CappuccinoReads

Writing

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 17:08:01 -0400

Writing the articles to accompany the videos pieces is a lot of fun but it’s also sometimes quite difficult. I realize that you might be laughing, saying ‘how can writing a short piece about such amazing stories be difficult?’’ But it’s just because they are such great stories that is a tough job.

Writers are excellent at conveying emotions through a text. I always find that a text can be as emotionally powerful, if not more so, as a video…. http://dlvr.it/1p2SYq

Self-Improvement Books

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 15:57:00 -0400

I have a confession to make. I’m an easy target when it comes to self-improvement books. Yes, I know, I’m one of those people who enjoys standing in the so-called ‘self-help’ section of bookshops, perusing the shelves.

This isn’t because I’m in any particular need of self-help. I mean, yes, I could definitely benefit from a greater ability to be organized and sometimes I do lack motivation but I don’t have a desperate need to reform myself. But I think that’s exactly why I love that type of book.

I will admit, the book that promises to get you organized in 15 minutes a day, or the one that vows you will become a far more optimistic person with just one session a week, is most likely to be a let-down. And once you’ve read one self-improvement book, some say you’ve read them all.

This doesn’t stop me from rushing to see what new and previously undiscovered books that promise me eternal optimism I can find. I’m particularly drawn to books about optimism and the concept of calming the mind.

I often find myself getting worked up by things that, in the grand scheme of things, don’t matter. That stress, I’ve come to realize, is entirely pointless most of the time. There’s no point worrying about something that I can’t change, something that might happen, or - and this happens more than I like to admit - worrying about whether or not I misspelled someone’s name in the email I just sent.

I don’t misspell the names or get the addresses wrong but more often than not, I’m sitting think about whether I could possibly have sent it to the wrong person…

So the book that promises to be a supportive guide in my journey to a calm mind, a friendly demeanor (I really need to work on that one), and a reasonable optimism and motivational power really does draw me in.

I must admit, I do learn quite a bit from the books, if not just from the discussions of scientific studies done on people’s habits and outlooks on life. I’ve always found the way the human brain works to be fascinating and it’s great to learn about why falling into bad habits is so easy and how to remedy them.

Admittedly, reading these books has not made me a ball of human power and organizational skills. But for the time I’m reading them and the moments I look back and think about what I read, I really do feel more motivated and more empowered to change even a small thing in my day-to-day routine. Or lack thereof…

There are some books I’ve liked better than others. Some have been rather disappointing, filled with anecdote after anecdote with no real substance; a book that could be made up of a couple of pages consisting of the bullet points at the end of each chapter.

Some have given me enough motivation and energy to change something small in my life, even if just for a while, and they’ve definitely given me tips and tricks that I know I want to put into good use one day… when I’m organized.

I particularly enjoyed David Allen’s Getting Things Done. I loved that he explained his methods very clearly and that he reiterated the most important points so that it eventually stuck in even my not-so-with-it brain.

Also, the tone of his book was great. He emphasized repeatedly that it’s not a question of implementing every single part of his method but rather, it’s up to each person to pick out what they feel is most relevant to them.

It just made me feel that one day, by working at it little by little, I’d become a slightly more organized person. And I’m sure it’s working to a certain extent. Even the smallest change can make a difference and the more you change, the more you are able to get done.

Having the knowledge about how to go about changing a routine or working to get into a routine in the first place really does help me think about why I do what I do and how I can be more productive and effective.

And even if I’m not the most organized person yet, every time I remember to do something I learned from these books, I have a better chance of becoming a slightly calmer and more productive me.

Are there any self-improvement books that you particularly enjoy? Do let me know and we can compare notes! I love hearing about what other people are reading and am always on the lookout for the next exciting additional to my collection.

Photo Credit: Flickr: photoverulam

Off The Beaten Path

Mon, 28 May 2012 14:08:01 -0400

As I said in one of my previous blog posts, we visited a book shop called Off The Beaten Path for one of our stories. It’s in one of the side streets in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and is most definitely one of my favorite ever bookshops.

I know that a lot of bookshops make my list of great bookshops that I enjoyed spending time in, and often, they’re ones that I’d love to go back to, but there are… http://dlvr.it/1dWHYg

The Teahouse

Sun, 20 May 2012 17:00:40 -0400

We left Santa Fe two weeks ago but the memory of The Teahouse has certainly not left me yet. While we were in Santa Fe, we went there a couple of times and I loved it both times.

The Teahouse is nestled in a small, quirky street, surrounded by art galleries. They have an amazing outdoor area, which is actually where we sat both times. The weather was so warm and sunny that I couldn’t bear the idea of sitting inside.

The inside is very nice though. It’s a quite large space inside, divided into a couple of smaller rooms. The entrance takes you into a small room that has shelves covered in jar after jar of loose leaf tea. The counter is just to left as you go in and the menu hangs over it, tantalizingly offering all sorts of tasty-sounding drinks.

I didn’t have any of the loose leaf tea, though I do very much regret not doing so. There was rose tea, wild cherry tea, and many, many more delicious flavors. I think I was just overwhelmed by the choice and reverted to my usual: chai.

I did have a different chai the two times we went. The first time, I had what they called a Cowboy Chai. It was your basic chai but with cayenne and other more exotic spices. The second time, I tried their classic chai.

They were both very tasty but they were unlike other chais I’d had before. If you like your chai lattes to be very sweet, this would probably not be for you. You could add sugar to it, I suppose, but I didn’t and it was definitely a very different kind of drink. It was very tasty though and came in lovely metal mugs that contained a lot of drink.

There was, of course, free wifi, which was very helpful for us because we went there to get through our piles of work.

The atmosphere outside was just perfect for work, and it was one of the most serene places I’ve been this year. Just like sitting outside the visitor center in Santa Fe, it was just lovely to sit somewhere quiet, in the shade but with lovely sunshine and blue sky as far as the eye could see.

We even sat underneath a small tree the second time we went, which was wonderfully cosy and added a little bit of shade to the table but allowed us to still enjoy the sun.

If you’re even in Santa Fe, you really should visit The Teahouse. When I go back to Santa Fe (I hope to, anyway), I know I’ll be going back and this time, I will definitely try a variety of their loose leaf teas!

The Teahouse

Sat, 19 May 2012 21:14:17 -0400

We left Santa Fe two weeks ago but the memory of The Teahouse has certainly not left me yet. While we were in Santa Fe, we went there a couple of times and I loved it both times.

The new book I’m reading. If anyone’s read it...

Tue, 15 May 2012 21:49:13 -0400

The new book I’m reading. If anyone’s read it themselves, what did you think of it?

Z's Divine Espresso

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:20:00 -0400

Z’s Divine Espresso tucked away just off Massachusetts St in Lawrence, KS. I say tucked away, but it isn’t really. It’s just off the main road but once you are in the coffee shop, you will most definitely feel removed from the hustle and bustle outside.

It’s quite a small café but it’s packed with all the wonderful things that I love in coffee shops, and more.

There are just a few tables, some lined up along the window and some in the middle of the room. There’s also a corner with a sofa and bar seating up near the counter. While this doesn’t sound like much seating, Z’s has probably one of the smartest things I’ve seen in a coffee shop yet.

Rather than having tables along the walls, they have small table-height counters that are subdivided into small desk areas, each with power outlets. This means that when someone wants to go to a coffee shop to work on their computer (I know the feeling well), they can do so without taking up a table that would seat two, and there are no cables trailing across the floor linking computers to plugs.

I thought it was a really, really good idea. It means both that there was more seating overall because it was making use of the wall space that wouldn’t be best used to accommodate full-size table and that it made sure people who like working in Z’s aren’t taking up more space than they should.

But on to their coffee…. I had a chai, which was absolutely delicious. It was warm in temperature but it was also warm from its spice content. I always like my chai best when you can really taste the spices.

I also had a coffee that was really good. It was just their filter coffee but it was definitely tasty and full of body. It was especially good when drunk with a certain chocolate biscotti that they sold, which was also rather delicious.

They had lots of tasty-looking muffins and sweet things, and they have a wide range of coffee beans for sale to take home.

When we went, Z’s was almost full but there was the most wonderful silence - it was like being in a library. Of course, there was the usual background noise as people came and went and ordered food, but it was one of the quietest cafés I’ve been to.

I don’t mean this in a bad way, though. It wasn’t like going into a completely deserted café where it’s quiet simply because there’s no one else there. It was quiet because everyone was enjoying their coffee and working or reading.

It was a very lovely atmosphere to sit and work in and I’d most definitely like going to sit and read a book while enjoying a coffee.

So if you’re even in Lawrence, and need somewhere to read or work or just enjoy life, definitely head over to Z’s Divine Espresso.

The Dusty Bookshelf

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

I enjoy browsing in bookshops full of brand-new books as well as second-hand bookshops. The experience in each is usually slightly different but no less fun. The bookshop I went to in Lawrence, KS, however, was slightly different.

The Dusty Bookshelf is an absolutely wonderful bookshop. It is full of second-hand books but you would be forgiven for not noticing. All the books are in such great condition that they look as good as new. As the bookshop itself says, they buy ‘gently used’ books, and very gently used, they are.

It’s a very decently sized shop. All the bookshelves match - not in a clinical, soulless way, but rather in a well-organized and beautifully decorated way. They’re also arranged so that the sections feel small and cosy. It means that the shop can fit as many books as possible in the large space, without feeling large and too open.

Speaking of fitting as many books as possible into one space, The Dusty Bookshelf has bookshelves galore but there are also piles of books on the floors at the feet of the shelves. The central counter is surrounded by large piles as well and it just all adds to the wonderful atmosphere of the place.

There’s a wonderfully large mystery section as well as a craft section and well, anything else you could want. They sell vintage paperbacks and I’m sure they’d have some gems that would make any book lover’s day.

They also sell literary t-shirts by Out Of Print Tees, postcards, bags and other such non-book delights. One of the tables has a display of books that surround a very cool old typewriter.

And last but absolutely not least: there is a cat. If you read my post about the ‘Blue Bicycle Books’ bookshop in Charleston, SC, you will have seen that I do love bookshops with cats. This particular cat was appropriately regal for a bookshop cat, and was sitting on a lovely, green armchair.

I didn’t spend very much time in The Dusty Bookshelf - it’s always dangerous for me to be in a bookshop for too long, I’m too tempted to buy things - but if I lived in Lawrence or anywhere near, I would definitely spend a great deal of times browsing the shelves.

Have a look at their website or check out their Facebook page to learn more about The Dusty Bookshelf.