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Showing posts from June, 2018

The TBR Tag {UPDATED}

I have already done this tag but I thought hey, why not revisit it? Link here!
My TBR has most definitely changed since then sooo......enjoy!


#1 How do you keep track of your TBR?
Still Goodreads!

#2 Is your TBR mostly print or e-book?
I still much prefer print books. I have read few books via e-book and it was ok, but devices have batteries and batteries run out. Print books don't!

#3 A book that's been on your TBR the longest?
Janette Oke's Canadian West series, otherwise known as When Calls the Heart.
One day, Hannah, one day...


#4 A recently added book to your TBR?
This one, that I actually added today!


#5 A book on your TBR strictly because of the cover?
The Librarian of Auschwitz. I mean come on! Isn't it gorgeous?


#6 A book on your TBR you don't plan on reading?
Um, I try to only put books I positive that I'll read on there so I have no real answer for this.


#7 An unpublished book on your TBR that you're excited for?
Kristen and Bethany Baird, authors of Girl Defined & Love Defined, have mentioned they are writing their third book. Though it's not on my Goodreads TBR (because they don't have a publishing date yet) but it's on my mental TBR.


#8 A book on your TBR that everyone's read but you?
*wails dramatically* I STILL haven't read this! I saw the movie before I finished reading it. I started and got a few pages in and then I had to return it to the library.


#9 A book that everyone recommends to you?
This one. Ok, not quite everyone recommended it to me but a few people have. I love Leslie's podcast and Eric's messages are often convicting so I would like to read this book at some point.


#10 A book on your TBR that you're dying to read?
THIS BOOK! OH MY I REALLY WANT TO READ IT! I own a copy but I have to finish two other books first. (sorry not sorry about the caps)


#11 How many books are on your TBR shelf?
(and this is after 'cleaning it up'!)


You are welcome to do this tag! Whether you have never done it or maybe you want to revisit it too!

xoxo
Hannah

June Favourites


It's halfway through the year and my birthday is just around the corner! I can't wait till Spring. So I know I missed last months favourites post but I'm back and I have some June favourites to share.


Books

Island Dreamer by Robin Jones Gunn
I am nearly finished reading it at the time of writing this. Paula is annoying. It's...dreamy and makes me wish it was summer here. Hawaii sounds deliciously full of sunshine and sand! I told my mum that this book made me want to go to Hawaii, and she replied that there were volcanos erupting at the moment! Not sure anymore!
I even found a bracelet that says 'Forever'!



Music/Podcasts

This month I discovered lots of new music so I have dedicated a whole post to go in depth and share my recent finds, but here I just share a couple. I also started listening to some podcasts and loved them.

Corduroy Road by Adam Young ~ I listened to this a lot a while ago and then this month rediscovered it. I still love it just as much.

Christy Nockels ~ You'll see in my music post that I love her songs. Check her out!

TBP Podcast ~ The Bible Project podcast cast is great though it requires a little more concentration than some. I listened to the first episode in their poetry series and it was amazing.

Set Apart Girl ~ Dressing with Dignity, How to make Prayer a Priority & Feminine Mystery were my faves! Leslie Ludy is an amazing source of wisdom for women in this day and age. 


Movies

Paddington 2
This was the second time we have watched it because it is just too good not to! It's vibrant, funny, and sweet. I love how colourful it is. The characters are gold and Hugh Grant (aka Phoenix Buchanan) is hilarious. You really must see it if you haven't already. It will forever be a favourite for me.

The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells
These two act together in When Calls the Heart as Rosemary and Lee Coulter and they are just as hilarious and sweet in this movie. Loved it!



Photos I Took



Spiderwebs are truly a magnificent display of God's design and beauty. Aren't they stunning? They always look more lovely when covered in dew.

And so concludes June 2018! What was your fave book this month?

xoxo
Hannah

The Gentleman Tag

So I thought it was about time I did another tag post. This is my very own tag that has been floating around my drafts for a while and I think I'm ready to release it to you! First of all, what do ya think of my post header for this? I featured some of my favourite fictional gentlemen in it.

The Rules:
1. Obviously, fill out ALL of the answers.
2. Link to my blog!
3. Tag a minimum of 3 other bloggers
4. You may use my header or create your own 



#1 What are some gentlemanly character traits that you admire?
Kindness, willingness to help others, good humor and respectful manners(also a decent sense of dress and faith in Jesus).

#2 Show us a photo of your favorite period drama costume for a gentleman!
I quite like the hunting suits/ensembles that the Downton men wear. They like a smart suit only a little more rustic and country like. (And of course, Mary's outfit is on point!)

#3 Who's your favorite fictional gentleman?
By fictional, I mean strictly from a book that you've read. So for my answer, I am going to pick Jorgen Hartman from The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest by Melanie Dickerson. I admire the fact that he tries to do good to people. He's gracious and humble.
Made this just for fun :)



#4 With facial hair or without facial hair?
Without. :)


#5 Favourite quote or saying from a fictional/period drama/modern hero
Now, I am the sort of person who doesn't necessarily pay attention to the quote-worthy lines in movies. I tend to pay close attention to costumes, accents, and faces.


#6 Who is a modern on screen/fictional gentleman you admire?
I give you permission to name more than one! I am going to say...Oliver O'Toole(Signed, Sealed, Delivered), Ray Singleton(The Magic of Ordinary Days), and Todd from the Christy Miller series.
I love this movie to bits!


#7 Name traits/habits you consider very un-gentlemanly.
Being full of themselves and (on a completely different note) eating with their mouth open(which I am disgusted at no matter who it is doing it).

#8 Do you have a gentleman in your life (father, uncle, friend, brother etc.)?
Yes, I have. We have a friend who I definitely consider gentlemanly in his manner. He is polite, respectful, and sensible. I also think he dresses decently compared to a lot of other guys in this modern society.
(And no, I do not have a crush on him, I just admire his character.)
:)


Well my wildflowers, I do hope you enjoyed that! I certainly did. Sorry, that it's on the shorter side but I couldn't think of any more than 8 questions.

I tag:
Rachel A Girl's Place
and any of who have a blog!

xoxo
Hannah

I have all Four Christy Miller Volumes!!!


I heard about this series through Lindsey at Books for Christian Girls. I have read 4 of the books so far and have fallen in love with this series. I am also very happy to finally own all of the first four volumes. Following these four are The College Years, The Married Years and The Baby Years, with many spinoffs and extra books woven in between.
I love the covers. They are just the right kinds of books to take on holiday or add to your beach bag.
Sadly I haven't been able to do either of those this yet.

I think my favourite cover is the last one, the Volume 4 cover. ♥


Each volume has three of the books inside it. They are nice short reads. A fast reader could probably read all 12 in a day!
Also, how fun and bright are these spines. I have been waiting to line them all up together and when I did it was sooo satisfying!



I'll admit, my favourite parts are when Christy and Todd are talking and spending time around each other. Christy occasionally annoys me with her thoughts and actions but when I put my self in her shoes I can understand her.

I tried to make the photos a little summery by adding my sunglasses! I was really looking forward to Autumn, but now it's basically gone and Winter has arrived, so I long for Summer! "Make up your mind Hannah!"

I actually took a photo of the wrong book here. In Yours Forever, which is in the 1st Volume, Todd gives Christy a gold ID bracelet that says 'Forever' on it. I wanted to kind of replicate that and I put my cross bracelet(which I can't even get on my wrist) in the photo.


More of the colourful spine goodness. They are the most vibrant spines on my bookshelves.


Here's a peek of the back covers from Vol. 1 and 3. Christy grows in maturity, her faith, and her friendships throughout the series. I think this is a cool thing to see in books. When the main character grows and develops over time, and it makes me love them all the more when I've finished the book.

Some of my favourite things about this series so far are:
• Christy and Todd, obviously, but I love how Todd encourages her and is a great friend and brother in Christ to her. He is very wise and considerate.
• Katie, though she sometimes puts silly ideas in Christy's head, I much prefer her to Christy's other friend, Paula. I also think that Rick is nice, but I definitely don't like the idea of him getting in the way of Christy and Todd!
• I like how Christy talks to God like a friend.

Well, I just had to show you these and gush over them! I hope you enjoyed this post and let me know if you've read this series or if you might try it now!



xoxo
Hannah

let's be real


Wait!
Before you go on and read the post, watch the video linked down below ↓↓↓



Right, done that?

Ok. So I saw this video and thought "Yeah, I wanna be like that. I want to not pretend to be someone else on here and mask the true me." You see today, it's so easy to show only what you want to show people. Now I haven't been dishonest here on my blog, but in future, I want to be super open and honest about life. Life is life! No one is a pro at it. Everyone struggles with something. Whether it is weight issues, self-control, addictions, the list goes on.
Of course, since this is the internet, we can't share all our deep, dark secrets. But we can still be more honest.
Waking up, putting makeup on, hopping back in bed and taking a selfie saying that you woke up like that is just not on. 

I am not perfect (obviously).
I get angry, I blow it, I struggle with self-control. I talk back sometimes.
There, those are my struggles. I know that everyone has things that they'd rather not tell people.
The thing is though, that Jesus looks past these faults. Unlike humans, who easily judge each other. Jesus looks at our hearts. If we truly regret the bad things we do, that means we are conscious of the fact that we aren't perfect and know that God is the only person that can change you.

"Soft hearts are the only kind of hearts that God can hold in His hand and mold"
- Todd, Surprise Endings by Robin Jones Gunn

Here's to soft hearts, realness, and honesty!

xoxo
Hannah



P.S
Here's another 'real' video by another one of my fave Youtubers!


Best Dressed: Lily James

I think you will see a lot of period drama actresses in this series. I loved Lily James in all the movies I've seen her in.  Lily suits blonde hair so well and yet she is a brunette naturally.
I recently saw her in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and she was great.
Her accent is adorable and she has a sweet smile.



No.1
What a simply lovely skirt this is! Light, flowery and beautiful.
I would wear a cardigan over the top just to cover my shoulders but otherwise, the top itself has a modest neckline. The only other issue I would have with the top is that it is a little bit too fitted.
As for the skirt, it's perfect. I can't quite see the length of it but it appears to be at least at knee-length.




No.2
A long casual grey cardigan like this is on my to-thrift list. I love long cardigans, and grey ones especially.
Her dress has both a modest hemline and neckline. It also appears to be one of those pretty flowy dresses that swishes nicely.



No.3
I can't get enough floral print! Pink and a floral print! How much more girly can you get?
I would totally wear this dress if I had a fancy occasion to wear it to! Would you? I am not a fan of shoes with pointed toes though.
What I love: It's pink, floral, modest length and neckline
What I don't love: yeah just the shoes!




No.4
Isn't this one just gorgeous? A pair of statement color with lace. I adore lace and believe that it makes almost everything better. The lace makes it look complicated and extravagant.
What I love: LACE!, the red (red is such a great colour), it's very long
What I don't love: Having lace at the top makes it a little bit see through



No.5
This is an outfit you would totally see me wear. I have been wearing these sort of shirt more recently.
I also love a pencil skirt! (I love how you can see Cinderella costumes in the background!) Lily has a pretty smile to top it all off!



No.6
I'm not sure if you can see the tiny white buttons down the front but they give me Edwardian/Victorian feels.
What I love: The buttons, the length, long sleeves, soft and smooth look
What I don't love: the neckline is just a bit too low, and the shoes...




What do you think, which was your favorite?

xoxo
Hannah

Bookshelf Tag


It's been WAY too long since I 've done any kind of tag post. But I saw this one on The Storybook Journal which is one of my favourite blogs!  I also just want to show off my bookshelves!

Rules:
1. The books you answer must come from your shelves.
2. Use photos of the books you are talking about!


Describe your bookshelf (or wherever it is you keep your books-it doesn't actually have to be a shelf!) and where you got it from.
I honestly can't remember where we got my shelves from. I have two on opposite sides of my room.
There's nothing special about them...they're just white bookshelves. I would like to get a new one someday so that my books can all be living on one shelf.


Do you have any special or different way of organizing your books?
They are roughly organized by height. But I organize them every few months so that'll change soon.
 
What's the thickest (most amount of pages) book on your shelf?
This big red book you see here has a grand total of 1336 pages!  "Yeah, I'll read you someday."  *sneaks away quietly*


What's the thinnest (least amount of pages) book on your shelf?
A book any smaller than this would need to be called a leaflet! At a total of  68 pages, it's a short read for sure.


Is there a book you received as a birthday gift?
My Nonna gave this to me a few years back. I got about a quarter way through it and then got distracted by another book...we've all been there, right?


What's the smallest (height and width wise) on your shelf?
I put my hand next to it to show you how small it really is. I am often attracted to tiny book such as this when I stumble upon them at book sales. This one is quite cute.



What's the biggest (height and width wise) on your shelf?
I love this book and yes, it is rather big in size. By page count, it's actually just right (around 300 or so pages). I'll link my review here.



Is there a book from a friend on your shelf?
My Nonna gave this to me, she counts as a friend! We both share a love for books.


The most expensive book?
Most of my books are given to me or bought for very cheap from thrift stores or book sales. This volume of Christy Miller I bought myself and it was around $26. I don't regret it though!


The last book you read on your shelf?
I'm currently going on a bit of a Christy craze, reading 3 in a row. Since each book is quite short it can take me about a week or less to finish one and that's fast for me!


Of all the books on your shelf, which was the first you read?
How on earth am I supposed to remember? The books that I do remember being read to me that I have on my shelves are First Farm in the Valley and the Little House on the Prairie series (not these copies pictured).


Do you have more than one copy of a book?
Northanger Abbey. I have all of JA's major books and yet I have never read a single one!


Do you have the complete series of any book series?
 They might not look like a series, but it is. And I do have two copies of Good Wives! I have read Little Women and I need to get to Good Wives soon. We rewatched Little Women the other night and for the first time in forever! I love the movie.

Also, the original cover for Little Men wasn't that nice so I covered it with fabric and embroidered the title.


What's the newest addition to your shelf?
There was a book sale recently and I got a lot but these are the ones I'm most excited about. I never in a month of Sunday's thought that I could find books like these at the book sale and yet the minute I laid on them, I snatched them up and put them in my box.


What book has been on your shelf FOREVER?
Both of these have lived in my shelves for a considerable amount of time. One day I will get to read them for myself. My mum read the 1st one when I was younger.



What's the most recently published book on your shelf?
Elanor's Secret by Caroline Beecham was released this May. I got an advanced copy when I won Maggie's Kitchen. Looking forward to reading it!



The oldest book on your shelf (as in, the actual copy is old)?

Yup, it's pretty old. I will treasure this book, one because it's so old and beautiful and two because I really want to read it since I saw the TV series.


A book you've won?
From a Goodreads giveaway. It never hurts to enter!


A book you'd hate to let out of your sight (aka a book you would never let someone borrow)?
These and pretty much any of my brand new/newer books (aka books I didn't get 2nd hand).


Most beat up book?
The top book's spine is a little worse for wear and the cover of Jo's Boys is curved (I'm assuming from water damage).


The most pristine book?
My beloved Christy books! I have Volume 4 in the mail! It has a blue spine so I can't wait to line 'em all up.


A book from your childhood?
I adored this book when I was young. I listened to it on tape! Young kids these days would never have even heard on a cassette tape!


A book that's not actually your book?
How dare you think I stole someone's book! Nop, they're all MINE!
:)



A book with a special/different cover (eg: leatherbound, soft fuzzy cover, etc.)?
The Alabaster Box has an interesting cover. It's hard to explain but it is kind of leathery, but not like,  leather bound. I hope you can kinda see from the pictures that it is quite different from your usual hardback book.


A book that is your favourite colour?
I currently haven't got the foggiest idea what my fave colour is. But I do love this cover and spine colour. The purple is very pretty.



A book that's been on your shelf the longest that you still haven't read?
Like all of them! There are a few which have been in my possession longer than the rest which I really should read but..you know how it is!



Any signed books?
Above: Growing Up Duggar by Jana, Jill, Jessa and Jinger Duggar
Below: The Mozart Question by Michael Morpurgo
I met Mrs. Duggar and Jana, but the Michael Morpurgo book was sent to us by some relatives who went to a book signing.


Phew. That was a lot of questions! I hope you enjoyed that and feel free to do this tag if you haven't already.
Also, I wanted to show you the inscription in one of my A.A Milne books. Isn't this so cool? The 1940'S!

xoxo
Hannah