Rachel Noble – A Noble Home

Spring time vibes – what’s I’m obsessing over for spring.

March 12, 2021

The weather lately has been so mild and warm where I am and it’s making me crave spring so much. I’m finding myself cleaning more, opening all my windows to let the crisp cool air in and thinking about spring time decor more and more. I know green toned items seem to be everywhere this year but my heart will always belong to soft blues. Below are a few of the items that I’m eyeing right now for my home (and for me :)) that are giving me all the spring time vibes.

throw pillow | tissue box | heart necklace | denim overalls

faux tulips | laundry sign | platter | floral headband

scallop stand | bunny waffle maker | leopard print sandals

xo,

Rachel

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Lifestyle & Family

ALL THE BOOKS I READ IN FEBRUARY AND MY REVIEWS.

March 2, 2021

Being February I read a lot of romance books this month – it is the month of love right?! Not that I need an excuse to add a few more romances to my list… I love a good romance any month of the year. I also apparently read quite a few books with sequels again too… haha. But without further ado, here are all the books I read in February and remember these are just my opinions.

The Lone City Series – Amy Ewing

The Jewel | The White Rose | The Black Key – all 7.5/10

This is a YA dystopian fiction book series (apparently I’m a fan of them as I read one last month too haha). These books are set in a world where society is divided into classes (literally… there are walls dividing them). The royalty in these books are no longer capable of giving birth to their own healthy children and rely on special girls from the lowest caste system to use as surrogates. It’s a little handmaids tale-ish but for teens. The story centres around Violet, Lot 197 as the royals call her, who gets auctioned off and bought by one of the royal families and gets embroiled in a plan to take down the system while learning who and what she truly is… and also maybe falling in love along the way. I really enjoyed this series and found myself eager to read the next book. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA novels and dystopian based stories.

The Wild Series (3 books) – K.A. Tucker

The Simple Wild 8.5/10 | Wild At Heart 9.5/10 | Forever Wild 10/10

This series was recommended to me by a friend and it had me hooked when I read it was a love story with an Alaskan Pilot haha. I knocked a few stars off the first book only because at the beginning of this book I found the main character a bit too predictable which annoyed me a tad. She’s a city girl with brand name clothes and the typical cliches often used to signify that she is high maintenance – nail appointments and hair appointments etc. She goes to Alaska to visit her estranged ailing father and of course meets a guy she can’t stand… at first. There was a bit too much “he’s so annoying and I could never see myself liking him” for me – because clearly we know she’s gonna like him and be with him soon enough so stop trying to convince me otherwise. Once I was past that part of the book though, I actually really, really liked the rest of the first book and the entire series. I don’t want to give too much away but the 3 books follow the love story of Calla and Jonah and how they struggle to adjust to their new found life together in Alaska without repeating the mistakes of Calla’s parents. Heavy on the teasing and flirting (I love when books are) and pretty steamy too. I highly recommend this series and it’s written by a Canadian Author and set partly in Toronto which is a bonus for me!

99 Percent Mine – Sally Thorne

7/10

Darcy has had a crush on her brothers best friend since she was 8 years old. But Tom has always been 99% her brothers. When Darcy and her brother Jamie inherit their grandmothers old home, they decide to renovate it before they sell it and hire Tom to do the work. Darcy is used to flying away, escaping and leaving everything behind but when her passport goes missing, she ends up being forced to stay and help her childhood crush… who apparently also likes her back but doesn’t necessarily trust that she’s being honest and that she isn’t going to fly away again. I got this book thinking it would be a cute easy read and it was; I enjoyed the book. There is heavy flirting and a few steamy scenes. I enjoyed the banter between the two lead characters and I like the way the author writes as well, I found it flirty and funny and it kept my interest. I’m so excited to read her previous book The Hating Game because I’ve heard such good things about that one.

One Day In December – Josie Silver

9/10

One day in December (hence the title haha) Laurie is sitting on a bus when she looks down and sees a man sitting at the bus stop. Their eyes meet and she instantly feels like he’s the one. But the bus pulls away and they are separated before they can even speak. She spends the next year looking for him everywhere she turns but never finds him… until (tiny spoiler) he shows up at her apartment one day…. as the boyfriend of her best friend. The book then follows these characters for 10 years as they experience love, heartbreak and missed opportunities. I really enjoyed this book and found myself rooting for these characters (even when I probably should not have been at times). There is not a lot of steam in this book if you like that in a love story but if you are a believer in love at first sight, then you need to read this book.

99 Days / 9 Days and 9 Nights (Sequel)

99 days 5/10 | 9 days and 9 nights 7/10

This one is a tough one for me. I actually enjoyed reading this book but the characters were kind of awful. A bit of a spoiler ahead be warned.

Aside from the mother (what mother writes a book about her daughters teenage love life for all the world to read?! with seemingly no regret) the other characters were hard to love too. I really wanted to like the main character Molly and I was rooting for her in the beginning but she makes some pretty dumb choices which make it hard to support her. Then the two brothers/ love interests end up treating her more like a prize to hold over the other than actually loving he (though I think they actually love her too… it just becomes very messy). Then just sort of ends and they go off to college.

I read the sequel in hopes it would redeem the characters a bit from the first novel and it actually did. In the sequel Molly runs into Gabe (her ex and one of the brothers from the first novel) while vacationing in Europe with her new boyfriend. They end up having to tour around all together (plus Gabe’s new girlfriend) for 9 days and finally hash out all that they left unsaid at the end of the first novel. I found I enjoyed the sequel a lot more than the first novel and the main character Molly actually matured and became a better person. I’m glad I read the sequel.

Accidentally Engaged – Farah Heron

8/10

I want to thank Netgalley, Farah Heron and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for sending me an advance digital copy of this book. All opinions will remain my own as always.

If you weren’t one of the thousands of people who had a sourdough starter during 2020… you will be by the end of this book. It’s described by the publisher as “a delightful romantic comedy featuring a Muslim woman who fakes an engagement to the boy next door in the hopes of winning a couples cooking contest” but it’s so much more than that. It’s a cute contemporary romance that celebrates diversity that’s written by a Canadian author and is set in Toronto (I love finding local and Canadian writers). I loved the meddling parents and protective friends but most of all I loved the cute banter between the two main characters (I actually laughed out loud at parts – spoiler: the head lice… the 16 new sourdough starters!). They’re two loveable characters who struggle to appease their families while finding themselves and their true feelings for each other… while also trying to win a cooking contest and eating lots and lots of bread. Overall it was a really cute love story that also sheds light on topics like family dynamics, pressures of life in your 30’s, mental illness and family secrets. If you want to grab your copy it hits shelves today – March 2 , 2021. Also maybe grab some bread to eat while reading 😉

Love at First

8/10

I also want to thank Netgalley, Kate Clayborn and Kensington Books for the ARC of this book as well. All opinions will remain my own, as always.

Sometimes moments in your life, however seemingly minuscule, stick with you forever. That’s what happened to Will when he was standing on his uncle’s apartment’s balcony as a teenager and the girl on the balcony above drops tomatoes on him. Fast forward 16 years to the present day and he finds he’s inherited his estranged uncle’s apartment which he plans to turn it into a rental unit. But this building isn’t like most buildings, its filled with adorable neighbours who are more like family and who definitely do not want a rental unit and strangers coming and going in their building. Nora (the girl, now a woman, who dropped those tomatoes) heads up the neighbourhood counsel and takes charge in fighting against his proposal in some adorably quirky ways… but her and Will quickly go from opponents to something more. I liked this little story as told in the alternating perspectives of both Nora and Will and how their opposing past experiences in this building contrast and compliment their growing love story. Being a true fan of love stories where people meet more than once in their lives and find themselves with second chances, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a quintessential love story.

Click here to see Januarys books.

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Home Decor

A review of the Brynn Swivel Chair by World Market

February 24, 2021

I have a second living room in my home that up until recently was fairly empty but I have big dreams for this room. I picture it as a formal living room, a room where I can curl up with a coffee and a book and read. A room where I can have family or friends over (when we’re allowed to do that again) and chat and laugh. I’m hoping to create a space that’s welcoming (since it is the first room in our house you see when you walk in the front door) and cozy while also being sophisticated.

I picture four armchairs all facing each other to create a relaxing and cozy sitting room. These are a few of my inspiration photos:

image via the lettered cottage

image via Pure Salt Interiors

image via My Domaine

I recently adding book shelves to this room and I talked about them in this post (click on the link to read about them). I also have a hutch in this room in a beautiful light wood finish and I just added the first of four armchairs to the room. After a bit of research I ordered the Brynn Swivel Chair by World Market. I decided to order one to start to make sure I liked it since I was ordering it without seeing it in person (Canadian problems ha).

Here is my review:

According to World Markets website this chair is:

Crafted of pine solid wood frame with polyester-nylon performance upholstery, feather filling and swivel base
180-degree swivel
Removable and reversible cushions
Comes fully assembled
Spot clean only
World Market exclusive

Overall: 32″W x 36″D x 35″H, 54 lbs.
Seat: 25″W x 28″D

There was no assembly required. It arrived in a cardboard box, inside the box the bottom of the chair was wrapped in plastic wrap and the entire chair had a thin fabric bag over it to protect the fabric. The dimensions are a little off from the website description in terms of height. Since the back cushion is higher than the chair, the total chair with cushion is actually closer to 37″ high.

During my research, I noticed the seat cushion of this chair tends to get a bit flattened but the cushion cover is zippered so I figure I can always add more stuffing over time if this becomes a problem for me.

The details.

I love the shape of this chair and how the back cushion is taller than the back of the chair. I feel like it creates a modern and cozy feel to the chair.

The fabric on this chair is incredible. It’s a creamy colour (not a bright white but definitely not a beige) and it’s so soft. Almost so soft I do wonder if it will pill easily. I’ll be sure to update if that happens but right now it is super cozy to curl up in. The fabric also has a nice texture to it, almost like a linen weave and the chair has a nice skirted bottom with polished looking pleats in the corners. Although it looks fully slipcovered, World Market claims you need to spot clean it.

One criticism of this chair it that it’s often out of stock! I had to check regularly for a restock (don’t merely rely on the email notification because I found it in stock and did not get an email that time). So when it does come back grab it fast!

How did I get it in Canada?

If you are a Canadian reader you may be wondering how I got it here since there are no World Market locations in Canada and they don’t ship to Canada.

Whenever I order anything from a US store I always use a service called Cross Border Pickups. They basically give you an address to ship your items to and then they go and pick it up and bring it to Canada for you, where you can either pick it up from them or they can deliver it to your home (for an additional fee). You still pay applicable duties and taxes and a small service fee but I do find this to be the most economical way to order items and sometimes the only way if the store won’t ship directly to Canada. I myself have never had an issue with this service. I will warn you the fees added up on this purchase though since it was a larger and more expensive item.

I’ll be sure to update this post after a few months to let you know how the chair is holding up. As of right now… I highly recommend this chair. Stay tuned for more updates on how this room comes together.

xo,

Rachel

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Home Decor

Everything You need for the perfectly Styled bookshelf

February 9, 2021

If you follow me on instagram (@anoblehome) you may have noticed that I recently purchased some new bookcases for my front living room. I would love to have built in bookcases in this room one day but for now I’m enjoying styling up my new free standing bookcases. I purchased these inexpensive ones from Ikea. They also have the option to add drawers but I didn’t need that look, though its a great option too. I love how simple and clean these look. I took this photo right after I had built them and placed a few things on them quickly. They may not seem like much in this photo but once all the decor comes in, they’ll be perfect!

Since they arrived, I’ve been spending some time shopping my house (you would be surprised how much decor you can find that you already own and can move around) and online for accessories to fill them up with. These are quite wide so it takes quite a bit of decor to make them perfect. Here is what I’ve learned are essentials for bookcase styling.

Books – I mean this one is pretty obvious right?! Bookcases need books. Though I do love novels, I don’t love to display them all, I find for me it’s too busy looking. I chose to focus on larger scale books like coffee table books. I like them stacked in 2’s or 3’s with a nice accessory on top like a plant or a candle. Click here to see my post on my favourite coffee table books.

Bookends – These are great for adding a touch of decor and for allowing your books to stand up. It just creates a more interesting look when you have the books flat and upright.

Candles – I personally love a nice clean candle. I also think it adds a pretty touch to place a cloche over top of one. You can buy cloches (the one above is Ikea!) but also if you have any cake stand lids those work too! Add a pretty bottle of matches, a candle snuffer or wick cutter and it creates a pretty layered look.

Vases – these are great decor pieces especially in a larger size as the larger scale helps to fill those bigger spaces. You can also add greenery but it’s not always necessary. The compote bowl/vase above is from a local nursery but is linked here.

Storage boxes – I love decorative boxes stacked on shelves both for style and function. They are great for storage. I often keep receipts, loose change and charging cords in mine.

Large scale bowls – These are great to fill up a larger space too but they also add additional storage – a great place to drop your wallet and keys without them being visible. They are also a great way to change up your decor seasonally… fill them with lemons in summer, Christmas bulbs in winter.

A decorative wreath – I love the wreath trend and it adds a pretty feminine touch to your shelves. They can be quite expensive but I have also found some at my local home sense too. They are worth searching for.

Woven baskets – I like to fill the bottom shelf of bookcases with baskets to ground the shelf but also to add needed storage. I keep everything from cords to novels to fabric samples and even toys in mine.

Frames – Frames are a great way to bring in art and photographs into your shelves. I like to place a smaller frame in front of another larger frame for a layered look and smaller 4×6/ 5×7 frames are great for on top of a stack of books or next to a larger vase.

Plants – Every space needs a touch of nature both for texture and greenery. I prefer real if the space allows but faux is good too!

Small decorative objects – Everything from wood prayer beads draped over beads, candlesticks to small photo frames. These are great to layer in front of other pieces or place on top of books.

I am waiting on a few orders to arrive so I can finish styling mine and I’ll of course share the finished results once they’re done!

xo,

Rachel

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Lifestyle & Family

All the books I read in January and MY reviews.

February 8, 2021

I used to love reading novels so much. I even studied English literature in University. Over the last few years though, I let my passion for books dissipate as motherhood and life in general became so much busier. I finally decided late last year that I needed to get back into reading and so I decided my goal for 2021 would be to read 21 books. I mentioned this goal on instagram and asked if anyone would be interested in book reviews and the majority of the responses said they’d love to read a review. I’ve taken to reading again much easier than I thought I would and I read a total of 10 books in January!

So here we are with the very first book reviews of the year! I don’t want to spoil books for anyone so I’m going to try to review them without giving too much of the plot away. Keep in mine these are just my thoughts and I’m a pretty easy going reader.

The Jetsetters by Amanda Eyre Wood

5/10

I have to say I did not love this book. I also didn’t hate it though. Hence the middle 5/10 rating. I had high hopes for it since it is a Reese Book Club pick but ultimately I just could not like it no matter how hard I tried. A disconnected family takes a cruise together – is basically how this book sums up. I found the characters to be pretty cliche at the beginning and it took about 200 pages before I even found the book interesting. I found the writing very placid and never once was I excited about what was going to happen next or interested to see what any of the character did. In the end I found it left me with unanswered questions and characters who I really didn’t sympathize with or like at all.

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

10/10

I have had this book on my nightstand for probably 6 months or more. I started it and instantly thought… why have I waited so long to read this! It’s the kind of book I found myself underlining sentences and highlighting paragraphs from to refer to later. I have not read her other books but that doesn’t seem necessary as she sums up anything you’d need to know. A brilliant memoir about finding your true self and owning who you are, especially as a woman and a mother.

The Selection Series by Kiera Cass. (books 1-5)

The Selection – 7/10 | The Elite – 7/10 | The One – 8/10 | The Heir – 6/10 | The Crown – 6/10

This series is sort of broken up into 2 part (books 1-3 follow the story of America and the 4th and 5th books follow the story of her daughter). These books are teen fiction with a love story and set in a kind of dystopian world. It’s sort of the bachelor meets hunger games haha. The world is divided into districts and America (the main character) is convinced to enter a contest to marry the royal prince and is selected as a contestant. She is moved into the palace with other young women to compete for his heart and the crown but she’s also involved with a boy back home. They are a light read and I enjoyed the first and third books quite a bit. The second was a bit of a filler for me and I think the series really could have ended after the 3rd but if you want to keep following the story you can read 4th and 5th though I found that storyline significantly less enjoyable. There is a final book in this series as well called Happily Ever After but I have not read it yet.

Make Life Beautiful – Syd and Shea Mcgee

9.5/10

It’s no secret that I love home decor and Syd and Shea Mcgee are definitely a powerhouse in the interior design world right now. I bought this book originally thinking it was a coffee table book (as so many others did too haha) but I soon found out it is actually a biography of sorts detailing how they started their business Studio Mcgee and shop Mcgee & Co. I found it very well written and comedic with a lot of inspiration in there for anyone who wants to follow their dreams. I knocked off half a star purely because I wish it had a few photos. They mentiuon a few of their projects in the book and I found myself googling them to visualize what they were referring to. It would have been nice if some of those projects were included as photos.

A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman

10/10 – One of the best books I’ve ever read!

My mother in law loaned me this book suggesting I read it. I kept it on my bookshelf for probably 6 months or more. After seeing more and more praise for the book I decided to give it a read. I went in actually not wanting to like it. I was told it was such a good book so many times that I didn’t want to like it just because everyone else did. But honestly I loved it despite trying not to. It’s a love story at its core (my weakness) though its subtle in its development throughout the story… actually there are a few love stories within this book (both romantic and familial). I don’t actually want to tell you much else about this book other than you should read it. It is soooo well written and though it does have moments of sadness it was also filled with joy and comedy. I will definitely be looking into the other books by this author.

This Time Next Year – Sophie Cousens

7/10

After reading A Man Called One I wanted a really light read next. I read this one as it was recommended to me by a friend. I liked it but I always go into these types of chick lit light romances without high expectations. I think this allows me to enjoy them more but I found this one enjoyable without too much of the typical cheesiness these types of books can often have. Basically, a girl and boy are born on the same day at the same hospital and meet randomly 30 years later… as they get to know each other and the story unfolds you realize how many times they were in the background (and sometimes foreground) of each others lives since they were born).

So have you read any of these books yet? If so, what did you think? Let me know in the comments.

You can follow me on instagram (@anoblehome) to see what Im reading next.

xo,

Rachel

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Home Decor

An honest review of my new faux olive tree from Amazon

January 10, 2021

After I took down our Christmas tree this year, our living room felt so empty. It usually feels this way after all the garlands and decor gets put away but this year it felt even more empty… especially where the Christmas tree was. I felt like I really wanted to have a tree in this room year round. I used to have a faux fiddle leaf tree in the corner of this room but it was really too short so I moved it to our master bedroom before Christmas. I decided to order a faux olive tree off of amazon since it was such a good price and it did not disappoint.

It is often noted as sold out or on backorder but you can still purchase it and it will ship when its back in stock (which from my experience is very often). I purchased when it was out of stock and it still arrived within 3 weeks of purchase. The box was a bit mangled when it arrived but it was packaged well enough to survive.

My favourite part of this tree is how tall it is … almost 7 ft! Once I place it into a larger pot and prop it up a bit inside – it will be well over 8 ft tall.

My only criticism of this tree is that there are a few spots where the branch turns into a smaller branch and it looks incredibly faux but its only a few spots and not noticeable from a distance but Ill show you what I mean below.

I haven’t added it to a pot yet as I’m still looking for the perfect one. Below you can see the one it comes with and it definitely needs a basket or a larger planter.

I have seen faux olive trees that are very full looking but this isn’t one of them. I, however, really like the daintiness of this trees branches and for the price I do think this is an excellent faux olive tree option, especially if you’re looking for a taller one.

So what do you think of the olive tree trend? Do you have one too? Let me know in the comments!

xo,

Rachel

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