Houston. We Have Mittens!

That's right. Mittens! I've finally conquered my arch nemesis... the thumb. Aren't they super cute? I'm going to make a hat to match next.

Next stop... Socks!

Life is Better with Purple Zebra Shorts

I found these shorts at the J.Crew outlet on Saturday. I think they may be the cutest shorts I've ever seen, rivaled only by the grey ones with pink whales I got last year. It pretty much made my night when mom convinced me to purchase them!

They also helped to make the almost 8 hours of driving and 6 additional hours of car riding I did over Thursday, Friday, and Saturday seem a little more worth it... not that David's recital thinger, seeing Jenny and her fam, and then spending some quality brother/sister time with Mitchell (and Thai food) weren't fulfilling enough :)

I can't wait for spring!

I Ask Myself This Every Day

I still don't know the answer...

Happy 100,000 Miles!

The Buick turned 100,000 miles old on Tuesday, missing Grandmommy's birthday by two days. That car (it was originally hers) reflects her personality to a tee. It's a beast and full of tenacity... it's the only car we own that never had issues going up the driveway when we had all that snow.

Amazing Image of the Day

A man was shoveling snow off the roof of the bank and into the dump truck waiting below. Then they carted it off and dumped it in the (already very polluted) creek. Nice!

The Beauty of Snow and Fog

Today on my way to dance I was struck by how beautiful the world around me was.

We got a fresh coat of snow (about an inch) this afternoon, which stuck to the snow still on the ground, but thankfully not the roads, giving the landscape a "white canvas" sort of feel. Adding to this was a patchy layer of fog, slightly off the ground, thinner in some places, denser in others.

It was about 6:15 in the afternoon and the sun was setting in the west, filling the partly cloudy sky with pinks, reds, and golds.

But the sky wasn't the only thing turning colors.

The blank canvas of snow and fog soaked up the sunset's hues, tinging the world around me with a thousand shades of pink. It was a truly beautiful scene.

Sarah's Key

Recently, what with all the snow and ice and limited travel opportunities, I've taken to brushing up my reading skills.

My first foray back into the world of reading was Sarah's Key.

Sarah's Key

by Tatiana de Rosnay

I've been wanting to read Sarah's Key for just about forever. I couldn't for a while because I didn't have it, but thanks to my amazing cousins (and Christmas) after December 27th, my only excuse was a lack of time and motivation. But then the epic snowstorms of the south hit and what with 4 snowstorms in two weeks, my car pretty much remained parked in my driveway and my bottom rotated between the kitchen, couch, and (fortunately for my figure) the treadmill.

All excuses gone, I finally picked up Sarah's Key... and read it in about 12 hours. It was amazing!

When I first saw Sarah's Key in the bookstore back in August, I was pretty intrigued by the premise. How could the story of an American in Paris in 2002 possibly intertwine with that of a Jewish Parisian caught up in the horrible events of 1942? And then there was the genre... I've been a historical fiction junkie since I was a little girl (thanks in part to my obsession with American Girls and Little House on the Prairie). Books themed around the holocaust are no exception, although since watching "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" I've been somewhat less enthusiastic about that era in history... it still gives me bad dreams if I think about it before I go to bed.

Sarah's Key is a whirlwind of events from the present and the past. It follows a young girl who is betrayed by her country and sent to an earthly version of hell, first in the form of a stadium and then in the form of a camp. At the same time, it also follows one woman as she struggles to discover the story of this girl from the past, a girl that is inexplicably linked to her through the actions of her in-laws.

In Sarah's Key, Tatiana de Rosnay manages to create a story that is gripping, terrifying, exciting, and poignant, but most importantly she creates a story that is unforgettable.

Can't get enough?

Check out these other books also themed around the holocaust...

The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy - a book that weaves a traditional fairy tale with the story of two Jewish children who are trying to survive in German occupied Poland. One of the most haunting and amazing books I've ever read.

Joop by Richard Lourie - a story about the betrayal of Anne Frank (originally published in Hardcover under the title A Hatred for Tulips). This book lets you see the other side of the story, from the perspective of the betrayers of the Holocaust.