mini masterpieces

It's never too early to introduce the kiddies to the works of Jane Austen, Shakespeare, and Charlotte Bronte. I would love to buy these in bulk to give to all my expecting friends (which there are quite a few)!

The illustrations are by Alison Oliver of Sugar.

reading wishlist

I looking forward to being able to read over my spring break without feeling guilty. My amazon shopping cart has exploded with books that I just can't quite bring myself to buy. This is partially due to the fact that I'm very angry at losing my amazon student status that got me free two day shipping but that is besides the point.

If anyone is feeling generous and would like to donate or gift me with any one of these puppies I would be extremely grateful! Congratulations-on-finishing-your-finals gift perhaps?? Oh wait, does that holiday not exist?

I might just have to reallocate my birthday funds from the previously mentioned dress into books. Now that's an interesting thought: 1 dress = 8 (used) books.

From top to bottom: Just My Type, Made by Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World, The Night Circus, The Craftsman, A Love Letter For You, Shop Class as Soulcraft: An inquiry into the Value of Work, Cradle to Cradle, and How to be a Graphic Designer without Losing your Soul

All images from Amazon.

beautiful typography

This page caught my eye in a book I recently checked out from the library.

From Made with FontFont: Type for independent minds by Erik Spiekermann and Jan Middendorp.

favorite books of 2011

I was inspired by Mint's book gift guide to compile some of my favorite reads from the last year but was shocked by the lack of (finished) books I had to choose from. School has really put a cramp in my reading time. I managed to come up with six (impressive, because I was only trying to hit 5!) books that I liked, although I think I cheated as one might be from the end of 2010. Four Three of the finalists can be attributed to my book club, those ladies have good taste, and the last two three were recommended by my sisters. If you need a good book to cuddle up on a cold night I would highly recommend any of the following:

The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
A Mountain of Crumbs by Elena Gorokhova
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

little house on the prairie

While home for Easter this weekend I rescued some books from my childhood room. Among them was the entire Little House on the Prairie series. I must have read them a hundred times when I was younger. I'm glad to have them back.
The great mason jar was also salvaged from the back room of my dad's house. I always come back with goodies when we "clean."