Book Club

Gardening, Books & Dollhouses

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(Please note this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links you don’t pay anything more but I earn a small commission)

Happy Thursday!

I am sitting in my studio after having spent some time today in the garden! Oh it feels so good to be out in the sunshine! I planted my lettuce seeds and cleared out 2 beds and had a nice long sit, petting the dogs, and thinking about what my plans are for the garden this year.

I am really excited that after 20+ years of wanting we are finally purchasing privacy trees for the back border of our yard. This is something I have always wanted to do but at first our yard was already full of trees that cast it in full shade so growing anything like evergreens wasn’t going to work. Sadly most of those trees died, the upside is that our backyard is now full sun-yay! I have also been able to replace almost all of the trees we have lost and just put them in more appropriate spots.

The other thing I did was had a good swing on the swing set. Last year my husband built one for the kids and I had requested that he build it sturdy enough so that I could also use it as swings were my favorite as a child. I have to ask the last time you were on a swing set? Can I just say that I forgot how amazing it feels! I told my husband that from now on whenever we are grumbly we should just come out and swing for 5 minutes and suddenly all is right with the world. Really it was pretty awesome.

In other, more blog-focused news I will be hosting my first in-person class this June! I am so excited and really can’t wait to get everything pulled together. I already have lists and ideas and I am planning a goody bag-including a brand new art journal-for each participant. It’s going to be so much fun! I will be sure to keep you updated and I do plan on offering an online version of the class so be sure to keep an eye out for that.

With the gorgeous weather today my husband was kind enough to help me transport my dollhouse to the studio. Originally I was excited to work on it at home but other than the very first steps I just haven’t been able to find the time. I spent this past week designing a digital planner so I could plot out my studio time with my current projects. I was able to use it to carve out time each week to work on the dollhouse and the content creation that goes along with it.

If you read this post you know I am dipping my toe into the world of miniatures and I have begun my first project-renovating my childhood dollhouse. I have quite a bit of footage filmed and wanted to see how I was going to do with it before deciding if it was content I was prepared to create and share on a regular basis. I feel ready now and I am going to spend the rest of April filming some videos and then launch a separate YouTube channel just for the dollhouse.

I will keep the same format here which is writing a blog post and sharing the YouTube video. I’ll create a separate link that takes your right to the dollhouse content and all the appropriate videos but I didn’t want the videos on YouTube to be under my art journaling channel. I really thought it would be confusing for subscribers and probably make some algorithm somewhere cranky. I have designated Sundays as my dollhouse day to share all things miniature. Currently I post content here on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday so I thought adding Sundays would help you know what to expect and when here on the blog.

That brings me to another thought-my podcast. I have loved making podcasts in the past but lately I have been struggling to find topics to share about. I have some ideas and things I might do-including taking a step back all-together but I would love to hear your thoughts. Do you listen to the podcasts? If so what would you like me to talk about? For now, I am going to take the rest of April off and see what comes up for May.

Lastly I did want to give you a Book Club update. I finished 1 mini book this week-“A Christmas Tartan” by Paige Shelton (affiliate link). It was really good-her Scottish Bookshop Mysteries (affiliate link) are one of my favorites. I am currently reading the next book, “Lost Books and Old Bones” (affiliate link) along with “Emerald Isle” (affiliate link) Stacy Justice Mysteries Book #5 by Barbara Annino. I started this book last year and then just stopped reading on my kindle for a bit. I am hoping to finish both of these books this week along with the audio book I am currently listening to which is “The Secret Adversary” by Agatha Christie.  I mentioned in the last book club update that I am working on The Agatha Christie Mystery Challenge and I really enjoy listening to them in my studio. They are so well produced. If you are interested in the version I am listening to it’s on Audible here (affiliate link).

So that is the news for me! It’s funny I didn’t know how much I would have to share with you this week but it turns out it’s been quite a bit! I would love to hear what you are up to so please do share a comment below. If you share about your reading adventures on your own blog you can join my link part (see below) and we can all come and see what you have been reading. One day I hope to host a virtual book club-does that sound fun? Let me know!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

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The Case of the Two Agathas aka Book Club Thursday

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Welcome to another Book Club Thursday. I hope you have been enjoying some quality reading time the past 2 weeks. I have finished two books since my last update and have really been enjoying the extra time spent with a book in my hand. I thought it would be fun to share what I have read and some of the books I hope to dig into reading the next few weeks. So let’s get started!

I finished “The Quiche of Death” by M.C. Beaton (affiliate link) the first book in the Agatha Raisin series. I picked up a used copy of the first 3 books combined in one volume a while back. I really love the the Agatha Raisin movies and television series so I thought it would be fun to read the books as well. If I am being honest, I like the shows better. The novel in and of itself is a good one and if I wasn’t comparing it the television series I am sure I would have enjoyed it more. I found the characters of Agatha and Roy to not be nearly as likeable as they are on TV but I am going to keep on and at least finish the volume and see how the characters develop from there. The story itself, a cozy-mystery (my favorites) is a really great “who-dun-it” set in a cozy English village.

The next book I finished was Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind by Joyce Meyer (affiliate link). This book is by a Christian author and while some of the, shall we say gender specific roles are not something I personally agree with I did find the overall message extremely helpful. More so than “think positive” the book goes into Biblical examples of how we are to focus our mind on the good, the loving and the true. It offers some really solid examples of training your mind but is definitely a book focused on Biblical Christianity so if that isn’t something you resonate with than this wouldn’t be something I would recommend.

I am going to also add a separate category here for audio books that I listened to. I have trouble considering audio books, well, books. I understand they are but I guess for me it’s not about just a story but the act of reading I enjoy. Still, I love audio books as their own category and have started listening to them when working in my studio. This week I listened to “The Mysterious Affair at Styles” by Agatha Christie. I have purchased a used copy of some of her books but decided to go for an audio version of her first book. I am doing this as a part of the challenge with the 52 Book Club’s Agatha Christie Challenge. I am working on all the books in the order of which they were written. I really enjoyed the audio version. The narrator was fabulous and I felt as if I was transported into the story. I am excited to start the next in the series, “The Secret Adversary” and I will be doing this as an audio book as well.

Now as for some of the books I am hoping to read in April. I would like to finish “Emerald Isle a Stacy Justice Mystery” by Barbara Annino. I started this book, I think the beginning of last year on my Kindle and am about half way through. They are fun stories about witches, mysteries and magical lands-some of my favorite reads. I am hoping to finish this one next week if I can.  I would also like to read “Steeping Secrets: The Magical Tea Room Mysteries” by Erin Johnson. This series is so much fun about an American in Bath, England who ends up working at a tea room run by vampires and shape shifters only to find out that she herself is a witch. Add in some sleuthing and murders and it’s a really fun cast of characters and really like and fun read. This is another book I plan to read on my kindle as well as the next book in the series, “Save the Last Dance for Tea.” (You gotta love the puns 🙂

Another Kindle read is “A Christmas Tartan” by Paige Shelton.  I started this series I think last year or 2021 and it’s a lot of fun. Again about an American who is living in Scotland and working at a very unique old book store. As in all cozy mysteries you have a wonderful cast of characters and lots of mysteries thrown in. I have also put a request in at the library for “Lost Books and Old Bones” by Paige Shelton which is the book that follows “A Christmas Tartan.”

If I am able to read all these I will hit my 2 books/week goal. As I mentioned before I have set a goal to read 52 books this year and am currently 7 books behind schedule. In truth, I would love to hit the goal but really the goal is just a reminder to me that I want to spend more time reading each day. I always feel so good when I am making time to read each day and I am trying to keep that at the forefront of my day.

Well that feels like a lot! I would love to hear what you are reading or your favorite types of books to read. Please comment below so we can all find our next TBR.

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Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

 

Book Club Thursdays-Care to Join Me?

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Happy Thursday everyone!

(Please note this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links you don’t pay anything more but I earn a small commission)

I mentioned last week that I want to use my Thursday posts to keep things here on the blog-well bloggy. (My daughter says if you use a word it’s a word so there we go).  I also think Thursdays would be a great time to give you a book club update. I have been a bit slow on my reading goals the past 2 months having only finished 4 books this year. As I was finalizing today’s post I had the idea to make Thursdays our official book club night. It would be a great way to keep me reading and sharing and also give me something to talk with you about each week.

You can join in on your own blog (You can use the image I have above if you like) or on Instagram (I have an Instagram friendly image below) and tag #bookclubwiththedreamingdilettante. Feel free to share what you are reading, would like to read or some new reading goals you have. I really think it would be fun to share blogs we love to read too-maybe feature one blog a week on your site along with your books. It’s completely open to your own interpretation and if you would like to join in the linky part the details are at the end of this post. Also if you do share on your blog please comment below with a link so I can stop by and say “hi!”

And now…on to book club!

I just finished a book called “No One Noticed the Cat” by Anne McCaffrey. (affiliate link)  I was at the library checking out some books on hold (more on those later) and I saw this book and decided to give it a try. It was only about 120 pages and so I liked the idea of a quick read to get my count up and it turned out to be a really interesting book. I had never heard of it before but apparently the author is the number #1 female science fiction writer of all time. The book is about castles, good princes, true love and an evil queen. I would definitely recommend it.

The other 3 books I picked up are “Orphan Train” by Christina Baker Kline,  (affiliate link) “The Giver of Stars” by JoJo Moyes (affiliate link) and “Eternal Life” by Dara Horn (affiliate link).  The first two came to my attention after reading Slices of Life’s blog post on her favorite historical fiction books. I picked the first two up from the local library along with “Eternal Life” that I also found while browsing the shelves. Am I the only one who can’t walk the shelves of a library without picking up at least 2 extra books?

In an attempt to make some headway on my reading goal and to get back into my reading habit I am reading these in order of pages least to greatest. So I am currently reading “Eternal Life” and only a few pages in and I am really enjoying it. The story grips you from the beginning and I can’t wait to finish.

My reading goal this year was 1 book a week so I am hoping to read 2 per week for a bit to make up for February and March. I do love reading but I find I have fallen out of the habit a bit something I plan to correct.

So that’s all for this week’s book club. I hope you are doing well and getting some time each day for your creativity (and reading!) Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

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January Book Club and a Chat

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This morning I was catching up on the blogs that I follow. If you listened to this week’s podcast you know that I am going to make a blog roll to share some of my favorite bloggers with you. Today I am sharing a blog post that inspired me to bring back my book club posts I was doing last year. On the Simple Simon & Company blog post they are doing a January challenge to finish a book you have started. Since I have 3 of them at the moment it seemed like a fun challenge to take part in and share with you all.

I really want to spend less time online and more time reading books that are inspiring or interesting. The kids and I have been making weekly trips to our local libraries and I have 3 books on the go right now. I just finished my first book of the year which is exciting. It’s called Find Your People by Jennie Allen (this link is an affiliate link. If you use this link I earn a small commission but you don’t pay anymore). The book has some really great insights and suggestions but if I am honest I am not sure I am fully on board with all of it. Still if you are someone who is seeking deeper, more meaningful relationships with a Christian focus you might like to check this one out.

The other book I am reading is “The Storyteller“ by Dave Grohl (this link is an affiliate link. If you use this link I earn a small commission but you don’t pay anymore). You may be thinking, “that’s a bit different than a Christian book about finding community.” You would be right. I love to learn, I love to read all sorts of things even if I don’t fully identify in any one way. To be honest, I’m not sure I am meant to. The previous book I mentioned had me thinking about the beauty in picking a path and just forging forward no matter what. Still, I think that life is meant to be a unique experience for all of us and I struggle to pick a camp and just stay there. If I am honest-that can make finding relationships challenging but I am just trusting in the path I am walking and open to where it leads me. How about you?

I think if I am being honest I relate a bit more to “The Storyteller.”  Not because my life has at all resembled Dave Grohl’s but I like the honest way he rights and what I am perceiving as his view of life, work and creativity. I never listened to Nirvana-I was more a New Kids on the Block fan (still am) and I never got into the Grunge scene in the 90’s. I wanted to read this book because I have read several quotes by Dave Grohl that I added to my quote book and I thought it would be fun to read a whole book written by him. I loved the fact that he went on record to say he actually wrote it rather than giving interviews to a ghost writer and letting them write it which I thought was pretty cool.

I am about half way through the book and it’s a fun read. Not having any previous knowledge of his career path I was wondering if I would enjoy it as much but I really am. I also am not one who reads biographies but this was definitely one I am glad I picked up-or checked out as it were 🙂

The other book I am reading I found through Substack and it’s called “Daily Rituals: How Artists Work”  (this link is an affiliate link. If you use this link I earn a small commission but you don’t pay anymore) by Mason Currey.  It’s really interesting learning about the process of so many artists. A little sad sometimes reading the darker sides of their lives but if you like hearing about the routines of creatives it’s an interesting read. It also led me to an artist I wasn’t familiar with-Al Hirschfeld and that lead me to checking out a book all about his artwork. I am going to be sharing more about how I am inspired from that in a future blog post so stay tuned!

The third book I am working on is called, “Unoffendable” by Brant Hansen (this link is an affiliate link. If you use this link I earn a small commission but you don’t pay anymore). This book along with “Find Your People” came in an email from Money Saving Mom. I requested it from the library and when it came in I couldn’t remember why I picked it-does that happen to you? I don’t consider myself as someone who offends easily and this book is geared towards Christians specifically but if I were to guess I think I was intrigued by the idea of just letting things go. I’m only a few pages in but it’s humorous and well-written so I am looking forward to it being my 4th book read of January.

I am also reading the “Complete Works of H. Emilie Cady”-or rather re-reading it. I love her wisdom and I read a bit during my prayer and meditation time in the afternoons along with A Course in Miracles (this link is an affiliate link. If you use this link I earn a small commission but you don’t pay anymore). They are both filled with such wisdom and I find something insightful each time I read. I haven’t finished A Course in Miracles yet but I hope to have it done by the end of the year.

So that is my January book club list. Are you reading anything special? I would love to hear! Do you have a favorite genre? Have you set a monthly reading goal for yourself? This year I am really trying for a book a week but recognize that may not happen so it’s more of a fun goal rather than something to stress about. How about you? Please comment below and let me know!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Book Club September 2022

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Happy September!

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these I receive a small commission but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

September? Really? When did that happen? I know it’s always said that “time flies” but sometimes I really cannot comprehend how quickly a year goes by.

Have you been reading a lot? I feel pretty good about what I finished this month and just the fact that I consciously made more time to read. Writing these posts keeps it in the forefront of my mind and I seem to make more time to read with them so I hope you enjoy them as well 🙂

I think I am going to leave last month’s list alone and just share with you the books I actually finished. If you are interested in the books on my self that I am in the process of reading you can visit my August Book Club post here.

Lessons in Truth by Emilie Cady: I just cannot say enough about this book. It offers me such comfort and I feel like I am reading a letter from a dear friend. If you like metaphysics/spirituality with a Christian focus you might enjoy this book as well. I purchased the collection of her works that include this book and I am currently reading the second book as part of my daily devotional time.

Hiring the Heavens by Jean Slatter: Another book that just made me feel positive and happy while I read it. This book focuses on hiring the angels to assist you as you go about your day. It’s a practice that I have implemented in my daily devotional time and it really strengthens my sense of connection to the Divine.

The Darling Dahlias and the Voodoo Lily by Susan Wittig Albert: I love this series so much and I really enjoyed this story line. If you like some cozy mysteries and historical fiction you might just like this series.

The Darling Dahlias and the Red Hot Poker: The most recent book in this series I really enjoyed this one as well. I was able to get it on loan from my library which was nice. Sadly I don’t have another one to read as of yet-hopefully the author will be writing another one 🙂

There were 3 children’s books I had borrowed from the library last month but I ended up returning them. I hadn’t started them and to be honest I wasn’t into reading them at the time so I decided to return them and maybe try them again at another time. They might be fun to bring into our homeschool when it starts up next week.

So that is my Book Club update. I hope your September is off to a great start! What are you reading? Please comment below and let me know-I am always looking for new suggestions!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Weekly Round Up for the 2nd Week of August 2022

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How is your August going? I have been feeling good, if not a bit antsy from time to time. Do you ever feel like you are supposed to be somewhere doing something but you don’t know where or what? I have been feeling that way a bit this past week so I’m trying to spend more time doing and less time lost in my head.

Here’s a bit of what I have been doing:

My First Create with Me Art Journaling Session

I had so much fun playing in my art journal with no goal in mind other than to play in my art journal. If you would like some virtual company to have a play with your journal you can watch the video and read the blog post here.

This Week in Flowers (and Pumpkins)
I am so grateful for the bouquets that I am still able to cut from the garden. I also share with you my pride and joy-PUMPKINS! Something I have been trying to successfully grow for years. You can see all the photos in the blog post here.

Weekly Podcasts
I also recorded a new podcast for this week where I am chatting about creative living. If you fancy a chat for about 20 minutes or so why not make your self a cup of your favorite beverage (iced tea? I love unsweetened iced tea this time of year) and join me here.

Letters for Creatives
I am also sending out my letters to creatives today. If you like the idea of a weekly email meant only to be inspiring to my fellow creatives you can sign up here.

Book Club
I decided to make my Book Club posts monthly and plan to share them the first week of every month. I wasn’t reading fast enough so I thought I might not have enough content to share each week. Unless of course I shared with you all the books I have added to my TBR (To Be Read) list! Of course after deciding that I finished 2 books this week so maybe I would have had something to share. Still, I’ll stick with once a month and see how it goes.

Not shared specifically on the blog but I have a fun video with painted papers coming on my YouTube channel on Monday. I admit to being nervous and excited to get my channel going again. I am taking small steps and will be sharing weekly there but every video that goes on YouTube can also be found on Dilettante TV here on the site so no worries if you aren’t hanging out on YT.

I finished painting an old sofa table for the studio. I started it last Friday and was able to give it a second coat this week and set it all up Wednesday. I am so happy with how it looks (you can see the before and after below) along with how my vintage typewriter looks on it.

    

I have a piece going in my art journal about birds. I was inspired after watching this video
on Sandi Hester’s YT channel (thank you Laura Bray for sharing her channel with me!). I just loved how she painted her birds (and the automotive brushes she was using-so I had to order some!)

I have been working off and on with birds the past few months and on Saturday we took a trip to our local used book store and I picked up an Encyclopedia on birds (along with some other books I’m hoping to use in collage). The page is sitting on my desk in my studio and as I came in to work today I was inspired to add some collage to it so that’s just what I did. It’s still a work in progress but I’ll be sure to share it with you when it’s all done.

I do hope you have had some time for your creativity this week. Please let me know what you have been working on-I would love to hear!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante