Bookworm Buys: Barnes & Noble Totes

TGIF!

Today is the best Friday ever because it's the day that I am finally reunited with my bestie! This morning I boarded a plane to the windy city for a long weekend with my favorite girl. We are planning a weekend packed with all of the best things that Chicago offers and I am so happy to finally do things that long-distance friends rarely do-- even a simple in-person coffee date is a treat for us!

While I am off on my adventure, I thought I would leave you with a little treat for your favorite bookworm (which might be, you know, yourself). I found these totes while browsing Barnes & Noble a few weeks ago and fell head-over-heels in love.

Bespectacled Book Lover Tote

"Beth's Book-Filled Day" Tote

You can find these totes online (by clicking the links above) or in your local Barnes & Noble. I stood there for (no joke) twenty minutes debating which one to take home with me. (I even sent out snapchats for help with the decision.) I ended up taking home the Bespectacled Book Lover one (even though all of my snapchat responses said things like "why not both?") and have been using it as my book bag for my graduate classes. It is super roomy (fits my laptop, planner,  a binder, etc.) and has one zippered pocket and a magnetic closure. These bags would make great gifts for teachers, librarians, moms (because kids create a need for bottomless totes, am I right?) and anyone who loves to flaunt their love of literature. The best part? They are only $20! This bag has quickly become my new favorite and I think makes toting all of my stuff a little more fun. 

Enjoy the weekend, and happy reading!

-Madeleine-

P.S. Not a fan of totes? The Bespectacled Book Lover print also comes in a cute coffee mug and a set of adorable note cards.

Inspired: Ideal Bookshelf

The first thing I thought to myself when I stumbled upon the Ideal Bookshelf site was Ohhh, no.

Because you guys, I am in serious trouble. The prints on this website are a dream come true-- they will definitely be at the top of my wishlist for the holiday season this year.

The artist, Jane Mount, creates custom prints of her patron's "ideal bookshelf."

Excited yet? Me too!

 I thought this sounded familiar, but I didn't put two and two together until I realized that she is the illustrator behind My Ideal Bookshelf, a collection of interviews in which one hundred cultural figures were asked to compile their "ideal bookshelves," which Mount then painted!

This book is on my must-have list for my future coffee table book collection. I love getting a peek into other people's bookshelves!

Back to why I am gushing over this site-- I am dying to get my hands on one of these prints. There are a lot of pre-made ones on the site (I've featured a few of my favorites below), and of course you can order your own custom print too! This is a seriously thoughtful gift for the bookworm in your life, especially if you could manage to pick their ideal bookshelf without them knowing! And....and (!!!) you can then have the print screened onto a tote bag! Can you tell I am slightly obsessed with this idea? (You know I love literary-themed tote bags.)

Here are a few of the pre-made prints that I love:

Children's Ideal Bookshelf

Jane Austen Ideal Bookshelf

Harry Potter Ideal Bookshelf

Girl Stars Ideal Bookshelf

***

So cute, right?! I would have such a hard time choosing which books to put on my shelf, but obviously Harry Potter would be first on the list. I'd pick a mix of adult and children's literature, because so many of my longtime literary loves are from childhood!

Which books belong on your ideal bookshelf?