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The Best of 2022

It’s no secret that ‘22 was a transforming year for this space. I said “goodbye” to what I thought was my lifelong career and jumped off the deep end into social media and content creation. It was a year of exciting highs and vulnerable lows, but when I asked for your most memorable shares you showed up in a BIG way.

Thank you for your input on your favorite things found on The Bookcase Beauty in 2022. It was an incredible year made possible because of YOU.

I’m looking forward to an even better 2023, but before I hit the ground running, I’ve rounded up all of our favorites from the past year!

If you find anything you love, I hope you’ll consider using my embedded links! I will earn a small commission from the brand at no additional cost to you!

Books:

Shadows of Pecan Hollow – Favorite book of the year! I raved about it for the majority of 2022. It’s all over my page! Grab a copy and read this amazing book please!

Lessons in Chemistry – Holy moley, talk about developed characters! On top of being a phenomenal story on strength, carving your own path, and love through difficult times, Bonnie Garmus made my personal reading experience even better when she joined our book club discussion. I could have listened to her talk for hours. I’m so glad this was a favorite of yours too! If you haven’t gotten a copy yet, now is the time!

The Book ornament – This was the highlight of the season for me! Never did I think that sharing a template would catch such fire. It was honestly thrilling and very fulfilling to see how many people found a tool I shared helpful. I’ll be making a few adjustments to this blog post before next year. 

Finding new favorite authors like Katherine Center – I LOVE KATHERINE. She has such a kind heart and is so open and genuine. She is one of those people you feel like you’ve known for years. No surprise her books are filled with joy and love and all things good! You can find all of her books and others I love right here. 

DNFing a book! – Say it louder, “LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO READ MEH BOOKS.” Meh meaning it wasn’t for you and that’s okay!! Not every book is for every person. That doesn’t speak badly to you or the book. Put it down and go find something you enjoy!

Life:

Drink pairings – I had so much fun crafting cocktails this year! My original source of enjoyment was to pair my favorite reads with some of my favorite drinks. Since, I’ve taken the approach that you don’t have to be a mixologist to make yummy drinks at home! I’m excited to share more with you in 2023!

Embroidery – Embroidery has become one of my favorite ways to relax. Pair it with an audiobook and I’m set for hours. I plan to share more of my passion for embroidery this year! If you’re interested in learning, I suggest trying some kits from @andotheradventuresco and @lemon_made_shop. Both are Texas-based embroidery artists and I love their work! You can also dip your toe in with a simple kit like this from Amazon. 


The Brie Bites – Y’all, I do not take credit for these, but I sure do love sharing them! They are insanely delicious and now that I’m typing this I’m craving them. Here’s a recipe from Delish! I make mine without the pecans.

Amazon Finds:

Lastly, the most popular purchases from my Amazon Storefront this year!

Cushionaire slides – These shoes are like walking on clouds! Even after several months of regular wear, they still feel as good as they did on Day 1.

The Fiamond Earrings – Such an affordable alternative with several stone sizes. I’ll say that these were worth every bit of the $38 I spent on them. I haven’t given them any special treatment. They’re my everyday earrings, they’ve been through chlorine pools, salt water oceans, and regular soap showers and they’re still in good shape! The gold plate on the tips of the prongs are beginning to chip, but for $38, I’ll buy another pair when it really starts to bother me!

Hobnail glasses – the best “treat yo self” upgrade! Also a fantastic housewarming or wedding gift. I love the quality to price ratio on these. Heavy duty, but don’t break the bank!

Glass container set – Are you tired of me telling you to put your fruit in glass?! This set has saved so much fruit from going to waste. Fruit lasts so much longer in these containers. Get them and thank me later!

Thank you!!

All of this to say, thank you for being here. Thank you for giving my dreams a pulse. My goal for 2023 is to share so much more for you! I want my presence across platforms to be a place you come to for refuge and calm, joy and encouragement.

Let’s chat! Leave me a comment below or send me a DM on Instagram! I’d love to know if I helped you find any favorites!

Your Next Holiday Gathering Should Be a Favorite Things Party

White Elephant who? Out with the tacky junk, in with the raindrops on roses and balloons on bookcases. Here’s why my new tradition is a Favorite Things Party!

I’ve wanted to host a Favorite Things party for a long time and my dream finally came true last week when my friends came over for a Christmas party with a twist. I had to explain to all of them what a Favorite Things party entailed, but by the time I was finished, they were SOLD.

One thing about me is that I live for a vibe. To help bring a little extra Christmas charm to the night, my friend Vivian from @shopjoyza was so kind to donate a balloon arch! In addition to local installs, she offers custom 6-ft DIY Balloon Garland Kits that can be shipped all over the country! Her balloons are distinctly different from the ones you’ll find in party stores. They are thick, quality material that will last up to three months indoors!

Although the kit comes with detailed instructions (seriously, anyone can do it!), she’s local and brought over a custom kit with classic Christmas colors so I could learn in-person! We had the best time making it!! Definitely recommend an air pump like this one or this one to speed the process along.

Check out her website and Instagram for more amazing custom creations and kits! Keep @shopjoyza in mind next time you need balloon decor! Tell her I sent you! 🙂

I also bought a record player and two Christmas records to play during the party. I’m obsessed with the coziness of hearing old tunes come through such analog technology. Do I sound like a superficial millennial? The vibes, man, the VIBES. 

Everyone brought a food dish of some kind and I offered two large-batch drinks: a Blood Orange Margarita and a non-alcoholic Apple Cider Sangria. Both were hits! I’ll share recipes soon!

Okay- on to the party!! Here’s how you play the Favorite Things Game.

Favorite Things Game:

Preparation:

  1. Set a price range for your item (we chose $5-$10).
  2. Decide how many items you want everyone to bring (we chose 5).
  3. Each person then buys five of the same item within that price range.
  4. You don’t need to wrap the items!
  5. Write each person’s name on small pieces of paper five times (or the same number as items bought) and collect in a bowl. Don’t forget to add your name too! (I made a table in Google Slides so that I could type a name once and copy/paste. Saved me time and the names looked nice and fancy!)

At the party:

  1. Collect all items on a table with easy access.
  2. One at a time, someone shows the item they chose and explains why they like it. 
  3. That person draws five names (or the same number of items bought) and those people each get to take home the item! 
  4. If a name is drawn twice or if the person who brought the item’s name is drawn, replace the name and draw again. 
  5. At the end of the night, each person will leave with five of their friends’ favorite things! 

Not required for the game, but I purchased paper gift sacks and labeled them with each guest’s name so they would have a place for their items and bags wouldn’t get mixed up throughout the night. 

We gave items like, fuzzy socks, facial toner, small bottles of wine and spirits, body scrubs, car coasters, coffee gift cards, earrings, cross-stitch ornaments, and earrings!

My friends LOVED this game. We all agree that it’s way more fun than a White Elephant gift exchange. No stealing, you don’t have to struggle with ‘is it a serious or funny gift’, and no one ends up with junk they don’t want. 🙂 

We are going to make it a tradition! This was a wonderful way to spend some quality time together, and give gifts that have a little meaning!

I’d love to know if you host a Favorite Things party! Do you do anything differently? What are some of your favorite gifts? 

I’d love to hear from you! 
You can respond directly to this blog post or find me on Instagram!

This post contains affiliate links. I may make a small commission from purchases made at no additional cost to you! Thank you for supporting my work!

Get the Viral Book Ornament Directions!

Have you seen the viral book ornament video going around?! You know, the one that holds tiny books that look like confetti, representing all of the books you read this year?! It’s magical and not as hard to make as you may think.

Last year, I lost count of how many family and friends sent me the viral videos saying, “you should do this!!”

Honestly, what a beautiful way to document your reading through the year! This is one of those treasures that you get excited to look back on year after year.

I decided to take on the craft and have outlined the steps for you below with a free Google template for lining up your book covers! 

I’ve also linked all the materials you’ll need via Amazon. If you choose to make this craft for yourself, I hope you’ll consider using my affiliate links for your material purchases. 

Let’s get to it!

First, you’ll need these items:

Note: you can get all of these individually at your local craft store, but I chose to buy all of these items in packs so that I could have them for years to come. 

Note: I will have read ~100 books by the end of the year, which is why I opted for the 4″ ornament. If your reading total was 75 books or less, I think a 3″ ornament would be perfect!

You’ll also need a pair of sharp scissors, some decorative ribbon, and maybe a hot glue gun (personal preference!)

You can get all of these items and see all of my other Amazon favorites in my Amazon Storefront!

Steps:

The most tedious part will no doubt be prepping your book covers. Pour a glass of something tasty and get to work! You’ll want to create two images of each cover, one for each side of the foam “book.” This will ensure that each book can be seen, no matter the facing side. 

Have no fear, I’ve got a template ready to go that will perfectly pattern your covers! Drop your email in the box below and your template will be waiting in your inbox by the time you finish reading this post!

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

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I discovered that the quickest way to pull images is to go to your Goodreads page, specifically your yearly Reading Challenge if you have one. There, you’ll see a list of thumbnail images of all of the books you read this year! These images are already small and will require minimal adjustment when you paste into your template. 

Start copying and pasting into your Google Slides template! 

Once you’ve correctly sized the fist image, copy it and paste to make the duplicate. This will save you a little time by not having to resize the second image. 

Once you’re done aligning your book covers, print them on your sticker paper and get cutting! 

Note: As I cut, I kept the matching covers together. I did not cut the duplicate covers apart until right before I stuck them to the foam. This will keep you from having to find n100 matching pieces.

If you want to be extra efficient (or if you’re a teacher and already have one of these at home), you can *cut* this time drastically by using a paper slicer. 

This tool has come in handy time and time again, even outside of teaching! I highly recommend having one at home for general use!

The next step is prepping your foam pieces. If you followed my book cover template, you’ll cut your foam into 6/8” x 1” pieces. (Again, that paper slicer is gold.) If you scaled your images down to accommodate a top-opening ornament, cut out one of the images and measure to find the size needed to cut.

Alternatively, you can place one sticker of each book cover onto the foam sheet and cut them out individually. Then, place the duplicate sticker on the back side.

Place book cover stickers on both sides of the foam and drop them inside of the ornament!

Once all of your books have been added to the ornament, close it up! 

Next, it’s time to add a ribbon to make a hanging loop. I can’t stand when an ornament hangs sideways because the ribbon has been threaded straight through the ornament. Here’s a trick to tying the ribbon in a way that will keep your ornament hanging flat. Fold the ribbon in half and thread the middle about an inch through the hole of the ornament. Then, loop the ends back through the middle section. After you’ve pulled it tight, you can tie the ends of the ribbon together to make a completed loop.

Dress it up by tying a bow with your ribbon. This is where you may want to use a drop of hot glue to keep the ribbon in place! (Note: if you plan to go back at a later date and add books read between now and the end of the year, you do not want to use glue yet.)

To go an extra step, add the year to your ornament with a small paint pen.

Note: As of writing this post, I have two months of reading left in 2022! I plan to add the books I read in November and December to the ornament in January. 

Was this blog post helpful?! I’d love to know if you use these steps to commemorate your own reading.

Please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram and Facebook to show me your final product!

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

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Amazon Prime Early Access Sale!

Amazon is hosting its first ever Prime Early Access Sale October 11-12! This two-day sale gives early access to Black Friday deals exclusively to Prime members.

A blogger friend of mine said that Amazon Sales can feel like trying to drink from a firehose. There’s so much coming at you all at once! I’ve rounded up my favorites, best-sellers at big discounts, and items too good to pass up! I hope these lists help narrow down what’s really out there and help you find the biggest savings!

I’m thinking of this as an early start on holiday shopping. I always like to get a head start on gifts. It allows me to be more intentional with spending while enjoying the season.

I’ll be adding to these Amazon lists throughout the day, so keep checking back for new items! I’ll also be sharing a few lightening deals on Instagram stories, so be sure we’re connected there!

It takes a lot of effort to scout and round up the best deals. It means the world when you use my links to complete purchases. Amazon will reward me with a small commission at no additional cost to you! 

Want to start by exploring deals on your own? You can access the Prime Early Access Sale HERE! Go find the best deals! 

You can access my Amazon Storefront here to find all the items I’ve shared and love. You’ll also see all of my Prime Sale lists at the top of the page! 

Don’t forget to share and tag me on Instagram so I can see what you scored! 

Tech Deals

Home Deals

Kitchen Deals

Beauty Deals

Book Deals

Children’s Book Deals

This will be a live blog post over the next two days, so keep checking back for added deals! 
Go get started on the Amazon Prime Early Access Sale! I can’t wait to see what you find!

Beauty in the Box: Your Fairy Tale Closet is Now a Reality

I can see the scene from Mean Girls now, “the limit does not exist.” That’s what I’ve been whispering to myself every since Beauty in the Box finally launched. Raise your hand if you’ve ever been personally victimized by the feeling of “I have nothing to wear.” It’s a spiraling feeling!

Fear not, for Beauty in the Box is here and, friends, the limit really does not exist.

What is it and why did you start it?

Beauty in the Box is a clothing rental subscription that gives its members access to endless styles for one flat monthly fee. It’s a wardrobe made for main character moments.

I started Beauty in the Box because, geez, I have a LOT of unworn clothes. I call it a closet graveyard. I would buy something, wear it three times, and then never touch it again. I love to play with trendy styles! I love to look cute! But, I don’t love that it’s led to a closet full of dead fashion trends. Beauty in the Box allows its members unlimited access to thousands of on-trend pieces for one flat rate! For the price of two Target dresses (let’s be real, those dresses go in and out of style so quickly), members get unlimited rotations of clothing. As seasons and styles change, so does the inventory!

The biggest spark for me was realizing that this is a more sustainable way to experience on-trend styles. I don’t need to hold on to clothes I haven’t worn in three years and neither does a landfill. This system of fashion cuts down on fast fashion waste by allowing more members access to the same pieces.

You’ll:

  • Explore collections and fill your virtual closet. 
  • Discover new favorites with fresh styles added weekly. 
  • Receive two items at a time to wear for as long as you’d like, then return when you’re ready for more. 
  • Switch up your look all month long with unlimited box exchanges, free dry cleaning, and free shipping.

How do you use it?

Getting Started:

Start by making a free account. Everyone gets a free trial for 30 days without commitment. Scroll through thousands of options from your favorite brands and “closet” pieces you want to wear. You can filter by size, color, brand, and clothing piece. I recommend closeting at least 20 items to get started!

Closeting items:

There are two ways to put items in your closet. The first is to click on the image. You’ll get item details and read any reviews available. You can select your size and click “Add to Closet”. The second way is by using the hanger icon in the top right corner of each picture. This button allows for quick closeting while you scroll. You can quickly select your size and keep scrolling!

In your closet:

Your closet is where all of your favorite pieces collect and is an unlimited space! You can scroll and see everything you’ve closeted. You can “prioritize” items to signal that you would like them ASAP. You can “dart” items and they will be sent in 24 hours. (This is a $5 charge, but is great if you find something you want for an event!) You get two pieces in each box and it comes with a pre-labeled return bag. 

Home:

Wear pieces as many or as few times as you’d like- there’s no time frame! You can use “Return Notify” to get your next box on its way even if your bag hasn’t shipped yet. When you’re ready for new clothes, put your pieces in the labeled bag and drop them in the mailbox! 

You can purchase pieces you really love for a significant discount! I kept a pair of jeans I absolutely loved for 40% off!

What are your favorite features?

  • I love using “Return Notify” to get my next box in motion ASAP. 
  • I love the quick closet icon. You can find it in the top right corner of photos when scrolling
  • I love all of the different filter options! You can filter by brand, size, color, and type of clothing you want to see!
  • I love that dry cleaning is an included service! 
  • I love that there’s a maternity section! I’m not in need of it at this time, but I think it’s so cool that clothing rental is available during a time when your size will inevitably change!

Tips for using the service?

I recommend having at least 20 items in your cart to get started! You want plenty of choices, so your box is never delayed. 

New arrivals are posted every Monday! I like spending a few minutes scrolling new pieces and adding to my closet all at once!

All members have their own unique referral code that rewards $10 credit each time it’s used!

What makes this a service worth loving?

I love the sustainability of this business model! Styles change, seasons change, sizes change. Rather than paying for clothes that may get stretched out after a few washes, go out of style after a season, or not fit properly, you’re subscribing to a service that gives you constant freedom to play with fashion and get out of your comfort zone. It takes away the frustration of “having nothing to wear,” because pieces are always in season and in the size you need! 

I also love that I don’t have to go to a store to try on new styles! I can try it, wear it, and decide if I’d like to keep it or send it back all in the comfort of my own home! The free dry cleaning is nice too. 🙂

Ready to Get Started?

Start building your limitless closet for free RIGH HERE. Show off your style and tag us on Instagram @beautyintheboxstyle.

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