Betty Halbreich: AN I MATTER STORY…Plus the Thursday Blog Hop!

Image from the LA Times
I spent this past weekend with a book I could not put down.  After reading the life story of Betty Halbreich, I’ll Drink to That, I decided a review of her story on I MATTER day would be perfect…for she truly is an inspiration to many, many women.
This is not a book about fashion and style alone, but the story of a woman who overcame difficulty and challenges her entire life and did not allow herself to become a victim. 
Image from karmelkinema.wordpress.com

From the moment it begins in Chicago during the 1930s, Betty captivates our attention through historical detail and raw honesty.  She is quick to note the loneliness of a little girl often left at home by overcommited parents and later will return to that same loneliness and heartache when emotionally abandoned by her husband.  Here is a woman living during an age when few women worked outside of the home; in fact, her father would not allow her to work. Blinded by prejudices of the times, she was moving through her own personal dark room, hitting obstacles, and facing fear.  At one point, it even leads to a suicide attempt and a psychiatric ward.
But, you can sense from the beginning there is a strength and a will to survive deep within this overcomer. She begins a journey in the fashion world which will eventually take her to Bergdorf Goodman in New York City.  There, she has been the personal shopper for the store for over forty years….through three generations of clients and an office landscape view which began with saplings and has culminated into sprawling trees. 
She continues to work at 86 years of age because she carries the I MATTER sign deep inside.  Betty writes, “Idle hands and brain make for unhappiness…one exorcises the bad in pulling the heavy wagon.”  This is after a battle with breast cancer and the deaths of several people she loved dearly.
This book is full of amazing side stories from the people Betty has known and served as clients.  You will love her tales of working  with the rich and famous; such as, Joan Rivers, Candice Bergen,   Geoffrey Beene, Michael Kors, Isaac Mizrahi, Carla Fendi, and President and Mrs. Gerald Ford…to name just a few.  And, of course, her stories of styling movie and television stars, predominantly the characters they portrayed, include a long list topped by All My Children, Sex in the City, Lauren Bacall, Woody Allen films…and more!
Her joy in her work is evident.  She sees it as a service and sees her job as more than a stylist…sometimes she is a mother, a confidant, a best friend, a counselor and a listening ear.  She shows us all, the best way to heal your own heartache is to get out of the house and serve other people.  She said, “I was worth saving. I was doing it myself.”
“My role is to offer people permission to be catered to individually, to treat themselves to something beautiful, to be important and to feel better,” Betty writes. 
The best women to help other women are those who understand the I MATTER concept…we must not be victims, but overcomers and place ourselves at the top of our priority list…then we can serve others with joy.   I highly recommend this book.  The official release is today…and here is your link:  I’LL DRINK TO THAT BY BETTY HALBREICH!

Also, check out fabulous fashion bloggers with HOW I WEAR MY SANDALS…go HERE and HERE!  Great looks for many ages!!

Then go enjoy the bloggers of Katie’s Favorite Things Blog Hop!  
Have a joyful Thursday!

It’s time to hop! Party and link up! The Thursday Favorite Things Blog hop is where you can link your favorite post of the week or write a post about your favorite things and share it with old and new followers. The hop is hosted and posted on 3 different blogs! Your link will appear on the blogs of Katherine’s Corner,  Over 50 Feeling 40, and Vintage Mama.  Three times the opportunity to make new bloggy friends and to share your wonderful blog and discover others to
RULES:

Please DO NOT link and run…….
  • Please visit a few of the wonderful blogs that are sharing here.
  •     Please leave comments when you visit
  •     Please Link to your post and not to your blog home page
  •     Linkback on your post (optional, but always appreciated)
  •     Grab the hop button code from The button page (optional)
  •     No adult content blogs
  • Please no more than 3 links to your blog
  •     No links directly to your shops or websites selling things/services please! (sorry they will be removed)
  •     Yes you can link giveaways (they are everyone’s favorite thing) Add your giveaways to Katherines Giveaways Page too!

17 Comments

  1. I love stories like this one. What a great story about a woman who used her heart and her wisdom to make a difference and is still contributing, well past 85. How inspiring for all of us!

  2. I just read about her story and her connection with Mr. Beene in Vogue. Her story sounds very inspirational. I'll have to purchase it. Thanks for the review!

  3. Hi Pam, love the quote about "idle brains"… so true. Looks like you have many bloggers here keeping busy sharing their talents and interests. Glad I found you!

  4. What an excellent review! I so enjoy reading reviews such as this one, that have me immediately searching for the reviewed book. I has to laugh at the "idle hands" thing though. My. Other used to say, "Idle hands are the devil's workshop." Later I learned that she heard this in a song from "The Music Man." Well, it certainly worked on m

  5. Oops. Wasn't quite finished. (blush) As I was saying, her comment certainly worked on me, I am always busy and never without something in my hands, be it stitching, knitting, jewelry making, baking…one might say I'm obsessed. One might be right. 😉

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