The trouble with trends

Flamingos, pineapples, succulents, cacti, tassels, pom-poms, palm prints. These are all over fashion right now (how do the brands make them all so quickly?!) and I get caught up in them like everyone else--even though I convince myself that I always liked them before and that everyone else is just catching up to me.

The problem is that--like even non-trendy aspects of my style--I glob onto a pattern and then find an affinity for everything in it, and have to consciously limit myself to one, or at maximum two, belongings with each feature so that I don't become Inspector Gadget with my wardrobe. (Who else remembers all those identical trench coats in his closet?) Especially in this era of fast fashion, trends come and go quickly, and familiarity for me can breed contempt--or at least over-saturation. Or, God forbid, I continue to wear what I liked even before it became mainstream (trendsetter that I am ; P) but now I just look like a follower who is late to the game or--gasp!--out of style. . . .

Anyone else have this problem? Or is it just obsessive (and, let's be honest, susceptible) me?

- L'Editrice

Books and Bars (and not the fun kind)

I just came home to the loveliest surprise on my doorstep: a signed copy of Kids in Orange: Voices from Juvenile Detention. It's a memoir by author Mindy Hardwick that I had the pleasure of copyediting.

I've worked with Mindy on a couple of her middle-grade novels (Stained Glass Summer and Seymour's Secret), and while I love them both, this is perhaps my favorite of her works so far. As her Amazon blurb says, "In the middle of a career change from teacher to writer, Mindy Hardwick volunteered to facilitate a weekly poetry workshop at a juvenile detention center. By helping the teens write poetry about their lives, Mindy discovered strength and courage to grieve the loss of her father, find forgiveness and release the past. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will be used as a grant for writers to work with teens at Denney Juvenile Justice Center." 

So amazing. Congratulations, Mindy!

- L'Editrice

Red Nose Day on a red-flag movie

You've already heard my views on the movie Love, Actually here and here. But since it's being revisited for the very worthy Red Nose Day, I thought I'd link to another great article that underlines why I dislike it so much.

Curmudgeonly,
L'Editrice