Forever Beloved

Step inside the world of Elsie and Emma, the sisters behind the décor blog A Beautiful Mess. With tiny budgets and a crafty, can-do attitude, they overhauled each room in their first homes with DIY projects using family photos, vibrant fabrics, flea-market finds, and affordable furniture. Now, you can learn how to paint, craft, and decorate your way to a happy, bright space with distinct personality. In the same upbeat spirit and modern style found on their blog, you’ll find fresh, all-new projects including: 

• An inspired geometric-pattern coffee table made of balsa wood
• A hand-lettered statement wall featuring your favorite quote
• A quick and easy electrical tape update for your refrigerator
• A set of beautifully designed serving dishes
And more! 

Packed with bonus styling tips from hanging the perfect gallery wall to making mismatched furniture work, Happy Handmade Home is design inspiration for personalizing your own space.

If you knew me during my scrapbooking days, you knew I had one obsession…Elsie!  You can call it girlcrushing or fangirling…nonetheless, I was absolutely obsessive about her.  At one point my friend Tanya even sent me her autograph made out to ME!  And just so y’all know, it’s still framed and displayed.  I actually contribute a lot of my personal style to Elsie.  Before I started stalking following her, I didn’t realize it was okay to mix patterns and colors.  And with her confidence, I found myself being more confident and not worrying so much what everyone else thought.  That’s why when I saw this book up for review, I just KNEW I had to review it.

I’ve been following Elsie and Emma from the getgo. And I’ve been reading their blog, A Beautiful Mess, since it began basically. I’ve loved watching them grow and expand. I love their style and am always super jealous of Elsie’s hair. And now, the girls have expanded into writing books.

First of all, I loved the photography in this book. I loved the inside look this gave us into their homes and personalities. While we do see a lot of that on the blog as well, I loved seeing all that pictures and inspiration. I’ve already gone through and thought about which projects I want to attempt myself. And I’ve passed it on to my daughter, as I’m sure there are some cool projects in there she’ll want to try.

This is the perfect inspiration book. It’s more than just a book of how-to’s. The girls have infused it with their personalities, and it’s also just a lot of fun. I also love that all of the projects are in one place, for easy reference.

WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group provided this book to me for free in exchange for this honest review as part of their Blogging for Books program.

About the book:

On the other side of heartbreak, a story of hope rises.

On an ordinary September day, twelve-year-old Jack is swept away in a freak neighborhood flood. His parents and younger sister are left to wrestle with the awful questions: How could God let this happen? And, Can we ever be happy again? They each fall into the abyss of grief in different ways. And in the days and months to come, they each find their faltering way toward peace.
In Rare Bird, Anna Whiston-Donaldson unfolds a mother’s story of loss that leads, in time, to enduring hope. “Anna’s storytelling,” says Glennon Doyle Melton, “is raw and real and intense and funny.”

With this unforgettable account of a family’s love and longing, Anna will draw you deeper into a divine goodness that keeps us—beyond all earthly circumstances—safe.
This is a book about facing impossible circumstances and wanting to turn back the clock. It is about the flicker of hope in realizing that in times of heartbreak, God is closer than your own skin. It is about discovering that you’re braver than you think.

I’m always so excited to dig into a new book and this was no exception. I had read the back cover, knew the gist of the book and was still excited to start. I snuggled into bed beside my husband, who was already snoring, and began to read. Within minutes my eyes began to well with tears. Eventually working my way into a full-fledged sob.

Think of the worst thing that you can imagine as a parent. The one that gives you nightmares that wake you up in complete and utter despair and pain. Where the pain would be so insurmountable, you can’t even bear the thought. How would you ever survive the death of one of your children.

Anna’s son Jack died in a freak flash flood while playing with friends in their neighborhood. Oh, how many times I’ve allowed my kids to play in a warm summer rain. It is simply something that is so inconceivable to consider. How could that happen? How could God let it happen?

This isn’t just a memoir. This is a grief-handbook, a beautiful one. At some point in our lives, grief will wrap it’s hand around all of us. It’s important to know in that moment that we are not alone and that we can reach out to one another during extraordinarily hard times.

I’m not going to lie, this book will make you cry. But you won’t be able to put it down. You will be pulled into their family and feel like you know them intimately. You will grieve with them. Hope and beauty seem to pour out of these pages that you initially assume will be filled with darkness.

WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group provided this book to me for free in exchange for this honest review as part of their Blogging for Books program.