If there was one skill Mama deserved a gold star for, it was her impeccable word choice. Sis wasn’t rebellious, she was spontaneous; Dad wasn’t cheap, he was resourceful.

And when you finally lost that freshman fifteen (plus ten, thanks to Mr. Wrong), you weren’t skinny, you were slim.

Which is why you’ll both feel light as air after reading Cynthia Rowley’s Slim: a Fantasy Memoir. Illustrated by Rowley to look like a fantastical children’s book — gold cover, delicate sketches — the fashion designer recounts carefree stories about growing up with a mother who encouraged her to make earrings from dollhouse furniture; didn’t sweat when her homemade dress was the same fabric as the chairs at the party she wore it to; and thought it was funny to short-sheet her children’s beds.

You might say she’s a little quirky.

Or, as mom might say, just perfect. 

Available online at amazon.com or your local bookstore.