The Books I Read in 2017

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Reading is such a funny thing. I love to read, and I can get sucked into a good book. I often fall into book ruts, though, where I don't know what I want to read, nothing sounds good, or I start a few books and don't end up liking them much. I ended 2017 in a bit of a book rut, but looking back over the year, there were quite a few books I really enjoyed. I went back through my Amazon Kindle orders and the books I had checked out from the library last year to see what all I had read. Below is the full list as well as a brief thought on each.

A Quiet Life in the Country, In the Market for Murder, and Death Around the Bend by T E Kinsey

These are part of the Lady Hardcastle mystery series, and they were all fun reads. Lady Hardcastle and her trusty sidekick, Flo, are quirky, funny, and smart. The stories unfold quickly, and the mystery they are trying to solve is interesting and a bit unpredictable. These would be great for a relaxing weekend at home or for an easy read on vacation.

The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani

From the back cover of the book, "A riveting historical epic of love and family, war and loss, risk and destiny, inspired by the author's own family history, The Shoemaker's Wife is the novel Adriana Trigiani was born to write."

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. The writer does a wonderful job weaving the stories of Enza and Ciro over the course of many years without it feeling corny, and it certainly isn't predictable. I laughed, I cried. I thought it was beautifully written. It is definitely worth adding to your list if you like historical fiction or are looking for a beautiful love story.

The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin by Stephanie Knipper

This was hands-down my favorite book amongst those I read in 2017. I wrote a whole blog post about it, which you can read here — Book Review: The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin. Suffice it to say, I highly recommend it.

The 5th Wave, The Infinite Sea, and The Last Star by Rick Yancey

These are decidedly teen fiction in terms of the writing style and the unfolding of the love story between two of the main characters. That being said, the storyline of this post-apocalyptic world is unique and very well crafted. The author does a great job crafting the world and bringing you through it from both Cassie and Ben's perspectives. I was riveted from the beginning of the first book to the end of the third. If you like science fiction, this is worth reading.

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez

I don't remember where I heard about this book initially, but I came across it at the library one day and decided to pick it up. This description from Amazon is pretty explanatory of the plot.

"When fifteen-year-old Maribel Rivera sustains a terrible injury, the Riveras leave behind a comfortable life in Mexico and risk everything to come to the United States so that Maribel can have the care she needs. Once they arrive, it’s not long before Maribel attracts the attention of Mayor Toro, the son of one of their new neighbors, who sees a kindred spirit in this beautiful, damaged outsider. Their love story sets in motion events that will have profound repercussions for everyone involved. Here Henríquez seamlessly interweaves the story of these star-crossed lovers, and of the Rivera and Toro families, with the testimonials of men and women who have come to the United States from all over Latin America."

On the whole, I found the story interesting and generally well written. Parts of the book felt a bit choppy with the testimonials that were interspersed throughout. It was certainly an interesting perspective of what someone would experience and feel coming to America for the first time without knowing anyone or the language. The book was in no way political, just telling the stories of these people.

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

At the end of the summer I decided to dig into this dense classic. I was shocked at how enthralled I was with the storyline. I could not put it down. I would read whenever, wherever, which is saying a lot because it rounds out at close to a thousand pages. I can see how this book is an enduring classic, though. It is well-written, and honestly, it was not what I expected at all. Here's a synopsis from the Amazon page—"Gone With the Wind explores the depth of human passions with an intensity as bold as its setting in the red hills of Georgia. A superb piece of storytelling, it vividly depicts the drama of the Civil War and Reconstruction."

I have never seen the movie and had very little idea what the story was about. Needless to say, Scarlett O'Hara was an intriguing main character. I'm still not sure how I feel about her, but the author does an amazing job bringing you into her life and world. The main thing that struck me was getting a glimpse into the Civil War and Reconstruction from a southerner's perspective. Being born and raised in the Midwest, I had a very different take, and it was just enlightening and down-right fascinating.

All in all, the setting of the story is beautiful, the characters are well developed and interesting, and the plot line is engaging and well paced, especially considering the length of the book. This is definitely worth reading.

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

A large chunk of my year was spent re-reading through the Harry Potter series. I had read through book five as they were initially published. I thought I had read book six as well, but I realized as I started into it that I had never actually read it. I loved being transported back into the Harry Potter world, and it was fascinating to read the last two books, having seen the movies many times. I thought the last two books, especially book seven with the storylines being tied together and concluded was vastly superior to the movies (though I still love the movies very much). If you have never read these books and like fantasy, I highly recommend them to you. The first three are a bit corny, though endearing, but as the story really gets going in book four, you won't want to put them down.

So tell me, what did you read last year? Anything good?

Finn's Toddler Room

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Finn's room has come together over time, and I'm very happy with how it turned out. We finally got a 'big kid' bed for him, so I thought I would take a few pictures to share. In case you would like to see how the room has come together, you can check out my previous posts—Design Inspiration for a Toddler Boy's Room and Progress Update–Finn's Toddler Room.

I love that this room has a lot of pieces that hold special meaning to me. The bed frame my dad had refinished for me when I was a teenager, and I have always loved the style of it. Initially, I wanted a black iron frame bed for Finn, but I didn't want this frame to get ruined in the garage. I really like how it looks in his room, though, so it ended up working out.

My grandmother made the quilt, and the triangle blanket is from Target (although it looks like they don't sell it in the navy anymore). It's so soft.

The desk is an antique from my parents. Finn doesn't really use it right now, but I think it looks cute with his other stuff. I need to give that stool a sanding and fresh coat of paint.

It isn't my preference to have the bed in front of the window the way it is, but it allows for the best flow of the room. It also makes opening the curtains much easier than how we had it before.

The dresser was a Craigslist find a few years ago. I painted it a dark gray for Finn's room.

I like that the art ties together the blues, oranges, and yellows from throughout the room. The Animal World Map (to the left in the photo) was on my wishlist for a long time, and I'm so glad I got it. Finn loves animals, and it is just a happy print. It's from Little Universe Shop on Etsy, and you can print it in a variety of sizes to fit your space. I found the Cheetah and Lion images via Pinterest and printed them at home to fit my frames.

The panda lamp is from Target, and it still makes me smile every time I see it.

These Ikea shelves work so well for kid's books. I painted them the same white as the walls—Behr Polar Bear. The curtains are from Ikea as well.

If you saw my post, Things Finn Says, you know he loves animals. We keep a few of his beanie babies in his room in this basket, and then we have two other baskets in the living room. He loves to play '5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed' with them.

The rug is from Overstock. It was in our office area at our last house. I probably wouldn't have bought it for this space, but the color works surprisingly well with everything I had already picked out for the space.

The Sailboat Mobile hung over his crib at our last house. I like the sculptural element it adds to the room, and it gently spins when the furnace turns on. The rest of the art is a combination of thrifted pieces and prints I bought. The Be Brave and Be Bold prints are from Minted.

The 'Little Warrior' image, as I call it, is an image I found on Pinterest and printed at home. Finn's name means 'Little Warrior' so I thought this was a fun addition to his room.

Source List

Panda Lamp by Pillowfort | Mariam Curtains in Blue | Wire Basket with White Handles | Wall Rack for books | Triangle Blanket | Rug | “Be Brave” print | “Be Bold” print | Animal World Map | Sailboat Mobile | Little Warrior image | Cheetah image | Lion image

Chicken & Spinach Enchiladas with Homemade Enchilada Sauce

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Enchiladas are a favorite winter meal around here. I love the combination of flavors—the little bit of spice from the enchilada sauce is balanced nicely with the creamy chicken and spinach filling.

I used to buy canned enchilada sauce, but then I realized it isn't really that hard to make your own. I vastly prefer the homemade version and pretty much make it exclusively now. If you get it going first, it should be done by the time you are ready to fill your tortillas and put everything together.

Another tip I learned about making enchiladas—add some enchilada sauce to the bottom of the pan before adding the tortillas. This will help prevent the tortillas from sticking, and I think it helps a lot with getting the sauce flavor more integrated into the enchiladas. I usually add enough to lightly coat the whole bottom of the pan.

Cheesy Chicken & Spinach Enchiladas with Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients for the Enchilada Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 of a yellow onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press

1/2 cup chili powder

2 cups chicken broth/stock

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for the Enchiladas

3 tablespoons butter

2–3 chicken breasts, cut into small cubes

1/2 of a yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cups shredded cheese—I usually use Colby Jack or Cheddar depending on what I have

8 flour tortillas, small diameter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a medium sauce pan, make a batch of the enchilada sauce—Heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until it begins to soften (about 5 minutes). Stir in the garlic and continue cooking until the onion is translucent and soft (about 2 minutes more). Stir in the chile powder, and then add the broth, water, oregano, and salt. Bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes so it can thicken. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and add the chicken cubes. When the chicken cubes are mostly done, add the onion and garlic. Cook for several minutes until onion/garlic mixture is fragrant and chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken, onion, and garlic mixture to a large bowl and set aside.

In the same skillet that you just used for the chicken, add the last tablespoon of butter and the frozen spinach. Let cook over medium heat until it is completely defrosted and broken apart.

Add the spinach to the bowl with the chicken, onion, and garlic. Stir in the ricotta cheese, sour cream, and cheese. Mix until well combined.

In the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish, add a thin layer of enchilada sauce. Assemble your enchiladas one by one by spooning the filling into the center of the tortilla, rolling it up, and placing it seam side down in the dish.

Pour additional enchilada sauce over the top of each enchilada in the pan. I like to add quite a bit of the sauce so that it pools around the enchiladas. It thickens as it cooks and also gets slightly absorbed into each enchilada. Then, sprinkle the top of each enchilada with some additional cheese.

Bake for 25–30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is melted.

Serve hot out of the oven. Top with cilantro and avocado as desired.

House Goals for 2018

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At first it seemed silly to write out what projects I would like to complete around our house this year, but then it got me to thinking about what truly matters and what is a higher priority to complete. So it ended up being a helpful exercise. One thing I have to remind myself is that just because it would be nice to do doesn't necessarily mean it is worth it. This house likely isn't a long-term house for us, so I want to be realistic about what we do and don't do, especially if it is an aesthetic issue primarily. For example, many of the walls are a tan color. It isn't my favorite color, and I wish they were white, but they had been freshly painted right before we moved in, so it isn't really worth it to me to prioritize painting them. Perhaps someday I will paint them, but for now, I am decorating around it and fighting for contentment in it.

There are some projects, though, that need to be done, will add overall value to the home, or just add value to my day-to-day life because they bring me joy and allow our house to function better.

So, what am I hoping to complete in 2018?

DECORATE BABY GIRL'S ROOM

First up on the docket is to decorate Baby Girl's room. She is due in April, but I am hoping to get a lot of the room put together by the end of February / beginning of March so we don't have to scramble at the last minute.

I am working on a blog post with my inspiration for the space, but here is the high-level list of what needs to be done.

To do—

Paint walls white

Hang curtains

Art for walls including this print from Etsy

Paint crib (?)

Small side table, new lampshade, and this new rug

ADD SHELVES FOR BOOKS IN OFFICE AREA

All of our non-kids books are still in boxes because we don't have anywhere to put them. We have a great spot at the top of the stairs in our office area that would work perfectly; we mostly just need to buy the shelves and brackets and set aside the time to hang them. This is pretty high on my priority list because it will make our office function more efficiently, and it will just generally make the space less cluttered and messy.

"FINISH" OUR DINING ROOM

This is one of the rooms that has tan wall paint. I don't intend to paint right now, but I would like to add some other finishing touches so it feels more completed. None of these changes are urgent really, but I am itching to get them done and crossed off my list because they feel like 'easy' wins.

To do—

Reupholster our dining chairs with this fabric and get two new end chairs

Add art from Jenny's Print Shop—Hyacinth & Poppies, to be specific

Paint bench

Hang curtains

TWEAK LIVING ROOM

For the most part, our living room functions well, and I like how it has come together. I would like to switch out the loveseat that we have for a longer sofa that fits the style I'm going for a bit better. Also, the accent chair we have been using in the living room will get moved to the baby's room, so I will play musical chairs with a few other options I have around the house. Otherwise, the room needs some art and possibly another lamp for one of the corners that always seems dark. Besides switching out the loveseat, the other changes for this room are pretty low-priority for me.

To do—

Sell loveseat and replace with longer option

Switch around chairs

Lighting (?)

Art for walls

UPDATE FRONT EXTERIOR

The front and side doors of our house are currently red for a reason that will always befuddle me. The red does not go with any of the other colors used for trim and whatnot on the exterior of the house. I just wonder if the previous owners had read that a red door was popular or something and went with it. So, I would love, love, love to paint the doors this spring to better go with the rest of the home's exterior. On our long-term list, we would like to update the windows, paint the exterior trim, and get new gutters. Painting the front and side doors will be a nice hold-over until we get to those other items (probably next year). I'd also like to add some plants to the front garden so it doesn't look quite so bare.

To do—

Paint front and side doors

Replace lock hardware with something more modern

Replace front exterior light with dusk-to-dawn option (We put these on our garage last summer, and I really like them.)

Add hydrangeas to front garden

UPDATE BACK EXTERIOR

We started on the back patio last summer and have a few things to finish up. There was a small deck leading from our back door to the yard area, and whoever built it did not use exterior screws, so they had rusted through. We ended up taking the deck down entirely so it can be built properly, but we didn't have enough time before winter came to rebuild it. This is pretty high on the list once the ground unfreezes so that we can take advantage of the backyard for the summer and fall. Dylan also wants to build a picnic table for our patio, which I am very excited about.

To do—

Build deck

Build picnic table

Add a few plants around patio (?)

Build grill station (?)

REMOVE CARPET FROM BASEMENT STAIRS (AND PAINT THEM)

This project is pretty simple but mostly just tedious. I will probably tackle it after the baby comes and we get back to a little bit of a 'normal' schedule again. It's not high priority but would be so nice to get done.

IF BUDGET ALLOWS—

Switch out pedestal sink for ikea vanity in main floor bathroom

Finish drywall in laundry room

I'm hoping this list will help me stay on track and not let random projects creep in that end up using up our time and budget. I'd love to hear if you have any particular house projects you are working on this year!

My 'One Little Word' for 2018

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Have you heard of One Little Word? I came across it two years ago from listening to the Elise Joy podcast. Elise and Ali Edwards have a yearly conversation about their One Little Word, and it is always very interesting to listen to. You can find this year's conversation here. If you are curious about One Little Word, I recommend listening to it. It's a quick listen, and she links to a bunch of resources in her show notes for you to explore further.

The basic premise is that you pick a guiding word for the year. In my mind, it is like picking a theme that you use to guide you and your year.

I have never actually done it before. Last year I thought about a word but nothing really stood out to me, and then I pretty much forgot about it. As I've been thinking about this year, though, I've been thinking about how it would be nice to have a word to guide my goals and resolutions so they are a bit more cohesive.

For whatever reason, the word that has stuck out to me is DIG—as in Dig In, Dig Up, Dig Out. I particularly liked these definitions...

1) Break up & move earth with hands, a tool, or machine

2) Push, poke, prod, jab, or shove

3) Excavate

4) Bring out something hidden or stored

5) Search or rummage for

So, what do I want to dig into or dig up in 2018? Well, here's what I've been thinking about...

Dig into my relationship with God—

I've been thinking about the concept of abiding with God, particularly in the day-to-day things of life, and I want to spend some time reading verses from the Bible about that.

I also can easily get caught up in anger, anxiety, impatience, and general discontentment that swirls around in my heart. I've been thinking about this verse from 1 Peter 3:3–4—"Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." The part about the gentle and quiet spirit really stands out to me. I want to explore what that would look. I would like to read, "Keep a Quiet Heart" by Elisabeth Elliot to facilitate some more thoughts about that.

Dig / prod / poke / shove myself to live a more active lifestyle—

After the baby comes, consistently do my kettle bell workouts (which I had started before I was pregnant and really enjoyed).

Say "yes" to going for walks and playing outside with Finn.

Generally be more proactive about doing activities with Finn, especially ones that get us moving.

Part of this will involve digging up some bad lifestyle habits of choosing laziness, eating poorly, etc.

Dig into being a mom to two kids—

I have no idea what this will look like, but I definitely want to leave room that it will be a transition. It's just been Finn and I home for the last 3 years, so having a newborn is going to be quite a change. Plus, Finn will start preschool two days a week in the fall.

Dig out my painting skills and prioritize time painting regularly—

Rather than trying to learn a new creative hobby, I would like to dig out my painting skills and dust them off a bit. I haven't painted in years. It's definitely going to take some creative muscle stretching, but I think I'd like to start by painting some florals and landscapes. It will be a much looser style than I've done previously, and I'm feeling excited and inspired to try it out. I think I'm going to buy this desk easel and a pack of canvases so I don't have an excuse to keep me from jumping right in.

My one resolution, which doesn't really fit into the categories above, is to take better care of my skin. Primarily, this means washing my face and applying moisturizer at night and regularly wearing sunscreen. I'm pretty much the worst about washing my face when I'm tired and it's cold and the water is going to take forever to heat up. But, it's such an easy thing to do and takes very little effort in the grand scheme of things.

Do you make resolutions? Is there anything you are trying to focus on in 2018?