MY NEW YORK

A little of this and a little of that.....

My late night dinner in-between classes.  A Classic Lobster Roll.

This sign says it all......

Nothing more NY than the Empire lit up in black and white lights.... my kinda night.

Xo
Meems

A VERY PERSONAL POST....

Last night in my Public Speaking class we were told to pair up with another student that we felt would be a good speech buddy, someone we felt we could help and vice versa. I approached a young man named Joseph. A reserved young man with a thick Korean accent, very smart and interesting. I was drawn to Joseph from listening to him speak in class and respected his demeanor in class. I chose Joseph.

He shared an outline of his speech  on his personal experience of poverty in North Korea. My ears perked up and I wanted to know know of his life in North Korea. I tip toed around certain questions about North Korea unsure of how much he wanted to share. Surprisingly, he was  grateful that I was interested. It was one of those moments that puts life into perspective..... 

I asked if he came to the US with his family and he just gave me a look, a look that struck my heart. He told me that if I want to hear his story I can see his speech on Ted Talk.

I was floored…. the classmate I chose in class that I thought I would be able to help has a speech that has been viewed over 1 million times.  I couldn't get home fast enough to  watch his video…. Joseph's speech moved me and brought me to tears. I am blessed to be able to study along with Joseph.

I highly suggest you watch this in its entirety. He talks about hope, and how hope helped him to survive. You never know who is fighting what battle in life, it’s one of those reminders sometimes we all need.

http://www.ted.com/talks/joseph_kim_the_family_i_lost_in_north_korea_and_the_family_i_gained.html

Joseph, thank you for sharing your story. It's a reminder that it is a blessing to those who don't need to worry about the next meal or have to worry whether or not their  family is safe. I pray that you are reunited with your family, and I thank you for courageous life. You are an inspiration to many. God Bless.

I will be posting on the charity that helped Joseph as information comes to me. In the meantime, please if you are interested in helping click here. 

xo

Marlena

MINIMAL MONDAYS

Living in NYC has made me learn how to truly simply my life and live more "minimalistically" if thats evern a word?

If  you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ve probably noticed that my subject matter drifts from serious posts to the mundane, from the deep to the shallow. Some days I feel like pondering the meaning of life, and others just pondering how many shoes I own.

Today, I want to quickly tackle towels.Yep, towels. Ok, so this post is not a moving post just a quick share.

We have a linen closet, however we didnt feel it necessary to use it for linens so we converted it into a storage closet for cleaning products, our beloved dyson, and laundry essentials. For our bedsheets and extra lines we use a hanging shelf in the "his" closet because there is no room for it in the "her" closet. ;)

When we decluttered before our move, we found that we had somehow accumulated way too many sheets and towels for a household of two. We’re not sure exactly how it happened, but we ended up with quite a collection: “everyday” linens, “good” linens, “guest” linens, “emergency” linens, etc. Instead of decluttering an older set, I’d hold onto it “just in case. There was never a just incase. 

I made the bold move to get rid of the unmatching, "just in case" sets and before your knew it I had chucked out everything. I went towel crazy. 

Here is the set we, I mean I, chose - ok, we have a few others stationed in the bathroom but they are all part of the same towel family. Do your research & purchase on sale! Bloomies had an incredible "friends and family" sale and we hit jackpot! 

We have no need for a "linen" closet, I found this adorable metal basket from West Elm, and voila! A simplified "only keep what we need" towel set. Hudson Park Towel Collection in white and sand, both durable and attractive. No more using "good towels" for the guests. Why not use the nice towels everyday? We deserve it. 

I challenege you to go through your linens and toss out the unnessesary. Doesn't mean you have to buy new towels from Bloomies, but do you really need 20 unmatching towels? Do your laundry more often, take care of what you have and be happy with less. 

Who knows, maybe you can find the meaning of life in that after all. 

xo

Meems