Mega Motivation continues this month as we look at book organization for the elegant home. I hope you enjoy today's video.
"Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and all the nooks." - Dr. Seuss
Welcome back to The Daily Connoisseur. Mega Motivation continues this month as we look at books and magazines. How should we store these in our homes? What should we keep and what should we get rid of? I’m leaving a playlist here, be sure to check it out so you can see how all of the other lovely youtubers handle this very individual issue.
Ok, so you’re probably talking to the wrong person for this subject because, as you know, I am an author. And I think if you talk to any author in the world, we will all be of the same mind: you should have lots of books. You should have them in every room, and they should be everywhere. That’s certainly the case in our house. Books are in all of the bedrooms, the living areas, the kitchen, the school room, our offices. I think the only place we don’t have books are in the bathrooms and the dining room (although I keep books in my bathroom because I like to read in the bath! And yes, I have dropped my books in the bath… oops!). Also, you will frequently find a stack of books I’ve been looking through on the dining room table. So, scratch that, we do have books in every room. But I’m here to tell you that’s ok.
I have cookbooks, design books, classic books, my books, children’s books, poetry books, absolutely everywhere! And that’s as it should be. My only advice is to have them in stacks and to go through them regularly. Rotate them. Give yourself something to look at so you feel encouraged to read instead of watch too much TV.
“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” ― Groucho Marx
Regarding magazines: only display your favorites. My favorite is Victoria Magazine, of course, and I have many of my editions out dating back to the 90s, for example. Those are always fun to flip through. You want to avoid having too many magazines out everywhere. Make sure the ones you do have out are edifying and interesting to you. If you have a stack of celebrity gossip magazines, for example, and you don’t know why, recycle them and get rid of them. But books, just like plants, should be a part of every home. They are like family members. They transport us to different worlds. We can escape. When having finished a good book, we come out changed. Elizabeth Barrett Browning said, "No man can be called friendless who has God and the companionship of good books".
If you find that you’ve gone through much of your adult life without reading… consider picking up one of those books off your shelf and treating yourself tonight. Get lost in a book.
"Sleep is good, he said, and books are better." - George R.R. Martin
So, in my world, books should be stacked on nearby tables, on nightstands, on countertops, mantlepieces, and of course bookshelves. If you are a major minimalist and don’t like that look, that’s ok! We all have different styles and I find most people like to be surrounded with something… for some people it’s plants, for others it’s paintings. I actually like all of that. But I agree with Cicero: "A room without books is like a body without a soul".
So, think about this video as permission for you to indulge in keeping your books. If there are some you don’t want anymore, donate them. Absolutely. But books add beauty and soul to a room and invite you to pick them up. They add character to your life. And time spent with a good book, will never be wasted.
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Comment of the Week
Joanna F. writes, "I don't care for tea, but I have started an afternoon coffee break. It is so nice to just sit down for 15-20 minutes in the afternoon and just BE."
Hello Joanna, an afternoon coffee break sounds absolutely delightful. It is very refreshing to take that time for yourself and I'm glad you are enjoying it!
I hope you enjoyed today's video on book organization. I'd love to know how your family approaches book storage in your home.
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I loved this video! I too adore books and have a whole bookshelf full of them...but somehow they still end up all over the house. I also always have a stack on my bedside table of "current" reads. Where I live, we have a very small public library, but all of the libraries in the province are connected on the same library system, so you can request books from other libraries. I always have a long list of books checked out from the library, which is nice because it's economical, and for those books that you won't read again, you can send them back and get a different one! :)
Hi, Jennifer, this is my first time commenting. I enjoyed this video and so many others. Thank you for what you are doing. I so appreciate your body of work. I so appreciate you. I always finish a video or book feeling like I've been encouraged, or taught something useful and sometimes just entertained. I don't know what it costs you in time or emotional capacity to do what you do. But just wanted to let you know that "I give thanks for you". May God give you and Ben and your precious children peace, protection, spiritual discernment and joy.
Hi Jennifer! New chic society member here! I love this video. It gave me so many ideas for organizing my books, of which I have many. But more so, I love that you gave me "permission" to place them around my home. I recently moved cross country and have been looking for a bookcase large enough to house my collection. Now I don't feel nearly as stressed about it. I have more options, which is a great feeling. This is slightly off topic, but where do you get your artwork? I adore how you have decorated your home and find it is quite similar to my own taste. Have you thought about doing a video specifically on this topic?
Thank you for this video .I love reading books and i have been thinking how to organise.Now they are all over the place in order so where ever i go iam one book away from the last one!!Thank you for the inspiration.
I have five full bookshelves, and I need another. I don’t really have them organized, because I’ve found that when I’m looking for a particular book, I have to scan all my titles, and I enjoy that.
Jennifer L. Scott is the New York Times bestselling author of Lessons from Madame Chic, At Home with Madame Chic and Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic
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6 comments:
I loved this video! I too adore books and have a whole bookshelf full of them...but somehow they still end up all over the house. I also always have a stack on my bedside table of "current" reads. Where I live, we have a very small public library, but all of the libraries in the province are connected on the same library system, so you can request books from other libraries. I always have a long list of books checked out from the library, which is nice because it's economical, and for those books that you won't read again, you can send them back and get a different one! :)
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Hi, Jennifer, this is my first time commenting. I enjoyed this video and so many others. Thank you for what you are doing. I so appreciate your body of work. I so appreciate you. I always finish a video or book feeling like I've been encouraged, or taught something useful and sometimes just entertained. I don't know what it costs you in time or emotional capacity to do what you do. But just wanted to let you know that "I give thanks for you". May God give you and Ben and your precious children peace, protection, spiritual discernment and joy.
Yours was way funnier to watch than the others!
don’t tell them I said that ;)
I love your silliness and smiles :) and your beautiful classy books!
Hi Jennifer! New chic society member here! I love this video. It gave me so many ideas for organizing my books, of which I have many. But more so, I love that you gave me "permission" to place them around my home. I recently moved cross country and have been looking for a bookcase large enough to house my collection. Now I don't feel nearly as stressed about it. I have more options, which is a great feeling. This is slightly off topic, but where do you get your artwork? I adore how you have decorated your home and find it is quite similar to my own taste. Have you thought about doing a video specifically on this topic?
Thank you for this video .I love reading books and i have been thinking how to organise.Now they are all over the place in order so where ever i go iam one book away from the last one!!Thank you for the inspiration.
I have five full bookshelves, and I need another. I don’t really have them organized, because I’ve found that when I’m looking for a particular book, I have to scan all my titles, and I enjoy that.
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