…an update on the book that I am reading with my friend. (I know, you are so excited right now!)
First, I want to thank Elisabeth for sharing her hack for adding color to her cheeks (I feel like I should use the Canadian spelling of “colour” in order to properly honor her suggestion… :>): using a bit of lipstick for color on her cheeks. I think this might actually work for me – I always look a bit TOO red when I use actual blush, but this seems like it might be more subtle. Now… to determine if I actually own a lipstick. Ha.
The book update! I finally heard back from my friend last night and… she got about halfway through, life got busy, and she hasn’t picked it up since. LOL. I think I’m going to suggest abandoning ship on this one. And! I had a thought this morning – please weigh in if you have read this book. I was thinking about suggesting Ann Patchett’s These Precious Days. Essays by someone whose books I have always wanted to read? it appeals to me, for sure. But please weigh in if you’ve read it – do you think it would be good for this kind of buddy-read-and-discussion?
And now, my random question… last evening, as I walked down to the mailboxes, it occurred to me that I am the only person on my hallway who does not have a mat outside their apartment door. This is a small thing but… I’m starting to think I should add one (I have one inside for wet shoes, etc.). Do I get a holiday one, as it’s the holiday season? Or a year round one? And, any suggestions? Quirky? Standard? Boring? (I was leaning towards boring but maybe I should try to show a hint of personality??) This does bring up another question… why am I thinking so hard about a door mat? 😉
I just finished rereading These Precious Days and it was even better on the second read. So I highly recommend it!
You don’t have one lipstick? You need to rectify this situation!
Also a door mat is really a necessity in the winter, at least here. I have a plain one but I love seeing cute and interesting door mats.
I knew my lack of lipstick would shock some people. Other than this stick thing I found this morning (not entirely sure where I got it, or when…) I have… nothing. Oh wait! Tinted chapstick. Does that count? 🙂
I have the mat inside the apartment that I step on when my shoes are icky (and I do not wear shoes in the apartment) but it would be nice to spiff up the outside a bit, too.
Thanks for the book rec!
I vote for a non-boring mat, and possibly a few seasonal ones to change out. What do I have at my house? A boring mat.
I know everyone loves Ann Patchett, but I haven’t been able to get into her. It’s one of those things where I feel like I *should* read her and I’m sure that some day I will, but Commonwealth was a 2x DNF for me. I DNF’d it in chapter 1 the first time, forgot about it, picked it up again and realized in the middle of chapter 1 that it wasn’t grabbing me and also that I’d tried to read it before. So the question is, if I did want to give her another chance, which book should I pick?
Are you living vicariously through my mat contemplations? I am leaning towards fun, but we’ll see what I decide. (Heading to Target this weekend, and may brave the floor mats if I can find them, LOL.)
Thanks for the head’s up on Ann Patchett. I might download the sample and see what I think, first. Or, see if I have something else of hers that I can test out for writing style.
I wish I’d spent more time thinking about our door mat, to be honest. It just says Hello!, which is fine, but it’s generic and doesn’t really reflect who I am. There are fun welcome mats out there (Read books. Stay weird. Be Kind.) and I want one, but I have a perfectly functional one, so you know I’m not going to buy another one.
I use something called benetint (from the Benefit Cosmetics line) for lip color and blush. I love products that can do double duty!
I think you and Beckett/Birchie are living vicariously through my door mat ponderings. 😉 I am leaning towards quirky, if that helps!
And hmmm. That Benetint sounds like it might be better than the weird stick I dug up that is an odd color and doesn’t look that great. (I tried it this morning, I really did!)
Yes, that DOES sound like a perfect book for that purpose!! 5 Below has cute holiday mats for $5! I got one, and it feels like a very low commitment purchase.
Oooh, I was heading down that way at some point soon – so might have to bump that trip up the priority list (I need the 1/2 price bookstore to drop off a crazy number of books that are taking up too much space…).
Ann P is hit and miss for me (but I loved The Dutch House), but These Precious Days was an excellent book for me! Loved it.
I don’t have a door mat. Don’t overthink it – if you don’t want/need one, no pressure to buy one my friend!
True… I DO tend to overthink things, as you know! If I find something fun, I’ll get it. If not, I’m not going to stress about it.
And thanks for the insights into your experiences with Ann P. 🙂
Oh…and the only reason I have lipstick is for my cheeks. I NEVER – ever – wear it on my lips!
And thanks for the Canadian spelling nod 🙂
I just kept thinking, it’s just wrong to use “color” when replying to Elisabeth. 😉
And that’s hilarious about the lipstick only for your cheeks! I have lipstick issues (ha) related to my mother forcing it on me in HS. Thank goodness she doesn’t comment on my hair or lack of makeup anymore. Well, at least not as much. 🙂
I love that you’re thinking about quirky doormats! Yes! Bring some joy into your life.
I would probably not go with a holiday theme (because then you need a second one come January), but something with a quirky saying is nice… ours says ‘Home Sweet Home’ and I am thinking about replacing it soon with something else (we had it for a while).
There are some fun ones out there!
Good point about holiday vs. just regular old quirky. (You might like this one that someone in this building had a few years ago…but man, $60??)
I shall keep my eyes open (Target’s options are… kinda boring, to be honest!)
I do have various door mats… I have a fall themed one, a Christmas one, and then sort of a generic one that I use for the rest of the year. I enjoy switching it out! And since they don’t get used ALL year, they do last for quite a long time before the elements eventually wear them out.
Oh, that’s a good point about less wear on the mats when you switch them out frequently. My challenge, of course, is storage space (as in, not a lot). I’ll have to keep pondering…
I’ve never read These Precious Days so I can’t say if it’s a good option.
BUT DOORMATS. I have a lot to say there. I have a Christmassy doormat that I put out with my holiday decor (would you expect anything less of me?!) and then I like to swap out to a new doormat at the beginning of every year. My doormat currently says “Come In & Cozy Up” and I think it’s time retire that one for something new in a few months. 🙂 Target always has great options!
OK, I like this approach, too – seasonal rotation without TOO much investment. Ponder, ponder. I definitely want to go beyond boring, as this is inside. I don’t need to worry about wear and tear. I’ll check out Target, though – thanks!
Late to the party,but yes yes yes, read Ann Patchett! These Precious Days or anything and everything else!
I have never put lipstick on my cheeks and the thought of the texture kind of grosses me out, but I don’t really feel the need to put colour on my cheeks anyway. They are Disney chipmunk-ish and do NOT need additional attention drawn. Interested to see if you liked it, though.
I’m still delaying on the whole cheek color thing… I tried this, well, “stick” thing I had lying around (no idea when I bought it or where) and it was kind of weird. So I’m pondering. I know – critical information. HA!
Thanks for the Ann Patchett recommendation! Turns out I have the book on my iPad so can check it out a bit before recommending that as an option to my friend.