Quick Takes #159: the many link edition

1. Wishing everyone headed to Edel this weekend safe travel and a wonderful time. Truly wants this conference to be a fabulous success ~ in small part so that there will be another that perhaps I get  to go to.
2. Please head over to Lisa Jo's for a big announcement re: 5 minute friday
3. Another excellent post by Laura about pulling together a stylish summer uniform.
4. Moving has had the interesting effect of having me rediscovering some summer stuff I haven't seen in years and a few of my planned core pieces have yet to resurface 3 weeks in. 
5. As NFP Awareness Week wraps up here are a couple of my favorite posts by Kendra and Rosie
6. Free one
7. This week's link-up hosted by Carolyn Svellerella ~ please head on over.

Have a good weekend!

WWRW July 23rd

     Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley: Another recommendation from my mom and another good one! Winter Sea similar to the Pink Carnation series tells a historical and contemporary love story intermingled; the story follows novelist Carrie McCelland as she moves to the Scottish coast to write her latest book a story based on the events surrounding the failed attempt of James Stewart to reclaim his throne in 1708.  That story is told through the eyes of Sophia Paterson a distant cousin sent to live with family after her parents death.  She is pulled into the politics of the day since Earl of Erroll and his mother are Jacobites and have opened their coastal castle to members of King James court at Saint Germain in France as they travel back and forth in preparation for the invasion.  Including a soldier John Moray with whom Sophia forms a deep attachment.

    Coincidently while working on the book Carrie also starts a romance with her landlord's son who also happens to be a lecturer in history in Aberdeen.  The book moves smoothly between the two stories, each interesting in their own right the combination made for a very enjoyable book.  While I did miss the comedy of manners which often comes with books placed in the Regency period I loved learning about another part of history especially this was one I didn't know much about.

Would recommend this one to anyone mid-teens or older who enjoys a good historical romance and will be keeping an eye out for other books by this author.


Also reading Organized Simplicity and will report back soon.

Now please head over to Housewifespice for more WWRW hosted by Jessica

Quick Takes #158

1. State of the house is actually ok; there are still many boxes to open and not enough pictures on the wall but overall we are settling in well and making it our own.
2. Caitlin is currently a bit miserable getting four teeth at once but also marking the milestone of 18 months with a language explosion, starting to go down slides by herself and insisting on feeding herself ~ which while cute is also turning almost every night into a bath night.
3. Had fun 'interviewing' the kids for this post.  May attempt to make this a yearly thing.
4. My sister release her latest book this week; with the moving craziness starting to calm down I'm looking forward to reading it soonest.
5. Yay for summer produce; while the mess of fruit salad and smoothie prep is a bit annoying I'm so happy to see my kids happily eating so much good stuff.
6. Weekend plans include anchoring some bookshelves, emptying boxes and if the kids have anything to say lots of sprinkler time.
7. Some latest pictures:

Please head over to Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes

An Interview with the Big Kids

Inspired by Grace of Camp Patton's post I too decided to inquire what my kids thought about 

Life, the Universe and Dinner.

What's your name?
Elisabeth: Elisabeth Anne-Marie
Liam: Liam Charles Bailey

How old are you?
Elisabeth: six
Liam: three

What's your favorite thing to do?
Elisabeth: sing songs
Liam: play Rescue Bots

What is your favorite book?
Elisabeth: Olivia Cooks up a Surprise, Goodnight Moon, & I love you, Good Night
Liam: Truck & Dinosaurs (not remembering a book with that title I think this means any book containing either)

What is your favorite show?
Elisabeth: Hello Kitty & Wild Kratts
Liam: Transformer Rescue Bots

What is your favorite song?
Elisabeth: I love to Pray (Brother Francis)
Liam: Twinkle, twinkle little star

What does daddy do at work?
Elisabeth: he is a doctor
Liam: on computers

What do you want for your birthday?
Elisabeth: Hello Kitty everything, oh and maybe to go to Build a Bear for a Kitty Cat
Liam: go Chuckie Cheese and a Transformer cake

What's your favorite color? 
Elisabeth: Pink
Liam: Green

Where is your favorite place to go?
Elisabeth: the beach at Grandma's
Liam: yes

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Elisabeth:Pottery teacher and veterinarian 
Liam: Fire Fighter

Who is your favorite person? 
Elisabeth: Caitlin cause she is soo cute
Liam: Daddy

What is your favorite toy? 
Elisabeth: my Dora or Cinderella microphones
Liam: flipping Heatwave or fireboat Heatwave

What makes you happy?
Elisabeth: my family and dancing
Liam: yeah

What scares you? 
Elisabeth: thunder 
Liam: monsters

The respondents are currently 6 years and 3 3/4 years old.

A Quick Look Back with Thanks

  In the weeks ahead I have several posts planned about the new place, in particular how we transformed and decorated the kids rooms, but first a quick look back at where I'm leaving.

  Making sure to take a moment and give thanks to the little Cape that welcomed us at the beginning of our marriage and over a decade offered shelter and support as we learned what it was to be homeowners and love and grow a marriage.  The site of countless get-togethers from simple pizza dinners to SuperBowl parties, Summer Barbecues and Easter Dinners.  Many a wonderful conversation by its firelight. Countless comings and goings thru the day and night as life and the beeper dictated.

It bore witness to major life events of the past decade; it was the place where we mourned and made peace with the loss of our dads.  It offered welcome as we brought each of our babies home, watched as bookshelves were converted to hold toys, and was the site of each of their first steps.  The yard where I planted tulips, crocuses, and hydrangea ~ and each spring enjoyed the hyacinth planted by a previous owner.  The backyard once filled with evergreens, where cardinals would come on late winter mornings, that one by one were felled by high winds and hurricanes became filled with water tables and kicking balls.

Simply put to quote Gilbert, husband of Anne; "This house has been what no other ever can be"

Thanks!

5 minute friday: Exhale

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.

2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

Exhale

Start:

   The rooms all got painted that needed to get painted, and the furniture got moved with only minor bumps and scratches.  It was definitely a race to the finish and there is still so much to do, but not right now. Right now in the lavender nursery surrounded by boxes but sitting in the glider just as I had envisioned I'm rocking my baby down to sleep and exhaling. Because however much more work there is to do both here and at the old place; evening has fallen and we're in, and it is time to rest in our new home.

Stop.

please head over to Lisa Jo's for more 5 minute friday