A Sweet Little Notecard

Here's a quick little notecard Iwhipped up with some of my yummy papers and ribbon from i {heart} papers. I paper pieced the cupcake with Love Dots for the frosting, and Diamonds and Pearls for the paper cup and background. The stamp is from Inkadinkado's Birthday Cupcake set, and it's tied off with some of the lovely brown/pink satin ribbon. I just needed a blank notecard today, so I opted not to put a sentiment on this one. Oh, and I used an old TECC sketch as well. I hope you like it!

I also want to share another book that I finished recently:

Here is a brief synopsis of the (non-fiction) book:

Michael Patrick MacDonald grew up in "the best place in the world"--the Old Colony projects of South Boston--where 85% of the residents collect welfare in an area with the highest concentration of impoverished whites in the U.S. In All Souls, MacDonald takes us deep into the secret heart of Southie. With radiant insight, he opens up a contradictory world, where residents are besieged by gangs and crime but refuse to admit any problems, remaining fiercely loyal to their community. MacDonald also introduces us to the unforgettable people who inhabit this proud neighborhood. We meet his mother, Ma MacDonald, an accordion-playing, spiked-heel-wearing, indomitable mother to all; Whitey Bulger, the lord of Southie, gangster and father figure, protector and punisher; and Michael's beloved siblings, nearly half of whom were lost forever to drugs, murder, or suicide. By turns explosive and touching, All Souls ultimately shares a powerful message of hope, renewal, and redemption.

One of reviews listed on the back cover says something about how if you loved Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes, you'll also love All Souls. Before I started reading the book, I thought that was a pretty lofty claim. I've read (and loved) Angela's Ashes... I can't imagine anything coming close to it. By the second chapter though, I was totally engrossed, and now that I've finished, I have to agree. The two memoirs are very similar, and equally enthralling. I was amazed at what all I learned about South Boston, and the things that were going on there in my lifetime - things I didn't even realize were happening. Granted I was miles away in Wisconsin, but still. Things were sure covered up well to not be sprawled all over the front pages of the country.

Anyhow, if you enjoy reading non-fiction/memoirs, I would highly recommend it!

Enjoy the day,