I loved seeing and reading about the most controversial magazine covers of all time.

I'm not sure where I first read about The Help. I think it was a monthly recommendation in Real Simple or Good Housekeeping. Either way, after reading the synopsis I knew it was right up my alley.

The synopsis:
Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

Review: I absolutely loved this book. I read it in less than a week (granted I was on vacation and had long flights) but that's a recent record. I've always been interested in Civil Rights history and even more so now that I live in the South. I loved reading each woman's individual point of view and I found Kathryn Stockett's writing very easy to read. I enjoyed how each chapter alternated between different narrators, yet demonstrated how they were clearly entwined. I didn't find the book to be preachy (I was hoping it wouldn't be) but it certainly opened my eyes to several things, including practices I never knew existed. If you're searching for a heart warming book that also has a bit of history in it, I definitely 100% recommend The Help.
***** of 5 stars

P.S. If you're waiting for the review of The Whole World Over, I'm still reading it. This one popped up at the library and having been on the wait list since August, I had to take it when I got it. After I finish The Island I'll get back to it and hopefully finish it quickly.

It's a coincidence that I read this article today, because I just took the jacket off a book this morning. It's a borrowed book and I don't want to damage the jacket which is in perfect condition.

Needless to say, I love the idea of creating book covers without jackets and instead stamping them with a graphic. I think it does a great job of both selling the book and creating a beautiful piece for your home. Really, it seems the question is, "for what purpose [is] the book designed: to be sold in a store, or to be a part of a reader’s life."

After describing the type of book I enjoy reading to my friend Tonya, she recommend Three Junes. Here's the synopsis from Amazon:

This strong and memorable debut novel draws the reader deeply into the lives of several central characters during three separate Junes spanning ten years. At the story's onset, Scotsman Paul McLeod, the father of three grown sons, is newly widowed and on a group tour of the Greek islands as he reminisces about how he met and married his deceased wife and created their family. Next, in the book's longest section, we see the world through the eyes of Paul's eldest son, Fenno, a gay man transplanted to New York City and owner of a small bookstore, who learns lessons about love and loss that allow him to grow in unexpected ways. And finally there is Fern, an artist and book designer whom Paul met on his trip to Greece several years earlier. She is now a young widow, pregnant and also living in New York City, who must make sense of her own past and present to be able to move forward in her life. In this novel, expectations and revelations collide in startling ways. Alternately joyful and sad, this exploration of modern relationships and the families people both inherit or create for themselves is highly recommended for all fiction collections.

Review: The premise of this book immediately interested me as I love books about families and all the tangled webs of emotions involved. Compromised of three distinct sections, the main character of each section is tied to the main character in the previous section. I found some characters lovable, some difficult to like and felt pity for others. Overall, I found each respective relationship to be extremely tender. I could feel the emotions between them in my own soul. The book felt long because so much of it is dialogue based, however, it never dragged and I didn't find myself skipping anything. I enjoyed Julia Glass' writing so much, my next selection is by her too.
**** of 5 stars

Several people recommended this book to me but before checking it out from the library I knew very little about it. Here's the synopsis from Amazon:

Manhattan freelance writer Ward and his wife, Heather, faced a steep learning curve when they abandoned harried, technology-driven lives for a year not just in the country but in the country as it was a century ago. Their mantra was, If it didn't exist in 1900, we will do without, and they did—no electricity, no telephone, no computer. This breezy account of their stubbornly quixotic odyssey begins in June 2000, with Logan exhausted pumping water from a well, ineptly milking cantankerous goats and confronting his fear of a 2,000-pound Percheron, while Heather coped with the cooking stove's suffocating heat, her fear of snakes and hand-scrubbing two-year-old Luther's cloth diapers. Their garden, planted late, was soon parched by drought and plagued by pests, the most severe of several crises, since it was their winter food. Ward writes candidly about how tempers flared and sexual intimacy vanished in the early months of their adventure, but the stress of a daunting new experience soon settled into the comfort of routine, as the couple canned dozens of quarts of produce once the rains returned and forged friendships with curious, ultimately supportive country neighbors. This lyrical account of keeping the 21st century at bay is more real, and more rewarding, than any survival TV show.

Review: The premise for this project intrigued me. Although I know there are less fortunate people in this country who currently live without electricity or other modern conveniences, for me, this would be a pretty dramatic change. You see, I grew up in what people would categorize as typical suburban America and I now live in an urban neighborhood in Charlotte so the thought of letting it all go would be challenging. In as much that I found the concept interesting, what I found more interesting was the authors descriptions and challenges with growing his own food {a topic I'm extremely interested in} and building community {something I fear is somewhat lost today}. Another reason this memoir interested me is because it's set in Swoope, Virginia, a town 20 miles away from my in-laws house so the imagery of the town and people seemed so familiar. Overall, it's a light, simple read with some thought provoking points.
*** of 5 stars

I enjoyed this LA Times article about J.Crew goddess Jenna Lyons.
Image: LA Times

Since I added the little feature On the Nightstand to the blog as a way of sharing what I'm reading, {and to keep me accountable for my New Years Resolution} I figured I'd start doing a short review when I finished each book. I realized I never did the review for Eat Pray Love, which I finished before See You in a Hundred Years so I'll do the review for Eat Pray Love today and See You in a Hundred Years tomorrow. Deal? Deal.

If you're unfamiliar with the premise of the book here's a short synopsis from Amazon:

At the age of thirty-one, Gilbert moved with her husband to the suburbs of New York and began trying to get pregnant, only to realize that she wanted neither a child nor a husband. Three years later, after a protracted divorce, she embarked on a yearlong trip of recovery, with three main stops: Rome, for pleasure (mostly gustatory, with a special emphasis on gelato); an ashram outside of Mumbai, for spiritual searching; and Bali, for "balancing." These destinations are all on the beaten track, but Gilbert's exuberance and her self-deprecating humor enliven the proceedings: recalling the first time she attempted to speak directly to God, she says, "It was all I could do to stop myself from saying, 'I've always been a big fan of your work.'"

Review: Not as life changing for me as for some of my friends, this book definitely is a great story about a woman's spiritual journey. It helped me rediscover the joy of reading novels after I spent nearly 8 months not reading any. I particularly enjoyed Eat because of the descriptions in Italy, a place I long to visit, and Love because of the sense of peace and acceptance this chapter showed was capable of achieving within oneself. Pray was a bit slow for me but mostly because I don't find myself searching for spiritual answers. The book is very easy to read and I enjoyed the authors sense of humor immensely. I'd like to read another one of her books.
*** of 5 stars

Recently, while at the bookstore I saw the above cover of Country Living and picked it up. Man, am I impressed! This magazine has definitely gone through a revamp since the last time I saw it!

It definitely delivered on it's cover line of fresh ideas. The home decor was just my style... not too country, not too shabby, not too modern. I loved the easy, healthy recipes and the fashion was affordable {finally!}!

I liked it so much I picked up the next months issue and love it even more! In fact, I recently used an Amazon gift card I had and subscribed. {They recently had a promotion and I got it for $5 bucks!}

Country Living is definitely an easy to read- pick up, put down. The articles are thoughtful and concise. Almost to the point where I want more. In fact, the magazine is awfully thin, and I hope that with the new Editor-in-Chief, and the changes she's making, this might change.

Anyway, if you haven't checked out Country Living recently {or ever} I definitely recommend you do!

The 3/50 project I posted about a bit ago finally got some national coverage! The article does a nice job of showing how supporting your local brick and mortar shops can really make a difference!

If you're anything like me, you use summer to catch up on reading. I'm always looking for recommendations and thought I'd share five of my favorite books. They're books I could reread every few years, something I don't do very often.

It was while reading The Bean Trees that I discovered Barbara Kingsolver's gift for descriptions both physical and emotional. So as not to spoil the plot, the basics of it are that a woman, Taylor, finds herself caring for an orphan Indian child in Tucson, Arizona. There she discovers the wonders of motherhood, risk-taking, self-discovery and the crazy town of Tucson {a place 90 miles from where I grew up.} The book pulls at your heartstrings in a beautiful way and the scenery will make you think of the West in a completely different light.

This collection of columns, originally published in The Arizona Republic {where I also used to work as a writer!}, is downright hysterical. Following her daring exploits from teenager to adulthood, each story in The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Club will have you laughing and relating at the same time. Be warned: You'll want to call your closest girlfriend and rehash your now comical teenage angst years in depth. Each story is short {3-4 pages} and it's an easy read-perfect for taking on the road or to the beach.

The second I finished The Time Travelers Wife I wanted to begin rereading. This book follows Henry who has a disorder that makes him suddenly disappear without warning and finds himself in the past or future, usually at a time or place of importance in his life. He marries his wife Clare and then minutes later finds himself transported and meeting her as a child, then again as an old woman after he's passed. Don't be worried, this book is only a small part science-fiction and large part wonderful, beautiful love story. It switches back and forth from Henry and Clare's point of view as well as jumps in time, but, it's actually really easy to read. It's one of my top three books.

Part historical fact, part answers to a love mystery, Loving Frank, examines the life of famed archictect Frank Lloyd Wright and his longtime mistress Mamah Cheney. Their affair became the stuff of headlines when they left their families to live and travel together. But, this isn't just a love story. Instead, it focuses extensively on Mamah and the restrictions she encounters due to being a woman in the early part of the 20th century. The author does a great job of recreating Frank's overwhelming personality and the toll it had on everyone he loved.

Set during the Civil Rights era and all the racial tension it harbours, The Secret Life of Bees follows Lily and her African American nanny, Rosaleen, as they go on the run and end up in Tiburon, South Carolina. Searching for clues about Lily's mother, this book is a beautiful coming of age story weaving a mystery with wonderful Southern charm.

So tell me, what are your recommendations?
Images: Amazon

I entered a little giveaway over at Design Mom thinking it would make a great gift for one of my nieces or nephews and guess what, I won! A lot of people entered so I was really surprised! Thanks so much Gabrielle for hosting and to John for providing the book!
Image via John Segal

Round three of the home decor magazine reviews is House Beautiful. We're getting closer to finding a semi-replacement, or at least something that gives me pretty pictures to look at that are in my style.

The Likes
-A Wide Array of Styles: I saw traditional, transitional, shabby chic and a whole lot more in the pages of House Beautiful. There definitely was a pretty good mixture which is what I like and want. However, there wasn't a whole lot of modern which is okay by me.
-Interviews With the Designers: For each feature article there seems to be an interview with the designer behind the look. I love hearing their thoughts, what they thought did and didn't work and what the owner wanted vs. what was produced.
-Photography: Beautiful, crisp, clear images.
-Showcasing Outdoor Spaces: I love seeing both the indoor and outdoor spaces in a house. I adore being outside and especially love it even more when I'm in a lovely space filled with beautiful foliage.

The Iffy
-Resources: Although most items and paint colors were sourced, I seriously hate having to turn to the back of the magazine to find out this information. However, at least they were listed.
-Youthfulness: The magazine definitely seemed like it was geared toward an audience beyond their 20s and 30s. It seems to be focusing on someone a bit more established and with more money.

The Don't Likes
-Affordable Options: Again, as with other magazines, it seems like most everything featured on the pages were very expensive and beyond the reach of an average American income. I know beautiful decor can be done on a budget, now I just wish I could see it done in a magazine.
-Prices: Nowhere were prices listed. I can tell from the designers listed that they aren't cheap, but at least give me an idea as to if I save for six months so that I might be able to afford the item.
-Similar Product- Another great feature that Domino did that none of these other magazines have done. Seriously, I know it's unique and a one of a kind but if you're going to feature it, please show me where I can find something similar.

Final Thoughts
Overall, I really liked House Beautiful. I love the interiors, the editorial and the layout. But, it didn't grab me the way Domino used to. It just doesn't seem as fresh or exciting and I didn't get as into it as I did with my Domino. I think it could fulfill my desire to look at pretty interiors, but there was very little take-away information as to how to incorporate these looks into my own home. I'm going to pick up one more issue, but unfortunately, I think the search is still on.

Round two of the home decor magazines reviews is Traditional Home. Although I wouldn't describe my style as traditional, I definitely am not modern. So I guess I'm somewhere in between and based on this past reading, Traditional Home is too.

The Likes
-Mix of Contemporary with Traditional: I would say that overall the magazine had a nice balance of traditional with contemporary. Yes, there were a few images that were overwhelmingly traditional {see last image} which I definitely didn't like, but overall, I felt the magazine used contemporary elements in all the same ways I like to.
-Photography: Beautiful, crisp clear images. Excellent photo styling.
-Lifestyle Feature: I liked the small lifestyle feature with the accompanying recipe. It was a nice tie-in having an outside decor story, then a small addition about what to do in that awesome space.

The Iffy
-Paid Editorial?: In one feature it was a showcase for an up-and-coming designer. All of the furniture etc. was donated so of course they had to use that brand. I don't like this as it seems like a company paying the magazine {or donating} their way into the editorial pages.
-Writing: The stories either gave too much information or too little. At times it seemed like the magazine was trying to lengthen the story to make it take up the allotted space.

The Don't Likes
-Affordable Options: Everything seemed to be very high-end. There was very little mixing of more affordable options {at least for me} with very high-end, expensive goods.
-Layout: Numerous time the start of the article was on the left hand side with an ad on the right. Only when I flipped the page and found myself smack-dab in the middle of an article, did I realize a new article had started.
-Similar Products: There was no listing for similar products when the exact one is no longer available or it was a one-of-a kind-piece. Many of the products in shots were not sourced. If it's in a home decor magazine, highlighting a persons home, I want to know where I can find the same one or at least one that's similar.
-Prices: Nowhere were prices of products listed. Not even in the back index where it listed sources, names of architects etc.

Final Thoughts
Overall I found the images to be very inspiring and I loved looking through the magazine. However, as a young person putting together my first house on a budget, I found many of the pieces to be beyond my reach financially. The designers seemed to use many "to-the-trade" pieces which I always find somewhat frustrating because it means you and I can't go do it ourselves. Also, as mentioned before, the editorial was lacking. I felt no connection to the people who lived in these houses or just felt the writer was rambling. So with that said, although I did like the images, I think that it's more geared toward professional designers instead of people who have an interest in design. I probably won't be picking it up again.
Images via Traditional Home

Like many people, I've started trying to find a Domino replacement. A few weeks ago I picked up three possibilities and this past weekend I actually had the chance to sit down and read. I started with Living etc. because several fellow bloggers had said it was the closest thing to Domino out there. The thought of easily finding a Domino replacement nearly made my heart skip a beat and I happily sat outside ready to dog-ear every other page. Unfortunately, that didn't quite happen.

The Likes
-Beautiful Photography: The homes photographed were styled well and actually looked like people lived in them.
-Layout: The flow of the magazine was easy to read. The length of the articles all seemed to be between five and six pages. I wasn't left thinking "That's it?!" The articles started where I thought they should and I could tell it was the start to an article. I wasn't thinking "Is this an ad?" {I actually did this with another magazine I read over the weekend. I literally skipped over a page, got onto the next page, saw text and realized it was the start to a new article.}

This is more my style and what I wish I saw in the magazine.

The Iffy
-The Writing: The actual writing of the articles tended to have me wanting more. I found that I had very little feel for the people that lived there, what they did, their design inspiration etc.
-Prices and Sources: The prices and full sources were listed in the back index instead of on the page where they were pictured. I really loved how Domino listed them on the page. I could tear the page out and have all the information I needed in one full swoop.
-Inexpensive Mass-Retailers: True the magazine did feature some less expensive goods. But they all screamed Ikea and every time I looked at the sources it definitely was Ikea. I'm not the hugest Ikea fan {I've purchased a few things here and there} but overall I don't love the look of their furniture and would have liked to see other mass retailers featured.

This is a bit funky for my taste. It's an example of what I saw in this issue.

The Don't Likes
-Metric System and British Pound: I know it's a European magazine but as an American the metric measurements and British Pound listed for prices made it challenging for me to see if a specific piece would fit in my house or if it was in my price range.
-Too Modern: My biggest complaint. I don't know if it was just this issue that I read {February 2009} or if the magazine tends toward this in general, but I found the majority of the furniture to be a bit too modern for my taste.
-Similar Products: There was no listing for similar products when the exact one is no longer available or it was a one-of-a kind-piece. Many of the products in shots were not sourced. If it's in a home decor magazine, highlighting a persons home, I want to know where I can find the same one or at least one similar if it's no longer available or one-of-a-kind.

To me, this looks stark and cold. It doesn't look welcoming or cozy. Another example of what I found in this issue.

Final Thoughts
After looking at the cover of this month's issue {above}, it appears this issue might be more in line with what I love about decorating. A mix of traditional and modern, old and new. I definitely will pick up another copy the next time I'm at the bookstore. I'm hoping I find myself more inspired by the interiors and that there is a little less modern in the mix. I'm also hoping to see a broader range of hi-end and lo-end stuff featured {not just Ikea for inexpensive goods}. I'm also hoping the writing is a bit more "beefed-up". I know the measurements and prices will be a stumbling block but if these other issues are addressed, I'm sure I can get over it. I'm spending $8 per issue so if I'm going to pony-up the funds, I better love the magazine. Keep an eye out for round-two of Living etc. in the coming weeks and a review of Traditional Home within the next few days.

I read about The Farmhouse Book on another blog a few days ago. I don't think I could live in the country for any extended period of time, but I definitely love a getaway and especially find farmhouse designs quite charming. I think this book would be a nice addition to any coffee table.
Image via Amazon

This behind the scenes tour of the Museum of Natural History is fascinating. The accompanying article is really interesting too.
Images via Seed Magazine

Last night I went to Barnes & Noble in search of a decor magazine replacement. At the suggestion of several fellow bloggers I picked up the UK magazine Living Etc. as it's supposed to be the closest thing to Domino out there. It has a hefty yearly subscription rate of well over $100 and runs $8.50 per issue at the newsstand. I don't think I'll be able to fork over the money for the subscription but I definitely can do $8.50 per month because I love home decor.

Once again, I picked up Elle Decor but have a feeling that it's still going to feel stuffy. When I can't afford anything in a magazine I just find it to be a pretty picture book and have trouble finding inspiration. But, I'm willing to try again.
Finally, I picked up Traditional Home. I'd read that it wasn't all traditional and judging from the images it definitely isn't.

I'll report back once I've read these. Also on my list to check out are House Beautiful, Canadian House and Home {which I've heard is very similar to Domino}, Home Beautiful and Real Living {both out of Australia}. My criteria for a good decor magazine isn't just pretty pictures. I want to see different styles, read about interesting people and see spaces that are attainable.

What have you replaced your Domino addiction with? Do you like it better?

I thought this article about the defunct Domino was interesting.
Image via Domino

Last August I posted about Stephanie Nielson, the blogger behind the NieNie Dialogues, and her terrible accident. Well guess what?! She's back to blogging. It's completely inspirational, reading it brings me up when I'm feeling down and it makes me realize how incredibly blessed I am. What an incredible person she is to be able to take this tragedy and still bring beauty into other peoples lives.

I love this piece on New York's Chapel of Love. It's super sweet and the multimedia accompaniment is great too.
Image via The New York Times