Mad Men Homage (No Spoilers)

In honor of the series finale of our favorite show, Madmen, We (Pete and Miki) do our best to capture the martini-swilling era of the show. We hope you enjoy the photographs.  

The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain (reviewed by Pete Schulte)

 A woman, Loure, is mugged on a Paris street adjacent to her apartment building. Her handbag is stolen and she suffers a head injury. The handbag -- less cash, credit cards, and phone -- soon turns up on top of some trash cans meant for pick up. The owner of a small bookshop, Laurent, happens to pass by on his way to work. The handbag, in otherwise good condition, catches his eye. Laurent is apprehensive about handling the bag, but decides to pick it up on the chance it may be returned to its owner. 

Once home, Laurent examines what's left of the handbag's contents. Though seemingly a collection of trinkets with little value: some perfume, a bottle of water, a paperback book, old photos...The bag also contains a little red notebook. To Laurent it feels intrusive to read the journal, yet he has no choice if he has any hope to find its owner among millions of Parisians. But as he reads the journal entries, Laurent becomes more and more fascinated by (and even attracted to) its author. Now he simply has to locate her. Laurent takes the few clues he has and sets out on a journey through Paris. He may come up empty, he may simply return a missing handbag, or maybe, just maybe, he might find the woman of his dreams.

I had such a good time reading The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain. It's romantic, funny, and smart. And as a bookseller myself, I found his descriptions of the ins and outs of bookstore life extremely accurate. The author must have worked at a bookshop at some point in his life, or perhaps it's just in his blood. If you're looking for something to read this late spring or early summer, please take a chance on this charming little book. It was just an abandoned handbag. Just that and so much more. 

Pete's newest painting: Dance Studio

Denver's Iconic Bear Rebuilt

 Pete found some broken blue bear at work, so he decided to do a little surgery on them.  With a little bit of putty and some paint, these little guys have a new life.