‘Tis the season to start finding the loveliest gifts for my nearest and dearest (and to start making a list of what my family can get me if they aren’t feeling creative).

This book, Vintage Notions, is on one of those lists (probably the latter?). The description says it is a “blueprint for living a simple, fulfilling life.” The book features:

• Inspirational essays and projects for each month of the year
• Seasonal recipes and decorating ideas
• Twelve Magic Patterns easy-to-make, chic sewing projects
• Vintage timeless advice on health, character, beauty, style, fashion, parenting, communication, friendship, spirituality, community

I first came across the book on Kelly Rae’s blog. She wrote:

I have been on a hiatus from fiction reading for too long! Like, um, two years? Is that right? I think so. Two years ago in October, I attended the Houston B.I.R.T.H fair and then picked up a bunch of free books about conception and pregnancy from the public library sale. Since then, I’ve pretty much been reading only non-fiction.

When I put out a request for recommendations, I really appreciated your responses! Now I’m looking for a more permanent solution to finding new books. I want to join a social networking site related to book sharing. So far, I’ve heard about Good Reads and Shelfari (from you all,

Ooh! This book looks really good! Have any of you read it?

Here’s the description:

One day Woginrich, a Web designer, threw her hands in the air and vowed to change her life. She was going to be more self-sufficient: produce her own food, make her own clothing, live a simpler and more fulfilling life. Easier said than done, she soon learned. This amiable memoir charts her course to self-sufficiency, documenting her successes and disappointments, exploring what it means to make the shift from consumer to producer. It’s almost two books in one: each chapter (for example, the one in which she tells us about her early misadventures in chicken