Hello There!

I haven’t been faithful at posting to my blog, but I’m really trying to change that this summer. With so many life changes happening, writing is a way for me to pause and reflect on those changes, orient myself, and mark the passing of time. The books I read, the journeys I take, the daily rituals I unconsciously engage in, and the people I spend time with all are markers of my life. I want to record them for the future so that I don’t forget the things, people, and events that have served to shape me into who I am. No one is static, and I am not the person today that I will be in 5,10, 20, or 30 years. I want to be able to one day reflect on the me of this year and compare her to the me I will become. Hopefully blogging will help me to achieve that.

My fiance & I were able to visit his mom’s farm recently, and you better believe I took advantage of the porch swing while there.

I am going to do a series over the next few weeks (hah, in all honesty, it will likely be months) that will feature some of my favorite books, places to visit, trends, and more so that I can get caught up on recording what I’m enjoying and doing. I invite you to join in & share what you’ve been up to also!

So to begin, let me tell you about the books I’ve read/started 
reading lately... 

The Moving Toy Shop by Edmund Crispin

A mystery that takes place in Oxford during the 1930’s and with a detective who incorporates literary references into his work because he’s a professor by day and can’t help evoking the western canon of literature into his vocabulary? Yes please and thank you. I’ve been enjoying this delightfully written, not-to-be-taken seriously mystery and have found it to be just perfect for my busy life right now.

Affiliate link to The Moving Toyshop here.

D-Day Girls by Sarah Rose

This is a rather large and comprehensive book on three incredibly courageous French women who played a large role in the Allies’ D-Day success, but until now have been uncredited and largely unknown for their roles. Sarah Rose has rectified this oversight with her book, which I have found to be very informative and compelling.

Affiliate link to D-Day Girls here.

Of Mice & Men by John Steinbeck

Having only started reading Steinbeck as an adult, I’ve been taking in his books here and there as I can over the past few years. I talked about my love/hate relationship with his novels on this Instagram post and won’t reiterate it here, but I must admit that the love for Steinbeck’s prose far outweighs the cringes of his content.

Affiliate link to Of Mice & Men here.

Books I’m planning to read next (and why):

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

My fiance is taking me to Prince Edward Island for our honeymoon, so of course I must revisit the series that so absorbed me & captured my imagination when I was a young girl before my trip next month.

Affiliate link to Anne of Green Gables here.

Wedding Update

I love our wedding invitations & the lovely printing job by Minted (this is the design we chose). The matching personalized stamps were a splurge, but so worth it.

I have a list a mile long of things still to do before my wedding, but so far I have farm tables, chairs, dishes, flatware, napkins, and goblets rented. The birch arbor has been purchased. Decorations are still being acquired at various stores in my area, but I don’t need a ton of items because we are simply using greenery, books, and perhaps candles on the tables. I still need to buy the favors and some games for the children who will be in attendance, have yet to send my final music list to the violinist because I keep adding to it, and finalize details for the caterer. But you guys, I’m trying to stay focused and enjoy this last month of a special life season while preparing for the next life season. It’s not easy, but chatting with married couples of all ages, listening to their stories and getting advice from them has helped.

Trend I'm loving right now...

It’s the fun hair accessories. I am LOVING all of the barrettes, scarves, and delicate bobby pins that are being worn by girls of all ages. Madewell has the best selection of summer hair accessories, including an adorable gingham scrunchie (who knew scrunchies would make such a stylish comeback, but as someone who never stopped using them because they are so gentle on hair, I am quite pleased with it).

That’s it for today! Happy weekend, dear friends!

xo Shelbi