you. What a lovely gift you are giving to others.
Many thanks,
Lisa Ramirez
Thank you, Lisa! I am grateful for your compliment!
I am grateful for all of the compliments and kind messages I have received on the blog and (I know I say this all the time), but THANK YOU to everyone who has written to me on my author website. I am so sorry that I am not able to respond to the majority of the emails I receive. I'm just in that busy season of life with my children and have to minimize computer time. Thank you so much for understanding.
News
📍PRE-ORDER my new book, CONNOISSEUR KIDS, which comes out September 10th from Chronicle Books.
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📍Thank you to my dear friend, Nikki Moreno, for designing the end cards for my YouTube video. Nikki has a wonderful YouTube channel and Etsy shop. Be sure to check her out.
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Comment of the Week
Sherry H. writes, "Excellent presentation! When my grands were younger I used to spread a picnic tablecloth and set out food similar to that being consumed in whatever story we were reading. My grandchildren adored the preparation and eagerly anticipated reading time. To this day they recall those story times with fondness."
Hi Sherry, I loved reading the memory with your grandchildren. That type of quality time is what memories are made of. Thank you for leaving your comment!
I hope you enjoyed this check-in. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. I will see you soon!
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