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Keri Houchin

@kerihouchin

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Former journalist. Cozy lifestyle blogger. Crafts & planners, but mostly fantasy and horror books.
📍 Texas

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Hello! New year, new vibes? I’m trying a little something new, doodling on my photos.

If you’re new here or haven’t seen my face in a while, I’m Keri. I’m a blogger mostly sharing creative things. Books and crafts and food. Paper and yarn and probably things that get messy.

This year my goal is to simplify. That means I’m using a plain composition book for planning, making easy homey crafts, and not worrying about any algorithms.

I think January is better for reflection and planning than December, so I’ll be sharing some things later this month. Tell me something you enjoyed in 2025 in the comments! by @kerihouchin

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9 months ago

I read a lot of books in 2025! StoryGraph says I mostly read mysterious and emotional fantasy and horror. And also that I give most books a 4-star rating or higher. What can I say? I love books.

Here are a few of my favorites I read this year (in photo order):
* Don’t Let the Forest In, by CG Drews
* The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses, by Malka Older
* Starling House, by Alix E Harrow
* Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, by VE Schwab

Not pictured because I borrowed them from my library:
* The Secret Market of the Dead, by Giovanni De Feo
* Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, by Grady Hendrix
* What Moves the Dead, by T Kingfisher

Have you read any of these books? What were your favorite reads this past year? by @kerihouchin

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9 months ago

The worst thing about my kids being away at college is that there's nobody here to taste-test all these cookie recipes, so I have to eat them all myself...

This week's recipe is classic peanut butter. The recipe on the blog is for a small batch, so you can make them in less than an hour and have a couple dozen cookies to snack on through the weekend. by @kerihouchin

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2 days ago

I've been working on crafts for my blog faster than I post to instagram, but here are a few of the most photogenic. I've accidentally stuck to a D&D theme, so if you're brainstorming gifts to make for a gamer, I've gotcha. What else should I make??

Pictured:
1. no-sew dice bag
2. dice tray
3. elvish-inspired bracelet
4. d20 ornaments by @kerihouchin

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3 days ago

Being a mood reader means I'm reading horror books 11 months out of the year, but the one month everyone else is into it, my brain is in the mood for a cozy, lighthearted romance. by @kerihouchin

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4 days ago

What's your favorite scary movie??

Pick a movie and get a YA horror book recommendation. These are all movies I've seen and books I've read.

Tell me in the comments which movie/book combo you would recommend ~ or want a rec for! by @kerihouchin

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6 days ago

I read and post a lot about fantasy and horror books, but did you know I wrote one too?

I am thrilled to announce that I’m a 2026 @writersleagueoftexas manuscript contest finalist!

The Book of Stolen Hearts is a YA fantasy horror about a teen girl fighting censorship in her school while a popular book is rumored to make anyone who reads it disappear. I like to think of it as The Ring meets Inkheart.

Congratulations to all the other finalists and winners! I’m honestly still a little gobsmacked, but I’m currently querying literary agents. If you’re looking for YA horror with ghosts, fairytales, and sapphic romance, I’d love to chat! by @kerihouchin

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8 days ago

I'm working on a blog series of simple homemade cookie recipes.

By the time we get to Christmas, I'll have a whole collection. You are going to want to make these oatmeal craisin cookies now, though.

Brown sugar sweetness + dried cranberry tartness by @kerihouchin

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9 days ago

What Feeds Below, by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne is out today from @Bindery_Books! 💚🍄🪲🤎

I read an arc of this one and OMG, I barely know how to tell you how much I enjoyed it...

YA horror // Petra and Jade are teen orphans, working as divers into a massive cavern called The Void so they can earn enough money to survive when they age out. The worldbuilding in this story is amazing. The Void is such a vividly beautiful place and it's easy to get caught up in the descriptions. And like a void diver, the horrors creep up on you and turn beauty into nightmare fuel in a paragraph.

Many parts of this are horrifying, nightmare-inducing, or just flat out gross (complimentary). The toxic codependent relationship between the two girls and the unsettling feeling that there is more wrong than the long list of terrors they see reminded me of Don't Let the Forest In (which I also adore).

There's so much going on in this story that I couldn't put it down, but never felt overwhelmed. It's a mix of sci-fi and botanical horror and a smart commentary on people going places and messing with things they shouldn't.

No spoilers here, but the ending was such a twist ~ I was stunned! by @kerihouchin

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11 days ago

I'm slowly doing some Halloween decorating, starting with my kitchen. I channeled my inner 90s kid and made these hanging jack o'lanterns. They're just paper, pen, and raffia. Swipe for the abridged tutorial (or find a detailed version on the b l o g). by @kerihouchin

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12 days ago

My favorite adult coloring page hack is to print on watercolor paper. It immediately makes your art look more like "art." by @kerihouchin

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14 days ago

September reading recap 📚

After a bit of a summer slump, this month was all 4 & 5 stars! Have you read any of these? Any on your reading list?

Swipe to see more about the books I finished.
She's a Doll, by Barbara Truelove
Trad Wife, by Sarah Langan
What Feeds Below, by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne
Paladin's Grace, by T Kingfisher
Swordheart, by T Kingfisher

I'm about halfway through The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong ~ it's so adorably cozy and fun! by @kerihouchin

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15 days ago