June Book Club: Stories We Loved As Kids

What I read, an accompanying costume, snack and creative project 🌻📚🫖 + announcing July's theme!

Hope everyone had a fun month of nostalgic reading! 

This post serves as our official June book club “meeting,” where we’ll share the books we read and the creative ways we immersed ourselves in our stories.

June’s Theme: Books We Loved as Kids

If you’re just joining us, you can learn more here. And even if you’re reading this later in the summer, feel free to join the conversation whenever you like.

How to Participate

I’ll pose a series of questions below along with my responses. You’re welcome to answer as many as you like or simply share your reflections. 

By leaving a comment, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a special book-related prize at the end of the summer. You can also earn extra entries by:

🫶 Becoming a paid subscriber

❤️ Hearting this post

🧵 Sharing how you creatively paired your book with an outfit, recipe, party, or craft

Feel free to link to Instagram posts, TikToks, blogs, Substacks or any other places where you’ve shared! I’m excited to hear about your reading adventures!

What Did You Read?

I chose Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards.

What Are Your Childhood Memories of Your Book?

I can’t recall how or when that paperback came into my life, but I remember being amazed that it was written by the star of Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, two of my all-time favorite films.

(Baroness Schrader voice): “My dear, is there anything you can't do?”

What Were Your Thoughts After Revisiting the Story?

I adored Mandy just as much as I remember! It’s fascinating to see how the concepts that captivate us as children often remain the same in adulthood. 

One thing I love most about this book is Mandy’s quest to restore an abandoned cottage and its surrounding garden. From Whistle While You Work to The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room to Spoonful of Sugar, I can’t get enough of scenes where characters beautify their surroundings.

This time around, I also connected more deeply with Mandy’s desire for a space of her own. In her story, living in an orphanage (though a lovely one) offered her little autonomy, which made the cottage precious to her.

For me, growing up in a bustling house with many siblings and frequent visitors was fun and exciting, but in hindsight, I see how the little introvert in me longed for quiet and personal space. Now, as an adult, it’s clear why I connected with Mandy and this story — and why my home office has become such a sacred place for me to work, play, and make my own.

Bringing the Story to Life

👗 Costume

Mandy is set in a fictional British town during an undefined time. Based on clues like the presence of telephones but absence of televisions, I imagined it taking place in the mid-20th century. 

The book’s illustrations show Mandy and her friend Sue in adorable British outfits, like cardigans and saddle shoes. I opted for her “overalls” look, pairing them with a frilly white tank — a modern take, but the lace reminded me of something Mandy might wear to church.

🍪 Snack

While the book doesn’t feature many food moments, I loved the simplicity of the tea and bread Mandy “borrowed” from the orphanage kitchen to bring to the cottage.

Inspired by this, I enjoyed a little British afternoon snack: a cup of Earl Grey with cream and an English muffin topped with creamy butter and sweet strawberry jam I brought back from Fortnum and Mason on my last visit to London.

🎨 Project

Re-reading Mandy inspired me to take better care of my plants. On the day I finished the book, I went into the backyard and clipped flowers to make a bouquet for the kitchen counter. This simple act, inspired by Mandy’s energy, was so lovely.

For my official project, I dug out a tea-leaf garden kit from my laundry room. It was a Christmas gift from my brother-in-law that I’d been too intimidated to use. This seemed like the perfect moment to start!

Admittedly, I got impatient and frustrated right away. The first instruction was to let the seeds soak overnight, and I rolled my eyes. The seeds in the first packet looked like dust, making me wonder if I’d left the kit on the shelf for too long. This is why I don’t garden!, I thought.

But then I took a deep breath and reminded myself to embody Mandy’s spirit. She too had to be patient and work with what she had, and it paid off! So I kept going, even though I made a giant mess and got dirt all over the counter.

If I followed the directions correctly (fingers crossed), I should start to see sprouts in a few weeks!

Next Time on Book Club

Like all good stories, we’re taking a turn!

❤️☀️Our theme for July will be: Summer Love Stories.

Get creative! Your selection doesn’t have to be in the romance genre. For example, it could be:

- A book that reminds you of you and your sweetheart

- A book you loved reading in a past summer

- Pair two books together to make a match

- A story featuring a character you love

- Your favorite book that evokes summer

It can be a book you’ve already read or a new story. Whatever brings you joy! I look forward to seeing what you read and create next month. 

Save the date! Our July Book Club “Meeting” post goes live on Sunday, July 28th.

✍️ Creative Exercises/Journal Prompts

1. Spend an afternoon cosplaying your favorite literary character.

2. Share one of your favorite childhood stories with a loved one, or send a copy in the mail as a surprise gift!

3. Reflect on some of your favorite stories and identify recurring themes. How might they identify the work you create?

☀️ Five good things

When we can recognize the things that bring us the most joy, we invite more of them into our lives. Here are five things that made me happy this week. Share yours below!

Five good things that happened this week:

1. My sister Laura and I kicked off the sixth season of our podcast, Film to Table, with a hilarious review of the 1995 film, It Takes Two. After a long hiatus, I’m thrilled to be back editing episodes and creating accompanying clips. If you’re not a podcast listener, you can check out our Reels, Shorts, or full episodes on YouTube!

2. We started re-watching The West Wing with my in-laws, and it has been such a treat. I’ve only seen the show in its entirety once (it was our primary pandemic binge), and enough time has passed to enjoy it all over again.

3. This could also fall under “bad things,” but I’m working on draft two of my book, moving far slower than my ambitious plan outlined. So far, I’ve only edited Chapter 1. I’m excited about the changes, but the finish line feels far away!

4. We had a lovely dinner with friends at our favorite local restaurant, which recently updated its menu. We enjoyed three seafood starters — a sashimi, a crab and mango salad, and a tuna and beet dish — all unbelievably delicious. I’m still thinking about them!

5. I enjoyed a solo Target run where I bought a few necessities and, of course, a bunch of things I didn’t need but am thoroughly enjoying, including this candle (because citronella = summer) and this pitcher.

💬 Share your intention

Whether it’s a giant leap, a tiny to-do list item, a habit change, or something else, there is power in accountability, and this is a safe space to share your aim. Some weeks, we’ll fail, others we’ll soar, but with support, we’ll always keep going together.

Until next week, get out there and make something beautiful.

Michelle

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