Visual Therapy

I am here... I am perfectly healthy... I am totally stressed out... but I am perfectly healthy.

Why am I stressed? Oh, cause I am hosting Book club tomorrow. And so far I have 10 yes(es) and only 3 can't make its and 2 more still waiting to hear from. By now you know all about my alter ego... have I ever mentioned that she has anxiety issues on top of the OCD tendencies? No? Well, she does. She was even having bad dreams this morning about not having enough food or wine because all the book club gals decided to bring their extended families. Weird huh?

I have been busily trying to clean my house (yeah,even going so far as to put the light covers of my ceiling fans through the dishwasher, HA!), planning the menu, and choosing the books for next month. Plus work on beads, making jewelry, taking the kids on outtings and not to mention soccer & football. Last night, I took Jacob to football, hung out to watch practice for a bit before getting my hair trimmed at 8pm. I decided to treat myself to a little retail visual therapy at Barnes and Noble.

I was at B&N for two reasons, first... a couple book clubs ago the hostess had copies of all the books on the choice list. I liked that!! I picked a few books I already had at home and then wanted to pick out one more. I liked having all the books right in front of us rather then a copy of a list of names. After a couple glasses of wine, who can read the summary anyway?!? I much rather see the book. My books are all choices I plan on reading anyway, so I don't feel too wasteful. Second reason I was there was to see if they had a new magazine that my friend Cindy had on her blog, (Oh, Cindy has been posting some really cool new jewelry pieces in GREAT colors... go check it out!!) called Artful Blogging. Unfortuntely, they didn't have the magazine but they'll be getting it next month!! It looks like it is full of some wonderful eye candy.

So you wanna know my selections for next month? Don't worry, you don't have to read all of them... we'll vote on one and that'll be the one to read.

Here they are in no particular order:

Julia Alvarez - In the Time of the Butterflies
Lauren Weisberger - Everyone Worth Knowing
Keith Donohue - The Stolen Child
Elizabeth Noble - The Friendship Test
Sarah Gruen - Water For Elephants

Feel free to leave a comment and cast your vote for which book we should read. And if you have read any of them... give us your review!!

I couldn't help but be pulled over to the "ART" department. I call it the "ART" department but I think B&N calls it the "craft" section. (HATE that word, so I changed it) The altered art books are right above all the jewelry art books. Altered art is something absolutely fascinating and intriguing. I think it is something I would like to start exploring. It isn't anything you can learn... I think it is just something you do. But the books on it are so visually stimulating!! I can't resist. I love it... it is VISUAL THERAPY!! I picked up a book on "Artist Trading Cards". Cool huh? If I make any... I'll be sure to share.

It was such a wonderful break from my stresses to sit in B&N with my tall caramel frappachino (no whip) and flip through the beautiful pages of freshly printed books. (OMG do I love the smell of new books).

But now it is back to reality... I have floors to wash... stuff to dust... things to scrub... then food to buy... weeds to pull... twinkle lights to hang... it's just nutty around here.

I don't usually leave you all with quotes... but I saw one the other day I just loved. I think it may replace my favorite Picasso quote.

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." - Aristotle, 384-322 BC