The Blog

March 6th, 2009

Book/Movie Review - The Other Boleyn Girl

I thought it would be a fun change of pace to do a review as a comparison between a book and movie, as opposed to our regular book review format. Over my winter break, I watched my brother’s girlfriend with her head buried in a book. She was entranced with the novel, The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory. I borrowed the book from her when she finished it, and I too was riveted. Philippa Gregory is an extremely talented writer, using incredibly rich descriptions to really pull the reader in.

The Other Boleyn Girl, as written by Phillipa Gregory, is the story of Mary Boleyn, the younger sister of Anne Boleyn - who became the Queen of England when she plotted to have Queen Elizabeth dethroned and then went on to marry King Henry VIII. Mary Boleyn actually catches the King’s eye long before her sister Anne comes into the picture. She becomes his mistress, although she is already married to another man, and bears Henry two children: a girl and the “all important” boy.

It is Mary’s ambitious family that thrusts Anne at the King whilst Mary is laid up waiting to give birth to his child. Henry then becomes enchanted with Anne, and it is Anne’s determination that drives her to the English throne, regardless of the fall out to any and all.

This story is a fascinating tale of that time period in history. Phillipa Gregory depicts it so vividly that I could see it. I have a greater appreciation for 16th century than I ever had before. If you like historical fiction at all, it is a must read!

Unfortunately, I cannot speak as highly for the movie, The Other Boleyn Girl. Released in 2008, I opted to rent it from NetFlix. Glad I didn’t pay full price! Many people believe that reading a book before you see the movie, ruins the movie. In this instance, I wouldn’t have had any idea at all what was going on if I hadn’t just read the book. I do think that I’m, “sharper than the average bear” but seriously, I would have had a hard time following the plot.

They (the screenwriter, producer, director - Hollywood) changed too much of the story. A huge plot line in the book was the rivalry between the sisters. It was a driving force. Whereas, the way they established it in the movie was weak, and then they had the two Boleyn girls “kiss and make up.”

Hollywood made a big deal out of the “incest scandal” between Anne and her brother George, because it would sell, but in the novel it was only hinted at, never confirmed. I also was disappointed in the ending. When they chopped Anne’s head off, they should have been consistent with how it really happened in the time period.

The only praise I have for the movie is for the actors. I did think it was well cast, as Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana are all very easy on the eyes, in addition to being incredibly gifted at their craft. I held on to see what would happen next, because I liked them, not the movie.

All in all, I loved the book but did not care for the movie. I’m excited to read the five sequels that have come from this original story: The Queen’s Fool, The Virgin’s Lover, The Constant Princess, The Boleyn Inheritance, and The Other Queen. Hopefully I’ll be able to bring you some future book reviews on them as well!

March 6th, 2009

Product Review: Olbas Oil

This has been one of the worst years that I can remember for colds and flu in the UK. Nowadays if you want to protect yourself from flu you may be entitled to a flu vaccination from your doctor. Even if you’re not eligible you can often be vaccinated at the local supermarket for about £20.

But there’s no such vaccination for colds and although there’s talk that a cure is on its way it’s not with us yet. So that leaves us with doing anything we can to relieve the symptoms. One of the best products I’ve found is Olbas Oil. If you get a small bottle it lasts for ages as you only use a few drops at a time. Sprinkle it on a clean hankie and hold it under your nose and you will find you can breathe again. It is made from a number of natural ingredients including clove oil and eucalyptus.

There are a variety of Olbas products you can buy for different situations, but I like the plain oil or the inhaler. There’s also one suitable for children. Visit this website if you want to know more http://www.olbas.co.uk/. There’s nothing worse than not being able to breathe easily when you have a cold. It’s the best product I’ve found, but here’s hoping you’re keeping fit and well.

March 5th, 2009

Your Turn: How do you celebrate your big accomplishments?

As I was packing for a recent business trip, I unearthed my first Coach briefcase.  I’d bought it as a reward for myself when I’d finished the training program for my first job out of college as a systems consultant.  It had been a rigorous, challenging program that had involved several all-nighters, two months of sixteen hour days, and a huge group project.

Finishing the program meant that I was finally ready, according to my employer, to enter the professional world and start being productive.  It was a key milestone for me that I’d worked very hard to reach and treating myself to a Coach briefcase had been my way of celebrating that big accomplishment.

It is easy to forget to acknowledge your own successes.  Maybe you are busy remembering others and their milestones.  You send a friend flowers to celebrate her promotion.  You buy a bottle of champagne for your significant other to celebrate his company closing a deal.  You insist on covering for a co-worker so she can attend her daughter’s high school graduation.

Your reward doesn’t have to be a Coach briefcase, a bouquet of flowers, or a bottle of champagne.  But it should be meaningful so that some day when you find it in the back of your closet, or you see or hear something that makes you recall how you celebrated that key win, you’ll remember.  You’ll remember that you made it happen. You’ll remember that feeling of victory.  You’ll remember how hard you worked and how it finally paid off.  Most importantly, you’ll remember that you are capable of accomplishing great things, something that will renew your motivation if it slips, boost your confidence if it’s been faltering, and refresh your perspective if you’ve lost it.

Your turn: How do you celebrate your big accomplishments?  If you don’t celebrate them, how do you plan on celebrating them in the future?

March 3rd, 2009

From the Editor: Welcome to Wilderness (March/April 2009)

Entering the wilderness, either by choice or chance, has oft been used as a vehicle where a character enters, experiences a transformation, and emerges a changed, and usually, better person.   As a curious group, those of us at All Things Girls pondered the opportunity to delve into the midst of the moments while in the wilderness:  would the beauty of nature be an inspiration or would the dangers of the wilds produce too much fear for most to emerge?  We also pondered this:  what if the wilderness of the mind was actually more challenging and transformational than being a part of nature?  The possibilities of exploration and interpretation are endless and it is with these thoughts that we bring you the second 2009 issue of All Things Girl: Wilderness.

As you thumb through the digital pages of the March issue of All Things Girl, I hope you find the explorations into the wilds inspiration on the journey through our pages. As always, I like to point you to the foundation of All Things Girls, our classical sections of Writings and Arts,which are representative of our theme.  Grab a fresh class of ice water (go ahead, toss in a lemon!) and spend some time with  Writings , where you will find a variety of temptations for your mind.  And for your mind’s eye, spend some time with  our Arts section.  Everything Girl is a part of our magazine that always wows me.  You will find part one of our interview with Actress, Model and Singer, Danielle Savre as well as the interview with our yummy Man of the Moment, Lane Carlson.  You will also find humor and inspiration through the eyes of both our guest and regular columnists.  Though we often put reviews here in the blog, you will still find recommendations in Reviews!

As always, keep an eye on The Blog.   Beginning this week, we will be blessed to hear from women who make us ask “how do you do the fabulous things that you do?”   And you never know what you might find as the editors and columnists share what’s on their minds.

We’re still taking submissions for “Wilderness” by the way, but you will need to be quick, as April 1st, and our mid-issue update, will be here long before we know it.  We love to plan ahead, so don’t hesitate to send us your submissions for future editions of All Things Girl.  I’ve already told you how curious we are and we can’t wait to see what you’ve got!

I’m hopeful that this issue of All Things Girls encourages you to embark into the wilderness, be it with your camera, your sketchpad, or your trusty pen and paper.  Remember that the most challenging and rewarding place to go may just be in the wilderness of your own mind.

February 26th, 2009

Book Review: Agatha Raisin and a Spoonful of Poison

Agatha Raisin and a Spoonful of Poison is by the prolific author M.C. Beaton. Her Agatha Raisin series and the Hamish Macbeth series are light hearted books which involve the solving of murders. Although they are not deep literary projects they are perfect when you just want a quick, uncomplicated read.

The Agatha Raisin series have been on BBC radio 4 with the wonderful actress Penelope Keith playing Agatha.

Agatha is a fifty something woman, who is delightfully intolerant of everyone and has an eye for the men. She is a modern woman, who is aging disgracefully, but underneath it all she’s not a bad sort. She allows her jealousy of younger, prettier women to get the better of her on many occasions but the reader forgives her because she is so blatantly mischievous.

In a “Spoonful of Poison” a village fete is wrecked by someone lacing the jam with LSD in a competition at the fete. Agatha who runs her own detective agency with the support of her young assistant Toni, blunders her way through Cotswold village life, in order to solve the crime.

M.C. Beaton is a master of excellent plot and characterization and if you enjoy this genre then I’m sure these books will not disappoint. It is available from Amazon and other bookshops.

February 19th, 2009

Profile Cards

Okay, here’s the situation (or sitch, as my daughter’s favorite cartoon hero, Kim Possible would say):  You’re meeting some friends out for drinks and one of them brings someone you’ve never met before.  She’s smart, funny, and also happens to be a literary agent for the genre of novel you are hoping to publish some day.  Having perfected your elevator speech, you pitch your book and she expresses interest in connecting about it.  Do you:

A.  Rifle around in your purse for a pen and scrap of paper so you can scribble down your contact info
B.  Ask her for her mobile number
or
C.  Hand her a slick, chic profile card

Any of the above options might work, but the one that has the biggest chance of making a positive impression and increasing the likelihood of making a connection is option C.

Profile cards are easy to order from Zazzle.com.  The site let’s you select a design template and populates your contact information on the card image as you enter it so you can see exactly how your cards will look.  I just ordered some for myself and plan on using them when I meet someone new who also has an internet presence (which is just about everyone these days, hello Facebook), when I tell someone about my writing aspirations and they express an interest, or to share with family and friends so they can get to know the internet me.

Building and leveraging a personal network, both online and off, is more important now than ever.  It’s easy to get lost in the shuffle if your contact info is written on the back of a chewing gum wrapper.  Asking for someone’s mobile number can be awkward, especially if you don’t know them well.  Profile cards ensure that even when you aren’t at your computer you can easily enable ongoing, real life connections.

February 18th, 2009

Sound Advice: Choosing a Dog Trainer

Things are a bit chaotic at my house these days, because we’ve just added a new puppy and a foster dog to the pair of pooches we already had. In preparation, I began researching dog trainers in my area, because my younger dog, Cleo, has a barking habit, and because I wanted to make sure we got off on the right foot with both the foster pup and the puppy we’re keeping.

I finally chose a trainer who used only positive reinforcement (R+) methods, was certified by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and was willing to come to me and work with my pets in their own environment. All of these things were important to me because my existing dogs had initially gone through R+ training in California, and I didn’t want to suddenly change what they knew.

On the other hand, I knew I needed help. Ones of the reason I think it’s important for a trainer to come to you is so that they can offer solutions that work outside of a classroom situation. For example, I don’t have a real entry in my house, the front door opens into the living room - so in finding a method to curb my younger dog’s habit of barking at visitors, we had to find a way to restrain her without putting her behind a door. Because my trainer came to my house, she was able to suggest different locations, and we were able to test their practicality.

My dogs are older, one’s 14 and the other is 9, so I needed to find a trainer who didn’t feel that dogs had some age limit, after which training was futile. Dogs like to learn, and like to earn praise, even when they’re 14. Sure, Zorro (my aged Chihuahua) isn’t going to win any obedience contests at this stage, but that’s okay. I just wanted reinforcement of basic house manners.

I also wanted someone who was familiar with rescue dogs, since all my dogs are rescues, not just the foster pup. Rescue dogs come to us with blurry or non-existent histories, and it takes a practiced eye to figure out that a certain animal is food aggressive, or was used to free-feeding (having a full bowl provided every morning, and nibbling throughout the day), or that a jumping habit was taught rather than instinctive.

Preferred equipment was also a factor in my choice. I’m used to using a clicker, but sometimes it isn’t practical, so I wanted a trainer who was pro-clicker, but not married to it. I’m also strongly opposed to the use of choke or slip collars, and attack training, so struck from my list any trainer whose website advocated either. Some trainers don’t believe in food rewards. I wanted a trainer who was willing to be flexible.

Ultimately, the trainer I selected was warm, funny, friendly, and fearless. She was able to look at my home and offer solutions that would work in our every-day environment, and she was able to teach me to be a better guide for all of the animals in my care. She also offered to answer any question at any time, and gave me a list of things I could do with our puppy, who is just ten weeks old.

Choosing the right trainer is just as important as picking the right dog food and selecting the right vet. Ideally you, your dog, and your trainer will maintain an on-going relationship, as your dogs grow up, and as new pets come into your family. When looking for a trainer, it’s important to consider budget, yes, but consider also whether the person you want to hire will mesh with your own learning and teaching style.

You’ll find that with the right person, not only can you housebreak a puppy pretty quickly, but also that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

February 16th, 2009

Your Turn: Belated Valentines

Although Valentine’s Day has come and gone, I wonder how many millions of dollars were spent on this “holiday” and how many people actually have an inkling as to its origins.  From what I can glean on the world wide web, the beginnings of Valentine’s Day have to do with a Christian priest by the name of Valentine in third century Rome.  Emperor Claudius II decreed that single men could not marry, as he believed that they made better soldiers than those with wives and children.  The priest Valentine defied the decree and continued to marry young lovers in secret.   This comes directly from History.com, the best of the articles I read in preparation for this blog post.

Another legend suggests that a man by the name of Valentine was locked up and had fallen in love with his jailer’s daughter, who had come to visit him.  He sent her a note that said, “from your Valentine,” and perhaps that’s where the expression began.   History.com goes on to list fertility rituals and states that the first Valentine is on display in a museum in Great Britain.

According to the Greeting Card Association, approximately one billion valentines are mailed each year.  The is second only to Christmas where an estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent.  Given our current recession the US Postal Service must have been thanking God for this celebration of love.  One billion valentines indeed!  What happened to the hand written note?  Not to suggest that I want USPS to go out of business at all; I’m just saddened by how commercialized this and really all holidays have become.  I’m irritated that I am pressured to spend money on people, at Christmas time, that I don’t really care for.  And if one is really “loved” her boyfriend has to send roses?  That’s a load of crap!

And really, Valentine’s Day is a sad, sad day for many a single woman who feels less worthy because she isn’t receiving roses, candy and being wined and dined on that day.  And for what?  It is just a day after all.  A day that has been commercialized into meaning something that it doesn’t need to at all.  I feel sorry for the boyfriends who couldn’t afford to send the roses or God forbid they forgot to come home with candy.  Honestly, I think we all need to take a step back and look at the big picture.  What’s really important and can’t it be conveyed with a simple “I love you?”

Your turn:  What are your thoughts on Valentine’s Day and other commercialized holidays?

February 12th, 2009

Your Turn: Exceptional Service

Have you ever experienced exceptional service?

On Saturday, I visited my favorite salon, Arrojo Studio.  It’s founder is the very talented Nick Arrojo, the hair guru for TLC’s What Not to Wear.  But that’s not why I’m mentioning his salon today.

Before she started razor-cutting my hair, I let my hair stylist know that at ten thirty I’d have to take a break to feed my parking meter.  Not only did she offer to remind me when it was time, but she ran out and did it herself!  My hair stylist fed my meter for me!  She said that she would have felt badly if I’d received a ticket and that it wasn’t a good idea for me to go out in the cold with wet hair.  That’s what I call exceptional service.

In his book The Fred Factor, Mark Sanborn describes what it means to be a Fred.  A Fred is someone who understands that you don’t have to be a movie star or a CEO to be exceptional.  Freds find opportunities to create value that exceeds what people expect.  Most importantly, Freds understand the importance of relationships.  Mark’s book is a quick read and I highly recommend it.

Exceptional people should be applauded and rewarded.  They make everyone’s lives better by choosing to be extraordinary because that’s how they roll.

So Rea, thank you. Thank you for being such a talented hair stylist and artist.  More importantly, thank you for showing me that you care.  We need more Freds like you in this world. (Love the haircut, by the way.) I am so lucky to have met you.

Now it’s your turn.  Tell us about a time when you received exceptional service. Let’s get the word out about these exceptional businesses and exceptional people.

February 12th, 2009

Recipease - A New Way of Cooking

Jamie Oliver (our Man of the Moment in December 2008) has just launched his latest project Recipease here in the UK. Recipease is a new food and kitchen shop where you can learn to cook and make great food. You can book a lesson to come into the shop and make a meal in around 10 minutes (they have all the ingredients ready and waiting), buy freshly made food, or attend one of the longer classes to learn more about cooking. The goal is to open various food and kitchen emporiums around the UK, with the first opening on February 26th in Clapham Junction.

Address
48 - 50 St. Johns Road
Clapham Junction
Battersea
London
SW11 1PR

Tel: 0203 006 0001

Find out more at the site - Recipease - and book online. The site is intiutive with an easy overview calendar to pick a date and time that suits you. Openings are limited per lesson, but you will see that information on the site. Meals are sorted into mains, sides and puddings. Along with delicious looking photos (very successful at tempting you), you can view the ingredients used for each meal along with all the nutritional information. It is simple to add sessions to your shopping cart by selecting the meal and then the size/servings and quantity. The prices for these are pretty damn good considering you are getting a lesson and a meal at the end of it.

This sounds like a fabulous project. It’s all about local foods, getting out of the habit of those microwave meals (or worse, take-out all the time) and learning how to cook good meals, and perhaps even building a bit of a community around these food and kitchen emporiums.

I’m hoping they open one in Oxford soon. I know I’ll be quite the regular if they do!

February 9th, 2009

Sound Advice: Use Facebook? Get the TrueScoop!

If you’re on the popular social media network Facebook, you probably get “add me” messages from people you aren’t quite sure you actually know, especially if you’re a woman with a picture in your profile, and even more especially as Valentine’s Day approaches. If you’re like me, you probably also love the ease of connecting with friends from yesteryear (or last week), but aren’t so keen on all the virtual gift, poke me, and meme applications that use up a good portion of the screen real estate.

There is one application you’ll want to try, however, and that’s TrueScoop.

What is TrueScoop? It’s a product developed by Arbor Ventures and it allows you to search through over 20 million records and a million photos for personal and criminal history of anyone, completely free of charge. It also provides access to the complete national sex offender list, with pictures included, and millions of other records containing people who have committed everything from misdemeanors like being too noisy, to full-fledged dangerous felons. No other source even comes close to TrueScoop’s scope - certainly not for free - and since it’s being released just in time for Valentine’s Day, you’ll be able to determine if any of your would-be Romeos are worth considering, or should be instantly ignored, forever consigned to the ethereal soup of deleted messages.

The TrueScoop Facebook application allows anyone, just by typing in a name, to access information such as past criminal records, DUIs, places they’ve lived, even money they owe or others owe to them.

Want to try it? Visit this link: http://apps.facebook.com/truescoop/.

February 6th, 2009

Product Review: Chuao Chocolatier’s Abuela Hot Chocolate

We don’t get snow often here in Oxford, but for the last few days we have been pleasantly surprised with some lovely snowfalls. I realise not everyone loves snow - especially anyone having to drive on treacherous roads - but I am not one of those people. I adore snow. Watching it fall, while being cozy inside, is especially lovely. A good book, a comfy blanket and some hot chocolate = heaven.

Hmmm…hot chocolate. If you enjoy hot chocolate, then Chuao Chocolatier’s^® Abuela Hot Chocolate is for you.  I have never had such delicious hot chocolate. Never. It is creamy, silky and rich. It is pure chocolate heaven. It calls for only half a cup of boiling water and 3 scoops (they provide a scoop) per cup. Now you may be thinking “half a cup? that’s not enough!”, but trust me, half a cup is all you need. It is rich enough (they don’t hold back on giving you a full chocolate experience) for you to slowly savour and you won’t want more than the half cup - well, not immediately anyway.

The 12oz/340g tin is not cheap however. At $15.00 you may hesitate, but everyone deserves an indulgence every now and then and if you are a hot chocolate lover, you won’t be disappointed with this one. It’s a special treat and you’ll be surprised at how many delicious cups of hot chocolate you can enjoy from one tin.

Chuao Chocolatier^® have a number of other chocolate products, and although I haven’t tested any of their other offerings, if the Abuela Hot Chocolate is anything to go by, these people know their chocolate and I am eager to try their other products. For now, I’ll make another cup and savour every rich, sweet sip. Mmmmm.

February 5th, 2009

Sound Advice: Accept Help Graciously

I was deplaning (I didn’t think it was a word, but it really is) and it was my turn to unload my carry-on from the overhead bin.  A man next to me hoisted it down.  I smiled and said, “Thank you.” I really meant it.  Ten years ago, I would have been irritated that anyone had assumed that I, someone who had the strength to do multiple chaturangas in an hour was not capable of taking down her own luggage.  Two important experiences helped me realize the importance of graciously accepting the help of those who offer it.

Couples dancing 101.

One is the lead, the other is the follower.  The first couples dancing lesson I experienced was annoying.  The teacher kept telling me I wasn’t following my partner’s lead.  I knew the moves.  I could hear the music.  Why couldn’t I decide where we went?

Next lesson, I decided to try it their way.  Is it fair to say you hate anchovies without tasting them?  I can’t declare that they suck without trying them first. (note: I actually like anchovies, so sue me)

Ginger had it going on.  Not having to be the lead frees you up to do other things.  I’m reminded of that scene in Pride and Prejudice where Lizzie and Mr. Darcy are dancing and she is throwing barbs at him.  He is distracted by having to remember the next dance moves while defending her attack.  The follower has a greater opportunity to introduce a topic of conversation, decide how flirtatiously she wants to spin, or how closely she’ll dance with her partner.

Societal conventions can be leveraged to enhance your experience and empower you to twirl and show your stuff.  Sometimes, by nixing conventions originated in a world where men were overtly dominant over women, you might miss out on opportunities to get what you want.  Knowing the rules, showing that you understand them, and abiding by them without losing your identity and spark is an important part of being a successful leader in the business world.  See Jujitsu.

Be the first in the door.

On May 17, 2005, I attended the Women’s Summit in Smithfield, RI.  The keynote speaker was Carolyn Kepcher.  She’s most famous for her role as Trump’s straight shooting adviser in The Apprentice.

She told us about when she first met Trump.  She and some other leaders were presenting about their golf course.  When they finally received the go-ahead to enter his office (hearts pounding, palms sweating), the men in the group followed etiquette and stood aside so Carolyn could enter the room first.  Rather than cringe or roll her eyes at this show of what some would call old-fashioned decorum, Carolyn took advantage of being the first person in the room and sat in the chair across from Trump and had the best opportunity to connect with him.   He hired her as Director of Sales and Marketing in 1994.

The new attitude.

Don’t ignore or devalue the rules of engagement established between men and women, of the leaders and the followers in your business pursuits.  There are rules to every game - policies, procedures, etiquette, conventions, norms, rules of the road.  If you can master them, know how to use them to your advantage and to the advantage of your organization, you will open doors to opportunities to make an enormous difference to yourself, your work, and your life.

February 4th, 2009

Your Turn: Open to the Possibilities

Open to the Possibilities
I’m not the type to make New Year’s resolutions, unless it’s something silly like “quit smoking.” Silly I say, because I don’t smoke. But that doesn’t mean I don’t set goals for positive changes, like dumping lousy lovers and bad eating habits, I’m just not one to jump on the bandwagon when the calendar suggests it’s time to do so. For me, change and resolving to do things different, better, and with more joy can happen at any time of the year—so why wait for the calendar to flip to 01/01?

But this year, I decided to adopt a mantra of sorts and so far, into month two of 2009, it’s working for me. My mantra, a credo driving my plans this year is: Open to the Possibilities. For me, this means embracing things that scare me, fascinate me, and challenge me.

I’m pretty sure my friends would say I do this already, but I’m elevating my game beyond my usual ease with change and my self-challenging ways—so much so, that the same friends are giving me odd looks when I tell them what my plans are. For instance, (and this may not sound like a big deal, but trust me, it is) I am taking a solo road trip to West Texas next week. There are so many things in that sentence that scream What? Are you crazy? I mean, me? West Texas? Solo?

Yet on a lark, a whim, and a bit of a dare, I am traveling to visit someone I have never met, to an unlikely place for an urban gal such as myself, alone on roads I’ve never traveled, in a car that has never seen a road trip beyond 50 miles. Yeah, I’m nuts. But that’s okay because I am living from a place of expansiveness and spontaneity rather than from a place of fear. And I think it suits me.

The West Texas road trip is just the start—2009 is still young. I am planning a trip to Croatia and Slovenia, contemplating training for bicycle road racing, and who knows what else. I do know it will be an interesting year. I’ll keep you posted and watch ATG for my stories as I stay Open to the Possibilities.

Now it’s your turn: What are you open to experiencing in 2009?

February 3rd, 2009

Relationships Among Womenby Kristin Hannah

What better to talk about on Allthingsgirl.com than the relationships among women? Like so many women my age, I read love stories and thrillers and historical fiction and even fantasy (love the big good/evil epic–have since I was a teenager), but what I love most is a story about women. Our lives, our problems, our issues, our relationships, out losses and our triumphs. Mostly, our triumphs. Nothing fills me up quite like reading about a woman who has battled incredible odds and found her inner strength.

Why is this? Maybe because we’re all out there, in the trenches every day, fighting in our own ways to make the world a better place, and sometimes we are barely acknowledged for this endeavor. I mean, really, what is harder in this life than raising children and keeping them safe? We all know how terribly difficult it can be in this dangerous world to keep our kids’ attention and teach them right from wrong and send them out into the world to be their best selves. And while we’re busy doing all of this, we are also wives who work to keep our marriages happy, employees who struggle to do our best work, sisters who know how important is to stay in touch over long distances and daughters who come slowly to understand our mothers’ lives as we grow older. There’s a lot on our plates.

That’s really what I write about. How we women work to keep all those plates in the air, and how our friends and our sisters are often our best defense again the losses we face along the way. The relationship among sisters is at the heart of True Colors. It’s a story about what happens when three close sisters face the sudden, unexpected realization that their family foundation is not as strong as they’d thought. With this realization comes another, harder one: that sometimes we have to forgive and forget in order to keep our families solid.

I celebrate, over and over in my fiction, the solidarity of women. The older I get, the more I understand how my relationship with other women enriches my life, and in fact, keeps me both steady and buoyant. A round table, a pitcher of margaritas, a plate of chips and salsa, and I can remember how to laugh at almost anything–especially myself. Ultimately, that’s what I love to read about, too, and what I write about. A celebration of the women we are, the women we want to be, and the women we turn to when things get tough.

*************************

Kristin Hannah is the author of Firefly Lane (now available in paperback) as well as True Colors, which becomes available today.

February 2nd, 2009

Joe’s Jeans LOVES All Things Girl!

Last December, one of the girls of All Things Girl - Frances - shared a review of Joe’s Jeans.

Well, the folks who arranged for us to have Frances try their product liked the response so much, that they’re offering a special discount to our staff and readers. Use the code JoesLovesatg when you purchase jeans from their online store between now and February 23rd, and you can get a second pair (for you, or someone you love) for 50% off.