A little bit of this...and that

Happy day this and thatters!!  I hope your week is starting out right!  I've been reading up a storm lately and loving it.  Here are a few of my favorites! 1.  Pretty Happy by Kate Hudson I love, love this book!  It is such a fun and (yes you guessed it ) happy book.  She has great tips and real advice about happiness that I love. 2.  I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn't) by Brene Brown This book is/was life changing for me!  If you've never heard of Brene Brown before she is a shame researcher and to say her work/research is groundbreaking would be an understatement.  This has been a real quick read for me because I'm enjoying it so much!   3.  Spirit Junkie By Gabrielle Bernstein This is a book I have read before and am now reading again that's how good it is.  For me it is a practical guide to spirituality, understanding fear and love.  This is a sup...

Happy Day this and thatters!  I hope your week is flying by and you enjoy this edition of what's on my nightstand! xoxo 1.  Lilly Agenda I have to tell you that I haven't carried an agenda/calendar in a very long time.  In the past few years I've just always used my phone to keep myself organized.  However, as life gets busier and things get crazier I've needed a new method for keeping myself and the family organized.   I was thrilled when I saw the Lilly agenda!  I absolutely love it because it is Lilly but it also has absolutely everything I need to keep myself organized. I got the large size and it is perfect! Click here! 2.  Hands Free Mama I LOVE this book!  A sweet mom recommended it to me and I have absolutely fallen in love with it.  It is such a great read about disconnecting from technology and connecting with yourself, your family and those around you!  I have really enjoyed reading it and p...

How are my lovely readers on this Master's Sunday?   I am just getting settled from a little beach time.  I'm watching the Master's, doing laundry and napping with Mae....the perfect Sunday.  My time away has left me inspired so get ready for lots of blog posts :)   Until then enjoy this edition of what's on my nightstand.  Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist So I know that I normally give you a few books to read during these posts but I adore this book so much that I am giving it it's very own post!  Do you ever read a book or a find an author you love to read and you want to tell everyone about it?  Or is that just my nerdy self? I love, love this author's writing.  In fact I've blogged about her other books Cold Tangerines and Bittersweet (if you haven't read them go buy them...NOW!).  Bread and Wine is her newest book and it's fantastic.   It's a mix of her short stories/essays and fabulous recipes all rolled into one. ...

Happy Sunday this and thatters!  How are you spending this beautiful day?   The hubs and I had the most enjoyable day yesterday that included a lengthy trip to Barnes and Noble and a yummy lunch at California Pizza Kitchen.  I must confess I love CPK!  I know me and every five year old but what can I say it just hits the spot :) I'm sure your more interested in my B & N trip than my love of CPK so please enjoy what's on my nightstand!  xoxo 1.  Lilly by Kathryn Livingston If you are like me it's that time of year that you are looking longing at your spring clothes.  You feel like you are never going to get to wear them and the items that jump out the most are your Lilly pieces :)  I saw this memoir on Lilly Pulitzer and knew immediately I had to have it.  It is an amazing book (that I'm already half way through) about her life, her struggles and the rise and fall (and eventual rise again) of her fashion empire. ...

Happy Weekend this and theaters!!  I hope you are enjoying the beginning of a fabulous weekend.   You probably don't know this but the hubs and I spend our Saturday and Sunday mornings drinking coffee and reading.  For some reason the hubs cannot stand to watch TV first thing in the morning (I don't understand this bc if it was up to me our TV would stay on 24-7).  I figured this out early and so instead would read and he quickly began doing the same thing.   So this morning like every other Saturday morning the fire is on, Mae is snoring and we are both deep in the throws of our latest book.  No matter what you are doing I hope you enjoy what's on my nightstand. 1.  Bossy Pants by Tina Fey Is such a great book!  I kind of put off reading it (for some reason) and now I don't know why.  It's such an awesome book for the ladies out there and it will keep you laughing as well.  If you are looking for a fun but inspiring read th...

How are all the book worms today?? It is getting to by that time of year when I hibernate and read tons and tons of books so get excited!  I hope you enjoy what's on my nightstand!  xoxo 1.  How God Changes Your Brain Is probably my favorite book right now!  It is written by a therapist and neuroscientist (hello smart dudes).  The book is so thought provoking because it talks about the many positive things that occur when you have a relationship with God and that relationship is a positive force in your life.  Their findings are that it actually changes your brain for the good and the impact to your life is limitless.  This might seem a bit out there but pick it up and you won't be sorry! 2.  Gone Girl My mother recommended this book to me because she knows I love a great mystery!  She also warned me (and wants me to warn you) that there is a lot of cursing in this book but the story makes up for it.  :) I couldn't ...

Hello readers! How are you today?  I have been browsing the shelves of Barnes and Noble (B&N) for great reads lately.  This past weekend, coffee in hand, I spent about an hour walking the aisles and finding amazing books for the fall and winter (when I do the majority of my reading).  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!  xoxo 1.  Roses Was recommended to me by a friend and it was fantastic!  It is an incredible story about three families in Texas who are intertwined in every sense of the word.  The book is very well written and a page turner for sure.  I read it on the plane ride to San Fran and the 4 hour plane flight zipped by! 2.  Southern My Way Some people might find this odd but I actually read cookbooks like I do other books.  I love to sit down and read a cookbook all the way through.  I tag recipes I want to try as I go.  This weekend I snuggled up with Southern My Way and even tried out a few...

How are all my pretties today?? I am feeling great today!  This whole running at 6 a.m. thing makes my whole day so much better because I have tons of energy :) Along with running like a fool I have also been reading like a maniac!  Enjoy what's on my nightstand!  xoxo 1.  Maine Ok I love, love this author!  She also wrote a hilarious book called Commencement that you have to read as well.  Maine is a great female story about 4 women in a family.  The author takes turns giving you each of their perspectives and you will crack up at their inner thoughts.  I read this book in one day (that's what happens when you get stuck at the NOLA airport) and you will too!  2.  America, America Is such a great book and I have read it many times!  It is the charming story of a young boy who works for a family with wealth and power and is quickly sucked into their world.  He begins working on the family's political campaig...

How are the book worms?  I have been a reading fool and spent the better part of the afternoon/evening yesterday at Barnes and Noble.  I bought a small coffee and roamed the aisles for hours.  It was amazing me time and I found some incredible books! Enoy! 1. My Cross To Bear by Gregg Allman So after reading Carly Simon's biography I decided to pick up Gregg Allman's autobiography and I must admit it was amazing.  I feel like everyone wants to focus on the tragedy surrounding the Allman Bros but this book talks about how much fun they had and how much they absolutely love, love the music.  Allman's life is absolutely amazing and as a huge music lover I couldn't put this book down. 2.  Grown Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson Is such a great book.  It is the story of three generations of women and is a great quirky, Southern mystery.  I love the way this author puts a story together and weaves these women togeth...

I went to Barnes and Noble on Saturday and spent my paycheck on books.....I kid, I kid :)  Well kinda!  I love Barnes and Noble it is like a religious experience for me.  I can spend hours in the store, wandering around, drinking coffee and seeing what's new on the shelves.  I know it's time to leave when the employees start looking at me funny! This week I was shocked to not only see one but two books by Snooki!!!  Yes, I said Snooki.  I almost dropped my coffee when I saw Snooki in the biography section along side JFK Jr and Martin Luther King.  I looked at the sales woman and said "You have to be fing kidding me."  She busted out laughing and said "How sad is that?"  All I could think was pretty fing sad.  No disrespect to Snooki but gimme a break, how the hell is she a New York Times Best Selling Author?!? Let's move on now to actual reading material!  1.  Loving Frank Is a great novel that is fact and fiction....

Hello fellow book lovers and blog reading lovers!  I hope you are well and having a fantastic week.  I've been thinking about what books I wanted to feature this week and decided to go with some of my tried and true favorites.  Happy reading! 1.  Between, Georgia Ok I love this book!  It is such a great read about small town life and the plot line will keep you guessing.  I highly recommend this one! 2.  Glass Castle Is an amazing true story about the author who pretty much grew up homeless with her parents and siblings.  Her nomadic lifestyle and her parents crazy and irresponsible decisions are often times hard to believe.  I couldn't put this book down and have actually re-read it. 3.  Dead End Gene Pool Is an incredible story about the Vanderbilt family at the height of their wealth.  The story is told by a family member and offers incredible insight into how the family handled business, family issues and ad...

How are all the book worms doing this week?  I have to admit I am really glad this week is over.  I feel like I had a case of the Mondays all week.  I did a lot of reading this week in an effort to escape the mass chaos that is work!  Here are some of my favorite reads as of late.  Enjoy! 1.  The Swan House If you live in the South and especially if you live in Atlanta you will love this book!  It is a great story about Atlanta in the 1960s and I loved recognizing places and streets in the book.  Even if you aren't from the South you will love, love this novel. 2.  American Wife I love Curtis Sittenfield!  She also wrote the book Prep and if you haven't read it I highly recommend it.  American Wife is loosely based off Laura Bush's life and tells the story of the First Lady in a unique and interesting way.  3.  Art Of Make Up So this isn't your traditional reading and it also stays in my bathroom and ...

My nightstand runneth over right now (so to speak)!  I have so many great books I'm reading that I cannot wait to tell you about.  I love the winter months when I can curl up in bed with a great book and read for hours!  Below are some of my favorite reads to date.  I hope you enjoy! 1.  Summer at Tiffany You will love this book!  It is a true story about two girls who leave the University of Iowa to live in New York in the summer of 1945.  I love hearing about their adventures, the boys they meet but especially about their job at Tiffany!  2.  The Violets of March Is one of those books that reminded me why I love to read.  It is a great story about a woman who had it all, lost it all and finds her way back.  I love how this writer tells a story and you will too! 3.  Cold Tangerines I'm not sure I can say enough great things about this book!  It is an amazing collection of short stories about the writ...

Soo given my profession and the fact that I'm a complete political junkie I have gotten requests to do an edition of what's on my nightstand geared towards politics.  This posting could go on forever and ever as I love to read anyway and this political science major especially loves to read anything about politics, elections, candidates and everything in between.  So even if you aren't interested in politics or if you are knee deep in politics I think the books below are for you!  They are some amazing reads about campaigns, candidates and politics at its finest.  1.  1776 I know I'm going to sound like your political science or history teacher but you really need to read 1776!  First of all David McCullough is an amazing writer and historian and you need to read at least one of his books in your lifetime.  In the book McCullough takes on the critical year of 1776 which details the conflict between Great Britain and the colonies that woul...

So how are my fellow bookworms doing today?  For my second edition of what's on my nightstand I decided to share with you some of my favorite books I read for inspiration or devotion.  In my crazy, over scheduled, materialistic, blackberry obsessed world I have to have an anchor.  For me God has always been that anchor, the constant around which everything else rotates.  This doesn't mean that I'm an amazing person or Christian this is just what works for me.  As I've gotten older I've become more fascinated by the spirituality of my relationship with God and having more of an actual friendship/partnership with him.  Often times I would find myself only going to God when I needed help, when I was scared or even needed a parking spot (I call these Santa Claus prayers because it's asking for something you want at the time with little thought about the long term).  When I picked up the book Eat, Pray, Love several years ago I didn't expect it to hav...