My New Addiction

I got a fever and the only prescription is more Pinterest.

(10 points for anyone who can tell me what that's referencing!)

For anyone not familiar with Pinterest, (in their words):  "Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. Pinterest allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. You can browse pinboards created by other people to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests."

In my words:  it is ridiculous awesomeness in its purest form.

I don't know about you, but I'm constantly inspired by things I see in blogs or other websites, whether that be recipes or home ideas or books I want to read, even how-to instructions for projects I want to try.  Before Pinterest, I had a mishmash of email folders and documents trying to organize it all.  No more, my friends!  Now I have Pinterest.

I also love it because I can see what others are pinning on their boards.  Sometimes I don't even have to go on outside websites to get inspired because there are such great things getting pinned every minute by other people.

Picture from tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com.  But found on Pinterest, of course.

So, yeah, I spend a lot of time on Pinterest.  But I will say that I have done some projects that were inspired by things I saw on Pinterest or with ideas that I pinned myself that were easily organized on Pinterest.

To join, you have to ask to be invited or get an existing member to invite you.  I asked to be invited and it took less than a week to get accepted and up and running.

If you are already a member, you can follow me if you'd like.  I would love to see what all of you are pinning!!



I Went to the Dark Side

Remember this post?  You know, the one where I espoused my love of books and vowed that I was anti-Kindle/eBooks of any kind.

Yeah, about that.

I got one of these from Mr. 31 for our anniversary:

photo from Amazon.com

And I big-fat-puffy-heart love it.

Here's how the leap to the Dark Side went down:  Mr. 31 is super into electronics and has wanted to get me one for quite some time.  He suggested it at Christmas and, in his words, I "almost murdered him" at the thought of him getting me one of those as a gift.

Then I discovered that I'll be taking a couple of lengthy trips next summer.  And the thought of schlepping a lot of books through airports and hotels made me tired.  And so the evil thoughts began that maybe a Kindle would make that problem go away.

Mr. 31 took that little crack in my armor and ran with it.  So, on our anniversary, my extremely nervous husband handed me a Kindle and then ran for cover waited for my reaction.  At first, I wasn't sure...then I discovered free books.

And look out!  Now my Kindle is ever present by my side.

And my husband rubs it in my face is really glad I like my gift. 

Now, I will say that I still prefer the feel and comfort of holding an actual book!  I also really like when I pay for something to have it in my hand rather than have it just appear as a line on an electronic device (but I know that's just a psychological thing I have to get over - it doesn't bother me with music, but I've yet to make that leap with books).

But I do love my Kindle.

(Disclaimer: I have not been paid or given anything for this post.  Amazon.com, despite the thousands of dollars I've probably spent on their site, does not know who I am.)

My Favorite Pastime

The picture to the left is a typical stack that I carry out of the public library.

You may be a book addict if everyone you pass when you're leaving the library has to comment on the number of books you're carrying out with you...

I love to read. I love books. I love that you can find a book on just about any subject.

I'm like a kid in a candy store when you take me to the library or to a Barnes & Noble. I can't figure out what section to start in. History? Or maybe fiction? Ooh, except you have to pass the cookbooks to get to fiction, so maybe I should stop there first? The only time that's different: if I'm actually buying, I must start in clearance because then I can buy more books for the money I have!

And I must also admit that I am a horrible purist when it comes to reading and books. I MUST have actual books!! None of this replacing my library with my iPhone or a Kindle. Now, eBooks are helpful on a plane (they certainly weigh a lot less than a stack of books!). However, for me, technology can never replace or replicate the feeling of holding a book in your hands. There's something so comforting about curling up on your couch with a blanket and a book (and maybe some toast and hot chocolate....). There's something not so comforting about curling up with my iPhone (though I do love it for other things).

If I had my way, my house would be overrun with books. They would be stacked on every surface, every bare spot on the floor. The only thing keeping me from doing that? I think it might be grounds for a divorce....or, at the very least, a visit from the show Hoarders...and who needs someone coming in and throwing away all their books?