All posts filed under: books

bypassing the black friday shopping frenzy

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I think it’s hilarious to wake up at 4 in the morning, the day after Thanksgiving,  in order to go shopping for the best deals for the holidays.  I rather sleep in myself, if I didn’t have to go to work that day. But there are those who have made a tradition of Black Friday and will forego most anything to partake in the event.   So, while I sleep in and lounge around and munch on leftovers while watching classics and playing board games with family members (remember these are the things most women can’t do while playing host on Thanksgiving Day), more power to those who leave their families behind, while in pursuit of buying a Wii board on sale or cashing in on the discount coupons only valid at 4 in the morning. So, in light of those diehards, I have included  a MAP (I mean a site)  here which I think  is pretty useful in planning your very own Black Friday Experience. Have fun!

fall 2010 suggested books to read

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    I love books and so I practically buy one a month to read.  I am always searching for new publications when I walk through bookstores and enjoy picking, in my opinion, what I think is a good read. Don’t get me wrong, I love all books except  suspense/mystery,  but since I tend to hon in on my creative side more so than the other sides, I choose books which will help me escape  the realities of life, even if for a few hours a day. I have, for that reason, included a list of new publications popping up at bookstores which I think may be fun to read this winter. Let me know what you think and/or if you have other suggestions, please feel free to drop me a line.

how much would you pay for a greeting card?

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I am a greeting card fanatic  and a collector and a true appreciator of the evolution of the greeting cards. Get the point?  So with that said, I spend about thirty to forty minutes at the greeting card section in bookstores and visit every Specialty greeting card store in any and all malls. What I have noticed, unfortunately, is the price of the cards ranging from $3.95 all the way to $10.95, making it a challenge to consider purchasing a good one no matter how we appreciate the person we want to give the card to.  I know gourmet cards is a new strategy used by the card companies (kind of like labeling restaurant cooking as Gourmet) in order  to stay in business since MOST ANYONE can make a card now on their computers or from products purchased at an ART store to create a card from scratch. The problem the distributors and designers don’t understand is that how could any (middle now referred to as poor class)  consumer consider purchasing a card well over $4.00? From …

photo shoot – what if?

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Although I understand the reason behind picking certain celebrity to generate interest and sales for magazine covers, I recently had trouble with the current faces on four particular magazine covers on display at your local newsstand and book stores. So I played around with photoshop and quickly came up with who I would have put on the cover of the magazine based on the particular photos chosen for the cover. No insult to the magazines or the photographers but I think the photo (no matter who the actor is) should be a representation of the magazine title. Let me know what you think of my picks for the magazine covers.

books i added to my to-read list

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Here is a list of books I saw at Barnes and Nobles which I added to my to-read list for 2010. 1. Good To A Fault by Marina Endicott 2. Purge by Sofi Oksanen 3. A Happy Marriage by Rafael Iglesias 4. Lonely: A Memoir by Emily White I would love to hear from anyone who has read any of the books. Are they a good read or not.

1001 gardens to visit before i die

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I don’t know if you have noticed but in most museum stores, there is a book perfectly displayed, titled 1001 Gardens You Must Visit Before You Die.  Although I hate the words visit and die in the same sentence and normally don’t really look at such books, but because I am a garden phonetic, I actually flipped through the book when I was in the Getty Museum (Center) bookstore couple of weeks ago. From the 1001 gardens listed in the book, I have visited perhaps two or three thus far, and although I would love to make a point to see a hundred of the gardens in the book, I know I am not really going to get a chance to do so, for one reason or another and mostly because some of them are in countries I don’t really plan to visit in my lifetime. So, I would love to  hear from anyone and everyone who has had the wonderful opportunity to visit any of the famous gardens around the world listed in the …

treat yourself at anthropologie

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Some stores may be intimidating or just not the right style for some woman, so they simply avoid going in for the fear of the unknown or the lack of interest in experiencing something new. In my opinion, all women need to experience  Anthropologie and if you happen to live  in a city or town or a country where there is an Anthropologie store near by, please consider going in and buying yourself something just for the fun of it. The store reminds me of  a cross between a French Provincial boutique with a hint of a shabby chic theme and although I am a fan of modern decor, I simply love walking through Anthropologie  and admiring all the colorful displays and products from ceiling to floor. I often buy myself a neatly wrapped bar of soap from France or a bizarre hook for my bathroom and even a costume jewelry piece with unique or unusual compilation of beads and colors stranded together. Kitchenware is also fun to look through and can be incorporated into any …

a pretty woman moment no doubt

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I had experienced 4th of July fireworks along the cost in Los Angeles about three years ago and it was amazing (minus the traffic jams afterword of course), so I decided since I needed to be in Los Angeles the week of July 4th this year, I could go a day earlier and experience the fireworks along the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) once more. Three years ago, we parked around Malibu near Pepperdine University and waited in the cold for hours until the fireworks kicked off around 9p.m., so I decided this time I would park the car along the PCH and walk over to the beach and hang out until sunset and then sit in my car to watch the fireworks in order to avoid being cold. I parked my car somewhere between Getty Museum and a winding street leading up to Bel Air. Without second guessing myself I walked down the sand toward the ocean and began walking along the sand while enjoying the views. Within minutes a security guard ran over to …

eat, pray, love in reference to the woman over 40

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Another one of  my favorite reads last year, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, is being made into a movie with Julia Roberts playing the lead role.  Although the true story is about a woman in her 30’s, Julia is portraying the role while in her 40’s, which in my opinion require much alteration and revision to the film to fit the make up of a 40 year old woman’s lifestyle.  I am not really sure how good the film will be but the book is a recommended read for any woman who hasn’t read it yet. The book can be considered a motivational book and although geared towards the woman in her 30’s, some of us beyond that decade can learn a few things from it here and there. The only downside for the woman over 40 is that, if she were to consider using the methods in the book to self discovery, she must be childless to accomplish the challenge. But either way, it is a solid book and since it is based on a …

macbook pro and the possibilities

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I have always been a fan of Apple. It mostly started with the design of their products (I am a sucker for quality design), then their advertising and marketing strategies swept me off my feet and of course I appreciated the streamlined retail outlets. So slowly but surely I just couldn’t resist anymore and I gave into the Macbook pro. It was a struggle convincing my family and friends about my choice of a new laptop, but I knew what I wanted and for my new career endeavor, it had to be the mac. My wonderful family chipped in and bought it for me as a birthday present and I almost fell off my chair when I opened the box and took out the MacBook. There was that sexy designed laptop in my hands and I just couldn’t believe it was all mine.  The only decision I need to make is whether to purchase Apple’s version of word or Microsoft word for Apple? Since it hasn’t been installed, I have a few days to decide …