In love you have loosened yourself like sea water

I'm pretty sure I may be the only person in the world who becomes giddy at the sound of the words 'bilingual edition,' but regardless this may be the best Valentine's Day present I will ever receive (ironically it is a self-gift); no more chalky, flavorless hearts. My love for poetry will overpower my love for any one person this holiday; and I'm not sure this is any particular form of a travesty.

Bookish pleasures

A complete bookworm at heart, I have a penchant for old books. So naturally when I found this Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll in my grandmother's house that is more than a hundred years old I became ecstatic. The worn edges and easy-to-flip pages conjure up images of children a hundred years ago sneaking away to their parents' study to read Alice. Also, with the movie coming out in March this find could not have more appropriate timing. I can only hope that the next person to possess this book can appreciate its sophisticated fun.

The sticker on the back of the front cover says it's from the private library of A. Florence Grant which was founded in 1889. It also says "Read slowly; pause frequently; think seriously; return duly' with the corners of the leaves not turned down." The nineteenth century elegance of the whole book just makes swoon.

I love this illustration with all the cards flying up at Alice; the newer edition I have of the book doesn't have this one. The details are hard to see from this distance, but the animals as well as Alice are running away from the cards.

Just do it.

Only good can come of it.

Currently Reading:

The Stranger by Albert Camus

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Under the influence

So after lusting after Influence on bookstore bookshelves for months and months I finally bought it today and it was worth every penny. I may have thought I liked the Olsens before I bought their book about the people that have influenced them and really just life and fashion in general, yet I realize now how much more admiration I have for them after just barely scratching the surface of their book. If you haven't already, I would highly reccomend rushing to your nearest bookstore and purchasing a copy.

If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense.

Why there is no use in trying; one cannot believe impossible things." -Alice

"I dare say you haven't had much practice. When I was your age, I always did it for a half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." -the Queen

My obsession with Alice and Wonderland began with this photo shoot by Annie Leibovitz for Vogue in 2003. It's just such a brilliant combination with the model in the Alice dress designed by the designers who get to play Lewis Caroll dress up too.