What I Read: July

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Hey people!

I’m back after a short hiatus. It was half intended and half total accident, haha.

You see, I felt like I needed to take some me-time after feeling really emotionally exhausted over some icky stuff, so I just kinda spent my free time painting, journaling, and being with friends and family.

I also cut 5 inches off my hair in one of those, “I just need to feel free” moments and I LOVE IT! (Photographic proof here.)

Oh yeah, but the unintended part of that hiatus was that my site was down over the weekend, but all is good now.

When stuff like that happens, I always think no one notices because I feel like people probably don’t read my blog unless I tell them there’s a new post up, but I’m always surprised by how many of you notice my blog is down even before I do. That means you just randomly click my link and read my blog…WHAT?! That’s AWESOME! That seriously makes me feel like a million bucks, haha. You guys are the best.

Let’s see what else is new….I’ve got some fun new posts coming up. Hint: one involves PLANNERS and the other SELF-CARE. Yay!

I’m also going to start some new conversations here on the blog surrounding self-love, body positivity, intuitive eating, and a non-diet mentality. It’s a pretty big change from some of the stuff I used to post, but it’s really important to me that I start talking about it.

But if you have any specific post requests – LET ME KNOW DOWN BELOW. (Hey, that rhymed!)

One request I get a lot is to share more of what I read. Since you guys seemed to like my What I Read: June post, I decided to repeat the post for July!

A Thousand Days in Tuscany by Marlena de Blasi

If you saw my “What I Read: June” post than you know how much I loved A Thousand Days in Venice….I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this as the sequel! Marlena and her new Venetian husband make the move to rural Tuscany. There, they learn more about life, love, and true Italian food. Beautifully written, but don’t read on an empty stomach.

Fake Plastic Love by Kimberley Tait

This was such a gem. For the first few pages, I was skeptical. The author, while her use of imagery is unparalleled in her prose, can go on for pages just describing a simple encounter. But eventually, I realized it’s charm. This book is about unlikely best friends M and Belle – Belle is a fashion and lifestyle blogger, so all you blogettes out there will LOVE this. (Stopping to take pictures of beautiful architecture and fresh peonies with your iPhone? Totally relatable.)

It’s a tale of friendship, love, and navigating the early career life of a 20-something. I found it just adorable and so fun. The characters could have been real life bloggers that I know and love!

Pasta Wars by Elisa Lorello

This was a cute, easy read, and honestly just seemed like someone transcribed a Hallmark movie script into a short novel. I read it to continue my obsession with reading books about food and cooking. In this book, the main character, Katie, is a successful CEO with her own line of “skinny pasta” options. To make a business deal, she must go to Italy and learn from real pasta makers….there she’ll learn about real food, the case against dieting, and real love.

Tuesday Nights in 1980 by Molly Prentiss

Oh my, what a book. The first page threw me off so much (what? We’re in Argentina? Ok. I thought this was about NYC in the 80s) and I almost got up from my bench in the library and put the book back on the shelf. But I kept reading and I’m glad I did. This story is about several artists living in NYC right as the clock strikes midnight on Tuesday, January 1, 1980. Their lives intertwine after a series of unfortunate events, and the impact they have on each other’s lives is beautiful. I know that my synopsis probably doesn’t jerk your interest at all, but just read it – make it 10-15 pages in and I bet you’ll be hooked, too.

Before I Go by Colleen Oakley

I’m not a crier, so I didn’t cry. But if you are – you will. It was another easy read, and the setting was cute – Athens, GA…a college town that reminds me a bit of Fayetteville. Daisy has cancer…again. But this time, she won’t be so lucky. With four months of life left to live, Daisy hopes to settle some lasting to-dos around her house, watch her husband graduate with his PhD, and oh yeah…find her husband a new wife. A sweet quirky tale of love in the midst of loss.

The Hand that First Held Mine by Maggie O’Farrell

This was just ok, but it was a pretty quick read because it switches off between two stories of two different women and then the stories end up intertwining. I like books like this because they keep me motivated to keep reading and find out what happens. If you read JoJo Moyes’ “Windfallen” this was very similar!

Small Victories (cookbook) by Julia Turshen

Normally, I go to the library every Monday and stock up for the week. When I do, I pick up a cookbook! Even if I don’t cook a single recipe from it, I just like to get inspiration and learn a few new tricks. There’s so much I’m not very comfortable with when it comes to cooking – how do I poach an egg? What’s the best method to caramelizing onions? Am I zesting a lemon the right way? This book really helped me! Along with delicious recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, there were little tid bits and tips for basic cooking skills.

Well ya’ll, I can’t believe it’s AUGUST. Seriously, SO much has changed in a year, but it’s also gone by so fast. Remember this time last year I was getting ready to move out and live in an apartment *all by myself*?! Whoa. That was life-changing. And here I am, still in Houston, still loving it, but in a house with my whole family. Life is crazy and God is so good.

Anyway, let me know what good books you’ve read lately and what your goals are for the month!

Mine are to:

not get stressed out about school starting, heehee 🙂 bring on senior year! (WHAT)
buy a bike!!!!
save up some more money
plan Cam and I’s anniversary trip for the fall (it’ll be 7 years….DOUBLE WHAT)
get Chickfila because I’ve been missing it…..yup that’s a goal
try some new recipes

Thanks so much for reading and for your patience while the site was down!

Cristina