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Obama: An Intimate Portrait
Obama: An Intimate Portrait: The Historic Presidency in Photographs | Pete Souza
58 posts | 38 read | 35 to read
This is the definitive visual biography of Barack Obama's historic Presidency, captured in unprecedented detail by his White House photographer--and presented in an oversize, 12"x10" exquisitely produced format, and featuring a foreword from the President himself. Pete Souza served as Chief Official White House Photographer for President Obama's full two terms. He was with the President during more crucial moments than anyone else--and he photographed them all. Souza took nearly two million photographs of President Obama, capturing moments both highly classified and disarmingly candid. Obama: An Intimate Portrait reproduces Souza's most iconic photographs in exquisite detail, more than three hundred in all. Some have never been published. These photographs document the most consequential hours of the Presidency--including the historic image of President Obama and his advisors in the Situation Room during the bin Laden mission--alongside unguarded moments with the President's family, his encounters with children, interactions with world leaders and cultural figures, and more. Souza's photographs, with the behind-the-scenes captions and stories that accompany them, communicate the pace and power of our nation's highest office. They also reveal the spirit of the extraordinary man who became our President. We see President Obama lead our nation through monumental challenges, comfort us in calamity and loss, share in hard-won victories, and set a singular example to "be kind and be useful," as he would instruct his daughters. The result is a portrait of exceptional intimacy and a stunning record of a landmark era in American history.
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cozypunk
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Pickpick

Absolutely fascinating. I wish Souza (the photographer and author) had written even more to accompany his photos. It's so hard to choose a favorite to share here, but I find this awe inspiring and humbling "...the first sitting President to visit a federal prison." Plus, the follow up pic of "Greeting inmates." #dw2020reads

Pmak2002 I love it 🥰 3y
10 likes1 comment
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TheBookHippie
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✊🏼🌊

AmyG 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 3y
Lcsmcat 🤞🏻🌊 3y
MittenGirlPeach 🧡🧡🧡 3y
HOTPock3tt 🙏 3y
katy4peas 💪🏻 3y
51 likes5 comments
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Gaylagal2
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I just saw in the the New York Times that President Barack Obama will be releasing his memoir in November called A Promised Land 👏👏👏🤙❤️💯

Mariposa_Bookworm I‘ve reserved my copy!!!! 4y
36 likes1 comment
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Pmak2002
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Pickpick

Awesome book full of wonderful amazing pictures of Obama and his presidency and family. It‘s so beautiful ♥️♥️♥️♥️

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melissajayne
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed it. An excellent look at the Obama presidency. #bookreview #bookstagram #2019 5⭐️

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CaitZ
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Pickpick

I spent a little over an hour at the library paging through this. It's a wonderful record of an historic presidency. Everyone should take a look at it, no matter your politics.

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LinusTheWonderPup
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A mess. #shelfie

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Gaylagal2
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❤️I look through this often.
❤️No plans.
❤️probably yellow
❤️I have no idea.

@howjessreads #friyayintro

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Gaylagal2
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I'm feeling nostalgic this morning after reading President Obama's favorites list for 2018. This is one my favorite coffee table books and I read it often. Wow I miss this man in the White House! He wasn't always perfect and I did disagree with a few things, but he was dam good president and man. 🤙

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DyAnne
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Damn, this book is killing me. ❤️💔❤️💔❤️

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DyAnne
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Going through this book slowly as my heart breaks. I miss the Os so much.

Crinoline_Laphroaig I miss them so much! 5y
VioletBramble I miss them too. And Uncle Joe. 5y
15 likes2 comments
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Dolly
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Congratulations on reaching 15k litfluence @Whimsical.Curiosity !
I‘ve tagged my most anticipated TBR. I usually giveaway or donate my books but this will be a keeper.

Hugs go out to @Kaye 💞and @Chocamanda 💞

Whimsical.Curiosity Love it, good luck!! 5y
Chocamanda Hugs to you in return! I hope you‘re doing well 💜 5y
30 likes2 comments
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TracyReadsBooks
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Book: The tagged one (the photographs & their stories are sooo good)
Author: Nnedi Okorafor
Movie: Once Upon a Time in China (Jet Li!!!)
Food: Olives

#manicmonday #letterO @JoScho

JoScho 🧡🧡🧡 5y
11 likes1 comment
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DyAnne
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I was right. This book is going to kill me. 💔

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DyAnne
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Oh, this is going to break my heart.

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Cortg
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Pickpick

This beautiful book actually brought tears to my eyes, on several occasions. What an amazing way to see into the daily life of a president. Pete Souza captures President Obama‘s personality and spirit throughout his 8 years in the White House that words could never describe. ❤️

Suet624 😭😭😭😭 6y
27 likes1 comment
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MallenNC
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My friend and I are already planning to visit #Chicago when President Obama's library opens! #AugustIsATrip

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @vkois88

kamoorephoto 😻😻😻😻 6y
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swishandflick
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Not in the database yet I'll HAVE to preorder a copy of Pete Souza's new book! Do you guys follow his Instagram? 😂 #coverreveal

(For those who don't know, Pete Souza was the official White House Photographer for Obama and he's been using his Instagram to shade 45 since the election. Epic)

mrozzz Ahhhhhhh 🙌🏻 6y
RebelReader 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 6y
Cubanmommy95 Gonna have to def check this one out 6y
MicheleinPhilly Nice! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 6y
Bookcation74 That Instagram post made my day! 6y
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MatchlessMarie
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I‘m telling you, I don‘t go looking for these Ham references— they find me. 😅 #SummertimeRead #ReadingResolutions

BookNerd9906 #Hamiltonobsessed ❤️❤️❤️ 6y
71 likes1 comment
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Christine
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Pickpick

You‘ll laugh, you‘ll cry, you‘ll cry lots more...but it‘s well worth it. Highly recommend this beautiful book/important artifact (which I‘d love to own but enjoyed from the library).

JenReadsAlot I agree! 6y
Mitch Just the cover is enough to make me cry xxx 6y
DyAnne OMG. I miss him so much. 💔 6y
sammisho Miss him so much! 💔 6y
Christine @JenReadsAlot @Mitch @DyAnne @sammisho I know!!! We were so lucky. ❤️💔❤️ 6y
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Sarahandhella
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Picked up this beautiful book tonight at the library! Every time I see his face I want to weep, hell anytime I see any former living President‘s face I want to weep. The photographs that Pete Souza captured throughout Obama‘s presidency are amazing, amusing, and insightful of the man that lead our nation. I miss him.

Readergrrl Ditto. 😪 6y
4 likes1 comment
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jetspins24
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Just announced his next book, which I am super psyched about. Souza is an excellent IG follow!!

SHADE: A Tale of Two Presidents

Shade is a portrait in contrasts, telling the tale of two presidencies through a series of powerful visual juxtapositions-with Pete Souza's unforgettable images of President Obama given new power and meaning when framed by tweets, headlines, quotes, and other material from the first 500 days of the Trump administration.

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kstadt929
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Pickpick

Such cool photos in this book!

Chelleo 🤩 6y
12 likes1 comment
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Cortg
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Ugh! Not liking this text message 😔

LauraBeth Oh you‘re in good company - I always get that message! ☺️ 6y
21 likes1 comment
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nitalibrarian
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Pickpick

This book really reminded me how personable Barack Obama is. Souza picked amazing photos to showcase our former president - a great mix of serious and amusing.

Chrissyreadit I miss the Obama‘s every single day. 6y
Dragon I follow him on Instagram and he posts great photos 6y
25 likes2 comments
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Cortg
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I was planning to just thumb through the photographs but it has me completely engrossed and I‘ve read every word of the first 1/4 of the book 😍

sprainedbrain 😍😍😍 6y
Maria514626 Sigh. 😍 6y
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Expandingbookshelf
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I‘m going to chug wine until this stops hurting. RIP me ☠️

mrozzz 💗 6y
4 likes1 comment
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Sonia_C
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Visual History of the Obama administration💙 #coffeetablebook #Obama 💙

Chelleo Bought this (and Michelle‘s) for my MIL for Christmas! She loved it 6y
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Melkyl
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Pickpick

I loved looking through these pictures of the Obama presidency. My favorites are the many photos captured of President Obama interacting with children. I love how natural and genuine he is in these interactions.

Dolly Oh yes, I agree. Both he and the children always had bright smiling faces! 💓 6y
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Melkyl
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A gift from my husband arrived in the mail today. I can‘t wait to look through this book at all of the amazing pictures!

AceOnRoam 😍😍😍😍 6y
36 likes1 comment
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MallenNC
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Is a book really an oversized book if it's amazing? This photo collection is a coffee table book of substantial size, but it could've been bigger for me. #riotgrams Day 24 #oversizedbooks @bookriot

JenReadsAlot I loved this book!! 6y
MallenNC @JenReadsAlot Me too! So much. I cried looking through parts of it. 6y
JenReadsAlot I did too 😢 I miss that man! 6y
MallenNC @JenReadsAlot Every single day! 6y
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BellaBookNook
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Unseasonably warm weather today (70F) so I‘m enjoying my pick from the library today out on my deck. Everything has been put away for the winter so I had to drag a chair out to soak in the sun. I miss him so much. #readsoullit #blackhistory #favoritepresident

22 likes2 comments
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VeganCleopatra
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Pickpick

😭😭

Great photos, great stories, and great man. Sigh.

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CraftyBookNerd1
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Pickpick

I loved reading about & looking at pictures of President Obama‘s journey as president for 2 terms 💕 From the happy moments to the very tragic, there were amazing pictures that were taken to take us back to those days. Great work by Pete Souza 📸😊 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Sarahreadstoomuch
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My plan for the State of the Union tonight.

MicheleinPhilly We‘re watching Top Chef. I have no time for that nonsense. 6y
MCYmermaid 👏👏👏👏 6y
BookishMe EXCELLENT Choice! 6y
See All 7 Comments
UrsulaMonarch Brilliant!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 6y
Susanita I watched Get Out 6y
Sarahreadstoomuch @Susanita I still need to see that! 6y
Susanita It‘s good!!! 6y
24 likes2 stack adds7 comments
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farre
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Pickpick

Loved all the photos and antidotes.

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JenReadsAlot
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My date tonight.....

MallenNC I loved that photo collection! 6y
JenReadsAlot @MallenNC I'm guessing I will as well. Also sad that he is gone..... 6y
MallenNC @JenReadsAlot I admit I did cry in certain parts. I miss the Obamas. 6y
MayginReads I so want to read this, but I don't think I'm ready yet. Too maybe tears. 😢 6y
JenReadsAlot @MayginReads I'm about half way through. It's good to see the pictures, but very sad indeed.... 6y
24 likes1 stack add5 comments
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BookishMe
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Needed the smiles from the photos after a Trying morning.
It was too hefty to be brought from the library branch on the other side of the island. Will look for it at a nearby library...

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MallenNC
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Not book related, but I said in the #FriYaY post that I planned to watch David Letterman's interview with President Obama on Netflix. I've already finished it and it was great. A conversation between the two of them, but with added context, including an interview with Congressman John Lewis in Selma. Highly recommend! (And my cat wanted to be close to Obama too).

BarbaraTheBibliophage Can‘t wait to watch this one! 6y
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alanacristin
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Pickpick

I have so many feelings 💘😭📷✨ Souza throws such excellent shade with his curated photos on instagram so I knew this collection would be great but the whole chronology and reliving the highs and lows of those eight years through just flat out good photos was emotional. I'll be getting the young reader's version for the toddler to remember the president of his birth year 💗 touching, thorough, & fabulously composed #mommyreads #photography #potus

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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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Remember when we had a reader-in-chief instead of a tweeter-in-chief? He‘s still sharing his best of lists, so I thought you‘d be interested. I love that he reads fiction too! I‘m seeing many of these on our lists also. There are more song choices that got cut off, but it‘s on FB if you want to see the rest. #readerinchief #barakobama #bestof2017

Reecaspieces And look a Mississippi girl is on the list. Go Jesmyn 6y
Sue That‘s cool! I‘m a little surprised Dying by Cory Taylor crossed his path - it‘s a tiny Aussie memoir, nominated for the Stella Award. Well worth a look! 6y
mrp27 Thanks for posting, love this. 6y
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Jinjer Awesome! Thank you! 6y
Cortg Awe, how fantastic! Thanks for sharing! 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Reecaspieces I‘ll bet he liked her other books also! 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Sue I think it‘s great that he reaches outside U.S. borders! 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @mrp27 @Jinjer @Cortg You‘re welcome! 📚💚📚💚 6y
danielle_framed I cannot picture Obama singing along to Havana!! 😜 LOL 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @danielle_framed What I‘d pay to see it, though! 6y
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ReadingSusan
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Pickpick

Oh my goodness this book was amazing. These photos are so gorgeous. Pete Souza is such a talented photographer. The way he manages to capture a scene is so inspiring. I love the stories behind a lot of the photos too but this book is definitely focused primarily on the photography. This book brought me so much joy!

shanebeth I follow Pete on Instagram! he posts great photos there. I need to check out this book. 6y
AmyG I follow him, too @shanebeth He trolls Trump so hard. ❤️ 6y
Pamwurtzler I never think about following people on Instagram. Definitely doing that! @shanebeth @AmyG 6y
ReadingSusan @shanebeth yes! His photos are gorgeous. And the shade towards DT is 👌🏻 6y
138 likes1 stack add4 comments
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ReadingSusan
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Feeling down in the dumps tonight so ditching my current reads to dive into one of my Christmas presents. I am so excited for this book. Pete Souza is so very talented.

KarenUK I loved it 💕 6y
Sills It is a beautiful book👍 6y
ReadingSusan @Sills so gorgeous! And surprisingly emotional. 6y
ReadingSusan @KarenUK I am loving it! 6y
Cathythoughts Beautiful pic of him. I love his smile ❤️ 6y
144 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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ChrisBohjalian
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Among the books under the tree today was this wonderfully eclectic pile. (Also? The cat in the basket is Seven.)

WanderingBookaneer My 7th cat is called Septimus; my 8th is Octavia. 6y
LeslieO Oh I love seeing Souza's Obama pics on Instagram! 6y
77 likes3 comments
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ReadingSusan
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My bookish gifts I received tonight! So excited for the Obama book! Pete Souza is so talented! I hope all you wonderful Littens are having a great night!

Tameeka Yes! Just received that book too and love it 😍 6y
ReadingSusan @Tameeka yay! I can‘t wait to dive into it 6y
TheNextBook I got this for my mom. She was over the moon. It‘s so beautiful! 6y
Cortg I love seeing his photos on the internet. I just put the book on hold from the library. 6y
alisiakae ❤️❤️❤️ 6y
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JWHeyman
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ApoptyGina69
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You guys, in the catering kitchen we are doing 18 events in the next 7 days. And THEN the pop-up retail bakery starts for 5 full days. And THEN I‘m off for 10 days. Will I finish 4 books by the end of the year to complete my challenge? Who knows... Meanwhile yesterday, on my one day off, I grabbed up the last Obama picture book, WHILE also wearing my Hermione coat—books printed on the inside lining. See you all on the other side!!

Eyelit That coat lining is amazing! Remember to take care of yourself over the coming week 😃💜 6y
TricksyTails Amazing coat!! 6y
ApoptyGina69 @Eyelit thank you! I will do my best. 🤩 6y
See All 20 Comments
vivastory That coat is amazing! 6y
ApoptyGina69 @TricksyTails thanks! Got it online. If I‘d have tried it on, I might have passed. It‘s thinner than I‘d like and the ruffles on the sleeves... nonetheless, it‘s cute as can be. I may re-gift next year to a tween friend. 6y
LeahBergen That coat is fab!! 6y
TricksyTails Oh I understand how frustrating online shopping can be with it looking completely different in real life. This coat does look amazing on you though. I vote to keep it! 😉 6y
Christine11 Love the coat ! 😍 6y
Owlizabeth Wow, you‘ve got a lot going on and a fabulous coat!! 6y
sprainedbrain Love everything about this post!! ❤️ 6y
Buddys_Momma Wow!! Lots going on but you have the right attitude 😉 6y
GoldenGirl Where'd you get that coat?! I love it so much! 6y
tpixie I agree with @Eyelit - take care of yourself! Get plenty of water! Esp if you can't get rest! It's great the business is so successful! And I agree with everyone the cost is so unique and perfectly#bookish! Lol it belongs in a Litsy museum! Merry Christmas!! 🎄 6y
ApoptyGina69 @LeahBergen Thank you! I will be wearing it a lot this season. 6y
ApoptyGina69 @GoldenGirl Got it online from Hot Topic. Lots of Harry Potter stuff there! Also got Gryffindor socks and all-house pillowcases. 6y
ApoptyGina69 @tpixie thank you! It‘s brutal, but all the clients have been thrilled. We gotta keep it up. I am the cheerleader of the kitchen for sure. 6y
tpixie @ApoptyGina69 🎉🎉🎉 6y
marixa @ApoptyGina69 hello! And thank you so much for the card! I love your finds! 6y
DivaDiane Love the coat!!! PS: your package is on the way! I hope you get it before the end of the year! I sent it on Monday. Sorry it‘s so tardy! Life got crazy. 6y
Gissy Love that coat😍👌🏼I need one in my life! 🤗 6y
61 likes2 stack adds20 comments
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Jennie748
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Pickpick

This was amazing! The photographs, the stories, all of it!

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queerbookreader
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Well, only 19th in line now....😓 (I put this on hold a month ago)