Category: book pages

March 21, 2013

Book Pages: Patternless Fashions

I don’t think I’ve ever used this book except to help me dream (yet!!). I always thought a book about patternless fashion would make a great starting point for an e-course or blog tutorial or something. Growing up, I always hated sewing with patterns. I learned how to sew with fussy patterns and grew annoyed with sewing itself because of the rigidity. Once I realized I could make things without a pattern, I felt so free. Novel idea, huh?

This book has the cutest little hand drawings that our modern books lack, but that give books a little extra character. They give you a glimpse into the hand-work put into the book by real live people. I think it’s endearing. I mean, the descriptions are enough to make me gush, “awww, cute!” Basic School Dress with Yoke and Gathered Skirt, anyone?

Sweet little ribbon-tied girl. Sometimes I wish I could have a girl to dress up like this.

Cutest father/son duo ever (besides my guys of course:) Looks like a Leave it to Beaver family portrait, doesn’t it? Love it!

When’s the last time you heard the word “slacks” and it wasn’t coming from your grandma?

There really are great tips and pointers in this book for making real clothes today. The original book was created circa the 1950s, and the styles are pretty true to that era. However, you can tweak a little bit here and there or even use some of the patterns just as they are. Many of the styles are fashionable again today, depending on the fabric that you choose. Some of the instructions just give you guidelines on how to use clothing you already own to fashion new items. This totally translates to today’s world, if ya ask me.

If you’re a beginner, you might want to try a project that is a little less involved first, like a pillowcase or curtains or something. Once you get the hang of sewing basics and techniques, you can always refer back to this book. This book also doesn’t work for people who need the structure that patterns provide. My grandma taught me to sew using patterns because she prefers them herself, and that’s just fine. I just operate a little differently and enjoy the freedom of patternless sewing. I have also always had an affinity for completely original clothing, and this book puts that idea at my fingertips.

If you’re interested in this little gem, there are a few copies on Amazon.

February 28, 2013

Women’s Health 15-Minute Workouts Review

I first saw this book at a book fair we had at work and it, of course, caught my eye. A comprehensive collection of 15 minute workouts? Of course that would catch my attention. I passed it by though in honor of my family’s budget (I’m such a martyr, I know). Then, I put the book on my Amazon wishlist, where it’s been for quite some time. Then, the book fair came back to my work months later. I didn’t think they’d actually have the same book again as their selection is ever-changing, but they did! I finally bought it. When something has been on your wishlist for that long, you know it’s time.

So far, I’m loving the book. Instead of all those scraps of magazines lying all around my house, I now have a perfectly bound book of them all in one place. Ahhhh. This must be Women’s Health’s way of creating feng shui throughout the homes of magazine workout page hoarders. Tell me I’m not the only one, please!
Here are the coolest things about owning this book:

1. The variety of workouts: this book has workouts of all varieties–everything from weight lifting to martial arts to yoga and pilates. All in one place. My workouts always depend on the mood I’m in, how sore or stressed out I am, and where I am. There is a workout in this book for every mood and every level of fitness equipment access you have.

2. Doable time limit: everyone has a spare 15 minutes, right? We twiddle away time on all sorts of so-called extracurricular activities (Pinterest browsing, anyone?) We can certainly find 15 minute increments throughout our week to fit in these exercises. See my post on finding time to work out if you’re not convinced.

3. You can easily combine workouts: 15 minutes might not cut it for some more serious exercises. Well, all you need to do is combine two or more routines or perform the circuits a few extra times. Simple as that!

4. Trip-friendly: I plan on packing this book the next time I head out of town. Many of the workouts require little to no equipment. Instead of trying to dig through my stack of magazine workouts to find do-anywhere moves, I can just pack this one book. Simple!

5. Pretty pictures and quality cues: the quality photography and physical cues lead you through the workouts without too many questions. I have not come across an exercise yet that made my eyebrows furrow and wonder “what are they talking about?” Each move is pretty crisp, clear and comprehensively described.

6. Price: the price was super friendly at the book sale–about 1/2 off the publisher’s price. Even Amazon has the book for a cool $9.00 used. That’s about the cost of 1.5 magazines off the magazine stand.

I tried the stress-busting routine earlier last week and enjoyed the heart-pumping workout it gave me. A boosted metabolism and sculpted limbs? Um, yes please.

Guess who I spied on the pages of the book? Tone It Up’s very own Katrina Hodgson. I thought those moves looked familiar! They’re pretty true to the Tone It Up style. Can’t complain about that.

Are you convinced to buy it yet? 🙂 Or, do you know of any Android apps that offer this same type of thing? Because that would probably make me pass out in amazement.

*Note: I was not compensated or solicited in any way to endorse this book. This is simply me giving my personal review.

June 19, 2012

Book Pages: Magic Eye

My bucket list contains a few typical adventures, but mostly it contains everyday “appreciate what you have” type of endeavors. However, there are one or two items on the list that seem pretty trivial (no sugarcoating). They are skills that I’ve wanted to experience for a long time. One of them was to be able to see the “Magic Eye.” I was never able to see them as a kid. They were all the rage when I was a kid, but they frustrated me. I was a straight-A student, but when I couldn’t accomplish certain things like this, I felt downright dumb. Only once, I almost saw one, but with my undeveloped youthful eye, I looked away.

I was at the library one day recently looking for something completely unrelated, and this book was stuck in among various psychology titles. So, I checked it out along with the books about the brain. How fitting, eh?

My friends, I cannot tell you how excited I am to tell you that I saw one! I finally saw one!!! Actually, I saw an entire book of them! I was just as fascinated as any 1980s child to bring the book to bed with me and go through the pages. I finally have the wonky eye technique down, and I couldn’t be more proud, if only for the little girl in me that tried so hard.

If you’re dying to know how to do it too, you put the book pretty close to your face (as if you’re trying to read it without reading glasses–about 1-ft). Then, you “soften” your gaze, so your eyes aren’t focused, but they’re not cross-eyed either. Then, just stare off “into space” as though you’re looking right through the book. I don’t know if that makes sense, but that’s what worked for me.

Next “trivial” item on the list–learn how to hula hoop. The little girl in me still watches people that can do it with wonder, because I’ve never been able to coordinate the hip-hoop movement. I can twirl it on my arm, yes, but not my waist. Anyone know the trick?

May 18, 2012

Book Pages: Natural Beauty Recipes

Some things never change, like my love of natural remedies and health aids. I was one of those kids with oatmeal and honey pore masks on my face. Uh-huh.

I picked up this vintage copy of The Complete Book of Natural Cosmetics when I was not even old enough to drive to the grocery store to buy the ingredients. And it still has a place on my bookshelf all these years later.

I knew what tinctures, concoctions, tonics and infusions were, just like a good little apothecary. However, I didn’t practice my medicine because of course my parents weren’t too keen on buying me bottle of vodka for medicinal purposes. Haha!

Here’s a little recipe we can all try:

And here are some charming vintage ink pen drawing we can all admire:

This recipe just kills me. Strain your tapioca and herb mixture through an old nylon stocking foot. What is it with vintage books and nylon stockings lately? Ha! I’m okay with recycling them for alternate uses since it’s not exactly trendy to cover your legs with them anymore. However, using old ones for tapioca straining gives me the chills a little.

What natural recipes have you used before? Beer hair rinses, anyone? I think I’m going to whip me up a batch of that apple lotion this weekend and put it in a really pretty glass apothecary jar.

May 4, 2012

Book Pages: Beautiful Hand Calligraphy

I remember doing a unit on calligraphy in my middle school art class. My mom took me to the store to buy an extra-special set of calligraphy pens because of my fervent interest in this particular art unit. Besides wanting to be an actress, ranch worker, artist, writer, singer-songwriter, fashion designer, beach bum and naturalist, I also wanted to be a professional calligrapher at one point. I even collected all the necessary tools and scavenged this seconhand calligraphy book:

Check out these rad typeface techniques. These would be perfect for art journals or scrapbooks.

Beautiful spiralling calligraphy:

Have you ever tried calligraphy before? It’s an enchanting art form. You can add another dimension of visual beauty to your handmade greeting cards or handwritten wedding invitations. This triple-tip technique looks reminiscent of manuscripts from the 18th century or something.

And here is my own attempt at an ancient typeface. This sheet was tucked inside the book and probably written by the little 7th grade version of me. I can hardly believe that I could pull this off at age 12.

Immediately upon seeing this practice page, something reignited inside of me. I just love the aesthetic of calligraphic letters. I think a part of me has always wanted to combine art and writing in some meaningful way. Well, ta-da!

April 19, 2012

Book Pages: Totally 70s Teen Scene

I picked this book up, not for reading pleasure, but simply for gaping at. The visuals are all-too-adorable and the tips are so cutely out-dated, I can hardly stand it. Just look at the title: Teen Scene: 1001 Groovy Hints & Tips. Your New Super-Hip NOW Guide to Everything!!! This book is rated “I” for tuned-in teens. Hee hee!

Being the fitness buff that I am, I couldn’t resist the exercise and diet sections in the book. Oh, the health snobs of today would have a field-day with some of the downright outlandish tips. Here are the best of the best:

Mmmmm. The vegetable bouillon/carrot diet. How healthy is that? Not very!

Remember those side-to-side stretches in gym class?

So that’s how they got such straight, sleek hair. They wore nylon stockings on their heads at night. They never taught us that on Three’s Company, now did they?

Oh, this book is just chock-full of these precious off-kilter gems of advice.

April 5, 2012

Book Pages: Happy Homemaker

I love the iconic image of a homemaker–not the part about passivity, but the tender ways that she cares for her home, children and relationships. That’s still a wonderful thing, no? I really wish I could just make my bed in a way that would please a hospital caretaker. Really I do–it was even on my list of yearly resolutions to learn how to make the perfect bed. I don’t like the stuffy-ness of trying to keep a perfect house, but I do try to instill in my child the value of a clean, comfortable home.

So, when I saw this little dandy at the thrift store for like $3, I knew it was meant to be.

Originally though, it was the gorgeous imagery that endeared me to it. The Home Almanac was published in 2004, but the images look like they’re straight out of your grandma’s old issues of Good Housekeeping. They’re to die for.

If this doesn’t make you want to clean your bathroom sink, I don’t know what will. I mean, surely a little scrubbing will turn it into a Greek bath.

Every girl needs to know how to keep flowers fresh. Especially when receiving a bouquet from a suitor is a rare occurrence.

My grandma took me aside one time to show me how to properly iron clothes. It wasn’t that she thought I was incapable, it was because she had a vivid memory of her own grandmother teacher her. She wanted to pass that memory along to me. I accepted. This page reminds me of that day.

Shouldn’t we all treat our homes with such care? With our own elbow grease put into every corner, we can’t help but relish in our feeling of achievement. Plus, these youngin’s are just too darn cute. Ah, shucks.

I have a crush on this idea of backyard luminaries. And canvas party tents. Great Gatsby-style entertaining.

The words and images are almost poetic. Ah, to be poised atop chintz pillows and outdoor hammocks.

But seriously, this book from 2004 is a real charmer. It has the old-fashioned appeal with real-world modern applications. Yes, throw pillows really are a great easy way to freshen your living room with each season. From practical cleaning tips to interior design strategies, the pages are filled with everyday ideas to make a house feel like a home. If you can do it in high heels and an evening gown, you’ve probably got a leg up on the rest of us.

I noticed a comment on Amazon that someone uses this book as a standard gift for showers and housewarming events. What a precious idea!

March 27, 2012

Book Pages: All About Women’s Fashion

Don’t judge this book by it’s totally 80s cover. Doesn’t it remind you of Designing Women or something? Hey, I was a child of the 80s too, so I can make fun of it. And look, at some point along the way, it only cost $0.10!

Well, this book is actually a mine-field of fashion apparel information. In fact, I have used the collar index to help with my actual copywriting work on-the-job. And, if I were to ever realize my dream (one of about 264) of being a fashion designer , I could take lots of info away from this little gem.

And shoulders? I didn’t even know they had terms for some of these. Oh how these images make me wish I was enrolled in charm school. I probably lean more toward the Gretchen Wilson (I ain’t no high class broad) end of the spectrum, but that doesn’t mean I sometimes don’t covet me some fashion sense.

And the collar types. Swoon. I want one of each! I’m not sure I even knew what a sweetheart collar was when I was on the market for a wedding dress. I just tried on whatever looked amazing by sight.

Doesn’t the word “espadrille” sound classy? This book reminds me so much of Jackie O. I’m pretty sure she probably could’ve written “the book” on high-class fashion.

Paging through this book is like digging through my grandma’s 50s-style closet, filled with tweed, gingham and houndstooth. Or the time she pulled me aside to show me how to properly iron clothing. These days, I think we’re missing a lot of that grandma-taught-me-how style education. I bet your grandma’d be really touched if you asked her to show you how she used to tie her scarf back in grammar school.

March 20, 2012

Book Pages: Childhood Favorites

Let me introduce you to my most favorite childhood book of stories. It’s called the Bedtime Book of Two-Minute Stories. I think it was a gift, but how much do you think my parents probably enjoyed the idea of it? Sometimes at bedtime, you just want to read something without an extravagant storyline. Especially when you’re planning on going to bed right after Junior. Or you still have dishes to wash downstairs.

The book is kind of in shambles. After all, what would you expect from a book that made it through the ’80s? Actually, this is the only book that made it past the too-grown-up feelings of puberty, the makeovers of high school, and the packing for college. I had to take the book to Kinkos to get a new binding put on it (spiral), but they couldn’t do anything with the hard covers. I’m going to have to get crafty to somehow attach them.

A true piece of vintage, this book is. The pictures are simply endearing and the little rhymes so charmingly innocent.

Like who could resist this octopus? Wouldn’t he make a dynamite waiter?

I want to go to this place too:

And be friends with these charming kite-flying kids:

I have really vivid memories of this bus picture. Even now, I stop on that page and stare. Not sure what it is about the double-decker bus. But all I can think about is a bus tour in San Francisco or something. It just makes me happy.

And duh, don’t your birds always stop to picnic at the bus-top? Ha!

This cutie is a keeper. I’m sure my son will inherit the charmer at some point, but then I might have to steal it back.

March 13, 2012

Book Pages: Kurt Vonegut Style

I am happy to introduce a new segment to my blog called Book Pages. Each week, I’ll introduce you to the whimsical pages of books right off my bookshelf. Being a writer, I have always loved to read. And I guess you could say that books are one of the things I “collect.” Yes, I actually do return to some of them after reading them, English major that I am (was?).

Anyhow, it only seemed appropriate to start with my very favorite author, Kurt Vonnegut. If you haven’t read anything of his, I encourage you to. They seem like war stories on the outside, but inside they’re…unexplainable. Believe me, I’m the last person you would think would pick up a war story (no offense to war stories, they’re just soooo not my fave thing to read). Vonnegut understands human nature; he understands our downfalls and our successes; he understands our motivations and happiness. And the reading is not far out of reach either. Literary genius, if you ask me. This is the type of book that will never be considered for the donation bin.

Armageddon in Retrospect is one of the only ones I haven’t read (YET!!). It’s waiting patiently on my shelf until I’m finished with a few other tomes (and online classes, might I add). I can’t wait to engross myself in these beautifully-written pages. One of my favorite things about this collection of writings is Vonnegut’s own artwork at every chapter beginning and end. Here, indulge yourself:

His slogans are wrought with humor and politics. And completely real and meaningful all at the same time.

I’ve always been a fan of abstract, hand-drawn art, so it’s not hard for me to like these drawings.

It’s such a tragedy that the words/art that he left were numbered and what we have is all we’ll ever have.