Recent Reads: Let’s Pretend this Never Happened (Book #1 of 2013)

Book #1 of my 52 books in 52 weeks challenge is finished!
I must admit, I started it on December 29…but I finished it on January 3rd. Counts to me.

I was first told about this book, a non-fiction humorous memoir, by Brad’s sister-in-law. I had kept it in the back of my head, and it continued to pop up everywhere, but I didn’t take the plunge until I was going through my Amazon Wish List and saw that it was $1.99 for the Kindle!
Needless to say, I bought it right then. I checked, and it’s gone up in price, so it must have been one of those daily deals. I’m lucky.

Though I love blogs, I’ve actually never visited The Bloggess, so Jenny Lawson’s writing was new to me.
I really enjoy funny writing and embarrassing life stories (all of David Sedaris, Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling, Mike Birbiglia, etc….), so I knew this would be an enjoyable read. And it (cue frequently used word throughout this book) totally was.

Jenny Lawson grew up in a tiny town in Texas, where dead animals, gun cabinets, and poisonous well water were the norm.
There’s enough material there to have made up the entire book, but she also shares stories about her immense anxiety (which I related to too much) her difficulty keeping a pregnancy, and her rheumatoid arthritis. I cringed, but there was always something to laugh about.

That’s the important part of life, and she makes that known. We all have those horribly embarrassing, awkward moments, but those are often what define our lives and make us who we are. The ones that stick with us, maybe require some therapy, but you wouldn’t be where you are, or who you are, without them.

Weekend

Here are some photos from the iPhone of the weekend.
It was the perfect little two days. Dinner at La Tolteca. A late night show of
Silver Linings Playbook (Brilliant performances by Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence). Buying onesie PJs from Target (that’s what that embarrassing photo from above is). Seeing the coolest, funniest band live. Sleeping in. The Chinese buffet. New nail polish. Sipping on tasty beers with Lauren over some girl talk and a girly movie.

Lots of little lovely things all rolled into a weekend. No complaints here!

Here’s to a stress-free week!

Dinner Last Night: Um…I ordered pizza.

Yesterday, after a week of exhaustion and nausea and headaches and general bleh feelings, I took a sick day.
There are lots of things going around, a lot of people who are worse off than me, but I think it’s important to listen to your body and your mind and take the time to rest and relax when you’re feeling ill…especially if you actually are ILL! Do not come around me with your infections, flus, or your fevers. Trust me, we will both feel better in the long run.

Considering the situation, I didn’t leave the house (or my bed, really) all day. So dinner came to us, from Domino’s.
You can say what you want about Domino’s but it never disappoints, is reasonably priced, and I GOT TO ANSWER THE DOOR IN MY PAJAMAS AND RECEIVE HOT AND READY TO EAT FOOD. Um, what is better than that?
Sure, I love cooking, but I don’t love germin’ up my family or going to the grocery store when I’m sick.

So that’s that. Woo hoo!

This week, with the holiday and now my sick day, has been goofy. It’s already Friday. Wowza.
My friends Jenna and Ed leave for California tomorrow…it went so fast. We are enjoying a meal at my favorite Mexican place tonight before they ship off for the next while. Then Saturday, we are supposed to go see Brad’s co-worker’s brother’s band (mouthful). I like having plans for the weekend, with a nice mix of sleeping in and errand running along the way. Oh, and seeing Brad. Just left the guy, like, a second ago and I already miss the kid. Love is silly awesome.

Have a great weekend, friends!

Fun with Multiple Exposures

One of the main reasons I got a Holga camera was because I loved the idea of multiple exposures, which basically means I can take as many pictures as I want on one frame (you really only wanna do two or three, so as to not over-expose the film). It’s so neat to see two different angles of the same object or even two completely different photos on one frame. They tell their own unique story.

It’s probably obvious since I haven’t posted anything on the blog, but I’ve been letting my Holga collect dust.
I’m bummed about that. And of course, a lot of it has to do with missing out on my multiple exposures.
But then I saw that Hipstamatic has a multi-exposure pack for .99 cents and I had to get it! It’s awesome because I’m saving money that would go towards developing film (there’s only one place that does it around here, it takes forever, and it’s not cheap at all),
with instant gratification as well.

Here are some of the photos I’ve taken using this awesome app addition.

Two friends, two ways.
Top of the bottle, label of the bottle.
My Canteen 900 latte and the décor of the restaurant.
A pretty organ and the wall next to it.

I’m excited to play more. It’s a lot of fun. I took more photos, but they don’t (like the Holga) always turn out the way you hope.
It’s still fun, and at least I can try endlessly!

December Photo a Day Challenge Completed!

Not only did this challenge signify the end of a month, it also signified the end of 2012.
I plan on continuing Fat Mum Slim’s photo challenges. At the end of a year, I’ll have 365 photos to be proud of.
It’s not always easy. But that’s why it’s a…duh…CHALLENGE.

Above was the list for the month. Below is my compilation of photos, as per usual.

1. 12/1 was a Saturday, and I worked, so that meant grabbing breakfast on the go at 8 o’ clock.
2. I was completely at peace doing some light Christmas window shopping and getting fresh air on my own.
3. I held my new 2013 planner which, cheesy enough, I’m using to record and log my blog posts (it keeps me inspired, even just for myself).
4. A black and white photo of Artie that I took with my Rebel and posted to Instagram. I love how tiny he looks!
5. Artie looking up at the house, waiting to get back into the warmth after a jaunt around the yard.
6. They released a Monopoly-inspired game based on a city in NEPA, where I live.
7. No stars in the sky, but these pretty lights at a local restaurant were shining like them.
8. If the category is someone you love, you’ll probably be seeing a photo of Brad.
9. Coffee and a car ride, out and about with Brad to attend a little Christmas party at my aunt’s.
10. Artie loves to burrow himself under blankets.
11. A sweet cotton candy colored sunset.
12. This jolly snowman wears a hat and decorates our windowsill inside the house.
13. Lights on the Christmas tree, necessary for a December photo!
14. Mossy ground was my something green.
15. Spotted this frosty grass outdoors.
16. Even though it hasn’t actually become anything yet, this crochet is something I made.
17. My bags are always on the floor at Brad’s. Hate living out of bags.
18. My sister’s homemade wreath, Christmas cookies, a cute Hello Kitty mug present, and a trimmed tree all make me feel merry.
19. Sunshine is something that begins with ‘s’ and it’s also something we haven’t been seeing much lately.
20. It was conveniently snowing all pretty-like when I went to take this picture of the weather.
21. Took a picture of the manger, sans-baby Jesus, under the tree.
22. Love these mini tree decorations my sister has.
23. Joy is food and togetherness with friends and/or family.
24. Wrapping presents and watching holiday movies are a tradition on Christmas Eve.
25. Lunchtime is actually Christmas dinner time.
26. Got to leave work early in this mess…even though it took me about 20 extra minutes to get home.
27. A book, some food, and quiet time by the pretty tree is a way I relax.
28. Ice, snow, strong winds…it was a very cold day.
29. Hot toddies on a snow day.
30. My birthday party was definitely something that made me smile this year.

And the final picture, a self-portrait for day 31, didn’t fit into the little grid so here it is…

Fresh out the shower, towel turban, no makeup.

Can’t wait to share this month with you!

 

OH, and speaking of challenges, I’ve decided to attempt to read 52 books in 52 weeks. I know this might sound a little nuts, but I do read a lot, I already have the next couple months in books planned out (not to mention new ones that will come out and other books I’d like to read by some of my favorite authors along the way), so I feel like I can possibly do it? I’m not going to beat myself up about it, but a book a week is reasonable for me. Besides, I don’t plan on following every rule. Actually, I’m content with reading as many books as possible within the year. There’s no pressure because I’m going to read anyway. If I make it to 52, awesome. If not, I tried. But I figured, some books take me a few days, and others can take me a couple of weeks. Why not give it a shot in my own way?
And also, I haven’t kept an actual log of the books I read in the last year.
I have a Goodreads account, but it’s easy to forget the when and where. This way, I can track my own little private library by writing what I read, when I started it and when I finished it. Sound good? I’ll keep ya posted.

Hello, 2013.

We’ve made it to 2013, folks. Believe it or not, a whole new year is here!
Time just flies so fast.

If you take notice to the picture above, I’ve been working on a tiny list of things I’d like to do this year. Making resolutions is a silly thing to me. I’m not saying they are a bad thing, I’m saying that, for me, they are almost impossible to keep. So I made a list of things I’d like to do (silly little fun things), with a full 365 days ahead of me to do them, but there’s no pressure applied.
The thing is, there’s plenty more I’d like to do…but it’s easy for me to get overwhelmed.

2012, though it had plenty of great moments, was not my favorite year.
Sure, there are bigger issues in the world to face than what I have on my plate. But I struggled a lot financially, something I would really love to change this year. Doing that will take time, dedication, patience, and discipline. These are all things I have trouble with, truth be told.
I could say I’d love to move out of my parents’ house (oh wait, that’s on the list), that I’d love to get a new car, that I’d love to get a handle on my debt, that I’d love to make more money and actually have a career instead of a job. And that would all be true.
But I actually have to work on these things, which is probably the biggest resolution of all, and I’m scared to make it.
I guess I kind of am, though, by writing it here on the interwebs. Which is scary enough as it is.
Total disclosure and honesty. It’s scary to even put myself out there like this. But I continue to do so, and I’m glad.

Ultimately, I want to look back on this year (and all past years and all future years) remembering the good and being thankful that I made it through the bad. I can do that with 2012, as with it’s predecessors, because in a lot of regards I am truly blessed.
However, coming 12/31/13, I’d love to look back and think…
“Wow…I did it. I changed my life. I made a difference. I fixed what I wanted to. I worked hard. I’m proud."

A tall order, maybe?
All worth the challenge.

2012 Recap: September – December

September

September is the slow-down month of the year, it seems. After the excitement and heat of the summer, the impending fall season means cozier nights with sweaters and hot coffee and everything pumpkin spice. The Bloomsburg Fair came back around, bring delicious treats with it.
My boyfriend turned 27 years old, and I shared 27 reasons why I love him. I fell in love with the VSCO Cam app, and used it religiously for the next couple of months (until Afterglow…more on that later, though). Even though I posted about it in the beginning of October, I went with my sister, her boyfriend, Brad, and my dad to Berwick Brewing Company’s Oktoberfest.
Also important: Brad’s cousin’s Bachelor/ette weekend and meeting my cousin’s baby boy for the first time!

October

Hello, busy month! We attended two weddings this weekend, and when I wasn’t doing this, I was working Saturdays. It all happened so fast, and certainly burned a hole in my pocket. Very memorable, though. Both weddings I attended were beautiful (The Barrys and the Sterenchocks). Because I was hurting with money, I decided to start getting crafty (Sharpie mug and Scrabble Tile Coasters to start…) and it’s been a journey ever since. Since I love my nail polish so much, I wanted to share a look inside my addiction.

November

November was a recovery month from the craziness of weddings. I did some more crafty things, and I fell in love with the Afterglow app. I made 4 simple goals to accomplish by the end of the year (I only really succeeded in the one, which was breaking out my Canon Rebel more often instead of relying on my phone all the time.) We had a lot of quiet weekends working on crafts, watching movies, and I started going to the library to save money on my book habit. We had an awesome Thanksgiving, just my little family of 4, and we all made tasty dishes.
The best was our mini-vacation/long weekend, where we tried zip lining for the first time. Awesome.
It was a great way to ease out of the previous month of craziness and prepare for the next month of Holiday craziness.

December

And here we are…hard to believe that, not only have we finished this past month, but we’ve finished this year. These past few months have been a blur…going through the posts and photos, some of these events felt further away than ones from the beginning of the year! We had a lovely, though short, holiday. I’ll just share some photos…

And that’s 2012. It’s been a crazy year. If I’m honest, it wasn’t the best. I’m ready for change, for new movements.
I can only hope that I will attempt to make any necessary changes.

For now, it’s nice to look back on the good times I had this year, with my head held high towards the future.

Happy New Year, everyone!
Have fun, stay safe!