The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd - Absolutely the best book I've read in ages and ages. Thanks to Kathy D. for telling me about this story of two women growing up in the same place but very very differently. Handful and Sarah are both smart and precocious as girls, and as young women, one loses hope for her dreams while the other continues to dream. Both are trapped. Both are brave. Both of them accomplish things in life that go beyond what's expected of them. My simple explanations are just to whet your appetite for a book rich with language, characters and story telling. Go get it and read it right now! 
French Women Don't Get Facelifts The Secret of Aging With Style & Attitude by Mireille Guiliano - You have to read this stuff occasionally, and Mirielle has some great advice, namely to confidently be who you are by eating simply to stay slim, as well as keeping hair and make up simple as you age and continue to dress in basics always. It's a great one day read on the way down from the high of the fabulously wonderful Invention of Wings. A couple of her recipes are kind of interesting - she prepares the food quickly and easily. I might try making the Red Rice and the Chocolate Souffles if I get energetic and decide to accomplish something. By the way, I just Googled and saw other photos of Mirielle, and sorry, but she looks like she's 62, not 10 years younger. That's short hair for you. Lately I've been on a shopping jones. It started with not liking anything in my closet, continued with selling some really cute things that I wasn't liking any more at my yard sale, and culminated with a frenzy of shopping trips all over tarnation. Tarnation being Chicagoland and beyond. I also decided that I want to go back to the black and white wardrobe that I wore in the 80's and 90's. I loved those clothes, but they got blacker and blacker, and finally, as the mom of a toddler, I just wanted to look more cheerful, so in came the color, and out went the black and black and white. I've found some really great things, but too many considering that we are getting Peter off to college, so I've been returning like crazy too. This morning I tried it all on, including with things I already owned to make outfits, and decided to keep just a few great pieces and return anything mediocre. And now I am once again going to try to quit shopping. This is what I did all those years ago when I started this blog, and I've been fairly successful. Once I make these returns I'm going to try valiantly to reign myself in, enjoy the beach, make cushion covers for the porch furniture and do some other sewing. Ultimately, I want to get back into that creative place where I can make some great jewelry (black and white, natch) and do some scrapbooking and card making. My bead stock and paper supplies are calling to me. The black and white quest has been fun, but now it's time to stop and enjoy. It would be fun to blog about style and fashion, too. Ok, now it's time to get on with my downstairs day, and yes, you read that right, I'm going downstairs at 15:46, today. I mean I've been up and down countless times already, checked the four email accounts on the iPad, opened the blinds, and realized the downstairs job is overwhelming for the rest of today. However I'm going to try to do something about it. Dining Room table, here I come.
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