Brighid's House

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert

2012-02-16T07:30:00.000-05:00

Punk rock is in Emily Black's blood. Her mother, Louisa, hit the road to follow the incendiary music scene when Emily was four months old and never came back. Now Emily's all grown up with a punk band of her own, determined to find the tune that will bring her mother home. Because if Louisa really is following the music, shouldn't it lead her right back to Emily? (From Amazon)

This book instantly appealed to me when I first saw it in the bookstore at least a year (though probably more like two) ago. With the Ramones and Sleater-Kinney in the title, it was one that caught my eye and never really left my mind. So when I was choosing some books from Amazon a few weeks ago, I was dead-set on getting this one.

Oh, boy, am I glad I did!

While the book is a little thick, it's a pretty easy read. The best thing was the fact that I would actually groan in frustration at the main character, Emily's repeated mistakes which she never really seemed to learn from. I was rooting for her throughout the entire novel. Even though she would probably be whiny and annoying to some, I felt myself wishing she could just catch a break and not screw it up.

The book does an excellent job of telling a story that takes place over years without feeling rushed or excessive. Kuehnert provided me with a girl I would have loved to be friends with in high school (and now), a girl who I couldn't help but love despite her many, many flaws and mistakes. Combined with the numerous musical references ('90s grunge scene, anyone?), I really loved this book and am in fact giving it to my mother when I see her this afternoon because I'm hoping she'll enjoy it, too.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

5/5 Stars

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T09:07:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to send a little "I love you" to any and everyone reading today. First timers and old faithfuls, you're all beautiful, wonderful, and appreciated!

Dan and I aren't doing anything tonight, except maybe going to the candy store when I get done with school things. We're going to Olive Garden this weekend, though.

It's still morning, and he and Chris left before I woke up, so we haven't exchanged gifts yet, but you can see his up there. I kept racking my brain for something to buy, and then a few nights ago while I was trying to fall asleep the idea of a silly little coupon book came to me. I had kind of a difficult time coming up with things to include in it, but I'm pleased and hopefully Dan will be, too. :)

Are you doing anything special today, either with yourself or someone you love?

My New Sailor Moon Collection

2012-02-13T08:40:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned my love of Sailor Moon at least once before, and now I'm very excited to share (if you didn't catch it on Twitter already) that I finally have the entire (animated) series on DVD! (I don't have the live-action series yet, but maybe someday.)

I've almost finished the first season, though to be fair I started from where I left off when I was watching it in England. I didn't forget anything, though, so it still counts.

Having the entire series has amped my obsession up about a million times more than it was before. For example, I never used to be a "fan art" kind of person, but guess who drew her first Sailor Moon the other day?
That's right. This girl. And I am totally impressed by my own ability, not because I think it's great, but because I think it's better than I would have ever expected. I did tweet a picture of it yesterday, but I'm not going to post it until it's finished (feel free to look at the link, though). I'm planning on outlining it in black and then coloring it in nicely.

Please tell me I'm not the only Sailor Moon geek.

Sunday Brunch 2.12.12

2012-02-12T09:38:00.000-05:00

Today's brunch is a new favorite of mine. More sweet than savory, which we usually encounter, this is a quick and simple brunch or breakfast that's delicious and not too bad for you, either!

It is, quite simply, oatmeal, two tablespoons of peanut butter, and a small palm's worth of chocolate chips. Obviously amounts can be adjusted for taste, and I quite honestly might add a little more chocolate chips next time, but it's kind of hard for me to get over how delicious this really was! Not only that, but it's also incredibly filling, so much so that I actually only ate half of the bowl above and saved the rest for another morning in the refrigerator.

My next oatmeal adventure is looking like it'll be coconut and chocolate. We have two types of chips in the pantry right now (white and semi-sweet), so we'll see when I end up going with.

P.S., I broke another one of our bowls this morning. Skill!

Friday, I'm in Love ... With Hunger Games!

2012-02-10T10:16:00.001-05:00

There's so much to say about The Hunger Games that it's almost overwhelming to write the post. I read the books all early-mid last year while I was in England, downloading them on my nook because I couldn't wait until I got home to read them.

I finished them in a week, staying up until 5 a.m. to finish the last one, feeling so strange when I had. It was like there was this weird void left by no longer anticipating what was going to happen, since I had finished the story. I knew how it ended. I honestly didn't know what to do with myself for a few days afterward. Then I proceeded to do the only thing that made sense - tell other people to read them! My mom read the first one, then when I came home she borrowed my nook to finish the last two. We now have plans to go to the midnight premiere together, since we never went to Harry Potter one.

Kat is planning on reading the series soon, too, which I'm very excited about because I'll have someone else to talk to about it, and I can't wait to see her reaction as she reads, because there is a very good chance that she will text me throughout. My friend Jess also borrowed my copy over winter break and managed to find copies of the second and third books, as well, so she could read them.
If you hadn't noticed already, it's kind of a big deal.

And while I must admit I was a little wary of the casting choices in the beginning (and still am in the case of Woody Harrelson), I'm very much excited that Jennifer Lawrence is playing Katniss. I do like her in general, and after getting over the fact that her hair isn't naturally dark, I'm pretty excited to see how it all turns out.

Have you read The Hunger Games? (Silly question, right?)
P.S., I really want the China Glaze nail polish set that they have based on the series, too!

new books ♥ essay writing ♥ punk band dreams ♥ eating well ♥ a (generally) improved attitude from working out ♥ and 20 push ups! ♥ the anticipated arrival of the entire Sailor Moon series on DVD in my mailbox ♥ also, my study away photo book! ♥ unplanned phone calls with my mom ♥ feeling good & confident

30 Days of Lists Guest Post from Kam

2012-02-09T08:20:00.000-05:00

Today's guest post comes from (as you probably know by now) my friend, Kam. I just want to say that if I were not totally supportive of this project, I wouldn't be posting this. I'm not getting anything in return for sharing this with you, aside from the satisfaction that I'm helping out a friend. I think it's a fantastic project for anyone interested, and ... well, I'll let her finish explaining.

* * *
My name is Kam (Campfire Chic) and I am here today to announce a fantastic month-long challenge I co-host with Amy (Lemon & Raspberry) that is perfect for those of us crafty souls with limited time on our hands.

This challenge is perfect for anybody who is:

Limited on time
Limited on funds
Looking to be creative in a different way
Looking to connect with others via a common project
A chronic list maker

Sound familiar?

30 Days of Lists is a challenge that takes no more than 5-10 minutes a day…all you have to do is write a list! And because the #1 rule of 30 Days of Lists is that there is no wrong way to do the challenge, you can totally make this your own! You can scribble your list between classes, type it into an app while you're waiting for the bus, or as a way to procrastinate between projects.

The third edition of 30 Days of Lists is set to begin March 1, 2012, but the fun is starting NOW. Pre-register today for a bonus digital packet with exclusive tutorials, information about immediate access to the private 30 Days of Lists – March 2012 Edition blog, sponsor discounts, and a welcome letter from the #30Lists Team!

Giveaways include:

Individuals who pre-register (ends February 15th) are automatically entered to win an Instax Mini PLUS Film
The first 300 individuals to register (if we get that many!) are automatically entered to win a 1 year subscription to UPPERCASE Magazine.

There will be plenty of other giveaways throughout February and March, so pre-registering now is a great idea.Check out the Campfire Chic shop for ready-to-ship albums. Use coupon code GIMMESMORE for 15% off your album order! Here are some tutorials on DIY notebooks/albums you may find helpful:

Create your own SMASH Book and take your lists to the next crafty level
Add some contact paper to a store-bought notebook for added magic
Or maybe try your hand at art journaling to add extra personal touches to your lists

What are you waiting for?

Pre-register now for one low price and join the fun!

Easy Mac & Cheese

2012-02-08T07:30:00.000-05:00

Mac & cheese is a dish you pretty much can't go wrong with (unless you're lactose intolerant ... or vegan ... but there are ways around those, too). It's a pretty frequent eat around these parts, this being my third time doing a homemade batch since November. It's great, because it makes enough to last a few days, and it's rich enough fill us up quickly.
Magical, y'know?

This time around there was a bit of a problem because I had forgotten to put evaporated milk on the grocery list. Dan was too busy with math to go get me a can, so I had to improvise with regular milk. Fortunately, it was a total success, and I'll probably end up making it that way all the time instead since milk is something we always have.

Easy Mac & Cheese recipe card

Journal Prompt: Dreams

2012-02-07T07:30:00.000-05:00

It's time for yet another journal prompt!

When I'm coming up with these, I don't usually just sit down to think about it. Instead, I make sure I have my blog notebook with me, and when something pops into my head, I write it down on a list in the notebook. Usually they come to me in class, maybe because of something someone has said, or maybe because I'm not paying attention and have instead had an idea totally unrelated to class.
Either way, I'm always happy when I come up with a new idea.

Prompt: Write about a dream that is important to you.
Feel free to interpret this any way you want. This can be a literal dream you had once (or recurring) while sleeping, or it can be the kind of dream that everyone means when they tell you, "Dream big." Maybe it's scary, but it made you realize something you hadn't before. Maybe it's something that keeps you going through the days.

As usual, you're not required to share what you write, but if you decide to, either in a blog post or just a quick share, make sure you let me know in the comments!

Weekend Book Haul

2012-02-06T07:30:00.000-05:00

About a week ago, I had a hankerin' for some new books, despite my huge load of reading I have for classes, so I browsed through my book wish list on Amazon, and after about an hour of hemming and hawing, not knowing what to choose and trying to work as much as I could into the $12 budget Dan set for me, I placed my ordered for three new (to me) books. They all arrived between Thursday and Saturday, which was very nice since usually it takes forever for my used books to come in when I order them.

Circle of Three: The House of Winter by Isobel Bird
I am slowly but surely whittling down the number of books I have left to buy in this series. This is the eleventh out of 15, so hopefully in the next few months I'll finally have the complete set and, after 10 years of wondering and waiting, finally know how it all ends for the girls.

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert
I am so excited to read this one! I saw it at the bookstore in town a long time ago, and probably came home that afternoon and put it on my wish list. Like the rest of what I got, this was only a penny in price, then $3.99 shipping, so it was one of my final choices. I am so stoked because you've got the Ramones and Sleater-Kinney referenced in the title - how can it be bad, right? You can bet I'll be giving a review on this one!

The Bust Guide to the New Girl Order
I actually didn't know what to expect with this one, other than (hopefully) a book made of awesome. When I flipped through it after it arrived, I was super excited to see way more words than I had anticipated. I had thought there would be more pictures, but there's not, and I'm quite happy with that.

Saturday Night Movies: American Psycho

2012-02-05T11:52:00.001-05:00

This is one that I've been meaning to watch for a while, so a few weeks ago I made sure to put it in my Netflix queue for Dan, Chris, and I to get (apparently Chris has wanted to watch it to, so that was convenient). Finally, after making our way down the list the past few weeks, we were graced with Batman ... but, y'know, pre-Batman. (Though I couldn't help saying, "I'm Batman" at the start of the movie just for fun.)

American Psycho
I'm going to be completely honest and say that I enjoyed this movie. It made me laugh and it was just my kind of weird. While I was watching it, I was looking it up on my phone to learn some things about it (I have a habit of looking at IMDb movie trivia while I watch things), and I was reminded that there was a ton of controversy behind it. So many people didn't want it made or released, and while they're right in the fact that it's pretty misogynistic (the main argument I read), I don't understand why this movie in particular got all the flack for it, because it doesn't seem any worse than other movies I've seen. I feel like if you watch any horror movie, plenty of women get killed, but you don't hear quite so much argument against them getting made. I don't know, maybe I'm just missing something, but I still enjoyed the movie.

It's not for the light-hearted, though. You have to have a really sick sense of humor to enjoy it, I think, so be wary before you watch.

February Goals

2012-02-04T14:22:00.001-05:00

Read three non-school books
This is going to be a big challenge because I'm taking a lot of literature classes, plus my educational theories class requires a lot of reading.

Stay caught up on homework
I've done really well with this so far, as I've mentioned before, so I'm hoping I can keep it up. I've been slacking slightly this weekend, but not so much that I'm feeling concerned or even have the nagging feeling of "I should be doing homework."

Finish knitting my hat
I've been working on the same hat for about three months now, and I really think it's time that I finish the damn thing. I just need to find some time ...

Paint a picture
It's been on my 21 Before 21 for almost a year now, and I think it's time that I finally do it. I just got my refund check from school, and after I pay rent I think one of the things I'll do is pick up a few painting supplies. Doesn't have to be big or fantastic or fancy or anything. It's just something I want to accomplish.

Be able to do 15 push ups
I've been working out the past few days, and I finally got up to 10 push ups in a set this afternoon, so hopefully before the end of the month I'll make it to 15.

What are your goals and plans for the month?

Friday, I'm in Love ... With Sharks (the band)!

2012-02-03T11:29:00.004-05:00

Dan and I saw Sharks at Warped Tour last year, and I pretty instantly fell in love. I mean ... British rock band - how can you go wrong, right?

I got a whole set of free song downloads from a mini-magazine that was being handed out, so when I got home that night I downloaded a bunch and to my excitement, there was this song by Sharks.

While I can say it's my favorite, it's not a very fair judgment only because I haven't listened to any others by them yet. I did add one of their albums to my birthday list (ie, Dan's Facebook wall), though, so hopefully my knowledge will be a little broadened in a few months.
Until then I can rely on YouTube for entertainment.

I just love the simplicity, the upbeatness of the music, and James Mattock's voice. It's the perfect combination for me.

Words with Friends ♥ neighbor cats stopping by to visit ♥ 30-Day Shred soreness ♥ plays with Dan ♥ waiting for books I've ordered to arrive ♥ non-procrastination ♥ new followers (hi! *waves*) ♥ keeping grades up ♥ Jane Austen ♥ orange juice ♥ $1 candles

Healthy Lunch: Peanut Butter & Apple Sandwich

2012-02-01T07:30:00.000-05:00

In my quest to eat at least a little better, I stumbled across a picture online of a slab of bread covered in peanut butter and delicately layered with apple slices on top. I was already interested simply by the fact that there was peanut butter involved, but then remembering that we had apples in the kitchen this week I said to myself, "Self, why don't we make this into a full-on sandwich?"

And that, my friend, is exactly what I did.

Thankfully, the bread was actually thawed yesterday, since I went to make toast Monday morning and, lo and behold, no new bread was taken out of the freezer. Fortunately, it does thaw pretty quickly so while I substituted my toast for an English muffin, I still managed to make a sandwich (bologna) for lunch Monday.
But, I digress.

So I got out my bread (which I keep calling toast when I type, even though it's not toasted), spread my crunchy peanut butter on it while wishing I had gotten smooth instead, and then proceeded with the apples, which were the fun part!

I got out the cutting board and the giant knife that Dan got for Christmas from his mom and set to slicing. They were probably about a quarter inch thick slices, so as not to overwhelm the sandwich. Next I dipped them in apple juice to keep them from browning before I ate my sandwich later (you can also use lemon juice, but that doesn't seem like it would taste as good). Then I tried to place them on the peanut buttered piece of ~~toast~~ bread as evenly as possible to get good bites of bread, peanut butter, and apple. I put the second piece of bread on (y'know, to actually make it a sandwich), took the giant knife of awesome, and cut it diagonally.
Because sandwiches should always be cut diagonally.

And thus I bring you this masterpiece!

This post was brought to you by: the word toast, because I could not get it out of my head the whole time.

Cross One Off

2012-01-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

My daily planner. The highlighted things are done, the crossed off things never got done, and ... I forgot to cross off "blog posts" on Friday. P.S., STD is the English Honors Society. No worries, folks!

Okay, it's not exactly a giant leap into this great big world of maturity, but I'm a little proud of myself at the moment and so felt it necessary to do some sharing.

I am a procrastinator.

Yep. I admit it. I'll be the first to admit it in a room full of deniers. It's just how I've always been about everything, but then ... something changed. Something clicked inside of me that said, "Hey, you know how people always say it's better not to procrastinate? Yeah, it's true."
And it is true! I know there are people who work well (sometimes even better) under pressure, and I definitely do papers fine that way, but I think in general it's much more beneficial for me to, y'know, not procrastinate.

Why did I realize this?
Because last week I worked really, really hard to get my homework done before the weekend. I tried to do as much as I possibly could on Friday, so I could spend the weekend not worrying about it. I had a few things left to finish Saturday morning, but as soon as they were done, there was this strange feeling of relief that I so rarely get because I procrastinate.

It was actually kind of awkward.

I'm so used to always watching TV while at the same time thinking, "I should be doing my homework." This weekend there was none of that. I spent all of Sunday in bed sick and had absolutely no guilt about doing nothing.

I know it's only about two weeks into the semester, but that might be the longest I've ever been this timely with my work, so I think that maybe, just maybe, I've grown up a bit more this school year.

Sunday Brunch 1.29.12

2012-01-29T11:00:00.000-05:00

Friday night, on the way to Walmart, somehow Dan, Chris, and I got into the topic of the McGriddle. First, I had to explain to Dan that McGriddles are not, in fact, made of waffles (that would make them a McWaffleIron). Then the plan started to formulate in my head of how to make our own at home. I've already been making SchmancyMuffins (as opposed to McMuffins), so it was only logical that I take the next step into SchmancyGriddle territory.

It is, quite simply, the most basic pancake recipe, plus scrambled eggs and sausage in the middle, with some grated sharp cheddar (because that's actually all the cheese we have right now, though ideally I would have had a slice of American).

To be completely honest, I'm not even that big of a fan. It's far too dense with the pancakes. As separate entities, everything is great, but combined ... not so much.

P.S., I don't know why it seems like all of my pictures have been on a Hannah Montana plate lately. It's just a weird coincidence.

Friday, I'm in Love ... WIth All Things Postal!

2012-01-27T10:21:00.002-05:00

(Mostly) my postcard collection on the fridge. The two from England are Dan's, but all the rest are mine! And you can also see our Chinese food menu and grocery list, hahah.

I received an adorable postcard this week from Jetta (the Seattle one; and I fully intend on sending one right back to her), and it got me thinking about just how wonderful it is to get things in the mail. It's so much fun to find something, expected or not, sitting your mailbox with your name on it. It's a nice way for someone to say, "I've been thinking of you!"

Of course, I also love sending letters, when I can find the time to really write them, and I love using lots of quirky stationery to use.

The only problem?
I tend to hoard the cute things because they're too cute to use. I'm the kind of person who wants to wait until the "perfect moment" to use something. I'm finally getting myself to start letting go of my cute things, though, because I know they'll make other people smile, and it doesn't hurt to clean the house a bit.

trips to the big Walmart ♥ finishing Sense & Sensibility (and live tweeting my reactions) ♥ staying caught up on homework ♥ lots of library time ♥ pizza! ♥ packing lunch ♥ grapefruit juice ♥ calm kitties ♥ impromptu cupcake baking ♥ using my nook ♥ getting advice from SoLD ♥ 200 readers! ♥ starting my birthday list

Published again!

2012-01-26T08:49:00.000-05:00

Good morning!

I'm just dropping by to let you know that I've written a review on The Fault in Our Stars for my campus paper this week. Check out the paper's website if you'd like to read it, and if you haven't read what I wrote about it here on the blog, perhaps you'd like to check that out as well!

I must say, I'm having a lot of fun with this being published business, even if it's in The Equinox, not a book or a magazine or something. I've actually managed to accomplish one of my 21 Before 21 goals twice now thanks to the paper, so snaps for that! (Name that movie!)

Etsy Finds: eReader Cases

2012-01-24T07:30:00.000-05:00

Even though I don't use it very often (and only for free books), I'm always looking on Etsy for some kind of case for my nook. It's one of those items I can spend an hour or two just looking at while watching TV or something because there are so many different fabrics and designs used.

Here are a few of my favorites this week:

London Calling by sandmanquilts

Gadget Sleeve in Argyle by OhKoey

The White Bindweed Fairy by covergirls

Lots of Dots Red & Black by aHelpingHandBag

Black & Off-White Damask with Pink Accent by CitrusSister

Do you have an eReader?

What kind? Do you have case for it?

Chocolatey Oatmeal Bars

2012-01-23T07:30:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday, I once again had that urge to make something, so I did a bit of recipe searching, browsed around the pantry, and looked to see what I had the ingredients for. Finally, I settled on possibly some of the most delicious snack bars I've ever had. While I do love seven-layer bars, I definitely think these might trump them.

Or maybe it'll just depend on my mood ...

Anyway, since every time I make something I end up with way more than I actually need, I let them cool, jammed as many as possible into a container, and toted them to my newspaper meeting that night.
Yeah. I was pretty popular.

I thoroughly enjoyed melting all the chocolate, so much so I felt the need to share the progress with my phone, as you can see (and perhaps saw on Twitter while I was in the process).

As usual, I ended up making some tweaks, though surprisingly this wasn't based on not having ingredients and substituting others. I actually just ended up adding some this time.

Ready for the recipe card?

Chocolatey Oatmeal Bars

Saturday Night Movies: Fright Night

2012-01-22T07:30:00.000-05:00

Being a bit of a David Tennant fangirl (ha, "a bit"), it was inevitable that I would at some point or another see the Fright Night remake. I had actually intended to go see it in the theater when it came out, but it was only at the one in town for a week.

Fright Night (2011)
Certainly I have a bit of a complaint in that there definitely wasn't as much DTen as I might have liked, but I still enjoyed the movie. It made me laugh, because that's what scary movies do (whether they're meant to be scary or campy). And the whole time all I could keep saying was, "Now THIS is a vampire movie!" There was blood and fights and blood and people DYING and did I mention there was blood? I still can't understand why it was only in the theater a week because it's absolutely brilliant.

It's definitely been added to my list of movies I own, and not even just because of David Tennant. It really was fantastic and something I'd want to see again.

A Charlie Photo Update

2012-01-21T11:16:00.003-05:00

My favorite is the one where he's sleeping on the couch, but I'm also a big fan of the one with his big ol' tongue sticking out.

Friday, I'm in Love ... With The Addams Family!

2012-01-20T07:30:00.000-05:00

I got the entire Addams Family TV series on DVD for Christmas, and I have to say that it just might be one of my favorite presents.While I've seen the first two movies a bunch of times (I refuse to watch the third because it's just not the same), I never got the chance to watch as much of the original series as I might have liked. But since I got it for Christmas, now I can watch it whenever I want, which has been quite often lately.

I love the oddity of the whole family, but the fact that on the most basic level they're actually quite normal, and in many ways I consider them to be more normal than a lot of other families on the show. They clearly love and care about each other, and all want what's best for each other, even if their idea of "best" might be a little unconventional.

I am, by far, most enamored with Wednesday. In fact, I was Wednesday for Halloween in fifth grade. My mom even made me a headless doll just like she has. (Can you see why I'm such a fan based on my family? We all get it. It's the kind of thing we can all understand.) I think she is the most adorable little girl, and if you follow me on Tumblr you can usually tell when I'm watching the show because I'll post screenshots once in a while.
I can't resist sharing the fun!

Are you an Addams Family fan?

starting a semester with THREE literature classes! ♥ notebooks ♥ new blog features ♥ photo lessons ♥ visits with friends ♥ article writing ♥ Jane Austen ♥ keeping up with work ♥ Words with Friends (sonyazombiee, if you want to play) ♥ scheduling posts ♥ breakfast sandwiches

Meet Stormtrooper!

2012-01-18T07:30:00.000-05:00

Also known as Storm, Stormy, and Stormageddon (my personal favorite)

One of my plans for the new year was to finally get a new fish after not having one for a year or two, and on Saturday I had the urge to go out and do something with Dan. Our first stop was the book store because I had originally been hoping for a new book that day. I wandered the aisles for a while but nothing really said "Buy me!" so we left. Even while we were driving it was a few minutes before I decided that it was the day to get my new fish.

Hence, Stormtrooper! And the first item to be crossed off my list of new year's plans.

Journal Prompt: Beautiful Things

2012-01-17T07:30:00.000-05:00

When thinking of things to include in the blog this new year, one idea that really struck me was journal prompts. I think they can inspire blog posts for others, personal journal entries, or even be built into larger pieces of writing. If you'd like to join in, feel free! Maybe you have an old notebook that you don't use anymore, this could be a way to revive it. Or maybe there are days when you just can't think of something to post, but you still really want to, this could inspire a masterpiece of a blog post.

A few days ago I wrote about the most beautiful book I've ever read. I shared how it made me feel and how inspiring it was. I told you all about the simple anticipation of waiting for it to arrive.

Prompt: What is the most beautiful piece of work you've encountered?
A movie that left you with a sense of awe and inspiration. Maybe a novel that made you start looking at life in a whole new way. Even a piece of art that simply took your breath away. Your favorite song. A poem that your best friend wrote when you were fifteen admitting that they've long been in love with you. Tell me about it! Show me how it made you feel! If you choose to write a blog post about it, link up in the comments, and if you just want to write it out for yourself, maybe share what you've chosen.

The 2012 Book List

2012-01-16T12:34:00.003-05:00

I am an avid reader of Jetta's blog, as I've mentioned before, and she recently posted about her plan to record all the books she reads for the year on a page on her site. Because I think we can all agree this is a pretty awesome idea, I've decided to do it too! Though it seems she's reading a bit faster than I am so far.

I have a "to-read" list on my listography page, which I actually need to update, so I'm planning on using that as a list of possibilities. However! I'm totally open to suggestions, with comments enabled on the book list page and obviously this post being a possible haven of ideas also.

I'm considering counting books for classes, too. They won't necessarily be novels, but that's okay because that's not all I'm thinking. Memoirs, studies, things like that all count.

So I suppose my question now is,
Do you have any book recommendations?

Sunday Brunch 1.15.12

2012-01-15T11:22:00.001-05:00

Breakfast crescent braid

I found this recipe the other night online and, knowing we had a tube of crescent dough left in the fridge, decided I needed to use it up by making this. It's the dough unrolled, slits cut on the sides, filled in the middle with scrambled eggs, sausage, and cheddar, then the sides folded over in a kind-of braid, then baked.

Pretty magical if you ask me.

The recipe actually calls for a roll of unperforated crescent dough, but since we happened to have the perforated I saved a few bucks and just used that, working with it a little more gently than I would have with regular dough.

I had Dan scramble the eggs and cook the sausage because I was still recovering from, y'know, sleep, then peeled myself from inside the comforter on the couch and assembled the whole beautiful creation.

You can find the recipe I used (by which I mean, somewhat memorized and what I didn't remember made up along the way) here: Easy Breakfast Crescent Braid by Our Best Bites.

This world's an ugly place, but you're so beautiful to me

2012-01-14T23:19:00.000-05:00

I was just browsing the internet (you know, with five or six tabs open), listening to iTunes on shuffle, and this song came on. I've had this album in various forms for about ten years now, and never once have I felt tired of it, bored, or as if I've outgrown it. I grew up with it, and my love for it never falters.

I just wanted to share because I felt really happy when this song started.

The Fault in Our Stars; or, The Most Beautiful Book I Have Ever Read

2012-01-13T13:51:00.000-05:00

This is not a book review. This is the story of the most beautiful book I have ever read.

In June, I hurriedly pre-ordered my copy of John Green's new book. I watched him live on YouTube multiple times, signing pages, reading the first chapter (I don't know how many times I heard the chapter before I actually read it).

Months passed. I knew it was coming, but the anticipation hardly waned. I continued to watch John (live and not), to read his tweets, to smile at the nerdfighters of tumblr. Finally, January came, and it was only a matter of days. In less than two weeks, the bright blue book with the little yellow "signed copy" sticker would be mine. On January 9, Amazon sent my shipping confirmation, and although I knew the estimated arrival was sometime between the 13 and 17, all I could hope was that it would arrive sooner.

Wednesday, I woke up late like I had the rest of the week so far. I just kept thinking, "I hope it comes today. I hope it comes." I watched some Dr. Phil. I looked up my numerology numbers. 4:30pm, I started boiling a pot of water for dinner, and a few minutes later Dan came home.

The box. The small, tell-tale Amazon box was in his hands, buried under a book for school that had come (also mine), and some other nondescript postal item. I stared, waiting for him to give me my damn book. I was not forceful. I did not tear the box open. I had waited those months, I could wait a few seconds more. I gently, but quickly, pulled the "open here" tab, unfolded the flap, and a small gasp left my lips - that bright blue book.

The water wasn't boiling yet, so I allowed myself some time to take a few webcam pictures of myself with my new favorite thing in the world and text pictures to Kat and my mom.

Somehow I didn't end up starting it until late that night - or, technically, early, early Thursday morning, around about 1am. I did not stop until 3:30, and only then because my eyes were too tired to stay open much longer in any way that would make reading fully enjoyable. But in those first few hours, the first hundred pages, I cried twice, taking a break only once to make myself a comforting mug of hot cocoa.

I slept about six and a half to seven hours, regaining strength in a few ways before waking up, ignoring all else, and continuing to read.
And read.
And read.
(And cry, in all the best ways.)

The book was everything I could ever hope for - enlightening, inspiring, thoughtful, beautifully written. So bittersweet and heart wrenching. So perceptive. So full of humanity and truth.

I am not going to give spoilers, or even tell you what it's about. I'm not even going to tell you to read it - that is ultimately up to you to decide. But I strongly believe that without this book, there would be something missing from the world, from my world.

Related posts:

Book review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Friday I'm in Love: John Green

Look what came in the mail!

2012-01-11T18:36:00.000-05:00

I'M SO EXCITED!

So much so, in fact, that I am all about sharing my excited face.

Amazon's earliest expected arrival date wasn't until Friday, but I was still hoping it would arrive today and IT DID! The only problem is that I'm not allowing myself to read it until I finish the Fellowship of the Ring. Fortunately, I only have a chapter left in that. Then to this pretty blue book for a short break between LOTR books.

Are you a John Green fan/Nerdfighter?

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

2012-01-09T09:57:00.000-05:00

This one is a little late coming, seeing as I actually finished the book sometime before Christmas, but I didn't want to skip out on a review, especially since classes start again soon, and I probably won't be reviewing LOTR.

I have to admit I had a hard time when I first started the book, simply because the maid's chapters were written like they would speak, and I had to think about it for a few seconds as I read. I tend to read pretty quickly, and I didn't know it would be like that until I started reading, so I was kind of thrown for a loop there. After jumping that tiny hurdle, though, I got quite into it.

In case you don't know, Stockett's book is about "the help," i.e., African-American maids, in Mississippi in the early 1960s. A young white woman, Skeeter (who I constantly pictured as Emma Stone even though I watched the movie after reading), returns from college and after being rejected by a writing job in New York, she comes up with the idea of writing a book which would tell the stories of the maids in her community.

I think the book does an interesting job looking at the lives of the women, the dangers of sharing their stories, and historical events for the decade. It includes events like the death of JFK, and the civil rights march on Washington, but looks at these events from the close perspectives of only a select few, namely the maids Aibileen and Minnie, and Skeeter, since the narration bounced between the three of them.

The book did well to include both serious and funny parts, since that's really what life is made up of. I found myself constantly wishing for certain characters to appear simply because I loved them (okay, mostly one - Miss Celia), and others I wanted to punch right in the face (Hilly). I love when books make me feel something for the characters, even something negative, and even though one wasn't even a main character it managed to make me like her.

In all, I'd say this is a good, fairly easy read, and if it sounds like your kind of thing, then go ahead and give it a try.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

4/5 Stars

Sunday Brunch

2012-01-08T16:18:00.000-05:00

Baked eggs with sausage and cheese, and toast strips for dipping

I got a set of ramekins for Christmas from my parents, and since then Dan and I have been wanting to try baked eggs for breakfast sometime, but he always goes to work so early that I never felt like getting up to make any.

Finally, after I woke up this morning and Dan told me that he'd had a bad breakfast (Pop Tart and crackers), I set to work making my first ever batch of baked eggs.

Honestly, I'm kind of sad to realize I'd put it off for so long because they turned out to be so delicious!

So, how do you create this delicious dish?

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Layer sausage on the bottom of the ramekin. Crack two eggs over it (making sure to drop one on the floor, just like I did!). Layer with cheese on top.
Bake for about 20 minutes.
Make a slice of toast per ramekin, and then slice into strips.

Easy peasy!

And the best part is that it's so easy to change up the ingredients. Dan and I are already thinking of making some with ham, spinach, and feta. You can probably add salsa and cheese, pieces of chicken, veggies, or whatever suits your taste.

I think this just might become a regular food around these parts.

Friday, I'm in Love ... With Iced Tea!

2012-01-06T10:40:00.001-05:00

I have a problem.

I've already blogged once about my love for tea, but that love encompasses not only hot tea, which is absolutely love, but also iced tea. While I adore hot tea, I am absolutely obsessed with iced tea. I drink it year round, regardless of how cold it may be in the apartment.

Snapple is quite possibly my favorite, though I'm also quite partial to Arizona and Peace teas. I'm not as much of a bottled Lipton fan, but I don't mind the powdered mix.
Snapple, though - Snapple is my one true iced tea love. I buy a bottle almost every time I go to Walmart, since it's incredibly cheap. As you can see, I even went so far as to buy a six-pack one day, even though that was actually more expensive than just buying six separate bottles. But when you're in love, like Snapple and I are, nothing comes between you.

My mom is quite partial to southern sweet tea, which I like, but I much prefer your basic iced tea - not too sweet, still a bit of tea flavor, definitely some lemon.

How do you feel about iced tea?

homemade dinners ♥ Deathly Hallows movie nights ♥ Food Network ♥ putting up the new shower curtain ♥ new books for classes ♥ working my way through LOTR ♥ Capri Sun ♥ fresh new bedding ♥ fulfilling chocolate cravings ♥ impromptu dinners out ♥ random Walmart walks

Finding and Using My 2012 Power Word

2012-01-05T11:19:00.000-05:00

I decided to start my year off with choosing a power word.

Power words arenot something I've ever used or thought about in depth or really thought aboutmuch at all. But at the very end of 2011, while perusing the Internet as I'vebeen known to do, I once again came across someone mentioning the use of apower word, and this time it really caught my interest. I don’t know if it’sbecause the year was ending, and a new one was beginning, making me moreattracted to any kind of inspiration or advice, or if it was just the righttime for me to start trying out the concept of a power word. Either way,though, I’m ready for this new adventure.

There are a lot ofdifferent ways to look at a power word, I'm sure. To me, this word is going tobe one that sticks with me through the year, helping me to focus and understandwhat's going on in my life, inside and out. I'll use it as inspiration, areminder, a new way of looking at things. It will be there to point out thebeauty in things I might not otherwise have seen.

My power word for the year?

Magic

How do you find your power word?

Honestly, I took the first word that came tomind. I wanted to go with my gut, and magic iswhat it told me. You can also look at things that inspire you (tarot cardswould have been my second option, after my gut), and word associate with them. You could take your favorite book, open to a page, and choose a word from it that inspires you. If you're really pressed, though, here's a list of inspirational words to look through.

What can you do with your power word?
You can use it as inspiration for all of the work you do throughout the year. You can take it as a reminder of what you want in life and what you want to give back. You can make it your one treasure hunt item for the year, looking for it in everything you see and do. You can make it something you want to improve over the year. Theoptions, as you can see, are just about endless.

I plan to make a pretty reminder of my power word and put it up on one of the bulletin boards behind my desk, as well as writing in about a million other places to help me keep track of it.

P.S., Just before I finished this post, I saw Kam's post about One Little Word. So to read more about power words, see how others are going about it, and get more inspiration, be sure to check out her post and Ali Edwards' OLW posts. Both are excellent places to get inspired!

Don't Just Set Goals, Make Plans

2012-01-04T11:09:00.000-05:00

As with every new year, many people have been making and sharing their goals and resolutions for 2012, and I've seen some excellent ones, from the old standby of getting healthier to a list of DIY projects. I of course made my own list of goals, writing it in a few different places so I can be reminded a little more often of what I intend to accomplish this year.

However, yesterday as I was copying my list into my journal, along with a few other prompt-type things to start the year off, I realized that I don't want to have goals. Goals give the impression of hope and intent, but without that permanence, that definition that I really want in my list. Instead, I've decided that my list isn't one of goals, but of plans. It's not a to-do list; it's a WILL-do list. I don't just hope to do each and every item on my list for the year, but I am also holding myself firmly accountable for the things I do and do not accomplish.

I'll bet you're wondering what's on my list, right?
Well, this year I plan to ...

finish + edit my NaNo novel, because I absolutely love what it's become. I had, in fact, planned on doing a large portion of it over my winter break, but with the total collapse of my laptop's motherboard, I instead took the time to do more offline things, which I think has been just as fun
have (creative) writing published in a magazine. See, I've already had a piece of writing published, but it wasn't creative, which is what I'm truly aiming for in this goal. However, I wouldn't say no to an interesting opportunity of non-creative writing again. Also, the added detail of in a magazine helps to make this more specific.
get a new fish, which sounds impossibly simple, and I guess on some level it is. But I think we could really use a fish in the apartment to brighten things up around here.
publish a zine. I've been working on an issue for literally months now, and some of the things I've written I don't particularly like anymore, so my plan is to get a firmer grasp on what it's about, what I want to share, and how I want to do it.
get a new camera. I love my camera, but I feel restricted by what it can't do. I've been wanting a new camera for a long time now, and I think this year is finally the year to do it.
publish an e-book. This may be my loftiest plan, but it's possible - I know it is. I may be starting completely from scratch on it (or maybe I'll publish my novel as an e-book), but I think simple the adventure will be worth it.

One key to my plans is to keep everything phrased in the affirmative. Not the negative, not the maybe - the absolute, the definite, the it-will-happen.

My next step is to take these plans and break them into smaller, more achievable portions, assigning each piece a deadline. Obviously some don't need that (get a fish), but others definitely do (publish an e-book).

And none of this is to say that goals are bad, because they certainly aren't, and I absolutely plan to keep having smaller, monthly goals along with these plans for the year. I just think you need to do what everyone keeps saying:

Dream Big!

How I'm Preparing for 2012

2012-01-02T13:03:00.000-05:00

Saturday I gave you some inspiring links to start off your new year. Today I'm going to tell you my own goals to prepare for the year!

my new cat planner

Buy a new planner.
I have a $5 planner that I got at Target at the beginning of the school year, which is all well and good, and I'll continue to use it for assignments and whatnot, but I'd much prefer a planner that dates from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, unlike one dated for the school year.

Buy some nice pens.
Nice doesn't necessarily mean expensive or fancy. I'm thinking more along the lines of colorful. My hope is to color-code my planner, but that might be a bit too complicated, so we'll just cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, I'm adding color simply by highlighting things that I've already finished.

our newly alphabetized DVD collection

Clean the house, especially my desk.
I want to start the year fresh. I'm most excited to put all new bedding on the bed because a. it'll be brandy new and clean, and b. it'll be nice to take the germ-filled bedding off. I'm hoping that cleaning my desk will help inspire me to, y'know, use it a bit more often. I also want to work a bit more on feng shui-ing the apartment, even if it's just a little bit.

It's a small list, but I think it hits the main points I want to start off with, and I know I'll build upon these things to create more goals (like decorate the apartment more, or be better organized).

What are your plans for starting up the new year just right?

Link Love #3: Bring on the New Year!

2011-12-31T17:39:00.000-05:00

Here are some inspirational posts to kick off your new year with a bright and shiny start!

Gala Darling never fails to inspire me, and I'm in love with her 10 Fantastic Ways to Get Ready for 2012! + More Ways to Prepare Yourself for 2012. It's also become an unofficial tradition for me to re-read her post on How to Set Amazing Goals at the beginning/end of each year.
It seems everyone and their mom has been reminding me to get off the Internet. Most recently it's been Maranda's posts, What would you rather be doing? parts one and two.
Here's a nice kick in the pants from Jetta on More causes, more effects.

What inspiring posts have you seen the past few days?

Friday, I'm in Love ... With Studio Ghibli!

2011-12-30T11:46:00.000-05:00

(Yep, all my pictures are coming from my phone for now.)

So, for Christmas I told my uncle that any Studio Ghibli movies would be pretty awesome to get. I guess he decided to cover all his bases and just get me the entire collection, which definitely doesn't bother me.

The first movie I remember seeing is Kiki's Delivery Service years ago. It was so much fun, and it was always a movie that I would remember and think about at random times without any sort of noticeable suggestion from my surroundings.

Then, probably a year and a half ago, I saw Howl's Moving Castle and absolutely fell in love. It was just my kind of strange and adorable movie. It happened to be on TV one day, I think on IFC or something like that, and I remembered hearing about it from lots of people but never actually seeing it. So I sat down in bed and watched it, and loved it.

Finally, a few weeks after that I saw My Neighbor Totoro. It was another movie I'd heard a lot about but never taken the time to watch, so I ordered it from Netflix and watched it at about 1am on my laptop, even though I had a perfectly functioning TV next to me. Again, I fell in love.

So quite obviously I'm very excited to have the entire collection because not only do I have ones those three, but I have others that I haven't seen but now have the chance to. I am, of course, planning a nice movie marathon day for myself sometime before the end of winter break now, so I can enjoy the full collection.

Have you seen any of the movies?

our simply decorated Christmas tree ♥ cooking with all my new supplies, including an apron ♥ having time to read & knit over break ♥ taking walks in the cold ♥ V for Vendetta ♥ rediscovering my nook & free e-books ♥ making Charlie wear a bell ♥ Kat Dennings on the current issue of BUST ♥ new cookbooks ♥ Snapple

A minuscule (but still wordy) update

2011-12-29T11:59:00.001-05:00

Good morning!

I'm once again blogging from Dan's desktop while he's at work, still awaiting the arrival of my laptop's new motherboard. Even though it's somewhat inconvenient, I've been enjoying not having personal Internet quite at my fingertips because I've been finding other fun things to do in the meantime. The only problem is that I can't get pictures from my camera to my laptop yet, so any of those will have to wait to be shared.

Charlie is curled up at the end of the couch right now, directly in the sunshine. He's clearly enjoying the beautiful weather today. I'm in a pair of Hello Kitty fleece pajama pants and thinking about cooking some seven-layer bars, considering we have three bags of chocolate chips in the pantry.

I suppose, to round out the post a bit with a few pictures, I'll share two from over Christmas weekend.

The first, while seemingly simple, is probably ~~one of~~ my favorite soda. It can be incredibly hard to find, and like my dad I'm inclined to prefer it in a can rather than a bottle, but it's well worth the search. The first time that I had Chris try it (and Dan re-try it), Dan and I had to go to a bunch of stores and ended up buying a whole 12-pack. It didn't go to waste, though.

The second picture is of Dan's mom's dog, Toby, who is pretty much the sweetest dog ever. He makes me seriously consider letting Dan get a golden retriever someday, even though I'm a diehard basset hound fan myself. Toby is so big and mellow, it makes it hard not to love him right away.

When I have full access to my laptop again, I'll be sure to share a few more favorites from Christmas (including a TARDIS mug, Dan's new pillow from his mom, and a whole collection of DVDs).

Starbucks + Notebook Winner!

2011-12-27T10:51:00.001-05:00

Okay, I know - I've hardly been around in the past two weeks, save for the blog party on Thursday. I just haven't had anything particularly interesting to share, plus Christmas, plus my broken laptop (I'm posting this from Dan's desktop), so it's just been quiet, that's all.

But! I do have a winner of the Starbucks gift card and notebook!
*drumroll*

So, congrats to Aubrey! I've sent you an email, and to everyone else, thanks for entering and joining the party!

Winter Festival: The End!

2011-12-22T22:00:00.000-05:00

And so this year's Winter Festival, and my first ever blog party, comes to an end. I do hope you've enjoyed the fun and found a few things you hadn't seen before (and perhaps some you had)!

Here's a recap of today's posts, just in case you missed any:

A big thanks to Erin, Kat, and Kam for their excellent and amusing posts, and thank you for stopping by today!

5 Films for Wintertime

2011-12-22T20:00:00.000-05:00

No winter is complete (nay, no weekend is complete) without a good film festival. So this post brings you a small collection of winter-appropriate films for keeping you entertained this season, and many winters to come.

The Nightmare Before Christmas
This one does double duty, working for both Halloween and Christmas. Honestly, is there anyone who doesn't like this movie? I have yet to find someone who doesn't, and I can understand why. With an adorable ghost dog, a strange love story, and Jack Skellington's effort to understand himself, it's such an oddly bittersweet movie.

Batman Returns
Yep, another Tim Burton movie! I know, I know - the new movies are quite fantastic, I'll be the first to admit to that, but that certainly doesn't take away from Burton's. They're different, but still excellent, and Batman Returns, which happens to be my favorite of the Burton Batmans, takes place at Christmastime. With it's cast of oddities like Danny Devito and Christopher Walken (!!!), how about including this in a day of winter films?

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
I don't care which version you choose; the winter scenes in this will suffice regardless of the production year. But if you're looking for something a little lighter than some of the other suggestions, look no more. Adorable, family-friendly, and perfect for an effort to beat the wintertime blues, TLWW is one that can absolutely remind you that, yes, winter will end, at least for a little while.

The Shining
For those looking for something a little darker, this will surely creep you out and make you think twice about staying inside to avoid all that snow. A Stephen King classic, this wintry horror is excellent for snuggling up with someone you love, whether it's a person, a pet, or a plush.

A Christmas Story
I'm trying really hard not to include too much Christmas in the blog party because surprise! Not everyone celebrates it, and I'd like to be as inclusive as possible, but I just can't exclude A Christmas Story from the list. I love it partly for tradition, partly for itself, and partly because my mother absolutely hates it. I think it's hysterical, and look forward to watching it every year for 24 hours.

What are your "winter movies?"

How to Survive a Southern California Winter

2011-12-22T18:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Southern California.

While we have perfect weather for most of the year, our winter can be pure torture. Quite frankly, as soon as Thanksgiving comes around, I am already shopping for a vacation home in a more tolerable part of the world. Good luck on your first winter, I hope you don't decide to break your lease and move back home to a more inhabitable region.

I'll help you out, after barely surviving 25 winters in Southern California, I feel like I can give you some advice. In fact, I have eleven tips for your first winter in these parts. Before you get started, be sure to check in at Rainapocalypse on 4square and see what your company policy says about 'rainy day schedule'.

Current temp in Southern California vs. Helena, Montana

Weather

Buy another umbrella, because you lost the one you bought last year
Shift your traffic complaints from general slowness to how 'nobody can drive in rain/snow!'
As soon as that first droplet hits the pavement, we're on Storm Watch. Glue yourself to the TV and watch the numerous mud slides, flooded reservoirs, and news anchors talking to passerby about 'the storm of the century'
"There was traffic" is the most common excuse/lie used around these parts...the "weather" is an added 10-15 minutes! Sleep in a bit, accept that extra cup of coffee, or just take the scenic route. You've got an excuse that doesn't need googling

Looking bloggable in CA. Socks=too hot, jacket=left at a bar, and scarf=useless, mittens=WHY??

Clothing/Accessories

Splurge on winter accessories you really don't need, but are dying for an excuse to use: beanie, leg warmers, boot socks, ear warmers, scarf, etc.
Put those rainboots down, dear, you won't need them
Long sleeved shirts/hoodies are commonly matched with shorts and Ugg boots. Just go with it.
Don't pack away those shorts/tank tops/sandals just yet! You're in for at least one more heat wave before March.
Below 70 degrees? Yes, now would be the time to wear your pea coat! It will look great as you order the first hot apple cider of the season

Taken in Utah. I was so surprised to see this number registering!

Winterizing Your Home/Car

Change your windshield wipers - probably haven't changed them since last year, anyway. Double check to make sure you know the location of the switch to turn them on for practice
Be sure to complain a lot about how it is freezing in your house because it dropped below 70 outside. It will make everybody back east and in the midwest really love you

I hope these tips on surviving your first winter in Southern California really help. I know it felt like yesterday when it was 75 degrees and perfect outside, but these are tough times. Make sure your dog walker puts a sweater on your pup and to have Siri remind you to bring an umbrella when you leave the house, you're in for a long four months.

What tips do you have to survive winter in your neck of the woods?

Kam is the writer and creator behind Campfire Chic. She shares helpful information about organization, the geekier parts of blogging, and being an outdoor adventurer. Popular topics include Search Engine Optimization, creating SMART goals, and getting organized. For additional updates, subscribe to the Campfire Chic newsletter.

Party Links: Wintry Recipes

2011-12-22T16:00:00.000-05:00

Winter is such an excellent time for cooking - not too hot to bake with the oven on, always good for enjoying hot comfort foods, like soups, pies, and drinks.

Since it's such a time for cooking, I've been dying to spend as much time in the kitchen as possible. Being completely knocked out by a cold recently, I haven't been able to do that. I have, however, had plenty of time to collect a selection of recipes I would love to make while on winter break and on the weekends after classes start back up. Instead of hoarding these recipes for myself, I am, of course, sharing them with you!

Drinks

Grown-Up Hot Chocolate! *giggles* (shown above)
Sore Throat Ease (to go right along with all my sickness survival tips!)
Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

Foods

Chili in Bread Bowls (and you can certainly make just the bowls, and then put a soup in them if you prefer)
Classic Mac & Cheese
Homemade Oatmeal 9 Ways (shown above)
Baked Potato Casserole
Spinach & Artichoke Dip, Chicken Pot Pie, and Pecan Pie

What foods & drinks do you enjoy most in wintertime?

Starbucks + Notebook Giveaway

2011-12-22T14:00:00.000-05:00

It's giveaway time here at the Brighid's House Winter Festival! I've got two lovely prizes up for grabs today. Ready to see what they are?

One $5 Starbucks gift card, for when you're out in the cold and need a quick pick-me-up
One hand-embroidered Moleskine notebook by yours truly

How do you enter?
You must be a Brighid's House follower to enter, so please take a minute to do so beforehand.

Leave a comment letting me know your ideal winter day/night.
"Like" Brighid's House on Facebook.
Tweet about the giveaway/blog party. Just copy and paste this tweet: "Stop by the Winter Festival on @sonyazombiee's blog today! Enter to win a notebook & Starbucks giftcard! http://tinyurl.com/75yt66z" Or write your own!

Giveaway ends Saturday, Dec. 24 at midnight EST.

Guilty Pleasure Books for Winter Reading

2011-12-22T12:00:00.001-05:00

Everyspring without fail I open a magazine that tells me what books I should readwhile lounging at the pool, beach, park, what have you. Every winter I wonderwhy they assume people only read during the summer. Here are my books youshould read while lounging by the fire/woodstove, curled up in bed, etc.

The Luxe Series -Anna Godbersen
Set in 1899, The Luxe books start off at the funeral of New York’s sweetheart Elizabeth Holland, who allegedly died after being thrown from her friend’s carriage into the Hudson. Suspicions arise, why were they in that part of town? Why was there no male escort? What happened to the body?

The rest of the book follows five socialites and two servants beginning with Elizabeth’s return from Paris. Each chapter starts with a newspaper clipping from the gossip column or a snippet from a book on etiquette and each chapter break signifies a change in narration.

Elizabeth is the picture of beauty and morality until her disappearance and assumed death. Her younger sister, Diana, is a romantic rebel who is bored with New York society. Penelope is as conceited and scheming as Elizabeth is proper and refined; the girls are best friends and fierce competitors. Elizabeth’s fiancé, Henry, the notorious troublemaking playboy feels both guilt and relief when the young socialite dies. His best friend, Teddy, on the other hand, is devastated by the death of the girl he grew up with (and proposed to, twice.) Then there’s the help; Carolina Broud is dismissed and all but vanishes right before Elizabeth’s death, and Will Keller disappears without a trace.

For lovers of historical fiction/romance/mystery, this is a win.

The Private Series - Kate Brian
Reed Brennan arrives at the prestigious EastonAcademy as a scholarship student for her sophomore year of high school. Itdoesn’t take her long to zero in on a group of upperclassman girls who live inthe esteemed and exclusive Billings House. The Billings Girls have success,connections, power, and friends; all the things Reed dreams of. But there’s acatch, this “dorm” is more of a sorority, complete with hazing, secrets,deception, and rules. Getting in won’t be easy, neither will staying in. But aninvitation into this world means having connections to some seriouslyinfluential alumni, gorgeous boys, and running with the richest most powerfulgirls in school. For Reed, surviving Easton ends up being harder than gettinggood grades, it means kidnappings, murders, stalkers, and some serious drama.Reed doesn’t know who to trust, and neither will you.

These books kept me wanting more all the waythrough; to call them “suspenseful” would be an understatement. They’re easyreads, which is good because they are so addicting. Don’t start them if you’renot okay with staying up until 2am reading. These are not Kate Brian’s typicalfluffy books, they have serious dark storylines. Murder, suicide, fear, drugs,and betrayal all mix together with designer clothing, over the top parties,romance, money, and friendship. These books are not to be picked up lightly,it’s a big commitment. The series spans 14 books, plus two prequels (worth theread, but make sure you read them in publishing order) and a six book spinoff, whichbrings us to…

The Privilege Series - Kate Brian
I won’t even use the name of the protagonist inthis one, seeing as she is an antagonist in the Private books. Let’s just saythis much: this chick is batshit crazy. She’s already committed multiple murdersby the time the first book takes place (1-2 years after the last Private book)and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
Despite all the murder, manipulation, andidentity theft I was rooting for her up until the last chapter or so. If youlike the Private books, you’ll love Privilege. Not looking for sociopaths andmurderers? Maybe just a little mystery?

And what book recommendation list from Kat wouldbe complete without...

ALL OF THE HARRY POTTER BOOKS.
Read them already? DO IT AGAIN. Never read them?DO IT, YOU FOOL. RIGHT THE EFF NOW. JUST DO IT. I don’t care if you’re not intomagic and fantasy. Shut the hell up and read them. You want to see solid lovingfriendships, people standing up for what’s right no matter what, racistsgetting their asses handed to them, positive portrayals of women in fiction, ahero who is far from perfect but always has his heart in the right place toremember what good writing was like (before S Meyer ever put her toxic pen topaper)? READ THIS IT HAS ALL OF THAT. READ IT LOVE IT LIVE IT. BE A FANGIRL/GUY/OTHER.

Kat is the world's largest book fan. She regularly creeps Tumblr. With interests including Harry Potter (duh), Doctor Who, and the UK Skins, she's a bit of an anglophile, really. To get to know her, visit her Tumblr.

A Winter Playlist

2011-12-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

Hello again! This hour I'm sharing with you a lovely list of songs to fill your winter with. The overarching theme, of course, is that they all have "winter" in the title. Still, I'd like them all as background music as I'm attending to some of the suggestions in my indoor activities post from earlier.
I hope you enjoy!

What songs do you enjoy most in the winter?

Party Links: Wintry Tutorials

2011-12-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Being inside a good portion of the season can cause a bit of cabin fever, so one good way to combat the insanity is to keep yourself occupied. One of my suggested indoor activities was crafting, so to help you along with that effort I've compiled a nice list of tutorials to help fight the winter woes.

Tutorials

Do you have any tutorials to share for when you're stuck indoors?

An Orange Coffee Recipe

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hi guys! This is Erin from My Beautiful Disaster, here to share a drink recipe with you all. This is inspired by one of my favourite coffee drinks at my favourite restaurant here in Edmonton, Canada. It's basically coffee with orange flavouring. SO. DAMN. GOOD. I stumbled upon this homemade recipe in one of my favourite cookbooks and thought it'd be perfect for Sonya's blog party.

Orange Coffee

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 tbsp icing sugar

1 tsp grated orange rind

2 1/2 cups hot coffee

2/3 cup orange flavoured liquer

4 orange wedges, to decorate

1. In a clean bowl, whip the cream until stiff. Fold in the icing sugar and rind.

2. Chill for 30 minutes, or until the cream mixture is firm enough to hold a wedge of orange on top.

3. Divide the black coffee eqaually among cups and stir about 2 tbsp of the liquer into each. Top with chilled whip cream and decorate with an orange wedge if you want.

Voila!

I really hope you get a chance to try out this recipe, this drink is divine, trust me!

Thanks for having me over here Sonya! YOU ROCK!

Smooches,

~E

Erin is the blogger at the helm of My Beautiful Disaster. She writes about her life, including her work, family, and love of photography. Be sure to stop by, say hi, and spread a little love.

Tips for Surviving Winter Sickness

2011-12-22T04:00:00.000-05:00

If you didn't already know, I was sick for the past week or so with just about everything you could think of. I'm finally coming down from the entire ordeal and quite fittingly think it's wise to share some tips on surviving winter sickness because it is, as they say, that time of the year.

Keep occupied

I did a vast majority of a 1000 piece puzzle while sick, having pushed the coffee table as close the couch as possible, allowing for minimal stretching and movement in general.
Read. Use the time in bed to catch up on a book you've been dying to read or finish one that you haven't quite found the time for.
Find a new gem on Netflix. Maybe there's an entire genre (say, German zombie movies) that you didn't know you liked until now.

Sleep

Get plenty of it! Sleep is one of your greatest allies when fighting a cold, or worse, the flu. Not only does it allow your body time to fight the sickness and help you recharge, but you're probably going to want it anyway.

Liquids

Same as with sleep, get lots! Preferably in the form of water, but tea is also an excellent choice. Stock your cupboard now with a few different varieties to try the next time you're cooped up in bed for a day or two.
Vitamin C! Things like Emergen-C, or a good old-fashioned glass of orange juice can do wonders for you.

Other items to have on hand

Preferred medicines. Always be stocked up on your medicine of choice. I made that mistake just last week, and it was not pretty.
Tissues. These are must have for when that stuffy, runny nose hits.
Lozenges. To soothe that aching throat, of course. With all the different flavors, there's sure to be one to appeal to your taste buds. I personally have a preference for fruit and the original Ricola flavor.
Something fluffy. This could be a pet, a stuffed animal, or a really nice comforter. Just make sure you have something for cuddling.

Indoor Activities for a Long Winter

2011-12-22T02:00:00.000-05:00

We all know the typical outdoor activities for these snowy, wintry months - snowmen, snowball fights, skiing, or snowboarding. But for those of us who prefer to look at it from our living room window, we might need to find something else to do in order to avoid going a little stir crazy with these short days, long nights, and overall times of intense indoor encampment.
Which, fittingly, brings me to my first indoor activity!

Build a living room fort!

What's better than piling blankets, pillows, and cushions all around your living room and acting like a child? Not much, except maybe throwing some hot foods into that equation. Clear some space around the living room, build your fort, and prepare yourself for the next suggestion ...

Have a movie marathon!

Scary movies, Disney movies, romantic comedies - whatever your poison, sit in your fort and enjoy it. Make a giant bowl of your favorite flavor popcorn, steamy mugs of hot cocoa, and go to town.

Do something crafty!

Make yourself a nice folder in your bookmarks full of crafts to try out. For some ideas, be sure to check out the Party Links post later today full of crafty winter tutorials to try out.
Some quick ideas include: knitting a scarf; doing some embroidery; scrapbooking; or even cooking something.

Read a book! (Or two, or five ...)

At the beginning of the season, make yourself a nice long list of books you'd like to finish before spring comes around the corner. If you're anything like me, you look very much forward to winter because it becomes an excellent time to take a break and drown yourself in books after working so hard during the nicer weather.

What indoor activities do you recommend?

Welcome to the Winter Festival!

2011-12-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hello, hello! And welcome to the Winter Festival!

I have lots of excellent, winter-themed posts lined up for today, the first day of winter! We have some great guest posts lined up, plus a giveaway that I really hope you'll enjoy.

Somewhat disappointingly, there is no snow here today, even though it's officially winter. Still, let's pretend there's a sufficient chill in the air (no, wait, that's still here), cozy up around the warm computer glow, and crack on!

So just what kinds of excitement do we have in store today?
Well, here's a shortlist of what to expect:

learn to survive a Southern California winter
listen to some sweet tunes
get some recommendations for your Netflix queue
prepare for some mouthwatering delights
gear up for battling germs

Over the next 24 hours or so, we'll be embracing the season on both the coasts and diving into the winter wonderland of Brighid's House!

Grab a blanket and a steamy cup of your favorite hot drink, and get ready for some seasonal delights!

Friday, I'm in Love ... With Puzzles!

2011-12-16T10:17:00.000-05:00

This doesn't just apply to jigsaw puzzles, although I am a huge fan of those; it also includes crossword puzzles, sudoku, and logic puzzles (you know, like the potions one in Sorcerer's Stone that Hermione solves).

I like things that work my brain, and if someone asked me what my favorite was, then I would probably say crossword puzzles, simply because I do them most often, especially know that I've downloaded an app that gives me a variety of puzzles from a bunch of newspapers (my favorite being USA Today).

And while I have yet to actually finish a crossword puzzle that wasn't from People Magazine, I really love doing them and seeing just how far I get.

My second favorite would then be jigsaw puzzles, which I've always been fairly good at and just love doing. I'm very particular about the pictures they make because if it doesn't interest me I'm much less likely to want to finish.

When we were at Walmart the other night, actually, I dug through an entire shelf of them because I wanted a Disney Artist Series puzzle (I already have two), but wasn't interested in the ones I had found. With some perseverance, though, I managed to find my Tinkerbell one which is now taking up a majority of the coffee table.

Snapple, Snapple, Snapple ♥ putting the edge of my puzzle together ♥ curling up with Charlie while sick ♥ free time to read and write over break ♥ being on break! ♥ Green Day ♥ camping out in the living room for the weekend ♥ perusing food blogs ♥ getting a B- on my biology final exam ♥ preparing for taco night when Dan gets home, by which I mean thinking intensely about it ♥ playing with my e.l.f. makeup ♥ my friend Jess borrowing (and hopefully enjoying) The Great Gatsby & Hunger Games ♥ Christmas present anticipation

A Photo Update

2011-12-13T12:49:00.000-05:00

1. Charlie sleeping on the arm of the couch; 2. Boo, one of the neighbor cats, on the hunt. I like to pretend they're in love; 3. My new puzzle for over break!; 4. We've been filling the living room with candles this month; 5. The new issue of The Radical Uprise came in the mail yesterday!; 6. I've slowly become addicted to Snapple, particularly the lemon tea.

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

2011-12-12T10:58:00.000-05:00

A Borders closing sale selection, Bright Young Things follows three young women in 1920s New York: Letty dreams of becoming famous; Cordelia is searching for her father; and Astrid is dealing with relationships with her mom and boyfriend. Each girl's story entangles with the others', and Godbersen did a very good job keeping the stories going without being too overwhelming or confusing.

In the prologue, Godberson tells the reader that by the end of the decade, one girl will be married, one famous, and one dead.

I expected to know who was who by the end of the first novel, unaware that there was a sequel, so I was more than a little disappointed at the end of the nearly 400-page book to find that this was not revealed to me yet - a clever way to ensure I read the next book, of course. I'm not complaining, though, because if the second is half as good as the first, I should certainly have a good time reading.

I haven't read any other book by Godbersen, and while I'm still not particularly interested in The Luxe series (I blame the time period, but I'll read it because Kat insists), I am highly anticipating the paperback release of the Bright Young Things sequel. Not only am I thoroughly invested in each girl in the book (some more than others, of course), but I honestly can't wait to see where it goes.

Coincidentally, a few hundred pages before I finished I found out that Kat and I were both reading it, though she wasn't even half way through. I just asked her if she enjoys it (seriously, as I'm writing this up) and she says she loves it.

So what's the verdict?

I absolutely recommend it. It's a good "girly" novel, and I love the time period, so if you're even a little interested in the 1920s like I am (even though I know very little), I say give it a shot.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

4/5 Stars

Link Love #2

2011-12-10T13:17:00.000-05:00

Happy Saturday! Dan and I are invading the kitchen today, cooking up some chicken tikka masala and garlic naan, and I thought I would share not only the recipe which inspired today's foray into India but also a few others.

First is Tara's post on slow cooker chicken tikka masala. While it's not the exact recipe I'm using (we're using more of a hybrid of this and another), it definitely got us excited to make our own.
I recently got a new desktop background from Bre of moxee, and absolutely love it. I'm very much hoping she'll be doing another for next month.
I'm absolutely in love with these "never-before-exhibited" drawings by Sylvia Plath.
While I was prepping for my blog party announcement, I constantly referred back to Kam's 5 Quick Tips for Hosting Your Own Blog Party.
Finally, here are 10 ways to empower yourself from About-Face.

I hope you're having a fantastic Saturday!

My First e.l.f. Order

2011-12-08T10:36:00.000-05:00

I mentioned on Monday that I recently ordered my first e.l.f. products and that perhaps I would share them. Well, perhaps turned into of course, and I just have a few pictures of the things I got!

It's not terribly exciting, because I only got a few things, and they're fairly simple aside from the massive eyeshadow palette, but I'm pretty happy. The eyeliner is just black, and the lid primer is presumably the color of the tube, or something like it. I haven't used any of it yet, so I really can't give a review (not that I'd have much clue what to say, anyway), but I just thought it was worth sharing a bit anyway.

I will admit that I have my eye on the cream eyeliner in purple, so if I like the black I just might get myself a second one. Heheh.

Do you use any e.l.f. products?

On Internet Friendships

2011-12-07T12:59:00.000-05:00

I have long been an Internet friend kind of person. In high school I had as many friends as I could count on one hand, which is perfectly reasonable, but I'm also not the "constantly hang out with friends" kind of person. Sure, I like spending time with people (once in a while), but I'm quite solitary, really, as long as I have someone to talk to.

That's why the Internet was always good for me - I could talk and talk and talk, while still being comfortably cooped up in my cave of a bedroom.

While I've definitely grown up a bit and I certainly have more (and different) friends, I still completely value the power of friendship via the Internet. Even now there are people who think friends (and more) are not realistic when they're only over the Internet. Sure, it is good to see them in person at some point or another, and there is still that lingering fear of creepers, but I think meeting and talking with someone on the Internet can be a really good base for a relationship. Not only can you find a variety of people with similar interests who are miles away but still quite close, but you can also begin that relationship based around who they are and not just what they look like (somewhat, because let's be honest - you'll still look for a picture of them on their blog).

Why all the thought?
Because Kam tweeted this before my biology class this morning (a constant dread), and I couldn't help but smile.

I've made some incredible friends over the Internet, several of whom (including Kam) have sent me postcards that are up on my fridge. It's nice to have that reminder when I go to get a snack, and it's amazing how people so far away take the time to send me a little something when others who maybe aren't quite so far away, but used to swear up and down that we were best friends, can't even send me a text anymore.

Just some food for thought, I guess.

Announcing: Winter Festival Blog Party!

2011-12-06T11:46:00.000-05:00

I'm very excited to announce that this month I'd like to hold my first ever blog party!

The plan is for a winter themed blog party on December 22, the first day of winter. What I'm looking for is guest bloggers who would like to share their winter recipes, traditions, styles, giveaways, printables, favorite activities, movies, and anything else winter themed that can be thought of. You don't even have to live someplace snowy, just share your winter with us!

The goal is to have at least 12 posts to share for the day, but up to 24 are entirely welcome. I'll be posting submitted posts, as well as my own, throughout the day, hopefully getting everyone into the spirit of winter. It's snowed twice here so far, and although the first time was a good sized storm, I know I could use a little winter inspiration myself.

If you're interested, either send me an email or fill out this form.

Favorite YouTube Makeup Tutorials

2011-12-05T16:25:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned before my obsession with YouTube hair and makeup tutorials, and I've once again been swept up in the awesome that is more videos. There are a few people whose videos I've actually gone through almost completely (at least the ones I'm most interested in), so I've been looking for new people to watch. I just thought I'd share a few videos from YouTubers I love, both oldies and ones I've recently discovered.

I particularly like the Aria one because it's the most "wearable," but I obviously couldn't resist sharing a Hunger Games inspired look and I just think Chyaz is too adorable not to include.

I think tomorrow I might share the new makeup items that I got from e.l.f. recently.

Have any favorite tutorials of your own?

Saturday Night Movies: The Muppets

2011-12-04T14:30:00.000-05:00

Dan and I went out last night to celebrate our anniversary (which is actually tomorrow, but it was easier to go out last night than a Monday night), and one of our activities was going on a good ol' fashion movie date.

We saw ...

The Muppets
OH MY GOSH. This movie was so much fun! There were so many ridiculous cameos, I could barely keep up, and I think Miss Piggy just might be my new role model. I completely forgot that the Muppets movies have songs in them so I was even more excited when Walter and Jason Segel started singing and dancing. I would absolutely, completely, totally, 100% say YES if anyone asked me if they should see this - it's just too fun and feel-good not to!

The guys also watched Shutter Island last night after Dan and I got home, which I've seen before but didn't pay enough attention to at the moment to "officially" include, but I will say that it's another one I definitely enjoy.

Let it snow! // December goals

2011-12-03T13:10:00.000-05:00

It hasn't actually snowed yet this month, but I do hope it does for Christmas.

Finish my NaNo novel
I fell very far behind on my novel this month. Indeed, I failed to finish it on time. I do want to finish, though, so my hope is that during winter break I'll have the time to sit down and really work on it, since I won't have homework or class for the month.

Decorate for Christmas!
It'll be our first Schmancy Christmas, and I very much intend to go as all out as possible. We already have our first present wrapped, too, and since we didn't have a tree when it arrived and I wrapped it, I put it under the living room plant for the time being.

Relax
I haven't had a whole lot of time to do that this past semester, and even though I intend to do a lot of writing, Christmas celebrating, and crafting, I think all of those things will help me to relax in the long run. While I definitely have some responsibilities to take care of over the summer, I do want to take some time to chill during the winter (haha, lame joke).

Watch Mad Men
I mentioned yesterday that I'm finally making my way through the first season (finally) because every time I've started it before, I would get distracted and quit, probably partly because I'm watching it on Netflix rather than on DVD, so sometimes it lags and I give up. But December is Mad Men month! I'm deciding it now.

Do you have goals for the month?

Friday, I'm in Love ... With Mad Men!

2011-12-02T13:05:00.000-05:00

I'm currently working my way slowly through the first season of Mad Men finally. I started over the summer, but never finished for whatever reason.

I'm clearly a little late to the bandwagon, but that's okay because the setback on season five gives me time to catch up before the new episodes air!

I'd say I love everything about the show, but that would be a lie; I absolute hate Pete Campbell. Rarely does an episode go by when I don't feel the need to punch him in the face repeatedly. I like his secretary, though, because she gets sarcastic with him even though it gets her in trouble. The way he treats everyone, not just the women, is absolutely ridiculous. He's not ambitious; he's an arrogant little snake.

I really like the women of the show, though. Even when they're mean to each other, I can understand it. For the most part, I very much like Betty, Joan, and Peggy. I was little iffy about Peggy in the beginning, I don't know why, but she's grown on me.

Potentially silly question, but ...

Do you watch Mad Men?

anticipating my anniversary dinner date with Dan ♥ two weeks left of the semester ♥ hot chocolate with Bailey's creamer ♥ decorating for the Christmas season ♥ packages in the mail! ♥ reading three books in a week ♥ getting published! ♥ saving on groceries ♥ Christmas shopping

I'm published!

2011-12-01T11:41:00.000-05:00

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed me mentioning a few times a week or so ago that I was working on an article for my campus newspaper. Other than that, I tried to keep it fairly quiet to save it for a surprise. Well, the issue came out today and I'm very excited to pick up a copy (or two, or five) when I go to class this afternoon!

Not only am I excited about it in general, but also because it was about The Rocky Horror Show performance we had on campus and because getting a piece published was on my 21 Before 21. When I wrote the list, I was actually thinking more along the lines of creative writing, but I'm very happy either way!

It's funny, because now I'm inspired to write even more; I guess that makes sense, though - positive feedback reinforcing already strong desires. I don't know if there will be more journalistic pursuits (it was, in fact, my original major idea, until I decided right before graduation that I wanted to go into teaching instead), but there is definitely going to be more writing for me again. You may have noticed I've even been a bit quiet around here lately, but that's mostly because I've just been so lacking in inspiration. Now, though, I'm definitely feeling a bit of a resurgence.

Since I highly doubt you'll be stopping by li'l ol' Keene any time soon, you can also read my article on our paper's website! But, y'know, only if you want to.

Saturday Night Movies: Tangled & Cry-Baby

2011-11-27T11:38:00.000-05:00

To answer the very popular question from last week, yes, I'll be doing more movie reviews. Maybe not every Saturday, but probably pretty close since we tend to watch our Netflix movies at the end of the week when we finally have time.

So, what did I watch this week (since Dan and Chris weren't home)?

Tangled
"The magically long-haired Rapunzel has spent her entire life in a tower, but now that a runaway thief has stumbled upon her, she is about to discover the world for the first time, and who she really is."

I've been reading Walt Disney Confessions for the past few days, and a lot of them were complaints about how bad "Tangled" and "Princess and the Frog" apparently are. I wanted to watch both, but only Tangled was instant so I settled for that. It was just what you would expect from a Disney movie, really - a bit silly, some romance, family drama. It was cute, though, I thought. Not necessarily a masterpiece, and probably not my first choice for a Disney movie craving, but I don't feel like I wasted time watching it.
And then?

Cry-Baby
"'Drape' (or Greaser) Wade Walker, also known as Cry-Baby for his ability to shed a single tear, falls head over heels for square Allison Vernon-Williams who, incidentally, is tired of being good."

This was and wasn't on the opposite on the end of the spectrum, because it was also silly with some romance, but not quite so much family drama, and well, it was also incredibly weird in a good way. I think this one was more fun, simply because the soundtrack was fantastic and, oh yeah, it's a frickin' JOHN WATERS film. Think "Hairspray!" It was just adorably campy and amusing.

Confession: I Am Not an "Etsy Crafter"

2011-11-26T12:55:00.000-05:00

For the purpose of this post, I'm breaking down the term "crafter" into only two categories. Of course they can be broken up even more, such as by type of craft, but these are what I've been focusing on in my head recently.

The Etsy Crafter
This is the kind of person who manages to either use Etsy as their sole income, or at least keep up with it well enough to become fairly well-known and liked, and make decent sales. They grow and have goals related to their craft(s) and they become somewhat self-reliant, which is all very cool, of course.

So, yeah, I have an Etsy shop. I sometimes update it. But for the most part, I'm more of ...

The For-Fun Crafter
This doesn't mean Etsy crafters don't find their work fun - it just means they're doing it for profit as well as enjoyment. This fits me much better, however, because I don't post consistently about crafts, I don't update my shop a few times a week, and I just make things when I find the time, which lately hasn't been often.

The two can absolutely mix, because I don't believe that Etsy crafters ignore the for-fun aspect. I've just been beating myself up, seeing everyone working hard on their Etsy shops or even taking their shops offline and into the real world, while I have an abundance of materials waiting to be made into something

Lately, though, I've realized that
a. just because I blog doesn't mean it has to be shopshopshopprofitprofitprofit 24/7 for me
b. I can still be a crafter without the burden of sharing or selling, but instead focus on the fun, and/or find a balance between the two that is right for my standards, not someone else's.

Just like I'm not a style blogger, or a mommy blogger (not even close on that one), I'm just not the super-motivated Etsy crafter type like so many others.
And that's just fine.

Bye, Dog ♥

2011-11-24T19:41:00.001-05:00

At least he had a last Thanksgiving.

Saturday Night Movies: Super & Inglourious Basterds

2011-11-20T10:14:00.001-05:00

It's become an unintended tradition the past few months to watch a movie every Saturday night here in the Schmancy Apartment. It's nearly always a new movie from Netflix, though sometimes we even go crazy and watch two like we did last night. And last weekend we even went so far as to watch every Lord of the Rings movie in a day.

So what did we watch this week?

Super
"After his wife falls under the influence of a drug dealer, an everyday guy transforms himself into Crimson Bolt, a superhero with the best intentions, though he lacks for heroic skills."

This was even stranger (and grosser) than I expected, but both of those things made it even better. I don't remember how I was reminded of it the other night, but when I was, I immediately added it to my Netflix queue for this weekend. I was not only excited because it sounded like it would be a good time, but also because I adore Ellen Page so I tend to devour any movie that she shows up in. This movie definitely fit our mood for that night (or maybe our mood fit the movie), and it started us on a path of terribly, ridiculously awesome movies for our Saturday.
Next up?

Inglourious Basterds
"In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis."

Another movie that isn't necessarily for the weak stomached, this is one that I actually own and I am very thankful for that. But I hadn't watched in a while, so I was very excited to be reminded of just how much I love the movie. I forgot how many subtitles were in it, and there was a short discussion between the three of us about why Tarantino could kill Hitler, but not pretend that everyone spoke English. Oh, well. Still a good-time movie. Well, for us, anyway.

Also, trivia time! It was merely a coincidence, and only one was a main character, but it amuses me nonetheless. Which actors from The Office (US) appeared in the movies we watched last night?

Friday, I'm in Love ... With Kate Nash!

2011-11-18T13:40:00.000-05:00

I adore Kate Nash. She is beautiful and wonderful and amazing and fantastic.

Her songs are a perfect blend of amusing ("Dickhead") and beautiful ("Nicest Thing"). "Nicest Thing" actually came onto my iPod last night while I was working on my NaNo novel and it was just so perfect for the scene I was writing, I about died. Hence this post!

I started listening to Kate Nash while I was England, but not because I was in England; I think that's just a coincidence, honestly, but certainly not one that I'm bothered by or anything. Now I have two of her albums on my iPod and I give them a listen just about any time, whether I'm going to sleep or writing or taking a walk. I think my favorite is a toss-up between "Foundations" (the first song I heard) and "Nicest Thing." Funny since they're kind of somewhat opposing songs, but the first is adorable in a sad way and the second is beautiful in a sad way, y'know? (Maybe you don't?)

Since I keep gushing about it, here's "Nicest Thing," which I'm now determined to learn on the guitar because it's beautiful and simple.

writing my first unit plan (even if it's due right before Thanksgiving) ♥ seeing The Rocky Horror Show performed at school ♥ delicious paninis at school ♥ homemade mac & cheese ♥ starting Lord of the Rings ♥ being assigned my first news article ♥ The Great Gatsby ♥ peanut butter & oatmeal cookies

They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!

2011-11-17T12:11:00.001-05:00

Charlie wants to read with me!

At the moment I'm about 170 pages in, and my copy has all three books in one (with a movie cover which I loathe so much ... I don't like books with movie still covers), so I know it's over 1,000 pages, though I'm not sure off the top of my head exactly how many.

See, I've seen the movies a bunch of times, and on Saturday, Dan, Chris, and I watched them all in a row (it was a long day) and I started the book a while ago before I went to England, but didn't finish it. So now that I've finished The Chronicles of Narnia, I've decided to embark upon the quest that is The Lord of the Rings. I firmly believe you can't be a true nerd* of a book-based movie series unless you've read its origin, which means before I can be a real LOTR nerd, I have to read all of the books, and I'll probably re-read The Hobbit soon, too.

This was one of two series on my 21 Before 21, the other being Narnia, and I'm very excited to get this goal accomplished!

Have you read LOTR?

*Note: You can still be a nerd. I just think there's a level of nerdiness that being well-versed in both the books and movies gives you that just one form won't.

Peanut Butter & Oatmeal Cookies

2011-11-14T12:57:00.001-05:00

As today went on I started to feel negative.
So I made cookies! They're quite delicious and would probably be pretty fantastic with a glass of milk.

It was weird; when I started, I was really pumped about making cookies, especially peanut butter ones. Then as I started putting them on the baking sheet and into the oven I felt like they were boring and bad, which I've clearly been proven wrong about. The same thing happened last night when I made a veggie casserole for dinner. I was excited to cook (with Dan's help, no less! he grated the cheese) and then when I took it out of the oven I just felt like it wasn't going to be any good. Except it was! It was quite delicious actually.

I still feel kind of unhappy for some reason, but at least now I have cookies, right?

If you're interested, here's a recipe card PDF:

Peanut butter & Oatmeal Cookies

What do you like to do when you're feeling down?

P.S., They (and the casserole) aren't from yesterday's cookbook. I don't think I'll make anything from that for a few weeks at the soonest.

Homemade by Clodagh McKenna

2011-11-13T10:17:00.001-05:00

Friday night, Dan, Chris, and I went to dinner at Margarita's, then took a trip to Toadstool Bookshop because they've been having a 20% off everything sale for the past week. I always have a hard time buying books in stores without some kind of coupon or something because I've been getting the majority of my books lately from Amazon, usually for around $4 (including shipping). So I stalked the shelves of Toadstool, being very picky with what I chose to buy.

At first I decided upon F. Scott Fitzgerald's autobiography. Then I found Chad Kultgen's new book, Men, Women, and Children, and I carried that around for a little while, too.

Then I put them both back.

I continued looking, by that point having given up on finding anything at all to buy. I found my way to the cookbooks section and looked around a bit, immediately caught by a book with a pink binding and adorable cover. I look at for a moment, and then put it back. I peeked around at a few more and found myself picking up Homemade again. I looked through it some more before flipping it over to check the price - $25, before getting marked down to a much more debit friendly $10!

I decided to buy it, assuming it wouldn't get the 20% discount because it was already marked down and some items in the store were exceptions to the sale. But when the guy rang up the book it was only $8!

I brought home a lovely new cookbook to add to my collection for less than half of its original price, spent all of Friday night flipping through it, even reading it in bed as if it were some fantastic novel, and now I can't wait to cook something from it!

Friday, I'm in Love ... With Roseanne

2011-11-11T09:45:00.001-05:00

It's one of those shows from my childhood, and it happens to probably be one that I still watch more than any others. It's basically my go-to show when there's nothing else on ... and often even when there is something else on. Chris and I tend to argue over its awesomeness because he's not a fan of Roseanne (the woman, or the show). He often uses the word "annoying" in reference. My adjective of choice? Hysterical.

Darlene is probably my second spirit animal, after Daria. She's crass but smart, and she's actually quite sensitive, at least when it comes to David. But since the show is a good 85% humor, I think I'll share one of my favorite Darlene scenes (from one of my favorite two-part episodes, actually).

Do you ever watch Roseanne?

my first Slutwalk ♥ homemade oatmeal for breakfast ♥ no Thursday 8 a.m. class ♥ LOTR weekend ♥ Sailor Moon re-release! (Thanks for the unintentional reminder, Kristin!) ♥ new books in the mail ♥ perfecting my smoothie recipe ♥ finishing Narnia

Drained

2011-11-10T12:23:00.001-05:00

I've felt so devoid of inspiration lately, and it's incredibly disappointing. I don't know if it's because I'm just busy, or because I've been channeling all of my creative energy into the novel, or if it's just the muses leaving me on my own for the moment. Regardless of which it is, it's making me feel completely and terribly lazy. I don't like the feeling that nothing fun or substantial is coming from what I'm doing right now. I feel like any time I spend browsing the internet or doing homework or whatever else could be better spent creating.

I'm at the point in my novel where I'm slightly burnt out and taking a break for a day or two on it before catching that spark again, but I feel like the novel break could be well-spent on something else equally positive, creative, and just generally wonderful, whether it's food, knitting, writing, or what, I don't know. I just feel like I should be doing something, anything, whenever I can.

I have so many unfinished projects right now, and I'm finding it difficult to find the drive to get them done. I don't want to force it, but I don't want to just quit everything, either; it'd feel like such a waste of time to have so many half-finished items lying around the apartment.

I'm just so frustrated with everything.

November Goals

2011-11-08T10:36:00.000-05:00

Start making Friday/Saturday dinners
I have a lot of not so satisfying foods during the week and the weekend is the only time I really have time to cook, especially since Friday nights we do grocery shopping, meaning I can get all the things I need to make something for dinner. So my goal is to start making dinners on Friday or Saturday, depending on our weekend plans and which day permits a little better.

Finish knits for myself
I've had a half-finished hat that I've been making myself for about a month now, and even though it's so close I haven't seemed to have been able to get myself to finish.

Complete my NaNo novel
I did it last year, so I'm definitely feeling confident this year, especially since I like this year's novel even better so far. I've been getting a little behind every once in a while, but I manage to catch up pretty well so I'm not too concerned.

Get off the internet
I think my #1 goal for the month is to cut down on my internet time as much as possible. I've deleted my Facebook bookmark and have already spent much less time on there. I just know that if I can manage to rip myself from the depths of the internet (re: tumblr), then I'll have so much more time to do other interesting thing.

Do you have any goals for the month?

Busy

2011-11-07T15:09:00.000-05:00

What have you been up to?

Friday, I'm in Love ... With Narnia!

2011-11-04T10:10:00.002-04:00

Remember how I've been working my way through the entire Chronicles of Narnia series? Well, I finally began the last book this week and expect that I'll be done within the next few days if I find enough time.

Reading and finishing the series is something I'm really glad I'm finally accomplishing. I've had my set of books for probably ten years at least and every time I started it seemed the furthest I could get would be into Prince Caspian before giving up and moving on to something else. But this time I took my time (except for when I didn't) and took breaks when I felt I needed to, but I never let myself read a different book unless it was for a class.

I think if I were to choose a favorite book it would be between The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian, probably because that was the one I nitpicked through the whole movie. On the one hand, I love everything about LWW, but on the other hand, Edmund is less of a jerk in PC.
Oh, hell, I have to go classic and say LWW is my favorite. Strange how that works out, isn't it?

And can I please take a moment to say that I absolutely could not stand Susan any time she showed up through the entire series? She was just such an uptight brat with no sense of adventure, always preferring to go home. But then Lucy wanted to be pretty like her which made me sad and irritated (and caused an interesting argument between Chris and me over who's better looking in the movies - I stand firm in my choice of Georgie Henley). And while Edmund started out as a jerk like I said, he was totally into Narnia by the end of things and turned out to be a pretty cool guy.

I may have asked already but have you read any of the books? Tell me about your favorites! Books, characters, scenes, whatever!

half-price Halloween candy ♥ a good bottle of Pepsi ♥ starting NaNoWriMo ♥ trip to Boston tomorrow! ♥ Daria mini-martathons in bed ♥ finding my headphones ♥ pancakes from scratch ♥ 2 minute hot cocoa

Confession: I Have a Cartoon Crush

2011-11-03T10:27:00.002-04:00

I've been watching a lot of Daria lately, slowly but surely working my way through the entire series. While I've decided that Daria is definitely my spirit animal, I've always had a soft spot for Trent, and this time around I'm really reminded why.

It's an awkward affection for an fictional character, and of course part of me does totally agree with Daria in the episode in which she imagines her future with Trent - not great (until she imagines the cleaned-up version of him and we both fall in love all over again, dammit). But the other part of me just lets out a sigh and laughs at the fact that he's a damn cartoon. It's one of those things I've just come to accept, though, like massive snowfalls and the fact that Charlie will undoubtedly take my spot on the bed in the middle of the night. Some things are just better accepted than fought.

Oh, to be me.
Other fictional crushes of mine include:

Fred & George Weasley (I wrote a poem about Fred in class Tuesday, actually.)
Stevo from SLC Punk
Tony Stonem from Skins (even though he's a total jerk)
Tank Girl

What strange crushes have you ever had?

NaNoWriMo Round 2

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

If you were around the blog a year ago, you might remember that I took the adventure that is National Novel Writing Month (affectionately known as NaNoWriMo). I stressed, I ached, and I probably gave up a few times. But I can also say that I successfully wrote a novel in a month on my first try. I won't say it's a good novel (I won't even say it's a novel I will ever willingly show another living human), but I do consider it to be an accomplishment, especially seeing as it was the first novel I ever finished in its entirety.
I'll bet you can see where this is going ...

I am totally taking the plunge again this year. November 1 - 30 I'll be working a second 50,000 word novel into my already hellish schedule. What will this involve?

I've been prepping by reading Bird by Bird and No Plot? No Problem! for the past week or so. I've already read both, so I have a clue but it's good to remind myself, y'know? Since I don't like bringing my laptop to campus if I don't have to (constant fear of tripping and falling on it, reinforced by the fact that I have tripped but managed not to land on it), I'll probably end up doing a lot of writing by hand in the notebook I bought for last year but didn't use as much as I'd expected.

Not pictured is the massive amounts of caffeine I'll be consuming in the form of energy drinks and hot cocoa.

Are you doing NaNoWriMo? Or have you before?

P.S., Want to be my writing buddy?

Happy Halloween from Charlie!

2011-10-31T14:43:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone has a good Halloween! It's still pretty snowy here, and Dan's car is getting some work done, so I doubt I'll be handing out candy tonight like I'd hoped because I don't have any and don't feel like walking to Walmart. I also learned that I need more time to find a green Daria coat/sweater, which means I didn't manage that costume. Sadface. But I only had one class today, anyway, so I doubt many people would have seen it. Oh well. Next year, right?

Dressing up as Winter for Halloween

2011-10-29T16:25:00.000-04:00

Charlie's been sitting at the window now for about an hour watching it snow.

It seems that Mother Nature's decided Winter would be a good costume for Halloween this year, and I'm okay with this. A majority of the posts I've seen around the internet today (Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, basically) have been very negative regarding the snow. The thing is, there's nothing you can do about it. If you live in New Hampshire (especially if you've been here and in the northeast for years), you should know this by now and just make the best of it.

Take this strange snowfall as a chance to curl up and watch a movie (or five), and have a giant mug of cocoa or tea. Cuddle with your dog, cat, or a loved one. Take a hot bath or shower. Stop whining about this thing you can't control which, once you get over it, is really pretty nice to look at, especially from under some blankets on the couch.

Seriously, just lighten up and try to turn it into a positive.

Friday, I'm in Love ... With Coloring!

2011-10-28T10:48:00.000-04:00

This week's been busy, and when I haven't been doing homework or sleeping (or sitting in the Equinox office until 2am on a Monday night/Tuesday morning), I've been doing something super fantastic - COLORING! It seems to be a staple of college students, at least around here, especially at busier, more stressful times.

Chris says I have a problem, because I have not just two or three coloring books, but nine. I have no plans of stopping there, either. I've been searching Amazon for other options (I'm particularly searching for a Looney Toons coloring book because they remind me of when I was little). My current books include:

Disney Princesses
Alice in Wonderland
Pirates
The Bible
Care Bears
Sesame Street
Hello Kitty x 2

However, I think I'm most excited about the most recent one I bought last week.

LISA FRANK. I bought this one, then Tuesday we went to Walmart again (it's going to make me so broke soon) and I ended up buying a box of 120 Crayolas. 120! (Jealous, ma?)

Needless to say, this is definitely one of my favorite, better addictions.

Do you have any coloring books?

trying my first Peace Tea ♥ honey roasted peanuts ♥ curling deeply under blankets because we haven't turned our heat on yet ♥ NaNoWriMo is almost here! ♥ prepping for trick-or-treaters ♥ wearing boots ♥ my healing knee ♥ 2 Broke Girls ♥ Chinese food & scary movies ♥ Paranormal Activity 3 ♥ more TRU purchases ♥ crunchy apples ♥ The Addams Family ♥ studying poetry ♥ first snow of the season

The Lost Soul Companion by Susan Brackney

2011-10-27T12:17:00.002-04:00

This isn't exactly one of my normal book reviews because I guess those are usually novels or memoirs. This is more on the advice side of things, and I don't exactly know how to work with that, but I'm going to try.

I ordered this used from Amazon a week or two ago, and it finally arrived the other day.
It honestly wasn't what I was expecting, which I think let me down a little bit. I had expected it to be bigger, longer. But it actually showed up as this small item in the mailbox, a bit shy and waiting to be loved. Well, after my initial disappointment, I did learn to love the book. It's peculiar, but in a way I really enjoy. Also, you can definitely tell that Brackney originally self-published it, which is probably why it's so small, right?

It has a whole section on art in conjunction with depression - famous writers and artists, ways of coping, things to remember when you're feeling like crap. I was very excited to see a snippet about Sylvia Plath in it, even though it was scolding the whole head in the oven debacle (which is an understandable reaction, of course, the scolding).

There were also bits of inspiration, stories of other artists (starving or otherwise), food ideas, and a bunch of other little things, and it's never really short on the humor, even in the depression parts.

Basically, it's a little book full of little things to help out big dreamers. Very cute, and I'm content with the $4 I spent on it.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

4/5 Stars

Keene Pumpkin Fest 2011

2011-10-25T11:36:00.000-04:00

This past weekend was the 20th annual Keene Pumpkin Festival and to be completely honest, it was a bit of a let down. We were a little over half the record of pumpkins when they announced the count, reaching only about 16,000 in town (the record is around 30,000). There was a small turnout for attendance, and disappointingly, there were over 100 arrests over the weekend.
Oh, to live in a college town.

But this doesn't mean I don't have anything good to say! Katie came to spend the weekend on Friday night (her boyfriend, Jake, arrived Saturday), and even with just our small group we still had a pretty decent time.
Friday afternoon I worked the Feminist Collective table for a few hours during Pumpkin Lobotomy on campus, which wasn't too bad. People were very excited about our free things, including pumpkin spice coffee, candy, and hot pink condoms.

Then Friday night we (Katie, Dan, Chris, and I) carved our pumpkins, registered them downtown, then went to see Paranormal Activity 3, which was fantastic. Not only was the movie adequately creepy, but the reactions of the audience were absolutely priceless! I'd never been to a scary movie with the theater that packed, and it was definitely an experience I'd like to have again. We also stopped at Walmart afterward, but that wasn't quite as fun as it could have been because they were closing in 15 minutes, so we ended up going back on Saturday.

L-R: Katie; Chris (it says "TRBL"), mine (supposed to be a Silence, but ended up as more of a vulture bird thing); Dan (says "The Money Pit" - we have a lot of inside jokes around here)

Saturday was actually Pumpkin Fest, and we walked Main St. with a significant amount of disappointment at the barren pumpkin stands. So we only walked around for a few hours before making our trip to Walmart and returning back to the Schmancy Apartment to wait for Jake to arrive. Then, a bit later, we went out to meet up with Chris, who had been wandering around town with his family, and went to get dinner at Athens. When we came home, Dan, Chris, and I had a Nerf gun battle before I made cupcakes at 10:30 p.m.
Also, there is a man in town who has a Batmobile. Behold:

So the weekend certainly wasn't completely terrible, but it wasn't exactly wonderful either. Honestly, it could have been any other weekend, save for the pumpkins, the closed streets, and the people wandering around.

An Interview with Hannah Clare of Cave in the Clouds

2011-10-22T09:57:00.000-04:00

Tell us a little (or a lot!) about yourself!

Hello, myname is Hannah Clare. I blog and operate an online shop under the name CAVE INTHE CLOUDS, and I love it. I am an artist, a near-obsessive coffee drinker anda collector of hobbies. Baking is my comfort hobby and I don't go on enoughadventures. I am a thrifter, a creator, a vinyl spinner, an art journaler and apaper lover.

First, I need to ask - where did you come up withthe name “Cave in the Clouds?"

I reallyhave no idea, the name just kind of came to me one day and I fell in love withit! CAVE IN THE CLOUDS is a variant, of sorts, of the phrase "head in theclouds". The "cave" part of the name really represents mybedroom (which my family has nicknamed "the cave"), which is mycreative space, my dreaming place.

Your blog is filled with beautiful, honest, andinspiring posts; where do you find your inspiration?

Thank you!

Honestly, Ifind this such a hard question to answer! I feel like, personally, inspirationis not something found, but somethingmade. I find inspiration when I am doing things. I may be completelyuninspired, and I can look at gorgeous photos and all that jazz until the cowscome home, but it is when I actually sit down and start messing around withsome paper and glue, that the inspiration happens. When I am feeling uninspired,I tend to take a walk, turn the music up too loud and start dancing, or go bakesomething. Once I start moving, my head clears, and I am often suddenlybombarded by inspiration.

So Isupposed movement is what inspiresme. Inspiration happens when I am reading about other bloggers' adventures andI am inspired to get off my computer chair and make my own adventures!Inspiration is the smell of coffee that makes me crawl out of bed everymorning. Inspiration doesn't tend to come to me, I have to go to it.

I’m particularly fond of your “Days on my Floor”posts. Do you have any posts(stand-alone or features) that you’ve enjoyed doing the most?

I so enjoyputting together the Days OnMy Floor posts, butI think my favourite posts are the unplanned posts, the posts I type up late atnight, such as Rush and Rattle and Rest and My Head Is Exploding. I like the unplanned posts because they areoften more honest, more real, than a post I would generally publish; they keepthe blog (and me) real.

Your Etsy shop is still fairly new, having openedin June; what plans and hopes do you have for it in the future, either short orlonger term?

I wouldlove to start carrying more products, and maybe even branch out a bit intovintage items. But really, I would just like the shop to continue existing. Iam horrible when it comes to sticking to projects - I am so shocked that theCAVE IN THE CLOUDS blog is still running over a year later! I usually dropblogs within a few months, so it is infinitely exciting to me that the blog isstill going! So, I would love to have the same for the shop, to have the shopstill running a year or two (or more!) in the future.

all images thanks to Cave in the Clouds

Is there anything you’re particularly enjoying orlooking forward to this fall (foods, crafts, adventures, etc.)?

Wearingcomfortable cardigans and lots of colourful scarves. Taking walks in the coldand stepping on fallen leaves. Visiting independent bookstores and going onthrifting adventures. Baking pumpkin pies and cooking up some hot apple cider.

And finally, where else can my readers find you?

Blog / Etsy / Twitter / Tumblr / Flickr / Goodreads

Friday, I'm in Love ... With Art Journaling!

2011-10-21T09:55:00.000-04:00

I recently started my very first art journaling course, Kara Haupt's "Fall in Love." It was on sale a few weeks ago while she was rebranding a bunch of her courses, so I decided to treat myself after hearing so many good things about the courses from around the internet. I've only done the cover and two pages, but I'm very pleased with how it's coming along so far, even though I have to work really hard not to be a perfectionist while I'm doing it. I'm trying to embrace all of the "mistakes."

I've never been a scrapbooker/art journaler. I'll write until my hand cramps up in a regular journal, but as much as I wanted to, I never seemed to get around to trying out a different medium. When I heard about Kara's fall-themed course, I decided I finally just had to go for it and at least try it once. Something tells me this won't be my last book, though, especially come winter break when I have a bit more free time.

Do you art journal?

first vanilla chai of the season ♥ silly grocery lists ♥ improving my daily tarot habit ♥ getting Thursday assignments done by Tuesday ♥ peanut butter brownies ♥ impulsive purchases ♥ Pumpkin Fest anticipation! ♥ new t-shirts ♥ taking breaks ♥ trying new foods ♥ a clean home ♥ Charlie cuddles ♥ feeling good

Link Love #1

2011-10-20T11:09:00.000-04:00

My bookmarks tend to get cluttered pretty quickly, despite my huge variety of folders for organizational purposes. I just get lazy sometimes and end up adding everything to "Other bookmarks." So I've decided that every once in a while, when I decide it's time to get a bit organized, I'll just share a few choice links I've got saved and strewn about.

Here are Thirteen Observations made by Lemony Snicket while watching Occupy Wall Street from a Discreet Distance
I'd really like to get a shirt from the Yellow Bird Project sometime. I'm torn between Metric, Rilo Kiley, and Tegan & Sara.
My radical self-love adventure has magically brought me to Jessica Mullen. I'm kind of in love with her School of Life Design at the moment.
Pop culture pumpkin carving templates! Obviously I'm dying to try one of the Doctor Who patterns. The question: which one?
And finally, I saved this article in my "Radical Self-Love" folder, just added today while organizing and going through Google Reader (because I'm a multi-tasking master, of course) - Gala Darling's Things I Love Thursday: Good People. It's amusing and uplifting and reminds you to take a moment to think about what you do have around you.

If you've got any links (old or new) of your own to share, link 'em up in the comments!

This Week's Etsy Purchases

2011-10-19T10:17:00.002-04:00

Can I just point out for a minute how much I love these photo templates from Pugly Pixel? I promise I'll try not to overdo it with them, though.

Late October Halloween Zine via Vegancraftastic
I Want to Feel Good positive thinking workbook via The Radical Uprise
The Radical Uprise Zine 012: Guide on Going Vegan via The Radical Uprise

I went a little Etsy crazy this week, though in my defense the Halloween zine was on sale. Actually, so were the other two, but that was the day before I ordered them. I missed out on that one - aw, shucks! Still, I'm excited about all of my orders. I've gotten zines from Jetta before, as you know, and I follow Kala on Twitter (that's how I caught the sale) so I'm very excited about these orders.

It wasn't really intentional that there was a bit of vegan connection between the two orders. Honestly, I probably won't even "go vegan" after reading Jetta's zine, but I do love everything she has to say about it so I was really interested in what she and others contributed to this issue.

Seriously, writing up things for my zine is making me a zine fiend. I spent hours over the weekend browsing Etsy and various distro websites looking for some to order. I'm actually searching for some old issues of Amber's Culture Slut because I have one and am basically dying for another, it's so fantastic. (So if you happen to know where I can find a few issues, let me know?)

Have you made any Etsy purchases that you're excited about lately?

Calling for a Pen Pal (or Two)!

2011-10-18T05:00:00.000-04:00

I had a pen pal for a while, but I (sadly) haven't gotten anything from her in the past four or five months, so I've decided to open myself back up for a new pal or two!

I really love snail mail - something to look forward to in the mailbox every once in a while. But without a pen pal, my mailbox consists of ... things for Dan's robot. I can probably do three at the most (partly because it'll be easy to start with and partly because I just like the number three). So if you'd like to be one of my new pals, email me and we can figure it out!

Keep On Livin'

2011-10-17T14:51:00.000-04:00

Look up to the sky sky sky
Take back your own tonight
You'll find more than you see It's time now now get ready
So you can taste that sweet sweet cake and
Feel the warm water in a lake (y'know)
What about the nice cool breeze and
Hear the buzzing of the bumble bees
Live beyond those neighborhood lives and
Go past that yard outside and
Push thru their greatest fears and
live past your memories tears cuz
You don't need to scratch inside no just please
Hold on to your pride
So don't let them bring you down and
Don't let them fuck you around cuz
Those are your arms that is your heart and
No no they can't tear you apart
they can't take it away now cuz
This is your time this is your life

The Negatives of My Relationship with Food

2011-10-16T00:30:00.000-04:00

This year's Blog Action Day topic is food, a very broad topic when you first hear about it. I read the list of suggested post ideas, but some of them felt like cop outs (what's your favorite food?) and others were a bit over my head (is your hamburger hurting the planet?), so I'm just going to talk about food and what it is to me. It's my third year doing it, and this time I'm doing it freestyle.

To be honest, food tends to make me feel badly pretty often (just as it can make me feel really good), for a variety of reasons. I feel badly when I don't finish everything on my plate. I feel badly when I throw out spoiled food. I feel badly when I eat meat. I feel badly when I eat food provided by free trade regulations, as opposed to fair trade. I feel badly when I don't want to eat something I'm offered simply because I don't like it, when others would be glad to get anything to eat. And it's frustrating to berate myself for these things; furthermore, it's simultaneously frustrating not to be able to do everything I'd like to be a good person.

I also hate how much I love fast food. I know how much I love to cook and would rather make my own fantastic meals, and my own healthier versions of fast food favorites, but I just can't bring myself to stop going to McDonald's (I blame the lure of the Monopoly game!) or Taco Bell (omg, nachos). At least I don't even like Burger King, though, right? Ew.

It sucks to have such a negative relationship with food at times, but I do promise there are some great times I've had with it, too. Those pictures show some of them, from England to new experiences to cooking from scratch. I just want to treat myself better with more real food and less ... crap, while doing what I can to be a good person at the same time.

Brighid's House: What's in the Name?

2011-10-15T09:42:00.001-04:00

I don't think I've explained the name "Brighid's House" yet, despite all the excitement, work, and thought I put into finding something I really loved.

Who's Brighid?
Brighid is a Celtic pagan fire goddess (also known as Brigid, Brighde, and Bride, along with other variations depending upon region; I was most partial to the "Brighid" spelling, though Brigid is more popular), representing a variety of things, all of which stood out to me in my name search. Brighid is made up of three different aspects.

The first is that of goddess of inspiration, learning, and poetry. This aspect appealed to my writer side, as well as the fact that I love to learn, even if it's not always in the typical "school" kind of way. I like to watch the History Channel, love anything to do with words, and am always looking for new inspiration. These were probably her most appealing details.

Second is as the goddess of smithcraft, which, based upon the lack of actual smithcraft in current times, I personally broaden to crafter. Interestingly, she's sometimes viewed as a goddess of all feminine arts and crafts, which you probably know is kind of a big deal in the blogging community.

Finally, there is Brighid's form of goddess of healing and medicine. I don't take this as a strictly doctor kind of healing and medicine, but more a spiritual and mental kind, at least personally. I'm always reading things about positivity and being happy, so it made sense that this aspect would also appeal.

So as a whole, Brighid really appealed to me in my search for a sort of face to my blog. My search was already quite narrowed down, knowing I wanted to choose a Celtic goddess based on my English/Irish roots, and when I saw Brighid's name on a list I was immediately interested. After looking up information on her, I knew that she would be the one to sort of "watch over" my blog.

Why "House?"
I suppose the feeling I really wanted to invoke was that of a home, but house just sounded better when I said it out loud. I want my blog to be like my internet home. I want it to be comfortable and a place of my own. This piece really doesn't require as much of an explanation, but there it is.

I'm curious -
If you have one, where did your blog name come from? And if you don't, do you have any ideas for a name if you were to create one? If you have a post explaining your blog's name, link me up!

Friday, I'm in Love ... With '90s Television!

2011-10-14T09:10:00.001-04:00

Being born in 1991, I think we can safely say that I am a '90s child. I remember Tamagotchis and Nickelodeon, I remember Beavis & Butthead and Pop-Up Video (both of which are getting new episodes!). I own "Daria: The Complete Animated Series," (among others, as you can see) and it's probably one of my favorite belongings because, as you know, I also love Daria.

I throw myself into '90s nostalgia any time a detail I loved when I was younger pops up on my radar. Scrolling through my Tumblr dash, I'll often see screencaps or gifs from shows I loved getting reblogged. While I was in England, I even started watching some episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark? on YouTube (ten minutes at a time, of course), and I got my t-shirt just before I left.

While there are TV shows today that I love and watch habitually, it feels like nothing can really compare to the shows of my childhood. They're a completely different beast. The cartoons today are especially disappointing to me. They're just not on the same level as Rocko, Angry Beavers, or Ahhh! Real Monsters! I'd like to some day have a mini-library of all of my favorite shows from the '90s, and I suppose I've started it a little bit with my Daria, Batman, and The X-Files collection.

the end of the week ♥ getting girls' phone numbers, i.e., new friends ♥ being two books away from finishing The Chronicles of Narnia ♥ my third week of McDonald's Monopoly ♥ getting my Verizon rebate ♥ strawberry lemonade ♥ being the only A on my class's first grammar exam ♥ being the only one to tell my dad "Happy Birthday" ♥ compliments on my Rocko bag, via blog and at school ♥ the never-ending search for my Halloween costume

On Repeat

2011-10-13T12:00:00.000-04:00

This is just what's been playing on repeat in my iTunes lately. I've actually even made these into their own little playlist for my iPod. A little sad, but still excellent, I don't think I'll stop these songs any time soon. I am hoping to come up with a thoroughly "fall" themed playlist for myself. Maybe not songs explicitly about fall, but definitely ones that lend to the mood of the season.

What have you been listening to lately?

What's in my bag in October?

2011-10-12T11:30:00.000-04:00

Last month introduced my first ever "What's in my bag?" post, and today I've decided to share what I've been toting around so far this month.

Rocko's Modern Life tote bag - also from Hot Topic, like last month's bag, but this one was an early birthday gift
Keys, as usual
Trident bubblegum flavor gum
Current knitting project, a scarf for a friend
iPod and Dan's headphones
Three different lip balms, still the old Funk Off! and tin from Superdrug, along with new Burt's Bees pomegranate
Writing notebook and ideas notebook, because heaven forbid I leave the house with only one notebook
HK wallet
Three pens, as opposed to last month's nine
Prince Caspian, my current read as I work my way through The Chronicles of Narnia

Fear not! The Sonic Screwdriver and lightsaber are both still with me all the time, but in my backpack rather than my bag at the moment. I must change those over soon, though.

What about your bag?

The Works

2011-10-10T16:33:00.001-04:00

[1] Dan's tomato dill bagel with olive cream cheese ; [2] My french toast bagel with honey butter

Dan and I went to a bagel place downtown for breakfast yesterday. The Works is, in no uncertain terms, fantastic, and when we drove by this afternoon I told Dan that I absolutely want to go again, and soon. And next time I think I'll make sure we get drinks, because Dan neglected to order some when we were there yesterday.

Walks with Dan #3

2011-10-09T10:52:00.000-04:00

[1] Some years Keene has held the Pumpkin Fest record ; [2] Peanut butter fudge ice cream ; [3] an adorable "welcome" sign ; [4] a plane ; [5] Our shadows, and I just realized how much junk I had with me while we were out

Yesterday was one of two unusually hot days this weekend (the other being today), reaching up into the 70s, so after running some errands in the morning, Dan and I went for a walk. We also stopped at the comic book store, which I completely neglected to take a picture of. But then we also went to get probably our last ice cream cones of the year. It was really kind of an unexpected treat, since it's rather unseasonably warm.

A DIY Candle Holder by Kristin of My Life as a Teacup

2011-10-08T10:10:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! Kristin here, from My Life as a Teacup and I'm thrilled to share with you all my recent crafty endeavor! I normally stay away from crafts (I'm like the messy kid in kindergarten who just smears glue everywhere, though completely unintentional) but loved this idea too much not to give it a shot!

I fell in love with this driftwood candle holder from Anthropologie a while back. It's now out of stock (and frankly, not wanting to really pay over $20 for it -- yay college student finances!), but after more months of pondering than I'd like to admit, it finally dawned on me to just make my own!

So for this little DIY you'll need:

sticks and twigs of varying thickness
a clear glass candleholder
clear craft glue

Start by cutting down your twigs to about the same size as the holder. Don't do what I did and forget to cut them down flush until afterwards. Just make sure that you cut the twigs down so they don't hang over the lip of the glass. And dear me, just keep an eye on it. We're basically gluing a lot of kindling to a container of fire.

Play with the positioning a bit, and once you've got a spot you like, spread some glue on the twig and press it down for a few seconds until it stays secure in place.

Repeat this around the entirety of the candleholder, leaving some imperfect spaces in between for the candlelight to shine through!

Even unlit, for decorative purposes, I think it looks nice and fall-ish!

What's your favorite autumn craft? What reminds you of fall?
Kristin is the geeky lass behind My Life as a Teacup. Despite being a full-time student, she still finds time to explore her city, whip up some mean comfort foods, and prepare for the zombie apocalypse. Stop by and say "hi"!

Friday, I'm in Love ... With Apple Cider!

2011-10-07T19:54:00.000-04:00

image via A Beautiful Mess

I, like many others, adore fall and the many beautiful and delicious things that come along with it. One of my many favorites this season is apple apple cider. An odd fact, though? I don't think I've ever had hot apple cider, only cold, which I still think is absolutely fantastic, of course. I've just always found the idea of hot apple cider to be weird, so I've stuck to cold when given the option.

I love the honest apple flavor of cider. It's a little more true to the flavor of apples than apple juice is sometimes, but still with a little something extra. If I'm not in the mood for a plain old apple (y'know, with all that effort it takes to chew), I can just go with some refreshing cider instead!

While tea will always be my favorite, apple cider is absolutely my very close second.

What's your favorite fall drink?

FEMCO meetings full of laughs ♥ McDonald's Monopoly ♥ knitting a scarf for a friend ♥ knitting a scarf for myself ♥ Betty Crocker Halloween frosting and cake mix ♥ caramel creams ♥ working on my art journal ♥ studying A Midsummer Night's Dream for my Methods class ♥ writing things I don't hate ♥ Thir13en Ghosts

A Confession

2011-10-06T12:00:00.000-04:00

I won't blame you if you think less of me after reading this post, because I've been keeping a secret from everyone lately ...
I am having an affair. Not only that, but I don't even know his name. Or, her name. I'm really not sure which.

It all started a week or two ago. Dan and Chris came home, I think from dinner, walked into the living room, and one of them told me, "There's a gray cat outside our door." It was all downhill from there. I hurried outside without even putting shoes on to see this new stranger at our step. My other lover from summertime, Boo, hadn't been around much, and although we all know I adore Charlie, I just can't seem to help myself around other cats. It's a terrible habit I can't seem to break.

When Dan dropped me off at home after class today, before I got out of the car I turned to look out the window and there, languishing across our front steps was the mysterious gray cat whom I have come to love. He just knows how to greet a woman better than Charlie does.

I try to hide it from Charlie, but sometimes I just don't think I get all of the scent off before I come in the house. I think he's beginning to get suspicious. But, really, is it so wrong to want so many cat cuddles?

Meet my new secret, anonymous love:

October Ghouls

2011-10-04T11:20:00.001-04:00

(Hehe, see what I did there with the title, though?)

It's that time again, when I share my monthly goals with you! It seems this has become an unintended regular feature, doesn't it?
Ah, well. Not a bad thing.
Onward!

Dress up for Halloween
I've already mentioned the costume I have planned, but now it's a matter of getting the two pieces I need (green coat and orange shirt), and actually dressing up. It's been a while since I had a good Halloween costume, and I don't think I've dressed up at all since starting college so it's time for that to change!

Draft my first zine
I already wrote one short piece for it over the weekend, took note of another idea I had on Sunday night, and came up with a third last night while falling asleep. I'm really hoping to get even just a really rough first draft of it done by the end of the month. Putting out my own zine is a goal I've had for a long time, and now I'm trying to finally achieve that dream.

Have a Halloween party
I started typing out my description for this one, then realized that the problem I was thinking of would be easily fixed. See, I was worried it would only include Dan, Chris, and myself because Pumpkin Fest is the 22nd, before Halloween, and people are already coming to visit for P-Fest. Then I realized, duh, I can just have the party during Pumpkin Fest, because then everyone will already be here! And it will be the coolest/lamest Halloween party ever! We're basically going to be 20+-year-olds doing elementary school party things, and I am totally okay with this. And yes, I may make everyone dress up.

What are your October goals?