The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

The inspiration for this outfit comes from a gloriously delicious book called The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate.  It is about a girl named Calpurnia and her family.  Mostly, it is about Calpurnia and her grandfather and the relationship they form over science. 

Callie grows and changes in the story.  She evolves.  She also learns that she loves science and figuring things out.  She loves researching plants and wants to discover something new.  This book does touch briefly on "evolution" and " natural selection.". However, even though I do not believe in evolution, I didn't feel like the author was overly zealous about the subject. 

The story is so beautifully told, and the characters all come alive - Callie is such a wonderful girl, I just love her! -that I was able to look past the things I don't believe in and enjoy the actual story.   If these things offend you, or if you take fiction books literally, then this book is not for you.  If reading about what someone else believes, while staying true to what you believe is something you can do, then I highly recommend this book. 5*.  Also, The Curious World of Calpernia Tate is coming soon, and I just can't wait!

Callie is a Scientist who loves to study animals and plants.  Plants seem to be her favorite, so I decided to wear my amazing full skirt splashed with Sunflowers!  Along with my blue polka dotted blouse.  I don't know why, but I just was in a mood for blue today - so blue cardigan, belt, and shoes.  I wear this outfit with stripes, and lots of yellow too, so I can't wait to style this skirt in more ways this spring and summer.  It is totally one of my favorite skirts. :). I did add yellow in my necklace, earrings, pin, and hair accessories.  Something about blue and yellow.... means spring is in the air!

Outfit Details: 
Blouse:  ModCloth
Skirt:  ModCloth
Cardigan:  ModCloth
Belt:  Newport News
Shoes:  Newport News
Hair flower:  Handmade Gift
Earrings:  Sundrop Earrings
Necklace:  Gift on our Honeymoon - an Amber necklace from the D.R.

What is your favorite spring combo?  Let me know below! 

Good night!

The Friendship Doll

The Friendship Doll is by Kirby Larson (same author who wrote Hattie Big Sky).  It is written from the perspective of a doll: Miss Kanagawa.  It is a story about a doll from Japan and the people she touches.  It is a super sad story.  And it's pretty neat that the story is actually based on a true story of Friendship Dolls from Japan to the United States.  58 dolls were sent over in 1927.  This event happened before the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  After that sad time in history, many of these friendship dolls were destroyed.  Sadly, only 13 of these dolls have ever been found.  4* - I do recommend this book!  It is historical fiction, which I love, and Larson is a wonderful story teller.  Go read it! 

My outfit is based on this book.  I thought that the skirt had a cherry festival look to it.  I love stripes with flowers, so added my striped shirt.  It was a little chilly out - so I added my pink flower cardigan. 

Outfit Details:
Blouse:  ModCloth
Skirt: Giveaway
Tights: Gift
Shoes:  Chadwick's
Necklace:  Gift
Cardigan: Gift
Ring: Sheinside

In other news:  We got to go see Zootopia!  It was really funny!  A little scary for little kids, and it does talk about evolution FYI.  (Without saying: Evolution)

Also!  My hubby let me order a whole new pile of books, which I can't wait to dive into! 
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Missing in America
Return to Sender
Saving Wonderland
A Year in the Life of a Complete Genius
Absolutely True
Jack The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk
The Categorical Center of the Universe of Candice Phee
Two Summers
Josh Baxter Levels Up
The Swap
Ruby Lee and Me
Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend.

Look for some new book reviews coming soon.  :).

So excited.  Have a good night! 

Getting to Know Me Monday... I Love Where I Live

I live in the middle of no where!  The biggest city is 90 miles away - to the north of us.  It has about 100,000 people living there.  It is waaay too big.  The next closest city has about 8,000 people living there.  Also waaay too big. 

The truth is, I am happily content to live in the middle of no where.  I have no desire for fancy shops, eateries, or refinements of city life.  I am totally a Country Girl.  That's with a capital C and G.  I enjoy the soft breezes, the sounds of birds, the smell of the fields in the rain.  I love hearing our river tumble by, and the sounds of coyotes under the moon at night.  I love seeing the blue sky during the day, and a million stars at night.  I love being close to rivers, mountains, sand dunes, waterfalls, and geysers.  There is nothing like it. 

What do we do for fun you might ask?  Snowboarding, skiing, ice-skating, hiking, biking, camping, four-wheeling, and so much more.  It's not a life I would change to live in the city.  I know other people think differently, and that's cool.  But, for me, this is the life.  Where do you live?  Do you live in the country?  Or are you a city girl?  What do you like best about where you live?  Or, do you feel like you belong in the opposite place you live in now? 

Summer at Forsaken Lake

Happy Leap Day!  What a fun extra day today!  We went grocery shopping in town, and then tackled History, Art, Math, Reading, and Writing for the kids.  Chickadee #1 is learning about Early America and the colonies.  Chickadee #2 is learning about the Elizabethan era.  #3, and #4 are learning about Ancient Greece. 

I saw an inspiring Green Bay Packer's Quote today, and had to share.  I truly believe we could have won every game this year... but we ran out of time!  :).

We also took a walk down by the river today, and enjoyed throwing rocks in, underneath our bridge. 

My outfit today is inspired by the nautical theme that is so popular this spring and summer.  I wanted to build an outfit around my vintage blue pleated skirt.  I devided my polka dotted blouse would go well with it - and belted it in red.  I kept with the red in my shoes too, as blue shoes would have been too much, I think!   I also added my cool vintage anchor brooch - since my blouse had a tie neck, and I couldn't do a necklace. 

The book choice for today is:  Summer at Forsaken Lake.  A story about a boy named Nicholas, who finds his father's old stash of film - from back when he was young and making a movie at the lake.  Nicholas uncovers secrets long buried.  What really happened that summer on the lake so long ago?  4*.  I would also like to point out - this author also wrote The Red Blazer books and a fabulous book about a cat named Lantern Sam.  Check him out!  He just might become a new favorite author! 

Well,  that was my wonderful leap day.  How was yours?

Outfit Details: 
Blouse:  ModCloth
Belt:  Old
Skirt:  Vintage
Brooch:  Vintage
Shoes:  ModCloth
Bracelet:  Newport News

Trapped in the Slickrock Canyon

Trapped in Slickrock Canyon takes place near the Grand Canyon.  I think of Southwestern colors and patterns when I think of this area - thus my outfit today. 

Today was a great day!  I had my chickadees with me and we went to eat lunch at McDonald's, and - even better - had ice cream for dessert.  :). We came home and rode our bikes all over our field - up and down the jumps.  It was a lot of fun. 

My skirt today came from my friend's boutique shop - which she closed earlier this year!  It is a limish / lemonish yellow with bright pink to really pop.  The pattern really reminded me of the Southwest.  I went with a dark emerald green turtleneck - and my cable car necklace.  My necklace is an old key chain that I upcycled to make into a necklace. 

Trapped in the Slickrock Canyon is the book I based this outfit on.  It is an older book written in 1984.  If you've never read it - I think it's worth finding a copy.  It is about a girl named Gina from the city and a boy named Justin from the country.  They are cousins, and Justin is in charge of taking care of Gina.   He is mad about it, and decides to take her into Slickrock Canyon.  All sorts of wild adventures commence.  From bad guys with guns to flash floods.  This book is quite an adventure!   4*!

Outfit Details:
Turtleneck:  Local Boutique
Skirt:  Local Boutique
Necklace:  My own creation
Shoes: Newport News
Earrings:  Lia Sophia

Chasing Redbird

A cardinal.  Bright red.  A spark of color in a winter world.  Guess what?  I've never seen one!  Cardinals don't live in my neck of the woods.  But we have red-breasted robins.  Soon the robins will be back in our area.  Robins are a sign of spring.  But for now, a shirt full of colorful birds will have to do. 

Today, we went to our Sunday meeting.  Great reminders to keep our words gracious and kind!  Afterwards, we went to Millstone Pizza and had lunch.  Sports and Pizza - what could be better?  We came home and watched ice-skating / went biking / and went for a walk.  It was a fun day. 

Outfit details:
Bird Shirt:  eBay
Cardigan:  Giveaway
Skirt: ModCloth
Belt:  Old
Shoes:  Peacock Heels:  ModCloth
Earrings:  Gift
Necklace:  ModCloth

The inspiration for this outfit is Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech.  It is a wonderful book about a girl named Zinny, who discovers an old forgotten trail in the woods behind her house.  She decides to clear it away and make it a path again.  What will she find out about her and her family's past?  I would give this book 4 stars.  Go read it today! 

The House of the Scorpion / The Lord of Opium

What an exciting day today!  For my outfit post I went with one of my favorite series of books by Nancy Farmer:  The House of the Scorpion and The Lord of Opium. 

The Lord of Opium has a poppy on the cover - which just so happens to go along with the poppys on my skirt.

It just so happens that for February it has been unseasonably warm.  We're talkin'  50's and 60's warm... not only is that odd for our neck of the woods, but what makes it even more strange is the fact that the rest of our state - and even the rest of the nation - has been experiencing blizzards of 2-3 feet and plummeting temperatures.  Hmmm.  Very strange.  Very, very strange....

All this warm weather has made it feel like spring is in the air.  And I must confess, that air has kept us busy with riding bikes, and trampolines, and no time for blogging! 

Thinking of spring, I decided I had to wear my poppy skirt.  We also live in an agriculture town, and so fields of food and plenty abound around our old homestead house.   Right now, of course, they lay dormant, but I thought what better place than a field to show off a skirt that shows plant life?  Dreams of poppy fields filled my head.  I added a white button down blouse, and heels in orange.  I also put on my multi color beaded necklace and my orange and blue stretch bracelets.

After my fun field photo shoot, my hubby decided to take us down to the river and teach us how to pan for gold.  While it was a lot of fun, it wasn't very successful, although I did find a minuscule, (like you need a magnifying glass) speck of gold on my first pan!  So, that was rather exciting. 

My books for this post are:  The House of the Scorpion.  A story of a boy - who's father is the ruler of The Land of Opium - who discovers he is his father's clone.  Then, his father unexpectedly dies, leaving him running for his life.  The first book talks about how he escapes this life, makes friends, and becomes a strong individual in his own right. 

Fast forward 15 years.  Finally, a second book!  This new book :  The Lord of Opium stands on it's own two feet.  He has to now go back to Opium and become the Lord of Opium.  But will he make the same mistakes as his father?  Or will he become a new kind of ruler?  And who can he really trust?

Two of my favorite books of all time.  I highly recommend them!   5 stars!*****

Outfit details:
Blouse:  Old
Skirt: Chicwish
Shoes: ModCloth
Necklace:  eBay
Earrings:  Gift
Orange spike bracelet:  Gift
Blue bracelet:  Gift