cool stuff i like

July 15, 2016

Happy Friday! A little late. My kiddo just wrapped up a camp and now we have about a month before the next one. I'm sitting here on Friday night, wondering what to write, looking out my window at some pinky purple clouds, as birds fly off to wherever they like to go at night. I'm afraid to go on Facebook or look at the news for what I might see next that's tragic or maddening or anxiety provoking. Instead I'll just look out the window. Reading this blog. Wanting to read this book, which was suggested by a lovely blog reader. About to order a new copy of 'Anne of Green Gables' for Julia, I can't wait until Christmas (I've long since lost my old paperback copy) and I'm so excited I can't handle it. I've been waiting and waiting - you'll be able to feel my tears when I write a blog post about it - what I'm agonizing over is...which edition should I get? This, this, or this? Or this? Or this set? This post has a few more options as well. HELP ME.


Things I found this week that didn't make me sad:

What a cool girl.

This makes me miss Hawaii. Mango Bread.

"The golden rule is that emotions are never the enemy, even when they are exaggerated."

Love this series so much! Fascinating.

11 Summer Berry Desserts.

Would you try this technique? (welcome to my new obsession - Japanese/Korean skincare) 

Hey you astronomy buffs - this is very neato.

So excited for this show. (Winona forever!)

New decorating tricks from IKEA.


Cool Book of the Week: The most darling board book, and it's HUGE! 'Giant Seek and Find' by Benjamin Becue, Didier Balicevic and Annabelle Mege. It just came out this past spring and it's so much fun. I flipped through it in a shop and the only reason I didn't get it for my pre-K aged nephew was because I ended up getting him a little mini robot that moves around with a remote control. I knew he'd love the robot more than a book. BUT! It's HUGE, like the title says, and it's more than gift worthy and would also be intensely fun to throw in the car for summer road trips. I loooooove the art. Julia adored seek and find books when she was younger, actually she still does! If you have a kiddo who loves that sort of thing, this one is a stunner.

Have a lovely weekend! We are cleaning the garage. I've been saying this for SIX YEARS. Actually I've been saying it since we moved into our house. I'm telling you, this will happen my friends. This garage will be clean! Or no one in this house will have any fun ever again, ha ha ha.

~Melissa




15 comments:

  1. OOooo, you must get an Anne of Green Gables that can be bought as a set. Mismatched covers are so annoying! ;) I like the Simon & Schuster set on that blog myself, but I know, there are so many pretty ones out there now! Especially the first book. Big Sis checked out the Puffin In Bloom cover of Little Women, just because it was so pretty. We own another version, but you know, PRETTY COVER.

    Berry desserts are my favorite foods of summer.

    The Giant Seek and Find book looks so cute.

    Off topic: I gave my grandma your Crabtree & Evelyn gingerbread recipe today. She made another recipe on a lark last week, but was disappointed.

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    1. yes yes yes! you are so right. i must get a set! oh my golly, i hope you grammy likes the recipe! i feel like it needs a little tinkering. next holiday i'm doing Nigella's recipe! tell her to reserve any judgment until a day or two after it's been made - i really think it's best after resting for at least 24 hrs!

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    2. also - yep that Simon & Schuster set is the one I've been eyeing for awhile - so pretty - and yet I am torn whether or not to have a copy that has Anne's face on it - you know what? I actually LOVED that paperback set that was around in the '80's, do you know which one I mean? I loved that Anne was depicted at her different ages - in the first one, she's at the station, sitting slumped over her suitcase.

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    3. these were the ones I had: http://bit.ly/29BYWjG

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    4. The mass-market pocket-sized paperbacks were what I had. I bought them each separate, as I was ready for the next book!

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  2. Great stuff on the blog this week Sassa. That Seek and Find book looks cool. My little neighbor is 5 next month and I think this might be a good choice! Thanks luv!

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    1. thank you Miss Anna! oh this would be a lovely gift for a 5 year old!

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  3. Melissa,
    I'm so happy you posted. Every morning I woke up with a feeling of dread, like, oh, no, should I look at the news? Am I a terrible person if I live in denial a few minutes longer?
    What's happening in our country is breaking my heart. I feel like I have no leg to stand on in commenting on any of it, but it breaks my heart and I want to change things in whatever small way I can.
    What's happening in our world scares me for our kiddos, but I know fear is the goal of the perpetrators. So what do we do? Look at IKEA hacks, talk about book editions to buy and bake sweet summer berry desserts. Love each other a little better each day. Maybe make a donation or plan a walk in our neighborhood. It's good to be good for my daughter and not go down with the ship. And your post helped me do that tonight. So, thanks.

    xox

    Allison

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    Replies
    1. Oh my friend THANK YOU! Kind words like yours really keep me going in this space. I appreciate them so much, you have no idea. xoxoxoxo

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  4. Awhile ago I read an article by some grown up woman with her act together saying that she loves reading Buddha and other wise people, but when life feels like it is falling apart, she finds herself turning to her favorite kids books for comfort and reassurance. So go ahead and look out the window and find non sad things online! We all have to cope somehow. I struggle with how informed we need to be about the world. Does being informed about terrible things, change things for the better or just rob ourselves of peace and joy? And does living a quiet, happy life with peace that spills out onto other people mean you are living in denial? A conundrum. I would say this point in time is the most informed the world has ever been about current events and I can't see a whole lot of benefit from it. It seems if anything, there is even more unrest and horribleness than ever. So do what feels right for you and your sweet family.

    Now, about Anne. I loved those Bantam pocket editions as a kid too. And I still think of them as the real, authentic Anne books. Some of the single book covers are gorgeous, but I have to agree with Danzel, that a matching set is much more important. If I were trying to be different, I would look into the Simon and Schuster set. The Tundra set is beautiful, but I see a review saying it is very poorly edited and missing a lot of the quotes Anne quotes. Sadness! But how exciting to be deliberating on the pros and cons of various editions of the greatest series ever!! :-) I am a tad over enthusiastic about LMM!

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    Replies
    1. Me too Bethaney!!! I comfort read children's classics and favorites like nobody's business. Every time. My all time comfort read is 'Ballet Shoes' by Noel Streitfield (spelling, her last name always confuses me!)

      So I asked The Child which of the Anne books were calling to her and she liked the ones where you could see Anne's faec, so I think we're getting this set: http://www.bookdepository.com/The-Complete-Anne-of-Green-Gables-L-M-Montgomery/9780553609417?ref=bd_recs_1

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    2. also, no such thing as being over enthused about LMM!

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  5. I love the plywood wall from IKEA.

    My hubs just started that show. I'm wondering if it'll be too scary for me. I'm such a mega chicken.

    I would totally steam my face.

    Cool girl indeed.

    You have me even more ready to visit Iceland.

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    1. Iceland!! Some day maybe. I'd rather go to Japan or Ireland or Norway first!

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