Book Pick: The Best of Enemies

I'm at the point now that I really don't know why I even pick up her books. I think it's simply to affirm that I still don't like her. She spins a good tale, but all of her characters are always the same (i.e. different versions of herself) and they're not all that likeable. Besides all that, I just don't have enough label knowledge to live in Lancaster's world. Oh, well. I'll take that. And? She writes her novels like blog posts. And how do I know that? Because, duh? I'm a blogger too? (Reading this in up-speak as a question makes it all fit. Trust me.)

Seriously, though. I shouldn't hate on Jen Lancaster. She's really funny and has made a dream life for herself as a writer, and that is a dream that many of us would love to catch. If she were just a little nicer and not so style/money/fame obsessed, I would probably be her biggest cheerleader. But I know why her books, both fiction and non-fiction resonate.......she is writing the type of women we are all surrounded by every day. And don't we all read these books because we want to congratulate ourselves that we haven't (yet) crossed that razor thin line of bitchiness ourselves? Maybe.

As pompous as it may sound (but I'm sure not nearly as pompous as Jen or any of her characters) I think I read her books for the same reason I sometimes watch a little Real Housewives or the Kardashians: to keep myself humble. And advice for anyone with all the fame and doe to buy all the best labels, a little of that, goes a long way.

Reclaiming Your Childhood: Priceless

This story might take a minute to tell. Bear with me. When my sister and I were little girls, my mother took us to a large baptist church in town. Even as a child, I never remember feeling welcome there. But I do remember the lovely older couple that kept my Sunday School class. They gave us saltines and kool-aid, and I remember thinking they would be nice grandparents to have. At Christmastime, the Sunday School class was set to have a random gift exchange. Every child was supposed to bring a gift that could be exchanged with any other child.....no specific gift designations. I received the gift of an Avon 7 bead necklace which was very popular at the time. I loved it so much and was thrilled to have it! I was somewhere between 5 and 7 at the time. (Back in the 1970's and 80's, Avon was a cosmetic company that was also known for it's inexpensive jewelry. I couldn't find a price on what this necklace would have cost back then, but apparently there is ...

My Week with Rumor

My dog Rumor was an experiment. A trial offer. And all parties knew that going in. Except for maybe Rumor. Rumor was an outdoor country dog. His given name was Ruger (named after a firearm if you don't know, I didn't) which made sense for a dog raised in hunting country. He was a stray that came to live with a loving family at about the age of 1. He lived outdoors, slept in a garage crate at night, frolicked with an older dog pack and had a lovely life. We think he was about 4 years old. He had been neutered, had vet care and was by no means a "rescue". His dad offered Ruger to me on a give-it-a-try basis. He knew I wanted a dog. He told me Ruger would be sweet to me and also be my protector. He was right on both counts. He told me if it didn't work out, I could bring Ruger back to him and his wife. I could tell they were a little sad when they dropped him off. It made me glad to see that Ruger came from such ...

NYE for $200, Alex

Can we all just agree that New Year's Eve is the worst of the string of winter holidays? I would even go so far as saying it's THE WORST of all the holidays. I loved when Stanford Blatch defined a party as feeling very "forced festive". To me, most NYE parties feel that way. The idea that this is a big year-end blow-out and we'd all damn well better make it awesome! The reason I hate NYE is because it combines two of things I most hate about celebrations: cold weather and crowds. Plus it's during a time of year when everyone has already spent all their money. AND you usually have to the leave the house. ADDITIONALLY, you have to stay up late. It's a big F.U. from me on all this. I would dare say that some of my happiest New Year's memories have been spent at home in my pajamas with either my child, an S.O. or happily alone. I remember one unforgettable year of moving into a 3rd floor apartment on NYE. I rememb...

Becky's Greatest Hits Vol. II

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