I know I said last week that I’d be announcing my big bookstore opening — and I’m almost there! Gorgeous Matilda Goad pendant lights are going in today along with some sexy little flush mounts at the back near the register. The green looks so beautiful in person. Hopefully once the lighting is in, it will read a little softer in photos, because I love it. And those new warm wood floors!
There are still boxes of new releases to unpack, kids gifts to shelve (so much cuteness currently sprawled across in my living room!) and merchandise to show off.
And so much dusting!! If anyone has any hot tips on small but effective dust busters, I’m all ears. I have my first book-related splinter from rubbing a Swiffer cloth over a shelf, so excuse any typos because I’m poking awkwardly at the keyboard, trying to keep my middle finger out of the way. Even that feels kind of great though because I got it cleaning the shelves in my very own store. Happy, happy, happy. More photos to come!
Behind the scenes we’re plugging away at the website which will be up and running in no time. Meanwhile, there’s always Bookshop.org.
Here are all of the other things on my mind when I’m not thinking about the bookstore 24/7. Fingers crossed that we’ll be opening the doors by the end of the week 🤞🤞🤞
Hit Man! This movie is a total delight. A nerdy, quiet professor moonlights as a hit man for the police department and then falls for one of his clients (actress Adria Arjona is ridiculously hot). Directed by Richard Linklater of Before Sunrise and Dazed and Confused fame, it was exactly the romp I was looking for.
Outlawed has been on my to-read list for almost a year. I picked it up after seeing it in the Staff Picks section of the Napa Bookmine, even though a female western didn’t really pique my interest. Boy, was I wrong. I’m only 100 pages in, but it manages to feel a bit like Lauren Groff’s Matrix which I LOVED — about a lesbian prioress cast out of Eleanor of Aquitaine’s royal court — combined with 3:10 to Yuma. A wild, thrilling, smart read.
Feeling very inspired by Heather Taylor’s garage renovation. Bookmarking it for a future basement project whenever I come up for air. I love the minimal, colorful camp vibes of the green desks, red chairs and dark navy floors. And, speaking of Heather Taylor, I’m also wild about this tissue box holder.
Ever since my junior lifeguard days I’ve loved a red swimsuit. You get the Baywatch mix of sporty and sexy and I’ve got my eye on this one size fits all Hunza G.
Lucy Cunningham’s Hampshire cottage is what I fantasize about when I think of myself as an older empty nester, puttering around in my English garden (even though I have no plans to move to England), drinking tea and reading for hours in a cozy, layered, lived-in, charming home.
Cue the confetti! Donni has restocked my beloved rib kick flare pants in a very pretty cream shade. Paired with a white buttoned down, I’ve found my new shopgirl uniform. *Adds to cart*
Sicilian-style botanical soda. Say no more.
I made these pork chops with frizzled capers and crisp, golden slivers of garlic for Father’s Day, served alongside a giant bowl of creamy polenta with lightly sautéed corn. You could easily half the polenta recipe (2 cups makes a LOT of polenta), but chilled, sliced and fried up the next day was such a treat.
I first had these chocolate quinoa crisps on an American Airlines flight of all places, and now happily munch on them as I tuck a few into my kiddo’s lunchboxes. I can pronounce all 5 ingredients which feels like a win in the kids snack department.
That green!!! 💚 I am also nearing the finish line with a long renovation (I have floors downstairs as of this afternoon!) I can't wait to get to the light choosing part.
Thank you for putting that book on my radar!