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Community Corner

Discarded Books Beautify Bookstore Window

Three women from the Assistance League of Flintridge took old books and create three-dimensional items full of color and texture. Come see their innovative pieces in the front window of the Flintridge Bookstore & Coffeehouse.

The other day I drove along Foothill Blvd. towards Chevy Chase and noticed a new creative display in the front window of the . There were two mannequins wearing eye-catching outfits. I didn’t understand how clothing related to a bookstore, but admired the display as I drove off.

The following day, while walking past the bookstore with my friend Miriam, she pointed out the display and shared with me that some ladies from the made all of the items in the window.

We commented that the designer dresses looked as if they were made from pages from a book. A colorful table was covered with pages too. Old books were turned into curio boxes. There were about 35 beautiful treasures featured.

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Later that day, I talked to Sandy Willardson, who's in charge of Marketing and Events at the bookstore.

“Three ladies from the Assistance League made everything that you see,” shared Willardson. “I wanted to focus on crafts this month. When the ladies brought in a few vases made from old books, I thought it was an ideal fit.”

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The talented and imaginative ladies are Carol Pollock, Nancy Smith and Kayo Robertson.

“This is the best display we have ever had at the bookstore,” said Willardson. “They are invited back to decorate our window anytime.”

Willardson would like to get each school to help decorate her window too. “I usually change the window for holidays or special book events,” explained Willardson. “It would be fun to have students display their creative talents.”

Willardson introduced me to one of the Assistance League women, Carol Pollock.

Pollock shared with me that March was Book Month at the Assistance League of Flintridge. The three friends decided to make decorations for the membership luncheon.

“Our committee decided to go with a reading theme,” shared Pollock. “Nancy Smith came up with the idea of using old books and repurposing them based on a display she had seen in Anthropologie,” said Pollock. They did online research and discovered a wealth of resources from instructional books and online videos. “A whole world of paper crafting opened up to us,” stated Pollock.

All of the 35 items in the window have been handcrafted from discarded books. They took a one-dimensional piece of paper and transformed it into a multi-dimensional work of art with color and texture.

For the three ladies, it was a “labor of love and just plain fun,” shared Pollock. They met at each other’s homes and spent the afternoon working while talking or watching a favorite television show. “Kayo made the long dress and hat. She has a special talent and flair for design,” said Pollock.

When I asked Pollock which items were her favorite in the window, she shared with me, “the long dress and two tiny sewing boxes made by Kayo.”

When the display is taken down, Pollock wants to keep the wreath she made and hang it in her kitchen. She is encouraging Kayo to enter the long dress into a competition at the LA County Fair.

This wonderful display will shine on Foothill Blvd. until Mother’s Day. Willardson said, “It’s really quite beautiful at night when the lights sparkle on it.”

So, bring your friends and family to the corner of Foothill and Chevy Chase to admire the work of three creative ladies.

This summer, the bookstore is offering a College Application Essay workshop for students entering their senior year. There will also be a teen screenwriting class and a Creative writing camp. For more information talk to Sandy Willardson or call (818)790-0717.

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