What Books Would You Choose?

Reading has been on my mind lately.  There seems to be an abundance of reading material and a shortage of time.  What if all the books were about to disappear and you were only allowed to keep a few of your favorites.  What would you choose to read time and again? 

I chose the list above based on what value they hold.  They weren't chosen because of their story, but what they teach me about human nature, relationships, and the expansiveness of cultures.  I think you can learn a lot about someone based on what their library shelves hold.  This list is very revealing. 

What would you choose?

Recycled Valentine Box

After writing the post yesterday I couldn't stop thinking about those valentine boxes from my school days. I decided to make a box to house all my valentines.  

I reused a box from something that came in the mail and wrapped it in craft paper.  I edged it with pretty washi tape, used two old sweater buttons, bakers twine from a Christmas gift, and a mailing label I picked up at an estate sale.  I embellished it with a few stamps and scrap paper and now I have a valentine box that I can later use to wrap a gift.  

Happy Valentine's Day

Vintage Valentines

One of my favorite holidays in grade school was Valentine's Day.  We always had a class party and exchanged valentines.  Each student made their own mail box to receive their goodies.  I wish I could get my hands on a few of my old boxes.  A lot of thought and love went into them.

I still find it fun to give valentines, and recycled valentines are some of the best.  They are colorful, charming, and very unique.  These are a few of my favorites. 

With such sweet sentiments you are bound to make your intended valentine sweet on you. 

Once again it is the season

So a valentine I'll send, 

And I'll whisper you the reason, 

I love you, my little friend.

Make A Map Pin Board

It's Friday and the weekend is here.  I'm off to Kansas City and even though it's a quick visit, I'm excited to be getting out of town.  I love to travel, especially with cc.  There is something to be said for packing a bag and immersing myself into another city, another way of life.  Since I document everything I created a travel map a while ago.  This is a project that I made for cc to mark all of our destinations. We both enjoy traveling and I thought a visual representation of a map would be an interesting conversation piece.  I was inspired by Josh Turner's song Would You Go With Me.  

The map is backed with a sheet of cork board that is mounted onto a white board for stability.  The legend was created by doing a rubbing onto clear contact paper.  I used a red paint wash with stencils to apply the words and then I varnished the entire map.  I then had it framed without the glass.  

I use map pins that I found at the office supply store to mark all the places we've traveled alone and together, and our birth places are flagged.  I didn't realize we'd traveled so many places and I ran out of pins.  


It's been a great geography lesson for my favorite girls.  They like to look at it and hear stories about each individual pin.  I'm hoping that one day we can add pins for trips with the two of them.

I'm thinking my next map project will be with a globe to mark all of our international travel. I'd better get busy and get on a plane.  Are you off to somewhere fun this weekend? How do you document your travel?