Things I Wish My Mother Had Told Me – Book Review
I had the pleasure of reviewing “Things I Wish My Mother Had Told Me: A Guide to Living with Impeccable Grace & Style” written by the renowned style diva of the Times of London, Lucia Van Der Post. Things I Wish My Mother….is, in my opinion, a must read and library staple for the modern gal. Ms. Van Der Post’s conversational writing style converts her from author to friend in a matter of minutes. As you read her advice, whether it be on beauty and glamour, wardrobe selection, gracious entertaining or home decoration you feel as if she is chatting by phone sharing, guiding and offering her secrets to a stylish life to a good friend – you the reader.
Ms. Van Der Post’s modern-day guidebook for stylish living contains a warm and engaging section, “Home Sweet Home” that addresses several aspects of at-home living. This is less of a how-to decorate section than it is a how-to live-at-home section with timeless advice, tips and shop information. Considering the economic crisis in which we now find our nation and even closer to home, our households – it’s comforting to have a book that lays out the spiritual importance of “home” rather than just the material. My favorite quote, “…[I]t’s a home, not a museum. It’s for living in, not for looking at. Have things you love” captures the essence of the “Sanctuary Home” trend I wrote about earlier this month.
Throughout the book, Ms. Van Der Post generously shares advice from style gurus in a variety of industries, from beauty to fashion to entertaining to relationships and to home design. One such style diva is, Suzanne Imre, editor of Livingetc. Ms. Imre shares her top ten tips for achieving “economy glamour” at home without sacrificing style, elegance or glamour.
Preview Things I Wish My Mother Had Told Me: A Guide to Living with Impeccable Grace & Style at Google Books. Buy at Amazon or Barnes & Noble – this little book will make for a wonderful holiday treat for the stylish gal.
The Decorating Diva is a luxury home design magazine and lifestyle journal dedicated to the concept of living a stylish and comfortably elegant life at home – joyfully surrounded by the beautiful things you love. Join, Carmen, The Decorating Diva’s founder, as she blogs about sophisticated, smart, stylish and beautiful decor for your home and shares her decorating and style advice with you. Follow her and several of our wonderful contributors on inspirational design trips as they explore enchanted lands both far and near – returning with a delightful treasure trove of design finds for your home.



























