My Day In Pictures:

Brightening my day...

Three little pairs of shoes with a teeny tiny price bringing a smile to me and to everyone else who finds them. Hint: Target. Clearance. Six bucks a pop. :)

A different kind of list:

I got this idea from a really great website called OPERATION NICE. Of course, I loved the idea so I sat down with a pen and some markers and my great (ha,ha) artistic skill. Not quite a masterpiece, but definitely a thought provoking activity. My list of things I LOVE TO DO includes:

• Learning new things
• Read
• Day Dream
• Visual Merchandising
• Travel
• Solving Problems (especially work ones)
• Spend time with Sisters
• Write Letters
• Window Shopping
• Buy Books
  
• Play with Ginger
• Craft
• Stopping to smell the flowers
• Listen to Music
• Decorate
• Dinner w/Friends
• Collect
• Catching Sunsets
• Plan Parties
• Watch Movies
  

Below is the original:

My List:

Today is the day to

dream of trips to France & Italy, celebrate, write letters, believe in more, read books, buy flowers, take a walk, discover something new,
take a compliment, let go, love your dog, plan on dessert, think up new ideas, say sorry, compliment your mom, rock out, have a picnic, stare @ clouds, catch a sunset,
use your camera, turn off the computer, take a dip in the pool, laugh til you cry, buy new shoes, shave your legs, feel GREAT, eat well, plan a trip & a dream,
finish something that is still unfinished, smile @ a stranger, tell someone you love them, BE the example, believe in others and yourself, know it is never too late to start.

What a GREAT idea:

I've been spending a lot of time reading other people's blogs looking for inspiration. When I came across this, I just loved it. It makes me want to have a better outlook on life and explore all the great gifts around me. My next step is to make my own list and start doing the stuff I keep wishing to do. How about you?

Easter 2010 in Yuma!

I had a lot of fun hanging out with my nieces and nephews. They are truly fun and sweet kids. I know it's been a while since my last book blog, but I am having trouble finishing anything. I've started 3 of the Kurt Wallander mysteries, Olive Kitteridge, and last night I started The Help. That will probably be the first one I finish, so I'll let you know. Vacation time is coming to a close and I've not read enough, but what am I gonna do at this point? Anyway, hope everyone had a beautiful Easter. Let's enjoy this Spring weather before the heat sets in!

The Buzz

This weekend's read. I actually purchased this at one of our Tucson stores a couple of months ago. I had never heard of it, but the words inside the front flap intrigued me:

"We don't want to tell you too much about this book. It is truly special story and we don't want to spoil it. Nevertheless, you need to know something, so we will just say this: This is the story of two women. Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice. Two years later, they meet again. The story starts there. Once you have read it you'll want to tell everyone about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens. The magic is in how it unfolds."

Having finished the book, I can honestly say this statement was completely unnecessary and an obvious marketing ploy. So, job well done. I bought the book and read it.

The story is about a refugee girl, Little Bee, who has ended up in England looking for the white couple she encountered two years prior on a beach in her native Nigeria. It is a story of loss and sadness. A story of hope and survival. It received fantastic critical praise when first released and while I enjoyed the way Cleave wrote the book by alternating the narration of each chapter between Little Bee and Sarah, the English woman from the beach, the story overall was lacking something. I liked the descriptive thoughts of Little Bee but I didn't buy some of the changes the character goes through once she is in England. The scenes between her and Lawrence (Sarah's married lover) just annoy me and honestly, Lawrence is a throw-away character (plot-filler). I also was pissed at the ending. I wanted a more substantial, concrete ending. There is no written resolution, only what you as the reader plug into these character's fates, so that was a disappointment. Overall, I would recommend this book, but I can't guarantee that you won't also be disappointed. And if you don't want to read it, you can always wait for the movie. It will star Nicole Kidman and starts shooting in 2011.