Belmont Stakes 2013 with my dapper Phoenix

 

 

 

Phoenix's hat for the Belmont Stakes 2013

Phoenix's hat for the Belmont Stakes, got the trimmings at M&J Trimming www.mjtrim.com on 6th Avenue and the hat is from Children's Place

 

A new book of Nursery Rhymes because it's been 25 years

Jeez I haven't sung a nursery rhyme in so long, like 25 years! Which is why we picked up a cute book of nursery rhymes today after story-time at the fabulous and creative, unique and totally different book store Barefoot Books in FAO Schwartz today. Earlier this week we read another cute Barefoot Book together called Star Seeker, we will be featuring it along with other Barefoot Book favorites, coming up! 

The Uppababy G-Luxe is a keeper

Tried out our UPPAbaby G-Luxe yesterday, it's a keeper, besides that Phoenix threw his bottle and lost a sock (last I knew he was eating it and I guess ripped it off and flicked it on the street) but it was a smooth ride, up curbs and all. Will be good for trips around neighborhood but does kind of feel like, "there's the world in your face kid," not the type of protection the Britax b-agile provides, but this is a handy dandy lightweight umbrella type stroller that I feel Phoenix will cruising in well. Prob will be good summer time stroller for us. By the way I hunt daily for bottles on the street, it's like it's an Easter Egg hunt, I walked back 3 blocks to chase down that sock today, a man on his bike was parking next to it and he just about rolled over it but I snatched it up cause I love those socks!

 

 

 

The Brave Cowboy: a lot more than a children's book with guns

Phoenix holding the book The Brave Cowboy in Madison Square Park recently

Honestly, even though the little boy wears a two gun holster, I really enjoyed The Brave Cowboy by Joan Walsh Anlund and plan to read it over and over to Phoenix.

The book shares black ink illustrations and in red ink the illustrations represent the boys imagination: The boy sits on a fence with a rope tied to a small bush, but how the boy sees it (shown in red ink) is he is sitting on a horse roping a bull.

The Brave Cowboy is very clever and made me have an inside giggle while reading it to Phoenix, and the creativity in this book reminds me a little of Harold & the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. 

Yes, there are guns in this children's book, perhaps they are toy guns, if that makes a difference, but I personally can't imagine a brave cowboy without a gun, but let's keep in mind this book is about a boy and his cowboy dream, and let's also consider that guns are a part of American history which we can't deny.

My husband is from Texas and the boy and his two holster belt hardly phases him, but I can understand how a children's book with the main character having a two holster belt can be alarming, but the cute and charming story of this little boy with an active mind and an adventurous spirit stands out to me more in the story. It's about how you read it to your baby and what YOU make more important while reading too. The fact that the boy has a gun might be too much for you though, which is understandable in our current state of gun control.

It's up to us not to use guns to kill each other, it's up to us to make the choices we make.

Perhaps the guns themselves could have been a part of the boys imagination but the gun is not the focus of the book, it is something as a parent you will notice, for sure, but you'll be surprised how the boys imagination puts the gun itself in the background during his adventures around his house and town as a sweet helpful  and brave cowboy.  I hope you still consider this book as a fun and memorable read for your child, especially those with kids who are creative and active and always tinkering around and creating fun in their own way.

The Brave Cowboy on Amazon.com

The Brave Cowboy on BN.com

 

Prom dress photo contest to win a signed copy of my YA novel Careful

 

 

 

My text message to Phoenix wouldn’t matter now. It was too late. Even though I sent him a “yes” an hour before, we wouldn’t be going to prom. There wasn’t even a chance that I could be saved. It was February 12th, and I was dead.  ~Estella, chapter 1 of Careful

 

In my YA novel Careful, the first book of the Careful, Quiet, Invisible series, Estella tragically dies in a texting and driving crash the day she tried on her prom dress with her best friends Zara, Jett and Eva. In memory of Estella I'm holding a photo contest based on the prom dresses of the main characters in the book!

Win a signed copy of Careful by submitting to the prom dress photo contest!

Contest Details:
 

 Did you wear white as your prom dress like Estella? Or pink like Zara or black (with sequins) like Jett or choose a purple/ plum color like Eva. Submit a pic of your prom dress that matches a character for a chance to win a signed copy of Careful. Submit your prom dress pic by email petitepride@yahoo.com or tag me in a photo on Facebook or share the image with me on Twitter.

It would be cool to get submissions for each character so I can give away 4 books!


 

 

 

Contest Starts Today!

Ends Tuesday June 11th 2013

 

You can read an excerpt in Careful based on the girls prom dress shopping here. 

 

Here are pins similar to the dresses the characters wore in the book.

 

Estella's white dress on pinterest

Jett's black dress on pinterest

Eva's purple/plum colored dress on pinterest

Zara's pink dress on pinterest

WATCH THE BOOK TRAILER HERE

LISTEN TO PODCAST READINGS HERE

 

 

Boston: Make way for ducklings and more!

One of the big highlights of our weekend in Boston was visiting the Public Gardens, the location where the book Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey.

I loved how the beautiful public gardens are seen in the book and you can ride the swan boats and there were even baby ducklings and it's an adorable park to bring your baby and take photos too.


Live the book!

We also enjoyed the aquarium, a whale watch tour, a trolley tour too!