Yesterday was my 37th birthday! Happy birthday to me! It was a good day filled with food and family. Since our family likes to celebrate birthdays over multiple days, birthday “weekend” kicked off on Friday. The boys presented me with flowers and cards when I woke up. We picked up Chipotle for lunch, Crumbl Cookies for dessert, and Papa Murphy’s pizza for dinner. Part of the birthday celebration was not having to cook this weekend! Yesterday, Jeremy and the boys grabbed my free Starbuck drink and a Safeway maple bar for breakfast. We had mac and cheese and chocolate cake for lunch with my parents and sister. Then dinner was tacos and cranberry bliss bars with my in-laws. Now we’re living off the leftovers as we relax over this long weekend!
Books are big part of my birthday celebration as well! I’ve reached an age where my gifts come in envelopes and I’m totally okay with that. I’ve had a blast online book shopping this weekend. I love, love, love growing my home library. I’m super excited to share more about my new books at the end of the month in my book post. I will share two book highlights now, because my joy really can’t be contained!
Book highlight number one, my pre-ordered, signed copy of Roseanna M. White’s new book, Yesterday’s Tides, arrived on Thursday. This was an unexpected treat since the book doesn’t officially release until the 24th. I was able to read it Friday into Saturday and I absolutely loved it! Finishing it on my birthday felt like a gift. I was enthralled with the duel timeline set in WWI and WWII. It was a mysterious puzzle to see how the first timeline affected the second. A very compelling read! I also love that White included cameos of characters from her previous historical fiction works in this novel. It was like bumping into good friends. I couldn’t ask for a better way to wrap up my birthday!
My second book highlight involves our new coffee table. In 2021, I read The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables: The Enchanting Island that Inspired L. M. Montgomery by Catherine Reid. I thought to myself that if we ever had a coffee table this book would go on it. Well, we got a coffee table, so I ordered the book! The beautiful Prince Edward Island landscapes that showcase the world of L.M. Montgomery practically make me heartsick. It’s a dream of mine to roam these spaces in-person someday. After studying L.M. Montgomery over the years, I’ve been deeply moved by her sense of place and belonging, especially in nature. Her friendship with the trees and flowers has colored my own view of home. On my walks around our house, I can’t help but admire our landscape, especially our trees, and feel a sense of companionship. Also, fun fact, I remove dust jackets from books and the foil art on this book is such a delight! The best kind of surprise reveal!
I’ve enjoyed styling our new coffee table. It’s been the project of the week. I pulled out the nice chess set the boys got for their birthday and set it up on the lower shelf. Beside the chess set, I have a beautifully illustrated nature poetry book (The Lost Words), a Where’s Waldo book (for fun), and my new PEI landscapes book. On top of the table, I found a tray to hold our remotes, coasters, and a fake plant to finish the look (I have no desire to keep real plants alive, not my skill set).
As you can tell, it’s been a lovely birthday weekend. I’m looking forward to the rest of this long weekend filled with comfy clothes, tasty leftovers, and plenty to read! I can’t wait for all my book mail to arrive so I can share the official birthday haul with you all soon!
Amy Scott's Thoughts 