Book club

I just so happen to be a member of two books clubs.  Yes, I know, I'm an over-achiever.  Old news my friend.  I thought that I'd take a moment every month to share the books I'm reading in each club, and, once finished, share my thoughts on the books.
Don't worry, we're not reading classics in either group.  We've tried that and failed.  Books in each club have ranged from the Twilight series to Ten Green Bottles (fiction).  We've read The Guernsey Potato Peel Pie and Literary Society (WWII fiction written in correspondence style, which I adored), Birthmarked (dystopian teen fiction) and A Fierce Radiance (US WWII/medical science fiction).  We're all over the place.

We've yet to chose a book for one of the clubs, but we just finished reading The Book Thief for the other.  We're now onto Major Pettigrew's Last Stand.  I haven't started yet, but I will soon.  Why haven't I started?  Well because I have to finish The Book Thief.  Yeah.  I'm that book club member.

Stay tuned for my review of The Book Thief...I'm nearly finished!

Instagram Thursday

Week three...I'm on a roll for remembering the weekly feature I created here on my blog.  Yay me?
Here are some pics from this past week...

Photo challenge: your name... 

 Trying to decide how to accessorize one day...

 We had flip weather last week!!  We no longer have flip weather this week...

Photo challege:  delicious.  Scones from Gerties.  Yummah.

P.S.  I've completed every day of the March Photo a Day Challenge so far which is a big deal for me!  I'll be posting a little collage of all of my pics from March on Monday.  Onto April!!

P.P.S.  Now I want a scone.

game on!

Who doesn't love wasting their life away while playing games on their phone?  I know I do.  Here are a few of my recent obsessions (along with my usernames...you know, in case you're in the mood to waste your life too...)...

1.  Words with Friends, enough said.  Just ask Alec Baldwin.  Username = Jholland! (mine, not Alec's)
2.  Hanging with Friends.  Username = Jholland!
3.  Family Feud.  Username = jenny712
4.  Dice with Buddies.  Username = jholly711
5.  Draw Something.  Username = Jholly

P.S.  Yes, I know, I'm heavy handed with the ellipsis.  I'm aware and I'm working on it.

i (heart) ikea...

I recently decided it was time for a new dresser.  I knew exactly what I wanted, but just couldn't find it.  Clean lines, a lot of storage, cream.

So after a trip to Canada (to Ikea), a custom's agent said 'you know you have to put that together yourself...' (duh), a haul up to my room that made my muscles (still) hurt and 2 hours of labor (thanks to my sister and Jack) I have my new dresser.

It's the Hemnes 8 drawer and I love it.   Since the matching armoir wouldn't fit in my car I'll be getting that another time, with the help of a friend's minivan (they do indeed come in handy, despite the stigma).  

And see that sweet black and white striped throw in the corner of the second picture?  Ikea.  I know.

Living with children...

Living with children makes home decorating an interesting challenge.  First and foremost you want to make sure everything is safe, not toxic, not full on glass and crazy angles.  No one wants to make a daily trip to the ER.

But then comes the task of making purchases that won't get ruined by wild running around, knocking things over, and hurling oneself into random walls/couches/tables.  

Even when all of that is said and done, and you think you have the perfect mix of function and beauty, you'll still end up walking around your house to find things like this...

And truth be told, it's sort of awesome (even for a control freaky perfectionist like myself).

Too many...

I have a problem with books.  I'm quite sure I've talked about this before.  I must have.  Because it's that big of a problem.

I buy too many books.  I read them, but not at the alarming rate at which I purchase them.  Need proof?  None of these have been read yet:

I WILL read them.  I'm actually reading a few of them now.

If you see me in a bookstore, stop me.  Please.

laundry lovin'...

Oh my God I love clean laundry.  I use Tide with Downy April Fresh, Downy April Fresh Fabric Softener (use it on your sheets, I'm telling you...) and Downy April Fresh Dryer Sheets.

Heavenly.

instagram Thursdays...

Here are a few snaps.  Keep in mind I'm doing the March Photo a Day Challenge so random may be the first thought that comes to mind when you see these.

 March photo a day capture for 'fork'. (yeah, why fork?  I was going to look for a cool fork in the road but gave up and took a pic of an actual...fork)

 SPRING in my front lawn.

 Orange.

 A necklace I bought at Target.

Little biscuit bowls from Anthro.

Until next week!

inspired...

I've been feeling a little inspired lately.  Here are a few glimpses into how I've been spending my free time...

 

 

 

 

 

I forgot how much I love this hobby...

P.S.  none of these are completed...don't judge.

Me time...

Some mornings this is all I need...

positive thinking

This post serves mainly as a brain dump for a head that was way too full...

I've been stressed lately.  Like sta-ressed.  Nothing horrible, just mounting little things.  I always try to think positively, about anything.  It's hard sometimes, I'm not going to lie.  But I don't see the point of being negative and worrying (I spent most of my teens and 20s doing that, only to realize that 95% of the things I worried about never happened).  Stress is natural, of course it's going to creep up on you.  It's what you do with it that determines the outcome I think (to some degree).

As you were...

Lil Blue Boo: an update

Sometime last month (please don't ask me to link back - I'm so beyond lazy when it comes to that), I wrote a post about Ashley at Lil Blue Boo.  She had a molar pregnancy that morphed into a horrid cancer.  You can imagine my joy when she posted this update the other day:

The Best News 

Right?!  Thank God or what?!

There have been a lot of fund raisers taking place to help Ashely and her family cover the enormous medical costs.  One of them featured a shirt that I loved (and just happened to come in today of all days!). Fear Will Not Rule.  No it will not.

instagram Thursdays...

Let's start something new, shall we?  I think I'll start posting some of my instagrams on Thursdays.  It'll give you something to look forward to.  Oh I make myself laugh...

This little gem was from a monthly instagram prompt for #fork.  I wanted to do something all artsy like a fork in the road, or tree branches.  This is all I was able to muster up that day.  Sorry #marchphotoaday, that was a tough one given it was craptacular all day outside.

I was doing some lawn work the other day, listening to music (what on earth did we do before our phones had our music, email, camera and lord know what else?!) and I saw this moss growing on the back shed.  *snap*  Too pretty to pass up.

And this little gem was from the same day, same lawn work.  I spotted some pussy willows growing and I had to capture their cute little fuzziness for posterity.

Check back next week!

piggies are kind of the best...

Need I say more?

flowers

Oh spring, you're just my favorite.

I went to my local grocery store to pick up a couple of things and I could.not.resist. these flowers as I walked past.  I mean, there's cabbage in the center.  Come on!

favorite

This is one of my favorite pictures of Jack.  Is that mean?  We were taking pictures at the park (he was 3 at the time I think) and I asked him to climb this fence and stand on the ledge.  This is what I got.

Full disclosure:  said ledge was maybe 16 inches off the ground...I'm not horrible, I swear.

Mad style

This kid has mad style...Madeline style, that is.

And she's nine.

Could it be?

Is spring upon us?  IS IT!?!?!?!

Because I sort of need it to be spring...big time.

Downton Abbey

You must watch this show.  You. Must.

Except its not on right now.  Sooooo, you have to either buy the seasons on iTunes or DVD, or hop in a time machine and watch.this.show.

Season 3 will start later this year and I'm sort of going crazy waiting.

It's just so, so, so very good.

Really.

Trust me.

Susan G. Komen

Yes, I'm racing for the cure!  I'm racing to honor my friend who was recently diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma and is facing 5 months of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation.  The race is the same day as Maddy's dance recital, so it'll be a crazy morning, but it's worth it.

If you're interested, please feel free to donate to my team (in case you're wondering, Maddy came up with the team "Michelle's Bananas" because she (Michelle) eats 40 pounds of bananas a week (I'm not kidding)!!).  I'd love your support!

Susan G. Komen - Donate here!

This is the part where I embarrass myself...

I watch Jerseylicious.  There I said it.

In my defense, I'd never even heard of the show until last week.  For some reason Bravo was running a marathon (the show is on the Style network) and I got sucked in.  I swear to you it's like I'm watching a show about aliens.  These people are so out of the realm of anyone I've ever met or seen.  I'm fascinated!

It's very much like watching a train wreck.  The (reality) show centers around a group of hair stylists in NJ.  That's about all I can tell you because the rest is just insanity.

Don't judge.

P.S.  It's on Sunday at 8pm.  Don't tell anyone I sent you.

Slump...

I've been in a creative slump lately (read: the last 6 months).  So while the kids are on winter break, I thought I'd bust out some painting projects and I'm so glad I did.  Not only did we create some really cute things, but it also inspired me to do a little scrapping, something I really miss but haven't participated in that often lately!

Super girl!

These are some pics from Jack's birthday party.  I'm too lazy to see if I posted them before, but I love them too much to not share them.  Maddy was a true sport for Jack's super hero themed birthday.  Love this girl!