anne shirley book club

Welcome, kindreds, to the inaugural gathering of the Anne Shirley Book Club!  (Cue the marching band) Selfishly, this little adventure has been such a good motivator to help me find time for myself and get my groove back after the birth of our daughter almost two months ago.  (Yes blog world, we had our baby.  Did I not tell you that?  Whoops!)  

I haven't read Anne of Green Gables, in a few years, while I tend to dust other books from the series off annually.  I loved being able to visit her again and see her with new eyes. First time readers, what did you think?  Do you still want to read through all eight of the books with us?  I hope so!

Maybe it's because of my newfound role as a mom, but this reading of Anne introduced me to all of the parental influences in her life.  I couldn't help but ponder more on the families that took her in in her early years.  Though we know that she was never really wanted, Anne always had a place until she ended up in the asylum.  

In Avonlea, she had the Cuthberts to fill the long sought after roles of "mother" and "father" in her life.  But there was truly a village looking out for her.  She found in the minister's wife, Mrs. Allan, a kindred spirit and sounding board for ethical dilemmas that she might be able to breach with Marilla.  Miss Stacy inspired her to work even harder, for herself, not just out of competition with Gil--I mean other students.  (:  At one point, she mentions to Marilla how she decided to make a good decision because she wanted to tell Mrs. Allan all about an experience and didn't want to have to omit anything.  If she had made the bad choice, she wouldn't have felt comfortable sharing the account.

As I read this, I thought of two things.  First, the village that help raised me.  From family friends, teachers, aunts and uncles, grandparents, church leaders, and more.  Their influence shaped me for good, at least I hope it did, and was able to fill the gaps where my parents couldn't meet the same need.  I remember distinctly wanting to do well in school so I could tell my grandmother about it and wanting to make good choices so I could follow in the path of some of my leaders.  

Secondly, I thought of the village that is helping raise my daughter.  Sure, she can't even hold her head up yet, but she is already the product of the prayers, love, and sacrifice of so many.  As Mr. F has started school, this village has grown even more important.  From dinners being delivered and walking partners, to late night feeding texts and impromptu visits.  My village (hi village!) is not only taking care of my girl, but teaching me the kind of mother, woman, and friend I want to be.

So friends, those are just a few of my thoughts.  What did you think?  Hit the comment section to discuss and be sure to share your carrot cake pictures!  Instructions for next month and the quote print will be coming to you via email shortly.  Want to join in on the fun?  Send me a message and we'll get you set up!  seewhatiseadesigns at gmail dot com

thankful thursday: librivox

I have been known to watch the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice more often than should be admitted to.  What is less known is how many times I have similarly watched their productions of North and South, Persuasion, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility.  While I am an Austen junkie, my addiction to these films is due to a far more practical reason; they are easy to work to.  

I'm home by myself a good chunk of the time, which as an introvert, I'm perfectly content with.  But I like having noise of some kind to keep me company.  I have learned through much trial and error that no matter how much I may love music, I don't work well to it.  My mind gets distracted by any melody and collection of lyrics.  Give me talk radio or an audiobook and I work much more fluidly with great inspiration, focus, and determination.  Thus my love of Pride and Prejudice.  It is long enough that I don't have to worry about switching out the disk and has a steady enough flow of dialogue that I am not tempted to look at the screen.

But every so often, a girl needs a bit of variety.

A little while ago, my friend shared the podcast CraftLit with me.  It is a blend of craft talk with chapters from the book du jour being read to you.  I opted for their other broadcast Just the Books.  As its name implies, on this podcast I could listen to the books without the interruption of a debate on knitting needles.  I listened to their offering of Pride and Prejudice and revelled in Austen's words as I worked.  Once I was through the book, I craved more, but the podcast had little offering at the ready.

Enter Librivox, a podcast audiolibrary of classic literature at the ready.  The books are all public domain and are read by volunteers.  Honestly, it was a dream come true to find this!  Books I have been dreaming of reading but don't have the time to devote to sitting down with the paper in hand are now available to me.  From The Phantom of the Opera to The Iliad, this podcast has it all!  Best yet?  A healthy collection of Austen as well as my favorites, the Anne books by Lucy Maud Montgomery.  I now have ample material to keep me working for days and months on end.  Thank you, Librivox, for making all of these wonderful books available to so many!

for ingrid

and myself.

I have slew of art projects waiting for me, but I feel like I can't get to them until I share some more about my wedding.

we were married in Manti, Utah on one day and partied like it was 1999 the next day. I really wanted to have our wedding day be about the temple and our sealing. I wanted to focus on family and get lost in the tiny moments before letting myself totally let go and mingle and dance.

though it was the end of March, it snowed on our wedding day. not just snowed. blizzarded. white out. could barely drive more than twenty-five miles-an-hour down the backroad Utah highways. it was the first time that day I really freaked out. I thought I was going to be late! it was one of the very rare occasions that Mr. F showed up somewhere before I did.

our reception and ring ceremony were held at the sundance resort. my wonderful family did all of the decorating. the vases (an assortment of canning jars) and vintage books were all contributed by my sweet grandmother, who also made the skirt of my wedding gown. it was such fun to watch family members read through the books and find scribbles written by aunts and uncles who once owned the volumes.

I really loved our two-day extravaganza because it allowed us the leisure to really enjoy our guests, and ourselves! Mr. F and I wandered through the tables greeting everyone as dinner dwindled down. I think we talked to nearly everyone! (to those we didn't, my sincerest apologies.)

because we were married in the temple, not all of our family members could join us for the sealing ceremony. one of my absolute favorite memories is making my way out of the dressing room and hearing all of my family in the waiting room. because of the snow, the temple workers invited everyone inside to wait in the dry warmth. I had to wait behind a wall until everyone went outside so we could take pictures. (picture taking is not allowed within the temple so as to preserve the sacred nature of the building.)

this is my mor mor and me moments after Mr. F and I made our big reveal. it meant the world to me to have her and all of my family drive to the middle of nowhere just to take pictures with us in the middle of a snowstorm.

because of the ring ceremony, we had a formal sit down dinner so as to have everyone in place. our escort cards were printed on library cards. there was a definite book theme to our celebrations. in fact, our save the date cards were also printed on library cards. the card was inside the sleeve with the words "check it out!" peeking at the viewer where the book title would customarily be found. for the escort cards, the guests' names were at the top and the table letter (not number) was one the body of the card when it was pulled out of the sleeve.

okay, this cake, was absolute embodiment of the cake I had been dreaming of. I am not a big sweet person, so the wedding cake was never really high on my priority list. (I am now living with Mr. Fs family and we eat cake and cupcakes on a nearly daily basis...I'm adjusting...) well, my wonderfully talented aunt inherited all (and I do mean ALL) of the domestic arts for our family. while the rest of us women can iron and clean from here till doomsday, none of us can cook, and absolutely can compete with auntie L's baking genius.

she flew in from Chicago toting half a dozen different kinds of cookies for our family dinner after the sealing. she then baked up a storm and produced this beautiful, beautiful cake! not only that, she made two of them! they looked stunning on the rustic wooden table in the mountain lodge.

confession: I never actually tasted this cake. we cut the cake, but were unable to get the piece out...so we fed each other berries.

my brother, the Stud. his hips don't lie. pretty sure the DJ wants to hire him to get the party going. Studly McStudlypants was on the dance floor the entire night.

my Liver went around the temple, the town, and the entire valley taking pictures of everything long after the crowds had departed. these flowers were lovingly supporting the base of the temple, even though snow threatened their very existence.

I got a sister! she's the best. and now we're even roommates for a short while. Sista Bear and Mr. F are close like the Stud and me. they were actually the extent of our bridal party.

during the ring ceremony, Stud and Sista walked up the rings so we could exchange them. now it just feels like the four of us are siblings. when one is missing from an outing, the cosmos seem horribly out of whack.

remember how I said table letters? well, here ya go! I found these papier mache letters for not a whole lotta money at jo-ann fabric and absolutely loved the overall aesthetic they provided. we used them again three weeks later for our shindig in Columbus.

chicken legs meets "what do I do with this sheet again?" a hilarious candid from our photos at Sundance. it was absolutely freezing when we got out of the temple so we didn't spend a tremendous amount of time taking photos. the next day my Liver showed up early and did the entire photo shoot all over again. he was absolutely amazing and turned out some incredible images.

why did we get married in Manti? because. because I like to do things differently. but mainly because that's where my grandparents were sealed. I learned from my Nana that our family helped build this temple. when we walked inside, we knew we had made the right choice. we were one of two sealings that day and the other couple were already leaving. the entire decor was unlike any other temple I have ever visited. a victorian parlor, tastefully adorned with embroideries, florals, and the most exquisite carpets. Mr. F and I were able to sit together in the Celestial room for a short period of time before the ceremony. we were coddled by the elderly temple workers and taught of the historical legacy of the structure as well as the spiritual.

lastly, these are my siblings. I mean cousins. when I started university in Provo, Clutsy on the left was ten years-old. she graduates from high school next week! they were my home away from home, and still are. my family and I stayed with them the week of the wedding and it just seemed fitting. it was like I was being sent off from my own childhood home.

and now.... go check out my Liver's website. he is one crazy talented photographer.

I'm going for a walk on the beach with my husband now.

occupational delight

"Next on the agenda, today's storytime. The person who was going to do it has today off, any volunteers?" Blank stares engulfed the groggy morning meeting room. Everyone was considering how long until their next cup of coffee, leaving no thought for children's books. "No, really, anyone?"

"I'll do it." The words were out before she knew it. She must still be sleeping, why else would she have volunteered at the last possible moment to read to a group of toddlers.

The meeting adjourned shortly thereafter and she made a mad dash to the children's section, hoping that all of the hours she had spent reading there rather than working would finally come in handy. Rifling through the shelves, she located some of her favorites, Let's Do Nothing, Always Lots of Heinies at the Zoo, The Duchess of Whimsy, and then heaped on more for good measure.

Returning to the meeting room to use the half hour before story time to prepare, she thought of all the Scandinavian fairy tales she had forced on her roommates years ago. Toddlers can't be that bad, right?

The appointed hour came and she took her seat in the oversized chair designated for the storyteller. A handful of children sat at her feet and she grabbed her first book.

"'Help!' yelled the Page. 'King Bidgood's in the bathtub and he won't get out. Oh, who knows what to do?'" She added all the emphasis and pizazz she could think of and it must have worked, the children were all smiling. "'I do!' cried the Duke...'"

The children didn't move. They kept their eyes locked on her and the colorful illustrations waiting for the next book. Unsure of how many to read, she worked her way through the small mountain of resources she had prepared. She asked them questions, did voices where she could, and still the children smiled. Finally out of books, the story time came to an abrupt end. The children returned to their waiting mothers while she gathered the picture books and returned to work.

Did she do that right? Did the kids have fun? Did she choose the right books? Who cares, she thought, I just got to spend an hour and a half reading some of my favorite books!
"'Come in,' yelled the king, 'tonight we fish in the tub!'"

a case study in support of the early development of machoism

The subject in observation was a young man of approximately seven years of age. He had a military-esque coif to compliment his sun bleached hair and surprisingly tanned skin for so early in the season. The boy was left to his own devices in the library and made his way into the children's section.
His confident strut indicated that he was in need of a task, a mission. He found a case of his own. A little girl of approximately the same age but, to the young man, but in a far more desperate situation than himself. With imaginary cape strapped securely about his husky neck, the boy leapt into action.
His deep voice rumbled through the children's section as he told all who would listen that he was trying to find a book for the little girl. As any good damsel would, the girl kept our hero on his toes, never quite satisfied with the book he had retrieved. But he was in earnest. The right book would be found for his heroine.
Sadly, both subjects were hastened from the library by their guardians before a proper literary resource could be agreed upon. All that was left in their wake were stacks of discarded picture books.

library delights

"Excuse me, do you have any books about animals?" The question came from a pair of sisters, neither of whom was taller than my waist.

"What kind of animals?"

"Any animals."

"Do you want picture books or are you wanting to learn about animals?"

"We want to learn about animals." le sigh.

"Follow me! I've got just the thing."

The sisters then followed me through the library until we sat on the floor together flipping through a book about dangerous animals. They were engrossed. I was positive a safari was never ever making it onto my to-do list.

"Guess what?" This came from the youngest, who had the most adorable buck teeth. Who knew buck teeth could be so cute?

"What?!" I really was excited to know what she had to tell me, and secretly hoping she wanted me to adopt her.

"There's a baby elephant at the zoo and it's birthday is tomorrow and it turns one."

And then they both told me about their experiences at the zoo, their cousin's pet snake, vicious cats, and I just sat there listening to the girls. I really did want to adopt them. Or at least play with them for the next couple of days. Dangerous animal books can be dangerously fun in the right hands.

a day in the life of a preppy, book-buying, west virginia visiting, hillbilly wannabe

On the way here


we stopped here


and while crossing this

I was reminded of how creepy Mothman Prophecies is.

But because we went here


I got to go here


and find this



which is full of pages like this


and because I found this



after going here


I said


fin

bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens

Firefly.
Robin McKinley.
Captain Wentworth.
Malcolm Reynolds.
BBC mini-series.
Jane Austen.
The West Wing.
Anne Shirley.
Horatio Hornblower.


A small sampling of things that compose my mental stockpile. Things that I forget some people know nothing about. Shows, books, characters, networks. Some of you do know of these things. Some of you know of many these things. Some of you, I bless and curse you, introduced me to several of the items on the list. Whatever the case may be, these things run thick in my psyche and have been begging for recognition. And now they have it.

If any of the names on this list appear foreign to you, might I suggest you introduce yourself as soon as possible. They are all spirited companions and will offer lifetimes of happiness.

attn: john

Dear Borders,

You and I have had quite the ride together, as you well know. I have savored each and every moment, but I think the time has come for me to sever the ties a bit. You're an Ann Arbor based company, and I need to maintain every connection to Michigan that I can now so all is not lost. But things are going to be different now.

It's not you, it's just, I found the ultimate book lover's store. Half-Price Books. It's here in Columbus and is the first place, besides your one charming location and Caribou Coffee, that really made me feel like I belonged and had a home.

Today I went to two different locations and found an absolute stockpile of books that I doubt I ever would have looked at before. I sat on the floor and ruffled through pages of books on art history, fashion, architecture, gardening, U.S. and world history. The shelves were bursting with books I had never even heard of! And then there was the fact that the store was hiring, right when I so desperately need a job.

I'm sorry Borders, I wish things could be different, but they just aren't. Maybe we'll be able to go back to how things were when I leave Columbus.

-engquist

"we ain't got it!"

I'm broke. No denero for me. None. Nowhere, zip, zilch, nada. But I like stuff. It's a weakness, I know. So I thought I would share some of the results of items that have been tempting me to dig deep into my nonexistent coffers.

Craft in America. Best freaking documentary EVER..so long as you are a complete and utter art geek. Fortunately for me, I am!

Oh yes, there's a book, too. A gorgeous book! Dang PBS and all of the wonders it reveals to me...

100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names is a darling little book I found at the library and fell in love with (go figure!). It gives the etymology of each flower and a little about where the flower can be found with a sweet black and white sketched image of each blossom. The drawings are fantastic and the history is just genius. Plus, I like the flower names. Some of them are rather cute.

Breast cancer awareness at its best. Is there really a need for more explanation to this? I think not. There's also a shirt that says "Thanks for noticing, Save the Tatas" but I opted out of the image for it. Still on the list though.

This list is not including the blouses from J.Crew, the beautiful navy blue sweater with leather buttons, or the soundtrack for (500) Days of Summer. Or cake from Pronto. Or cocoa from Caribou. Or the cool Michigan book I saw at Borders last week. Or the random tree book I haven't found yet.

Moral of the story: I am not cut out for poverty; I like helping the economy too much.

borders "rewards"

Dear Borders,

You and I have had many good times together. You've always been there for me, offering the perfect book, film, or audio selection to see me through. You saw me through Shakespeare in high school, and were somehow able to turn up all of those random books about Scandinavia during my undergrad. It's been great! Our relationship strengthened when you came out with Borders Rewards. We were able to strike a compromise where I was able to use ridiculously awesome coupons to buy even more books.

But here's the thing, you keep sending me these coupons. And the coupons keep getting better! Didn't you hear I'm moving in two weeks and am already having to pry myself away from a good chunk of my collection? Why, in the name of all that is good and holy, would you keep sending me amazing coupons that I can't refuse? What have I ever done but offer you my patronage? All I ask is a sabbatical of a few weeks, just so I can go east without the loss of any more books. That's it!

Thank you for your consideration.

Your favorite shopper,

engquist

kindred spirit

...is a term for someone who shares similar thoughts, feelings, someone who is close in temperament and nature to yourself, to whom you have a rare spiritual link that is very special and you can't quite explain.

as defined by wikipedia.org and agreed upon by the author of this blog

Julie Anne-drews

When I read books, I get sucked into their world and I have a hard time escaping. This becomes problematic with science fiction and fantasy novels where the stories aren't even set on this planet. Jane Austen gives me grief because I'm not British, and I begin speaking like I'm from the early nineteenth century. Anything by Lucy Maud Montgomery takes me a lifetime to get over. No really, I've never escaped. Ever. And I don't want to.

Today I found this place, and what did I instantly think?

I have my own Lake of Shining Waters!

Then I began frolicking around the small pond, dancing in the rain like I was Maria von Trapp.

It was a really good day.