Customer Reviews

Living a Beautiful Life: 500 Ways to Add Elegance, Order, Beauty and Joy to Every Day of Your Life

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I felt obligated to post my review because, as cheesy as it may sound, Alexandra Stoddard's book, Living A Beautiful Life, actually changed my life -- for the better. I'll agree that all of the Grace Notes are not for everyone -- they are merely suggestions. Neither do I try and do everything that she recommends. But she did succeed at getting me to look at life and its daily routine in a different way. She's also introduced me to wonderful authors, such as Madeleine L'Engle. Alexandra's writing has helped me to live a more beautiful life "in the moment" by appreciating every blessing and using every moment to add more beauty to it. Now I try and celebrate every little aspect of life, if possible, by not keeping anything mundane. My life greatly reflects my passion for life and I am now more aware of the beauty involved in simple existence. Alexandra has written other great books (which have helped me tremendously) on relationships, family, interior decorating, the lost art of letter writing, etc. Remember, it's all about what works for you. I'm currently collecting Alexandra's books and highly recommend them all. Alexandra, thank you very much. By sharing your passion, you give a wonderful gift. :)

This book is full of ideas on how to make every day life more enjoyable. It is not a recipe to be followed exactly, but it certainly caused me to think about how I do things. Suddenly, tidying up the house wasn't such an ordeal, and I wasn't so quick to do a sloppy job at my daily tasks. I highly recommend this book to any lady who would like to enhance her life.

I bought this book years ago when the cover was different, and it cost only $12.95 in paperback, and I still use it for ideas, although some of them are a little off-the wall or even impractical for me. It's the kind of book where there is a culture clash with some of the things she suggests: "Put strawberries in a bowl and leave two, with stems on, on the table next to the bowl.." Why? Or "Put eggs in an old wire basket." Well, I'm afraid they won't last too long like that, and with the organic eggs I buy costing over $2,00 a dozen, it's the height of impracticality for me. Then there's "Make lobster, avocado, and wild rice salad for a picnic." Two problems: a) tell me how, and b) maybe this is no problem for a New Yorker or Connecticut resident, but for a landlocked Oklahoman that's a mighty pricey picnic! Statements like these make her seem very Martha Stewart, like she's from another world. Certainly not mine, anyway.Still, there are many, many parts of her book where she makes perfect sense, such as buying in season, and that people buy too much food, and taking the television out of the bedroom is a great idea I've completely taken to heart! So to sum up, this book that gives you food for thought, if you don't choke on some of the grace notes!

As a former working mother (working outside the home, I mean), I am grateful for books like these. Having been raised by one of the first working mothers in the 1970s, I didn't learn all the skills of homecaring, or the little niceties that make like more enjoyable and beautiful for myself and my family. Like one of the guys, I was sent out into the world of business and expected to compete there. I did, but I was miserable and felt something was missing from life.

A good friend gave me this book as a gift -- and what a perfect gift it was, at the time I most needed it. Yes, the ideas are simple, and perhaps, to some, this whole domestic goddess thing can be "syrupy" as one reviewer put it. So sue me -- but I love being at home, love rediscovering what it's like to live like a human being, not a "human doing", and to make my home a place of beauty. I love this book, and plan to give it to other women like myself, and I will be looking for more like it!

I first read this book in 1988, when I had been married only one year. The grace notes helped me realize that, even on a meager budget, I could love my surroundings. A friend and I went through the entire book and did every single thing we could afford to do - and it was a blast! I passed the book around to my mom, and sisters who each ended up with a "beautiful life" too. It's nearly twenty years later, and I still recommend this book to anyone who wants to add a little flair to every space in their life - even the inside of the fridge! I will have fun reading this to my daughters in the coming years. If I could, I'd thank Ms. Stoddard myself!

Alexandra Stoddard is a breath of fresh air for me. Any time I am feeling down or blue I pick up this book "Living a beautiful life", and I instantly smile. Everyone should have this book.

I bought this books years ago (sometime in the 90s) and it is one I cherish. It changed my view of housekeeping/homemaking from being a burden to being a gift to myself...growing up our housework was done in a marathon every saturday with plenty of spilt milk and drama, this book sparked the idea of doing a little routine maintenance everyday, sparing weekends for more pleasant pursuits...This is one of my favorite and most cherished books. A great gift for the housekeeping challenged who need a little direction and inspiration.