Roses Are Red, Shoes Are Black – The Book!
April 30, 2012
As many of you read in a previous post, Alice wrote a little poem in honor of a pair of shoes she found at Goodwill. Several readers responded to an invitation to write verses of their own to celebrate Alice’s new black flats. Alice loved these poems so much she requested a “booklet.” I went to blurb.com, a make-your-own-book web site, and now, a mere 600 hours and a persistent twitch beneath my left eye later (I am not the Queen of Software), Lo! A book exists.
I plan to give the book to Alice for Mother’s Day (May 13). She doesn’t know about it yet. I thought you might be interested in giving it as a gift to an elder in your life too, or, considering the whimsy of these poems, children might like to read it or have it read to them. Come to think of it, just about anybody who likes shoes would enjoy it. Maybe you’d like a copy for yourself. I have to say, it’s a mighty sweet little book.
Click to enlarge image.
The preface is a radically abbreviated version of the blog post. From then on, it’s entirely a book of the wonderful, funny, and quirky poems written by readers of this blog, combined with photographs. You can preview a few pages of the book and/or buy it here, or just click the Book Preview in the upper right-hand corner of this page. (Text and pictures look a little fuzzy in the preview, but they are sharp and clear in the actual book.)
It comes in soft cover, hard cover with a dust jacket, hard cover with “image wrap,” and an iPhone or iPad version.
Although it may seem likely that great riches will flow from a book about a pair of shoes purchased by an elderly woman at Goodwill, we understand that this might not happen. The goal is to make a few people happy.
I want to thank the readers who responded so spontaneously and with such good humor to the original post. You took time out of your day to make something special for Alice, whom most of you have never even met. As you know, she is thrilled with the poems.
I don’t know what other bloggers get from writing their posts, but your presence, all of you, makes this World of Bloggery a true pleasure for me. Thank you, as always, for stopping by, and please feel free to share the news about Roses Are Red, Shoes Are Black with your friends. Easy and fun to do:
Bob and Jo, two satisfied readers of "Roses Are Red, Shoes Are Black."
April 30, 2012 at 1:58 am
I just previewed this book. Delightful! Charming!
April 30, 2012 at 7:08 am
What a fabulous gift to/from all, wow. A delicious labor of love. Thank you!
April 30, 2012 at 8:10 am
So proud of you for following through on this wonderful project! So happy we are friends and share book making!
April 30, 2012 at 8:51 am
How lucky Alice is… and how creative you are. What a team!
April 30, 2012 at 12:02 pm
I just ordered my copy, Andrea! I love this little book. I’ll use it for my class, The Language of Clothing. A big hearty congratulations…
April 30, 2012 at 2:25 pm
What shoes! What a photo! What a cover! I find myself falling in love with Alice’s feet, as magnificent a sight as any bouquet of roses. An inspired book project, and my compliments to the photographer and cover designer.
May 1, 2012 at 3:48 am
What a darling daughter you are Andrea. Your mother’s wish is your command. And you always respond with joy and creativity. Love the book. Love the shoes! gin
May 1, 2012 at 6:43 pm
You are a very wonderful daughter. The look of joy and surprise on Alice’s face should make the eye-twitch go away.
May 3, 2012 at 11:44 am
You never fail to delight – hope Alice is as delighted as we, your faithful readers, are!
May 6, 2012 at 1:37 pm
Thanks, Kerry. And thanks everybody for your kind words.