A Girl Named PJ

Weekend reading: link roundup (Valentine’s Day edition)

Jon Stewart

We’ll get to some Valentine’s Day links in a moment, but first, the big story of the week.

By now you’ve surely heard the disappointing news that Jon Stewart is leaving The Daily Show. The silver lining, I suppose, is that some fascinating articles about Stewart from early in his career are being shared on social media. This 1994 interview with New York magazine is a highlight.

Another gem is this revealing New Yorker profile of Jon Stewart from 2002. In the piece, the writer commented that Stewart, who had been hosting The Daily Show since 1999, prefers to be off the grid when he’s off the camera.

Stewart doesn’t have an E-mail address, and when I asked him why, he seemed puzzled. “Don’t you find people contact you way more?” Rather than socialize, he prefers to do crosswords, watch “SportsCenter,” or hang out at home with his wife, Tracey McShane, and their cat and two dogs. He is essentially a high-functioning hermit.

“A high-functioning hermit.” That quote brought me back to my post about introversion and shyness from earlier this week, and I can understand why Stewart, who sounds like he’s an introvert, would be able to act like an extrovert for the sake of his work.

And now, some Valentine’s Day-themed links for your weekend reading.

Snap, Crackle, Pop! // A classic childhood treat gets a festive makeover for Valentine’s Day, via Design Improvised.

Wrap it Up // I have a thing for beautifully-wrapped chocolate bars, especially when they don’t cost $10 a pop, via Oleander + Palm.

Gift Guide // Making a case for Valentine’s Day presents that are either edible, perishable, tiny, or experiential, via Reading My Tea Leaves.

Think Pink // A celebration of all things pink (including my DIY pink ombre manicure), via Pink Heels Pink Truck.

You Oughta Be in Pictures // A romantic graphic novel depicting the small gestures of love we make every day, via A Cup of Jo.

(image via Dustin Cohen, feature image via Oleander + Palm)

 

Home tour: A multi purpose nursery for Asa

A multi-purpose nursery that triples as a guest room and home office | A Girl Named PJ

It’s time for the last room of our Omaha home tour: Asa’s multi purpose nursery. His room was tricky to decorate because it needed to function as our guest room and my home office in addition to a nursery.

Also, I didn’t want to repaint the pale pink walls. Since we were only going to be in our house for a few more months, painting didn’t seem worth it — especially when the room was already such a pretty color.

A multi-purpose nursery that triples as a guest room and home office | A Girl Named PJ

I started by looking for bedding in darker, more “masculine” colors that still complemented the pink walls. At first, this navy and white duvet from Serena and Lily felt like a bold choice, but the large room seemed to call out for a big pattern. I thought it filled the space beautifully.

A multi-purpose nursery that triples as a guest room and home office | A Girl Named PJ

And how adorable is that Hello throw pillow from The Land of Nod? Asa sure loved it.

A multi-purpose nursery that triples as a guest room and home office | A Girl Named PJ

The crib was a hand-me-down from Levi (you might recognize it from his nursery tour), but we thought Asa deserved new sheets in a pattern of his own. Although my original nursery inspiration board featured a grey crib sheet, I loved how this aqua with navy dots sheet from The Land of Nod added a pop of color.

The coordinating Cloud Castle throw pillow, which sometimes lived on the glider, magically tied the pink, navy, aqua, and white color scheme together.

A multi-purpose nursery that triples as a guest room and home office | A Girl Named PJ

You might also remember that I was considering a gallery wall for above Asa’s crib. I even went so far as to pick out some prints from Minted! But then our realtor suggested we keep the walls as empty as possible so that potential buyers would be able to imagine their own art hanging in the space.

Instead, I repurposed the silver garland from this post and hung a small chalk-drawn heart print from Caravan at eye level.

A multi-purpose nursery that triples as a guest room and home office | A Girl Named PJ

The glider also came from Levi’s nursery, but we brought in a new blue pouf and white floor lamp, both from The Land of Nod. I had hoped to add a small table where I could rest my phone and a glass of water while nursing Asa, but I couldn’t find one tall enough to be a nightstand that wasn’t too tall to be next to the chair.

The monkey photograph above the glider was actually a gift to me from Jordan a year or two ago. Every nursery needs a Sharon Montrose baby animal print, don’t you think?

A multi-purpose nursery that triples as a guest room and home office | A Girl Named PJ

Opposite the bed was the long brown dresser that — surprise! — also used to be Levi’s. We swapped his old changing pad cover for a Land of Nod polka dot design that matched the room’s color palette and found a gorgeous table lamp from Lamps Plus in almost the exact shade of blue.

A multi-purpose nursery that triples as a guest room and home office | A Girl Named PJ

My beloved white Parsons desk served double duty as a nightstand, and that Land of Nod silver geometric lamp produced just the right amount of light for reading in bed. It’s a good thing the desk was so big because when my parents came to visit — which, lucky for us, was almost every month — they’d cover the surface with multiple electronic devices and their corresponding chargers.

A multi-purpose nursery that triples as a guest room and home office | A Girl Named PJ

Above the desk I hung small art prints and a giant calendar page with aqua washi tape from my stash of office supplies. My daily notebooks and favorite hand cream were corralled but easily accessible.

A multi-purpose nursery that triples as a guest room and home office | A Girl Named PJ

(Side note: When these photos were taken last August, that I Am Very Busy planner from Ban.do was a recent acquisition. But I ended up never really using it. I have a terrible habit of buying multiple paper planners each year, always convinced that the next one will finally get me organized. Can you relate?)

I should also confess that I sat with my laptop on the living room sofa more often than I did at my desk, but it was still important to me to have corner of the house to store work-related things. A sort-of command center for my blogging and freelance writing career.

When we left Omaha, Asa went straight from one multi-purpose nursery to another. In my parents’ house, he sleeps in their home office, and there wasn’t much we could add to the room other than a crib and our Eames rocker to make it more baby-friendly. One of these days (fingers crossed!), we’ll have a house of our own again, and Asa will have a single-purpose bedroom for the first time!

PS: How to decorate a guest room — that isn’t also an office and nursery!

Disclosure: The Land of Nod, Serena & Lily, and Lamps Plus helped me furnish this room by generously providing product; however, I didn’t receive any compensation from these companies. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that help support A Girl Named PJ.

 

Yes, you can look chic in a sweatshirt

Chic sweatshirts for women | A Girl Named PJ

Chic sweatshirt outfit | A Girl Named PJ

One of the perks of moving back in with my parents was reuniting with my hooded sweatshirt collection, including

  • the one from that time I (briefly) joined my high school track team
  • the one from Sydney University, where I took a class during my study abroad semester
  • the one two embroidered with printed fabric letters from my sorority days at Boston University

I was eager to reintroduce my hoodies into my daily wardrobe; they were comfortable, warm, and…did I already say comfortable? However, I quickly realized that wearing them as a 34-year-old mother of two just made me feel frumpy, even on those days when I never left the house.

Chic sweatshirt outfit | A Girl Named PJ

Luckily, I found a compromise: grown-up sweatshirts that straddle the fashion line between sporty and sophisticated.

I was wearing one while on a video call with Jeran and Sarah last week, although I had to laugh when Sarah appeared on my monitor looking lovely in a vintage-inspired polka dot dress. By comparison, what they could see of my grey sweatshirt in the monitor must have seemed underwhelming.

“But wait!” I exclaimed, angling the camera at my waist. “It has side zippers!”

Based on personal experience — and the photos above — I say it’s totally possible to look chic in a sweatshirt. The trick is to find one that’s simple in design (I prefer mine slouchy yet slim-fitting) with one eye-catching detail. A twist of fabric, contrasting trim, or bold typography would do the trick.

Here are few current favorites:

chic sweatshirts for women | A Girl Named PJ

  1. Faded tunic sweatshirt from GAP
  2. Knot sweatshirt from ASOS (Sadly, this particular sweatshirt is out of stock, but I found this almost identical alternative that I might even like better.)
  3. Bien Fait sweatshirt from Madewell
  4. Stripe-trim sweatshirt from J.Crew
  5. Crew sweatshirt from Everlane
  6. Alexa Chung for AG sweatshirt from Nordstrom

Would you dare to wear a sweatshirt out of the house? Or do they fall strictly under the category of gym/lounge clothing? 

PS – For more fashion inspiration, follow my style board on Pinterest!

(top images via Zara, ELLE, PopSugar)

 

Are you introverted or shy?

introvert or shy? photo by Joanna Skrzypczak | A Girl Named PJ

On a commuter train into New York City a few months ago, I sat behind two women having a lively conversation about introversion and extroversion. Actually, it was more of a lively one-sided conversation directed by a loud and enthusiastic Chatty Cathy, who must have been running on Energizer batteries.

Based on what I could hear, I assumed Chatty Cathy was an extrovert. Since I’ve always associated my own introversion with being shy – and train lady certainly didn’t sound shy – there was no way she was an introvert, too.

Except that she was (or at least she claimed to be). Comparing herself to a coworker, she explained that while her colleague always felt buzzed after big work events, she craved downtime. Was Chatty Cathy actually an outgoing introvert?

The reason I was heading into the city, I should mention, was to attend an event hosted by The Land of Nod. Although I was thrilled to have been invited, I was also anxious about the evening ahead. What if I didn’t know anybody else there? What if nobody talked to me? What if I was the worst at crafting among the bunch?

It turns out that I didn’t suck at stenciling as much as I had anticipated, and although it took me a short while to warm up to the small crowd of bloggers, I was able to socialize (mostly) at ease. By the end of the event, I felt energized. Pumped. Motivated. I didn’t want to sit on the train for another 40 minutes; I wanted to do something.

Hold up. If attending The Land of Nod event gave me a buzz rather than draining my energy, could I really be an extrovert?

introvert or shy? photo by Joanna Skrzypczak | A Girl Named PJ

In pursuit of answers, I borrowed the e-book version of Quiet by Susan Cain from my neighborhood library. Ever since I watched the author’s fascinating TED Talk on “The Power of Introverts,” the book had been on my to-read list. Once I had it in my hands (well, on my iPad), I devoured it.

A self-described introvert, Cain uses psychological research, brain chemistry, and her own personal experiences to explain the differences between extroversion and introversion. She discusses society’s “extrovert ideal” and the bias against introversion in a way meant to encourage and empower the one-third of us who are introverted.

Yep, us.

Reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, I found myself highlighting paragraph after paragraph of text that seemed to be describing me exactly…

My conversation habits:

Introverts, in contrast, may have strong social skills and enjoy parties and business meetings, but after a while wish they were home in their pajamas. They prefer to devote their social energies to close friends, colleagues, and family. They listen more than they talk, think before they speak, and often feel as if they express themselves better in writing than in conversation. They tend to dislike conflict. Many have a horror of small talk, but enjoy deep discussions.

Why I enjoy blogging:

Introverts are more likely than extroverts to express intimate facts about themselves online that their family and friends would be surprised to read, to say that they can express the “real me” online, and to spend more time in certain kinds of online discussions.

My struggle to stay present-minded:

If you leave them to their own devices, the introverts tend to sit around wondering about things, imagining things, recalling events from their past, and making plans for the future. The extroverts are more likely to focus on what’s happening around them. It’s as if extroverts are seeing “what is” while their introverted peers are asking “what if.”

Why some people actually think I’m extroverted:

In other words, introverts are capable of acting like extroverts for the sake of work they consider important, people they love, or anything they value highly.

Cain also covers the differences between shyness and introversion, describing shyness as “the fear of social disapproval or humiliation” and introversion as “a preference for environments that are not overstimulating.” Shyness is inherently painful, she writes, while introversion is not.

So you can be a shy introvert, but you don’t necessarily have to be shy to be introverted. For example, Bill Gates is a non-shy introvert, Cain said, while Barbra Streisand is a shy extrovert.

If you’re interested in learning more about your own introversion or seeking tips about living with an introverted spouse or child, I’d highly recommend picking up a copy of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. I’m actually considering buying a hard copy of the book so I can reread pertinent sections with a physical yellow highlighter in hand.

Do you think you’re an introvert, an extrovert, or an ambivert? Do you ever act introverted in some situations and extroverted in others? This topic fascinates me, and I’d love to know if it interests you as well!

(photos by Joanna Skrzypczak via Booooooom)

 

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