The Road Less Traveled: Free Wheel Feels

Breaking away from the norm.

Breaking away from expectations.

Breaking away from unhappiness.

In other words, freedom.

That's what Abby Stern feels every time she gets on her bike.  And Jennifer Weiner's The Breakaway is all about Abby's journey.  At thirty-three, she's a fat camp survivor still trying to figure life out.  And that includes Mark, her fat camp boyfriend who's reentered her life.  Always sweet and caring, he's now also sculpted and svelte -- albeit at the cost of of never, ever eating carbs.  So what if he doesn't know how to ride a bike and gives still-fat Abby the subtle side-eye whenever she reaches for pasta or pastry?  He's a doctor and the only man she knows who will take on a plus-size plus one.  Or so Abby thinks until she meets Sebastian, a hunky and thoughtful writer in bro's clothing.  

So when Abby leads her first-ever bike tour for the Breakaway company and discovers that Sebastian as well as her perfectly groomed and judgmental mother are -- surprise! -- on the roster, she knows that it'll be a ride to remember.  And when she learns that some of the other cyclists have stirring stories of their own, things take another path entirely.  Yet one thing's for sure.  These mothers and daughters and lovers and others have a lot to learn about each other -- and themselves.

In The Breakaway, Weiner takes us on an unforgettable trip through upstate New York, pairing richly layered and relatable characters with the timely and timeless theme of women's rights in what may be her best book to date. 

Because treating each other with kindness should be just as easy as riding a bike. 

When Life Gives You Lemons: Squeezing a Little More Out of Summer

Shoes: Jessica Simpson, DSW

Lemon Ice Nice Necklace

Dress: Nine West, Kohl's

Flower barrette: Capelli, ULTA

Bag: The Shoppes at the Asbury

Bag: Violet Ray, Kohl's

Guitar Shero Necklace

Pink top: Arizona Jeans, JCPenney; Orange top: Pink Rose, Kohl's

Sunglasses: Rampage, Boscov's

Shoes: Madden Girl, Kohl's

Bag: Mix No. 6, DSW

Kimono: Nine West, Kohl's

Scrunchies: Goody, Amazon

Happy Face Place Necklace

Dress: Lily Rose, Kohl's

Bag: Betsey Johnson, Amazon; Charm: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Skirt: Marshalls

Pink and Purple Rainbow Necklace 

Sunglasses: Wild Fable, Target

Shoes: Lucky Brand, Zulily; Bag: Skinnydip London, Macy's

Fifth Sun, JCPenney

You know the deal,

You've all heard my spiel.

When fall comes to call,

I just want to stall.

To bask in the sun,

And soak up the fun,

To borrow, no, steal

Summer's easy appeal.

But time must march on

Like the faded green lawn.

So I'll make the most

Of the pumpkins and ghosts

Before winter comes

And I'm really bummed.

My poem may not be Shakespeare, but it describes how I feel every fall.  Which is why I like to help obliterate the blues with a bold crop of tropical brights. 

Next stop October when I work through my fear of fright night with girly-ghoulish garb. 

Last Chance Romance, Storybook Style

Jenn McKinlay's Love at First Book is a modern fairy tale.  A sort-of-sequel to Summer Reading, it stars that novel's second banana heroine, librarian Emily Allen.  Anxiety-ridden after a lifetime on Martha's Vineyard with her cruel mother, Emily is looking to start over.  So when she gets an offer to work for her all-time favorite author, Siobhan Riordan, she moves to Ireland.  Siobhan's fantasy series was a lifeline for Emily in her formative years, so helping to shape the highly anticipated next installment -- a novel ten years in the making -- seems like destiny.

However, the gig isn't without issues.  It includes a stint at The Last Chapter, a bookshop that just happens to be run by Siobhan's gorgeous and curmudgeonly son.  Kieran makes no secret of his distaste for Emily and her mission to remedy his mother's writer's block.  Yet instead of letting herself be intimidated as she would've back home, Em challenges Kier's every objection, embracing the chance to reinvent herself.  The result is a fiery frenemy-ship that ignites into something more.  But as any book lover knows, no happy ending comes without its hardships.  That said, as Em ventures more deeply into editorial terrain with Siobhan, she learns that there are some things that not even the luck of the Irish can fix.

Charming and chock full of literary quotes to earn the respect of any bibliophile, Love at First Book is for anyone who loves books as much as they love love and vice versa.

In other words, modern fairy tale magic. 

Sunday Fun Day and a Shark Attack Snack

Dress: So, Kohl's

Bow barrette: Wild Fable, Target

Last Sunday, my parents kindly offered to watch Charlotte so that the husband and I could go out.  Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, we set off for parts unknown.  Which means that we went twenty minutes up the Garden State Parkway to Allen's Clam Bar.  I couldn't remember the last time I'd had fried shrimp, which is one of my favorite foods, so I was psyched to devour a platter in a place quirky enough to feature a shark tearing through its roof.  Once we were full of seafood goodness, we hit (where else?) Michaels and Kohl's, where we scoped out the Halloween décor and picked up some essentials for Char Bar.  Then it was off to Rita's for a root beer gelati for me and a chocolate concrete for the husband, followed by an actual walk in the park.  

It was a beautiful and simple and memorable day, the kind I couldn't remember having in a long time.  And that includes when we went out in July for our anniversary.  Probably because Charlotte is a little older and sturdier now and because we put less pressure on the outing.  

That said, it's always nice to have a day away.  

But it's even nicer to come home.

Clued for Thought: Murder Mysteries on the Menu

Lately, I've been reading even more cozy murder mysteries than usual.  Maybe because some other genres left a slightly bad taste in my mouth.  Anyway, in doing so, it hit me that most of the series I follow are food-related.  Many even include recipes, which I never use but nevertheless enjoy.  I guess that's part of why I'm so drawn to these wholesome whodunits.  They consistently serve up a helping of happy.  Because although it's fun to figure out who did in the nibby neighbor or arrogant heiress, it's the comfort of home-baked cakes and casseroles that keeps me at the table.

So here's a quartet of titles I recently read, arranged on poster board like entrées on seen-from-space plates:

Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay, a Cupcake Bakery Mystery

Lemon Curd Killer by Laura Childs, a Tea Shop Mystery

Death of a Clam Digger by Lee Hollis, a Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery

Peking Duck and Cover by Vivien Chien, a Noodle Shop Mystery

Seeing them in all their quirky glory is like snuggling under a crazy quilt of culinary delights.  I even read some of Death of a Clam Digger to Charlotte (although not, I promise, the murder part!), and she was riveted, or, as the husband put it, on the edge of her blanket.

Now that I'm done writing this post, I realize that I haven't said anything I haven't said countless times before.  My love for cozies remains reliable, just like the mainstay stories themselves.  Suspense?  Sure. But no surprises.

And that's just how this creature of habit likes it. 🍰🔎🥘

Last Call 'Til Fall? Do Me a Favor and Spare Me the Labor

Dress: Lily Rose; Skirt and bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Primarily Prismatic Necklace

Hair clips and sunglasses: Wild Fable, Target

Top: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's; Skirt: Candie's, Kohl's

Bag: SHEIN; Sunglasses: Wild Fable, Target

Top: Molly Bracken, Modcloth; Skirt: Dollhouse, Macy's

Flip flops: Katy Perry Collection, Nordstrom Rack; Necklace: I'm Your Present, Etsy; Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

That's right.  I said what I said.  But you should know me well enough by now to get that it's the unofficial end of summer I'm spurning and not the celebration of America's workforce.  Labor Day is the New Year's Eve of summer.  A little over-hyped and a lot melancholy, it marks a seasonal transition no one wants to make.  And that's why, in my own quirky way, I make the most of it with fashion photography.

These fits are from the long weekend, which included my parents' BBQ, a trip to the bank, and hanging around the house.  Which is not at all like "sitting around the house" from Better Than Ezra's "Good," and not just because that song references the Fourth of July instead of Labor Day, but because with  Charlotte, there's not much sitting.

That said, this last pic was, appropriately, taken today on the actual holiday.  After a day out, it was time to stay in, and I spent most of it, not in this nautical-slash-ice-cream-themed getup, but in my nightgown.

It's what the laborers would've wanted.