Delightful Things from my Childhood

Sometimes when days seem bad it's helpful for me to walk upon happy memories from my childhood.

My cat Crackers was a defining member of my youth. She was an amazing cat and even now, people easily recall her and what an affectionate dear she was. Overweight with a tendency to drool and black tail tipped in white, she was an unconventional beauty and at the end of her life, the fourth child in our family. Many adventures dotted her life and she truly brought much happiness to our family.

Reading. I have such fond memories of reading so many, many books when I was little and shy. I adored series like "The Little House on the Prairie", "Anne of Green Gables", "Nancy Drew", "Sweet Valley High", the girls of Canaby Hall, Judy Blume, and a host of other titles.

British Royal Family. From the moment that Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer announced their engagement, I was completely besotted with their relationship and the history of the Royal family. The names, the palaces, the grandiose history and unflappable dignity with which they all comported themselves simply fascinated me. My father at the time traveled extensively and often to Europe. I was most happy when he came home with several royal magazines and a bag of Winegums, which is a British sweet treat similar to Gummy Bears, but tangier.

Drawing Fashions. For some reasons, fashion has always appealed to me. My husband once said that for me, fashion is a language which I easily understand. I imagine that is so because it performs so many functions: it protects, it reveals, it states where we come from and when, what we like, the state of our bodies and our finances. And at the end of the day, fashion's ultimate goal is to make us look and feel beautiful. Although I came of age during the Nolan Miller/"Dynasty" years with a large pinch of Madonna's Boy Toy influence, I still managed to seek out and appreciate those who have continually made huge contributions to the fashion world through designing, reporting, shopping and wearing these couture level creations.