Walk-n-Roll for Spina Bifida

I’m participating in this blog carnival to support the tireless advocate for Spina Bifida, Laurita Tellado. October is Spina Bifida Awareness month, so read on and learn.

October is an eerie month, filled with monsters, mummies, and the macabre. But while the occasional witch or skeleton might freak you out, one must concede that there are indeed more frightening things– like finding out your child will be born with spina bifida.

And yet, each day in the U.S., an average of eight families welcome a child with spina bifida into the world. Annually, an estimated 1,500 infants are born with spina bifida each year in the U.S.

I was born with spina bifida nearly two and a half decades ago. The diagnosis came as a total shock to my family, along with an entire set of secondary complications. I was also born with hydrocephalus, or “water on the brain.” During the first ten years of my life, it seemed I was in the hospital every other week with a bladder infection or shunt malfunction. I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t really scary at times.

But then, at age ten, I discovered a fantastic way to defeat my worst fears– knowledge. I vowed I would educate myself and read up on the condition that, up until that point, seemed to be taking over my life. Much like a child who imagines a ghost is in his closet, grabs a flashlight and realizes it’s only an old coat, I had come to the realization that, when you take the time to learn about something, no matter how terrifying it may seem at first, everything is less scary in the light of knowledge.

According to the Spina Bifida Association of America, “spina bifida remains the most commonly occurring birth defect in this country.” Just how common is it overall? PubMed Health, the Web site of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, reported in March of this year: “Myelomeningocele [the most severe form of spina bifida] may affect as many as 1 out of every 800 infants.”

As a 21-year member of the Spina Bifida Association of Central Florida, I’m doing my part to shed light on this condition by raising money for the Walk-N-Roll for Spina Bifida. When my parents and I moved from Puerto Rico to Orlando, Florida in search of better educational and healthcare opportunities for me in 1990, we found a support system away from our family and homeland in joining the SBACFL. My personal search for a public spokesperson for the spina bifida cause, as well as my work as a current member of the SBACFL board of directors, have helped me find my true purpose– galvanizing as many people as possible to support the spina bifida community.

So, in the spirit of shedding light on a little-known condition, and in honor of October, which is Spina Bifida Awareness Month, here are some statistics about spina bifida that might spook you a bit:

• Spina bifida is more common than muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and cystic fibrosis combined.

• Latinos have the highest incidence of spina bifida out of all the ethnic groups.

• Ireland is the country with the highest incidence of spina bifida in the world.

• About 50 percent of babies with spina bifida areselectively aborted after being diagnosed with spina bifida.

• Doctors recommend that every woman of childbearing age consume 400 micrograms of folic acid daily to help prevent neural tube defects like spina bifida up to 70 percent of the time. In spite of this, there are currently an estimated 166,000people in the U.S. living with spina bifida– up from just 76,000 just last year.

• About 90 percent of people with spina bifida are also born with hydrocephalus. Many need a shunt inserted near the brain to drain the excess cerebrospinal fluid– and many requiremultiple shunt replacements during their lives.

• Other very common secondary conditions include bladder and bowel incontinence, as well as frequent urinary tract infections.

• After the onset of puberty, young people with spina bifida are more prone to clinical depression than most people. Researchers think this may be due in part to social isolation.

Being able to share this information with all of you today is without a doubt the most empowering and inspiring aspect of my life. I’d love nothing more than to give you that very sense of empowerment. Please publish this post on your own Web site(s), and feel free to add your own personal intro that will make it relevant to your blog followers. As many people as I’ve managed to rally in support of this cause, you have an advantage that I don’t–your audience. So, please share this information with everyone you come into contact with.

Below is a video that explains just why the Spina Bifida Association of Central Florida means so much to me, and why I’m participating in the Walk-N-Roll.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIpzk_1ICX4]

I will be raising money online for Team Holdin’ Out for a Hero until October 29th, when we have our Walk-N-Roll event. Donations can be as small as $5 or as large as $50,000. (Yes, I do like the $50,000 better!) Every cent counts! Every cent of every dollar will go towards supporting families affected by spina bifida in 22 counties in and around the Central Florida region and supporting educational and awareness efforts.

Yes, to the new parent, or even to the already-grown individual, spina bifida can seem like a scary thing to deal with. But there’s a power in numbers and a strength in awareness– a strength that gives us the courage to open the closet, shine the light in the ghost’s face, and reduce it to nothing but an old coat.

Thank you for helping me conquer my biggest fear– ignorance of spina bifida.

~ Laurita Tellado, HoldinOutforaHero.org

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Social Good & Your Phone (Sponsored post)

The economy is horrid, jobs few and far between, and yet every day I see that people just aren’t out for themselves, they are doing social good in some way.  Whether it be a greener planet, helping someone out with a resume or lead, or Tweeting for donations to a cause, people care and are working hard for good causes.

Our phones are helping. Mobile has become an increasingly strong way to solve the world’s problems.  According to CITA, as of June 2011, there were 327.6 million mobile subscriptions in the United States alone.  That’s a lot of phones! I’m not sure how many are smart phones, but I’d say an awful lot.

Everywhere I go, I see people on their smartphones.  Buses, trains, in the park and at the grocery store mobile apps are in play.  For social good, there are a ton of apps.  There are even books about doing social good via your mobile phone.  In fact, an upcoming book tour hopes to raise $30,000 for non-profits.

Want to do a little good in the world?  Check your app store.  There are more and more apps each day for doing socially responsible and good things.  Here’s a quick list of ten handy social good apps.

Social influencers should absolutely being doing good.  For one thing, people are watching, listening on Twitter and Facebook as well as blogs and around the web.  By influencers doing good, others follow.  Nothing like paying it forward…

For me here at AmoXcalli, my passion is books, literacy, and libraries.  Currently, RIF (Reading is Fundamental) is one of my favorite charities.  As far as I know, they don’t have a mobile app yet for donations that I know of, but I hope they get one soon.

*This is a LATISM sponsored campaign.  Thoughts and opinions are my own.

La Casa Azul Bookstore

About seven years ago at Book Expo America in New York, I met a tiny dynamo named Aurora Anaya-Cerda.  I remember that meeting vividly because we talked about our mutual love of books and Latino literature, the Latino Book Awards ceremony we’d just come from and her determination to build a bookstore serving an underserved community.  She stayed in my head long after my plane had touched ground at LAX.

We’ve kept in touch.  Not like friends do, but occasionally, I’d get newsletters, news of her activities.  When she couldn’t open the brick and mortar store she’d wanted, she found another way.  She started selling books online and literally handselling them via her newsletters.  I kept hearing about her.  She found ways to be relevant, connected and always, she championed her bookstore.  I admired that.

I found her on Twitter and follow her.  I’ve been watching her stream.  She’s as determined as ever to open that store in East Harlem and this time, she’s got a darned good chance of doing it.  She’s managed to raise a little over $33,000 of the $40,000 needed to open her store and I want to help.  I can’t help with the extra money she needs, but I can ask everyone that reads this blog to donate a few dollars and pass on to everyone they know.  This community of book lovers can do it.  We NEED our bookstores.  We need them.  Our kids need them.

So donate a dollar or five or ten.  If you have a hundred to spare, donate that.  Let’s help Aurora get her store.  She is the most fiesty champion of the written word, you’ll ever meet and if you love books, support Aurora and her dream of a bookstore. There are only five days left to raise the money and you can donate here.

About Aurora:

Aurora Anaya-Cerda is the owner of La Casa Azul Bookstore, an online bookstore that promotes Latino literature. Since the launch of the virtual bookstore, Aurora has established the Barrio Book Club, in collaboration with El Museo del Barrio in New York City. August 2011 marked the 3^rd anniversary of the Barrio Book Club, a gathering place for lovers of Latino literature. La Casa Azul Bookstore also travels with local writers and hosts reading and book talks at cultural venues in New York.

Shelter Puppies

Shelter Puppies

US $19.95, CAN $21.95, UK £12.95
Hardback, 96 pages
80 illustrations / 65 in color
24 x 21.5 cm (9.5 x 8.5 in)
ISBN: 978-1-8589-4560-6
Merrell Publishers

CUTE ALERT!

I have to say that this is one of the cutest books I’ve run into in a long, long time.  Each page is graced with the most adorable little puppy faces and you can’t help but fall in love (unless you hate puppies).  The photography is beautiful, well lit and I’m still wondering how the photographer got those puppies to stand for the photos.  The expressions on some of the faces just make you want to run to your nearest shelter and scoop them up.

My six-year old grandson Aiden refuses to let the book go.  He sleeps with it each night and every chance he gets, he runs to me to show me another adorable puppy in it.  ”Grammy,” he says.  ”Isn’t this one just so adorable?  I want this one, no that one.”  Every time I see him, he has a new favorite.  Even though the book is geared for adults to draw interest to local shelters, it works well as a picture book and any child will fall in love with it.

Proceeds from every copy sold in the US will benefit the American Society for the Prevention of the Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)

Shelter Puppies would make an excellent Christmas gift for any animal or dog lover in your life and with a portion of the proceeds of sales going to the ASPCA, you can give a little goodwill with your purchase.  Seriously, how can you deny these little guys?

As cute as these puppies are though, the book is a sobering reminder of just how many puppies are left and abandoned in shelters each year.  Most local shelters are overloaded, overcrowded and underfunded.  Living here in Los Angeles, I often see strays roaming and if we didn’t have so many rescue angels out there, it would be much worse.  My dog Ozzy was a rescue from a teenager who was trying to get rid of a full litter outside of a Target store.  The first thing we did after getting him, was take him to the vet, where we found he was under-nourished, taken away from his mother too soon and he wasn’t expected to survive.  Bottle feeding and extreme babying got him through and he lived for a few years, but always had health problems.

Please remember to spay or neuter your pets, and if you’re shopping for a dog, do try to support your local shelters.

About the Author

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book from the publisher and it was promptly scooped up by my grandson.

Cybils: Year Six

Now We Are Six.

I’ve been with the Cybils since the beginning when I timidly raised my hand as a volunteer panelist.  Since then, the Cybils have grown with all the force of a young child, springing all too rapidly into young adulthood.  We’re still relatively young.  Six years old isn’t so very big, but grown up enough to see the world outside in new and adventurous ways.

I’m taking a huge step this year becoming, not a panelist but an organizer (hushed tones) in the Non-fiction Middle Grade and YA category.  That’ll teach me not to open my big mouth in front of Anne Levy, who like my sixth grade math teacher, called me up to the front of the class when I half-heartedly volunteered.  We call it Defense of the Dark Arts category, because no one organizer has ever been back for a second year.  It may even be the death of me…

So far though, I am loving it. Non-fiction is a love of mine, but children’s non-fiction is a mystery to me.  I’m learning a lot.   Just picking out my panel was a learning experience and thank the book Gods (and help from Fiona), I’ve managed to assemble a rock star group of panelists and judges who know far more than me.  That’s good. One of my old business mentors at Disney always told me, “Gina, I always hire people smarter than myself so that I can learn from them.”  She had it right.  I’m learning from a panel far smarter than myself.

The panelists are burrowed in for the Fall, deep into books (76 in total at close of nominations); the organizers are discussing things learned this round of nominations, our panels, books that may or may not be moved from one category to another and working with our panelists to keep their spirits up, make sure they are finding the books they need and once in a while, we pop up for air.  We all work double or triple duty.  We’re organizers, we’re publisher liasions, we’re social media community management, we’re email readers, we’re morale lifters, etc.  This is a LOT of work but so fun and so worth it.

I think I may defy the Non-Fiction curse and stay another year if they’ll have me.

Education Week & Books (Sponsored Post)

AmoXcalli is about books and reading.  Looking at it, you’ll think “oh another book blog” and you’ll be right.  Look deeper.  It’s much more than that.  Books are the keys to education.  If a child loves books, that child will grow up to have a thirst and hunger for knowledge and education.  I’m living proof of that.

I learned of the world outside of my little block from books.  I traveled to Oz, Narnia, the Mushroom Planet, Arabia.  I spent time on magic carpets and walked the moors of Wales.  I felt Oliver Twist’s hunger and I waited for a secret garden to come to life.  Those books of my youth led me to rely on books for knowledge.  Though I didn’t finish high school, I got along just fine because of what I learned in books.  I could carry an intelligent conversation, sail through a job interview, learn how to be computer literate.

Books are more than just stories.  They are tools of learning.  Even the most simple story, teaches us something and expands our world or transforms it into something different.  As a Latina woman, I’ve been lucky to be able to read in both languages and try to read as much as I can in Spanish.  I am now avidly reading Univision’s Educate site for the great articles on education.  The website is in Spanish (though you can use Google Translate) and is a wealth of information on how to prepare for college, cost calculators, encouraging videos on education, inspirational stories, etc.  It is a great way to read up on education for the Latino community and they even provide scholarships for Latino students.

I’m hoping soon there will be a book section and am looking forward to expanding my knowledge of Spanish by utilizing the site.

*This is a LATISM sponsored post. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

On Being a Bookworm

I can’t remember exactly when I fell in love with books.  It was early on that’s for sure, but my real, honest to goodness love affair with books began when my mother moved to an apartment building a half block away from a Los Angeles Public Library.  I found it first.  It was at the end of our street in a small circle with a little park.  My sisters immediately headed for the swings in the park, but I wandered to the library and opened the door.

Libraries smell like knowledge. There is that wonderful smell of paper, ink, books.  This little library was almost empty when I went in.  The librarian was really friendly and welcoming.  She invited me to browse and gave me information about a Summer Reading Program where you earned stickers or something like that (memory is fading) in return for reading and writing book reports.  I was instantly obsessed.  I read book after book; wrote book report after book report and pulled myself up to the top of the leaderboard (ok so it was a piece of paper).  By the end of the summer, I was firmly obsessed with books and reading.  I’d become a bookworm.

My sisters never shared my fascination.  ”Gina’s always reading her dumb books” they’d say and laugh.  I didn’t care.  I buried myself in deeper and expanded my wanderings to more libraries, bigger ones and school libraries.  I seemed to live and breathe in libraries.  I found out about used bookstores and spent a crazy amount of time at the Brand Bookshop (still around) in Glendale, sitting amongst the stacks of books.  I got savvy about trading in books for store credit and getting more books.  My mother was often angry at my rapidly growing collection of books.

I grew up and books always had a huge place in my houses or apartments.  First thing I look at when visiting someone’s house? The bookshelves.  I’ve turned down dates with guys because they say (insert horrified gasp here) that they don’t read books.  Ack. We’d never get along.  I bought a huge bed just to have room for my books and notebooks because I always fall asleep with a book or two in hand.  Nightstand/bookshelves are a necessity.  Looking for a place to live the first things I think are “is the kitchen big enough and is there room for my books.”  My children HATE when I move because they know they are going to be lifting box after box after box of books.

I started this blog out of a love of books. It’s my own personal book report of the books that find their way into my life.  I have grandchildren now and they are avid readers, a fact my children parade in front of me because they know that will make me melt.  I read on Kindle, Nook, Android aps on my phone, hardcover and paperback.

Over the years I’ve met others with my obsessive love for books and felt a deep kinship. Growing up there weren’t many of us in my neighborhood.  I think I was the only one.  With the blog and social media, I’ve found there’s lots and lots of us and that’s a wonderful thing.

I am beginning my sixth year with the Cybils this year.  This year, I am an organizer for the Non-fiction Middle Grade and YA category and I’m learning a lot.  I’ve managed to assemble a mighty strong panel filled with people who are even more obsessed with books than I am.  It’s going to be a wild ride and I’m thrilled to be taking it with a bunch of fellow bookworms and library lovers.

Univision’s Es El Momento Program for Education

When I was growing up in a poor Latino neighborhood, books were considered luxos (luxuries).  While education was important and we were encouraged to go to school and study hard, for some reason there was a great disconnect between the school and home.  Books, unless they were the bible or school books seemed a waste of time.

For me, the girl with her nose always buried in a book – I got the reputation for being “la floja” (the lazy one).  Reading for pleasure seemed to my mother to be the height of laziness and had something whatsoever to do with education.  I’d be better off learning how to clean the stove better or learn sewing from my Auntie Jessie.  I learned to hide my books and take stolen moments to read and educate myself about everything from language to science to hyperbolic geometry while washing the dishes or cooking.  My book of the moment was conveniently tucked away in the spoon drawer or carefully covered with a school book cover so my mother wouldn’t find out I was reading what she deemed as a waste of time.

My grandparents on the other hand, and my Aunt Lupita encouraged my reading and were heavily focused on education.  At the abuelitos house, books and reading time were encouraged.  My grandmother loved it when I read her her books on the lives of Catholic Saints and my grandfather who learned to read and write AFTER his marriage to my grandmother would always pat my head and encourage me to read more, saying that education was gold and that I must go to college.

I don’t think anyone on our block knew how to fill out a college application, understood SAT’s or had a solid saving’s plan for their children’s college future.  Kids I grew up with either went straight from high school to a factory job or stumbled their way through till they eventually found their way to community college and eventually a Bachelor’s degree.  Some found their way to college through the military.

My oldest son, Albert (in Rome) who joined the military to get to college

While education for their children is a huge priority for Latino’s, unless they are educated about the process it can be overwhelming, especially for first generation immigrants that are monolingual Spanish speakers.  They work hard and save money but don’t always have a clear picture of just how much is needed, what scholarships are available, what their role is in encouraging reading for pleasure and not just making it all about work.  We are a very industrious people and too often it is all about work, work, work which at times can turn our kids off on the idea of education.  We need to learn how to make learning and studying fun.  Programs like Es El Momento and organizations like LATISM not only educate, mentor and set examples that give our youth hope but also provide accessibility to programs and grants that will facilitate the higher education process.

I still have my nose in a book or two, but I don't hide them anymore

My grandchildren Jasmine and Aiden are now seven and five years old and we are thinking about college for them.  Jasmine is the artist and Aiden is the deep thinker.  They both are huge readers and love school and we hope to keep that fire burning.  They don’t need to hide their books in a drawer ?, and the focus for both of them is education, education, education.  I plan on educating myself and their mother on all the college prep processes and we’re thrilled to have these programs in place so that we can be ready when the time comes.  Time flies!  I highly encourage parents and grandparents to check out the Univision Es El Momento initiative and use this incredible resource.

She's going to college!

About Es El Momento

In February 2010, Univision Communications Inc. launched a comprehensive, multi?year national education initiative called Es El Momento (The Moment is Now) in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, educators and civic and community leaders from around the country. The Es El Momento initiative is aimed at improving academic achievement among K12 Hispanic students with a specific focus on high school graduation and college readiness.

Note: This is a sponsored post: my thoughts, opinions and memories are my own.

BlogWorld & New Media Expo to be Co-Located with BEA

NEW YORK CITY WELCOMES WORLD’S LARGEST SOCIAL MEDIA CONFERENCE

~~BlogWorld & New Media Expo Expands to Host East and West Coast Events:

Inaugural BlogWorld East Joins with Book Expo America, May 24-26 at

Jacob K. Javits Center~

FEBRUARY 17, 2011 (San Diego, CA) -BlogWorld & New Media Expo, the world’s largest social media business conference and new media industry tradeshow, will expand to two events in 2011, including a new East Coast event in New York City.  The East Coast event will be co-located with BookExpo America, North America’s largest annual book industry convention, which will take place May 24 – 26, 2011 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City.

“After a record-setting 40% attendance growth at our event in 2010, and due to a huge demand from bloggers and social media professionals from across the eastern United States and Canada, we decided it was time to launch our East Coast event this year,” explained BlogWorld & New Media Expo CEO and co-founder Rick Calvert.

“By co-locating BlogWorld East with BookExpo America, we are creating the first real convergence of new media and traditional media. The capital of traditional media is playing host to the largest gathering of social media professionals and new media content creators in the world. Both communities have a truly unique opportunity to learn from the brightest minds each has to offer.” explained Calvert. “It’s exciting to think about the potential for new ideas and business opportunities that will result from BlogWorld and BookExpo America happening side by side.”

Steven Rosato, Show Manager for BookExpo America commented: “This is a perfect fit for BookExpo America. We have been building our blogger base and social media has emerged as a powerful force in book publishing and marketing in recent years. We are a vested partner with BlogWorld & New Media Expo and we will work closely with them to sell, promote and build their show.  We expect this association will strongly benefit our respective attendees and exhibitors for many years to come.  Reed Exhibitions has wide international reach and as a leading organizer of business to business events we not only plan to build awareness for BlogWorld & New Media Expo in America but throughout the world as well.”

BlogWorld & New Media Expo expects more than 1,500 attendees, 200 speakers and 100 sponsors/exhibitors to participate in the inaugural East Coast event. BlogWorld expects record-breaking attendance again with more than 4,000 at BlogWorld West later this year (dates TBA). While the format of both shows will be similar, the content and speakers will vary, covering the latest trends and best practices in monetizing new media, content creation, distribution, social media marketing, social networking, and digital broadcasting.

Access to the BlogWorld & New Media Expo exhibit floor will be complimentary for all BEA badge holders, and access to the BlogWorld conference can be purchased separately.  Access to BEA will be complimentary for all BlogWorld & New Media Expo conference attendees.

BlogWorld & New Media Expo features the most diverse, all-star line up of bloggers, digital broadcasters, social media professionals and new media thought-leaders under one roof, anywhere in the world.

Examples of past speakers include:

• Mark Cuban – Entrepreneur, blogger, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and HDNet
• Brian Solis – Principal of New Media Agency, FutureWorks, author of “Engage”
• Mark Burnett – Emmy-award winning producer of “Survivor,” “The Apprentice” and “Sarah Palin’s Alaska”
• Scott Monty – Head of Social Media for Ford Motor Company
• Joanna Drake Earl – COO of Current TV
• Guy Kawasaki – Founder of Garage Ventures, Co-Founder of Alltop.com, author of “Enchantment”
• Chris Brogan – President of Human Business Works, Author of ” Trust Agents”
• Darren Rowse – CEO of Problogger.net
• Kara Swisher – Co-Executive Editor of WSJ’s AllThingsD.com
• Adam Carolla – TV and radio personality and leading podcaster
• Gary Vaynerchuk – Author of best-seller “Crush It”, Host of Wine Library TV
• Jermaine Dupri – Grammy-winning music producer and blogger
• Rob Barnett – CEO of MyDamnChannel.com
• Dick Glover – President & CEO of FunnyorDie.com
• Sonia Simone, and Brian Clark – Senior Editor, and Founder Copyblogger.com
• Dermot McCormack – Executive VP of Digital Media, MTV Networks Music
• Don Lemon – CNN news anchor
• Jim Louderback – CEO of Revision3

Additional information on BlogWorld East is available at www.blogworldexpo.com.

About BlogWorld & New Media Expo

BlogWorld & New Media Expo is the first and only industry-wide tradeshow, conference and media event dedicated to promoting the dynamic industry of new media. Thousands of attendees learn about Content Creation, Distribution, Monetization and Social Media Marketing strategies, including step-by-step techniques and bleeding-edge tools from the most successful and influential Bloggers, Podcasters, Vloggers, Web TV & Radio Broadcasters, Social Influencers, New Media Pro’s and Online Journalists.

For upcoming event info and announcements, subscribe to e-news at www.blogworldexpo.com and get the latest new media industry news at www.blogworld.com.

About BookExpo America (BEA))

BEA is North America’s largest gathering of book trade professionals attracting an international audience. It is organized with the support of association partners including the Association of American Publishers (AAP) and the American Booksellers Association (ABA).  BEA is recognized for the media attention it brings to upcoming books as well as for the notable authors it attracts to the convention itself.

Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events organizer. In 2007 Reed brought together over six million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held in 38 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and organized by 39 fully staffed offices.  Reed’s portfolio of over 500 events serves 47 industry sectors.

For more information about BEA, please visit www.bookexpoamerica.com and connect with BEA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Chronicle Books Haul-iDay Contest

Chronicle Books is having a contest to win a haul of books.  All I have to do is list some of their books, I’d most like to haul here on AmoXcalli up to $500.00 worth and I’m automatically entered.  Best part is, if I win the list one of my readers that comments will win the list too!  Hope you like my choices which are in no particular order of preference.

1) I Love Macarons – 14.95

Why?  Because I love them and want to make them with Jasmine and Aiden.

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,8167/

2) Tartine Bread – Gorgeous, who doesn’t love bread?  $40.00

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,8871/path,1-8-175/title,Tartine-Bread/

3) The ¡Salpicón! Cookbook $ – Mexican Cuisine!  Yeah baby!  We’ll see some of these up on Dona Lupe’s Kitchen.

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,7926/path,1-8-175/title,The-Salpicoacuten-Cookbook/

4) Tartine $35.00 – Alice Waters wrote the forward and its pastry. Need I say more?

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,5922/path,1-8-175/title,Tartine/

5) The Birdsong Bible – $125.00 – Because Jasmine is really into learning about birds and this would be a great activity with the grandkids.  Plus, its beautiful.

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,8874/title,Bird-Songs-Bible/

6) Absinthe Cocktails – $19.95 – Because who doesn’t want to learn to cocktail mix with a green fairy?  ?

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,8891/title,Absinthe-Cocktails/

7) The MOMA Modern Playhouse $19.95 – Fun and educational for when the grandkids come over.

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,kids/products_id,8705/title,MoMA-Modern-Play-House/

8) Monet’s Impressions $15.99 – Gorgeous book and a great way to teach kids about art.

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,kids/products_id,8223/path,2-14-120/title,Monets-Impressions/

9) Ana Sui $60.00 – Jasmine loves fashion and this icon is fun to watch

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,8878/

10) A Child’s Garden of Verses $19.99 – A classic and simply beautiful.

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,920/title,A-Childs-Garden-of-Verses/

11) Flour – $35.00 If you haven’t tried those stickybuns you’re really missing out.

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,8879/

12) How to Cook Like a Top Chef $29.95 – Forward by my hero Rick Bayless and yes I’m addicted to Top Chef

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,8622/

13) The Country Cooking of Ireland $50.00 – Hey I’m half Irish and it’s a stunning book.

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,8148/path,1-8-50/title,The-Country-Cooking-of-Ireland/

14) Tapas – $22.95 – Mmmm tapas… enough said.

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,7921/path,1-8-50/title,Tapas/

15) Moleskin Large Sketchbook $17.95  – for all those bright ideas.

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,7386/path,1-210-211/title,Large-Moleskine-Sketchbook/

So that’s it, that’s my list.  As you can see, I love to cook, I love art and I love learning.  Chronicle has it all and I hope I win my list.  Either way, it was fun visiting one of my favorite publisher’s websites and drooling over yummy books.