Category: books

I am really excited about this, and you know what? I will be really excited even if I’m the only one who does it!

I’ve been a film critic for six years now. I’ve done product reviews, here and there, as well as a handful of book reviews.
Despite all of that, I can honestly say that a review of Gothic Art Now has been the biggest challenge to compose.

I love art.
I consider myself an artist, of sorts. (By words and photography anyhow.)
Wherever I travel, I seldom miss the museum.
What I learned, through the introduction of this book, however, is that I am not nearly as open minded about art as I would have thought.

Gothic Art Now is a compilation of art pieces, ranging from sculptures and paintings to manipulated photography. I won’t pretend this book is not incredibly dark, but then again most would likely catch on to the clues in it’s title. There were certain images that caused both Chw and I to hastily turn the page out of uneasiness… HOWEVER, that is not to say that this book is not full of some of the most amazing art work I’ve ever seen. Expecting more darkly imaginative Victorian themed pieces, (which this book has), I found myself staring in admirable awe at several of the paintings found on it’s pages. (Both the digitally painted as well as the canvas.)

I was only a page or two in, when I realized this wasn’t a book that would be the best for small children. I’ll admit it, I’m a big wuss and some of the images in here could give me nightmares…
Go ahead and laugh, I’m pathetic. :)

My favorite piece, (and if you’ve seen the book, you’ll surely remember it) is a charcoal and pencil drawing entitled Family Reunion, by Laurie Lipton.
Whether Gothic Art is your thing, or not, the detail in this picture is amazing… Plus I loved the beautiful idea of it, that our long ago departed loved ones are there, waiting for us, on the other side.

I began to realize, as I turned the pages, that Gothic Art Now is the perfect example of how beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. Many of the images in this book, after careful examination, became unexpectedly breathtaking… Regardless of my personal taste in art, there is no denying that this book is an incredible compilation of art- ranging in all forms. Jasmine Becket-Griffith has put together what I can only imagine is a thorough collection of Gothic art, which is likely vital to lovers and collectors of dark art.

Side note: as an amateur photographer, the photo manipulations displayed in this book honestly blew my mind… If you love photography and enjoy the darker things of life, seriously you have to check the photos in this book out…

To order Gothic Art Now at a great price, go here… For more from the amazingly talented Jasmine Becket-Griffith, you can visit her site here…

The Vision Board isn’t a new concept to most. A large part of the population is familiar with The Secret, and the entire time I read The Vision Board, I was reminded of it.

Essentially, the idea behind the book is to envision and focus on the things you want in life- be they physical or monetary things, or something deeper- by way of placing them on a board so that you can visualize.

Joyce Schwarz, author of The Vision Board, is undeniable proof that getting up and going after the things we want in life is sometimes all it takes. Not only is she an author but she is a producer, a Hollywood VIP coach and a social entrepreneur. She is responsible for successfully launching more than 75 venture funded companies and she herself is proof of what she writes in this book.

Taken from her author bio:
“I created, wrote and produced this book to fullfil my life’s motto ‘to live the possible dream’ and to continue to express my own vision statement ‘to open doors for others and walk through them first.’“
Inspiring, right?

As with The Secret, The Vision Board is going to either be loved or hated. Sometimes it’s that the reader just can’t quite “get there” and other times it’s because people tend to fear things that they don’t quite understand. I appreciate the idea behind the Vision Board because I have seen this theory work. We all have, perhaps we just don’t stop and take the time to look at the things around us.
The big difference between the two is that, while The Secret focuses a lot on energy forces, and new age theology, The Vision Board simply just tells it like it is: In the same manner that you are what you eat, our lives go in the directions of our thoughts.

When you wake up on a Monday morning and spill coffee on your lap, just before slipping on your icy front step only to have a fender bender 40 minutes later, on the way to work, it’s pretty common to throw in the towel and label that a bad day.
But what if you didn’t?
What if you kept on going, and laughed it off. Instead of grumbling (or in my case, crawling into a corner to rock myself as tears trenched down my face) you redirected your thoughts to happier things and rolled with the punches optimistically… I personally believe the odds of the day going an entirely different direction are pretty much guaranteed. Sure, maybe little things would happen throughout the day which, in a more negative mindset would have only added to the grief, but they aren’t likely to hold the same force anymore.
I am guilty of my husband coming home to a stressed out version of me. He will prompt me to talk about it, and will begin unloading the days events… No, the driver who cut me off yesterday didn’t upset me as much then as the driver today did… Pasta boiled over onto the stove top isn’t the end of the world… And finally I just blurt out “It’s just all of it together!”
But it isn’t. It’s that I’m thinking about it all, and how crappy the day is… And so my mindset magnifies everything.
Our mindset has the power to make our mood, control our emotions and motivate or plant us.

At 170 small, illustrated and easy to read pages (plus extra pages for notes in the back), this book is a great asset to anyone who wants to do more with their life. Maybe some of the things Joyce says, you don’t agree with. That’s ok. Most books are like that anyhow. There is still so much here, simply put and easy to understand.

Apparently some people are waiting on photos of my hair cut… Well…
You might have to keep waiting.
I have photos from day 1 and I think I will post them later but darn it, I don’t know. The problem is, I’d just run out of my moisturizer and my face looks HORRIBLE. No amount of photo editing on the planet could rectify that massacre.
Then, one day it was SO cute curly… And then the rains, and the clouds came and it’s been so NOT CUTE AND FRIZZY ever since.

Oh the woes and heartaches of being a girl…

In light of my recent bout of girliness, I it seemed an appropriate time to review this truly charming book that Harper Collins mailed me, entitled The Dress Doctor.

First of all, isn’t that cover just the chicest of things? I would have marched across the floor of a book store if it had caught my eye from across the room… Despite it’s cover being glamorous and chic though, the inside is truly the heart of this fabulous book.

The Dress Doctor is, as stated crisply on the cover, an adaptation of the best seller by Edith Head, who is an eight time academy award winner for costume design. So, pretty much what they are trying to tell us is- if anyone knows and understands Hollywood glamor and style, Edith would be our girl…

Easy to read, inspiring, simple and yet glamorous, The Dress Doctor lives up to it’s promise of “Prescriptions for Style, From A To Z”. Alphabetically, the books sharp and vintage inspired illustrations take us stylishly through the alphabet. For example, A touches on who else but the most classic of all Hollywood Icons- Audrey Hepburn. In a short paragraph it touches on Audrey and her style before quickly moving on to Amusement Parks and from there to Baseball. Easily digestable, this book inspirationally stirs a girl’s creative juices as well as her desire for style. Moving quickly through the letters of the alphabet, the book addresses such celebrities as Mae West and Shirley Maclaine while also discussing the style of motherhood, motion pictures, the little black dress and so much more…

Honestly, this book is delightful for anyone with even a fragment of girl style ambition. I love it, and already several girlfriends of mine have threated to steal my copy. (And that’s not very chic or nice, ladies…)

This Christmas, if you have a glamorous gal to shop for, I can not recommend this book enough!