Currently reading...

Papercutting, Stop Motion, and Books

I watched this several times and saw something new during each viewing.


This Is Where We Live from 4th Estate on Vimeo.

Spot On

Especially funny because I really do have a brother who really does have three sisters. I sincerely doubt that he puts the towel around his chest when coming out of the shower but he does insist that the toilet seat and lid be lowered after using. What can I say, we raised him right.

Very rarely will I ask the Hubs what he had for breakfast if I've been away. It's usually one of three things (oatmeal, cereal, peanut butter toast) so it's quicker just to guess.

I am most definitely going to incorporate this phrase into my life more often.
Ta-da!
See? I already did!
Ta-da!
This could easily become an endless cycle. I'll stop now.

Excerpts are from the book Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal.
I just may need to read this entire book.

Thanks to You Are My Fave for introducing us!

A Good Day!

Today has been such a lovely day! And it's not even over yet.
First, I won a giveaway over at Green Eyed Monster - five cards from Paper Mango! I picked a few Happy Birthday cards and a few of her Palm Hello cards. Lucky day!
Paper Mango also has a delightful blog right here.

Images via Green Eyed Monster.

If you've never heard of Green Eyed Monster, they're a great little site that promotes handmade and sustainable products including jewelry, stationery, and accessories for your home. They also have giveaways you can enter almost every day!

Then the afternoon mail brought me the newest Paper Source catalog. Dangerous... but full of inspiration. I know I've said it before but I love this mum wreath kit.

Image via Paper Source.

Then my order came from Chronicle Books with the new book Paper + Craft. I pre-ordered it so long ago that I almost forgot it was coming! I'm so excited to sit down after dinner and pour through these beautiful ideas. It's a gorgeous book!

Image via Chronicle Books.

How has your day been so far?

Darn you, Chronicle Books!

I might need a copy.
Check out their blog post here for more on this little morsel:

Image via Chronicle Books.

How do you read?

I'll admit, the sleek new graphite grey Kindle is kind of sexy.
Even though I like to read my books as actual books - ones I can stick my nose in and smell - there is definitely something appealing about this little machine.
What do you think?

Image links to source on Amazon.com

The sale that just keeps sale-ing.

So you know how I posted a few weeks ago about Chronicle Books and their 30% off sale to celebrate the launch of their new website?
Well... it appears that they now have a new sale to celebrate summer friends and family! Boy, am I glad I didn't buy anything a few weeks ago! (And I apologize - or maybe Chronicle should apologize? - to those who did. I guess now is your opportunity to go back and get the things you deleted from your cart at the last minute...)
Shipping is free with any order, no minimum purchase required and the checkout code FRIENDS takes 35% off everything.
Shop your little hearts out.
In case you're overwhelmed and need some guidance, here are a few of my current favorite things:
Still in my cart as a possible pre-order... Paper+Craft

Moleskine. Red. Grid. Perfection.

Something about this book is so sad but I still want to have it on my shelf.

Reprodepot Folk and Flora Notecards. Cute!

Images via Chronicle Books.

Considering...

Has anyone attempted this list?
Would make a worthy ambition for an English major...

Just Finished:

Little Bee by Chris Cleave.
Beautiful, haunting, sad, moving. Highly recommended.

My sisters do awesome things. (And my brother does, too.)

So you all know that my older sister is in Madagascar with Peace Corps (read: awesome).
And now, my younger sister is on Amazon. No, not in The Amazon, but On Amazon. As in, dot com.
Just Click Here to check it out.
She's the editor of this book, CEO of this publishing company, and is generally an awesome person.
(Yes, I'm aware that I've used the word 'awesome' three times so far in this post. I might use it some more. Deal.)
This is also where I mention that they both graduated in the top ten of their high school class - no, not top ten percent but top ten people. I won't get all self-deprecating here but we'll just say I didn't even come close. And I really am OK with that.
But even my younger brother ('omg,' you're thinking, 'how many are there??' but that's it, just the four of us) went to a totally different high school than we did because he didn't want to hear, 'Oh! You're a Lewis! Are you Molly's brother?' a million times. Although, he didn't do too shabby with his high school career, what with his multiple AP classes, acing the ASVAB senior year and hopping right into the nuclear program of his choice with the US Navy... He's way smart and an all-around great guy.
My sisters are also both totally sweet, humble, kind-hearted ladies who will shop with you (Amanda) or drink coffee with you (Molly) in a down-to-earth normal sort of way. Love them.
But I digress.
The point is: I'm super-duper proud of my little sister. So, if you like mystery novels (or even if you don't!) you should pick up this book. Pre-order from Amazon dot com right here. Easy-peasy.
And stay tuned because I'm sure to scan some totally embarrassing pictures from our childhood and blog about them. You know, 'cause I'm the obnoxious sister, so I can.

If I had $30 laying around, I'd totally get...

... these gorgeous books by Penguin.

Oh, wait! I DID!

Um, Pantaloup? You're in my way...



I already had Jane Eyre so Tess and Sense and Sensibility now join her on the shelf in the bedroom.
(Have I mentioned that I really don't like the color paint on our bedroom walls? Yeah.)


What finally pushed me over the edge into actually clicking on "Check Out" is that Barnes&Noble is offering Members Pricing online (for a limited time, but it's been going since before Christmas) with free shipping on orders over $25, for items that qualify, blah blah blah.
Free shipping always gets me. Or at least tips the scales in their favor.
I'm such a sucker for pretty books!

Genius.

Do you want it now? Because you can have it now.

These books are dragging... Now Reading:

I'm not going to post a picture of myself this time. Molly knows I've moved on to Book III (as if this collection deserves roman numerals). If her friend holds true, I can have the entire "saga" read by the end of September.

Now Reading...

Just Finished...

If you'd like to borrow it, it's well worth the read!

Get your free book!

While supplies last!
Three titles to choose from but hey, it's free!

http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/readitforward/july09/

Handy for your summer reading list:

Type in a book and author you liked and it will give you a list of similar suggestions:
http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/

This one is WAY cool. Enter the name of a favorite author and you'll get a display with your pick in the center. The closer a name sits to your favorite, the greater likelihood you will like their work.
http://literature-map.com

courtesy of Real Simple

Summer reading

Thanks to a bookstore gift card and my local used bookstore, I now have a reading pile for the summer months. Here is just the beginning:

When in doubt, pick a Pulitzer.

Despite my loyalty to Barnes&Noble, I was forced to shop at Borders today due to a gift card burning a hole in my pocket. (I also learned that the Borders in Oxnard is much better than the one on Bellflower and Sterns in Long Beach - don't even bother going there. It's horrible.)

I picked up two Rhodia notebooks, tempting due to their graph paper filler.

I also picked up a recent Pulitzer Prize winner, Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout.
When you can't make up your mind, you can't go wrong with a Pulitzer, right?