Friday love....Reading

Reading is a huge passion of mine & something I don't get to do as much as I would like to these days. I love it so much that I have created a spare room at home dedicated purely for the collection of my books.

You read about this here & here.

Nothing warms me more than having my books around me. Some are heavy in depth stories, some are light with fresh story lines, some are educational as I love to read bios and business related books, some are crafty, and a lot are arty. I love beautiful photos of objects and people.

The room still isn't complete, I would say a work in progress. But today I wanted to share some images I found that are about this love.

I just ADORE this print. I have actually bought it from this store. I am looking forward to receiving it & sharing with you all as to where I hang it.

This beautiful photo is how I would love to spend some of my days. I would imagine the air is warm, the grass is soft, the flowers smell divine & that book is a fantastic read.

image from pinterest.

This is what I wish my kids would understand!

image from pinterest.

Another fantastic illustration that I love.

image from pinterest.

I am reading this now. It's a daggy cover I know, but it is full of information regarding direct sales & party plan, especially relevant for my other business. Even if this isn't you thing it's a great read for sales in general and has definitely given me ideas & so forth for when I do markets.

I hope whatever you're reading inspires you.

Have a great Friday.

Kylie xx

My Home Library is Finished...Kind of

Earlier in the month I blogged about my love for books and a dream to create a home library. If you missed the post you can catch up here. After looking at countless images for inspiration I did a quick shop to IKEA, bought some shelving and got to work, making use of an unused room in my house.

Once that job was out of the way, the task ahead of filling the bookshelves was quite daunting to be honest. Not only have I bragged that I am a book lover, and a big reader, I came to learn I didn't own half as many books as I thought I did. Obviously my small and cramped current space, gave me this perception I owned a tonne of books. Oh well such a minor problem can be solved, BUY MORE!! Hello Book Depository!

So here is the finished result, a little sparse yes I know, but it's getting there. I love my brand new raspberry red shaggy rug, to give the space a bit of colour. I have had to really hunt around my house to find objects of desire to place on some of my bare shelves. Unfortunately I don't have the budget to buy everything brand new, and coordinating perfectly to make it look like it's come straight out of a Vogue Living shoot. Sigh..

I still dislike my red couch to the left, I will eventually get around to covering that. Time is my battle at present but I will keep you up to date about that achievement. I love my pink vase, I bought that years ago in Hong Kong on a work trip, in some dodgy back door market. It's one of my many miss matched travel souvenirs.

The fun bit, working out how to display my books. I have actually categorised them which is very exciting for me to feel so organised.

I have had to place them in piles to create the illusion of many.

Another little spot with things for me to fill. I love my apple fabric baskets, I still don't know what to use them for, so for now I just enjoy looking at them.

More books and trinkety treasures. My latest favourite piece, is the red apple tea light candle holder I bought from Mozi.

The last angle. More treasures including beer steins bought from the infamous Hofbraeuhaus in Munich Germany. My favourite wrought iron dress mannequin, and lots of photo albums.

I think my library space will always be a work in progress, I am taking my time with it and have decided to let it evolve in it's own way. I still would like some framed artwork to hang, but just need to sit and search for the perfect pieces. I have found fabric I would like to cover the couch in, but at $40 per metre, I think I will practise with calico first, to make sure my couch pattern fits perfectly.

Now I look forward to sitting up there alone and reading....Bliss.

Do you have a peaceful reading space? I would love to know about it.

Home Library

I have a spare room in my house right at the front, it doesn't have any doors on it, it's more of a show room actually. To be quite frank with you, its useless. Always wanting a place to be alone, which is almost impossible with two babies, the dream and determination to have something has resulted in trying to create my own library, a little sanctuary I guess one would call it. The last few weeks I have been planning this dream library in my house.

I love books, they are my way of leaving the place that I am at, it could be a juicy novel, or dreamy and inspiring design books, it just fills my mind with other thoughts. A perfect place you could say. I have always loved the library of Nile's, on the sitcom Frasier. So grand, large & the best part is the ladders that glides along the shelving, getting you from one reference to another. MMM I don't think I will be having a library on that scale.

Looking for inspiration I found these amazing libraries.

I love all the books colour coded, isn't it divine?

image by - http://www.home-designing.com

This library looks so cosy and inviting. I love how the green curtain could be dragged across to hide the books creating a whole new space. Oh, and I love the ladder.

image from - apartment132 blog

Now my library is not on this scale by any means, it will be cosy & tiny that's a guarantee. After a visit to IKEA, and a tonne of book shelves later, here is the beginning of my own little in home library. I definitely knew what I wanted in my head, all the shelves to sit in the corner, and not all the same height or width. I wanted to create some interest and opportunity to find some new artwork to hang later on.

Here is the room, see that window? Well that is the front of my house.

These gerbra pictures are not my favourite at all now. They used to be up in my old house & suited it perfectly. But because I went from an 11sq house to 34square house I had to fill spaces with everything I owned. The rest of the stuff is just kids things that should be put away.

One shelf on it's way.

All done in the corner as I wanted, and still leaving space to hang some great artwork. Told you it was tiny.

From another angle.

This is wear my couch will sit. I am going to eventually cover it as I am so over the red. I am thinking a print of some sort, not sure yet, and definitely snuggle cushions and a rug of some sort. I also need to buy a lovely rug to lay in the middle as I am not thrilled with how the unit colour & the carpet kind of blend.

Now I am just adding in all of my books, some little collectibles I would like to display. I am not showing the finished result yet, as I am a rather fussy and will most likely rearrange several times until it's right. Even then I am sure I will change it around again. Now I need to find the right artwork for the walls.

When its done I will post it, should only be a couple of days.

What I am reading - February

Success....Tick....Completed....WooHoo

I finished reading my 1st book for 2011 called "Almost French", my chosen novel for January.

You can read about here, in 2011 my goal is at least one book per month.

My thoughts - The book was quite enjoyable and I really did like it. I have visited Paris before, and I adore the city, and to be honest with you always day dreamed about what it would be like to live there. The fashion, the glamour, the food, the language, oohlala. But to be completely honest with you, the book has kind of turned those day dreams upside down. My fairy tale has had a reality slap. Each chapter was a great journey of her new life in Paris with many ups, and probably more downs. I admire Sarah (who wrote the book & lived there), it was a cultural challenge for her to say the least. It wasn't easy to make a friend, to find a job, to communicate, and she felt genuinely uncomfortable. It was a real eye opener. It did get better as life went on there I promise, she just adapted and started to understand the French way. She must have loved Frederick to have stuck it out she was one tough cookie. A great read definitely if you have a passion for anything French.

February - this one is fabulous.

My mum bought this for me for Christmas. It was a surprise as generally really my mum would never be so bold as to buy me a book, as I am the first to admit I am a little picky. I am reading

It has 3 things my mum knows I love so she assumed it will be a winner,

Fashion

Vampires

New York City

Briefly, it is about Pandora English, an orphan with a special gift, who moves from a small town to live with her Great Aunt Celia in NYC. Pandora's dream is to work as a journalist for a fashion magazine. Her Great Aunt lives in a Gothic mansion, and used to be a fashion design to Hollywood's Golden Stars. Pandora understands her Aunt should be in her late 80's.

However things aren't as she expected...Her Aunt is unnaturally young & is always wearing a veil. Pandora lands a job at a fashion magazine, and her first job is an assignment on the newest A-list miracle cream called "Blood Of Youth". She finds something isn't right about the product as there seems to be a secret ingredient....Worth killing for.

I have only read the first 80 pages & I am captivated.

I think I will get through this one quickly, it sounds exciting. It's also the first Tara Moss novel I am reading. Has anyone else read anything else of hers? I would love to know more.

What I am reading

Ahhh reading, I could do it all day, a good book is very therapeutic.

It has the ability to stop your crazy trains of thoughts, and take you somewhere else. What ever your style is, just to shut the mind down is so refreshing. I haven't been reading much lately, it's a bit had with a new baby, but 2011 is here and the bookworm in me has returned. One book a month is my goal, usually I can turn them around much faster, but I am not pressuring myself.

January

A book bought for me by a very best friend.

I got it for my birthday & was so happy when I received it as I am generally on to any books that have a French them. I have just started this so I will let you know what I think when I am done.

A quick overview.

This is a non fiction book about an Australian girl who tells her story of when she met a Frenchman name Frederic. Before returning home to Sydney he invites her to Paris for a week. It's about how their relationship grows & the cultural clashes. She ends up living there and it then turns into a journey of learning French etiquette and the new challenges of a new country.

Incy Wincy Spider

I ordered this book just recently from a book club for Hudson.

Oh I just love it. Not only is it based on one of my all time nursery rhymes, 'Incy Wincy Spider', but it's an extended version of it. It's so much fun to read, the words all fit beautifully with the jingle of the 'Incy Wincy Spider' nursery rhyme.

The pictures are fabulous, I love them also as they are images created out of fabric, a bit like my iron on transfers that I create. It's definitely the book of the moment for Hudson and I, as I can sing it allowed to him.

Luckily he doesn't realise what a dreadful voice I have!

The book is by Kate Toms