It’s happened again. Today is the last day of the month and by now I should have shared my 4 favorite books with you…but…but…but I didn’t read any books this month. Not one.
However, I do have 1 favorite book to share anyway — I didn’t read it (it’s 99% pictures), but I had a great time mentally reorganizing its contents into new collections — which I’ll tell you a bit more about in a minute.
The book is the one I mentioned my friend Betsy Balch loaned to me, called The Printed Square * Vintage Handkerchief Patterns for Fashion and Design * by Nicky Albrechtsen, Published by Harper Collins, 2012.
This is the kind of book that I want two copies of. One to keep as a book, and the other to tear the pages out of so I can frame my favorites and then play with them in a variety of arrangements. It’s divided into chapters with the handkerchiefs grouped by color — red, orange, yellow, green, azure, blue, pink, purple, beige, brown, black and white. Which makes me think, this book would be fun published as a folio so you could create your own sets. They could as easily be divided into floral, geometric, Oriental, Western, or by decades — 20’s, 30’s, 40’s or 50’s. So if you get this book, buy two, and make one into a folio!
And now, confession time. Though I didn’t read this month, I did watch plenty of Netflix. But before you get all up in my grill about brain-rot, remember that when I watch TV I can also make pom poms, carve wood blocks, ink altered magazine pages, Kantha stitch quilts, and paint my boots. All of which I have done. This month. Which brings me to my tangential inspirational favorites….
Here are 2 Netflix series I enjoyed in April, the best bon bons to eat while watching them, and the “collections” of vintage handkerchief patterns I mentally put together for each of the series’ heroines.
Series #1: “The Paradise” is a BBC costume drama loosely based on the Emile Zola novel, The Ladies’ Paradise. Denise Lovette is hired as a shop girl in the women’s department of The Paradise department store. She is a natural talent with lightning quick inspiration, obvious intelligence, a kind heart, and a working class background which means she starts at the bottom. Luckily John Moray, the owner of The Paradise, sees Denise’s true genius.
A cup of English Breakfast black tea with cream and honey, and some Turkish Delight are my bon bons of choice with this series. (Watch the powdered sugar if you are making pom poms!)
My Printed Square Collection for Denise Lovette…”Get Lost in Paradise!”
Series #2: “Hit & Miss” stars Chloe Sevigny who plays Mia, a transexual contract killer who finds out she has an ll year old son by her former girlfriend Wendy. Wendy has died leaving their son Ryan, as well as 3 other children in need of a parent though none of the kids is too sure about having a dad for a mom. Mia has almost saved enough money from her contract killings for her final transition operation, but now the kids are being threatened with eviction, and a really attractive man at the pub has just asked her out.
I hate when that happens. But when it does, I have some really strong coffee with cream, and Dark Roca with my Netflix marathon.
My Printed Square Collection for Mia…”Fire Away!”
We’ll see if there’s more time in my schedule for books next month when I don’t have any looming deadlines. Best guess right now? That’s a definite MAY-be.