..una.vita.benedetta.. ..a.blessed.life..

Oh, and p.s., I 've been reading some cool books lately and thought I'd share:

1. Soul Survivor, by Phillip Yancey
I'm sure we've all read one thing or another by Phillip Yancey. I had only read one so far, and I have to say, I wasn't all that impressed. But then I found this book at Goodwill, and thought I'd give it a try (I need a steady stream of books and magazines at my house to read during high-school sub days!). It is very well written, and gives fascinating accounts of the lives of the 13 "mentors who helped my faith survive the church." It's part history, part biography, part theology, part personal journey. Very engaging.

2. Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food by Jessica Seinfeld
With my husband's love of all things Seinfeld, and my love of cooking and cookbooks, especially any and all PINK cookbooks (my main cookbook is pink), it was basically inevitable that I check this book out. I have to say, it's FABULOUS! This kind of stuff is right up my alley. Jessica has managed to find amazingly versatile recipes that at look downright mouthwatering (I haven't tried any yet), yet all hide some kind of vegetable or fruit purees in them. Every recipe has a picture by it (what every smart cookbook writer should do), and she gives really easy instructions as to how to go about pureeing, freezing your purees, and then expertly masking them behind things like meatloaf, grilled quesadillas, cookies, and cakes. I'm not sure that I want to go to all that trouble yet, but I'm definitely going to be buying this book for myself when I have children.

3. An Affair With a House by Bunny Williams
Apparently this woman is a famous designer. I'd never heard of her, but this book caught my eye in the front of our library due to its gorgeous front cover of a stunning New England home. This book will make you drool - not necessarily for her decorating style, which I thought was ostentatious and cluttered, but for her property. The woman has 12 acres in Connecticut (be still my heart!) with a main house (built in 1840, I think), guest barn, guest house, pool house, aviary, conservatory, greenhouse, and multiple gardens. Oh. my. word. All people deserve to live like this! :)