Weekend Getaway: Pt. 1 Books and Baked Goods

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn books and reading, travel16 Comments

Hello everyone!! We had the most fun on our little trip. It wasn’t anything big or fancy, none of our trips are, but we had a very good time. We had a bit of a crazy start though to our journey!

I planned this trip because I was looking for a train ride that wasn’t too short or too long. Wyatt loves trains and it seemed our options were the train at Greenfield Village, which is like 15 minutes of train ride, or taking a train to Chicago, which seemed much too long of a ride for Wyatt to stay seated the whole time. Like most travel and wheelchairs, once you are in your seat, that is it. No getting up! (as an aside, did you know that airplane bathrooms are not even wheelchair accessible?) So when I found the train that runs through Cuyahoga National Park, which is a two hour round trip journey, I knew it was perfect. The Akron area is about two and a half hours from our home, so not even a bad drive. I booked an Airbnb in Parma, which was a nice distance between both Akron and Cleveland, giving us plenty of options for other things to do as well.

Thursday morning we loaded up the car, and I plugged the directions into my phone – for Columbus. Not Cleveland. Our first stop was supposed to be the Cleveland Museum of Natural History – unfortunately, I set our GPS to the Columbus Museum of Natural History. We had driven about an hour and some change before we realized the mistake, and reset the directions, which put us an hour behind schedule! We weren’t in a hurry but it was still a bummer.

Then at a stop at the gas station for a fuel up and provisions, Wyatt gagged on a gummi bear and you guessed it, threw up. Yay. I happened to be in the back with him and was totally freaking out as I do, but everything was fine really. But, we had to get him cleaned up and changed, putting us more behind. Although, I was infinitely more grateful that Wyatt was ok. Obviously.

We hit the road again, this time in the right direction, with a freshly changed kiddo who was forbidden anymore gummi bears and made it to our Airbnb, about two hours behind when we had anticipated arriving. We decided it was too late to try to hit a museum so we settled into the house for about half an hour or so, and then got back in the car, although none of us wanted to, so that we could find somewhere to eat and something to do. Wyatt was all about shopping and wanted to get a book, so I googled bookstores nearby and found one about twenty minutes away.

First though, we stopped in at this little old Polish bakery and take out restaurant called Rudy’s Strudel Shop, and sort of went bonkers since we were hungry wolves, as Wyatt says.

We did try to show a little restraint. We managed to get out of there with only an apple strudel for our breakfast the next few days, a loaf of butter crust bread, a small bag of sprinkle cookies for Wyatt, and a chocolate dipped peanut butter cookie for the three of us to share. (it was huge)

We drove through steelyards and neighborhoods and found our way to the very magical bookstore called Loganberry Books, in the Larchmere neighborhood of Shaker Heights, Ohio. From the front, it seemed like a small, quirky bookstore.

However, once you enter it is like it magically becomes much much larger. Like a Tardis. Or one of those tents from Harry Potter. It just keeps going and going, with room after room of books. They sell both new and used books, and had so many cool looking vintage books and beautiful architectural details!

Wyatt and I might have picked up a few books.

We walked up and down the streets of the little neighborhood, poking our heads into different stores and then strolling around the Fiddlehead Gallery. The two (I am assuming) owners were the nicest people! They gave us so much good information about the Cleveland area, and it was nice to chat with them. We purchased two mugs, because we might have a mug addiction, and left knowing a bit more about the area, which was nice. When we finally piled back into the car, we were all running out of steam a bit. So we nixed our plans to go out to eat and to go grocery shopping and picked up burgers on the way back to house. And that was the end of our adventure for the night! It was good we had an early night anyway, because the next day was our train ride and we had to be up early!

And I will post about that tomorrow! I just have too many photos of the next few days to put it all in one post.

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Comfy Cozy Cinema32 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Hello everyone! Last week was so fun! We took a little mini-trip to Cleveland/Cuyahoga Valley National Park and we had a blast! I can’t wait to tell you about it all this week! As I suspected, I didn’t read – like at all. Except for maybe 10 pages before breakfast yesterday. I plan on making up for it this week though!

Read Last Week:

This book was lovely. It is so full of life, the good and the bad, the sad and the happy, and I really felt like I was living in this little community, sharing in their lives.

Reading This Week:

So, my post looks the same as last week. I did start Berries and Bones, and wow is it heavy on the cozy right away. This old bear has a pretty good setup! I am looking forward to reading more of it today.

Listening:

Last week, I wasn’t sure I liked this story. This week, I am here to tell you that I am really enjoying it! I am glad that I stuck with it. It is so cute and very fall vibes.

Posted Last Week:

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Read or Avoided Because of the Hype

Hello October – and a Comfy Cozy Giveaway!

Comfy Cozy Cinema: Kiki’s Delivery Service

Watching:

We are still watching The Pottery Throw Down. I admit, I am addicted. I am learning so much though from it! We went to the Cleveland Art Museum yesterday and as we wandered through, reading about some of the items that were ceramic or china or what have you, I understood the process that went into making them. It was amazing to see pots made in the 700s, and realize that the same processes (more or less) created them. The same shapes still exist. Billy and I were marveling at all the pieces with our newfound knowledge.

We of course are watching our Comfy Cozy Cinema movies that we are watching with Lisa at Boondock Ramblings, and Deb from Readerbuzz is also participating with us! Yay! Last week we watched and posted about Kiki’s Delivery Service; this week we are watching the 1945 version of Blithe Spirit and will post about it Thursday! We are also having a giveaway – you can enter here if you are interested!

And that is about it from here! I hope you are all doing well!

Comfy Cozy Cinema: Kiki’s Delivery Service

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized8 Comments

Hello everyone!! Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I are back to watching and sharing about comfy cozy (and sometimes, chilling) movies for the fall season. Feel free to join in with us!! Our link will be live for a whole week after we post about a movie.

This week’s movie is Kiki’s Delivery Service, which is a Studio Ghibli production. It is not my favorite one (that is Arietty, then When Marnie was Here) but it is pretty cute. And I love little Jiji, her cat.

We picked a great night to watch. The day was rainy, the evening was rainy. We had ramen bowls full of chicken and noodles and miso broth and veggies, and it was delicious. Then we settled in to watch Kiki, all super snug.

Kiki is a little witch in training. The movie begins with Kiki leaving home on her own, to find a city for her and Jiji to live in while she goes through her year of training. The viewer knows immediately that Kiki is maybe not the most smooth of witches, as she bumbles into trees and ricochets all over as she shoots off into the air on her broom, with Jiji hanging on for dear life.

One thing I love about this movie is such a small little detail – Kiki’s radio. She has it with her and plays it so often, whether she is at home or on her broom, and for some reason, I just really like that. She lays in bed listening to it, it is next to her while she is cleaning, it hangs from her broom, it is just a cute detail.

Kiki is from what looks like a rural village, and she moves to the much larger city of Koriko, which is modeled after a combination of major cities around the world – Stockholm, Milan, San Francisco, Lisbon, Paris, etc. It has all the energy of an actual city, with bustling busy streets, heavy traffic, but still manages to maintain a level of beauty and coziness, with cobbles and flowers and quaint little shops, like the bakery where Kiki finds herself living and working.

Kiki slowly begins to make a little life for herself. She makes friends with Osono, the bakery owner and her husband, and lives with Jiji in their spare attic bedroom. She also becomes friends with Tombo, an idealistic young man with a passion for aviation, an older woman I think they call Madame, and Ursula, an artist who lives in a cabin in the forest, and is friends with crows (that look like magpies to me).

On the surface, this little sweet cartoon is just that. Kiki’s journey, making friends and a community for herself, starting her little delivery service, becoming who she is meant to be. But it also has a message of not giving up, to not quit when we fail, because failure is part of life. We try, sometimes we fail, and then we pick ourselves back up and try again. Kiki’s friend Tombo wants to fly so badly that he invents a crazy flying machine powered by bicycle and willpower. It crashes and fails its first time out, but at the end, we see him flying out over the sea with Kiki on her broom next to him. He did not quit.

Kiki finds herself in a similar situation, feeling down and not quite herself and perhaps, even losing her magic. She is burned out after working so hard, because Kiki is a very hard worker. She is polite and kind and goes out of her way to help others sometimes, on top of her responsible work ethic. Ursula sees how Kiki is struggling when she makes a surprise visit to town, and invites Kiki to come back to the cabin with her to spend the night. The two have a few heart to hearts, and Ursula tells her that it is ok to have these moments, and that every artist, every person needs to find their own inspiration.

Ursula: Trusting your spirit! Yes, yes! That’s exactly what I’m talking about. That same spirit is what makes me paint and makes your friend bake. But we each need to find our own inspiration, Kiki. Sometimes it’s not easy.

The scenes at the cabin are so cozy and perfect to me, and have such an attention to detail. The way Ursula looks down at her drink, swirls it around a bit as she considers what she is saying, that gesture is just so real. I also love this sort of hint at the healing powers found in simplicity and in nature.

Ok, I can’t talk about this movie without talking about Jiji the cat! I just love this little character. He has his own distinct personality and I simply adore him.

This movie is just so cozy and sweet and full of goodness. Friendship and found family and art and creativity – I just love it. There are actually a few different versions out there, including two different English language versions, a 1998 version and a 2010 version. I watched the 1998. There is also of course the Japanese language version that is the original.

You can find this movie on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Hulu to watch streaming for a fee. You might also be able to find it at the library.

If you have watched along with us, and want to share your link, please feel free. We would love it!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
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Up next is the 1945 version of Blithe Spirit!

Also, don’t forget to enter our Comfy Cozy Care Package Giveaway! You can enter here!

Hello October – plus a Comfy Cozy Giveaway!!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn autumn, Comfy Cozy Cinema15 Comments

Hello everyone!! It’s FINALLY October. My favorite month of all. And it feels like fall here, y’know? I stepped out on the deck this morning, barefoot as always, and the wood under my feet was cold and the air was chilly. I checked the temperature, and was glad that I had coffee with me – it was a mere 49 degrees.

I see all these people talking about how they feel so much more alive in the fall, and I can relate. That is exactly how I feel, like I am fueled by cooler weather. Rusty colored leaves tumble through my soul, chill winds raise my spirits, and I thrive in this weather. The heat and humidity of the summer weigh me down, but in the fall I come alive again.

Away go my shorts and sandals, and out come my jeans and sweaters and boots, ready to walk down trails filled with trees blazing their colors before they go to sleep for the winter. Soups and stews and warming meals are making their way on to my meal plans, and I have told Billy it is time for him to wake his sourdough up, to begin baking our bread for the week. It is a time of transition and change, as we begin to settle down into a different rhythm. School has started and our days are spent reading and learning and creating, and before we eat every evening I clear the table of our day’s work, pencils and papers and books. Weekends are full of plans for pumpkins and apples and chestnuts; they are also full of plans for bonfires with family, cider, Halloween fun and this week, a vacation.

I also see so many autumn bucket lists online, and yes, there are things I want to do this fall too. But this year I am also trying to be mindful to not cram our every moment full of plans; I want us to enjoy the season, time with our family being together, because sometimes when you are spinning from one thing to the next, you forget to really enjoy what you are doing, to pay attention to that moment, truly pay attention to it. I have a list of things to do, but I am also trying to have an anti-bucket list as well.

Sunday, we declared the day to be a nothing day. We called a halt to running and doing and spent the day hanging out with each other, just slowly letting the day spin out while we read or painted or played, in the case of Wyatt. It was a rainy day, perfect do-nothing day. We ordered ramen from a local noodle house, which was delicious, and we finished up our ghost portraits. We finished up the night by watching Kiki’s Delivery service, which is part of Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and my Comfy Cozy Cinema. And it was a wonderful day. I want to make sure I save space for these type days this fall as well.

My favorite book has a quote about winter, that humans say they like winter but what they really like is being proof against it. And maybe there is some truth to that. I love fall and the weather and being out in it, but it is also so nice to be snug inside with my tea and a blanket and a book. And also, cookies and chocolate.

With that, I want to talk about our giveaway! Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I are cohosting a small little comfy cozy care package giveaway, to go along with our favorite season (fall!), and our Comfy Cozy Cinema! We have some fun little goodies to be sent off to one winner, with more surprises to be added as well! We want to celebrate the season and this is just one way we would like to do that this year.

You can enter anytime between today and October 15th, and the winner will be announced on our blogs Thursday, October 17th. Please enter via Rafflecopter and it is only open to those 18 or older living in the US.

Right now I can only post the link – the code is not working for me! Please let me know if entering is still an issue!

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3614a4fa2/

And that is it from me today! I hope that whatever you do today you all do something that makes you smile!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Read or Avoided Because of the Hype

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized59 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Hello everyone! Today’s topic is books I read or avoided because of the hype. I am writing this without thinking much about this time; I am curious now if I will end up with more books or more books avoided!

If I ended up not liking a book you love, I am sorry! I usually do not say anything on my blog at all about books I don’t like – I just don’t mention them at all after I read them. It’s just how I like to do things. I don’t like to hurt people’s feelings!

Status: Read

Verdict: Loved it!

I remember when this came out everyone was going mad over it, and I was so upset because I could not get a copy from the library quickly. There were just a million requests for it. My dad ended up buying it for me and surprising me with it! I was very grateful because I ended up loving it. Like the main character, I also have bits of nature scattered all around my house, that we have collected on our adventures. I loved everything about this story.

Status: Read, but I avoided it for a year first!

Verdict: Loved it!

I don’t have much to add to this other than I wish I had read it sooner!

Status: Avoided

I know, I know. Everyone has read this book but me I think. I keep thinking I need to read it, but then, I just don’t. Should I read it?

Status: Avoided

I really don’t know why I am being so contrary with this one. If you read it, what did you think? It seems pretty universally loved!

Status: Read

Verdict: Loved it – but only after I listened to the audio

I live in Michigan and this book was in my face wherever I went. I couldn’t avoid it, but then as a Michigander I couldn’t resist it either. I started it, and I had a difficult time with it until I listened to the audio, which was read by Meryl Streep. She really brought this to life for me.

Status: Currently Listening

Verdict: Pending

So far I am having a hard time getting all the comparisons to Gilmore Girls out of my head! I think once I can stop mentally comparing this book to the show as I listen, I will enjoy it more, because it has all the things I love in a book!

Status: Read

Verdict: I liked it!

I am going to talk about the series as a whole here, not just this book, even though I did not finish the series. I did really enjoy the books that I did read though. I especially loved the character Rhys.

Status: Read

Verdict: Loved it!

This was one of those books I was like ohmygoshIlovethisbook! It is so good, and I am so glad that I listened to the hype and read it. It was one of my very favorites that I read that year.

Status: Read

Verdict: Loved it!

This was one that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on! I loved it.

Status: Read

Verdict: Loved it!

Sigh. I loved this story. I had not read a Sanderson book before, and I am so glad that this one was one that I did read. It is a very enchanting tale!

And it looks like when I did read these hyped books, I enjoyed them and even loved them! That makes me feel I should go back and read some that I have avoided.

I am looking forward to seeing what everyone else has to say!

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized28 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Hello everyone! It’s been slow around here, which was fine by me. I hope though that everyone who had to face down Helene has minimal damage. She was fierce looking.

Read Last Week:

Last week I read The Girl in White which was actually a little spooky for a kids book! This one was spookier than the other I have read by Currie, What Lives in the Woods. It was a good read for the season (without actually being too scary).

I also started Twilight Garden on Friday morning. I had forgotten I wanted to read this until I saw it on Rebecca’s TBR! Darn it. My TBR is just too crazy. Like everyone’s is, I am sure. Lol.

Reading This Week:

I will finish up The Twilight Garden, and then start another from my list. Right now I am not sure which direction I will pivot, but I feel I am leaning towards light and easy. Perhaps Berries and Bones, it look so deliciously fall. I also plan on starting The Whisperwicks, which is my book club book for the Patreon group I am part of for Alexandra Roselyn.

We are going away this weekend and so I hope to have some good reading time. It’s like that old saying though, “No one is more optimistic than a mother who takes books on the family vacation”.

I am also listening to an audiobook while I embroider. Right now I am listening to The Pumpkin Spice Cafe to see what all the hype is about. It has been compared to Stars Hollow and the Gilmore Girls which I love and have watched a million times over – and unpopular opinion coming, but I am not too excited about this book so far. It is too much like Gilmore Girls. I haven’t listened to much but it seems more like it is really just Lorelai Gilmore all over but this time she runs a cafe. The character talks a lot and talks fast, she drinks a lot of coffee – I don’t know. I guess I wanted the feel and or even a reimagining, but this is too on the nose. Does that make sense?

Posted Last Week:

A Few Whimsical Halloween Picks

Comfy Cozy Cinema: Ladies in Lavender

Friday Morning Coffee Catch Up

Watching:

We are busily watching our Comfy Cozy Cinema movies; last week was Ladies in Lavender, and tonight’s feature is Kiki’s Delivery Service. Comfy Cozy Cinema is something Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I started together and every year is so much fun! You are all invited to watch and post along with us.

Billy and I are also watching What We Do in the Shadows, as well as The Great Pottery Throwdown.

Also – I wanted to add that Lisa and I will be posting about our Comfy Cozy Care Package giveaway on Wednesday! We have lots of goodies we will be sending to someone to get all cozy with this fall!

And that is about it from here! I hope you are all doing well!

Friday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Coffee Catch UP27 Comments

Hello everyone! My coffee today is darn good, I am going to be honest.

First off, I hope everyone in the path of this hurricane is safe. Helene is looking pretty wicked. My brother and family head to Disney tomorrow, and I am also worried about that! I am keeping all involved in my prayers this weekend.

Update: I wanted to add that I am so shocked and sad over the passing of Dame Maggie Smith. We watch so many of her movies in this house, both as part of Comfy Cozy Cinema, and just in our regular watching. Maggie Smith could say volumes in a glance, and cut to the bone with her dry wit. Her performances always had me giggling, but she also could tug the heartstrings and convey compassion as well. Her performances were always masterful and I am grateful that she left behind such a large and plentiful portfolio of movies for us to watch and enjoy. May she rest in peace.

Maggie Smith photographed in 1960 Credit: Photo: FremantleMedia Ltd/REX

Looking back at our past week or so, it was pretty..sedate. Wyatt and I were either sick or recovering from our cold, and while they were mild (just congestion) we didn’t feel like doing much. We pretty much just read and did some schoolwork and Wyatt played. I think our bodies needed a little break.

During the week though Billy and I noticed that our female Betta has shredded fins. It made us super nervous that maybe she had fin rot and we couldn’t figure out why. So we scooped out some of her water and took it up to the fish store for a test and to talk to the owner. Our water tested perfectly, and she doesn’t live with any other fish that would chew on her, so it was a bit of a mystery. The woman who works there finally determined that since she was in a community tank of other female bettas when we bought her, that she came to us a little chewed up and then developed an infection from her wounds. We bought some blue stuff to treat her – we drop a little in the water every night before bed and that should clear up her infection within seven days, hopefully. For a fish she has a pretty cute personality. I can even get her to jump up for food. It is super cute. She is loved so we hope she recovers. The guy said since she is eating and still zooming around her tank that she should be ok.

However, Sunny the snail lives with her normally, and the fish store told us we might want to take him out during the treatment. So we set up a small bowl for him to live in temporarily, and the first night in, he showed us how much he didn’t care for it. I woke up the next morning, and he was missing! I looked around and around near the bowl, and found him halfway across the room, laying there like a man in a desert! Billy hurriedly scooped him up and put him back in the water. Sunny is an aquatic snail so he shouldn’t be out of water. We are mystified as to how he got that far – and where was he going? And how long could that have taken? My friend suggested that he saw the other aquarium across the room and was trying to make it there, which made me giggle to think about – but, maybe? It’s a mystery!

We also decorated for fall and Halloween, to boost our spirits. I am loving all of our decorations, it makes it feel so warm and cozy in here, all the fall leaves and burnt orange, the pumpkins and ghosts. It made us happy! We also stopped in at Trader Joes after Wyatt’s epilepsy appointment the other day, and bought up most of their seasonal line. We may have gone a little crazy! It is easy to do there though! I also bought two items to include in the comfy cozy care package that Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I will be hosting a giveaway for very soon.

Billy is adding some flourishes to Wyatt’s ramp, to make things more comfortable for him to play out there. He just has the railings and then it will be completely finished!

And here are just a few random photos from the roll!

And that is it from me today! I hope that whatever you do, you do something that makes you smile.

Comfy Cozy Cinema – Ladies in Lavender

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Comfy Cozy Cinema15 Comments

Hello everyone!! Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I are back to watching and sharing about comfy cozy (and sometimes, chilling) movies for the fall season. Feel free to join in with us!! Our link will be live for a whole week after we post about a movie.

This week’s movie is Ladies in Lavender, starring Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Daniel Brühl, and Natascha McElhone.

From Amazon: Aging spinster sisters Ursula (Judi Dench) and Janet (Maggie Smith) discover a young man (Daniel Brühl) near death on the beach by their home in a small Cornish fishing village. Taking him in, they discover that he is Andrea, a violinist from Krakow, Poland, who had been swept off an ocean liner on which he was sailing to a fresh start in America. It is set in the 1930s.

I ended up enjoying this movie, but at first I had my doubts. It begins innocently enough, with Ursula and Janet walking their beach, going to bed that evening, and then a violent storm hitting the coast overnight. In the morning, the sisters spy a man on their beach and find a young man, close to death. They of course call the doctor and bring him into their house to nurse him. He eventually awakens and they learn his name is Andrea, and that he is Polish.

Through trial and error and some beginning German on Janet’s end, they are able to somewhat communicate. Ursula also teaches him some English as well.

Ursula also however begins to develop a crush on the young boy. And yes, it is awkward and uncomfortable for the viewer, and in part this is all due to the masterful acting of Judi Dench. She nails the fawnings of a young girl newly in love, the attitude, the postures, the small gestures and looks, the flouncing and pouting and delight. It was a testimony I felt to her skills as an actress, and Maggie Smith cracked me up as usual, with her expressions and faces regarding her sister’s behavior. She notices and her demeanor alternates between alarmed and concerned and sometimes just plain what the eff, with some amazing side eyed looks.

Eventually they learn that Andrea is a very talented violinist, and as he begins to heal, he begins to explore his new temporary home. He befriends Russian painter Olga, played by Natascha McElhone, and Ursula is a bit jealous, and compares her to a witch in a fairy tale.

Andrea is spreading his wings, and the ladies are feeling a bit jealous, yes Janet too, in her own way. He has come to represent dreams and desires that were lost to them, that they were denied, for love in the case of Ursula, and Janet, who lost her love and her chance at being a mother (this is just my interpretation). They want to hold on to him, to hold onto these dreams, and the small ways that they can live them out. Olga with her free spirit and youth, not to mention the ability to speak easily and fluently with Andrea, make her a threat. All three women know that Andrea is a special however, and do want the best for him.

This movie had a very slow beginning, but as the story picked up and became more complex and less strange, I became invested in these characters of Ursula and Janet. It was a weirdly beautiful story if you stick with it, albeit sad.

The setting is beautiful, a stone home on the coast, surrounded by ocean and garden. It is like a dream itself, a fairy tale home hidden away by the sea. The music itself is gorgeous, fitting to the movie and the characters. There was one shot, so beautiful, of Andrea perched on the rocks at night, playing his violin to the sea and it was a moment, and ugh. I am just such a sucker for cinematography. If I were Keith Brymer Jones I would have cried at just that one shot alone.

If you start this movie, stick with it. It is slow starter, there is not much action, it is a quiet little spark of a movie, but it really is beautiful. It is about love and unfulfilled dreams, aging and youth, and letting go. A bit like holding a butterfly in your hands, that is this movie.

You can find this movie almost on every streaming platform if you are interested in watching.

If you have watched along with us, and want to share your link, please feel free. We would love it!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=c0efdbe6b4add43dd7ef

Up next – Kiki’s Delivery Service! We are about to enter a wave of my picks, starting with Kiki. I always have to make Lisa watch a cartoon it seems.

We are also thinking about having a fun watch party for the last movie, Chocolat. If you think you might be interested in this, let us know!

You can find Lisa’s impressions here!

A Few Whimsical Halloween Picks

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn autumn, holiday, hygge23 Comments

Booooo! It’s no secret around here that I love fall and Halloween. I also love things that are whimsical and fun. And when I can get whimsical and Halloween together – it is almost perfection, like that perfect ratio of whipped cream to pumpkin pie!

I have found a few things on Etsy that just spoke to my fun loving yet spooky side and wanted to share. When I do these posts I usually try to mix up mediums, but this time, I just followed my heart, and if there is an abundance of pottery, I apologize. I love a good handcrafted potted piece though, maybe because my MIL is a potter and I know the level of work and love that goes into each piece. Anyway, without further ado, my picks!

This post contains affiliate links.

Little Ghosts || Mini Ceramic Voodoo Doll || Mini Solid Ceramic Pumpkin

These are all from the same shop, ClayHiveCo on Etsy. The potter, Shandi McConnell, handmakes everything in her backyard studio in North Carolina. I really loved everything in her shop, and not just her Halloween items. She has a wonderful aesthetic that speaks to my heart! — Just a note — In the time since I created this post (last Friday) and then when it went live (this morning) some items have already sold out! So act fast if you like them! I know I am!

The Dogs of Halloween || Cat Bat Mug || Funky Frogs

First up is the Janet Hill print. My friends and I have adored Janet Hill for a while now. She is a gifted artist with a studio in Canada, and her artwork all tells a story. There are multiple storylines that flow through her art, like the Kidnapping of Edward Pink, Miss Moon and her dogs. I just love them all. She also has books to go with her art! The print listed above is from her Miss Moon collection and I just love the lighthearted feel of it.

This fun cat vampire mug is from the store Bread and Badger on Etsy, and artist Amanda Siska says on her website that she started her business  “to nourish the soul, and remind you of special events while you sip your favorite beverages”. I have had a few of her pieces on my wishlist for a while now, and this one is just too cute. The cat on it reminds me of my Maggie who we lost two years ago, right before Halloween.

These frogs just made me smile!! They are so cute in a Beetlejuice sort of way, and I feel like they are perfect for the Halloween season. I could see them sitting next to my kitchen sink, guarding the handsoap! The artist Iva, from IvasPottery on Etsy, does live in Bulgaria so if you want one of these guys before Halloween you might need to order quickly!

Haunted by My TBR || Cats Embroidery || Macrame Ghost

This sweatshirt caught my eye and made me laugh, particularly as a reader with a huge tbr looming over me! Plus, embroidery. I actually have one of those embroidery machines and I don’t know how to use it. My grandmother gave it to me before she passed away, and it would be nice to figure out how to use.

Speaking of embroidery… I love pretty much everything that Marion (ohmygosh that was my grandma’s name!) has in her shop Tales from the Hoop. She sells her designs as kits and as pdf patterns so if you are a more experienced embroiderer then you could skip the kit and buy the pattern instead!

I love this macrame ghost as well. Nhan from the shop BeanDaikon has an array of macrame items for Halloween, from ghosts to skeletons to bats, including a unique bat bookshelf that would be perfect for holding your spooky books! However, I am sharing this ghost because I just love how it looks a bit like it is singing!

Trench Coat Costume

I mean, guys. Look at this cat!!! It’s cute little face, so serious, I just can’t. This little costume outfit is adorable. Miso would hate me forever if I even tried something like this, but maybe someone out there has a furry friend that would be willing to try this on. And then later solve a few mysteries and eat cat food crumpets with a side of a saucer of tea. (can cats have tea? probably not) If anyone buys this and manages to get their cat in it, I need to see the photos.

And with that, I think I will end here! (and go peruse that Etsy shop more, because this cat is a fantastic model and is so adorable!) Be sure to check out Etsy’s Fall Decor Collection and Halloween Guide!

My Sunday/Monday Post!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized32 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Hello everyone! I missed last Sundays posting because we took Wyatt to a Detroit Tigers baseball game – and he even got to meet one of the players! It was a very fun Sunday! Then Wyatt and I both came down with a cold and were feeling pretty gross most of the week, so we did a lot of laying around and resting. I think we needed it, we were pretty run down from the whirlwind of activity we have been swept up in.

Read Last Week and the Week Before:

Haunt Sweet Home was a short little read, and not scary at all. It was more of a..coming of age story, I guess in a way, and it sort of made me sad. Haunted Ever After was a fun, easy read and it was perfect for this past week. And The Full Moon Coffee Shop was a bit weird honestly. I liked it, but it wasn’t my favorite.

Reading This Week:

This week I need to catch up on things I let slide last week, but as I am still sort of gross, I am taking things slowly. I think this book will be perfect for the week I am hoping for! Just something easy.

Posted Last Week:

Cozy Fall Reads (Not Spooky!)

Wednesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

Comfy Cozy Cinema: Somewhere in Time

Watching:

Well, Billy and I have been pretty obsessively watching The Great Pottery Throw Down. I knew I would probably really love this one the best. I love all things pottery and my MIL is a potter as well, so I am pretty familiar with the process. I love seeing what everyone designs, and I love when the judge and British Potter Keith Brymer Smith cries. He just gets so overwhelmed with the beauty of the art that he can’t help it. I saw that there is a book about him, called Boy in a China Shop that I may have to read.

We also are watching our Comfy Cozy Cinema movies every Sunday! Comfy Cozy Cinema is something that Lisa and I started last year. We share a bunch of movie ideas to watch “together” and then post about them on Thursday mornings. This week’s movie is Ladies in Lavender starring Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, if you want to join us in watching! We are thinking of having a watch party soon with whoever wants to join in as well – maybe in October or November. And we will be announcing our Comfy Cozy Care Package giveaway soon as well, so stayed tuned for that!

And that is it from me this morning! I hope you all have had a happy and safe weekend.