book ends

Lauren Stacks has moved!

2012-01-19T19:57:00.002-06:00

[Image Credit]

Lauren Stacks (and her blog) has moved! Please visit

http://laurenstacks.wordpress.com

to read up on Lauren's writing life, adventures in Chicago,

and, of course, for pictures of her adorable pup, Frankie.

xo,

Lauren Stacks

Halloween Wisdom (from a 7-year-old)

2011-10-31T10:08:00.002-05:00

Recently, I had a conversation with my buddy, Will, who is 7-years-old. I hang out with him a few hours a week before and after school, until his mom gets home from work. He's often wise and always funny. (A few weeks ago, we were at the zoo, and he told me I should "Sit down and take a load off.")

Our conversation went something like this:

Will: "What your favorite holiday, Lauren?"

Me: "Christmas!"

Will: "Christmas... ugh. Why Christmas? Everyone knows Halloween is the best holiday!"

Me: "Well, I guess Christmas because you can see your family and decorate and of course there are presents."

Will: "Halloween is better."

Me: "Why's that?"

Will: "Every other day of the whole year, I have to be a 7-year-old boy. On Halloween, I can be any thing I want to be. That's why."

Me: "Wow, Will, that's deep."

Will: "This year I'm going to be a smurf."

---

Happy Halloween! ... and may you be any thing you want for this single day.

L. Stacks

Image Credit.

I'd Like to Read:

2011-09-14T10:11:00.001-05:00

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Two magicians fighting to the death. At a circus. And she's compared to Niffeneger!

(My only worry: too similar toThe Hunger Games?)

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Cancer cells still living today from a woman in 1951

& the story behind the woman and her family.

Science. Storytelling. Ethics.

(I love a book that had a good amount of research going into it.)

Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay

Since I was ten years old, I've wanted to read every possible thing

about the Holocaust that I can get my hands on. This is no exception.

(That probably sounds weird, but the Holocaust is a subject

that always has fascinated me. And WWII in general.)

The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard by Erin McGraw

A woman flees Kansas to reinvent her life in LA.

In the early 1900s.

Based loosely on the author's grandmother's life.

Sounds like my cup of tea.

Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

Gators. The everglades. Gators.

A quirky little girl. Who fights gators.

Did I mention gators?

Have any of you read these? Which one should I start with? (It would help if I owned some of these, but I guess that's what Amazon Prime is for. Or the library. Or, if I were a good writer with an unlimited bank account, Barnes and Noble.)

Happy Reading,

L. Stacks

::One Year::

2011-09-04T12:06:00.002-05:00

Today marks one year since T & I said our vows and started our life together!

It seems strange for me to say that it's only been one year since we started our life together because we've actually been together for six years, ever since we met during our freshman year in college, and I can certainly say that our life together started all the way back then. You see, even back then, all those years ago, there was never any doubt that he was exactly what I needed.

And after our first year of marriage--which was filled with lots of great times and too many really hard times--I can honestly say that I have come to depend on my husband more than I ever thought I could. After our first year, I'm even more positive that because of him, I'm exactly the person I am meant to be. He has supported me through so much in the past year, and has kept me smiling and upbeat even when I just wanted to curl up in a little ball.

I'm so excited to start our second year as husband and wife--I have a really good feeling about this next year--and I know that with each year that passes I'll continue to need and love my husband more than I ever realized that I would a year ago.

To sum it all up: I'm so happy for our life together.

Happy anniversary, T.

[Photos by Hello Love Photography]

XX,

L. Stacks

P.S. For more wedding photos, click here, here and here.

Office Work (AKA a new job!)

2011-08-22T16:00:00.000-05:00

A week from tomorrow, I will officially be an adjunct professor teaching a freshman English composition course for two classes this fall. Needless to say, my days have been filled with planning, syllabus-writing, scoping out texts, and already lots and lots of photocopying. My home office is a little... messy (to say the least!) and so I've been finding myself searching out soothing office spaces that I hope can inspire me for when I get a chance to finish organizing my own workspace. Some images follow:

Sources: (Pinterest) 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Any favorites? XX

L. Stacks

New Apartment Sneak Peek

2011-08-19T11:24:00.004-05:00

Since moving into a new-to-us apartment in the adorable little Chicago neighborhood of Andersonville almost two months ago, we've spent plenty of time making the apartment our new home (all while finishing my novel and house training a puppy!). Today, I thought I'd share with you all a few sneak peeks of the apartment's decor. Take a peek:

Have a great weekend,

L. Stacks

book ends book list: Water for Elephants

2011-08-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

5. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

This kind of book is one of my favorite kinds of books. Meaning, I love books that are about something that I didn't know much about before--books that can inform me, or teach me something, so to speak. This is why I have always loved historical fiction, why I was obsessed with reading books about the holocaust when I was ten years old, and why I recently wrote a historical novel of my own.

Water for Elephants takes place during the depression, and is about a traveling circus: namely, the veterinarian, a showgirl, and an elephant. All in all, I found it an engaging read, and loved learning about what life in the circus would have been like in the 1930s. I know that this book has been getting a lot of hype lately (between it becoming a motion picture, and the fact that lots of people were claiming it one of their favorite books) and so I was probably expected a little too much from the book when I picked it up. (Although, in hindsight, I rarely ever love the books that are later made into movies, so it should have been a good sign.) While I enjoyed the book, it definitely was not a story that I think I'd reread over and over again. And considering how interested I was in the details of circus life, I found myself disappointed in the lack of depth of some of the characters. The heroine, Marlena, felt flat to me, and as much as I wanted to love her as much as Jacob, the main character, did, I just couldn't do it without more development on the part of the author.

All in all, this was a decent read, and while I'd recommend it to most of my friends, it isn't a book that I would necessarily call a work of art. However, it did make me wish that I'd been to the circus as a child (or even now, as an adult...)

Happy reading,

L. Stacks

P.S. I have one more book review coming later this week or next, AND I've been reading a monster of a book, but I'm almost 3/4 of the way through :)

Vacation Photos: Grand Island, Michigan

2011-08-15T21:40:00.001-05:00

Hello friends! I'm back to the grind after a week off hiking, backpacking, and camping in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. We spent the week on Grand Island, in crystal-clear Lake Superior, among the lovely Pictured Rocks, and amid black bears (though sadly, we didn't catch a glimpse of one). The mister, his sister and her husband and I all strapped on 25-35 pound packs and hiked around the circumference of the island. We spend our days hiking and swimming in the cold waters, and our nights around the campfire eating (actually delicious) dehydrated food. On our last day on the island, we hiked nearly 15 miles! It was surprisingly relaxing to work so hard during the day, and to be so far from every day reality. Here are a few pictures from our trip:

All ready to start our adventure

(in Munising, MI just before taking the ferry over to the island)

Hiking the island. Everything was so green!

We had to filter our own water everyday...

even on the dreary days with huge waves.

Our campsite (second & third night) and our lovely fire.

We had our own personal cliff overlook at our campsite

and we could watch the sun set over the lake & the other cliffs.

In the mornings, we drank instant coffee out of collapsible cups.

Normally, the island looked like this as we hiked around it.

One day, after a night of wind advisories and rain,

the island looked like this.

For two days, we had our own personal beach,

complete with our own personal 8-foot waves.

Always, we had breath-taking views

(but maybe it was just the hilly hiking that took our breath away...)

Lake Superior was rocky, clear and refreshing each time we took our daily dip

And last, but not least, we got to spend a week among one of

my favorite things in the world... birch trees.

Missing the relaxing out-of-doors,

L. Stacks

Our Little Miss Frankie!

2011-08-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

Introducing...

Frankie! She's our newest little addition:

an extremely loveable Boston terrier pup.

Miss Frankie likes to sleep like a person...

errr, or a zombie.

She loves taking walks, and is especially sad when a passerby doesn't stop

to pet her and fawn over how adorable she is.

Frankie has her daddy wrapped around her little finger (toe? paw?)

and even Dougie (on right) knows who's boss,

giving up his spot in the middle of the couch.

Miss Frankie loves her ball. (Oh, and shoes, boxes, rugs, guitar stands.)

But most of all, Frankie loves hanging out with her mama,

including morning snuggles, lap-sits while I'm writing, lots of kisses,

and more puppy dog faces than I ever thought possible.

Stay tuned for plenty more puppy pictures!

And with this little gal sitting on my lap all day,

I have no excuse not to be blogging anymore ;)

XO,

L. Stacks (& Frankie)

book ends book list: The Hunger Games Trilogy

2011-07-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

I'm almost embarrassed to post this... considering it's halfway through the year and I've only read four, yes FOUR books. But, I did write an entire book, so that's why I'm not letting myself feel too bad that I dropped the ball on my reading list for 2011. I read these awhile back, but am just getting the review posted now. Let's hope there will be plenty more on my book ends book list very soon.

2. 3. & 4. The Hunger Games Trilogy

[The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay] by Suzanne Collins

I'll be the first to admit that I love me a good young adult novel. It doesn't matter than I'm nearly a quarter century old, or that I practically have my masters degree in creative writing, I adore corny, plot-driven, made-for-a-thirteen-year-old fiction. I will say that I don't find most YA literature to be exceptionally well written, and can general breeze through a book in a few hours or so, but for me, reading something like The Hunger Games Trilogy gives me a chance to turn my writer brain off. Maybe it's because it's written for kids, but I don't find myself critiquing every little thing (even though they are many, many things I could critique if I wanted to) which gives me a chance to take a much-needed break from being overly... writerly.

What I enjoyed most about this trilogy was that it was essentially plot on crack. I read each book (most around 300-400 pages) in less than 24 hours because I was so engaged in the story line. I thought that the concept was such a unique one, and very much wish that the writing would have been as unique and engaging as the plot was. The characters, too, could have used a little more engagement. To me, the main character, Katniss, was too much Twilight's Bella: teaching young girls that it's somehow attractive to be clumsy,and always thinking you're ugly or that no one likes you. The girls in the popular YA series today are never confident, never happy, always mopey, whiney and somehow, the object of seemingly perfect guys' attraction. This is my main complaint about The Hunger Games, and a lot of YA books in general. (However, there are plenty of gems out there in the YA world that don't do this... which I may just have to blog about in the future). Additionally, I think I enjoyed the first book of the trilogy the best, and each subsequent book less than the one before.

So my recommendation? If you're looking for a book to suck you in, entertain you, and a book you can read quickly, this is it. But if you're looking for the next piece of great literature, complete with artful writing and complicated, rich characters... then you better look elsewhere.

L. Stacks

Image Credit

FINISHED!

2011-07-27T12:09:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time coming [three years!] and I've worked my tail off to get it this far [late nights, tears, break-throughs, coffee and plenty of helpful criticism], so I'm happy to announce that the thesis has been turned in!

Rounding out at 14 chapters, 369 pages, and 103,656 words, I am officially [as long as my school agrees] finished with my novel in its thesis form--however, I will be the first to say that I probably have another 5 months of revision ahead of me before the novel is in ready-to-be-sent-to-agents form. So for now, I'm celebrating a finished thesis, and taking a few weeks off before another long haul of rewriting and revision. It is true that a writer's job is never finished. Or so it seems.

In case you're wondering what exactly I've been fretting over and worrying about for the past three years, I've written up a little synopsis of the thesis for you. A back-of-the-book summary, so to speak.

The lives of the Carmichael sisters, Evelyn and Clara, will never quite be the same after the unexpected death of their mother while they are still children. Spunky, attention-seeking Evelyn is suddenly left to care for Clara, and to shield her in the wake of their father's flashy and sometimes-cruel new wife. Sweet, mild Clara, while constantly protected by Evelyn, struggles to find her own voice in the clamor around her. All the while, their rural little town, Eaton Springs is constantly changing as the Depression hits and later WWII starts, and the Carmichael sisters are being transformed as well. Through boys, soldiers and college, a mood disorder, break-ups and plenty of deceit, Evelyn and Clara learn how a sister can be first loved and later hated, in equal regard. To Keep is a story of two girls struggling to find their identities both within their family unit and outside of it; a story that details equally the lives of both Evelyn and Clara as they grow and change as individuals and in their relationship with each other.

The printed version!

Thank you, my dear readers, for bearing with me over the years in my long absences from the blog world as I worked on this project. I hope that with this hurdle finished, I will be back for some more regular blogging in the months to come.

XX,

L. Stacks

Poetry Blitz, Three.

2011-04-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

This post is the third installation of book ends'

National Poetry Month poetry blitz! Read about it here.

How To Sew

[By Martha Silano]

from Crab Orchard Review Volume 14, Number 1 Winter/Spring 2009

You need a mouthful of pins.

You need a Simplicity pattern,

the onion-skin sheets explaining--

with dotted lines, with numbers

and arrows--palazzo pants, a hooded dress.

The best part is the storeowner,

her rhinestone pince-nez glasses,

how she flips and flips your chosen bolt,

lavender fabric spilling out

like a colossal ribbon candy.

The best part is the sound of scissors

slicing through a poly-cotton blend.

You will need to learn

about edges, about gathers.

Meanwhile, the whole contraption

disguised to look like a table. Meanwhile,

lifting the lid, reaching in

for the smooth black cat, needle

for a mouth. Meanwhile, threading

the bobbin; the squeaking

of the foot pedal. You will discover

there is satisfaction in edgestitching.

Edgestitching and stitch ripping.

You will wear the flawed apron,

but only you will know the flaw.

You will learn to tie off knots.

[Image Source]

Our Little West Coast Vacation

2011-04-04T15:00:00.000-05:00

Well friends, we're back from our vacation in sunny California and now we're fully rested and ready to take on another few cold weeks in Chicago until spring finally comes to us! Here's a little recap of our trip:

We played shuffleboard with T's sister and cousins one night,

and then we just had to go back the next day

to challenge T's aunt and uncle (we won!).

The next day we went for brunch at Ruby's on the Huntington Beach pier.

It was pretty cloudy, but the waves were big and

we watched a surf contest for awhile.

On Monday, we spent the day visiting T's 87-year-old great uncle

and playing hours of gin with him. I just hope I'm like him when I'm that age!

Later, we watched the Anaheim Ducks (quack! quack! quack!)

beat the Colorado Avalanche & hit up In & Out Burger afterwards with our lovely hosts.

On our last day, T played golf and I had a lovely brunch with my sister-in-law

right on the beach at Crystal Cove, where they've restored old vacation homes

into a cute little vacation spot where the skies were so incredibly blue.

We were able to glimpse dozens of dolphins while we were there!

It was so nice just to be able to relax, hang out with family, get a lot of writing done, and plan out my poetry blitz for National Poetry Month. Make sure you check back for a good healthy dose of poetry for the next few weeks--and let's cross our fingers for some more sun in the midwest!

L. Stacks

Poetry Blitz, Two.

2011-04-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

This post is the second installation of book ends'

National Poetry Month poetry blitz! Read about it here.

Being in Love

[By Chungmi Kim]

From Glacier Lily, Red Hen Press, 2004

Awakened from a dream, I curl up

and turn. The roses on the dresser

smile and your words bloom.

The red roses for Valentine’s Day.

Like in a film

thoughts of you unfold

moment by moment.

I vaguely hear

the sound of your spoon scooping cereal

the water stream in the shower

the buzzing noise of your electric razor

like a singing of cicada.

Your footsteps in and out of the bedroom.

Your lips touching my cheek lightly.

And the sound of the door shutting.

In your light

I fall asleep again under the warm quilt

happily like a child.

Upon waking

on the kitchen counter I find a half

grapefruit carefully cut and sectioned.

Such a loving touch is a milestone

for my newly found happiness.

[Image Source]

Poetry Blitz, One.

2011-04-01T09:37:00.001-05:00

This is the first installation of book ends'

National Poetry Month poetry blitz! Read about it here.

Acquainted with the Night

[By Robert Frost]

from West-Running Brook, Henry Holt & Co, 1928

I have been one acquainted with the night.

I have walked out in rain—and back in rain.

I have outwalked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.

I have passed by the watchman on his beat

And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet

When far away an interrupted cry

Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-bye;

And further still at an unearthly height,

One luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right

I have been one acquainted with the night.

[Image Source]

National Poetry Month! [year three!]

2011-04-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

Image from Poets.org

Again this year, I will celebrate National Poetry Month again in Chicago. What this means is that as I walk down the sidewalks without my winter coat and breathe in the springlike air, I don't really see the effects of National Poetry Month. No one is wearing berets, carrying bongos. I don't hear an overabundance of metaphors. To put it simply: I am disappointed.

At Hope College, where I received my undergraduate degree, NPM is starts with a bang--or, a blitz. As a combined April Fool's Day/NPM event, students wake up on April 1st to find the campus sprinkled with poems: taped on doors, windows, sidewalk squares, or tied to trees and bikes. Little elves had been hard at work all night long to make sure that even non-English majors at Hope College could experience Billy Collins or Walt Whitman or even their fellow students' poetry. And the blitz's effect was clear: even the college's janitors contacted English professors, telling them that they sat around during their lunch breaks reading the print-outs, keeping them tucked next to their mops and buckets.

So, what will follow over the next month will be a (small) poetry blitz of my own. Enjoy, and I only wish you could have stumbled upon these treasures hanging from a tree or maybe in your mailbox.

L. Stacks

(Note: this post is a repeat of a post from two years ago, but in order to explain my intentions, I decided to repost it. Why try to say it again, when I already explained it best?)

P.S. Here are other Hope College alumni who took the opportunity to write about and/or continue blitzing after their years at Hope: Katie. Susan. K Maria.

[book ends] book list: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

2011-03-29T11:51:00.006-05:00

[I'm not sure if I should be a little ashamed that it's March 29th and I just finished my first book OF THE YEAR, or if I should just be happy that I actually squeezed the time in the read one at all. Either way, here goes!]

1. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

On one level, I enjoyed reading this book. Ever since I started dating my now-husband almost six years ago, I have been very interested in Japanese culture (and especially the effect of WWII on the American-born Japanese in the US), as his dad's side of his family is Japanese. Because of this, I found Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet an eye-opening read; I hadn't yet read anything about the Japanese-Chinese dynamics in the US during WWII, and it was also good to finally read something that portrayed at least some of what the Japanese internment period may have been like for those in the camps. I'd definitely love to read more about this--especially in a nonfiction account, and definitely written from the perspective of someone in the camp, rather than a visitor.

However, I felt there were a few drawbacks to the book. Personally, I found the story a little too sentimental--and this is coming from a girl who loves sentiment. Maybe it was the twelve-year-olds in love (although I believed it in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials Series) or maybe it was just that the characters needed a little more depth (we get the impression that Henry is outwardly different than what we are the reader are seeing internally, but we never get to see this for ourselves), but either way, I found myself often thinking "I should be happy about this," or "I think I'm supposed to feel like crying here," but the emotion never went much past that. I think maybe part of this stemmed from the fact that the main characters was at the end of his life, and I got the impression that he had nothing to gain, and nothing to lose. Ultimately, I didn't feel any real stakes for him, and what he was looking for, besides sentiment.

What I will take away from this read is a reminder for my own writing project: no matter how many interesting things may happen in a book, it won't affect the reader unless the characters have depth and something that is at risk in their venture. And so now I'm off to work on just that in my novel.

Happy reading!

L. Stacks

California, Here We Come

2011-03-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tonight we're jumping on a plane after work and headed out to sunny California for a little five-day vacation. We'll be visiting T's sister, his aunt and great uncle while we're there (in Huntington Beach, in Orange County), soaking up some sun and while T is hoping to get in some golf, I'm hoping to pump up my word count (while sitting outside, of course!).

California is one of our favorite vacation spots; we've been going there to visit since our first year of dating, in 2005, and we have so many great memories there from the past six years. We've watched sunrises, walked to the beach while eating clementines, biked along the coast, and whale-watched. And here we are in Laguna Beach back in 2006--so young!

Can't wait to share some pictures from our little trip with you all next week! I'll try to bring some sunshine back with me!!

L. Stacks

Rain, rain go away (aka I need rain boots!)

2011-03-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

With a forecast like this in Chicago's near future, I'm dreading the fact that my rain boots recently left me with wet feet due to holes in the heels. But when I started doing a little online browsing to figure out the best way to keep my feet dry for the rest of this midwest spring, I found myself overwhelmed by too many options! I don't know if I should get tall or short, colorful or neutral, bulky or stylish. So here's my rain boot roundup, in the hopes that the process of posting this (or my readers sweet comments) will help me make a decision!

Here goes...

Bogs "Classic High Paisley" in black

"Women's Original Tall" Hunter Boot in red

"Crocs Crocband Jaunt Boot" in black

"Andora Wedge" Hunter Boot in plum

Tretorn "Skerry" Boot in aqua sea

Sporto Women's "Aroostic Weatherproof Duck Shoe" in Black

I think I'm leaning toward either the Hunter boots or the Tretorns, but I'm sure that I can be swayed ;) Maybe I'll just have to save up and get a couple different styles of rain boots--if only we lived somewhere really rainy like Seattle where purchases like that would be justified!

Stay dry, friends!

L. Stacks

Color Collection [GREEN]

2011-03-17T21:58:00.006-05:00

The dawn was apple-green,

The sky was green wine held up in the sun,

The moon was a golden petal between.

She opened her eyes, and green

They shone, clear like flowers undone,

For the first time, now for the first time seen.

[D.H. Lawrence "Green"]

Just thought I'd share my first Color Collection post with you today--GREEN for St. Patrick's Day! I have to admit... I forgot to wear green today. But I hope this post makes up for it! [Please don't pinch me!]

I've been working on a some new blogs posts of collections of things that I like, organized by color. These things range from clothes to inspirational images to art to home decor. I also hope to throw in a colorful literary element as well, to create a mix of all my favorite things. I hope you enjoy!

Happy St. Patrick's day!

L. Stacks

Book Help! (Please & Thank You!)

2011-03-06T17:11:00.001-06:00

Sadly enough, it's nearly mid-March and I have yet to finish a book and review it for my readers. This unfortunate dilemma boils down to two reasons:

1. I've been working (a lot!) on my novel (page count is up to 170)

2. I just can't seem to get into any of the books I've started

So readers, here's your chance to speak up for any of these said boring books so that I can give them another chance (if they so deserve it) OR suggest a different can't-put-it-down read for me.

• iWe Were the Mulvaneysby Joyce Carol Oates

• A Secret Gift by Ted Gup

• Waiter Rant by Steve Dublanica

• Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

So speak up, friends! I'm longing for a good read and to actually read a book this year! (What a novel idea!)

L. Stacks

[book ends] weekends

2011-02-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

My dear readers, I hope you all had a lovely weekend. As always, I wish I had snapped more pictures, but it is a habit that I'm sure will take awhile to get used to. (And I know I'll be very thankful once I'm used to it because I'm so sad about some of the things I've missed taking pictures of in the past few years.)

This weekend, I spent time drinking wine and catching up with girlfriends from college (and no, didn't take pictures, boo). Then, my in-laws came to visit and we had a relaxing day playing cards (T & I won!) and eating at our favorite restaurant, Angelina's. T had bugged his parents for weeks to bring one of their Boston Terrier doggies to visit, and as you can see, they surprised us with one! :)

Our new table runner--can you tell we're hopeful for spring?

We got coffee from my new favorite place, and I flipped through

the boden catalogue, and fell in love with this raincoat,

this fun mini skirt, this ruffled cardigan, and this retro china blue swimsuit (a one piece!)

Our doggie surprise!

Playing cards.

And last, but not least...

The mister hanging out with man's best friend while watching TV.

(He had no idea I was taking this of him... hee hee! Isn't it just adorable?)

I think the doggie needs a name, what do you think?

Have a great week,

L. Stacks

P.S. I took these pictures with the Hipstamatic App on my iPhone... what do you think? I kind of like the grainy, vintage look to them. But I need to play around with the App more to learn all the different options. Any advice?

[book ends] weekends

2011-02-16T23:13:00.003-06:00

Well I'm posting this weekend post several days late, but only because I have needed to be 100% lazy for the past couple days after I turned in 115 pages of my thesis to my advisor on Monday. For the past month and a half nearly all my spare time went into revising the first five chapters of my novel, so it has felt really nice to just relax, watch TV and play Words with Friends on my NEW iPHONE! (My husband's wedding gift to me... only a few months belated!)

I don't have many pictures from the past weekend because it consisted mostly of writing, or sitting around knowing I needed to write, but instead staring at a computer screen and scrolling uuuupppp and doooowwwn my 115-page document. (One of my favorite things to do... It's so fulfilling to see a body of work that long with your own name on it.)

But, what I do have documented is: breakfast in bed (courtesy of my husband). Saugatuck Coffee Company, my new favorite local coffee shop (and it's less than a block from our apartment!). And some little kiddo feet because I spent part of the weekend working overtime for the family I nanny for while the parents were on vacation (don't those little shoes just make you melt?).

This coming weekend, I have a wine & cheese night with some girlfriends, the in-laws visiting on Saturday, and some crafts to do, so I hope to have much more exciting pictures the next time around. Is it the weekend yet? :) (And the good news is that it almost is!!)

L. Stacks

I love...

2011-02-15T10:35:00.005-06:00

... my husband.

[I came home on Valentine's Day, after 24 hours of babysitting, to these

lovely blooms (hydrangeas! my favorite!) and a just-poured

glass of red wine... I just had to brag. Hope you all had

a perfectly lovely Valentine's Day!]

L. Stacks

P.S. I have a few pictures from my weekend to post, and will do so later today, promise!

P.P.S. Speaking of the mister, any of you blog readers who also tweet, T just signed up for Twitter! Show him some love and follow him! (His username is hugewater.) Oh! And you better be following me, too! :) (Mine is laurenstacks.)

[book ends] weekends

2011-02-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

This is the second week of my [book ends] weekends posts, explained here. I am just loving how doing these blog posts is making me take more pictures, which I know I'm be thankful for down the road, even if they are of smile and minuscule parts of my life.

We started out our weekend by making a delicious dinner of ahi tuna, rice and my new favorite vegetable, brussel sprouts, which I roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper. (I never thought I'd be saying that I love brussel sprouts!) We finished off our meal by toasting to some of our wedding guests.

Saturday morning, I met some girlfriends from college at Orange for brunch. I did a little window shopping at Two Sided, one of my favorite Chicago gift shops, and had to snap a picture of "Burritos as big as your head."

I started reading Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, a recommendation from my sister-in-law, and plugged through the last two New Yorker issues I haven't finished yet. On Superbowl Sunday, I had the apartment to myself and therefore had a Super-writing Sunday, complete with coconut shrimp and chipotle hummus. And since I didn't have cheerleaders, I just cheered for myself... "rah, rah, rah!! You can do it!" Hee hee.

Have a happy week,

L. Stacks

In the Writing Mood

2011-02-06T19:35:00.000-06:00

With a 100+ page thesis deadline looming one week from today, I've been cracking down on my novel, and spending many hours revising, researching, and writing, writing, writing. But in order to do so, I've had to get into the 1930s mood, as the section I've been working on takes place between 1931 and 1943. In order to do so, I've researched images from the 1930s and 40s (see above), I've read old magazine articles from that time (so interesting!), and I've been listening to this. I'm hoping that some of my time spent watching Boardwalk Empire also helps me get into the writing mood. Now all I need is to put some feathers in my hair and learn how to fix it into finger waves.

What do you do to get into your writing projects? Please share--I can always use advice!

And now, time to get down to it.

L. Stacks

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

[book ends] weekends

2011-01-31T12:00:00.001-06:00

Inspired by Kate from For Me, For You, and her Bits of My Weekend posts, I've decided to institute a similar trend here on [book ends]. For a long time now, I've regretting not taking more pictures of day-to-day things, and most specifically on my weekends (because let's be honest, for any working twenty-somes, weekends are what we spend our whole week pining for). So, each Monday from here on out I'm hoping to post a handful of pictures from our weekend adventures, no matter how boring I may think they are.

This weekend is T's birthday weekend, and so we ate well. The first pictures are from Zed451, an all-you-can-eat steakhouse which was swanky, fun, and delicious. T's former roommates joined us and we ate our fill of meat and drank our fill of wine. The last photos are T's birthday dinner, homemade by yours truly. The menu consisted of lasagna in our lasagna trio pan (which makes plenty of crust pieces, his favorite), bread from our breadmaker, and chocolate flourless cupcakes with a chocolate coffee glaze. The last photo shows my most productive part of the weekend: reaching 104 revised thesis pages (though some still will need future revisions, of course). Enjoy:

Have a lovely week,

L. Stacks

Happy Birthday, T!

2011-01-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

Today I'm sending happy birthday wishes to my wonderful husband (of almost 5 months!) who is now a quarter of a century old! I don't know what I'd do without him: he cooks, he does the dishes, makes me laugh, forces me to relax when I'm stressed and always, always, pushes me to be the best person I can be. He's the funniest person I know, and I just love how he lights up whatever room he walks into with his smile and confidence.

So Happy Bird Day to the mister. And many, many, many more, of course! I love you.

XO,

L. Stacks

book ends book list: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

2010-12-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

14. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I read this book early this summer, (even though I received it about a year ago from T’s cousin, who works at Random House) and I’ll admit that I was skeptical when I started it. It is a book that is in its entirety, dozens of letters between dozens of people. I have never been a big fan of novels or short stories written in letters, or even with letters included. I usually find them gimmicky, and feel that it is extremely hard to make the characters engaging simply through their writing alone.

However, this book was different. The authors of this novel found a way to really let their characters shine through in their letter writing, and I found the entire book simply lovely. It made me long for the days of snail mail, when people wrote about their feelings and dreams rather than just emails and texts about what we do. I am a huge fan of any book set around WWII, and I just ate up the historical information about the German occupation on the island of Guernsey, between England and France.

While the book is untraditional in the sense that it is only letters, I still find myself recommending it to many of my friends looking for a new book to read. It's a quiet, leisurely, unexpected read that I know I will reread again in the future, if not only for fun, but also to try to learn how the authors accomplished what they did, and what I can borrow for my own writing.

L. Stacks

Deck the Halls

2010-12-21T08:00:00.001-06:00

The mister and I got our first Christmas tree a few weeks ago (sadly a fake one, because of allergies) and set it up when we returned from our Thanksgiving holiday in Iowa. I got the tree for a great deal ($40, marked down from $120 at Joann’s) and while it’s a pretty skinny little thing, I’m just glad we can have some holiday cheer around for our first Christmas together.

[Our little tree!]

It had been killing me that I hadn’t crafted anything since our wedding, and our lack of holiday décor and a shortage of funds to buy all the Pottery barn and Crate & Barrel holiday decorations we long for has left perusing Etsy for inspiration. I’ve found several handmade items for sale that I decided, well, that I could make myself. And the first of those inspirations became this:

[Crafted from Michael's paper mache letters, vintage sheet music,

modge podge, craft glue and red glitter]

Next on my list of holiday crafts include this little treasure, and this fun gem, whenever I find the time, that is. And once I collect enough glass ornaments, I'd love to make this.

Readers, what do you do for the holidays? My mom is the queen of Christmas décor, and so I hope that someday I will have enough Christmas items to follow in her footsteps with loads of holiday trim, two Christmas trees, and plenty of vintage charm for the future holidays.

Happy holidays,

L. Stacks

Wedding Photos: The Reception

2010-12-20T08:00:00.000-06:00

*Finally* the last installment of pictures from our wedding. These have been a long time coming, but I finally found some time to get them uploaded during my little Christmas vacation. Better late than never, right? (And again, pictures by Casey of Hello Love Photo!)

Here's our reception!

For the reception, we rented a large, 3-peaked tent from The Rental Company

and camped out next to The Felt Estate's water garden & front patio. The weather

wasn't the most cooperative, but we had sides for the tent, two large heaters

and plenty of good music (DJ: Dance Tracks) to keep people warm!

In lieu of a guest book, we asked our guests to sign bottles of wine with paint pens,

and then when we drink the wine we will toast to our guests!

The centerpieces for the tables consisted of the following: vintage framed silhouette

table numbers (they were all my grandmother's), antique blue Mason jars holding

candles and flowers (feverfew & other small white daisy-like wildflowers), and

colorful origami cranes paper-clipped for place cards (see images below).

At the head table, we had gold frames with name cards for each person in our wedding

party, and hanging from these frames were strands of gold origami cranes.

The story behind the origami cranes goes like this: In Japan, it is an ancient legend (called “sembazuru”) that one thousand origami cranes will grant one thousand years of happiness and prosperity to a couple on their wedding day (and T is half Japanese). While some traditions maintain that the couple should fold all the cranes together (to learn patience, tolerance, and understanding), others claim that the one thousand cranes are usually a wedding gift to the couple from a close friend or family member. Our own batch of one thousand cranes was a mixture of the two traditions—we folded many of the cranes ourselves and also had help from many different friends and family members from all over the country.

Our wedding cake was cheesecake from Sinful Cheesecakes, and as their name

suggests, they are sinfully good. My aunt, who own Spry Signs and Graphics, in my

hometown, crafted our silhouette cake toppers from plexiglass (and yes, that's really us!)

Our first dance: Everything's Right by Matt Wertz

Daddy-daughter dance: Pride & Joy by Stevie Ray Vaughan

And finally, our guests dancing the night away!

It really is amazing how much time and energy is put into one day that flies by so quickly. I know it's a total cliche, but our wedding day was honestly my favorite day of my life so far because it was so cool to see all the most important people from both our lives (and from our past and present) come together to celebrate and bond over our union. Not only that, but marrying T felt so incredibly natural and right that the day just felt like we were throwing the best party we've ever thrown rather than some incredible life-changing event. It honestly was a celebration of our relationship and never felt big and scary, at least to me. I would relive that day all the time, if I could.

Hope you enjoyed the glimpses (one, two) into our wedding day!

L. Stacks

book ends book list: You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know

2010-12-17T18:00:00.000-06:00

13. You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know by Heather Sellers

As you all know from my post back on October 11th, I was so excited for this memoir by my former creative writing professor to come out--and to put it simply, I wasn't disappointed. Sellers has received rave reviews for this book; from the New York Times, Oprah's booklist, NPR, and Rachel Ray. It's hard for me not to be a little biased, considering this woman is the reason why I became a writer, but I loved the book. I devoured all her quirky little details, loved her mentally ill mother and cross-dressing alcoholic father even with all their faults, and was mesmerized by the condition she lives with: prosopagnosia, or face blindness. The best thing about this book? Sellers doesn't mull over her life-changing condition and whine and cry about how hard it is to live with; instead, she focuses mostly on her life and childhood, and uses prosopagnosia as a lens though which she views this all. And all in all, the reader comes to realize, and to actually believe, that Sellers truly appreciates her disorder and the person it has made her become.

My advice? Read this.

L. Stacks

Goodbye Skinny?

2010-12-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

While lately skinny jeans and jeggings have had a monopoly over my wardrobe, I think I may have fallen in love with a pair of non-skinny jeans for the first time in, well, a long time. The other day, I popped into the Gap to see if anything might catch my eye, and by the time I left I was drooling for their Dark Wash Sexy Boot Trouser Jeans. I think they'd look great paired with a tucked-in white button-down shirt, and some fun heels. All I can say is watch out, skinny jeans!

xx,

L. Stacks

book ends book list: Larsson's "The Girl" Series

2010-12-16T18:00:00.001-06:00

10. /11. /12. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo/ The Girl Who Played With Fire/ The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

I read 80% of this series on our plane ride to and from Hawaii during our honeymoon and while my new husband slept by the pool or watched sports in our villa (marriage didn't make him any less nuts about sports... hee hee). The main thing I liked about these books was that once I got into them, I could hardly put them down and that I didn't have to think too much as I read (which is very important after thinking wayyy too much about wedding details for several months).

But (yes, there's a but) I really disliked how long it took for each book to actually get going. Each of the installments was four- or five-hundred pages long, yet, in my opinion, each book could have been trimmed down to half its size, if Larson had just gotten to the point quicker, and hadn't lingered on so much backstory and explanation. By the third book, I definitely wanted to see what would happen to all the characters, but all Larson seemed content to have them do was sit around over open-faced sandwiches and chat about what the other characters might be up to.

While the last few hundred pages of each story was super action-packed, and always filled with numerous twists, I also had a problem with the lack of character development in the books. The heroic womanizer was still a heroic womanizer in the end. The brave and smart but irrational girl was still a brave and smart but irrational girl in the end. In short, beside the events that happened between the first and third book, nothing actually changed about the characters.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants a easy read, and who enjoys being entertained without thinking to hard. But to those who might be looking for something deeper behind their next reading session... choose The Help or You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know.

L. Stacks

A Little Christmas Wish List

2010-12-12T20:07:00.010-06:00

The holidays are fast approaching so I thought I'd share some of my recent finds that have been dancing like sugar plums in my head. I've already asked Santa for some more practical items, like a new hair straightener (mine is 6 years old, and dying), some white wine glasses for my new favorite wine (the only white wine I like), and socks! But still, a girl can dream...

Vintage Printers Tray from Unexpected Partie on Etsy

(I should have snatched up my mom's when I had the chance!)

Penguin Classic's Clothbound Little Women

(though I suppose I'd take the whole Clothbound Classics set, too! wink wink)

Anthropologie's Peggy Sue Dress

(Perfect for NYE!)

The Sak Ventura Convertible Leather Backpack from Nordstrom's

(as seen in their December Catalogue)

Apothecary Jars from Williams-Sonoma to fill with holiday ornaments

(image source)

The North Face Avery Belted Fleece Jacket from Nordstrom's

(as seen in their December catalogue)

Small Ramekins from Crate and Barrel for our cooking adventures

And the biggest thing I've been pining for since September... (let's hope that I only have to wait a few more months to hold this baby in my hands!)

Happy holidays,

L. Stacks

Wedding Photos: The Newlyweds and Our Wedding Party

2010-11-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

The next batch of pictures are the posed pictures and group shots that our photographer, Casey from Hello Love Photo (and not to mention my old roommate!) took. These were all taken either inside The Felt Estate or on its grounds. Enjoy!

T & I

(Do these library shots seem reminiscent of anything? hee hee)

The Groomsmen

The guys wore navy seersucker suits from Jos. A Bank, white linen shirts,

and Sperry boat shoes (no socks! no tie!).

The Bridesmaids

The girls wore navy shirtdresses from Anthropologie, gold shoes

(with shoe clips handmade by my mom), and

my mom braided their hair into french braids, which

we then secured into messy buns.

My sister & MOH--Casey did SUCH a wonderful job capturing

great pictures of her (she doesn't exactly like to look at the camera!)

& The Whole Party!

And I have one more installation yet to come--pictures from our rockin' reception! Woo!

L. Stacks

Wedding Photos: The Venue, Bridal Attire & Ceremony

2010-11-02T08:00:00.002-05:00

Alright, lovely readers, the day has finally arrived! I have the first installation of photos from our wedding for you all to peek at! I hope you're as excited to view these as I am to share them!

The Venue:

Ceremony & reception location: The Felt Estate in Holland, MI.

(from the website:)

The Felt Estate is beautifully situated ten miles south of Holland (Michigan)

and six miles north of Saugatuck, the Felt Estate was once the

luxurious summer home and hobby of self-made millionaire

and inventor Dorr E. Felt. The mansion, listed on the

National Register of Historic Places and the Michigan State

Register of Historic Sites, retains the architectural beauty of a

bygone era and offers a glimpse into the wealth and lifestyle of the

Roaring 20s – a time cut short by The Great Depression.

... and some even say that the grounds are haunted! (Though we didn't

head about this until after we had booked the place... happily, there

were no haunts during our big day!)

I (we) loved the venue for many different reasons. First of all, we wanted an

outdoor wedding and reception, but also wanted the security of having

and indoor space at our disposal in case of bad weather, etc. I, personally,

have a soft place for preserved buildings, as my grandmother dedicated

many years of her life volunteering for a historic house in my hometown.

Not only this, but unlike big reception halls, The Felt Estate puts

all of its proceeds directly toward the restoration of the grounds and house.

Some interior photos of the preserved estate:

And now, the bridal attire:

Dress: Destination Bridal Gown 1011 by The Dessy Group

Headband: Anthropologie

Pearl Beaded Belt: handmade by my mom, from antique pearls,

beads and buttons (some of which were from jewelry of my grandmother's)

Shoes: Tellado Sandal by Aldo (with pearls, blue beads, and

vintage earrings added by my mom)

Bridal Bouquet: handmade by my mom (yes, this is becoming a theme!)

made from old jewelry of my grandmother's, and other vintage pieces)

The Ceremony:

Watching the guests arrive from the second floor window.

(Funny story: all my bridesmaids were telling me to keep

away from the window, so that no one would see me before

the ceremony, but I just said that the guests would just think

it was a ghost bride haunting the grounds!)

Both my dad and my grandfather (my dad's dad) walked me down

the aisle to give me away.

Our guests! (We were worried about only providing enough

seating for half of our guests, but in the end, I think

we ended up with a more intimate setting, and since our

ceremony was very short--it was cold out!--I don't think

it was too terrible for anyone.)

Our ceremony was very simple and down-to-earth. Our officiant was my high school

English teacher, also the wife of the pastor of the church I attended as a child.

T's cousin read a passage from The History of Love by Nicole Krauss, and our

pianist (a friend's brother) played music by Stephen Speaks, U2 and a handful of hymns.

"You may kiss the bride."

Mr. & Mrs. Yamaoka!

I hope you enjoyed these! More to come soon! (The reception, our posed pictures, etc.)

XX,

L. Stacks

Hope You Had a Great Halloween!

2010-11-01T19:45:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween from Kermit & Miss Piggy!

Just wanted to share a quick picture of our costumes (sorry for the photo quality, this was taken on T's Blackberry) and say that I hope everyone had a good Halloween!

The best part(s) of our costumes were that T talked in his Kermit voice the whole night, and that my costume was recycled--I was Miss Piggy when I was 7 or 8 years old, and repurposed the costume my mom had made for me then!

L. Stacks

Writing Insight: J.K. Rowling

2010-10-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

A few weeks back, I saw that Oprah was interviewing J.K. Rowling on her show, so I jumped to tape the episode, as I ate up the Harry Potter books back when I read them in high school, and since it's always good to listen to a bestselling author talk about his or her experiences. It was a great interview, but there was one thing that Rowling said in particular that I keep coming back to, like it's playing in my head on repeat.

She said, "... [Love] is a concept that runs through all the major religions, without exception.. This is probably true of all writers, but I believe what I believe because of what I have written. Ultimately, before I wrote it, what did I believe? I probably couldn't have told you ..."

And I think that this is so true. Part of the reason that I write is to figure not just my characters out, but also myself. Because each of my characters, even the nasty ones, have little pieces of my in them, figuring out what makes them tick is kind of like figuring out different parts of me. And figuring out what each story, essay or book that I write means as a whole, is kind of like finding out what concepts, beliefs and emotions are most vital to me--the things that I think are worth writing about.

What all this makes me realize is this: I am so lucky to be a writer.

L. Stacks

P.S. If you didn't catch the interview yourself, make sure you check out clips on Youtube!

book ends book list: The Help

2010-10-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

9. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This was the most engaging book that I’ve read so far this year, which I kind of hate saying, because it’s always more fun to be subversive and to dislike all of the New York Times bestsellers, but in this instance, I have to say that the general public got it right on this one. The story is one about the lives of “the help” in the 1960s South, and follows the lives of several of the black maids and a young white woman writer who wants to bring attention to the unfair conditions that the help have to work under. Stocking switches the point of view for each chapter of the novel, which is a device that I always love, and the story is written with an intensity that I haven’t seen in many new novels as of late—she is always moving the story forward, rather than leaving the characters to mull things over for chapters on end, like some of the books I’ve read recently (ahem, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo… but we’ll discuss that later). I flew through this hefty book in just a few days, and found myself staying up past my bedtime and even reading on a weekend evening just to see what happened next. I think that one of the reasons I thoroughly enjoyed this book so much was because it brought up sensitive and important issues about race and racism without becoming a book that becomes preachy or patronizing to the reader about these things (a very hard thing to balance, in my opinion). Not only this, but I found the characters so personable, so entertaining, that I often laughed at things they did while I was reading. So trust the New York Time bestseller list on this one at least, if not for The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest (but that's for another blog post entirely).

Happy reading,

L. Stacks

So Excited!

2010-10-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

I am unabashedly excited for the release of my past professor Heather Sellers' memoir You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know this Thursday, October 13th. It's a memoir about her experiences with prosopagnosia, a rare neurological disorder sometimes referred to as face-blindness because those who have it cannot recognize any faces--including their own.

I can't wait to dig into this book and read about Sellers' experiences through her un-flickering self analysis and honest, moving language. Her memoir has been compared to Jeannette Walls' The Glass Castle, which I enjoyed reading a few years back.

Also, if any of you will be in the Chicago area on November 17th, Sellers will be reading from her new release at Roosevelt University (where I'm pursuing my MFA in creative writing) at 5 p.m. in the Gage Gallery (click here for more information).

I can't wait to dive into it! Who else is with me?

L. Stacks

P.S. To watch a video of Sellers talking about her memoir, click here.

Hello, Holland

2010-10-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

I just love this little shout out on Monday's Today Show to Holland, MI, home of my alma mater, Hope College, my husband's hometown, and where we were married.

"Disneyland!" she says!

Enjoy,

L. Stacks

P.S. Did I ever tell you that Holland was named the second-happiest place in the U.S. last year?

Word Count Wednesdays: Week... 4?

2010-10-06T21:39:00.004-05:00

And now it's time for another Word Count Wednesday! (I guess I only got through three of these before my major hiatus, but I'm back in business again.) As you can see from the bottom of my screen shot below, my first week back to the writing grind wasn't terribly successful, but at the same time wasn't a total loss.

That's right, 1,744 words this week and it will only go up from there. This weekend, T is planning on watching lots of football, which, in turn, leaves me with plenty of writing time while he yells at the T.V. and such. I'll be reorganizing the first 50 pages of the novel, and charting out what else needs to happen in those pages, so hopefully I'll be back next week with some clearer goals for more inspired writing.

Happy writing!

L. Stacks

book ends movie list: Breathless

2010-10-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

6. Breathless

When my friend invited me to the Music Box theatre in Lakeview to see this classic Jean-Luc Godard film a few months back, I was expecting a film similar to Contempt, the only other film of his that I had seen--so, I was expecting something that was deep, haunting, and quite sad. And so after the organ played and I settled down with a huge bag of popcorn, I was surprised to find myself wanting to laugh at different things in the movie, and so I realized that Godard was actually poking fun at elements of traditional cinematography and that it wasn't necessarily a movie that was to be taken seriously at all times.

After I figured this out, I'd say that I enjoyed the movie for the most part. I adored Patricia (played by Jean Seberg) and must say that I have been dreaming about a short little pixie cut ever since.

Watching this film definitely made me wish that I had taken a film history course while in college so that I knew more about the different film genres and terms of cinematography. Until I go back to school for yet another degree, and squeeze in a film course of two, I'll just have to resort to wikipedia to gain as much knowledge as I can.

L. Stacks

Sidenote: While I usually post a Word Count Wednesday post on Wednesdays--and I actually have been writing this past week!--I just haven't typed it all up yet (4 days worth of writing!), so therefore I don't have a word count to share. I might still be able to get to it by tonight, but we'll see how my Wednesday goes.

Honeymoon Roundup

2010-10-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

While this is a little out of order, I wanted to take a post to share some honeymoon pictures with you all, as I'm still waiting on the Chicago postal system to deliver my wedding pictures (... we had about 30 wedding RSVP cards that were simply never delivered by the postal system, so let's just say that I don't exactly trust its services). So, to hold you over until then, here's a little peek of our vaca:

The gorgeous view from our condo in the Villas at the Kapalua Resort, Maui.

Rocky Hawaiian shoreline... T spent a good few hours

exploring the little tide pools (while I read).

The sun rising from the top (10,000 feet) of the Haleakala crater

(an active volcano!)... we had to wake up at 1:30 a.m. to catch this!

Ready to ride down the mountain... I think we only pedaled

a few dozen times total. We were all bundled up because there was about

a 40 degree difference from the top to sea level.

One day, we played the 18-hole putting course

in our resort... I ended up 35 over par, while T was 2 over...

During the day, we had drinks by the pool, read and

... and napped.

And everyday we took a picture of the sun setting--I love

knowing that we can look back and have a shot of each unique sunset.

Every evening we dressed up,

and went out for great food (our favorite was Merriman's)

and plenty of wine.

On our last day on the island, we took the windy

Road to Hana drive and saw some gorgeous scenery.

... And here's my handsome husband!

The trip was honestly idyllic and better than I could have ever imagined. We would definitely recommend visiting Maui, and the Kapalua resort to anyone looking for a nice tropical vacation. I hope you all enjoyed looking through these photos--and sit tight for upcoming wedding photos!! Also, I'm planning to post plenty of movie and book reviews to try to catch up on all that I missed.

Aloha,

L. Stacks

An Introduction

2010-10-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

Hello. I'm not sure if you remember me, but I used to post semi-regularly on this little site here. I'm afraid you've been missing me for awhile now and probably don't even recognize me anymore, but I glad to say that I'M BACK!

I don't quite understand how it's been three months since my last post, but somehow, it has. A lot has happened in the past three months... I've read a lot of books, watched tons of movies, found employment as a nanny for three adorable children, finished settling into our apartment and, oh yeah... got married!! (In fact, I've officially been married for one month, today!)

[A sneak peek... the newlywed Mr. & Mrs.!]

Today I am posting to let you all know that I am coming back in full force. Now that the wedding is over, thank yous are in the mail and I've finally gotten into the working routine, I will be dedicating all my spare time to 1. (and most importabtly) finishing my thesis and 2. keeping you all updated on my writing, reading, movie-watching and life in general on here.

I'm currently working on several wedding posts--complete with pictures--as well as photos from our honeymoon trip to Hawaii. So keep checking in... I promise you won't be disappointed!

L. Stacks

[Sidenote: while I have legally taken T's last name as my own, I have decided to keep "Lauren Stacks" as my pen name, as I already have a publication under this name, and because I wanted to be able to not lose my maiden name completely--besides, there's such a ring to Lauren Stacks, isn't there? That said, I will continue to use Lauren Stacks on this site, as the site is directly related to my professional writing life.]

book ends movie list: Up!

2010-07-07T15:58:00.000-05:00

5. Up!

I watched this movie back in January and somehow totally forgot to blog about it until now. I was reminded when T mentioned wanting to see the movie--shocking, I know--and I couldn't believe that I had left it off of my book ends movie list until now!

I haven't watched many of the more recent Disney films, although the I've seen all of the classics dozens of times each. Going into this film, all I knew was that it was about an old man and a boy scout whose house goes... up. And I certainly wondered how that would be an engaging hour and a half movie. But I was surprised. The movie took directions that I never would have imagined and I found myself laughing a lot at the characters in the movie. I especially loved the pack of dogs and the heartbroken man. The love portrayed between

Carl and Ellie was way more realistic than that of any of the classics--I mean, who ever believed that Belle would really love a Beast?

I would definitely recommend this flick if you're looking for something fun and silly. And if you like talking dogs. That's all I'll say.

L. Stacks

My Sincere Apologies

2010-07-06T09:16:00.000-05:00

So I know it seemed that I dropped off of the face of this earth, but really what I've been doing for the past two weeks or so is:

Making countless trips to Michael's, JoAnne Fabrics, Paper Source, and Paper & Print

[Invitation paper from Paper Source]

Measuring, cutting, gluing

[This Thermoweb Tape Runner saved my life]

Printing, stuffing envelopes, stamping, and licking envelopes

[A little peek at some unfinished invites]

Oh, and don't forget painting, organizing, hanging frames, and moving furniture

[Blue, tan, yellow, green--in case you were wondering]

But what this means is that in the past few weeks I haven't exactly:

written

blogged

read

commented on other blogs

So my sincere apologies for that. This week, I'm going to try to get back into writing since the invitations are nearly done, and since the apartment is finally coming together. Expect a Word Count Wednesday from me next week. The good news, however, is that with all the cutting, pasting, etc. I have had plenty of time to watch movies--so I have several movie reviews coming your way over the next few weeks! And as the apartment comes together I'll have some sneak peeks of that, too.

Readers, thank you for bearing with me over the past few weeks. And to everyone that helped move, paint, compile invitations, and/or put up with any of my grumbling (that's mostly you, T)... thank you, thank you, thank you!

L. Stacks

Word Count Wednesdays: Week 3

2010-06-16T15:56:00.003-05:00

Alright, folks. This week, the grand total comes to 2,509 words--not too shabby, considering Sunday I was sick all day with a flu bug.

And since I know have 20-25 pages to add in to the first 30-35 pages of my novel, I think I'm going to take the next week off in order to organize all of those pages, make them work cohesively, and see what more needs to be worked on in the first three sections. Then, I'll go into the following week with some specific writing goals for the completion of the first three chapters, or with goals for the later chapters, if I deem the first three finished for now.

So this leaves me with a question... how do you, writer friends, revise? I read in an article recently that reading out-loud is a good suggestion, and will probably be doing a lot of that over the next week. But I've also heard about people who go through their work sentence by sentence... and I just don't know if I have the patience for that. Any suggestions?

Next week Wednesday, I'll post about how my week of revising went, and what I realized some of my goals are. And until then, I'll try to be better about blogging--between job searching, writing, packing, and wedding stuff, I don't ever know where my day goes!

L. Stacks

Hello

2010-06-16T12:32:00.002-05:00

[Image: weheartit]

This is just a quick note to let you all know that yes, I'm still alive and that I will be posting my Word Count Wednesday post a little later today--I still have to type up all my written words for the week to get an official count.

So I'll get down to business and catch you later!

L. Stacks

I Would Have Worn: Sunday Afternoon Wedding

2010-06-12T13:35:00.001-05:00

As I explained earlier, since I don't have a job yet, and need to be saving up for a few very important things (rent for our new apartment, honeymoon (!!), etc.) I've given myself a rule for the summer: I'm not allowed to buy any new dresses.

Since T & I will be attending 6 weddings this summer (not including our own) I could go dress-crazy and spend way too much buying new dresses for each event. And as it is, I have about 2 dozen dresses in my closet already. (And most of these dresses I dearly love and yet have only worn once or twice.) So, rather than buying new dresses, I am instead going to *pretend* like I was able to buy myself new little outfits for each wedding.

This Sunday, we're attending a friend's wedding in Wheaton, and I know it's going to be a lovely Sunday afternoon affair. Since it's a Sunday wedding, I don't think the usual LBD would quite fit the dress code--rather, I'd opt for something a little more cheerful and relaxed for the event. This is what I picked out:

Cotton Blakey Dress in Light Ginger from J. Crew $118

I adore the ruffles on this dress, and love the creamy color--luckily I've been able

to get some sun these past few weeks since, well, I'm unemployed,

so I think the color wouldn't wash me out too much.

ZiGiny Mallorca Sandal (in natural) from Endless.com $89.95

I just think these sandals are so fun. Lately, I've been admiring

all the gladiator sandals, and been pining for a pair of my own.

I love the feathers and beads on this pair.

Amazing Eyes Chandeliers from Anthropologie $38.00

Pretty Pebbles Bracelet from Anthropologie $48.00

I think that both the earrings and bracelet would bring out

the colors in the sandals, and add a little pizzaz to the

light colored dress. I am terrible about wearing bracelets...

for something reason I just never think to put one on.

But I think it would look great with this outfit.

What would you wear to a Sunday afternoon wedding?

L. Stacks

Happy Weekend!

2010-06-11T14:25:00.000-05:00

I'm about to head out to Michigan--yes, for the second weekend in a row--for my little brother's high school graduation party. Sometimes the thought of being in the car for nearly 4 hours can put me a bad mood, but today I'm feeling cheery. It helps that I bought a travel-sized paper cutter and I'll be cutting all the paper for our wedding invites during all the time in the car the next three days, which will keep me from getting bored.

Also, I'm sure it helps that I've been watching this video from the Glee season finale, and I can't be anything but pumped after seeing this. You've gotta check it out:

Glee--Season Finale Performance--"Journey Medley"

I hope the video brings a smile to your face, and starts off your weekend with a kick!

L. Stacks

Take Me Out to the Ballgame: Go Tigers!

2010-06-09T15:30:00.001-05:00

[Tigers game, Sept '09, Cellular Field]

Hello, readers! I'm getting excited because tonight T & I and some of his friends are heading down to Cellular Field to watch the Detroit Tigers play the White Sox. It's strange because I am by no means a sports fan, yet I actually like to go to baseball games.

Maybe it's all the rules and abbreviations, or the commotion of a home run, or the insanity of how much people care... all I know is that when I go to a baseball game, I feel like I'm participating in something that I don't quite understand, yet, I'm still enough on the outside of it that it allows me to poke fun at those intense people--my fiance included--who do understand it.

My love of going to baseball games actually stems from my fascination with the die-hard baseball fan. Last year, at a White Sox v. Tigers game in the fall, the Tigers won, and so the Sox fans that were surrounding our little island of Tigers fans found it fitting to throw none other than handfuls of peanuts at us--and to thus get kicked out. In the same manner, whenever I left my seat to grab a drink or run to the bathroom, whole sections of people would boo at me and my Tigers hat... to boo at a girl who doesn't really even care who wins or loses! All I can do is laugh, and so I do a lot of it at games like this.

So here's to throwing peanuts, RBIs (whatever that means), and lots of home runs tonight--for the Tigers, of course. And to laughing.

Cheers,

L. Stacks

Word Count Wednesdays: Week 2

2010-06-09T12:07:00.003-05:00

This week I fell a little short on meeting my writing goal... I sadly only wrote 1,012 words. I'm not going to throw out a bunch of excuses or anything, rather just hang my head a little and vow to write more next week.

As one of my faithful readers, and soon-to-be sister-in-law told me yesterday (before my big writing streak this morning): "350 words is better than 200 words." I think that part of my problem was that I didn't write for several days and as each day passed the weight of the words I hadn't written made it even harder for me to sit down and write, since I felt that I needed to catch up.

So, what I've learned this week was that feeling bad about not writing makes the whole situation worse: rather, I should just try to get in what I can, try to meet my goals, but if I don't meet them, make sure that I keep writing anyway.

L. Stacks

Proud Sister

2010-06-08T10:16:00.003-05:00

As I said in my last post on Friday (yes, I know, I didn't exactly get around to posting a Lovely Monday post yesterday... sorry), my younger brother competed last weekend in the Division 4 high school Track & Field state meet. And as I promised, here are the results from the day:

2-Mile Relay (including the little bro): 2nd in the state

The Mile: Kyle is STATE CHAMP !!

The Two-Mile: Kyle is 6th in the state

The Mile Relay (including the little bro): 2nd in the state

Concord places 6th in the Mile, wins the 400 meter dash and wins the Two-Mile

A win by the Concord High School Men's team--edging out 2nd place by 3 points!

Just look at all those excited faces! I just love how happy the whole team and all the fans were... and after all the hard work all the guys put in this season, they surely deserved the win. And in the fall the little bro will be off to run for Central Michigan University--a D1 college! What a stud.

Great season, Kyle and the Concord men's team!

L. Stacks

Go, Buddy!

2010-06-04T22:37:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow is my little brother's last race in his high school running career, and what a good career it has been at that. Already this year he's broken two school records (in the half mile and the mile relay), to add to the two records that he already holds (the two mile and the mile). He's been a state champion twice now. And at the state meet tomorrow he'll run in four events--and T & I will be in the stands cheering him on!

Can you tell I'm a little bit proud of my buddy boy? (This is the name we've called him since he was very young.)

Anyway, "Go, Kyle, go!" or like my dad would say, "Run like a scalded dog."

L. Stacks

P.S. If you want to read more about the little bro, click here.

book ends movie list: Burn After Reading

2010-06-03T12:45:00.004-05:00

4. A few weeks ago, on a rainy Sunday I watched the Coen brothers' Burn After Reading on HBO on demand. I had heard mixed things about the movie--though I'll admit most of what I heard was negative.

I enjoyed the movie initially. It seemed unusual in it's plot and I really enjoyed Brad Pitt's role as the dumb fitness club employee. Which is why I was bummed (spoiler!), to say the least, once his character was killed half way through the movie. And after that point, the movie seemed to go downhill for me. The ended seemed short and too abrupt to me. In all, I found myself somewhat confused by the whole thing, and feeling unsatisfied by it all. Maybe I missed something--like the point? I understand that the Coen brothers write a lot of satire, but I guess I didn't see what was being made fun of.

Anyone else have an idea for me?

L. Stacks

Inspiration: Wedding Photos

2010-06-03T10:49:00.005-05:00

As I'm sure you all recall, about a month ago, T & I had our engagement pictures taken by Casey at Hello Love Photography and seeing how gorgeous they all turned out, it made us very excited for our wedding day pictures--only three months from tomorrow!

I'm posting today because Casey, who was also one of my former roommates, sent me a link to her recent wedding pictures, taken by Matt at Our Labor of Love, and they turned out so wonderfully that I just had to share a few of my favorites:

(To see more, click here.) Seeing how lovely these turned out, and how stunning the bride and groom looked, in my opinion, makes me all the more excited about our own day, and our own awesome photographer.

Don't you just adore the photo of the two of them on the grass? (Which, by the way, was taken at a school about a block from our apartment!)

L. Stacks

Word Count Wednesdays: Week 1

2010-06-02T11:10:00.002-05:00

Yes, folks, that's 2,775 words this week--225 over my goal! This morning I sat down and wrote 800 of those words, which is the most I've written in one sitting in quite some time.

This week, I focused on my first chapter, and went through the already-existing 10 pages and tried to add more substance to the actions that were already occurring. That's my goal for this revision: not to necessarily write more actions, but rather more substance, more dissonance, and more internal struggle. Those 2,775 words pretty much doubled the page count for my first chapter. Score.

Thanks for tuning in. And thanks for the small reminders of support over the past week (ie, texts, facebook comments, etc.). Week two, here I come.

L. Stacks

I Love: Cookouts!

2010-06-01T14:19:00.005-05:00

Note: This week, my Lovely Mondays post is one day late

because yesterday was a holiday,

and therefore it wasn't the start of the new work week.

So, today, please have a lovely Tuesday, and a great shortened week.

[On Mondays, I post about something that I love. Mondays are such rough days--does anyone out there actually like the start of a new work week? Does anyone say, yay, Mondays are marvelous? So to cheer myself up, and maybe my readers, too, I've decided to officially name my "I Love" posts on Mondays: book ends' Lovely Monday posts. Because wouldn't the day be so much better if you tried to think about lovely things?]

Image

I'm back after what was probably the most idyllic weekend of my whole 2 years in Chicago thus far. I laid on a blanket in the sun next to Lake Michigan for all of Saturday, went to a memorial day weekend party down the block on Sunday and on Monday lounged around during Chicago's thunderstorm and watched nearly a dozen episodes of Entourage. Plus, we cooked out twice during the weekend--which, as you can tell by the title, is something that I love.

Now, let me just say that I don't love to grill (as in the action of grilling) personally but I'm fine with prepping for the grill, and rather I let T do the actual grilling (he loves it, there's no arm-twisting on that one). On Saturday we made delicious teriyaki skewers with steak and chicken and red peppers and mushrooms and shrimp. Oh, and we threw some pineapple on the grill as well. And on Sunday my roommates and our friends all grilled some burgers and had some watermelon and sweet cherries. Are you getting the picture on why I love cookouts yet?

Once we move into our new pad, one of the first things we have to do is set up a grill in our little patio area so that we can continue our 2-3 time a week grilling regime we have going!

I hope everyone had a lovely memorial day weekend and has a lovely Tuesday.

L. Stacks

LOST Art

2010-05-27T09:08:00.001-05:00

I saw these yesterday on design*sponge and started pining right off the bat. Ever since LOST ended last Sunday I've been a little, well, confused about how I feel about the whole thing. But seeing these prints by Ty Mattson made me reminiscent for the show that I adored for so long--the show before this past season, namely. I love the VW van print the most, I think. Would you hang prints from TV shows on your walls? Anyway, if you're interested, you can buy them on abc.com for $45.95, and remember the good old days every time you see them.

L. Stacks

P.S. Interested in some explanation from LOST writers? Here's your chance.

A Favor, Please

2010-05-26T12:08:00.005-05:00

Image

Readers, I have a favor to ask of you. As the days wear on, I am feeling the pressure of my novel-length thesis bearing down on me--my final draft will either have to be done by mid-October for me to graduate in December of 2010, or by mid-March for me to graduate in May of 2011. I'll be honest... both of these looming dates make my stomach feel queasy and my head spin.

What I'm really telling you is that I need to get down to business. I need to stop worrying about writing my thesis and whether or not I'll be able to finish it by October and stop worrying about point of view and motives and even historical context, and instead just sit down and write. So, I am installing a new weekly post, but this time it's more for me than for you. Starting next week, I will be posting Word Count Wednesdays, a post in which I will bare all and fess up to the number of words I've written in the past week. Right now my goal is to write 2,500 words a week, which is really only like 10 pages. Totally feasible, right? (And therefore I would have about 10,000 words a month at that rate.)

So what I need from you all is for you to hold me accountable. If I don't make my count, don't tell me "It's okay, you'll do better next time." Instead, tell me to stop screwing around and get down to business! Bug me throughout the week on how many words I'm at, and *yell* at me if I start slacking. Please!

During my senior year of college, I participated in NaNoWriMo for a class (and so I had to write a 50k-word novel in one month) and I kept a sheet with my daily progress taped onto the door of my room. That was one of the most helpful things I did that month, as whenever I came out to grab a snack, or try to sneak in some TV time, my roommates would look at my word count and tell me to get back in my room, and to get writing. Word Count Wednesdays, then, is of the same mindset.

And my first week starts... now. Ready, set, go. Thank you, readers, in advance, for all your harping, pushing, and support. :)

L. Stacks

A Place To Call Home

2010-05-25T10:38:00.004-05:00

GREAT NEWS! Our application for the apartment that T & I fell in love with last week has been approved and now we are officially renters on Buckingham Place. (Doesn't the name of the street sound so regal?) We'll move in about a month from now, so there's plenty to do before then--decide on colors, paint the walls, pack up all our stuff, throw out our (well, his) old college-y decor (crates? plastic drawers?) and well, move! Who wants to help? Hee hee.

The apartment is technically a garden apartment in a condo building (we're the only renters, I think) but the size of the windows and the amount of sun we'll get definitely makes the apartment feel much nicer than the usual garden apartment in Chicago. We got all of our important things in this apartment: lots of space (1000 sq-feet), in-unit washer and dryer, a place to grill, and we can paint the walls (my only stipulation). Plus, a pretty little courtyard to catch some sun! Here are a few pictures:

The living room/dining room (so sunny!)

The kitchen (don't you love the hanging pot rack?)

The courtyard

I'm so excited! Any color combo suggestions? :)

L. Stacks

P.S. After my post yesterday about my love for Panera's Iced Green Tea, today I stumbled upon this post, with a recipe for watermelonade & it sounds almost as good as the tea. I'll definitely be trying it sometime this summer!

R.I.P. CTA U-Pass

2010-05-25T09:28:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday was a sad day for me--it was the last day I could use one of the best perks of being a college student in Chicago: the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) U-Pass. This little piece of plastic probably saved me nearly $1200 dollars over the past two years.

So now that I have to pay $2.25 for each and every ride (rather than only $100 for the whole semester), I'll admit that I've been spending a lot of time on foot. In some ways, it's good because it gets me outside in the sunshine and gets me some extra exercise. But on the hot ninety-degree days, the cool confines of the brown line el cars certainly sound pretty refreshing. (Not to mention riding public transportation in the city is always entertaining!)

So here are a few things I've seen during my galavants around the city, fresh done with my CTA U-Pass.

The painted (!) side of a brick building in Chicago's Gold Coast.

Cool building--if you look closely, you can see the Hancock building in the back.

I love the circular windows jutting out of the building.

Mark Twain Hotel! (Though it's sad to say that

I don't think I'd feel comfortable actually staying there...)

I guess this means that I actually have to start acting like an adult now--no more free rides for me...

L. Stacks

I Love: Panera's Iced Green Tea!

2010-05-24T14:46:00.004-05:00

Image

Lately, I've become obsessed, literally obsessed with Panera's Iced Green Tea. It's probably a good thing that the nearest Panera is a few miles away, and a pain to get to, otherwise I'm pretty sure I'd be making the trek nearly every day for one of these perfectly sweet drinks for all of the hot summer days to come.

For this post, I searched online for any information I could find about where else I could get a drink like this, but it seems that they can only be found at Panera. The Iced Green Teas are made from a Republic of Tea mix that cannot be purchased anywhere--even online. I can't decide whether this is a good thing or a bad thing... I'm afraid if I owned the mix myself I'd drink one of these an hour.

About the tea, Panera writes that the green tea is infused with passion fruit & papaya. My mouth is watering while I'm typing this, I swear it.

What are your go-to summer drinks?

Have a lovely Monday,

L. Stacks

I Would Have Worn: Classy, Cosmopolitan Grand Rapids Wedding

2010-05-21T15:07:00.000-05:00

As I explained earlier, since I don't have a job yet, and need to be saving up for a few very important things (a security deposit on our new apartment, honeymoon (!!), etc.) I've given myself a rule for the summer: I'm not allowed to buy any new dresses.

Tomorrow we will be attending my cousin's wedding in Grand Rapids, MI, and the classy, cosmopolitan reception at The B.O.B. (which stands for the Big Old Building). The following makes up what I think would be the perfect outfit for the event:

J. Crew's Silk Chiffon Taryn Dress in vintage blue $215.00

I love the sleek lines of this dress, the twist in the bust, and

the bright, vivid color.

Anthropologie's Fancified Drops Earrings $32.00

I saw these at the store yesterday and almost splurged. Almost.

Michael Antonio Rylee Sandal at DSW $39.95

This are probably a little different than my ordinary shoe, but I loved

the glamour and sparkle of these. They would look great among

the chic decor in The B.O.B.

What do you think? Too sassy? I'll be dreaming of this ensemble tomorrow as I boogie down and catch up with my family.

Have a great weekend,

L. Stacks

((sheepish look))

2010-05-21T10:51:00.004-05:00

I know, I know... I said that I would be better about posting, and then I left you all hanging after 2 days this week.

But, this happened because 2 good things happened: 1) Apple fixed my computer's CD/DVD drive, so I was without a computer for a day and a half and 2) T & I found an apartment last night, and just had to go out for a celebratory dinner with our friends!

Right now we're jetting off to Michigan for wedding #3 out of 6 for the summer, so I can't post much more than this. But get excited because as soon as I can I will post my "What I Would Have Worn" post and will blog about out apartment (cross your fingers that our application goes through!).

Image

Thanks for sticking with me :)

L. Stacks

book ends movie list: Precious

2010-05-18T20:50:00.006-05:00

3. Ages ago I watched Precious but completely forgot to write up my little movie review about it. This is probably because I was mostly unimpressed with the movie, but felt kind of bad saying so since it won 2 Oscars and since it has been an inspiration for so many. However, I had a hard time with this movie because I felt that it just perpetuated bad stereotypes about women on welfare. Granted, I'm sure that there are plenty of terrible people in the world just like the portrayal of Precious' mother in the movie, but I just wonder at whether or not the world needs another stereotypical black woman on welfare at the forefront in popular culture. At the same time, it is important to learn about the terrible conditions that many people are exposed to (like Precious) but, at what point does our culture need to stop its fascination with confessional stories of despair? What I found myself wondering the entire time I watched this movie was not about the characters themselves but instead about our society in that people enjoy watching stories of others' misery.

By the way, now that I'm done with classes, I plan to be watching a lot more movies and reading more books so get ready for plenty of reviews!

L. Stacks

I Love: Red!

2010-05-17T11:59:00.000-05:00

I'll admit it--for years, YEARS, I hated the color red. I'm not sure why, really... maybe because my favorite color has always been blue, and for some reason I found the two colors at odds in my head. Anyway, in the past 2-3 months I've found myself absolutely loving the color red. I'm not sure that means I would wear lots of red or buy red furniture by any means, but I've grown to love little splashes of the color, like:

Red Lipstick & Red Nail Polish

Image

Red Shoes

[If anyone can tell me where I could get the

shoes above I will be forever indebted to you...]

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Red Rose Earrings

By Teresa Foster Designs ($8.50) on etsy.

I've GOTTA get those earrings above.

And now I feel bad for hating on the color red for so long... Dear red, please forgive me?

Have a lovely Monday!

L. Stacks

Wooo! I'm back!

2010-05-17T08:39:00.000-05:00

Image

Thank you for bearing with me, readers, after the unexplained absence last week. I guess I should have warned you, but it was the last week for me to finish up my two exams, and I got a little overwhelmed by it all. I told myself I couldn't blog until my exams were done, and somehow that didn't happen until last night. Needless to say, I'm now done with the semester for real!

And you know what that means:

1. Find a job--yikes!

2. Find a place for T & I to live

3. Lots of wedding planning

4. Thesis writing

Groan. Cross your fingers and wish me luck!

[AND don't worry, your lovely Monday post is coming shortly!]

L. Stacks

I Would Have Worn: Holland, MI Tulip-Time Wedding

2010-05-07T11:48:00.006-05:00

Readers, since I don't have a job yet, and need to be saving up for a few very important things (a security deposit on our new apartment, honeymoon (!!), etc.) I've given myself a rule for the summer: I'm not allowed to buy any new dresses.

Ouch. This one hurts a lot. But really, I don't need any new dresses, considering I have about 2 dozen in my closet right now. And since T & I will be attending 6 weddings this summer (not including our own) I could go dress-crazy and spend way too much buying new dresses for each event. (Besides, some of the dresses that I own, I dearly love and yet have only worn once or twice.) So, rather than buying new dresses, I am instead going to *pretend* like I was able to buy myself new little outfits for each wedding.

So... this is what I would have worn to our Tulip-Time (a festival dedicated to the Dutch and to, well, tulips), chilly-May, Holland, MI wedding this Saturday.

Anthropologie Castle Lake Dress $89.95

(It's on sale! Does that mean I can splurge on it, then?!)

I love the pattern in this dress, and the subtle reds and blues that would look outstanding surround by all of Holland's bright tulips. Not to mention the adorable corded straps--reminiscent of boating on Lake Michigan, anyone?

Paired with:

J. Crew Featherweight Cotton Ruffle Cardigan $79.50

A nice, navy (nautical?) cardigan with ruffles for when the chilly air off the lake comes in.

And:

Sperry's Women's Top-Siders $85
The classic lines of these boat shoes would surely fit with the style of the dress, and the water-resistant soles would help out with any rain in the Holland skies.

So on Saturday as I wear my brown and cream flowered dress (an Anthropologie sale item from last year) I'll imagine that I'm decked out in my navy blues and the castle dress with some red lipstick. :) I can't wait to go "shopping" for my next wedding outfit in two weeks for my cousin's wedding...

L. Stacks

School's Out Forever

2010-05-06T15:04:00.004-05:00

... or at least until I decide to get my Ph.D, hee hee.

(Source)

I've been in school for the last 19 years (20 if you count pre-school) and today is my last day of classes until who knows when. Sure, I'll still be finishing my thesis, but that's not the same as sitting at desks, taking notes and trying not to get to restless after an hour of sitting (I'm terrible at sitting, seriously). What am I going to do with myself?

Oh, right, find a job.

Happy last day of classes, friends. I so wish I could have a full schedule of classes next year to look forward to--is it terribly nerdy that I love school? I hope so.

L. Stacks

A Few Things That Would Help Me Get Through My Last Classes & Final Exams:

2010-05-05T11:11:00.003-05:00

A comfy bed/hammock for reading student papers

Source: weheartit

An unlimited supply of coffee in these amazing cups

Source: weheartit

Waffles-for-dinner (my favorite comfort kiddie food)

Source: weheartit

Bright markers to write with

Source: weheartit

Seeing my parents' puppy (though he's not really a puppy anymore)

Source: Lauren Stacks

L. Stacks

I Love: Glee!

2010-05-03T06:45:00.003-05:00

All of my favorite TV shows--Lost, Parenthood, and Glee--air on Tuesday evenings, so needless to say, I watch a two of the shows on Hulu throughout the rest of week to spread out the Tuesday goodness. Sometimes I fall a little behind on the shows, but then I'm extra-lucky and get to watch a couple episodes in a row. One of my favorite things to do is to cuddle up in my bed with my computer and watch a couple hours of TV--watching TV in bed is so much better than watching it in the living room, don't you think?

That said, I'm a week behind on Glee right now, but it's okay with me. The Madonna episode from two weeks ago was such a great episode... so many great songs! Coach Sylvester as Vogue-Madonna! I want to re-watch the episode over again because I was giggling too much to catch everything the first time. In other words, I love Glee. And I think you should, too.

Happy Monday!

L. Stacks

Photo: weheartit

Goodbye, April, Goodbye

2010-04-30T08:56:00.000-05:00

Well, folks, sadly this year's poetry month is coming to a close. Thank you so much for tuning in for my poetry blitz throughout the month--I hope you all enjoyed it! Here's a little recap of all the poems I posted, in case you missed any. (I bet a literary critic could look at all these poets I've posted and figure out some pretty big things about my personality and writing style from the poems that I like.)

National Poetry Month 2010:

Poetry Blitz, One. "The Poet With His Face in His Hands" by Mary Oliver.

Poetry Blitz, Two. "Three Weddings in October" by Kathleen McGookey.

Poetry Blitz, Three. "Found" by Ron Koertge.

Poetry Blitz, Four. "Married Life" by Jeanine Hall Gailey.

Poetry Blitz, Five. "The Gift" by Sean Lause.

Poetry Blitz, Six. "if you like my poems let them" by e.e. cummings.

Poetry Blitz, Seven. "Reasons Not to Have a Daughter" by Twilight Greenaway.

Poetry Blitz, Eight. "The Language of the Couple" by Heather Sellers.

Poetry Blitz, Nine. "Rain, Snow, and Other Weather" by Lauren Stacks.

Poetry Blitz, Ten. "Poem in Which I, and Only I, Get What I Deserve" by Michael Meyerhofer.

Poetry Blitz, Eleven. "Introduction to Poetry" by Billy Collins.

Poetry Blitz, Twelve. "If You Are Lucky in This Life" by Cameron Penny.

Poetry Blitz, Thirteen. "Riddle" by Kate Light.

Poetry Blitz, Fourteen. "Fog" by Carl Sandburg.

Poetry Blitz, Fifteen. "Making a Fist" by Naomi Shihab Nye.

Poetry Blitz, Sixteen. "A as in Alice" by Mary Jo Bang.

Poetry Blitz, Seventeen. "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Willams.

Poetry Blitz, Eighteen. "1941" by Ruth Stone.

Again, thanks for tuning in!

L. Stacks

Photo: weheartit

Poetry Blitz, Eighteen.

2010-04-30T08:12:00.000-05:00

This post is the eighteenth (and final!) edition of book ends'

National Poetry Month poetry blitz. Read more here.

1941

By Ruth Stone

[From poetryfoundation.org]

I wore a large brim hat

like the women in the ads.

How thin I was: such skin.

Yes. It was Indianapolis;

a taste of sin.

You had a natural Afro;

no money for a haircut.

We were in the seedy part;

the buildings all run-down;

the record shop, the jazz

impeccable. We moved like

the blind, relying on our touch.

At the corner coffee shop,

after an hour’s play, with our

serious game on paper,

the waitress asked us

to move on. It wasn’t much.

Oh mortal love, your bones

were beautiful. I traced them

with my fingers. Now the light

grows less. You were so angular.

The air darkens with steel

and smoke. The cracked world

about to disintegrate,

in the arms of my total happiness.

L. Stacks

Photo: weheartit

Goodnight, Blog World

2010-04-29T23:11:00.003-05:00

Whew! It's been a long week for me, readers, and I have a busy couple of days ahead. So I'm going to go ahead and sign off for a few days. However, don't you fret because I have two more posts scheduled for tomorrow: the last post of my National Poetry Month poetry blitz, and a little recap of the month of poems for you all!

Tomorrow I have an interview in the a.m. (cross your fingers for me!), then office hours with some of the students in the class I'm student teaching, and afterwards am attending the Cubs game! Then, Saturday (with its lovely weather) is my roommate's big wedding day, so T and I will be celebrating with her and her soon-to-be husband at an adorable little church here in Chicago and an awesome reception place in Lincoln Park. I can't wait to see how beautiful she looks--plus I'm very excited because Our Labor of Love is photographing her wedding!

Sweet dreams, blog world. Check out my scheduled posts tomorrow, and I'll see you Monday!

Photo (c) Hello Love Photo

L. Stacks

Poetry Blitz, Seventeen.

2010-04-29T22:12:00.000-05:00

This post is the seventeenth edition of book ends'

National Poetry Month poetry blitz. Read more about it here.

The Red Wheelbarrow

By William Carlos Williams

so much depends

upon

a red wheel

barrow

glazed with rain

water

beside the white

chickens

L. Stacks

Photo: riche77us on flickr

New Music!

2010-04-28T13:32:00.000-05:00

Today I'm cracking down and doing some homework and organizing. Only a week and a half left of classes until I'll be finished with the coursework of my MFA. While I've been working, I've been listening to this song on repeat--and I think you all should check it out, too.

Caleb Maitland, singer and songwriter, and a friend of mine from high school picked up and moved to Nashville after graduation. I always admired his courage in doing this, and a few days ago all of his hard work paid off--he won a big battle of the bands contest and will open for a big name band (like Toby Keith, OAR, or Styx) during Muskegon's Summer Celebration in June.

I just love the the vocals of the song, and the fact that it's upbeat without being overly peppy. Not to mention the lyrics are great. It kind of reminds me of Jon McLaughlin's music--one of my all-time favorite male vocalists.

To listen to more of his songs, click here.

L. Stacks

Poetry Blitz, Sixteen.

2010-04-28T12:21:00.003-05:00

This post is the sixteenth edition of book ends'

National Poetry Month poetry blitz. Read more about it here.

And as in Alice

By Mary Jo Bang

[From The Bride of E]

Alice cannot be in the poem, she says, because

She's only a metaphor for childhood

And a poem is a metaphor already

So we'd only have a metaphor

Inside a metaphor. Do you see?

They all nod. They see. Except for the girl

With her head in the rabbit hole. From this vantage,

Her bum looks like the flattened backside

Of a black and white panda. She actually has one

In the crook of her arm.

Of course it's stuffed and not living.

Who would dare hold a real bear so near the outer ear?

She's wondering what possible harm might come to her

If she fell all the way down the dark she's looking through.

Would strange creatures sing songs

Where odd syllables came to a sibilant end at the end.

Perhaps the sounds would be a form of light hissing.

Like when a walrus blows air

Through two fractured front teeth. Perhaps it would

Take the form of a snake. But if a snake, it would need a tree.

Could she grow one from seed? Could one make a cat?

Make it sit on a branch and fade away again

The moment you told it that the rude noise it was hearing was

rational thought

With an axe beating on the forest door.

L. Stacks

Photo: weheartit

Our Engagement Pictures!

2010-04-26T13:35:00.001-05:00

They're here! I want to extend a very special thank you to Casey Stryzyewski at Hello Love Photo (and her assistant) in take these lovely pictures for us. To see the rest of the photos, check out her flickr stream. We had a wonderful time galavanting around Chicago--riding the subway, reading books in Roosevelt University's library, gazing at Buckingham fountain, and trying to block out the windy weather by Lake Michigan. Take a sneak peek for yourself:

I love them so much that I just can't choose a favorite. The last photo is a throwback to our days at Dutch-y Hope College, in Holland, MI. Of course T wouldn't lean in for the traditional Dutch picture, hee hee.

What do you think? What ones are your favorites?

L. Stacks

I Love: Tissue Paper Poms!

2010-04-26T13:13:00.004-05:00

[On Mondays, I post about something that I love. Mondays are such rough days--does anyone out there actually like the start of a new work week? Does anyone say, yay, Mondays are marvelous? So to cheer myself up, and maybe my readers, too, I've decided to officially name my "I Love" posts on Mondays: book ends' Lovely Monday posts. Because wouldn't the day be so much better if you tried to think about lovely things?]

Lately, our apartment has been bachelorette party central, and to decorate for the festivities, we made some of Martha Stewart's tissue paper poms to hang from our doorways. We used bright colors and they looked so lovely that we just haven't been able to take them down yet.

It's so nice to come home to an apartment that looks so festive and bright--so we figure that party decorations can have everyday functions as well. If you want to make your own to brighten up your space, you can find the directions here.

Have a lovely Monday,

L. Stacks

Poetry Blitz, Fifteen.

2010-04-26T10:08:00.003-05:00

This post is the fifteenth installation of book ends'

National Poetry Month poetry blitz. Read more about it here.

Making a Fist

By Naomi Shihab Nye

[From Words Under the Words: Selected Poems]

For the first time, on the road north of Tampico,

I felt the life sliding out of me,

a drum in the desert, harder and harder to hear.

I was seven, I lay in the car

watching palm trees swirl a sickening pattern past the glass.

My stomach was a melon split wide inside my skin.

"How do you know if you are going to die?"

I begged my mother.

We had been traveling for days.

With strange confidence she answered,

"When you can no longer make a fist."

Years later I smile to think of that journey,

the borders we must cross separately,

stamped with our unanswerable woes.

I who did not die, who am still living,

still lying in the backseat behind all my questions,

clenching and opening one small hand.

L. Stacks

Photo: weheartit

Photo Shoot

2010-04-24T12:39:00.000-05:00

Good morning, readers! I just wanted to post because I am so excited--today T & I are getting our engagement pictures taken today by the lovely Casey Strzyzewski (soon-to-be Harrison) at Hello Love Photography and here on flickr. (She's also my roommate!) Check out some of her awesome photos (my favorites are the silhouettes in the tunnel, the pictures under the trees, and the feet from under the bleachers).

I can't wait to share our photos with you all!

L. Stacks

Poetry Blitz, Fourteen.

2010-04-23T19:02:00.000-05:00

This post is the fourteenth installation of book ends'

National Poetry Month poetry blitz. Read more about it here.

Fog

by Carl Sandburg

The fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

L. Stacks

Image: weheartit

Highlights of My Week

2010-04-23T11:03:00.007-05:00

Dear readers, I apologize for being so bad about my postings lately. Sure, I've been keeping up with my National Poetry Month poetry blitz, but I haven't been blogging much of anything else lately. Things are winding down for the semester--my last semester of coursework for my MFA in Creative Writing--and needless to say, I have plenty to work on: a 12-page paper, my thesis, a graduate research presentation, and compiling a syllabus for a final project. Not to mention wedding planning and job searching.

But don't worry, it's not all stress over here. There have been some great highlights in my week that keep me pushing forward, and positive. No matter how busy my schedule is, if I get a moment or two to really enjoy something unexpected, then it all seems okay by the end of the day. Here are some of my highlights of the week:

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

This week, for some reason, I've been craving carrot cake all week long. After every meal, I want some sweet cream cheese frosting atop a cute little carrot cake cupcake--and I'm embarrassed to say that I've given in and had FOUR in the past four days. (Sheepish grin.) Each of these little guilty treats have been a highlight to my crazy week. Let's hope that things slow down next week so I don't keep this little streak up.

Photo: weheartit

A Child's "Lemonade" Stand

One of my favorite moments of the week happened on Wednesday mid-morning when I was walking home from the gym. A little boy was positioned in front of his house, with a table of cupcakes, mini water bottles and some rocks with hand-drawn faces. "Would you like to buy something from me?" he asked. I scanned his table, and fell in love with one of his little rocks. "How much?" I asked. "Whatever you think it's worth," was his very good answer. "Two dollars?" I asked, and his face lit up. "Thank you very much," he said. "Have a great day!" And the smiley rock has become a perfect little paperweight on my desk.

Photo: weheartit

Potted Plants

To liven up our little apartment, I went out and got some green little friends to adorn the empty spaces on our shelves and tables (one of my lovely roommates is getting married and moving out). Their little green branches and leaves have made me very cheerful every time I enter the house. Now I just have to make sure that I don't neglect them.

Photo: weheartit

What kinds of things do you all do to make stressful weeks happier? Any hints for the future?

L. Stacks

Poetry Blitz, Thirteen.

2010-04-22T15:29:00.002-05:00

This post is the thirteenth installation of book ends'

National Poetry Month poetry blitz. Read more about it here.

Riddle

By Kate Light

[From Drunken Boat 7, Spring 2005]

You say you won’t go out tonight

but you will, I’m certain;

your eyes will light

as mine go out, your curtain

part, and all the dark illuminate…

You’ll slip out through the narrow door

and down and down

the cobbled street, your step as sure

as if you’d always known the town,

to go to places I have been

with you but will not go again.

How can this be? Can it be fair…?

There is no “fair”-- just you wind

wayward the medieval street,

so lured by everything, and blind…

And who can know whom you might meet

as you go, seeking your own kind?

L. Stacks

Photo: weheartit

Poetry Blitz, Twelve.

2010-04-21T12:41:00.004-05:00

This post is the twelfth installation of book ends'

National Poetry Month poetry blitz. Read more about it here.

If You are Lucky in this Life

By Cameron Penny, 4th grade student

[Found in an interview with poet John Rybicki]

A window will appear between two armies on a battlefield. Instead of

seeing their enemies in the window, they see themselves as children.

They stop fighting and go home and sleep. When they wake up, the

land is well again.

L. Stacks

Photo: weheartit

Poetry Blitz, Eleven.

2010-04-20T10:55:00.003-05:00

This post is the eleventh installation of book ends'

National Poetry Month poetry blitz. Read about it here.

Introduction to Poetry

By Billy Collins

[From The Apple That Astonished Paris]

I ask them to take a poem

and hold it up to the light

like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem

and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem's room

and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski

across the surface of a poem

waving at the author's name on the shore.

But all they want to do

is tie the poem to a chair with rope

and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose

to find out what it really means.

L. Stacks

Photo: weheartit

Poetry Blitz, Ten.

2010-04-19T16:05:00.001-05:00

This post is the tenth installation of book ends'

National Poetry Month poetry blitz. Read about it here.

Poem in Which I, and Only I, Get What I Deserve Michael Meyerhofer
[Found in Another Chicago Magazine #49]

A student with manga-blue eyes
submits a poem about her father's hands
and their ability, when closed,

to chip more than teeth. I remember
four years of boxing lessons,
the reason I stayed late

and pressed iron bars against the ceiling,
the nunchakus I practiced
to the trill of imaginary pan flutes

after another female friend told me
what so-and-so had done
and I shuttered from the weight of it all.

I give her the number for counseling.
Then, in a poor attempt
to lighten the mood, ask her

if she wants me to go kick his ass.
She looks me up and down.
Says: I'm pretty sure he could take you.

L. Stacks

Photo: weheartit

I Love: Messy Buns!

2010-04-19T06:32:00.000-05:00

[For three (1, 2, 3) of the past six Mondays, I have posted about something that I love. Mondays are such rough days--does anyone out there actually like the start of a new work week? Does anyone say, yay, Mondays are marvelous? So to cheer myself up, and maybe my readers, too, I've decided to officially name my "I Love" posts on Mondays: book ends' Lovely Monday posts. Because wouldn't the day be so much better if you tried to think about lovely things?]

photo: weheartit

Maybe it's because my hair now reaches my shoulder blades, or maybe because Chicago is slowly starting to warm up again, but lately, for me, the messy bun has been making its comeback. Call me lazy, but there's something so nice about just twisting up a mess of hair and somehow ending up with a glam little knot on your neck. I'm afraid if I don't chop off some of my locks soon, I may end up with too much hair to do this...

Have a lovely Monday,

L. Stacks

Poetry Blitz, Nine.

2010-04-18T20:23:00.004-05:00

Tonight's edition of book ends' National Poetry Month poetry blitz (read more about it here) is an extra-special edition for two reasons. First, because I am going to post a poem written by none other than yours truly, the very poem that is mentioned in this post--as requested by a faithful reader of mine. Second, tonight's post is special because today is an important day... the 5 year anniversary of the day T & I started dating. And the poem that I am posting just happens to be about him. So, happy anniversary, T!

Rain, Snow, and Other Weather

by Lauren Stacks

[Found in Time You Let Me In: 25 Poets Under 25]

I'm like the weather, never really can predict

when this rain cloud's gonna

burst; when it's the high or it's

the low, when you might need a light jacket.

Sometimes I'm the slush that sticks

to the bottom of your work pants,

but I can easily be the melting snowflakes

clinging to your long lashes.

I know that some people like:

sunny and seventy-five,

but you take me as I am and never

forget to pack an umbrella.

photo: weheartit

Why I Write

2010-04-18T17:32:00.005-05:00

I had the loveliest thing ever happen to me last week, and I've been hemming and hawing over whether or not to share it here, because it might sound a little like I'm tooting my own horn. But I've decided to share because, ultimately, this little story is about writing--and why I, personally, write.

While I was in Denver, overwhelmed by the number of successful writers around me, it was easy to feel a little discouraged. Sure, I have three poems published in a delightful anthology, but the high from one's first publication can only last so long before a writer starts feeling pressure for another publication, and then another and another. But then, I went back to our hotel one night, and found a positively uplifting email in my inbox.

It went a little something like this: A woman, a librarian in upstate New York, emailed me and told me that she loved Naomi Shihab Nye, and had run out and picked up her anthology as soon as she heard about it. When she finished reading the book, she looked back at her favorite poems, and realized that a lot of them were, well, written by me. She could have simply ended the email right there, and I would have been giddy simply knowing that I had stood out in a anthology of 25 poets to someone out there. But, she continued: at a faculty meeting at her school, she had decided she wanted to read my poem, "Rain, Snow, and Other Weather," at the beginning of the meeting. She read aloud, but when she got to the last two lines, she found herself crying and unable to finish. One of her co-workers had to finish reading the last lines for her.

This, my friends, is why I write. And in the literary community, in an MFA program, and surround by successful writers, it is sometimes easy to forget about this. Many people write to be "artsy," to be published, or to make money. But what I've always loved about reading was how it could touch you, how the words could leap off the page and mean something, even though they came from someone else's mind, someone else's experience. In the past, I've been told that my poetry is "sentimental" and often, there is a touch of distain that comes with that word, especially when uttered by writers who reach only for the artistic. But me, I'm fine with being sentimental if it means that I can touch the average person, if it means that my writing can go beyond just the literary community, and into the lives of those who might not have an MFA or a PhD, who let my words show them a mirror of themselves.

L. Stacks

Photo: weheartit

Dork, Nerd, Dweeb or Geek?

2010-04-16T15:31:00.004-05:00

Here's a little fun for my Friday post, because, well, we all need a little fun every once in a while, and this week especially I need some. I have been a little off in my postings, but I hope that after my weekend of cracking down and getting things done, I will be back to normal by next week.

I am cracking up over this image, which was found at thegreatwhitesnark.com by a friend of mine, and posted on her facebook:

I'm glad that I now know that I was incorrect in referring to my teenage self as a "nerd"--because, while I had the intelligence (I cried when I got my first, and only A-) and the obsession factors (I would read while walking home from school for heaven's sake), I fortunately was blessed to be socially competent. Therefore, it would be much more accurate to call myself a geek rather than a nerd. I'm so glad this has all been cleared up, aren't you?

Readers, while I'm sure you all are the coolest people on the planet, do any of you fall into these categories? How would you be labeled? (And do you agree with these definitions?)

Happy Friday,

L. Stacks

Photo: weheartit

Poetry Blitz, Eight.

2010-04-16T12:29:00.003-05:00

This post is the eighth installation of book ends'

National Poetry Month poetry blitz. Read about it here.

The Language of the Couple

By Heather Sellers

[From the collection, The Boys I Borrow, originally published in Smartish Pace]

The tiniest anything in the sweet whole world

Is named new, just you two know bike is Pony,

Boy is Rug, van is Pookatron, husband, The Pook.

An adorable adoring dictionary feeds you two

You have your names for each other engraved

In your wedding rings, you have names for a chair

The bed, the way you lean back when he holds you.

You name the compost pile, you name the dogs

Over and over and over with new and ever sicklier

Goopier names. Oh Bowser, oh Cutie. Oh Pookadoo.

No more named things the sons protest, it’s just

Jake, stop, stop with The Bug, the June, Junie June Bug

Everything doesn’t have to Be

Named. They repeat.

Whatever.

The Less Said

The Better.

But it does. Everything does have to be named.

Naming’s the knitting love does to keep you

Snug, it’s the country you make

The place you live in. Its language is a two people

Fluency. The extra names gild a thing, a boy, a heart—

The more names the more loved. The more

Loved the more worth, the more you want it.

And so we continue

To summon the bicycle, the car, the garbage

Can, the boys, the hounds, the dishes, the heart

By the love names, the wings Words have when they are

Just yours and his, tongue of two of one of you.

L. Stacks

Photo: weheartit

Poetry Blitz, Seven.

2010-04-14T22:15:00.000-05:00

This post is the seventh installation of book ends'

National Poetry Month poetry blitz! Read about it here.

Reasons Not To Have a Daughter

by Twilight Greenaway

[From Ninth Letter Vol 5, Issue 1]

She’ll shed like a dove,

molt and scrap and reassess

herself in patches like crops

gridding land from above.

She will be all sandal strap

and knee. Snaps and clips and hair

in mouth. Fabric sliced right off

then yearned precisely for.

If you’re any good at all,

she will radiate contentment,

accept recipes and underwear

long after she needs either.

She will also one day know

how small your life is

when set against the debt

you’ve kept at bay

to the bank and the world.

For a place you’ve carved:

a stubborn floor, a bird, a girl.

L. Stacks

Photo: weheartit

Poetry Blitz, Six.

2010-04-13T19:05:00.004-05:00

This post is the sixth installation of book ends'

National Poetry Month poetry blitz! Read about it here.

if you like my poems let them

by e.e. cummings

(found at americanpoems.com)

if you like my poems let them

walk in the evening, a little behind you

then people will say

"Along this road I saw a princess pass

on her way to meet her lover(it was

toward nightfall)with tall and ignorant servants."

L. Stacks

Photo: weheartit