Welcome to the Jacque Michelle Book Blog! We at Jacque Michelle feel we have some delightful books on our table for personal reading or gifting.  As the book buyer, I fill our book cornucopia with a variety that you might find laughable, informative, sexy, up-lifting or novel enough that you can’t put down. Today we’ll discuss ……..

                                                   INSPIRATIONS….Selections from Classic Literature                

                                                                                  By Paulo Coelho

This lovely anthology begins with Paulo talking about the meaning of the anthology-a Greek word that means a flower gathering; a bouquet of flowers. An anthology then would be a sort of reminder of something else, a small token of something  much larger. Essentially an anthology is a reminder of other books, that in turn, are reminders of an oral, living message.

“An anthology is not only a collection of texts and poems, but a gift, something we arrange, according to our sensitivities, to give to others. The flowers are not created by us-in this case, the books that I chose present to you lie in front of me as vast field literature. Some of these texts portray the common furnace of the imagination that lights humanity.

The ancients believed that all things-visible and invisible were composed of four different substances: Earth, Water, Fire, Air. The four elements symbolize our world in all its dimension, the way we dwell in the world. Thus the chapters of the book are delivered to you within this symbolic theme and this anthology is not “complete” until read by you! Your insight completes the circle and makes it turn again.

Emerson used to say that a library was like a magic cabinet. My aim with this work is that readers will feel compelled to go to their magic cabinets and re-awaken their imagination.”

Here are a few titles/authors from this beautiful bouquet of an anthology: “The Ugly Duckling, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Nelson Mandela, George Orwell, Bhagavad Gita, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Yeats’ Poems  & MORE!

This and other marvelous tomes await you at Jacque Michelle……….Happy Reading

Guarantee a perfect pedi and a marvelous mani with this fabulous new line of Butter London Nail Polish Unlike the polish you might currently be using, Butter London is completely free of cancer-causing toxins. 

Here is the New Spring Summer 2012 Lacquer Collection:

left to right in foto:

Trout Pout: An  opaque shade of cantaloupe; pale and retro. (Slang for a woman who has the collagen in her lips, leaving her with a rather fishy face

Try finding it in our steampunk valentine window display at Jacque Michelle’s, among other industrial antiques that have been recycled into amazing art!

You might just open your own  heart and swim with the waves of hearts, created by  Amanda and Kathryn. 

Within the  theme of Steampunk, the two sisters ( CU students as well as now JM employees) Amanda and Kathryn Zwan, were asked to create art for the Jacque Michelle Gifts and Apparel storefront.

I spoke with Amanda about the process of getting things together for the big red LOVE display. She told me they went to local bikeshops to find bike gears, to locksmiths for used keys, and to shriftstores for old mirrors, all to be used for the LOVE project. Basically, the sisters have been re-purpusing trash for your enjoyment! Hearts, hearts, hearts, made from nature (branches), diverse industrial antiques and items that are used on a daily basis,  like newspaper, tissue tablecloth and packaging materials.

See below how they used the broken mirrors to create depth in the cardboard heart. It  is outlined by red tissue inside recycled coffee filters. Also, A “Chopstick Heart” is floating over a sea of hearts made of packaging materials….this brings recycling to a whole nother level!

See for yourself what they came up with!

Happy Valentines and THANK YOU to our two jung artists!

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First a quote from “Book Love”……..”Books also had a meaning for her as physical objects: she loved to walk down the street with a book under her arm. It had the same significance for her as an elegant cane for the dandy a century ago. It differentiated her from others.” Milan Kundera/The Unbearable lightness of Being).  I chose this quote as a little reminder to the pleasure of holding a book in your hands (Kindles are swell but books are better!) Come in and see what our library table has to offer, including the next book to blog about: ………

Monday Hearts for Madalene by Page Hodel

Quote from inside cover of this “art of hearts” book:” When a person falls in love, the universe and everything in it comes vividly alive. It happened to San Franciso artist Page Hodel when she found the love of her life, Madalene Rodriguez.

Early every Monday morning , Page would create a heart for Madalene and leave it for her to discover somewhere near her front door. Tragically, Madelene died of ovarian cancer less than a year after she and Page met. But Page’s love goes on, beautifully symbolized in the hearts she continues to create from a plentitude of objects. In this book are 100 photographs of Pages hearts for Madalene, fashioned from a  magical, surprising diversity of materials : acorns and asparagus, berries, buttons, and bungee cord; cardboard , clothespins , corks, and candy corn. True love embraces the world and Page’s art is testimony to it’s enduring faith.”

Not only are the hearts themselves  waggish and playful but the words that accompany the book are equally uplifting. A short story of miraculous alchemy with a very colorful result. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Enjoy the season of love. 

                                                                Happy reading! Jacque Michelle

Hello Friends of Books/w/Covers. Our book table is overflowing with love in the spirit of Valentine’s day. Come take a peek!

I’m going to cover 3 small but BIG On LOVE books this week.

The first I’d like to mention is a diminutive  6 x 6 palm size book titled ”A gift Of Love” by Tilly Lane. This dear little tome would please any Valentine on your list but especially good for Dad’s to give to a daughter. It’ raspberry and brown palette had a sophistication to such a tiny book-the quotes are classic, funny and not sappy! Two blond love birds grace the cover, hearts for wings. A great steal at $7.95 too.

Next, is a friendship book ”You’ve Got a Friend”-a compilation from the modern publisher –Compendium that prides itself on being a recycled & classy gift book. Read this friendly book and lift your spirits with quotes like ”Life is more amusing than we thought”(Andrew Lang), or “People are more fun than anybody (Dorothy Parker). Yep, charm galore in this sweet book. & remember…… “Friendship glows in the dark”. (Cat Lane)

Lastly,  I want to point out “Book Love”  by Bill Henderson. People can lose their lives in libraries… they ought to be warned” (Saul Bellow).

That’s the type of book love  quote you can expect from this entertaining read. “Book Love is a love letter from hundreds of writers and readers and their friends to the printed and bound book.” With a dire warning in the prelude of the possible demise of the bound book-this author alerts us to the preciousness of what could be lost if we not diligent in supporting our book stores and libraries.  And so the birth of a quote book proclaiming true love for books with covers of all manner.

“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”

Jorge Luis Borges

Happy Valentines and Joyous Reading to you!

Let me begin with Jacque Michelle Artworks. Jacque (the former store owner) has been painting for several years now.  She has come out with her own line of greeting cards which have been created from her original acrylic paintings. They have been a great success and you may purchase them, as well as some of her original paintings in the store.  Jacque now teaches painting classes for beginners. Last fall, she took her own group of  local painting students to San Miguel De Allende, Mexico. They had a great time- HAPPY PAINTING, JACQUE! If you are interested in painting lessons you may contact Jacque directly at: jacksonjackson@comcast.net

Just this week we took in a new fabulous visual artist, Pamalyn Simich. Pamalyn has a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Wittenberg University and also received formal training at the Parsons School of Design in France and Italy.  Pam’s expressionistic and abstract paintings are inspired by her garden, nature and travel. These lively, colorful and textured paintings are sculpted with copious amounts of paint and transparent gels with palette knives and her imagination. The multi-layered landscapes, sunflowers and abstracts come alive on canvas with brilliant colors and textures. For more info: www.pamsimich.com

“The 5 Love Languages”  by Gary Chapman 

You probably noticed that many of our inspirational book are from the Asian-Zen side  of  thought & philosophy but this book is a real diversion. The author is a Christian minister that has loved and been married (30 years) to a very spunky woman that turned his expectations upside down about wedded life. Thru personal relationship struggles and what he has gleaned  from counseling clients; emerges what he consider the 5 Love Languages. His sell-out workshops and best selling books  focus on the way in which those in relationship communicate with each other.  Here are the five categories that unite reason and emotion: (Words Of Affirmation, Quality Time, Gifts, Acts Of Service, Physical Touch) & each of the 5 is a new way of looking at giving and receiving emotional love. Once you learn to identify  & speak your lover’s primary love language , he believes you have discovered the key to a loving and long lasting relationship. (And so do the thousands that have read this book & attended workshops). Also a NY Times best seller all of 2011.

Another rave worthy read that we just received is by Chad Harbach:  “The Art Of Fielding.”

I just read the first two chapters & Bingo! I know I’m going to love this book. This new author is the genuine article….character driven prose exploring truth and friendship that puts the reader in the action from the get go.

Here are a few words of acclaim from James Patterson……

“Chad Harbach’s” THE ART OF FIELDING is one of those novels –like Michael Chabon’s The Mysteries of Pittsburgh or John Irving’s The World According To Garp – that seem to appear out of nowhere, and then dazzle and bewitch and inspire until you  nearly lose your breath from the enjoyment and satisfaction as well as the unexpected news blast that the novel is very much alive and well.” So get reading people! There is a pluviosity of reading pleasure, between the covers at Jacque Michelle.

This time it’s JM’s employee, Diana, showing you her favorite scarf technique

you may copy the link below and put it in your bouser to see the You Tube video: (we are still working on your direct/one click video access- sorry for the inconvenience)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BdcmiQhgTQ&feature=youtu.be

Have you seen our beautifully decorated storefront window lately?

-many beautiful hearts, handcrafted and decorated by Kathryn and Amanda Zwan

Hello Jacque Michelle Readers……..I Have a few fine books to point out on our table right now.

We have a few beautiful full color coffee table books right now from Rizzoli Publishers at a very promotional price. The most colorful and elegant is called: Gardens Of The World by Jean-Paul Pigeat. Essentially this author was the director for the International Conservatoire For Gardening in France and he takes you around the world thru stunning photos of gardens you’ll just want to plan a trip around. Also, with our recent snowy weather, it’s quite refreshing to delve into the world of green.

Also, for those who are inspired by new colors on their walls, I invite you to take a peek at our newest interior design tome: The Way We Live with Color. Chock full of ideas for wall colors to inspire you to refresh any tired walls you may own. I like this book because it covers the full range of styles, be it Contemporary,  Victorian or Bohemian . Inspiration at a great promotional price too.

Also, Since Valentines is almost upon us our table is bursting with Love! I’ve found a delightful “Table for Two” cookbook that is sure to inspire a romantic dinner for all you foodies out there.

Coffee table sized with scrumptious looking photos; an ambrosial gift.

Dance Me To The End Of Time- poem by Leonard Cohen. The large format Matisse prints are beautiful in themselves & the poem by Leonard Cohen charming, delightful, but not sappy. Perfect also as an Anniversary or wedding gift-one not to be missed.

January, mid-winter, a cozy time to explore what’s new

Between the Covers at Jacque Michelle. See you there.

Happy Reading……..Jacque Michelle

thank you to Leigh for volunteering for the first one

You may take a look at the first one at:

 http://youtu.be/Ho3Sgn_O2Fw

More ways to wear your beautiful scarfs to come in the  following weeks…

 -your team at Jacque Michelle’s-