needle & thREAD

The first summer sewing project is for Sarah. She has chosen fabric for a Popover Sundress (free pattern) and a reversible bucket hat (also a free pattern). I got it all cut out yesterday (when Kristin was around to snap some pictures) and it's nearly finished this morning. The fabric she chose for her bucket hat is brilliant. She's got an eye for coordinating across lines; the bucket hat will go with this new dress and that one Karoline wore three years ago. Smart girl! I should have them both finished this afternoon. Check Instagram (heartofmyhome) to keep me accountable, please and thank you.

One of my (many) summer resolutions is to be screen-free after sunset. My brain needs a significant amount of time to "un-wire." Also, we all know there are reams of research reports on the detrimental effects of screens before bedtime. Towards the goals of better sleep and more peaceful repose, I'm settling in with something light before bed--at least for the next three months. Habit, then? One can only hope.

I'm reading The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap: a memoir of friendship, community, and the uncommon pleasure of a good book. Sounds pretty perfect, right? A rural setting, stories of good people, and, well, the uncommon pleasure of a good book. I love stories about bookstores! Have I ever mentioned that my favorite movie is You've Got Mail? (Incidentally, people tell me all the time that my husband looks like Tom Hanks. Joe Fox/Mike Foss---I'm just looking for the right bookstore...) Anyhoo, this one is a good one. The author, Wendy Welch, and her husband leave high-powered job and take a chance on a bookstore in a small, Appalachian coal town. They filled a  ramshackle Edwardian house with 38,000 used books and then they fostered community in, about, and beyond the books.  So far, I'm thoroughly enjoying warm stories of good Virginia people and the quiet dreams and tenacity of a couple in love.

What are you stitching and reading these days? We are especially looking for some happy, light read suggestions for bedtime. What's your favorite?