Fun & Fame

A Wedding of Titanic Proportions

August 18, 2008 – 2:45 pm

Fall is around the corner and so bridal season continues!

Ever since the movie, The Titanic, came out in 1997, brides have been having Titanic themed weddings. Various places throughout the country will cater to the desires of the bride wishing to have such a wedding.

The Experience

If you live in or near Florida or are planning a destination wedding in Florida and wish to have a Titanic themed wedding, check out “Titanic: The Experience.”  This exhibition, now located at the Science Center, serves as a wonderful backdrop for your special day.

Or if you live a little more inland, (more specifically, somewhere in the vicinity of Missouri) get married on the grand staircase at the Titanic Museum (Branson) and have the wedding of your dreams.  

Okay, so maybe you don’t have an actual replica of a Titanic in your area, well, don’t let that stop you from having a Titanic themed wedding anyway. Check out the site, Favor Ideas to help your create the ambience of the Titanic for your wedding.

Many brides ask their wedding photographer to shoot a “Titanic-I’m-Flying” photo of the bride and groom. All you need is a balcony (or something that looks like one). And then just spread your arms. Water is optional.

A popular pose for wedding couples today

Then again, a getting married aboard an actual ship is always romantic, isn’t it?

And what about the Titanic fashions for your wedding?

Bridal shops like Raspberry Beret or costume shops will help you find the perfect Titanic-inspired gowns.

Of course, you can find a seamstress to make gowns for you and your bridesmaids. Find one who’s experienced in making period clothing like, The Very Merry Seamstress.

But be sure the dressmaker is reputable. You certainly don’t want your bridesmaid gown to end up looking like the one below. This dress was supposed to look like a blue version of Rose’s red dinner gown. This poor rendition would make any girl “jump,” if you know what I mean.

Rose\'s Dinner in Blue (vs. Red)

Check out Ebay and search for Titanic, Victorian, or Edwardian gowns to see your options. Many online stores on Ebay, like Romantic Threads might have what you are looking for.

Either way, it’s your day. It’s your groom’s day. Make it magical. Make it fun. Make it your own. And most of all…have fun!

–DivaKimbling

 

 

 

By DivaKimberly | Also posted in Career & Fashion, Weddings | Comments (0)

The Mississippi “Queen”

August 4, 2008 – 2:58 pm

There were only two of them – women skilled enough to read the ever changing twists and turns of the currents of the mighty Mississippi River and plot a riverboat over its often treacherous waters. One of those women was Mary Greene, wife of Captain Gordon Greene, owner of the Greene Lines steamship company. After riding the river at her husband’s side in the pilot house for six years, Mary was granted her pilot’s license in 1896.

To everyone’s surprise, at a time when railroads were cutting into the profits of the riverboats (also known as packet boats), Captain Mary’s boat, Argand, turned a tidy profit for the Greene Lines.

During her time on the river, Captain Mary gave birth to three sons. One of those sons, Tom, who later became a riverboat pilot, was born while her boat, The Greenland, was hung up on an ice jam.

When the riverboat business changed from cargo carriers to passenger vessels offering recreational cruises, Captain Mary came into her second element – the much beloved hostess of the passenger boats. People lined up to travel on Captain Mary’s vessels because she made it her business to see that those passengers who traveled on her boats were the recipients of her full hospitality.

In 1946, Captain Tom, her son, had the Delta Queen, a luxury steamship scheduled for demolition, towed through the Panama Canal from Sacramento to New Orleans. There, after it was refurbished and refitted for service, in 1948 the Delta Queen became the Greene Lines’ flagship and with Captain Mary at the helm was introduced to the public.

A year later, in Cabin G, her personal residence on the Delta Queen , Captain Mary died after having steered her beloved boats up and down the river for over sixty years.

The Delta Queen still plies the muddy waters of the Mississippi River today and there are those who claim that Mary stills lives onboard. Many have seen her ghost walking the companionways while seeing to the welfare of the Delta Queen as well as the guest traveling aboard her.

Blessings,

Diva Elizabeth

By DivaElizabeth | Comments (0)

Bear With Me . . .

June 25, 2008 – 11:26 am

I know the header for this topic is Outstanding Women, but because Father’s Day has just passed (I was out of town so I never got to celebrate it with mu husband), I thought we’d relax the rules and give the guys a shot at glory.

I’ve had a lot of really great men pass through my life: my dad, my three brothers, close friends, and teachers, and on occasion, even a passing stranger. All of which were outstanding in their own way. However, the one man who has risen to the top of the heap for me is my husband, Bob.

Before I sing his praises, let me make it perfectly clear that man has his flaws, lots of them. He deposits his shoes in the middle of the floor right next to the pile of dirty clothes; leaves my kitchen looking like a third world country after making a P&B sandwich; collects all manner things that he “might need later;” leaves cabinet doors and drawers open; snores like a big, old grizzly in hibernation . . . and the list goes on. But despite his masculine flaws, I would not trade him for “Mr. Perfect.”

Why? Because of his heart. No, he does have a heart condition, at least not one that could be detected by an EKG, and he doesn’t always wear it on his sleeve. It’s more the size of his heart where those he loves are concerned. Let me give you a couple of examples.

When I began writing back in 1985, he never said “IF” I got published. It was always “WHEN.” His faith in me, when I had so very little in myself, was astounding. Since then, he’s been at my side every minute, cheering me on, making sure my computer is working, being a sounding board for research and when I just want to whine about how unfair the publishing world can be at times.

Once, when I was attending a conference and he went with me, my roomie (he stayed at another hotel) found she’d forgotten her nightgown. Without being asked, he went out an bought her one. How many men you know would do that? But that’s him. He’s just always there when he’s needed. He doesn’t look for thanks or praise. He just takes it in stride as something he sees that needs doing and does it. That applies to me, his children and grandchildren, friends and sometimes total strangers.

I nicknamed him “The Golden Boy” years ago because everyone thought he could do no wrong. I could correct that misapprehension (she says with a sly smile), but who am I to destroy the illusion? As I told my daughter . . . I pick my battles, and having his support and love is a whole lot more important to me than closing a cabinet door or picking up his dirty underwear.

In retrospect, he’s probably not so different from a lot of the hubbies out there, but he’s very, very special to me. I’m gonna keep him.

Blessings,

Diva Elizabeth

By DivaElizabeth | Comments (0)

CYBERSTALKING

April 29, 2008 – 9:34 am

CYBERSTALKING

WHAT IT IS

WHAT IS DONE

ARE YOU A VICTIM?

WHAT YOU CAN DO

WHO CAN HELP

(FMI Visit: Cyberstalking )

At one time cyberstalkers–those who stalk someone via the Internet–was easy for a criminal to do and difficult for a victim to charge, prosecute and convict.

The advent of the Internet caused explosive changes in daily life and put lawmakers into a tailspin on what changes to make first. Immediate need became the byword of the day, and lawmaker’s actions followed suit.

But that time has passed, and today there are significant laws and legislation protecting victims–and more pending.

WHAT DO CYBERSTALKERS DO?

Many track or monitor a person. Groups and organizations, too, can become targets. A cyberstalker might make false accusations against the victim, might gather information and use it illegally (identity theft, solicitation, subscribing a victim to numerous spam lists, pornographic websites, or levy threats.) The purpose is typically to harass the victim and/or to damage his/her reputation.

Often the repeated behavior persists to the point that the stalker is directed (directly or through a third party, who may or may not be an authority) to cease and desist. Depending on the mental health of the stalker, and the depth of his/her obsession, the stalker either chooses to stop stalking or continues.

Of those who continue, many use an associate and/or friend, who might or might not be aware of the harassment and/or the warnings to the stalker to cease and desist and to leave the victim alone. In a real sense, they too become victims.

With cyberstalkers, the stalking isn’t normally a matter of any one action. In fact, singular actions might be legal ones. But the continuous pounding of action upon action upon action collectively completes a larger picture of the depth of a mental assault on the victim.

WHO IS A STALKER?

Some stalkers are strangers. Others know their victim.

Generally those who know their victim have no current relationship with the victim. Either they never did, or it ceased to exist some time ago, and the choice to sever well might have been the stalker’s decision.

Stalkers are notorious for making false accusations. For claiming they are the victim. For encouraging others to harass and/or make disparaging comments to or about the victim based on false information fed to them by the stalker.

Some take stalking even further, into attacks on data, infringing on copyrights, posting material in public forums under the victim’s name, claiming the victim’s identity. Even reprinting the victim’s material without express permission to do so. Some violate personal email by uploading it into a public forum without the author’s consent.

Still other stalkers cross over into deeper identity theft by placing orders in the victim’s name or participating in objectionable activities while impersonating the victim.

Understand that the cyberstalker is obsessed. What might have started as curiosity escalates to obsession.

WHAT IS THE CYBERSTALKER’S GOAL?

The stalker’s goal is to initiate contact where none exists.

I’m reminded of the child. To get attention, a child will attempt to gain attention through constructive means. But if that doesn’t work, the child will adopt destructive means. The end goal is attention. How it is obtained is insignificant to the stalker. A crucial difference worthy of note is that a cyberstalker might or might not be immature but s/he is not a child and his/her actions are far more destructive. (To the victim, but also to him/herself.)

CAN A CYBERSTALKER GET PHYSICAL?

Yes. It’s documented in the form of abusive phone calls, snail mail, packages left at residences by stalkers told to stay away (a mental home invasion). Reports have been made of vandalism, trespassing and even physical assault. Some say the deeper the stalker’s frustration at not being in control of the victim/situation or at having his/her attempts to contact thwarted, the greater the odds that frustration will escalate into more severe attacks.

IS THERE LEGAL RECOURSE?

Yes. Lawmakers have made strides to protect victims. Not surprisingly, California first put laws into effect in 1999. The State of Florida followed in placing a ban on cyberstalking in 2003. Many other states have followed. (So have many countries. Visit the notes section on the above link for more specifics.) That’s legislation on a state level. On a federal level, the lawmaker’s are still catching up, but they did address cyberstalking by incorporating it into stalking statues addressed in legislation passed in 2000.(1) So victims are not without protection.

DOES THE VICTIM ALWAYS KNOW S/HE IS A VICTIM OF CYBERSTALKING?

No. The victim well might not know s/he is being stalked. At least, not until the stalker’s obsession escalates. In some situations, however, the victim might know it from the start. Or s/he might know it but not identify the behavior as stalking until the stalker’s actions escalate to an obvious point.

Often, particularly in the case of sex offenders and/or those with malicious tendencies toward minors, the victim is not aware that they’re a victim until they are in significant danger from the stalker, which makes it imperative that parents and authority figures in minor’s lives educate them to the risks and warning signs. Armed with information and alerted to the warning signs, the kids then have a better chance to protect themselves and they know to alert parents and/or authority figures to potential dangers so that they might take steps to protect the children before they become victims.

WHAT IF YOU HAVE A PUBLIC PERSONAE?

If you have a public personae, it’s all the more important to be aware–or to get aware, and stay aware.

To get a complete listing of what you can do to protect yourself and your interests, visit your state’s website and/or contact local law enforcement.

Remember that cyberstalking isn’t typically a single event but a repetition of events that collectively constitute criminal activity. It isn’t a matter of threats being levied. Monitoring you is sufficient violation.

PUBLIC PERSONAE TIPS:

For a listing of things you can do to protect yourself and your interests, click here.

If you incorporate those tips, do what you can to avoid contact with the cyberstalker, then you’re taking reasonable measures to protect yourself and your interests.

If those reasonable measures do not work and the stalker persists, then you’ve got indisputable proof of actions in your records: Preventative actions you’ve taken, and hostile actions the stalker has taken.

The authorities then have what they need to do their jobs–and you can go back to living your life.

Most importantly, be aware. The Internet is a wonderful tool, but it can be used as a weapon.

Don’t willingly become a victim.*

_________________________

(1) See the FMI [for more information] URL above for more information/resources on domestic and foreign information on cyberstalking. Be sure to check the notes section for in-depth references.

©2008, Vicki Hinze

By DivaVicki | Also posted in Career & Fashion, Heart & Soul, Well-being & Fitness | Comments (0)

What I’m Reading Now: Lisa Williams

April 26, 2008 – 4:33 pm

Have you ever read a book, and while reading it, you just don’t want it to end?  You’re torn between reading slowly and savoring or whether to read it in a great gulp because you’re enjoying it so much?

That was the case for me with this memoir.

I first came across Lisa Williams a year ago on her Lifetime TV program.  I understand the show has since been canceled which I find disappointing since I discovered her so late.  In LIFE AMONG THE DEAD, Lisa details her past and reveals how she became a renowned psychic and clairvoyant.  I already liked her from her TV show, but after reading the book I’m a true fan.  She’s got such lovely energy!

 

LisaW

By DivaKC | Also posted in Books | Comments (0)

SELF-SABOTAGE: The Art of Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory

April 8, 2008 – 11:16 am

SELF-FULFILLED PROPHESY: THE ART OF WILLFULLY STRUCTURING EVENTS TO MANIFEST A PROJECTED OUTCOME.

 

 

It isn’t enough that we have to battle the rest of the world, we have to battle ourselves. And often we are not only our greatest critic, we are our worst enemy. We treat everyone else in the world–including strangers on the street–with more dignity and compassion and respect than we treat ourselves. Why is that? Why is it that everyone else deserves more and better and kindnesses and considerations that we feel we don’t deserve?

 

A huge part of it is due to upbringing and what we have adopted or has been forced upon us as appropriate conduct and social behavior. We’ve all heard some form of:

 

Be modest. Be humble. Be unassuming. Don’t get a big head. I made you, I can break you. You owe me. If it weren’t for me, you’d be nothing. I don’t care what you think, in my house, you’ll do as I say. Pretty is as pretty does. Never brag, it’s bad form. Don’t blow your own horn, toot your own whistle. You do you think you are? If I wanted your advice, I’d ask for it.

Loser. You can’t do that. You’re too __________ (fill in the blank).

 

Think back through your life. This goes back further: (color inside the lines; be seen, not heard; don’t cause a stir). What putdown or well intended behavior sapped the confidence right out of you? Made you feel small and insignificant? Hopeless? Helpless? Clueless or unworthy? Like a victim?

 

These types of things happen to all of us. Often, they were well intended and not meant to impact us they way they did, but they do. (Remember that saying about the road to hell being paved with good intentions? Well partly, no doubt, it got to be an often-repeated saying like this.)

 

Words carry power. We know that. And that definitely includes words spoken to us about us. Ones that impact us strongly, we carry with us. They help form and shape our opinions, our esteem, our behavior and our beliefs. We believe we can, odds are we can. We believe we can’t and we never will–and we will make that true because we believe it to be true. That’s self-fulfilled prophesy. And often to make it happen, we embrace self-sabotage.

 

 

An Example: An author has been writing one type of book for years. The market for that type book is dwindling and her editor recommends the author write a different type of book and makes several suggestions. The author refuses–and when contract renewal time comes around, author is told publisher will not be offering a new contract.

 

Author refused for any of a number of reasons. Didn’t like the type of books suggested. Had no interest in shifting to a new type novel. Feared change. Feared losing her existing reader base. The point is, regardless of the reason the author is now without a publisher.

 

A more blatant example: An author goes to a conference and at a luncheon complains to a table full of people about her publisher. An editor for that publisher is sitting at the next table and overhears her house being raked over the coals. Said editor reports this tongue-lashing in a public forum to author’s editor. How how enthused is said editor to work with said author?

 

We all take wrong steps. We try something that doesn’t work. We write something that doesn’t resonate. We plan and set expectations based on the information we have available but that information proves faulty. These are mistakes, yes, but not ones where we have through our own arrogance or ignorance or fears or other personal issue-based actions, shoot ourselves in the foot and cut ourselves off at the knees.

 

The discretion errors are most frequent. Or, I should say, the lack of discretion. Over the years, I’ve seen more authors sabotage their careers by exercising a lack of discretion than anything else. A little story to keep in mind:

 

Author A wrote for an Editor at a publishing company.

Author A had some very nasty things to say about another writer to Editor.

Editor spoke very little and formally–cautiously–to Author A because Author couldn’t be trusted to be discreet.

Author A was offended by Editor’s distance and had some very nasty things to say to Editor about it, then promptly went to the Editorial Director and asked to be assigned to a new Editor.

The request was refused.

Author A left the Publisher and wrote for a New Editor at a New Publisher.

Before Author A’s first book with New Publisher came out, her New Editor left the New Publisher for employment at a third Publisher.

New Publisher hired a replacement: Editor from Publisher.

 

So now Author A is with Original Editor at New Publisher. The Editor she said some very nasty things to and asked to reassigned away from.

 

Small world, publishing. And Editors move around to move up. Author A is in a tough spot. One she put herself in because of her lack of discretion. Net: self-sabotage. Can she recover: probably only if she looks for and secures a New New Editor at a New New Publisher.

 

Life would have been so much simpler for Author A had that author just be discreet.

 

Self-sabotage isn’t only seated in esteem and confidence and negative issues. It can also be seated in fear. Like the fear of success.

 

People driven by a dream will just about kill themselves to hit benchmarks that define for them success. They’ll climb the ladder, struggle and sacrifice and put in super-human effort to get up to the next rung. Their goal is in sight. They’re almost there. Almost to the pinnacle that has occupied their hopes and dreams and cost them so much and now–now they’re—

scared to death and decide they may not really want it, or that they definitely do not want it.

 

Suddenly unthought of facets come to life:

 

✦If I make that sale, people are actually going to read what I write. They might hate it, have ugly things to say about it–about me. I could be embarrassed, humiliated, rejected.

 

✦If I make that list, people are going to expect so much out of the book. What if it disappoints them. What if they bad-mouth me and it? My family, friends, everyone I know will hear all about it. I’ll look like a fool, an idiot. I could be hurt. My kids could be hurt or embarrassed or humiliated. Rejected.

 

✦The last book did so well. What if this one bombs?

 

✦I am going to be judged. I could be found wanting and/or rejected.

 

See how these things all tie back to self-esteem and image? Your perception of who you are and your place in your world, and in the worlds of others?

 

We all want to be loved and accepted. We all want our work, which is an extension of us, to be loved and accepted.

 

And it’s hard to open ourselves up for not being loved and accepted. But the simple fact is this:

 

Some will love and accept us.

Some will hate us and reject us.

And some will be indifferent.

 

Of all these things–think about this–indifference troubles us most.

 

Why? Because it jerks our chains and feeds those little nags in us that says we and what we are doing are insignificant.

 

You can go into broader analysis, but in my experience, when you do and then you dive deep, it takes you right back to this place. Maybe you need the journey to feel sure of that. Maybe you can take the word of one who has journeyed and taken that journey with many others. Regardless, you do need to grasp the reasons we sabotage ourselves and take constructive steps to resolve the underlying issues. Understand them. And stop doing it so that you can fulfill your potential.

 

How do you do that? There are many ways, I’m sure, but one I know works is by knowing what you need. And that will be the topic in Mistakes We Make, Part 8.

 

Blessings,

 

Vicki

 

© 2007-8, Vicki Hinze

By DivaVicki | Comments (0)

Vacationing in Florida? Watch Those Alligators!

February 17, 2008 – 11:17 am

Florida is a great place to visit. Kick back and relax on the powder white sand of its gorgeous beach line. Soak in the sun. Do a little kayaking. Visit any one of the numerous tourist attractions. Sometimes those tourist attractions include an up-close look at alligators.

 But what if those alligators come to you?

That’s right. Florida is an alligator’s natural habitat. So, if you find yourself picnicking at any one of the beautiful state parks and you see a sign near a lovely fresh-water pond saying, “Beware of Alligators,” then take heed.

In Florida, alligators can be found in almost any fresh-water waterway. In any given park. Sometimes residents will find one soaking up the sun in their own backyard. (Just ask Diva Kathy Carmichael…she’ll tell yah all about her experience!).

Quite honestly, if you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you. Try explaining that to your dog however. If you are travelling to Florida with your pet, it’s always a good idea to follow the leash laws and use dog runs when available. Many dogs love water and love to check out what’s floating out in that water. But if a dog gets too close to the water’s edge, it may make a nice lunch for the ‘gator.

Same goes for small children.

Breeding season takes place in April and May. This makes the alligators quite aggressive and protective of their nests. So, be extra careful during this time.

And what if you find yourself getting lunged at by an alligator who then suddenly charges toward you?  Zig zag. Alligators see straight ahead, but their peripheral vision isn’t good at all. So if you zig zag while you try to make your escape, then it can’t see you very well and you’ll increase your changes of survival.

But it’s best to view these amazing creatures in a controlled environment, like Busch Gardens in Tampa, FL.

 Say, if you do go on vacation with the kiddies, why not learn all you can about ‘gators for that next big school report? You can start at the Audubon website.

Either way…enjoy your stay! –DivaKimbling

By DivaKimberly | Also posted in Travel, Well-being & Fitness | Comments (0)

What I’m Reading Now

February 17, 2008 – 11:14 am

I’m currently reading a non-fiction book entitled WILL STORR VS. THE SUPERNATURAL and subtitled, One Man’s Search for the Truth about Ghosts.

WillStorr

This is a remarkably intriguing book.  While I’m admittedly an aficionado of all things ghostly and have hunted specters myself, the appeal of the book isn’t so much about these otherworldly creatures.  The reason the book is hard to put down is because of Will Storr’s search.  A journalist by trade, he admits to being a “proud hard rationalist,” which I take to mean at the least an agnostic.  When he’s thrown into the realm of the supernatural, it’s his search for meaning that grabs me by the arm and tugs me along on his investigations.

Perhaps his spiritual journey is a substitute for my own.  I can’t help but root for Will to find meaning and substance as he meets various ghost hunters, psychologists, and philosophers.  Maybe my anxious wish for him to find proof of something beyond humanity’s five senses is in fact evidence of my own desire for the same.

I highly recommend this book, whether you are interested in ghosts or are on a spiritual journey of your own.

By Kathy | Also posted in Books | Comments (0)

For the Bookish Traveler

February 8, 2008 – 2:42 pm

Taking A Novel Approach to Your Vacation

By Checking out the Local Bookstores

Can you judge a book by its cover? Or a store by its window display? Not always, but you can get to know a region and its locals fast just by walking through the door of an area’s local bookshop. Independent bookstores are run by book lovers who can literally “handsell” you the perfect book based on your needs and wants. This kind of bookseller knows the store, right down to its every crack and cranny, and really gets to know the customers’ tastes, even anticipating the kind of books regular customers want. So on your travels, seek out the local independent bookshop to get a flavor of the area and its people.

So what qualities make the independent bookstore special and different? The staff’s passion for, and uncanny knowledge of, books is one. The personal attention is a close second. Third, is the individual personality of each store. From the quaint bookstores like Inkwood Books in Tampa, FL to the impressively-sized stores like Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Charlotte, NC, these bookshops run the gamut in size, character, architecture, and even specialty (e.g., children, feminist, political, metaphysical, mystery, new age, romance, scholarly).

Are you vacationing and looking for an afternoon of fun? Or maybe you’re in town on business and have a little free time? Check out the events schedule of the nearby bookshop by calling the store, picking up their newsletter, or checking the store’s web site. These events, including lectures and workshops, are free to the public (great for any budget) and you never know who will be there. Well known celebrities and authors such as Dave Barry, Ann Coulter, Michael Crichton, Janet Evanovich, Michael Lewis, James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks, and others like Mike Litka and Meg Tilly often have national book tours coinciding with their book releases.

While visiting an independent bookshop, be sure to check out the shelves touting signs like, Staff Picks. These are books the employees have read and love and want to share with readers. Also note the bookshelves labeled Local or Regional. This section displays books offering great insight into the region and local tastes. And while you’re there, don’t hesitate to ask a staff person about the best sightseeing or local venues that are worth your time and will meet your expectations.

Also check out the section labeled, Local Authors. Want to follow the literary trail of a famous author living or dead? Most regions proudly boast their share of notable authors or settings made famous by a best-selling novel and their local shops often have a space dedicated to that one writer or group of writers. Going to Atlanta, GA? Many novels, such as Gone With the Wind, are set in Georgia and many local bookstores, such as the Chapter 11 Books, are there to assist the bookish traveler wanting to learn all about the author, Margaret Mitchell, and her famous character, Scarlet O’Hara.

Or, if you’re in the nearby state of North Carolina mountain-hiking or touring the Biltmore Estate, be sure to visit Malaprops Bookstore in Asheville. After browsing bookstore shelves, relax in the store’s café while reading the works of the historic resident author, Thomas Wolfe.

If you’re traveling the northeast and find yourself vacationing in the villages of East or South Hampton, New York, visit one of the BookHampton stores on Long Island Sound. Known for scholarly books as well as the best sellers, BookHampton is a mainstay in a town with lots of retail shops that tend to come and go.

“Oh, yeah, we get a lot of out-of-town readers who come in and quietly browse as well as the regulars, who come in often and ask, ‘What’s good?’ We’re a part of the community and residents are confident we’re here for them,” says night manager, Justin Martin, who’s worked at BookHampton since 1996. “And apparently our recommendations are pretty good because they tell us they’re glad we’re still here…have yet to throw a book back at us.”

If you are visiting New England, you won’t be disappointed by the independent bookshops throughout the region. Find yourself in Boston, Massachusetts? Stop in at Porter Square Books, located in Cambridge and enjoy a soothing cup of tea after checking out their selection. From Boston, head north to Salem and check out Cornerstone Books along with the other local attractions. While there, you can browse the popular books, then rediscover classic stories by the city’s historical literary resident, Nathaniel Hawthorne, in between visits to museums and famous homes like the House of Seven Gables.

Do you love historical books? Then head west from Boston to Concord. Get your fill of the history along with your share of literary musings at the Concord Bookshop, before touring the homes of authors like Louisa May Alcott and Ralph Waldo Emerson, as well as strolling along Walden Pond made famous by transcendental writer Henry David Thoreau.

Other parts of the country have their share of great bookstores, as well. Are you interested in politics and visiting Washington DC? By all means, drop in at Politics and Prose. If you’re in the Chicago, IL area, breeze into Sandmeyer’s Bookstore, Transitions Bookplace, or 57th Street Books. On vacation in Florida? Visit any of the Books & Books stores in the Miami area. They offer great beach reads and more, along with any of the numerous bookshops along the Florida coastline.

If you’re headed west for a little skiing near Denver, CO, slip into any of the three Tattered Cover Book Stores. They take “catering to the reader” to new heights.

“We get all kinds of tourists, a lot of them are book lovers who specifically like to hang out in unique bookstores. And even those who are not terribly bookish come here out of interest,” explains Andrea Phillips, a manager at Tattered Cover Book Store, who’s worked there since 1993.

Independent bookstores put a lot of forethought into meeting customers’ needs. In addition to an active speaker schedule, Tattered Cover offers plenty of extras for visitors and travelers, from wireless internet, to a café, to book clubs, to inviting surroundings that make you want to relax and linger among the shelves.

“We are all about customer service. We are very warm and comfy here and encourage you to sit and enjoy the store,” Phillips says.

And that’s just what visitors do, from travelers with a layover from the nearby train station at the Colfax Avenue store to the visitors at the Historical Lo Do store who pop in while checking out the nightlife or attending nearby sporting events or concerts.

“It gets pretty lively at the Lo Do store,” Phillips says with a light laugh. “And you can go from store to store with the public transportation in a matter of minutes.”

But what if you’re traveling further out, say, on the West Coast? From Washington State to Southern California, choices abound when it comes to independent bookstores. Seattle, WA, known as a “well read” and “literate” city, is home to many shops, including Square One Books and Elliott Bay Book Company. You can’t go to Portland, OR without coming across one of the five famous Powell’s Bookstores, each offering its own distinct specialty. Most notable is Powell’s City of Books, the largest new and used bookstore in the world. Because of its mammoth size, the store comes with a color-coded map; it has its own rare book room, parking garage, and art gallery that hosts exhibits and acclaimed-author events. If the City of Books sounds overwhelming, try one of their smaller stores, like Powell’s Books on Hawthorne (”smaller” being a relative term!).

The most important element that distinguishes the independent bookstore from other stores is every staff member’s genuine, undeniable love of reading and books. This is evident the moment you enter the shop. Whether in a glitzy, glass-encased new building, a venerable-but-renovated theater, or a historic two-story building with creaky stairs, they all share the same thing: a passion for what they do. The next time you walk into a bookstore at your favorite destination, notice throughout the store the numerous handwritten tags jutting out from the bookshelves. They’re called shelf-talkers. Check them out. These tags list comments about a book read by a staff member who wants to share something special. After all, bookstore staff members are first and foremost readers.

Although not fortunetellers, independent booksellers do know what great books are coming down the pike. They sense and anticipate reading trends. They often receive advance reading copies of books and share their enthusiasm for these new books with customers. A bookseller will even tuck a novel aside, just knowing that a particular customer will want it right away. Are you looking for a hot, sizzling romance novel? Or maybe a tender story that leaves you warm and fuzzy? A mystery? Or a literary novel that you can sink your teeth into? How about an inside look at the world of stock car racing? Or maybe a book on finance that other regulars have found helpful? The independent bookseller will know exactly which books to put in your hand, hence the term “handselling.”

Because so many independent bookstores today are competing with the larger chains, they work extra hard to meet customers’ needs. In addition to offering warm welcoming environments, a bookstore’s staff dreams up more and more creative activities for the entire family, whether it be craft classes, workshops, lectures, radio shows, multi-author autograph parties, or book and writers’ groups. Want to learn to knit? How about caring for your dog? Planning a wedding? Ready to write that novel? Need to entertain the kiddies? They offer these events not only to sell books but to share their passion for everything literary and create a sense of community.

“We have all kinds of speakers visit the store, from authors, to experts, to politicians. The local hotels even have us listed,” explains Phillips of Tattered Cover Book Store.

By the way, if you’re unattached, these bookstores have become a literary hotbed (excuse the pun) of activity for singles. It’s a place to mingle with other book lovers, discuss the latest New York Times Best Seller, and take a moment to savor a cup of coffee while meeting others who enjoy books just as much as you do. Discussing an intriguing book clutched in the hand of an interesting person is the perfect icebreaker when striking up a conversation with someone new.

By now, perhaps you’re planning your next vacation or business trip and can’t wait to visit an area’s local bookshop. How do you find one fast? The independent booksellers have formed an organization called Book Sense, which lists bookstores nationwide at their web site, www.booksense.com. Go to the site, click on “Find a Store” and then type in the zip code or click on “Advanced Search” and type in the city and state. A generated list pops of the area’s bookstores pops up, along with pertinent information such as address, telephone number, map, individual web site, and more.

What about getting to the store? If you’re without wheels, check out local transportation via train, bus, commuter rail, and yes, even by trolley. That’s right, some bookstores are located near bus- and trolley-tour stops, especially in towns like Martha’s Vineyard, MA that have their share of tourism. Just ask the book-selling staff at Bunch of Grapes Books in Vineyard Haven, located on Martha’s Vineyard, MA. They often greet enthusiastic visitors who come right in directly from the bus tour stop across the street from the shop.

Better yet, why not go on an organized bookstore tour? California, New York, and Washington DC are just some of the places that offer you the chance to climb aboard a tour bus with fifty other avid readers and escort you to bookstores. Whether it’s part of a vacation or a weekend getaway, the bookstore tour is a book lover’s dream. Check out www.bookstoretourism.com for upcoming trips. Also handy is the Bookstore Tourism Travel Journal for Book Addicts on the Go by Larry Portzline (Bookshop Junkie Press, 2005, ISBN 0975893416).

Whether you’re a passionate book lover or an occasional vacation reader, nothing beats that friendly welcome feeling of being surrounded by books. So, next time you’re exploring a new locale, get that warm welcoming feeling time and again just by strolling through the doors of an independent bookseller at your favorite travel destination.

By DivaKimberly | Also posted in Heart & Soul, Travel | Comments (1)

Sunken Gardens, St Petersburg, FL

February 7, 2008 – 10:53 am

sunkenflower

The 100-year-old living museum is one of the most beautiful locations in the Tampa Bay area and this oasis is situated in busy downtown St. Petersburg.  It features lush flowering gardens, with some of the oldest tropical plants in the state, waterfalls, a butterfly garden, bromeliads, orchids, colorful tropical birds and even a wedding lawn.

sunkenterri

My sister, Terri, and I recently visited and featured here are some of the photos I took during our trip in late January.  As you can see, the flowers were in full bloom despite the time of year.  As we traversed the winding paths through the gardens, we completely lost all sense of time. 

sunkenflamingo

The city of St Petersburg now owns Sunken Gardens and has put money into adding additional plants and features.  They built a new information center housed inside the same building as a new children’s museum called Great Explorations.

If you’re looking to treat your senses, you won’t want to miss the Sunken Gardens.

By DivaKC | Also posted in Travel | Comments (0)