On “Miracle on 34th Street”: A Book Review

Between a slew of essay writing and then being busy with a ton of Christmas crafting, I almost didn’t get my last review of the year up in time! 

Title: Miracle on 34^th Street

Author: Valentine Davies 

Genre: Fiction, Christmas

About the book…

The elderly Kris Kringle believes he’s Santa Claus, but not everyone is willing to agree with him and, in fact, some even think he’s insane. He’s out to change this, though, starting with Doris Walker and her daughter, Susan, touching the hearts of people everywhere. Published in 1947, alongside the classic 1947 movie, which Davies wrote the original story pitch for, starring Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, and Natalie Wood.   

What I think… 

Having such a fondness for the movie, I was really looking forward to reading this story this year and it didn’t disappoint. It’s fairly similar to the movie with little differences here and there, none which really stand out all that much or alter the overall story line, so it’s exactly what you’d expect if you’ve seen the movie.

It was conveniently short, my 6 1/2 by 4 inch copy is only 117 pages, making it easy to squeeze in during spare moments. It was also well written, which keeps it moving quickly.    

I found myself agreeing with a number of points about the topic of commercialism, which I thought was interesting coming from a late 40’s perspective and still incredibly relatable to in a number of ways.

To sum it all up… 

The perfect novella to fit in between present wrapping, baking, and all the craziness that comes with the holiday season. 

Thank you for joining me in my year of classic Hollywood themed reviews!♥

On New Elves for Christmas: A Photo Post

Last month I added two new elves to my Christmas decorations!

I was looking specifically for the first one, but when I saw this second one I decided to get him too. The string to hang him on the tree broke off, but it shouldn't be too hard to replace and for now I have no qualms leaving him with the sole reindeer that made it out of the box when I started to decorate.

The chunks of glitter make my poor reindeer look spotty!

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On a New Tote Bag: A Photo Post

Is it silly to buy a bag to match your favorite socks?

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On "Cheaper By the Dozen": A Book Review

Title: Cheaper By the Dozen

Authors: Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Genre: Non-Fiction, Biography

About the book… 

First published in 1948, Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey share their memories of growing up in a household of twelve children with their father, Frank Bunker Gilbreth, a man famous for his contributions to motion study and the scientific management field.

This book was made into a movie by the same name in 1950 starring Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy as Frank and Lillian Gilbreth.

What I think…

I really have nothing negative to say about this book. I like that it reads like a novel and that it has just the right amount of love and humor in it while still capturing the reality of things. The illustrations also carry a certain charm that only adds to the book.

It’s interesting to read about both Frank and Lillian Gilbreth and the way their work extended into the home, as well as the way their children felt about it. 

There are two parts that stand out as being my favorites. One is in chapter 10 when Frank decides to film all the children getting their tonsils out as part of his research into how motion study could reduce time in certain surgeries and let’s just say things don’t go quite as well as they should. The second part, is about their summer adventures in Nantucket, Massachusetts, where they owned two lighthouses. 

To sum it all up… 

A comically heartwarming book honoring a father and his work. If you want a delightful biography about family this is the one to choose. ♥

On A Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing all my US readers a happy Thanksgiving today!

(Idea for hats found here. And, yes, I did wear one of these last week.)

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On "Edith Head": A Book Review

Title: Edith Head: The Life and Times of Hollywood's Celebrated Costume Designer
Author: David Chierichetti
Genre: Non-Fiction, Biography

About the book…
A biography of one of Hollywood’s most well-known costume designers, Edith Head. Head worked in Hollywood from the 1930’s up until the 1970’s, designing costumes for some of the biggest names in Hollywood. 

What I think…
A few years ago I read Edith Head’s Hollywood by Paddy Calistro and enjoyed it so much that I approached this book with fairly high hopes that it would be just as informative. It, however, was not. This isn’t to say it was a bad book, it just wasn’t as focused on Head and her style as much as I had hoped. 

I felt that this book was more focused on giving an impression of what was going on in Hollywood, specifically in the area of costume design and those who worked in it during time Head was there. There were several interesting things I learned about the way a costume department functioned. I also thoroughly enjoyed reading about some the difficulties that the costumers had with fitting certain actresses, such as Bette Davis (she wouldn’t wear a bra), and the politics behind getting a specific costumer to work on certain pictures (much like with the stars working for different studios). 

One thing I liked was that there were a great deal of quotes from people working with her, so you are not just seeing her solely through the perspective of the biographer. It also provides some rather amusing stories as they recall some of the things that she did or didn’t do. The end was also much more about the author’s impression of during the time he spent with her (he was close friends with both Head and her husband), which added a nice personal touch. 

There are a number of photos, including ones of her, her sketches, and the actresses wearing the costumes she designed, which I enjoyed looking at as I was reading.  

To sum it all up… 
Overall, an okay biography, that while not entirely focused on Edith Head, gives an interesting account of what was going on in the world of costuming when she was working in it.  ♥

On A Spider: A Photo Post

The itsy bitsy spider went down the office door...when creativity strikes make a spider!

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On Displaying Edgar Allan Poe

This past week marked the 166^th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s death, which was October 7, 1849. I happen to be a big fan of Poe and generally get the urge to read him as the days grow shorter and the weather grows colder.

Fortunately, my co-worker likes Poe just as much as do and over the past five years we’ve done three Poe’s Parlor displays (yes, we’re that fond of it and I am perfectly willing to claim it as my favorite) each time adding a few more things referencing the works of this master writer. While we’re not doing one this year, I see no reason not to revisit those we have done.

The first year we had some beautiful blue paper for the background. At this point we only had a small number of things referencing his stories and poems.

Excuse the glare, these cases are right next to the door and difficult to photograph.

Then came the second time, in which no perfect parlor paper could be found and we went dark. 

A few shadows joined Poe's parlor.

As you can see this background has some eyeballs peering out, not ideal for a sophisticated parlor, but it was relatable to one of my favorite of Poe’s stories “The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether”.

The raven isn't the only one watching...

Last year deciding the eyeballs to be unacceptable, I managed to patch over some with some of the remaining background and the framed picture conveniently covered one of the upper ones.

There are about 11 or 12 references to Poe’s works in this last display (including the afore mentioned “Tarr and Fether” eyes-you just can't them since they're on the side). How many can you name?

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On New Books: A Photo Post

My 150th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of The Annotated Alice arrived today, along with my much awaited (pre-ordering with a book coming out a month later for shipping purposes is not always the best idea) copy the new Shirley Jackson collection Let Me Tell You ! Hooray! 

 

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"The Egg and I": A Book Review

Title: The Egg and I 

Author: Betty MacDonald

Genre: Non-Fiction, Autobiography

About the book…

The first of several autobiographical works, The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald, also known for her Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books, was first published in 1945. In it she focuses on her time spent with her first husband on their chicken farm in Washington and all the troubles that they experienced. 

This book was made into a movie by the same name staring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray in 1946. 

What I think…

This is one of those books that definitely falls in the category of being more amusing than your average non-fiction. 

MacDonald takes her farm experiences and turns them into a laugh out loud narrative that still manages to capture all the difficulties and hard work that actually go into farming of any sort. Chapters such as “That Infernal Machine, the Pressure Cooker” (all about canning and its tyranny) capture bits and pieces of farm life that even as a modern audience are often thought about in much more idealistic ways. 

Her humor can be sharp and seemingly mean-spirited at times, which at a few parts is a little off putting. She also tend to be brutally honest at points, for example chapter 9 entitled “I Learn to Hate Even Baby Chicks,” where she goes on to explain a great many actual problems that you experience when raising baby chicks. 

One other thing to point out that has been criticized over time is her description of Native Americans, which I do have to say can be cringe worthy to read from the perspective of a modern reader. 

As I haven’t seen the entire movie (just bits and pieces), I can’t say how it compares, but I do know that based on the book I would like to eventually see it. 

To sum it all up… A remarkably funny autobiography from a woman who braved chicken farming in the 1920’s and lived to tell about it. ♥

On Two Postcards: A Photo Post

While not generally one to intentionally seek out vintage postcards, I recently bought three of them, two, being what I think are Scandinavian, which I'll be sharing with you today. 

This one I'm referring to as the zombie lady postcard as the woman looks as though she's ready to turn and eat the man. 

Unfortunately, this one must have been firmly glued in an album at one point and the only thing visible through the ripping on the back is the name of the recipient and the postmark of 1908. 

The second one, which I didn't even notice when I bought it, is also addressed to "Frigga."

From what I can figure out it offers wishes for a happy Christmas and New Year.

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