I am now the proud owner of a vacuum that nearly costs as much as the monthly rent on my first apartment. I was reading a board I'm on, and one post innocently asked, "Is a Dyson vacuum really worth the money?" Well, you would have thought she'd asked if air was really worth breathing. The responses were fast and furious in reply, claiming that not only is a Dyson worth the money, they couldn't imagine what life was like without one. Stories of no more cat hair and the elimination of dog hair and fifty foot extendable hoses got me to thinking. All of a sudden I was imagining all of the dirt in my carpets, the dust mites crawling around mocking my measley Hoover. How could I be living without a Dyson?

So I found a website that sold Dysons and got myself a taxi-cab yellow bagless vacuum. I was convinced that with a Dyson in my foyer closet, my floors and carpets would be spic and span every single day. Just the mere existence of a vacuum that doesn't lose suction (as my TV-trained daughter informed me as soon as she saw the familiar yellow vacuum from TV) would make my home cleaner. And I have to be honest. It is sort of sickening when you see the transparent canister fill up with stuff that was once on your floor. And it does make me get the vacuum out between my cleaning woman's visits. And I do get a little thrill pushing that whirling machine around as I hear the British guy from the commercial's voice talk to me about the first bagless canister that doesn't lose suction.

Was it worth the money? I don't really know. But at least I can sleep at night knowing the dust mites aren't getting the best of me. And it is a pretty damn cool-looking vacuum.

Everyone knows that the genre of chick lit is expanding - we have mommy lit, hen lit, mystery chick lit, and now, time-travel chick lit. Yes, Marianne Mancusi has published the first time-travel chick lit.

But this is no "girl in a time machine" story. Marianne's debut, A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur's Court is about an outspoken fashion editor named Kat, who certainly is not your typical damsel in distress. When a gypsy curse sends her back in time to the days of King Arthur, she finds she needs every ounce of her 21st century wits (and pop culture references) to navigate the legend. After all, surviving a magical plot, an evil prince, and a case of mistaken identity--all without changing history or scuffing your Manolos--takes some doing!

You can find out more about Marianne's book, including an excerpt, at her web site www.http://www.mariannemancusi.com

Everyone knows that the genre of chick lit is expanding - we have mommy lit, hen lit, mystery chick lit, and now, time-travel chick lit. Yes, Marianne Mancusi has published the first time-travel chick lit.

But this is no "girl in a time machine" story. Marianne's debut, A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur's Court is about an outspoken fashion editor named Kat, who certainly is not your typical damsel in distress. When a gypsy curse sends her back in time to the days of King Arthur, she finds she needs every ounce of her 21st century wits (and pop culture references) to navigate the legend. After all, surviving a magical plot, an evil prince, and a case of mistaken identity--all without changing history or scuffing your Manolos--takes some doing!

You can find out more about Marianne's book, including an excerpt, at her web site www.http://www.mariannemancusi.com