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 I swore to myself I would not buy the companion book to The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up . How many books do I need on tidying? After having moved four times in the past year and a half or so, I've cleared all my unnecessary objects. The first move in particular forced me to get rid of a ton of stuff, including around 300 odd books (which I should mention I miss terribly. I never realized that books are my favourite and most comforting decor items, until they were gone). There's just something about Marie Kondo's complete love of organizing, useful tips, and adorable book designs that I'm weak to. The moment I saw the little pictures, I knew I had to buy it. That said, as I'm reading this one, I feel like I'm more likely to use it in the future. The layout and images make an easy (adorable) reference guide that you can look back on and find what you need without much of a search.  

Welcome to the second handbag confidential post, click to read the first . For years now I've admired Louis Vuitton bags. To me, they are a timeless classic and can't go out of style. Although, I'm not a fan of the Damier Azur. I now own both of the styles I had always wished for, and in the patterns I wanted most. Both are special to me and have happy memories attached. Today I am going to focus on the first one I got, my Damier Speedy 25, which I bought in 2012. We've been on a few exciting journeys since then. I bought this bag while on vacation in Paris with my brother. In the months leading up to the trip I saved, and saved because the cost was (is?) significantly less there. Unfortunately, I was a bit short when we left. I was disappointed, but what can you do? I still had an exciting trip to look forward to! Then, on one of our last days, my dad called and said he'd help out with the remaining amount. I feel I should mention, this trip came around th

The excitement for this one was real. I absolutely love Kate Morton's books, she is amazing at blending past and present, and keeping you hooked trying to figure out how everything connects. The Lake House was no exception. I couldn't put it down and had to know what happened. I loved the characters and the story, it was just...so, so good. (5/5) "A missing child… June 1933, and the Edevane family’s country house, Loeanneth, is polished and gleaming, ready for the much-anticipated Midsummer Eve party. Alice Edevane, sixteen years old and a budding writer, is especially excited. Not only has she worked out the perfect twist for her novel, she’s also fallen helplessly in love with someone she shouldn’t. But by the time midnight strikes and fireworks light up the night skies, the Edevane family will have suffered a loss so great that they leave Loeanneth forever. An abandoned house… Seventy years later, after a particularly troubling case Sadie Sparrow is

I didn't used to make any sort of resolutions or goals for myself at the new year. However, for some reason in the past few years I always find the first few days of January a time when I think about my life and things I maybe want to change, stop altogether, or start afresh. In 2016 I will... ...not be participating in Goodreads Reading Challenge. This became a constant competition for me last year. I felt as though I had to read more, faster, rather than just enjoy a good book for however long I felt like reading it. ...start volunteering at least bi-weekly. The combination of starting a new job and moving in the past couple months meant that I didn't volunteer at all in November and December. I always have a ton of fun with the awesome staff, volunteers, and kitties. ...work out at least once a week, and stretch everyday. I can't believe how tight all of my muscles feel after two months of not stretching. Also, I hate working out. So, I'm hoping this will b

This year was surprising in so many amazing ways. I never could have predicted that this year's highlights would contain half of the things it does. In 2015 I... ...started the year as a teacher in Korea. I made amazing friends and loved going into Seoul almost every weekend to meet up with them. I also learned quite a bit through my job. ...moved to Austin, a place I NEVER thought I would live. ...finally started volunteering at an animal shelter after years of saying I wanted to, but not following through. ...adopted Mochi and Pekoe! I seriously adore these kittens, they are just the sweetest pair of kitties. Adopting two was definitely not my plan going into adopting Mochi, but I couldn't resist her only brother. So, Pekoe joined us three days later, and I couldn't be happier. They've adjusted to the new place just fine ^^ ...got my first job in the US, and I'm loving it, which would probably surprise you if you knew what it is. ...bought a h

I've moved into my house! It's all very exciting, and I'm loving it so far. My commute is a bit shorter, the cats have plenty of room to run and go crazy. I have a walk-in closet... Mostly, I just have plenty of exciting plans and ideas to complete the space over the next year. Our office Christmas party was this past Saturday, and I was actually surprised how fun it was. I thought there was no way I would stay the whole time, but I did. I'm still trying to learn a balance between work and my personal life, but it's difficult. I'll get to a place that's at least a bit better than now, soon-ish. Mochi and Pekoe are now 7 months old and are almost full-grown cats. They've transitioned to the move pretty well, although the first couple days saw two terrified kitties hiding in my closet.