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Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts

Wee Readers: Stuart Little


So remember when the boys and I had our first book celebration after reading Charlotte's Web together last summer? Well, shortly after, we completed Stuart Little by E.B. White and we finally got around to celebrating last week.  Obviously we read a lot in our house on a daily basis but my intention for these parties is to make them similar to a children's book club and keep our focus on literary classics and chapter books. As an English major, introducing these stories to the boys is such a thrill!

They recently watched the Stuart Little film so it was a good time to revisit the friendship of Stuart and Margalo as well as Stuart's adventurous and determined personality. Luke also reminded me that we never had our Stuart Little book party so I got on it in a flash!

I admit we didn't love the story near as much as Charlotte's Web and the ending kinda left us wondering, "That's it? Where's the rest of the story?" Nevertheless, we still enjoyed Stuart's mature and thoughtful outlook on life as well as his adventures in little sailboats and fast blue cars.
For our "book club party" I surprised the boys with cheese sandwiches because what mouse doesn't like cheese? 

root beer cheese sandwiches

vintage root beer

And as a tribute to Stuart's sailing adventure, these blue Jello cups with whipped cream and a peach sailboat were a huge hit with the boys.


We also enjoyed root beer which was the closest thing I could come to sarsaparilla which Stuart Little orders while passing through "the loveliest of towns."



It was Luke's first time trying root beer and I think he was more excited about the striped straw and vintage bottle than the actual drink. 

As for the rest of the summer, we're making our way through our summer reading list for 1st grade and are almost finished with The Adventures of Robin Hood  .  How about you?  Did your kiddos come home with a summer reading list?  I'd also love to hear your suggestions for our next book !

The Beverly Hills Hotel

I found a tattered copy of  The Pink Palace: Behind the Doors of The Beverly Hills Hotel by Sandra Lee Stuart on Ebay one night and just knew it had to be in my beach bag come vacation time. I'm enjoying the history behind this gorgeous iconic landmark and while my toes are resting in sugar-white sand, I'm dreaming of a red carpet getaway that's overflowing with tantalizing tales of the social elite.

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The stories that lie between these walls are truly amazing and after 100 years,  would we expect anything less?  The hotel actually just celebrated their 100th anniversary earlier this year, complete with synchronized swimmers wearing the happiest shade of pink of course!
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True style stands the test of time and certainly The Beverly Hills is a shining example.  Right now, I'm reading about it's survival during the depression and looking forward to lots of juicy details regarding the affairs of Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, Howard Hughes and such.  I won't give away details in case you want to read for yourself.  One thing's for sure,  I think I may have to go see all the pink and green goodness for myself one day!

Like the infamous banana leaf wallpaper/fabric which can be ordered for a small price from Beverly Hills Wallpaper.  At one point the management of the hotel posted the decorators information in the ladies room because women were repeatedly peeling off small samples to take home with them.


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Vertical gardens on pink stucco...simply divine.

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A stately room with private balcony....

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Cabana boy and a mimosa...yes please!

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Green and white striped lounge chairs with a gorgeous pink backdrop.

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Until I get there, I have The Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows: The First 100 Years celebration book on order.  It's written by the official historian of The Beverly Hills Hotel and great-grandson of the original owner, Margaret Anderson.  I can't think of a better way to dress a coffee table or "get away" for a few hours!


Have any of you had the pleasure of staying at The Beverly Hills?  If so, I'd love to hear your review on The Pink Palace.

Wee Readers: Charlotte's Web

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If you saw my post yesterday, you know that Luke and I finished reading our first chapter book together this summer.  Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White, was an obvious choice for me and while Luke was a little unsure about reading a book with no pictures, he always begged to read more at the end of each chapter.  I promised Luke that at the end of each chapter book, we would have a fun little book party.  Kinda like a kiddie book club! I kept it simple, using kid friendly snacks and decorations from around the house. He absolutely adored it and we're hoping to start our next book soon.  Here's the details for our Charlotte's Web party....

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I had these denim and bandana place mats from ages ago and they were perfect for our party.

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 I found these small metal pails and pink pigs in the dollar section at target.  My only purchase for this party!

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Snack food was popcorn, white chocolate and pretzel spiderwebs and good ol' H20.


He loved the chocolate spider webs, which were super easy to make.  Keep reading for some tips!




Gathered up a few farm animals and a tractor for a quick centerpiece and we were ready for our mini book club.


I admit, I personally loved this book, even though I cried like a baby at the end.  (Luke got a little teary eyed too.)  When we finished, we talked about things like friendship, making judgements, loyalty and ironically, the food chain.  Luke loved how Fern was so loyal to Wilbur and I'm 99.9% sure that he will never eat a piece of bacon again.  We also have an ENORMOUS spider web on our back deck that he refuses to let me destroy.  That spider is really living the high life!

So now that I've started this little "Wee Readers Book Club," do you have any suggestions for our next book?  I'm open to ideas so throw some out to me pretty please!

Wanna read Charlotte's Web too?  Here's a great Charlotte's Web teaching resource for helping your kids get the most out of the novel.  Happy reading!


Tips for spiderwebs:

  • line baking sheet with wax paper
  • lay out pretzel sticks in a circular pattern
  • melt white chocolate (I use Bakers squares) and place in a piping bag with small circular tip
  • pipe chocolate in a circular pattern, then in between pretzel sticks and in the center of the circle
  • place baking sheets in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and allow chocolate to harden
  • when ready, gently peel webs from wax paper and enjoy.


A Lady's Library

(Photo Credit:  Top to Bottom, Left to right:  Better Homes and Gardens, Apartment Therapy via Domino Magazine, Girl About O Town via Domino Magazine, Veranda, Flicker via Domino Magazine)
I'm a Pisces.  I'm a dreamer.  I'm creative.  I'm a reader.  I also live with three men.  Well, one man and two little boys.

I've always envisioned having my own library where I can relax, drink coffee and read in peace and quiet.  Having two boys, I'm sure this will always just be a dream but wouldn't it be nice to have a private spot like one of these to escape from the reality of life for a while?

In case you missed it, I recently posted a list of several books sitting on my own bookshelf.  I majored in English and have always enjoyed reading and writing.  I've also always loved photography which I inherited from my dear Mom.  Some friends recently asked me, "Why Blogging?"  Well, combine my interest in writing with my love of photography and you have a blogger!  It just seemed like a natural fit for me and I thank all of you for your encouragement and support.  Right now, I'm blogging from my couch in my PJs and  holding my sweet baby boy Jett.  (Yes, I've become an expert at typing with one hand.)  Maybe one day I'll have my own little creative space...no boys allowed.  It never hurts to dream.


(Flicker via Domino Magazine, Domino Magazine, A Trip to Holland, Unknown)

What's on your Bookshelf?

 (Sunset view from my Aunt Marty's porch 6/29/2008)
You can learn a lot about someone just by looking at their bookshelf.  I'm not talking about those bookshelves in tour homes where the literature is all handpicked for staging purposes.  I want to know what you've personally read or what you're hoping to read.  My Aunt Marty has the most extensive personal library I have ever seen.  I'm pretty sure it rivals her local public library.  It's pretty amazing to think that her brain has absorbed much of what sits on those shelves.  That's probably why she's one of the most interesting and witty people I know.  So I got to thinking, what would my bookshelf say about me?  I'll let you decide.  Here's fifteen books sitting on my shelf, not including my Bible, various travel guides and of course my collection of cookbooks.