Thank you for bringing glitter back into my life.

I was beginning to forget that every day could sparkle like the German glass dust in your books, be full of as much color and excitement as your next DIY session.  You lured me in with your warmth and heart--and, let's be honest, crafting projects.  I didn't have to be good at them, just enthusiastic--a welcome relief from over-work and the desire to live a life beyond my dissertation.

You were how I first found chica lit, the genre of mestizas and our quest for a vibrant, passionate life.  You gave me permission to get cheesy and corny and all around touchy feely about who I wanted to be. Above all, you were about hope, a reminder that life was more than just A to B; between your pages, I found the courage to break myself out of that linear path with zest and style.

You were my road map back to my native Southwest, a lifeline between me and my sister as we found our way back to glitter.