Browsing Barnes & Noble

Yesterday was one of the days I wore my chauffeur's hat but I didn't mind too much. My son had a drama class rehearsal on the "other side of the county", close to where he took the junior college classes. I enjoyed a late breakfast of coffee and a yogurt at McDonald's and then perused books at Barnes & Noble for an hour. Normally I have someone with me who wants to leave immediately. :)

It's rare that I walk through the front doors and see no less than three books I want...now! (Bookstores and Starbucks are two reasons I don't carry a credit card.) I love cookbooks and books about cooks. On their front and center display, imagine my delight to find the new autobiography by Paula Deen (which sounds very inspiring), a biography of Alice Waters (whom I admire very much even if we are on opposite ends of the political spectrum) which includes the affect Chez Panisse had on the foods we choose, and...ta da!!!...a gorgeous new coffeetable book by Jacque Pepin (be still by beating heart).

By the way, his autobiography called The Apprentice is very good. If you are even the least bit of a "foody" (or just enjoy a very interesting life story), you'd like it. It's in paperback so it would be a good book to stuff in a bag this summer.

I walked to the back of the store and found a sewing book that looked delicious (okay, so my mind is still on those cookbooks). It is called Romantic Home Sewing: Cottage Style Projects to Stitch For the Home by Christina Strutt (pictured above). I'm not a good seamstress at all but I have sewn quilts, craft projects, dolls and bears...and anything that only requires a straight line. If I purchased that book, I'd be sending my Husqvarna Viking machine out to be cleaned immediately! I found myself looking through that book thinking, "I can do that!".

Sigh...since I've already spent my book budget this month, I headed for the magazine section. The new Tea Time magazine is out. It is a "wedding" issue that had quite a few recipes I know I'm going to try...much less the pictures which inspire creativity. I'm also going to purchase the May issue of Country Living. There's a beautiful article about "tea time" in it but many of the decorating articles have colors that I eventually want to use in my bedroom and/or the main bathroom...all very vintage looking. Also, there is the sweetest picture of a cut glass creamer with teaspoons in it...sound familiar?

I was actually on my way to the back of the store to look through the children's books. My grandson's 4th birthday is coming up so I was looking for a book for him (and yes, for birthdays I do pay full price!). I found one that I think he'll enjoy very much but I'm bringing Granddad with me to look at it before making the purchase. I get a little giddy when it comes to children's books, give me beautiful illustrations mingled with sensible prose and I think the book is perfect. So I'll do the intelligent thing and get a male point of view since it is for a little boy.

So...I have my list of coveted titles written down should money fall from the sky. I can check the library for the books about Paula and Alice but I'm all for owning that coffeetable book by Jacque!