Junk Beautiful

I dream of being able to repurpose junk more, but until school starts back, I just dream about it. And since it's a heat wave outside, my yard saling has been slim. But I have found a new book, and site that will be total inspiration when I get there. Junk Beautiful by Sue Whitney and Ki Nassauer and site Junkmarket style are definately feature worthy!

Good Books this Time

Saturday, I finally got to spend some quality time with my beloved books at my beloved library, and I actually emerged with some good ones this time and feel very inspired for my house and my sisters wedding. Check it out (at your local library):

Book Club

2 More books in our book club today...

Simple Style by Julia Bird****

this was finally a good one!! Julia Bird is an amazing poet and photographer, and her style is timeless.

Unfortunately I can't say the same for Do It Yourself Decorating with Fabric * which was very outdated and boring.

Still loving the library, by the way. So much so that I think it's going to be my new hangout even without the kids. How much of a nerd am I?

The kids and I have discovered books on audio:

There's a Boy in the Girls Bathroom, America the Beautiful, and The Man Who Walked Between Towers. Very very fun to curl up and listen for a change and give my scratchy voice a rest. Have a good weekend everyone and we'll pick it up here on Monday!!

Welcome to My Decorating Book Club

This summer has been great so far! We have been regulars at the Hoover library. We have seen Aesops Fables puppet show, and Chicken Little performed at the Library Theatre, joined the book club, explored the world of computer learning, and read plenty of amazing books (including Edward Tulane which is awesome!!). But until yesterday I did not realize that the library is NOT JUST for kids!! They have a plaza with great food, and an adult book club, and a whole section of decorating books and magazines!! I'm in heaven! So, here's what I picked out yesterday:

Leading an Artful Life by Mary Engelbreit. **, A Passion for Antiques by Barbara Milo Ohrbach*, and Kids' Rooms Magazine by BHandG***

Clearly, I need to go back today and choose more wisely, but nonetheless, I am so excited about my new pass time. It is a good, healthy activity for everyone!!

Highly recommended children's book:

This book is amazing! Cried and laughed my heart out. Watch this: http://www.samekindofdifferentasme.com/video.aspx

Where Have I Been?

Reading an amazing book. I have to tell you about See You in a Hundred Years by Logan Ward.
Thank you Urban Grace Interiors
for sharing this wonderful book on your blog! It's amazing how I keep coming across people who, like Blake and me, really have a desire to get back to our grassroots. The simple country life has it's appeal, although I don't know that I would take it as far as Logan and Heather (and son Luther) Ward did. Coming from New York City urban life, the Wards had that desire for a simpler life, and so decided, as a project, to sell their NYC life and buy a 1900s farmhouse and live as closely as possible to farm family living in 1900. See You was awesome because it allows those of us who long to touch our historical roots, long to grow, cultivate, and cook our own food, and long for the slower, more community/family oriented pace, to actaully see what it's really like: the back-breaking work, the waking up early, the stink and fowlness and living with animals and pests, etc. Not only was I informed and taught so much, but enjoyed every step, thanks to Logan's entertaining personality.
Some of their challenges: sore palms from planting, snakes, watching your organic garden be attacked by Japanese beatles, rabbits, and drought, groundhogs (who knew they were such pests!), cooking on a wood-fire stove by the light of an oil lamp, bathing in a feed trough, hitching a draft horse to a wagon, rats, milking a goat, collecting eggs, making cheese, going stir crazy in winter with no heat, constantly sweating in the summer, and the discomfort and fear of illness without a way to get to the doctor...just to name a few.




I can honestly say, pros and cons considered, that I would still buy a farm and move tommorrow. Every time we visit a farm, and I see my boys run out through the wide open space, I long for the smell of fresh air (even if it is often manure tainted), the challenges and the rewards. I will probably come running back to having my Publix less than a mile away, but it's just one of those Bucket List things for me.

Read this Book

Okay, Fundamentalists, Ready for a Challenge? Read this book!
Actually, I haven't read it yet. Blake is monopolizing it right now (check out his blog for highlights), but I can't wait. This book is so exciting for me because it absolutely speaks to the resounding gong inside my spirit! The part that is prone to non-conformity and non-traditionalism, and the part that wants to know exactly what I believe to be big T truth and WHY! (The number of things on that list keep dwindling to very few.) Viola and Barna are extremely respected in fact finding circles, so I expect to learn where certain church traditions came from, such as meeting in a building, hearing a sermon by a paid clergy member,etc. etc., what the bible really says and the context. Anyone interested?
Anywho, stay tuned for more of my thoughts, but anyone who would like to join my book club and read it with me, please step up and let a sister know! Hopefully I get to start within a week of this posting.