books and books

blackbird house

There’s nothing like getting totally lost in a book. I have a little bit of a book problem, in which I want to compulsively buy books. I refrain mostly, but it’s my one shopping weakness. Some people like shoes or dvds. I like books.

It’s been less of a problem since I got my kindle, since I will only purchase a new book when I finish the one I’m currently reading. I take the darn thing with me everywhere. Best part, no more filling up space on my bookshelves, which are stacked double deep.

Except for cookbooks. I still have that problem.

I just finished Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman. I love her. I want to live in her books. So magical and tragic and wonderful. I need to pick the next one of hers to read.

prometheus rising

I also bought Prometheus Rising as I lost my original copy. It’s a little wacky, but I can totally get behind some of the concepts. I’m finally making Shawn read it.

So what books are you loving right now? I’m always looking for recommendations.

painting in timelapse

New Home timelapse from miss alix on Vimeo.

Well my dears, I hope you had a lovely holiday weekend. We did a lot of relaxing and still managed to accomplish quite a bit. We finally took care of a few things around our apartment that have been begging to get sorted (I have shelves in my closet!). We snagged the perfect dresser set from a local thrift store. I knew the Jewish Women’s Council would come through for us, and boy did they ever. We found two dressers and a matching bed side table for just over $100. They need a few paint touch ups but are otherwise in perfect condition and have already made our bedroom way more cozy. I’ll be able to give a little tour on the blog very soon.

Which brings me to the video above, we made a time lapse of the painting process in our living room and dining room. As you can see, we had a lot of help, and it still took us two days. Luckily the video is short and sweet. Have I mentioned how much I love our apartment? It’s just perfect for us and I feel so lucky to live here. Oh, and if you’re reading this in a feed, jump out to watch the video.

slushie

When I was younger, at the end of every vacation, I would make a list of all the things I accomplished. I will spare you every detail, but there was so much fun packed in to the last few days. Hiking, bike riding, Tim Burton, Tour de France, knitting, reading, movie watching, BBQing, swimming and of course, kitty snuggling.

I took a break from twitter and the web in general over the weekend and it definitely illuminated some things for me. I realize that I do spend probably more time online than I should and it’s important for me to conserve my mental energy for creative endeavors. While the web can be inspiring, it can also be numbing in some ways. That being said, I do really enjoy chatting with people on twitter and seeing what people are sharing, so I’m not about to quit, I just don’t need to keep up with it 24 hours a day.

red white and blue cake

And I couldn’t leave without sharing the last piece of our Fourth of July cake, since it’s so darn patriotic. Patriotic and delicious.