Bookstore Shopping is Fun Shopping!

Well, darn. I couldn’t get all of my Christmas shopping done at bookstores. But it was close! Had to break down and buy a couple today at your basic shops like Macy’s and Eddie Bauer. Unfortunately, that required a trek to the Mall. Happily, though, while I was there, I also bought two gifts from Barnes & Noble. 

So I have now purchased multiple items from three local bookstores, and I got really good stuff. I love these bookstores that carry cool office supplies, cute kids’ crafts and games, note cards, picture frames, calendars, stocking stuffers, puzzles, etc. It’s amazing how many gifts you can knock out in one awesome bookstore! 

If you haven’t finished your shopping (and, really, who has?), don’t forget that books make great gifts, but most bookstores these days offer a whole lot more as well! Shop local, and let’s keep our wonderful bookstores in business! And just think, while you're there, you get to browse shelf after shelf of books! What's not to like about that?!

Let's Take a Break!

There’s been a lot of talk this week about Black Friday and the upcoming shopping frenzy.  There’s also been talk of shopping on Thanksgiving Day. Yep, on Thanksgiving Day. 

Have you seen the visual that says Only in America do we trample each other to get a deal the day after we’re thankful for everything we already have? (or something to that effect).

Yesterday I saw another one that raised the question about retail stores being open on Thanksgiving Day. The gist was that if I’m shopping, someone else is working.

That’s what’s sad about the current trend to open earlier and earlier, and finally, to encroach on the holiday itself.

The holiday. Thanksgiving is a national holiday. A tradition. It’s a day when people should feel proud of the Pilgrim spirit and their ability to feel thankful in the face of incredible struggle and hardship. It’s a day to celebrate the year’s bounty. For most people that doesn’t mean crops. It means a day to be thankful for what you’ve got – whatever that may be.

Most of the people I know would put family and friends at the top of their list of things to be thankful for. So, the question is, do you want to be with your friends and family members on Thanksgiving? And now the big ah-ha: so does everyone else!

Retail hours suck. In many cases, retail jobs suck. They are often low paying, lots of hours on your feet, dealing with masses of people. Not in the dream-job category for most of us.

Do the people in those jobs really need to work on Thanksgiving Day? Not for me, that’s for sure. I love that Thanksgiving has traditionally been a day to relax, to shut off from the rest of the world. Even on years when we’re not getting together with the whole fam, I relish a day to wind down, stay inside, and avoid the hustle, bustle, rush, multi-task frenzy of everyday life.

Of course, there are people who really do have to work on the holiday. Fire crews, hospital personnel, etc. People in those kinds of jobs are essential. (Hey, there’s another thing to be thankful for!)  But for the rest of us . . . take a break, peeps! Relax. The stores aren’t going anywhere. Isn’t five a.m. Friday morning soon enough?

I pledge not to shop on Thanksgiving Day, and I hope retailers will not crumple under any competitive pressure to open their doors. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

In Good Company

Can't stop smiling. Saw my books on the shelf at a local bookstore over the weekend, and the placement is so awesome. There sit all three Darlene Deluca novels sandwiched between Barbara Delinsky and Jude Deveraux. Not a bad place to be!
I confess that when I chose the pen name of Deluca, the thought did cross my mind that I could be near one of my favorite authors, and could possibly be seen by readers who enjoy her work. I couldn't ask for a better location. Now, I hope that the book covers entice those readers to pick up the novels and read about them. And I hope the descriptions will be of interest to readers who enjoy multiple story lines about friendship, family relationships, real-life situations and in some cases, a little romance. Happy reading to all!

Fashion frustration

So I finally broke down and bought a pair of “skinny” jeans (which, of course, means that baggy bell-bottoms will be all the rage next year, ladies).

I’ve resisted them because they look so, well, skinny. And tight. And uncomfortable. Something for teenagers, not middle-aged women.

But I’ve been seeing a some of my friends wearing them, fashionably tucked inside boots or with cute little mary-jane-type flats and no socks.

So, I took the plunge. Plunked down my credit card and brought a pair home.

Turns out, I actually kind of like them. They’re warm! And the fabric, even on the ones that look like jeans, is stretchy so they aren’t as restrictive as I thought they’d be. I’ve worn them tucked inside boots and with the ballet slipper flats. They’re cute. And here’s the big flash – when I’m wearing them I feel pretty stylish. Now that hasn’t happened in a while.

Sometime in the last few years, the styles have changed, and my body has changed so that shopping for new clothes is tedious and confusing. Seriously, there are days when I look through the racks of women’s garments and wonder, what the hell do you do with that? And more often than not, I walk (or run screaming) out of the store empty-handed. Or, just as likely, I end up buying something for my twenty-one-year-old daughter because all that cute clingy stuff might actually look good on her.

Okay, I’m over the skinny jeans, but really, does everything have to be skin-tight? I guess lace is in, and I’d love to have a few more lacey items in my wardrobe, but it seems that all the lace is stretched over some Spandex-type fabric. I tried on a darling shirt the other day, with a flower-like lace design on the front. Loved it. Until I turned around! The three-way mirror said it all. The back of the shirt had no lace – just a clingy layer of fabric so thin it was practically transparent. Sigh. Empty-handed again.