Fashion Booksignings!

For those of you who live in the Atlanta area:

I am not allowed to blog about where I work, so if you are interested in details about the following events, leave a comment and I will e-mail you.

The store where I work is hosting booksignings in October with Isaac Mizrahi and Carmindy from TLC's What Not To Wear.

Isaac Mizrahi will be signing on Tuesday, October 28th

Carmindy will be signing on Saturday, October 11th

I am really excited about Isaac Mizrahi. Our signings are usually in the evenings at around 7pm and I get off work at 4, so I rarely hang around for them, even if it someone I really love. But I am definitely going to camp out for this one!

I don't wear makeup so I won't be picking up Carmindy's book (unless I get if for free), but the signing is during the afternoon (around 2, I think). If I am scheduled to work, I will make sure to walk through that area of the store to check it out.

Other What Not to Wear folks with books coming out:

43. The House at Sugar Beach: A Memoir

by Helene Cooper

started 8/18 finished 8/28

It's difficult for me to read a straight history book. The ones written by scholars can be boring and they make me feel like I am in school again. I like reading for pleasure, not because I have to. Reading memoirs set around important historical events has been much more effective in teaching me history. Granted, it may seem like you are just getting one person's view, but if the writer is good enough they can express the facts effectively.

Helene Cooper is a journalist who has traveled the world writing for the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. The House at Sugar Beach is her memoir about growing up in the privileged class in the West African country of Liberia. Now, the one thing I did remember from history class (or somewhere else, considering they don't teach African History in American public schools) is that Liberia was used as a repatriation spot for American free people of color. With slavery soon to be eradicated in America, some people thought that it might be dangerous for newly freed slaves to fraternize with those who had been free for some time. So, ships began to sail back across the Atlantic to find a place for these freemen to settle.

Cooper is a direct descendant of two of those founding families. She grew up in a mansion by the sea, waited on by servants, went to private school and vacationed in Spain. In 1980, some "Country" (the original inhabitants of the land and therefore less prosperous) stage a coup that sent the idyllic lifestyle of the Coopers into turmoil. They flee to America where Helene begins the long process of assimilation while still trying to reconcile what's going on in her home country.

This memoir taught me much about what happened (and is still happening) in Liberia since it was all but ignored in most of the American press. Cooper's personal story, along with her family's, is at once heartbreaking and hopeful.

Sidenote: For those of you that watch Project Runway, Liberia is where Korto hails from. Reading this book may give you more insight into her story as well.

42. Minion: A Vampire Huntress Legend

by L.A. Banks

started 8/7 finished 8/17

Even though I am surrounded by them all day, I just couldn't muster up enough enthusiasm to read the Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. Unlike Doret, I don't read books geared to young readers and usually run in the other direction. (It wasn't until the third book came out that I finally gave in and read Harry Potter!) As the series grew in popularity, I was less and less interested. Then I read this post by one of my favorite authors that put the last nail in the coffin (bad vampire reference).

So, while I was on vacation I looked around and couldn't find anything to read.

Yes, after looking at those shelves.

And then my eye landed on Minion. The sticker on the back showed that I bought it in 2004. I can't remember why I picked it up and never read it. Maybe I wasn't ready at the time. Or maybe I thought that the Anne Rice books were all the vampires that I needed. I don't know. But this time I felt that I was seeing it for the first time. How come I never noticed the tattoo on the back of woman on the cover? Especially since it is the Sankofa bird? I'm glad that I finally read it and mad that it took me so long. I have to catch up to the whole series now.

Damali Richards is a spoken word artists who is signed to Warriors of Light Records. After her concerts, though, she and her label mates hunt vampires and demons. They make sure that people like us don't have to know these figures exist. But when other artists signed to Warriors of Light and another label, Blood Music, start dying, Damali and her Guardians start to thing that something is amiss. These brutal kills don't fit the m.o. of regular vampires and demons. Something new is out there and the violence is ramping up fast.

Banks' illustration of the vampire world is intricate and imaginative. The story of Damali and how she was "chosen" to be a Vampire Huntress was a history lesson that included Africa and ancient societies in a way that has never been done. The diversity in the book is refreshing. Everyone is represented. This is not your run of the mill Dracula tale (although he is mentioned and portrayed as a kind of rogue, attention- & power-seeking vampire).

I can't wait until next payday so I can pick up the next one! Oh, and although I am not a person easily scared, I made sure to read this only in the daytime - just to be safe.

McCall's 5633

The Good Lord (herself a seamstress, I believe) sent me the perfect pattern to get my back on my sewing horse.



I didn't have to make any adjustments - at 5'9" I usually have to lengthen the legs and my hips usually are a size larger than I want to admit - just sewed it straight out of the envelope.



I made View C because I am a cargo pants fanatic and currently can't get into any of the ones that I own.



Also, using this tan (almost green) fabric, it kind of fits in with the dress code at work.

The fit isn't perfect. It whiskers in the front and is a little snug around the hips, but it has a touch of stretch in it and will loosen up with wear.

Sorry for the bad pictures, but at this time, I am my only photographer!





Next up is a straight skirt with the remaining twill fabric.

My goal is to add basics to my wardrobe as it is pretty pitiful. My budget doesn't allow for any fabric purchasing so I am currently shopping from my stash. However, the fabric that I own is all over the place, stylistically! We'll see if, by the time I am finished, any of the garments that I make actually go together!

Pre-Vacation Reading

I was on vacation this week, but only read magazines. Most of these were read last week during an emotional funk, and you know when that happens its nothing but romance books!

The first four books completed the 2 series that I started in this post on my last vacation.

36. This Time For Good

by Carmen Green

Part of the "Three Mrs. Fosters" series were Marc Foster marries three different women and they each find out after his untimely death. Alexandra Lord-Wright is a wealthy Atlanta socialite who may lose her place in her family's company because of her now deceased polygamist husband. Hunter Smith is sent to escort her to Marc's funeral but also turns out to be a good help in reclaiming her place in the business. He may be helpful in other ways as well.

37. The Perfect Man

by Carla Fredd

Renee Foster has a genius IQ but had no idea that her late husband was married to two other women. She discovers after his death that a valuable necklace is missing and he was the last person to have it. She enlists the help of Marc's brother Chris Foster, a former FBI agent, to help her find it. Will he help her find love again? (I crack myself up!)

The next two complete the "Whitfields of New York" series. As I have said before, I really like Rochelle Alers work and this series was wonderfully written.

38. Long Time Coming

by Rochelle Alers

Tessa Whitfield is a wedding planner whose client is on jury duty. The client sends her brother, Assistant District Attorney Micah Sanborn, to a meeting with Tessa in her place. During the meeting, the city experiences a blackout forcing Micah to stay there all night. Will Tessa go back on her vow never to mix business with pleasure?

39. Taken By Storm

by Rochelle Alers

While on a morning jog, floral designer Simone Whitfield witnesses the murder of one of her neighbors, a very important judge. Because it is such a high-profile case, she is assigned a live-in bodyguard, U.S. Marshal Raphael Madison for the duration. Will something spark from living so closely together?

40. Her Lover's Legacy

by Adrianne Byrd

This is the first book in a new series - The Braddocks: Secret Son. As you can see from the books above, these family series attempt to marry off the siblings and sometimes cousins in each book. I think the last book in this series (which will be out later this year) will unearth a secret son. In this one, Malcolm Braddock is dealing with the untimely death of his father, Senator Harmon Braddock. The two were estranged because Malcolm chose community activism over following in his father's footsteps into politics. Everyone thinks that Malcolm should run for his father's seat in the Senate, especially Harmon's executive assistant, Gloria. Can she convince Malcolm to run? Or will he run away with her heart?

41. Black Lace

by Beverly Jenkins

Beverly Jenkins rocks! Some of her books are like stealth romances. They are also mysteries and I learn a lot from them as well. Lacy Green has a new job as Assistant Director of Detroit's Environmental Protection Department. On her way back from a meeting in a snowstorm she is in an accident and is rescued by the mayor of Detroit, Drake Randolph (sometimes referred to as His Fineness). In her new position, she launches an investigation in the dumping practices of a local business owner that puts her life in jeopardy. Does "His Fineness", step up to protect her?

35. The Beautiful Struggle

A Father, Two Sons, and An Unlikely Road to Manhood

by Ta-Nehisi Coates
started 7/28 finished 8/3

I wanted to read this book as soon as it came out in May, but wasn't able to get to it until now. I've mentioned before that I used to manage 2 African-American bookstores here in Atlanta and being in those positions gave me immediate membership in..."The Concious Community". This is a sub-culture of African-Americans that prides itself on "knowing who we really are", i.e. our place in history before and after the Maafa. There are no specific leaders or mouthpieces (definitely not Jesse and/or Al). The Community includes members of several different spiritual practices (Nation of Islam, Rastafarians, Black Hebrew Israelites, Ifa, as well as traditional Western religions), so there is no specific place of worship. The members are primarily vegetarian, although there are meat eaters, too (but definitely no pork). There are no structured meetings, except at Kwanzaa. But there is something of a reading list: The Miseducation of the Negro, anything by J.A. Rogers, Ivan Van Sertima, Dr. John Henrik Clarke, and Dr. Yosef ben-Jochannan (affectionately known as Dr. Ben) among others. Black Classic Press, started in 1978 by former Black Panther Paul Coates, was fundamental in keeping Black bookstores stocked with the knowledge and history of Africans in America. Coates would find out-of print and forgotten works by Black scholars and re-publish them.

Ta-Nehisi Coates' memoir takes place during a time when the Conscious community was really starting to flourish (due in part to the Anti-Apartheid movement and Spike Lee's Malcolm X movie), but the crack epidemic is exploding as well. Using the hip-hop lyrics of the time as chapter headings, Coates relates his and his brother Big Bill's adolescence in inner-city Baltimore as they traverse the many worlds they come across. Ta-Nehisi was more of the dreamer, while Bill was more at home with what the street had to offer. The best part of this book is the role of Paul in his son's lives and how he steers them toward manhood with input from the family (related and created) that surrounds them.

I think this book will resonate with a lot of people - those in the Conscious community who rarely see ourselves in print; parents of African-American sons; people who came of age during the dawn of hip-hop but not necessarily in New York. Coates' writing is lyrical and fresh and I look forward to more from him.

34. Chasing Harry Winston

by Lauren Weisberger

started 7/22 finished 7/28

Maybe I'm just more of a reader than a fabulous fashionista, but this book was a disappointment. I've been in one of my moods lately, so the fiction I have been craving has been pretty breezy, light and funny (stay tuned for a major romance binge later). This book just wasn't as enjoyable as The Devil Wears Prada.

Chasing Harry Winston follows three friends over the course of a year as they make a pact to step out of their comfort zones and make a change to their behavior. Emmy, a serial monogamist with little experience with men, finds out that her boyfriend has left her for his personal trainer. On the recommendation of her friends, she decides to be more sexually adventurous. Adriana, a spoiled Brazilian beauty (they're everywhere these days) who has no job and lives off her trust fund, vows to do the opposite. She will stop all of her trysts and try to settle down with one man - an get an engagement ring within the year. To the others Leigh has the most perfect life - her dream job, a successful boyfriend who worships the ground she walks on, and a fabulous apartment. While she doesn't join in the vow to change, she has a few secrets that she must work out.

The problem that I had with the writing is that a lot of the scenes felt rushed and incomplete. For example, in one part Leigh is meeting with an author whose book she is editing. He tells her to come back to speak with after she has read the whole manuscript. The scene stops there and the next one starts with her back in NY relaying the episode to her friends. It seemed like there could have been more interaction with her and the author. This happened a few times, like Weisberger was hurrying to get the girls to the end of the year and have everything resolved. I fault her editor.

It's okay, but get it from the library or wait for it to come in paperback. Or maybe the inevitable movie.