Let’s talk about books, shall we? On Instagram last week, I shared my latest out-of-control stack of new books to read.  When I order new books, I’ll sit them on the low bookcase under the window of my studio until I take the time to sit down and read them.  When I say “read”, I mean actually read in some cases, but in most cases, I review the books.  I take my time flipping through each page, making notes, and flagging pages I want to revisit, before filing it on the shelf.  (I like to use to flag pages in my books because I can reuse them and they don’t ruin the pages.)  Sometimes, the book goes back in the stack, so I can spend more time with it.  Such is the case with the books sitting at the very bottom of the stack. Sometimes the stack can get to

I can’t believe it’s June already!  In just a few short weeks, 2021 will be half over.  I remember a friend saying years ago, as I held an infant Marshall in my arms, that I just pressed the fast-forward button on my life.  There is something about living in the cycle of the school year, watching your kids mature and grow taller than you (Marshall just passed me by almost 2″), and the bustle of an active household, that makes time seem to pass just a little quicker. May was also a full month.  Busy with work, busy with the end of the school year, busy with getting ready for a trip, and getting settled and caught up when we got home.  But it was full and busy in a good way.  I feel like I’m settling more into my routine and workflow more than I have in months.  As

I wrote a blog post about my favorite period dramas miniseries a few years ago and it was such a popular post that it was worth adding to the list.  Period drama miniseries are my absolute favorites, especially the ones based on Jane Austen and Charles Dickens novels.  I will give any of them a try, though.  Here are some that weren’t shared on my list last time or have been made since then… little women This adaptation of Little Women was about to come out on PBS when I wrote my last list and I really loved it.  I know I’m not alone in feeling a little sad and frustrated by some of the turns the story takes, but I feel like this series addressed those very well while staying true to the novel.  It’s definitely my favorite version of Little Women.  I also love the music! all creatures

April just flew by for me, but it was a good month full of favorites.  It was my birthday month to boot, so I got lots of fun goodies.  Jeff and I are at that stage in life when we enjoy just getting some extra spending money so we can buy what we want.  I don’t know what bit of camping gear he might like and he doesn’t know which antique art supply I’ll be smitten with!  So, I did a little shopping for myself with some money from my used art supply sale and with my birthday money and bought an antique drafting box and a Victorian watercolor box.  Those are just two of my favorite things in April… birthday watercolor box As I said, this was one of my favorite things in April and it’s continued to be one of my favorite things.  I had acquired a Victorian-era

Before we’re into May, I figured I should share my favorites from March!  As I was working on this post, it felt like March was a world away.  What happened in March?  What did I do?  Why is it so hard to remember??  I usually try to jot down my favorites as they happen, so writing a favorites post is easy, but I obviously failed to do that for the month of March in 2021.  These are the favorites I was able to scrape together… antique shopping with my mom | visiting family Well, this one was easy and obvious.  It was such a joy to be able to drive back east to visit Jeff’s family in North Carolina and my parents in PA.  We hadn’t been out there since 2018 and it’s been way too long.  The main highlight was getting to see everyone, of course, but I also loved

Now, I have to confess right from the start that I am a little bit bias about this book.  Months ago, when it was still in the works, I was asked by Kim to write an endorsement, which I gladly did.  I had a chance at that time to peruse the book and I absolutely loved the premise, so I was so excited when I received my hard copy last week and had the chance to enjoy it in printed form.  The book is Home Stories – Design Ideas for Making a House a Home. On the back of the book, it reads, “Every room has a story worth telling: Learn how to create rooms filled with warmth, meaning, and your own unique story of home.”  And this book does a beautiful job of balancing practicality with inspiration and realistic ideas with the concept of intentionally telling your story through

So far, this year has been fast and full.  February seems like it was ages ago, even though it was just three weeks!  Does anyone else feel that way?  Anyway, February was a busy month, focused on organizing closets, cupboards, and drawers, which led to doing random projects that have been hanging out on my mental to-do list for ages.  It was also a no-spend month, which I’ll share more about later in the post, but I still have lots of fun new things to share with you… Reading | The Great American House You know I love a good decorating book and I found a new favorite in the month of February – The Great American House.  Oh man, this one is so good if you love classic architecture.  It explains how old homes were designed “thin” to allow the light and air to pass through and how many