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Book Club: Victober & Halloween Reads

September 28, 2023 Leave a Comment

Hi everyone and welcome to Book Club!

This week I am sharing the books I am planning to read for Victober and what I am dubbing my “Halloween Reads.” As usual I have far more books on my list than I think I may be able to read inside of one month but then I suppose that’s the fun of a TBR list right? Lately I have been reading about 1 book a week and starting a second one. I keep trying for two a week but haven’t quite mastered that consistently. Regardless it isn’t the amount of books we read but rather that we enjoy reading so I will share my goal list with you and the give you updates throughout the month of October. Who knows maybe you will find some to add to your own TBR.

All of the books for Victober are on my Kindle and I believe they are part of Kindle Unlimited so if you have a membership I believe they are all included.

If you aren’t familiar with what Victober is it is focused on reading Victorian Literature throughout the month of October. The hosts are: Books & Things, Kate Howe Reads, Blatantly Bookish, Books with Petra, and Scallydandling about the Books This is my first time taking part and I am excited to take part. I love reading books that are set in the Victorian period but I realize I haven’t read much that were written in the Victorian period so this should be a fun way to delve into a new genre of reading.

The books I plan to read for Victober are (Affiliate links provided below):

Silas Marner by George Eliot

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Three Men in a Boat (not to mention the dog) by Jerome K. Jerome

My reading list for Halloween is (Affiliate links provided below):

The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

The Other by Thomas Tryon

Whose Body by Dorothy L Sayers

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

All said there are 8 books on this list which is doable provided I can read 2 books a week. Lately I have been doing 1 maybe 1 1/2 but if I am being honest I am perfectly find with finishing some in November. Setting challenges and reading goals is fun but I don’t want to be so focused on getting things done that I make it feel like work when reading is mean, for me at least, to be an enjoyable past-time and hobby.

What about you? Are you familiar with Victober? A lover of Victorian novels or maybe you are just all about the spooky and creepy Halloween reads. I would love to hear what you have planned for October.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Dilettante’s Dollhouse: Finishing the Windows & the Trim

September 24, 2023 2 Comments

Hi everyone and welcome to dollhouse Sunday! I have moved my schedule around a bit and will be sharing all things dollhouse and miniature on Sundays again. I think I have settled into our fall routine finally and am excited to keep the content coming on a bit more of a regular schedule.

Today I am sharing a quick update on the dollhouse. The living room windows are painted and I also added a little wood filler to fill in the cracks and spaces in some areas. The chair rail is up and painted and in today’s video I paint and install the baseboards in the living which really finishes the room off so nicely.

You may remember I took down the tile paper I had put up in the kitchen so today I went ahead and added another cardboard backing so I can put wallpaper up on. I am still deciding on what kind and may end up designing some myself if I can’t find anything. I am not really sure the style I am looking for so I might need to search out some more kitchen inspiration.

I have started the front door and completed the door frame and made a start on the door itself. I also made a start on the kitchen floor and am running the wood flooring in the opposite direction as the living room but I think I will stain them all the same color.

Well that’s all for today’s update. I hope your weekend was a good one and that maybe you were able to get in some creative time as well.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Video: Studio Vlog-Shopping, Declutter & Cleaning

September 23, 2023 Leave a Comment

Hi everyone! Today I am sharing a little something different-a studio vlog! I haven’t had much time at the studio this week so today I decided to have a bit of an artist day while I visited the used book store and a few craft stores before heading off to the spend the afternoon cleaning my very messy studio.

It was raining today but as I was heading to the car I saw that someone had left a lovely note in our Little Free Library thanking us for setting it up and keeping it so nice. It was a really nice surprise as I wasn’t sure how many people were using the library but it really made my day! They didn’t sing the note but I am so grateful to them.

My first stop was the used book store. I am very lucky to have an amazing one nearby and so I went in and left with a stack of books! Some are for my little library, some I plan to read and then add to the library and some are for my own collection. I will share a full shopping haul next week with my book club update.

After that I went to fabric store but they were closed because their power was out. I had wanted to buy some fabric to use as backing for a crazy quilt I’m making but it will have to wait for another time.

A stop at the library for, yes another book and then I found my way to the studio. The rain and chill had me looking forward to a cup of coffee and then I finally got down to the business of cleaning.

I also did a little shopping and I think for my birthday I am going to purchase some storage units for the studio. One will store items and also work as a great place to pack orders when I start offering physical products. The rest is to hide away all my supplies so the space feels much cozier and neater.

I also managed to get some work done on the dollhouse and film for tomorrow. All in all it was a really wonderful day!

I hope you enjoy watching the video. Please let me know if you like this sort of thing as I might add it to the regular rotation of videos.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Book Club August & September Reads

September 21, 2023 2 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links I may earn a small commission but you do not pay any more.

Today I am sharing what I have read in August & so far in September along with the books I hoping to finish reading this month.

It’s been a good reading month for me and I have found lots of great books and some new series. So here’s what I’m reading:

I finished Shady Hollow by Juneau Black (affiliate link) which I shared with you last month. I really enjoyed this book and I continued on with the series and finished book #2 which is Cold Clay. (affiliate link) Another cozy mystery only with animals as the characters. Super fun and imaginative!

I finished Once Upon a Broken Heart (affiliate link) as well and again, a great new series but this time falling under the YA fantasy genre.

I also finished Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie which was such a great mystery! I listened to it on audible and it kept me guessing back and forth the whole time.

Winterhouse by Ben Guterson which is a young fantasy series really captivated me and I have already purchased book #2 and cannot wait to read it. An orphan finds herself spending the holidays at a wonderful hotel and learns a lot about the mysteries of the hotel as well as some things about herself. I highly recommend this book.

I finished The Ogress and the Orphans (affiliate link) which I just loved. This book has all the feels of a classic to me with a town that was once perfect but now is far from it and at the heart of it’s hope is an ogress. Such a beautiful story.

Dear Mrs. Bird (affiliate link) was another book I finished this month. If you love historical fiction (this one taking place during WWII in London) then you may want to check this one out.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman (affiliate link) is another book I finished in September. Loved this imaginary world and the strange characters in it. I am on the hunt for my own copy to add to my bookshelf.

Lastly I finished Art Matters also by Neil Gaiman. (affiliate link) It’s a short collection of some of his thoughts on creativity combined with some beautiful illustrations. If you are a creative you definitely want to check this one out.

With just over a week left in September I have what might be a lofty reading goal but one that I definitely feel is doable. I am hoping to finish Katherine of Aragon the True Queen (affiliate link) by Sunday. I have been reading this book for a while and have run out of library renewals so I am hoping to finish it and purchase book#2 in the series. I am really enjoying it and looking forward to collecting (and reading) the whole series!

I am also working on “A Study in Murder” (affiliate link) which has all the cozy mystery vibes but taking place in the Victorian Era. So far I am already hooked by the story and the characters and hope I can finish it this week.

Lastly I am reading “The Fortnight in September” (affiliate link) which is all about a family’s annual trip to the seaside. So far I am really enjoying the story and the cast of characters. I am reading this one on my Kindle (affiliate link) and hope I am able to finish it by the end of the month.

So that’s my reading wrap up so far. I will be sharing my Victober list and my October/Halloween list with you next week. I have quite a few books on that list so we will see how it goes.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Video: Bible Journaling (No Artist Skills Required): Beginner Techniques

September 9, 2023 Leave a Comment

**I updated the video on this blog post since the other one seemed to have been cut off-sorry for any inconvenience!

I have been venturing into Bible Journaling lately. I have watched videos for years but never really felt like I knew how to get started myself. I wasn’t sure how to start being creative in my Bible. I shared recently some supplies I purchased to get started and I have been playing around with them in my home Bible. I’m not making amazing art or doing anything fancy. What I am doing is adding color, making notes, adding washi and texture. It’s a way for me to connect to the words in my own unique way.

I wanted to share a few simple ways you can begin to add your own expression to Bible time especially if maybe you don’t think you are artistic.

I also wanted to include simple, inexpensive materials so you can hopefully get started wherever you are.

One of my favorite tools is colored pencils. I have tried special highlighters meant for Bibles but they still bled through the page more than I liked. Colored pencils are great for highlighting. You can box in a paragraph, just a line and even make a few notes.

Another thing I have been doing is adding little washi tabs to the tops of the pages as I read them. I love texture so this is something that really makes my Bible feel more personal. I also add washi tape to the edges of the pages I am reading which gives instant color. If you don’t have washi you can add some decorative elements to some plain masking tape and I demonstrate that in my video below.

Next up I like to add decorative paper clips to the first page of the book I’m reading. I leave it when I am done too because, again I love texture.

In the video below I also share how I made a simple pocket using a scrap of decorative paper.

There are so many ways to add your own unique expression without having to draw or buy tons of supplies. Of course these ideas work whether you are into Bible Journaling or just looking to get started journaling at all. I hope you find some inspiration!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Book Club: Shop with Me, Used Book Haul

September 7, 2023 2 Comments

We are enjoying a vacation week. My husband took off for the week, our youngest is turning 5 this weekend and we are enjoying some time with friends and today I had a nice wander through the used book store.

I am so grateful to have quite a large used bookstore not far from me and I went for a little wander. I found so great books for the kids and for our Little Free Library that I’m excited to add. I also had stopped off at the local Dollar Tree and picked up a 2 books for the kids for our back to home school which is next week.

Later I learned that my son and I had each won a prize as part of our library’s summer reading program. We went there and signed my youngest up for her very first library card! September is Library Card Month and it’s always so much for me when my kids get their first library card.

So today, I thought I would share with you the books I picked up. Below are the books and for the ones I could find I shared the link if you would like your own copy. Most of these are affiliate links so if you make a purchase using one of these links I may earn a small commission but it does not cost you any more. I am also sharing my latest book tube video where I chat a bit more about the books.

I hope you are having a wonderful day!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

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