Book Love: The Shoemaker’s Wife

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Nora

When Mandy alerted me to the fact that TLC Book Tours was working with Adriana Trigiani I immediately hopped onto my computer and brazenly asked if I could be on this tour. You see, I fell in love with Trigiani’s books with the Very, Valentine series. And then Lucia, Lucia, followed by The Queen of the Big Time. And The Big Stone Gap series. I’m hoping to enjoy the young adult novels she’s written soon, too. Her writing, her characters, her spot-on representation of Italian families and culture from how (and what) we eat, to the Italian words we use in our everyday life and beyond, I’m a huge, huge fan. I may or may not have told my mom that I’d love it if Adriana came to our wedding as a guest later this year because she seems just like she’d fit right in with our half-Italian family.

The Shoemaker’s Wife came in the mail and of course I got all excited, maybe even admiring the cover for awhile. Then I started the book and fell in love with the way Adriana weaves the characters’ lives into one beautiful story, the historical picture that’s painted throughout this book, and of course the twists and turns that the story takes as it progresses.

Here’s a brief overview of the book as found on Barnes & Noble’s website.

The majestic beauty of the Italian Alps at the turn of the twentieth century is the setting of the first meeting of Enza, a practical beauty, and Ciro, a strapping mountain boy. When Ciro catches the local priest in a scandal, he is banished and sent to hide in America. Soon Enza’s family faces disaster and she, too, is forced to go to America.

Unbeknownst to one another, they both build fledgling lives in America. Ciro masters shoemaking and Enza takes a factory job until fate intervenes and reunites them. But it is too late: Ciro has volunteered to serve in World War I as Enza begins her impressive career as a seamstress at the Metropolitan Opera House. Over time, these star-crossed lovers meet and separate, until the power of their love changes both of their lives forever. Inspired by Adriana Trigiani’s own family history and the love of tradition, The Shoemaker’s Wife defines an era with operatic scope that will live on in the imaginations of readers for years to come.

I laughed. I cried (a lot). I cheered for Ciro and Enza. I stored away beautiful Italian names in case I ever have kids. I dog-eared pages because some of the lines really spoke to me. A few of my favorites:

“Mama always said a good family has one heartbeat. No one knows you like the people who live with you, and no one will take up your cause to the outside world quite like your blood relatives.” – pg. 45

“A man could think clearly in a place that gave breadth to his dreams.” pg. 136

“The wise man leaves the past behind like a pair of boots he has outgrown” pg. 146

“Life is a series of choice, made with the best of intentions, often with hope.” pg. 311

This book is longer at over 400 pages but it’s worth it: an epic story combining love, family, triumph and determination you really can’t go wrong.

You can follow Adriana on Twitter and Facebook if you want more on her books and live, up-to-the-minute news.

Have you read any of Adriana’s books? If you could invite an author to your birthday party or wedding who would you choose?

Disclosure: TLC Book Tours provided me with a complimentary copy of this book to review, however all opinions and views are my own. I was not otherwise compensated to write a positive review.

All There Is

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Nora

One of our weekend habits when we have the kidlets is to go to the library. The girls adore reading which makes me incredibly happy, so while they are off in the kid section picking out books and ~~fighting over~~ discussing which Disney book to get this week, I look through the new releases. The nice thing about being in a smaller town is that the new releases are so much easier to get ahold of. I grabbed a few books and at the last minute on the way to the checkout counter, grabbed a book called “All There Is: Love Stories from StoryCorps,” by Dave Isay. I started this book on Saturday afternoon and couldn’t put it down; it was done by Sunday (this isn’t a book review, I promise; stick with me). This book is all about love: romantic love, platonic love, lost and found love, and everything in between. The premise of StoryCorps is totally awesome. You go to one of their locations with a friend or family member and record your story, whatever it may be. When you’re done, you get a copy of the interview and a copy is sent to the Library of Congress. Kind of neat, right?

As I’m reading the book I’m laughing, crying and making mental notes as I read about marriages that lasted 50+ years and started thinking about what story I’d want to record. {photo credit}

I’d love to take my Gram there and ask her what her life was like as a nurse in the Navy. And how it was to be a divorced woman in the 1950s (she remarried to my Poppy, one of the most awesome men I’ve ever known). I’d like to have her tell me what it’s like to process grief and lose your husband after over 50 years of marriage. I’d like to learn from her.

I’d love to take Knight, so we could record our story up to this point. I love the way he tells the story of how we met; it all started with a nod of his head and the word “hey.” It was literally that simple but also so complex, in a good way. I think it’d be so great to take him now, and then again in 25 years and hopefully 50 years to reflect back on our lives then vs. now.

I think it would be fun to have my parents tell me what it was really like at Woodstock, or about the year my mom lived in Paris. I would definitely take my dad so he could record all his childhood stories of living in a multi-generational and multi-lingual Italian home; I know most of them but how awesome would it be to have them on a CD forever? I know my brother and I would get laughing over tales from our childhood, each of us sharing things we remember about the other person, like how my brother used to wear a Lego tub on his head as a hat, march around with a sword and pretend he was a pirate.

There are so many things that we know about our family members and friends and yet there is still so much to be discovered. I think once things settle down a bit for me, post-wedding and etc., I might start my own version of a family posterity project. Combine handwritten letters and pictures, emails and stories, music and more; maybe our future kids won’t care and maybe they will but I know I’d get a kick out of learning more about my family.

Who would you want to take to StoryCorps and what would you want to ask or talk about with them?

How to Eat a Cupcake, a Review

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Nora

Warning: Reading this book will cause you to crave and subsequently bake cupcakes. And then proceed to eat a bunch of them, even though they aren’t as good as what you’d find in the bakery that exists in the book, How to Eat a Cupcake, by Meg Donohue. At least that’s what I did this past weekend.

From Goodreads:

Funny, free-spirited Annie Quintana and sophisticated, ambitious Julia St. Clair come from two different worlds. Yet, as the daughter of the St. Clair’s housekeeper, Annie grew up in Julia’s San Francisco mansion and they forged a bond that only two little girls who know nothing of class differences and scholarships could—until a life-altering betrayal destroyed their friendship.

A decade later, Annie is now a talented, if underpaid, pastry chef who bakes to fill the void left in her heart by her mother’s death. Julia, a successful businesswoman, is tormented by a painful secret that could jeopardize her engagement to the man she loves. When a chance reunion prompts the unlikely duo to open a cupcakery, they must overcome past hurts and a mysterious saboteur or risk losing their fledgling business and any chance of healing their fractured friendship.

This book took me by surprise: how much I liked it (I read it in less than two days and struggled to put it down), the different elements that Donohue pulled into the book, the character development, the twists and turns. I am sure some people would classify this is as chick lit and I suppose I can see that, but at the same time, this book deals with personal growth and being honest with yourself as well. I think Donohue does a good job of appropriately mixing mystery, chick lit and good ole’ fiction in this novel. Each chapter alternates points of view between Anna and Julia, former best friends. They are brought together under unlikely circumstances; they push forward, starting a new business and forging new bonds, while overcoming old scars and wounds. They begin a new joint-venture business, called Treat, and through the ups and downs of business ownership and a lot of cupcakes, find their way back to friendship, love and the next phase of their lives. Although the book was 320 pages long, I wish that we had a bit more insight into the characters at the end of the book, as it seemed to end a bit abruptly, but otherwise, I really don’t have a bad thing to say about this book. (Maybe a chance for a sequel?)

You can follow Donohue on her Website | Facebook | Twitter, plus be sure to tune in on April 24th at 7 pm ET for a interview with Donohue on Book Club Girl.

If you’re looking for a fun and lighter read to ease you into spring and summer, I highly recommend this book. If you’ve read this or heard of it, let me know what you think!

* Disclosure: All opinions in this review are my own; apart from receiving a review copy of this book from TLC Book Tours, I was not otherwise compensated to read this book or write this review.

Book Review: The Silent Oligarch

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Nora

Happy Monday, blog friends! Another Monday, another book review for The Silent Oligarch, by Chris Morgan Jones.

About the book, directly from the book cover:

A London intelligence agent pursues a money launderer to expose the dealings of a shadowy Russian oligarch.

….

Deep in the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources sits a nondescript bureaucrat named Konstantin Malin. He draws a nominal government salary but from his shabby office controls half the nation’s oil industry, making him one of the most wealthy and feared men in Russia. His public face is Richard Lock, a hapless money launderer bound to Malin by marriage, complacency, and greed. Lock takes the proceeds of his master’s corruption, washes them abroad, and invests them back in Russia in a secret business empire. He knows little about Malin’s true affairs, but still he knows too much.

Benjamin Webster is an investigator at a London corporate intelligence firm. … Hired to ruin Malin, Webster comes to realize that this shadowy figure might have ordered her gruesome death, and that this case may deliver the justice he has been seeking for a decade.

As Webster peels back the layers of Malin’s shell companies and criminal networks, Lock’s colleagues begin dying mysteriously, police around the world start to investigate, and Malin begins to question his trust in his increasingly exposed frontman. Suddenly Lock is running for his life- though from Malin or Webster, the law or his own past, he couldn’t say.

I think the best way to describe this book: Mission Impossible meets Bourne Supremacy meets FBI thriller, only all taking place in Europe. At the outset of the book there is a lot of financial and political discussion which is a bit hard to follow (likely because I’m not an expert on the financial world) but once you get through the first 75 pages, the book takes off. I found I was no longer reading just to review the book but to actually see what happens to Lock, Malin and Webster. The characters have the makings of movie characters; I wouldn’t be surprised if a variation of this book is picked for a movie at some point because it has that movie quality. I’m thinking maybe a British Matt Damon for the role of Webster.

Jones does a good job with suspense and making the reader’s palms sweat and has successfully created a web of a plot that will keep you guessing up until the very last page. There are twists and turns, betrayals and friendships, love and loss, and interesting look into the corruption of the international business world and that of the spies who try to expose the flawed business practices.

If you like mystery and intrigue combined with the appropriate amount of love, politics and business, pick this book up. I would definitely recommend it for the male reader in your life, especially if they enjoyed the Bourne series.

Question of the day: Am I the only who pictures actors/actresses that I’d cast to play the characters in the books I’m reading?

Book Worm: Christmas Book Swap

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Nora

Remember how Lisa and I are big Book Worms? And we did a swap what seems like eons ago? We decided to post and share some of our favorite Christmas books this week; if you are curious what some of my favorite books are, check out Lisa’s blog and of course, read on below for Lisa’s favorites. She has a few listed here that I have not read, so I’m hoping I can perhaps pick them up from the library this week!

Hello and Happy Tuesday! This is Lisa of Lisa’s Yarns! I’m here today to share some of my favorite Christmas Novels. These books help me get into the spirit of Christmas and remind me of the reason for the season!

The Christmas Box Collection by Richard Paul Evans – This is a collection of 3 stories: The Christmas Box, Timepiece, and The Letter. This trilogy tells the story of the Parkin Family. It’s a beautiful, and at times sad, story and is definitely worth checking out.

Christmas Jars by Jason Wright – In this story, a report tries to uncover the secret behind “Christmas Jars” which are jars of coins and money which are left on the doorstep of a person in need.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens – Of course, I have to include this classic in my list of ‘must reads’. It’s a fast read and is a great reminder of what matters most during this time of year.

The Christmas List by Richard Paul Evans – This is another book by the author of The Christmas Box Collection. It sort of ties into the theme of A Christmas Carol – but instead of being visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, the main character gets a glimpse of what his obituary would look like. It stirs him to make some changes in his life.

What are your favorite holiday books?

Book Worms Recommend…

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Nora

A few weeks ago Lisa and I were chatting about books; this is a very common occurrence in our friendship as we both love to read and read often. When Lisa was shopping for a book for her nephew we started reminiscing about books we read as children, what our favorite books were, what we recommend for various age groups and boys/girls. The end result of that conversation was this new feature: Book Worms Recommend. Every other month, we’ll be doing a monthly blog swap where we share some of our favorites, make recommendations and just kind of geek about books. This month we are kicking it off with our recommendations for girls (me) and boys (Lisa) aged two to six. Want to see what I recommended? Hop on over to Lisa’s blog to see my suggestions for little girls!

Hello, Nora’s readers! I am so excited for this blog swap series! This month, we are focusing on kids books for ages 2-6. That sounds like a wide range, but I think a good book can hold a child’s attention for years. Since I have all nephews, I am focusing on boy books, but these are certainly appropriate for either boys or girls!

The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer – I am going to start off with a book that I discovered in the last couple of years. This is an adorable book about a little boy who brings home a salamander and imagines what he could do to his room to make it the perfect home for the salamander. This book was the inspiration for my favorite children’s book store in Minneapolis, Wild Rumpus. Similar to the progression of the book, as you walk into Wild Rumpus, the store becomes more and more like the outdoors. It’s hard to describe. You have to experience it to understand it! So if you come toMinneapolis, make sure you visit this store – you won’t be disappointed!

Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney – Whenever I babysit for my nephews that live nearby, I always request that we read this book. I love the cadence of the author’s writing, and the storyline is adorable. Llama Llama is out shopping with his Mama and he is NOT happy about this as he hates shopping. I can relate to Llama Llama as I, too, hated shopping as a child (and still don’t really love it to this day). The other books in the Llama Llama series are all great, but this one is my favorite.

If You Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Numeroff – This is another book I love reading to my nephews. I love how giving the cat a cupcake spirals into all sorts of adventures (and messes). There are other books by this other, such as If You Give a Pig a Pancake or If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, all of which are adorable and fun reads.

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton – This book was one of my brother’s favorite books when we were young. In this book, Mike Mulligan shows that while his beloved steam shovel, Mary Anne, is being replaced by more modern machinery, it’s still quite useful. To prove that Mary Anne is still useful, Mike Mulligan promises to dig a new cellar in one day – or go without pay. This book was originally published in 1939, so it’s been around for a LONG time!

Corduroy by Don Freeman – I had to go with another classic for my final pick! This was one of my favorite books as a child. It’s such a classic children’s book. I re-read it when I gave it to a friend who had a baby last December and realized the name of the girl in the story is Lisa! Perhaps that is why I loved this book so much as a child?

What are some of your favorite children’s books? I have lots of nephews (5 of them!) so I am always looking for new books to give them as gifts!

Ten on Tuesday: The Book Edition!

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Nora

Love today’s questions since I’m a bookworm. Thanks to the fabulous Erin from The State I Am In for the question and of course, thanks to Chelsea for hosting!

1. When someone asks you for a book recommendation, what is your go-to book?
The Shadow of The Wind. I read it for a book club I was involved in and fell in love with it. Couldn’t put it down; it’s that good. Combines mystery + history + romance + drama. If you haven’t read it before, definitely check it out!

2. Do you buy your books, or are you a library patron?
I’m guilty of both. If the books are on sale or are part of a series/collection, I’ll definitely buy them. Otherwise, I’ll borrow them from the library. {Photo Credit}

3. E-readers, yay or nay?
Currently, nay but I think that’s cause I don’t have one. I’ve seen Lisa’s and my mom’s and I have to say, I get e-reader envy when I do. But at the same time, I’m not quite ready to let go of carrying around a book in my purse. Though with an e-reader I could carry around multiple books in my purse. Maybe someday…

4. What was your favorite book as a child?
Oh, this is tough. Anne of Green Gables I think. I also loved Laura Ingalls Wilder, anything that was for young adults that was about the Revolutionary and/or Civil War (historical fiction), and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

5. If you could be any character in a book, who would you be?
Valentine from the series written by Adriana Trigiani.

6. What book would you love to see turned into a movie?
Jemima J or Mr. Maybe, both by Jane Green. Or anything else by Jennifer Weiner; she writes some great stuff, especially her latest (Fly Away Home).

7. What is your all-time favorite book?
I’d have to say The Help since it was the first one to pop into my mind. That was another book I couldn’t put down and I loved it so darn much; didn’t want it to end.

8. How many books do you read at once?
I usually juggle two books at a time.

9. What is your favorite book genre?
Fiction. I know, pretty general. As of late it’s been a bit of the classical fiction and then the young adult fiction. And then if I need a break, some chick lit or ridiculous vampire books of some sort. I know, I’m so deep when it comes to reading. Truth be told, I’ll read/try almost anything, hence the fact I have about 40 actual books on my shelf that I need to read.

10. Which Harry Potter book is the best? Or haven’t you read them at all?
Well I just finished the fourth one and loved it the most, so, thus far, the fourth book!

Feel free to play along in the comments or join in on your own blog.

Any books you’ve loved lately that I should check out? Anything to share on the e-readers to persuade me to take the plunge on that sooner rather than later?

See It. Read It. (Feb Edition)

Posted on February 25, 2011 by Nora

Thanks to you, my lovely readers, I’m going to reprise this every month as well because the comments were so helpful in recommending new things and you all seemed to love it. So, my February recommendations for See It. Read It:

See It.

Toy Story 3.
Holy tears, Woody! I mean, really. Beautiful movie. Just as good as, if not better than the first. I watched this as part of my quest to watch as many movies up for Best Picture as possible (only five of the ten nominated, but better than nothing) and I’m so glad that I did. I only wish I could have seen it in 3D when it came out! Maybe one day on those fancy new 3D tvs… yeah, right.

Men Who Stare at Goats.
Knight and I watched this last weekend (thanks as always to Netflix for the fabulous streaming options) and while I confess I fell asleep during it early, the parts I saw were hilarious. I love George Clooney’s dry humor and Jeff Bridges can make almost any movie fabulous if you ask me. So if you’re looking for a rather oddball comedy based on a true story, give this movie a try. At an hour and 34 minutes, it’s not a huge investment in your time and worth the belly laughs I got out of it.

Notting Hill.
Lisa has been telling me for ages I needed to see this movie and so I finally did. And I’m so glad I did. I’m generally speaking a huge sucker for anything Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts is a classic so this movie? A big win. Being the predictable girl that I am, I cried at the beginning, middle and end. I also loved the side stories and the soundtrack. So if you need a “romcom,” check it out. If you’re a boy, you’re probably going to want to avoid this one.

Dexter.
So Knight and I thought we’d try this after hearing so many amazing things about this show (fully realizing that we’ll forever be behind on it as well). The first episode? Intriguing yes, but didn’t totally grab me. I also had fierce nightmares about all sorts of grotesque things. I talked to Katelin about it since I know she’s a huge fan and she tells me to give it a few more episodes. I think I will. (As if I need another show to get hooked on!)

Anything you’ve seen in the last month that I should check out next month or add to my Netflix queue?

Read it.

Brava, Valentine by Adriana Trigiani. This was the sequel to “Very, Valentine,” and I loved it just as much as the first. I didn’t want it to end. The characters get better and better, the plot is phenomenal and it’s not a predictable read at all. The author is amazing at describing surroundings and landscape in the book without being overly…wordy. I fell in love with Italy even more than I already am and love the way she portrays Italian-Americans. So in other words? Read these books.

Ok, so massive fail on reading in February. After finishing the Valentine series (for now, I’m hopeful there will be a third book!), I’ve not found anything else that remotely captures my interest including totally ridiculous chick lit, the fourth Harry Potter book (that I need to somehow finish by Monday), and a handful of other books that I’ve started and cast aside. I’m hoping the reading bug or something fabulous lands in my lap soon. SO with that said, a book I *must* read in March? Like you couldn’t put it down it was that good?

See It. Read It.

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Nora

Thanks to the bitter temps, I’ve been spending a lot of time with my Netflix queue and reading so today I’m sharing some of my favorite (and least favorite) movies, shows and books from the last month.

MOVIES!

Law Abiding Citizen. I’d been told by quite a few people that this movie was worth watching with lots of twists and turns… well, there were definitely twists and turns but it was one disturbing movie. Don’t even let it fool you that Gerard Butler is in this movie. He only flashes his abs once and he doesn’t have his sexy accent. Not to mention he’s the one that makes this movie tough to tolerate or as Knight says, “if I was cat, this movie would have taken 6 of my 9 lives.” Seriously, it was that intense. And creepy. And just don’t watch it, unless you want to be paranoid for a few days after it.

Knight and Day. I haven’t really liked Tom Cruise since Jerry Maguire (or maybe Top Gun), but I really liked this movie. Perfect blend of action and adventure + comedy and even a bit of romance (but not the throw up in your mouth kind). Some gorgeous scenery, good acting and overall, I really enjoyed this movie. Definitely worth checking out. Bonus: It’s only 1 hr 45 minutes. (I’m not a fan of movies that drag on and one these days.)

The Kids Are All Right. (Hooray, one movie I’ve seen that involves the Oscars!)I love Mark Ruffalo and Annette Benning. This movie deals with the dynamics behind a lesbian couple, their children and what happens when the children want to find out who their biological dad is. Very well written, definitely interesting and the acting was fantastic. There are some moments of hilarity, tenderness, suspense and of course love. Highly recommend this movie!

Going the Distance. I just loved this music. Yes, I’m a huge fan of romantic comedies, but this one… well maybe it’s cause I’m in an LDR, or maybe it’s because Justin Long rocks, but either way, I loved it. I kind of want to own it. Two thumbs up for sure on this one!

Daniel Tosh: Completely Serious. My brother recommend Daniel Tosh to Knight and me and all I can say is hilarious. Why I haven’t been watching his show (Tosh.O) sooner, I have no idea. I can’t wait for his next stand up comedy show to air on Comedy Central in March. His delivery his awesome, he’s got some great jokes, and in some odd way he’s a little bit cute.

BOOKS!

Cover of Very Valentine: A Novel

Very Valentine, by Adriana Trigiani. There is just so much to say about this book; this is the first in a trilogy about an Italian family, the trials and tribulations of all the siblings, but of Valentine in particular. In her mid-thirties she’s struggling with her career, her family, her love life and finding her place in the world. I loved this book in part because I’ve been where Valentine is in the book, and also very much because there is so much authenticity to the Italian family dynamic. There were times I wanted to jump in the book and just be everyone’s best friends, to eat at their table, to be a part of the book. I’m super stoked to read the next book in the series, Brava Valentine.

The Life You’ve Imagined, by Kristina Riggle. I picked this up at the library solely based on the back of the book, wasn’t sure if I’d like it but wound up devouring it. Part chick lit part social message, it was a quick read, with a fairly unpredictable plot line and loveable characters. Definitely good for a quick read and something different!

One Day, by David Nicholls. This was a long book but I really liked it. I laughed. I cried. I hoped. I found out it’s going to be a movie this year which I’m kind of not pleased with (well, mostly because I don’t like who they cast) but I am curious to see how they portray the characters. Read this book. You won’t be sorry. It’s very beautiful, a great love story, and I didn’t want it to end.

Anything I need to watch or read in February?

The Weekend: Cupcakes, Specs, Rain & Cookies

Posted on September 20, 2010 by Nora

This past weekend was one of those great ones.

On Friday I headed over to Jen’s house to embark on our girls’ night out for ten which she won from Dove. We received complimentary car service (aka a huge limo) and then Jen was given money to spoil us for the evening! I think we spent it pretty well: cupcakes from The Cup (I got the Tuxedo and Buttercream which I noshed on over the weekend), dinner at a fabulous local tapas restaurant, Mosaic where I fell in love with infused cheddar cheese, mini rib burgers and potatoe croquettes, and hours of girl talk, laughing, jokes and pictures. As if all that wasn’t great enough, we all received three lovely smelling deodorants courtesy of Dove of course, after the night was over. It was great to meet more of Jen’s friends (I knew about half the group already from various past parties) and enjoy a truly luxurious night on the town. (Bonus: getting to see Jen’s son, now two months old, and take a picture with him and all of the girls in front of the limo. Cutest thing ever.) Below: Liz, me, Jen, hanging out in the limo.

For whatever reason on Saturday morning I woke up with a start at 7:30am and couldn’t fall back asleep so I decide to go into uber productive mode: wrote a paper, took the dogs around the block, and was ready to go for the day all before 9:30am. I picked out my new glasses, did a little gratuitous shopping at H&M and Express, and then jaunted over to my Gram’s with two Starbucks Double Chocolaty Chip Drinks for two hours of girl time. We talked boys, computers, school, memories, goals. Quite possibly the best two hours I’ve spent with my Gram in awhile. The fatigue started setting in around this time so I headed home for some quality time with my Netflix movies, the couch, the dogs and my books. I watched Griffin & Phoenix which is a heartbreakingly beautiful movie; I really did love it. However, I do not recommend watching it unless you want to cry. Like, a lot. Then, and I can’t believe I’m admitting this on my blog, I watched Mary Poppins to cheer myself up. Took the dogs on some walks, read a ton, and then enjoyed the crazy thunderstorms that rolled into town.

For those who are interested, a pic of my new glasses (they are dark brown with caramel on the outer rims). I’m pretty much in love with them:

And then on Sunday? Lots of naps with the dogs at my feet, more reading, peppered with school work of course, news that a good friend is moving out of St. Louis which prompted the quintessential “what am I doing with MY life thought process?”, baked some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and went for a run. Throw in a present from my parents (a really awesome scarf), a surprise phone call from my brother and it was the perfect lazy Sunday.

This past weekend was a perfect blend of fun, friends, and time to myself. With the next six weeks being a little crazy with trips to see family and friends, finals, and weddings it was just what I needed!

How was your weekend? What’s your ideal weekend look like?