Lively Librarian

Bookstores in New Orleans

2012-01-26T10:43:00.004-06:00

Paul and I are back from 4 days in New Orleans and already missing the chicory coffee and beignets from Cafe Du Monde, the rooftop pool and views at the Omni Royal Orleans, the jazz at Fritzel's and playing pool at Molly's and Fahy's Pubs.

We spent our days wandering the French Quarter and Garden District and our evenings listening to music on Bourbon Street, enjoying cocktails in the Hotel Monteleone and the Ritz Carlton and indulging on Southern cooking at Stella and Muriel's.

During our ramblings we poked through dusty bookstores and an old carriage house behind a Garden District Library full of books and maps for a book sale. I bought 2 books, an 1897 edition of Amos Judd by J.A. Mitchell and a 1945 illustrated edition of The Sir Roger de Coverley Papers from The Spectator, London: 1711-1712.

If you are visiting New Orleans here is a list of bookstores to pay a visit too:

Arcadian Books, 714 Orleans Street, The French Quarter
Beckham's Book Store, 228 Decatur Street, The French Quarter
Crescent City Books, 230 Chartres Street, The French Quarter
Dauphine Street Books, 410 Dauphine Street, The French Quarter
Garden District Book Shop, 2727 Prytania Street, Garden District
Librairie Books, 823 Chartres Street, The French Quarter
Maple Street Used & Rare Books, 7523 Maple Street, Garden District

And don't miss the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library book sale every Wednesday and Saturday in the Carriage House behind the Latter Library Branch on St. Charles Avenue.

Arlington Heights Memorial Library named Business of the Year

2012-01-16T18:49:00.003-06:00

The Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce named the Arlington Heights Memorial Library the 2011 Business of the Year at the Installation and Awards dinner on January 12.

You can view a picture of those of us who were at the Awards dinner here.

I am looking forward to working with the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce as co-chair of the Professional Women's Council for 2012. Demonstrating the Library's resources to local business owners is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job.

Congratulations to Library staff and the Arlington Heights community for recognizing such an amazing Library.

The Joy of Books

2012-01-13T08:00:00.001-06:00

This video has gone viral. It's wonderful. The books are dancing...

And it's finally snowing in Chicago...

2012-01-12T12:10:00.001-06:00

But my Beagle doesn't care.

How Libraries are Assisting Job Seekers

2012-01-11T08:20:00.001-06:00

There is an article on the front page of today's Daily Herald about libraries and the resources and programs they offer for job seekers. I was interviewed for the article about the Job Seekers Series that I plan through a partnership with the Rotary Club of Arlington Heights.

You can read the article here.

New Pages on Lively Librarian: Books and Vintage

2012-01-05T10:41:00.003-06:00

I've added 2 additional pages to my blog, Books and Vintage. You can access the pages by clicking on the tabs on my homepage.

On my Books page I will be compiling all of the book related posts I've written on Lively Librarian since 2008. They will be organized by reviews, gifts for book lovers, trends and more.

The Vintage page is developing through my love of vintage clothing, antiquing, resale shopping and the retro remodel of my 1950's era home. I will regularly add links and information on stores, bargains and pictures of items I wear, gift and decorate with.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

The "Ladies" are Back

2012-01-03T18:56:00.004-06:00

In 1994 I began watching a British TV series, Absolutely Fabulous. At the time I was living in a little flat near Chicago, my son was a year old and a friend from college and I would watch every episode we could find on TV (in the days before internet, DVR, HULU and streaming series it was hard to find). Ab Fab as it was nicknamed by its fans, was brilliant in its comedy, its complete disregard for taste and the flamboyant fashions. Years before the girls on Sex and the City, Absolutely Fabulous broke all the rules on TV with sex, designer clothes, drinking and outrageous behavior.

The series revolves around middle aged best friends Edina and Patsy who as a result of disposable incomes from their jobs in PR and fashion as well as alimony from Edina's 2 ex husbands indulge in drugs, drinking, sex, shopping and bizarre schemes to stay young and party in London. Edina's long suffering daughter Saffron, her mother, ex husbands and assistant Bubble are regularly involved in their crazy antics.

Jennifer Saunders as Edina and Joanna Lumley as Patsy are hysterical in their physical comedy, regularly falling out of cars, submitting themselves to insane hair and makeup and wearing outrageous fashions. Every other word is "Sweetie" or "Darling", they swill champagne and red wine all day and smoke incessantly. And no matter what they do, it's fall down funny.

2012 will be the 20th anniversary of the series and Edina and Patsy are back for 3 episodes. Whether you are a fan of the series from the 90's or a new watcher, it's not to be missed.

Below is a minute of a favorite episode of mine, "Poor". Tricked by daughter Saffy into thinking she is poor in order to reduce her spending, Edina and Patsy attempt to drive to the supermarket (they usually only have hired cars), try to figure out how to grocery shop, shoplift champagne, have the car booted after parking on the sidewalk in front of Harvey Nichols and get arrested for drunk driving. This episode has me in tears every time I watch it I laugh so hard, hysterical!

New To Do

2012-01-02T10:01:00.003-06:00

Welcome to 2012! I took a look at my Google Analytics account to see what my readers were checking out on Lively Librarian the most during 2011. Here are the 5 most visited posts in 2011.

Living with Ghosts
Why Date a Girl Who Reads
Books by Katie Fforde
How I became a Librarian (a blog entry from 2009)
Books for Breast Cancer Awareness Month (a blog entry from 2008 and the most visited entry I've ever written)

So for 2012, I plan on blogging more on Lively Librarian, picking up the draft for a book I started writing in 2005 and work on that, submit papers on a variety of topics to international library conferences, take a class or 2 (hopefully 1 back at Oxford) and of course, travel more.

As always readers, thanks for following along, I love your comments, I love when people meet me at conferences or when I speak to groups and say, "You're the Lively Librarian". It's been a journey, looking forward to 2012. Happy New Year!

Finding the Perfect Purse/Travel/Book Bag

2011-12-29T12:31:00.003-06:00

Every woman I know is never satisfied with her bag. For most women it's a never ending hunt for the "perfect" purse. We all have different factors for our bags, some like huge bags that hold everything including books/e-reader, laptop, snacks, water bottle, umbrella etc. (when I carry a large purse my partner Paul calls it my "Mary Poppins" bag.) At other times such as a night out for dinner and drinks a woman wants just a small clutch, big enough to hold her cell phone, credit card, ID and a lipstick. This seems to be confounding to men, "Another bag, what was wrong with the other one(s)?" Ahhhh where to begin to explain a woman's purse obsession.

Personally I am a purse addict. I need a closet just devoted to my bags including my luggage, totes, beach bags, purses, clutches, travel bags, book bags, wallets, coin purses etc. Ideally I like to carry a small vintage clutch in a larger bag so I can grab it and go in the evenings. Over the years I've bought some great bags, Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Coach, Kate Spade etc. I also have some amazing vintage bags including Whiting & Davis, ostrich skin, Victorian carpet bags and great clutches from the 40's and 50's. But it's finding the perfect bag that can act as a daily purse, carry on bag for travel and book bag that alludes me. Until recently when I found what may be the perfect bag. For now....

I was searching for a daily purse that is large enough to hold my Nook Color e-reader and a book or 2, my wallet, iPhone, 11 inch MacBook Air, cosmetic bag, water bottle, snacks, Moleskin notepad and other odds and ends. I also wanted it to be small enough that it wouldn't look like I was dragging luggage around with me and light enough to comfortably carry it through a day at the art museum. And it has to be small enough to fit under the seat of an airplane. So the bag I am loving which pretty much checks all the boxes on my list is this Nine West bag. I stuffed it today with everything I needed for work AND an evening out and it's perfect. Plus, I found it on sale. Highly recommended for the woman who likes to carry a bit of everything and not look like a mailman.

Holiday Goodness

2011-12-20T07:58:00.004-06:00

Hurray, my Christmas shopping is complete! My suitcase is open on my bedroom floor full of presents, 1 bathing suit, my Macbook, phone charger, pj's, a couple of cotton dresses and flip flops. Once my Kid tosses in his bathing suit and some clean t-shirts we are ready for Florida. Mom, I know you are reading this...Friday afternoon=pool and chocolate martinis.

Tonight I am heading into the city with my friend Michael and partner Paul to enjoy a Christmas party at Fernando's tequila bar and then to a great little neighborhood bar Millie's for a peppermint shot or 2. No matter where you go in Chicago, a local dive bar, a Mexican restaurant, stores, hotels, museums, L stops, the German market...there are lights, wreaths, and holiday decorations. The City is just beautiful at this time of year and Chicagoans know to enjoy it before the sludge and gray of February arrives.

So readers, before I sign off for a few days of R&R here are a few of my favorite Christmas ideas for gifts or parties.

1. Books. Really....like this wouldn't have been on the top of my list? A few favorites of mine that surprisingly many people haven't read:

The Stranger by Albert Camus. Haunting. What is the value of a life?
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. One of the most beautiful books ever written.
The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde. Love his poetry. Loved that he was an Oxford man.

Other authors to gift: Jorge Luis Borges, John Keats, Jane Austen, Erma Bombeck.

2. Herb infused olive oil. When I clean out my garden in the fall I dry my herbs, buy or reuse beautiful glass bottles and give the gift of rosemary or Italian herb olive oil.

3. Moleskin. I have been using and gifting these wonderful little books for years. I have a stack of used ones in my desk, everything from the calendars to the reporter notebook to a wine journal. Perfect for travel, perfect for writers and artists, great for list makers or the calendar addict.

4. Time. I'm sure you've noticed. We have less of it than ever. Sometimes what someone needs the most is more time. Time to stop by your home for a hot meal that they are too busy or too tired to make. Time for a night out. Time for a night in doing nothing. Find time and give it away.

5. Handmade presents. This year I vowed to avoid big boxes store and gift presents made in the USA by small business owners. I was almost 100% successful. For specialty items I did buy a few items from stores like Williams-Sonoma because of the amazing items crafted in France. My favorite places to shop, Etsy and antique stores. Amazing one of a kind gifts.

What ever you are doing this year, I wish you a Harry Potter, "Happy Christmas!" Song is Carol of the Bells.

Why Date a Girl Who Reads?

2011-12-16T08:13:00.003-06:00

This post is perfect. Really...I've never read a better description of girls who love to read and the special partners they need. Thanks Norah, you get us.

Treasures of the Bodleian

2011-12-14T07:50:00.001-06:00

In 2009 as part of a post graduate seminar on Librarianship at the University of Oxford, I had access to one of the World's greatest libraries, The Bodleian. During my weeks at Oxford I explored many of the College's libraries and had access to collections that many students or scholars did not. Have you ever held a book written on vellum? Or turned the pages of a book so fragile it was translucent? Truly amazing.

The exhibit Treasures of the Bodleian is free to visitors until it closes on December 23. For those of us not lucky enough to be in the UK, there is virtual access through the website as well as videos on the Bodleian's YouTube channel.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Aesop's Fables
J. R. R. Tolkien's illustrated Conversation with Smaug
The stunning Japanese picture scroll, The Tale of Urashima
The instructional children's game, Choriorama
Souvenirs from the Suffragette movement

And a few videos not to miss:

A draft of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Shakespeare's First Folio
A map from The Book of Curiosities

To read more about my visit to Oxford and view pictures select tag Oxford at the bottom of my blog.

Monday List #21-Favorite Holiday Movies

2011-12-12T09:31:00.003-06:00

We had 2 bitterly cold days in Chicago this weekend, not surprising for this icy City but another reminder of how nice it is during the winter to be with loved ones at home. My family, like so many others enjoys snuggling on the sofa, making a big bowl of popcorn and watching movies at this time of year. Next week my son and I will fly to Florida to spend Christmas at my parent's home with my sister, her husband and my 3 year old niece and 1 year old nephew, my aunt and uncle and the family dogs. My mom will have the pool heated for swimming, my dad will buy bait for fishing off the dock and there will be lots of Christmas cookies, seafood, chocolate martinis and movie watching.

So for today's Monday List, here are my favorite Holiday Movies. Happy Watching Readers!

P.S. Check out this list of Top British Christmas Movies from one of my favorite websites, Anglotopia. Not surprising that many of my favorite films are British.

While You Were Sleeping. Starring Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman. Not only one of my favorite Christmas movies, but a favorite film set in Chicago. Over drinks sometime, ask me about the night my friend Wynter and I met Sandra Bullock in a bar while she was filming this movie in Chicago. It's good story involving too much liquor and salsa dancing.
Bridget Jones's Diary. I love the book and love the movie even more. England at Christmas time and Hugh Grant. And neurotic lovable Bridget and her kooky friends. A fun film I watch over and over.
The Holiday. 3 reasons why I love this film. Kate Winslet. Jude Law. And Kate Winslet's PERFECT English country cottage which you can see here.
Love Actually. A charming Christmas movie. London, great characters, love.
Home Alone. Kevin gets left at home at Christmas and the adventures begin. Another wonderful Chicago movie.
Die Hard. A total guilty pleasure. Everyone needs a little Bruce Willis killing bad guys during a holiday party to keep it real.
The Nightmare Before Christmas. When my son was little, we watched this movie repeatedly. Tim Burton makes Christmas macabre. Love it.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I laugh just thinking of watching this movie again. Everything about this movie is perfect, Clark Griswold, squirrel in the Christmas tree, Cousin Eddie...
A Christmas Story. My dad LOVES this movie. He even has the leg lamp. We have this playing on a loop like most of America all day on Christmas.
Meet Me in St. Louis. Judy Garland singing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas gives me chills.

That Phone Call

2011-12-06T07:42:00.002-06:00

A few days ago I got the phone call every parent fears..."Mom, I've been in an accident."

My son was visiting his best friend, a football player at Indiana University, when they were involved in a car accident in the middle of the night. My son was driving his car when another driver exited a tunnel and hit them, thankfully no one was injured.

I arranged to take a couple of days off work, called a friend to watch my dog and jumped in the car to drive to Bloomington Indiana to deal with insurance, have the car towed (his car is a total loss) and bring my son home to Chicago. During the 5 hour drive my partner Paul, whose son is a sophomore at the University where my son was, arranged a hotel reservation for me in Bloomington and I called my insurance agent to start a claim.

It's funny, what you think of when you are leaving someplace quickly in an emergency. Knowing I was going to be there overnight, I grabbed a pillow, pajamas, my laptop and phone charger. And then totally random things like apples (my son loves apples). Of course I forgot cash but thank goodness for banks in rural small Indiana towns.

My son had posted a picture of the accident on his Facebook page and as a result I posted a message on my FB page that he was ok. I received such wonderful messages from around the world from friends and family happy that he was safe. It takes a village to raise a child, whether in our hometown or virtual, we are surrounded by love.

Monday List #20-The Internet

2011-11-28T08:14:00.004-06:00

When Facebook and Twitter went mainstream the ability to connect became endless and as a social media user and a blogger the Internet became a neighborhood. Years ago when I first started blogging the community was smaller than it is now. As I've connected with other bloggers through shared friends, interests or profession my life has been changed. Sure that sounds like a broad sentimental statement but it's true. So for today's Monday list, 5 ways the www has impacted my life.

Reconnecting through Facebook. It's simple. Long lost childhood friends, high school friends, former colleagues. I've found them, they've found me. When I receive a friend request and it's from someone I've often wondered about, or from someone I once loved, it's like the past calling. It's amazing to share memories and to make new ones.
Health. Need a recipe, Google it. Want to watch a yoga video from home, YouTube it. Answers at your finger tips. Support when you need it. Inspiration all over the place.
Music. The Internet is full of music and as I listen to Pandora at work, I'm often reminded that there is more than pop radio and movie soundtracks. Do you remember records? I do and recently I've bought a few wonderful albums long forgotten. And after I buy a new record or create a new Pandora station I Wikipedia the artist and learn even more.
Words. Google books. Online zines. Blogs. Poetry. Classics. Travel. The sheer volume of what I read on a daily basis is amazing. There is so much wonderful literature, memoirs, inspirational stories, news. Good and bad, words are still the most powerful thing in life.
Blogs. Where to start...over the years I've connected with some amazing people through blogging. Some I've met in real life. Some I've only communicated with via email. I've attended their events, read their books, laughed over photos. And I've cried at a funeral...Shannon lost her fight against breast cancer at 29 in 2010. Alice is changing lives through bone marrow registry at only 15 years old. And Kristian...the world knows your story, I wish it had a happy ending and that love could save you. I'm thankful you shared your lives on the www.

Thanks Ferris

2011-11-24T09:52:00.004-06:00

A day for family and friends, eating and giving thanks. A day for traditions old and new. Last year I cooked my first Thanksgiving dinner. This year I am spending the day creating new memories.

As I read what my friends are sharing on Facebook and Twitter today...what they are thankful for, the names of those they love and miss, food and football they are excited about, I'm thankful for a year of major changes that resulted in so much love and happiness.

I am thankful for my new home and my new job. Thankful that my family is healthy and happy. Thankful for my son and his wonderful sense of humor. Thankful for my new nephew. Thankful for finding Paul. Thankful for my parents and their unwavering love and support. Thankful for my crazy silly Beagle. Thankful for my friends who've been there through the good and the bad.

And I remain hopeful that the people I help at the library who are looking for jobs or are in career transition find work, keep their homes and sleep through the night with less worries. And today I will forget all the unhappy Thanksgivings I had with unpleasant people during the years of my marriage. I will give thanks that life moves on and for the occasional reminder to stop and look around so life doesn't pass us by.

Monday List #19-Chicago's Art Institute

2011-11-21T10:01:00.000-06:00

Chicago is home to one of the greatest art museums in the world, The Art Institute. As a member of the AI I visit as often as I can. I can easily spend the entire day there wandering the labyrinth of collections, attending events, relaxing in the members lounge for a coffee or cocktail, enjoying lunch in one of the cafes or shopping at the museum gift shops. It is truly one of my favorite places to be.

Last Friday I attended a gallery talk on Doris Lee's 1935 painting Thanksgiving. A museum education member gave a short lecture on this piece as well as 2 other pieces that focused on the tradition of celebrating a bountiful harvest. These short gallery talks are one of the best ways to learn about the AI's collection as well as the artist and story behind the work.

Depending on how much time I have during my visit I try and see a few of my favorite works each time I am at AI. For today's Monday List I am sharing 10 of my favorite works at AI.

Jacopo da Empoli's Portrait of a Nobelwoman Dressed in Mourning. This large painting is mesmerizing. Maybe it's the sheer size of the work, her imposing expression or her fantastic mourning clothes. Just love it.
Jules Adolphe Breton's The Song of the Lark. There is no way to describe the color of the sun in this work. It's so brilliant in person it's like the artist captured the sun. I love the look on the young woman's face, I always imagine that if she is listening to the song of a lark, it has a very special meaning to her.
William Powell Frith's The Lovers. To me this man and woman are Jane Austen characters. This little painting is hanging in a hallway, walk quick and you'll miss it. I wonder if they had a happy ending.
Harald Sohlber's Fisherman's Cottage. The cottage glows. It's like a perfect vacation getaway, I can hear the water and the rustling of the trees.
Monet's London Series. This is usually my first stop at AI. I love each of the works in this series of bridges. London, foggy, soft colors. Very dreamlike. My love for this series is one of the reasons I went to Giverny to visit Monet's home and gardens when I was in Paris last year.
Every work by Ivan Albright. When I first saw Ivan Albright's Picture of Dorian Gray, I was horrified (he painted it for the 1940's movie adaption of Oscar Wilde's famous novel) The more I look at it the more I admire it. It's really quite ghastly but hard to look away from. I recently bought a print of Into the World There Came a Soul Called Ida and I might get some strange questions from guests when they see it hanging in my home. His works are haunting, check out another favorite, his famous Door, That Which I Should Have Done I Did Not Do. Both the Picture of Dorian Gray and Door are HUGE works which makes them even more fascinating.
John Singer Sargent's Madame Paul Escudier (Women in Blue Dress). When I think of grand portraits in castles, I think of Sargent. I love the woman's dress, very Edith Wharton era. Love the darkness of the room.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti's Beata Beatrix. So sad and so lovely. The artist's dead wife at the minute of her death and in the small panel below the portrait, the moment he meets his wife in the afterlife.
Thorne Miniature Rooms. 68 tiny little rooms, a historical dollhouse. You have to see these rooms to believe it.
William Zorach's Summer. Surreal and sexy, you can just imagine what they've been doing or what they are about to do.

If you are a Chicagoan or will be visiting the City, AI is a must see. You have to linger here, there is no rushing, you'll miss something wonderful. If you are looking for someone to wander with let me know, I will bring you for free as a member guest.

Who's the Fairest of them All?

2011-11-17T08:02:00.000-06:00

I LOVE fairy tales. Being a child of the 70's, I grew up with the books, not the Disney movies with 2 exceptions (the classic Snow White 1937 animated masterpiece and the equally wonderful 1950 animated Cinderella). In the last 20 years Disney has recreated animated and live action versions of many of the fairy tales we all grew up with, some I've enjoyed, many I have not. Disney has never been one to stick to the original story. Understandable for the Disney audience since most fairy tales are dark, scary gruesome tales of betrayal, death and sadness that only occasionally have a happy ending.

Years ago when I started collecting rare books I began buying fairy tales at antique stores and online auctions. I have a few wonderful books including:

Aesop's Fables, 1887. Not fairy tales, but fables. Charming stories with beautiful illustrations.
The Children's Blue Bird, 1913. Wonderful stories with stunning illustrations. The frontispiece illustration is of a little boy and his sister (Tyltyl and Mytyl) perched on a bed peering at the vision of a witch and a magical land, "The hat was no sooner on the little's boy's head than a magic change came over everything." You will have to read the stories to figure out what the blue bird symbolizes.
The Fairy Mythology by Thomas Knightly, 1850. Fairies, elves, spirits, it's all here. Irish author Knightly introduces what is now widely known as the modern leprechaun in this book.
Legend of the Rhine, 1869. This stunning book of German fairy tales is a treasure.

Fairy Tales are popping up all over TV and films right now. I've started watching Once Upon a Time on ABC and after a rough couple of episodes it seems to be hitting its potential. Robert Carlyle as Rumpelstiltskin is fantastic. There is also Grimm on NBC which I have saved on my DVR but yet to watch, I've been told it's gruesome. Nice.

In 2012 there are 2 versions of Snow White being released. Universal Pictures is releasing, Snow White and the Huntsmen. The trailer looks interesting, I appreciate that is appears they are retaining the darkness and fear of the story. Strange casting choice of Kristen Stewart as Snow White, I'm hoping her Snow White is stronger that the whiny Bella she is famous for in the Twilight films. Charlize Theron looks lusciously psychotic as the Evil Queen.

And Relativity Films has made Mirror, Mirror. Hmmm, trailer is funny and odd. Julie Roberts as a snarky Evil Queen could be great. Snow White is played by singer Phil Collin's daughter. Nice to also see Nathan Lane in the film too.

I am including both trailers below. Enjoy!

"I live in 2 worlds"

2011-11-09T07:45:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite television shows was the delightfully odd Gilmore Girls. The show was charming...hysterically funny with eccentric characters, lovely small town setting, beautiful homes and oddball stories. The show centered on quirky single mom Lorelei and her straight-laced bookworm teenage daughter Rory. Rory had one of the best quotes ever with, "I live in two worlds. One is a world of books". The quote continued with her explaining the characters and places she's experienced through books and ends with her discussing the charm of her real world which is equally full of interesting characters. For anyone who has seen the show you'll understand why the real characters in Rory's world were just as interesting as the characters in the books she reads.

Rory's quote has me thinking about the different worlds we live in. The real world of:

Family
Friends
Work

and the other worlds where we escape to:

Books
Movies
Video games

I've always escaped into books and movies and many of my "other worlds" have been documented here (Films of style and romance, books by Katie Fforde). But what about the world that can transcend the real and the imagination? For me it's my home. My little nest where I can hunker down, brew some tea or pour a glass of wine, linger over my Parisian decorating books, watch Bette Davis float down yet another grand staircase, enjoy my rare books or take out my jewelry, elbow length gloves and play dress up. For awhile I forget the real world outside my door and I can walk around in a home I'm building from my imagination.

The Gilmore Girls shared an amazing little world in the house that Rory shared with her mother Lorelei. You can see photos of it's eccentric, messy charm here.

So thanks Rory, for getting it. Book lovers live in different worlds.

Enjoy this short clip of some of Rory's best book moments, love when she smells the book. I'm there with ya!

BookBook

2011-11-03T22:33:00.001-05:00

Ok, this is the coolest phone cover/wallet ever! If you have an iPhone you need a BookBook.
I mean come on, it looks like an old leather book. LOVE.

Just ordered mine...

Monday List #18-Halloween Costumes

2011-10-31T07:23:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween readers! I love Halloween, so much fun and so spooky. Over the years I've hosted and attended some fantastic costume parties. So in the spirit of Halloween I am sharing my favorite costumes. Whether you are observing the day before the Catholic's All Saints Day or Samhain, the Gaelic feast to mark the end of the harvest or the Festival of the Dead, enjoy the last day of October and let me know if you experience anything supernatural as the veil lifts.

5. Halloween 1993. My son's first Halloween, I dressed him up as a dragon. Seriously the cutest thing EVER.

4. Halloween 1987. My senior year in high school. Costume party/Homecoming dance. I had a great wig.

3. Halloween 2006. Yup, I was Angelina Jolie. Lots of baby dolls and a great pair of high heels.

2. Halloween 2008. Beth, Dog the Bounty Hunter's Wife. My fake boobs were awesome. They were the party favor of the night.

1. Halloween 1997. The year before I had been to New Orleans and was antiquing in a dusty old shop on Magazine Street when I found a Victorian era dress stuffed in a corner. It was a dark purple dress with a long sleeve, high neck black lace dress over it that buttoned up the back. Absolutely the sexiest dress I've ever bought, the dress completely covers the body from neck to feet but you can still see the shape of the body through the form fitting lace overlay. Too create a costume, I went to the fabric store, bought a large straw hat and covered it with a long piece of black lace and applied tall feathers to the top. The lace veil over the hat covered my head and shoulders completely hiding my face. It was fun to wear and I won many costume contests in Chicago bars that year. I still have the dress although it's stored due to it's age and the fragile state of the lace overdress. Somewhere at home I have photos but below is a picture of a Victorian mourning outfit that looks similar to the costume I wore.

Chicago's Newberry Library

2011-10-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

A few years ago while I was working on my Masters in Library and Information Science I did research at Chicago's Newberry Library. The Newberry is a non-circulating research library that is open to the public and home to an incredible collection of maps (over half a million) and specialized collections including European Renaissance, Chicago history, music and genealogy. If you happen to live in Chicago the annual book sale is a not to miss event.

Fans of author Audrey Niffenegger's book The Time Traveler's Wife will recognize the Newberry as the library where Henry worked.

Here is a short video on the Newberry, enjoy it book lovers.

October Update

2011-10-21T06:50:00.004-05:00

Hi readers. As it's my birthday today and I've got a busy day planned this is going to be a short update. I wanted to share with you a video I created for the ILA Video Shootout. For more information on the Video Shootout, check the Facebook page and video submissions on the YouTube page.

As a present to myself I bought the new 11 inch MacBook Air. This beautiful little laptop weighs less than 2 pounds, is as thin as a magazine and is the perfect computer for traveling. For the ILA Video Shootout I had about 10 minutes to capture video on my iPhone and then about 30 minutes to learn iMovie on my new Mac and create a video. What you see below if my first iMovie.

So I'm signing off readers to start enjoying my birthday. Thoughts on the last year...I started my 40th with a trip to Paris, went scuba diving in the Virgin Islands, spent Christmas with my family in Florida, visited my sister and her family in Denver, bought a new house, started a new job, fell in love and finished my 40th year off with a trip to Spain and Africa. How will I top that at 41? Starting with a lovely weekend, my parents are visiting and we will go antique shopping, relax at home, enjoy Chicago and hang out with my son and my partner Paul. Happiness is the greatest gift of all.

Back in Chicago

2011-09-30T07:20:00.002-05:00

I know, I know...it's been more than a month since I've posted. And what a month its been.

Spain and N. Africa
Amazing adventures
Rode a camel named Sabrina on the beach in Africa
Bargained in the cazbah
Shopped in the spice markets
Saw churches full of gold
Spent a week in the mountains of Spain with no cell phones, limited wi-fi, just lots of laughs and nights drinking under the stars
Acted in a Woody Allen play
Spent magical nights wandering through small Spanish towns at 3 am
Met amazing people and made new friends for life

I left to travel in summer and now it's fall in Chicago, my favorite season of the year. A time for apple picking, antiquing, working on my home remodeling projects, hosting friends for dinner parties, hot tubbing and snuggling in front of the fire watching football.
As the season slows life down, I will blog about my travels.

Enjoy the weekend readers!

Picture of my traveling partner Diana and I on our last night in Spain.

Off We Go to Spain and N. Africa

2011-08-25T08:19:00.000-05:00

I leave tomorrow on another adventure. I will spend a week in a small village in the mountains of Spain assisting adults with their practice of the English language. Afterwards a friend and I are renting a car in Madrid and wandering through Southern Spain with a stop in North Africa. I will have access to the Internet and will be updating my Facebook page, Twitter account and my blog with photos and stories.

While the week I am spending teaching/tutoring English is largely planned by the group I am volunteering with, the 2nd portion of my trip is mostly unplanned. We have a map, a couple of nights booked at a hotel and the rest is where ever the road may take us. I do know we will be enjoying the following:

A private tour of Morocco. We are going with Said Tours, who also gave Sting and Bruce Springsteen a tour of N. Africa. Casbah, spice market and yes a camel ride.

The Rock of Gibraltar. Amazing history.

Seville. The Andalucian experience. Open air markets, nightlife and yes, learning to flamenco.

Stay in a Monastery. We have a book that lists Spanish monasteries that open their doors to visitors. Reaching them for pre-booking is nearly impossible so we are taking our chances to see if they will accomodate us.

Gotta run readers, need to activate my international phone. Yes, I am taking 2 smart phones to Spain. iPhone as camera and music, Blackberry for connecting.