Books Matter

From 1st through 7th grade we didn't have a television in the house.

I don't think I ever complained...maybe because it was all I really knew.

Instead of Full House and Family Matters,

I read books--lots of them.

Every week, my Mom or Grandma would take me

to the bookstore to pick out a new book.

I remember attempting to take my time to read them,

savoring every single page until my next trip to the book shop.

However, I couldn't resist sneaking pages under the covers with a flash light way past my bedtime.  Ultimately, the book was finished the first day I brought it home.

Soon, my Mom found a local used book shop

and gave me NO limit on the number of books I threw in our basket,

so long as I finished them before our next visit.

I wasn't the smartest kid in the bunch,

didn't get an impressive score on my SAT

and I certainly didn't get a full ride to Harvard.

But I did alright.

And, looking back,

I attribute "doing alright" to those 7 years

of really good books.

What am I forgetting?

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It Arrived

And in my excitement,

the creative bloggy section of my brain is experiencing amnesia.

Oh well, I guess I'll just read.

read this, if you're wondering what I'm talking about...

The Pioneer Woman's Books (Ree Drummond)

The Pioneer Woman's Books

{I'm gonna get my read on}

{source}

When I went to my first blog conference,

I was given some fabulous insight.

One of the speakers said,

If you really want to take your blog to the next level,

you will have to make sacrifices--don't kid yourself.

I remember thinking,

Neh, I can do it all.

Ha.

I was wrong.

Each and every day,

this blog

and the relationships I have made with many of you

 have become an important part of my life,

an important part of my identity.

And I would be lying if I didn't admit that I have had to make sacrifices.

Some of those sacrifices have been good for me:

I watch MUCH less TV.

And I do far less random Internet browsing.

I shop less.

And then some of those sacrifices, I'm a bit sad about:

I NEVER read books anymore.

I canceled my gym membership.

I only get 5 hours of sleep a night.

And that's just the way it is.

And for the most part, I'm okay with that.

I hope one day, I will find the perfect balance...

Isn't that what we're all looking for?

But, the other day,

I was listening to a bunch of my girlfriends gush about

their latest book obsession...

and I was jealous.

I found myself longing for those nights

when I would stay up until 3 in the morning

because I just couldn't wait to see what would happen on the next page.

And in that moment, I made a decision.

I am going to read a book.

A real book,

with real pages

made out of actual paper.

But I don't want to sacrifice

in order to make time to read that book

{because I'm a brat like that}.

Solution:

Choose a book that is also a part of the blogging world.

One that many of you have also read,

or may be interested in reading with me.

So naturally, I chose The Pioneer Woman's book:

Black Heels to Tractor Wheels.

The one about her love story to the Marlboro Man.

You know, the guy with the cowboy tush:

And I love me a good ol' love story.

Especially when its true.

So I ordered the book.

It will be here in two days.

And then, you mark my words:

I will read my first book in over a year.

Yee Haw!

Are you in?

Bringing England Home

How to have England in California:

My little adventures in the English countryside have inspired me to keep things British upon returning to Cali--and what better way than through cinema.  I simply am not ready to part ways with this delightful accent, the rolling green hills, hand stacked stone walls and hopeless romantic history.  So I have compiled a list of my must-watch-upon-returning-home movie list. 

Here is what I have got so far:

{please add your suggesstions in the comments}

Pride and Prejudice

{Colin Firth and Kiera Knightley version}

Sense and Sensibility

{Confession Alert: I was 13 when I saw this movie for the first time, and I immediately fell in love with Hugh Grant}

Emma

{Never watched this movie before...is it good?}

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

{Never watched this movie either, but I have heard great things}

The Duchess

{reading this book right now, super interesting page turner and I'm not usually a fan of biographies}

Robinhood

{my favorite childhood movie}

The Queen

{Never watched this movie either}

I just know this won't be enough to satisfy my hunger for all-things-England, soooo, what other films do you suggest?

Breaking the Rules for Mr. Darcy

Have I ever mentioned how much I {love} everything Jane Austen--because I do!

I'm afraid that I am your typical girly girl who turns to mush inside whenever I think of the mysterious and handsome Mr. Darcy.

I fell in love with classic literature when I picked up Pride and Prejudice for the first time in high school and I spent many of my sick pregnancy days curled up basking in P&P, the movie. 

There's just something special about this love story that makes me happy--similar to the emotions evoked from my more recent favorite, Twilight--and if you can put that special something into words for me, please do {in the comments section, of course}.

Which brings me to the story of my Mr. Darcy adventure:

Remember this lovely final scene in the movie {the scene where you had perma-grin on your face}...

..where Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy share a romantic evening on the balcony of his massive Pemberley Estate.

Well that scene, along with several others in the movie, was filmed at the Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, England--very close to where I am visiting my in-laws right now!  Naturally it was at the top of my must-see list. 

So, on a brisk English morning, my family and I took a trip to the country side to visit Mr. Darcy's home.  And here I am, at Mr. Darcy's estate, standing about 50 long yards away from that special balcony.  Notice the "private" sign and chain partition blocking my entrance {sigh}.

How could I come all this way and not touch that balcony for myself?

{plus, the hubby dared me to touch it}

So I looked right...and then I looked left...

and then I made a run for it!

*NOTE*: I had no idea the following photos were being taken by the hub. 

The whole time I was running I was imagining the look on Lil W's face as they hauled of his momma in cuffs.

As you will see, I wasn't quite brave enough to climb the steps.

And, I hauled butt back to my safety zone on the other side of the partition {note the classic expression on my face--proof that I didn't know photos were being taken}.

Climbing the last few steps to safety, a bit winded from the sprint in my cowboy boots:

All in all, totally worth it Mr. Darcy...totally worth it!

Blogging for Bliss

Blogging for Bliss: by tara frey

Attention fellow blog-a-holics:

Have you heard about this book?

I am reading it right now, and {loving} it, big time!

Who: Tara Frey of {tara frey: typing out loud}

What: "Today’s crafting community is online, connected, and blissfully blogging about their work and ideas. Blogging is hot in this highly creative world—and here is the only how-to book aimed directly at them. Everyone from knitters and beaders to scrapbookers and altered artists will find the practical information and visual inspiration they need to create an artful online journal."-Tara Frey

Why: Because isn't it fun to read about what you love?!

Where: Amazon 

BTW: This is one of the ONLY books on crafty/creative/mommy blogging that I can find out there; let me know if you have good blogging reads to suggest.

P.S. Stay tuned for my next book feature...