My Summer Book Report - Overview

Hi guys,

I've been doing lots of reading, and also rereading books while moving.  But it's been a long time since I've written you all one of my bigger book review posts.  So this one is long past due!

The books I've read since my last post in February (oh man...so long ago!) are as follows The Weekend Homesteader by Anna Hess, Call The Nurse by Mary J MacLeod, and Paradise Lot by Eric Toensmeier and Jonathan Bates - these are all non-fiction.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith, Jane Austen, and Philip Smiley, Geekomancy by Michael R. Underwood, Celebromancy by Michael R. Underwood, The Long War by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter, The Long Mars by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter - these are adult fiction.

Fuse by Julianna Baggott, Burn by Julianna Baggott, Gifts of the Blood by Vicki Keire, The Swap by Megan Shull, Cipher by Aileen Erin, Waistcoats and Weaponry by Gail Carriger,  plus the books I reread The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine, and Wild Magic, Wolf Speaker, and Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce - all YA fiction.

And finally with many more entries than I've had before comes the graphic novels/comics section.
Manifest Destiny Volume 1 by Chris Dingess, Matthew Roberts, and Owen Gieni, Amulet Volume 1 by Kazu Kibuishi, Thor: Godess of Thunder Volume 1 by Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman, The Sculptor by Scott McCloud, Rat Queens Volume 1 by Kurtis J. Weibe and Roc Upchurch, Rat Queens Volume 2 by Kurtis J. Weibe, Roc Upchurch, Stjepan Sejic, and Ed Brisson,   Captain Marvel: Marvel Now, Volume 1 by Kelly Sue DeConnick, David Lopez, and Lee Loughridge, Lumberjanes Volume 1 by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, and Brooke A. Allen, Ms. Marvel Volume 2 by G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, and Jacob Wyatt, Ms. Marvel Volume 3 by G. Willow Wilson, Takeshi Miyazawa, Elmo Bondoc, and Mark Waid, Bride of the Water God Volume 1  by Mi-Kyung Yun, Avengers & X-Men: Axis by Rick Remender, Adam Kubert, and Leinil Francis Yu, Batgirl Volume 1 by Cameron Stewart, Babs Tarr, and Brenden Fletcher.

Also here's an updated list for my more complex reading challenge.  I'd love recommendations for books, and if anyone can think of a book set in Roanoke, VA that'd be fantastic!  I don't want to have to cheat and use a book about the lost colony, but I guess I could if I have to.

The big reason I have so many graphic novels on my list is because back in February Bryan and I happened to spot a new comic book store in a strip mall we often passed going on errands from our old house.  The place is called Fight or Flight Comics and it was exactly the kind of store we didn't even know we were looking for.  We always end up in some great conversations when we go in, and find new things to read too.  6 of the 13 comic titles are entirely thanks to them!  If you're in Raleigh or the Triangle area be sure to check them out, their shiny new shop is well worth the trip!  You'll probably hear more about them in the future as Bryan and I are hoping to get involved with a discussion group they have going.

Anyway, back to the books - I don't want to overwhelm you all, so I'll be breaking the actual reviews into 6 entries of 4-7 items each since there are 42 books in total on this list.  I'm very close to hitting my yearly goal of 52 books, because with all these I'm sitting at 51!  I imagine by the time I get around to writing the last of the 6 sets of reviews I'll have topped that and should be adding a couple more books to the lists as I go along.  Till next time.

Love,
Lydia

More on My Capsule Wardrobe

Hi folks,

So first off I realized I wasn't totally clear about some things in my post about my capsule wardrobe.  I want to clarify how a capsule wardrobe works and what I'm doing with mine, then I'll highlight some of the struggles I've had in making it work thus far.

What's a capsule wardrobe?

The concept of a capsule wardrobe springs from the idea that if you look at what's in your closet after years of compiling more stuff you start to realize you hold on to things you don't need.  In some cases it's things that don't suit you as a person anymore, or that aren't work appropriate, things you have too many of, items that don't fit you right, or items that are worn or in need of repairs that might take too much effort.  Everyone has a little bit of these things in the closet in some way or other unless of course they're already some sort of minimalist.  If so you don't need to create a capsule, you're already doing it and just didn't know!

Once you start to condense your closet to just the "good stuff" you start to see more clearly what your sense of style is like, the types of clothes you enjoy wearing, what works well for your body, and a whole lot more.  It allows you to see what items you actually need so you spend less and also get more bang for your buck because you're being mindful about the buying process.  It places priority on only buying items you love that are of better quality instead of spending on a whim.  It also lets you relax since you know most items are mix and match ready with other pieces in your closet.  So it helps de-stress your daily routine, while opening the way for creativity in how you pair items.

I happened on the concept of the capsule wardrobe while browsing for new fashion blogs back in February.  While perhaps I don't seem like the type to care about it all from the point of designers and brand names I find that I really enjoy the aesthetic fun of creating new looks for myself, and viewing what other normal people have done as well.  I mulled over the idea and knowing our move would give me the perfect chance to enact a big change I started planning things out during April and May.  The sites I drew inspiration from were Unfancy and Project 333 for the basics of how to put the capsule together.  Then blogs like Crafty Minx (who makes some of her own clothes and is also a plus sized lady!) and Kendra's Closet Confections (I loooove her way of combining bright colors and classic cuts) for ideas on what kinds of items might work well for my style, since I like their looks.  These days I'm looking for new ways to style what I've chosen from blogs like my friend Rachel's (where she pairs long sleeves with shorts, totally on my to try list!) and some of the other new plus size capsule creators like Little Raven Ink (she's also an artist, so her blog is extra fun).

Most capsule wardrobes are created to cover a 3 month period and use about 30-37 pieces.  My first one landed at 35 pieces, but I'm already starting to see I should have made a few changes now that I'm a month and a half in to my June-August cycle.  A lot of people have different rules for what pieces they include and don't too, some count purses, jewelry, and other accessories, and some don't.  Mine includes tops, bottoms, dresses and shoes for now.  I also kind of added my purse, so you could say it's 36 pieces now.  I'm not too picky this time around.  To recap here are the images of all the clothes I've included.

For more information about the individual pieces please check out my last post.

So, you're probably wondering what kind of issues could I have had?  These clothes look pretty good.  (At least I hope that's what you're thinking!) Well, my problem is I want to layer more and add things like scarves to my repertoire.  My struggle there is it's really been hot here in North Carolina.  To an extent it is every summer, but for the past month & a half the highs have been above 90F the vast majority of days (average is supposed to be mid 80s).  I get hot way too easily for being fancy most days since I'm more the fall and winter loving type of person.  I think I've only managed to wear jeans 5-6 times since the start of June, though the olive khakis should fare a bit better since they roll up.

That's really been the biggest issue I've had.  Also I feel like I don't have need for skirts as much as I hoped during summer.  And though having 2 dresses available is nice I'm not sure I'll wear the second one by the end of summer unless I start making opportunities to.  I'm more comfortable wearing skirts and dresses in fall when I can throw on some leggings and not have to deal with heat rash on my poor bare legs.

My goals for the next month and a half are to:
1. Start photographing my favorite combinations
2. Plan my fall wardrobe with as few new items as possible
3. Connect with other bloggers
4. Be more creative with the pieces and accessories I've got

That's all for this Fashionyface Friday.  Next week I'll try to share some of my outfits with you all and talk about my experiences with the clothing rental company Gwynnie Bee.  Till next time!

Love,

Lydia

More on my capsule wardrobe clothing pieces here and more on the idea of what a capsule wardrobe is here.