Our Daily Q&A What is the best relationship book you’ve read? really got you talking. One reader, Val, was so inspired that she compiled an EXTENSIVE reading list of all of the recommended books! She very kindly passed it on to us, asking that we share it with you. So here it is, (with a big thank you to Val)…

Your Favorite Relationship Reads:

• Keys to the Kingdom by Alison Armstrong



• The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate by Gary Chapman
• How to Survive the Loss of a Love by Melba Colgrove, Harold Bloomfield, and Peter McWilliams
• The Passion of Isis and Osiris, A Gateway to Transcendent Love by Jean Houston
• Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by Sue Johnson

Steve Harvey
CREATIVE FAITH
Graphic Designer/Web Developer

How has your Style Statement been useful to you? i.e. How do you apply it to your life?

I move more freely through my spaces…creating, designing and presenting to the world this thing called expression. Each time, something is discovered, analyzed, concluded and filed away in the vault. The system works more efficiently. I’m a little more self-aware and more importantly, self-accepting.

When I might get stuck, creatively or otherwise, I can quickly quiet the cynic, knowing why I might trigger and accept it—change it. I have yet to fully commit to the vision board concept, but my Style Statement Look & Feel is beside my monitor to feed from. Without arrogance, I do and can say….”Wow, I am pretty damn cool”.

Read more about Steve on our Style Statement Profile page.

GRAPHIC DESIGNER/WEB DEVELOPER

Founder (Jack of all trades) of Thirdeye Communications Corp, I have helped businesses plan and execute marketing communications initiatives for the past 12 years. From trade-show booths to web applications, my trade hats include business analyst, requirements and strategy, graphic design and development. A strong entrepreneurial spirit has taken me into photography, catering, food styling, music and a go-to guy within my peer group for business advice and my quirky (but wise) perspective on how to achieve their “take over the world” goals. Currently I am the acting webmaster for Carrieanddanielle.com, meetthemanager.com, weatherhaven.com and consult a handful of local entrepreneurs.

How did you you arrive at your Style Statement?

Upon becoming part of the C&D family, completing a Style Statement was a must. Carrie – via telephone – conducted the process and to be honest, I was not exactly sure what to expect. I did the surface reading and had a high level understanding of what it was all about, but I wasn’t prepared for the deep impact of the final result. I thought it would be a Myres Briggs type scenario but instead of getting ENFJ, I was going to find out what scarf to wear with my biker jacket and what spoon I should use for the sorbet between the snails and fois gras terrine.

MASTER ESTHETICIAN, ASPIRING MAKEUP ARTIST, INTERIOR DECORATOR, WIFE

My blog handle was my first BIG step into living my Style Statement and it’s been great to be known and associated with it. It really expressed who I am, and strive to be everyday. I write what I am passionate about, and makes me happy. I write about what I enjoy and who or what inspires me.

How did you you arrive at your Style Statement?

I was browsing Barnes and Noble for some interesting books to add to my book collection when I found the Style Statement book. I actually thought it was something that I would read about and be inspired by, not a Q&A that really made me think. After finishing school and living away from home I had grown and changed so much that I needed to redefine who I was. The self discovery in this book was eye opening and it felt good.

What does your Style Statement mean to you? How do you interpret your first and second words?

It reminds me to be who I am naturally and accept that. Being creative has always been apart of who I am, so that felt right from the beginning. I have realized that I am great at creating beautiful things and do it naturally, so the fit was near perfect.

HOUSECAT, HOSTESS, ENCOURAGER

I am a retired travel agent, retail store owner, teacher, and non-profit grants reviewer. Currently I am a Housecat. This is my true nature. I love to travel, whether it’s across the street or across the ocean, to have new experiences, wonderful conversation, and eat fabulous food. But I can’t have to sweat much doing it.

How did you you arrive at your Style Statement?

Read about Style Statement in a magazine (Domino, I think). Became obsessed. It took 6 months, but I finally got up the gumption to make the reservation and call it a Christmas present to myself. Had my session with Carrie and adored every minute. I forget—does she have a degree in counseling? I’ve never been in therapy, but I imagine the interview was similar. At the end I felt both drained and exhilarated. It is something I would wish for everyone!

In our continued search for products that can be personalized just for you, we came upon Mommy Cards, “a stylish, easy way to make play dates and create new friendships for you and your little ones.”

A twist on the classic calling card, Mommy Cards not only feature your name, but the name of your little one (or ones) too! The back side (see inset) is just as thoughtful and functional—and pretty, I might add—with space for your new friend to make special reminder notes about you (e.g. available for play dates on Wednesdays).

A range of styles are available to choose from, so all you need to do is provide your pertinent details and voilà presto, your play date calendar is gonna be booked up before you know it!

A set of 50 cards cost $35 + shipping.

In our forum discussion on Style Statement Revelations, Suzyn sent us a link to her Style Statement journey. We wanted to share with you…
I’ve struggled with style for a long time. I always figured that once I figured out what I want to do when I grow up, I’d also know how to dress. The logic fails there a bit, when you consider that not all architects, or writers, or professors dress alike–not by a long shot! But in the meantime, I had developed a fairly stable, non-offensive, somewhat dull style that I’ll call “classic.” And a thing for red shoes.

So I was thrilled when I came across Carrie & Danielle in Domino magazine, and beyond thrilled when I heard about their book.

Read the rest of Suzyn’s story on her blog Action Jackson.

Lyle Reimer & Raymond Boutet are hot emerging Canadian fashion designers. Their label, Evan&Dean is becoming the collection to watch. And…they are featured in Style Statement: Live By Your Own Design.

Lyle Reimer, Cultivated Story
Raymond Boutet, Timeless Constructive

Fashion Designers, Evan&Dean

How do you apply your Style Statement to your life?

Lyle: It’s always in my mind when I’m designing…I’m thinking about being true to my Style Statement…same thing with interviews, when they ask questions, I reflect on how I’m going to respond in a way that’s true to my Style Statement.
Raymond: After having a style consultation with Danielle, I’m not so afraid to look at the traditional side of my design. I realize that there is so much beauty in tradition….As a designer I get asked all the time what my “style” is and now I don’t ho-hum any more…I’m able to say Traditional Constructive.

Ecktorp, Karlstad, Lillberg, Henrik. Do these names sound familiar? No they’re not the names of ancient philosophers or new age gurus; they’re the names of some of Ikea’s most popular sofa and armchair styles. Chances are you may even know one or two of them quite well. And maybe your neighbour does too—and your neighbour’s neighbour for that matter… Here’s one way to make your ubiquitous Ecktorp stand out from the crowd. Bemz.com.

Every fear hides a wish.

- David Mamet

Our feelings are our most genuine paths to knowledge.

- Audre Lorde

We found these while traipsing through the fabulous etsy online marketplace recently and just had to share: little bits of vintage maps sealed forever in a pair of classic cuff links or pendants by Anne Holman. Celebrating an anniversary? Why not gift your honey with cuff links bearing your special honeymoon spot? Far from home? Hang your home town in a pendant worn close to your heart. A totally unique and meaningful gift idea for someone special to you (and that can mean “yourself” too).

Custom cuff links are $105, custom pendants are $60

Have you had some beautiful customizable jewellery made online? Do tell!

. . . . . . .

Check out our other Made For You posts!
C&D blog: Custom pillows
C&D blog: Photo books

Don’t be concerned about being disloyal to your pain by being joyous.

- Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan

Dear Carrie and Danielle,

I found your blog sometime in the last couple of months and got more and more excited as I followed along… I knew I wanted to buy the book but was broke, so I waited, and then I saw that you posted about a couple of contests to win copies so I entered both. A few days later – in the middle of serious self-questioning and transition – I decided that I had to have the book and ordered a copy from Amazon. The day it came I found out I won the Startup Princess contest! A couple days later I found out I’d also won Suzanne Marques’s contest…. I told Suzanne I’d already won a copy (so I have two now, the one I bought and the one I won, and I’m waiting for the perfect moment to give it to someone in my life, just when they need it). Talk about manifesting your desires. (Actually, something similar happened with something else I wanted badly but couldn’t afford – a Bamboletta waldorf-style doll for my daughter – I won two of them! So I have more faith in this “manifesting” thing than I used to.)

Money, money, money—can’t live with it, can’t live without it. We asked you “What’s the best money advice you’ve received” and from your responses, we mined a small fortune of wise words on making friends with money. Here, in no particular order, is your

Best Money Advice

1. “Never ever focus on lack of means or debts…focus on wealth and abundance… feel wealthy and abundant and be grateful for it… and that’s what you’ll get more of…” – Guylaine
2. “Focus on what you’re spending because you can more easily control that. If you focus awareness on what you’re spending and notice where you can cut back, you can save more money.” – Julie
3. “If it is perfect and you can afford it, buy it. If it is not perfect, don’t buy it, no matter how much of a “bargain” it might be.” - Krystl
4. “My best money advice came from Navjit Kandola at exactly the perfect time: I was considering leaving a highly-paid job a different one with less money, but more joy. I was sifting through Style Statement as I pondered it, and read Navjit’s words: “Money comes and goes. Live your life.” So I did. Best move.” – Karryn
5. “Keep your money seperate from the person you’re in a relationship with. Pay your fair share, by all means, but never set yourself up to lose your independence.” – Brooke
6. “Invest small amounts often. Despite the highs and lows of the market, your money grows over time. So every month I have automatic transfers adding to my RRSPs and investments and I don’t even notice it.” – Janet
7. “…always, always pay yourself first. even if is 1 dollar, it adds up fast.” – Lezin
8. “Don’t do it for the money.” - Romana
9. “A husband is not a financial plan.” – Penny
10. “It always works out.” – Scott

Don’t be concerned about being disloyal to your pain by being joyous.

- Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan

We asked you to share your thoughts on what helps and/or hinders your sex life. Busy schedules, health issues, kids and even pets piled up in the “hinder” category, but the “help” category was also loaded with thoughtful musings on what gets you in the mood for love.

What we wear/don’t wear “reveals” a lot…
“Going barefoot and having my skin breathe by not wearing constricting clothing. So, wearing as little as possible whenever possible (around the house).” – Chantal

Design Blogger, Mom, Writer

Ursula Bamnolker is wildly passionate about Design. Her passion for bright colors, interesting wallpaper, gorgeous fabrics and glamorous objects is reflected in her blog, Candy Colored Buddha. In a past life (pre-mommyhood), Ursula worked as a Freelance Writer, Teacher and even as a Script Adapter for a Dubbing company in Miami where she “put words into others’ mouths.” Today, she lets others come up with their own words and divides her time between design school, blogging and taking care of her 3 1/2 year old daughter, Isabella.

How did you arrive at your Style Statement?

It has been years in the making…literally. I read about Carrie & Danielle a couple of years ago in a fashion magazine. I was riveted. I knew that I had to figure out what mine was. I signed up for their newsletter and waited VERY patiently for the book to come out. When it did, I snapped it up and came to it. At first, I thought that I was Creative Glamour because I love bright colors, design and all things creative as well as glamourous. But, then I realized that it was much deeper than that. Doing the exercises in the book proved essential and it was only when I completed them that I realized that I am Creative Integrity.

Ursula Bamnolker
Creative Integrity
Design Blogger (Candy Colored Buddha), Writer, Mom

What does your Style Statement mean to you?
Knowing my Style Statement has really brought it all together for me. In my writing, it means letting my posts come from within rather than writing what I think others want to read or what is “popular.” Integrity really is icing on the cake. It balances out the sometimes wild flow of thought and structures it. It lets me be me. Without the integrity, I have the tendency to get caught up in what others say, do or think. With it, I am at ease with myself and the world. And of course it can go the other way too…without creativity, my life is dull and lifeless. I am a follower, not a leader. Integrity without Creativity is BORING.

My Style Statement is Creative Integrity.
Creative: Open, flowing, colorful, takes in everything, a sponge.
Integrity: Structured, In touch with deeper wisdom, Intuitive, Pays attention to gut feelings.

Read more about Ursula and what makes her tick.

There is no greater joy than that of feeling oneself a creator. The triumph of life is expressed by creation.
- Henri Bergson

Dear Carrie and Danielle,

…you two are totally adorable! And I love your book. It makes the whole concept of style come alive in a way that is fun and inspiring.

May you both bloom into great prosperity and pleasure.

- Christiane Northrup, M.D.

To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself.

- Soren Kierkegaard

A good relationship has a pattern like a dance and is built on some of the same rules. The partners do not need to hold on tightly, because they move confidently in the same pattern, intricate but gay and swift and free, like a country dance of Mozart’s. To touch heavily would be to arrest the pattern and freeze the movement, to check the endlessly changing beauty of its unfolding. There is no place here for the possessive clutch, the clinging arm, the heavy hand; only the barest touch in passing. Now arm in arm, now face to face, now back to back — it does not matter which. Because they know they are partners moving to the same rhythm, creating a pattern together, and being invisibly nourished by it.

~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh

It’s getting hard to ignore the chill in the air; fall is undeniably around the corner. With the changing season comes the desire for change in other areas of life. One really easy (and fun) way to acknowledge the seasons in your home is to switch your summery throw cushions with something more of-the-season. Enter Freddy&Ma. Offering 3 pillow sizes and hundreds of fun and fabulous fabrics to choose from (hundreds!), their fast and easy pillow service lets you create the perfect palette of accessories to cozy up your nest for the winter.

Pillows start at $45.

What are some ways you prepare your home for the colder months?

I signed up for the Landmark Forum. I kinda knew it was going to happen. My boyfriend’s done it, his whole family’s done it, my boss has done it. I couldn’t help myself! The pitch was so good! The presenter was so passionate and relatable! I had my pen poised to sign on the dotted line before he even got to the “here’s-why-you-should-sign-up” conclusion of his 3-hour, anecdote-packed, interactive presentation.

We’ve been nominated for a blog award by the lovely Kerry at the blog Snickerdoodles! Well, we are just so flattered. Thanks Kerry!

You Are A Marvel

Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again… And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France.

When will we also teach them what they are?
We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move.

You make become a Shakespeare, a Michaelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel?
You must – we must all – to make the world worthy of its children.

~ Pablo Casals

Wife, Teacher, Student, Writer (Recollected Life and Schooler Doola) with grown kids and a job at the library.

I am a woman old enough now to know how very little I know about myself, and finally wise enough to enjoy that fact. The things I know are these. I am part of my husband of twenty-five years, and he is part of me, like breath in my lungs and blood in my veins. I know I found a true life in raising my children to understand that flexibility in life has a lot to do with compassion, and that if they really want something they must go get it themselves. I know I am a teacher. At long last, I also know I am a writer. What I do not know is what all those things will look like when they start to dance together tomorrow – or the next day.

How has your Style Statement been useful to you?

Whenever I remember to stand firmly on a Foundation of all things Genuine, I calm down inside. Whenever I sit back to look at the interactions between people or seasons or environments, or move deeply into myself to mine for exactly the right words, I can recognize the threads of new creativity coming into my own hands. My Style Statement has become both a way to figure out where I am, and a way to figure out how to go on from here. Now I know that the recurring sense of “disorientation” is signaling a disconnection from something Genuine – and that I can soothe and replenish a feeling of “emptiness” with some sort of gloriously Dynamic flow.

Looking for some inspiration for discovering your Style Statement? Our friend Stephanie Lillegard from the Recollected Life blog, shares her illuminating — if a teensy bit “horrifying” — experiencing of finding her two words.

A friend told me about the book, and on her recommendation I got a copy of it for myself. I am always up for another self-definition, self-examination, self-knowledge tool, although most such books are either stunningly simplistic or just plain silly. This book, though, turned out to be a kind of unifying bridge between the diagnostic science of inner work found in Jungian personality types and the best of the outer, personalized, and helpfully specific clothing and style books that crop up every once in awhile.

A great way to remember the magical moments in life is to immortalize them on the pages of your very own photo book. We’d like to share with you two great options for liberating your fave digital pics from your computer desktop once and for all!

1. Apple iPhoto Book – if you, like us, are a happy Mac user, you either already know about this option, or you’re going to be so excited to find out about it! You can make a photo book directly through iPhoto. Here’s what we love about it:

The iPhoto interface is easy to use (even more so considering iPhoto is already our friend)

There are a variety of “themes” to choose from (we like the “Simple Border” theme pictured here)

iPhoto offers you a choice of binding styles (hard cover, soft cover and spiral bound)

Albums are reasonably priced, too! (8.5″ x 11″ hardcover, 20 pages, $29.99)

And last but not least, the pocket sized option – biz card sized and just as easy to whip out and show off.

More of our favorites after the jump…