Currently 03.27.16

Hellloooooo everybody! I'm cheating and writing this on Saturday night because I have a fairly lengthy to-do list for Sunday. Sadly, there's not much of the Easter variety going on here. David is still out of town for training, G will spend most of the day at his dad's. I'll probably have morning coffee and lunch with my mom, and the rest of the day is miscellaneous.

Right this minute: Sitting on my couch editing a YouTube video for later this week. I just put together a floor lamp I brought home from my office, so my living room has a lovely torchiere glow!

Feeling: Relaxed! I took it easy today. I got up early, had my coffee and cereal, watched a documentary about Misty Copeland called A Ballerina's Tale (highly recommended) on Netflix, read, read, read, visited my mom, had tacos for lunch, read some more, and here I am! 

Reading: The Regional Office is Under Attack by Manuel Gonzales and it kicks all the ass. I am LOVING IT because female assassins. 

Listening: I've been stuck on this Dixie Chicks cover of "Wrecking Ball." 



Watching: Nothing at the moment. When I upload BookTube videos it eats up all the bandwidth for streaming TV. Boo!

Promoting: Readathon! READER sign-ups are open and hopping! Cheerleaders, mini-challenges, and prize donation sign-ups will be coming in the next two weeks! Head on over to 24HourReadathon.com for all the deets about our April 23 event! 

Loving: FREEEEEDOM! I'll just leave it at that. 

Hating: My toe. I twisted it (somehow) chasing Great Pyrenees puppies to save them from certain death last week and now it's all swollen, purple, throbby, and it's keeping me from exercising.

Eating: Tacos with chipotle diced tomatoes, lima beans, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and angel wings. Ok, no angel wings, but they taste heavenly.

Anticipating: Getting some posts pre-scheduled for this week! I think it might be a "stuff week." I have lots of makeup and other stuff I want to post about that I haven't gotten around to. 

Up now on ye olde BookTube channel, a look at my Spring TBR, some of the older books on my stacks. 




Have a fantabulous Sunday!

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#AMonthofFaves: #WeekendReading

I had to pop back in here this morning with an addendum to this post. Last night, the area of northeast Texas I've called home all my life was struck by an outbreak of tornadoes. We were very lucky that we weren't affected in my hometown beyond a tornado warning that sent us into the closet with our dogs, but the nearest catastrophic damage was a mere 13 minutes away. The largest tornado, affecting Garland and Rowlett, was just shy of the area where we drop Greyson off every week with his dad. These are neighborhoods with which I'm intimately familiar. Where we shop, eat, pass through, know people.

This tornado happened across a miles-long bridge over an extremely large lake. I cannot imagine being the people stuck in cars watching this unfold ahead of them. But, in truth, I can imagine it because I go this way at least once a week. The terror of it. 

I feel for so many families who lost their loved ones, their homes, their pets. My Facebook feed is filling up with people looking, searching, for the people and animals they loved most.

The thing about having a voice...anywhere...is putting it to good use. I implore you, that if you have the means, make a donation to the American Red Cross as they set up shelters, assess damage, feed people, and help them get their lives back. One of my former students and colleagues is a digital communications specialist for the Red Cross, and I have no doubt she'll also be on the ground working toward these efforts. They do so much. I never realized how much until she began to educate me. I've made my donation to my neighbors. You can do the same by text message or at the Red Cross website. 

Thank you for all the messages of concern I received from all over the US and the world in light of these storms. We are so blessed. Many were not so fortunate.

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Today is a free for all! Tell us about something favority from the past week: a Christmas gift, a book, a blog, a post. Whatever floats your boat!

Check out Tanya Patrice and Tamara for more #WeekendReading and #AMonthofFaves.

Ahh, this past week was full of good stuff. Greyson has been having a blast in New York, and the pictures and videos have helped us feel like we're along for the ride. He will be home tomorrow, and we can't wait to see him!

We spent most of Christmas Eve and Christmas day over at my mom's house. We had a big meal with all the trimmings, a few cocktails, watched A Christmas Story, opened gifts, and generally lazed around. We even watched Scream and Scream 2 on Christmas day. That's a little quirky nostalgia for ya since growing up my mom and I always ended up seeing the newly-released Scream film in the theater on Christmas Eve. We also had a little family coloring marathon.

I always seem to find just one more favorite book at the end of the year, and this time around it's Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation by Kate Bornstein and S. Bear Bergman, but more about that later this week. 

Heather and I had fun with words this past week. We were talking about that feeling of wanting to read ALL THE BOOKS at once. It never works out that way, but we came up with a word for it...a case of "gobbledybooks." 

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. What have you been reading? Did you get any bookish gifts? 

The Sunday Salon: A Little Sunday MishMash

Happy Sunday, y'all! This Memorial Day weekend has been the most relaxing weekend I've had in a while. G is spending some time at his dad's house. David and I did a beast mode house cleaning in a couple of hours yesterday morning, and I've been attached to the recliner ever since. Texas has suddenly found itself at the center of monsoon season, so our weekend is limited to indoor activities. Twist my arm!

I've been doing some reading and online shopping in between episodes of The Layover on Netflix. Oh, and napping. Some serious napping.

First, I finished off Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost, and as usual Troost doesn't disappoint. He spent a year traveling all over China from the buzzing urban centers to far flung corners. I think I can safely say that if ever have an opportunity to visit China, I hope it's one of the far flung places. I don't do well with crowds, and in the most populous country in the world...LOTS of crowds.

Now I'm on to Nimona by Noelle Stevenson. Originally a web comic, this book is so unique and fun. No surprise given Stevenson's history with other quirky comics like Lumberjanes. In this book, Nimona, a young girl and shapeshifter, takes up with the local villain as his sidekick. But there's far more to Nimona that meets the eye, and I haven't quite figured out her backstory just yet.

In other news, I've been trying to tame the urge to shop online. I've officially been bitten by the spring and summer clothes buying bug, and when I saw that select Yosi Samra ballet flats were on sale for 50% off, I snapped up my very first pair.

I've been eyeballing this brand for a while now since I have a habit of buying cheap ballet flats that quickly fall apart. I wanted to step up my ballet flat game since I wear these babies to work nearly every day. Of the 50% off pairs, I really wanted the bright red patent ones, but since they were out of stock, I went with the gold metallic stingrays. Sounds fancy, eh? And a little bit gawdy. Just the way I like 'em.

What are you up to today? 

Join us in the Facebook group! 

Come On In, 2015!

Image credit.

Happy new year, friends! I was fast asleep when the new year came in, but it didn't take long for the dogs to wake us up once the fireworks began. Today is a drizzly, potentially icy day in northeast Texas, so we're all kicked back with the heaters on, the Bath and Body Works candles lit, and I have an itch to work on some upcoming blog posts. Later in the day there will be leftover chicken chili, cornbread, the mandatory black-eyed peas, and a visit to my mom's house.

I hope you're having a great day wherever you are, and may your 2015 be blessed. 

#AMonthofFaves: The Post-Christmas Post!

Hello there, friends! Sorry I missed posting the day after Christmas. I was right on track posting every day for #AMonthofFaves until then, but with the boy home from his dad's and the eating/gifting hangover, I just couldn't swing it. 

Today is your choice of book discussion or review, and I'm pretty sure we're linking up at Traveling with T. At this point my days are all messed up! 

I'm back today with the post-Christmas post! I didn't think it'd be a very bookish Christmas since I've been a little mum on the book front with my family this year. I've been much more vocal about clothes and makeup, but of course Heather the wonder-bestie came through in the books department.

This is a wonderful combo platter of birthday and Christmas gifts since we're both usually a little behind with our mailing. In the top right and bottom left corners, you'll see some GORGEOUS hand-knitted scarves. I'm totally in love with both. There's also: 

• Y: The Last Man (vol. 1, deluxe edition) by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra 
• Bone: Out From Boneville (vol. 1) by Jeff Smith
• My favorite Charles Dickens quote suitable for framing
• "In My Humble Opinion" journal
• A beautifully illustrated "Just Buy the Shoes" journal
• Japanese Cherry Blossom (Bath and Body Works) body cream
• Owl Christmas ornaments! 
• A hilarious pug notepad
• "I Still Believe in 398.2" necklace. That's the dewey decimal number for folk and fairy tales!

As usual, Heather TOTALLY freaking gets me. I love everything in this package, and I'm already wearing, using, slathering on all of it! 

My husband and my mom really hooked me up! My mom got me a makeup brush set, a funky necklace, and this Tarte Cosmetics "Bon Voyage" set! It includes a beautiful eyeshadow palette, two lip colors, mascara, cheek tint, maracuja oil, and a nice finishing powder. I'd been lusting after this A LOT, so I'm thrilled that she ran with it. 

I also sent a not-subtle hint (the link) to my husband about the J. Crew Chelsea leopard rain boots because they were on super sale at the time. I don't have any shoes that are good for rainy weather, and I need more closed-toe warm shoes in my life. These puppies, with some fuzzy socks, are absolute heaven. I wore them yesterday, and they are absolutely perfect! 

Greyson's dad and step-mom also got me a beautiful wooden owl hanger. I think I'm going to put it in my office at work for my coat and an extra blazer I keep around in case someone important drops in. There were also plenty of chocolate and gifted edible goodies flying around. 

Whew! It was a very merry, very busy Christmas! We spent Saturday taking down the tree, packing up the ornaments, and decluttering the house while Greyson was at a gift exchange party with his cousins. We're get-it-done people, so we never let the decor linger too long after the fact. We also spent some time purging Greyson's old toys, reorganizing the new stuff, and generally cleaning up around the house. There's more to be done in the coming week, but for now it's nice to sit back, chill out, and catch up on blogging. 

See you tomorrow as we work on rounding out #AMonthofFaves this week!

Merry Christmas to All!

Merry Christmas, friends! I hope you're all having a blessed day. Greyson has been with his dad for a week, so we'll be on the road bright and early to pick him up and then head back to my mom's house for our family gathering. 

I hope you're all having a great day no matter how you celebrate, and know that I'm sending warm wishes your way. :)

Currently! Memorial Day

Time // 12:38 PM

Place // Just being lazy at the house. Greyson is napping. 

Eating // Nothing yet, but I have leftover salmon, some leftover ribs from yesterday's feast, and I'm planning to make and freeze some sweet potato and black bean burritos this afternoon.

Drinking // Water

Reading // I started Confessions of a Sociopath, a memoir by M.E. Nelson.

Watching // Greyson has insisted on Batman and Spongebob this morning. Since he's down for a nap, I'm enjoying the quiet. David and I went to see Star Trek: Into Darkness on Saturday, and we both really liked it. After my formal introduction to Benedict Cumberbatch, I think I'll need to watch Sherlock. 

Listening // Not much. I still haven't finished my audio re-read of The Night Circus. Whenever I do finish, I plan on listening to Inferno by Dan Brown. 

Pondering // My reading. I have a bunch of new books on my shelves. Eek!

Blogging // Yes!!! I've been doing a lot of it lately, and it feels SO GOOD. Big plans this week for more blogging and a VLOG post for Armchair BEA.

Promoting // The Estella Project. #estellagram. And something new, we will announce this week.

Hating // Having to say goodbye to David for the week. He headed home a few minutes ago, but we had a great weekend. 

Loving // Nice summery weather and a day off. 

Anticipating // A possible vacation. More on that soon!

Happy Memorial Day to all of you! Don't forget to take a few minutes to reflect on those who lost their lives in service to this country. My thoughts are with my uncle, J.D. Green, today who was lost in World War II. 

Here's a Memorial Day history infographic from The Huffington Post. 

Currently! Memorial Day

Time // 12:38 PM

Place // Just being lazy at the house. Greyson is napping. 

Eating // Nothing yet, but I have leftover salmon, some leftover ribs from yesterday's feast, and I'm planning to make and freeze some sweet potato and black bean burritos this afternoon.

Drinking // Water

Reading // I started Confessions of a Sociopath, a memoir by M.E. Nelson.

Watching // Greyson has insisted on Batman and Spongebob this morning. Since he's down for a nap, I'm enjoying the quiet. David and I went to see Star Trek: Into Darkness on Saturday, and we both really liked it. After my formal introduction to Benedict Cumberbatch, I think I'll need to watch Sherlock. 

Listening // Not much. I still haven't finished my audio re-read of The Night Circus. Whenever I do finish, I plan on listening to Inferno by Dan Brown. 

Pondering // My reading. I have a bunch of new books on my shelves. Eek!

Blogging // Yes!!! I've been doing a lot of it lately, and it feels SO GOOD. Big plans this week for more blogging and a VLOG post for Armchair BEA.

Promoting // The Estella Project. #estellagram. And something new, we will announce this week.

Hating // Having to say goodbye to David for the week. He headed home a few minutes ago, but we had a great weekend. 

Loving // Nice summery weather and a day off. 

Anticipating // A possible vacation. More on that soon!

Happy Memorial Day to all of you! Don't forget to take a few minutes to reflect on those who lost their lives in service to this country. My thoughts are with my uncle, J.D. Green, today who was lost in World War II. 

Here's a Memorial Day history infographic from The Huffington Post. 

To the Mamas....

To the Mamas....

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Lovin' American Authors and Belated 4th!

Yo! How was the 4th of July for everyone? It was low-key at my house. The fam came over to my place for lunch (pulled pork sammiches, tater salad, baked beans, cheesy artichoke spinach dip, red velvet cake, cholesterol medication), Greyson and I played outside in the afternoon, and then we slept through (most of) the fireworks. Except the ones that woke me up at 12:30am. I've never jumped out of bed so fast in my life!


So yesterday I stumbled upon an unlikely post idea. I just didn't have time to post it yesterday when it would've been most applicable! I was hanging out on my couch, Facebooking on my phone, when I ran across the following question from the good people at Kobo:

Happy Fourth of July from the Kobo team! Who is your favorite American author? Don't forget to share some titles!

Loaded question!!! As I started typing out some of my faves and typing and typing, I had a realization. But first, here was my answer:

Willa Cather (The Professor's House), Fitzgerald (Gatsby), Henry Roth (Call It Sleep), Auster (The New York Trilogy), Hustvedt (The Blindfold), Oates (Beasts), Thane Rosenbaum (The Golems of Gotham), Flannery O'Connor (anything!)

And the realization is this: a good chunk of these books were required reading in one of my grad school classes, and if they weren't required reading, they were influenced by a specific prof, a specific group of peers, and were consumed during that particular part of my life (25-26 years old). 

I never realized a whole cross-section of my all-time favorite books were so tightly linked together! As I was thinking back, my conception of and favorites from British literature were highly influenced by my high school classes and my early undergrad years. But those grad school years, that's when my love of American lit really kicked in like crazy. I really began to have a clear understanding of various movements in American lit and realize what some of America's authors have meant to the world. 


As I've gotten older, I've also discovered a sense of America-guilt? Somehow there seems to be an attitude of "you're from America, read something new-to-you." And I do. And I appreciate that approach, but I also really dig writing from my own country. Whether it's old or new, Puritan or Postmodern, I jones for American lit. Unabashedly. Maybe because I've studied it so much? I know the history and the history enriches it? Dunno. Bottom line: loooove it. 


So I think I've decided in the last few minutes (munching on a bbq sandwich) to highlight some of my fave American authors here. I'm not setting a specific schedule, but they'll be popping up from time to time as I feel motivated. I'm not interested in talking about their biographies (though those are interesting) as much as I'm interested in recapping some of my favorite books and stories that they've written and the why and the ways they affected me at that particular point in my life. They span some pretty varied genres and approaches, time periods and aesthetics. And I might even re-read some of them (Cather is definitely due). 


And of course, my question for you:


Who are some of your favorite American authors and which works are your faves?

Lovin' American Authors and Belated 4th!

Yo! How was the 4th of July for everyone? It was low-key at my house. The fam came over to my place for lunch (pulled pork sammiches, tater salad, baked beans, cheesy artichoke spinach dip, red velvet cake, cholesterol medication), Greyson and I played outside in the afternoon, and then we slept through (most of) the fireworks. Except the ones that woke me up at 12:30am. I've never jumped out of bed so fast in my life!


So yesterday I stumbled upon an unlikely post idea. I just didn't have time to post it yesterday when it would've been most applicable! I was hanging out on my couch, Facebooking on my phone, when I ran across the following question from the good people at Kobo:

Happy Fourth of July from the Kobo team! Who is your favorite American author? Don't forget to share some titles!

Loaded question!!! As I started typing out some of my faves and typing and typing, I had a realization. But first, here was my answer:

Willa Cather (The Professor's House), Fitzgerald (Gatsby), Henry Roth (Call It Sleep), Auster (The New York Trilogy), Hustvedt (The Blindfold), Oates (Beasts), Thane Rosenbaum (The Golems of Gotham), Flannery O'Connor (anything!)

And the realization is this: a good chunk of these books were required reading in one of my grad school classes, and if they weren't required reading, they were influenced by a specific prof, a specific group of peers, and were consumed during that particular part of my life (25-26 years old). 

I never realized a whole cross-section of my all-time favorite books were so tightly linked together! As I was thinking back, my conception of and favorites from British literature were highly influenced by my high school classes and my early undergrad years. But those grad school years, that's when my love of American lit really kicked in like crazy. I really began to have a clear understanding of various movements in American lit and realize what some of America's authors have meant to the world. 


As I've gotten older, I've also discovered a sense of America-guilt? Somehow there seems to be an attitude of "you're from America, read something new-to-you." And I do. And I appreciate that approach, but I also really dig writing from my own country. Whether it's old or new, Puritan or Postmodern, I jones for American lit. Unabashedly. Maybe because I've studied it so much? I know the history and the history enriches it? Dunno. Bottom line: loooove it. 


So I think I've decided in the last few minutes (munching on a bbq sandwich) to highlight some of my fave American authors here. I'm not setting a specific schedule, but they'll be popping up from time to time as I feel motivated. I'm not interested in talking about their biographies (though those are interesting) as much as I'm interested in recapping some of my favorite books and stories that they've written and the why and the ways they affected me at that particular point in my life. They span some pretty varied genres and approaches, time periods and aesthetics. And I might even re-read some of them (Cather is definitely due). 


And of course, my question for you:


Who are some of your favorite American authors and which works are your faves?

Personally: Lazy Day and Pin It, Do It

"Lazy" seems to pop up in my post titles pretty regularly lately! I can't say I'm opposed. When I have an opportunity to kick out around the house, I take it. With nearly 12 hours on the run every day of the week, including a 2-hour commute (an hour each way), I love to spend time at home being domestic, playing outside with G, or kicked back in the recliner with a book.

I haven't had a legitimate day off since I started my new job (no rest between old gig and new gig), so this weekend was the perfect time to take some time to recharge.

Friday was a regular busy day, but Saturday was relaxing. I spent some time out shopping with my mom; I picked up a couple of summer tops suitable for the weekend or layering for work. We had a quick lunch at Cotton Patch Cafe (steak fingers and salad....AWESOME), and spent the afternoon letting Greyson run through a sprinkler.

Yesterday was a lazy morning reading, and Greyson spent some time watching his favorite show: Super Why! It's about reading. I don't complain too much about that either. Silly me decided to go for a grocery run in the mid-afternoon by the time the Texas temps reached 95. Not the best move I've ever made. Dropped G off to spend the night with the fam around 5pm and then mama hit up the shoe store! Got some cute bronze strappy sandals. My fave pair blew out last year, and it's unacceptable not to have a go-to pair in the summertime. Now I just need a pedicure. Bad. Really bad.

I've also been feeling pretty domestic this weekend. I finally decided to tackle a couple of the tasks on my Pin It and Do It board for Trish's challenge.

First up, Roasted Fajita-Spiced Chickpeas. I looooooove chickpeas. I don't really know why because they generally taste like air. But, I love the texture, the size of them, the fact that they don't mush together as easily as some other canned peas and beans. I love 'em on salads, I love to just eat 'em. And I love crunch, so this roasted version sounded really promising.

Photo credit

I made a half-batch of these because I only had one can of chickpeas in the house, and I'm glad I did. I liked the flavor a lot, but I cooked them on the low end of the recommended cooking time (40 minutes or so). I was distracted when the oven timer went off, so my mom took them out of the oven. The ones around the edges got crispy and crunchy but the ones toward the middle of the pan were tough-skinned but still soft in the middle. The tough skin/soft middle made for a less appealing texture, so I would've loved to cook them for another 10-15 minutes to get them all crunchy. I will definitely do these again as they'd be a great salad topper or a quick snack for my work lunch box.

Today I'm tackling another Pin It recipe: Vegetable Stock in the Slow Cooker! I prefer to use veggie stock in soups, stuffings and dressings, and when I'm cooking rice or couscous. I nearly refuse to buy boxed or canned stocks these days because of all the preservatives and sodium. Plus, they're expensive! And there is seriously NOTHING EASIER to make at home. I used A Year of Slow Cooking's recommended veggies in my stock: celery pieces, carrots, onion, garlic, and I threw in some orange bell pepper tops I had leftover. My stock is crockin' for the next 10 hours. I'll portion it out tomorrow night and pop those puppies in the freezer. My project for next weekend is chicken stock.

On the reading front, I'm still loving Drums of Autumn. I'm about 700 pages through it, so I'll finish up this week.

What are you doing this weekend (if you're off today and it's still your weekend)? How's your week starting out if you're back on the job today? Whatcha reading?

Personally: Lazy Day and Pin It, Do It

"Lazy" seems to pop up in my post titles pretty regularly lately! I can't say I'm opposed. When I have an opportunity to kick out around the house, I take it. With nearly 12 hours on the run every day of the week, including a 2-hour commute (an hour each way), I love to spend time at home being domestic, playing outside with G, or kicked back in the recliner with a book.

I haven't had a legitimate day off since I started my new job (no rest between old gig and new gig), so this weekend was the perfect time to take some time to recharge.

Friday was a regular busy day, but Saturday was relaxing. I spent some time out shopping with my mom; I picked up a couple of summer tops suitable for the weekend or layering for work. We had a quick lunch at Cotton Patch Cafe (steak fingers and salad....AWESOME), and spent the afternoon letting Greyson run through a sprinkler.

Yesterday was a lazy morning reading, and Greyson spent some time watching his favorite show: Super Why! It's about reading. I don't complain too much about that either. Silly me decided to go for a grocery run in the mid-afternoon by the time the Texas temps reached 95. Not the best move I've ever made. Dropped G off to spend the night with the fam around 5pm and then mama hit up the shoe store! Got some cute bronze strappy sandals. My fave pair blew out last year, and it's unacceptable not to have a go-to pair in the summertime. Now I just need a pedicure. Bad. Really bad.

I've also been feeling pretty domestic this weekend. I finally decided to tackle a couple of the tasks on my Pin It and Do It board for Trish's challenge.

First up, Roasted Fajita-Spiced Chickpeas. I looooooove chickpeas. I don't really know why because they generally taste like air. But, I love the texture, the size of them, the fact that they don't mush together as easily as some other canned peas and beans. I love 'em on salads, I love to just eat 'em. And I love crunch, so this roasted version sounded really promising.

Photo credit

I made a half-batch of these because I only had one can of chickpeas in the house, and I'm glad I did. I liked the flavor a lot, but I cooked them on the low end of the recommended cooking time (40 minutes or so). I was distracted when the oven timer went off, so my mom took them out of the oven. The ones around the edges got crispy and crunchy but the ones toward the middle of the pan were tough-skinned but still soft in the middle. The tough skin/soft middle made for a less appealing texture, so I would've loved to cook them for another 10-15 minutes to get them all crunchy. I will definitely do these again as they'd be a great salad topper or a quick snack for my work lunch box.

Today I'm tackling another Pin It recipe: Vegetable Stock in the Slow Cooker! I prefer to use veggie stock in soups, stuffings and dressings, and when I'm cooking rice or couscous. I nearly refuse to buy boxed or canned stocks these days because of all the preservatives and sodium. Plus, they're expensive! And there is seriously NOTHING EASIER to make at home. I used A Year of Slow Cooking's recommended veggies in my stock: celery pieces, carrots, onion, garlic, and I threw in some orange bell pepper tops I had leftover. My stock is crockin' for the next 10 hours. I'll portion it out tomorrow night and pop those puppies in the freezer. My project for next weekend is chicken stock.

On the reading front, I'm still loving Drums of Autumn. I'm about 700 pages through it, so I'll finish up this week.

What are you doing this weekend (if you're off today and it's still your weekend)? How's your week starting out if you're back on the job today? Whatcha reading?

BBHS: The Gift Has Landed!

It's been my pleasure to participate in the Book Blogger Holiday swap (click the pic for a direct link) for the last few years, and this year was as delightful as ever! I had a great time discovering my Santee's, Jodie's blog...Uniquely Moi Books. Don't worry, she's already received her gift, so I'm not letting the Santa out of the bag. :)

Friday evening, I headed out of town with two of my girlfriends and spent some quality time playing the Wizard of Oz slot machines at a nearby casino. I never do stuff like that, but the girls wanted a change of scenery, and it was a lot of fun. Halfway through my girls night, my mother texted to let me know my Secret Santa box had arrived at the house and I tooootally SQUEEED with delight.

I'm not one to wait until Christmas (way too impatient for that), so I tore into the box as soon as I arrived home.

I was delighted to find a box from Stacy at Stacy's Books! Stacy was very thoughtful and sent some really wonderful goodies my way. First was a tote from Barnes and Noble that I adore. I've eyeballed this thing for years, never taking the plunge to buy it for myself! She also included one of my wishlist books: The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman. I've been lusting after it for a while now as the blurb reminds me of my very favorite Alice Hoffman book, Blackbird House. And also included in my bag: a pink folding snowflake mirror. It's adorable and just what I've been looking for to carry in my purse.

Thank you, THANK YOU to Stacy for the lovely gifts, and also to Marg and all the helpers behind the scenes who make the swap happen!

BBHS: The Gift Has Landed!

It's been my pleasure to participate in the Book Blogger Holiday swap (click the pic for a direct link) for the last few years, and this year was as delightful as ever! I had a great time discovering my Santee's, Jodie's blog...Uniquely Moi Books. Don't worry, she's already received her gift, so I'm not letting the Santa out of the bag. :)

Friday evening, I headed out of town with two of my girlfriends and spent some quality time playing the Wizard of Oz slot machines at a nearby casino. I never do stuff like that, but the girls wanted a change of scenery, and it was a lot of fun. Halfway through my girls night, my mother texted to let me know my Secret Santa box had arrived at the house and I tooootally SQUEEED with delight.

I'm not one to wait until Christmas (way too impatient for that), so I tore into the box as soon as I arrived home.

I was delighted to find a box from Stacy at Stacy's Books! Stacy was very thoughtful and sent some really wonderful goodies my way. First was a tote from Barnes and Noble that I adore. I've eyeballed this thing for years, never taking the plunge to buy it for myself! She also included one of my wishlist books: The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman. I've been lusting after it for a while now as the blurb reminds me of my very favorite Alice Hoffman book, Blackbird House. And also included in my bag: a pink folding snowflake mirror. It's adorable and just what I've been looking for to carry in my purse.

Thank you, THANK YOU to Stacy for the lovely gifts, and also to Marg and all the helpers behind the scenes who make the swap happen!

Belated Thanksgiving Wishes

I had best intentions of posting every day this week, but I also chose a bad week given the Thanksgiving holiday! Thanksgiving day itself was pretty uneventful around here. My mom and I shopped for Thanksgiving groceries in a near-deserted Wal-Mart. Halfway home on the interstate, I looked at my dear mother and said, "Do you know what we forgot?"

"What?" she asked.

THE HAM.

We went shopping and forgot our Thanksgiving ham. Turned right around and went back to get it.

Today was the Thanksgiving lunch for my mom's branch of the family, and I can safely say that Greyson is down for the count. He ran around with cousins, was passed from one to the other, and even played a little basketball out in the driveway.

It's always good to see the family whether it's actually on Thanksgiving day or not. As for Black Friday, typically I can do without it. Today I actually stopped by Barnes and Noble for 50% off a learning toy for Greyson's Christmas stash. I also made a stop by World Market for another gift -- also 50% off. Any other shopping I do will be online, and I have my doubts about even that!

In bookish news, I finished You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon, so expect a review of that one coming up soon. I'm starting The Sisters Brothers, a buddy read with Jill. Hopefully we have MUCH better luck than our last attempt -- Freedom by Jonathan Franzen.

I hope all my American friends had a wonderful holiday. And to my international buddies, I hope you've had a great week!

Belated Thanksgiving Wishes

I had best intentions of posting every day this week, but I also chose a bad week given the Thanksgiving holiday! Thanksgiving day itself was pretty uneventful around here. My mom and I shopped for Thanksgiving groceries in a near-deserted Wal-Mart. Halfway home on the interstate, I looked at my dear mother and said, "Do you know what we forgot?"

"What?" she asked.

THE HAM.

We went shopping and forgot our Thanksgiving ham. Turned right around and went back to get it.

Today was the Thanksgiving lunch for my mom's branch of the family, and I can safely say that Greyson is down for the count. He ran around with cousins, was passed from one to the other, and even played a little basketball out in the driveway.

It's always good to see the family whether it's actually on Thanksgiving day or not. As for Black Friday, typically I can do without it. Today I actually stopped by Barnes and Noble for 50% off a learning toy for Greyson's Christmas stash. I also made a stop by World Market for another gift -- also 50% off. Any other shopping I do will be online, and I have my doubts about even that!

In bookish news, I finished You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon, so expect a review of that one coming up soon. I'm starting The Sisters Brothers, a buddy read with Jill. Hopefully we have MUCH better luck than our last attempt -- Freedom by Jonathan Franzen.

I hope all my American friends had a wonderful holiday. And to my international buddies, I hope you've had a great week!