A new year, a new stack of books, and a renewed intention to spend more time reading and less time on my devices.
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A New Journal –
I have finally forgiven myself for never completing an entire year of a planning journal. Over the years, I have purchased exquisite planners, stickers, and all the fun little add-ons. But by April (which I guess is pretty good), the planner gets hidden under a stack of mail and junk, and out of sight, out of mind. I wish they made planners without dates, so you can jump back in when you remember to open it again. So I am trying an alternative option –
Seasons of Wonder is designed to help you gather weekly with your loved ones and expand your understanding of divinity, specifically the radical yet faithful idea that everything is sacred. This devotional is designed around weekly contemplative activities as well as interactive and transformative practices that connect us to surprise, awe, and wonder, including:
• uncomplicated crafts that honor creation
• simple recipes to make together
• conversation guides to cultivate the gifts of storytelling, deep listening, mystery, and community
• accessible introductions to liturgical observations and rituals
• plus four additional weeks of activities that you can incorporate whenever they’re appropriate, such as birthdays, sick days, or when you’re traveling together or blessing your home.
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A few coffee table books
Beautiful Bouquets with Trader Joe’s Flowers by Rachel Weisel. I love to purchase my florals at Trader Joe’s because of their superior, long-lasting, high-quality, but they are much less expensive than any grocery store. Flower arranging has just gotten easier with these amazing bouquets sourced from everyone’s favorite grocery store. Using affordable flowers from Trader Joe’s®, you’ll make one-of-a-kind arrangements that are perfect for special events, decorating your home, gifting, and everyday moments in between.
Rachel Weisel, creator of Happy Arranging, provides 45 bouquet recipes that make adding flowers to your routine feel approachable and joyful. Covering every occasion from bridal showers and graduations to Mother’s Day and Thanksgiving, this book is the must-have resource for floral lovers.
Martha Stewart Entertaining – the book that launched Martha’s career, published in 1982, Entertaining turned Martha Stewart into a household name. In this timeless classic, she presents a style of entertaining that is personal, relaxed, and expressive. Drawing on her experience as a professional caterer, she shares tips and techniques for hosting fun and original parties, no matter the occasion or setting. Entertaining no longer has to be stiff and formal—it can be omelettes served on the lawn, dim sum before the theater, tempura in the kitchen, a boisterous pasta buffet, champagne and desserts at midnight, or a weekend country breakfast. Whether a party is small or large, indoor or outdoor, fancy or simple, impromptu or carefully planned, there are many ways to make a gathering special. My plan for this book is re-create her menus and tablescapes and share them with you – kind of like a “cook the book.”
Alpine Style: Bringing Mountain Magic Home by Katherine O’Shea Evans. She released Merry & Chic: Your Most Dazzling Christmas Ever in August and I devoured it during my visit to my sister’s house so when I saw she also wrote Alpine Style, I had to have it too. Alpine is a compendium of some of the most exquisite mountain interior design projects on the planet…as enchanting as the mountains themselves. Whether storybook and classic or sleek and modern, these alpine interiors from across the globe are tailor-made for après-ski fun.
From residential projects in Utah to ski-in, ski-out hotels in France, these are the types of rooms where exposed beams, shearling rugs, sumptuous textiles and stone fireplaces provide all the warmth and hygge-factor of a fresh pot of fondue. Throughout the book, you’ll find iconic mountain recipes (such as a boozy milkshake that’s been served in Aspen’s Hotel Jerome since Prohibition), insider tips on how to live your best life at altitude each season, and rooms that are the interior design equivalent of Grace Kelly in Gstaad. Eternally classic, yet as fresh as that first October snowfall.
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And a new mystery
Gone Before Goodbye – by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben. An instant #1 New York Time’s best seller,
an unforgettable suspense novel that combines the storytelling talents of Academy Award-winning actor Reese Witherspoon and internationally bestselling author Harlan Coben. Gone Before Goodbye is the story of a woman trapped in a deadly conspiracy—where uncovering the truth could cost her everything.
I so many more books in my stack, but I’ve got to finish these first! Happy reading.
Hospitality is in my DNA. I founded Home with a Twist, a daughter’s twist on her mother’s traditions, in memory of my mother to celebrate her life and the gifts she shared with me. Mother loved to celebrate life’s occasions – big and small.
