This wise, humorous and highly entertaining book brings compassion, pithiness and excellent practical suggestions to the vital task of advising widows how to make themselves merry despite having lost the love of their life. After all, as Mary Essinger points out here in 'How to be a Merry Widow'...'Look on the positive side, no shirts to iron for a start. Rejoice in your independence. You can do exactly as you like; paint the house pink, invite your chain-smoking brother to stay or relocate to anywhere on the planet. Consider the good things about being alone. For the first time in your life you are free. Spoil yourself; spend his money on chocolate and taxis. You're worth it.Remove yourself from the place of loneliness, your home. Plan at least one social event every day and plan outings to look forward to. Unless you are dying, staying in all day is a bad idea and will make you morose. You may have demanding things to do in the home but go out at least for some part of the day. Too cold? Wear three coats but go out. Raining? Big umbrella but go out. Not feeling too good? Try fresh air and a walk. Fight any temptation to hide away feeling sorry for yourself.'Ultimately, Mary urges widows to follow her advice because their dear departed one would want them to be happy. As she says:'I wrote "e;How to be a Merry Widow"e; because it's great to be cheerful and widows should support each other. Being a widow has a positive side and the purpose of this book is to tell you about it.'

The Cloth of Egypt: All About Assiut is the first book of its kind to document and celebrate the supple and sparkling fabric known today as assiut. This single-stitch metal embroidery technique originated in Turkey, but transformed into a distinctive textile tradition in Upper Egypt during the 19th century. Vintage assiut is now an exotic cult collectable, prized . This book, will entertain and educate anyone interested in its history, legends, wear and care. Vintage clothing collectors, textile historians, and belly dancers will all find inspiration and information about this sometimes mysterious, yet always beautiful assiut cloth.Part one traces the history of this cloth, known variously as tulle bi telli, tally, and assiut, from the era when it first entered the historic record until the twenty-first century. This section of the book is lavishly illustrated with vintage images from around the globe. Part two dives into the technology of the fabric, exploring the history of the fiber content and weave structure of the ground cloth as well as the structure of the metal embroidery stitch. Part three is about integrating both vintage and modern textiles into your collection and using it in your wardrobe. Part four presents the myriad ways that assiut cloth is used for historic costuming, traditional and modern belly dance performance attire.Dawn Devine aka Davina, art historian and author, is an internationally renowned belly dancer, who has spent more than 18 years working on an interdisciplinary research project on the history of assiut. The result is this revolutionary book, filled with more than 700 vintage and modern b/w photos to inspire and delight.

Saturday, September 22 1. Get a dog cat. 2. Get a man. 3. Get adventurous (go skinny-dipping!) 4. Get a life! She'd been the pampered and protected wife. Now she was a widow with both daughters off at college and she was suddenly desperate to fill her empty nest with something—anything. So when Jill Townsend finds a mysterious key in her late husband's office she sets out to find the door it opens. Saying so long to suburbia, she heads for the wilds of Manhattan, where new friends and career opportunities loom—and sexy men are hitting on her! But will Jill ever be able to step beyond the safe and secure world she's always known and take that leap into merry widowhood?

New York magazine was born in 1968 after a run as an insert of the New York Herald Tribune and quickly made a place for itself as the trusted resource for readers across the country. With award-winning writing and photography covering everything from politics and food to theater and fashion, the magazine's consistent mission has been to reflect back to its audience the energy and excitement of the city itself, while celebrating New York as both a place and an idea.