The Turquoise Table by Kristin Schell

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Product Details

Finding Community and Connection in Your Own Front Yard

First, let me talk about the beauty of the book itself. When I requested this book, I was expecting a normal paper-back book about 5x7, you know the standard size. But when I got it? I got a beautiful hardcover book that was more 6.5x8. Not only that, but it has a ribbon marker that comes with it. Inside, scattered throughout the book are beautiful pictures. The writing and size of font begs you to grab a cup of coffee, put your feet up and start reading, which is sort of what I did, except I couldn't put my feet up and my coffee might have been gone already. (We were on a 15 hour trip.) The book begs to sit on a coffee table, it's so beautiful

The premise of the book is get out of your back yard and into your front yard. Engage the people in your neighborhood. Sit outside, invite people over, keep it simple. Hospitality is different from entertaining. You don't have to have a fancy spread, just have a welcoming heart. Kristin shares how she uses plastic cups and a water pitcher to sit out on her picnic table to welcome people. She also now has a dog water dish and some dog treats as well so that people walking their dogs can stop and get a drink and the dogs can too. Be friendly, be open, be observant.

It was a good read, a reminder that we are here for so much more than just ourselves and I need to be open and willing to engage in community. Now granted, I don't live in town, so there's not a lot of people walking by my house, actually pretty much no one ever walking by my house, but hospitality isn't limited to living in town. It's not even limited to sitting at a turquoise picnic table in your front yard. Hospitality is first cultivated in the heart and then it spills out over into practical living in many different ways.

I don't have any quotes to share from the book, because I left it at my sister's house this weekend. I had to show her the book because it was so pretty and fit something we were talking about and then she started reading it as well. It's a great gift for someone who is looking for ideas and ways to engage people. There are simple tips and tricks as well as some fun little recipes to try. The book is an easy and fast read, and I don't think you'll be sorry you read it.

This book was given me by Book Look Bloggers. I was not required to write a positive review.

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