In early January, I visited Austin, Texas, for a national conference in my field. I had a few job interviews for assistant professor positions while there, and I ate a lot of good food. But today I wanted to pose this question: should you rip the spines off of books? I saw this in a... Continue Reading →
I have what builders call a "plant shelf" in my master bedroom. When my husband and I first moved into our home thirteen years ago (today!), I had no idea what to put on that shelf. I tried some leftover wedding flowers and random plants, but it didn't look good at all. As I began... Continue Reading →
I tried to make my daughter curtains. Out of a tablecloth. That sounds simple enough, and I know how to sew, thanks to 4-H, but they turned out horribly. And it wasn’t exactly my fault. I sewed straight lines. I measured correctly. I even matched the thread. I did not, however, choose the right material... Continue Reading →
One year ago today, I started this blog. I did so at the urging of Michele Kort, senior editor at Ms. Magazine. I had the privilege of speaking with her on the phone because a family member of mine happens to be Michele’s good friend. Michele spoke with me on two separate occasions, looked over... Continue Reading →
I like beauty pageants. (The feminist inside of me just shrieked. She does every time I admit this.) My involvement in pageants (as a contestant and a director) has waned because of my discomfort with the swimsuit competition and the focus on perfect figures and poufy hair, insubstantial qualities that do not matter. However, pageants... Continue Reading →
I recently had the opportunity to decorate a table at a church/neighborhood dinner. I am not necessarily the master decorator, but I do enjoy making my own home nice and looking through glossy magazines. So, at first I panicked when given this task. Were my dishes too faded? Did I have pretty enough goblets? Would... Continue Reading →
Again, I am not a professional when it comes to photography or decorating, but I thought it would be fun to share how I display and store books at my house. If you want to see Part One, click here. Below are some more photos of my shelves. This is a picture of my family... Continue Reading →
I’m not an interior designer or a photographer, but here are some photos of how I decorate with books at my house. Books best represent my personality, so I’ve come to collect them and showcase them in my home. There was a time when they were all in boxes in our unfinished basement, but now... Continue Reading →
The Bookshelf of Emily J. 