FRIDAY POTPOURRI: FAIRYTALES, MAGIC, & GUILTY PLEASURES

Madeline Hatter (above, and in my new header) recently joined my family of dolls and assorted fairytale images, and I know that I did a little post about her a few weeks ago, when I wrote about A Quest for Alice, my Wonderland doll who has taken up residence in my bins….but obsessions like these seem to rear up every now and then.

 

Why the obsession with fairytales?  Is it more than just a “second childhood” for me?

I loved fairytales as a child, but my only exposure to them came when I wandered through the connecting orchards that separated my childhood home from that of my aunt and uncle.  My aunt had lovely, richly illustrated fairytale tomes, and I was allowed to leaf through them at will.

There was a certain freedom in being able to just take off and wander…and I don’t think my parents thought there was anything worrisome about these travels of mine.  They didn’t have the time (or patience, I suspect) to yield to my quest for fantasies such as fairytales.

And for me, the little quests were even more gratifying due to their secrecy.  Perhaps I wouldn’t savor them so completely now, if I had had free rein to pursue them then.

Who knows?  At any rate, my doll and fairytale collections are a way to enjoy what was forbidden in the past.

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In the present, I also savor little jaunts to neighboring malls and restaurants to enjoy a lunch with an old friend.  We visited The Cheesecake Factory, where we talked and ate for hours.  I had a Hibiscus Martini and some bread while I waited for my friend to arrive.

 

My salad came later….This salad in the photo looks HUGE, but it was actually a miniature one…lol.

 

 

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When I got home, I looked around, as I usually do, taking in the various collections that I enjoy…

 

 

 

And resumed reading this captivating book, about a single mom with a teenage daughter…who meets a handsome contractor who will renovate her 70s-style kitchen.  Just Say Yes, by Alyssa Goodnight, is delightful so far.

 

 

He’s just what she needs…

Single mom Jade Moran isn’t ready for any big changes in either her horrible ’70s kitchen or her romantic life. Her ex did a number on her, and she isn’t interested in getting hurt again. But when she meets a super-hot contractor, she wonders if avocado appliances are on the way out and romance is on the way in.

Max Gianopoulis doesn’t have a clue why he’s so enchanted by Jade. She’s almost as big a mess as her kitchen, and he’s a guy who likes to keep things simple. He let himself get involved with a previous client, and he’s not interested in repeating the experience. But Jade has turned up the flirty heat – and he can’t keep his hands off her.

With everything moving too fast and coming too easy, Jade’s insecurities kick into high gear. She’s not sure she can trust another man again – and she definitely doesn’t believe in magic.

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Ah, magic…fairytales…is there a theme here?  What are your guilty pleasures?

Filed under My Guilty Pleasures.

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