Caroline Doodly Doo 12/7/25 Caroline Doodly Doo 12/7/25

The Art of Attention: A Curated Library for the Analog Inclined

Romanticizing the offline life through books, rituals, and intentional living.

We are living in a noisy world. Between the notifications, the infinite scroll, and the pressure to be constantly "on," it’s becoming a radical act to simply sit still and exist in the real world.

Everything is beautiful and real when you take the time to get reacquainted with the beauty that exists when you are not looking at a screen.

What is the point of watching movies, snapshots and reels about people living, if you don’t live yourself?

I’ve been curating a library dedicated to The Art of Attention, a collection of books designed to help you unsubscribe from the chaos and reconnect with the tangible world. Whether you are looking to unblock your creativity, find comfort in solitude, or simply reclaim your time, these pages hold the roadmap.

An encouraging reminder to use your hands the most you can out of this short, short life.

Here are my top recommendations for the analog inclined.

offline humans — **Offline Humans by Natalie Alzate**
While many books analyze the problem of screen addiction, Alzate offers the tactical solution. This is a handbook for re-engaging with the tactile world. It moves beyond the cliché of the "digital detox" and offers a sustainable framework for using technology as a tool, rather than a master. It is for those ready to replace the dopamine loop with genuine connection. **[Link Here: Reclaim your reality]**

how to read and why — **How to Read and Why by Harold Bloom**
In an age of skimming, Harold Bloom argues that deep reading is the most vital way to strengthen the self. He posits that we read not merely for information or entertainment, but to be "healed" and to extend our own lives beyond their boundaries. This book is an impassioned plea for the transformative power of literature, serving as the ultimate guide for anyone looking to engage with the world on a profound intellectual level. **[Link Here: Deepen your mind]**

the art of gathering — **The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker**
We spend our lives in meetings, parties, and events that often feel lackluster or routine. Parker argues that the way we gather matters deeply, and that we have the power to transform these moments into meaningful human experiences. This book challenges us to stop operating on autopilot and start bringing bold, specific intent to the way we spend time with others. **[Link Here: Gather with purpose]**

making things book — **Making Things by Erin Boyle & Rose Pearlman**
There is a distinct, grounding satisfaction in crafting everyday objects that cannot be replicated by purchasing them. Boyle and Pearlman offer a guide to finding meaning through the work of our hands, focusing on simple, utilitarian projects that connect us to our environment. This is "The Art of Attention" applied to the physical world a reminder that the things we use every day should be worthy of our time and care. **[Link Here: Start making]**

how to be alone — **How to Be Alone by Jonathan Franzen**
In a culture that demands constant connectivity, Jonathan Franzen defends the endangered species that is the inner life. These essays are a masterclass in the value of isolation, reading, and deep thought. Franzen articulates what many of us suspect but cannot name: that the preservation of our individuality depends entirely on our ability to be alone with ourselves. **[Link Here: Defend your solitude]**

what George thinks when he sits still — **What George Thinks When He Sits Still by Caroline Bell**
Sometimes, the most profound lessons come from the simplest observers. This collection captures the meditative state of a cat at rest. It serves as a whimsical, yet poignant, reminder that the act of "just sitting" is not wasted time, it is a necessary biological reset. A perfect visual anchor for your coffee table. You want to master the art of doing nothing? Observe the master. George the cat understands that "sitting still" is a productive activity. This book is a delightful reminder that sometimes the smartest thing you can do is find a sunbeam and stay there. **[Link Here: Consult the expert]**

the artists way — **The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron**
To call this book a "classic" is an understatement; it is the definitive text on creative unblocking. Cameron’s method is rigorous and transformative. She argues that creativity is not a trait for the lucky few, but a practice available to anyone willing to do the work. If you feel stagnant, this book is the precise instrument needed to break the seal. **[Link Here: Begin the practice]**

lagom book — **Lagom: The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life**
There is a profound efficiency to the Swedish concept of *Lagom*—not too little, not too much. This book explores how stripping away the extraneous allows the essential to flourish. It is a visual and philosophical guide to creating a domestic environment that supports, rather than distracts, the mind. **[Link Here: Curate your balance]**

the places that scare you — **The Places That Scare You by Pema Chödrön**
True attention requires the courage to look at what makes us uncomfortable. Pema Chödrön, an American Buddhist nun, writes with piercing clarity about the necessity of leaning into difficulty rather than numbing it away. This is a book about emotional fortitude. It teaches us how to stay present when our instinct is to flee. **[Link Here: Find your footing]**

art and fear — **Art & Fear by David Bayles & Ted Orland**
This is perhaps the most honest book ever written about the creative process. It dispels the romantic myths of "talent" and "inspiration" in favor of a far more useful truth: art is made by ordinary people who simply refuse to quit. For anyone paralyzed by the fear of mediocrity, this book is the antidote.[Link Here: Overcome the block]

**Please Unsubscribe, Thanks! by Julio Vincent Gambuto**
Gambuto’s work is essential reading for the post-pandemic era. He argues that the pause we collectively experienced offered a glimpse of a different life, one that the "economy of more" is desperate for us to forget. This is a sharp, sociologically astute, and incredibly practical guide to dismantling the automated behaviors that drain us. Its teachings are for anyone looking to opt out of the noise and opt in to their own life.[Link Here: Read the Inspiration]

**Savvy Chic by Anna Johnson**
A modern classic on the art of high-low living. Johnson argues that a rich life is determined by taste, not budget. It is a celebration of the thrifted, the mended, and the beautifully worn. This is a guide for the person who understands that "attention" extends to how we dress, how we eat, and how we set a table. **[Link Here: Elevate the everyday]**

This collection contains affiliate links. All recommendations are independently curated to support a life of intention.

Also shameless plug of my own book included. Wink.

Love, Caroline Bell

Caroline Doodly Doo 11/24/25 Caroline Doodly Doo 11/24/25

Starting This Again

Once upon a time no one cared about being remembered for ‘content’ they cared about being remembered in the way people would remember how their presence left a trail of perfume when they left. Or entered.

I deeply feel we all have a deep and profound desire to enter back to this time, and I see many people nostalgic for this time and they have never even lived without a cell phone.

One of my fondest memories when I was little was hiding in the back of my grandparents matching midcentury modern tapestry damask living room chairs, where there was a makeshift wall ‘library’ where I would pour over all the books before I could read and try to make sense of the symbols before me, absolutely determined to learn on my own, the magic of the word. My favorite was a very giant book of the complete works of Shakespeare with gilded pages; with random etchings placed here and there, a collection of encyclopedias and books of travel to far off and distant lands.

What does this have to do about anything? It has to do with the pace in which reading and understanding language is the pace at which time and space inspires and colors your life. Slowly and surely, time and patience, reading has instilled not just a fancy way to pass the time but the original idea to look deeply. And feel deeply. And follow desire to do the impossible and mysterious. To look at a word, and not just see ‘a word’… but in a way… a perfume… a key to a world of all its own. And when combined with other words, it’s like jewels strung on a necklace or notes in a perfume.

Anyway that’s how my brain ‘thinks’. And that’s why.. I believe it’s possible for someone like me to make perfume, write stories, make icecream flavors and soap scents and have them all basically….be interchangeable and all connected… is because I truely see the world sensually. Even words. Because in order to try to teach yourself to read, you have to pour over a page and use your brain and imagination and creativity to a point where you must inject meaning into the symbolic. And meaning has roots in the tactile and visionary, in taste and scent. And I’m okay at doing that.

I moved into a house that is almost uncannily like the house I grew up in to the point where I can almost hear ghosts. The ghost of my self before social media and phones that require hands and eyes constantly tied like another limb growing on us. That’s why I am working really hard lately to reclaim my hands as mine. I think it’s my life’s mission actually at this point. To love and appreciate them, and give them things to touch that are worthy of them.

But also I realize as someone who remembers childhoods with rocks in my hand looking at sunsets… I as the last of the people who remember the ‘before’ time… I will do my best to figure out how we can all use our hands before our brains truly become compete mush.

I wondered to myself ‘what if I follow all of my dreams at once’… what then? Can I ? And this realization meant being able to retrain my brain from the things in modernity that take time away and never give anything back.

So I started with feeding the part of my brain that ‘sees’ meaning. And that’s poetry.

I decided to read or listen to poetry every morning.

It made sense because I needed a foundation of inspiration for my starved soul.

Then there is the ritual aspect of creation. Every day the goal has not been to ‘do something amazing’ but to slowly tend to my garden of creative endeavors, each one being fed a little bit each day until they provide fruit.

The question for me is… when is the best time to show the world the fruit of them? I have to use social media but don’t want to, but yet must… so maybe the answer is when everything is done. But yet people like seeing ‘the process’. But for me the process is best done in a cave. In the dark, with the art, or creative thing I make coming out like Jesus in his best Easter clothes.

Like a fucking resurrection.

Not because my creations are ‘that good’, but mostly I don’t like to be influenced by public opinion or distracted by it.

Maybe it’s because I yearn for a time when I made things before the internet just for my soul and not for an external audience.

That’s why I guess I’m starting a blog. I can show what I am making but it’s more thoughtful and mine. Maybe sharing the creative process can be discovered to be fun for me… I’m not sure yet. Let’s find out. I’m trying and open to anything.

Also I’m writing this because I woke up early and am about to go see if my broken toe needs surgery and I felt inspired watching the sunrise. There’s something about a beautiful sunrise that makes everything better.

I’ve had an incredibly unbelievably wretched last two years but more recently this year. It seemed like accident after accident…. Happened with no avail for comedy relief. And the irony of a book I created based off my cat, that I made with the was hated by so many people because I used help of technology, only to later fail a project because I decided to do a graph entirely by hand….

Because wow I guess the gold standard is hands are not good enough anymore.

But yet we are still not allowed to play with technology….im saying enough! At this point! Enough! I’m going back to my creative cave.

I think I’ve decided to just do things my way or die trying. I’m going to make lots of things entirely by hand. I’m probably going to make things on a computer. I’m going to make even more things on hand that people think would be best on a computer, and some things on a computer people will think will be best by hand. But I am going to use my hands how I want. Not how other people want me to use them. And the less computer the better. I’m going to make things for fun, like food, perfumes, soaps and over the top things people probably wouldn’t even expect coming from a house of a girl who hangs out with cats all day.

I think what really got me, was I failed an entire thing because I was forced to use a computer in a situation and couldn’t. But what if I just didn’t want to? Are we now not allowed to just use our hand writing anymore? Is that not good enough?

That’s what really got me.

If I can’t use my hands I don’t want to do it anyway.

Anyway this blog will just be a bunch of who knows what, but it will be the best I can. Of whatever it is, because it’s like that one song by Frank Sinatra … ‘I did it my way…’

One day I hope to put my hands to use in tender ways, but in the mean time there are lots of things to discover and touch and create. And think about. And dream about. And you know… what if? That’s the question isn’t it? What if?

There is NO what if … if you don’t buy your ticket to take your ride… and that ride …I’m starting to realize the ticket…. Is our hands. Moving. It’s in our hands. And there are glorious things I want in my hands.

Caroline Doodly Doo 5/3/24 Caroline Doodly Doo 5/3/24

Best Kept Secret to Buying the Cheapest and Best Vintage.

Do you wonder where resellers buy the best vintage for reasonable price without having to wake up at 4 in the morning to go to estate sales? Alright so the cat is out of the bag!

There will be no gatekeeping on this blog! (Mostly because I believe in the sustainability of vintage and the fact that there is more than enough to go around for everyone.)

My best kept secret for me buying cheap vintage is the live selling Women’s True Vintage clothing section on Whatnot.

By clicking on my link you get 15$ free dollars on there to bid on whatever you want!

Let’s keep it real. I got into selling vintage because I am addiction to buying vintage, and I love vintage. And whatnot is a very incredibly fun and easy why to bid on actual true vintage clothing by live sellers, for sometimes dollars.

A lot of sellers on there like me, are more interested in quantity and so are able to unload lots of vintage at once instead of waiting weeks, or months to sell something on a website such as Etsy.

This means the prices are priced for a live auction. And depending on the seller, the prices can range from a dollar to 5 dollar bidding starts.

Which is why I absolutely love it, because I can cook dinner and quite literally hang out live with other vintage lovers and score some amazing deals.

I also love selling on there because I can offload tons of vintage in one day and actually socialize with other vintage lovers and the women’s true vintage community is HOT. Full of love. Everyone knows each other and buys from each other.

If you are a vintage seller and tired of other platforms failing true vintage sellers, (looking at you Etsy) …. Then feel free to join with my referral link here to speed up the process, and dm me on Instagram @cupidsransom to get tips, and a personal welcome and encouragement to start your first show and not feel lost.

Because I love vintage shopping on there so much, the more actual true vintage sellers there the better. I most likely will buy from you! That’s how much I love buying on there, as well as selling!

Another thing I love about whatnot is I can immediately sell vintage clothes on there that don’t fit me. Holy grail pieces , such as this dress below. I love it with all my heart but it just doesn’t fit me, so I’m going to put it on Whatnot soon and sell it there. I most likely will put it for a 10$ starting bid, and it will most likely be bid up to the price I am looking for. But it’s a win for me even if it doesn’t sell for higher because at the end of the day I know this dress will go to a good home!