M.I.A.

WOW, it's been almost a month since I've posted. You're probably wondering what happened to me?

Life has been crazy, to say the least.

We are still on official "Baby Watch" around here - could be any day. I'm feeling exhausted and awful and ready for her to come. My mom arrives on Tuesday so would be great if she could wait to show her pretty face until then but I hope she doesn't wait too much longer after that ;) Being 9.5 months pregnant while you are chasing a 2.5 year old is not easy. Enough said.

Add to that our other great news...we are moving!!! Dennis got a fantastic job in Florida so we will be leaving the area in July and life has been crazy trying to get packed up and ready to move too. SO many major things happening at once.

On top of this, Olive and our dog Jack have both decided that sleep is unnecessary so the baby is not even here yet and nobody is sleeping in our house. Sigh...

As a total aside...I have been meaning to blog about the book, "The Kite Runner" which I finished quite awhile ago. I'll be short and sum it up and just say that I loved it. I learned so much again about Afghanistan and history and it really makes you appreciate what we've got. Khaled Hosseini is a fantastic author that really draws you in. I also watched "Slumdog Millionaire" (which I did not think was as great as everyone said) but a lot of the poverty and lifestyle images were similar and it gives me a greater understanding of the headlines in the newspaper (that I read while sipping coffee, sitting on the leather couch, and watching my flat screen TV). I realize how fortunate I really am to have unlimited choices in my life (like the opportunity to move closer to family, to stay home with my children, to live in a nice home, to eat whatever I want for dinner). It's a good reminder to be grateful for the wonderful people in our lives too - they are what really make it or break it - and it's imporant to remember how much easier our lives are than people in many parts of the world. So, next time you're tempted to complain that you can't afford the new Lexus, pick up a book or newspaper and be grateful that you have a car at all, or have a job to go to in your car. Many people are not that lucky. So while I complain about being exhausted and pregnant and moving etc., I say it knowing that it could be much, much worse.

Hope everyone is doing well and I will try to post more frequently!

Book Review: News of a Kidnapping by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

News of a Kidnapping by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

(apologies, I can't get Blogger to do the accent marks)

I FINALLY finished this book that I have been working on for months. It took me so long because I haven't been reading much but on top of that, I just wasn't that into it.

This book is historical in that it tells of the kidnappings of several Colombians during the early 90's by Pablo Escobar and his cohorts. While the truth of the story is fascinating and intriguing (and I did learn a lot about Escobar and drug cartels and political corruption), I felt that the book dragged on in a lot of spots and provided a lot of detail that was boring and unnecessary. Perhaps I was hoping it would read a bit more like a novel but it just didn't fully hold my interest. It's hard to imagine how societies can become so corrupt and lawless but in reality, this is the case in many countries now. People fear for their lives and the government, police, military, etc. are not in control (and when they are, they are often corrupt too). In any case, this shed a little light on the mystery of Escobar and the international drug trade by focusing on the plights of the kidnapped people, detailing their conditions and what happened throughout their captivity. I was disappointed though in the way the story read. Perhaps I expected more out of Marquez but then again, this is not his expertise either. Or maybe some of it was lost in translation. On top of that, it tells in detail about many different politicians and I don't have a firm understanding of the way the Colombian government works so their titles were a bit lost on me. Overall, I'd give it 2 stars.

I'm relieved to be done so I can move on to my next book - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

Book Review: Truelove & Homegrown Tomatoes by Julie Cannon

Truelove & Homegrown Tomatoes by Julie Cannon

I'd had this book sitting on my shelf for awhile. It was one that my mom had read and passed along. It was pretty cute for a fun read. The story is about Imogene Lavender, who lost her husband of 48 years (I think) and is on the search for love again. This tells her funny search for love in all the wrong places for women over 60 in small town Georgia. Imogene is an avid gardener and homemaker and this story brings us to a simpler way of life. A good, fun, easy read. I plan to read the next installment - 'Mater Biscuit - at some point. This is defnitely a girly book so don't even think about making your husband read it. Those who grew up (or ever lived) in the South and/or the country will particularly appreciate some of the banter and expressions. For me, it shows me how different my life is and how "citified" and "Yankee" I've become ;) (not that these are bad things, just different!) In fact, just this weekend, Dennis asked me if I'd been teaching Olive to call her shoes "tennis shoes" or if I'd been calling them "sneakers" like he does. I sighed and hung my head in shame... "sneakies" I replied, as this is the cutesy term that Olive likes. Guess I've changed in some ways but it sure is good to read a "down home" story to reconnect with my comfort zone. Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks

The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks

click here to order

I am a big fan of Nicholas Sparks. His stories are romantic, tender, and well-written. This one took me awhile to really get into it though - I felt the beginning was a little slow. It did pick up and I found myself eager to read the rest. This story also brings back the character of Noah Calhoun (from The Notebook). This story is about a man who is approaching his 30 year anniversary with his wife and realizes there is a lot he hasn't said or done over the years and this story is his attempt to rekindle the romance. Overall, I'd probably give it 3.25 stars. Good, but not his greatest work.

Book Review: Marley & Me by John Grogan

Marley & Me by John Grogan

A friend passed along this book and said I should read it. I had heard of it before but she said that being a dog lover, I would really enjoy it. So I picked it up and instantly fell in love.

This is the tale of Marley, "the world's worst dog" - a dog who does everything wrong but is still lovable. This story follows him throughout his life with his family and all their ups and downs. A true story, written in an easy-to-read and fun format, that shows you just how wonderful a dog companion can be. I won't say much more than that but it's definitely a book that shows you about "the little things" in life and how to savor every minute, just as a big, slobbering dog would do.

In the course of reading this book, I started seeing previews for the movie which comes out on Christmas Day, featuring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. Sure to be cute, I will definitely see this one.

I have also started seeing Marley stuff everywhere - a line of kids' books and activities and all sorts of other spinoffs from the book. This is a quick, easy read, one that could be enjoyed this holiday during your travel. So pick it up and read it. You'll fall in love with Marley like millions of others.

TWILIGHT - The Book Series and The Movie

If you've been following my blog, you know that I've been reading the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. And unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard that there's been a lot of hype about this series. I didn't want to read it at first - after all, it's about vampires - but my moms group book club picked it and after everyone started raving about it, I got curious. It wasn't scary at all (as I thought it would be) but was a true love story with a little twist of something interesting to it. I just finished the 4th book (most people were so addicted that they read all 4 books in the span of a week) but I was so hooked that I didn't want it to end so I really took my time with the last two books. In any case, I'm sad to be done - I will miss the characters - but elated to have read and fell in love with them all. I'm also thrilled because the movie for this first book (Twilight) comes out on Friday and a group of us that read the books together are going to go see it. I can't wait! Let me also remind you that these are "young adult" books so by definition, I am way too old to be reading them, but it seems there is as much of a cult following among the 20/30 somethings as there are among the teeny boppers. Maybe even more so... So if you haven't read these books yet, go get them! And go see the movie! I heard that in pre sales of movie tickets they have already made their money back on this movie. I can't wait!! Have fun escaping life for awhile!!

Book Review: GRITS Friends are Forevah

GRITS Friends are Forevah by Deborah Ford


A friend gave me this book as a gift. Both being GRITS (Girls Raised in the South) who now live in Yankee Town, we've often struggled to adapt to life in a place with different customs and traditions. This book was a great chance to remember where we're from and what lifestyle is comfortable for us. While I often feel like a fish out of water here, this book made me say, "AAAHHH, yes, that's what life is like". This was a fun read but one where you can just read a few pages at a time. A great lesson in friendship and the importance of having super great friends. Spouses and children are not enough - friends are essential! Whether you are from the South or not, you would enjoy the lessons in friendship and companionship and friendship at 20 or at 75! Overall, I'd give it about 3.5 stars.

Book Review: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

No doubt by now you've heard of the "vampire books" that are taking the world by storm. (And if you haven't, what bubble are you living in?) Well, my book club chose this as our last book. Since I'm not typically into this sort of thing, I vowed that I'd boycott it and not read this selection. But as the month went on, everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) was raving about how good it is. REALLY??? It's not my thing, I would say. It wasn't mine either, but you won't believe how incredible this is, they would reply. As usual, my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to read it. I was worried that I'd be freaked out and scared by it (after all, it is about vampires and I'm a self professed wimp) but it's not that way at all. When I found out that it was labeled as "young adult", somehow that made it more OK in my eyes. I also heard that there are lots of websites out there, like Twilight Moms, where others are obsessed. The movie is also coming out in November, so I thought maybe I should give it a try.

I wasn't sorry I made that choice. While I may not be quite as cuckoo about it as some of the others, I will admit that it's a great book and the more I think about it, the better it is in my mind. This is the first one of a series of 4 books and I'm currently mid-way through Book #2 (New Moon). I'm not sure if I'll post about the other books in the series - I don't want to give anything away - but this first book was good. Enough to get me hooked.

The premise of the story is about a high school girl who moves to Forks, Washington to live with her dad and meets and falls in love with a vampire. It's more of a love story than anything else but eventually there is some action that keeps it interesting beyond just the love stuff. A quick read, large print, and a chance to delve into something new. Check it out. I'd give it 4.5 stars.

Book Review: Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner

Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner


The latest novel by Jennifer Weiner, this story centers around Candace Shapiro (Cannie) from her earlier novel Good in Bed. It takes place 13 years later and is a follow-up to what happens in Cannie's life. I am a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner and while I liked this book, I didn't think it was anything nearly as good as her other books. It wasn't a bad read, but wasn't a great one either. I felt like there was a lot of build-up and nothing really happened for a long time, but then things happened that I wasn't expecting. I also felt like it ended a bit too abruptly. Overall, a decent read, I'd give it 3 stars.


In other (totally unrelated news), Olive is now fever-free (I think) but cranky and not sleeping. Dennis has also caught it and he is full of fever and yuckiness. So we're hunkering down for the weekend with the pouring rain outside. Hope we'll all be 100% by Monday for Olive to start school and Dennis to go back to work. Happy weekend - hope everyone is fever-free at your house!

Book Reviews

So I've been a slacker with my blogging lately because I've been busy planning birthday parties, family trips, shows for my business, and reading. I've read two books that I haven't reviewed so thought I'd catch up a little here and provide some reading recommendations for the end of summer.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

I decided to read this book because it was highly recommended to me. I still have not yet read Hosseini's other book (The Kite Runner) but it's on my list. Everyone I know who has read either of these just raves about how good they are. In fact, even the lady who checked me out at the library said how good this book was so I was thrilled to read it. Lately I've been into reading a lot of books that are totally different from my own life, something I can't necessarily relate to. This book is a story about two women living in Afghanistan over a turbulent 30 year period, ending shortly after 9/11. To say that it is poignant doesn't even begin to describe it. For those of us who have always lived the cushy US life, it's so hard to imagine the way things have been in other countries, even in recent times. To live in a country that is always at war, to be a woman and not always have the freedom to marry who you want or to work a job outside the home. These things are beyond our scope because they seem so outdated and unfair. There were parts of this book that were so sad that I almost put it down, but I persevered because I reminded myself that this is a sad reality for many and I should at least open my eyes to these injustices. The book did not end exactly as I thought it would but it was definitely an interesting read. I'd highly recommend this and give it 4.5 stars.

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella, the author of the Shopaholic books, is back with a new one. In this story, Lexi Smart has a car accident and loses her memory of the past three years. When she wakes up, she has this perfect life, a gorgeous rich husband, a fantastic job, a great body, and tries to piece together what happened over the three years that she can't remember. While this is not a deep read, it's a fun beach book, a great one to pass a few minutes of time, and a super quick read. A book that shows us the importance of liking yourself for who you are, no matter who that may be. Four stars for an entertaining, light read.

I love to read

A friend just introduced me to this great new site called Goodreads. It's a networking plus book review site all in one. The way it works is that you rate books you've read and you can put other books on your "current reading" or "to read" lists. You add friends and you can view each other's reviews. Pretty neat to see what your friends are reading and recommending. Gives you great tips for when you go to the library, you'll know what to check out.





I'm currently reading a few books - GRITS Friends are Forevah, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and Remember Me?

Happy Reading and have a great weekend!

Book Review: The Chic Mom's Guide to Feeling Fabulous

The Chic Mom's Guide to Feeling Fabulous

by Nina Sutton

I just finished reading this handy little guide about how to be both a mom and chic. Both? you may ask. Is it possible to be both chic and a good mom? The answer is yes.

Nina Sutton is a beauty and fashion expert and mother of two who tells us how we can keep up our chic side - we do not have to sacrifice it to be a mommy!

This is a quick read guide with some tips and inspiration to help you feel your best, which also makes you a better mother (bonus!). There are chapters on skincare, makeup, hair care, fitness, nutrition, style, friends, professional lives, romance, kids, cooking, finance, and attitude. She gives you recommendations for keeping yourself looking and feeling your best, even when you are exhausted from the day-to-day grind of life with kids. She shows you at-home tips in case you don't have time or money to go to the spa or gym. It also includes a few simple recipes for quick mid-week dinners for the whole family. She includes tips from experts in all these fields but since beauty and fashion are her background, these chapters are a bit more in-depth. I think this is a guide that helped me remember that I deserve to look and feel my best too and this will be one that I will look at many times in the future to remember her skincare tips or quick and easy exercises.

Nina has also created a fantastic website called Deals for Divas. There are lots of things here that will help you look and feel your best for a fraction of the price (deals, coupons, etc.). This is definitely a page worth bookmarking.

To learn more or order the book, click here. You can be a chic mom too!

Book Review: Chesapeake by James A. Michener

Chesapeake by James A. Michener

I have (finally) finished reading this great book. I started it 9 long months ago. To give you a brief history... last year for Olive's 1st birthday, we had a trip to Ocean City, MD with the grandparents and on the way there, we crossed the Chesapeake Bay. My dad recalled a great book he had read many years ago and suggested I read it. In October, I went home to Florida and he had a copy waiting for me. Hence, I started reading this epic novel.

I have never read anything else by Michener but know he is a renowned author with lots of great works. What makes them so interesting is that while they are technically fiction books, the historical details are accurate and he does immense research before writing each book. When I read this book, I couldn't stop marveling at how much time it must have taken to research all this.

This story drafts the history of the Chesapeake region all the way from the early Native Americans in the 1500s to recent times (late 1970s, when the book was written). It essentially follows a few main families through the centuries and the changes in the region. It's a very long book (1000 pages) but shouldn't have taken me so long to read. Don't misunderstand though - it is not because I didn't like it - I really did. In fact, as I read the last few pages today, I realized that I will be sorry to say goodbye to these families.

I learned so much about the rich history of this area and made me yearn for the rugged landscape of the place where I grew up - where lots of land is still "wild" and uninhabited by humans. It made me appreciate nature and the delicate balance of it. It also revamped an interest in history and in particular in the period of time around the Civil War (which made the trip to Harpers Ferry, WV last weekend even that more interesting to me). In Chesapeake, there are several chapters that take place in and around the Civil War era, both from the perspective of slaveowners and of slaves. It actually renewed in me that vicious anger I feel towards white Americans of the time - how could anyone think that slavery was acceptable?? And how terribly tragic that these poor men and women and even children were taken from their homes in Africa and brought here so lazy people didn't have to do the hard work? And then they had no options for their lives - their families were often ripped apart, they were sometimes subjected to inhumane conditions, and on top of all this, they didn't have a choice. I find this so sad that I am brought to tears. But that's for another post...

I thought this book was interesting and most people would probably get something from it. While I often didn't understand some of the language, the overall messages got through. If you have any interest in sailing or hunting (which I do not), this will be of even more interest (but still great even if you don't care about those things.)

If you have ever travelled to the region or plan to in the future, or just have an interest in reading something other than chick lit, pick this one up. You will have a renewed spirit and simplicity and you might even learn a little something too.

To order it, click here.

Book Review: Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald

Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald

My book club met last night to discuss this story and it was unanimous that everyone liked it. As usual, we spent more time chatting about everything else than about the book, but it was definitely a great read. The plot in a nutshell - a young Persian woman comes to the US in hopes of finding a husband here with citizenship so she can stay. She bunks with her sister and brother-in-law, who do everything in their power to set her up with a nice Iranian man who she can marry. This is a girl's quest for independence and freedom - things that are not common in Iran, especially for a woman. Although it's a light-hearted read, it really does point out how free we truly are here in America and how much we take it for granted. You will fall in love with the cast of zany characters and feel her pain as she makes difficult decisions about her future. Pick up a copy today - click here. You won't be disappointed.

Book Review: The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

The Friday Night Knitting Club
by Kate Jacobs

My book club just finished reading this book and we met last night to discuss it. Unfortunately, not everyone had read the book so the discussion was a bit limited but overall, everyone seemed to like it. A story about unlikely friendships, personal strength, courage, and determination, this book is sure to please. It evokes emotion and you really identify with the characters. I won't spoil it but it didn't end how I would have expected, and I always like surprises. One of our book club members said she heard this was going to be made into a movie, with Julia Roberts as the star (which is funny because she is actually mentioned in the book). I hope they do because this is a great story. It also made me really appreciate the fine art of knitting - I never realized just how hard it is or how much work and love is put into it. If you're looking for an easy read, check this one out.

Our next book is "Veil of Roses" by Laura Fitzgerald (see sidebar for link and cover image). You will also notice that the book "Chesapeake" by James A. Michener is there...this is a great book that I've been working on for a long time, highly recommended by my dad. It's not a quick chick book but very interesting nonetheless. It is a fictional story through the decades but based on historical fact. I've really learned a lot about this region from it. Check it out too!