“Why were girls in such a hurry to grow up? She would never understand. Childhood was magical. Leaving it behind was a magnificent loss.” - Sarah Addison Allen, The Peach Keeper
photo: Anne He
“People adapt. People change. You can grow where you’re planted.” ― Sarah Addison Allen
Hello Lovely Tumblrs :) Just a quick reminder that I am now posting at Southern Nomad, if you haven’t visited yet, please do and leave a comment letting me know what you think. Thanks so much!!
photo source: May 2012 Vogue
“Books can be possessive, can’t they? You’re walking around in a bookstore and a certain one will jump out at you, like it had moved there on its own, just to get your attention. Sometimes what’s inside will change your life, but sometimes you don’t even have to read it. Sometimes it’s a comfort just to have a book around. Many of these books haven’t even had their spines cracked. ‘Why do you buy books you don’t even read?’ our daughter asks us. That’s like asking someone who lives alone why they bought a cat. For company, of course.” ― Sarah Addison Allen, The Sugar Queen
“She was so Southern that she cried tears that came straight from the Mississippi, and she always smelled faintly of cottonwood and peaches.” ― Sarah Addison Allen, Garden Spells
“Her grandmother used to tell her that a pink sky meant someone in the distance had just fallen in love … .” ― Sarah Addison Allen, The Peach Keeper
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To write more handwritten letters…
I am pretty sure that writing more letters is a goal on more people’s lists for 2012 than just mine. Actually according to JWT 100 things to Watch in 2012 ”people fetishizing the physical and tactile (like Stationery)” is going to be a trend this year. Last year there were even services for people to “snail mail their email” have their letters handwritten and sent…
For me one thing that plays hugely into the letter writing process is having the perfect stationery for the moment/mood. Though Seattle seems to be running a little slim on great stationery options there are some wonderful letterpress companies in Portland where you can get lovely stationery! One of my favorites is Oblation Papers & Press. At Christmas I was excited to unwrap the most lovely pale pink stationery that my Mom had purchased for me from Oblation.
For those who are just starting on this letter writing adventure, you must know that patience is key. Not every letter you write will be responded to in a timely manner or even at all. Don’t allow this to discourage you. Last year after reading a couple books on writing (Zen in the Art of Writing, Making a Literary Life, and A Moveable Feast) I wrote a letter to one of my favorite living authors, Sarah Addison Allen. She did not respond to the letter (she has had a crazy year and has been fighting cancer) but I got a Christmas card from her that excited the whole family (they have all been converted to reading her books, except my dad).
Best wishes for your 2012 letter writing! And let me know if you discover any great stationery places in Seattle.
Also, for those of you who haven’t discovered the Postagram app it’s pretty cool.
sources: letters, telegram, eiffel tower, letter writing
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incredible.
am I the only one who feels like these hardly look like paintings? the artist classifies them as “contemporary realism” and I must admit I think I have found another form of “realism” that I like! Magical realism books + contemporary realism paintings… I am seeing a bit of theme here..
source: christopher stott
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Are you like me looking outside at the bleary weather and wondering which book might be able to transport you to somewhere a little more magical?
At this time of year one of my favorite books to re-read is The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen. A lovely feel good book best read while wrapped in a cozy blanket preferably in front of a fireplace sipping a cup of hot cocoa with fluffy clouds of whipped cream and sprinkles of candy cane. It is a story about a girl who smells like peppermint and has a stash of candy and travel magazines hidden in her closet. You can tell from the beginning that as you read on, there will be more than a few secrets revealed..
Oh and how could I almost forget to mention, books play a very important role in this story. One of the characters can hardly seem to escape them…
“Books can be possessive, can’t they? You’re walking around in a bookstore and a certain one will jump out at you, like it had moved there on its own, just to get your attention. Sometimes what’s inside will change your life, but sometimes you don’t even have to read it. Sometimes it’s a comfort just to have a book around.”
- The Sugar Queen
Sarah Addison Allen does such an amazing job that you hardly feel like you are reading a book. It is as though you can see a movie playing all around you. It is actually quite surprising that none of her books have been made into a movie yet. I can imagine that if this book were a movie it would join other current household holiday staples that include The Family Man and The Polar Express.
What is your favorite wintry book to read at this time of the year?
You can purchase The Sugar Queen at the following locations:
—Books can be possessive, can’t they? You’re walking around in a bookstore and a certain one will jump out at you, like it had moved there on its own, just to get your attention. Sometimes what’s inside will change your life, but sometimes you don’t even have to read it. Sometimes it’s a comfort just to have a book around. Many of these books haven’t even had their spines cracked. ‘Why do you buy books you don’t even read?’ our daughter asks us. That’s like asking someone who lives alone why they bought a cat. For company, of course.
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