Check it out!

When I was a child, going to the library was an event. My mom would take us to our local branch of the public library on a regular basis and we'd check out as many books as we could! I was, and still am, a voracious reader! I even remember renting a VCR and movies from there as a child. That was always a real treat!

As an adult, I still love going to the library. It's exciting, you never know what you're going to find! Nowadays, you can get almost any type of media there, including magazines, DVD's, and CD's. The main library, in downtown Fort Wayne, even has a 3D printer available for use! And a Dunkin Donuts! Most libraries offer story times and crafts for kids, and book clubs for adults! Our library even offers online access to websites such as Freegal, where you can download songs for free at home.

And these are not your libraries of old, with card catalogs and mean old librarians telling you to be quiet. At my public library, everything is computerized now and user friendly. It's also more of a meeting place and more akin to a Barnes & Noble with places to sit and read.

I am always in the midst of a book, yet I don't actually own very many because I exclusively use the library. Books are expensive, and there is no way I could afford to support my reading habit if I had to purchase them. My life would be very dull without my public library!

Today kicks off National Library Week, and I urge you all to "check out" your local library. You never know what you'll find!

One of my recent library scores! The original Entertaining by Martha Stewart, a brand new cookbook from Food Network, and a really cool and inspiring book by the founder of the website Habitually Chic, Heather Clawson. And of course, a Jen Lancaster book! I love Jen Lancaster! I am on a mission to read all her books, she is so funny! Most are hilarious memoirs, but she also writes fiction. She's also a local girl from Huntington, Indiana!

These are all books just on interior design, decorating, and styling your home! You can pretty much find anything at my public library, and if you can't you can even ask them to purchase it!

My library has a good mix of old and new items! The librarians are always purchasing new items, many times on the day it comes out, so they always have the newest books and movies! And they're free!!!

Some of the magazines you can get. They have back issues that I love going through too. I actually love seeing things in magazines and then finding the exact article/picture on Pinterest now. You know, since you can't tear out sheets from magazines at the library!

 Happy Hunting!

 

All About Julia!

 I love Julia Child! 

I remember watching her TV shows on PBS when I was little and she's someone that truly inspires me. Not only for her amazing cookery (as she called it) skills, but also for her positivity, drive, and the way she handled life, in general. 

 Did you know that Julia really didn't start cooking until she was in her mid-thirties?!? And, she didn't become the "Julia Child" we all know and love until she was forty-nine years old (!) and co-wrote the venerable, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Before that she worked for the US government in foreign countries and then "aimlessly" drifted along in life until she and her beloved husband, Paul, moved to Paris and she discovered cooking. 

Sound familiar to anyone? Aimlessly drifting along, hoping for inspiration to strike? Julia proves that there's hope for us all yet! And that's another reason why I love her!
 

I am currently reading an excellent biography that I picked up at the library about Julia Child called, The French Chef in America: Julia Child's Second Act, by Alex Prud'homme. Mr. Prud'homme is Julia's nephew and co-author of her book My Life In France, which was the basis for the Julia portions of the movie, Julie & Julia (one of my faves and quite possibly one of the main inspirations for this blog!)

The French Chef in America (FCIA) picks up where My Life in France left off. It focuses on the time after Julia left France and settled back into American life (as a celebrity) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The FCIA gives background and insight on Julia's various adventures, including her many TV shows and cookbooks, in a personal way that only someone who truly knew her could. It's also a good book to read for a bit and come back to at your leisure and you won't feel lost.

  
The FCIA offers a lot of history, not only into the life of Julia and Paul Child, but also into the various food movements in America and France from the sixties and beyond. This man has done his homework! It's an excellent read for a Julia Child fan or any foodie in general.

I spent most of last summer reading Appetite for Life by Noel Riley Fitch, which was itself a good and very detailed book about Julia's life. I would recommend that book as well.

On a side note, If I ever fulfill my dream of making it onto Jeopardy, I hope there's a category all about Julia Child! I'd sweep it!

Just in case you can't wait to get your hands on The French Chef In America, here is a really cool website I found (The Julia Child Foundation) that is full of details all about Julia!

The Magnolia Story

I picked up another great book from the library, The Magnolia Story, by Chip and Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper fame.

 The Magnolia Story chronicles both Chip and Joanna's life from before they met until present day. It is filled with super cute and hilarious stories, such as their first date, shooting the pilot for Fixer Upper, and the time Chip got arrested. Yes, for real!

It also touches a lot on their strong faith in God and the fact that He has lead them to where they stand today. 

I actually found this book to be super inspiring in many ways - from a religious standpoint, to a business standpoint, relationship-wise, and it even just got me feeling really positive about life in general. Like, this is your life - live it to the fullest type thing, but also, they are living proof that anything is possible in this world!

And guess what. It all started with a blog.

Chip and Jo weren't always the people that "had it all," but they stayed the course, listened to what God was telling them, and now they kinda do have it all. And that's good advice for anyone, not just Fixer Upper fans!

I'm Addicted to Rehab (Addict)

Look what I got at the library!!!

I love Nicole Curtis and her tv show, Rehab Addict, so of course when I heard she had just published a book I had to check it out!

Even better, I was the first person to ever check this book out! It was brand new! I love when that happens! It's like an extra special treat!

If you're a Nicole Curtis lover like I am, I highly recommend Better Than New. It is so good! It's full of juicy details about her personal life, pictures, and obviously more in-depth stories and details about her awesome houses. This girl is living one of my dreams - fixing up old houses!