In the late 90s, I noticed some of the SF hipster girls wearing their cowboy boots ironically, and I told myself I would never -EVER- have cowboy boots.

Never say never.

When I saw these babies with hearts on them on Modcloth, I had some serious “Should I or shouldn’t I?” conversation with myself. It is clear now which side won.

They are by T.U.K. which I usually can’t wear because I’ve always been between the 7 and the 8. But I read on the ModCloth reviews that they ran large, so I ordered the 7 and they fit absolutely perfectly! The heel is a bit clickety-clackety and even my dad commented that my shoes were loud, but aside from that, I kind of love them.

Boots: T.U.K. from ModCloth, Dress: a boutique in L.A. on Sawtelle I can’t remember the name of, Shirt: you can’t see but is So So Happy.

The Plush You! show opens at Schmancy in Seattle on Friday, October 12, and I’ll be there! Hope to see you locals there, too! Schmancy has been posting preview pictures of plush on Instagram, and it looks like it’s going to be an awesome show.

I sort of stretched the idea of a “plush toy” into making tissue box cozy buddies! Looks like plush. Gives you kleenex. Win win!

I didn’t get a chance to photograph all 3 together. The Milk Carton Buddy was a late-bloomer and was actually completed and shipped a week after his other 2 friends!

Cheeseburger Buddy was born first. I have been wanting to make a burger tissue cozy forever! I will probably start to offer these on Etsy in a non-monster style.

Here’s his lady-friend, Birthday Cake Buddy! I was excited to make her, because I love the birthday candle so much. Also I was happy to use a pattern from Sugar On Top to create her frosting decorations. I think it looks like a little girl wearing a dress!

Milk Carton Buddy was born last. He was fun to make because his tissue comes out the top of his carton, like you’re about to pour out some tissues for yourself. I kind of flip-flopped between this idea and having the tissue come out of his mouth like his friends, but I thought it would be a nice contrast to have something a little different for the show.

Hopefully I’ll be able to get a pic of them together when I’m in Seattle!

Stephen Chbosky’s novel “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” first came out in 1999.  I was a year out of college, working at the literary agency as an assistant, trying to work my way up to being a literary agent.

I remember hanging out with someone in Berkeley after I had just read the book, and we walked into a bookstore where the book was displayed on the front table. “I’m going to read you the best line in this book,” I said. A teen girl tells a teen boy before she kisses him, “‘I want to make sure that the first person you kiss loves you. Okay?‘”

Okay. I know that’s really sappy, but I remember thinking that was like the sweetest most lovely thing I had read in a long time. I remember thinking that this book was such a gem, just little and wonderful. It is written in  a sort of confessional diary style, in the form of letters, by the 15 year old narrator Charlie to a “Friend.” Publishers Weekly gave it a pretty harsh review, calling it “a trite coming-of-age novel,” which I totally get, especially now that I’m older. But you know, whatever. I loved this book in that moment I consumed it, and I’ll remember it for that.

This was also an exciting time for me in publishing, because I was kind of just finding my way in the industry, and publishers were just starting to create imprints specifically marketed toward young adults/the MTV audience, and this was totally my jam. Young agents selling books to young editors to bring cool books to young people. My publishing career didn’t end up being that cool or anything, but there was this potential then in the early years that got me really pumped to be there.

Last Saturday night, I had a long overdue girl-date with Manda. We had mexican food and margaritas and went to see this movie together. There’s a certain part of the plot which has always really bothered me since reading the book (for being an easy way out, so to speak), but otherwise, I think the movie does a good job in capturing the spirit of the book, which is logical since the author also wrote the screenplay, produced, and directed the movie.

Part of me was like, “Kids are never this sweet to each other!” And another part of me was like, “Stop having crabby old-person thoughts!”

So, if you are a crabby old-person, you might want to skip this movie. But if you are young at heart and want to watch something sweet with kind of a dark ripple running through it, you should check it out. As I told Manda before we saw the movie, “It’s a teen movie, but it’s not, like, ‘She’s All That’ or ‘Bring It On.’ It’s serious. But the book was good.”

A little while ago, Kathryn Vercillo of Crochet Concupiscence emailed me about her new book “Crochet Saved My Life: The Mental and Physical Health Benefits of Crochet.” I asked if she would like to offer a free copy to one of my blog readers, and she said yes!

To be perfectly honest, I haven’t had time yet to read the whole book, but I have gotten about half way. I didn’t want to wait too much longer to set up this giveaway for you!

Kathryn shares her journey of how crocheting helped her overcome life-threatening depression. In reaching out to the crochet community, she also met others who experienced the healing and therapeutic power of yarn and a hook. You will follow Kathryn’s personal story, her scientific research, and the stories of 24 other women from all walks of life. Her writing is thoughtful, never saccharine, and her book is an uplifting and educational thank-you to a craft that most people see as just a hobby.

On Amazon.com, the book is available as a paperback as well as a Kindle download. If you are an Amazon Prime member, the book is free in the lending library!

Kathryn is kindly offering one of my blog readers a free copy: a paperback version for U.S. readers, and an electronic version for non-U.S. readers.

To enter the giveaway, follow the handy Rafflecopter widget!

When Mollie Makes asked if I would send some extra photos of my work for Issue 18 along with a photo of myself for the contributors page, I decided to throw together an impromptu secret garden party in my back yard. It was so secret, that I was the only one there!

I also always wanted to see if I could make one of these composite collage thingies. I have no idea how you are supposed to make them. I basically just shot a bunch of photos of myself around the table and then cut/pasted them together. It’s not perfect, and you can see some seams if you look closely, but it was just for fun, and I thought it turned out pretty cool!

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