Eight Great Book Recommendations

From time to time over the past several years I've received emails from my blog readers asking about books I would recommend on a particular topic-be it fashion, entertaining, etiquette or inspirational. While I've replied to those messages personally with my timeless favorites, I thought I'd share a few of them here today since Fall is a great time for curling up with some hot cocoa and getting lost in a new book. A few of the best I've read have actually been recommended to me or gifted to me by others.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I'm not (nor have I ever been) interested in romance novels or science fiction books. However, I can be found immersing myself in all things self-improvement, home decor-related adding a little bit of fashion for good measure. As a woman in my young 20's, I'd sometimes go to my favorite large chain book store and enjoy a hot tea while browsing through magazines and books. A couple of my friends who would often join would wonder why I wanted to read books on self-improvement (it was not their genre of choice) and one even commented to me, "Isn't this all pretty obvious stuff? Why do you want to waste your time reading it?" Well, apparently it isn't quite so obvious because there is a very large market (not to mention section of the book store) dedicated to exactly that! ;) I think what we enjoy reading actually says a lot about us and what is important to us in our life. I tend to gravitate towards how-to's and learning new ways to become a better person and if you're also committed to personal growth and enjoy a good book, I hope you'll enjoy the suggestions I'm sharing below.

1. Harper's Bazaar Great Style (Classy Fashion)

2. The Reluctant Entertainer (Home Entertaining)

3. Paris in Color  (Photography/Travel)

4. Young House Love  (Decorating/ DIY Projects)

5. Emily Post's Etiquette ~18th Edition (Manners & Etiquette)

6. Unstoppable (Inspirational)

7. The Purpose Driven Life (Spiritual)

8. Real Simple Solutions (Organizing & Keeping House)

Each one of these 8 books are in my personal collection and what I love about all of them is that they are the kind you can go back to and reference time and time again, re-read, share and enjoy. They are perfect for yourself or as a gift! I grouped the first four together because not only do they have wonderful content but their covers are also so colorful and beautiful which are perfect to adorn any coffee table, making for a great decorative accessory. These first four are also a bit more light-hearted and therefore reside in my living room on end tables and coffee table shelving. The last four are a bit more in-depth reads and are thought-provoking by nature (specifically 5-7).

1. Harper's Bazaar-Great Style- This timeless guide offers a look at different types of attire broken down by category and provides a variety of ways to finish an outfit and even selects wardrobe essentials by age. It has just the right amount of text balanced with photos and is a great reference for women of all ages. Although this book was publishes a few years ago, the fashion is still relevant today as the focus is on classic pieces. I have read as well as flipped through many books on style and fashion and this is by far a more in-depth overview of the essentials vs. current trends that will become outdated in months and years to come.

2. The Reluctant Entertainer- Sandy, the Author, focus on the heart of entertaining, that it need not be perfect (an area I have always struggled with as it pertains to entertaining) but rather, inviting and uncomplicated. She also shares some of her family's favorite recipes that you'll actually want to make along with many fabulous photos that will have you rethinking the way you entertain or inspire you to try it out if you tend to avoid it.

3. Paris in Color - This book transports you to a world of Parisian lifestyle shown through a collection of photographs grouped by hue. Whether you've always dreamed of going to Paris or it holds special memories for you like it does for me (hubby and I became engaged there), it a beautiful book that is sure to be a conversation piece when left out as a coffee table book.

4. Young House Love- This married duo won me over when I began reading their witty blog 5 years ago. They turned their love for DIY and home renovations into a family blogging affair which led to their first book. What I enjoy most is that their projects are unique ideas I haven't seen anywhere else and many can be accomplished in a few hours or a weekend with big impact.

5. Emily Post's Etiquette- This is the quintessential bible of Etiquette. Filled with the proper protocol for an array of dilemmas, this is a go-to on all things manners and etiquette related. While there are several books written on the topic, most, including myself, regard Emily Post as being the queen of etiquette advice.

6. Unstoppable- Because we all need inspiration and encouragement from time to time, this book has been a wonderful resource during discouraging moments. It is filled with not only 45 powerful stories of those who overcame in a great way, but it also a guide to learning how to persevere and triumph in all areas of your life. This book was a gift given to me by my father a decade ago and I still find myself gravitating towards it.

7. The Purpose Driven Life-This is one of the best books I've ever read. It's the kind of book that you'll want to as a gift for any friend or family member in your life. If you've ever felt stuck, frustrated or wondering what the purpose of life is or why you are here on earth, this book reveals why we all exist and how to discover our God-given purpose so that we might live a fulfilling and meaningful life.

8. Real Simple Solutions- I think this is the type of book that would appeal to everyone because it's filled with loads of everyday tips, ideas, tricks and solutions to dilemmas we experience every day and who doesn't want to make life easier. It covers genius ideas from beauty, decorating, entertaining and celebrating to organizing, cooking and cleaning. Essentially, it covers every facet of your life and how to keep it simplified. It's filled with lots of great images and how-to photos that you can implement into your every day life.

What are some of your all-time favorite books within these categories?

Thanks for Reading!

XO





*image source: (1)

**This was a sponsored post however all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Road to Success....

If this image looks familiar, it's because I posted it on Facebook yesterday and decided to share it here also since I realize some of you might prefer reading here. I try to limit posting the same content in both places to keep things interesting but thought someone might be blessed by the content.

In life, good is often the enemy of best. On the road to success, when you feel as though you are becoming sidetracked by entertaining certain jobs, opportunities, activities and relationships that don't truly represent your idea of success, be quick to keep on driving. Resist getting roped in by the allure of quick fixes, temporary gains or experiences that may set you back from your dreams for a year, a decade or even a lifetime!

I've been in this place before and while sometimes the parking spots are necessary for financial reasons, family reasons or a season of education to get to where you are headed, it's easy to get distracted by other things that steal our time and attention away from what matters to us most. These temporary place holders can turn into something more permanent and before we know it we feel further from our goals than ever before. 

Does anyone feel as though they've been parked temporarily while on the road to big dreams? I encourage you to  think about what might be keeping you there and why. The sooner you get back on the road, the sooner you'll achieve that which you desire most and there is no greater sense of accomplishment than that!

XO

June Sponsor Spotlight!

Happy Sunday to you all! I hope you're enjoying a wonderful weekend! This past month we had some lovely sponsors that I would be remiss not to share with you. 

Since sponsors can purchase ad space any day of the month, you'll notice many are still running into the month of July while others were showing in my sidebar until the end of June. A few have some great discounts for you as well which you can find below! I wanted to personally thank each and every one of my ad space and giveaway sponsors for your support of my blog. You've all been so wonderful to work with!

Layla Grayce

Have you heard about Layla Grayce? I'm a huge fan of this online shop! If you aren't familiar with them they offer beautiful items for women, children, babies and the home. Everything from lighting and jewelry to cribs and monogrammed dishware. This shop is filled with everything girly and lovely. 

Shabby Apple

You all know Shabby Apple by now as they were the generous sponsor of our Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway last month. They have such a lovely collection of not only dresses but skirts, tops, swimwear, jewelry and they even have dresses for young girls and maternity wear too! They are currently running a site-wide sale offering 20% off everything! Use code: SUMMER20

Footzy Rolls

Meet Jenifer & Sarah above, the designers behind this fun product line. If you've ever worn a pair of shoes that hurt your feet and wished you had a backup pair that fold up into a handbag, wish no more. Footzy Rolls offer a huge selection of styles and colors of their foldable and rollable footwear. You can see many celebrities spotted in these and they've even been featured on Oprah's coveted O List! I just saw a preview of their august line up-it's pretty fabulous!

Zinc Door

The Zinc Door online home decor shop offers a variety of gorgeous furniture & accessory pieces to decorate any home. What I love most about their store is that while on trend, you won't see the same types of pieces all over the web. If you're looking for that one-of-a-kind looking mirror, writing desk or wall art, they aim to please! I have enjoyed including some of their pieces in my e-design mood boards while decorating rooms for my clients. Zinc Door is the sister store to Layla Grayce. I feel so honored to have both of their shops on board!

Stella & Dot

If you haven't stumbled upon Stella & Dot yet, you simply must pop by their online shop! They offer gorgeous and affordable jewelry pieces that you're going to love! Their pieces add tons of personality and the right pop of chic style to any outfit. Did you know that they offer 3 different starter kit options to launch your very own fashion business by becoming a Stylist? You'll get hundreds of dollars worth of gorgeous jewelry pieces for a fraction of the cost! You can run your own business from home-perfect for stay-at-home moms, fashionistas or those who want a great accessory collection!

The Proper Lady

Nina is the writer behind The Proper Lady blog, as the name implies she enjoys writing about how women can become more feminine, ladylike, elegant, charitable, educated and cultured. She offers regular newsletters delivered right to your inbox too! I love that Nina herself is an active charity sponsor for such organizations as Make-a-wish and American Cancer Society.

Blurb

My next sponsor has cute name-Blurb. They're an online shop which allows you to easily create your own custom professional-looking photo books. Think wedding albums, trip of a lifetime memories, baby's 1st years, a milestone birthday, coffee table books and more! You can literally make a book with all of your Facebook or Instagram photos too! Make one today and save 15% off now with code: BLURBBOOK15OFF

NYC, Style & A Little Cannoli

Rosemary is the author of the blog NYC, Style & a Little Cannoli. Growing up with regular visits to the big apple as a child, her blog features her favorite activities and adventures in New York City as a woman who now resides in Pennsylvania but visits often. She knows all the best restaurants, cafes, shops & activities to enjoy a day trip, vacation or even a lifetime in NYC. Her love of desserts and Italian background mean you're guaranteed to get a regular dose of sweet sugary eye candy. 

Once again a huge thank you to all of June's sponsors! Thank you to many of you who have already renewed your ad space for July and those who have purchased multi-month ad spots. I'm so glad to have you here! :)

Are you interested in becoming a sponsor of this blog and having your ad proudly displayed in our sidebar? The next 5 people who purchase our small ad space (150x150 size) will get it at 75% off using promo code JULY75! Click {here} for all of the details. It's just $5 and my way of saying Happy Summer!  :)

XO



*Photo credit: (1)

New Year, New Look!

Welcome to the new Classy & Fabulous blog! If you're reading this post from a feed reader, I hope you'll pop by so you can see my new blog design makeover that I first told you about {here}.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on the new design. :) Although I've been on twitter for a while, I recently started a facebook page too, so I hope you'll check it out. Lastly, if you have my old blog button on your site, I hope you'll update it with the shiny new version in my sidebar.

For the past year I've been looking at blog designs and various designers but I just wasn't ready to take the plunge as I still wanted a bit more time to think about how I wanted the site to look and feel. In January I celebrated my 2-Year Blogiversary and thought this would be a gift to myself to celebrate.

Last month as I took a look again at Marina's website- Penny Lane Designs -I happened upon a super cute prefab design that was very affordable and I could see from her portfolio that she has consistently turned out beautiful and unique designs. While I didn't go the completely custom route, with all of the extras she offers such as font changes, blog button, page dividers, a new signature, a new background design, title banner and a much needed wide bar and overall wider design to showcase larger images, I knew I could really achieve a customized look that would reflect my personal style and the essence of the classy woman.

Marina is a sweetheart and was so easy to work with. I often felt guilty because we'd try a lot of different options for each component but her focus was on producing a blog design that I would be happy with in the end, I really appreciated that. After exchanging numerous e-mails and sharing my vision of what I wanted for the overall design, we've now achieved that. I highly recommend her to anyone looking at getting a custom designed blog and I think you'll like her pre-designed options too, you can check those out here. They are very affordable-her designs begin at $25 (not including all the extras I mentioned) which is a great way to quickly and inexpensively give any basic blogger site a face lift.

I chose the 'Paris' theme which is actually where Paul and I got engaged. Funny enough the actual post date that is shown on the design sample on her prefab page is my birthday-Aug.27th and the colors are so me. I just knew it was meant to be! Even though I'm not a huge fan of yellow in my home decor, something about it in combination with the other neutral, airy colors that I love (soft blue, taupe and white) gave it a little more personality and pop of color that I really like.

When any new design is installed, a designer must log into your blogger account to add the new code, which means they need to be granted admin privileges it also means they have access to everything-this was a little scary for me, I'll be honest. My blog is kind of my baby and a lot of time and effort has gone into it but Marina put me at ease and had everything set up in about 45 minutes. All of my content, followers, comments etc., that I had previously remained completely in tact. Thank you Marina for making it all painless!

While I loved my old design, it was time to move forward with a new look. Let's take one final look back at my self-created blog shall we?

*Note: I am in no way compensated for sharing Penny Lane Designs with my readers as I paid for my new design. I just believe us ladies need to stick together and help each other out when we find something worth sharing. Plus, I thought if anyone is agonizing over which designer to use, this might be helpful!

I hope you'll pop over and visit Marina to say hello via her website or blog.

Here's to a beautiful weekend!


*image (1)

{What I posted 365 Days ago~Valentine Treat Inspiration}