Recent Reads: Brain On Fire

Once upon a time, I had a dream to read 52 books this year. Unfortunately, one setback put a wrench in that dream, so I haven’t been working towards the goal anymore. In fact, I’m 8 books behind schedule according to my Goodreads account. Make no mistake, I’ve been reading consistently since the setback. But I just haven’t been forcing myself to go too fast. The reason I was able to read quickly was because I was able to read during work downtime. But that stopped. So I had to find time after work, and it always ended up being bedtime and I always ended up falling asleep and I always want to read books that around 400+ long. And breathe….

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan has been on my Kindle for quite a while (I believe I bought it as a Daily Deal…if you don’t check those out, you are depriving yourself of some excellent steals on great books!). I read about it and it piqued my interest, but this memoir has a lot to do with an unknown illness that affects the brain and I can be a bit squeamish from time to time. And, of course, the story is true…that makes it extra-tough. I finally decided to pick up the Kindle and dive in.

Cahalan makes sure to put a disclaimer of sorts in the beginning of the book. For about a month, when she was really suffering through her then-unknown illness, she had no real idea what was going on around her. Some of her memories are hallucinations that have stayed with her while others are very random and come back at the strangest of times. She referred to her doctors, family, and friends to recount the story.
This was smart, in case some people find the story a bit unbelievable.

Susannah was 24 when she got sick…but she didn’t know exactly what was wrong. At first, she felt as if she was coming down with a flu. Then, she experienced anxiety and mania (in which she felt powerful and in control in an almost dangerous manner). Not long after these symptoms, if you will, she began to experience seizures. That led her to a variety of doctors, the ER room, and eventually the neurology wing of NYU’s medical center.

The strangest part of this is that pretty much all of Susannah’s basic health tests…blood work, EEGs, CT scans, MRIs, neurology tests (reflexes and repetition) were coming back negative for any illnesses. Unfortunately, her health was declining at a rapid rate. She slurred her words, she could barely move and lost weight at a rapid speed, and she would go from an almost catatonic state to extremely paranoid in an instant.
In order to find what ailed her, the doctors had to think outside the box. And thank God they did.

I had an idea of what Susannah had based on some review-reading a while back, but I think it would be especially interesting to save it for the book. Reading the story unfold, the health unravel, was extremely interesting. The brain is such a force and Cahalan repeats a few times that it is similar to Christmas lights…they all work together, and can still operate if one goes out…but if the wrong one goes out, then the lights can’t function without it. I’m paraphrasing that…she said it a lot better.

If you’re into memoirs and you enjoy some medical fact and history, this is the book for you.

Corn Maze

Yesterday, Brad and I were invited to join our friend on a little corn maze excursion.
I think I might have done a corn maze once in my life, as a teensy toddler with my mom holding my hand, so I jumped at the opportunity.
It was an hour drive, but a beautiful, scenic one.
Again, the weather has been unseasonably warm, but there’s nothing like that sun beaming through leaves of orange and red.
We got to the corn maze, and the goal was to hit 12 different points. The maze was cut into a barn scene and the only way to navigate was to hope you were at the cow’s foot or something like that. Listen, I didn’t navigate. And you can bet your bottom dollar that we would’ve been lost if I had. I just had fun enjoying the walk with some great people. And, of course, snapping some photos.

This probably sounds so stupid, but I was actually surprised to see corn growing on the stalks. I guess I figured they were out of season or something, but full heads of corn were growing, falling, and budding all around us. It was neat to see. The picture directly above is a particular favorite…the roots are so cool. Not what you’d expect to see. It reminded me of those weird scalp massagers with the claws.

Next, I’m desperately waiting to head to the pumpkin patch. I’d really like to actually carve a pumpkin this year.

Top Ten Favorite Nail Polishes

A while ago, I compiled a list of my top ten favorite nail polishes.
This was an extremely difficult thing to do because I have over 100 polishes in a variety of colors and finishes. How do I narrow it down?
The funny thing is, even though I have so many polishes, I tend to go to the same several colors over and over. Some are reserved for special occasions. Some are trend polishes that maybe don’t really flow with my style anymore. So after some careful consideration and thought, I came up with the polishes you see above, all of which should be easy to find if you so desire.
There is no ranking for these, just random order.

On the left: Deborah Lippmann’s Hapless Hunter Green (Hannah) from the GIRLS collection.
Considering that I love the show GIRLS and I love nail polish, this set was a must-have. The price was wince-worthy, but I’m glad I got it because the colors, this one in particular, are gorgeous. Before I got this polish, I was often covering my nails with designs and glitter…anything to avoid a flawed look. But this polish applies smooth and is such an interesting shade of green that it’s PERFECTION on it’s own.
It finally gave me the confidence to do simple one-polish manis.
On the right: China Glaze’s Fairy Dust is a must-have for polish (and glitter) enthusiasts. I couldn’t wait to get it myself. I haven’t tried it for this purpose yet, but I hear it’s perfect for galaxy nails. It is a super fine, non-gritty holographic glitter that can be layered for an intense look but one coat is enough to add some flair to absolutely any color you own.

On the Left: Essie’s In the Cab-Ana…I got to be honest, I don’t actually “own” this one. My sister has it and I borrow it A LOT. I want to get my own bottle, but I just can’t get myself to do it. I’ll regret it if I don’t soon. While it’s easy to find on Amazon, it is from the resort collection this year, so it’s Limited Edition. It is a beautiful, tropical, almost juicy looking blue that goes on beautiful in one coat and looks amazing with a variety of colors, glitters, or on its own.
On the Right: Sally Hansen’s Xtreme Wear in Black Out is CLASSIC. If you want an excellent black polish, pick this up. Don’t bother with expensive brands. For no more than 3 dollars, you can own the best. It’s shiny, it lasts, it covers in one coat, and it’s excellent for nail art.

On the Left: As I’ve mentioned on the blog before, I am a Julep Maven. When I first started the program, I got a code for 50% off any polish and it was hard to choose. Since I can only look online, I did a lot of swatch research and settled on Julia. This metallic polish is sometimes purple, sometimes gold, and always beautiful. I couldn’t have picked a better polish to start with. Once again, it’s excellent to have a a great color that works for one-polish manicures. This one is so interesting without any extra art or glitter coverage.
On the Right:  Essie’s Good as Gold is a part of their Mirror Metallics collection. Out of the several colors they offered, I chose this classic gold and it is beautiful. The finish is outstanding and top coat only adds more oomph! Most metallic shades tend to go on streaky, showing visible brushstrokes. But this polish goes on smooth and it also works great for nail art! I’ve done stripes and polka dots with ease.

On the Left: Nail polish connoisseurs will know that glitters don’t just come in chunky multi-colored blends. Black and White glitter was something I couldn’t wait to get my hands on. If you follow Chalkboard Nails (if you don’t, you should), you might have seen her massive collection and comparison post. Who woulda thunk that black and white could be so versatile? Most of the glitters she has shown are indie brands, but mainstream has been allowing various glitters (matte, bar, hex) to trickle into their formulas. I had no idea Maybelline was releasing a Polka Dots collection, which has a few polishes with color bases, but as soon as I saw Clearly Spotted, I snatched it up. At less than 4 dollars, how could I say no? The first time I used it, I nearly cried. Glitters can be tricky but this polish has excellent glitter coverage and plenty of each color in various sizes.
On the Right: Black and white nail polishes are, without a doubt, nail art staples. Without them, you’re limited with what you can achieve. But I didn’t realize how important nude polish was until recently. OPI’s Don’t Pretzel My Buttons is the perfect beige-y nude. It applies smoothly and is perfectly opaque. It’s beautiful on it’s own, but it provides an excellent base for neon nail art to pop.

On the Left: Pink is one of the colors I don’t own many of. I purchased Spring Break, a Nicole by OPI polish from the Selena Gomez collection, after seeing the movie Spring Breakers. I was all excited, and the hue really went with the bright colors in the film, so I snatched it up, knowing there was a hot pink gap in my collection. Though I knew I’d use it occasionally (and actually had an idea for it right from the start), I didn’t expect it to become a go-to polish like it has. You can’t see it in the picture, but the bottle has a visible line showing how much I’ve used. This is a feat since I hop from polish to polish, but that’s why it’s a favorite. Excellent pigmentation, great coverage, and easy to work with in terms of nail art. I actually have it on right now!
On the Right: I didn’t want to do a Top Ten without including an indie brand nail polish. Happy Hands Nail Polish is the first indie brand I’ve purchased from, and I will continue to go back. The formulas are excellent and the color combinations are gorgeous. Most of the collections are inspired by your favorite TV shows, movies, and music. However, Afternoon Thunderstorms is inspired by the weather in the Florida. This polish is a best seller on the site, and for good reason. It is honestly a thunderstorm in a bottle. The gray base and black glitter would’ve been enough to showcase stormy weather, but the gold shimmer adds that post-storm silver lining look of the hopeful sunshine!
This is an excellent and super beautiful polish.

And there you have it!
Since my polish collection is always growing, the list will certainly change at some point.
Do you have any favorites? What polish(es) is your go-to?

A Walk Through the Cemetery

Yesterday, on my way home from Brad’s (I spend a few days at home with my family every week and still consider that my home), I was enjoying a quiet drive through the foliage and sipping on a pumpkin coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts. It was a bright and crisp Autumn day, the first in quite a while (and especially this month so far) that was actually cool enough for a flannel and jeans. As I got closer to my house, I passed a big, beautiful cemetery that is one of those landmarks I always ignore because I’ve passed it a billion times day in and day out. Today, though, I thought, “I should go there someday with my camera. Maybe tomorrow?”
Actual Michal Lynn translation: I should go there (I would like to, but I won’t) someday (never, that would require me to move and do something and why would I do that?). Maybe tomorrow (or never, because I am a procrastinator and there’s probably something on Netflix I should be streaming)?
I had that entire train of thought as I passed the cemetery, and realized quickly that I could, and should, do it RIGHT NOW. After all, my camera was in the trunk, since I was transporting my usual goods (that one in particular goes unused too frequently)
So I turned around at the next light and headed into the graveyard, at first nervous and confused about parking, then excited to break out my Rebel and the 50 mm lens that’s been collecting dust in my camera bag.

I liked seeing the way people decorate and commemorate the headstones of their loved ones.
I found so many interesting things, like that beautiful fall bouquet or the fallen mums.

Since so many of the leaves have fallen, I kept stumbling (almost literally) upon what looked like very shallow pits of leaves. But, after brushing the leaves away, I found flat headstones. I was thrilled when the first one I really had to brush off revealed the name SPOCK.

It was so nice to actually follow through, get fresh air, and explore a little. I have a lot more photos, and I hope to share them later!

Fall Feelings

October is, like so many of you out there, probably my favorite month.
Growing up, I always loved summer because it signified freedom. Playing outside all day and night, ice cream trucks, beach vacations, and absolutely NO school. Of course, as you get older, it’s still pretty great. But with work and regular responsibility, it lost that humid haze of happiness it once had for me. And now, Fall has taken over. Sweaters and boots. Hot coffee, tea, chocolate. So many baked goods.
The foliage. If that foliage could last so much longer…

Ultimately, it comes down to my extreme enjoyment of moodier weather. I love gray, rainy days (but of course, I also love crisp, clear Autumn air) because they beg some moody music and supreme relaxation. I’ve created a playlist via Grooveshark of 10 of my favorite songs for this time of year. Very chill and relaxed and ethereal, with a couple of melodic surprises.
Enjoy it with a cup of tea, your pumpkin treat of choice, and the comfiest sweater you own.

SoFresh/SoClean

 
A few weeks ago, Artie got a much-needed bath. I’ve actually never witnessed Artie get a bath, but I always imagined it would be funny because, well…he’s so cute and funny already! I missed the actual event, but I was able to grab the Rebel and take some photos of him
post-bath. I absolutely adore these photos, and I’m so glad I took them with my DSLR instead of the iPhone.
I actually had my fingers all tin-foiled up, removing glitter polish, but I still got some good pictures.
One day, I’d love to print one of these out and frame it or do something silly with it.

Still Here.

I decided to look at my blog, just to see how long it has been since I last posted.
AUGUST 19th!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!

Trees look like this.
Pumpkin spice everything.
Halloween decorations.

If I’m being honest, I knew it was a while but it certainly didn’t feel that long. Besides, time is flying every single stinking day.
I took an unintended break from blogging because my life sorta went into a strange flurry of emotions and decisions. Because of it, I lost track of all my creative outlets. The blog, my nails, photography (I failed yet another Fat Mum Slim photo a day challenge, which I used to complete every month).  BUT ENOUGH ABOUT FAILURES.
I’m blogging again, right?

A lot of things are changing in my life…and that will include a brand new blog that I’ve been working on.
It’s in production, so it might be a bit until that rolls out.

Until then, there are still some things I’d love to share on this blog in the meantime.
And no worries, I plan on keeping this site up for random posting.
This is my online journal, a place to record my memories. It’s staying.

Expect some posts about things that have happened that I never reported on. I have a real cute one of Artie going up tomorrow, hopefully!

I’ve missed you guys. It’s good to be back. And I can’t wait for the next chapter! Hope you will join me, when the time comes!