I am currently feeling very stymied over our dining room table lighting situation. The pendant lights are in, but we are no closer to a decision on the dining room table fixture than when we moved in — I feel like I’ve been looking for months, and still haven’t found an option that satisfies our criteria and that I feel totally confident in. And since this will be an expensive purchase and a prominent piece in our home (much like our rug), I want to get it right. Perhaps y’all might be able to shed some light (har har) on the situation?

Here is our inspiration. I like the classic smokebell shape…

On left, from Young House Love

On right, from Cote de Texas

I like the canopy style…

Em for Marvelous

Better Homes & Gardens

And these fancy red ones are nice…

Sunset Magazine

Style at Home

Using those rooms as inspiration, I’ve searched and searched for options within our budget (ideally under $500) and with a minimum of three 60-watt bulbs or four 40-watt bulbs (John’s request). It has been surprisingly hard to find fixtures with enough wattage for John in the style we like. This is what we have so far:

A. Star of the Show Island Chandelier from Shades of Light ($566 with 10% off, 4 60-watt bulbs, also available in “blackened rust”)
B. Hundi Lantern from Pottery Barn ($269 with 10% off, 3 40-watt bulbs)
C. Classic Canopy Lantern from Shades of Light ($540 with 10% off, 4 60-watt bulbs)
D. Darlana Medium Lantern from Circa Lighting ($630, 4 60-watt bulbs)
E. Remington Pendant Chandelier from Ballard Designs ($212 with 15% off, 4 40-watt bulbs)
F. Classic Smokebell Lantern from Shades of Light ($350 with 10% off, 3 60-watt bulbs)

Since we’re not in a rush, I noted the discounts I’ve seen frequently and feel confident we could snag :)

The Hundi lantern is probably the safest option – it’s solidly within our budget, and it shows up again and again in rooms I pin. I really think A and C could be special, but they’re both above our ideal budget.

And that’s pretty much where we are at the moment. Any favorite lighting resources you’d like to share that I could try? Have something in mind that I must see? I’d love to hear!

I love to read, and I have for as long as I can remember. I would bring a book everywhere with me when I was younger, and I can still plow through whole series in a weekend, if given the chance. The way a book can transport me to an entirely new world will never get old! My sisters are the same way, so clearly it’s something we got from our parents. I think growing up in a home where reading is valued is one of the best gifts they gave us, and I am so grateful for all of the things it has lead to in my life, and the way it has shaped me as a person. Unsurprisingly, it is one of THE things I am most adamant about cultivating in our future children – I think there are few things that will open more doors for someone than teaching them to love reading.

Evidence of my love for reading at a young age!

What I read:
So, what do I like to read? I could (and will) devote a separate post to favorite kids books, but these days, I try to read a variety of genres. I track the books I read throughout the year in the Notes app on my phone, which helps me decide what type of book I should read next. I read mostly novels, with a healthy dose of financial advice, books on faith, historical nonfiction, and classics mixed in.

What I’ve read:
In preparation for this post, I updated my Goodreads account so you can get a sense of books I’ve read in the past, if you’d like. In 2013 I read about 18 books (aside from the Bible). My favorites included The Glass Castle, Blue Like Jazz, Seven, and Outlander. So far I’ve read six books in 2014, so I’m off to a good start! The best by FAR was Red Rising – if you liked The Hunger Games, I can’t recommend this book enough! So, so good.

What I want to read:
I also keep a Note on my phone for books I want to read — it’s easy to access and I can update it from anywhere. I find my best recommendations come from friends and family members whose taste I trust. I subscribe to O Magazine, and they often have spot-on recommendations, too! My “to-read” list is about 50 books long at this point; here are a few in my queue:

The Cat’s Table
The Omnivore’s Dilemma
Mathilda Savitch
The Light Between Oceans
Heft
The Interestings
Margin
The Silver Star
Rumors of God
The Last Days of California
All Joy and No Fun
The Goldfinch

If you’ve read any of these, I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts!

How I read:
I rarely buy books – most come from the library, and some are borrowed from friends. I prefer to read physical copies, but I just heard that Scribd (a Netflix-like e-book subscription service) is giving away FREE three-month subscriptions this week in honor of National Reading Month, so I’m excited to load up our Kindle, too!

What I am currently reading:
Now, for the most marvelous part of this post! I couldn’t share my thoughts about reading and books without mentioning an exciting development in my literary world. My brother-in-law Seth (you may remember him from his wedding) is a literary agent and now a published author; his first book, The Well’s End, was released just one week ago. I’m only a few chapters in, but I’m already chomping at the bit to find out what happens next! Every so often I pause and think how funny it is that this person I know wrote these sentences :) If you like The Hunger Games and other young adult thrillers, I think you should order The Well’s End right now (or run out and buy a copy wherever books are sold!). SO excited for and very proud of Mr. Seth.

I would love to hear: Are you a reader? Have you read any of the books I’m considering picking? Do you have any other favorites to recommend?

P.S. The Amazon links in this post are affiliates, just FYI!

Oh my, March. You started out with a gorgeous 70 degree day yesterday, but today’s low is supposed to be 18!! I’m hoping you have much more of the former rather than the latter in store for us in the coming weeks…

In addition to the garlands I made for some faraway friends, I made raspberry whoopie pie valentines for my coworkers!

To recap, my February goals:
Finalize “Before 30″ list and post. Here! Thank you so much for your comments! I’ve already checked off three items!!
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with friends and husband. Check!
Plan something fun with CT friends in the Triangle. Yes! We have dinner plans for next weekend.
Work on guest accommodations before March visitors. Yes! Lots of progress here. Fabric for curtains was ordered, arrived, and delivered to the seamstress. We (unexpectedly, but you have to strike when the opportunity arises!) bought a bed frame at the flea market on Saturday, so I’m hoping to have that refurbished before they arrive! And we assembled our twin spindle bed and bought a mattress for it.
Plant jasmine around mailbox Yes!

March goals:
— Practice new calligraphy techniques (picked up from my time with Lauren!)
— Plant peony in backyard, as long as danger of frost passes
— Plan a really happy trip to NC for two dear friends and their gents
— Set an appointment with an allergist
— Help launch a new service/community at our church – First on Chatham! If you’re interested, we meet at The Cary at 9:45!
— Plant the first round in our vegetable beds

What do you have planned for this month? If you’ve written a post about it, feel free to leave the link below, because I’d love to take a look!

With my birthday, this project has concluded! Go here to see my full recap.

Happy birthday to me! 27 is the first year, I think, that has felt “older.” Not “old,” and not older in a bad way, just… older. It seems like I’m closer to late-twenties than mid-twenties now. I see 30 on the horizon, and I want to be ready for it. So, instead of launching a third 101 in 1001 list, I’m trying a 60 Before 30 list! Some of these “goals” are silly, some are serious, some will be really hard, and some are already well on their way to completion. More than anything, I hope writing these things down and working toward them will help me become the person I want to be — strong in mind, body, and spirit; capable and adventurous; encouraging and kind; grateful and generous — when I reach a new decade.

Start: February 28, 2014
End: February 27, 2017
Items completed: 43

1. Cultivate a lemon tree and/or blueberry bush (blueberry bush planted April 2015 and I am so excited!!)
2. Post a guide to the Triangle on EFM
3. Support a friend in something he or she is doing (Kollin’s Kickstarter!)
4. Expand on my very minimal eye makeup techniques (thanks to my personal consult with Sam in December 2016!)
5. Host a themed party
6. Go on a missions trip
7. Plant something pretty around our mailbox (March 2014)
8. Order an heirloom-quality wedding album for our home (January 2015 – post here)
9. Make a watercolor, oil, or acrylic painting
10. Develop a repertoire of at least 12 plant-strong meals we love (post here)
11. Make an appointment with an allergist and consider treatment plan options (June 2014)
12. Pay off the Mariner car loan (February 2014 – post here)
13. Pay off the Focus car loan (June 2014)
14. Fully fund a savings account for our next car purchase (completed December 2015)
15. Host a favorite things party (February 2017)
16. Make our porch a comfy place to gather (in progress)
17. Learn to French braid
18. Celebrate our two year anniversary (September 2014)
19. …and our three year! (September 2015)
20. …and our four year! (September 2016)
21. Hang a giant wedding canvas in our living room (February 2014)
22. Barter a skill in exchange for family photos (January 2015, for June’s newborn session in January 2016! :)
23. Become a morning person (a.k.a. a person who has a habit of waking up at 7am or earlier) with a consistent morning routine
24. Buy a headboard/frame for our bedroom (I’m marking this complete in September 2016 with the addition of decorative pillows after deciding the headboard we want is not in the budget right now!)
25. Develop a consistent and fulfilling prayer life
26. Make a square newel post for our stairs
27. Extravagantly and unexpectedly give to someone else (December 2016, to Nancy’s Dressember)
28. Renovate our backyard so it’s more private and a great place to gather (in progress!)
29. Explore the California coast (May 2014 – posts here, here, here, here, here, and here)
30. Film and edit a video for our church (February 2017 – didn’t film or edit it ourself, but chose the team and helped facilitate it!)
31. Convince Nancy to give me a hair tutorial
32. Open a Fidelity Giving Account (April 2014)
33. Grow a cutting garden with dahlias, roses, and peonies
34. Send out a Christmas card that conveys what Christmas means to us (December 2014 – post here)
35. Pay off at least 35% of our outstanding mortgage
36. Arrive at a compatible bike situation with John (road bike bought on Craigslist September 2014!)
37. Weed through my shoes and remove/sell the ones I don’t wear and decide on storage for the ones I do (September 2015)
38. Go antiquing at Brimfield, Round Top, Scott’s, Alameda, Brooklyn Flea, or another famous market
39. Start a luminaria tradition in our neighborhood (February 2017 – found out there kind of already is a luminaria tradition, so I started a Favorite Things party tradition instead!)
40. Replace my everyday bag (June 2015 – new Longchamp purchased while in Paris!)
41. Expand our family (here she is!)
42. Run a Chick-fil-a 5k
43. Make a will
44. Create a drop zone near our garage door
45. Go to Europe (Paris, Provence, Cassis, and the Cote d’Azur in June 2015)
46. Give away as much as we spend on Christmas gifts in 2014
47. …and 2015
48. …and 2016
49. Canoe down the Haw River (March 2014 – post here)
50. Follow a year-long Bible reading plan with John
51. Send my mom flowers out of the blue (December 2016, for her handbell concert)
52. Rehabilitate luggage rack passed down from my grandmother (April 2015)
53. Increase yearly giving until we are tithing
54. Learn some flower arranging skills (January 2015 – post here)
55. Post a full house tour on EFM (downstairs + upstairs in 2014)
56. Make at least one friend in our neighborhood (Hi, Ally!)
57. Write an article for our church’s newsletter on something we’re passionate about (December 2014 – see it here!)
58. Start Life Handbooks for Tegan, Wes, Maisie, and June
59. Buy a new Bible for the long haul – one I love and can scribble in (February 2017 – ESV Study Bible)
60. Make a quilt

There you have it! I’d love to hear your thoughts, if we share any goals, or if there are any goals you’d like to help me tackle! Here’s to a marvelous three years!!