A tale of real people finding themselves, dreaming big and never giving up.

 

    One reason I read is to learn from the experience of others. This is why I loved the Maybelline Story (that and the exciting American history backdrop in Chicago and Hollywood). The characters in this story are vibrant and inspiring. I was swept up into their journey and struggles so much that I read the book in 3 days! I love a book that stirs my emotions enough that I actually care about how the lives of the characters unfold. Some face their demons and move into the light, all find their way. This is a tale of real people finding themselves, dreaming big and never giving up. It screams HBO mini-series all over it.

     I saw a woman reading this book on a recent flight so I took a quick look at it. I spent several hours reading it yesterday and did not want to put it down. It is a real page turner for anyone interested in history, Hollywood glamour, self made men and family drama. It has very little to do with makeup and everything to do with building a business, while the family's dynamics and secrets unfold. I'm sure this will be turned into a movie in the future if it is not already in the works. 

     This was the fastest read I've ever done! The legacy, the story, and the drama behind it kept me intrigued! its a great story about the uprising of the company and the family of Maybelline. Tom Lyle Williams and the story behind him is truly one of a kind!  I would recommend this read to anyone. Can't wait for the movie! Great Read! 

AMAZON CLICK AND BUY 

"It all began with the "eyes." In the book, The Maybelline Story, by Sharrie Williams, she tells the fascinating account of the early beginnings of her family in rural Kentucky, from 1911, to their glory days in Hollywood with Joan Crawford appearing in Maybelline print ads in the late 1940's, to the 1970's as fortune affected the family.

Maybelline Mascara Super Model Joan Crawford taken in 1946.  Photograped by Paul Hesse, Hollywood.

By 1953, the cosmetics company was known throughout the world for their print ads of gorgeous flirty models catching everyone's attention with their Maybelline mascara eyes. Williams' great uncle is Tom Lyle Williams, a marketing genius who built a billion dollar cosmetics empire over many years from just $500. he borrowed from his older brother, Noel.

The Beginning of Maybelline Mascara

Tom Lyle loved movies. As a fifteen-year-old who ran the projector room at the local nickelodeon, he was mesmerized by starlet Mary Pickford's eyes, as she flirted with them in her movie, Sultan's Garden. What made her so alluring? A very motivated, self-starter, Tom Lyle began finding out ways to make money by figuring out what people wanted.

He left the family farm in Morganfield, Kentucky, when he was still just a teenager, to join his brother, Noel, 23, who was working as a bookkeeper for Illinois Central Railroad in Chicago. The year was 1912. Chicago's population was 1.7 million. The brothers lived in Noel's boarding house near a slum of overcrowded tenement buildings.

It was in this environment that the brothers, driven by Tom Lyle's passionate courage, began a mail-order business. Tom Lyle sacrificed. He invested every penny he could scrape together. By 1914, at the age of 18, he was making serious money with his novelty-catalog business. In 1915, he had asked his sister, Mabel, to join them. He put her to work counting orders. The business was making $36,500. a year, which is the equivalent of over a half a million dollars today.

Mabel's Accident Births a Maybelline Mascara Fortune

Tom Lyle's sister insisted on cooking for her brothers. While Mabel was making cake frosting one morning by melting sugar in a pan, the liquid got too hot. Flames shot up and singed Mabel's eyebrows and eyelashes. She looked like a bare-faced mannequin. But, Mabel was not deterred, either. She had been secretly reading movie star magazines. She had read that these starlets, like Gloria Swanson, used a concoction called, "harem secret," to make their eyes beautiful.

Mabel mixed ash from cork she burned, with coal dust, and blended this mixture by using petroleum jelly. She dabbed this goo onto her eyebrows and the tips of her eyelashes. The transformation was amazing. Mabel's eyes were stunning. Then, an idea struck Tom Lyle like a bolt of lightening. Of course, it wasn't the clothes or smiles that made Hollywood goddesses glamorous. It was their "eyes." Mascara was born. The name Maybelline came from Mabel and the Vaseline mixture.

Miss Maybelline and Mascara's Destiny

By the time the 1920's came roaring into Chicago, women had claimed the right to vote, hold hands with men in public, smoke cigarettes, and a whole lot more. They took full advantage of their new-found freedom. Tom Lyle's entire family was in Chicago at this time, helping in the business of making Maybelline mascara. Tom Lyle's younger brother, Preston, incredibly handsome, a WWI hero, was watching a Memorial Day Parade when he and Evelyn Boecher spotted each other. Evelyn also spotted Tom Lyle.

"She fell in love with both brothers on the same day," says Sharrie Williams, of her grandmother, Evelyn Boucher. Evelyn was one of three daughters of John Boucher, a wealthy plumber, who spoiled his girls rotten. Always dressed in fine clothes, refined by music lessons, Evelyn, Bunny and Verona defined elegance. It was Evelyn, however, who became Tom Lyle's muse, and helped catapult Maybelline into the mascara cosmetics market. Sharrie relates in her book, The Maybelline Story: "Destiny arrived right on time, in the form of Evelyn Boucher."

Miss Maybelline Stops Traffic

Evelyn married Preston, but she continued to be the eyes and ears for Tom Lyle when it came to women and what they wanted. She contributed many ideas for the Maybelline mascara ads that put the company on the map around the world.

"Nana had very good insight, " says Sharrie. "She was an observer, a people-watcher. She loved to go to public places. She'd watch what women were wearing, what they talked about, laughed about. She would take it all in, then she would be able to condense this information and tell Tom Lyle. They would have dinner together and she would let him know - this is what women are looking for. This is what they want."

One day, Tom Lyle asked Evelyn to pick up some flyers from the printers, that he was going to mail to dime stores around the country. This was the time when Al Capone and other gangsters practically owned Chicago. Drive-by shootings and loud-mouthed gangsters were part of the city's fabric. Clutching an arm-load of flyers, Evelyn was almost to the Maybelline building when a car backfired. Everybody ducked, thinking it was gunshot. Evelyn jumped and threw her arms into the air, releasing the flyers, which were picked up by the wind.

An astute newspaper reporter snapped her photo. The next day, the newspaper printed Evelyn's photo with this title: "Miss Maybelline Stops Traffic." Orders for Maybelline mascara came pouring in. As Sharrie recalls, in her book, The Maybelline Story: "My uncle said to Nana: ' Evelyn, with that one photo you've accomplished more for marketing Maybelline than any flyer ever could."

Copyright Anne Mount. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.

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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Review: There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to eye makeup.

Take the history of Maybelline. In 2015 the global makeup brand was in the midst of its centennial celebration, complete with multiple star-studded parties.  But before all the blushes and BB creams, it was about a family company creating cosmetics for the eyes.

Sharrie Williams, an original descendant of the family that started the brand, detailed Maybelline’s rise to popularity and prosperity in her book “The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It."

How well do you know Maybelline? Here are

some fun facts:

■ How it started: In 1915, Mabel Williams burned her eyebrows and lashes. Unsure how long they would take to grow back, she burned a piece of cork, mixed the ashes with petroleum jelly and applied them. The jelly soothed the burn and the ash gave her brows and lashes definition. Her brother, Tom Lyle Williams, noticed how darkening them made her eyes pop, and it gave him an idea for a new kind of makeup.

■ Creating a category: At the turn of the 20th century, eye makeup was mainly worn by silent film stars to highlight their eyes on camera. For most women, options were limited to lipsticks, rouges, creams and powders. With a $500 loan, from his brother Noel J. Williams, Tom Lyle Williams launched a product called Lash-Brow-Ine for “beautifying lashes.” In those early days, it was a cake of black material in a little red box that women applied with a tiny brush. It sold for 25 cents.

■ What’s in a name?: Before Maybelline, there was no name for mascara. The company coined the term in the 1930s as a derivative of the French word mascaro, a product                    used to  darken men’s facial hair.

■ A makeup mainstay is born: In 1971, Maybelline debuted its Great Lash mascara — recognizable for its iconic pink-and-green packaging inspired by fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer’s vibrant hues and prints. It’s been a staple on drugstore shelves and in cosmetics bags ever since. In 2000, a tube was sold every 1.2 seconds, according to brand reports.

■ Advertising king: Quality and affordability aren’t the only reason Maybelline has made its mark. “My great-uncle wanted to be remembered as the king of advertising,” Ms. Williams says.

■ Branching out: By the 1970s, Maybelline was more than just eye makeup. There were lip glosses, blushes and much more. L’Oreal acquired the brand in 1996 and moved it to New York, where it continues to churn out new products and is a regular sponsor at New York Fashion Week.

Sara Bauknecht: sbauknecht@post-gazette.com or on Twitter and Instagram @SaraB_PG.By Sara Bauknecht / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Maybelline the Movie" destined for TV by style.com

There are certain stories, so dramatic, so entertaining, that they seem positively destined for television.  The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It fits the bill, with insight into all the brand’s history.

 Let us give you a brief synopsis to properly whet your appetite for this incredible read: The saga begins in 1915, founder Tom Lyle Williams watched as his sister Mabel,  applied a mixture of petroleum jelly, burnt cork, and coal dust to her damaged brows and lashes, in an effort to simulate fuller, more luxurious growth. Tom immediately saw dollar signs in his sister’s makeshift mascara, and so began the now billion-dollar business that is Maybelline (named after  Mabel, who inspired its creation). 

The book’s most publicized revelation is that Tom, despite being a married father, carried out a 50-year relationship with his partner Emery Shaver. 

However We were far more fascinated by the vignette about Evelyn,  Tom’s over-the-top glamorous sister-in-law. The night after opening her Maybelline Dinner Theatre in Arkansas with a star-studded gala in 1975 (Bill and Hillary Clinton were on the guest list), Evelyn perished in a suspicious house fire, and the crime was never solved.

It’s definitely a good beach book, if you’re headed for warmer climes this winter—and if anything, it will forever change the way you look at that pink and green tube of the brand’s best-selling Great Lash Mascara. 

By style.com

A generously populated, multi-generational saga, The Maybelline Story gives gentle moral lessons to boot.

The Maybelline Story starts almost a century ago and takes you though the interesting life of founder Tom Lyle Williams and his fascinating family as he climbs his way to achieving the all American dream. Cross country it will take you from Chicago to Hollywood, mingling with the who's who in each era and location. Read how a fluke turned into a simple product, and how it turned into an international sensation and empire.

The Maybelline Story is one that has left a lasting impression upon America, yet not many realize just how vital a role the cosmetic brand has played in shaping idealism today.  The obsession with perfection is widely seen throughout Hollywood, as it was nearly 100 years ago.  However, the obsession at that time did not reach the rest of society as it has today.  Early cosmetic developers, such as founder Tom Lyle Williams of the Maybelline Co. brought cosmetics to the everyday woman, pushing the idea that every woman, young and old, regardless of class, can obtain glamour and beauty with a simple swish of the eyes.  That’s where Maybelline got its start.  Developed in a time where women were breaking away from being modest and obedient housewives, and starting to seek their right as legal voters and equals in society.

The Maybelline story captivates all audiences by its incredible survival through economic, social, and personal turmoil.  The Maybelline Story takes you on a journey through 20^th century America, and into

the 21^st century where Maybelline New York, now owned by L'Oreal, thrives as a billion-dollar Icon and still the world’s largest cosmetic brand.

Get your signed copy today from author, Sharrie Williams, just click on the picture of the Book on the side column of this page.

Entrepreneur's starting a business venture? Need inspiration? Read this guy's take on my book

Bob CurmudgeonSeptember 11, 2016 at 5:42 PM

Please be sure to click the link to BOWEN's article at the end, to validate my saying "Kudos" to Sharrie for featuring Jane, of/for Elle; it is a great OP for Jane's excellent recounting of the allure of femme fatale eyes. (So often over the years, Guys (maybe Gals) may have looked, but haven't seen!) OK, in terms of "Full Disclosure", I'm a male who was fascinated watching my late Vieja each early AM, take the extra time (for me???) while excellently penciling her brows, "sponging" on a light-blue-hued eye shadow, and using an Inquisition-like thingy to tweak/curl her lashes.

Be that as it may, "Maybelline...", The Book, is a must read....not for make-up techniques/tips, but for the nitty-gritty-grind of her "Great-Uncle" and Family in kindling the Allure of Eyes (surely helping to continue the propagation of the races as well as a bit of the economy...) "Maybelline..." is 'a page turner' as they say. Sharrie and Youngs have not typed out a boring history, but find ways to twist and infuse Reality...trip you off guard...with splashes of humor as well. It is especially an inspiration for Chicas, or Guys for that matter, who are starting out in any kind of business venture or even/especially encountering a low point!

Whether you are a pragmatist or into soapy stuff, it's the makings of TV series, IMHO. (Oh Oh! One can't but help to wonder, what casting Sharrie, as well as readers, might envision? LOL...Ya ya, Rob Lowe as Tom Lyle, but I'm thinking with a little "younging" touch-up, that Harrison Ford's twinkle in his eye, could beat any!?!?) 

http://www.elle.com/beauty/makeup-skin-care/g28604/best-eye-makeup-trends-every-decade/

Beauty and the Dirt review of The Maybelline Story

The Maybelline Story starts out with fire and ends with fire and the fierce love Evelyn had for the two brothers burned in her until her untimely death in 1978. 

                 Author of The Maybelline Story, 
                                Sharrie Williams

This sounds more like a movie than a real life story, but I guess all the best stories are based on truth. I knew about Mabel and her coal dust and petroleum jelly mix that was the inspiration for mascara. That is where the name Maybelline came from but for all the family drama that ensued well that is now in a book that looks like a must read to me.

Book Synopsis:

One of the first Maybelline posters

In 1915 sister Mabel Williams burned her lashes and brows, Tom Lyle Williams watched in fascination as she performed what she called ‘a secret of the harem’—mixing petroleum jelly with coal dust and ash from a burnt cork and applying it to her lashes and brows.Mabel’s simple beauty trick ignited Tom Lyle’s imagination and he started what would become a billion-dollar business, one that remains a viable American icon after nearly a century. He named it Maybelline in her honor. Throughout the twentieth century, the Maybelline company inflated, collapsed, endured, and thrived in tandem with the nation’s upheavals—as did the family that nurtured it.

Tom Lyle Williams—to avoid unwanted scrutiny of his private life—cloistered himself behind the gates of his Rudolph Valentino Villa and ran his empire from the shadows. Now, after nearly a century of silence, this true story celebrates the life of an American entrepreneur, a man forced to remain behind a mask—using his sister-in-law Evelyn Boecher—to be his front.

Stories of the-great-man-and-how-he-did-it serve as a traditional mainstay of biographies, but with the strong women’s book-buying market, a resurgence of interest in memoirs that focus on relationships more than a single man and his accomplishments are more likely to be discussed in women’s book groups. The Maybelline Story combines the best of both approaches: a man whose vision rocketed him to success along with the woman held in his orbit.

 Evelyn, her son Bill, Sharrie and Tom Lyle)

In the way that Rhett Butler ignored the criticism of his peers to carve his own destiny, Tom Lyle Williams shares similar grit and daring. But Rhett without Scarlet wouldn’t be much of a story. Evelyn Williams provides the energy of an antagonist. Like Scarlet, we sometimes hate her and want to shake her, but sometimes, we must admit that we hold a grudging respect; we get a kick out of her and even occasionally, love her for her guts and tenacity, and certainly because she carved out a life for herself and insisted on having a voice, even if she was a fly in the ointment for others.

The Maybelline story provides other kinds of classic literary satisfaction. We are especially fascinated to slip vicariously into the lives of the rich and privileged yet cheer for the underdog who overcomes obstacles to astound doubters with his success. We are enthralled with the historical sweep of events whose repercussions live on to the present, all elements of The Maybelline Story—which reads like a juicy novel, but is in fact a family memoir, distilled from nine hundred pages of family accounts from the 1920’s to present.

An engrossing and captivating saga that spans four generations and reveals the humanity, the glamour, and the seedy underside of a family intoxicated by the quest for power, wealth, and physical perfection. It is a fascinating and inspiring tale of ambition, luck, greed, secrecy—and surprisingly, above all, love and forgiveness, a tale both epic and intimate, alive with the clash, the hustle, the music, and dance of American enterprise.

Sharrie Williams: The Maybelline Story is one I am buying now.

Click here for more beauty

The Maybelline Story reads like the best fiction but with real characters and plots that take us on an American dream wild ride.

From the Midwest through Chicago and Hollywood, we follow a path strewn with scandals, jealousies, triangles and betrayals. Throw in arson, a still-unsolved murder and even the Feds and Mafia and you have an exciting and bumpy journey that leaves more than one casualty in its wake. And Maybelline was along for the ride. 

The characters seem larger-than-life yet somehow remain vulnerable and sympathetic This is a family that continually grasped at the shiny ring only to discover that it might be no more than their own reflections staring back, sometimes accusingly, in the mirror. 

The legacy is in good hands with Ms. Williams. She's a true storyteller and writes with passion and candor while bluntly sharing her own resolve to rise above her 

family's lifelong mantra of money, beauty and the search for perfection. It's a critical but tender tale of redemption that displays an understanding, compassion and love for her family. She never gave up on her dream to tell this story and literally braved fire and fury to share it with the world. It's a book that you really can't put down, a true page-turner and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. 

You'll never look at a Maybelline ad again without feeling a tug of empathy for these characters and the struggles and determination of one man's effort to capture beauty on a brush and change forever the color palette of the world.      Amazon.com

@chaptersandchats reviews The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind it.

"The Royal family of the cosmetic industry" by Jodi Hanson

Growing up in the 70s, the time of discos and over the top makeup, teenage girls, myself included, wanted their lashes as dark and full as possible. We all had the pink and green tube of Great Lash mascara in our makeup bags. I’m middle-aged now and still have Maybelline mascara in my makeup bag. The only difference is I am a little more judicious in my application. So naturally when Sharrie Williams, grand-niece of Tom Lyle Williams; founder of Maybelline, asked if I was interested in reviewing “The Maybelline Story: And the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind it” I readily accepted the offer.

Sharrie Williams takes her readers into the world of the royal family of the cosmetic industry. Picture the Carrington’s from the hit 1980s television series “Dynasty”, change it from oil moguls to cosmetic moguls and you’ll understand what it was like being a Williams. The book is an intimate retelling of triumphs and losses, love and betrayal as Tom Lyle Williams, a teenage boy from small town USA, follows his dream to take the world and make it his oyster on his
quest to being a millionaire.

Maybelline was started when Tom Lyle discovered his sister Mabel’s beauty secret and wanted to share the product with American women. Little did he know that this would begin the journey into a lifelong love story with his little company that turned into a dynasty and the most widely known cosmetic company in the world.

Through the depression and two world wars Maybelline persevered always managing to keep women feeling beautiful through even the toughest times. Mingling with starlets from Hollywood and iconic movie producers the Tom Lyle Williams lived the life only to be dreamed of by millions of people.

Sharrie Williams was born to tell the story of her family. She does it with grace and humility showing not only the successes but the failures of her heritage. I was captivated from the first paragraph greedily pouring over the pages. I highly recommend “The Maybelline Story: And the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind it” is a must read for enthusiasts of memoirs and biographies.

Jodi Ann Chapterswww.chaptersandchats.com
www.facebook.com/ChaptersandChats
www.twitter.com/Chaptersandchat

Two Dudes Review: This is not what might be easily presumed to be a girly-girl reading about "make-up

Phil Ankofski says:

• September 23, 2015 at 7:45 am

  
  

  
  

  

  Woody’s Culver City, the Toes Beach, Sharrie Williams and our own Bob.

  

  
  

  I would like to start this gorgeous day in Dublin , Ohio by revisiting some times gone bye during the mid 1960’s.
  It was our own Bob of Los Ranchos who introduced us to the name of Sharrie Williams. I do not remember the context in which Bob referred to her, but his comments piqued my interest and I have since discovered much more about this beautiful and talented lady.

  

  Towards the end of summer in 1964, I myself along with several other new crew members at Woody’s Culver City were learning to serve root beers, salads and how to work the cash register. Sharrie Williams, who was a junior at Culver City HS was suffering heart break because she was disqualified from the Miss Culver City Pageant.(1964)
  The Beach Boys, Rolling Stones and James Brown were appearing in Santa Monica for the TAMI concert.

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Sharrie was now driving her 57 Chevy, so she now had an independent access to her favorite places ; The Culver Theater, the Studio Drive In, Woody’s SmorgasBurger and the Toes Beach. Toes Beach is in Playa del Rey at the very northern end of D & W beach. ( where the La Marina Inn was and the lagoon still is. )
  

  
  

  

  
  

  Sharrie had another year of high school with graduation in June, 1965. So what all this means is ; Sharrie and I were interacting for some time while she was a patron at Woody’s , plus her time at Toes. I had been renting a room in a private home on Fowling ST. which overlooked
  the lagoon and Toes beach. I used to walk there in 10 minutes.

  
  Now ( 2015 ) , I get to wonder ……. was that really Sharrie who I remember ?

  
  

  Sharrie Williams is the Grand Niece of Tom Lyle Williams who was the founder of the Maybelline Co.
  In 2010, Sharrie authored her book ; ” The Maybelline Story “.

  I just purchased my copy from Amazon and have found this story to be FABULOUSLY WRITTEN AND SO ENTERTAINING AND INFORMATIVE.
  ~ Well done Sharrie Williams ! ~

  Yes, I am recommending this book to everyone. You local guys get extra fun because much of the story was written about your own backyard. Last week I enjoyed watching the PBS TV story of Walt Disney.  While reading about Tom Lyle Williams , I can see so many similarities
  between him and Mr. Disney. It is like their DNA is identical.

  I need to give Bob of Los Ranchos a ” shout out ” for putting me on to Sharrie Williams. Thank you Bob.

  Sharrie Williams has several web sites of her own, plus she contributes to others as well. She also has a Facebook site which is a real blast to peruse.

  
  If anyone was to write a book about Woody’s Smorgas Burger, Sharrie would be the ultimate co author to have as a partner.

  
  

  Phil Ankofski
• Phil Ankofski says:

  September 23, 2015 at 2:43 pm

  Again , I am encouraging everyone here to get a copy of ” The Maybelline Story “. While you are awaiting the delivery of your book, you can check out the Facebook site I was referring to above. A little help for you ………..
  facebook.com/maybellinebook

  Phil Ankofski
• Bob of the Village of Los Ranchos (NM) says:

  September 24, 2015 at 10:08 am

  Whoa! Quite an exalted book review Phillip! (Probably what I might have done for Atlas Shrugged, back in the day!) Maybe drop such a review on Amazon http://tinyurl.com/pjcatjn

  
  I think the context of the original reference about Sharrie was when I ran across, by happenstance, her reference to enjoying CC’s Woody’s! I think you then “admitted” you thought you tried to get her phone number per being the self admitted lecher you were as evidenced by giving her a Sign-up card for a comped Birthday Woody, but alas she filled it out and returned it to another Dude!!!!
  In any event, very nice review!

Bob of the Village of Los Ranchos (NM) says:

• If truth be told, I’ve become embarrassingly lazy when it comes to reading books! Being surprised by Phil’s exuberance however, I picked up a copy of The Maybelline Story.

  
  

   So as the topic does not get lost lest my reading slows down, I’d like to note that after only the first 86 pages last night, you will find this is not what might be easily presumed to be a girly-girl reading about “make-up”. In addition, and despite stereotypes that may come to mind for some, given Sharrie’s ‘cuteness’, this is well written prose that most Guys will enjoy.

  
  Pardon: I was far from being an English Lit major so am not precise with “terms” in trying to describe it. Sharrie has gathered known and factual family history and ‘filled in’ plausible narrative to make it other than dry facts to create what I’m thinking is known as in the genre of being a historical novel. E.g. taking known facts and fleshing-in what most likely was said by the actual characters. Surely, I stand to be corrected.

  
  What caught my eye so far and caused me to write this, is the inspirational example that many of today’s ‘downtrodden’ teens might take a page from “Tom Lyle” in getting their act together rather than falling prey to the victimizers who ascribe and forecast one’s never- changing/hopeless condition in life to the harsh world we live in through no fault of our own. While I don’t yet know “how” The Story turns out, it’s been great so far and I Second Phil’s enthusiasm.
• 
  

  Bob of LR ,

  It is great to learn that you ordered Sharrie’s book and are enjoying it. I am also glad to see you did a much more detailed review than I did. It is significant that you made note that ” The Maybelline Story ” is not a girly- girl read. I would be thrilled to learn that Ron Howard or Tom Hanks
  picked up the rights for a TV mini series. ( Sharrie would be too ! )

  I’m thinking of a Woody’s type Steak a Bob for dinner. ( using PRIME beef )
  
  
   Bob of Los Ranchos says
• (Psst: finished The Maybelline Story. Indeed, the intrigue continued beyond page 86. Hmm…what would Sharrie’s Great-Uncle and his cabinet bring to our country’s leadership position? )

Beyond page 86: What a roller coaster of lives and living, often turning unexpected corners causing several chuckles along the way. Loved the "self-effacing(?)" line: "....That same year, my grandmother taught me to fall in love with my own reflection. I was five..."  Alas, t'was not a "Hollywood" ending. Great that you gathered yourself all up, as I would imagine it took a lot of "inner stuff" to put The Story together.

 http://www.oldlarestaurants.com/woodys-gallery/comment-page-3/#comment-26863