De Neale Letters + Design

What do you need to know about a book before you start it?

I got my mom to read the City of Brass series and as soon as she started, she said, “Okay but you need to read the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series.” (Do you know how many books have almost that exact same title? SO MANY! So confusing!)

Mom came over a few days later and gave me a stack: the second and third in the series she’d mentioned, plus Strange the Dreamer and its sequel (also by Laini Taylor), with 1Q84 thrown in for good measure. I didn’t want to start a series on the second book, and she couldn’t find the first one, so I picked up Strange instead.

It took me a while, but you guys! These books are great.

It really is a slow start. It seems to me that there’s a particular kind of fantasy novel that uses words we all know but changes their meaning entirely. This is definitely one of those books. The first chapter is full of them. It’s so bewildering to know you’re reading words you know but don’t understand, and to just…endure that unmoored feeling. But I endured, and all came clear at some point. And it was well worth the wait!

I don’t need to know much about a book to start it - and I’ll happily put it down if I’m not enjoying it. Influenced by I will avoid the inside covers like the plague. So recommendations from fellow readers make a big impression! In this case, the fact that this recommendation came in return from my recommendation was a no-brainer. And for any or all of you that I’ve told to read the City of Brass series - I agree, this is a great next read. It has the same fun, hopeful, magical wonderland feeling, with great characters.

Okay, that’s enough for now - back to reading!

You guys - this piece is so special to me. I got to use rainbow colors for a rainbow baby! Are you familiar with the term "rainbow baby"? As describes it, "A rainbow baby is a baby born shortly after the loss of a precious baby...This term is given to these special rainbow babies because a rainbow typically follows a storm, giving us hope of what’s to come." Honored to be asked to create this special piece for an old friend of mine.

I am not normally a lover of spooky things. But this random fall weather, dead tree, overcast sky and a raven in the uppermost branches? It was like Halloween teaching into September to say hello. Are you more excited about fall than you ever have been before? Much has been made of the pumpkin spice obsessed and sweater weather in years passed, but it seems like there’s something extra special about it this year.

We’ve lived here for more than three months, but who’s counting? Hi, Dallas. We are here and settled and I’d like to make friends! 🎉

Y’all - these are crazy times. I am leaning hard on time in the Word. This was a goal of mine for 2020, so I’m grateful for the chance to slow down and fill this time with good old living hope.

I love me some all the time, but I feel like they are beautifully suited to this moment in time. Beth just released a 30-minute rest practice to their Patrons and Sarah offered this gem on the news brief this morning. If you’d like some hope, laughter, and level-headed processing of the days ahead, I can’t recommend their podcast highly enough.

My Word of the Year for 2020 is curious! I am so excited about this word choice. I have a handful of Big Life Questions I want to answer this year. I want to be known as a good question asker. And, I want to live my life in a curious fashion. Did you pick a word of the year? I’d love to know which one, and why!

plans? Practicing calligraphy. ☺️ Trying my best to fill my time with things that build and reward skill. I didn’t think of quarantine as a beautiful word before this exercise!

Do you listen to podcasts? I want to diversify my listening outside of politics. 😬 Would love to hear a recommendation and why! But...don’t at me...no true crime, please! 🤪

I have had the chance to do some SUHWEET projects since November! This is some podcast art for a new podcast a friend is starting. Coming soon: a book cover (?!) and a cd cover (?!?!) and a t-shirt! So much fun.

So the Spotify Decade Wrap Up is going around and I’ll give you three guesses who my top artist of the decade was... 😂

I forgot how obsessed with I was from 2011-2013. I think I listened to him enough those first couple years to beat out all other artists for the decade. Oops. But y’all, seriously, his Christmas album is a gem. Put it on your rotation if it isn’t there already!

Day four of us all about the gift of people. Now that’s a gift I can get excited about! Reflecting on Mary’s time with Elizabeth. Pausing to consider who I can come alongside this Christmas.

Day three of 🙊 I love the idea that perhaps Zechariah’s silence was a gift, if also a punishment.