Ali Edwards's Blog, page 126

The Good Old Days Kit Scrapbook Layout #2

The second traditional scrapbook layout I made using The Good Old Days Kit is a little story about the evolution of our blended family. 

If you are just jumping in make sure to check out my post that introduces you to this release and includes a shipping special that is on until 8/26/19 at 11:59PM Eastern. 

For this second project I really wanted to incorporate the 12x12 transparency either on top of my layout or as it's own page. Using that gave me the ability to add those large numbers right on top of the transparency and then layer that entire page on top of the "document" pattern paper and my 12 inch x 6 inch photo. 

That photo was printed here at my house using a new Epson XP-15000 printer. My older oversized printer was close to meeting it's end and I decided to see if I could find one that was smaller, more affordable, and still printed up to 13 inches x 9 inches. I'm super happy with this one so far and it takes up so much less space than my previous printer. 

Here's a look at the completed page: 

I ended up reprinting my photo after adding journaling on top. I also added the "love" chipboard circle from the kit along with a couple other chipboard circles from my stash. Along the bottom of the page I added a strip of this pattern paper. 

To make my plus and equals sign I used a yellow puffy number sticker sheet. Of course after I finished the whole thing I did find that there is a plastic "plus" sign included with this kit - it was hiding under my pile of stuff. 

Here's a look at the two pieces of the layout on their own: 

Love that you can either layer the transparency on top or put it into a 12x12 page protector and let it have it's own page. Totally works either way. 

PROCESS VIDEO

Come subscribe to my videos on YouTube for access to them all in one place!

SUPPLIES

The Good Old Days Kit
Epson XP 15000 Printer (affordable wide format printer that prints up to 13x19 - this is an update to my larger, older printer and I'm loving it so far)
Puffy Number Stickers (for the "+" and "=")
Chipboard from past Story Kits™
Dear Lizzy It's All Good Seek Magic Pattern Paper
Tiny Attacher

The Good Old Days Kit Scrapbook Layout #1

For my first layout using pieces from The Good Old Days kit I decided to tell a little story about Aaron and Simon. 

Make sure to check out my earlier post that details what's included in the kit + shipping specials for US and Canadian addresses. 

One of my favorite ways to build traditional layouts is to use a grid foundation. This page features 4 quadrants that are 6x6 each and serve as a home for the pieces of my story. Within each of those squares you'll find some kind of content: photo(s), journaling, and/or embellishments. 

Breaking it down like that makes it super easy for me to organize my story:

For my journaling circle and lines I used Columbia Ink + Number List Stamp Set and then punched out my circle with a 3.5 inch circle punch. 

I printed the freebie "Love You Both" circle on photo paper and used a 3 inch circle punch to cut it out. 

Download the "Love You Both" and "Good Old Days" word art here.

PROCESS VIDEOSUPPLIES

Good Old Days Scrapbook Kit
12x12 White Cardstock 
Plastic Heart + Star Pack
Love You Both Digital Download (free download above)
Mini Brads
Past Story Kit™ Chipboard and Stickers
3 Inch Circle Punch
3.5 Inch Circle Punch 
Columbia Ink
Number List Stamp Set

The Good Old Days Kit + Stamps

Brand new in the shop today is a fun "comeback" kit that we've put together in partnership with Studio Calico and a selection of stamps we've brought back from past kits/offerings.

The goal with this  limited-quantity kit was to bring back some fun past products (from either SC or my brand) with traditional scrapbookers in mind - think 12x12 papers and larger embellishments. 

Shipping special for this release (now until Monday 8/26/19): 

Free domestic shipping with the purchase of $40. Use the code: COMEBACK40. Code valid through 8/26/19 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Free shipping for domestic orders only. Subtotal must be $40 or greater. Must enter code to receive shipping offer. Cannot be combined with any other promo code. Refunds will not be issued for forgotten or misused promo codes. Offer subject to change.Free shipping for Canada with the purchase of $75. Use the code: COMEBACK75. Code valid through 8/26/19 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Free shipping for orders shipping to Canada only. Subtotal must be $75 or greater. Must enter code to receive shipping offer. Cannot be combined with any other promo code. Refunds will not be issued for forgotten or misused promo codes. Offer subject to change.Unfortunately we are not able to offer an international shipping with this release. 

Totally a great time to stock up on things you might have been looking at recently from the shop!

It's such a fun opportunity to celebrate scrapbooking: 

Here's a look at the full kit: 

Here's a video overview of the kit contents: 

Over the next few days I'll be sharing four different scrapbook layouts I created using pieces from this kit and a few things from my stash. The first post will go live a bit later today. 

Here are some sneak peeks: 

In addition to the kit we've brought back seven stamp sets from past kits/offerings and are making them available again: 

These include Story Stamps™ from the themes of Believe, Tough, Magic, Details, Me and then the alpha stamp set that was included in the Type Story Kit™ (3x4) along with a number set called Weekly. We've also brought back and restocked the weekly number stamps which is awesome for Project Life® documenting along with any other projects where you might want to stamp numbers. 

December Daily® 2019 | Schedule

It's that time of year around here where we get ready to share with you all the fun products we've created for December Daily®. 

As in the past years we will be offering an
Order Selection Period using a box-ordering system. Products will go live on September 5th, 2019 and you will be able to add products to your box until September 30th. I'll be sharing a How It Works post on September 2 that outlines this special shopping set up. 

Make sure to follow the December Daily® instagram account for previews of this year's products. 

We are so excited to embark on this project again with you this year and to offer products designed to support your December storytelling. 

Here's a look at the schedule of events, releases, etc:  

Friday, August 30th | Blog post with overview videos of all the Add On options this year to help you plan what you might need for telling your stories this year. There will not be a Facebook Live this year because we've found that it's harder to see the products and hope that overview videos will be a better approach for you to see what we are offering. Monday, September 2nd | How It Works blog post live. This will walk you through the shopping process - this will be very similar if not exactly the same as last year. Wednesday, September 4th | Blog post here that shows you the full contents of the kits and video walk-throughs before they go live on the 5th. We will also post a shopping/price list with this post to help you with planning. 
Thursday, September 5th | December Daily® Order Selection Period begins at 7am Pacific. More details to come about how this works and the changes we have made to the actual shopping pages. Products are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are limited. The Order Selection Period will end on September 30th at 11:59pm Eastern. Monday, September 30th | December Daily® Order Selection period ends at 11:59pm Eastern. Any remaining products will move into the shop and regular shipping rates will apply. 
Tuesday, October 1st | December Daily® Product Play 3 workshop registration opens. All new content with three new themes for this year focusing on hexagons, numbers, + wreaths. Check out previous December Daily® Product Play workshops here: December Daily® Product Play (circles, hearts, + stars) and December Daily® Product Play 2 (trees, tags, + words). Those two workshops features products that were offered in 2017 and 2018 but definitely include inspiration and ideas for playing with product generally. 
Friday, October 18th | December Daily® Digitals available. Tuesday, November 5th | December Daily® Product Play 3 workshop begins.
Saturday, November 9th | This year we are planning to host on online December Daily® Prep Party. We are still working out details but the goal + intention will be to come together as a community and get ready for 2019 documenting or work on past projects as you get ready for this year. Most likely this will be happening within our December Daily® Facebook Group. 
Sunday, December 1st | Start documenting your December. 

I will be sharing my foundation pages sometime in late October/early November just like I have in past years and will be sharing my daily stories here in my blog throughout December. 

As always, thank you for being a part of this awesome community of memory keepers!

Project Life® 2019 | July

After I got home from my trip to HSN I got down to business with telling the story of July in my
Project Life® album. 

I'm still loving the monthly approach. Each month I wonder if I'll miss doing it weekly but to be honest that still hasn't happened yet. I think I really value the opportunity to do it once a month and reflect back on the month and identify the story themes that pop up. 

Here's a look at July 2019: 

I started this month with a full page 9x12 photo of the outside of our house on the 4th of July. I recently purchased a new wide format Epson printer because I wanted to be able to recommend one that prints up to 13x19 that wasn't as pricey as the older Epson I was using. 

I ended up going with the Epson Expression Photo XP-15000 and I'm loving it. It's working wirelessly and takes up so much less space than the Epson SureColor P400 I've had for years + years and the print quality is awesome. I'm super impressed and excited to have something different to recommend to you guys that might be more affordable and give you the option of printing at home. Highly recommend if you are looking for a wide format printer. This one is $269.99 on Amazon right now and I use this Epson 13x19 photo paper. 

This month includes three 6x12 inserts that hold 4x6 photos along with full page 6x12 images (also printed on the new printer). On top of one of the photo enlargements I added a cork number 4 that I embossed with white embossing powder. I also embossed the wood veneer stars from the July Stories By The Month™ kit in both white and red. 

You might also notice that I punched and cut white circles from cardstock and stitched them onto some of my photos for journaling. 

I added the "fun looks like" stamp from the kit onto an enlarged photo of Simon with members of his Boy Scout troop in a local parade. 

For the next insert I grouped some "like" photos together that included garden and Farmer's Market images and a bit of journaling about how good I am at watering in July + not as good in August. Ha. 

One embellishment group I repeated throughout this month was the embossed wood veneer stars with the word/phrase stickers on top. It's a nice and easy way to create cohesion across the different pages in this story of the month. 

The back of the third insert includes some hiking stories followed by the final page of the month which includes a few family photos and a card from the July kit that asks for things I love about July and things I don't love about July. Love that super easy directed storytelling - all I have to do is respond to the prompts: 

Hope you guys have a great month!

HOW TO VIDEOSUPPLIES

July 2019 Stories By The Month™ (digital version available here)
9x12 Multipack Page Protectors
6x12 Page Protector (one pocket)
6x12 Page Protector (three pockets)
Avery Index Tabs
Epson PictureMate PM400 Printer
Epson Expression Photo XP 15000 (new printer that prints up to 13x19)
Brother Sewing Machine
Embossing Ink
White Embossing Powder
Heat Gun
Snappy Tray 
3 Inch Circle Punch 

AE Creative Team | September 2019 Stories By The Month™ Physical Kit

Happy Thursday friends! We are delighted to bring you another round of creative inspiration from our awesome Creative Team! Today we are sharing the projects they created using the 
September 2019 Stories By The Month™ Physical Kit.

Jess Forster

Amy Gretchen 

Laura Wonsik

Jenny Theriault

Lisa Varshine

Brandi Kincaid

Kelly Ishmael

Jen Whittemore

Jen Schow

Morgan Beal

Theresa Doan

Ingunn Markiewicz

As always we are so grateful to our Creative Team for sharing their projects and the stories of their lives!

Play Story Kit™ + September Stories By The Month™

In the
Story Classroom this month we are focusing on stories related to the theme of Play.  

Here are a few thoughts about this particular theme: 

One of the things I love about the theme of “play” is that it can look so different from one person to the next. For some, play is synonymous with sports while for others play is related to creativity or board games or music. For others it can be something completely unique. This month we are investigating what play looks like in your life - from yesterday and today.

Initial story ideas for the Play theme include: 

What are your current favorite ways to play in your life right now?

What are your childhood memories of play and playing? Think back and make a list of what playing meant to you.

Do you make time for playing in your life? As we get older it can sometimes be more challenging to find the fun. Tell me a story about that in your own life.

If you are new to the Story Subscription program, check out all the details 
here. 

If you are already a subscriber the content in the classroom will be available to you on the 15th.

STORY KIT™

Here's a look at
the
Story Kit™ contents for Play:

Here's a video overview of the 
Story Kit™ and Add-On options this month:

STORY STAMP™

The Play Stamp Set:

Here's a video overview of the 
Story Stamp™ and Add-On options this month: 

DIGITAL STORY KIT™ (Included with the STORY CLASS)

Your digital kit and the classroom and any Add-Ons purchased will be available to you on the 15th once your card has been charged for the month. 

Here's a look at what's included in the Digital Story Kit™ for Play: 

And a couple peeks at the layouts I created with the kits this month in addition to the one featured at the top of this post (
full details, including process videos and how-to handout, are included with subscription):

Again, thanks so much for subscribing and/or considering my
Story Subscription program! If you have any questions about this program please let me know below in the comments. 

STORIES BY THE MONTH™

Stories By The Month™ kits include 4x6 chipboard, 3x4 and 4x6 cards, a 3x4 stamp, a sticker sheet, and an embellishment (wood veneer, cork, etc). Stories By The Month™ Kits are all based on the designs we offered digitally each month throughout 2018. 

Here is a full look at the kit for September: 

And a video overview: 

This subscription is a great option for those who are looking to tell more calendar/everyday life sorts of stories. 

ADD ON OPTIONS 

Add On options are available to all Story Kit™, Story Stamp™, and Stories By The Month™ subscribers 
(this excludes Digital Story Kit/Story Class subscribers since you don't have any part of your subscription shipped already). Please note that the Crafters Ink pad option will only be available to Story Stamp™ subscribers. 

Current and new subscribers can select + purchase Add-On's via your new drop-down menu access under your user name in the top right corner of the site. If you subscribe to more than one you will have a Box for each subscription and the ability to purchase Add-On's for each one. Depending on product availability subscribers may be able to purchase the Add-On's after the Add-On period has ended and regular shop shipping rates will apply because they will ship separately from the kit.

Check out
this post for more information about this new subscription, including differences between the subscription options offered. 

AE Creative Team | JOURNEY Story Kit™

Hello friends! Today we are delighted to share with you some creative inspiration with projects made by our Creative Team using the JOURNEY Story Kit™. And just as a reminder, today, Monday August 12th, is the last day to subscribe to the Story Kit™ and receive the JOURNEY theme.

Jen Schow

Amy Gretchen 

Laura Wonsik

Jenny Theriault

Jen Whittemore

Jess Forster

Kelly Ishmael

Lisa Varshine

Morgan Beal

As always, we are so grateful to our awesome team for sharing their stories and creative inspiration with all of us!

Project Life® 2018 | Week 31

Continuing to ride a wave of personal motivation to get my stories told in my 2018 Project Life® album. 

Enjoying the process, enjoying getting stories told, and thankful for this opportunity to share. 

In terms of using your stuff, for this project I ended up pulling out some past Day In The Life™ cards (digital version here). These were the leftover pieces from the kit - I used the rest of them here (back in August 2017). Because I had them stored under a Day In The Life™ category in one of my storage boxes it was super easy to grab them to use them for this spread.  

One of my favorite ways to approach my Project Life® spreads is with some kind of consistency with the 3x4 journal cards. I don't always do it that way but it's definitely one I come back to again and again. Using those Day In The Life™ cards was an easy way to make that happen. Box was found at a second hand store if I remember correctly, but those Ikea Dragan boxes also work for 3x4 cards. Avery Index Tabs were added to the top of plain white 3x4 cards to create the dividers. 

Here's a look at how I brought it all together: 

The last few weeks I've done for Project Life® have included inserts - this one is just a traditional spread and it's just as valuable as any of the others because it's the SUM of all those stories that matters to me most. 

This week I brought out the lablel stickers and plastic hearts again (layered the hearts on top of the label stickers). And a few chipboard pieces - always a few of those. 

Hope this post helps you get motivated to tell some of your own stories!

HOW TO VIDEOSUPPLIES
Design A Project Life® Page Protectors  AED Label Stickers Day In The Life™ Journal Cards (digital version  available here ) Stories By The Month™ (digital version  available here ) Rolling Date Stamp Plastic HeartsTiny Attacher

For The Love Of Books | What I Read In July 2019

Welcome to my reading recap for July 2019 which felt like a really decent month of reading. 

Evicted: Poverty + Profit In The American City by Matthew Desmond | 5 stars : I started this one at the end of June and finished it fairly quickly - it's definitely an important book about poverty and housing. I love books like this where the author embeds themselves to tell the story.  Lock Every Door by Riley Sager | 3 Stars : As a fan of thrillers I found this one to be just okay. I felt like it lacked depth overall and was just kind of boring - could totally be me. Ha. Three Women by Lisa Taddeo | 5 Stars : Super fascinating, very graphic look at the sexual/desire lives of three women + the stories they tell themselves + the stories that are told about them. Non-fiction that reads like fiction (pretty amazing storytelling using this voice/lens) - amazing achievement in terms of the research and then storytelling that went into writing this book. The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger | 3 Stars : I definitely wanted to know what was going to happen and how the story was going to be resolved and I stayed up too late to finish it up, but it I didn't love it. The way the characters behaved was a little like nails on a chalkboard for me (probably the point) and the issues raised are definitely timely for my friend group. I could see my book club enjoying this one for the discussion. Recursion by Blake Crouch | 5 stars : Somehow I missed that this was a recent BOTM book - I totally loved his book Dark Matter - so I ordered this on my Kindle after seeing Stephanie's husband reading it. I totally loved and devoured this mind-bending, sci-fi novel. This was one of those books that I just wanted to stop everything and read.   She Explores: Stories Of Life Changing Adventures on the Road and in the Wild by Gale Straub | This is kind of a coffee table book (the cover looks awesome for sure) but the stories were really motivating to where I'm at in life right now. Loved it and gave me a bunch of new people to follow on social media who love the outdoors.  Wabi Sabi Welcome: Learning to Embrace the Imperfect and Entertain with Thoughtfulness and Ease by Juile Pointer Adams | Another coffee table style book but one I also read cover to cover and really loved because it was talking about a bunch of things I've been working on related to being more casual with get togethers. Really felt like it filled me up.  Turn Of The Key by Ruth Ware | This one came in the mail on the the 30th and I finished it on the 31st just in time to add it to my list (I get my Book Of The Month picks in advance as part of them Ambassador Program). Super satisfying thriller. 

Regarding my most favorite Book Of The Month subscription, new members can get their first book for $9.99 when they join using this month's code: CHASE.

For August's Book Of The Month I chose: 

The Reckless Oath We Made by Bryn Greenwood : Strong Don Quixote vibes, from the author of All the Ugly and Wonderful Things. The Turn Of The Key by Ruth Ware : From the author of The Woman in Cabin 10, a jumpy read that feels like putting together a puzzle. (Read this in a day - listed above.)
COMPLETE LIST OF WHAT I'VE READ IN 2019

JANUARY

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (BOTM / Amazon) | Totally enjoyed this super-fast-to-read thriller. A great way to start out the new year. There There by Tommy Orange (local book club book for January) | This was a brutal book but an important read in terms of exposing ourselves to different voices - in this case Native Americans. There were lots of places I wished I would have underlined and I might just go back in and read it again for those words. It was a little confusing to follow the characters as it went back and forth - I definitely found myself flipping back to previous chapters to make sure I remembered whose perspective I was reading. Read it. Verity by Colleen Hoover | Super satisfying thriller. Started it one evening and finished the next morning. Just read it. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith | Finally had a chance to start this series (written by JK Rowling under a pen name) and I totally enjoyed it. Detective mystery that kept me interested.

FEBRUARY

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity In A World Made For Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown | 5 stars. There is nothing else to say besides this: this is an important book that should be read by everyone. Stories matter, especially of those who have been and continue to be marginalized in our society. The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai | 5 stars. I loved this book. I loved the weaving of the two different time periods (1980's during the AIDS crisis in Chicago + 2015) and I loved how the author posed questions about love, friendship, memories, stories (and who gets to tell them), imperfect people (everyone), and the passage of time. It was heartbreaking and rich and beautifully written. The Winter Sister by Megan Collins (BOTM) | 3 stars. A fast ready but one that was really just "okay" for me. The characters, the story, the whole thing - it was just not quite there. I've read so many better thrillers over the last few years.  A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum (BOTM) | 5 stars. Loved it. Go read it. Three generations of Palestinian-American women's stories of daily life, courage, family, expectations, faith, etc. Really enjoyed the storytelling and how it all unfolded. So many times as I turned the page I kept thinking to myself how the stories of these women continue today here in the US and around the world. So, so different than my life experience. This is why I read. The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani | 3.5 stars // Picked it up because it was included in the New York Time's 10 best books of 2018 (others I've read from that list included "There, There" and "The Great Believers" which were both really good). This book was a super quick read - read it over the course of one day - and it was interesting but not awesome. Some pieces felt disjointed - I kept waiting for the author to go deeper into the story. Maid by Stephanie Land | 3.5 stars. As an advocate for telling your story, I generally appreciate memoirs like this that detail how lives are lived because I believe there are always things to be learned from people's experiences. While reading her story I had a wide variety of thoughts running through my head regarding poverty, single-parenthood (a piece I have lived + was thankful every single day that I had a job to support myself and my children), the way the "system" works, as well as thoughts about people I have interacted with throughout my life. From that standpoint, I'm glad I read it (and it was a super quick read).

MARCH

Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson (BOTM) | 3 stars. I found this to be a satisfying thriller. It's totally possible that I wasn't paying close enough attention while I was reading it (meaning I wasn't trying to figure out what was going to happen) but I definitely enjoyed it. Aaron read this on our vacation and also enjoyed it. Definitely good for a beach read.  Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens | 4 stars. Beautiful writing that I definitely think will stay with me for awhile. My local book club read this last month and I missed the meeting because I wanted to read it myself before having a conversation and the early part of my month was just too full to make time.  Daisy Jones + The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid | 4 stars. I initially resisted this title as I was thinking I wasn’t interested in a story about rock & roll but people kept talking about it and then my book club picked it and down the path I went. I am so glad I went down that path! I definitely had a hard time remembering that it was fiction. I kept wanting to look up the band online to listen to their music and see their faces and read what had been written about them. That’s basically how well written and clever this book is. Beyond that, I loved the entire format for how she told the story and I loved the themes of love and loss and addiction and honesty and passion. So good. Highly recommended. Next Year In Havana by Chanel Cleeton | 4 stars. Read this on vacation and loved the imagery. I'll definitely consider reading the new book she's coming out with that tells the story of Beatriz Perez:  When We Left Cuba .  The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith | 3 stars. This is the second book in the Cormoran Strike series and I didn't like it as much as the first one but it's a solid mystery with characters returning and their stories continuing. I like reading these ones on my Kindle on vacation. I'll definitely keep reading the series. 

APRIL

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim (BOTM) | 3 stars. I really struggled with this book and I think it's probably just a personal problem with some of the subject matter surrounding autism. It's hard for me to articulate but I generally don't select books talking about Mom's + kids on the spectrum because it's already part of my daily life (and has been ever since my son was 2.5 years old). With this book I just kept having mixed feelings - about the characters, about the plot, about people trying to "fix" autistic people, etc. I'd be interested in hearing what other parents with kids on the spectrum felt about this one. All The You Leave Behind by Erin Lee Carr (BOTM) | 4 stars. I really, really liked this one. It shouldn’t be a surprise that I appreciate real life stories, but this one has really struck me for a particular reason: we live in an era where content/source material for our personal stories are able to be gathered via email and text and social media messages. Voices live on in their own words - similar to written letters of the past but also different (more immediate I guess). In this book I love reading David Carr’s words of encouragement to his daughter as she navigates early adulthood and addiction - he had a way with words that has me underlining and nodding and reflecting on my own life and relationships. So good. Lost And Wanted by Nell Fredenberger (BOTM) | 3.5 stars. I read this one while traveling and actually enjoyed the science mixed in with the story. I feel like I learned a little something about physics that is totally foreign to me and I liked the weaving through the story. I wanted to know how it was going to resolve itself and there were definitely parts that will stick with me.  Wolfpack by Abby Wambach | 5 stars. This is a super quick read based on a commencement address and I loved it. Can't wait to share it with my girls. 

MAY 

The Valedictorian Of Being Dead by Heather B. Armstrong | 5 stars. I'm going with 5 stars on this one because I think it's such an important read about depression + hope + life. It's Heather's own experience - not a prescription - showing a path she took to get out of a significant depressive episode. It's also a lot about understanding and kindness and asking for help and showing up for people. Really important read. Boss Up: This Ain't Your Mama's Business Book by Lindsay Teague Moreno | I got to read an advance copy of this one (it's available for preorder now) and it's a fantastic, straight-talking roadmap for getting started and for continuing to evolve and thrive as a woman entrepreneur. Lindsay takes the lessons she’s learned through her own experience and shares them in an honest, humorous, and inspiring way. Boss Up will make you want to dive right in and take the next steps forward no matter where you are in the process. Clean Mama's Guide To A Healthy Home by Becky Rapinchuk | As part of my personal wellness journey (more to come in a later post with an update about this) I'm working on reducing toxins in my house and this book and her site have been so, so helpful to me. It's easy to read and it was super inspiring me - I literally went around my house and got rid of just about everything I could that was a toxic cleaning product/personal care item. 

JUNE

The Sound Of Gravel by Ruth Wariner | This is a tough book, along the same lines as Educated and The Glass Castle. I actually thought I had read this one already but I think I was confusing it with The Glass Castle. Definitely worth reading if you are a fan of memoir.  Things You Save In A Fire by Katherine Center | I got this book as advance reader copy from Katherine (you can get this one via Book Of The Month before it releases to the public here ). I loved this story of forgiveness and empathy and compassion and love and strength through struggle. Totally enjoyable.  In A Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware | Read this one super quick on the beach. I didn't find it to be scary at all but that might have been because I was reading it on the beach during the day. It was a like not love for me.  Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah | I've read The Nightingale and The Great Alone (one of my favorite books in the last few years) so I decided to pick up one of Kristen Hannah's earlier books. I liked it - a good friendship filled beach read that definitely had me crying at the end. If you have to pick one of her books I highly recommend The Great Alone or The Nightingale. 

You can see my 2018 Reading Recap post here and what I read in 2017 here.