Summer.

Summer. So lovely and bright, but so hard to get a hold of, if that makes any sense.

Fatty and I went to Switzerland! It was amazing - full of good food, good people, amazing scenery. It was a fast week, full to the brim with fun, but re-entry is always hard. Schools starts next week. Books are purchased, along with new uniforms, a fancy graphing calculator and 14 sewing machines for the arts elective that my friend, Jill, and I teach. Exciting stuff! There have been volleyball tryouts and auditions for the school play are next week. Summer reading is almost complete! It doesn't seem like time to go back, but I can tell that in some ways, we are all ready.

It's been quiet on the sewing front, or I should say, on the show-and-tell sewing front. I did a little secret sewing for my friend, Kim, and her new fabric line, Good Hair Day. More details on that in the next month or two.  The studio is getting cleaned out. Scrap bags and a fabric destash coming up soon! Otherwise, I've been lying low. I picked up a stomach bug somewhere along the way and am still battling it a bit, hopeful that it is almost gone.

I have found myself reaching for my big camera instead of my iphone more these days. There is something about the light that makes me want to capture it as best as I can. Turns out, I had missed using it. I am happy to be doing something about that.

Reading. Always. Loved The Vacationers and The Rocks (affiliate links). Both are set in Mallorca - I had no idea so that was a fun coincidence. Anything you care to recommend?

Comments

[Pam]

Anything by Liane Moriarty! Fun summer reading. What Alice Forgot and Three Wishes were my favorites, although Big Little Lies and The Husband's Secret were great, too.

[Erin]

Thanks! I've read a lot of her books. I'll have to see what's left. They are such fun reads!

[Andrea]

Frog Music by Emma Donoghue, and The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant are two I read this summer and couldn't put them down!

[Kirsten]

I have recently read and enjoyed A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson, The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd, Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey and My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. I'm halfway through the second in her series of Neapolitan novels, Story of a New Name and thoroughly enjoying it. The Vacationers is on my pile for this summer so I'll look forward to reading it!

[tracy]

Have you read Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng? My favorite this summer. Emotionally a little tough on me - but very, very worth it.

[Melanie]

My reads so far are very different, but all excellent. The Girl on the Train, Americanah, and Station Eleven (plus The Royal We as a light romance).

[Erin]

I read Station Eleven earlier this summer and loved it! Thanks for the other recommendations.

[kerryQ]

If you haven't read it yet, run to the bookstore and get "nightingale" by Kristen Hannah! It's an amazing book.

[emily]

which one should i read first? i need something to take to the beach next week!

[Erin]

I think I liked The Rocks more, but The Vacationers would be good for the beach. 

[Clarissa]

would love to know what your girls read for summer reading (the required school reading, I mean, in particular) - always curious about that. Mine (boy, about to start 10th grade) was required to read Oedipus Rex, and then a choice book, which he was supposed to do Double Entry Journals on. His first read for that was Cold Mountain, which he loved, but decided he did not want to "ruin" by doing Double Entry Journals on! so, he read a few others, and then settled on an old one (1996, I think, Nat'l Book Award), The Voyage of the Narwhal, by Andrea Barrett - I read it years ago, and loved it. He also loved it and did manage to do the DEJs, on it, as well.