What am I reading?

Hello there all,

One of my goals for this year was to read 12 books, and to be completely honest, I have been CRUSHING it. So far, I have already read 4 books, and I thought it would be fun to talk about my reads on here.

What have I been reading?

1.) The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

2.) #Girlboss by Sophia Amorouso

3.) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

4.) Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

My Thoughts

The Secret Garden- I have always wanted to read this book because I have had a secret love for the 1993 movie, and I was curious about the similarities. This particular version had beautiful illustrations that made me swoon. The book is a great and simple read, but I find the Yorkshire dialect difficult to read at times. However, I found myself becoming acclimated to the dialect by the end. Heck, I even threw out the word "afore" in everyday conversation. This book isn't for everyone, but it is worth trying if you like yourself some past world charm.

#Girlboss- This book is an autobiography about the outsider world of Sophia Amorouso and her fight to make it big with her online retail shop "Nasty Gal." Amorouso has a great unapologetic attitude, and she owns it. Additionally, the book gives great business and money advice that works well for those that are looking to start a business or be financially successful in life. It gives the advice in very relateable attitude, and the book is also pretty funny. This book isn't something that I would've anticipated that I would enjoy (business and money advice? Me?), but I found it very intriguing.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies- This book is a great read, but it is necessary to read the Jane Austen classic first. Grahame-Smith interweaves a story of a zombie plague that infiltrates the Austen setting. It is comedic and sweet just like the classic. It adds some badass-ness to it all, but I feel real Austen fanatics might not find the story entertaining. If you are willing to read an Austen story with a twist, this is for you.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)- This book is ridiculously hilarious, and you just might find yourself laughing out loud to this book (books rarely actually make me laugh out loud). Kaling is so willing to be herself, and she puts herself out there in a way that every 20/30 something girl can relate to. Her problems are your problems, and her doubts are your doubts. Yes, Kaling isn't quite like all of us being a highly successful actress and writer, but those differences are what adds intrigue and humor to all of it. Try it out. You won't be dissappointed.

I'm always looking for new recommendations and good reads. Read anything good lately? Any recommendations?

-Autumn

Thankful Thursday: Sleep

Hello there all,

Today, I am thankful for one of the most sacred and beautiful things: sleep. I am thankful for the opportunity to receive the sleep that I get compared to others (hello new moms). Additionally, I am thankful that in the wake of my exhaustion after work/a commute that I live with a man that gets that sometimes: I just need to sleep.

Sleep is a beautiful thing. and I am so lucky that I am able to get it when I need it. Currently, I am still the selfish woman who doesn't want to give up her sleep to kiddos-perhaps one day. However, today, I choose a delightful nap or a night's rest.

I love sleep so much that I can fall asleep in the middle of anywhere. You give me a noisy room and an uncomfortable chair, and I can make some sleepy magic happen. I just love sleep. It seems other people get me. Read this. This article totally gets me.

What are you thankful for this Thursday?

-Autumn

Snapshots

Hello there all,

Get a gander at what is going on around here:

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6.)

Here are the deets 

1.) Thrift shopping makes my heart smile. Just in case you somehow missed this.

2.) How else to celebrate the wonderful promotion of a handsome mister? Bacon Garden burger. Yum!
3.) Rainbow socks are always a good decision. So is fro-yo.

4.) Games!

5.) Our living room gallery room because it makes me smile.

6.) Today was taquito day....aka Super Bowl Day. I have been looking forward to these taquitos for waaaaay too long.

Have a great rest of your week,

Autumn

Animal Therapy

Hello there all,

Today, I have had quite an off today, and to cure this hangup, the best cure was cuteness. Since the Mister and I do not have a pet :(, we took to the internet.

First, we watched over an hour of cute videos on youtube including this adorable video of "Puppies vs Stairs."

I'm not gonna lie. We look up a adorable animals a bit more than the average person over 7 years old. However, cute animals can cure all ailments. Since, there is never enough cuteness. Here are some other cuties to make YOU smile.

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Happy Heart exploding,
Autumn

Thankful Thursday: books

Hello there all,

I've always had a love for books. It all started when I was young, and I wanted to read the The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry bear (Longest Children's book title...ever) a million times. Growing up, reading was a love that pervaded until I reached middle school. My love for reading subsided, and reading started to become a chore instead of a hobby. Reading started to become something that was necessary for classes, and  I enjoyed many of the books that I read for class. However, it seemed a nuisance at times to HAVE to complete the task. All of the fun of reading was taken from me, and I mainly just indulged in assigned reading for classes.

This feeling continued throughout high school and most of college until I took a class in college that was focused on teaching literacy in the college classroom. As a part of the class, we read the book The Misfits which literally changed my life. Don't get me wrong: this book is not the best piece of literature ever (however, it is good). The part that changed my life is the exposure to literature that I enjoyed that wasn't the typical scholarly assignment, and it went crazy when I read Stargirl. At this moment, I really started to realize that I didn't have to just read the classics or things weighted with themes and symbols (however, I do enjoy reading books with that). Afterwards, I wanted to read everything in sight, and the love for reading came back again. There was enjoyment and happiness associated with devouring stories.

Previously, I felt that the literature that I consumed had to be "heavy" literature, and this is not the case. Admittedly, I hate confessng this because I think that it sounds like I don't enjoy stories with some literary value which I find highly untrue. Just within the last year, I have read things like The Reader, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Hedda Gabler (to name a few), but I also enjoyed things like the Flight, the Eragon series, or David Sedaris' essays.

Over the last couple of years, I have enjoyed reading again, and yes, I haven't read as much as I would like, but I DO read a lot more than I did. This past year in particular, I have read A LOT. With two hours commute everyday on public transportation, a book can be a girl's best friend. It is a wonderful way to spend the time and to escape the loud crying children on the bus.

Books are these powerful tools that bring so much joy in my life. They allow me insights on others ideas, stories, and they allow me to travel to a whole other place. It is a lot cheaper than a plane ticket!

For 2015, I made a goal to read 12 books this year, and I just finished my 4th book. I think that I might get to the goal ;). I am so thankful that I have found my way back to appreciating a good book, and I have the opportunity to sit and read them.

What is your relationship with reading? Are you a reader? Why/why not? Any book recommendations?

Happy reading,
Autumn

Free Find: Portland Art Museum

 Hello there all,

Who doesn't love a good free adventure? I am a sucker for anything free especially when it comes to fun experiences! I am always looking for neat things to do that can be a nice inexpensive adventure, and when those adventures are free, it makes my heart sing.

From the exhibit "Forbidden Fruit"

The Mister and I happened upon the Portland Art Museum's Free Friday which (the fourth Friday of every month) . The Museum is free from 5-8pm. It is a perfectly wonderful idea for a cheap date or a great place to introduce kiddos to art. It seems to be an especially wonderful opportunity to take kiddos because you don't have to worry about bolting if they get fussy because you didn't pay for it!

This piece is called The Rodeo, but the Mister thinks it looks like Gollum attacking. I have to agree.

The Mister says it is an alien black market, and I say it is a city next to the river. Who wins?

Be aware that the museum does have a lot more people than usual because it is free, but it is still a great way to expose yourself to some beauties.

This one has been one of my favorites in the past, and it still makes me swoon. The bottom is the big picture, and the top shows what makes up the actual work of art. It is pretty swoon worthy.

Go get your art on,
Autumn

DIY: Vintage Handkerchief Banner

Hello there all,

Awhile ago, the Mister's mom sent us a beautiful selection of vintage handkerchiefs that had belonged to women in his family. Being me, I thought of a million different possibilities, but the Mister wanted to make sure that they were left in tack and not sewn or anything (they are heirlooms after all!). I've used a couple of the beauties throughout the house for decor to sit on (kind of like how people use doilies). However, I wanted a project to use multiple handkerchiefs, and so, this banner was born.

What you'll need:

-Vintage Handkerchiefs

-Twine, string, rope, etc.

-Iron

-Ruler or measuring tape

-tacks, nails, or other hanging devices

What to do:

1.) Measure how long of a piece of string that you will want for your banner. I used 80 inches for mine. It worked perfectly for 6 handkerchiefs. 

2.) Calculate how many handkerchiefs will hang on that piece of string. You do this by folding the handkerchiefs in half and then lining them up on the string.

3.) Iron the handkerchiefs in half to get out any folds or creases. Be super careful because some handkerchiefs are made from synthetics, or they are super fragile because they are old!

4.) Drape the string where you want it to hang and place the handkerchiefs on the string. The string should rest at the fold that you made while ironing.

5.) Marinate in your awesomeness.

  

-Autumn