Wonderful Books to Read

Weekly Beauty Inspiration ~ LABL Book

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Hello Everyone!

I am wearing sweaters! Yay, but we will see how long this lasts. Yesterday I stopped at Walmart and picked up a few more faux autumn flowers and some delicious pumpkin bread from Starbucks! I haven’t had any in some years! It’s still delicious. 


















photo credit Rachel Ellen Events 



Okay, it is time for our weekly inspiration from Alexandra Stoddard’s book Living a Beautiful Life. I am really taking my time and trying to savor this book bit by bit. 

I have finished Chapter 1 and I am starting Chapter 2. There were a few more things from Chapter 1 that I wanted to share…

Alexandra said, “I always have fresh flowers at my workspace, even if it’s three daisies in a little vase. And I have a handful of my favorite books near me for inspiration and reference.”















photo credit Julie Hengel 


I am guilty of having books and flowers on my desk or near it. Alexandra said she believes that beauty can be achieved in the smallest, simplest ways, and this beauty enriches your work experience. I couldn’t agree more. Having a beautiful space at my job has helped me through some rough patches when dealing with co-workers. 

One more quote that I wanted to share from the chapter was… “Personal rituals make you a poet- and they can help you feel good about yourself and others. They reinforce the significance of the simple acts we perform repeatedly. While you are fulfilling basic needs, you can make the ordinary quite extraordinary. When you make your everyday rituals- simple things such as bathing, sleeping, and editing- meaningful and attractive, they nourish other areas of your life.” 

photo credit French Country Cottage 
I hope these inspiring quotes give you the desire to bring more beauty in your life. Even if it’s just the simplest things. Bring them in, live with it, and embrace it. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and let me know in the comments section how you are doing on autumn decor and wearing sweaters!

(quotes Alexandra Stoddard)

Evening Reading: A New Book

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Good Morning!

Whew has it been a week for me! I am still working on micro-managing my daughter and it has been tough. I have been practically doing Algebra with her. A few days ago we had a Google meet with her teacher that lasted about 3 hours! I have never done Math that long a day in my life! But I love my kid and want her to succeed.

As you can see from the photo above my book finally arrived! It took longer than a week to get here but alas it’s finally here. I have started to read it and it is wonderful. I still can’t believe that Alexandra wrote this back in the 80’s. 














photo credit Melnychuk Nataliya 

Each week I would like to share little tidbits from the book. I have only read a few pages and I found so many wonderful “nuggets” that I had to share them. The first thing that Alexandra discussed was rituals. I talked about this on the blog a few times ( see here and here). She said, ” Instead of rushing through our lives to get somewhere- instead of saving up real living for later- I think it’s important to remember that each single day is all we have. Single days experienced fully add up to a lifetime lived deeply and well”. 

I like that…. lived deeply and well… 


















photo credit Anthropologie

She went on and talked about rituals and making every day lovely. But I have to share one small story that she discussed. She talked about her friend who has made bill paying into a ritual. She said, “She puts Brahms on her stereo, she placed an arrangement of flowers on her desk, she dresses in a fresh blouse and skirt so she is actually ready to mail her bills (keep in mind no online bill-paying) as soon as she’s finished. She has elevated a necessary task- bill paying- into a ritual through the details surrounding how she does it”. 

I love that small story and I am sure that there are many in this book. I also noticed that at the end of each chapter she has a section called ” Grace Notes”. I am sure that I will be sharing those. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the everyday! 

New Read: Living a Beautiful Life; 500 Ways to Add Elegance

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photo credit Mrs. Shockley 



Good Morning!

It’s the last full week of August and I am looking forward to September. I love September. The air seems fresh and the flowers and trees are still in bloom. 

I recently became a classic connoisseur member on Jennifer’s Youtube channel! It has taken me forever to join. I kept forgetting! I am so happy that I joined because it opened up a vault of other videos for me to watch. 

In one of her videos, she shared a snippet from Alexandra Stoddard’s book called Living a Beautiful Life: 500 Ways to Add Elegance, Order, Beauty, and Joy to Everyday of your Life.

Now I have not heard of this book before but it sounded lovely. So of course, I headed over to Amazon and order it. It should be arriving sometime this week. I look forward to reading it. I have one of her books already and she is such a wonderful writer. 


photo credit Nicolas Fairford 
Also, I am so excited you guys! I made an offer on a third Gal Meets Glam dress on Poshmark! She wanted $100 for it and it is brand new with tags. A photo of the actual dress is below. 

photo credit Poshmark 
I offered $50 and she accepted! I really didn’t think she would and I was so surprised when I got the email that my offer was accepted! Yay! I hope that it will arrive this week and I hope it fits. My other two Gal Meets Glam dresses fit perfectly. I am hoping that this will fit the same way. 

photo credit Gal Meets Glam 

This is what the dress looks like on the model. I love the blue and the floral pattern. I can see it now with my light blush pumps from Kate Spade and maybe my quilted chain handbag. I am not sure which handbag but once I saw this dress I knew that I had to attempt to make an offer. So exciting! 

I hope you guys enjoyed this post and let me know if you have read the book above by Alexandra. I am hoping that it will be an inspiring read. 

Enjoy your Monday!

Vintage Books at Home

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Good Morning Everyone,


It is Wednesday and these days are just moving along. I do enjoy being home…. very much. I hope everyone is doing well, staying healthy, and safe. Going to the grocery store has become a pain. I feel like I am preparing for surgery every time I go. Geez…. 


This past weekend I got up early and let the dogs out, lit a candle and opens some windows. I came upstairs and looked at a few books on my shelf and my eyes landed on my vintage Martha Stewart books. 

It has been a while since I have read these. 

The first book is called Great Parties. I didn’t realize that Ina Garten was in this book with her! How wonderful. My two favorite cooks and entertainers. 

These look wonderful. Parsley Potato chips….. yum! 

I have always wanted to try a tomato pie. But I know that I would be the only one in the family that would eat it. 

The next book is called “Good Things.“ I must admit my only favorite project out of this is the ribbon plate hanger.


Isn’t it chic?



Next is “How to Decorate”. It has wonderful ideas on how to create a beautiful space. One quote that I particularly enjoyed was this…“It is a luxury to live with beautiful color, to give your eyes the continual pleasure of absorbing rich and subtle shades from your surroundings.” 

That is exactly how I feel about paint colors. Especially when choosing them. 


I love the beautiful bed frame. 




And the last book is called “Special Occasions”.  


The chapters are divided into holidays. Truly “Martha style”.

I love branches. They can add such a dramatic effect to any room. 

Gorgeous salad! Look at all the colors.

Here is another recipe that I would love to try. Torta di Riso is an Italian short-grain rice with bread crumbs, fresh herbs, white wine, and parmesan. It sounds like a wonderful meal to eat outside. 

These are truly inspiring books. It’s hard to believe that these books were published back in the mid-1990s! The Special Occasions book was published back in 1994! So that recipe above for torta di riso was published back in 1994 and still looks wonderful today. I believe that Martha was so ahead of her time. 

I sort of wish my mother was into homemaking. It would have been nice to see these books when I was in elementary or middle school. 

Now, this photo is not from my Martha Stewart books but from Rachel Ashwell’s book, “The Shabby Chic Home”. I wanted to include this because honestly who would not want to see a dishwasher filled with gorgeous vintage china? I hope that they were in there just for drying. I would not think that one could put these in the dishwasher. I know I wouldn’t. 

Well, I hope you all enjoyed this post today. I love looking at vintage books. Oh, and I also have three vintage Martha Stewart Christmas books too. I may have to share those as well. 


Have a great day!
(photos via Mrs. Shockley)


A Novel: The Signature of All Things

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Photo by Micheile Henderson on Unsplash

Good Morning Everyone,


We are at the close of another week. It still doesn’t seem real. With all this going on, I don’t think any of us could have imagined our year beginning like this.


I will say with all of the negative news and whatnot… I am still trying to enjoy my life, work, family and home. While Lauren has been home we have been working on money worksheets. Sounds juvenile I know but they don’t teach about money anymore in schools. I have also had her working on cursive writing. Now, these lessons don’t thrill her but I told her she will thank me later.


I mentioned on Friday’s post that I was trying to find a novel to read and I think I may have found one. This is called The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert. Below is a synopsis…

Spanning much of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the novel follows the fortunes of the extraordinary Whittaker family as led by the enterprising Henry Whittaker—a poor-born Englishman who makes a great fortune in the South American quinine trade, eventually becoming the richest man in Philadelphia. Born in 1800, Henry’s brilliant daughter, Alma (who inherits both her father’s money and his mind), ultimately becomes a botanist of considerable gifts herself. As Alma’s research takes her deeper into the mysteries of evolution, she falls in love with a man named Ambrose Pike who makes incomparable paintings of orchids and who draws her in the exact opposite direction—into the realm of the spiritual, the divine, and the magical. Alma is a clear-minded scientist; Ambrose a utopian artist—but what unites this unlikely couple is a desperate need to understand the workings of this world and the mechanisms behind all life.
~Amazon


Now doesn’t this sound like a wonderful novel? 

I remember Laura Slatkin the maker of Nest Fragrances discussing how she was stranded in an airport and how she stumbled on this book because of the beautifully illustrated cover. She said she read the book and it was wonderful and it became the inspiration behind her fragrance Verde. 

Vladimir Kanevsky lily of the valley in Laura Slatkin dining room

photo credit Quintessence 

You have to watch her wonderful home tour, how she entertains, and the inspiration from the book!

Now I am in Chapter 2 and really enjoyed Chapter 1. The book is really well written and is quite interesting. The first chapter was soo good. I really liked it and read some of it to my husband. If you are curious I would encourage you to download a sample onto your Kindle if you have one. That’s what I did and that’s what sold me on purchasing the book. Have a great week everyone!

Inspiring Quotes

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photo credit Jean Philippe Delberghe

I have had such a busy week so far. I am filling in for my friend and co-worker again. But honestly, I love that I have been given the opportunity to do this. I am really grateful for it. 


That had me thinking about a recent article that I read called “61 Inner Peace Quotes”. These quotes are from all kinds of different people. They are different in many ways but all searching for the same thing. Peace….


I wanted to share a few of my favorites. 


“Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace”. ~ Dalai Lama


“If you only walk on sunny days, you’ll never reach your destination”. ~ Paulo Coelho


“You are the sky. Everything else- it’s just the weather”. ~ Pema Chodron


“Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be”. ~ Wayne W. Dyer


“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset”. ~ Saint Francis de Sales

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves”. ~ Viktor Frankl 

“When you’re in the weeds, all you can see is the process of doing the work. When you take a step back, you can see the purpose”. ~ Adam Grant

photo credit Brigitte Tohm 
“Inner peace can be reached only when we practice forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past, and is, therefore, the means for correcting our misperceptions”. ~ Gerald Jampolsky 

And the last one (I wish I could get to this one day).

“This is my secret. I don’t mind what happens”. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti 

I hope that you have found some inspiration for today. I am learning that I do not have the grace to deal with things in the future. Grace is only granted to me one day at a time. 

Enjoy your day.

(A blog post that I shared in 2014 about elegant quotes)


What Are You Reading?

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photo credit Tuft & Trim.com


Hello Everyone!



It’s been a busy week for me! I think I’m in the clear for right now and things are in order. In today’s post, I wanted to know what you ladies were reading?


Does anyone care to share what books they are reading or what audiobooks you are listening to? I have been toying with the idea of joining Audible. I have heard nothing but good things. 


I love the idea of listening to a great novel on my way to the office or on my way home. I try to listen to the world news about twice a week, jazz or classically music the rest. 




















So please if you would share in the comments section below whatever books, articles, and magazines that you are reading. And if you are using Audible, please share your thoughts and your concerns with us!


Thanks for reading!