July 2008 Archives

Staging Your Comeback has been such a consistent seller at Wal-Mart over the past couple months that it has been picked up for six different Mod sets (planograms in Wal-Mart speak) in the Fall. To put that in perspective, the only other title that HCI publishes that had more Mod sets was "A Child Called It." Also, sales at Target have been so good that the book has been chosen for the planogram in 1,561 stores! Currently, it is on a best seller promotion because of the TV exposure. Since then sell through continues to exceed expectations and the book will move to the planogram (Life and Home section). The book continues to hold its own on Amazon as number two in Beauty and Health (and I'm going to make sure it gets to number one!). Feel free to add a review if you have not (and you like the book!). I can use all the good reviews I can get. Little House on the Prairie, The Musical a must see for fans of the books and show I had the great fun of going to the first preview of "Little House on the Prairie, The Musical" which is showing at the Guthrie and headed to Broadway. Sold out until October, the Musical has Melissa Gilbert playing Ma. I had the entertainment value of attending with Alison Arngrim (Television's Nellie Oleson) which, of course, made the experience more interesting (and hilarious). Drinks after the show with Melissa, Alison, and other cast members reminded me why I so pleased to no longer be "in theater." The drama, the angst, the who am I, am I good enough, who are you, I don't care. We did give Alison a tour of Minneapolis, complete with the flour tower tour at the Mill City Museum. A must experience if ever in the Twin Cities. Later we took her to a party at the Chambers hotel, where, gay icon that she is, she was inundated with men who LOVED that character. I looked over and she was sitting on a chair surrounded by grown men on the floor looking up at her with bright smiles and laughter. Shows you you CAN be a bitch and be loved. See? Christopher Hopkins, Tennis Star If you have a chance to grab one of the last remaining tickets (O.K. there are tons) to the Ronald McDonald House Classic Golf and Tennis Tournament on Monday, August 4th, you will be able to watch (and play alongside) local "celebrities" and do something good for charity. I have decided that yes, I will actually attempt to play tennis, something I have not done since 1984. Maybe 1982. And as memory serves me, I wasn't very good then. Which is why I quit. My parents TRIED to find a sport in which I could excel. I wrestled (where I just laid laughing when I got pinned "This is ridiculous"). I played basketball (where I knocked someone's tooth out doing lay ups, and was penalized for "traveling" having NO idea what that meant). I was in Little League (where I walked to first because the ball hit me in the arm, only later to get a black eye in the outfield when the ball rolled to me, hit a bump and popped up into my face). I shan't forget Miss Gullickson, the 7th the Phy Ed coach shouting "Hopkins, you pansy!" when I complained about doing ANOTHER 50 yard dash. I mean seriously, why? She must 60 something and arthritic now. One can only hope. So for the entertainment value alone, come play tennis with us. Or golf. Or just watch and be entertained with bafoonery. I must go shopping for an outfit. I mean, I should really get on the court and practice.

I just returned from a book signing event in my hometown of Redwood Falls. Redwood Falls, Minnesota is a town of about 5000 people and is 2 hours (we use time instead of distance) southwest of the Twin Cities. Sort of like those on the coasts like to think the Midwest as "fly over" territory, people in the Twin Cities at times tend to think of rural areas as, well, provincial. They'd be wrong. As I greeted women and signed books at A & W Furniture and Gifts,one of the largest furniture show rooms in Minnesota, I was once again reminded of the lovely women from where I was raised. The women who we saw every day as our teachers, secretaries, board members and Moms - those Mom's who showed up for Parent/Teacher conferences and sporting events and who we secretly compared to our own. What I remember, "back then," was that the ladies in my hometown knew how to make themselves attractive. They had their hair done, their nails were manicured, and they wore fresh and classic looks that represented their sense of style. Their look was based on appropriate for the occasion. Women dressed up for church, out of respect. Teachers dressed professionally and attractively out of respect for their profession and their students. Men wore jackets. Sales clerks got ready for work. Moms walked through the park with tans, short shorts, and cute figures. Though the community's industry was based primarily on agriculture and manufacturing, there was a sense of respect and pride in appearance that raised the image of the small community. But the world changed. Casual, relaxed, comfortable and "who cares?" took over in the 70's and 80's and by the time we hit the 90's it had transformed the urban, took over the sub-urban and slayed the rural with a vengeance. Cut-off shorts and sweats at Church? Absolutely. "God doesn't care what you wear." Ill fitting, poorly made flimsy knits suctioned to figures that embraced curly fries? "I'm just running to the store." But I was given a gift last night. A reminder that not everyone has "gone with it." I was reminded as I saw those same teachers, secretaries, board members and Mom's, now older but still oddly as I remember them, of what I loved about my home town. A sense of right. A sense of respect for the occasion. An effort made when it would be so much easier to not. A belief that it doesn't matter where you live; it is how you live. I knew they did it, in part, for me. They know I have become "The Makeover Guy" and I was signing a book about beauty. They knew I'd notice. But I also knew they did it for themselves. They "got ready." And I realized again that it is from those women, in large part, that I built my voice. Their influence helped in how I wrote my book and to whom I was speaking. And it reminded me of what I loved about growing up in a town that took pride in its appearance, its sense and respect for occasion. It reminded me that how we appear speaks so much more about our self respect and respect for others than anything we do or say. You won't convince me that appearance isn't important. It certainly isn't everything, but it represents everything you are saying when there isn't time to say a thing. View image The Book Signing Event in Redwood Falls, MN View image Classmate Erik Scholl's Mom, Bev and his sister Jane View image English Teacher Sandi Schwartz getting "free" advice View image Aunt Mary Wetmore and her daughter Emily (who would want me to make a point that she is pregnant here).