My Favorite Princess Story

There's Cinderella and Snow White, Rapunzel and the Little Mermaid, but my favorite Princess of all is Amethyst Alexandra Augusta Araminta Adelaide Aurelia Anne (whew!), or Amy, as everyone called her. Princess Amy is M.M. Kaye's The Ordinary Princess, who was given by her fairy godmother, Crustacea, a most curious gift - the gift of being ordinary! And as you read Princess Amy's story, you realize that there are so many ordinary things that are truly wonderful - like wildflowers, and a summer day, and playing dressup and paper dolls!

What are your favorite ordinary but wonderful things? And what's your favorite Princess story?

Travel Blog

The mountains or the beaches?
The forest for the trees?
The tundra or the desert?
Which one of these?
Blog me, please.

The cruise ship or the air strip?
Or that never-ending road trip?
The lazy-days-turned-crazy-days?
Are we there yet?
Blog me, please.

The Pacific or Atlantic?
The Mediterranean or Caribbean?
The Northern or Southern Hemisphere?
Where were you?
Blog me, please.

Eloise, Please!

Have you read Kay Thompson's Eloise? It's the story of a precocious 6-year old city child who lives at the Plaza in New York City! Altho first published in 1955 (!) reading it now still makes me laugh, laugh, laugh! And makes me want to stay at a posh hotel, order room service and charge it please thank you very much! I also absolutely love the illustrations of Hilary Knight, who drew all the Eloise books. His colors? Black, white and pink all over!

Eloise has been around for more than 50 years and yet she's never been a day over 6. She's so loved that generations of little girls and their mothers go to the Plaza Hotel, not just to see the little brass plaque that lists it as a Literary Landmark (as the Home of Eloise, of course!), but also to look at Eloise's fawbulous painting in the gold lobby!

Hmmm... maybe I should have a little sister...

The Mane Event

Birds have feathers, fish have scales, and we have wonderful, glorious hair! Did you know only mammals have hair? Yes, it's our mane attraction, our special skin protectant. It's mother nature's own SPF! Hair actually grows from hair follicles. And the human head has more than 100,000 hair follicles (that's 10 x 10,000, you little mathematician!).

And here's a hair-raising fact: though hair is the fastest growing tissue in our body, it's actually dead material! "Deadlocks," if you ask me. You can cut, curl, or color it. You won't ever feel a thing.

So don't stress about your tresses! Love your hair. It's unique to you, it's unique to me. Examine each strand with a fine-tooth comb and you'll discover an engineering marvel.

And here's the ultimate, dress-for-less tip: clean, healthy hair will always be the must-have, fashion tease! Think about it. No look is ever complete without that signature 'do. Nothing completes or renews your look more than a few highlights, a new hair color or hairstyle. A new 'do, a new mood, a new look! It's that simple.

So take good care of your hair. Keep it clean and healthy. Long or short, straight or curly, it's your one and only crowning glory! Long live that sheen!!

Gnoles to the Rescue!

You've read about goblins, and maybe even about gnomes, but have you heard about gnoles? In Alan Aldridge's book The Gnole, written with Steve Boyett, Fungle is an intelligent, funny, cuddly, and wise mole-like gnole who lives in the Smoky Mountains. He leaves his beloved home, goes to New York, becomes a media darling, and faces heart-stopping and heart-breaking adventures - all to save the planet Earth!

The book was written a long time ago but I think it has a great message - we all should do what we can to help the only planet we call home!

Have You Read...

You know what? Who survives and who expires? Which spells are cast and whose magic lasts? Who comes back and who stays on track?

And no, you're not supposed to answer my questions this time!

Read and enjoy Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!

Woof!

And so it's Woofy's turn! His favorite book is Meindert DeJong's award-winning Along Came a Dog. Of course, there's absolutely no fashion involved in this book (sigh!). But it is an exciting and heartwarming story about a dog's search for a HOME and the creatures he becomes loyal to on the way, including an amazing red hen!

Of course, you must realize by now that Woofy is my dog and, like Meowry, you'll meet him very soon.

Any good books on your favorite animals you'd like to share?

Tudy Trivia!

Speaking of pirates (again! I just love the Pirates of the Caribbean movies!), have you heard of the book Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff and James Hall? Tho not strictly about pirates, it IS about a mutiny! It's the book that created the legendary Captain Bligh! But did you know that there was a real Captain William Bligh and that he was born in Tinten, in a village called...
St. Tudy!!

So that got me to reading even more...

The quaint village of St. Tudy is in North Cornwall, in the United Kingdom...
AND, there's another pretty town on the northern tip of the Brittany region of France called L’Ile Tudy!!!
I think both these places are named after a monk and missionary from Brittany, France named St. Tudy!
BUT there's a church in Dyfed, Wales, named after another St. Tudy, who was a Welsh girl!

Have any of you ever visited these places? Or do any of you live there?

The Hidden Closet

Have you ever been so busy, dressing up was a chore? Or lamented, "I have nothing to wear!" despite a closet full of clothes? Then morph into the classics. Get your clue from Nancy Drew!!

Our titian-haired sleuth has remained a timeless classic since the 1930s. The Nancy Drew Mysteries, Nancy Drew Files, and Nancy Drew Notebooks continue to be read by millions of readers worldwide. Her secret? A universal desire to do what's right coupled with a keen, probing mind. And her fashion sense? Strictly classic. It has served her well time after time.

Take the case, "Nancy Drew," the movie starring Emma Roberts hitting the silver screen this summer. Here we have our amateur detective leaving River Heights to solve the Dehlia Draycott mystery in fashion-conscious, "what's hot, what's not" Los Angeles. She "retro"actively does the job, delves deep into the mystery, unaffected by the entrenched "in" crowd of Hollywood High. Sweet!!!

So here's a Tudy Tip: whether you're out solving "The Mystery of the 99 Steps," unlocking "The Secrets of the Old Clock," deciphering "The E-Mail Message," or just "Dressed To Steal" the show, clue into Drew and consider the case of "The Hidden Closet" closed!

For no closet should ever be without them: classic jean jackets, belted trench coats, white or vibrant, colored cotton shirts, fabulous-fitting (neutral, colored, faded, or tailored) jeans, slacks and capris. Keep the basics and watch the spin-offs you create. You'll always be in style. It'll always be vintage YOU!

So, what are your favorite fashion staples? What works for you time after time? Forget the trends. What's in YOUR closet?

For Patrice!

Finally read some of the Geronimo Stilton adventures! Wonder when I'll ever finish all of them! But now I know why my friend, Patrice, likes them - they're so colorful! Literally! Makes it fun and easy to read! Of course, my favorite character is Thea! She is SUCH a colorful character!

Keep on reading!

Your Favorite Books?

My friend, Patrice, told me her favorite books are the Geronimo Stilton adventure books. Haven't read them yet but I promise I will. Meowry isn't too happy about it (and you'll find out why) but she'll get over it! What are YOUR favorite books? Please share them with me!

Meow!

Meowry asked me to talk about the "Lionboy" books. Why, you ask? Because Zizou Corder's (that's the nome de plume of a mother and daughter team!) "Lionboy," "Lionboy, The Chase," and "Lionboy, The Truth" are all about a young boy, Charlie Ashanti, who speaks Cat! Charlie and his cats take you on a wild-lion-ride of an adventure to Paris, Venice and Africa! And that's why its one of my, and Meowry's, favorite books.

Who is Meowry, you ask? Well, she's my cat, and you'll meet her very soon!