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What I Read in January 2025
Hi, friends! Now that January is FINALLY over (it’s always the longest month of the year…), I’m sharing my thoughts on the six books I read in January: ALL ABOUT LOVE by bell hooks This was a partial re-read since I attempted to read All About Love a while back but I tend to be slower with this genre/format (a collection of “self-help” essays) and I had to return the library book before I could finish it. Reading a chapter or two each day but not every day, it took me a couple of weeks to finish All About Love and I see myself returning to it (at least certain…
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How I Put Together A Beginner Needlepoint Kit for $30*
Hi, friends! As you know, I’ve been very into needlepointing over the last year. I have also been trying to recruit my friends into picking up needlepointing which brings you this blog post. I put together a beginner-friendly needlepoint kit for a friend on a budget (in the hopes to alleviate any pressure). Here’s how I did it! First things first, I decided to paint a canvas instead of purchasing a handpainted canvas since the labor is the biggest factor in relatively high cost of needlepoint canvases. I’ve been wanting to design and paint my own canvases so this part was actually quite fun for me. To take on one…
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What I Read in December 2024
Happy New Year, friends! Hope the holidays were good to you and that 2025 has been good to you so far. Today, I’m sharing the five books I read in December: LOVELY ONE by Ketanji Brown Jackson Naturally, I expected the memoir of the first black woman to serve on the Supreme Court to be inspirational, which it absolutely is. My biggest takeaway from Lovely One was that the Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has lived such a full life. From having grown up as a debate kid in Florida to being a theatre kid in Harvard to successfully raising her two daughters with her college sweetheart while both continue to…
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A Year of Hobby-ing!
I’m not a huge New Year’s resolutions person but at the beginning of 2024, I did share some hopes for the year, which included picking up hobbies. I’m happy to report that I picked up and stuck with needlepointing all year! I was completely hooked after completing a couple of beginner kits/canvases as I reported at the end of Q1. Mindlessly basketweaving while listening to an audiobook is SO meditative, and I’ve spent many mornings doing so, even completing two needlepoint stockings! I find the act of stitching (and the accompanying ASMR) so soothing, and often find myself reaching for my current WIP (work-in-progress) when I’m feeling stressed or anxious.…
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What I Read in November 2024
Happy December, friends! Almost a week into the month, and I’m finally getting around to sharing my November reads on here. I’ll blame it on Thanksgiving being so late this year which did throw me off. LAST BOAT OUT OF SHANGHAI by Helen Zia Since reading Shanghai Girls years ago, I’ve wanted to learn more about Shanghai and Chinese history in general. I’m pretty sure I learned about Last Boat Out of Shanghai on TikTok, perhaps from an author interview? As the name suggests, Last Boat Out of Shanghai is about those who left China before Mao and the Communists took control of the country. They come from different worlds…
