This is How Its Supposed To Be

Teaser Tuesdays (21) The Day of the Triffids

2011-10-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Teaser:

The Day of the Triffids, by John Wyndham, Introduction by Edmund Morris, page 1

"The way I came to miss the end of the world- well, the end of the world I had known for close on thirty years - was sheer accident: like a lot of survival, when you come to think of it."

Teaser Tuesdays (20) When She Woke

2011-10-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Teaser:

"When she woke, she was red. Not flushed, not sun burned, but the solid declarative red of a stop sign."

When She Woke, by Hillary Jordan, page 1

Teaser Tuesdays (19)

2011-09-20T06:00:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Teaser:

"And all at once they were in a blizzard of metal slivers, the leaves of copper and steel and silver a razor-sharp whirlwind in the sudden storm...

Stumbling, he knew the leaves were its words, arrows of spite, that Incarceron was taunting him, its son, born from its cells, and he stopped, bent over, gasping, "I hear you! I hear you! Stop!"

Incarceron, by Catherine Fisher, page 168 and 169

Teaser Tuesdays (18)

2011-09-13T06:45:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Teaser:

"He's going to say that he can see through me again. And I get this crazy urge to ask him what he sees-like he can help me figure out me. But I'm afraid of his answer.

He looks at his feet. "Sam, I wanted to say..."

"Don't" I hold up a hand. Then it hits me: he knows what happened with Mr. Daimler."

Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver, page 242

Teaser Tuesdays (17)

2011-08-30T06:00:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

If I judged this book by its cover, I probably would have never read it. But as the saying goes: Never judge a book by its cover.

Teaser:

"...Where is she? How will I know her?

Look for anyone racing from the house.

Seriously."

Archangel, by Sharon Shinn, page 181

Teaser Tuesdays (16)

2011-08-23T06:00:00.001-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Teaser:

"It Throbbed The Next Day... Red and raw like my brain, unable to shut down, thoughts crashing like electrons orbiting a nucleus of dueling emotions. Wanting to stay high. Knowing I should want to come down and stay that way."

Crank, by Ellen Hopkins, page 181

2011-08-16T20:13:00.000-04:00

I've found the cutest way to take attendance in my 3rd grade class! Instead of roll call and hearing "Here!" this website has designed 180 Questions of the Day. You write it out and when you call the children's names they reply with their answer to the question. Brilliant!

Teaser Tuesdays (15)

2011-08-16T06:00:00.002-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

*I'm not very good with just sharing 2 sentences but I'm sure you guys don't mind.

Teaser:

"So, what do you do when you're not in school?" he asked. I blinked back at him.
"You mean for fun?" He nodded and I started listing the social sites I hang out on-- TeenZone, Mentropolis, BookTalk, and MovieMainstream.
He interrupted me.
"No, I mean, what do you do when you're not online?"
I narrowed my eyes at him and felt like he was attacking me. But his eyes weren't judgmental. He just looked curious.
"There aren't a whole lot of options," I pointed out."

Awaken , by Katie Kacvinsky, page 50

Teaser Tuesdays (14)

2011-08-09T06:00:00.001-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Teaser:

"You said someone needs to remember," he said. "I was thinking maybe we could do it with a comic book. Okay, more like a comic strip. With our stories. And maybe other kids could tell us their memories before they get erased."

Memento Nora, by Angie Smibert, page 40

Image found here

Here is an awesome rendition of my teaser:

Teaser Tuesday (13)

2011-08-02T08:39:00.000-04:00

Teaser:

"My eyes watered with the intensity of a fresh wave of techtricity. I spun and faced the terminals. Blue lights flashed along the top of one. Crouching down behind the counter, I waited."

But not alone.
Oh, no. Dad's voice roared into my head, filling it until I couldn't think my own thoughts.

Possession, by Elana Johnson, page 232

One Week

2011-07-29T08:47:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that all year long I wait for summer.

Some for school to end.

Mostly just for the one week I spend at the beach.

One week... out of fifty-two.

Seems unfair.

the beach is

my happy place

my place of relaxation

my time in the sun

my time with my family

the only time I like the wind

I fit it all in in one week

I sometimes wish it was longer or that I lived there,

and I could but then it would become the norm and not so special.

I want to keep it special.

Teaser Tuesdays (12)

2011-07-26T09:32:00.000-04:00

Teaser:
"A kid on a zoom board careened around the corner, nearly hitting some guy. I thought for a second that the guy who dodged im was Sal. He wouldn't have followed me, would he? I hadn't told anyone what had happened-

I didn't want to hear it from the guys."

XVI, by Julia Karr, page 38

Teaser Tuesdays (11)

2011-07-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

Teaser:
"She'd never been injured accidentally before. It was hard to know how to categorize this attack in her mind; it almost seemed funny. She had a dagger scar on one forearm, another on her belly. An arrow gouge from years ago in her back. It was a thing that happened now and then. For every peaceful man, there was a man who wanted to hurt her, even kill her, because she was a gorgeous thing he could not have, or because he'd despised her father. And for every attack that had left a scar there were five or six other attacks she'd managed to stop."

Fire, by Kristin Cashore, page 30-31

Teaser Tuesdays (10)

2011-07-12T10:56:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Teaser:

"Reindeer," she said, half strangled by her own teary laughter.
"What do you mean 'reindeer'?"
"Just... we don't have anymore."
Beneda's mouth dropped open. "Stavvy, honestly. There's lots of things we don't have anymore. We don't have... clothes-drying machines and mechanical transportation and furnaces that heat your whole house, and cotton and silk and... and cows and horses and ... and all kinds of other animals and birds and -oh, lots of things."
"I miss them."

"You've never had them!"

" Yes, but I know about them. That makes it different."

The Gate To Women's Country, by Sheri S. Tepper, page 53-54

fourth of july weekend

2011-07-09T20:58:00.000-04:00

fourth of july weekend was filled with family, friends, and relaxing. chris had monday off so we went to Maryland where his parents live to spend the weekend. saturday we arrived and went to he Antietam Battlefield to see the fireworks, I love fireworks! it seemed fitting to have an American Independence celebration where a battle took place. then saturday and sunday we relaxed by the pool with friends who had come down. there were so many of us in his parents house that every single room was filled. (they have a doctors office attached to their house/ his mom is a doctor/ and so even the patient rooms were filled!) there were a total of 9 children/babies, about 17 adults, and 3 animals. crazy! now that we're back chris got sick, go figure!

Feeding one of the 10 babies! Joking there were only like 4

Taking a break from reading

cookout! (i am wearing a bathing suit.... trust me)

Honeymoon Hawaii

2011-07-05T14:37:00.000-04:00

I found this draft while looking through my older posts and seeing what I could do to rekindle my want to blog. I began to post what we did each day but now that its been over a year ago I cannot for the life of me remember what the names of the places are or where we were. So enjoy the pictures of our honeymoon in Hawaii and don't mind the change from explaining everything to just pretty pictures! Enjoy!

View from our hotel

Day 1 - Pearl Harbor

Day 2 (I think) First Hike up to Manoa Falls

Freezing because it had just rained

Then the Iao Needle

Off Roading

look what i found!

There were so many things to do that we were busy everyday. We choose to opt out of the packages the cruise offered and just rented a car to sight-see. We hiked everyday and saw waterfalls everyday. I am a beach person but because the land was so beautiful and we wanted to see as much as we could we went to the beach prob twice the whole trip.

Now we can't wait to continue our travelings:
LBI, New Jersey - Family vacation!
Niagra Falls (Canada side) hopefully
Ireland - in March, so excited!

What was your favorite trip, or where would you love to visit?

2011-05-13T12:59:00.000-04:00

So I took a break from the blogging world, mostly because I had nothing to say. My normal life is just too boring to write about. For example:
Every weekday morning I get up at 6:35, get ready to go to work (school).
By 8:30 the kids are in the classroom reaking (wrecking??) havoc on my sensitive nervous system.
(They're not that bad really, just one)
At 3 I'm done and I either go:
Mon - babysit till 6:30
Tues- babysit till 6:30
Wed- church 6-9
Thur - babysit till 6:30
Fri - day off

My weekends are my only days off but they tend to be filled with things to do that are no blog worthy.

So what should I write about? Well I can finally answer that question:
Chris and I are re-doing his childhood home and turning it into our home!

When his parents moved out they kept the house and had renters move in. (Out of college guys renting a room) Since then they have ruined the house and probably never once cleaned it. We have the lovely job of tearing most of it down and building it back up. It all started at the beginning of May and I am waiting for school to end so I can help, ~~15 days~~ not that I'm counting.

So pictures will follow of the renovation and rebuilding, hope you enjoy!

Teaser Tuesdays (9)

2011-04-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Teaser:

"We walk through the garden where everyone is smiling in joy that the country has come to its senses and we can all be in our rightful places again. And here is our king, back on his throne, his face bright with happiness that I hardly see the five years of pallor from his imprisonment."

The Red Queen, by Philippa Gregory, page 171

Gathering Blue Review

2011-03-31T07:00:00.001-04:00

"Mother? " There was no reply. She hadn't expected one. Her mother had been dead, now, for four days, and Kira could tell that the last of the spirit was drifting away ... Now she was all alone.

Left orphaned and physically flawed in a civilization that shuns and discards the weak, Kira faces a frighteningly uncertain future. Her neighbors are hostile and no one but a small boy offers to help. When she is summoned to judgement by The Council of Guardians, Kira prepares to fight for her life. But the Council, to her surprise, has plans for her. Blessed with an almost magical talent that keeps her alive, the young girl faces new responsibilities and a set of mysteries deep within the only world she has ever known. On her quest for truth, Kira discovers things that will change her life and world forever. A compelling examination of a future society, Gathering Blue challenges readers to think about community, creativity, and the values that they have learned to accept. Once again Lois Lowry brings readers on a provocative journey that inspires contemplation long after the last page is turned.

Review:
This book was a great change to the romance that I usually want to read. Just because there wasn't romance doesn't mean it wasn't worth reading. Lowery did a great job showing a village where there is no peace or love shown to one another, just looking out for number one. It made me so mad to read how the parents always fought, the mothers always hit their children, and the neighbors never looked after one another. Poor Kira had to grow up in this world with a deformed leg, which makes it easier to pick on. Her gift of being an artist with cloth and finding another artist friend made the story better. I was, for some readon, loved Matt's way of speaking. The author did a great job with his primal language. The ending was a great little ray of hope.
4/5 stars ****

Now on to the last book in the "series": The Messenger

Teaser Tuesdays (8)

2011-03-29T06:30:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Teaser:

"The blue was gathered in her hand, and she could feel it quiver, as if it had been given breath and was beginning to live."

Gatherine Blue, by Lois Lowry, page 215

Rash Review

2011-03-25T06:15:00.000-04:00

Rash

By Pete Hautman

YA Science Fiction

pages 249

In the late twenty-first century, Bo Marten is unjustly accused of causing a rash that plagues his entire high schol. He loses it, and as a result, he's sentenced to work in the Canadian tundra, at a pizza factory that's surrounded by hungry polar bears. Bo finds prison life to be both boring and dangerous, but it's nothing compared to what happens when he starts playing on the factory's highly illegal football team. In the meantime, Bork, an artificial intelligence that Bo created for a science project, tracks Bo down in prison. Bork has spun out of control and seems to be operating on his own. He offers to get Bo's sentence shortened, but can Bo trust him? And now that Bo has been crushing skulls on the field, will he be able to go back to his old, highly regulated life?

At first, I thought I wouldn't like this book because it was mostly about football. (I hate football) But it is not completely about football and so I find it highly interesting to read, except the football parts. This world Bo lives in regulates peoples live so that if they commit any crime or anger out burst they get a strike. 3 strikes and you're out! Out for them means becoming a labor worker like picking fruit, making pizza, keeping places clean, etc. And man is everything expensive and ridiculous! My favorite character is Gramps, born in 1990 (younger than me) who complains about how wimpy people are now with their pads and helmets and soft running course for track. He tells his grandson that the only way to get to prison back in his day was to steal something, kill somebody, or use illegal drugs. He makes his own beer in his basement which alcohol is illegal. Bo gets in trouble and has to do a sentence in a pizza factory and joins the football team, where he doesn't crush skulls he just runs the ball. It changes his life because he is finally able to do exercise and physical contact, which is not allowed in his world. The ending definitely satisfied me and made me happy.

4 Stars ****

Ever read Rash? What did you think?

Teaser Tuesdays (7) Rash

2011-03-22T06:15:00.001-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

This quote is awesome and my favorite!

Teaser:

"The novel we were reading for Mr. Petermans' class was called Harry Potter and the Power Stone, an abridged and updated version of a book that was popular in the late twentieth century. Gramps claimed to have read it when he was eight years old. He said it was better back then. It had a different title, and in the original version some characters actually died. "

Rash, by Pete Hautman, page 34

Candor Review

2011-03-20T18:11:00.000-04:00

I've been reading a lot lately and finding some really good books out there that help quench my thirst after reading The Hunger Games, Twilight, and Harry Potter. I've opened the door to a world of Dystopian books that I can't seem to get enough of. This week I'll be reviewing a lot!

Candor

by Pam Bachorz

Youth Fiction

249 pages

Everything is perfect in the town of Candor, Florida. Teens respect their elders, do their chores, and enjoy homework...

because they're controlled by subliminal messages.

Oscar Banks, the son of the town's founder, is the model of perfection: class president, top student, shining example. But it's only a disguise. Unlike all the other Candor teens, he knows about the Messages, and he fights them with his own counterprogramming.

Only oscar knows how to get kids out of Candor- for a price.

When Nia moves into town, Oscar is smitten by her tart attitude and ability to see through his perfect-boy front. He can't stand to see her changed by the Messages. Now he must decide to help Nia escape Candor and lose her forever, or keep her close and risk exposure.

This book was a great read. Easy and relaxing with its wording. I was brought into this world right from the start and it was so believable! A whole town where people listen to music all day long and get along perfectly. Very creative. The subliminal messages are a scary idea. I love that the man who created this town's son is the only one aware of the trick and that he works to get kids out of the town. It's just him and his dad, his mom left them after their older son was killed. I can totally see why the dad thought to make the messages, to keep what he had left. Then in comes this girl who is a rebel and Oscar falls for her. Then it turns into this action book to try to save her. It really kept me reading. The ending is great but frustrating!

4.5 Stars

Click Here to read the first chapter!

Teaser Tuesdays (6)

2011-03-15T06:56:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Teaser:

"Prim, let go," I say harshly, because this is upsetting me and I don't want to cry. When they televise the replay of the reapings tonight, everyone will make note of my tears, and I'll be marked as an easy target. A weakling. I will give no one that satisfaction.

"Let go!"

I can feel someone pulling her from my back. I turn and see Gale has lifted Prim off the ground and she's thrashing in his arms. "Up you go, Catnip," he says, in a voice he's fighting to keep steady, and then he carries Prim off toward my mother. I steel myself and climb the steps."

The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins, page 23

Teaser Tuesdays (5)

2011-03-08T07:00:00.002-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Teaser:

"Like the Matching of Spouses and the Naming and Placement of newchildren, the Assignments were scrupulously thought through by the Committee of Elders."

The Giver, Lois Lowery, page 49

Crazy Week

2011-03-02T13:39:00.000-05:00

Two weekends ago, Chris and I decided to get out of the house and do something. We ended up driving to Washington D.C. and planned on spending the weekend at his parents house in Maryland, an hour away from D.C. We spent the night in Maryland on Friday, then Saturday we drove to D.C. When we got their we noticed our car was making this weird noise that we had never heard before but it was still drivable so we parked and decided to just enjoy our day. It just so happened to be the windiest day of the millenium. It was so windy that I basically got wind burn on my cheeks. We were able to visit a few places before we couldn't take it any longer, some are walking pictures and others are drive bys:

yea i love him

the pentagon...

So we drove straight to a car shop to get the car fixed.... and found out that we were lucky we made it from DC to Maryland. Needless to say we decided to sell the car and buy a new one with a warranty. (Something we haven't had) We get home on Monday after his parents got home and we borrowed their car to get back (and also car shopping). Started looking for cars immediately and bought our first new car together that Wednesday.

Say hello!

Teaser Tuesdays (4)

2011-03-01T07:01:00.000-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Teaser:

"I brought my ipod, just in case. I pull the earphones out of my front pocket and jam them in my ears. Hit play.
These are my emergency Messages. They keep me strong when the truck is out. Or when I feel myself slipping.
I close my eyes as it goes by.
"The Messages don't own me," I mutter. "I control my own thoughts."

Candor, Pam Bachorz, page 156

Teaser Tuesdays (3)

2011-02-22T07:00:00.001-05:00

I slacked off last week and completely forgot about doing a teaser...

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Teaser:

"I was still shaken over what had happened on the Archangel, and no matter how many times I tried to flush it out, the image of falling repeated through my head. I was falling... and then the ride was over. Just like that. It was the most terrifying thing I'd ever been through. Almost as terrifying, I was the only one who'd seemed to notice. Not even Patch, who'd been right beside me."

Becca Fitzpatrick, Hush, Hush, page 116

Hush, Hush Book Review

2011-02-20T16:58:00.000-05:00

hush, hush

by Becca Fitzpatrick
Fiction
391 pages
Pub date 2009

A SACRED OATH

A FALLEN ANGEL

A FORBIDDEN LOVE

Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgement.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those who have fallen--and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.

This book was recommended to me after I read The Mortal Instruments series, since they both follow a story line involving Nephilim. This book defines Nephilim as a half-human being, one parent human, the other a fallen angel. I soon realized that the storyline didn't really follow the Nephilim, it followed a girl named Nora and a boy named Patch. Patch is mysterious and knows everything about Nora without having met her. Nora is drawn to him but also is terrified of him. Then Nora starts to see and hear things that are unexplainable, like falling off a roller coaster, then finding herself coming to a stop at the end of the ride. It's a great read that involves a lot of action. Although some scenes come out of nowhere while some chapters end with you going, what happened? The language is easy to read but keeps you excited to find out whats going to happen next. I was a little apprehensive about continuing the book after it talked about her feeling stalked and being watched. I don't feel comfortable with real life freaky stuff, but if you also get freaked out I recommend reading it during the day. All in all, it was entertaining and the romance was great.

4 stars * * * *

Valentines Day, Book Love

2011-02-15T20:19:00.001-05:00

Our first Valentine's Day was perfect. We both came home with little surprises for each other (I got red tulips, he got a display of hearts with candy attached)

(he already ate most of the candy)

Then we went to the movies (we're movie addicts). When we got home we cooked our best meal yet together: Filet Mignon Marsala. It was nice to do the things we love with each other and surprise each other while not going all out and spending a ton.

In other news, I went to the library today and grabbed 2 books. One I got from the online library loan thing where they loan books from other libraries when mine doesn't have it:

Candor by Pam Bachorz.

Pam Bachorz Website

Then I looked around because each time I get a book from the library I finish it way before I expect and then have to wait a while to get the next one (because i usually do the book loan thing) I found:

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

I started Candor, pretty good so far. I'll work on Hush, Hush when I finish the first. And then maybe get my review on.

How did you spend valentines day? Have any good books to share?

Teaser Tuesdays (2)

2011-02-08T07:00:00.001-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Teaser:

"A boy's promise. That's pretty."

"It's worth more than a pirate's."

"You have a lot to learn about pirates."

Cameron Stracher, Water Wars, Location 1234-45 (Kindle)

Teaser Tuesdays (1)

2011-02-01T08:16:00.002-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Teaser:

"What are you thinking? he called back to her.

   "Just how different everything down there is now, you know, now that I can see."

   "Everything down there is exactly the same," he said, angling the cycle toward the East River. They were heading toward the Brooklyn Bridge again.
   "You're the one that's different."
Cassandra Clare, City of Bones, locations 7306-24 (kindle)

So I have been using a Kindle since Christmas and I love having it. Does anyone know if you can find the actual page of the book instead of going by locations?

Hang the code, and hang the rules. They're more like guidelines anyway

2011-01-23T07:30:00.001-05:00

I'm starting to use the challenge as more of guidelines now. The basis is to get more sleep, exercise enough, and eat healthy and I think I can keep it up without following the challenge step by step. I'm working my way to a healthier me my own way tho. That includes pushing myself to exercise and eat healthy foods. I go with my husband to the gym about 3 times a week to work on my arm muscles and jog for about 30 min. The eat healthier part is harder. I made myself a smoothie with strawberries, bananas, yogurt, milk, ice and a green supplement. Making it was easy and since it tasted good I think I can do it more often. Most of the nights for dinner I try to eat a vegetable... most of the time. My way of getting my vegetable servings consist of the V Fruit Juice, pasta sauce with a vegetable serving, and vitamins. Not perfect but trying.

the time where i got an award

2011-01-21T14:25:00.000-05:00

When I started this blog I never saw it going anywhere or getting a lot of attention. But I wanted to document the things in life and meet some great people. Since I decided to keep with it I have been presented with an award!

Here are the Rules:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award

My friend Sarah from Reading Under the Influence gave me this award and I am really thankful! We have been friends for awhile outside of blogging and I was really excited when she started blogging so we could 1. talk about books 2. work on the book club and 3. keep up with what's going on. So thanks Sarah!

Hmm, 7 things about myself.....

I like to eat sushi, ice cream, pizza, cereal, and chicken cutlets

I'm not a very good or experienced cook

I love reading and finding new books

I want to travel and see the world

Movie date night is awesome

Hiking is one of my favorite things I did on our honeymoon and I want to keep it up

My favorite color is green

Now on to the new awardees:

Heather at Table for Three

Liz at Hey Liz

Jenn at Twilightning Strikes

Nicole at Casa de Nicole

Steph at Thoughts of a Book Junky

2nd try

2011-01-12T10:48:00.000-05:00

Day 1 Monday - Simplify and Cleanse:
Fitness Rx: Detox Your Body - Yoga Release Routine and Walk for 10 Min
Yay for actually starting the 28 day challenge! i did both the yoga release routine and the back strengthening routine today. still trying to add more water. i get about 1 whole water bottle a day which isn't much but it's alot for me and it makes me wake up at all hours of the night having to go to the bathroom!
Day 2 Tuesday - Adapt and Adjust:
Fitness Rx: Strengthen Your Back - Back Strengthening Routine and Walk for 10 Min
no routine but i did walk for 30 min
Today: Day 3 Wednesday - Take Notes
Start a stress log - i might just skip this part
Sip Smart - This part has you drink hot water with lemon because it helps stimulate your digestive system and promote cleansing. It sounds interesting and since I have a snow day off I might as well try it!
Fitness Rx: Yoga Release Routine and Walk for 15 min
Since i know myself, I am going to have to stop everything i'm doing and just do the routine or else it won't get done.... The walking part will have to wait until my husband gets home so we can go to work out.

Planning ahead:
Day 4 Thursday:
Segue into Sleep - Find a way to mellow out before bedtime
Fitness RX - Walk 20 min, back strengthening routine
Day 5 Friday:
Fitness Rx - Yoga Release Routine AND Back Strengthening Routine and 20 min walk

So I have been reading almost everyday since the start of the new year. I've finished: Matched, and The Water Wars. Now I'm starting Across the Universe.

the time the challenge didn't quite work out

2011-01-08T14:27:00.001-05:00

It's true... i didn't start the challenge. My first week was good at school, but I didn't realize how exhausted i would be when i got home. I just have to get back into waking up at 630 after the holidays where i slept in. Maybe i'll start in next week.. i guess i shouldn't make promises i don't know if i'll keep.

I started a new book list of 3 books that just came out.

Matched

by Ally Condie

Across the Universe

The Water Wars

Awesome books to start off the new year!

the time i accepted a challenge

2011-01-01T21:30:00.000-05:00

The Whole Living Action Plan: 28 Day Challenge that is...

I'm a little late in committing myself to this but better late then never right? So this challenge comes from wholeliving.com and to see the quick run down check out this.
Ok, time to get real.. I'm only doing half of what they ask you to do. I'm not doing the food part where they make you detox and eat healthier... that's probably the part I should be doing but I'm not ready to change my whole way of eating. Especially when I'm starting a new job at the same time. It's a little too much all at once. I'm mostly focusing on the fitness and life portions. I've been lazy and slacking on working out and now is the best time to push myself with a challenge that tells you what to do! It starts you off slow too so I won't start off gung ho (spelling?? oh well) and then quit the next day. Doing things like yoga poses, strengthening your muscles, and walking leading up to running. Just small things to add to my day now that I have some time after work to do things.

I'm not one to make resolutions but I read this great post about intentions and how we should make resolutions based on how we want to feel. So this is my way of starting off the new year with trying something new and feeling great about it.
I'm going to post a couple times a week how the challenge is going and what I accomplished. It's probably going to consist of me making up some excuse on how I couldn't find time to exercise but hey I'm just going to give it a try. So follow me on my journey to challenge myself:

Saturday (Jan 1) and Sunday (Jan 2): Weekend Prep Days
Start by Sipping Water - Much easier said than done. Today was supposed to start the prep day but like I said I started late and didn't get to do today. Tomorrow, Sunday, however, I will be trying to drink as much water as possible. I don't think I'll be able to get up to the desired 8 glasses right away.. that's definitely going to take some time. As of today I probably only had a half a glass of water... horrible I know.
Get the Right Gear - I already have running shoes and work out clothes so I'm good.
Find an At-Home Sanctuary - Hmm, this one is a little hard. It says to find a quiet space for meditation, yoga, and other stress-reducing techniques. The bedroom? It'll have to do.
Cut Out More Caffeine - This is for decreasing your coffe intake, and since I don't drink coffee I'm one step ahead!
Share the News - Blogging is my way of keeping me responsible.
Reflect - I'm doing this challenge to reduce stress and to pick up some healthy habits.
Get Some Sleep - We'll see how this goes, I'm pretty good at getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep. Maybe keeping track of my bedtimes and when I wake up will show me what I need to do to get enough rest.

So the Challenge begins on Monday, January 3rd. Let the Challenge begin!

What did you do to bring in the New Year?

Winter Wonderland

2010-12-26T18:40:00.000-05:00

For Christmas we drove to CT with my brother and sister-in-law and kitty. What fun it was driving with a litterbox! We had a great christmas opening presents in the morning, going to mass, and then spending time with the whole family for dinner. Then Sunday came and we all got together again for a christening for my cousins daughter. It just so happens that the blizzard of 2010 decided to brew before we left. No matter how prepared the workers were, the roads just couldn't be kept plowed with all that snow. It was coming down hard. Might I say how awesome it was! I love snow! My kitty does too. We bought a harness for the trip so she could walk around outside and she loved jumping and rolling in the snow. Then the wind was too much for her and she just waited for me to carry her back in.

This time (6:30pm) tomorrow the snow will finally stop and hopefully it will be ok to celebrate my dad's 50th birthday at a nice dinner. It's been a full, busy vacation and I have a new job to look forward to starting in January. A new start for a new year!

Hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and great New Year!

How do you celebrate Christmas?

Birthday Post

2010-12-13T07:00:00.002-05:00

It's official.

I am a 1/4 of a century year old.

Happy Birthday to me!

I got to spend my weekend with family and friends,

eating out at Atria's,

watching Eclipse (since Despicable Me isn't out yet and I've already seen the other movies that I love),

having pizza,

and trying to get Brusters Ice Cream.

My actual birthday I had to spend at work. with toddlers. yay.

It's been a great 25 years!

new book to look forward to!

2010-12-10T10:01:00.001-05:00

So you should all know by now that I work like crazy. Crazy hours 7:45-6:00. Sun up to sun down. So that leaves very little time to do much, like write blog posts. It also leaves very little time to recover from getting sick. This fall/winter I have had like 3-4 different sicknesses that I can't get out of work to rest and heal properly. However, yesterday was horrible.
Let me back up to give you more information. The last month-ish I have been getting nauseous every morning... pregnant? no way. not happening! (yet) Yesterday came along with the nausea and it just so happens that it didnt go away. After I had lunch it got worse. My job is not fun when you are nauseous. The toddlers love to dump things all over the place, climb on everything, and use the water fountain/sink that is in our room (for what reason they decided to let toddlers have a sink their height i just dont know) So here I am trying not to move, bent over in pain and trying not to throw up, while they are running wild. I can't just sit there and let the other girl in the room do everything! But I just couldn't move. My back started to ache and I was in alot of pain. One of the worst days ever. So I told my director and got the day off today.
It was well needed. I found out it might be an ulcer... since I have a mother-in-law who is a doctor. So I get to rest off the back pains and fever I had all night. Thank God!
Along with resting, I have finally had time to look through things online, like what to get the hubby for christmas and new books to read! Here's what I found:

The Water Wars

coming 1-1-11

Welcome to a future where water is more precious than oil or gold....

Lost in a post-apocalyptic dystopia, two teenagers race against time to rescue their friend from the corporations that run the world by controlling the limited water supply.

Vera, 15, and her brother Will, 17, live in the shadow of the Great Panic, in a world that has collapsed from environmental catastrophe and war. In this world, water is hoarded by governments with access to it, rivers are dammed, polar caps are melted, and clouds sucked from the sky. Their mother is ill from a nameless disease, and their father barely manages on ration tickets and black market goods. One morning Vera meets and befriends a mysterious boy named Kai, who seems to have limitless access to fresh water and claims to know about an untapped river but is sworn to secrecy.
Vera and Kai become friends, and soon something blossoms between the two teens. But one afternoon Kai doesn’t show up at their usual meeting place and his home is ransacked. Vera and Will set off on a dangerous journey in search of their friend and his secret knowledge. The siblings are pursued by pirates, a paramilitary group and greedy corporations bent on controlling the world’s water supply – all of whom want to get their hands on Kai and his uncanny ability to find fresh water.

Um...awesome. And very similar to The Hunger Games which I love! Can't wait for it to come out!

I am also a fan of the book: I Am Number Four. It has been turned into a movie and comes out 2-18/11. Click here for the trailer!

Looking forward to:

Christmas

Seeing my family

Giving (and getting) gifts

Having fun with friends and family

I hope everyone is having a great Christmas Advent season!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2010-11-28T07:00:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving came .. and went. It went by so quickly that i feel like we skipped over it to quickly get ready for Christmas. We went to Chris's (my husband) grandma's house with his whole family there and had a great dinner filled with turkey, mashed potatos, stuffing, and apple & pumpkin pie. Then came Black Friday, which I am not a fan of. I don't find waking up super early to get great deals, that are only great deals because they blew up the price then put 60% off on it, fun. We did get most of our Christmas shopping done that day, tho it was not early in the morning.

We also got our 1st Christmas tree ever, along with my sister-in-law.

We got it at Home Depot (exciting I know) and when we got it home, our kitty went crazy! While it was tied up, she climbed up the whole thing. While we were trying to screw the trunk in, she was attacking the branches and our hands. While we were decorating it she was attacking the lights and batting at all the ornaments. Thankfully she stopped and just likes to look at it.

Saturday we helped my brother and sister-in-law cut down their tree. Here is the story in picture form:

Trax farm - Christmas trees on a hill!

The guys: (from left to right) Jon(brother-in-law), Dan(brother), Chris(husband)

Me climbing during the -10 degree windy weather (Girls you can't see: jamie(sister-in-law) Rachel(sister-in-law/photo taker)

Dan contemplating... with an axe

Hmmmm maybe a saw

Jon with said saw

Chris... who was not even that cold

Found the tree, now starting to cut it down

Add caption

Chris's turn

Finite!

it was crazy cold but a pretty cool experience. i'm glad we got to join in on the fun of cutting down their 1st christmas tree as a married couple.

We then went home and decorated our own 1st christmas tree.

Surprisingly I had a bunch of ornaments!

I am now on the last day of my awesome 4 day weekend... which was greatly needed, also known as Sunday. I am hosting our Book Club after church. The book: Feed by M.T Anderson.

I can't believe Monday is already here. Can't wait for Christmas break!

hilarious

2010-11-15T05:47:00.000-05:00

i wanted to share this youtube that i found so you too can have a laugh. Enjoy:

what did you think?

guess what i did saturday

2010-11-14T20:49:00.000-05:00

on saturday, my husband and i went in a plane for a joyride around town! our friend just happens to be a pilot and offered us a lovely wedding present of flying us around the city. it was amazing!

(side note: i had a virus from the night before that involved nausea and it didn't go away until sundayish... so while flying i was nauseous.. but i was not about to let this once in a lifetime thing go away!)

so without further ado...

Pumpkin Carving Picture Walk

2010-11-03T20:43:00.000-04:00

Our Halloween Outfit:

Edward & Bella

It's hard to see but we added some "blood" to Edwards face because he bit me obviously....

(i ended up having 2 spider bites close together on my neck that night so we played it up and made it into a vampire bite!)

Now on to the fun stuff:

Saturday is my brother's Wedding Day!

There will be family coming and lots of fun happy get togethers, then a blessed wedding that I can't wait for! It's also supposed to snow the night before and honestly i don't know whether its a cool thing or bad thing... if it was me I'd say awesome but since I'm wearing a sleeveless dress it might not be so awesome.

I Hope I remember to bring a camera....

75th post: Halloween Edition

2010-10-31T17:58:00.000-04:00

My husband and I are getting together with some friends and having a Halloween/Steelers Game Party. Costume or steeler apparel necessary. I'm all about the Halloween part and my husband is all about the Steelers Game part. What a pair we make. He did however agree to dress up with me. Finding the perfect couple outfit is not easy. We bounced ideas back and forth until the last minute, ie right before I decided to write this post.

Popeye - Olive Oyl (he really wants this one for some reason.. prob to show off his muscles)
Edward - Bella
Bill - Sookie
Referees
Soccer players
Hermione - Harry (yes i'm aware they are not a couple but Ron was not an option)

It had to be homemade because those Halloween costume prices of 40-50 bucks is not happening..
So try and guess what we are and I'll share pictures ~~tomorrow~~ soon.

Do you have any awesome ideas for next year - couple costumes?

2010-10-25T14:04:00.001-04:00

My posts are dwindling down to probably once every week or 2 weeks, not because I don't have time exactly, but because I have nothing to talk about. You need to have a reason to post.... and I don't have one. But I'll let you in on whats happening:
My brother just moved back to Pittsburgh and we moved him into his new apartment. Its pretty exciting since he's getting married in about 2 weeks! He and my dad drove a rental truck from CT to here one night filled with all of his furniture for the apartment. They got all the boxes into the apartment and it was completely filled! We set it up and cleaned up. There were so many boxes that the side of the street was lined about 15 feet with huge boxes! It was a lot of fun with new furniture and a new place to hang out at!

Today I had time to make some French Onion Soup! I've been wanting to do it because I love Panera's but I don't go there often. The best part was that I had all of the ingredients right at home, which never happens since I'm just getting started with cooking and I am still getting to know what to keep in stock. So since I found out how easy it could be, I'll share it with you: (this recipe is from my betty crocker's slow cooker cookbook)

image

What You Need:
-slow cooker
-3 cups onions sliced
-3 tablespoon butter melted
-3 tablespoon flour
-1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
-1 teaspoon sugar
-1/4 teaspoon pepper
-7 cups water w/7 beef bouillon cubes
-cheesy broiled french bread

What To Do:
Mix onions and butter in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 30-35 minutes or until onions begin to slightly brown around edges.
Mix flour, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, and pepper. Mix 7 bouillon cubes with 7 cups of water. Stir flour mixture and broth into onions. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or high 3-4 hours or until onions are very tender.
Serve with bread and enjoy!

*Notice the recipe didn't call for the lovely cheese melted on top. I've looked it up and it calls for swiss cheese.

So it's slow cooking right now, smelling lovely. I can't wait to try the first soup I've ever made!

Have any easy recipes to share?

P.S. My friend Sarah is in this Good Mood Blogger competition. To get the job she needs people to vote for her everyday. I'm adding the widget for you to go read her reason why she would be great for this job to the right. So go read and vote!

Books To Look At

2010-10-17T18:03:00.000-04:00

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

by Beth Revis

Go read the first awesome chapter!

BEFORE I FALL

by lauren oliver

What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?
Read the prologue

DELIRIUM

by lauren oliver

Read the 1st chapter!

FALL OF GIANTS

by ken follett

These are just a few... very random.... I'm sure there are tons more out there! If you have any, send them my way!

Books

2010-10-13T07:16:00.001-04:00

Looking Forward to:
Pillars of the Earth
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Reading Now:
Lady Chatterley's Lover - for Book Club

Books Finished:Desecration
Dead Until Dark
What No One Tells the Bride
The Remnant
Harry potter 7
Sisters Grimm
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Short Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
I Am Number Four
Mockingjay
The Declaration
Can You Keep A Secret?
Uglies Series (4 books)

20/25 books in 2010! Almost Done!

Weekend

2010-10-10T21:03:00.000-04:00

I have been at my new job now for over 2 weeks. I welcome the weekends where I sleep in, as much as I can, and try to get things done. The week days are now a place of mechanically going through my day with toddlers, sitting in slow moving traffic, and finally making it home where I just eat and sleep while trying to fit in some rest time with my husband. From 7pm till 930 I also try to squeeze in a shower, computer time, playing with my poor cat who no longer has a friend all day, cleaning the house, getting ready for tomorrow, reading for book club, and anything else. I'm not that good at managing my time for a limited day, but I guess I will get used to it.

So weekends are lovely.

This weekend was very busy.
Saturday we went to Trax Farms Market where we bought 2 pumpkins that are waiting to be carved. They have apple cider and decorations that will someday be on my walls. It was a great day until we got to my husbands grandma's house where her dog was ran over by a car. It was so sudden and happened out of nowhere that we were all stunned.
Sunday was filled with church and book club. I love mass on sundays. I always feel filled with peace that I need. Then the girls met for Book Club where we discussed Lady Chatterley's Lover.

Now I'm off to enjoy the last bit of the weekend!

Dress up for Halloween or no?

Mailbox

2010-10-03T18:13:00.000-04:00

Dear Child Outside My Window,
Before I started working, I had a lovely schedule of sleeping until 8 am. But you decided to stand outside my window at 7:30 am and continuously scream at the top of your lungs. Thanks.... thanks alot.

Dear Mom Of Child Outside My Window,
Your child was screaming outside my window early in the morning and you didn't think to take her hand or hold her and continue walking? Did you really think it was a great idea to let your child scream bloody murder in a neighborhood on the way to school?

Dear Truck Driver,
You almost hit my car. It's cool and all since you didn't but man... I thought I was going to have a huge dent in my new (i just bought) car. Thanks for not hitting me.

Dear Place I Work At,
When you told me I was going to be in the infant room and then switched me to toddlers, that was not cool. Toddlers are little people who love to throw, dump, run, and scream all day long. I go home exhausted with sore muscles because I have to pick up after them, carry them to their cot a million times because the words lay down don't work, and change their diapers all day long. Do you really believe having lesson plans are a good idea for this age? I'd like you to try and get all 10 of them to sit quietly while you read a book and then try to get them all to dance or act like animals. Not happening. Oh, don't worry. I'll love my own children and be ok when it comes to entertaining them, but thats because I'll only have 1 (or 2) at a time, not 10.
p.s. not having enough employees to give the regular teachers a break is criminal!

Dear Husband,
I know that when I come home from work I'm grumpy and exhausted.... sorry.
p.s. playing football in 50 degree whether while its raining may result in a cold. and since i'm not home during the day and come home late and grumpy and exhausted i probably wont be able to take care of you... sorry.

Missionary Work

2010-09-28T07:00:00.001-04:00

This year our Brazil trip was canceled do to the missionaries who live in Brazil were 9 months pregnant!

It feels weird not going and doing bible skits, singing songs, and doing fun little crafts in Portuguese.

It feels weird not taking almost 2 weeks out of my summer and spending it with children of God who might not have heard of his name before.

It feels weird not going to the orphanages to do morning and afternoon bible school.

It feels weird not trying to communicate with kids who think you know Portuguese but really you only know a little.

It feels weird not being exhausted after 2 weeks of being up since 5 am till 10 or 11 pm but never feeling better because of the love God shows us through the special children.

yea that's me napping... sometimes you just need a nap

It feels weird not waking up and finding huge spiders on your bedroom walls.... um wait scratch that... i don't miss that.

Even though I didn't get to go to Brazil and do missionary work, I can still look at where I am right now. Right outside my door there is missionary work to be done.. a smile, a helpful hand, telling someone Jesus loves them.

what ways do you do missionary work?

Rach's Shower

2010-09-27T21:52:00.000-04:00

Rach is my soon to be sister-in-law, marrying my brother Dan.

They have a lovely group of 21 people in their wedding party.. yup I said 21.

I must say tho, it was awesome having a lot of help when doing the shower.

This time I wasn't in charge of directing the shower, which is nice. I got to just show up and help put things together.

For their theme, we choose MUSIC.

For many reasons:

-my brother plays the guitar

-he used to be in a band

-they both love music

-he is going to have a career with music

-they love to go to concerts

Centerpieces

My brothers present

Favors:

CDs of love songs that are their taste

The lovely couple shows up!

The shoe game:

If you don't already know, the shoe game is a fun little way to see how much the couple knows or thinks about each other. You start with the couple holding one of their own shoes and one of their significant others shoes. Then you ask questions like who will do the dishes. They answer by raising the shoe of the person who they think will do that. It can get funny, like who will change the babies diaper, who will say sorry first, who is best with money, etc.

The next game was to have fun with the Bride-to-Be.

Beforehand they asked the groom questions about himself. Then they asked the Bride these questions to see how well she knows him. Some were hard (who was his 5th grade teacher?) Some were easy (what color are his eyes?) The twist: Everytime she gets an answer wrong, she needs to chew a piece of gum. Background: Rach has never chewed gum ever... EVER. So needless to say, she had to chew gum and it was funny watching her.

Following the food: Tomato Bisque/Chicken salad

and following the music theme we had Rach's brother-in-law make a funny song about the couple.

It was to the tune of Free Falling.

After opening the gifts, they had some fun:

Rach and her mom

Guess That Book

2010-09-26T07:00:00.007-04:00

Guidelines

go to:

page 60

3rd paragraph

1st sentence

"Who are your servants, My Lady? Helda asked.

I think I might change the guidelines. Maybe next time I'll make it easier so that the sentence will help you to figure out what book it is instead of picking a random sentence.

what do you think?

added:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
no one guessed so the answer is:

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

sisters

2010-09-24T07:30:00.000-04:00

I have 2 sister in laws.

One who got married in July.

jon and jamie

And one who will be getting married in November.

rachel and dan

The first one is my husband's sister.

The second is my brother's soon to be wife.

And I have 2 sisters of my own.

clare (the youngest) nat (the middle) and me (the oldest)

That's 4 sisters altogether.and one brother.

Wow.

So the point of this post was to say that this saturday is a shower for my soon to be sister in law.

I'll try to take pictures like a good little blogger.

happy birthday mom!

2010-09-23T07:30:00.000-04:00

Today is the day the Lord gave this world an amazing woman.

She is a daughter

A wife

A mother

A teacher

And so much more...

Happy Birthday Mom!

2010-09-22T09:46:00.000-04:00

i've been thinking a lot about this blog and whether or not i'm doing a good job at it. i know i'm not posting well, nor am i keeping my posts generally about one thing.. confusing and not cool i know.
so i'm going to try to do better with talking about my life and the books i love. we'll see how it goes because apparently this is how its supposed to be:

so remember when i told you i was unemployed here? well i found a job! and it would be really cool if i had started working there... but i haven't. why? they need to get the people i put down as references to actually answer the phone... it sucks. shouldn't they have done my references before they offered me the job? if they already said you're hired shouldn't i just start work? you obviously trusted me enough to hire me so why can't i start?

oh i didn't tell you my new job did i?

its called kindercare, its a daycare for babies to preschool. i was going for the preschool since its what i love but when i went back the second time that was already filled... so i took the infants! yay! they are so cute. i prob should have looked for a preschool job but i do love babies and wanted just to try it out. so we'll see how it goes.

i just thought i'd put this out there since we're talking about babies: i'm not going to get pregnant (hopefully) for 2 years. its a decision that my husband likes to change everytime we talk about it. i can't wait to have a baby, but then again i can wait. wait for more money.. wait for selfishness to lessen... wait for a better house/neighborhood.. so much to think about and wait for.

enough about babies... back to what's going on right now. i haven't had babysitting for 2 weeks. so i have free days. i love waking up and relaxing at home. then i decide what i want to do. these days have actually been great because i've finally gotten some things done that i should have done before.

-change last name:
-social security CHECK!
-license CHECK!
-passport uh not yet.. i need to get a picture and i'm a little wary(sp?) about having to give away my passport with all my awesome stamps from brazil and israel...
-credit cards/etc eh..

-get bridesmaid dress getting it today!
-work out uh sort of..
-go through honeymoon pics and made an album started 2 days ago and hopefully i'll do some today

cancun

getting things done feels great since i love to procrastinate.

p.s. that book guess that no one guessed is The Host by Stephenie Meyer...

so i guess my question is scrap the book guess or keep it?

can you keep a secret?

2010-09-22T08:29:00.001-04:00

by Sophie Kinsella
Fiction
357 pages
Pub date March 2004

With the same wicked humor, buoyant charm, and optimism that have made her Shopaholic novels beloved international bestsellers, Sophie Kinsella delivers a hilarious new novel.

Secrets from her mother: I lost my virginity in the spare bedroom while Mum and Dad were downstairs watching Ben-Hur. Sammy the goldfish in my parents kitchen is not the same goldfish that Mum gave me to look after when she and Dad were in Egypt.

From her colleagues: When Artemis really annoys me, I feed her plant orange juice. (Which is pretty much every day.)

Secrets she wouldn t share with anyone in the world: My G-string is hurting me. I have no idea what NATO stands for. Or even what it is.
Until she spills them all to a handsome stranger on a plane. At least, she thought he was a stranger. But come Monday morning, Emma s office is abuzz about the arrival the company s elusive CEO. Suddenly Emma is face-to-face with the stranger from the plane, a man who knows every single humiliating detail about her. Things couldn't possibly get worse. Until they do...

This book was such a great take to the beach read. It was so funny that I actually laughed out loud at some points. It started off slow, I really couldn't relate to someone who thought she was going to die on a plane and literally spilled all of her secrets to the guy next to her. But when you get past that you can really relate to how she feels when she sees that same guy is the head of the company. And he remembers all of her secrets! I love the way they interact and how their relationship grows. It's an easy read, its funny, and serious, and definetly worth reading.

guess that book...

2010-09-19T21:01:00.000-04:00

these are the guidelines i followed:

go to:

page 60

3rd paragraph

1st sentence

"When Fire World was discovered, it was at first thought that the dominant species, the Fire-Tasters, were the only intelligent life-forms present."

what's your guess?

when your done guessing pick a book and try it....

uglies

2010-09-15T10:25:00.000-04:00

by Scott Westerfeld
425 pages
Pub. date 2005

Everyone gets to be supermodel gorgeous. What could be wrong with that? Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license- for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there.

But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forver.

I was impressed with this book. I sometimes judge a book by its title and this one made me not want to read it, until I was told it was a dystopian world, and then I decided to try it. Tally can't wait to be pretty while her new friend Shay doesn't want it. I love the way uglies have fun, they play "tricks" by sneaking out and being rebellious. These girls sneak out and almost connect with a person who lives in the wilderness. This twist in the story brings out a secret that changes how Tally sees the Pretties. I never saw it coming! It was so interesting and kept me guessing what was going to happen next.

mockingjay

2010-09-14T17:45:00.000-04:00

by Suzanne Collins

390 pages

Pub. Date: Aug. 2010

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

What can I say about the Hunger Games last book that has not already been said. It is a gripping book that shows how the government can control your life. Katniss has been played like a piece on a chess board for a group that is trying to over turn the government and finally she is told what is going on. Now that she is aware of their plans, she is able to make her own decisions. Her home town was destroyed and those who survived have to learn a new way of life in District 13. The story is filled with action and twists that keep you reading and then wanting more.

The Declaration

2010-09-08T12:07:00.000-04:00

(really late I know!)
by Gemma Malley

Science Fiction

320 pages

Pub. Date: 2008

It's the year 2140, and longevity drugs have made the world a wonderful place - for some. Taking longevity means you can live indefinitely, but there's a catch, of course: you must first sign the declaration and, if you opt in, you agree not to have children.
For children born outside the Declaration, the world is a grim place. Surplus Anna is one such teen: a worthless burden who must pay back society for her very existence. Bleak and foreboding Grange Hall, with its severe headmistress, will prepare Anna for her short life of servitude.
But Anna is different. In the pages of a coveted diary, she secretly pours out her heart, her hopes and her many, many fears - including her mistrust of a new arrival to Grange Hall, a boy named Peter. Peter says that longevity is bad, that nobody should be considered a Surplus... and that Anna's parents love her and have been searching for her. Who is she to trust? The strange boy whose version of life sounds like a dangerous fairy tale? Or the cold, familiar walls of Grange Hall and the headmistress who has controlled her every waking thought?

This story definitely lived up to its dystopian title. People are living forever and those who choose not to sign the declaration get to have a child. Poor Anna is one. She is such an interesting character. She was brainwashed to hate her parents for having her which in turn makes her think less of herself. But she can't wait to be the perfect servant. Then comes Peter and her world changes. Of course you can't wait to see if there is a little romance between them or if Peter really know her parents. There are so many different twists in this story that it keeps you reading. I also love how the story switches to other peoples views, people that you want to hear from and want to know what they are thinking. It was a very interesting book and I recommend it!

Sequels: The Resistance (2009) The Returners (2010) The Legacy (2010)

september book challenge

2010-09-03T07:24:00.001-04:00

i'm not going to lie... i've already read 3 books that were on the challenge. i couldn't help it since mockingjay just came out and so did i am number four. the third book: the declaration, i am going to use as my first book and i'm glad i finished it early so i could have time to write my first ever review. never done it before so i hope i'm not horrible at it. i've been trying to read other peoples ways of reviewing so i hope it helps. any tips?

Aug 29-Sept 4: The Declaration
Sept 5-11: Mockingjay
Sept 12-18: Uglies
Sept 19-25: Can You Keep A Secret?
Sept 26-Oct 2: I Am Number Four

The Thoughts of a Book Junky!'s first weeks giveaway is: Shadow Hills.
So to enter you have to write a review of your first book and link it to that post by the 5th.

Looking Forward to:
Pillars of the Earth
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Can You Keep A Secret?

Reading Now:
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Books Finished:
Desecration
Dead Until Dark
What No One Tells the Bride
The Remnant
Harry potter 7

Sisters Grimm

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Short Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

I Am number Four by Pitticus Lore

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The Declaration by Gemma Malley

16/25 books in 2010!

busy as a bee

2010-09-02T11:24:00.000-04:00

does life ever stop being busy?

this summer has been the busiest of my life.. i think. or atleast has had the most things happen in 3 months. i didn't really want to post this since i know there are people out there who are way busier than me but this blog is about me... so here goes.

planning for a wedding was horrible (in my opinion), but the honeymoon afterwords made it not so bad. because you knew you could do whatever you want with the person you love. downtime, sort of. well not so much in my case. my husband considers vacations as a time to explore, and so do i... sometimes. we went to hawaii (i've started making a post with pictures but i dont have all of them and i dont really remember all the places we went.. :) ) on a cruise but didnt spend anytime on the boat because we were too busy hiking and driving all over the islands.

when we got home, babysitting started back up right away. i babysit all through the year, teach during the day, but summertime i was on for the whole day (i babysit a boy with down syndrome and his sister) try babysitting for 8 hours 5 days a week and making things up for them to do... not fun. busyness

then came my husbands sisters wedding, i was the maid of honor. it was really cute. they had it in their parents backyard and afterwords it was a pool party!

so my life was already busy enough when life threw me a twist. the school i work for closed. bam... no job. sigh. since sitting around and feeling bad for yourself doesn't do much but start ~~fights~~ encouraging conversations what can you do but jump right into trying to find another job. that's been my life this whole summer, trying to find a job. not fun, as many of you know.

my family and us just recently went to LBI, NJ for some fun in the sun. even tho my husband and i only went for 3 days it still was great to get away...

in the end.. having a busy life is better then having a boring one i guess..

what's that you say? quit complaining? yea i know :)

i'll be back

2010-08-24T21:48:00.000-04:00

the rest of this week i'm out of here!

on to the shore

and reading this:

finally

I think you might like Feed, by M.T. 
Anderson.  It takes place in a future in which computers are implanted in 
humans, and there is a constant "feed" of advertisements and entertainment 
coming through.  Titus is the main character, and he's able to function well in 
that society, but when he befriends a young woman who can't, he has some tough 
choices to make.
 
Another possibility might be the series by George R. R. Martin, A Song of Ice 
and Fire, which starts with A Game of Thrones.  It takes place in a kingdom 
where the seasons are decades long due to climactic change, and several families 
are competing for the throne.  It's more epic than most of the other titles you 
said you liked, but since you had Philippa Gregory listed, this might be a good 
combination of the drama of the royal families and the compelling writing of the 
science fiction writers you mentioned.
 
Another post-apocalyptic novel is Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow, is about a 
17-year-old named Marcus who gets picked up by the Department of Homeland 
Security after a terrorist attack on San Francisco.  When he's finally released, 
the country has become a police state, and Marcus decides to fight back.
 
Genesis, by Bernard Beckett, sounds like another good one.  It takes place on an 
island at the bottom of the globe that was the only place that stayed stable 
after the ravages of the 21st century.  A young woman is trying to get into the 
Academy, but finds that not everything is what it seems.  One review describes 
the end as a "crushing final twist."
 
Also, have you read Uglies, by Scott Westerfield?  It's about a society in which 
everyone gets surgery at the age of 16 to become beautiful.  Tally, the main 
character, is required to spy on a group of teens that have escaped to avoid the 
surgery, otherwise she will remain "ugly" herself.  As she gets more involved 
with the group, she makes some grim discoveries.
 
A series that I found really compelling, but is historical fiction, rather than 
post-apocalyptic, is the Margaret of Ashbury series, by Judith Merkle Riley.  
The first one is A Vision of Light, in which a 14th-century woman is inspired to 
write her memoirs, only she can't write.  So with some effort, she finds a 
desperate monk who is willing to be her scribe, whom she tells the story of 
discovering her healing powers, which also get her accused of being a witch.  
It's quite a page-turner, and if you like it, there are more in the series.
 
Another historical fiction novel is Through a Glass Darkly, by Karleen Koen.  
It's the story of a young woman in 18th century England, who's parents marry her 
off to a man 26 years older than she is.  While she is thrilled, but her husband 
has ulterior motives for the match, and soon she comes to a crossroad that will 
alter her life.
 
Finally, have you read anything by Tracy Chevalier?  She's the author of The 
Girl with a Pearl Earring and The Lady and the Unicorn.  She's a tremendous 
historical fiction writer, and those two books imagine the stories behind 
Vermeer painting and the tapestry that hangs in the Cluny Museum in France.

Read any?

September Spectacular Reading Challenge

2010-08-20T11:01:00.000-04:00

I found this challenge and thought it would be fun to try! It's simple, all you need to do is read a book a week and review it at the end of the week.

Rules:

-Starts Sept. 1st till Sept 30th (start reading sun. aug 29)

-5 books (one per week) any books you want

-Post your review and link it to the website (i'll post it at the bottom)

-At the end of the week is a giveaway from the host

Blog and Link:

The Thoughts of a Book Junky

Here's the hard part: finding which books to choose...

My choices were mostly what I could find at the library and two were new books that I couldn't wait to read. Check it out!
we'll see if i actually get to the book reviews

Conversations with a child

2010-08-09T14:34:00.001-04:00

Ethan: What are you doing?

Me: Texting.

Ethan: Who? My dad?

Me: No.

Ethan: The cat?

Me: .....uh no.

books

2010-08-03T18:22:00.000-04:00

Looking Forward to:
Eclipse
Pillars of the Earth
Mockingjay
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Reading Now:
Graceling

Books Finished:
Desecration
Dead Until Dark
What No One Tells the Bride
The Remnant
Harry potter 7

Sisters Grimm

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Short Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

Any good books out there? I'm running out of resources...........

12/25 books in 2010! (i'm half way there.. )

...my wedding...

2010-07-29T21:31:00.000-04:00

Before the Wedding:

All set and ready to go....

Now its time for me to get ready... after that lovely 6 am hair appointment

Cute sisters

Even my brother was ready before me...

Cutest flower girl... before she got inside she fell and busted her lip open and bled everywhere... poor thing She made it down the aisle tho!

Finally dressed

Wedding Time:

Yay for long walks down the aisle... not

The ring

The candle (note to self: candles don't light when there is wind)(no that is not a smudge on my face... apparently the camera had a glitch, 2pts for whoever can find the black smudge in the other pics!)

and we're married!

the crew

love

having fun

The boys

The girls

the cake

the dance

the end!

2010-07-14T15:00:00.000-04:00

I know i promised some pictures.... those will be coming soon. Wedding pictures too since I just got the CD. But I've been really busy pretty much since the beginning of May and it hasn't stopped. Things just keep coming.

My Busy Summer:
-My Wedding May 29
-Honeymoon #1 Cancun May 30-June5
-School Finished June 10
-Work Week 3rd Week of June
-Honeymoon #2 Hawaii June 16-27
-Sister-in-laws Wedding July 10
-Husband starts Internship July 12
-Babysitting work continues
-Find out my school closed and now I need to do Job Hunting
-Husbands Birthday July 18 (Secret Party!)

I can't wait until I have a rest. Yea the honeymoons were a rest and were amazing.

So here are some Wedding pics to show you a peek!

Cute

2010-06-29T17:28:00.003-04:00

I know this is for a baby nursery but I love this quote:

I found it at: Little Blue Boo

Things To Look Forward To:

~Post Pics of Cancun

~Post Pics of Hawaii

~Find ways to decorate my house

Coming up:

~My sister-in-laws Wedding and I'm the Matron-of-Honor

-plan bachelorette party

-buy bachelorette stuff

~Finishing my house

Anyone have a great blog for decorating your house?

p.s. sorry for having word verification... i've been getting tons of spam in my comments....

This is How Its Supposed To Be

Teaser Tuesdays (21) The Day of the Triffids

Teaser Tuesdays (20) When She Woke

Teaser Tuesdays (19)

Teaser Tuesdays (18)

Teaser Tuesdays (17)

Teaser Tuesdays (16)

Teaser Tuesdays (15)

Teaser Tuesdays (14)

Teaser Tuesday (13)

One Week

Teaser Tuesdays (12)

Teaser Tuesdays (11)

Teaser Tuesdays (10)

fourth of july weekend

Honeymoon Hawaii

Teaser Tuesdays (9)

Gathering Blue Review

Teaser Tuesdays (8)

Rash Review

Teaser Tuesdays (7) Rash

Candor Review

Teaser Tuesdays (6)

Teaser Tuesdays (5)

Crazy Week

Teaser Tuesdays (4)

Teaser Tuesdays (3)

Hush, Hush Book Review

Valentines Day, Book Love

Teaser Tuesdays (2)

Teaser Tuesdays (1)

Hang the code, and hang the rules. They're more like guidelines anyway

the time where i got an award

2nd try

the time the challenge didn't quite work out

the time i accepted a challenge

Winter Wonderland

Birthday Post

new book to look forward to!

Thanksgiving Weekend

hilarious

guess what i did saturday

Pumpkin Carving Picture Walk

75th post: Halloween Edition

Books To Look At

Books

Weekend

Mailbox

Missionary Work

Rach's Shower

Guess That Book

sisters

happy birthday mom!

can you keep a secret?

guess that book...

uglies

mockingjay

The Declaration

september book challenge

busy as a bee

i'll be back

Recommended

September Spectacular Reading Challenge

Conversations with a child

books

...my wedding...

Cute