Feeling a bit fuzzy this week.  Lack of sleep due to missing my traveling man.  So I leave you with a list, and the promise of more photos from our recent trip to Venice when I can catch up on some sleep.

Favorite tunes:  Come Around Sundown.  Love, truly love it.

Favorite photo from Venice:

 

I was cleaning up a few bits and bobs yesterday, and I came across various collections of articles, book lists, recipes, and ripped out magazine pages that I've put aside for one reason or another. It's a sickness. I am compelled to save these things.  Apparently, I was also compelled to save a package of Shrinky Dinks, because I love to save things that will lead to irrational arguing between my children.

The book list(s) in particular caught my eye.  I have, in the last year, written down over fifteen books that I would like to read, and that doesn't include any of the books that I actually have read.  I think I was being a bit ambitious considering I've only read one book in the last month.

I think I made one recipe from the food pile, purchased two products from the cosmetics pile, and tried out exactly zero routines from the fitness stack (which was the largest).  Consequently, I've got some really cute lipstick, a kick A cottage pie recipe, and less than perfect abs.  I'm willing to live with these choices.

The question is, what can I recommend to you from this wealth of information I've accumulated?

This book. If you're a runner, get it, read it, google each character because this book is more outrageous than fiction.  It sounds a bit dry, but I tell you it's one of the best books I've read in some time.

This lippy.  All natural, minty goodness with the softest hint of color.

This recipe.  Thanks, Martha.  Finally, a recipe that doesn't require a few hours, a sous chef, and obscure kitchen implements.

Do you have any books/recipes/cosmetics you'd like to recommend?  I'd even be willing to accept fitness routines, but I'm not making any promises on follow through.

Kimberly

I miss sunshine.  It has rained here nearly every day for over two weeks. If I wasn't so busy trying to put the house in order, I would be cozied up with a good book or three.  I miss reading.  Some day soon when all is put to rights, I'll get cracking on my shelf of to-be-read books.  Blog hopping is less of a commitment and easier to share.  Here are a few posts you might enjoy.


For a laugh:  Oh, Tyler Stanton.  I laughed, I cried, I left a comment.

For a think:  I've gone back to this post over and over.  Deb's words shine a light on the cobwebby corners of my heart.

For a delight:  I want to be Alicia when I grow up.  Except that I'm not crafty at all, but that's neither here nor there.  Her taste in books and just about everything else is impeccable.

What are you reading these days?

Kimberly

It has been far, far too long since we've had a Friday Favorite around here. I am now reinstating Friday's as the day I share my favorite things with you. Expect it to last about two weeks because frankly, I'm not that interesting, I don't try too many new things, and I'm a creature of habit. I also overuse the word frankly.

I know I promised some beach photos, and I plan to post those tomorrow. For now, I'm content to ramble on a little bit about what's happening around here. I forget in my haste to mention all of the little details of my life, which, when added up actually make a life. And my life is all about the details.

Details such as...my oldest being diagnosed with Lyme's disease after weeks of feeling poorly. Poor baby. Not the way we were hoping to start our summer, but thankfully at this stage it is treatable. Dang deer ticks.

In other health related news, my foot seems to be nearly healed, and I am finishing up week two of my 16 week running program. I have determined that I am going to need a whole lot of Jesus to get through this experience. Now my sciatic is acting up. I've been going to a chiropractor for treatment, and he has determined it is a muscle related irritation. Exactly what I thought, a huge pain in my butt. Literally. Treatment consists of me lying on my stomach while the chiropractor massages my backside and thigh. I'm not sure which of us gets the sweeter end of the deal:)

Have we talked music lately? I admit, I am hopelessly behind the times when it comes to the latest stuff out there and my taste could be called eclectic at best, erratic at worst. I'm really drawn to music with an angry edge to it, which is mildly upsetting to most God fearing folks, so I mostly keep that to myself. However, I'm expanding my horizons and trying new things, so I've just started listening to Kings of Leon. Why, oh why, has it taken me so long to discover them? Their album "Only by the night" is absolutely amazing. I'm sure they would be mortified to discover that a thirtysomething suburban mom is obsessed with their music, but there you have it.

How about books? I know we haven't talked books in a while. My summer reading list is ridiculously long. I have stacks of books everywhere, an ongoing written list, and things on hold at the library. There simply isn't enough time. I have recently finished "The Ivy Tree", which I would definitely recommend. Unlike my slightly rough around the edges, anger and self loathing musical tendencies, my book suggestions are usually pretty safe. "The Ivy Tree" was wonderfully suspenseful, beautifully descriptive, and set in England which is always a treat. Great summer reading. As I've mentioned before, most books I read are on the suggestion of friends or from blogs that I stumble across. Which leads me to my Friday favorite.

I know I've previously mentioned Brin over at My Messy, Thrilling Life. She is my go-to girl for book love. She has turned me on to some fantastic writers. In fact, the last few books I've read were at her suggestion. I've come to rely on her for recipes, gardening tips, general craftiness, and the aformentioned book love. More than anything, she is ruthlessly honest about her ups and downs and seeing God in the midst of it all. And she's an incredibly gifted writer. This spring, Brin decided to take an indefinite break from blogging. Since then, I've been occasionally visiting My Messy, Thrilling Life's archives for a recipe or devotional, and was delightfully surprised to find that Brin is back to blogging. So, I thought I'd send a few of you folks her way. Please check her out. Especially if you're in the cookery, devotional, or book business. Or if you're independently wealthy and want to help a girl out. This girl is a gem. Truly. Someone get her a book deal, stat. (Do you like my use of medical terminology just there? See Michael? All of those loans for nursing school did pay off. I haven't forgotten a thing.)

So there we are. The details are just that...details, but they fill my mind and my heart with words and thoughts and music and prayers on my daughter's behalf. If you want to share what details are making up your life this week, I'd love to hear them. Extra points for anyone who can throw in a medical term.

Kimberly

The wonderful PBS masterpiece classic "Cranford" is now on DVD. As you have been forewarned here, I am a complete dork. I love PBS classics and "Cranford" was absolutely fantastic. Anything starring Judi Dench is a winner in my book, and she has not let me down! I found it at my local library, but I've also had luck finding things like this on Netflix. (Check out "Wives and Daughters" there. Another classic.)

One of these days I'll post something exciting that does not involve period costume. My husband has a severe dislike for any movies that involve costumes, unless they are of the superhero variety. This is only the beginning of where our tastes diverge. One day I will also post on the personality book I read that said M and I are completely incompatible. The unlikeliest of mates. Oh, my friends, that will be a doozy of a blog entry.

Until next time, have some fun browsing the DVD aisles of your local library. You never know what might turn up.

Kimberly

Momma went shopping online, and now has a big, fat bill to pay. However, it is Friday Favorite time, and I wanted to pass along one of my best/worst finds. (It all depends on how you look at it.)

Boden has the most adorable and well constructed clothes I've ever found for kids. I'm not going to sugar coat it, they are expensive, but in my humble opinion so worth it. My husband, chief bill payer, may beg to differ. But really, who could resist a three year old in these:



On the upside, Mini Boden clothes can definitely make it through more than one kid, and have great resale value on ebay. It helps justify the purchase. On the downside, I don't have another kid to pass these along to, so that rationalization doesn't really work for me. They also have really cute boys clothing. (I haven't received that shipment yet!)

If that's not convincing enough, here's what Sophie has to say "Omigosh, omigosh, this is soooo lovely!" My daughter calls her clothing "lovely". Yes sweetie, that lovely shirt nearly cost daddy an entire paycheck. But, as we all know, our bank accounts must suffer for beauty.

I have to admit, I am not a huge fan of Martha. She's a bit high maintenance for my taste, and we don't have room around here for more than one high maintenance person (and I am not referring to myself). However, I found myself on her website recently, and I was seduced into signing up for her emails. I delete most of them, but I would not be a good friend if I didn't tell you about the gem that is "Dinner tonight from Everyday FOOD". This is a daily email that contains a recipe for an easy, healthy meal and it is chock full of deliciousness. I don't mind telling you that I despise cooking, and find it a real challenge to get dinner on the table every night. These emails are so helpful for future meal planning, and the few that I've tried have been so good and very simple. I'm not into anything that requires a lot of work or a lot of ingredients. So, if you're looking for something to spice up your repertoire, or need help planning a week ahead, I suggest you check it out. Hope you enjoy my Friday favorite!

Kimberly

It's been a little while since I've posted. I've spent the better part of the week shopping for Christmas gifts and basically running around like a nut. The bank account has taken quite a hit as it always does this month, and I'm looking forward to returning to "normal" in January.

To combat the craziness of my days, I've spent some of my evenings watching movies. I usually read in the evenings, you know, when I'm not out for a night on the town:), but cold winter evenings call for movies!

A few of my recent flicks include "Billy Elliot" (wonderful, but if you're easily offended by swearing, I'd skip it). I also watched "Miss Pettigrew lives for a day" and " Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont" which I love, love, loved. Do you see the theme here? I have a thing for British films. Must be the accent:) Another great British movie that I love to watch at Christmas time is "Love Actually". It's adorable and is special to me personally because some of the key scenes in the movie were filmed at Elliot School. Our church in London held Sunday services at the Elliot School, and I vividly remember all of the film crew trucks and gear taking up parking spaces on busy Sunday mornings. I also vividly remember debating with myself whether or not I should try to go visit on a weekday to catch a glimpse of Hugh Grant. (Yes, it's definitely the accent. It gets me every time). That would have required me bringing two kids with me, so that plan was scrapped pretty quickly. It's hard to be inconspicuous with a kid in a stroller.

And lastly, one of my favorite movies of all time "Amelie". I adore this movie. If you haven't seen it, get yourself to a Blockbuster stat! Be aware it has subtitles, so don't try to watch it while ironing. Either your man's shirts or the movie will suffer. And we can't have that.

Happy viewing!
Kimberly

Have a look at this beauty. It calls to me. It calls me by name. "Kimberly, buy me, buy me now". I was able to resist the temptation the last time I was in Anthropologie, but I still think about it. Usually wistfully. Then I remembered Christmas is drawing near, and I might be on someone's list, and I think I was a good girl this year. (Except for that terrible PMS fueled incident with the disabled driver in the Stop and Shop parking lot) But that's a story for another day. Overall, I was pretty good. (Except for the time I got caught throwing my kids artwork out and then secretly stealing their Halloween candy). Except for all of those things, I was great. Really. Michael wasn't upset at all when I accidentally on purpose threw out his favorite baseball caps.
When I really think about it, I might be off of his list. And the kids' list, and definitely off the disabled driver's list. I guess I have to rely on my mother for this one. I don't think I did anything to her this year. At least not accidentally on purpose.

Kimberly

My first gift was a handmade key ring from Rachel.  I ask you, who can't use a platypus key ring?  I love it.  I'm so glad it's one of a kind because I would be sorely disappointed to see someone else at the mall sporting this baby.

Is it Friday already? I haven't had the time to post at all this past week. My week was very busy, but in hindsight, I don't think I can point to a single thing that I've actually accomplished. This truly is the bane of my existence as a stay at home mom. If you are motivated by accomplishment, then this isn't necessarily the job for you.

So, to the business at hand. What's my Friday favorite you ask? Friday is my favorite! I am so glad that the business of the week is over, and the weekend has begun. I've got a new Gilmore Girls DVD to watch and enough reading material to keep me busy for a month. The stack of "to be read" books continues to grow. One thing I really appreciate about Friday is that it's the one night I allow myself to stay up late and read, knowing that I can sleep in the next morning. For me that means anytime past 6am. I guess "sleeping in" is all relative! You did read correctly. I actually do get up (voluntarily) at 6am five days a week. If anyone had told me I would be doing this for any other reason than having a newborn, I would have called them crazy. I now realize that without a quiet hour to myself in the morning, I am the crazy one!

Here's to crazy free Fridays!

Kimberly

If you have not seen this show, then I suggest you run, not walk, to your nearest library and rent absolutely every single episode. It is one of my all time favorite shows, and I can not recommend it highly enough. I was a late-comer to the Gilmore Girls phenomenon. We lived overseas when it was popular here in the US, so I missed the first three years. I didn't actually start watching it until the series had ended.
I finally got clued into Gilmore Girls when Michael started working at church every Sunday night. When I am able to have unfettered access to the remote control, you can be sure I'll be watching something girly. I borrowed the first series from my local library, and didn't stop until I had made my way through all seven seasons. After a short break, I am now starting over with series one. I know, it's an addiction. Maybe I need to talk to someone about this? Or maybe, I need to pass along the addiction so that I seem relatively normal with my occasional viewing, while you are frantically working your way through each season. Either way, I hope you give it a try. I promise you won't be disappointed (unless you're of the male persuasion, and in that case all bets are off).

Enjoy!
Kimberly

PS If anyone (Michael) wants to file away the fact that I am slightly obsessed with this show, and save me the pain of having to place each disc on reserve at the library, I would gladly receive any of the seven seasons on DVD for Christmas, my birthday, Groundhog Day. Whatever holiday suits your fancy:)

I thought I'd try to post some of my favorite things on Fridays. I'm sure there is a burning need for you to know exactly what I'm reading, watching, doing at the moment. I know. It's scintillating.