A.A. aime H.H.

by Patti Farmer

"Il va être enchanté" {"He will be enchanted."}

This is my favourite French picture book.  It's actually translated from English* to French, but I like the French version better. I read it to my class on V Day.

The story is about a girl named Amélie Archambault who has a crush on a boy named Henri Héroux.  She wants to tell him that she likes him, but is persuaded by her friends to show him in different ways.  The girls say not to tell him or else bad things will happen, for example he would remain cross-eyed for the rest of his life. 

Through a series of missteps Henri looses a tooth, has an allergic reaction, and gets sent to the principal's office. Amélie is sent down as well.  On the way they finally get to talk... What happens, you ask?  You'll have to read it and see if H.H. loves A.A., back. ☻

This book is a great book for a read-aloud.  It uses the same repetitious style that Robert Munsch has made famous. Students are able to catch along, and say repeated phrases with you.  Also, after each piece of advice from Amélie's friends, it is easy to make predictions out loud, using the text and colourful pictures.  The story is really cute, and funny.  Kids and adults always fall in love with Amélie, Henri, and their elementary romance. 

♥ Meg xoxo

*In English the book is called "Amanda Adams loves Herbie Hickle". Ew. Their French names are so much cuter. 

Happy Belated (Anti-) Valentine's Day

Usually M and I wear black on Valentine's Day, as a statement against the commercialized day of love. I mean, there's so much societal pressure to demonstrate your love on V Day.  I like showing it on all of the other days.

That being said, it was red, pink and white day at school.  So, I saved my black outfit for after school.  My Grade 4s aren't really ready to understand why I'd be wearing black on a Spirit Day. :)

Cardigan, Dress and Tights: Forever XXI  //

Yay festive holiday spirit :)  Turns out that most of this outfit is from Forever XXI.  It just sort of happened that way.  They have so many fun pieces and bright colours and patterns.  I bought all of these items at different times, at different stores, and just put them all together for Heart Day.

This pretty blue wall is the back of a vacuum store.  I first took pictures here on my 50s housewife inspired outfit post, but forgot to mention the location. I just like the colour of the walls; they magically change shades in different lights.

Necklace: Forever XXI // Belt: Walmart //

Heart-shaped accessories were all the rage today.  I like hearts all of the time.  Today it seemed that everyone else liked them too.

Ring: Accessorize NYC //

Double-finger ring :D I love this ring.  It is super hard for me to find a double finger ring that fits, since I have huge knuckles.  haha. I really want one that says "hate," so I can wear one on each hand.

Heels: vintage and crafted //

I know I just wore these, but they are black and red glittery and perfect for [A]V Day.

I hope you kicked up your heels and celebrated AV Day in style. Enjoy the long weekend, if you have one! 

♥ Meg xoxo

hush, hush (aka Twilight?)

by Becca Fitzpatrick

"Even though it would probably come back to haunt me, I was curious enough about Patch to go almost anywhere with him."

Nora Grey is a normal high school student in Coldwater, Maine.  She writes for her school's ezine and is biology partners with her best friend Vee.  One day, Nora's world gets altered forever when the dark, brooding, mysterious transfer student named Patch becomes her new biology partner.  She is thrown into a world where she hears and sees things that aren't really there.  She knows that Patch seems dangerous, but is drawn to him nonetheless.  She acts irrationally; she lies to her mother and puts herself into dangerous situations. She comes to realize that Patch is not human... and she is completely okay with it.  

Alright.  I picked this TEEN book up for a quick read.  Teen fiction is like a little junk food for me.  But the girl-falls-for-supernatural-guy thing has gone on too long for me.  This book, and many others like it, is Twilight. Spoiler-alert: don't read on if [somehow] you don't know the story of Bella and Edward. 

Hush, hush	Twilight
- Patch transfers to new school, falls in love with Nora	- Bella transfers to new school, Edward falls in love (/blood lust) with her
-  Patch is partnered with Nora for Bio	- Edward is partnered with Bella for Bio
- Nora finds Patch mysterious / sexy	- Bella finds Edward mysterious / sexy
-Nora goes to Portland for research and gets saved by Patch	- Bella goes to Port Angeles for research and gets saved by Edward
- People from Patch’s past try to kill Nora	- People from Edward’s past try to kill Bella
- Patch is a couple hundred years old, falls in love with a teenager	- Edward is 104 years old, falls in love with a teenager
- Patch turns out to be a fallen angel	- Edward turns out to be a vampire

I read and enjoyed the entire Twilight series when it came out.  I recognize that it is teen fiction, and should be judged as exactly that.  Twilight haters always go on about Meyer's poor writing style and Bella as a weak heroine.  I know and understand those arguments, but still liked the series. What I don't understand is how this genre is still going.  I mean, the ending of this novel was super predictable. And the author used the word "angel" tons of times - hitting the reader over the head with obviousness.

I only recommend this book to you if you like a "junk food" sort of plot wherein you don't really have to think at all, a teenage romance, and a mysterious bad guy with a secret. 

OR if you're a girl in Grade 8. :P

♥ Meg xoxo

Suspenders

Everyone who knows me is aware of my love for dresses and skirts.  Well, some people who don't really know me may know about my love for all things dress/skirt related too.  BUT, it is still a tiny bit annoying to have tens or twenties of people point out the fact that I am wearing pants to me.  I know. I put them on this morning. :P  hahaha

Pants (with suspenders): Mexx // Shirt: Garage // 

See the jungle gym behind me in this photo?  I wanted to be suspended in it for this picture.  Get it? Suspenders + suspended?  Brilliant, oui?  Not so much.  It didn't quite work with the heels, the 12 second timer on my camera, and the minus 10 degree weather.  So here I am... in front of the cool play structure.  Maybe I'll come back here in the summer, with a photographer.  (M, you reading this? :P)

Shoes: thrifted and crafted //

People always love these shoes.  I am always proud to let them know that I crafted them myself... enhancing them with Mod Podge and glitter.

Sigh* I do love a good craft. 

♥ Meg xoxo

All Roads Lead to Austen

by Amy Elizabeth Smith

I read this books weeeeeks ago.  Then, I lost it in the backseat of my car.  So, as it turns out... all roads really do lead to Austen. :)  (Don't worry, I paid the overdue fine at the library.)

"When I'd asked them whether Pride and Prejudice could have taken place in Guatemala, just as it was, with appropriate name changes, the ladies' unanimous answer was yes."

This book is the true story of one English professor from California who set off to Latin America, Spanish versions of Jane Austen's novels in hand.  Amy Elizabeth Smith is a Jane Austen professor, who gives her students unusual term projects to apply their knowledge of Jane to their lives. One year, she decides to take the challenge herself.  She wants to know if the themes and messages in Jane's books carry weight centuries later in a different part of the world.  

Armed with the her high school Spanish from decades past and a five-week long beginner Spanish course, she sets off on a year-long journey through Latin America. She visits cities in Guatemala, Mexico, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina. Along the way, she hosts reading groups in different schools, teaches a study abroad program, and meets up with friends of friends.  She meets all sorts of different women and men who react passionately to Austen.  Amy struggles, at times, to express her strong opinions about Jane in her second language.  She worries that she may not be doing Jane justice in the the beginning of her trip; she is unable to explain the nuances of Jane's writing, her style and characters. Throughout her journey, she comes to understand that Jane's characters are timeless - they can be understood and identified with even now, in countries worlds away from England. She meets with women who could connect to themes in Jane's writing, and could feel passionate about their love (or hatred) for Jane's characters.  

I liked this book a lot.  Amy was very open in her recollection of her visits through Latin America.  She didn't hold back about discouraging moments with speaking Spanish, her ability to do Jane justice, and her choice between her versions of Bingley and Darcy.  I thought that it was magical that Jane could translate so well across time and cultures. I mean, I love Austen's works, her characters, her wit and her style.  But I didn't know that so many other people shared my love.  I mean, I know of the JASNA (Jane Austen Society of North America), but was totally unaware of JASBA (Jane Austen Society of Buenos Aires).  The world really is a lot smaller than it used to be and love of Jane Austen is just one minute (and really cool) way that people are connected.  

♥ Meg xoxo

Library lace

I adore libraries.  I mean, it's a bit of an obvious sort of love.  I love books and reading.  At the library, you can borrow books, read them, return them, and then get new ones --- for free.  :)  And, there are these cool people at the library who can help you find books. ♥ 

I wish that there was a library for dresses.  

Cardigan: Loft outlet // Shirt: Winner's // Skirt: Forever XXI //

I got this skirt with a Christmas gift card.  It's adds a perfect amount of femininity to an outfit.  I paired it with some staples of mine - stripes and polka dots, and then added a lacy-style cardigan for good measure.  This outfit put me in a cheery sort of mood all day long.

Tights: Joe Fresh // Heels: Nine West //

When I wore this yesterday, a lot of people commented that I was wearing my Valentine's outfit ten days early.  Not so much.  I'm in love everyday and, therefore, can wear hearts and lace any day I please. So there.  haha.

Necklace: Forever XXI //

This beauty was also part of my giftcard purchase.  It combines my favourite flower, rhinestones, and a giant statement necklace all in one.  What's not to love?

♥ Meg xoxo

French Milk

So, I read another book about Paris.  I can't help it; the city is so endearing.  And this book was a lovely perspective on the city of lights. 

"I've always loved good graffiti, - it's nice to see legalized street art walls of Paris, where people can really make beautiful work. In Chicago, it's not even legal to BUY spray paint."

French Milk is the story about Lucy, a twenty-three year old art student, and her mother, and their six week long trip to Paris.  It is a delightful diary in drawings, photographs and prose, which details the thoughts and experiences of an American twenty-something in Paris.  

Lucy and her mother take their trip to Paris over Christmas, New Year's, and Lucy's birthday.  Lucy's diary is somewhat typical at times, for a travel journal.  She draws museums they visit, and food that they eat. She writes about Parisians, their style and culture.  She writes and draws about things that they purchase, and the haircuts that they get.  

At the same time, Lucy lets her readers in on her thoughts and emotions.  She writes about disagreements with her mother.  She tells the reader about how cold her feet were in her inappropriate footwear, one day.  She writes about missing her friends and boyfriend, and then about how she is guilty for being miserable in Paris.  

I liked the honesty imbued in Knisley's account of her trip.  She writes openly about her relationship with her mother. She is truthful about how many croissants and orders of foie gras she eats during her trip.  Kinsley's depiction of Paris wasn't all shiny lights and romance; she told the real story of her trip with her mother without rose-coloured glasses on, and I adored her for it. 

♥ Meg xoxo

Playing in the rain...

Things to do:
1. make list -- check
2. play in the playground -- check
3. splash in puddles -- check
4. get to work on time, act like an adult, change into workplace appropriate footwear --- grudgingly, check ;)

Umbrella: gift from T // Coat: it's SO old that I can't remember... // Scarf: crocheted by Mum //

I love this playground so much.  Last time I took pictures here it was a chilly fall day.  Today it was spring-like and rainy. I thought going here would add some more colour to a dreary day.

Boots: Trentorn at Little Burgundy // 

My winter boots, which double as rain boots, have two cracks in them.  Boo :(  I think that I just loved these boots too much; I've practically lived in them for the past few winters.  

Sweater: Hollister // Dress {worn as skirt} Forever XXI // Tights: Shopper's //

Please ignore the blurriness; I was jumping around in the rain.  haha. Rainstorms instantly turn me into my five year old self. 

So, I'm not sure if this sweater/dress combo matches, or works at all... but I liked it, and went with it. I got a lot of comments about how flattering the colour of the sweater was on me, which is sweet. Who doesn't love a compliment? :) 

Splash in some puddles. Play in the rain.  And show some love those who play in the rain with you. 

♥ Meg xoxo

Girlchild

by Tupelo Hassman

"The only thing harder to come by around here than a suitcase is a brand-new book, but I keep the Girl Scout motto as close to my heart as the promise anyway: Be Prepared."

Rory Dawn Hendrix is a 5 year old Girl Scout. She has a copy of the Girl Scout Handbook which she checked out the library so many times that the librarian let her keep it.  She lives with her mother and grandmother in the Calle de las Floras, or the Calle for short, a trailer park in Reno.  And she's the only member of her Girl Scout troop.  

The story of Rory Dawn, the only girl child after four older brothers, is as rough and ragged as her mother's trailer.  The reader follows R.D. through her childhood and teen years, through nights of sitting at her mother's bar stool waiting for her to finish her shift, dark nights staying quiet for the Hardware Man, and afternoons of memorizing her Girl Scout Handbook. 

R.D. is determined to become something more than her mother and grandmother, who both had children of their own by the time they blew out the candles on their fifteenth birthday cakes. She is bold, sassy, and a little too smart for the Calle. At times, she is confused and troubled, at others she is strong and brave. R.D. has enough spirit to survive the desert, shelter herself from the bright lights and call of the slot machines, and earn all of the badges in her Handbook.

Hassman is an extremely talented writer.  Rory's life story is told in narrative, through letters, and in social worker case files. Although R.D. was a small child at the beginning of the story, it is easy to identify with her.  She grows up quickly, and learns many adult lessons before their time.  I loved her toughness and resilience.  I loved Rory Dawn; she is a strong female protagonist who makes her own choices in life, and doesn't become what everyone expects her to become.  This beautifully crafted novel brought light to familial ties, customs, and things usually left unsaid in the strange trailer park subculture of Calle, Nevada.

♥ Meg xoxo

Whoops...

SO sorry for being AWOL for a week.  It was a total accident. I was busy making crafts, celebrating birthdays, and going to cheer on the Lakers.  And I started reading like three books at once, and haven't finished any of them yet!  I promise I'll write about them soon.

♥ Meg xoxo

Love for days for Mr. Bryant and Mr. Nash.  Not so much for Mr. Howard aka the Dwightmare.