Friday Five: Books that have inspired us
Last we touched on the evil magazines so this week we're going to talk books. Specifically books that have inspired us on the subject of homekeeping. These can be books that give practical or inspirational advice or even a novel that makes you want to cozy down with cups of tea and throw a decorative log on the fire.
Your Friday Five may inspire our reading lists!
1. Sidetracked Home Executive: From Pigpen to Paradise. I've prattled on about this one before so I'll shut up.
2. Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson. Not only does this book tell you how to do everything, it does it with a modern sensibility that I admire. She is forward thinking woman who happens to love and appreciate her home. She's gathered all the knowledge and lore that, at times, has been sacrificed in the struggle for equality and lets us know that it's okay to care about these things and that they are important.
3. Rosamund Pilcher: Another cheat since I"m going with an author rather than one of her individual works. Even though her writing is treacly and predictable, I eat it up with a spoon. She is one of those authors who excel in domestic details of a time that has probably never existed outside the pages of a novel but is described so lovingly and beautifully I want to scrub my pine farm table, lay it with bright mats, brew a pot of tea and fill my sitting room with flowers. I'd avoid her earlier, Mills & Boone-style novels and hit the big three - "The Shell Seekers", "Coming Home" or "Winter Solstice". ETA: How could I forget my "September" (a sequel of sorts of to "Shell Seekers")?
4. The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs. This is one of those books I read when I want to be inspired. It is a book about living life with meaning and purpose and not letting the "stuff" of life rule you.
And, on the flip side -
5. Living a Beautiful Life by Alexandra Stoddard. I bought this book when I was in my early 20's and it had a profound impact. Although it teaches you to "fuss up" life rather than simplify it, it's a good message. Her guiding principal is that we expend 99% of our energy and effort for events that encompass 1% of our life - big holidays, birthdays, etc. Her theory is our everyday deserves a portion of the same effort because those days are the ones that make up our life, and we deserve it. While I've learned to take some of her ideas with a grain of salt (Hello! Time management stress and a houseful of children!), the idea of treating our family and friends graciously is one that has stuck with me. It only takes a little bit of effort to use the "nice" plates or pour milk in a pitcher rather than slapping the carton on the table. Yet it makes everyone feel special, appreciated and loved, including yourself.
So, what has inspired you?
Your Friday Five may inspire our reading lists!
1. Sidetracked Home Executive: From Pigpen to Paradise. I've prattled on about this one before so I'll shut up.
2. Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson. Not only does this book tell you how to do everything, it does it with a modern sensibility that I admire. She is forward thinking woman who happens to love and appreciate her home. She's gathered all the knowledge and lore that, at times, has been sacrificed in the struggle for equality and lets us know that it's okay to care about these things and that they are important.
3. Rosamund Pilcher: Another cheat since I"m going with an author rather than one of her individual works. Even though her writing is treacly and predictable, I eat it up with a spoon. She is one of those authors who excel in domestic details of a time that has probably never existed outside the pages of a novel but is described so lovingly and beautifully I want to scrub my pine farm table, lay it with bright mats, brew a pot of tea and fill my sitting room with flowers. I'd avoid her earlier, Mills & Boone-style novels and hit the big three - "The Shell Seekers", "Coming Home" or "Winter Solstice". ETA: How could I forget my "September" (a sequel of sorts of to "Shell Seekers")?
4. The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs. This is one of those books I read when I want to be inspired. It is a book about living life with meaning and purpose and not letting the "stuff" of life rule you.
And, on the flip side -
5. Living a Beautiful Life by Alexandra Stoddard. I bought this book when I was in my early 20's and it had a profound impact. Although it teaches you to "fuss up" life rather than simplify it, it's a good message. Her guiding principal is that we expend 99% of our energy and effort for events that encompass 1% of our life - big holidays, birthdays, etc. Her theory is our everyday deserves a portion of the same effort because those days are the ones that make up our life, and we deserve it. While I've learned to take some of her ideas with a grain of salt (Hello! Time management stress and a houseful of children!), the idea of treating our family and friends graciously is one that has stuck with me. It only takes a little bit of effort to use the "nice" plates or pour milk in a pitcher rather than slapping the carton on the table. Yet it makes everyone feel special, appreciated and loved, including yourself.
So, what has inspired you?