The Art of Reading with Holly from “Life as a Thrifter”

Posted on April 12, 2012 by kmore

“Thrift is not an affair of the pocket, but an affair of character.” –S.W. Straus

I look around my house and 90% of what I see came from a thrift store or a consignment shop. I glace at my closet, and I revel in the number of items that I got for a fraction of the cost at my favorite second-hand store! In fact, I no longer gain much pleasure from buying an item that is new, because I haven’t experienced the reward of searching and discovering. Those of you who are fellow thrifters understand the thrill of the hunt!

Recently, the news headlines were filled with the story of a large national lottery prize. I was chatting with some friends about what we would do if we would win a huge cash award (I do know that I actually have to buy a ticket in order to win!) I was adamant about one fact - if I suddenly became a millionaire, I would not give up my guilty pleasure of shopping at thrift stores! While I am always interested in saving money, I just love the vintage, kitchy goodness that can only be found at the “second-time-around!” That’s why I absolutely devour the blog “Life As a Thrifter.” Holly Marsh has the most unbelievable eye when it comes to spotting the best thrift-store items and turning them into pieces of art! Her home is the kind of creative, happy, colorful place we all wish we could have, and she does it all on a dime! So, as a big fan of her blog, I noticed that many of her gorgeous photos include BOOKS! Like many of us, she loves to cozy up with her handmade pillows, wrapped in a crocheted blanket (found for a song), surrounded by colorful and creative decorations, and retreat into a good book. No doubt, she is re-charging her batteries for a whirlwind trip to the flea market! I hope you will check out her blog and be inspired by all of her unique and creative ideas!

Blog: Life as a Thrifter

What creativity do you share with the world? I’m a thrifter! I love the thrill of the hunt…searching out fun finds and then transforming them into something new!

Book OR e-reader? Book
Buy OR lend from the library? Either
Hardcover OR paperback? Paperback…it feels good.
One book at a time OR several? One
Skip ahead and read the last page OR be patient and wait? Be patient!
Bookmark or fold over the page corner? Bookmark
Abandon a bad book OR stick with it no matter what? Abandon
Laugh OR cry? Laugh

Cover Love: I love the cover of Flea Market Style by Emily Chalmers

What is the next book on your stack of books to read? I’m probably the last person on earth to read it, but I’m super excited to start reading The Hunger Games.

How do you acquire the books you read? Although I borrow many of the books I read from friends and family, I love going to the bookstore to search out a brand new book. It so beautiful and always smells so good!

How do you choose the books you read? My sister is a HUGE reader. I go straight to her to find out the latest and greatest read.

Do you have a childhood favorite? I have so many favorites as a child…it’s hard to choose only one. There was one, however, called Baby’s Birthday…an old Golden Book that I used to read over and over as a little girl. I still have it, and read it to my daughter all the time. She seems to love it just as much as I did.

What is one of your early reading memories? I remember as a child building a little reading nook in the corner of my room. I thought it was the finest place…and every day, after school, I’d run home to that little nook with a book in hand.

What is your favorite place to read? My most favorite place has to be balled up on the couch…even better, on the couch while it’s raining…with a blanket…and maybe a glass of wine…

Can you think of a particular book that has meant something significant to you in your life? The book Heaven is For Real was a real eye-opener for me. Of course, I’ve always believed in God and in heaven, but to have the opportunity to now clearly visualize it’s appearance was pretty incredible. I’m always recommending it to people.

I love to display my books…. based on color. The rainbow of colors is beautiful!

Reading is important to me because…. It takes me to another place. I can stop thinking about all the things going on around me for a minute and immerse myself in a whole new world.

Thank you, Holly, for sharing your love of books with us! Happy thrifting and happy reading!

Welcome Spring!

Posted on April 10, 2012 by kmore

April is a promise that May is bound to keep. ~Hal Borland

Oh, thrift-store, how I love you! Look what I found! A sweet vintage planter and a little bunny salt shaker without its match. I put this together for Easter, but I think it should stay up a little longer!

The Art of Reading with Mandy from “Little Maison”

Posted on April 5, 2012 by kmore

“There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.” –Jane Austen

What I love about visiting blogs is that I can connect with like-minded folks with whom I never would have met otherwise. Case-in-point…. my new friend, Mandy. Mandy’s blog, Little Maison, is a lovely feast of art, photography, fashion, decorating, and more. I love absolutely everything she hunts and gathers for her readers! How lucky I am to be able to admire her work, as Mandy lives in Queens, New York, and I live in northwest Montana. While I have been appreciating all of her inspiration - from vintage wedding attire, locally-made chocolate bunnies, eclectic artwork, beautiful interiors and more… it was her love of books that caught my eye. Mandy is another creative soul who also loves to read, and like me, collect and display beautiful books. It’s all about home for Mandy…. as it is for many of us (from Montana to New York, and everywhere in-between!) I hope you will drop in to visit her “little maison.” I know you will be as enamored as I am!

Blog: Little Maison Facebook: http://facebook.com/littlemaison

Twitter: http://twitter.com/mylittlemaison

What creativity do you share with the world I have been in the event planning and marketing industry for 14 years, which is creative but has limitations. I just recently started the blog and it’s been the best thing I’ve done in years! It satisfies my love of writing, photography, fashion and home!

Book OR e-reader? Book – but I am a new Nook owner as well!
Buy OR lend from the library? Buy. Perhaps it’s the “collector” in me, but I just love purchasing and displaying books for my home.
Hardcover OR paperback? Paperback. Hardcovers are too heavy for subway reading in New York City!
One book at a time OR several? I was always a one-book-at-a-time gal until recently when I dabbled in a few memoirs at once and loved it!
Skip ahead and read the last page OR be patient and wait? Oh, I would like to say patient, but I totally skip ahead!
Bookmark or fold over the page corner? Folding corners, always
Abandon a bad book OR stick with it no matter what? Abandon. I can’t sit still for a book that won’t hold my interest.
Laugh OR cry? I’d much rather laugh with a book, but a good cry from time to time is okay too.
Cover Love: I love the cover of Bohemian Modern: Living in Silver Lake by Barbara Bestor. It’s a vibrant yellow and blue line drawing. It was the first of my design book purchases and still a coffee table favorite.

Do you have a favorite genre or genres? I always pick up memoirs first. For years my motto was: the crazier the author, the more attractive. These days, I am reading lighter more inspirational memoirs.

What is the next book on your stack of books to read? I just ordered Tout Soul by Karen Wheeler. I fell in love with her memoirs (Tout Soul is her third) over the summer and had the pleasure of interviewing her for my blog. She’s very Bridget Jones but in rural France. Love her!

What book have you read in the past year that stands out to you? Slow Love by Dominque Browning stands out the most. It was a beautiful memoir on how losing her job helped slow down her life, in a good way. It made me laugh out loud, and I literally mailed it to my mother to read the day I was done. She loved it as well.

What is your favorite place to read? I typically read in bed. There is something about being cozy in the comforter that makes me speed through pages.

Have you ever read a book at exactly the right time of your life? I read Broken Open by Elizabeth Lesser exactly at the right time. It was about change, moving on and personal growth. I was letting go of a bad relationship, and the timing and importance of that book was priceless. Right after I read it, I passed it on to a friend who had just lost her mother. She found the book comforting.

Do you have a special book that you like to give as a gift to others? I always buy my favorite childhood book as a gift for my friends’ children, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett. I still remember my father reading it to me, and when I was old enough, I read to him.

Do you have any books that are special keepsakes? I have 3 hardcover Hemingway books from my Grandmother that are special to me. She always would put a label on the first page which read “from the library of” and she signed her name. I have never read the books (they are on my list) but having the books with her signature is such a wonderful memento.

I love to display my books…. Before I moved in with my fiance, George, I had too many books! I had books literally spilling out of every cabinet and closet. I knew I needed to cut down, and I purchased a vertical bookshelf to help organize the mess. I promised myself that I would not exceed the space on the bookshelf, and if I had books that didn’t fit, I’d need to give them to fellow readers. Nowadays it’s a fun thing to rotate out books and give away favorite reads to friends.

Thanks, Mandy, for sharing with us your art of reading!

Let’s Hear it for the Girls!

Posted on April 1, 2012 by kmore

“A toddling little girl is a center of common feeling which makes the most dissimilar people understand each other” –George Eliot

My creative side has been having fun with all of the little girls in my world. Here are some pretties I have been stitching up for sweethearts like Greta, Allison, Sydne and a little baby-to-be that we haven’t met yet! Here’s to spring and to all the sweet little girls out there!