Christmas Wonders

Christmas Wonders by Robyn Buttars

There are a few key things that take the holidays from "this is nice" to "favorite time of the year": warm fires, Christmas music, Harry Potter, wrapping presents, and a good Christmas book. Christmas Wonders falls into that category of classic discovering-the-true-meaning-of-Christmas story, and is a great holiday read for families. 

The main character, Luke, is a nine-year-old boy whose mother passed away a few Christmases ago. Because of her death, the holiday was never celebrated in his household, and he doesn't know what a real Christmas should feel like.

When he and his father move to a new town, Luke is surrounded by a local tradition rooted in something called Christmas Wonders. As he learns to discover his own Christmas Wonders, he takes the entire town with him on an emotional journey.

"A Christmas Wonder is something you see, hear, smell, touch, or feel that reminds you of Christmas."

I love the idea of looking around and taking mental note (or even writing it down) of all the Christmas Wonders around me. Gratitude isn't a feeling limited to Thanksgiving! 

The writing in Christmas Wonders is a typical holiday fluff story, with the perfectly wrapped with a bow ending. So, if you're in the mood for a feel-good Christmas novella, I recommend this book. It's a light read and a nice way to celebrate the holidays. 

Title: Christmas Wonders

Author: Robyn Buttars

Publisher: Familius

Published: 13/10/2015

Available: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Deseret Book

One of my Christmas wonders are the Christmas cards and holiday greetings that I get. I love getting letters and cards from friends, and I especially love the family photos. I'm reaching that age where 9 out of 10 of my friends are married and have children, so it's fun to see everyone all dolled up for their family photos. 

This year, I decided to send out my own Christmas card. Since I don't have a husband, or children, and I it didn't seem appropriate to send a selfie snapshot, I decided to do a little shoot with my fur baby Darcie. 

Here's the thing...self-portraits with a dog are pretty much impossible. If you don't believe me, try it yourself...or you can look at Darcie's face in every single one of these photos. 

But...after an hour of trying to get a good shot of both of us, we finally had a winner!

~HAPPY CHRISTMAS~

The Book Lover's Tree

A few days ago while browsing Pinterest (one of my go-to mindless activities), I came across an amazing ad by Ikea.

Three of my most favorite things: Christmas, books, and build-it-yourself furniture! 

I know that non-traditional Christmas trees are a thing right now–everything from driftwood to drawing a chalk outline on the wall. While they're creative, I'm a personal fan of the traditional tree. And by traditional, I mean farm-fresh, smell great, vacuum-up-pine needles-every-day, traditional. 

But...I couldn't help but fall a little bit in love with these book Christmas trees. 

Click on the image for a closer look at how these book Christmas trees were made. 

Vintage Stacked Book Tree

3-Minute Book Tree

Shelved Book Tree

Spine-Up Book Tree

Evergreen Book Tree

Mother of All Book Trees

This tree was built in Poland, and they included a video showing its construction. You can read about the process and watch a short video here. 

Little Red & Co.

Halloween is one of those holidays that I mentally plan for all year long and then scramble at the last minute to finish my costume...mostly because I have a unique partner in crime.

While most people are busy getting couple's costumes for themselves and their boyfriend or themed costumes for themselves and their kids, all my costumes are partnered with my baby girl Darcie.

This year we dressed as Little Red & Co. (aka the wolf in grandma's clothes). You can never go wrong with a storybook couple's costume.

Just a tip: Most of this came straight out of the closet. I highly recommend looking through your closet before going out to buy an entire costume. You can often piece together things that you already have and save your money for the essential parts, like fabric for a red cape. Also, for accessories, try to first shop your local Goodwill, Salvation Army, CCA, or DI.

Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood Costume:

• Black T-shirt- LOFT
• Plaid Skirt- LOFT
• Black Striped Tights- LOFT
• Black Heeled Oxfords- DSW
• Red Cape- I sewed the simplest cape I could find by McCall's
• Basket- Goodwill 

The package said it could be made in 2 hours. It took me over a month.

The cutest bad wolf

Wolf in Grandma's clothes: 

• Glasses- Party City
• Hat- I made from scratch (without a pattern!)
• Shawl- scarf from LOFT

I thought you might enjoy some photographic evidence of how much Darcie hates Halloween, and how much I get a kick out of it :)

#CouplesCostume

Little Red loves this wolf!

Why Grandma, what big eyes you have!

I Quit My Job to Blog

For almost two years I have been working two jobs...part time at LOFT...part time at Familius.

Well, in the past 6 months, Familius has asked me to come on full-time, and of course I said yes!

Being the stickler that I am, I couldn't bring myself to give up my 50% employee discount at LOFT. I convinced myself that I needed the extra $80/a week to pay for things like groceries and electricity. Let's be honest. I used that $80/a week to actually pay for things like shoes.

Life has turned into one big cycle of going from one job to another, and I don't have time for much else. So, about a week ago I had a mini self-intervention to see if I was doing things that really were worth my time.

Yes, I can work two jobs and have more spending money...
OR, I can work one job and learn how to budget better.

Yes, I can work two jobs and have every day be planned for...
OR, I can work one job and have free time.

Yes, I can work two jobs and have work be my excuse to get out of things...
OR, I can work one job and meet new people and try new things.

Well, the one job won out, and I officially quit LOFT! Now I will have time to have things like hobbies again. It's time to clean up the camera lenses and start taking pictures. It's time to pull out that list of to-be-read books and start crossing them off. It's time to start writing consistently!

Peace Out Loft

You've been the best long-term temporary job!

Red Rising

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

"Ender, Katniss, and now Darrow."—Scott Sigler

Not going to lie, this endorsement is what snagged me! I've always enjoyed dystopian novels, but since The Hunger Games I feel that too many authors are trying to dabble in it. (Kind of like how vampire books took off after Twilight.) Thankfully, Pierce Brown not only rose to the genre's potential, he made his mark on it!

Red Rising is a mix of the Iliad and Star Trek where meddling Greek gods meet robotic weaponry and outer space war. The mix of ancient and futuristic references gives the book a very distinct and memorable feel. There were a few parts I had to reread in the beginning of the book, because it's so unique and the wording and vocabulary take a little getting used to. That's to be expected though. Any time you're dealing with slang or futuristic technology it's going to be an adjustment for the reader to get in sync with the language of the book. 

This world that Pierce creates is colorful (pun intended) with characters fueled with personality and motivations. Darrow easily won a spot on my list of favorite fictional characters. His depth and inner struggle of his wants versus the greater good is something everyone can relate to. He pushes the limits, not certain when he's crossed the line. Daring is a great quality. It's also a dangerous one, which makes him exciting to read about. 

Between the battle scenes and the suspense of the overall storyline, I finished this book in under 48 hours...something that hasn't happened since I read And Then There Were None in middle school. 

I highly recommend this book! 5 x 5 x 5! Seriously though, I've already sent it to friends in Brasil so they can enjoy it too.

Title: Red Rising

Author: Pierce Brown

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group 

Published: 28/01/2014

Available: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Book Depository

                            

       

                            











             









                   

The Poisonwood Bible

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

The Poisonwood Bible is an eye-opening look at the life of missionary work in the Congo during the 1960's. The poetic imagery that Barbara uses to recreate life in the Congo brings the story to life, but what really gives this book legs are her characters—a zealous preacher, his reluctant wife, and their four daughters.

I loved the first half of the book, because the characters were full of raw emotions and distinct voices and personalities. It's normally a struggle for me when every chapter is from a different POV, but the story flowed so well with Barbara's characters. In fact, the different voices balanced the hopes and fears of each character, so what could have been a depressing storyline turned into a all encompassing one.

The second half was harder for me to read. There was a distinct shift in the book, almost like I read two different books. All of a sudden years passed between each chapter, and I felt that I missed chunks of the story. It's like a whole new group of actors replaced the original cast after the first season. Same names but not the same people. While I understand her reason for this time shift (to show how the Congo shaped each of characters' lives), it was still a struggle for me.

Overall, it's easy to see why this book is used in school English departments. From an educational standpoint, the book is full of history, character styled writing, and figurative language (seriously, the language is so rich, that Barbara paints pictures with her words). From my standpoint, I missed the characters I met and loved in the first half of the book!

Title: The Poisonwood Bible

Author: Barbara Kingsolver 

Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classic 

Published: 1998

Available: Indie Bound, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Book Depository

This book hit home on a very personal level. For anyone that has served a mission (regardless of religious faith), this book is a reflection of the emotions felt when away from home in an unfamiliar place. When I was 21, I chose to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For a year-and-a-half I lived in various cities in the mission Brasil, Goiânia sharing everything I knew and loved about two special books—The Bible and The Book of Mormon.

As a missionary we looked for ways to help in service, share our talents to uplift others, and of course invited everyone to follow Christ by being baptized by those who have the priesthood authority to do so.

I learned 6 major lessons from my mission experiences, some things Nathan Price could have learned:

1. There is beauty ALL around

Just because someplace is different from what you're used to doesn't mean it's bad. Keep your eyes and your heart open at all times, or you may miss out on the beauty around you! Dirt roads often have the best scenery.

2. Education never ends

I was the only American in this entire city, meaning I either learned to speak Portuguese...or else! There is so much to learn in the world, so much we are able to learn, that we should take advantage of every opportunity to learn something new.

3. Live simply, happily, and with purpose

This was our "laundry room" —an outdoor sink with wires strung across for us to hang our clothes to air dry. There were no carpets, no a.c. units, and we walked to get anywhere. It was hard, but we knew why were doing it, so we were oh so happy!

4. Count your blessings

We walked all day, every day (with the occasional bus ride). Missionary shoes are proof of the physical demands of sharing the gospel. I'm so grateful that my body was healthy enough to walk and work on tar, concrete, and dirt roads, in the pouring monsoon seasons and the 100 degree summers.

5. Love = Service

You cannot serve someone and not end up loving them. The people of Brasil have a year-and-a-half of my service and a lifetime of my love. 

6. Enjoy the journey

Our work as missionaries was important, but my fondest memories of the mission include smiles and laughter. Life is a journey, so we need to make sure that we allow ourselves to enjoy it. This street translates to Lollipop Road :)

If you would like more information on what I did as a missionary, just send me an email: boofaireblog (at) gmail (dot) come

7 DIY Bookends with Flair

   One of the perks of working for a publishing house is the free books! To help organize my current titles, I like to keep them separate from the backlist books. There's a little space on my desk just for them, but lately I feel like I need to tidy up the stack...cue bookends!

   I want something nicer than the basic metal bookends you find at an office supply store. Turns out anything nicer costs over $40. I just want something to hold my books up and add a little artistic life to my desk....cue Pinterest!

   Pinterest has a ton of great DIY ideas, and I've included my top 7 favorite DIY bookends below. The one idea that's missing from the list is jars. I love jar bookends because you can fill them with so many different things, but that's a-whole-nother post for a-whole-nother day.  

   If you see an idea that you like, click on the photo and it will send you to an instruction guide or tutorial...cue list!

Toy Animal Bookends

Terrarium Bookends

Rope Knot Bookend

Garden Lion Bookends

Wall Bracket Bookends

Vintage C-Clamp Bookends

Book Bookends

The Aviator's Wife

The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin

The Aviator's Wife was a thrilling read for me, especially since I didn't know much about the Lindbergh's personal life. The emotional toll that Anne Morrow Lindbergh had to face while standing beside a husband the whole world knew and loved, is carefully crafted through Melanie's writing. I can't say enough good things about how Anne Morrow Lindbergh is written. 

The best characters are those you relate to, and I definitely can relate to Anne Morrow—strong minded, independent, outwardly quiet but full of internal chatter. Her progression from a naive girl with a celebrity crush, grows to a woman who understands what the world expects from the wife of a hero.

Historical accuracy woven with a fictional flourish, propels this story forward. Romance and reality mix together to create a touching account of the lives of the Lindberghs. Their marriage was full of true drama that made their struggles and triumphs that much harsher. 

I highly recommend this book! 5 x!

Title: The Aviator's Wife

Author: Melanie Benjamin

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group 

Published: 26/11/2013

Available: Amazon, Barnes and Noble