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Recent Reads: May 2015

May 8, 2015May 8, 2015 ~ Caitlyn ~ 2 Comments

Recent Reads, May 2015 | roxie & louDo you use Goodreads? I do; I use it as a book log to keep track of what I read. I don’t choose my books for the pleasure of putting them on the list – it’s much more of a passive list than something active, to find out my trends in reading and how much and what I read.

Here’s some recent highlights*:

Austin Kleon‘s work: Steal Like an Artist & Show Your Work

  • I read Show Your Work in book form but read Steal Like An Artist in digital form. Ironically enough, there wasn’t much difference between those experiences, but each book is absolutely worth reading for creative types. If I had to pick my favorite, it would be Show Your Work, as I think that thinking about your influences is a really valuable lesson to take away from any book. (Do I smell a blog post series coming? Maybe!)

Matt Richtel:  A Deadly Wandering: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in the Age of Attention

  • Such an amazing book. Most of us have looked at our phone or texted while driving – and if you haven’t, stop lying. Have you ever realized that you don’t remember what happened during the period while you were doing the two things simultaneously? This book is all about that – and the consequences of texting while driving, seen through one case in Utah. If you’re at all interested in how the brain works – and how your phone might literally be working against you – this is a must read. This book easily made my top 10 books of the last year; in fact, I spent lots of my anniversary celebration reading it!

Marie Kondo:  The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

  • Everybody probably knows about this one, as it’s so popular. I wanted to read it to see if all the fuss was deserved – and it was. I think that the really interesting thing about this book is the idea of ridding yourself of possessions that bring you no joy. It’s an interesting idea; I know that there’s several things in my house that I brought in that bring me no joy and they shouldn’t be in my life. Kondo is really onto something here; absolutely recommended.

Mary S. Parker: Sashiko: Easy, Elegant Japanese Designs for Decorative Machine Embroidery

  •  I don’t remember how I got into sashiko, but I LOVE the concept. (Naturally, I have yet to do anything in sashiko, but the intent is there.) It’s a traditional Japanese geometric embroidery that the lower classes practiced when mending clothes; each stitch pattern has a different meaning, so the meaning behind the stitch was literally sewn into the fabric. (Gives a new meaning to thinking of someone, wouldn’t you say?) Parker’s genius idea is that these are patterns that are makeable by machine, as they tend to be made up of connected lines. (Traditionally, they were hand-stitched.) This book also has a dictionary of patterns in the back and for that alone, I will be purchasing the physical copy rather than borrowing it from the library.

Those are some of the great reads I’ve found recently, but I would LOVE recommendations. What have you been reading lately?

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With almost two thousand paintings to his credit, the French artist Claude Monet must've painted his brushes down to their ferrules. The man was so prolific he was practically his own printing press. No doubt he kept his local art shoppe in business (or as I like to say, beeswax). These great geometrical gold tone earrings made and manufactured by Monet in the 1970's would make quite the impression on even the impressive impressionist himself. Now THAT'S some alliteration!!! Check out our link in the profile and use this code, INSTAGRAM5, for 5% off of this item. #alliterationrules #claudemonet #monet #monetcompany #monetearrings #impressionism #impressionist #earrings #goldtone #gold #etsyfinds #geometrical #etsystore #etsyshoppe #etsyshop #sale #printingpress #retrofashion #1970s #ferrule #beeswax #vintagemonet #alliteration
Hmmm, the world's largest caramel popcorn ball is named Carl and right now (7/22) Carl is in Oregon but will be going on tour in a special trailer. Carl is over 8 feet tall, over 25' in circumference (and no, I'm not talking about Sir Charles Barkley), and weighs over 6700 pounds. You'd need a LOT of serving platters (probably all of Dowton Abbey's platters as well as all of the villagers trays too) to handle all that sticky caramel corn. Luckily, here's a charming little 1930's platter from Taylor Smith & Taylor company of West Virginia to help out. Check out our link in the profile and use this code, INSTAGRAM5, for 5% off of this item. #carlthecaramelpopcornball #caramel #popcorn #carl #oregon #downtonabbey #villagers #sale #instasale #etsyshops #etsyfinds #circumference #sircharlesbarkley #charlesbarkley #shabby #shabbychic #kitchens #antique #1930s #taylorsmithtaylor #taylorsmithtaylorchina #china #fleamarketfunk #westbygodvirginia #westvirginia #etsyfinds #etsyshoppe #etsystore
My favorite Elvis era was his jumpsuit-wearing, karate-kicking, Las Vegas time of the early seventies. Unfortunately the version of Elvis that I saw in February 1978 was the bloated and barely recognizable Elvis of tabloid fodder. "Poor old Elvis" as my uncle would say. This McCormick decanter, appropriately named 'Elvis Bust', captures The King at his Las Vegas best. High collar, flowing hair, and sideburns! Check out our link in the profile and use this code, INSTAGRAM5, for 5% off of this item. #Elvis #elvispresley #lasvegas #lasvegaselvis #karate #jumpsuit #sideburns #decanter #sale #instasale #etsyshop #etsyfinds #pooroldelvis #etsystore #1970s #mccormick #kitsch #graceland #elvistheking #popculture
What do Frida Kahlo and this figurine have in common? The unibrow. Frida used "special tools" to groom her iconic eyebrow, an extremely fine paintbrush was used on the figurine. Today I realized that Ms Kahlo also sported a wispy mustache which, now that I know about it, is very apparent in her self-portraits. When I start seeing peach fuzz on my top lip it's Nair time people. Check out our link in the profile and use this code, INSTAGRAM5, for 5% off of this item. #fridakahlo #frida #unibrow #figurine #etsyshops #etsyfinds #mustache #instasle #selfportrait #baby #porcelain #ceramic
Bees eyes is what I think of when I see the decorations on the front of this little brown jug. I think that they are supposed to be pineapples or coconuts, my uncle says they look like pine cones. There's this pine tree outside that produces a prodigious amount of pine cones each year and each year the squirrels gorge upon them in gluttonous glee. You should see the post feast disaster zone of discarded cones and spent seed shells that those furry tailed varmints leave behind. I have to don a Hazmat suit, it's that bad. Check out our link in the profile and use this code, INSTAGRAM5, for 5% off of this item #littlebrownjug #brownpitcher, #pineapples #coconuts #pinecones #squirrels #sale #instasale #etsyshop #etsyfinds #hazmat #glee #feast #bees #beeseye
When I think 'atomizer' I generally think of some space age disintegration ray gun that Marvin the Martian would be trying to use against Bugs or Daffy in those great Saturday morning Looney Tunes cartoon shows of my youth. Cartoons, comic books, and crayons were my only concerns on those Saturday mornings in Pleasantville (which was next to Pleasant Vally, Sunday we would take the Last Train to Clarksville --- but enough talk of The Monkees). If you want to do some perfume atomizing of your own then you NEED this! Check out our link in the profile and use this code, INSTAGRAM5, for 5% off of this item #atomizer #atoms #Martian #marvinthemartian #looneytunes #bugsbunny #daffyduck #raygun #spaceage #saturdaymorningcartoons #sale #etsyshop #etsyfinds #instasale # #cartoons #comicbooks #crayons #monkees #pleasantville #perfume #pleasantvalleysunday
When I see this 'atomic age' appliance I immediately think of flying cars, Rosie the Robot, and Spacely Space Sprokets. I don't want a flying car/briefcase anymore but I'm still hoping for that 'meal in a pill' that was the menu at the Jetsons humble abode (talk about your easy meals). Mid-century America was all about the future. Even that most pre-historic of families, the Flintstones, were future oriented as their movie 'The Flintstones meet The Jetsons' clearly depicts. Own your own piece of the future with this stylistic Tropic-Aire hairdryer. Check out our link in the profile and use this code, INSTAGRAM5, for 5% off of this item #tropicaire #hairdryer #flintstones #jetsons #atomic #pop #spacelysprokets #mealinapill #sale #instasale #etsyshop #etsyfinds #dinosaurs #rosietherobot #flyingcars #atomicage #antiqueappliance #appliance #popculture #retro #spaceage #midcentury
Step in to my literary version of Mr Peabody and Sherman's WABAC (pronounced wayback) Machine while I set the dial to 1970's America when copper bracelets were the newest health rage. Common folk and celebrities alike can be seen wearing these heavily promoted "therapeutic" copper cuffs. Even the storied Vince Lombardi, of the frozen tundra of Green Bay fame, wears one that he calls his "voodoo bracelet". Now I'm setting the wayback dials to 1991 when James Taylor's song 'Copperline' was new to the airwaves; "...Copper head, copper beech, copper kettles sitting side by each. Copper coil, cup'o Georgia peach, down on Copperline ..." Oops, when I get a song stuck in my head it's time to bring the WABAC to the future so you can check out our link in the profile and use this code, INSTAGRAM5, for 5% off of this item. #wabac #mrpeabody #sherman #waybackmachine #wayback #rockyandbullwinkle #sale #instasale #etsyfinds #copper #bracelet #copperline #celebrities #vincelombardi #jamestaylor #fashion #basketweave #cuff #accessories #1970s #1991 #frozentundra #greenbay #greenbaypackers #packers
Fashion in the 1980's was all about making a bold statement and nowhere was that more obvious than in the "power shoulders" in women's wear. Check out any Golden Girls episode to see for yourself. I mean they even had shoulder pads on their lingerie (talk about making a statement!). Costume jewelry followed the big and bold trend as chains became heavier and crucifixes made larger. While not big in size this open matchbook pin does make a statement! Check out our link in the profile and use this code INSTAGRAM5 for 5% off of this item. #1980s #madonna #totallyeighties #matches #matchbook #matchbox #goldengirls #powershoulder #miami #fashion #pins #brooch #brooches #sale #instasale #etsyfinds

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