Thursday, January 29, 2015

January Book Review : Station Eleven

I've mentioned my book club on the blog from time-to-time and wrote a detailed post here. Our group just celebrated 13 years together and we have now read a total of 144 books. We have shared laughter and tears and everything in between!


Our January book was Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. 
The moment I finished it, I knew I had to share. 


I am a pretty fast reader and generally start most books within a week or so of our discussion so it's all still fresh in my mind. Well I didn't have to worry about finishing this one on time because I read it in one day! I was totally hooked on page one. There just weren't any good stopping points for me. I became completely lost in this book. I could see, hear, smell and feel every single page. It was almost like watching a movie. I could not put it down for more than a few minutes at a time!

Paraphrased from the author's website .....

One snowy night a famous Hollywood actor slumps over and dies onstage during a production of King Lear. Within hours, a flu epidemic begins and the world as we know it begins to dissolve.

 Moving back and forth in time—from the actor's early days as a film star to fifteen years in the future, when a theater troupe known as The Travelling Symphony roams the wasteland of what remains—this suspenseful, elegiac, spellbinding novel vividly depicts life before and after the pandemic and charts the strange twists of fate that connect the main characters.

  Sometimes terrifying, sometimes tender, Station Eleven tells a story about the relationships that sustain us, the ephemeral nature of fame, and the beauty of the world as we know it."

Okay, I know what you're thinking ... you want me to read a book about a flu epidemic that wipes out most of the world's population? How depressing is that!

That's exactly what I thought when a friend recommended this book to me. The words post-apocalyptic usually make my eyes glaze over. But that's the great thing about being in a book club. Sometimes you take a chance on a book you never would have picked on your own. And believe it or not, we've had some great discussions on books we really weren't too fond of!

In short ... our book club found Station Eleven to be beautifully written and provided us with hours of discussion. If the post-apocalyptic genre is your thing, this book is really probably too mild for you. But it was perfect for us. It took us out of our comfort zone just enough. We loved the way the connections between the characters unfolded and the importance of art and culture in survival. It also made us think about all the things that we find so important in our world today. I could go on and on. But most importantly for me, I cared about the characters and I know they will stay with me for a long time to come!


And funny thing ... my favorite spot to read is a big comfy leather chair in my sunroom. Last week I shared my winter mantel on a snowy day. I actually read this book on the same day I took the pictures for that post. The book opens during a snowstorm and I read it during a snowstorm. Every time I looked up from my book, I saw the snow. Talk about a perfect book for a perfect day!


Our next book pick is The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman. Feel free to read along with us. If you're interested, I'll let you know what we think at the end of February!

And if you have any book recommendations for us, we'd love to hear!

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Be Inspired Features and Link Party #149

Happy Tuesday! Welcome back for features and party day!

Elizabeth and Co.

Here in Maryland we had snow all day yesterday. We only ended up with a few inches, but it's a beautiful winter wonderland. For those of you in the middle of the blizzard, be safe out there!

And now on to this week's fabulous features .....

Cassie from Primitive & Proper totally knocked it out of the park with this stunning coastal blue sideboard!



Wendy from Sometimes Twice went with cool shades of aqua for this ombre effect dresser!



Kim from Reposhture Studio used the color island dream on these chairs and I think they certainly live up to the name!



Cynthia from Clockwork Interiors gave this outdated media cabinet a fresh new look with a pop of color and some chalkboard paint!



In need of a little comfort food? You might want to try these chicken pillows from LouLou Girls!



Or maybe you're in the mood for some chicken taco soup served over rice from Angela Betlewicz' Designs!



These soft and chewy gingerbread cookies from Simply Suzanne's At Home are almost too pretty to eat! 



And you will love the soft simplicity of Suzanne's winter decor!



Thanks so much to everyone who linked up and linked back!
If you've been featured, feel free to grab a cute little button from the sidebar!


Elizabeth and Co.

Now on to this week's party...


*Link up your furniture makeovers, DIY projects, home decor, crafts, recipes, thrifty finds ... share whatever is inspiring you at the moment!

*A link back would be appreciated, especially if you'd like to be considered for a feature.


*And we'd love to have you follow along with us!

We'll be back next Tuesday with features and a brand new party!


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

My Winter Mantel On A Snowy Day

We are having a beautiful snow day today!


Not a major storm, just enough to make everything white, soft and oh so peaceful. 
Don't you just love how quiet it is when it's snowing?







My favorite place to watch the snow is from my sunroom. 
There are windows on three sides and the light is always so beautiful. 


This year when I packed up the Christmas decorations, I decided I needed to celebrate winter with a little snowy decor.



 I wanted something really simple and natural.




Remember when I made about a million (only a slight exaggeration) frosty pinecones?


And you can check out my ruffled sheet music wreath tutorial here. I used a combination of pages from different hymnals on this one and it gives a nice variation in color.


I'm really loving the mantel in shades of green, gold and silver. 
It took only minutes to put together with things I already had on hand - the very best way to decorate!




The cotton stems add softness and give the feel of fluffy white snowballs.
And the mercury glass candles add a lovely glow in the evening!




I think I got my wish on this beautiful snowy day!



Sharing with ...



Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Be Inspired Features and Link Party #148

Happy Tuesday! Welcome back for features and party day!

Elizabeth and Co.

January is my month to catch up on life. I haven't touched a paint brush in weeks. But my furniture painting friends have been busy creating some really lovely pieces! 

This yummy pair of coral nightstands is from Jenni at Roots and Wings Furniture!



This fabulous mid-century modern dresser got a bright white finish from Cassie at Primitive & Proper!



Susan from Sunflower Hugs used a fresh shade of mint on her mid-century dresser!



This vintage record cabinet from Danielle at Finding Silver Pennies is stunning in deep dark blue!



Love this beautiful and classic buffet from Mary Beth's Place!



Robin from Happy At Home created a pair of awesome decorative faux windows!



Terry from Forever Decorating is celebrating winter with a snowy Putz House display!



Cecilia from My Thrift Store Addiction shared her thrifty Valentine art!



And this pretty Fresh Lemon Cake comes to us from Elaine at Sunny Simple Life!



Thanks so much to everyone who linked up and linked back!
If you've been featured, feel free to grab a cute little button from the sidebar!


Elizabeth and Co.

Now on to this week's party...


*Link up your furniture makeovers, DIY projects, home decor, crafts, recipes, thrifty finds ... share whatever is inspiring you at the moment!

*A link back would be appreciated, especially if you'd like to be considered for a feature.


*And we'd love to have you follow along with us!

We'll be back next Tuesday with features and a brand new party!


Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Be Inspired Features and Link Party #147

Happy Tuesday! Welcome back for features and party day!

Elizabeth and Co.

We had an awesome turnout for last week's party. You all have certainly been busy little bees! Here are just a few of the fabulous links that caught my eye .....

I love this beautiful dining room from The Heathered Nest - so bright and vibrant!


Angela's winter mantel over at Number Fifty-Three feels calm and sophisticated!



I love the coastal vibe of this grain sack dresser from Danielle at Finding Silver Pennies!



Cynthia from Clockwork Interiors shared this classic desk and chair makeover!


A touch of gold and damask drawers give these side tables from Draven Made a sophisticated feel!



This fabulous china cabinet is from Mary Beth's Place!



Pretty fabric choice!



Linda from Coastal Charm added some soft wool pom-poms to her winter decor. Aren't they sweet!



Lauren from Bless'er House has the most beautifully organized pantry and believe it or not, she made the weathered wood pantry crates from ... wait for it ... diaper boxes!





These Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies from Yesterfood look like a great option for an quick out-the-door breakfast that is actually good for you!



Thanks so much to everyone who linked up and linked back!
If you've been featured, feel free to grab a cute little button from the sidebar!


Elizabeth and Co.

Now on to this week's party...


*Link up your furniture makeovers, DIY projects, home decor, crafts, recipes, thrifty finds ... share whatever is inspiring you at the moment!

*A link back would be appreciated, especially if you'd like to be considered for a feature.


*And we'd love to have you follow along with us!

We'll be back next Tuesday with features and a brand new party!