Placement of Pretty Things

What I’m Reading- Holiday Edition (Part 2)

by Robin Turnipseed December 12, 2023

A winter chill has finally decided to greet us here in the south, and its timing is perfect. Christmas is two weeks away, and I am in a mad dash to complete all my shopping. Typically, I am swept up in the rush and hurry of the season, bouncing from event to event until I glance up and notice that it is January 3. However, this year, I chose to enter into the season differently.

Around the end of October, I compiled a holiday reading list, and the moment the calendar marked November 1, I gave myself full permission to dive headlong into festive fiction. I downloaded audiobooks to listen to in the car when driving from store to store, arrived early to the school pick-up line with a book in tow, and, as often as I could, ended my nights with a cup of chamomile and a few more pages before I turned off the lights.

These small changes to incorporate more rest and reading have completely transformed my season. If you are looking for a few holiday-themed reads, here are a few books I’ve enjoyed recently.

PS. This list is the second part, so don’t forget to check out the first part of my holiday reading list. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from me and all of my books to you and yours.

December 12, 2023 0 comment

Featured Holiday Lagniappe Reading Lists

What I’m Reading- Holiday Edition (Part 1)

by Robin Turnipseed October 31, 2023

“What are you reading right now?” is a question I frequently ask my friends. Books have remained a constant in my life, and even with a neverending stack of titles on my bedside table, I cannot help but add to it if something new catches my attention or a friend recommends it. I have FOMO when it comes to books, and if you are an avid reader, you know this is an actual condition. I am constantly searching for the next great novel to add to my reading list, one that will cause me to lose sleep, forgo washing my dishes and laundry, and mourn the characters at the end.

Although I enjoy reading within all genres, one of my habits is to lean into festive fiction the closer it gets to the holidays. Since my family refuses to cater to anything Christmas until after Thanksgiving, my reading list, packed full of small towns decked out in holiday lights, tinsel, and falling snow, is my form of rebellion. I begin diving into these warm and fuzzy beauties around mid-October, refusing to venture into other genres until after the New Year.

October 31, 2023 0 comment

Featured Lagniappe Small Pretties

The Grand Ole Opry Playbill

by Robin Turnipseed September 30, 2023

I have a confession. I enjoy collecting odd things. From pinecones gathered on walks with my kids to matchbooks with intricate drawings that I snagged leaving a restaurant, I have accumulated quite an assortment of random items. I thought this quirk developed with age, but seeing that I am the girl with a rock on her nightstand, I fear I harbored this tendency for years. Not only do I enjoy collecting unusual things, but I decorate with them as well.

For example, framed playbills cover an entire wall in my bedroom. Since I prefer art that tells a story, I love that I can relieve each of these extraordinary nights spent at the theater every time I glance at my wall. I prefer this to simply hiding them in a box where I will undoubtedly forget their existence. Until recently, this wall space only displayed programs from Broadway productions. However, that all changed with my visit to the Grand Ole Opry, an experience so memorable that I knew this unique piece required a place on my wall.

September 30, 2023 0 comment

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