It was a bittersweet week. My oldest finished his last days of high-school (ever!) and my younger two finished their final classes of their freshman year. I know they say time passes quickly, but today, I’m just so shocked at how fast it really has passed by. 

And all I can think is: I hope I’ve made the best of it. 

Have you ever felt that way? That you hope you’ve made the right choices, enjoyed the small things, didn’t stress over the big things and then savored what you had?

That’s where I am this week and I’ve got some big learning to go along with it. Keep reading for two books I’ve read, a crazy way of thinking about life that involves an alternate Universe version of ourselves and the best miniature books I have ever seen. 

What I'm Reading:

I’ve got two adult fiction books that were exactly what I needed: comfort. The first was a book about books set in Scotland at Christmastime. I mean, what could be better? The second was an epistolary novel (my favorite!) between unlikely friends connected by food and writing. You can’t go wrong with either of these books!

The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

It wasn’t Christmas-time and it wasn’t even Christmas in July, but that did not stop me from devouring this book once I knew it existed. I love all of Jenny Colgan’s bookshop books and this book was no exception. In it, we meet Carmen, a twenty-something year old woman recently laid off from her job around Christmastime. With no other option available, she takes her sister’s offer to live in her basement and work for Mr. McCredie, an older gentleman who’ll lose his bookstore unless Carmen can help him turn it around. Filled with books, family, romance and yes, Christmas, this book checked all the comfort boxes for me.

Love & Saffron by Kim Fay

This epistolary novel will have you yearning to break out your old-fashioned note cards and get writing. I promise. It all begins when Joan, a young aspiring writer writes to her long-time mentor, Imogene with gratitude for her inspiration and a pouch of saffron as a token of her appreciation. This single letter starts a long distance friendship bound by their love of words and delicious food. Their new connection helps them experience new ideas and flavors and opens their eyes to new possibilities in their own lives, too. Joan said it best: the less we cement ourselves to our certainties, the fuller our lives can be. This book showcased how we can do just that through writing, food, friendship and love. 

What I'm Writing:

I tried a little experiment this week. I’ve been diligent in writing my morning pages, but I needed to shake things up a bit. So, I literally googled ‘What should I write about today?’ and this was the first prompt that appeared:

Write about what you love about your life right now.

So, I did just that. And honestly, it was a chilling moment because of some other things I’ve been exploring this week. 

See below and you’ll understand why!

What I'm Learning:

Melissa Urban of Whole 30 ROCKED MY WORLD on Monday and I’ve been fascinated ever since. She shared her version of The Timeline Theory first started on TikTok (and this might be the one reason I finally join the platform). 

Here’s what she wrote:

The “timeline theory” is based on quantum mechanics, and says every time you make a decision, your reality splits—one “you” said yes to the job, the other “you” said no; one “you” went to bed early, the other “you” watched Netflix. Given the amount of decisions we make every day, this leaves a infinite variety of “yous” in an infinite number of timelines, all running in parallel—and in some of these timelines, you’re living a happier, more fulfilled life than the one you have now. So, the theory goes, through meditation and visualization, you can actually “jump” timelines to shift your reality, and become the version of you that already exists somewhere else.

Mind. Blown. 

I mean, think about it. Each decision we make has consequences for our future and we could end up creating millions of different realities for ourselves based on the single choices we make. 

Like, there could be another, better, healthier, happier, more rested version of ourselves out there and small, daily decisions could get us to her. 

So, I did what Melissa did. I visualized my parallel-Universe version of Stephanie and asked her what I needed to do to be like her. Seriously. I did. 

And better yet? She answered. =)

I’ve realized that I tend to go outside of myself to find the answers whenever I’m struggling, but Melissa reminded me that I can simply ask myself and listen.

And now, I have a new tool to help me make decisions. What would future Stephanie look and feel like if I said yes and what would she look and feel like if I said no?

Gamechanger, right? You’re welcome!

What I'm Loving:

Look at this adorable Currently stamp set from Layle by Mail. I must pre-order. =)

Reading fiction for ten minutes before bed can send you off to a more restful slumber. What are your favorite bedtime reads?

I saved the best for last: LOOK AT MY NEW MINIATURE BOOKS I’VE ADDED TO MY MINIATURE BOOKSHOP! I must have more. If you want to order customized mini books of your own, you can find them on Etsy!

There you have it! I hope this inspires you to make space for more reading and writing in your own life. What are the highlights from your literate life this week?