I have a few quick blog updates to mention: the blog now has its own Facebook page. I experimented with deactivating my personal account, which was a nice break. I've recently made several contacts with people who do similar work (art, photography, sewing, blogging, etc.) and I have learned a few things about how to make Facebook a useful tool, rather than just a place where I read about who ate sushi for dinner or who hates Mondays. So I reactivated my personal account and created a separate page just for the blog that you can find by
clicking here. I would love it if you'd go to the Facebook page and click the "Like" button!
Another change: I've started watermarking my photos. I don't do it to every single one, but from now on I will be including the watermark on any photo that I spend any editing time on and any photo that includes my child. To my knowledge, I haven't been the victim of any copyright or theft issues but I also can see from my Google stats that my page views are increasing and there are a few sources that seem a little questionable (places that sound spammy) and I want to make sure my work stays
mine. Also, while Pinterest is a great way to share photos and blog ideas, it is very easy for the original source to get lost along the way. Watermarks help ensure credit is given to the correct source if that should happen to anything pinned from my site.
Whew, enough shop talk, let's move on to something else.
Have you got any Valentine's Day plans? We're celebrating on Saturday, but we don't actually have a plan in place yet--other than dropping Charlotte off at my parents' for the night. I'm thinking Little Italy sounds good. Our favorite place there is
Trattoria on the Hill. I'm in the mood for some serious Italian food and Trattoria is soooo good (and cheap!). A few doors down is a fantastic bakery called
Presti's. You haven't tried a cannoli until you've tried theirs--chocolate covered, no less.
I've been reading a lot lately...more than usual (when I'm not fiendishly
making makeup bags, that is). Chad bought me a subscription to a new service our library offers called
Book Bundle. Each subscriber fills out a detailed profile about their reading preferences (favorite authors, recently read books, books they loved, books they hated, etc.) and a bundle of three books arrives on their doorstep every month. The library Book Bundle team has access to each subscriber's checkout history, so no worries about getting something that I've already read. So far I love it. It's a great way to try out new books and authors, and it's really fun to get a box of books on my doorstep every month (wrapped up in paper and bound with twine, by the way).
Here are some of the things I've read recently that I enjoyed, in case you need some ideas:
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
Wild is one of those books that's super interesting and addictive, but one you must walk away from periodically because it's
intense. The author, Cheryl Strayed, tells the true story of when she was in her mid-20s and had already lived a life of enough grief, heartache, and questionable decisions as someone four times her age. She embarks on a solo hike through the Pacific Crest Trail (without any previous hiking experience, mind you) and learns a lot about herself and her future along the way. She weaves her past in with her hiking journey so you get snippets at a time, which makes it all the more addictive. I read it in two days, and not because it's short (it isn't).
The Last Letter from Your Lover by JoJo Moyes
I had never heard of this author, JoJo Moyes, until about a month ago when I read a review of her newest book (the next one on this list, actually). It turns out she's a magnificent story teller and this book was an excellent mix of history, love story, and suspense. The author tells two stories--one from the 1960s and another from 2003, and uses letters exchanged between different characters to guide the stories and ultimately link them together. I think this was one of the best books I've read in the past year!
Me Before You by JoJo Moyes
Me Before You, also by JoJo Moyes, was just as good as the last but in completely different ways. This story is part friendship, part love story, but with a much heavier subject matter and will leave the reader emotionally spent by the end. I'm not spoiling anything by saying that--the book is about a young woman who is desperately searching for a job that will help provide funds to her financially struggling family. That job ends up being as the caregiver and companion to a young man who was recently severely injured in a vehicle accident and is now a quadriplegic. She comes to realize that the job is much more than what she signed up for, and I guarantee the book will hook you and render you helpless until you're finished. This is definitely not a light and frothy beach read, but don't let that deter you. Just know what you're getting yourself into :)
Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
This book just arrived in my newest book bundle and I haven't started it yet--but I've heard tons of good things about it. And it has almost a 5/5 star rating on Amazon (out of almost 600 reviews) which is pretty impressive.
I Gave My Heart to Know This by Ellen Baker
I'd never heard of Ellen Baker, but checked this book out of the library on a whim because I liked the shoes on the cover. Don't judge me. Anyhow, this story is set in 1944 and is based around a group of women working on a shipyard for the war effort. Their stories are woven together and fascinating, and this was overall a good read. The only downside was the ending...I wasn't crazy about it, but the rest of the story up until the very end was great.
What have you read recently? I'd love some more recommendations!!
Happy Reading!
~Stacy
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