Shop Small Business (12): The Clever Clove

 Since the holidays are getting closer, here are some gift ideas.  

Instead of shopping online at places like Amazon, why not shop local?

If you have awesome local businesses, grab items from their stores.

If you're shopping for people outside our area, why not get something super cute on Etsy?

I started this last year, so if you missed those favorites, check them out here. 

And if you want to support me (Thank you!), I do have a small Etsy shop.

And if you like something, but aren't purchasing it at this time, give the shop a like or the item a like! (This makes the seller very happy!)

Ok, so the Clever Clove isn't an Etsy shop, but they are one of my new favorite small businesses. 

They sell bookmarks, pins, stickers. Of which I have several. And you can't forget the washi tape!

Henrietta the Hedgehog is darling. My laptop is covered with the town stickers.

Scooter sticker.

But they also have classic favorites like:

Green Gables Pin, which I have. 

Plus, they recently started blended teas, candles, and bags.

Here's is one of their tote bags; it's my new work bag. Isn't it darling?

New items arrive seasonally and they are just super cute! Don't you think?

Shop Small Gift Ideas: 5

  Since the holidays will be here before you know it, I thought I would share some cute gift ideas.

Instead of shopping online at places like Amazon, why not shop local?

If you have awesome local businesses, grab items from their stores of gift cards.

If you're shopping for people outside our area, why not get something super cute on Etsy?

I'm going to highlight a new suggestion each week. 

And if you want to support me (Thank you!), I do have a small Etsy shop.

Since we all voted this past week, here is something for all of us RGB fans!

Lots of stickers, enamel pins, and more in this gift set.

This gift set is from the FabulouslyFeminist shop - where they sell pins, stickers, apparel, and so much more. And they are gender and environmental friendly.  What could be better?

So give them a look! 👀

If You Like Pins (18)

I haven't done one of these in a while and I've been reading some great books lately. 

So here are some new If You Like Pins!

Books Featured:

American Royals

Luxe

Princess Diaries

Her Royal Highness

Truly Madly Royally

The Season

Countess Below Stairs

Books Featured:

Past Perfect Life

The Rest of the Story

Small Town Hearts

I Wonder Who You Are

Better Than the Best Plan

American Panda

From Twinkle with Love

Books Featured:

Pretend She's Here

The Night She Disappeared

The Naturals

One of Us is Lying

I Hunt Killers

Killer Instinct

#MurderTrending

Books Featured:

Run, Hide, Fight Back

No Safety in Numbers

This is Not a Drill

This is Where it Ends

Give A Boy a Gun

Hate List

Endgame

Books Featured:

Tweet Cute (upcoming)

TTYL

Coming Up for Air

Matter of Heart

Love and Gelato

Stay Sweet

Taste Test

Books Featured:

What Kind of Girl

Moxie

Ask Me Anything

Shut Out

Watch Us Rise

The Nowhere Girls 

Speak

Blogoversary: 10 years

Wow, I can't believe I've been blogging for ten years at YA Book Nerd. Where does the time go? I wanted to thank everyone who's been with me on this journey. From fellow booknerds to librarian colleagues - thank you! To authors, publishers, and publicists - thank you! I've loved being a part of the book conversation.

The pups enjoying some dog ice cream in celebration! 

And things have certainly changed on the blog over the past ten years. My reviews have gotten longer. And while they're more personal than my reviews for professional journals (Voya and SLJ), I think they work at showcasing why I enjoyed reading the book.

Recently, I went back and looked at the past ten years. My blog posts varied from book reviews (first mostly YA books, then cozies, then middle grade, then romance, and picture books). At first I was afraid to branch out because I called my blog YA Book Nerd for a reason. But now I'm comfortable sharing my views/opinions on the books I read.

I've also hosted blog tours, author interviews, book spotlights, author news. I've talked about my work in the library with display videos, program ideas, book trailers. I've talked about movies I've enjoyed and movies I want to see. I've shared reviews from other sites: Voya, SLJ, Teens Read Too, Fresh Fiction, and the YALSA blog. I've shared my love for pop culture. I've written personal posts on politics, my life, and share pictures of my pups.

I used to share things on the blog that I now share on Twitter instead. It took a while for me to find my blogging feet. I used to play around with the template a bunch - and it took me ages to find a blog counter that worked. Finally I asked Icey Designs to create me a blog template. I loved it. And I've been using it ever since. Sure, lots of the pictures no longer work. Some of the posts are cringeworthy - but it's me.

Here's a look back:

First Post: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Last Post: Christmas by Accident

Most Popular Post: Summer Reading Ideas: Life Size Games

My Biggest Blogging Year: 2013 with 450 posts (I try to post at least 5 times a week and sometimes on the weekend.)

Search Term People Use Most to Find My Blog: Christmas

A few blog posts that represent the blog pretty well:

2008: Forever Princess (My love for Meg Cabot is strong!)

2009: Facebook Flair (remember that?), Meeting Rick Riordan, The Season book review, Fake Book Cover (my second biggest post)

2010: A Meg Cabot Moment

2011: Book Ideas for Christmas (I do this now every year, it's one of my favorite posts but it also takes a LOT of time)

2012: Eating Disorder Awareness Display and Special Thank You

2013: Dear Mr. Potter, If You Like Pins (some of these more popular pins made it to Buzzfeed!)

2014: 10 Years and Book Covers and Prom Dresses 

2015: Fall TV

2016: National Princess Week

2017: Nasty Women's Books and New Addition

2018: National Library Week

I hope you enjoyed this look back over the years. And thank you again for being part of the journey!

If You Like Pins (17)

I read some fun picture books that inspired these recent pins.

Books Featured:

It's a Puppy's Life

Can I be Your Dog?

Rescue and Jessica

Puppy Puppy Puppy

Madeline Finn and the Library Dog

Books Featured:

The Library Book

Bunny's Book Club

Violet and Victor Write the Best Ever Bookworm Book

Bear's House of Books

Story Book Knight

Books Featured:

The Better Tree Fort

The Little Red Fort

The Fort that Jack Built

Fort Building Time

Up in the Leaves

If You Like Pins (16)

With the new picture books I recently purchased for the library collection, several reminded me of Ada Twist, so I made up two pins - one with nonfiction books and one fiction.

Books Showcased: 

Who Says Women Can't Be Computer Programmers?

Poet or Science?

Margaret and the Moon

Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor

Books Showcased:

Izzy Gizmo

Charlotte the Scientist is Squished

What to do with an Idea

Magnolia Mudd and the Super Jumptastic Launcher Deluxe 

If You Like Pins (15)

I haven't done one of these in a long time. But my goal this year for work is to diversify our picture book collection. I recently bought a bunch of new picture books about inclusion. Someone came looking for one a few days ago - and they were all checked out. Which is both great and terrible at the same time - great because we needed the books in the collection and people are finding them, but terrible because they weren't immediately available.

Here are some of the books:

If You Like Pins (14)

I haven't done one of these in a long time. But I made a few recently and thought I'd share them. There's no theme to this one. But enjoy!

Travel Romances

Dragons

Girls rocking the fantastical worlds

Graphic novels

National Princess Week

I love a good princess story, so I was happy to discover that this week is National Princess Week.

I've talked about my love of Princess books on the blog before.

In 2011, I created my list for favorite YA Princess books.

I've talked about my love for the Princess Diaries series and how it changed my life.

In a blog tour post, I talked about what bookish things I would do if I discovered one day I was a princess and money was no object

When Princess Charlotte was born, I created a book list fit for a Princess

And I've created these If You Like Pins:

 

If You Like Pins (13)

This edition features fun picture books that I've read recently. As a new Children's Librarian, I'm trying to read many more picture books to get familiar with the collection. I really enjoyed these:

Friendship Books

Large Animal Books

In the Library Books

School Books

About Me: Baking

One of my resolutions this year (and to be honest almost every year) is to talk more about myself on the blog. Me in a nutshell: I'm a Librarian. I'm a blogger. I'm a reader. Here's a little bit about me outside the bookish world.

If you follow me on Instagram - I post a LOT of pictures of food. First because it's easy to snap a picture. And second because I like to eat - a Lot. 

I don't mind cooking but my real love is baking. 

Most of the time, I find it relaxing. Although sometimes I don't read the recipe all the way through and that causes issues. 

I have a Good Eats board on Pinterest - mostly filled with desserts with over 1200 pins. Some of it is more substantial food. Lots of bread too! Yes I'm addicted to Pinterest.

I love tasting desserts in restaurants, but often I'm disappointed.

I think I could make it better. Or more the way I would like it.

I'm not crazy about fancy desserts. I'm more of a brownie - cookie - cake kind of girl. 

How did I get this way?

Well, both my Grandfather and my Father have the same sweet tooth. My parents like to bake and it just seemed natural to me. I would get care packages in college with homemade cookies from my dad. It was the best! Having a homemade baked good makes me happy. Plus it's one of the ways I show people I care.

So what kinds of things are my specialty?

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes 

Lemon Rolls

Apple Crisp

Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie pie

Not Pictured: Brownies, S'more Rocky Road Brownies, cookies, Blueberry Cake, donuts...you get the idea.

Do you have a favorite dessert?

Top Ten Tuesday: If You Like Royal Reads

This week's topic is  Ten Books To Read If You Like... I'm choosing Royal Books. I love reading about Princesses and Princes. It  doesn't mater what age group, I love them all. I hope you do to. 

- meme from The Broke and the Bookish

 

 

For more if you like pins, check out my Pinterest page.