Field Notes: November 2014

A few of our favorite things from November. 

If you've been feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of trying to do everything perfectly all the time, check out Hannah Breacher's post You Can't Be All the Things.

From Tirzah Magazine here's why you should make a Not-To-Do List rather than a To-Do List. 

Also, you can now get devotionals from Tirzah in your inbox each morning. Such a great way to begin your day.

I've mentioned before that I love journaling, and here's 25 ways to fill a journal page.

These Dulce de Leche Thumprint cookies are already making me crave Christmas cookies. And, they're topped with sea salt!

The Thanksgiving holiday period has just ended. Check out our Christmas pinterest board for ideas for the upcoming season.

It's no secret that I love books. One of my favorite places for recommendations is a feature on The Simply Luxurious Life called This and That. It's a collection of recommendations usually for things to read, watch, and buy.

Our most popular post on Life of Lovely this month has been Things to Do in Paris.

We'll leave you with this post of important bunny gifs.

Hope that you had a great November!

Book Review: The Best Yes

Chances are that a lot of you like being busy, you like helping people, and you like having many things going on at once in your life. It's so tempting to want to be the girl who can pull off a million different things perfectly at the same time.

And it would be great if we were actually capable of doing these things. After all, so many of the things that we want to do are good, but I am sure that you know that the more you try to do at once, the less anything gets done.

In order to be effective, you have to say no to some things. But, how do you know which areas need a no and which need a yes?

Before I left for France, some friends of mine gifted me with a book by Lysa Terkeurst called The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands.

Lysa Terkeurst shares practical strategies and personal stories that help you discover the Best Yes answers in your life. The advice that she offers makes sense, but I wouldn't have thought of it by myself. Of course, throughout the book is the theme that we need to rely on God to show us the best decision. However, it is so hard to always know what relying on God looks like, and it's too easy to think that we can just rely on ourselves instead. It takes effort and intention to trust God, but the more that we do it, the more likely we are to continue to do it.

If you find yourself feeling stressed or overwhelmed by busyness, or if you feel as if you don't know what path to choose amidst the millions of choices that you make every day, The Best Yes is a must read.

Have you read The Best Yes? What books have you been reading lately?

Fantastic Violin Cover of T-Swift's Shake It Off + Blog Schedule Updates

You would have had to have been hiding under a rock not to have heard that Taylor Swift has a new album out, 1989. Like quite a lot of people, I am a huge Taylor Swift fan. I haven't bought the album yet, but I like all of the songs that I've heard so far from it.

You know what else I like?

Covers of songs with violins.

So, imagine how excited I was to see this string cover of Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" by Chargaux. Now in addition to being a Taylor Swift fan, I'm also a Charly and Margeaux fan. Once you've listened to their cover, you'll be a fan, too.



Now for the blog updates.

We're planning to post more often here. The schedule that we're aiming for is something inspirational on Mondays, something book related on Tuesdays, and DIY, recipe, or lifestyle related on Thursdays. Possibly there will be other additions throughout the week, but we're hoping to stick with this set-up for a while.

Now you know what day to check for your favorite topics.

Thanks for stopping by today.

You can follow us on Bloglovin, Twitter, and Pinterest to make sure that you don't miss any new posts.

Things to Do in Paris

If you could only pick one city in the world to visit, what would it be? The city of your dreams? Would it be Paris?

While I hope that you're able to travel to many places in your life, if you only ever went to Paris, you would still have an amazing adventure. Paris is a unique place. I've been lucky enough to visit Paris several times, and I'm in the process of planning another trip.

If you're planning to travel to Paris, I have a few recommendation about places that you should visit while you're there. Of course, there are so many different things to do in Paris, but these are a few of my favorites.

Musée D'Orsay - Sometimes when you walk into an art museum, you know that you're supposed to appreciate the painting that you see, but unless you know about art, you aren't exactly sure why. That is not the case at the Musée D'Orsay. First of all, the Museum is in an old train station and the building itself is beautiful. Second, the Museum has artists you are likely to know. Degas, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh. Most of the paintings are easy for the casual visitor to enjoy. This museum is my favorite one that I have been to so far in Paris.

Musée Rodin - Another great art museum in Paris. In addition to the art itself, this museum has a beautiful garden. You will see Rodin's famous The Thinker. There are also plenty of other statues scattered among rosebushes and other flowers. If you are in Paris during the warmer months, you must spend time in the garden.

Palais Garnier (Opera House) - If you have seen The Phantom of the Opera, you may recognize this place. Yes, the book is set in this Opera House. The inside of the Opera House is absolutely stunning.

Sacré Couer - Head up to this Basilique in Montmarte for one of the best views of Paris. On the way up be sure to stop by the artists' stalls and take a look at the paintings. There are also a few good places to stop for crêpes in Montmarte, so I'd advise that as well.

Louvre - You knew that this one would be on the list. Chances are that you do want to see the Mona Lisa. There is lots of art to see in this museum. You could spend days in there, and not see everything. That being said, if you're pressed for time or if you want to avoid crowds and art isn't your thing anyway, you might want to chose a different art museum.

Notre Dame - While you could just view Notre Dame from the outside, it's worth taking the time to walk through the inside as well.

Eiffel Tower - It's up to you to decide whether you want to spend the time and money to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower (I personally would, but it's ok if you don't). However, you should explore the area in front of the tower. Bring a picnic for a meal and enjoy the view. Also, the Eiffel Tower sparkles on the hour at night until midnight. You need to see this.

Other Things to Do

Eat a crêpe. This must be done. I'd advise nutella and banana.

Walk down the Champs-Élysées. This where many famous shops are. You'll want to window shop. Stop by Laduree for a macaroon or two if the line isn't too long.

Spend a day at Versailles. Where Marie Antoinette lived. The palace is stunning. It's outside of Paris, so visiting it will involve a day trip.

Walk along the Seine. Either bank of the river is good for walking and people watching.

Shop at Galleries Lafayette. You don't actually have to buy anything at this huge department store, but you should take a look around. It reminds me of Macy's in New York or Harrod's in London.

Also, while in Paris, I stayed at a lovely apartment that I booked through airbnb. It was my first experience using airbnb, and I highly recommend using the service. I'm happy to share this code with you to get $25 dollars off your first booking with airbnb.

There are so many more great places in Paris, but that's my list of current favorites. Do you have any suggestions or questions?  

If you found this list helpful, we'd love it if you'd or Tweet it.

Linked up with Travel Tuesday on A Compass Rose.