Stephanie Verni's Blog, page 29

A Little Fashion Friday

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Next week, it’s back to campus, and back to being a little more professionally dressed than wearing leggings and jeans every day. It’s been a comfortable month, but I am always excited to see my students’ faces and be back in the classroom with them–and to have a reason to wear some of my new things to school.

I’m hoping to post more fashion this year here on Steph’s Scribe besides just what I do for FROCKTOBER in October…I just love it. It’s my little thing I do for fun. I’ll be sharing my wardrobe on Fridays on Instagram (stephanie.verni), and I’ll post here, too, although sometimes I like to mix it up with a little Fiction Fridays, as well. We’ll see.

The beauty of blogging is that you can make it up as you go along, and you don’t have to stick to a specific script.

I love writing. I love fashion.

So, we’ll toss a coin each week and see which wins.

Anyway, here are some of my outfits from the past week. Next week, I’ll be in more professional attire.

And remember, you don’t have to be model thin to wear your clothes well; it’s all about the cut and colors and what works best for your frame. I’m far from skinny–I eat a lot of PASTA, people. I’m Italian…and we like our carbs.

Cheers to an upcoming good semester to all!

 

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Why I Will NEVER Break Up With Coffee

 

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Let’s face it: Starbucks just might be one of the smartest businesses on the planet. It totally understood what was happening in the working world when it blossomed into something reliable and omnipresent. People were working longer, harder, and were busier than ever before, especially in corporate America. And their brand offered us a “perk.”

Starbucks knew exactly what we needed, how to seduce us, sustain us, and how to give us extraordinary pleasure.

If it sounds a lot like the rewards of good sex, that’s the point. Good coffee has the capacity to put us into a state of euphoria.

You may agree with me or disagree with me on this matter, but the truth is, coffee rarely disappoints and provides endless satisfaction.

When I go to bed at night, I often coax myself into grappling with the next day’s affairs by reminding myself that my day will begin with coffee; it will help kick start that day’s itinerary. Savory and extraordinary, every cup brings me a little bit of joy. I’m also in love with my Keurig, as it provides me with my best cups of coffee. I am delighted every day to drink my cup of coffee, and even more satisfied because my Yeti keeps my coffee hot the entire 40-minute drive to work.

It’s the little things, people. We’ve got to find those moments of euphoria somewhere.

According to Caffeine Informer, there are 19 solid reasons why coffee is good for you, and when I reviewed the list, I picked my top favorites as to why coffee doesn’t have to worry about our relationship. It wards off depression, fights Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, and Type 2 Diabetes. For those of you who drink too much (and I’m not talking about coffee here), it also can help protect against cirrhosis of the liver. If you’re not convinced yet of its benefits, a typical serving of coffee contains more antioxidants than grape juice, blueberries, raspberries, and oranges. Want to read more about it? Visit Caffeine Informer by clicking here.

While relationships can let you down, coffee rarely does. It doesn’t fight with you or ask you what’s for dinner. It doesn’t ask you how you did on your diet the day before. It simply does its job on most days. When I’m feeling a little sluggish in the morning and have to teach a class, my cup of coffee comes with me and helps me get going, especially for those early morning classes. I am not alone as I walk into the classroom; many of my students walk through the door with cups of hot coffee in their hands as well, either from Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, or our student cafeteria. They seem to be just as happy as I am to have our morning cup of joe as we tackle the day’s lessons.

None of us is breaking up with our coffee.

So there you have it. While there are plenty of bad habits we can get addicted to in our lives, I won’t buy the fact that coffee is bad for us, as some may suggest, like a bad boyfriend, eating too many carbs, or avoiding an active lifestyle.

Coffee just merrily slides into our lifestyle, and holding that cup helps me know it’s all going to be okay.

And while, honestly, Starbucks isn’t typically my cup of tea (ah, yes, tea! Can we chat about that sometime soon, too? Because I do love Starbucks’ black tea), I prefer the taste of Dunkin’s, Green Mountain’s, or Panera’s coffee. I like to think of coffee and me as a team: it is created, I buy it, drink it, and it makes me happy.

Consumer heaven. In a cup.

In a happy little cup.

We should indulge in certain things that bring us joy.

Coffee and I will be intimate for life.

[image error]Having a morning cup of coffee as I work on our second edition of our Event Planning textbook.

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Stephanie Verni is the author of Beneath the Mimosa Tree, Baseball Girl, Inn Significant, The Postcard and Other Short Stories & Poetry, and an academic textbook Event Planning: Communicating Theory & Practice, published by Kendall-Hunt, that she co-authored with colleagues Leeanne Bell McManus & Chip Rouse.

 

**NOTE: This is a revised and updated version of my original post, published in 2017. It was one of Steph’s Scribe’s most popular blogs of 2017.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the Love of Postcards (and other written correspondence)

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I’m romantic about travel.

I’m also romantic about writing.

Actually, I’m kind of romantic about everything. I have a really bad case of hopeless romanticism, and have been accused many times by people who know me that I tend to see the world in an unrealistic way.

That may be true, but I also do see the world in quite a realistic way. Sometimes that makes me resort to my hopeless romantic bubble, which I don’t mind being inside.

When we travel, we learn more about the world around us AND ourselves. This is just true and tough to argue. No matter where you go or how far you travel, you begin to see the world differently because you are stepping outside of your comfort zone.

As you learn more about yourself and your surroundings, it’s a good idea to document your travels. A journal might be your best bet if you are a prolific writer—and someone who enjoys reading what you have discovered and documented along the way. Another great idea, which I love so much, is to mail postcards to yourself from your travels with little insights and pieces of whimsy included in them so that when you get home, you are delighted by your memento from your trip. Plus, postcard pictures are always so gorgeous and make a great keepsake or remembrance to be collated and displayed in your own home.

The book I published last summer, The Postcard and Other Short Stories & Poetry, is a collection of stories that takes place in various cities and settings. The title story, The Postcard, takes place in London and Paris. There’s a story set in the Cotswolds in England. There’s a story set on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. When I travel places, as a writer, I’m always thinking about how I can incorporate a setting into my story. I strive to make that setting come alive with vivid description, key, signature notables of that place, and lively characters that live in and among the village.

The way things are going today with less and less written correspondence and more and more electronic correspondence, I yearn for something tangible that I can look at again and again in the future or pass along to my children. Postcards, letters, and cards should be kept alive, but it’s up to us to do that.

It’s up to us to keep it going.

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Stephanie Verni is the author of Beneath the Mimosa Tree, Baseball Girl, Inn Significant, The Postcard and Other Short Stories & Poetry, and an academic textbook Event Planning: Communicating Theory & Practice, published by Kendall-Hunt, that she co-authored with colleagues Leeanne Bell McManus & Chip Rouse.

 

What Blogging Has Meant to Me

[image error]Writing down bullet points for a blog post in Santa Barbara, CA in 2018

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“You’re still blogging?”

“Wow…you’ve been blogging for a while?”

“How often do you blog?”

“I didn’t know you had a blog. What’s your blog about?”

“How do you come up with ideas for your blog each week?”

“You’re still blogging?”

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That’s pretty much how it goes most days when I mention that I’m a blogger.

Going strong and steady since April 2011.

One to three blog posts a week.

You can count on me for that.

With the help of a then-student and now friend, Bill, we put our heads together and came up with Steph’s Scribe. I needed a title. I needed some content. He gave me the courage to set up my blog and begin. But what the heck was Steph’s Scribe going to be about, anyway?

My husband said it should have a strong focus: perhaps it should just focus on writing.

I teach writing courses at the university, and if all I wrote about was writing, I might go insane. People who know me well can attest that I get easily bored, and so I needed more scope, or the blog might not last. Once I explained this to my husband, he understood. I do understand that some blogs have a niche, but my niche is that I have a lot of interests. So I compromised: sometimes it’s about writing; sometimes it’s telling a story; sometimes I share a creative short story or an excerpt from a novel I’m working on; sometimes it’s advice or observation; sometimes it’s a book or film recommendation and review; and sometimes it’s about fashion.

Steph’s Scribe has afforded me the opportunity to share my thoughts. Some days, I feel like I’m writing for no one; other days, I have a decent audience.

But the bottom line is this: I do it for me. Having a blog allows you to enhance and continue to practice your writing. Remember the days when you kept a hand-written diary? Remember when you wrote your stories down on legal paper or in a notebook? Some of you may still write in journals or diaries, but I gave them up long ago when I began to type faster than I could write by hand. I used to write my novels in long form; now, I type them from start to finish. The thoughts come from my brain to my fingers a lot faster this way.

The truth is, this endeavor has meant a lot to me.

Blogging gives me an outlet. It’s a place to write my thoughts and feelings. It’s a place to share information. It’s a forum to recommend and hear recommendations. And, it’s a place to be myself and let my creativity flow.

I need that.

I need a place that fosters my creativity, whether I’m working on a novel or not.

My blog is my place. My space. My little spot for me to, well…

just be me.

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Stephanie Verni is the author of Beneath the Mimosa Tree, Baseball Girl, Inn Significant, The Postcard and Other Short Stories & Poetry, and an academic textbook Event Planning: Communicating Theory & Practice, published by Kendall-Hunt, that she co-authored with colleagues Leeanne Bell McManus & Chip Rouse.

The Most Difficult Part is Getting to the Finish Line

[image error]A couple of days ago, I read a blog about writing books. As the blogger presented information about how many indie and traditional books are published a year and that it’s a daunting task to even consider writing a book, because, let’s face it, the market is flooded with all kinds of books, he struck a chord with me when he said this: that most people say they are writing a book, but the number of people who actually finish and publish a quality book is far less than those who say they are going to do it.

That was a long introductory sentence, and I apologize for the breathiness of it, but I recounted all of that to say he is right: Most writers who say they are writing a book may never take it across the finish line.

I agree wholeheartedly with his assessment. Personally, I think most people don’t actually get to the point of publication for two main reasons:

1-They don’t ever completely finish the project; they can’t get it done; or it’s never good enough (in their eyes) to “put it out there.”

2-They are afraid to “put it out there.”

I am happy to report, that I let neither one of the aforementioned hold me back.

I write and publish for four main reasons:

1-There are stories inside my head that I want to get out of my head and put on paper.

2-I like to prove to myself that I can tell a good story, one that’s worthy of being published. (I also approach it as though I am only in competition with myself, by the way; I do not compete with others because there’s a lot of talent out there. All I can do is tell the next story better than I told the one before. That is my goal.) 

3-I like to “show” my students that it is completely feasible to write and publish a book.

4-I just love the crap out storytelling, writing, and the whole maddening process.

[image error]If you are one of those people who is working toward a goal of publishing a book, there’s really only one main trick to it: stay the course. Write it. Edit it. Proof it. Have others read your draft. Edit as necessary. Rewrite it. Edit some more. Proofread again. Publish it yourself or find a publisher.

The hardest part about writing is sitting down every day, making time for it, and taking those steps to write your story. The one you were born to tell. The one you will be proud to say you have written after you crossed the finish line.

Listen clearly, my friends, especially those of you who are in this mode for the first time—it can be done.

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Stephanie Verni is the author of Beneath the Mimosa Tree, Baseball Girl, Inn Significant, The Postcard and Other Short Stories & Poetry, and an academic textbook Event Planning: Communicating Theory & Practice, published by Kendall-Hunt, that she co-authored with colleagues Leeanne Bell McManus & Chip Rouse.

Coming Up With A Book Title

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One of the most challenging things to do as a writer is to come up with the name of your book. I’m in the process right now of brainstorming ideas for a title for my current work in progress. No one in my family seems to like the current working title: Life with Nan.

I think I’ve nailed the titles of my books three out of four times, with a swing and a miss when it comes to my book that is based around characters who work in professional baseball.

Let me explain:

My first novel, Beneath the Mimosa Tree, is about two young kids who grow up next door to one another. Their love story begins “beneath the mimosa tree,” hence the title. It was originally titled Contelli’s Mimosa, but I changed the name when my MFA advisor suggested it sounded too much like the movie Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. Hence, the title switch. It was also suggested to change the original title Under the Mimosa Tree to Beneath the Mimosa Tree because that sounded too much like Under the Tuscan Sun.

Change made.

My second book was always in my head as Baseball Girl. The swing and a miss here is that I think too many people think this novel is about a girl who PLAYS baseball. It’s not. It’s about a girl who WORKS IN PROFESSIONAL baseball. This book is based upon my real-life experiences working in baseball, and we lovingly referred to women this way as baseball girls.

I had the title of my third novel before I even began writing it. I always knew I would write a story set on the grounds of an inn. Inn Significant is the the novel that resulted, and I’m still madly in love with the title.

The fourth collection I wrote and titled, The Postcard and Other Short Stories & Poetry, was an ensemble of short stories and poems I’d written over the years. The Postcard is one of my favorite stories in the collection, though not my absolute favorite, but it suited the collection perfectly, so I was fine with the title.

As for this one I’m working on now, it centers on a woman who leaves New York City after several years and goes to live with her grandmother after a nasty divorce. She’s an event planner who ends up working in a bookstore. It really is about life with Nan, but Life with Nan is not the best title for a book, and so I’m brainstorming now. If you have any thoughts, let me know!

Coffee…Magic..and Your Soul

[image error]I just wrote a scene from my newly revised novel, and I am feeling pretty good about myself. These days, I have to budget my time wisely: time to write for pleasure, time to research and write the second edition of our academic textbook, and time to get my ducks in order for the upcoming spring semester. I set a timer and watch the clock so that I can balance my life and the time that I permit myself to work on each aspect of my life.

That’s how I get stuff done.

I took a moment’s break, and came upon this quote, and for a moment, the world stopped.

I was dancing in the kitchen to my favorite guy, Michael Buble, this morning, if that gives you any indication of how I’m feeling today and why this quote made me smile.

I’ve just finished a cup of coffee and am looking forward to a night out with my family, and I’m feeling pretty optimistic about the upcoming year.

This quote said it all.

And now I’m feeling more inspired than I was five minutes ago when I finished writing that scene.

I wish you all the same on this happy Friday…

…magic…

 

 

Travel, Interrupted

 

[image error]Omni Grove Park Inn

Lesson learned in 2018: Perhaps avoid planning travel excursions during the holiday season when people are getting sick and germs are running rampant.

Last week, the day after Christmas, for the second year in a row, we had planned a trip to Asheville, North Carolina, with two days in Williamsburg to follow at Christmas. We’ve been trying to do a little more travel and less material gifts with our kids now that they are older teenagers. And so, last year, the trip was put off because my son, as a then senior in high school, had a ton of homework and presentations to put together for both school and his outside club, DECA. We postponed the trip in 2017.

This year, with vouchers in hand (because we had already paid for it), we rescheduled our trip. On the day after Christmas, the 26th, we got in the car for the nine hour drive to Asheville. By the time we got there that night, my son was feeling ill. By the next day, he was officially sick. We managed to get to the Omni Grove Park Inn to see the National Gingerbread House Competition that we had read about over the past couple of years. I was dying to see it. That afternoon, in the pouring rain, we made it to the Candlelight Tour of the Biltmore Estate. My son was really feeling badly, and so we toured the house as fast as we could so we could get him back to the hotel. The next day, we drove home nine hours, and the trip was over. Eighteen hours of driving for a day’s worth of sights, and there was still so much to see. Maybe next time.

Vacations get aborted because of illness all the time, I know, and I didn’t want my son to feel badly about it. It will always be there. We will go back. And my husband and I are excited to get back to Asheville and see what it has in store for us. It seemed to be a great city with extraordinary views, great restaurants, and tons to do.

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The Omni Grove Park Inn itself was stunning. The amount of Christmas decorations in the place were astounding. Two grand fireplaces flank the massive lobby where a hot chocolate house had been erected for the holidays. The views of the mountains off of the large veranda were stunning. The place was spectacular and radiated warmth, inviting you to stay a while. People were in the hot tub outside, even on a cold winter’s day. It was a resort I’d like to return to in the future. And the Gingerbread competition was unlike anything I had ever seen before.

[image error]The First Place Adult Gingerbread House

The Biltmore Estate at Candlelight is remarkable. The largest privately held home in the United States, I referred to it as the Downton Abbey of America. Stately and charming at the same time, I could have gotten lost in the Library, which I thought was one of the two most impressive rooms in the house. The second was the dining room, with its stately grandiose fireplace and organ. I had to ask my daughter several times to help her understand: “Can you imagine living in place like this? I mean, people actually lived here.”

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[image error]Atrium of the Biltmore, with Carolers and Musicians

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[image error]The Biltmore Estate Library

To hear one of the tour guides say that the Vanderbilt family was a lovely family and that Mrs. Vanderbilt picked out all the children’s Christmas presents every year and wrapped them all herself while placing them underneath the tree in the upstairs parlor made me feel happy. I liked knowing that nice (albeit super rich) family lived in the home and that it’s been passed down from generation to generation and open to the public to see is a great treasure for our country. The basement alone will blow you away if you haven’t already marveled at the rest of the home.

Asheville, we will be back. And next time, without any sickness to take us away.

[image error]The Biltmore Estate at Night, Christmas Season 2018

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Stephanie Verni books available on Amazon.com and BN.com.

Life Philosophies, Not Resolutions This Year

This year I decided to do something different.

Instead of making New Year’s Resolutions that we forget two weeks into the year, I decided to adopt some life philosophies full of wisdom and put them into action the whole year long.

I love quotes, sayings, and the ability that people have to say succinctly what I’m thinking, hence the use of so many quotes, some from well-known folks and some that were posted anonymously that I found searching for the right ones for me.

What follows are the ones that speak to me the loudest.

And what follows are the ones I plan on adopting in 2019.

May all your dreams come true this upcoming year.

May you enjoy happiness and love and success.

And may you always be you.

PHILOSOPHY #1

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As a writer, I have to refrain from trying to compare myself to other writers. The only thing I can be is true to myself, my characters, and the story I am trying to relate. I love writing, you guys. I won’t ever quit this thing, but going forward, I will always allow the story to guide me and will consider myself as lucky that I have been chosen to tell a story that is within me to you.

PHILOSOPHY #2

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At my age, I have no time for crap and pettiness and bull honkey. Each day I strive to be better than I was the day before, and if you like me, I’m so happy. If you don’t, it’s okay, too. I’m optimistic and upbeat most days, and I love my my family, my friends, my students, and my jobs. But for those who only want to use friendship for things that suit only them, I’m checking out from here on out.

PHILOSOPHY #3

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My husband told me this was the best one I picked. And therefore, I’m adopting it. The bottom line is not to let others—or their actions—affect you. Just be you, do your thing, and allow happiness to become a light within you. Let go of things that have hurt or have bothered you; they are over. Move forward with an open heart. I love this one.

PHILOSOPHY #4

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I will never apologize for the time I spend writing and trying my damnedest to be a good, solid storyteller. I love writing. And this, my friends, is my ultimate goal. To have you enjoy a book that I write…to be taken away by a story and the people I put in them…and to have you possibly recommend one of my books to someone. I’ll keep working hard at it, that I promise.

PHILOSOPHY #5

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Being bitten by the travel writing bug in the courses I teach at Stevenson University, I am a firm believer in this quote from the Dalai Lama. It’s my philosophy, for sure. I love traveling, exploring, and being a part of a place. My dream one day is to live in Italy for the summer, to become immersed in the culture and connect with the people. I can’t wait to see what trips we take in 2019. Travel opens your mind…and helps you find yourself.

PHILOSOPHY #6

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The best things in life are the people we love, the places we’ve been, and the memories we’ve made along the way. I love this. Again, this quote has a little bit to do with travel, but a lot to do with making memories. One of the things we decided to do as a family is to do away with more material gifts, and give the gift of travel to each other. Over the past three years, we’ve been able to get away on some fantastic vacations. We are making memories that will last our lifetimes, and I’m so happy for it. More to come in 2019.

PHILOSOPHY #7

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I learned more about life in my forties than I did in any other decade—and it wasn’t always pleasant. But that’s life. Now that I’ve experienced what Nora Ephron said, I am wiser and better for all of my experiences. Now I can move ahead knowing that I’m still learning, thank goodness. What a horrible existence it would be if we didn’t continue to learn. I say that to my students regularly. I love learning, and the bumps in the road just make me a better version of myself. I hope I never lose the curiosity that keeps me going.

PHILOSOPHY #8

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This one’s snarky, but true. In the last two years, I’ve come in contact with some not very nice people. Avoid them at all costs. Your happiness depends upon it.

PHILOSOPHY #9

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This is another one I love, and it’s about always tapping into your creativity, your mind, and your talents from Sophia Loren, who has defied age. I look to her as a role model with her approach to life. I plan on adopting this immediately. I never want to lose my creative spirit.

PHILOSOPHY #10

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I could write a long essay about the times I’ve felt left out or ignored by people. On the flip side, I could also write pages and pages about the people who are always willing and able to give you their time, be a friend, and include you in anything and everything they do. Friendship is a two-way street, and it requires effort and dedication. By the same token, friendship should never be a tit-for-tat; we all go through things that challenge our ability to be a good friend. Friendship is love. It’s forgiveness. And it’s the ability to understand that sometimes we have to give a little more than we take.

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There you have it, readers. Those are my NEW PHILOSOPHIES for 2019.

Did I miss anything that you think might be helpful for me? If so, please share.

And much love to you all for a wonderful 2019.

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Stephanie Verni books available on Amazon.com and BN.com.

Merry Christmas From Our Family To Yours

 

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Wishing all of you the happiest of holidays, the merriest of Christmases, and blessings for the year to come. May the season bless you with family, friends, and lots of good storytelling.
Thank you so much for connecting with me, supporting me, and reading all my craziness here on Steph’s Scribe—especially those of you who have been with me since 2011 when this blog began.
Love you all.

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