Frankly, Scarlett...

I'm Gone With The Wind, right now...completely and utterly.  Have you actually read it?  Do so.  Immediately.  From the first few pages, the beauty of Georgia somehow magically captured in Margaret Mitchell's prose casts a spell of awe on its readers.  Mitchell's characters light up her pages with real dimension and charm, fostering a deep appreciation for her ability as a writer to create such real, beautiful people.  She successfully paints Georgia in the 1860s for the reader to discover and live in for 1,024 pages, but not a page too many.  You'll fall in love with Mitchell as a writer, Georgia in the mid to late 1800s, and the beautiful, familiar characters.  As an English teacher of five years (and counting) and a literature lover to the fullest, I honestly don't know how this book has waited patiently unread on my bookshelf.  Perhaps the literary gods knew I would need this escape right now in my life.  Head on over to Amazon.com to get your very own copy delivered right to your doorstep.

You light my fire, MATCHBOOK MAGAZINE!

Seriously awesomely creative, fun, carefree, and full of whimsy, this magazine strums my little girl heartstrings and thrills my happy-go-lucky adult half.  If you happen across this post and you feel inclined to check out the link, you will probably find yourself longing for the opening week of each month so that you can scour the playful, innovative writing and view the equally fun photos in each month's edition.  Full of style regarding decor and dress, as well as classic personalities (last month featured Ella Fitzgerald) and books I admire as an English teacher, it's pretty much THE magazine that has my name written all over it on every single page.  I bet you'll feel similarly.  While I wish they had printed versions as I am a serial magazine chopper and gluer (into my journal and various art projects), I do appreciate and admire Matchbook's use of technology and expression of modernity.  If you're in the mood to read a magazine that channels Kate Spade-ish fun in its style of expression, pick one up.  Check it out, Issue 4, hot off the presses.  (And, while you're at it, dig deep into the archives to read issues 1-3.)  Feast your eyes on Matchbook Mag right here!