Customer Reviews

My Favorite Things

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First off, this book is written by Dorothy _Rodgers_, Richard Rogers' wife (yes, the composer). The book is about interior decorating and not about_ her_ life or_ his_life - though there are some anecdotes. It's not a childrens' book unless you know children who are already into tv shows such as "Trading Spaces" or "While You Were Out".

THat being said, you might wonder what this book _is_ about - it's about Mrs Rodgers designs and dishes for her home. Mrs Rodgers was quite busy in her own right. She had her own interior design company called "Repairs, Inc" and she is also an inventor and holds several patents. So she is not just trading in on her husband's name, she actually knows about this stuff.

Mrs Rodgers takes you thru various planning stages of redecorating your home. You see examples from her home as well as some of her friends' homes. She suggests using your own hobbies as focal points for decoration (needlepoint, crochet, gardening, that type of hobby) and shows you how to use these items to blend in with your home.

SHe also makes suggestions on entertaining in your home, how the shape of the table influences seating arrangements and gives instructions on how to seat your guests so nobody gets stuck with a bore.

There are also quite a few recipes that Mrs ROdgers has served to her guests. Some leave me cold, but that bittersweet icing recipe is well worth the price of admission.

If you want to see how the other half live, or maybe you are the other half and want to get some pointers, this is a great book to read - not only for the decorating tips but for the glimpse you get into Richard and Dorothy Rodgers' lives. I recommend this book highly.

Richard Rodgers had always been a favorite of mine but I knew very little about his wife and home life. Dorothy Rodgers was not just a delightful wife to an important man, she was quite something - and well ahead of her time.

Dorothy's can-do footsteps led the way for Martha Stewart's success. Dorothy was also an inventor, created her own very successful company dedicated to repairing fine items & artwork and her culinary skills and dinner parties were legendary. Most importantly though, Dorothy never forgot that making a home for those you love is the most worthwhile contribution ever.

The book reflects the fashion and custom of the day and truly, much of Dorothy's decorating ideas are not to my taste. The sage advice, extraordinary menus and personable manner of the book more than make up for this though.

I am not half the cook, organizational or creative genius Dorothy Rodgers was. I was and am inspired by her hard work, talent, care and graciousness however. This book is a treasured friend in my personal collection.