What is your style?

Are you Martha? Are you Shabby Chic? Country Living, Real Simple or New York Times?

I happen to love Skirt magazine and am thinking about tearing out images and headlines to paste in my book. I love texture - so there will be both fabric and metal in my book somewhere. I think I want to use my handwriting in a lot of places to make it personal as well.

The best place to start if you are not sure is with the magazines you enjoy reading. Bring those in and identify what you like about it. The colors, the simple lines, or maybe how crazy it is - Copying the format of these magazines is a good step in formulating your own look.

What will your book look like?

Your book may be a blank paged new and crispy brightly colored journal.

Maybe a photo album with sticky pages.

Maybe an old oversized book of maps.

I've picked out an old science textbook for Michele if she wants it - It has a great cover of all kinds of critters. I saw a beautiful version of Wuthering Heights. The cover was an engraving of a distraught man looking up into the sky under a huge tree. It was $18 so I did not get it - but hid it if anyone wants to.

For myself I picked out a vintage book about advertising. The content was something I thought was interesting, but I picked the book because the cover is mustard, chocolate, and orange. All my favorite colors. The book pages are a good size, too. I think I can fit two 4x6 photos on each page.

To answer the question for yourself start with the basics. It should provide a protective covering for it's contents and have a good binding. It's personal characteristics should reflect your taste. Hopefully, it is already something you own and just have to dig out.

I will have some books I picked up at the antique store there for sale - all are under $5.

Katherine and Colleen are seen here in Vegas - where we did eat but did not read.

Michele is a Charter Member of Read-n-Feed. Her sister Amy is the founder. Michele is famous for her attendance, she missed one due to illness and one other due to childbirth!

The Mermaid Chair announced at Michele's April Meeting

Last night the meeting was at Michele's house - for the last time because she will be moving in August. Don't know where - just ask Caroline - she can even tell you what exit off the interstate!

Amy and Ellen weren't there - but otherwise a full house. Michele played Because of Winn Dixie on the tv to set the proper mood and then we commenced discussion. Michele explained the grocery list of food items we were given for tonight was in fact the same list the little girl was sent to get the day she met her dog. I having not read the book (bad girl) and did not pick up on this.

The shopping list was 2 tomatoes, one box of mac and cheese, and rice. Michele made some tasty salsa and "WOW" the tomato spice cake with ICING, Belinda brought Foccaica, and the rest of us pretty much rebelled against being told what to do. I mean, I brought pickeled asparagus for crying out loud.

Book discussion can be summed up with phrases like - the book was well liked, the shortness of the book was appreciated, we couldn't necessarily agree if the movie or the book was better, and one was inspired to journal after reading the book. good chat ladies...

There was quite a bit of discussion about all of the books we have read in past. Amy had sent the new directory for distribution and we all hungrily scanned the book lists looking for forgotten favorites. I declared this year as a "banner year" where despite the overappearance of the word dog in our list the selections yielded many favorites. We also recommended old books to newcomers and Katherine made a motion to be considered a charter member. As her "Her High Holiness Princess of all things Pink and Green in Cayce" is not long enough - jeez!

I was going to type the book list - but in my ultimate laziness have concocted a plan that Amy can upload her copy of the information as a post and save me the trouble.

See you all at Gervais and Vine next month!