French Kiss

Going to the library on my lunch hour is getting to be something of a habit. I LOVE it- it reminds me of when I was a kid and we'd be at the library for hours at a time when my mom was busy doing curriculum reviews with other homeschooling families or my sister was in ballet class. I would poke through shelves of books. I think I had the entire kids craft section memorized, and I'd read all of the Lois Lowry and Madeline L'Engle books (at least the ones written for kids) by the time I was 12. Going back to that library brings on a huge feeling of nostalgia.

Nashville has the best public library system I've encountered in all of the places I've lived so far (it's a pretty lengthy list). First of all, it is huge so I have yet to come across a book that they don't have somewhere in the system (although you might have to wait a while to get it). Second, it has a GORGEOUS main library, with floors of books, an entire room of Fine Art books, a genealogy room, rotating displays of interesting things, lots of computers, and free parking in the attached garage with validation. But the most important thing to me is the convenience. They will send a book to any branch I feel is convenient. They will hold that book for me for a week. I can return any book to any location- and that might be the very best part.

The other day I got a book about style that was written in the 90s, which was just funny. The book was written for the 40+ crowd, which I didn't realize when I checked it out. Some of the advice is classic- blue jeans with a white button down shirt always looks classy, keep black away from your face if you can't really wear it, make sure your bras fit right. Some of it is just outdated. I watched part of the movie French Kiss a while back, and I remember seeing that movie when it first came out- I was 16. I thought Meg Ryan looked so chic. But watching it now I just can't figure out why everyone is running around in clothes that are entirely too baggy and style that belongs on a 10 year old. But I realized that (gulp) this movie came out 13 years ago and style has really changed. Things are more fitted. There's a scene where Meg is trying to be all relaxed about seeing her ex-boyfriend and his new French (gorgeous, and stylish now because she was supposed to be the evil-boyfriend-stealer-woman, so she was probably supposed to look a little young and slutty but now it translates to really pulled together. What does that say about us today????) girlfriend on the beach and she's wearing khakis and a horizontal striped t-shirt and it just cracked me up. Back in the day I thought she looked so perfectly casual and relaxed and like she belonged in France and her boyfriend was SO GOING TO WANT HER BACK. But now? How I'm thinking those pants are 2 sizes too big for her and that shirt is atrocious. Let's take a look, shall we?

Good thing she's adorable.

And don't even get me started on Kevin Kline. Yes, men's style doesn't change nearly as quickly or dramatically as women's style does, but his suits are something else. One false move and he'll be buried in a mountain of fabric and never be heard from again.

Now that I think about it that movie just doesn't make any damn sense at all anyway. Yeesh. Spending your life savings on a thief and then staying in France to help said thief run his vineyard. Woman, grow up!