Book Review: At Home With Laurie Ann

Title: At Home With Laurie Ann: A Decorator’s Guide: Turn the Plce You Live Into a Place You Love
Author: Laurie Ann McMillin Ray
Publisher: Laurie Ann Publishing Inc
Publication Date: February 10, 2010
Hardcover: 224 pages
ISBN: 978-0984074808
Genre: Home/Interior Design

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About the Book:

These days few can afford to hire an interior decorator.

No need. A copy of At Home With Laurie Ann and an open mind are the only requirements to give your home the professional, yet melt-into-a-sofa look and feel you’ve always wanted.

Starting with the basics, At Home With Laurie Ann cracks the code to creating the home of your dreams on the budget you have. The instructions are simple and straightforward, and the look is cozy and comfortable. It’s practical because Laurie starts with what you already have, moves a piece of furniture here, makes a substitution there, adds unexpected color and tops it off with inexpensive (but expensive-looking) purchases. The result is a thrifty transformation!

Written in a non-intimidating, down-home style to appeal and inspire many to redecorate, this book is ideal for everyone from the first-time buyer or third-time home owner to the perennial renter, newly married to the long-time bachelor and lively family to the single sophisticate.

My Review:

Lacking all skills for decorating I was not certain if I would be able to use much of the information offered in At Home With Laurie Ann, thankfully, I was completely wrong. Laurie Ann not only has a wonderfully laid out and beautifully photographed book, she also offers brilliant suggestions and advise in terms even those who lack decorating skills, can easily understand and apply. The goal of this book is to guide the reader into transforming the reader’s house into a home, a family environment that is not only beautiful, but will also not break the bank. At Home With Laurie Ann is divided into nine sections, the first is appropriately titled, Family First. Each section offers up a wide variety of tips, suggestions, hints, cues and stunning photography. Laurie Ann writes as though she is in the reader’s home, casually chatting over a cup of coffee. Her book is written in such a way that even the most timid of decorators will crave to redecorate. Laurie Ann writes about how to work with what is already existing in a home, finding your style, shopping around, and staying within a limited budget. With spring almost here I am quite excited to begin working on turning my house into a home. If Laurie Ann can inspire me, imagine what she can do for those who already enjoy decorating. I highly recommend At Home With Laurie Ann to anyone who craves for his or her house to be more of a home.

About the Author:

Laurie Ann McMillin Ray began by decorating model homes for her father, well-known builder Corky McMillin. His philosophy was simple – everyone deserves to own a house.

Following cues from Corky, Laurie operates by a similar principle – everyone deserves to make a house his or her home, and she’s dedicated her career to this goal. For more than 25 years Laurie has built a solid reputation in Southern California as an interior designer, and as the owner of several decorating stores. Visit www.laurieann.com.

I received a complimentary copy of At Home with Laurie Ann by Laurie Ann McMillin Ray from AME. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: Waking Up In the Land of Glitter by Kathy Cano-Murillo

Title: Waking Up In the Land of Glitter
Author: Kathy Cano-Murillo
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: March 1, 2010
Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN: 9780446509244
Genre: Fiction

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About the Book:

With glue guns, glitter, twigs, or yarn, the ordinary can become extraordinary . . . especially at La Pachanga. Owned by Estrella “Star” Esteban’s family, the restaurant has a rep for two things: good food and great art. La Pachanga brings people together-even when it looks like they couldn’t be further apart.

One ill-fated evening, Star jeopardizes her family’s business, her relationship with her boyfriend, and her future career. To redeem herself, she agrees to participate in a national craft competition, teaming up with her best friend, Ofelia-a secretly troubled mother whose love for crafting borders on obsession-and local celebrity Chloe Chavez-a determined television personality with more than one skeleton in her professional closet. If these unlikely allies can set aside their differences, they’ll find strength they never knew they had, and learn that friendship, like crafting, is truly an art form.

My Review:

Waking Up In the Land of Glitter by Kathy Cano-Murillo is a cute story of friendships, heartbreaks, family and unwavering love. Murillo’s novel is well written, her characters are quite real, her descriptions are vivid enough to make me hungry on more than one occasion. With all that said, I struggled to identify with many of the characters, quite possibly because my children are so close to the ages of several of the key players in Waking Up In the Land of Glitter.
While I found myself relating more to Star’s father, Alfonso Ortega Esteban more than Star, most likely considering Al and I are about the same age, I am glad I persevered through the novel and read it to the end. I will not give away spoilers, however, it is well worth the wait. 350 pounds of imported glass glitter and a promise of 200 handmade centerpieces in exchange for La Pachanga’s sponsorship of the CraftOlympics have Star turning to her friend Ofie, who loves to craft, for help and from there an odd lot, each for their own reasons, begin to meet weekly at Ofie’s home to begin brainstorming ideas for the centerpieces. Thus begins the intriguing dynamics of the relationships of Star, Ofie, Crafty Chloe Chavez, and Benecio. I did find it interesting that while the 20-somethings behaved as adolescents it took an adolescent to bring them together. As I previously mentioned I related best to Al, Star’s father and of course Ofie’s mother-in-law Nana Chata, however, Ofie and her husband Larry weaved their way into my heart, while everyone had so much to gain and learn in this novel, I was most pleased with Ofie and Larry. Waking Up In the Land of Glitter was not what I expected it would be; yet I believe many readers will come to love this eclectic group of 20-somethings. For anyone looking for a novel about family, friendships and finding oneself, Waking Up In the Land of Glitter may be exactly what you are looking for.

About the Author:

Kathy Cano-Murillo is a lifelong writer and artist. Her crafts have been carried by hundreds of retailers including Bloomingdales, Target, and Hallmark. She is a former entertainment reporter for The Arizona Republic, and has authored seven books including Crafty Chica’s Guide to Artful Sewing. She is the founder of CraftyChica.com, a wildly popular web site to inspire women to brighten their lives with clever craft ideas. She has a web series on LifetimeTV.com, and can be seen on HGTV and DIY Network.

I received a complimentary copy of Waking Up In the Land of Glitter by Kathy Cano-Murillo from Hachette as part of the tour. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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