5 books that you should read

1. Lisey's Story- Stephen King. I keep going on and on about this book, and I will forever.  It's the most beautiful love story I've ever read, as well as a very real look at how people deal with grief and loss.  It's my favorite book in the whole world.

2. The 5 Love Languages.  Caleb and I read this as part of our premarital counseling, and it was incredibly effective with making us think about the way we communicated love to each other.  This is a great book for couples, but it really can relate to everyone in your life and help you to better communicate with them.

3. The Little Prince. This book is simple enough for your kids to read, and its a sweet little story, but has a lot of very important lessons like loving and letting go and working hard even if you don't immediately see the rewards.

4. Blue Like Jazz. This is a Christian book, but its great for everyone.  Its one of the most honest books I've ever read.  If you've ever found your journey of faith to be messy or confusing, this book is a breath of fresh air.

5. The Fault in Our Stars. This is the only other real "novel" on this list.  This story is beautiful.  I don't really know how to talk about it without giving something away, so just know that you will need many tissues.

loving lately

1. Coach Poppy. I am one of those people who swallows advertising whole. That's probably why I love perfume so much - perfume ads make it seem like once you find the right scent, you will instantly become sophisticated and unforgettable.
Still waiting on that, but I did find my signature scent, after 22 years of searching.  My lovely bridesmaids bought it for my wedding day, and I can't get enough.  Perfume shopping is hard because everyone's body chemistry reacts differently with perfume, but this smells really nice on me and stays all day.
get some here


2. Lemonade. Who doesn't love lemonade in the summer? Especially homemade - there's nothing better, I'll drink it til I bust.  I'm experimenting with making my own and adding flavors like apple and clove to bring it into fall - once I figure something out, I'll post my recipe!
for now, here's a recipe from giverecipe for fresh lemonade :)


3. Lana Del Rey. I had listened to some of Born to Die back when it first came out and I liked it alright, but I recently bought the whole album and have been listening to it nonstop.  It's so different from most other music that's out there today, and I love it.  Also Lana's look is perfect - I painted my nails red once my wedding manicure wore off because of a lyric in "Off to the Races", my favorite track on the album.  I used to not like red on me, but now I'm digging it.



4. Roller coasters.  Something about summer screams for roller coasters (no pun intended.) From Dollywood to the carnival we went to last weekend, the rush of riding a roller coaster is hard to beat.  When I was younger I was a huge fraidy cat and refused to ride them, but I have more than made up for it since then!


5. The Pure Trilogy. I picked this up on a BAM run because I needed something to read on the way to Florida, and I ended up liking it much more than I thought I would.  The second book, Fuse, comes out later this year, and I plan to pick it up as soon as it hits shelves.  If you like post-apocalyptic sci fi like The Passage or The Hunger Games, you'll love this series.