Too Many Books, So Little Time

I love books. So very, very much. I can't even remember a time when I didn't love them. I have so many strong memories of books in my childhood. Stuffing blankets at the bottom of the door so my parents wouldn't see the light of my book light in the late hours of the night. Discovering a new series. That exciting feeling when you check out a book from the library. I went through books and series like there was no tomorrow. Series like Boxcar children, Babysitter's Club, Babysitter's Little Sister, Wizard of Oz . . . the list could go on and on. Some of them are worthy of remembering - some not so much. I can even remember the day I was introduced to Harry Potter. My teacher announced that there was a new book that was virtually unknown that we were going to read as a class. I'm so grateful that she introduced me to them before anyone knew about them. There's nothing that turns me off a book like it becoming popular.

My love for books hasn't diminished in the least. In fact, it's gotten so much stronger. Books are my absolute weak spot. Even more so than chocolate cake and Granny B pink cookies. Now I consume them like air. It's really quite ridiculous. Let's not even talk about how many books I've read just in the last month (okay, so maybe it was around eight) or how obsessive I get once I start one (I can't stop - literally; I have zero self-control).

Recently, I have read some especially amazing books. I cannot even begin to describe how much I loved them. And they have gotten me on a massive reading kick. I've had to lay off a little over the past few months/years, since I'm, you know, a full-time student with no time on my hands. But then someone (often Amber) will recommend a book to me . . . and I have no hope. I read it in one day and then can't stop thinking about it. So to get my mind off it, I have to read another. It's a vicious cycle. Good thing I really don't mind.

There have been definite benefits. For example, my reading habits have improved my reading skills and ability to absorb and remember information fast (my textbook studying needs appreciate it very much). And I guess there are some not so great things too . . . Like maybe they give me unrealistic expectations of love - I really can't imagine anything less than a dangerous vampire (not sparkly) from Scotland who owns a ranch with beautiful horses and is a nerdy high school English professor who I happen to meet while I am running a bridal business with my absolute best friends, and who may or may not be a leader of his vampire coven, a secret prince, a New York socialite, or a viscount. Totally realistic, right? :) But I'm okay with it. I will face reality someday. But for now, I'd rather not. I'd rather just read more books.

Because reading is amazing. And I highly recommend it. To everyone.

Seriously. Go pick up a book now. If you'd like, you can pick one from my list below!

Some current (or not so current) book obsessions

• Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
• Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts (latest in Bridal Quartet series)
  
• Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz
• Burned by P.C. and Kristin Cast (latest in Marker series)
• Sookie Stackhouse series
• The Season by Sarah MacLean
• The Lost Hours by Karen White
• Montana Sky by Nora Roberts
• The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

A Little Boy, A Giveaway, and A Good Attitude

So I’m in a writing class this term, and for this class, we have to do a blog post every week. Therefore, by default I am going to be a better blogger starting now!

Yesterday I was trying to decide what to write/blog about. And, of course, while I was debating that, I had to look at all the blogs I love. Needless to say . . . I ended up going from link to link and spending hours looking at blogs instead of writing my post. But it wasn’t completely unproductive! I came across a lot of awesome things. On Snippet & Ink, there was this awesome link to a breakdown of beard trustworthiness. I laughed extremely hard and considered doing a blog post on that. But then I saw an even better link on Snippet & Ink. And that’s what I want to write about today.

It’s this giveaway fundraiser for a little six year old boy. His name’s Liam and he has a neuromuscular disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy. His parents are having this giveaway to raise money to remodel a bathroom for him this summer that he can actually use on his own and that’s accessible for him. This little boy is ridiculously cute and I think this fundraiser is a wonderful thing. And the giveaway prizes are quite impressive. I am pretty much floored by the generosity of all of the people who are donating prizes. As I went through the list, which you can see here, I was surprised to see quite a few things from blogs/businesses/people that I am a big fan of and follow. Even if it wasn’t for a good cause, I’d want in on this. The fact that it’s for a good cause is just like a MAJOR plus! Actually, it makes it completely worth it.

After reading about the giveaway, I looked around the blog. The most recent post was amazing. I absolutely loved reading it. Please read it. This woman, Lynn (Liam’s mom), is incredible. I am so impressed by her, and she makes me want to be a better person. It was interesting though, because she talks about how people email her to tell her what an inspiration she is. Then she says, “honestly, I think – without meaning to disregard the goodwill meant by it – that I am doing what so many parents do all the time. Yes, different circumstances – ones I never imagined would be mine – but in the end, I love Liam and I am doing my best to advocate for him . . . This is what parents should do, when they are able, however they are able. I think that’s the best we can do, really.” The funny thing is . . . this is what really impressed me.

Yes, what she says is true. She is doing what so many parents do all the time and it is what parents should do, but that isn’t the most important part. The important part is that she is doing it. Just because there are other parents out there who do stuff just like her, it doesn’t make her any less inspiring for doing it. There are plenty of people in the world who wouldn’t handle the situation the same as her. More importantly, not everyone would have the same attitude that she has about it. She doesn’t pretend like it’s not hard, but she does show what she has learned from it and how it has changed her for the better. Maybe I don’t know her enough to be assuming some of this, but from what she wrote, she is letting this whole thing be a crucible for her. And that’s incredibly inspiring to me.

Now I don’t want this post to just be about Liam and his mom. (Although I do think you all should hop on over to the blog and donate if you feel so inclined.) I want it to be about more than just them. We all have struggles in our lives. Actually, a life wouldn’t be a life at all if there weren’t problems. If there was nothing bad, would we ever appreciate the good? No, we wouldn’t. We wouldn’t be able to. And if we never had struggles, we would never be able to grow like we can. These truths don’t necessarily make the struggles any more desirable, but sometimes it can help us have the strength we need to deal with them. So yes, we all have struggles. We will each have our own set of trials. Some of us might have a child that is really sick. Some of us might have to suffer through the death of a child. Some of us might never become a parent. Maybe you will never get married. Maybe you will lose your job . . . over and over and over. No matter what, the trials are hard. But at the same time, they are always for our benefit. It’s hard to remember this while we are going through them, but it’s true. We can learn so much from them. We can either let the trials break us or we can let them strengthen us. We always have the choice of being bitter or being grateful. We can all have a good attitude and do “the best we can do.”

Baconnaise

A bacon flavored spread. Could anything be cooler? I think not. The creators' motto is that everything should taste like bacon. Genius. My kind of motto!

Mean Disney Girls

Pretty much . . . this is my favorite thing I have seen in a LONG time. It's genius.

Everyone loves their ABC's

When I went to Paris last Fall, I expected a lot of things. I expected to improve my French. I expected to experience Parisian culture and love it. I expected to just love Paris in general. All of these did happen. But there were definitely some things that happened that I didn't expect. Some bad (thanks so much for that, bed bugs), but mainly all just great. One of these was that I developed a love for Photography that I never really had before. I mean, I liked it . . . but it was never that passion-inspiring? In my photography class, I had the hardest time and I felt like every week the assignment was impossible and was the hardest thing I would ever have to do. But every week a moment would happen when I would get the picture. The perfect picture(s) that were exactly what I wanted for the theme. There was nothing like getting a picture and knowing instantly that it was the one. Or going through my pictures at the end of the day and being surprised that some of them were actually rather good. And I am not even very good at photography. But I still loved it. Even though my photos weren't the best, I loved taking them and I was proud of them.

(Like this one. I don't know why, but I love it.)

However, my love for photography grew even moreso with other people's work. Do you remember my post about Michael Kenna? Still love him. And still want a book of his work. But he is definitely not the only photographer I love. I just appreciate photography so much more as a whole now. And now, my latest photography want . . .

My French teacher, who also happened to be the Director of my study abroad program and the teacher of the Photography class that so changed my opinion about Photography, does photography. And he has a photo blog. And he has recently finished a project he has been working on for years. It's incredible. It's the ABC's. They're pictures of things that look like letters in France. Could that concept be any cooler? Not really. But it gets better. Because the pictures are AMAZING. I am thoroughly wanting one. Or seven.

So now it's time for you to go check it out. Because I am sure you will love it too. They really are stunning. My favorite is . . . well, that's hard to say. But if/when I buy something, I'm kind of leaning towards the A or C in the 11x14 quote ones.

And after you check out these amazing galleries, look over the rest of his blog. He has great photography tips and whatnot. And comment! I'm sure he'd love that!