I NEED and WANT to get back into reading. I just haven’t found the time to sit and read a good book, and I suppose it hasn’t been a priority.

Well, I want this to change.

So, over the next year I have set myself a goal to read at least 10 books. Here is a list of books that I’ve been wanting to read for a while, I can refer back to this list, to give me some motivation to read throughout the coming year!

 

• ‘The Kite Runner’ – Khaled Hosseini
• ‘You’ – Caroline Kepnes
• Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
• Forest Dark by Nicole Krauss
• Goodbye Vitamin by Rachel Khong
• The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy

• The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur

• The Arrangement by Sarah Dunn
• ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ – Stieg Larsson
• ‘The Secret Garden’ – Frances Hodgson Burnett
• ‘he said she said’ – Erin Kelly
• ‘Still Alice’ – Lisa Genova
• ‘Before I Go To Sleep’ – S.J Watson
• ‘Silence Is Goldfish’ – Annabell Pitcher
• ‘No Time for Goodbye’ – Linwood Barclay

Let’s see how many I actually read!

What are your favorite books? Are there any you recommend that I read?

| 10 Must Reads | Favorite Blogs to Read |

 

Lysa writes like the girl next door who instantly becomes your best friend. She’s honest. She’s witty. She’s real. And she writes in a way  that makes you to address your own heart without preaching that you’re a sinful mess of a human being.

 Lysa shares her own deeply personal experiences with rejection—from the incredibly painful childhood abandonment by her father to the perceived judgment of the perfectly toned woman one elliptical over.

With biblical depth it’s about living loved & living in fullness.

I give it two very large thumbs up so far.

 

Happy Friday, Friends! My weekends are usually a mix of the following: exploring new destinations (traveling or visiting somewhere other than Indy), exercising (workout classes, walks, or going for a run), relaxing (drinking, eating, & spending time with friends)  and house related to-dos (organizing, cleaning, laundry, grocery store, etc.).

This weekend I couldn’t be more excited to spend the entire weekend at home. We have had such a busy summer with weekend travel and weddings that we are looking forward to a relaxing weekend at home. It’s going to be so nice to wake up in my own bed!

Check out my favorite reads from around the web this week:

1. 12 things every woman should have at her desk
2. Go to work attire for any job
3. 2016 Fall Warby Parker collection 
4. Cheese and Fruit Tray how to
5. Songs we just can’t stop jamming to at weddings
6. How to be happier
7. 22 delicious recipes to make this fall
8. Morning routines from successful women
9. Why hangovers get so much worse with age
10. 40 books every woman should read before she’s 40

Happy Monday! What a relaxing weekend, I have spent some time this past weekend researching books & today, I am sharing some of the books that I have added to my must-read list right now: 10 Books To Read this Year. These are based off reader reviews, friend recommendations, & my own interest. I would love to hear what other books you would recommend & make sure to check out some of my previous recommended books in the links at the end of the post!

What’s on your reading list this year?

| Book Clubs | 2015 Reading List |

Links I Love:

1. 21 incredibly important diagrams to help you get through life

2. Myth: You can train yourself to sleep less

3. Fuax brick by brick wallpaper

4. “Fixer Upper” Joanna Gaines’ Paint Line

5. The world’s most amazing appetizer board.

6. Some fabulous doormats from designlovefest.

7. This colorful street was made to be Instagrammed.

8. A must see HBO series, The Night of.

9. Ten trending wedding themes for 2017

10. THIS duvet is everything.

Check out more of the Links I Love

It may just be me, but this week has flown by (and has been quite productive). This weekend is going to be spent indulging in some of my favorite little things – coffee and sweets for breakfast, sleeping in, spending time with my family in Brown county and hoping it doesn’t rain so we can enjoy being outside! I thought I would share with you today my favorite bloggers from around the web.

1) Rockstar Diaries: My Favorite blog to follow about a family of five plus their bull dog Kingsley who are living in Washington D.C and traveling the world, how cute are they?

2) Say Yes: Another everything blog! Motherhood, DIY’s, fashion, recipes etc. This blog has multiple contributors and lots of great ideas.

3) So Much to Smile About– Another blog about a girl named Liz who I studies law, loves taking photos, listening to live music, reciting lines from Clue, brunching, and all about her life in D.C.

4) The Style Bungalow– fashion-focused lifestyle blog. Here you’ll find personal style photos, two cents on beauty products, and other tidbits.

5) A Cup of Jo: This is a fun, daily blog and Joanna seems so down to earth and like she would be so easy to talk to.

6) Cupcakes & Cashmere: The fashion blog that I have been following the longest! Tons of D.I.Y projects, fashion ideas & recipes!

7) The Blissful Mind:The Blissful Mind is a guide to help you be the calmest, healthiest, most productive version of yourself. You’ll find weekly updates that encourage you to slow down and focus on the important things in life.

8) TheLaLA:Made up of an editorial team of the best college creatives in the country, the Lala is an online magazine dedicated to empowering college students from across the globe with the authentic, positive and uplifting content they’ve been waiting for.

9) Gin and Tonic: My adorable friend from Purdue, Ginna’s blog. She was born and raised on the west coast, went to college in the midwest, and now I lives in the south.

10) Spoon Fork Bacon– and of course last but not least an amazing food blog with all sorts of goodies…it will leave you drooling!

 

Happy Monday Friends, I am currently on a non stop flight to Tampa for a week long cruise to Cozumel and Cayman Islands!! I am in full force vacation mode and couldn’t be more excited for some time away!

So I will leave you with a quote I saw while shopping last week. While at Dottie Couture I couldn’t help but snap a picture of this quote when i was in the fitting room trying on some dresses, Elegance is when the inside is as beautiful as the outside.

I am not sure if I loved the calligraphy, the meaning behind the quote or a combination of the two. It made me think how easy it is to get caught up in what other women are wearing, being skinny and whats trending or in style at the time, even if that isn’t really you. Beauty is all about letting your inner beauty shine and compliment your outer beauty. The two go hand in hand but it’s important to always let your inner beauty shine bright!

So here’s to Coco Chanel, trying new things, and always staying true to who we are!

Yesterday I spent an hour and a half at Target trying to find the perfect birthday gift. I have my go to presents of typically buying my friends a colorful scarf, a big chunky necklace or a delicious smelling candle. I had all three of these options in my cart while roaming down each aisle trying to find something different and better than what I typically buy. I made my way to the book and magazine aisle and that’s when I saw The Secret Garden adult coloring book. I remember during girl’s weekend my Aunt Cathy had this and said it was super relaxing to unwind and color in the pages. I was so excited about finding this I threw it in my cart and almost bought the other copy for myself.

{ Each page looks very detailed and time consuming, are you up for the coloring challenge? }