Someone asked me in the comments this week how my capsule wardrobe is going. I haven't talked about it for a long time! It's still going strong. I've increased it slightly mostly because of speaking engagements. I find that with the work I do, I have two polar opposite needs in wardrobe. When I'm home, I need really casual wear, but when I'm speaking, I need to look nice. So I've tried to serve both needs without going overboard! Last year, as part of my seasonal capsule, I bought my first pair of white jeans, and I love them! Well, almost! I wish they had a more tapered leg. I'm on the hunt for that. But I love the option of white pants! And this week, Audrey at Putting me Together did a whole post on white jeans! Here it is, if you need some inspiration!
Two.
Isn't this the cutest thing you've ever seen in your whole life? A personal library check-out kit! Swoon, swoon, swoon! My inner paper nerd is so happy.
Three.
Ryan and I visited a coffee shop on his birthday (more on that adventure coming soon!) and they had some really cool Instagram gallery walls. I've heard of them before and always imagined them to look a bit cluttered. But I loved the way this looked. And although this is slightly different in style, here's a post about how to create such a wall, including where to buy frames, print pictures, and measure for even display!
Four.
This Mother's Day gift story...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. My heart!! This son has just made all future gifts he will ever give his mother pale in comparison to this one.
Four.
Five.
One of my jobs at the school where I volunteer is to put out preschool lunches. (The kids bring their own lunches from home, but I pull everything out of the boxes, put straws in the juice boxes, open the packaging, etc. I've noticed that the little protein boxes/snack packs are pretty popular. (Perfect size for a preschooler!) They're just as good for grown-ups, but they're pricey at the store. Here's a link to an idea for how to make a handful of them for yourself, so you can just grab and go!
Six.
I've been in serious creative overload lately. TONS of writing (for personal projects and for speaking), TONS of scrapbooking, TONS of ideas sailing through my head at about 150 miles an hour. Often, such creativity leaves me happy but sapped at the end of the day. But lately, I seem to be in creative abundance mode. Rather than needing a nap, I'm hungry to refuel my creativity.
Fiction to the rescue!
As you know, in the last couple of years I discovered Irene Hannon, and I've fallen completely in love with her writing. All of it. The romance and suspense alike. And the bonus of finding an author many years after she started writing is having a serious backlog of books to read while awaiting new releases!
A while ago, my friend Shari bequeathed to me just such an Irene Hannon book. It was called The Best Gift and was a quick and delightful read about a young lady who inherited a bookstore from her late aunt. When I blogged about the book, I lamented that there were two more books in this series, and I didn't have them. Shari told me not to worry; she had unearthed the second book and it would soon come my way. And it has!
The idea of this series is that Aunt Jo had three nieces, and she left a unique inheritance to each of them. Each offering also came with a stipulation. She left a job for each of them to do for six months. If they did not finish the six month request, they forfeited the monetary inheritance. The Best Gift chronicled one of the sisters and her adventures in breathing new life into the floundering bookstore. The story I just read, Gift From the Heart, followed the second sister, Clare, in her assignment.
A widow who still silently grieves the loss of her husband and son, Clare is living a paycheck-to-paycheck life. No one knows about her tight finances, including her late aunt. But her assignment from her aunt's will is to move from Kansas City to North Carolina for six months, where she is to assume the task of working as a nanny for Dr. Adam Wright's eleven-year-old daughter, Nicole.
For free.
Clare has never heard of Dr. Adam Wright and isn't sure he will take kindly to a complete stranger calling him to propose caring for his child, but she needs to fulfill the stipulations of the will.
Although he's wary at first, Dr. Wright researches her story, finds her legitimate, and agrees to accepting her help. After all, he's completely lost in understanding tweenage girls. A woman's input might be welcome!
Nicole has a pretty serious chip on her shoulder where her dad is concerned, but something about Clare intrigues her, and the girl is willing to give a new nanny a chance. And something about Hope Creek, North Carolina seems to ease the grief in Clare's heart.
This story was a quick read for me (finished it in one night flat) but I loved it! It filled my creativity tank in all the best ways. If you're looking for a lighthearted, hope-filled read, Gift from the Heart is for you. Thanks, Shari, for sending it my way!
Six.
I've been in serious creative overload lately. TONS of writing (for personal projects and for speaking), TONS of scrapbooking, TONS of ideas sailing through my head at about 150 miles an hour. Often, such creativity leaves me happy but sapped at the end of the day. But lately, I seem to be in creative abundance mode. Rather than needing a nap, I'm hungry to refuel my creativity.
Fiction to the rescue!
As you know, in the last couple of years I discovered Irene Hannon, and I've fallen completely in love with her writing. All of it. The romance and suspense alike. And the bonus of finding an author many years after she started writing is having a serious backlog of books to read while awaiting new releases!
A while ago, my friend Shari bequeathed to me just such an Irene Hannon book. It was called The Best Gift and was a quick and delightful read about a young lady who inherited a bookstore from her late aunt. When I blogged about the book, I lamented that there were two more books in this series, and I didn't have them. Shari told me not to worry; she had unearthed the second book and it would soon come my way. And it has!
The idea of this series is that Aunt Jo had three nieces, and she left a unique inheritance to each of them. Each offering also came with a stipulation. She left a job for each of them to do for six months. If they did not finish the six month request, they forfeited the monetary inheritance. The Best Gift chronicled one of the sisters and her adventures in breathing new life into the floundering bookstore. The story I just read, Gift From the Heart, followed the second sister, Clare, in her assignment.
A widow who still silently grieves the loss of her husband and son, Clare is living a paycheck-to-paycheck life. No one knows about her tight finances, including her late aunt. But her assignment from her aunt's will is to move from Kansas City to North Carolina for six months, where she is to assume the task of working as a nanny for Dr. Adam Wright's eleven-year-old daughter, Nicole.
For free.
Clare has never heard of Dr. Adam Wright and isn't sure he will take kindly to a complete stranger calling him to propose caring for his child, but she needs to fulfill the stipulations of the will.
Although he's wary at first, Dr. Wright researches her story, finds her legitimate, and agrees to accepting her help. After all, he's completely lost in understanding tweenage girls. A woman's input might be welcome!
Nicole has a pretty serious chip on her shoulder where her dad is concerned, but something about Clare intrigues her, and the girl is willing to give a new nanny a chance. And something about Hope Creek, North Carolina seems to ease the grief in Clare's heart.
This story was a quick read for me (finished it in one night flat) but I loved it! It filled my creativity tank in all the best ways. If you're looking for a lighthearted, hope-filled read, Gift from the Heart is for you. Thanks, Shari, for sending it my way!
5 comments:
I am not brave enough to do white pants!!
I've owned white jeans now for about a year. I love them! I bought a pair of Levi's 710 super skinny (talk about a tapered leg...) on AMAZON (no trip to the store- yeah- I consistently wear one pants size so I wasn't worried about them not fitting). I buy protein snacks at the store all the time- I load up when they go on sale because they are pricey.
And, you will soon have the 3rd and final book of this series! :)
I bought a replacement for my old white jeans this year at kmart. You might check them out.
Tamar - I wasn't either for many (MANY!) years, but I am loving them now!
Maria - You are brave! I have a hard time buying online when I can't try on! I know I can return stuff, but sometimes that's more hassle than I want to mess with!
Shari - YAY! I am pumped!
Heather - OOOH! Good call! I will check them out!
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