Life 101 – Rules of Fun

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Bruce Littlefield

I have something to tell you. Fun is not a four-letter word. But for a reason unknown to all but circus clowns and roller coaster designers, adults graduate from childhood and somehow forget everything we know about having fun. Life 101 advice: Let this summer be a time in which you remember the thrill of a tent pitched in the backyard, the joys of yelling BINGO, and the chuckle of wearing a costume when no one else is. Oh, put that silly grin on your face and play a little! Trust me, you’ll thank me come fall.

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Garage Sale 101 – Dress it down

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Bruce Littlefield

Garage Sale Season is officially open and I was out this weekend hunting. Want to remind you treasure hunters that you want to dress not to impress! It’s Garage Sale 101: Don’t step out in expensive shoes or wear designer label clothing. Dressing high-end is a billboard that says: “Charge me more. I have money.” Sellers are human and if you look like you’ve got money, they’ll want a little more of it! The finer the stitch, the higher the price.
And if your car is newer than a 1987 junker—park it down the block and hike to the sale. Why diminish your bargaining power?

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Holidays – Memorial Day

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Bruce Littlefield

Westminster and I’ll take a beach day, even if it’s foggy. We’re hoping your Memorial Day Weekend is filled with sun and fun (and no traffic to get stuck in on the way to where you’re going like we did!) Hey, did you know that Memorial Day was originally known as “Decoration Day” because it was a time set aside to honor the nation’s Civil War dead by decorating their graves? I won’t be decorating any graves this weekend, but I will take time to salute those who serve so that we remain safe… and free. Along those lines, here’s a thought from Joseph Campbell: “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” Cheers to that! And to a happy weekend.

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Gardening 101 – Back up plans

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Bruce Littlefield

When I was a kid, I sang, “Here we go round the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush. Here we go round the mulberry bush, on a cold and frosty morning.” Yep, I sang it as an adult, too,… until this year when, rather than springing to life, my weeping mulberry seems to be checking in to hospice. Rather than weeping, I decided to honor its amazing sculptural structure by planting clematis at its base. Hopefully, the vine will run up into the branches and magically transform the tree into an umbrella of color. It’s a Life 101 lesson: When things aren’t looking good, don’t stand there and cry. Figure out your back up plan!

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American History – What a day!

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Bruce Littlefield

First, President Obama made history by announcing to the world: “I think same sex couples should be able to get married.”
Then, I’ve just learned that my new book with Zach Wahls, My Two Moms… looks like it will have “bestseller” written on it! If you haven’t read the book yet, today might be the day to order it.
A basic civil right: All God’s children should be able to love who they want to love.
If you’re in New York, Zach and I will be in High Falls, NY (the Catskills!) for a book signing at 2 pm Saturday, May 12th at Spruce Design & Decor. Please come join us. It’s a big, happy week.

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American icons – Disco Queen

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Bruce Littlefield

Donna Summer, the “Queen of Disco,” has died at 63 after a battle with cancer. I remember in elementary school my friend Tammy winning two copies of “Hot Stuff” (on 45!) in a radio contest. She kindly gave me one and I listened to it over and over again on my turntable. Yep, ‘memba those? Donna Summer was an icon of 70s disco, winning five Grammy Awards and igniting dance floors around the world, not to mention my little dancing South Carolina heart and my make-shift disco in our garage. Thought today that I’d post an illustration of me disco dancing drawn by The Bedtime Book for Dogs artist Paul Heath and point you to this beautiful video of Last Dance. All I’ll add is that Heaven Knows there’s some dancing inside the Pearly Gates tonight.

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Gardening – Potting geraniums

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Bruce Littlefield

Now, that I’m officially finished with my book tour… (Have you gotten your copy yet?!) … I can get to some serious gardening at Edgewater Farm. For me, gardening is the ultimate therapy. If you’re upset, you can aggressively yank some weeds. And if you’re happy, you can talk nicely to the flowers. Despite the insanity of life, the early warm weather kindly helped me get things at the farm ready for summer more quickly than usual. I got a new coat of paint sprayed on all the outdoor furniture and pots. (That urn is a garage sale find!) And, I’ve gotten all the containers planted with geraniums. I adore geraniums for two reasons: #1) They bloom all season long and #2) They are very forgiving to even the brownest of Thumbs.
One of my simplest, yet most important, Life 101 ideas: Plant something and take care of it. Your life will blossom along with it.

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American hype – Face + Book

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Bruce Littlefield

Okay, okay. I admit it. I got caught up in the excitement and bought some stock today. I bought it basically for a few pennies less than where it closed… so, woo hoo… profit! It’s rare for me to do something like that, but hey, I figured Facebook is definitely something I use. Plus it gave me the prime opportunity to post my face and my book. It’s Garage Sale season, America!

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Gossip! Daily Show behind-the-scenes

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Bruce Littlefield

A lot of great things are being said about Zach Wahls. During his appearance this week on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart said of our new book, My Two Moms: “This is a wonderful book. You will love it, you will weep at times. It is an incredible demonstration of the power of real values.” But more, of Zach, he said: “These are the values America stands for. And I don’t think I’ve met anyone that represents them better than you.” Watch The Daily Show appearance here. (at left, the moms, Jon Stewart, Zebby, Zach & me)
From the mailbag, one father wrote: “your book helped me finally realize that families are families. Period. They come in all sorts of colours and sizes but, at the end of the day, they all deserve reverence and respect.” Amen. Here’s to that!

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Gossip! Zach’s Big Adventure

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Bruce Littlefield

Our book signing in NYC was a success! And I had the opportunity to bring together two of my favorite people–Barbara Corcoran and Zach Wahls–and two of my favorite books–Shark Tales and My Two Moms. Set your DVRs, catch Zach Wahls on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart tonight and Barbara Corcoran on Shark Tank on Friday night on ABC. And if you haven’t grabbed yourself a copy of those books, DO! You’ll love them I promise. Shark Tales: How I Turned $1000 into a Billion Dollar Business will improve your life. My Two Moms: Lessons of Love, Strength, and What Makes a Family will improve the world.

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