• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Inspiration
    • Beauty
    • Books
    • Fashion
    • Fitness
    • Movies
    • Mugs of Wisdom
    • Podcasts
    • Travel
      • Bainbridge Island
  • Food
    • Cooking
    • Entertaining
    • Our Wedding Cookbook
  • Community
    • Adulting
    • Gifts
    • Parenting
      • Country of the Week
    • Relationships
    • Traditions
  • Creative Life
    • Crafts & DIY
    • Knitting
    • Music
    • Writing
    • The Advent Box
    • Short Fiction
  • Home
    • Decorating
    • Organizing
    • Gardening
    • Lolligogin
    • Maryland
    • Washington, D.C.
    • The Southerner’s Handbook Adventures
  • Printables
  • Nav Widget Area

A Mom's Year

Creating a comfortable life one moment at a time

April 13, 2012

Your Ideal Bookshelf / Weekend Links

A book-loving reader told me about Jane Mount, an artist who “paints portraits of people through the spines of their favorite books: the ones that changed your life, that defined who you are, that you read again and again.” Jane will paint your personal bookshelf, but she also sells prints of ready-made bookshelves that feature everything from Jane Austen to Tolkien to contemporary literature to children’s books. As I clicked through shelf after shelf of wonderful books, it was hard to pick just one to show you! Jane also sells notecard versions of the bookshelves. Wouldn’t a set of cookbook or gardening notecards be a fantastic gift?

What books would you include on your ideal bookshelf? I’d love to hear.

While I’m pondering which books to include on mine, here are some fun links for you:

  • I’ve never had roasted radishes before, but I’m intrigued.
  • I’d love to learn how to make these. My gift-giving would rise to a whole new level.
  • This game sounds like fun—should we save it for a hot day this summer?
  • Have you ever been to an Around the Clock Bridal Shower? I went to one long before cool free printables like this were around.
  • I love this gorgeous new poster for kids by Rosa.
  • Free fonts for your crafting projects.
  • Birthday cake batter popcorn. For real.
  • I know my life would be easier if I used the slow cooker more. These 15 recipes look promising—especially the lemon garlic chicken and the carnitas.
  • If you’re short on space (and even if you aren’t), you might love this charming wine box garden.

Do you have fun plans for the weekend? I’m hoping to get caught up on things around the house in between baseball (Andrew has a 50-inning game on Sunday!) and the usual round of activities. I’m itching to buy the baskets of ferns for the front porch and plant the window box, but I don’t know if I dare. We have such tricky weather around here.

I also wanted to say thank you for your thoughtful comments about love notes. You reminded us that what lies at the heart of simple traditions like this is mindfulness. I thought of all of you with gratitude this morning as I tucked notes into lunchboxes.

I hope you have a great weekend!

Filed Under: Books, Cooking, Gifts Shannon 3 Comments

Reader Interactions

Motherhood Musings: Love Notes
Life Lessons: The Perfect Gift

Comments

  1. Rosa @ FlutterFlutter says

    April 13, 2012 at 8:54 am

    They say that the books you read say a lot about you… that takes it one step further! Some great links! Thanks Shannon!! Have a great weekend.

    Reply
  2. Michelle says

    April 14, 2012 at 3:30 pm

    Oh, I’ve seen these paintings too, and have bookmarked it to hopefully get one for myself one of these days. They are wonderful!!!

    (PS- thanks for the link to my blog! We’re totally hooked on the roasted radishes. So much so, I am planting radishes in our garden this year!)

    Reply
  3. Marilyn says

    April 17, 2012 at 5:39 am

    I really want to like roasted radishes, because I enjoy raw ones, but my last attempt was not up to snuff. Maybe I’ll try the recipe you linked to, and add fresh thyme. Fresh herbs help any dish. 🙂

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

Hello! My name is Shannon Taylor and I’m a mom of four, originally from Minnesota and now living in Maryland. I "published" my first newsletter when I was nine, and since then, I’ve written and edited for magazines, websites, and textbooks. I started this blog when my kids were small to reflect on life, share ideas, and preserve memories. Now that my children are grown, I continue to use this space to document meaningful moments and practical ideas.

If you're in the mood for a bit of Christmas cheer, you might enjoy THE ADVENT BOX, available wherever books are sold. You can click on the cover below to learn more.

Instagram

Dear America...

5 1
Open post by shannontaylorwrites with ID 18084812023930902
Dear America...

I grew up in Minnesota. My mom was the Social Justice Chair at our Lutheran church, so it was normal to see her rush out at all hours to deliver food, diapers, and other aid to people in need. When St. Paul began welcoming Hmong refugees, my parents were among the first to help. For my Vietnam-vet dad, I`ve always believed it was an opportunity to atone for the sins our country committed in Vietnam. I remember two families in particular because they made wonderful food as a gift for my graduation party. Another time, a Somali woman and her daughter showed up at our church looking for community. So my mom invited them to Thanksgiving dinner.

That was the world I lived in and why adopting a child seemed like a natural extension of motherhood for me. I had faith that my child would be safe in my community. And my country.

Which brings me to the reason I`m writing this post. There are a lot of conversations right now about speaking up. I`m not sure anyone "owes" my family an explanation of their political beliefs. But we sure trust and appreciate those who speak out against a government that profiles people of color. And who are equally alarmed and ashamed that Mr. Thao, a U.S. citizen like my daughter, was pulled out of his shower after ICE agents broke his door down.

It’s painful to know that the neighbor who gave our daughter a delightful picture book when we brought her home is supporting a party that is encouraging its agents to ask, “Where do the Asians live?” It`s painful to be a guest in the home of someone who assumes my family is as white as hers and confidently tells me how glad she is that God is working through Trump to "clean up" our country and get rid of all these "dangerous criminals.”

I have so much admiration for people who speak up when they don`t have to. I mean, I`m on board this ship whether I like it or not because we`re an Asian-American family. To all of you out there fighting the good fight: I see you and I thank you.

To that end, I`m going to put resources I trust in the comments. Please share yours, too. Or DM me if you prefer.

18 14
Open post by shannontaylorwrites with ID 18179362702374619
I grew up in Minnesota. My mom was the Social Justice Chair at our Lutheran church, so it was normal to see her rush out at all hours to deliver food, diapers, and other aid to people in need. When St. Paul began welcoming Hmong refugees, my parents were among the first to help. For my Vietnam-vet dad, I've always believed it was an opportunity to atone for the sins our country committed in Vietnam. I remember two families in particular because they made wonderful food as a gift for my graduation party. Another time, a Somali woman and her daughter showed up at our church looking for community. So my mom invited them to Thanksgiving dinner.

That was the world I lived in and why adopting a child seemed like a natural extension of motherhood for me. I had faith that my child would be safe in my community. And my country.

Which brings me to the reason I'm writing this post. There are a lot of conversations right now about speaking up. I'm not sure anyone "owes" my family an explanation of their political beliefs. But we sure trust and appreciate those who speak out against a government that profiles people of color. And who are equally alarmed and ashamed that Mr. Thao, a U.S. citizen like my daughter, was pulled out of his shower after ICE agents broke his door down.

It’s painful to know that the neighbor who gave our daughter a delightful picture book when we brought her home is supporting a party that is encouraging its agents to ask, “Where do the Asians live?” It's painful to be a guest in the home of someone who assumes my family is as white as hers and confidently tells me how glad she is that God is working through Trump to "clean up" our country and get rid of all these "dangerous criminals.”

I have so much admiration for people who speak up when they don't have to. I mean, I'm on board this ship whether I like it or not because we're an Asian-American family. To all of you out there fighting the good fight: I see you and I thank you. 

To that end, I'm going to put resources I trust in the comments. Please share yours, too. Or DM me if you prefer.

Had a great time at my first student band showcase! Thank you to Stages Music Arts; Brett, our awesome instructor; and my band mates for making it such a fun night.

I was so surprised and thrilled to look out in the audience and see two of my wonderful friends from our Special Olympics International days (back in the `90s!). And thank you to Tim and our girls for being there and being such a great audience. Will had class, but I hear there`s another showcase in April. Rock on! ❤️😂

29 14
Open post by shannontaylorwrites with ID 18079265525197806
Had a great time at my first student band showcase! Thank you to Stages Music Arts; Brett, our awesome instructor; and my band mates for making it such a fun night. 

I was so surprised and thrilled to look out in the audience and see two of my wonderful friends from our Special Olympics International days (back in the '90s!). And thank you to Tim and our girls for being there and being such a great audience. Will had class, but I hear there's another showcase in April. Rock on! ❤️😂

Who wants to talk books?! These are the books I received this Christmas:

1: FRANNY AND ZOOEY by J. D. Salinger. I love Holden Caulfield in THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, so I don`t know how I’ve managed to go this long without reading this book!
2: MERRY by Susan Breen. From the cover copy: "Fans of family stories, classic literature, Christmas novels, and holiday season magic will adore MERRY." Also, it`s set in London and features a copy of A CHRISTMAS CAROL signed by Dickens. (We have a copy of A CHRISTMAS CAROL signed by Dickens`s great-great grandson, Gerald Dickens, from the one-man show he performed at the Saint Paul Hotel years ago. ❤️)
3: THE ONLY ONE LEFT by Riley Sager. "Deliciously Gothic" and "jaw-dropping twists" sounds good to me.
4. 6:40 TO MONTREAL by Eva Jurczyk. This has an Agatha Christie vibe: locked-room, which is always fun, and the protagonist is a writer named Agatha who`s on her way to a writing retreat on a train with beautiful views when disaster strikes.
5. THE SNOW LIES DEEP by Paula Munier. Dogs, snow, and mystery is right up my alley.
6. STORY by Robert McKee from Andrew. I love the study of writing (English lit textbook editor and all), so I`m excited about diving into the definitive book on screenplays. Andrew and I have started a wonderful collaboration on our writing projects, so I hope this will help me understand the nuances of screenwriting—and maybe help me write my own for THE ADVENT BOX!

How about you? Did you get any books for Christmas? Please share!

P.S. My aunt Joan made these beautiful bookmarks for everyone. They arrived with a huge bag of homemade caramels. It doesn`t get any better than that! ❤️

10 4
Open post by shannontaylorwrites with ID 18054157025347750
Who wants to talk books?! These are the books I received this Christmas:

1: FRANNY AND ZOOEY by J. D. Salinger. I love Holden Caulfield in THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, so I don't know how I’ve managed to go this long without reading this  book! 
2: MERRY by Susan Breen. From the cover copy: "Fans of family stories, classic literature, Christmas novels, and holiday season magic will adore MERRY." Also, it's set in London and features a copy of A CHRISTMAS CAROL signed by Dickens. (We have a copy of A CHRISTMAS CAROL signed by Dickens's great-great grandson, Gerald Dickens, from the one-man show he performed at the Saint Paul Hotel years ago. ❤️)
3: THE ONLY ONE LEFT by Riley Sager. "Deliciously Gothic" and "jaw-dropping twists" sounds good to me. 
4. 6:40 TO MONTREAL by Eva Jurczyk. This has an Agatha Christie vibe: locked-room, which is always fun, and the protagonist is a writer named Agatha who's on her way to a writing retreat on a train with beautiful views when disaster strikes.
5. THE SNOW LIES DEEP by Paula Munier. Dogs, snow, and mystery is right up my alley.
6. STORY by Robert McKee from Andrew. I love the study of writing (English lit textbook editor and all), so I'm excited about diving into the definitive book on screenplays. Andrew and I have started a wonderful collaboration on our writing projects, so I hope this will help me understand the nuances of screenwriting—and maybe help me write my own for THE ADVENT BOX!

How about you? Did you get any books for Christmas? Please share!

P.S. My aunt Joan made these beautiful bookmarks for everyone. They arrived with a huge bag of homemade caramels. It doesn't get any better than that! ❤️
Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins
There has been a problem with your Instagram Feed.

Fiction

Featured Posts

  • Chinese New Year Cookies
  • Year of the Horse Necklaces
  • Make: Chinese Year of the Horse Printable Chopstick Covers
  • New Year’s Eve “Celebrating the Year” Printable
  • Chinese New Year: Ruby’s Wish
  • Chinese New Year: Fortune Cookies
  • Organizing: Kids' Art
  • 10 Fun Ways to Connect with Books
  • A Very Hygge New Year
  • Give: Ginger Soak

© 2026 Happy Crow Enterprises, LLC
About    Privacy Policy    Copyright
Pretty Happy WordPress Theme · By: Pretty Darn Cute Design