Starting a Book Club

Happy February chickies!

Did you have a good weekend?

Ours was a fun one, as we spent it with several friends at the river, celebrating one of Bryce's longest friends, Will's birthday! The guys got in lots of hunting time during the last weekend of the season, we stayed up late playing drinking games, and just enjoyed the beautiful weather in a beautiful place!

Today I'm excited to share a recent venture with you--starting a book club!

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You probably know that I've been in a book club for quite some time that would more aptly be named a wine club. I really love this group of girls and our monthly meetings, but have always wanted to also be in an actual book club that includes...well...discussion of books!

In December, I finally got around to creating this actual book club and thought I'd share my process and how we're organizing things with you!

First things first, what was most daunting to me, was recruiting enough people to start the club. I often felt overwhelmed by finding enough friends that would be interested in an actual book club. A friend, Cassidy and I had been talking about it for a while. It wasn't until after discussing it with another friend, Meg, who I learned coincidentally also knows Cassidy, did I figure out how I wanted to do it. To me, groups like this are most fun when they bring different types of people together. I got to thinking, that to remove the burden of recruiting everyone and to add some diversity to the group, Cassidy, Meg, and I could each recruit 2-3 friends. When I ran the idea by them, they loved it and our book club was formed!

We recruited a group of 12 girls and I hosted the first club at the beginning of December. Because I only provided about 3 weeks notice for our initial gathering and it would be our first time meeting one another, I put the book on the back burner for this time. I picked the book Where They Found Her which I mentioned in this post, but told the ladies to not feel pressure to have to finish it. The main purpose of our first meeting was to meet, mingle, and make a plan for our club moving forward.

Our first meting was so much fun. I made these ham biscuits (always a crowd-pleaser), this salad (a new favorite!), and a modified version of this potato soup (I added an extra can of chicken broth, halved the cream cheese, and added a bag of shredded cheddar cheese at the end)! And you didn't think I forgot dessert did you? I made everyone's favorite cookie dough rice krispie treats.

On that night, we had lots of girl talk, but also decided how we wanted to run the club. This is what we decided:

• We will take turns hosting and meet every 4-6 weeks based on book length (longer books need extra time)
• The hostess of the month will send out an email polling members on dates and 2-3 book options; this will give the book selections variety, while also avoiding choosing a book that many girls have already read
• The hostess will provide drinks and munchies and also create or find a set of discussion questions
• Each meeting will include book discussion as well as fun girl time
• We want to also sometimes do book club field trips, where we meet outside of homes (wine bar, anyone?)
• We want to occasionally pick books that are coming out as movies so that we can go see the movies together as a club

Two weeks ago, we met for our 2nd time, and discussed All The Light We Cannot See. Our overall consensus of the book was that it was a beautiful work of literature, but not the most riveting or exciting read. I appreciated the book and was glad to have read it, but at the same time, didn't love it. During the snowy weekend, I flew through The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls which had been one of the other polled choices for our January meeting. Highly recommend that! Next up is The Secret History, which is another long one so I need to get reading!

When previewing discussion questions before our last meeting, I came across this recap of another All The Light We Cannot See book club meeting! Can we say #bookclubgoals? Talk about a swanky, sophisticated event!

And because, I can't leave y'all with such a pictureless post, I am sharing some pictures of last week's wine book club meeting at Emily's. Emily is a sorority sister that I reconnected with last year and have become really close friends with! She is now in both book clubs with me. She is a huge blog fan and has amazing design taste, so I couldn't resist snapping some pics of her home to share with y'all!

Are you a bookworm like me?

Any books you recommend for our club?

Have a great day!

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Five on Friday

Happy Friday friends!

I'm excited to be "checking in" today and linking up for the Five on Friday. I literally have planned to do this for the last 3 Fridays and each week it's seemed to have fallen by the wayside. Whoops!

I feel like this blog is at a bit of a crossroads. I'm not ready to say goodbye, but I feel like I'm at a point that blogging doesn't feel like the priority it once was. I appreciate your sticking around as I figure the next steps in the life of Alexandra Bee Blog. Stay tuned...

So  now onto my Friday five...these are some of my favorite posts because they can encompass whatever random tidbits are filling life or my mind of late.

ONE

One Room Challenge Reveal Favorites

I'll be honest:  I don't typically follow along with the ORC start to finish, but I do always get excited when the reveals come out. I dream of someday participating myself (whilst kicking myself for not when making over our sun room) and can only hope that the challenge is still around years from now when we're in our next home. Anyways, I went through all the reveals the other night and couldn't resist sharing a few of my faves from the line up.

Style Your Senses Master Bedroom

The Pink Clutch Kitchen

Simplified Bee Foyer

The one ORC that I have followed start to finish is by one of my blogging faves, Katie of Miss Dixie. I am a huge fan of her style and loved seeing the transformation of her living room.

TWO

Best Black Booties

After starting my new job, I went on the hunt for a great pair of black booties I could wear in lieu of heels during the cold winter months. After a few online orders (and returns), I settled on this pair from Ann Taylor...and I am obsessed with them! They are so comfortable, but still have a sleek and professional look. Bonus: AT seems to have a 40% off sale every other week and I scooped these up during one such sale! You can get the same deal now through Sunday with code FRIENDS40.

Deidre Suede Booties

THREE

Bookworm

Y'all know I love to read. I feel like something's missing if I ever find myself "in between" books. That being said, I've recently switched gears a bit with my book choices. As a little girl, my favorite books were always mysteries which later translated into thrillers as I grew up. The last few years, I've gravitated more toward traditional "chick lit" though, until recently. Lately the books I've read have been thrillers and I'm loving them. The most recent I finished was Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight. It was ah-mazing...such a page turner with some big twists and turns that I read almost the entire book in one night (staying up until nearly 5 am!). 

FOUR

Christmas Decor

Those that follow along on Instagram know that I don't start decorating for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. That being said, I certainly start getting excited before then and have found in recent years I find myself in the Christmas spirit earlier and earlier. I have enjoyed flipping through all the Christmas catalogues that started piling up post-Halloween. While perusing holiday decor online, I recently found my zebra pillow that you probably remember from last year (here) on MAJOR SALE! This might be my favorite winter decorations and I am wishing I was able to score it at this reduced price myself, and thus, couldn't resist sharing it with you!

Winter Zebra Pillow

I am thinking this year I want to buy a few of these fun disco ball ornaments to mix in with our more traditional red and green ornaments that I use around the house to decorate!

FIVE

Diet Time

In the last few weeks I've noticed that my pants are feeling a little snug which is my cue to start being a bit more diligent with my daily choices. Y'all know that I'm a big proponent of moderation, so I'm working to lighten up my diet during the week, by going for more low-carb and low-sugar choices. Let's face it, this girl couldn't do the whole NO-carb thing, nor would I want to. Rather, I am trying to focus though on eating more smart carbs and cutting back on the breads, pastas, and sweets. With the holidays coming up and a very busy couple of months, I am giving myself a free pass as far as weekends go, but am hoping that cutting back during the week and hopefully curbing some of my cravings will do the trick. That being said...any great light or low-carb recipes I should check out? Making good choices at dinnertime is the biggest challenge for me.

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What's been going on in your life lately?

Have a great weekend!

Five on Friday

Happy Friday readers!

Just one week from today it will be May! I am SO ready!

It's been a while since I've done the Five on Friday so today I'm linking up with the sweet ladies, April, Christina, Natasha & Darci.

ONE

Last night, Bryce and I got to meet Little Miss Sullivan Louise. If you remember, I am great friends with Erin (of the blog Attention to Darling) and threw a baby shower for the little lady at the end of February (see here). We have all been anxiously awaiting her arrival and she made her debut Sunday night! She is absolutely beautiful and holding her in my arms definitely gave me a case of baby fever!

TWO

Being a kindergarten teacher, it's probably no surprise to you that I love children's books. In fact, Bryce and I already have a growing collection and take turns picking and buying books on trips to Barnes & Noble. That being said, I wanted to find the perfect book for Sullivan's arrival. I spent a good hour searching for just the right book, and also ended up finding 3 books for our collection. They were all so wonderful that I couldn't resist sharing here today! The first is the one I got for baby girl.

Always by Emma Dodd

Fetch by Jorey Hurley

(also be sure to check out Nest  by this same author!)

You! by Sandra Magsamen

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

(I got this one for Bryce as he loves the similar I Want My Hat Back)

THREE

Tory Burch announced her big Spring Event yesterday, you can get up to 30% off with code SPRING. I was super bummed because I have been waiting patiently to order the Lexington wedge and by the time I had a chance to look at the sale, it was already sold out in my size. I am eyeing some other things you can see below, though...

FOUR

I am planning on doing a full review post on this next week, but couldn't wait to mention Rocksbox to y'all! I am an RB It Girl and started my subscription at the beginning of the month. For $19 a month, you get 3 piece jewelry rental sets. Anything you like from the set can be purchased at a reduced price and you can switch out your jewelry as often as you like with free shipping both ways! It was a great mail day yesterday, as my second set was delivered! I am so excited to play dress up with the new pieces. You can sign up for your first month FREE with code alexandrabeexoxo.

FIVE

Tonight is Ronald McDonald House of Richmond's First Annual Red Shoe BBQ! Since partnering with RMH on this post, I have gotten more involved and joined their Red Shoe Crew! We have spent the last several months planning this fun event, and I can't wait to pull out my cowboy boots, listen to some good country music, and chow down on some BBQ...all for a good cause! If you're from Richmond, online sales are now over, but they will be selling tickets at the door (while they last). All details can be found here!

So there you have it, my Friday Five! 

What's been going on for you lately?

Have a great weekend!

2015 Books Read (so far...)

Happy Hump Day readers!

Is it just me, or is this a great week!?

I think all the excitement of St. Patrick's Day paired with some beautiful spring weather these last few days has me in an amazing mood!

Today I am excited to share the books I have read so far in 2015.

I am a shameless bookworm and find so much enjoyment out of spending an entire day vegged out on the couch with a good book.  This year, when beginning to select books, I have often found myself looking to this list that I found on Pinterest. It already had several books I had read (and liked) so I thought it would serve as a good go-to for other selections.

I am currently on my 8th book of 2015 and it feels great. Here's a look at what I've read so far this year...

I will rank each on a 5 star scale and mention a word or two about them!

Dune Road

3 Stars

Good, light read. Semi predictable..tells the story of Kit, 

a Wall Street divorcee and her path to find new love. 

Also interweaves the stories of a few of her close girflriends.

Tempting Fate

4 Stars

Tells the story of Gabby, a happily married middle aged woman--

Or so she thought...until...she meets Matt.

Will Gabby risk all for an affair with Matt 

or protect the family and life she holds so dear?

Reconstructing Amelia

5 Stars

Kate, a single mother, struggles to balance work and family.

When she receives a call from her daughter's prestigious private NYC school,

and learns that her daughter Amelia has fallen (or jumped) to her death, 

Kate's world is turned upside down. But...did Amelia really jump?

Defending Jacob

4.5 Stars

Andy is an assistant DA in a tight-knit suburban town. He finds every aspect of his life

being compromised and put to the test when his son's classmate is found brutally

stabbed in the woods near school. When Jacob, Andy's quiet son, is found suspect of the

murder Andy will stop at nothing to prove his innocence.

What Alice Forgot

4 Stars

Light read, but an especially good one. Alice wakes up after a spinning

accident to remember nothing from the last 10 years. 

(i.e. She doesn't remember the birth of any of her 3 kids, her impending divorce, 

or drama with her sister). The life she awakens to is nothing like the one she imagined, 

so a foggy-headed Alice works to remember and also fight for the life she always dreamed of.

The Silent Wife

2.5 Stars

This was a disappointment...it was compared to Gone Girl, but just didn't hit the mark. 

Jodi, an accepting wife, is tolerant of her husband's flaws...until he takes it too far

and finds himself a father-to-be with one of his mistresses. What will Jodi do

int the face of this challenge? Will she fight for she and Todd or only for herself?

The Kitchen House

5 Stars

A slower read, but well worth the effort. Tells the stories of Lavinia and Belle. 

Lavinia, an orphaned Irish indentured servant on a Virginia plantation and 

Belle, the young woman, entrusted with the care of Lavinia, 

who prepares delicious meals for the captain and his family from her kitchen house.

And I just started (and am definitely intrigued by) this book:

The Girl on the Train

Have you read any of these books?

If so, what are your thoughts on them?

Do you feel the same way as I do?

Also..do you have any great suggestions for me to read next?

What are you currently reading?

Have a great day!

The Best of 2014

Happy Friday friends!

I am proud to report my first week back at school has gone swimmingly! 2015 sure is looking good so far!

First of all, a giant thanks and hugs to all of you! The blogging community has been a part of the support network that has been so valuable to me in the last year. Blog friends have never failed to show they care through comments, emails, texts, and even snail mail. Y'all are awesome!

While Monday's post was a bit tough, I don't want y'all to think 2014 was all hard. It certainly, like all years, had its good and bad. I wanted to take some time to share "The Best of 2014" with you today!

BEST OUTFITS

First up, I bring you my favorite outfits of the year, via none other than My Instagram!

Winter

Spring

Summer

Fall

BEST TRIP

Without a doubt, the best travel of the year was Bryce's and my Spring Break Charleston trip. It was at the height of some of our stress and provided a much needed getaway. We also were fortunate enough to get to meet and enjoy dinner with fellow blogger Cambron and her now fiancee! Read the full "Charleston Getaway" post here as well as my "Charleston Eats" post here. We'll also reminisce a bit right here in this post...take me back, now!

BEST RECIPES
Despite being a tough year, 2014 did involve a lot of really good food! We discovered several delicious new recipes that have become go-tos in the last year. You will find my absolute favorites below.
(you might notice I had a hard time narrowing it down)

                                      Thai Chicken                                 Natalie's Shrimp & Grits

Mac & Cheese Cups

                 Natalie's Mozz-Stuffed Chicken Meatballs             Annie's Crispy Gnocchi

                                            Tortellini Soup                    Pimiento Cheese Ham Biscuits

and for your sweet tooth...

 Top Secret Pound Cake 

                         Cookie Dough Rice Krispy Treats                    Chocolate Chess Pie

                          (or you can just eat the dough

                                   as pictured here!)

BEST HOME UPDATE
Hands down, the transformation of our sunroom into a gorgeous, girlie beautiful sitting room that is all mine.

Full post here. 

Coffee table styling updates coming next week...

BEST BOOKS

This one's for you, Jess!

The Husband's Secret

While searching for something in the attic, Celia comes across a letter written by her husband to be read upon her death. When she confronts her husband about the letter he insists it is nothing, but when she opens it a long kept secret is revealed that could alter her family's life forever. Moriarty interweaves this story along with others, that all connect with a fateful twist at the end. And a funny tidbit, the story takes place around Easter and all through the first portion of the book I was confused as to why they were describing the cooling weather...only to dawn on me that Australia, the book's setting, is in the Southern hemisphere, thus placing Easter in the fall!

The Invention of Wings

Based on a true story, this historical novel shares the journey of the Grimke sisters, two of the first female abolitionists of the early 19th century. I loved this book, because while it described the history and culture of the pre-Civil War South, it also was a true coming of age novel beginning with the story of Sarah as an 11 year old, spanning nearly 30 years and her growth into adulthood.

Me Before You

The thought of this book just makes my heart happy. Lou, a young woman with little vision beyond tomorrow, forms an unlikely friendship with Will, a wealthy ex-playboy. How did they meet, you ask? Lou, out of a job, is hired as Will's companion. A freak accident has turned the man who once was so full of life into a paraplegic. The relationship that develops is life changing for both and will tug at your heartstrings. A movie is in the works, so read this NOW, before it hits theaters!

So there you have it...my top picks for 2014!

Can't wait to see what the next year has in store.

And...on a fun note the Warby Parker Make-Your-Own Annual Report was recently shared with  me. It's a short, silly survey which will generate a personalized annual report for you. You can see mine here...apparently my spirit animal is the hedgehog! It took about 2 min and made me chuckle, so I thought I'd share!

What were the highlights of 2014 for you?

Any "best of" recommendations to share?

Have a great weekend!