My First Pattern Review!

I just posted my first pattern review, for Amy Butler's Frenchy Bag. It's no masterpiece, to be sure, but it's a big step for me in taking the risk to blossom. ;)

The first time I made the purse, it was for my daughter. I knew she'd like it, but I didn't think the style would appeal to me. I was wrong. I liked it very much and decided to make one for me. The fabric is from Amy Butler's "Belle" collection, Gothic Rose in burgundy and pink Coriander.

In other news, I scored two good-seat concert tickets for the Celtic Woman - Isle of Hope Tour next month. My daughter and I were fortunate enough to attend their "New Journey" tour a few years ago, and it was wonderful! They are incredibly talented and the show was a feast for the eyes as well. The stage design, lighting and gowns were breathtaking. I took a pair of binoculars last time...not the dainty little opera-glasses, but big solar-system-gazing binoculars and I'm so glad I did. It allowed us to see, in great detail, the beadwork on their gowns..absolutely stunning. We are one row closer and 7-8 seats more to the middle than last time. The Frenchy Bag is the perfect purse to carry when we go, as it will hold those binoculars and still have a plenty of room for everything else. :)
I still need to make my daughter the pajama pants I promised. I have four pairs cut out, I just need to get sewing -- hopefully today.
Constructive criticism on my review is welcome -- really and truly. You can e-mail me from my profile page.

Book Review: The Ivy Chronicles

I purchased The Ivy Chronicles off the bargain table at Barnes and Noble hoping for a read comparable to The Nanny Diaries.

The book's main character, Ivy Ames, is newly-divorced from her husband, her high-powered job, and their wealthy lifestyle. Needing to become self-sufficient, Ivy starts her own business as a consultant, assisting parents with the admissions process in the competitive world of NYC private schools.

I found Ivy to be self-absorbed and ridiculous -- and those are her better qualities. This is chick lit -- I wasn't expecting a literary masterpiece, but as the plot unfolds it ranges from implausible and idiotic to just plain pathetic. A couple of Ivy's former co-workers die, having been eaten by alligators. Ivy believes that the daughter of one of her client's will have a better chance of getting accepted into one of the schools if she's a minority, so she takes the girl to a salon for a couple of dark spray-tans, dresses her in an ethnic African-American-inspired outfit, and calls her Wa'Shaunte (the girl's name is Winnie).

Reading through this drivel to a predictable ending was a chore. To be more accurate, I read about two-thirds and skimmed the remainder. If I hadn't purchased the book, I'd have quit reading much sooner.

Quoting Dorothy Parker: "This is not a book to be cast aside lightly. It should be hurled with great force."