"Who You Are" at a Glance

After inadvertently demolishing the kids' bedroom bookshelf while attempting to move it for our decor project without taking off all the books first (once again trying to be lazy), I found myself in need of some new shelving. Check out these babies (below) from IKEA I found on Craigslist! I liked them so much that they ended up staying in the master bedroom, while the small, Wal-Mart shelves that had originally been in our room, ended up out in the hallway.

 

Speaking of bookshelves, one thing I love to do when I go over to someone's house is to look at their bookshelves. I know, it sounds weird, but I have found that you can get a lot of insight into someone's personality, hobbies, and interests, by seeing what kinds of books they have. I think of it as a "quick-start" in getting to know someone.

For instance, here is what you would find on my bookshelves:

*Several Patrick McManus books (the author is an outdoor humorist whom I find hilarious)
*Lots of self-help books (I need all the help I can get!)
*Word books and a vocabulary building book (so I can accomplish one of my life goals of beating my younger sister, Anona, in a game of Boggle.) I also love to write.
*Books on gardening, landscaping, and interior decorating
*Books on health, and cookbooks
*Several food storage/emergency preparedness books
*A few fantasy books (Ranger's Apprentice, Harry Potter, etc. Not a huge fan of fantasy in general, but a little is o.k.
*Lots of history books and classics (I have been buying the edited classics lately, so I can read them to the kids
*Music books
*Lots of church books
*A book on creating fountains
*A couple books on aromatherapy/massage
*Several novels and miscellaneous books, including assorted westerns, the Darwin Awards, a few Great Brain books, and the beginnings of a Tennis Shoes Among The Nephites collection (LOVE those books! They are so fun!)
*Several inspirational books and books on money management (Those are Curtis'.)

Same idea with magazines...one can get great insight into someone's life when you can find out what magazines they subscribe to!

Another interesting thought on finding out about people...we had a guy come in and talk to some of our youth from church recently about resume building and job interviewing. The fellow just moved into the area with his wife, and is the regional manager for the Golden Spoons Frozen Yogurt chain. He said when he is interviewing, he often likes to ask people what Disney character they most relate to, because it's a quick way to get insight into their personality. Not sure that would be kosher for a professional job interview, but for a Golden Spoon-type job, cool. I have been thinking about what he said, though, and I think I would most relate myself to Belle, in Beauty and the Beast. (Because I am so beautiful, and all!) O.K., just kidding about the last, but I feel like we share many similar characteristics. She is very practical, and she loves to read. She is also a compassionate person, and tries her best to be a peace maker. She doesn't really seem to care a whole lot what others think of her, which I like, and she really looks on a person's heart and sees their potential, rather then focusing on their outward appearance....all things I find important. Oh, and I love her upbeat outlook on life in general!