Friday, August 16, 2019

Five on Friday – The Best Decorative Books

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 Books.  One of my favorite things in the whole world.  I have had an obsession with books since I was old enough to hold one, and I started reading at an early age and never stopped.  To this day, I still don’t use a Kindle or any other kind of e-reader because I just can’t give up my beloved books.  There’s nothing like a book, truly – the smell of them, the way they fit in your hands, the feel of the paper between your fingers.  I love them.  In my list of happy places, the library and cozy bookstores rank pretty high.  I feel immediately at peace when I walk into one of them. 

In addition to loving books for reading, I also love to decorate with them.  They make for some truly unique decorations and you can pretty much always find something perfect to fit in with the décor or theme in any room.

Today I’m going to share a few of my favorite decorative books for different areas of your house.  And if you want to see the entire list, click here for my Amazon Storefront.

O N E – Living Area

The living area is one of the easiest rooms to decorate with books because you can decorate with pretty much any genre.  I personally love organizational and home improvement books, books about the media (musicians, TV shows, etc.), art books, and home decorating books. 

Favorites:
Monet by Vanessa Potts
All in Good Taste by Kate Spade
Elements of Style by Erin Gates
New York in Color by Nichole Robertson
Paris in Love by Nichole Robertson
Paris in Color by Nichole Robertson
The Year of Cozy by Adrianna Adarme
Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton
Pottery Barn Bedrooms by Pottery Barn
Hindsight by Justin Timberlake







I also love decorating with books that contain sentimental value.  The top three books in the picture below belonged to my late grandfather in the 1950’s and the children’s bible belonged to my grandmother who is now in a nursing home.  My grandfather wrote a few notes in his and I love that I’ll have his handwriting forever and ever.  It’s like having a little piece of him with us even though he’s gone.  <3



T W O – Kitchen

In the kitchen, I typically decorate with books about food and entertaining, and, of course, recipe books are a fantastic way to add a fun pop in any corner.  We also have a bar cart in the kitchen, so any kind of mixed drinks recipe books work well in the kitchen as well.

Favorites:
Whole Bowls by Allison Day
Crumb by Ruby Tandoh
Hip Sips by Lucy Brennan
Celebrate by Lauren Conrad
Summer Cocktails by Maria del Mar Sacasa
Love & Lemons by Jeanine Donofrio
Home Baked by Yvette van Boven
Brew by Brian W. Jones







T H R E E – Bedroom/Closet

In the bedroom it’s all about the beauty and fashion books since that’s where I keep all of my makeup and clothing, and it’s where I get ready every day.  I also keep the current novel I’m reading on my nightstand.  The bedroom is also a great place to keep any books that you and your significant other may read together, like The Five Love Languages. 

Favorites:

Angels by Russell James
Hello Glow by Stephanie Gerber
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Beauty by Lauren Conrad
Vogue: The Covers by Dodie Kazanjian
Style by Lauren Conrad






F O U R – Office

My home office is where I do all of my quiet time, so this makes the perfect space to display all of my devotionals and self-improvement books.  I keep a stack of them on the side table next to my reading chair since I read from them every day.  I also keep my Emily Ley Simplified Planner displayed on my desk since I use it throughout the day.

Favorites:

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
Jesus Always by Sarah Young
100 Days to Brave by Annie F. Downs
Grace, Not Perfection by Emily Ley
Everybody Always by Bob Goff
You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
A Standard of Grace by Emily Ley
Balancing in Heels by Kristin Cavallari
A Simplified Life by Emily Ley
Pottery Barn Work Spaces by Pottery Barn
Simplified Planner by Emily Ley



And I would be remiss if I didn’t share my wall-to-wall bookshelves in my office… this is where I store all of the rest of my books, mostly novels, and it’s one of my favorite spaces in our entire house! 

F I V E – Seasonal

And finally, perhaps my favorite category in this whole post… the holiday books!  I decorate our whole house for most of the holidays, especially for fall and Christmas, and I always include books as part of the holiday décor. 

Favorites:

Platters & Boards by Shelly Westerhausen (not technically a holiday book but it screams fall to me!)
Purely Pumpkin by Allison Day
Festive Cocktails (couldn't find it online)
Holiday Cookies by Elisabet der Nederlanden
Soup Nights by Betty Rosbottom






And finally, before I go, here are a few tips for decorating with books:

  1. Follow the Rule of Three when grouping… most items look best in groups of three.
  2. Use books to add height to other pieces when your creating vignettes.
  3. Group spines together that are pleasing to the eye.
To see my entire list of decorative books, check out my Amazon Storefront here!

 As always, here are a few Friday funnies... this time book related to keep with the book theme in today's post.  ;o)
Brian knows this face all too well.  Hahahaha.

But seriously.
And finally, here's what happened on the blog this week in case you missed it...

Happy Friday, y’all!
*Linking up with A Liz Adventures and Carolina Charm for Five on Friday, A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites, Meet @ the Barre for Friday Favorites, and Polka-Dotty Place for High Five for Friday.





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Wednesday, August 14, 2019

My Favorite Shows to Binge

We’re living in a wonderful time for TV, y’all.  I feel like there’s so much goodness to choose from these days that B and I may never run out of options!  Today I’m going to share my favorites to binge! 

Friends

Fun fact, I always tell everyone that I basically invented binge watching!  Back in the 90’s I bought a couple of editions of The Best of Friends on VHS tapes and I literally watched them nonstop at home while I was doing homework, relaxing, writing, and just hanging out.  It’s my favorite show of all time and having it on in the background always made me so happy.  I can pretty much recite every single episode from start to finish and I never get tired of it.  So naturally, when someone asks me for a new show to binge, I always start here just in case they’ve been living under a rock and have never seen it.  Could it be any better?!

Watch It On: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
How Many Seasons? 10
Series Complete? Yes


Parenthood

This is probably my second favorite show of all-time… it is fantastic.  I promise after you get into it you’ll want to be a Braverman like the family the show is based on.  So so good… especially if you’re in the child-raising stage of life.  And even if you’re not, I think you’d still enjoy it.

Watch It On: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video
How Many Seasons? 6
Series Complete? Yes


Friday Night Lights

FNL started out a little slow for me and I was almost ready to give it up, but about 3-4 episodes in I was hooked.  I love football and I love me some Coach Taylor.  #ClearEyesFullHeartsCantLose

Watch It On: NBC.com, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video
How Many Seasons? 5
Series Complete? Yes


Breaking Bad

I thought for sure that BB wasn’t going to be my cup of tea, and I am still shocked at myself when I say that it ended up being one of my favorite shows of all time.  The storyline, the character development, the fact that you can’t always predict what’s going to happen… it is a fantastic show.

Watch It On: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
How Many Seasons? 5
Series Complete? Yes


Better Call Saul

This is the prequel to Breaking Bad, so naturally, B and I started watching it after we finished BB.  It’s great, very entertaining, and I love getting more background info on what made Saul Goodman, Saul Goodman.  They are still creating new episodes for this one, too, so we have something to look forward to.

Watch It On: AMC, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
How Many Seasons? 4
Series Complete? No


A Million Little Things

This is by far my favorite show on network television right now.  The first season debuted last fall and I feel like it’s completely on par with any of the Netflix original shows.  It’s funny, it’s heartfelt, the storyline is fantastic.  Please add this to your list of must-watch shows so they won’t cancel it for me.  Haha. 

Watch It On: ABC, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video
How Many Seasons? 1
Series Complete? No


This is Us  

This is Us is another great network show, but bring your tissues because you’ll cry during nearly every episode.  It will also make you never want to use a Crockpot again. 

Watch It On: NBC.com, Amazon Prime Video
How Many Seasons? 3
Series Complete? No


Big Little Lies

B and I binged this entire series in just a few weeks.  It’s riveting and crazy and highly entertaining, and I loved it. 

Watch It On: HBO Now, Amazon Prime Video
How Many Seasons? 2
Series Complete? Most likely


Gilmore Girls  

GG is also one of my favorites of all time because it’s just such a feel-good show.  It makes me feel all cozy inside so I particularly love to watch it during the fall and winter.  It’s another one that I love to have on for background noise while I work.  So good!

Watch It On: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
How Many Seasons? 7 + reboot
Series Complete? I think so?


The Handmaid’s Tale

This show is creepy and riveting and utterly brilliant and I would have seriously sat and binged the entire series without leaving the couch if I could have.  I cannot recommend this show enough, y’all!  If you’ve never seen it, and you want something that will hook you from the start, this is IT.  It’s a train wreck and I promise you won’t be able to look away.

Watch It On: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video
How Many Seasons? 3
Series Complete? No


Gossip Girl  

B and I just started Gossip Girl and although it’s a little juvenile at times, it’s pretty darn entertaining.  I’ll definitely finish the entire series, but I’m sure B could do without it.  Haha.

Watch It On: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
How Many Seasons? 6
Series Complete? Yes, but they just announced a reboot


Friends from College  

This is a Netflix original that I fell deeply in love with.  It’s kind of similar to friends, but it’s much more quirky and R rated.  It’s hilarious and it has Keegan Michael Key in it (enough said!) and I was heartbroken when Netflix canceled it before giving us closure.  It’s still worth a watch, though!

Watch It On: Netflix
How Many Seasons? 2
Series Complete? Unfortunately yes, but IT SHOULDN’T BE


Scandal  

B and I binged Scandal a few years ago and I loved it.  The first few seasons were fantastic and I quickly fell in love with Fitz.  It got a little weird/extreme/redundant in the final seasons, but I still finished it because I had to know how it ended.  Obvi.

Watch It On: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
How Many Seasons? 7
Series Complete? Yes


Dawson’s Creek  

Ahhhh, Dawson’s Creek!  My teenage love!  This was another one of my favorite shows when I was a teenager and I never missed an episode.  Looking back it’s a little juvenile as well, but it’s on my list to watch all over again!  I used to record the episodes on a VCR and watch them over and over again!  I created my own opportunity to binge watch.  Haha.

Watch It On: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video
How Many Seasons? 6
Series Complete? Yes


And that’s it, y’all!  Once B and I are done with Gossip Girl it’ll be time for something else, so please please tell me your favorite shows to binge if they’re not on my list!
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Tuesday, August 13, 2019

The First Day of School… Kind Of

Well, we may have gone into yesterday super organized, well stocked, and fully prepared, but I suppose you can be all those things and still have things go wrong on the first day back to school.  :o(

Yesterday morning, the kids got up bright eyed and bushy-tailed and headed straight down for breakfast like the start of any other school day.  Jacob had only eaten about half of his breakfast when he announced that the food was making his tummy feel weird and he was done.  We told him to head upstairs and get dressed and that’s when things went downhill fast. 

He started complaining of a stomachache which is super rare for him… he almost never has stomach troubles.  Before we knew it, he was laying on the floor in the fetal position complaining about the pain, so I gave him some Pepto for kids.  During the lulls from the pain he was able to get himself dressed and ready for school and we proceeded with first day pictures and the rest of the routine. 


He seemed to be feeling better after that so we headed out the door, business as usual.  I grabbed the kids vitamins on the way out and Jacob declined his, so that was a red flag that I should have recognized.  The boy loves his gummy vitamins and has never turned one down.

Anyway, he was fine all the way to school, and we headed into Olivia’s classroom to drop her off for her first day of kindergarten.  She was so excited to be there and she immediately went to her spot at the table to start working on her journal.  She cheesed so happily for a picture and then it was time for us to leave her.  She got super sad when I said I needed to go, but I was able to sneak out without any tears… from her, anyway.  My water works started once I made it to the hall.


Meanwhile, Jacob had gone to the bathroom because his stomach was hurting again, and this time he was able to actually go, so he was feeling better and we thought everything was good to go.  #Wrong

B and I walked him to his classroom next (or ran him to his classroom because by then he was almost late), and we got him all settled in at a desk (they get to sit anywhere they want this year!) and he got started on his crossword puzzle.  I snapped a quick pic (and now looking back, I should have known something was wrong because he doesn’t look well here) and then B and I headed out.  I did let his teacher know that he hadn’t been feeling 100% before we left, and we agreed that it could just be nerves.  #WrongAgain


I got to the gym, started my workout, and was nearly finished with it when my phone rang.  I saw Jacob’s teacher’s number and knew it was, obviously, something bad.  Sure enough, she told me he was throwing up and it was time for me to come get him just 45 minutes into his first day of school.  Bless his heart.

I arrived within ten minutes and he was sitting in the office looking pale and miserable.  He told me he had only thrown up once, so that was good, and then we headed straight home where I set him up on the couch with a pillow, a blanket, and the TV remote.  For the first couple of hours he sat up and looked great, and then he even asked for some food.  I gave him a Nutri-Grain bar per his request and then about 45 minutes later he told me his tummy was hurting again and he was going to throw up.


He never actually threw up which was so weird, but he was shaking and sweating buckets, so I knew he was feeling bad.  He spent the rest of the day moving back and forth from laying on the couch to laying in his bed in the dark.  He was feeling bad enough to where he no longer wanted to watch TV or do anything but lay.  He never really slept much, though.

Around 4 Brian and Olivia came home (poor B got stuck doing car line duty on the first day… it’s always the worst day!) and she regaled us with all of the tales from her first day.  Spoiler alert – she LOVED it.  And she was super proud that she had stayed on green all day, too.

A few minutes after they got home, Jacob finally passed out on the couch and ended up sleeping for two whole hours, right through dinner.  He woke up bright eyed and looking way better than before and he even asked for some food.  We tried a cracker and some water and it stayed down, so then he wanted oatmeal.  Got through a couple of bites of that and said he was full, so he wasn’t completely back to normal.  After that he was feeling well enough to want to play Battleship and then he even felt up to showering before getting in the bed. 

Tuesday we’re just gonna make a game time decision for whether or not to send him to school depending on how the night goes and how he feels in the morning.  He never ran a fever all day, but then right before bed his temp went up from his typical 98.4ish to around 99.4ish.  Doesn’t technically count as a fever, but there was definitely something going on there.

So anyhoo, my poor boo missed his first day of school – which was, by the way, the first day of school he has ever missed in the four years he’s been in real school – and we are hoping that he gets some relief today.  He’s never had a stomach virus in his whole life and has literally only thrown up once prior to this (when he was two) and he hasn’t been this sick in years.  Needless to say, my heart was broken in two all day yesterday and I’m just praying he’s back to normal today… and that nobody else gets it!

If you don’t mind, could you please say a quick prayer for him to be back to feeling 100% today?  Or at least 95%? 

Thanks, y’all!

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