Dear Mr. Hooker, this weekend we stumbled upon a PBS documentary series on English castles on Netflix and our inner nerds rejoiced. Who knew the term "eaves dropping" came from little figurines in the eaves of Henry VIII's castle or that the Downton Abbey castle, Highclere, is the real-life home of an earl? And even more surprising - who knew you were such a history buff? Little moments like that, snuggled up on the couch with coffee on a Saturday morning, make my heart happy.

Dear Daybook, you've been the subject of most of the Elle & Company inquiries lately. I've been itching to share your new look and reveal what I've been up to for the past few months, but I can't quite yet. I'm hoping to give Elle & Company followers a peek at you in the next month and tell them your story, but until then, you're my best kept secret.

Dear Ann Voskamp, your book One Thousand Gifts was recommended to me by at least 10 friends in the past 2 months, so you can imagine my surprise when a package arrived for me a couple weeks ago with the book nestled inside. I've been taking my time with it, savoring each thoughtful word, and I haven't been able to put it down. Thank you for changing my perspective and helping me recognize all of the blessings that are constantly poured out on me.

Dear Jake, how 'bout them Hokies?! Hooray for a great new quarterback, awesome play calling, and a surprising win over Ohio State this weekend. This season might be promising after all!

Have any of you read One Thousand Gifts? What did you think about it? And does anybody else have a quirky love for documentaries like we do?