We’ve just returned from a family reunion this weekend at Backbone State Park in Iowa. It was a lovely trip, but we’re glad to be home too.
I’m feeling a bit… overwhelmed, trying to get back into the rhythm of things. Do you ever feel this way? Already today I have overnighted a package to a magazine for a fun project in the works, invoiced an overseas customer for a bulk order from the shop, processed five other Pink Loves Brown orders, and I am now working on a crafty tutorial to go along with that package I shipped to the magazine. I also let Eleanor nap on me this morning which didn’t do much for my productivity, but it is one of my favorite things to do. Anyway, it’s wonderful to be so busy (so much better than not having any work coming in), but it is sometimes difficult to find enough hours in a day.
And oh my, Brandon bought The Twilight Saga for me. No, I hadn’t read any of them, and I hadn’t seen any of the movies, and I hadn’t intended to. We were discussing the series the other day though and I mentioned that I hadn’t heard of anyone being disappointed in reading the books. I said that while they are certainly not serious literature, they must be fun to read. So he surprised me with the full set. Hardcover. Complete with a decorative slipcase and limited edition print. I’m already almost finished with the first book (they go quickly), and I can’t wait to keep reading.
I’ve also been greatly enjoying reading your questions for John Gidding. If you haven’t added yours yet (for the chance to win some pretty amazing prizes), feel free to do so here. We’ll be answering as many as we can on Thursday night at 8:30 EST during our Twitter Chat (follow along with #AmexHome), but you’ve also given me some ideas for future topics here on Making it Lovely.
Let me leave you with this photo today. I think it’s hilarious, but it also makes me think I should just stop for a few minutes, close my eyes, and relax. Om…
Ludmila {creamylife.com}
July 26, 2010 at 3:09 pmE has make up? That’s so cute!!! She looks here like “please don’t touch me, I have eye shadow” :)
Making it Lovely
July 26, 2010 at 3:10 pmHa, it does sort of look like that, doesn’t it? I just happened to catch her mid-blink in a beam of sunshine.
jenny V.
July 26, 2010 at 3:10 pmHaha!! Oh my goodness, I desperately needed this cute picture today… feeling overwhelmed too. Inhale… Exhale…
Nichole @ Sparrows Nest
July 26, 2010 at 3:11 pmSounds like you had a wonderful weekend. I recommend not having any plans once you start reading Twilight…it’s VERY hard to put down. Literally, read all FOUR books in a week. Yeah, it’s that good. Enjoy! And let us know what you think once finished. I always love a new convert, especially since I never thought I would be one myself.
Christine
July 26, 2010 at 3:18 pmEveryone needs a little reading “fluff” in their life – I can guarantee you will not be disappointed with the Twilight series. Happy Reading!!
Alison
July 26, 2010 at 3:19 pmI read all the Twilight books and I DID find them disappointing. I’d HIGHLY recommend you exchange them for The Hunger Games, which is a way better young adult trilogy.
Diane
July 26, 2010 at 3:40 pmLol, I’m totally with Alison. I love YA fiction, and I’m totally up for fluff, but I HATED Twilight. I barely made it through the first book. I just really couldn’t stand the heroine. And the relationship seems more stalkery and unhealthy than romantic to me. But I totally love Harry Potter, so who am I to judge? :)
Michelle
July 29, 2010 at 1:23 pmA big “heck yes” to everything you said Diane.
I can’t do Twilight. I tried. I got 2/3’s through the third book and packed it in. Too cheesy, wordy and the Bella/Edward relationship makes me want to send them to couple’s therapy.
Kristen
July 26, 2010 at 3:43 pmI did the same thing! I needed a fun beach read for the summer and decided to do the Twilight series. I borrowed the books from friends so there was no true commitment if I ended up hating them! They go quick – Book 1 was good, 2 was Ehh, 3 is THE BEST ONE, and right now I’m in the middle of 4… which is like, WHAT THE?! She definitely jumps the shark in the last book. But its fun to now know what the heck everyone was so ga ga over.
Loren
July 26, 2010 at 3:46 pmYeah, I too was disappointed with the Twilight saga. In all fairness I only read the first book.
I look to Charlene Harris and the Sookie Stackhouse series for all my vampire themed reading fluff. (That’s the Trueblood books but the books are SO much ‘lighter’ than the gory TV show.)
Shanon
July 26, 2010 at 3:48 pmHaha, that’s cute that he bought you those books. Most of my friends thought they were horrible. But I suppose if you go in not expecting Steinbeck, you should be just fine. ; )
Kj
July 26, 2010 at 4:04 pmhmmm… now I did read all of the books but I did kind of think they were a little… wordy, it was pretty clear that this was a first time author. But, I did enjoy the story and it is nice to have a good quick read especially with a little one around… don’t I know!
MomnivoresDilemma
July 26, 2010 at 4:26 pmPerhaps, after finishing the series, you could do an imaginary take on a Twilight Room?
Just in time for Halloween…
Jenny
July 26, 2010 at 4:31 pmTwilight! I had no interest initially, got all four from the library, and couldn’t put them down. Stayed up ’til 4 am at times, and finished them all in under a week. And I have three kids! How did I manage that? I don’t know. But I loved them. And I didn’t expect that I would. The movies, however, are no where near as good, and rather frustrating, in that the depth of the emotion, not to mention how they are narrated from a point-of-view, does not come across well. I loved the details; I think Stephenie is an eloquent writer.
Team Edward!! :)
Licia
July 26, 2010 at 4:33 pmI can completely relate. It’s been a slow couple of years and, as the economy is picking up, so is my workload and I’m having to adjust to the higher volume. I am happy, but overwhelmed!
Starlet
July 26, 2010 at 4:34 pmOMG! That is the most adorable picture and makes want to go “OMM” too!
We all deserve some “OM” moments!
Alana
July 26, 2010 at 4:39 pmI think it’s just in the air today. It’s one of those “where is my head” kind of days.
Michelle
July 26, 2010 at 4:47 pmI was the same way, had no intention of reading the twilight saga, but then, somehow, it happened and I just have to say…You will LOVE the Twilight books! They are awesome!! 3 and 4 are definitely the best!! I couldn’t put them down! Welcome to the madness :)
Hannah
July 26, 2010 at 4:52 pmThat is so awesome! I grew up ten minutes from Backbone, I actually got engaged in the auditorium, and had our engagement and family pictures taken there! Small world :)
Jane
July 26, 2010 at 5:17 pmWhat lovely blog entry. Thank you for being such a source of inspiration to wannabe small business owners.
liz @ bon temps beignet
July 26, 2010 at 5:52 pmbahahaha, cute pic
Alicia
July 26, 2010 at 6:07 pmOh, I liked the Twilight books. They didn’t change my life or anything, but they were entertaining reading. I think they appeal to the 16 year old girl inside all of us. :) The movies on the other hand… ugh. (in my opinion, only, of course!)
Spending a morning with a baby napping on you sounds wonderful. I try to do that often. Very cute picture of Eleanor, btw.
I’m curious to see what your tutorial/magazine project are going to be!
Jules
July 26, 2010 at 6:25 pmSomething like Twilight is what you need when you’re stressed. I agree with everyone else: if you go into it expecting fluff, you’ll have fun. If you’re looking for something to add to the Western canon, move along. This isn’t Chekhov.
There isn’t much fluff I like, but I loved Twilight. (Most of the time.) I have a few of the Sookie books, too, but since I’m not a vampire fan, they don’t do much for me. Same goes for the young adult genre as a whole. I think Twilight was a freak fluff moment for me. Me, and about 85 million other people.
Ellen
July 26, 2010 at 6:40 pmShe is precious Miss E!!
Laurie
July 26, 2010 at 7:02 pmWhen my babies were little (they are now 15 and almost 18 years old!!!), letting them sleep on me was my favorite thing to do, too. I so miss that. Take every chance you get to do that and enjoy every last precious minute because, OMG do they grow fast
Ommmmm!!!!
Jenni
July 26, 2010 at 7:23 pmHow gorgeous is that pic of your little girl? She really does look like she is meditating…
My boyfriend gave me the twilight books for xmas one year, I think because he ran out of time and ideas, I enjoyed most of them. I devoured book 1 and 2 but I really struggled through book 3 and if I hadn’t already had 4 waiting I doubt I would have finished it. Be sure to track down the unpublished half of book 4 that Stephanie Meyer put up on the web.
The Sookie Stackhouse novels are a scream! Like twilight for grownups. The Anita Blake novels are also good if you are into all the supernatural stuff.
April Johnson
July 27, 2010 at 5:18 pmI love the Sookie novels, too.
Rachael
July 26, 2010 at 8:20 pmThe way Twilight ends totally sucks. 400 pages leading up to a war and then they call a truce? No thank you!
aussie jo
July 27, 2010 at 1:35 amHey, nice one….. Nicole just said she’d started reading the books – you can’t tell her how they end!
( if, of course that is how it ends – haven’t read them myself)
Making it Lovely
July 27, 2010 at 8:53 amI know!
eyeseepretty
July 26, 2010 at 8:37 pmLoved the Twilight books but did not like the movies….In terms of vampires, I much prefer True Blood!
Shunte'
July 26, 2010 at 8:55 pmSuch a cute picture. We should all take a lesson from her and take any moment we can to relax a bit.
lauren
July 27, 2010 at 12:51 amI loved the books…quick and easy reads…the movies were awful.
Janette
July 27, 2010 at 2:32 amI agree, they are exciting books to read. I’ve never read a book so fast in my life.
Love the pic, so cute! And love the rug. Where did you get it?
Audra
July 27, 2010 at 6:45 amLoved the Twilight books. I always chuckle at people who didn’t enjoy them, can’t wait to tell you how much they didn’t enjoy them but read all 4. Ha. They are a great guilty pleasure. The movies aren’t near as good as the books but that doesn’t mean I haven’t seen all three that have been released!
Make sure to update on twitter as you read! :)
RisaJ
July 27, 2010 at 7:48 amI love this picture! I need to “om” at least once a day! Keep up the good work. Your blog is awesome.
luuve
July 27, 2010 at 8:04 ami totally feel you on this blog entry today..i was feeling the exact same yesterday..OVERWHELMED…
it is very nice to let your baby girl sleep on you..it was always my favorite thing to do when my son was a baby…:)…
sometimes i let him climb into bed with me during nap time..and i just think about the old days..he is 6 now and wants nothing to do with “special time” as we used to call it…booo him! lol
Sara @ EF eDesigns
July 27, 2010 at 8:09 amMeet Me. The one person who WAS disappointed in the Twilight books! I did read them all, but could not see what all the hype was about. I didn’t mind the story, but the writing was terrible! It lacked depth and development. But I do recommend reading The Millenium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson. Also fluff reading, but very well written and suspenseful!
Amandelin
August 4, 2010 at 3:02 pmME TOO. Though I minded both the story and the writing.
Carrie
July 27, 2010 at 8:44 amOh, Twilight! Like you, I had not read the books or seen the movies or had any intentions of doing either until a few months ago. After yet another recommendation from a friend, I picked up the first book for a fun summer read. I wasn’t disappointed. I finished the entire series in less than a week–I couldn’t stop. The books are a fun little escape. Enjoy!
P.S. Such an adorable photo!
amyks
July 27, 2010 at 8:59 amNot into Twilight, but I do love that picture of your darling girl. Too sweet!
Nuit
July 27, 2010 at 10:36 amoh this is the MOST adorable image of a baby I have EVER seen! Eleanor is such a doll! xoxo
Rose Campion
July 27, 2010 at 11:29 amHate to say it, but another Twilight hater here. I didn’t expect anything but fluff, but I like my fluff to be engaging, with a main character I actually liked. I gave the book 100 pages and then gave up on it when it became clear it wouldn’t get better.
Holly Marie Gibbs
July 27, 2010 at 11:47 amI have to say that reading the Twilight series has been a guilty pleasure of mine :) While they aren’t great works of literature, they’re entertaining and enthralling. Just watch out, because I found myself reading at 3am when I got really into them!
Tanya Bryan
July 27, 2010 at 1:57 pmI’ve been an avid reader of your blog and can’t say enough how much i love love your style, thoughts, musings and just being able to get a glimpse into your uber creative mind. I also have a daughter (Audrey) who’s a month older than Eleanor so it’s been fun watching her grow (they do grow up so fast). As always, she looks darling in this photo. Also read the entire Twilight series and it’s definitely fluff but a fun way to escape when you just need a breather.
You inspire me! Keep up the great work!
Miss B
July 27, 2010 at 3:12 pmAgreed, stop and breathe sounds good to me:) Congrats on all the excitement you have in the works! Brandon sounds like one good hubby, hardcover + slipcase?
indie.tea
July 27, 2010 at 3:56 pmYour little girl is SO beautiful…her eyelids are so pretty!
crash pad girl
July 27, 2010 at 4:30 pmYou should frame that picture and put it in your studio.
So whenever your’re stressed you can have a reminder of what’s really important,and it will make you remember to Breathe! So cute.
Vania
July 27, 2010 at 5:49 pmyoooga timmmeeeee….ooommm….. :)) she’s so pretty!!!
Ivy
July 27, 2010 at 8:00 pmOh I love this photo! So adorable. Kids really do teach us to live in the present moment…not an easy feat for a busy mom! Thanks to my little one, I am doing it more often. Love your blog! Keep up all your wonderful work!
xo
p.s. I LOVED the Twilight saga books. Pure pleasure. :)
emily
July 27, 2010 at 9:16 pmYes, it is good to be busy. But don’t ever be too busy to take those sweet naps with your darling little one. There always has to be time for that!! Too soon she’ll be grown…
charity
July 28, 2010 at 12:44 amok so, i think it would be fun for us all to guess if you are “team edward” or “team jacob” when you are done.
Ashley
July 28, 2010 at 10:48 amOh my, that is exactly how I am feeling lately. We just got back from a Family reunion in Michigan, and even though we’ve been home for a week, I’m still struggling to catch up with everything and unpack with an infant and a toddler to care for as well. This taught me to use the email auto-reply when I go out of town. Now I have to catch up on wholesale orders and blog posts I had intended to write.
As far as Twilight goes, I haven’t read it or seen it, and I resist it mostly because it is so popular. Weird how that works, psychologically. I was the same way with Harry Potter though, and now I have seen all the movies and read all of the books, and at 25 years old it is my guilty pleasure :)
Jaimie
July 28, 2010 at 11:05 amAnother one here who picked up the Twilight book for some light reading and found it really bad. I could appreciate that it was total teen wish-fulfillment fantasy (gorgeous, unavailable guy falls totally in love with new, awkward girl!) but the writing is SO amateurish and bad. Edward “snickers” on every other page (so not sexy).
Sid
July 28, 2010 at 12:19 pmWhat a sweet sweet face. The best part of babies is learning from them how to take time so slow down and savour things. Like shared naps. Oh and ignore the haters and detractors, the Twilight Series is some of the finest brain-candy literature of the last century. Just beware how easily they take over your life until you finish them.
Joy_UK
July 28, 2010 at 2:09 pmOk that is the most adorable picture ever.
but what I really wanted to say was: OMG Where did you get that rug/runner? It’s absolutely gorgeous! I am in love.
Bridget
July 28, 2010 at 11:02 pmShe is so precious!! This is my favorite photo of her yet!! Her features look so soft and perfect . . . quite pretty! It looks like she is getting tall . . . or is it just the angle of the picture? How great for her to have such a great collection of photos for her to see when she is older . . . Does she have her own blog yet?
angie
July 28, 2010 at 11:46 pmYou know, I’ll be the first to admit I thought I was waaay to high brow for the Twilight Saga, but I read them all, and loved them all. I really did. Enjoy some fun summer reading!
deanna
July 29, 2010 at 1:11 pmThat little girl of yours is just too adorable.
I loved the Twilight books … and I really can’t say why. They aren’t High-Lit and they aren’t very well written. I like the term “brain candy” above. But there is something strangely alluring about the story.
I too love the Hunger Games. The third one comes out very soon and I am looking forward to it.
Kait
July 31, 2010 at 9:40 amMy sister is a young adult librarian so I get wind of all the YA books that are interesting for adults too. I loved the Twilight books when they first came out, but the last book kind of “jumped the shark” for me. They are still good for fun, summer reading if you can overlook some of the clunky writing. I agree with the suggestion of the Hunger Games books. AMAZING. The last one, Mockingjay, comes out at the end of August! Also, Graceling by Kristin Cashore was really, really good. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher is also supposed to be a good fantasy book like Hunger Games. Ok, I’ll stop now. Enjoy the vampires and wolves!
Oonafey
August 3, 2010 at 6:35 pmUm, yeah… I had absolutely no interest in reading the Twilight series (even though I am a die-hard fan of the “chick-lit does supernatural” genre). Then my damn aunt went and bought the first one for me for Christmas. I read it in two sittings and went out the next day and bought the set.
I am still not a fan of the movies. I also do not understand the Robert Pattinson thing. I think he looks like he has a mild case of Down Syndrome.
Amandelin
August 4, 2010 at 3:07 pmI’ll chime and be one of the people in the vast minority who does *not* like Twilight. While I’m glad it’s getting people reading (…I suppose), I have major problems with the writing, characterization, and prevalent themes in the stories. First of all, Meyer relies *really* heavily on adverbs, which are generally the weakest part of the English language. I only got through about a quarter of the first one before I got too ridiculously frustrated to continue and put it down.
That aside, I have a lot of discomfort with how the Bella/Edward love story is being touted as the “most romantic thing ever.” What we have, essentially, is an insecure teenage girl who gets COMPLETELY OBSESSED with a guy she has known for basically a week, and is willing to give up her entire life for him. Literally, she is willing to *die* so that they can “be together.” I’m just really not sure we should be telling teens and pre-teens that perfect love involves that massive of a power imbalance and that being in love equals wanting to LITERALLY DIE if you cannot be with your boyfriend.
Not to mention that Papa Cullen apparently got his penetrative sexual metaphor necking on with attractive teenagers. Does no one else have a problem with that? Because I do.
Michelle
August 22, 2013 at 6:18 pmHello, been reading your blog, love the MIY ideas/series. I know this is an old post but ugh, I am one who hated Twilight. Sorry! I heard so much about it so I put myself on the waiting list at the library. I read half the first one until I couldn’t stand it any more. I typically love to read easy brain candy type books. Right now I am reading Karen Robards, and those are absolutely not high literature.
Your husband is a brave man — I never spend money on a book unless I know for sure I will love it. I’m a big fan of the library. (And OH MY does OP have a fantastic library!!!!)
Since you own them in hardcover, hoping they were a great investment! Maybe I should try them again. After all, I didn’t like Harry Potter either and then I managed to read 5 of the books the 2nd time I tried them… hmm.