i found out about laura, affectionately known as the hollywood housewife, from a good friend who reads her blog daily.  laura is a small town oklahoma girl turned hollywood housewife,  for reals.  i quickly took a liking to laura and her blog as she is a writer at heart and lover of books.  her posts are honest, endearing and thought provoking.  and if i’m ever trying to figure out what to read next, well, i know where to look.  laura and i met at ALT and i only wish we had more time to get to know each other better.

My luggage. I travel at least once a month and usually more. This year I’ve already been to Colorado, Salt Lake City, Vegas, Oklahoma, Dallas, and Palm Springs. This bag is from my trip to a blogging conference down in Laguna Niquel. I’ve been home almost two weeks and the thing is still unpacked at the foot of my bed. If I don’t tackle it right away, I get super lazy about it. Come to think of it, this is true for most tasks in my life.

Books. I have a serious book buying addiction. I have more than I could possibly read. And since I bought a Kindle Paperwhite (you can see it peeking out at the top of the stack), the instant purchase gratification is out of control. Lest you think this is a humble brag, I really have forced myself on a hiatus until I make some progress on my current To Read list. I keep a stack of books that I’m excited about on my bedside table, which means that space is never as pristine as I would like for it to be. But I’m okay with that kind of clutter because having books around brings me comfort.

A major theme in my life is Start Where You Are. Too often I’ll talk myself out of trying something new or making a change because it seems overwhelming, or because I feel like I need to be more prepared in some way. But it’s not true. Start where you with what’s in front of you. One step leads to the next to the next. I have to remind myself daily.

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so, i this could totally be my monday mess.  i don’t have a unpacked suitcase at the moment but, like laura, if i don’t do it right away than it just might stay packed until the next trip.  what about you?  and books, don’t get me started on bedside books.  ok, do.  i just added this book + this one, over the weekend.  what books are on your bedside table?

p.s. last month i did an interview with laura for all parenting (where she writes a regular column) on moms who blog, you can read it here.

images : hollywood housewife