The One and Only Rebecca

I'm on a reading rampage right now.

I just finished Rebecca and am nearly half way done with Mermaids!

Rebecca is another classic that has been on my list for a while. Once I found this gorgeous vintage $2 copy (above) I was in love. However, I had it for 3 years before I began reading it... so I'm glad to be checking it off!

The book started out with and eerie scene set in the present, but quickly moved to the past. It told the story of an unnamed girl who met a mysterious man in Monaco and fell in love. She married him and moved back to England with him. From there you learn the tortured past of both Mr. de Winter and his home. 

The story is filled with scenes that almost lead you up to another piece of the mysterious puzzle, but then leave you hanging. This style is kind of unusual for modern day readers, where something shocking happens in nearly every chapter of a book or episode of a TV show. At first I found it a little underwhelming, but realized that once I got to the actual action it ended up being more exciting! 

 Beyond that I found quite a lot of it depressing. I found the main character very meek and irritating. She NEVER stuck up for herself! She spent nearly the whole book being more of a narrator than anything else. Constantly obsessing about Mr. de Winter's first wife and how she stacked up, I found her pretty hard to relate to. I feel that Du Maurier created her that way intentionally though, as she is never given her own name. She is only ever referred to as Mrs. de Winter, after she is married. It was extremely strange to read a book from the point of view of a character with no name! This became a very interesting thing to think about while dissecting the novel later.

It is interesting to read an older book, this one being from the 30's, that eludes to activities that could not be written about plainly at the time. Like (I'm assuming,) sex, drugs and excessive drinking. I think that for those reasons it would be very interesting to see a movie interpretation of the novel, to see what they thought was being eluded to. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be a recent movie version. Please make one BBC!! :)

Also, is it just me, or is Mrs. Danvers almost the creepiest literary figure ever?!? (picture above) I would not want to be near this woman!

The book more-or-less ended the way I expected it to, but I really enjoyed it.

Have you read Rebecca? 

What did you think of it and the main character? 

Have you seen any good movie or mini series interpretations of it?

There is also a "pre-quel" called Rebecca's Tale, which I own and might read. I think it will be a Wide Sargasso Sea to Jane Eyre sort of relationship. Very interesting, but not at the top of my list.

First Check off my Summer Reading List complete!

All for now,

Alexandra

Spice Up Your Summer Playlist!

In my never-ending search for new and interesting music, I found this fantastic album! 

I first heard about Rosemary Clooney on Gilmore Girls and soon after bought a clearance CD of hers. It was short, but it got me hooked. I wanted to add a new album of hers to my collection on a recent itunes purchase and came across this album. It was unique and didn't have any songs that I already owned. 

Here is what I found!

This album is full of Latin flavor and old stand-bys. It is extremely upbeat and irresistibly catchy! 

Some Favorites:

Corazon de Melon

Magic is the Moonlight

In a Little Spanish Town

Sway

The album is available for purchase on itunes for only $6.99!

Who doesn't love a song called Watermelon Heart?!

Download this and host a little outdoor fiesta this summer!

Or just sit back on the deck with a margarita.. :) 

You'll find yourself shimmying around the house singing "you're heart is a watermelon heart!" ... "just a watermelon heart!"

What is your favorite unusual music purchase?

All for now,

Alexandra

Summer Reading List 2013: 2 Ways

Ah summer, time to read!

I've made 2 rough summer reading lists: the ambitious list and the lite list.

The Ambitious Summer Reading List

1) This Side of Paradise By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Started this once, and really loved it. Then I got busy and didn't have time to finish. I hope to get back into it this summer.

2) Mermaids: The Myths, Legends, & Lore  By: Skye Alexander

A (so far) awesome book filled with history and legends about mermaids. It gives you a look at where the mythology came from, all of the details recorded about mermaids, legends and tales from around the world by continent. I have always loved mythology and folktales and especially mermaids, so I am having a lot of fun with this book. I am learning a lot about the history and cultures of the places featured as well.

3) Frommer's Nova Scotia, New Brunswick & Prince Edward Island 

BECAUSE WE BOOKED A CRUISE TO THE MARITIME PROVINCES! (I'm not really excited or anything.)

4) Grayson By: Lynne Cox 

Just got this one. It's about a woman who is swimming in the ocean when she realizes she is swimming with a baby whale. She knows that if she swims to the beach the whale will beach and die. So she helps it search for it's mother. Supposedly a true story. The only thing that I love more than mermaids, is whales. 

5) Rebecca By: Daphne DuMaurier 

Look familiar from my 2010 summer book list?? ;) A gothic romance from the 1930's. Very creepy for the time. About 100 pages left and so far it's really depressing but simultaneously intriguing and I really want to check it off my list, so hopefully I can finish it!

6) Curly Girl: The Handbook (second addition) By: Lorraine Massey

A handbook on curly hair that helps you identify the type of curly hair that you have and gives you specific tips on how to fight frizz, wash it, etc plus which products to use and how you make your own. I hope that this helps my hair, because it's been kinda angry recently :S.

7)Who Are You? 101 Ways of Seeing Yourself By: Malcom Godwin

This was a book that I saw at the Discovery Store and wanted as a kid. There was also a similar one and I could only afford one of the two. I thought I would never find it again, but I did! :) It is a book of exercises and quizzes that theoretically give you insight into your personality. I find it interesting even though it's more fun than accurate.

8) Evangeline By: Ben Farmer

A book based on an epic poem based on Canadian Maritime Province history. Did that make sense? It's about the extreme deportation of Acadians (Canadian citizens who immigrated from specific parts of France) from the Maritime Provinces (see book #3 on my list) back to France, to Georgia and later to Louisiana. I started to learn some history of the area when we decided on our trip, only to find that I already had a novel based on the topic! Crazy.

9) Soul Sisters: The Five Sacred Qualities of a Woman's Soul By: Pythia Peay

This is a new-agey sort of book that is based on culture, spirituality and mythology of heroines around the world. Not my typical sort of book, but it sounds really interesting. I always enjoy learning about new topics and ideaology  so I am sure this will be really fun for me.

Summer Reading List Lite

The same list minus the F. Scott Fitzgerald (#1) and the Who Are you book (#7). 

Either way, we'll see how far I get! I will probably end up reading a bunch of other things and only half of these, but it's good to have goals. Goals and books. 

What is on your summer reading list? 

Have you read any of the ones on mine? What did you think?

Have you ever been to Canada's Maritime Provinces?

All for now,

Alexandra

Conquering Anna.

Like most bookworms, I have an extensive list of books to read in my lifetime. I'm guessing that in addition to this we likely each have a few books that are sort of the big kahunas. You know, the ones that are really intimidating, often thick and you've over-seen them being read by people you thought really cool or brainy... well for me one of the biggest was Anna Karenina.

I remember seeing it probably for the first time when I was about 14. I was at a friend's house, in this super cool library type loft that had tons of books, floor pillows, candles, maps.. the whole nine yards. I picked up the book and was mesmerized by the gorgeous cover photo. I had heard of the name before and never realized how huge it was. I told her that I really wanted to read it, and she explained that her older brother would be impressed and probably let me borrow it. Woah, that's a lot for a not-actually-that-literary-reader, not to mention boy-crazy 14 year-old. Needless to say, I put it back on the shelf, quickly brushed it off saying "oh, that's ok. I probably won't have time to read it for a while anyway."

I finally bought the book on a walking trip from our now old apartment to the nearby bookstore. I bought it used and was very excited. Purchasing it was a really big step, I never imagined that I would read it before I turned 40 let alone while within the year I bought it!

I had heard that a movie version was being made that had both Kiera Knightly and Jude Law in it. I was pretty excited about it and took it as a challenge to start reading it in time for the movie. Where we live, we get independent/foreign/non box office-y movies for a very limited period of time and only two at a time. I began the book despite the fact that I was about to finish my senior year as an undergraduate.

Once I picked up the novel, I could barely set it down. I made a goal to read just 2 chapters per day, and when I would get behind I would catch up as much as possible within a day where I wasn't so busy. This strategy kept me interested and also from forgetting what was going on in the plot. As I read, I came to find that this whale-of-a-book was actually quite accessible and much more quickly paced than I had expected.

During my reading, I found myself reflecting on some of the over-arching topics a lot. For one, I just felt extremely grateful that my husband and my "Mister" (?), lover, are one-and-the-same. I just feel so terribly for everyone involved in an affair. After that I found myself (surprisingly!) sympathetic for Anna's character. How awful to live in a society where you have very little to no control over your relationships. She had no options when it came to divorce, and her husband (in my interpretation) was pretty absent and not meeting her needs. To be fair, it was very possibly completely unknown to him.

Beyond those two main thoughts, I found myself wanting to learn more about the history and culture of that time and period in Russia. I think that it would be extremely interesting, so if any of you history buffs out there have a recommendation.. send it my way! :)

Once I got into the book, it really didn't take too long to finish.. considering how long it is. (817 pgs!) The night that I finished it we went to see the evening showing of the movie. I had not really done any research and didn't realize how theatrical it would be... but I was glad to have seen it. I thought that it was really well done. I love a good artistically shot movie! The costumes and sets were so intricate and gorgeous!

However, I had 3 thoughts on what I expected to be different:

1) the depth of Anna's struggle was MUCH more drawn out in the book, even if you rationalize the varying lengths. I was hoping to get a bit more of a look into what drove her to the decision. It almost seemed like a girlish whim.

2) Vronsky's mustache (period accurate or not) was not attractive at all. It caused a whole lot of grimacing on my part during one of the kissing scenes.

3) This kind of goes with 1, but in the end Anna's actions seemed a little overly dramatic considering the quickness of the movie and the lack of explanation of her marital relationship.

Kyle on the other hand didn't find it that way as just a viewer. So it could be just me!

Have you read Anna Karenina? What did you think of the book or movie versions? What is one of the "big kahunas" on your reading list?

Currently reading: Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier
(a gorgeous 1935 copy that was a $2 steal at a local bookstore!) 

All for now,

Alexandra

The Rivet and Sway Way, Part II

Ok, so I finally ordered my Rivet and Sway try-on kit!

If you need caught up, see my first post here.

How cute is the packaging?!? Plus, it's pretty darn green. You save the box that they come in and it seals back up for when you send them back! They also re-use the individual glasses boxes! I love the eco-initiative Rivet and Sway! :)

After much debating, I decided on these 3 pairs to try: first, Core Strength in "Confetti", in the middle, Rizzo in "Crushed Velvet" and on the bottom Spitfire in "Galapagos Green".

Now for the try on:

First, Core Strength in "Confetti"....

I thought that this pair was pretty cute, but overall just ok. The frames are a little small for me, and the coloring is pretty much the same as the pair that I already own.

Second, Rizzo in "Crushed Velvet"...

I really liked this pair! They are a gorgeous burgundy color and light pink on the inside. They fit pretty well and the remind me of Lorelai Gilmore's glasses. What do you think?

But maybe, hers are more of a mix of the rizzo and the spitfire...?

My last pair is Spitfire in "Galapagos Green"...

These are quite a bit bigger and quite a bit different. I keep going back and forth on whether or not I love them, and I sort of want to try them in Black. Kyle likes these best, and most of my family members and friends that I polled liked these best as well. I like the cat eye for sure, but I can't decide if they are too big..

And, I'm still wondering about the Punchline in "Neapolitan"

What are do you guys think?!?! Votes please!

All for now,

Alexandra

Snapshots of Garland, Texas

Remember that whole spring break thing? That happened almost a month and a half ago.. well.. here is the last post. Finally.

In the car on the way down to Arizona, I saw that Bethany Dillon tweeted about a show she was doing in Garland on the last day of our trip. We checked out the map and decided that we couldn't pass it up, tickets were only $12 and I never thought that I would get to see her play live.

For those of you who don't know who Bethany Dillon is, she's a fantastic Christian singer. I first heard her music when I was a teenager, but have continued to love it more and more over the years. She started in her early teens and received a Dove award!

In 2008 Bethany married Shane Barnard of Shane and Shane and soon after they started their family. Now she is a full time mom, look how cute her kids are!! So, since her recording was becoming less frequent, and she was mostly playing local (Texas) shows, I just figured that I would never get the chance to see her live. So glad that I was wrong!

Whether or not you typically like Christian music, I think that you will find her voice beautiful. She even plays guitar and writes her own songs, which you can't say for everyone! I especially love her acoustic tracks.

Bethany has 6 studio albums and 1 EP. The EP, For Those Who Wait, is her most recent release. I am really loving it!

I still think that my favorite album is Stop and Listen. It's relatively upbeat and the lyrics are really relatable. Give it a listen on iTunes or YouTube!

Before the concert, we stopped at a little place called Generator Coffee Shop, and I had the best time relaxing and enjoying the place! 

We were so at home that we didn't even leave for dinner! The atmosphere is really nice and cozy. There are lots of windows and comfortable wooden chairs. We got iced coffees (good!) and talked about life and how much we'd learned so far on our trip. Then we grabbed travel Blokus from the car and played that for a while. 

We ordered dinner, Kyle got the Cuban panini (good) and I got the Chicken Stew (also good!). We relaxed, played our game and talked for a while and then some live music started. The music was actually pretty good and we listened while we played until it was time to walk across the street to the Plaza Theater. I should also note that we got some brownies for my sister's b-friend and he said that they were AMAZING!

The concert was really great. The opening bands were entertaining and the music was pretty good. One thing that I always love about Christian concerts is that the performers always talk about things that are going on in their lives. One couple told stories about funny things they have had to say to their kids, it was hilarious! "I see no reason that you need to take nun chucks to bed with you." "We don't pee on our hands on purpose." and "Get your penis off the table!" It had the whole audience laughing pretty hard.  

Bethany came on with her husband Shane. He played with her and did some background vocals. They told some really cute stories about their kids too.

They played some of my favorites and it was nice to hear the stories behind her songs. I felt like I could relate to them more with the explanations!

If you live in Texas, keep a lookout on Twitter to see if she will be doing any other shows in her area.

I keep thinking about Generator, I had the most peaceful time there. I found myself wishing it was local to where I live! Sometimes you happen upon places that are just right! 

After this we drove to Oklahoma and stayed the night somewhere. There was a blizzard that night and we made the slow trek back home the next day. Luckily we didn't have to rough of a go! But boy, was it slow and boring! :S

Have you ever changed your travel plans for a last-minute event? Did it work out? Or found a place so perfect that you wanted to haul it back to your own town?

All for now,

Alexandra

First two images are not my own, and were found on Google.

The Honest Life Book Review

A while back I had heard that Jessica Alba was launching an eco-friendly line of hygiene and baby products, I had forgotten about it until I saw her new book The Honest Life at the bookstore. 

I read the back and flipped through it, quickly finding that she is serious about going natural, and not just when it's glamorous! It was filled with gorgeous photos of her and her family, her daughters are absolutely adorable!
 

The book covered many topics ranging from cosmetics and hygiene to recipes and baby-care. As soon as I started reading it, I couldn't put it down.. and I have read quite a bit on eco-friendly living! I learned so much about topics currently relevant to me and even more about baby/kid stuff that I will be so happy I learned somewhere down the road.

I now have some great tips and resources for finding chemical free makeup, candles and home improvement materials. I also learned some scary things that I want to tell everyone I know, like how "tear-free" baby shampoo has a chemical in it that numbs your baby's eyes so it doesn't sting! (Can you believe that?!) And that baby diapers contain a chemical that has been outlawed in tampons! YIKES! 

 

But it's definitely not all scary facts. It contains a lot of brand recommendation for products that Alba herself has tried. She also includes some of her own healthy but delicious recipes as well as tips for entertaining. My favorite part is that she has done so much research that she knows where you can find the no VOC paint in CUTE colors, where the best organic lipsticks can be found and how to purchase healthy art supplies for your kiddos. She's not settling into being boring and beige to be green and healthy! I love that she is so boldly taking on this stereotype! 

 

I really admire Alba's dedication to making her home and her products safe for her family, her self an the world. She did such an amazing thing by writing this extremely accessible book. I think that readers will thoroughly enjoy what she has written and learn a lot from it.
 

It also inspired me to check out her company's line of products. Most of the items are geared toward babies, children and mothers, but there are some that anyone could use. I think that I will order the hand soap, lip balm, sunscreen and naturally fragranced  soy candles next time I need one of those things! Check out her website here.

Have you read The Honest Life? What did you think?

All for now,

Alexandra

For my eco-friendly posts check my eco-living tab above!