I truly believe that indie authors need to support one another, which is why I was more than happy to purchase and read these books.

1. The Book of Brave - I've been a big fan of Laura Jane Williams ever since I discovered her on thought catalog. Her brutal honesty about life, love, work and sex is absolutely refreshing. The moment I heard about her book I got on my computer and purchased it. The Book of Brave has something for every woman; it is a collection of stories and reflections on how Laura came to love herself, and how she continues to fight for that love every single day. It is a truly inspirational read.

2. These Are The Moments - #TATM isn't a book I would usually pick up, but I am a follower of Jenny Bravo's blog, Blots & Plots, and really just wanted to support her. I don't leave many book reviews, but I felt so compelled to write her one, because that's how much this book surprised me. I found her characters loveable and very relatable and am looking forward to her prequel.

3. Something Like The Desert - I am quite literally in awe of Kristen; from the way she lives her life with such intention and presence, to her truly incredible words; she is a real treasure. I absolutely loved this book and pull it off of my bookshelf often, devouring her stories in a different way each time.

4. Coming Clean - I read this on my kindle months ago and it was one of those books that I couldn't bear to put down. It's a memoir of Kim's life growing up trying to hide the fact that her parents are hoarders. So. Very. Good. And also one of Amazon's top 100 books in 2013.

5. The Unfolding: A Collection of 21 Tiny Tales - This is such a lovely small book of stories, which now sits on my bookshelf next to Something Like The Desert. The tales feel familiar and heartwarming and I'm certain that I will come back to this book often as months go by.

Happy Thursday!

I've got a quick little video showing off the new #everydayedition Project Life core kit.

I've always been a morning person. BC (before child) I could basically make my mornings look however I wanted them to, but with a two year old running around, I have to be more deliberate with how I spend my time. These days my mornings usually look a little something like this: I set my alarm for 5am and lay in bed for a few minutes to brush off the sleep and wake up. I'll pad downstairs and make myself a cup of coffee or tea and then sit down to write until my son wakes up anytime between 6:15 and 6:45am.

In order to start my day off on the right foot, it's so important that I get a slow and quiet start to my mornings, because from the moment my son gets up until I go to bed at night I am go go go with mothering, work, meal preparations, cleaning, personal projects and time with my husband. I find that the days that my morning coffee and a read/writing are cut short, I'm less patient and just all around unfocused.

So that's my simple morning routine. What's yours like?

Number of photos taken today: 16

Here's a look at Sunday.

Number of photos taken today: 40

Today went pretty much the same way most Saturdays go. Slow and simple.

Here's a look at my Saturday.

Number of photos taken today: 27

This is how most of my Fridays look lately. They always involve work. They almost always involve take out for dinner. And they usually involve a writing session at Panera.

Here's a look at my Friday.

Number of photos taken today: 23

Because DJ was back home with this, Thursday felt like a more realistic and complete sample of our every day. I took less photos today than any other day, but still loving the project.

Here's a look at how my Thursday went.

You can find it here.

Number of photos taken today: 53

Last time I took part in this project I remember beginning to feel a little burned out around this time, but I'm feeling great. Documenting the everyday is kind of my jam.

Here's a look at how my Wednesday went.

Number of photos taken today: 22

And I made it through Monday unscathed! I actually already love seeing how my days are different from when I did this project last year. Mainly, I now work full-time and DJ spends 2 days with his grandparents and 3 day in daycare. And Dom now works a full-time job in addition to his real estate work. Basically, we're all a lot more busy than we were back in October/November.

Here's a little look at my Tuesday.

Number of photos taken today: 55

And I made it through Monday unscathed! I actually already love seeing how my days are different from when I did this project last year. Mainly, I now work full-time and DJ spends 2 days with his grandparents and 3 day in daycare. And Dom now works a full-time job in addition to his real estate work. Basically, we're all a lot more busy than we were back in October/November.

Here's a little peek into my day:

While out with a girlfriend recently, we got to talking - over our delicious Smith & Forge ciders - about the division of labor in our marriages. I like to think that most couples are like my husband and I, and my friend and her husband, in that there's a bit of a struggle going on in this area (if you have your significant other have this all figured out and there's no problem at all, then I applaud you, and I also envy you).

We found that we were both experiencing the same problems, and I was curious to see if other couples go through the same thing, so I reached out and asked a few married couples I know and here's what I found.

Childcare/Parenting: Most women I asked are annoyed that their husbands don't help more; not just with things like watching the kids, but everything that comes along with it: meal preparation, clean up, laundry, doctors appointments, etc. In my case, I definitely take care of the majority of this and don't really mind. Though I have to admit that it would put a smile on my face to have my hubby help out a little more with the small things, especially if I don't have to ask :)

Meal Preparation: Again, there is a trend towards men not helping out enough in this area. Like childcare, this one falls to me 95% of the time. However, I'm aware that I don't ask my husband for help in this area as often as I should, and that's something I have to work on. The good news - and I know this isn't the case for many of the women I spoke to - is that my husband is always thanking me for all the cooking I do, and that makes all the difference. (Note: last night I prepped the meal but my husband cooked... and it was glorious!)

Cleaning/Laundry, etc: I take on all the laundry, and I actually don't mind that because I find it to be something I can practically do with my eyes closed. Plus, I know what can/can't do in the dryer, what I would prefer to be hand washed, etc. It's just easier for me to do it. Plus, my husband rarely misses an opportunity to thank me for always taking care of this. Most of my friends I spoke with were particularly angry with their husbands for their lack of help in these areas. I can agree that I would like my husband to help more with the cleaning.

Yard work / House and Car Maintenance: In the case of yard work and taking care of the house I found that the husbands almost always took over, and that is certainly the case in my household. I'm not one to dig out a big saw on a pull to trim palm trees, and my husband is obsessed with keeping the cars clean so I leave him to it.

There is plenty of research that shows "ambiguity in division of household responsibilities between working couples often results in ongoing negotiations, resentment, and tension" and that "sharing household chores was in the top three highest-ranking issues associated with a successful marriage—third only to faithfulness and good sex." (via)

Working on a putting together a chore system is something that I know I want to work on in my marriage, but what about you?

I'd love to hear how chores are divided in your household, and if you have a clear system in place to ensure that one person isn't taking on the lion's share. 

 Next week begins a #weekinthelife and while it's only my second year taking part, I definitely know ahead of time what I will be able to keep up with, and what will quickly drive me batty. For one: I need to keep things simple, just like I did last year. Unlike last year, I'm now working full-time so I'm going to simplify things even more this time around.

It's a #projectlife bonanza today as I'm sharing all of my July spreads!

For something a little different, I decided to make a quick video to give you an update on how things are going with #FindingLilyNovel. It should be titled something like "Me being awkward as I try to tell you about how hard the editing process is"

Happy Wednesday! Today's shop update may be a small one, but it's one I'm excited about. If you've been around since I opened my shop almost one year ago, you may remember the original Here + There set. Well, today's shop update is a new and improved version of that set, called - go figure - Here and There No.2 and it's $1.00 off today and tomorrow only.

As always, I love seeing what you do with my collections. If you post on instagram, be sure to use the hashtag #bigcityquietdesigns so that I can see your lovely creations and share then with my followers!

When we bought this chair I used to sit in it in the darkness of the freshly painted nursery, rubbing my seven month pregnant belly and wonder what it would feel like to nurse my son right in that spot. And once we stopped nursing I thought about how it would feel to sit with him on my lap and read to him in that chair. Now I catch glimpses of what he will look like as he grows and uses that chair for other things like reading on his own, listening to music, maybe just sitting and enjoying life.

This morning we heard him playing in his room but things had gotten quiet so I poked my head around the corner to see him sitting there, his one leg tucked against his chest, his blanket in a bunch on his lap, his hands crossed just so, the light filtering in from the window beside him...

He just looked so beautiful that I ran for my camera, actually sprinting down the stairs and back up again, so happy to have captured this moment. I will hold it forever in my heart.