December DIY + Business Book Club

It’s been raining for almost three weeks straight where I live. Normally I’d be way more annoyed than I am about the fact that my backyard is basically a mud pit and that I haven’t been able to enjoy a post-work glass of wine with my husband at our usual spot on the patio for nearly a month BUT since I call California home, I’m beyond grateful for the much-needed rain in a state plagued by a really bad drought.

Spending more time indoors means a chance to cozy up on the couch with my pets and my favorite blanket (a wedding gift from my friend Debra – her amazing quilts are available on Specks and Keepings). I love putting a log in the fireplace, mixing up a stiff Man-O-War (one of my go-to winter drinks), grabbing a book and settling in for a night at home. The book I just can’t seem to put down is Manage Your Day-To-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus & Sharpen Your Creative Mind which features stories, tips and advice from 20 leading creative minds on how to produce the best work you can. Our friend Kari Chapin introduced Delilah and I to this book months ago but I didn’t buy it until I saw Delilah’s copy on a table last summer at our Dear Handmade Life Palm Springs retreat. I read the summary and ordered it ASAP. Quotes in the book like, “It’s not about ideas, it’s about making ideas happen” or “The biggest problem with any routine is that you do it without realizing it” or “Through our constant connectivity to each other, we have become increasingly reactive to what comes to us rather than being proactive about what matters most to us” led me to pull out a pen and start voraciously underlining tons of sentences.

In the time since I’ve finished the book, I’ve actually bought three copies that I’ve sent to people I know. These people are not in my field, yet I felt that they would cherish this book as much I do. I bought one for my husband’s boss who manages a huge team at a winery. I sent another to my friend who is a former artist and now owns an art gallery. I also sent one to my father who is an entrepreneur but not creative at all.

This book is perfect for anyone who is self-aware and seeks to make the most out of their time whether it’s spent creating, running a business or trying to be the best version of themselves. Honestly, just click here and buy the book if it sounds like something you may be into. It’s pure gold. Seriously!

P.S. – We’re taking a holiday break from the blog. We’ll be back on January 5th, 2015. Have a great holiday and a happy new year. We’ll see you in 2015!

Lucky you we’re also giving away a few of this month’s Dear Handmade Life book club picks.

-Nicole S.

To enter the contest:

If you want to win 3 of these books Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing, Handcrafted Christmas, and The Artisian Food Entrepreneur, just leave a comment on this post letting us know one of your favorite books to give or suggest to people you know. Post your comment by December 24th at midnight to be entered to win. Make sure to include your email address so we can get your address and ship you some lovely things to read.

1. The Artisian Food Entreprenuer by Jo Packham

2. Handcrafted Christmas by Susan Waggoner

3. Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing by Gretchen Hirsch

4. Manage your Day-to-Day by Jocelyn Glei

The contest is now closed. Congrats to Rama!