Delight is Everywhere

I wanted to make sure you know about my 3 books: Moments of Delight, Paris: Delight in the City of Light and Finding Delight.  They are available on Amazon and directly from me in the sidebar here. I'd love to inscribe one for you and send it in time for the holidays. 

I believe that the best life is a varied life.  When hobbies and travel collide with friendship and collecting.  Where sugar rules and stories matter. I've been writing about finding delight in every day life for years and I have woven my methods and mantra into my blog and books. As you read, pay attention to the pages that capture your imagination. Notice how happy you can feel, simply by thinking, by remembering.  I find delight all over my life...at different times of day, in different cities and settings, with people that I love and in strangers that I meet. This is delight. You can read my books, explore my blog and see my art and accessories on Etsy. My Instagram is @FindDelight.

Books As Art: When Covers Add Color

My new decorating success: I've filled the baker's rack in my foyer with my favorite coffee table books.  My favorite part? My collection is easily accessible! I can walk right up and browse my own little library.  They are easier to lend to friends when they are right here too - I can pull one off the shelf and hand it over with hearty recommendation for a particular recipe or chapter on design.

I also love that the books themselves add color and dimension to the entryway.  The cookbooks can be inspiration for dinner and visual art for the hall all at the same time.  For the last year or so, I have displayed my collection of antique dishes (called Chelsea or Grandmother's China) on this rack.  It is delicate and pretty to showcase china this way, but I have to say that right now I am appreciating the heft of books.

Do you have an area of the house that you could breathe new life into with a display books of your own? Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Delightful Books To Give This Holiday Season

Gift giving hint: My books (Moments of Delight, Paris: Delight in the City of Light and Finding Delight) are all in stock and ready to ship (or be picked up) for holiday gift giving.  This month only, each book is $30 (purchased directly through me in blog sidebar. I'll credit the $5 after transaction). Oh, Santa!

Finding Delight by Anne Reeves

*Click HERE to take a LOOK INSIDE*  

I am so thrilled to announce that my new book, "Finding Delight" is available for sale now and I will be shipping them out for holiday gift giving on Friday.  Click the BUY NOW button at the top of the blog (or in the side panel on right) to process your secure transaction.  I will email customers after I receive each order to find out if you would like an inscription inside the book.


Finding Delight is a 135-page soft cover modern coffee table book dedicated to the joy of finding delight in everyday life. With a full-color photograph on every page, topics include: "Living A Life of Layers," "Visual Vitamins" and "The Power of Cute."   

"I believe that the best life is a varied life.  When hobbies and travel collide with friendship and collecting.  Where sugar rules and stories matter. I've been writing about Finding Delight for years and I have woven my methods and mantra into these pages. As you read, pay attention to the pages that capture your imagination. Notice how happy you can feel, simply by thinking, by remembering.  I find delight all over my life...at different times of day, in different cities and settings, with people that I love and in strangers that I meet. This is delight." - Anne Reeves

The cover of "Finding Delight: Ideas and Inspiration to Enhance Everyday Life" by Anne Reeves

Tah-dah! Today I can unveil the cover of my new book, Finding Delight: Ideas and Inspiration to Enhance Everyday Life!  It is in the final stages of production and will be available for gift giving this holiday season.

Finding Delight is a 135-page soft cover modern coffee table book dedicated to the joy of finding delight in everyday life. With a full-color photograph on every page, topics include: "Living A Life of Layers," "Visual Vitamins" and "The Power of Cute."   

I believe that the best life is a varied life.  When hobbies and travel collide with friendship and collecting.  Where sugar rules and stories matter. I've been writing about Finding Delight for years and I have woven my methods and mantra into these pages. As you read, pay attention to the pages that capture your imagination. Notice how happy you can feel, simply by thinking, by remembering.  I find delight all over my life...at different times of day, in different cities and settings, with people that I love and in strangers that I meet. This is delight.

If you would like to receive my e-Newsletter to get more information and to stay in touch, sign up in the sidebar in my blog. 

Brain Overload

My brain is overloaded.  I love it, of course, but I can hardly think straight.  I am about to finish my third book and I am deep into editing in an effort to keep my thoughts, photos and the feel of the book consistent.  I chose this photo because it is dreamy and beautiful, just like my book.   

First let me say that the contents are g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s.  I absolutely love it. The title is "Finding Delight - Ideas and Inspiration to Enhance Everyday Life."   And I am spending 8 hours a day reading, proofing and reorganizing my work so that reads and relays well.  

It will be available for sale in mid-November, in time for the holiday season, so stay tuned here.  I can't wait to show you!

I am very proud!  Since my book, Paris: Delight in the City of Light was featured in the Michigan State Alumni magazine, my sales on Amazon have soared and I have received a host of delightful reviews.  This one was posted by a customer yesterday and I just had to share:

"It's been 10 years since we've honeymooned in Paris and this softcover travelogue by Anne Reeves reminds us of the precious and personal memories that make a visit to the City of Lights so special. Most travel guides provide the standard information and photos of famous sites (Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre Dame, bridges over Seine etc). While these sites should certainly be on everyone's itinerary, this book captures the sublime moments that stick with you over the years - window displays of pastries, baubles or ribbons, rooftop panoramas from the Sacre Coeur, a whimsical pink cottage off the Champ Elysees, the perfect brunch laid out on your courtyard table, the endless offerings of the perfect dessert. The missing narrative of the opening scenes in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris, this book fills a unique niche you won't find elsewhere.
Leafing through Paris-Delight in the City of Light is like spending the afternoon on the couch with your best friend, and being treated to her photos, tidbits and tales of her recent trip to Paris. Each page has a bright photos and personal captions, sure to trigger memories in those who have visited, and likely spurring a motivation to travel for those who have not. A perk of website addresses for the hotels, haberdasheries and pastry shops is appreciated and will be put to use. Leave the heavy lifting of travel planning to a Rick Steves or Michelin guide; pack this lightweight coffee table book in your carry-on to guide you to the more subtle delights of Paris."  - J.W. on Amazon

Thank you, J.W.!  You are very kind.

photo: statue of Mary Stuart/Mary Queen of Scots by par Jean-Jacques Feuchère in the Luxembourg Gardens, Paris, France

Books As Art

In my life and business, I have always emphasized "looking at what I love," whether it is making watch bands with French ribbon (which makes checking the time so much more enjoyable) or turning my photographs into cover art for a modern tote (see here) - I like to use the materials that inspire me. 

It was this principle that inspired me haul all of my coffee table books into the living room this weekend to make an arrangement of "books as art."  I have sooooo many coffee table books - on gardening, decorating and cooking.  They were relegated to a shelf upstairs a few years ago and it feels wonderful to have the best of the best within reach. 

When decorating your home, I think it is important to have your collections on display.  They will lift your spirit and keep your home interesting.  And the best part about collecting books is that I can pick up one of these gems at any time and be inspired all over again. 

Do you use your books as a design element in your home?

Paris: Delight in the City of Light note

You can only imagine how happy I was to receive this note!  My friend had given my book (Paris: Delight in the City of Light) to one of her colleagues as a gift to celebrate an upcoming mother/daughter trip to Paris.

The note is from her colleague to me saying how much fun she had in Paris and how my suggestions enhanced her trip.  Magnifique!  She even included a tea bag (Le Melange Fauchon blend) from Fauchon for me to enjoy - isn't that the nicest thing!  I am going to drink it today and savour a little bit of Paris myself.

What made this note so special was the mind-blowing line "On the flight over, we passed your book through the plane."  I think my heart stopped.  Can you think of anything more gratifying for an author/photographer than to hear that a plane full of people flying to Paris, had the chance to be inspired by my book?  I have a pretty good imagination, but I never thought of this.

Thank you, dear reader, for letting me know how much you enjoyed Paris: Delight in the City of Light! 

 

You can buy "Paris: Delight in the City of Light" in the sidebar on the right or International Customers, you can purchase it through Amazon.

Paris: Delight in the City of Light

I am so very excited about my book, Paris: Delight in the City of Light, and while there is still one more week before it will be available online, I am honored to have such high praise written about my book from journalist, cookbook author and culinary icon, Patricia Wells: 

"Anne Reeves has written and photographed

the most tantalizing book on Paris:

She misses nothing! Markets, flower stalls, pastry shops,

 and boulangeries, not to mention restaurants

and must-see places to picnic or

 just breathe the air of everyone's favorite city. 

 A delight, page by page, bite by bite!" - Patricia Wells

What a thrill!  You simply cannot imagine what these words mean to me.  Some of my "everyday moments" are becoming quite extraordinary!

Paris: Shops, Sweets and Streets

(Want this tote featuring the Musee D/Orsay clock? You can order one on Etsy!)

You will be hearing a lot from me about Paris is the coming weeks.  The final draft of my book, Paris: Delight in the City of Light is at the printers (yea!) and you will be able to buy a copy here on my blog very soon.

Right now I am working on press releases, a marketing strategy and promotional materials.  Wahoo! 

I have worked on this project for two years now and for those who love Paris and have been keeping an eye out for this book release, I'm sure you'll think it was worth the wait! 

Soon you will be able to hold my view of Paris in your hands and read all about the Shops, Sweets and Streets that I love.

Escape

Escape into a good book, that is. This month my "escape" is into the stack of books I have been wanting to read. At the moment, I am reading 3 different books: a nonfiction title about a group of friends that support each other in their quest to be "writers" (The Wednesday Sisters), a novel set in New York City in the 1940's about a woman's struggle between marriage vs career (Lucia, Lucia) and a character-filled saga of life and love in a small Irish village (Echos). I can't recommend any quite yet, as I am still in the throws of all three plots, but I can say this, I am enjoying myself immensely.

Take some time to let your mind "escape" this Winter, you'll be glad you did.

Book Club Books

This is the type of bookshelf I am drawn to...packed with knitting projects, recipes and decorating ideas.

But tonight I must focus! My book club is meeting tonight (first at a cozy restaurant for dinner & conversation) then on to a bookstore to chose our books for the next six months.

Each member is expected to come with suggestions of books for us to read and why. We'll pool all of the titles and then vote for the ones that sound the best to us. I have been polling my friends and have a few suggestions up my sleeve.

Have you started using Shelfari yet? It is a free online "book shelf" that lets you keep track of books you've read, are reading and want to read. I love it because I can never remember the titles/authors of books once I have read them and it keeps my literary history all in one place. Try it!

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

Do you love Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice? Have you watched the movie version starring Colin Firth so many times that you know it by heart?

Then have I got a movie recommendation for you! I stumbled upon the DVD of Lost In Austen on Netflix (a movie renting website) and could not believe my eyes.

Lost in Austen is a movie that beautifully re-creates the scenes, costumes and story of Pride and Prejudice, all while weaving in a modern character (a devotee of the book) who gets dropped into the middle of the plot.

She wanders through the story much as you or I would, talking to Caroline Bingley, peeking in the cupboards and imploring Mr. Bennet to "do something!" when Lydia runs off with a man. It is fantastic and I didn't want it to end.

No matter how dedicated you are to the story, the movie, the life of Jane Austen...you can't help but enjoy this light-hearted movie. Now go watch it and then forward this post to every Austen enthusiast you know.

Delight in Paris, Imagining Each Step

I have started the "visualizing" step for my next book, "Delight in the City of Light!"

I took over 1,200 photographs in Paris (on this last trip alone) so I am visually sifting through the images to determine the sequence, collections and messages I want to bring to you.

I think you are going to be blown away by the final product. All I need now is tunnel-vision and time...

Anne of Green Gables

Want to know what is making me really happy? Introducing the book, Anne of Green Gables, to one of the Garden Club girls. You see, although she is 12 and I am not, we often recommend books to each other. In our chat this week, I realized that she had not read the book or seen the spectacular Anne of Green Gables video series starring Megan Fellows (which, yes, I have on VHS). So we made a plan: she'll read the book and then we'll have a family movie night at my house and watch it all together. What fun.

How do I know it will happen? Her mother told me yesterday that her daughter walked up to her in the library, held up Anne of Green Gables and said, "I've got to read this." So it is going on vacation with them and life is good. What are you reading?

Book club

Tonight, I have book club. Twice a year, 8 of us meet for dinner and then walk over to the bookstore to select our books for the next 6 months. It is very democratic. We all scour the store for books that were recommended to us, that we have read and loved or ones that we want to read. Then we sit down together and each member gives a little summary of her books, passes them around and adds them to the master list. After each person has pitched her books, we vote, choosing 6 books each. The books with the most votes become our reading roster. It works like a charm. We get a broad selection and it keeps us from getting stuck in one genre. The trick for me will be staying on task and out of the cookbook section!

Are you in a book club? I'd like to recommend a website called Reading Group Guides. It is loaded with discussion guides, book suggestions and reader feedback. It is a wonderful resource and can help you navigate the overwhelming selection of great "book club" books. Happy reading!

Moments of Delight, Photo Shoot

This morning there was a photo shoot at my house for an article about my book, Moments of Delight. 

The plan was to take some shots "in the rose garden" which sounds lovely, but rain was in the forecast, so I didn't get my hopes up. 

Well...the sun came out! Take a peek at some of my roses putting on a show. I feel very lucky.

Rose: David Austin English Rose "Heritage"

Moments of Delight - Anne Reeves

Today is the first day in an exciting new "chapter" of my career - Author & Photographer of my first book! It is available on Amazon or click the link on my blog. So exciting! And you must give me feedback! Each moment is titled (i.e. "Sugar Secrets" or "Football and the Movies"), so I am curious to hear what people's favorites are.

Moments of Delight is 140 pages of stunning photography, creative ideas and simple pleasures that put the spotlight back on the beauty of every day life.

Thank you!

Stop The Presses!

Okay, actually they are starting the presses.

My first book, Moments of Delight, will be available online May 23rd at www.anadesigns.com and www.subscribetodelight.com.
Finally, a paper version of my photos, recipes and more!

140 pages of beautiful photography, creative ideas & simple pleasures that put the spotlight back on the beauty of every day life.

"Anne Reeves' brand of story-telling brings 'Delight' to life."