Thank you for joining me for The Chic Assignment for April. I am so excited to share this month's assignments with you.
🎵 Listen to Schubert's Ave Maria I have two performances on YouTube that I would like you to watch and listen to this month. The first is Valentina Lisitsa's piano rendition, which is arranged by Liszt. The second is Hauser's masterful cello performance. They will both move your soul.
Here is a bit more on Franz Schubert. Portrait taken from ClassicFM who share an interesting article with 20 facts about the composer.
Schubert wrote his first masterpiece at the age of 17. In 1815 alone, Schubert wrote more than 20,000 bars of music, including nine church works, a symphony, and some 150 songs – including eight in one day in October 1815. He was certainly productive and efficient! My type of person :) We will discuss Schubert more in the check-in later in the month. If you're interested in my favorite Ave Maria album, this is it.
📖 Read poetry by Shelley OK, so he wasn't a model citizen. Percy Bysshe Shelley had a mess of a personal life. He did write beautiful poetry, however, and is one of the most well-known and renowned of the British Romanticists. I read his poem To Night in today's video. Proceed with caution if you read his biography. You might need the popcorn for this one! If you listened to the poem in today's video, you have completed this assignment. If you'd like to read further works of his, check out the book of poetry I share in today's video. This was given to me by my father when I was 15. I love poetry! This portrait of Shelley was taken from this site, which lists many of his works.
👗 Dress up for no reason If you are in the habit of wearing comfy sweats on the days when you don't have anything remarkable planned, step out of your comfort zone one time this month and get dressed up for no reason. I don't mean putting on a ball gown to go to the grocery store, but I do mean wearing that dress you love but never wear or that pretty blouse you adore but are always so worried that you'll stain it so you never wear it (Who has been there?) Report your findings to us.
🌿 Intentional rest As we move toward the end of the school year, many parents are stressed out by all of the hustle and bustle and activities for the children. Let's try and take at least five minutes of intentional rest each day. Ideas are: sitting down with a cup of tea, looking through a beautiful book, reading poetry, chatting with a family member, walking through the garden, soaking in the bath. Just as long as your rest time does not include screens. Let's make our rest intentional. It is the equivalent of dining with no distractions. When you do that you appreciate your food more. When we are intentional about rest, we appreciate our rest time more and get more out of it. We cannot do that if we are "zoned out" in front of the television.
I would love to hear your findings on The Chic Assignment for this month! Thank you for watching today's video.
News
📍 Thank you for all of your well-wishes. On Instagram I posted a picture from the Urgent Care. I have been having severe back problems this week. I am sad to report it is not yet better, but I do appreciate all of your prayers and kind comments. The good news is they were playing Chopin at the urgent care! There is hope!
📍 You must check out Nikki Moreno's beautiful film that is set to my poem, SURROUNDINGS. I wrote this poem to convey the complicated relationship we have with our surroundings. Her cinematography is beautiful and conveys my meaning for the poem perfectly. Please watch this beautiful short film. I hope it inspires you.
📍 A continued thank you to everyone who has taken my new eCourse, How to be Efficient at Home. The comment section of each lecture is teeming with amazing comments. I am not able to keep up with them all and respond to each one. I appreciate everyone who has taken this course as it supports my channel and the work that I do. Thank you!
Charlene R. writes, "Thank you Jennifer. I had a lovely time watching these videos and reflecting on the improvements id like to make towards better efficiency. Its so good to listen to someone speak who also values the day to day efficient running of a calm and peaceful homelife. Striving and working towards this is something that i was created to do and it brings me joy."
Thank you, Charlene! I am so happy you enjoyed the course. I loved reading your comments there.
On Instagram
Comment of the Week
On Nikki's video set to my poem, Maria from the UK wrote, "STUNNING
Even brought tears to my eyes.
Two of my favourite YouTubers. Well-done to you both.
Much love Maria 💕 uk xx"
Thank you, Maria. I cried when I watched Nikki's film for the first time too. It moved me so much. The poem I wrote is very special and she interpreted it perfectly. Thank you for watching!
Thank you for joining me for this month's Chic Assignment. I'm in a very busy season of life right now and regretfully am not able to reply to comments like I used to. I want you to know that even as the blog and channel grow I try to read every one and I appreciate them all. I might not reply, but know that your comment is valued and treasured. Thank you! Please report your findings in the comment section! I will do a check-in with you mid-month.
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Hello Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to dressing up!
Thanks for the assignment. It's funny that you picked Percy Bysshe Shelley because I think about him quite a bit. My husband shares his birthday of August 4th. Many people have observed that people born on this day tend to be rebellious. Shelley was expelled from Oxford and was banned from England for his rebellious writings. As for my husband, he needs to be different than everyone else, using a different kind of bath towels, eating different foods, using different pillows and different healing methods, even if they don't work. This drives me bananas! But people born on this day are also idealistic, sensitive and creative. My husband is a musician. Learning about Shelley has helped me to understand and appreciate the man I love.
Warm best,
Alexandra
Nikki's video was fabulous and your poem....wow. All was amazing. Love the assingments and looking forward to doing them. -Keeping Home (youtube name)
ReplyDeleteLoved the Ave Maria’s really beautiful to listen to
ReplyDeleteHi, Jennifer, thank you so much for your chic assignment videos. I like them very much and I think that they are very inspirational. I don't want to be a know-it-all because that is not very chic, but since I'm German and Schubert is Austrian (and we do speak the same language apart from minor differences) I thought you might like to know how "Schubert" is pronounced in German (if not, please, just ignore my comment): The emphasis is on the first syllable and the "t" in the end is also pronounced. I just thought you might like to know this. Thank you for all of your work, I enjoy it immensely. Have a lovely week and may your back heal quickly! Inga
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ReplyDeleteHi ladies, thank you for taking part in The Chic Assignment!
ReplyDeleteAlexandra- How fun that your husband and Shelley share the same birthday!
Mrs. Chrissy T- thank you! I was so moved by her film and her interpretation of my poem. It was truly amazing.
reading59- thank you!
Inga- Thank you for letting me know! I don't take offense at all. I appreciate your help! Jennifer xx
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing such beautiful information with us. I hope you will share some more information about assignment help. Please keep sharing!
Assignment Help
Add a sleek touch to your ensemble this summer with a black Panama hats. This is the same trendy black panama hat womens fashion icons use to add that special touch to their ensembles and its now available to you too.
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ReplyDeleteIm loving your music suggestions -- we do Charlotte Mason homeschooling, and we have a composer for every term. I think you'd like this kind of study so much, it's so you! Now that you're reading "Mother Culture" (do tell us about it when you're finished) I think you will get to know a bit about the method, and I'm sure you really enjoy the art / music / literature aspects of it.
ReplyDeleteJennifer, I've followed your blog since the beginning. I guess I preface any comment I make with that fact because I almost never leave a comment. That's not because I don't love your blog, it's more because it seems to me that you already have enough commentary to let you know "you are an amazing success." Though I almost never comment, I love your blog so very much. I so look forward to your every post. I love this new series. Sometimes as I read the news each day in paper and print, my preference, I become discouraged. Not only by all the crime reports and politics, but also in reading the social and entertainment sections. I am very far from "a prude." I'm a child of the 60s. However, after that experience, I find myself craving decorum and Shubert's 'Ave Marie" and even Perry Como's version which was played in my parents' home at every Christmas. I know that you are "a Believer." I am no longer though I endured parochial school as a child. Still, the beautiful and touching lyrics of Ave Marie still bring tears to my eyes.
ReplyDeleteJennifer, you are doing a very great service to your blog followers, whether they are of faith or not. You are demonstrating that our society still have those of us who care about
manners, discretion, dressing for "the occasion...or no occasion at all," just respecting ourselves, our family, our friends, and even strangers in the way we present ourselves.
Like your Dad, my mother was a lover of the poetry of Shelley and Keats. She was also a lover of fiction, and a music lover. She listened to music while she went about her every day. Everything from Tchaikovsky to the Standards of the 40's and 50s, to Elvis, and then
the music of my teenage and young adult era.
I was very fortunate to have a very close relationship with my mother. I "could tell her anything" even as a teenager. She'd listen, not commenting until I'd finished. Then, if she felt I'd lost my sense along the way, she'd preface her response with, "Oh, Patricia." Then she'd go on to give me her perspective, which was always the correct one to her mind and, actually, to my mind as well, most of the time, once I'd thought it through.
Jennifer, while we must as a people advance into the 21st Century and certainly beyond, for many of us, I believe that self respect and respect for other human beings, animals,
our beautiful blue planet, Earth, and the rest of the yet unknown to us is our first salvation; then our salvation according to our beliefs is what follows.
Patricia
My college son is a cellist and I can never get enough of listening to him play. I also LOVE "Ave Maria" and have wanted him to play this. He hasn't so far, but I'm not giving up. :-)
ReplyDeleteDid you catch this video that has gone viral? This father sang this while on vacation at Disney Land. So so good. His little daughter looks so proud of him.
Loving this month's assignment.
Dear Jennifer, I know I am not alone when I say your blogs and videos lift my spirits immensely, every time I watch them. I went all the way back to your very first videos and worked my way through to the present ones. They bring grace to my daily life, along with your books, which I have read more than once. This assignment has been lovely - the Hauser version of Ave Maria is so moving; I adore cello music. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. Our household has lots of classical music as well as opera, and thanks to you, I am dipping randomly into our collection of albums and CDS and playing whatever comes up. It's been enlightening. I switched my radio station in the car to the classical one, as I have an hour long commute to and from work each day, and it has made a difference in my mood. I studied the romantic poets in college; Wordsworth is my favorite, but Shelley's not too bad, either! I keep a volume of Rumi on my nightstand; he's my current go-to, but TS Eliot is up there, too. Today, "Casual Friday" at work, I wore a pretty dress with a lace collar, my favorite heels, and put my hair up. "Dressing up" always makes me walk differently and with more confidence, and I like having your reminders. My 5 minutes alone comes at the end of the work day. I have a reading corner in my room where I sit and read the day's letters; and on Sundays I write letters at my beautiful desk with a fragranced candle burning, and listen to albums on my little record player. I do these more mindfully now, thanks to your blogs and videos. I am grateful for the grace you've brought to my life. Wanted you to know!
ReplyDeleteEstela- I love the Charlotte Mason method and am incorporating it more for next year. We plan to do a composer study too.
ReplyDeletePatricia- thank you! I have always appreciated your comments over the years. You have been so supportive.
Ali- I love that your son is a cellist. Yes to the viral video! I will share it in the check-in. Thank you!
Lynne- Thank you so much. I loved your comment and am so happy you find the blog to be enriching.
I was needing a break from work today, so I rested on my bed and listened to both renditions of "Ave Maria." They were both calming and peace inducing. I am glad you suggested we listen to both the piano and the cello. The cello was lovely, and the piano piece without the voices in the background was brilliant! Now I want to listen to more renditions. :)
ReplyDeleteListening to Ave Maria has moved me in some very unexpected ways. I have been singing it everyday and sometimes I don't even realize I am doing it. All I can say is when I listen, I feel a sense of grace, peace, femininity and a glimmer of all the other attributes of the lovely lady for whom this piece was written. Can't wait to see how the other assignments for this month will impact.
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