Lily Snyder

I’m back after spending the week of Labor Day in Michigan. It’s both my mom and brother’s birthdays over that holiday week. When my brother and I were little, mom would take us down to Ohio to spend their birthdays with our aunt (mom’s sister). We would go to this restaurant that had a train that choo chooed around the ceiling.

This year, I threw a small party for them at my parent’s house. Friends and family came. We had two cakes. My brother bought trick candles that keep lighting up after you blow them out. Little candle soot covered the tops of the cakes but people still at them.

There once lived a girl…

One of my favorite places to go when I visit my parents is the little, local bookstore: Nicola’s. My parents and I took us there ever since we were little. I remember fighting to sit in the over-sized thrown chair in the kid’s section.

Once I hit middle school, I upgraded to Young Adult books while also choosing a journal or two. Plus, they had chocolate that looked like rocks you could buy at the counter.

Modern day

This week I totally splurged at Nicola’s. I bought two journals and two books. I also bought a few gifts for my mom and brother. I got my brother a name plaque that says, “I don’t work here”. It’s a gag gift. He appreciated it.

I love keeping notebooks and journals around the house. You never know when and idea or inspiration for a story will hit. I keep notes of phone calls (especially work calls), topics from social media, and responses to magazine articles. They don’t always turn into blog posts but knowing I have that backlog of ideas jotted down puts my mind at ease.

What’s your favorite book store? Read any good books lately? Let me know in the comments below!