5 Blog to Read - Right Now!

As a blogger, I am always visiting other blogs

to draw daily inspiration.

Here are a few I am loving right now...

#1.
Summer of Diane
A Miami based fashion/style blogger's
 haven for travel, style, and rebellion

Her IG is a must for the boho chic gypsy in you.
https://www.instagram.com/summerofdiane/

#2.

A Beautiful Mess

No hidden secret here - these sisters have made in big!

They dabble in everything from home decor, to recipes, 

to adorable DIY projects & crafts -

like these super cute "invisible" bookends.

On a rainy day, I like to get lost in here.

#3.
How Sweet It Is

Drool-worthy recipes that even in my wildest imagination
I couldn't dream up.
And she's a huge fan of glitter, anything neon, and sprinkles -
so naturally we would be best friends.
Like who can possibly make chia seed pudding look THAT delicious?
She's a magician!

Here's your INSPO for all things yummy.

4.
Eat Drink Chic

Amy Moss is a graphic designer based out of Australia
and her blog is for the girls who appreciate
crafting, DIY, and an eye for design aesthetic.

She always has cute style + home decor picks,
but my favorite portion of her blog is her DIY & freebies section.
I DIY (get it?!) over these flamingo cocktail invites...

I've been known to disappear for hours in this section.
And bonus - they are all free of charge.
Just download and print...thanks Amy!

5.
Miss Maven

Lately, I've also been enjoying Teni Penosian's blog
on beauty, fashion, and a bit of lifestyle.

Originally, I found her on YouTube and followed her updates there,
but came to realize she was actually a blogger prior to YouTuber.
She's sweet, down to earth, and gorgeous.
Check out the Valentine's Day dinner she hosted for her girlfriends,
such a cute idea!

What blogs do you follow?

Are there any you can't live without?

Drop them in the comments below
so we can all check them out...

Check in with you guys soon!

xo,

Virtual Book Sale - Free While They Last!

Getting rid of some of my most treasured possessions - my books!

Making room for new things in my life

and that means I need more space...

so I am opening up my small library collection 

to anyone who would like them (free of charge)

on a first come, first serve basis.

I no longer have the room to store them,

but they are all in new, like new or gently used condition.

 I thought about selling them online,

but I don't have the time or resources to ship them -

so all I ask is that you pick them up 

and they are all yours! 

I just want them to have a good home.

Please message me which you would like and I will 

put them aside for you in a bag.

Fiction: 

Fifty Shades of Grey . F.L James

Fifty Shades Darker . FL James

Jane Eyre . Charlotte Bronte 

Lady Chatterley's Lover . D.H Lawrence

One Day. David Nicholls

Oscar Season . Mary McNamara

Somebody Everybody Listens To . Suzanne Supplee 

The Five People You Meet in Heaven . Mitch Albom

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane .  Katherine Howe

Non Fiction:

90 Minutes in Heaven . Don Piper

Bereft: A Sister's Story . Jane Bernstein

Doctor Dealer . Mark Bowden

Savage Grace . Natalie Robins

The Longest Trip Home . John Grogan

Lifestyle:

Be the Pack Leader . Cesar Millan

Boy Meets Girl. Joshua Harris

How to Get Rich . Donald Trump

The Bartenders Guide 

The Total Money Makeover.  Dave Ramsey

The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke

The Cocktail Dress . Laird Borrelli - Persson

Spiritual:

Every Day Deserves a Chance . Max Lucado

Further Still . Beth Moore

Good Tidings & Great Joy. Sarah Palin

Now that You Are His. David Shibley

Redeeming Love. Francine Rivers

Business:

Get a Freelance Life .   Margit Feury Ragland

How to Sell Without Being a Jerk! .  John Klymshyn
Your World is Exploding . Chistopher G. Dessi

Educational:

Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism .  Jenny McCarthy

Leading Change in Your School .   Douglas B. Reeves

How to Thrive as a Teacher Leader . John G. Gabriel

Helping the Child With Learning Disabilities Find Social Success.  Richard LaVoie

Teach Like Your Hair is On Fire . Rate Esquith

Instead of individually posting photos of books, 

I did a short video of each cover here...

again, you must be local (Long Island) to collect these books.

xo,

Rach

Reconstructing Amelia: A Book Review

We all want to be accepted,

but at what cost?!

Anybody who has ever done something they are 

not proud of in the name of fitting in,

will  empathize with Amelia.

Watch my review of the novel,

"Reconstructing Amelia"

to find my thoughts on it...

Hope you enjoyed this short & sweet review.

I wanted to give you a short snippet of the book,

without giving too much away.

I gave the book 4/4.5 stars out of 5 -

only because I wasn't thrilled with the end,

but its great writing and I think you'll find

(as I did) that its hard to put down.

Feel free to leave any great book 

recommendations of your own

in the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by...

xo

Today I'm grateful for...

Life is all about appreciating the little things.

Things that make you happy.

Things that make you smile.

Things that you enjoy.

Take some time today and make your own mental list.

Be aware of what you love and then DO MORE OF THAT.

Here are a few of my favorite things.

1. Reading.

I really enjoy reading. Beyond keeping my mind sharp,

it brings me a lot of pleasure. I curl up under a  blanket, 

or sprawl out on a lawn chair (season depending!)

 and get instantly transported to a new world. 

A good book will do that for you. If you don't have money for a vacation

 and want to get away for the day- I highly recommend finding a little nook and a good book.

I'm currently reading "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" 

with  "Glass Castle - A Memoir "in line behind it.

What book are YOU reading?

2. Owls

Owls make me happy.

I don't know what it is about them, 

but I find them cute and I just can't seem to get enough

of them lately. 

Click here for some owl jewelry from Accesorize

or owl stationary here from Paper Source. 

Did you see my coffee cup today? 

I'm a little owl crazed as of late.

My coffee cup :)

3. A bubblebath

See how simple?

I l-o-v-e a hot bath - a little bath salt or bubble bath mixed in,

and I just sit there in the suds until I crinkle up like a little old lady.

I don't know if I appreciate them so much because I'm always 

so sore from working out or because

 I don't have one in my apartment 

(I have a full-sized shower with sliding glass doors

...what a WASTE of space!)

but I travel to my moms multiple times a week to use hers.

It's pure heaven.

And give me a glass of red wine in there...oh forget about it.

You'll never seen me again.

I'll send you a postcard! ;)

4. Tea

I don't discriminate. I love all types of tea.

My most recent obsession is the Green Tea Latte,

which I just found out how to make from home

using Tazo Tea Mix you can buy in stores

(a quick blog post coming on that next, 

super simple to make, and a delicious alternative to coffee)

But yes, I enjoy tea

and I just had a FIELD DAY in the U.K

because that's all they drink all day.

English Breakfast, High Afternoon Tea, etc etc.

I stopped in every famous tea house I could find...

it was glorious!

5. Fresh Flowers.

I've never been the flower sort of a girl,

but I think I underestimated the power they have over me.

Case & Point:

On my recent trip to Ireland, Scotland, and England,

fresh flowers were EVERYWHERE!

When I was going through my photos of the trip later,

I realized "Wow, you take a lot of flower photos"

and it's not just because they're beautiful to photograph.

Fresh flowers are colorful, like my world.

They make me happy.

And I have NO PROBLEM buying them for myself

just to have a fresh vase full of them on my kitchen table.

Ladies, let that be a lesson to you all.

No need to wait around - you can buy them TOO! :)

Some flower photographs from my trip

Fresh flowers at Check-in: Daffodil Hotel by the Lake

Fresh flowers curbside: Dublin, Ireland

What are YOU grateful for today?

xo,

Rach