sunday simplicity

Claire Penn Photography via Junebug Weddings

"Last year’s words belong to last year’s language 

and next year’s words await another voice.”

— T.S. Eliot

welcome, winter.

Lauren Miller Photography via Junebug Weddings

"One need never be dull as long as one has friends to help, 

gardens to enjoy and books in the long winter evenings.”

― D.E. Stevenson

Lauren Miller Photography via Junebug Weddings

sunday simplicity.

J. Amber Creative via Wedding Chicks

“Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love.

I like to work, read, learn, and understand life.”

― Langston Hughes

sunday simplicity.

Alexander Rubin Weddings via Bridal Guide

“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You 
discover that your longings are universal 
longings, that you're not lonely and isolated 
from anyone. You belong.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald

literary junkies - february 2016

Here are this month's questions:

1. What are you reading right now? Tell us about it.

I just finished the Welcome to Night Vale novel by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor. I'd listened to a few episodes of the podcast a while back after seeing some of Celeste's doodles inspired by the show and wondering who Cecil and Carlos were and why Tumblr was so obsessed with them! I didn't get obsessed with it, but I appreciated the weird, Lovecraftian surrealism - probably my favorite Night Vale offshoot is their Twitter account, actually. I didn't know about the book until a few of my fellow Female Geek Bloggers mentioned it, and then saw it under my library's new eBook releases. Just as the podcast took me a few episodes to appreciate, it took me a few chapters to get into the book, which focuses on two mysteriously connected characters, perpetually 19-year-old pawn shop owner Jackie and single mom (to a shapeshifting teenage boy) Diane. They live in the utterly weird desert town "where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep." The book's mystery begins when a bland-looking man in a tan jacket gives Jackie a piece of paper she can't put down, and a similarly forgettable man goes missing from Diane's office (Evan? Ethan? Everett? What was that guy's name again?). The trouble with living in Night Vale is knowing when something weird is actually weird enough to be worried about.

2. Have you ever read a book that made you want to immediately travel to that destination?

Nothing comes to mind automatically, but in college I desperately wanted to move to New York and I think it was because I was reading large quantities of "chick lit," like The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing, where the main characters were usually in low-level publishing jobs in the city.

3. What is your ideal reading spot? (Ex. Reading nook in a library, in bed, in a hammock on the beach, etc)

I guess I should say my zebra chair in my classroom, because I love reading to my kiddos every chance I get, but I can't lie, my end of the sofa is indented lower than Mr. Q's because it's the perfect cozy spot to read, usually early in the morning or late at night. However, my all-time favorite reading spot anywhere in the world is the McGregor Room in Alderman Library at UVa - the closest I'll ever get to the Gryffindor Common Room. I also spent a lot of time lying on the grass with a book in the Ampitheatre on sunny days when I was in college. As a tween reader, it was this spot at my local public library.

4. If you wrote a memoir, what would the title be?

I can't even think of a new name for this blog, but I think my memoir would need to be called 30 Going on 13 because teaching middle school is the biggest part of my life, I love puns, and my students are my heart and soul (and best source of funny stories and quotes like, "School food is for hobos.")

5. One of our great literary giants has recently passed, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee. Did you read the book? Thoughts/opinions. What about Go Set a Watchman? 

I have a cat named Scout; what do you think? TKAM was required reading in 10th grade advanced English at my school, and even though most of my classmates were overwhelmed by the length and serious subject matter, I got hooked (it helped that my mom had already shown me the movie!). I can still remember my teacher describing it as a "perfect book" and explaining that she meant that there wasn't a single word or phrase in the novel that didn't need to be there. Since then, I've always tried to remember that good writing should be succinct. I did read Go Set a Watchman, and while I wasn't blown away by it in a literary sense I could really relate to Scout's struggle - when you grow up, how do you continue to love your family members once you see that they are flawed?

What have you been reading lately? Come link up with us at 

Pink Heels Pink Truck and Life with a Side of Coffee!

sunday simplicity #88:

I just had to share these photos from my friend Jessica's wedding.  Jessica is a total Southern belle who loves antiques and primitive art, and that was reflected in her wedding, which had a lot of DIY elements.  Her photos are by Tiffany Maxfield Photography.

sunday simplicity #82 - kindred spirits

Heart Love Weddings

“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. 

It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.” 

-  L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Green Wedding Shoes

clicks of note - just a kiss before i leave

get your week off to a colorful start.


This is the last week of summer for me- next week it's back to the middle school for a week of classroom-unpacking, organizing, syllabus editing, lesson planning, meeting my new students and their parents, fighting for the copy machine, and meetings, meetings, meetings. I'm going to spend this week relishing all the things that I cherish about summer - plenty of time for morning exercise, reading blogs, cuddling with books written at an adult reading level, going shopping in the middle of the day, taking leisurely lunches, actually making crafts instead of just pinning them, and spending evenings with nothing to grade except my own progress or plan except my next adventure.


LISTEN.

• Mat Kearney's been one of my favorite singer-songwriters for a while, and "Hey Mama" is so catchy! A song heroine who shops at Anthropologie, wears purple boots and has "Cherokee eyes"?  Love it.  Here's a link to the official video.
• Sara Bareille's official video for "Gonna Get Over You" is worth watching just for the ending.

SWOON.

Style Me Pretty

• Style Me Pretty features a Cape Town wedding brimming with romance.  Some of the photos look like they could be scenes from a James Bond movie.
• Katelyn James photographed a beautiful barn reception wedding with a quirky robin's egg blue and watermelon pink color scheme.
• Ruffled features an elegant book-themed wedding done to perfection - you have to see the cake.
• Southern Weddings features a family-filled Georgia wedding with a touching international love story.  And a little Johnny Cash.
• Wedding Chicks features a glamorous Biltmore Estate wedding with vintage style.

SMILE.

Vogue and Coffee

• William and Kate are the best.  Oh, you guys.
• How does your summer reading list compare to Rory Gilmore's bookshelf?
• Will from Bright Bazaar shares his photos from the London Olympics.
• 10 Things to Make You Happier at Home from Apartment Therapy - do y'all practice any of these happiness habits?
• Bloggers: how do you plan your blog?  I've just started using paper and pencil - Lisa at Elembee describes how she uses Google calendar and offers a free printable editorial calendar.

clicks of note: love who you are.

LISTEN.

• I love the Olympics in general - more about that later this month as we get closer to the games - so I got really psyched when I saw this Gym Class Heroes video for "The Fighter."  The gymnast featured in the video, John Orozco, is from the Bronx and did indeed qualify for the Olympic team this weekend in Omaha!

LOVE.

• Shape features plus-sized models (or, as I like to call them, normal looking women) including an opera singer and a private detective sharing what they love about their bodies.  
• Reflections on embracing growth (even wrinkles!) from Intentional Adventures.
• Etsy Weddings features Maddie Eisenhart of A Practical Wedding writing about the bridal beauty paradox.
• The Nester's post on the purpose of a workspace is great for those of us who suffer from Magazine-itis, otherwise known as "why can't my house look like a Better Homes and Gardens spread all the time?"  My favorite quote from the post: "Messy is real life and getting things done and every day simplicity and it's beautiful." 

SWOON.

Wedding Chicks

• Wedding Chicks features an Oregon barn wedding last week that includes so many details I love to see in weddings - cowgirl boots, lace, hydrangeas, and an adorable photo booth.
• If you enjoyed my roundup of library-themed wedding inspiration in June, you'll like the card catalog used to hold escort cards in this rustic yellow and cream wedding also featured on Wedding Chicks - their entries have been so on point lately!

Ruffled

• Ruffled features a Yellow Submarine themed wedding inspiration shoot.  If these escort cards don't put a smile on your face, you really need to brush up on your Beatles catalog.

CARE.

• Last but definitely the most important "click" for me today: we are so lucky to have electricity right now and we have had several family members staying with us.  Many Virginians do not have power following two terrible wind storms called "derechos" and will not until the end of the week because the power companies are having to spread themselves so thin.  There have been seven deaths confirmed and our governor has declared a state of emergency.  Please keep families without power- particularly the elderly, young children, pets who may have been left behind when families went to cooling centers, first responders, and electrical workers in your thoughts, as well as those who will not be able to work this week because their businesses are without power.

inspiration for a book themed wedding

Are you familiar with The Plaid Barn?  It's kind of like Groupon in that it offers daily deals but it's specifically for crafty folks.  Today's deal is one I thought would be perfect for brides planning a book themed wedding or library themed wedding: a set of 18 old-fashioned library checkout cards in salmon, goldenrod, and blue for .97 (plus shipping)!

Post edited on 6/21 to add:  Thanks so much to The Plaid Barn for featuring Beyond the Aisle on their Facebook page!  Welcome new visitors; if you would like to add any of the images in this post to your Pinterest or blog please visit the original source by clicking on the link below the image and pin/save from there so the creators get the credit.  Enjoy!

The Plaid Barn

In case you're wondering, "what do library checkout cards have to do with weddings?" here is some inspiration for you:

Design.Mein via Wedding Whims

Luna and Chloe Weddings via Postcards and Pretties

Elizabeth Anne Designs

This would also make a great placecard idea - especially if there was 

a heartfelt note from the bride or groom tucked into that pocket!

Similar pockets can be found on Etsy.

Elizabeth Anne Designs

Card catalogs can be found on Etsy as well; they're a little

pricey but would make such interesting home decor after the wedding

that I think it would be worth the investment.

Intimate Weddings

Jessi Haack Weddings via Indulgy

The same pockets and cards would make a very unique guestbook.

Project Wedding

These checkout cards would also be great for a book-themed baby shower (those are a "thing" now, and I love it!), for a super-organized classroom library (as an English teacher, there's no way my brain wasn't going there!), or even for your home library if you're a little obsessive about your books.

The Plaid Barn did not compensate me for this post in any way - I just spotted the deal in my e-mail this morning and had to share it with y'all!

Again:  If you'd like to add any of the images in this post to your Pinterest boards, please click the link below the image and pin from the source so the creator gets the credit they deserve.  Thank you.

Happy Planning!