• Start Here
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Table
    • Together at the Table
    • Food and Such
      • Beverages
      • Bread
      • Breakfast
      • Main Dishes
      • Vegetables & Sides
      • Soups
      • Desserts
  • Writing
    • On Family
  • Happy Designs
  • Connect
    • For You
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Happy Go Stuckey

Tethering Grace & Togetherness

Nobody’s Cuter than You

May 12, 2015 by HappyGoStuckey 6 Comments

“You don’t need a ton of friends, Honey. You only need a few really good friends who are always there for you,” stated my Mom.

I’m sure I nodded outwardly while fighting the urge to roll my teenage eyes with the limited understanding that she in fact, did not understand teenage friendship– thankyouverymuch. Mothers always have a way of being right. Especially when they have valiantly braved the Battle of Little Big Horn that is raising a teenage daughter.

Years later in College, her words came back in true comfortable fashion as I found myself sharing life with a handful of sweet friends. We sat in a hushed library and snickered softly while flipping through Greek vocab cards. We passionately rid our room of a cricket once in the middle of the night. We slid down the stairs on a mattress, just for fun. We made Quesadillas like real Senoritas and killed our fair share of house plants. We baked each other birthday cakes, laughed hard, and occasionally ate a vegetable. We opted out of Doctrine class a handful of times* to usher in spring with ice cream and a sunny walk. We drank hot tea with scones and talked about the future. Then when the immediate future came knocking on our little townhouse door, we watched each other fall in love, get married, and grow up seemingly all at once. We stood by in satin and millions of bobby-pins and watched each other walk down the aisle to a sunny tomorrow. We have shared both in one another’s great happiness and unexpected sadness.

Today we’re all spread out in several corners of the world. Babies on our hips, our knees hugged by littles. I often wish we could cash in on one more girl’s night, one more night of serious conversation punctuated with the occasional snort-laugh. I know that we would have even more to say now that God has given us little copycats with our same quirks. Even though I may wish we could share the same zip code again– we are still strongly connected. The love that grew us together as we grew up runs deep. Whether we steal a couple hours together once a year or we keep up across the miles with pictures and messages, my life is enriched because of those women.

I recently read a book that caused me to reflect and appreciate those friendships forged over mid-terms and mall trips. Melanie Shankle’s newest book, Nobody’s Cuter than You: A Memoir about the Beauty of Friendshipis every bit as warm and comforting as a day with my girls way back then. Y’all. I loved this book almost as much as I love Melanie!

She hilariously recounts her growing up with friends stories, both the ones that lasted a lifetime and those that came and went with the seasons of life. Melanie is respectful and caring as she shares and invites the reader into that sacred space of close community. I literally walked away from the book feeling as though I personally knew Melanie, Gulley, Tiff, and Jen! This is Melanie’s third memoir (you can find the other two here.) The first two, Sparkly Green Earrings and The Antelope in the Living Room were equally as delightful, but Nobody’s Cuter than You adds a new element of roll-on-the-floor laughter. Still, Melanie tenderly shares those unexpected heartaches of life and the importance of “having your people” there with you through it all.

The unquestionable BEST part about Nobody’s Cuter than You, is that it brought about my own reflection of how unbelievably blessed I have been with dear friends. Friends I could not live without out and would not dare try to. I would whole-heartedly suggest this book as a gift to anyone you wish to say, “Nobody’s Cuter than You!”

nobodys cuter

*Actual number of times may have exceeded an actual handful. We are still quite certain on the Doctrinal elements of our Faith.

**Tyndale House Publishers sent me a complimentary copy of Nobody’s Cuter than You to read and review, I loved it and I think you might just love it too!

**Amazon links are affiliate-enabled. As always, I would never suggest something to you I did not enjoy myself. <3

Stitch Fix Review (#2!)
Summer Reading List (2015 edition)

Comments

  1. bigmama1 says

    May 15, 2015 at 12:47 am

    This is the sweetest review! Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

    Reply
    • happygostuckey says

      May 15, 2015 at 12:06 pm

      Thank you so much, Melanie! You have a real gift and I’m so happy God called you to share it with all of us. Praying for you three in your new Sunday morning adventure! <3

      Reply
  2. bigmama1 says

    May 15, 2015 at 12:47 am

    This is the sweetest review! Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

    Reply
    • happygostuckey says

      May 15, 2015 at 12:06 pm

      Thank you so much, Melanie! You have a real gift and I’m so happy God called you to share it with all of us. Praying for you three in your new Sunday morning adventure! <3

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Summer Reading List 2015 edition | Happy Go Stuckey says:
    May 14, 2015 at 10:09 pm

    […] week I finished two really great books. One I mentioned earlier this week, and Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way by Shauna […]

    Reply
  2. Summer Reading List 2015 edition | Happy Go Stuckey says:
    May 14, 2015 at 10:09 pm

    […] week I finished two really great books. One I mentioned earlier this week, and Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way by Shauna […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe and receive a Free copy of “Simmer: Six soup recipes and the Stories that Inspired Them.”

Your personal information is safe and will never be shared.

Hey There!

I'm Cynthia and I'm so glad you're here. I am an introvert with an extrovert's love of gathering people together. I love good books and capturing moments. Whether you visit me here or on my own front porch, I'll be the one holding the Iced Coffee for us both.

Instagram

happygostuckey

Truth: I am not the best cookie baker in our house Truth: I am not the best cookie baker in our house. It is hands down @friar_stuck — Today he added a pinch of fresh orange zest to Oatmeal Scotchies and they taste just like childhood.

My grandma used to make these and serve them to me on a pink plate with a small glass of sprite with ice. At 39, I now realize two things— 1. She would have adored my husband and 2. these cookies go best with coffee or tea.

What cookie makes you feel eight years old again?
There’s something unusually long about the winte There’s something unusually long about the winter months when we’re in a season of slow growth and imperceptible change.

The landscape outside your window TODAY can feel like it’s your landscape forever but it’s actually not.

If the view from where you stand looks rather bleak and not at all how you hoped, can I remind you to look up? 

These trees in my own backyard, captured this morning, last March, and last August, will continue changing in their own rhythmic way whether I’m watching them or not. There’s a comfort in that for me today— and perhaps for you.

Whatever looks slow and unmoving, with change almost too gradual to detect— is still very much in a pattern of forward transformation.

And these quiet days in the midst of our January-ness— we can be reminded that growth never really stops, especially in the hidden places.

#wonderfortheweary #feastingandforaging #bluehousebackyard
Not moving from this spot, except to boil the kett Not moving from this spot, except to boil the kettle for more tea.

This is the first complete weekend that we’ve been home since Thanksgiving. 😳 It sounds awful, especially for this homebody, but really what it means is, we’ve celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas with family, attended one beautiful family wedding (Hey, Shelby! 👋🏻❤️) one 90th Birthday party for our beloved Granny, and had a family trip. They were all such sparkly gifts. Ones I don’t take for granted and so very different from last year.

But I do love home— and am happy to spend the second half of the day right here with this book which I’m truly enjoying. 📚❤️
The inhabitants of the Dickens Village wanted me t The inhabitants of the Dickens Village wanted me to tell you three V. important things. 1. After years of having one pub and no church, they are *finally* getting a church tomorrow, thanks to FB marketplace. And all the people said, “Amen & Huzzah.” 2. We’re still keeping Christmas over here — Though we’re slowly bending towards back to normal. The tree still lives and we’re celebrating the tenth day of Christmas with a fire & coziness before we pull out the pencils tomorrow. And finally, 3. Everyday Affogato. You might need this tiny pick me-up in your life. One shot of hot espresso poured over a tiny serving of vanilla ice cream. Please and Thank you.✨ #merrymerrystuckeys
2021 was a year of change for nearly all of us. Mu 2021 was a year of change for nearly all of us. Much of which we are happily taking with us into 2022.🥂

Nine squares is not sufficient to reflect the ways we’ve grown and changed, but it is a glimpse of the graces of the year behind us.

Not pictured: waking up to find our children taller and suddenly at our eye level, new laugh lines on our faces, sweltering pool days, fireplace dinners, Marco Polo chats with friends, family weddings & visits, mountain air breathed, books read, new jobs begun, school days, approximately 52 pizza nights, new rhythms & schedules, house repairs, car issues, and God always before us, behind us and within us. Soli deo Gloria. #thebestisyettocome
On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave t On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… 🍦Four Honeymoon milkshakes from the Dreamette. We’re going out with a bang, at the spot where their Grandparents grew up eating their ice cream. It’s absolutely the GOAT.
🎄✨Merry Christmas from Team Stuckey!✨🎄 🎄✨Merry Christmas from Team Stuckey!✨🎄

2021 has been full of new things— but I’m grateful we have walked through them together and in God’s sovereign hand. 

Pro (🤣) -Tip: if your Christmas cards say Happy New Year, you have longer to mail them… 📮🥂
Okayyyy @smittenkitchen ‘s Gingerbread Bûche de Okayyyy @smittenkitchen ‘s Gingerbread Bûche de Noël was fun and delicious. 4 out of 4 Stuckeys agree we have a new Christmas dessert! 🎄❤️

Happy Christmas Eve, friends— especially all you midnight merry makers! Hope you find all the stocking stuffers you hid.🙈
Do these Mince Pies make me look One-Quarter Briti Do these Mince Pies make me look One-Quarter British?

Truth be told, my grandma always used the jarred mincemeat and I wasn’t a fan as a child. Only last year did Lance and my Mom collaborate in the kitchen to try out homemade mincemeat filling and let me just say, we are never quitting these! 😍

The filling we use is from @bonappetitmag and it’s really good. It’s a gorgeous blend of apples, dried fruits (cherries, apricots, sultanas, figs, currants) with apple cider, spices, and a few other things. No meat, though.

Happy Christmas from the Jolly Old Stuckeys! 🇬🇧🎄❤️
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Categories

Featured Posts

Autumn Apple Dutch Baby

Saturday Breakfast is an important rhythm in the #BlueHouse-- my husband is an excellent breakfast … [ Read More ]

On Waiting & Moving

(And a Recipe for Italian Tortellini Soup) Later this month, our family will celebrate the 10th … [ Read More ]

Five Good Things

Hi. How are you, really? If you're anything like me-- you have moments of complete gratefulness for … [ Read More ]

Winter Favorites

(and why it matters to pay attention to the little things.) "For you are the sunshine-maker in … [ Read More ]

Loving Lately in November

"...all creation's revealing his majesty. We're invited to join with all nature in manifold witness … [ Read More ]

Miss Something?

Please be kind and give proper credit if you share! © Cynthia M. Stuckey. For personal use only, not to be copied, distributed, altered or sold.

Privacy Policy

Full privacy policy may be found HERE.

Want each post to magically appear in your email box?

Your personal information is safe and will never be shared.

Cynthia@happygostuckey.com
xo Cynthia
  • Start Here
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Table
  • Writing
  • Happy Designs
  • Connect

© 2023 · Pretty Creative WordPress Theme by, Pretty Darn Cute Design