Glamour's Cover

Okay... I've talked about how cool it is...

Here is the wonderful cover Nan Bishop designed for Glamour.

I know you want one of your very own.
Don't worry. Copies will be available in stores November 18.

Journal: tea party

I mentioned my tea party yesterday. You've probably read or watched the cartoon version of Alice's Mad Hatter tea party in Wonderland. Perhaps you've been to a tearoom or shared a tea party with friends. Even if you haven't, imagine!

Here's a link to tea rooms near you as well as reviews.

Journal: Write about a tea party.

Baby Shower at Lady Mendl's Tea Salon

On July 19, our friends in the area surprised us in NYC with a baby shower for Max. It was exactly one month after some friends in OKC threw an impromptu one while I was in the state. I'm blessed to know such good people.

I wondered why my mom and Garrett thought it was a good idea to go into the city on the hottest day of the year so far when they'd been being so nurturing and protective otherwise. I think it was at least 95 degrees--and even though that's merely warm in Oklahoma, in New York that temperature is hot. Anyway, we tromped through Chinatown and then Garrett wanted to go to Union Square. Since he likes hanging out in parks, I didn't think anything of it. Besides, a Babies R Us across the street shone like a beacon because I knew they were bathroom friendly to moms-to-be. And, more importantly, the store had air conditioning.

Afterward, Garrett encouraged us to walk a certain direction and I saw my friends Stephanie and Alison chatting it up on the sidewalk. I momentarily thought, "Wow. Small world." Then I saw Colleen, Josh, Paul and baby Ellery with gift bags in tow. They yelled, "Surprise! It's your baby shower!"We then strolled to The Inn at Irving Place, which is an inn that also houses Lady Mendl's Tea Salon. Yes, Lady Mendl's! None of them knew it, but this place was bookmarked on my computer long before we even moved here. I've wanted to go but figured it wasn't going to happen. Luckily, my friends know I'm a sucker for a tea party, and Stephanie had discovered it in her research.

I was delighted! The flowers were gorgeous. The tea was delish. We sat down for a five course high tea and even the boys enjoyed themselves. I thoroughly reveled in my food, knowing that I wasn't eating anything that would hurt the baby thanks to Alison. My husband claims she should be a pregnancy consultant because she knows so many details. For example, did you know that mousse is made with raw eggs? Sad, but true.

Here's a pic of the final course that most of them (not I) were too full to touch after consuming all of the other goodies.

It was a perfect afternoon.

Movies

The Bridge to Terabithia (2007) Rated PG for thematic elements including bullying, some peril and mild language.
4 of 5 stars.
Excellent story that inspires imagination and friendship. It's based on a true story. I heard the author Katherine Patterson speak at SCBWI last year in NYC. She's a phenomenal storyteller. The book on which the movie is based has been on the Top 100 Most Banned Book List...so you know it's worth reading to figure out why!

No Reservations Rated PG for some sensuality and language.
3 of 5 stars.
Definitely a "chick flick." Interesting to see Catherine Zeta Jones not playing an overtly sexy character. Abigail Bresslin was cute as ever and showed some acting chops. Speaking of chops, all the food made me hungry.The was a little long.I'm glad there's not a sequel, and I was glad when it was over.

Happy Feet Rated PG for some mild peril and rude humor.
4 of 5 stars.
At times, alarmingly similar to that OTHER penguin movie. Still, it managed to pull me out of my sadness the memories of that OTHER movie invoked with various themes, great music, and adorable penguins. It reminded me of The Odyssey how they traveled to far off lands and encountered sea monsters. Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Brittany Murphey, Elijah Wood, and even the late Steve Irwin lend their voices to this animated hit.

Charlie Wilson's War Rated R for strong language, nudity/sexual content and some drug use.
Note: This movie is definitely for older, mature viewers. If I'd watched this with my parents, there were more than a couple of scenes where they would have told me to leave the room and brush my teeth.
4 1/2 of 5 stars.
Witty dialogue with Hoffman, Hanks, and Roberts makes it entertaining. The movie makes me fearful, though, when I think how we used others to fight our war against an enemy who had no business being in another country. Did one of our enemies learn that history lesson better than we did?

Journal Music

Most days, I wake up with a song in my head. It's like an internal alarm clock that's set to the radio. It influences my mood for the whole day. Sometimes, I'm surprised to realize I even know the songs because they're either really new or really old. As the day moves on, other songs enter my head, but my "theme" song usually continues off and on until the next morning.

I've considered starting each blog with an update of the current tune playing on the iPod that is my brain. Unfortunately, I don't always know the name of the song.

I guess I need one of those new iPhones. My husband comes home from work every day and enthusiastically tells me some new feature it possesses. Apparently, I can sing to it or place it up to the radio, and it will tell me the name of the song. Cool. The feature that secretly interests me the most is the one that enables me to conduct battle with the light saber that is my phone, but that's another blog.

Journal: Make a list of all the bands you can think of. Make another list of all the song titles you can think of. Write a scene using only the band names, song titles or a combination of both. Avoid using words that don't belong in the set--except article adjectives (a, an,the) and coordinating conjunctions (but, or, yet, for, and, nor, so). Have fun!

The 39 Steps

I took my mother to see The 39 Steps for her birthday last week. I knew it would be good, but I hadn't expected it to be so funny. Four actors played all the roles. In one scene, two men portrayed five different characters by swapping hats with each new persona--one of the guys held a hat in each hand and one on his head! Not only did the show use slapstick humor and physical comedy to get laughs, but it also called on clever allusions to Alfred Hitchcock's movies. It was thoroughly entertaining.

If you're coming to NYC with someone who is less than a theater buff and more of a Family Guy or Simpson's fan, consider this show. Even if the Alfred Hitchcock's references are missed, the other laughs will make up for it.

Journal: blogs that should be

Books in Transit
Perhaps this blog already exists, but I don't know about it. I love the public transportation system here in the northeast. I know some people enjoy driving, but I never have. To me, it's extremely stressful. However, if I'm on a train or a bus, someone else takes care of the details while I can relax with an iPod or a book. Garrett usually chooses the music, and I usually choose the reading material.

Lots of people choose reading material. I enjoy peeking down the subway or the train aisles to catch a glimpse of the titles people are reading. It's enlightening to see how many different kinds of people enjoy the same books.

Perhaps if I had a blog called Books in Transit, I'd simply list the books I see each week.

Or maybe I could randomly interview people about their favorite books.

Or maybe I could review the books they're reading.

Nevertheless, I think it would be a site I'd click on before going to the library or bookstore.

Journal: What book would you read on the train and why?