Stephanie Verni's Blog, page 72

The Colors of Autumn

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

The approach to campus | Stevenson University | October 27, 2015
Colors of Fall | Harris House | Stevenson University | October 27, 2015
Chartwell Golf Course | Severna Park, Maryland | October 24, 2015
Looking outside our family room window | October 25, 2015
Strolling in the neighborhood | October 18, 2015
Filed under: On Life Tagged: autumn, colors of autumn, F. Scott Fitgerald, Featured, leaves of fall, seasons

Hat Obsessed

I like to call this my new Downton Abbey hat. I love it almost as much as I love the show.

I just bought another hat, the one pictured above, and so I’m afraid my hat obsession continues. Besides the practicality of a hat, as it allows for both eye and skin protection, hats are also a fabulous accessory that make me yearn for fashion of the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, and the 1950s when hats were incredibly stylish and sophisticated. With the continuing deescalation of dressy fashion as it continually becomes more and more “comfortable,” there is less need for stylish hats. Remember when women wore hats to church? To events? Yes, we see them worn at horse races, where women purchase gorgeous hats, but wouldn’t it be nice to see them come back in fashion? They do say fashion is cyclical. Let’s hope so.

Everyone needs a good ballcap. This one is a lightweight cap from Nike.
My brown and tan floppy beach hat.
For maximum coverage, this large-brimmed hat is great when the sun is strong.
One of my favorites that holds a special memory. I was wearing it when I first held the printed copy of my first book.
This hat gets a lot of wear. I love it and wear it all the time during the winter months. Two shots included…
Here it is again in New York.
How about this plastic hat given out at my cousin Michael’s wedding? They were fabulous and we all wore them.
Got this one at Anthropologie this summer. Love wearing it with shades.

Do you love hats like I do? If so, what are your favorites? I’d love to hear about your hats.

Filed under: On Life Tagged: dress hats, Fashion, fashion and hats, Featured, hats, stylish hats

Fiction Friday | A Not-So-Happy Story of Love

For this week’s Fiction Friday, I used a prompt that asked us to write something we don’t normally write. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I’m a self-proclaimed hopeless romantic. I usually write stuff that ends happily. However, today I didn’t. Today’s prompt asked me to write something about two people that doesn’t end well–that they do not end up together.

I have to admit, I just wrote this, and I’m depressed now. It’s like I want to go back and and change the ending, but I’m not allowing myself to. This time I’m allowing the characters who have been married for a while to not have a happy ending.

I don’t like it, but I hope you do.

The Wedding | 722 words

Megan could only see part of the back of Cecilia’s head. Therefore, she could only catch glimpses of half of the veil she helped construct. She was seated in the seventh pew of the church—an expansive, old-fashioned Catholic church with wooden pews, dim lighting, and shiny tiled floors that sparkled. Every noise, whether it was a cough, someone clearing his throat, or a child’s laughter, bounced off the massiveness of the cathedral ceiling. Unfortunately, the large man in front of her blocked her view of the altar. She gave up trying, and glanced at the Stations of the Cross, surveying them one by one, as they were positioned at each stained-glass window around the perimeter of the structure. The priest’s voice fluttered upward, enveloped by the beams, the archways, and the light. She felt the guilt churning, lurking deep within her. She sat five inches from Paul.

They by-passed the receiving line that gathered after the ceremony, and got in Paul’s new BMW. They were only there together because Cecelia and Evan asked them to be there. Evan was Paul’s best friend; Cecelia was hers, and had been for years. Since they’d left the house, not a word had passed between them. She’d gotten used to the silence, to only hearing her own thoughts as she rattled around in the quiet house. It’s amazing how much anger you can store up inside of you—and keep inside of you, she thought. Sometimes she wanted to scream; at other times she wanted to cry. She ran out of words. There were none left to say.

At the reception, they were seated at the same table, as few others knew the status of their crumbling—or rather exhausted—relationship. Nevertheless, today wasn’t about them, and they both did their best to smile and nod when talking to Cecelia and Evan’s guests. At no point in the evening did they look each other in the eyes. Why would they? Their eyes were nothing but empty, cold, and pathetic; they dripped with disgust. The rumble of conversation in the reception hall became dwarfed by the music as the band began to play.

Megan watched Cecelia move around the room with grace and fluidity. Was it only eight years ago that she had beamed the way Cecelia beamed now? Had she once been that happy? It was hard to fathom. Had he once looked at her with love and affection, with respect and admiration? Had they not promised…

He touched her hand, and she jumped.

“Dance?” Paul asked.

“You’re joking,” she said. He was looking at her in the eyes. She looked back.

“No,” he said, taking off his jacket and placing it on the back of the chair.

The expression that he’d worn on his face for the past few months, one mostly of frustration, gave way to a foreign expression she hadn’t quite seen before. She realized he had placed his hand back on hers, and they both got up from the table, his hand holding hers tightly now. They walked to the dance floor and crept toward the middle where many other happier couples were enjoying the music.

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d touched him, and yet they’d lived under the same roof for years, and even during these last months when she slept in the guest room, she hadn’t come closer than two feet from him.

Megan felt his hand lightly touch her back, and then he pressed her closer. She could smell his cologne, something she hadn’t smelled on his body in…months?

Their bodies moved together in sync, the band’s music forcing them both to remember to step, sway, and turn. At one point, he took her hand and twirled her. They both laughed. She hated him. Detested him.

Cecelia caught a glimpse of Megan and Paul dancing and smiled. It was her wedding day, after all, and this pleased her.

When the song was over, people clapped for the band. Not Paul. Paul grabbed Megan’s hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it. She saw tears in his eyes. She felt a lump build in her throat.

“I did what Cecelia and Paul asked,” he said. “But saying goodbye here and this way might be easiest,” he said.

She did not reply. She stared at him, and he back at her.

He went to the table and grabbed his jacket off of the chair. She watched him walk toward the double doors. He stopped just as he reached them and paused. She caught herself holding her breath.

Then his hand touched the handle, and he was gone.

Filed under: On Life Tagged: breakups, failing marriage, Featured, fiction, Flash Fiction, marriage, the wedding, weddings

The Best Soup | A Family Favorite

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I cannot take credit for this recipe; it comes from my mother-in-law. For years I have been making this soup for my family. As the colder weather moved in last weekend, and since it’s been months since we’ve enjoyed it, I decided to make it this week. While the recipe is rather simple, it yields big results. This soup is so flavorful and satisfying, that you don’t need to serve anything else with it. However, a healthy salad or your favorite bread might be a nice accompaniment to it. I typically make it the night before, and I let the meat cook in the pot for as long as possible to ensure the tenderness of the beef.

BEEF SOUP

Ingredients

1 onion

2 stalks of celery

1-2 lbs of beef cubes

2 marrow bones

1 can Contandina sauce

salt

DIRECTIONS

Fill a large pot with water; bring to a boil. Add marrow bones and beef. Cook for approximately 10-12 minutes, until the fat rises to the top of the pot. Skim the fat off the top. Add carrots, onion, celery, and Contandina sauce (I have been known to make it without celery if you don’t enjoy that flavor). Season with salt to your liking. Let all the ingredients simmer for 1 1/2 – 2+ hours.

TO SERVE

Separate the carrots from the pot. Throw away the marrow bones, onion, and celery. Add small pasta of your choice to the broth with the meat. Dice or smash the carrots and then add back to pot. Serve plain or sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

I hope you enjoy this satisfying recipe that’s easy to make. You can always double it up to get two family servings out of it.

We never get tired of this delicious and healthy soup.

Filed under: On Life Tagged: beef soup, delicious soups, fall and winter soups, family soups, Featured, soups

Today’s Suggestion: Keep Dancing

I have a confession to make: I love to dance.

I have another confession to make: sometimes I dance as a form of exercise.

The fact of the matter is, like many other forms of aerobic exercise, dancing is a great stress reliever, is good for your heart, and can burn 450 calories per hour. Why do you think so many people on “Dancing with the Stars” lose weight on the program? Because they are dancing their butts off.

Honestly, there is nothing better than playing some of your favorite music and dancing. For 30, 45 , or 60 minutes, depending on the time I have available, I may “get away” and dance. I break out some of my favorite songs, and I move my body when I don’t feel like walking or doing step aerobics or kickboxing. Dancing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I’ve always loved to do it. There is a sense of freedom, of expression, of creativity, and of love that comes from it. I typically feel good about myself simply by moving to the designated rhythms I have chosen for the day. It’s an escape. It’s cathartic. It’s relaxing.

In college, I contemplated becoming a dance major. While I didn’t end up going in that direction, with my parents’ blessing, I took a lot of dance classes throughout my time at Towson. My ballet teacher, Eddie Stewart, the former director of Annapolis Ballet Theatre who has since passed away, would correct my leg placement or help me turn out my feet properly. He would help me achieve the correct arm positioning. In Modern class, I enjoyed learning Martha Graham’s style of dance, among others. When my children were little, I took tap classes in Ellicott City.

However, the best part about dancing at my age is that the position of my feet don’t necessarily matter anymore; I’m not dancing for anyone but myself. And my hand position might not be as perfect as it once was, but who cares? Certainly not Ariana Grande, Will Smith, Vanilla Ice, Justin Timberlake, Fergie, or anyone else I’ve got blasting out of iTunes.

Imagine that. You can dance for yourself.

And, if you’re like me, you’ll probably feel great about it.

***

My four tips for adding dance to your exercise routine:

Step 1: Get into some exercise clothing.

Step 2: Clear some space so you can move about the room.

Step 3: Put on your favorite songs.

Step 4: Dance.

Let me know how it goes.

My younger self … dancing.
Filed under: On Life Tagged: aerobic exercise, dancing, Eddie Stewart ABT, Featured, Martha Graham, moving your body, Towson

On the Road to Event Planning

Beautiful Camden Yards, where I planned many an event. Photo credit: Stephanie Verni

This week, my colleagues Leeanne Bell McManus, Chip Rouse, and I received page proofs of our textbook entitled “Event Planning: Communicating Theory and Practice” which is being published by Kendall Hunt. The year plus of work on this book has been interesting for me, to say the least. As someone who was trained in academia later in life, having worked in the field of public relations, community relations, and publications first, writing a textbook required a whole different set of skills than does writing fiction. And yet both endeavors are rewarding.

I wanted to take a moment to thank Leeanne and Chip for working with me on this project. I had not written a textbook before, and so there was definitely a learning curve for me, particularly with regard to research. Nonetheless, I persevered, and I can’t think of a better pair to work with, particularly with regard to event planning.

Those of you who know me (or have ever attended any parties I’ve thrown) probably know this was something that was a no-brainer. How could I pass up the opportunity to write about something I love doing? I’ve been called “The Cruise Director” for years by my good friends who know I am an organizer and social coordinator. During my time at the Orioles, I was blessed to have worked on several event committees that planned events for both Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards. Leeanne brings a tremendous amount of scholarly expertise to the table, as she has already published two textbooks and helped plan the Eastern Communication Association conference in Baltimore in 2010 (and she is about to do it again in 2016); Chip has been the department chair at Stevenson for years and also works a secondary job at a local country club during the summers planning events. The three of us brought different aspects of event planning to the table, and I’m excited about this textbook and what it potentially offers students.

Likewise, I would like to thank personally my dear friends from the community who work for a variety of organizations and handle aspects of event planning. These folks were willing to help out and write case studies for each of the chapters. Stacey Haines, Julie Wagner, Kristen Schultz, Roz Healy, and Charles Steinberg—thank you for allowing us to hear and to learn from your own experiences with event planning. Additionally, a big thank you goes to Kendall Hunt for publishing our book.

And so now we wait for the finished product to emerge. I can’t wait.

Just wrapped up two years of coordinating social events at our pool. Jen and I had a good time together as co-chairs, along with Kelly (not pictured). Pictured here are a group of our co-horts, relaxed and chilling.
Filed under: On Life Tagged: Camden Yards, event planning, Event Planning Textbook, Event Planning: Communicating Theory and Practice, events, Featured, Memorial Stadium, Orioles, textbooks

Pumpkin.ssssssssss

Fall makes me think that if I fail horribly at this art thing, and then fail horribly with this writing thing, I’ll go run a pumpkin patch.

—  Tyler Hojberg

Filed under: On Life Tagged: Featured, Homestead Gardens, white pumpkins

The Prettiness of White Pumpkins

Photo credit: Stephanie Verni

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Even though it’s fall and the leaves on the East Coast trees are starting to change into the traditional colors of yellows, oranges, and browns, a splash of white among the mix doesn’t hurt. Pumpkins, typically known for being orange in color, can also be white. This season, I’ve been looking to try some different fall crafts with my daughter, especially as autumn is upon us. We still get into the spirit of Halloween at our house even though my kids are older, and we host Thanksgiving dinner. I enjoy trying new centerpieces or decorations to freshen up our look.

I love the idea of white pumpkins decorated with fresh flowers, paint, or carvings. Here are some ideas I’ve found over the last few days. What do you think? What inspiration do you find through the fall holidays?

Photo credit: acultivatednest.com
Photo credit: cherrybevents.wordpress.com
Photo credit: digsdig.com
seeinginkspots.blogspot.com
Photo credit: lifeatcloverhill.com
Filed under: On Life Tagged: decorating for fall, decorating for halloween, fall crafts, Featured, Halloween, pumpkins, white pumkins

Withdrawal and The Staircase

 

Today I decided that I would write a little something. I haven’t written anything creatively in a while, and it’s sort of getting to me. I’m going through withdrawal and I don’t want to go through withdrawal. I want to write something, and while I am far too busy to spend time writing what will be my next novel, I will tackle some short fiction, or what some deem Flash Fiction.

Here’s the prompt that I got from the 3 a.m. Ephiphany written by Brian Kiteley. It’s my “go to” book of prompts I use when I want to write a little something but need a push. The beauty of prompts is that it could potentially turn into a longer story—either a short story or a novel, even. One never knows where it will go. So, I’m ready to begin.

The Scenario: Write a story that starts with one of the sentences from the list below. This should be your opening sentence. 400 words. Go.

The sentence I chose from the list is as follows:

He saw her from the bottom of the stairs before she saw him.

This sentence has to be my first line. Where will I take it?

Let’s find out.

* * *

The Staircase

He saw her from the bottom of the stairs before she saw him. He could tell it was her by the shadow of her profile that reflected off the wall, her silhouette animated, floating upward as it bounced with her gestures, a result of the large, crystal chandelier that hung as a statement piece just above the middle landing on the polished, white marble floors. The scent of cinnamon combined with the freshness of the greenery wrapped with twinkle lights that decorated the banisters filled the air as Christmas music floated to the ceiling. He had not seen her in many months; at least, they had not come face-to-face. There were times he would position himself in the public library at the largest window in the fiction section just to catch a glimpse of her as she strode by on her way to work. She never knew he was there—just as she had no idea now.

When the shadow turned, he was still standing, gaping, his eyes lurking upward because he did not have the strength this time to walk away. She was only about fifteen feet from him, and that strong Vodka tonic—two tall ones to be exact—might have been enough for him to finally have the courage to say something to her, or at least to remain standing in the spot until she descended the staircase.

For a moment, the lights flickered—three quick flicks—and the music skipped a few notes as the wind outside roared. There was a subtle gasp from the guests at the party when the room darkened that one last time, but they persevered and illuminated the room just as she had begun her descent. He was still looking up.

By the time her foot reached the fourth step, she saw him. She reached for the rail with her right hand, and she paused on the stairs. Their eyes froze, locked in place, neither one daring enough to look away. He felt a pain shoot across both eyes and then ricochet into his chest. He wondered if she could see, actually see, what heartbreak looked like. Her dress sparkled from the lights, from the chandelier. Her lips were red and warm and moist. Her left hand found its way to her chin, yet she remained motionless, peering down the staircase, expressionless at first, but then—he could swear he saw it…he knew he saw it—the very corners of her mouth began to curve upwards, and he believed he witnessed the slightest twinkle in her eye.

* * *

 

 

Filed under: On Life Tagged: 3 A.M. Epiphany prompt, amwriting, Brian Kiteley, Creative Writing, Flash Fiction, short fiction, storytelling, writing

Change

It’s been a while since Steph’s Scribe was updated. Over the past few days I decided it was time for a fresh look. As I’ve positioned Steph’s Scribe as more of a lifestyle blog, I wanted a magazine-type layout to reflect the change. Additionally, all of my contact information can be found in the main menu in “About Me” or at the very bottom of the blog if you scroll down. The menu at the top also houses information about my novels and is organized by category so you can find information on some of my favorite topics such as creativity, inspiration, fashion, writing, and more.

Sometimes we need a change. As people, we are constantly changing, growing, learning, and bettering ourselves to set positive examples for those around us.

I hope you enjoy the new look of the blog. The top row of images scroll sideways and are the selected featured stories. The list that follows below with images are the recent blog posts listed by most current date.

I look forward to interacting with you here. Have a wonderful week.

Filed under: On Life Tagged: Adlai E. Stevenson, blog change, Change, Featured, fresh look, new look