It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a book review, so I thought I’d show you a book I bought a few months ago when T.J. and I were in New York. I’d looked at purchasing this book online before but wasn’t totally sure if I’d like it or not, so I never bought it. That is until I was able to flip through it in person at the NYC Urban Outfitters – and then I knew instantly I had to have it.

Paper Craft includes the instructions to make 25 charming gifts, accents and accessories all from paper. The book was created by Minhee and Truman Cho, who are the cofounders of the upscale stationary and paper goods company PAPER + CUP.

One of my favorite projects is the animal drink tags. Who likes losing their drink or picking up the wrong drink at a party? No one! And that’s where these darling (and functional) drink tags come into play.

One of my other favorite projects in Paper + Craft is the tissue paper stars and moon project. They show it to you in a nursery setting, but it’d be perfect for any bedroom or themed party!

The projects and crafts supplied in the book are quite diverse. You could take a lot of elements from the book and apply them to all future paper crafts. It’s great!

I know nothing about Lauren Conrad. I never followed her days on whatever show she became famous for or followed her job at Teen Vogue. However, I have always noticed how well dressed and put together she looks. When looking for outfit-inspiration images, prior to a photo shoot, I often Google celebrities – Lauren Conrad being one of them. Just before Christmas this year I noticed that she had a new book out about Style. I thumbed through it at the mall one time and realized that it actually look liked a good book. So, hoping the cashier wouldn’t think I was twelve or anything, I bought the book at a Target several weeks later.

I finished the book in two days. Not that it was anything I hadn’t heard in one way or another before, but it was really nice to hear about her style basics.

I’ve noticed lately that my personal-clothing style is almost the same as my personal-home decor style. I would think that’s a good thing. I suppose it means I really know what I like and don’t like!

Earlier last year when T.J. and I were rebranding Brooke Courtney Photography, I wasn’t sure what colors or style we should go with for the new site. I decided to pick my favorite colors by looking at my wardrobe. So, I took my 10 favorite items and layed them on my bed. You guessed it: Mustard, Yellow, Grey, Light Grey, Black and some “nautical” themed pieces. While the photo site doesn’t have any “nauticalness” to it – this site sure does!

All that to say – while this book isn’t about home decor or anything, it’s completely about developing your personal style! Lauren’s main point of the book is to be sure your wardrobe has “staple pieces”… and not all stripes, bangles and studded heels. I think this idea totally transfers to your home. Don’t paint every wall a different color and then add a giant floral couch – it will make you feel swirly.

The book also has great advice and tips on hair, makeup, packing for travel and vintage clothing. I thought it was a nice, easy read. Something a little different from my normal book choice. You can buy Lauren Conrad Style in most stores or online, here. Enjoy!

P.S. Lola sat on our office bookcase, watching me, while I shot photos of this book. She’s so cute.

This year was the first time that my family and I created wishlistr Christmas lists. You kinda feel silly making a list (with links!) to the items you want for Christmas, yet it was SO helpful when shopping for everyone! I knew exactly what everyone wanted, where to get it and how much it cost. Seriously, it was awesome. Anyway, I put several home design/style books on my list this year and my brother, Taylor, got two of them for me! One of them was from The Nest, called Home Design Handbook. I finished reading it about two weeks ago – I really enjoyed it.

The photos inside the book are beautiful and styled incredibly well. The book is broken down into four main categories: Live, Eat, Sleep and Stash. Under each section you can read about styling your living space, the art of arranging, furniture 101, mastering the bath, engaging entries and much more.

Under the Eat category, I was introduced the idea of a work triangle. Most kitchens operate on some version of the time-honored work triangle, which keeps the cook only a few steps away from the three major appliances: the refrigerator, sink and range. The goal is to place each o these high-function points (where you retrieve, wash, and cook the food) no more than a simple pivot away from another to optimize access and work flow. Currently, our kitchen is not laid out like this at all due to its small size. We are looking to re-do our kitchen though within the next year or so and I will definitely keep the work triangle in mind when placing our island into the mix!

My only complaint (if you could call it that) about this book is that it’s not overly creative. It’s pretty basic when it comes to styling your home. It does however give you a good foundation to start from.

Home Design Handbook is a nice mix of style inspiration and how-to guides. It’s definitely the kind of book that I will look through again when I am working in a specific room in our house. You can purchase the Home Design Handbook here.

This is my first (of many) book reviews I’m going to be doing here on tiny anchors. I’m actually not much of a reader at all, I just like looking at the photos. However, I do tend to read all parts of house and style books. Today’s book is from IKEA, titled Beloved Homes. You can purchase it online or at any of the store locations. It’s definitely worth having! I flip through mine all the time to get a little inspiration. Sometimes it’s just nice to look at pretty pictures!

The book is very large and suprisingly well made. The paper is soft and the colors are beautiful. It’s a very well designed book. Imagine that, IKEA… well designed.

Beloved Homes is only $14.99 – which is really great considering how nice it is. Usually home decor books run upwards of $30.

The book shows you inside nine different homes from Sweeden. It’s a very personal book that reflects the way Swedes furnish their homes, which I love!!

The color palettes each home has are gorgeous. Simple and clean. Lots of white – with bright accents. Makes me want to paint everything white! No worries, I wont… yet.

All of the homes in this book seem to have several things in common. 1.) Not everything matches. They’re always mixing and matching chairs and accessories. 2.) If something is on display, like an old photo or vase, it’s their for a reason. It means something to them. It also serves a purpose. And 3.) They love their homes. Deeply and honestly. It’s beautiful!

This is not a how-to type book. There aren’t an instructions, projects or steps to create anything. It’s simply for inspiration. Beautiful inspiration!

Lola loves the book as well. See?

If you love home decor and design, I’d really recommend picking up Beloved Homes the next time you’re strolling through your local IKEA. It’s the only decor book I have that I flip often to look for inspiration. Happy Reading!