Currently...

...listening to Imogen Heap's album Ellipse and loving basically every track.

...reading This Star Won't Go Out by Esther Grace Earl and her parents. Esther battled cancer for several years, was active in the Nerdfighter community, and wrote pages and pages in her journals. After she passed away in 2010, her parents published her journals, along with other stories and notes from friends and family. While The Fault In Our Stars is not written about Esther, John Green dedicated it to her and was inspired - in more ways than just his book - by Esther. 

TSWGO organization

...watching "Doctor Who" Season 8, Episode 3 tonight with Samara! I'm excited to see the interaction between Clara and Robin Hood :) And before tonight's episode, I will probably watch at least one episode of "Wonderfalls," a quirky one-season show with Lee Pace. Yes, I'm obsessed, but how can I not be?

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...working on a DIY project for a table lamp. I'm excited to share the finished product soon :)

...drinking lots of water. Feeling slightly dehydrated and I want to nip that in the bud. 

...wondering if I should have taken my sister up on her invitation to go to Wild Waves for one of the last nice days of the summer. She called this morning and I opted out - does that make me old?? Probably, but at least I own it, right?

...anticipating some packages in the mail. I ordered some clothing from Amazon and some sheets from Macys yesterday {thanks be unto whoever invented online shopping}, and both orders should be in here in a week-ish. {I think the fact that I'm excited for new sheets is confirmation that I'm old.}

...looking forward to a friend's birthday celebration tomorrow. Brunch, relaxation, and picnics in the park are all on the docket, and I'm thinking about making some sangria :)

...thinking that I should exercise and shower in order to fully appreciate this wonderful weekend.

Linking up with Bailey Jean today for Day Six of her Blog-tember challenge. Thanks for the prompt, Bailey!

7 Quick Takes: Graduation, TFIOS, and Doula Homework

Linking up with Jen's friend Kathryn at Team Whitaker for today's 7 Quick Takes.

1. My sister graduates from college tomorrow!! Woot! She's worked really hard on her degree {creative writing major, Spanish minor}, and I'm so proud of her. Also, did I mention that she's earned her blue belt since starting karate less than 2 years ago? Watch out, world! She's smart, cute, and can kill you 5 different ways.

2. Anyone see "The Fault In Our Stars" last weekend? My friend Rebecca and I went to see it Sunday night, and I used up 1/4 of a box of tissues by myself. Rebecca didn't cry until the end {she hasn't read the book yet, so don't judge!}, but I wept basically the whole time. If you haven't already, go read the book and then go see the movie, and then you can read the book again. Isn't that always the right order for these things? Book first, then the movie, then the book again. Story of my life.

3. The soundtrack to TFIOS is perfection. I generally dislike Ed Sheeran, but his song for the movie was great and I can tolerate listening to it in the soundtrack loop. Anyone else listen to the soundtrack repetitively in an attempt to recreate the movie feels? *raises one hand, wipes eyes with other hand* My three fave songs from the soundtrack are...

4. Birdy, "Not About Angels"



5. M83, "Wait"



6.  {gotta have one happy song, right?} GroupLove, "Let Me In"



7. Finally, my Bradley birth book came in at the library! Perfect timing, too, because my homework from Monday's class was to Get The Book. Check!

Happy Friday, happy weekend, and happy Fathers' Day!

Finish This: Week Seventeen

Joining the link-up fun with Nicole at Three 31, Jen at The Arizona Russums, Becky at The Java Mama, and Lisa at Coastlined.

My last growing pain was spiritually, probably last week when the Lord told me yet again that it's wonderful to be different from my friends and to stop comparing myself. My last physical growing pain was last night when my dance aerobics instructor led the longest 3 minute arm exercise ever!

I grow and nurture friendships by inviting people into my home and focusing on connecting our hearts, not just making sure they're physically comfortable. I tend to get task-oriented over people-oriented, so I have to be intentional about giving my whole self to the person or people I'm with.

The most guilt-free snack I enjoy most Veggie Straws!!! I blogged about them here, and I still love them. If you need some salty crunchiness, grab a bag of these. Or if you're craving something sweet, black bean brownies are a thing. Substitute black beans {drained and rinsed well} for the egg and oil and add it to a box of brownie mix. Stir it up and bake it for approximately 45 minutes {follow the guidelines on the brownie box}, maybe a little longer than the directions. It's really yummy and has a kind of cake texture.

The best reason to stay up all night ...hmm, I can't say that I've stayed up ALLLLL night, but I did stay up way later than usual to read both The Fault In Our Stars and Redeeming Love. Both I stopped, slept, and woke up and finished.
On New Year's Eve 2013, Cami and Samara and I stayed up until FOUR in the morning, just talking. Reading and talking with friends are probably the best reasons to stay up late, but even with a great book or great friends, 2am is this Cinderella's midnight and I turn into a pumpkin!

If I were stranded on a desert island, I'd hope and pray that I had a good book or six! Plus sunscreen, because holy moly I would be a lobster otherwise. Plus some mixed drinks, because reasons. Oh, and if my sisters or bestie or bosom friend could come, too, that'd be great.

If you want to Finish This, leave your answers in the comments or add your post to the link-up. See you next week!

Finish This: Week Thirteen

Linking up with the lovely hostesses of Finish This: Jen at The Arizona Russums, Becky at The Java Mama, Nicole at Three 31, and Lisa at Coastlined. Check 'em out and join the fun!

I don't get enough time with my sisters. It's been a few years since we've all consistently lived in the same house for any amount of time longer than Christmas break, and as crazy as sharing a bathroom was, I miss spending all that time with them. When we get together, we laugh until our sides ache and our cheeks are sopping wet. My sisters are bomb.

Here we are with our favorite cousin

My favorite indulgence is hanging out with friends no matter how late. I'm such a people person and my friends are all wonderful... I'd so much rather talk and be with lovely people than do something as boring as sleep! On New Year's Eve, Samara and Cami and I stayed up talking until 4am. Yikes! I've never stayed up that late/early before, but it was so fun and felt justified since we could sleep in. So much wonderfulness.

I made a major life change when I moved out into my own place. The awesome fun-ness of living on my own is very much balanced with the huge sense of responsibility I feel, and I have to say that I love both the freedom and the gravity. 

I'm going to add another life change. When I started volunteering at Care Net, my life became a declaration. Four hours every week is not a whole lot, but it is the first step of a lifelong journey, and I'm so looking forward to it all.

You should read Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey, the Unwind series by Neal Shusterman, The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart, Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent. Y'all should know better than to ask a bookwork for book recommendations ;)

Almond bark is my secret ingredient in crack popcorn. To read the full recipe, check out this post {with a picture, no less!}. 

Thanks for another great link-up! Tune in next week for some more prompts, and please add your blog to link-up or finish these sentences in the comments. Until next time...

Finish This: Valentine's Edition

Linking up with Nicole at Three 31, Jen at the Arizona Russums, Lisa at COASTLINED, and Becky at the Java Mama. If you want to join the fun, finish the sentences below and add your link to one of these fine ladies' blogs.

I celebrate Valentine's Day by sending kiddie valentines to my friends {and my friends' kids!}, buy chocolate on sale, laughing with my fellow single ladies, rolling my eyes at my parents, and avoiding the Hallmark channel.

My heart goes pitter-patter for anything {or anyone!} British. Shocker, I know. Also, used bookstores have been known to raise my heart rate. Holding babies make me feel warm and fuzzy, but technically it feels like they slow my heart beats, so idk what's up with that.

When looking for romance, my best advice is laughable, since I am not a romance expert. Wine and chocolate are always winners, I hear, and if you smell good it's a plus.
Seriously, though, if you're looking for romance, I'd advise you to talk to Jesus about it. He knows your heart {He made it, so that helps!} and He knows your story beginning to end. His version is always the best version.

My favorite love story (real or fiction) is/are too many to list properly! My list includes Anne and Gilbert, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, Anne and Captain Wentworth, Hazel and Augustus, Grace and Bob, Isaac and Rebekah, Sybil and Tom, Rahab and Salmon, Miranda and Gary, Elinor and Edward, and Buttercup and Wesley. Awesome Points if you can identify each couple's story.

The best relationship/dating advice I ever received is from my mom. She told me "Be with someone who's crazy about you, and that you're crazy about." Another piece of advice has stuck with me over the years {and I don't even know where I heard it} is that if it comes down to it, my husband should choose God over me and I should choose God over him.

There you have it! Add you link or finish these statements in the comment section. Happy Wednesday!

Blog Every Day Feb: Day Five - Book or Movie Review

Linking up with Bailey Jean at Anchored in Love Divine, and shout-out to Laura for reviewing "Gimme Shelter" {there are spoilers, so go watch the film first!}.

This little blog has seen a handful of movie reviews {"Les Miserables" first review and second review; "Man of Steel" review; "Warm Bodies" review} but - gasp! - not one book review. Tears....there are tears for sure. So while you pop up and refill your coffee/tea/wine {it's 5 o'clock somewhere!}, I'll just pop over to Goodreads and pick a book to review. Ready? Go!

Back with your beverage of choice?

Well, I'm back, but without one specific book. Isn't that a great problem to have? I may have to follow Bailey's lead and share some lists...maybe a full review will come later. 

What I'm reading:

1. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin - pretty self-explanatory in terms of content. {If you've seen the movie "Lincoln," you may recognize this book as the main inspiration for the film.}
2. The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss - the second of a trilogy; fantasy story told in one of the most interesting settings I've encountered. Book Three is still being written, and I'm not thinking about the time between finishing Book Two and waiting....waiting...waiting for Book Three
3. Requiem by Lauren Oliver - young adult fiction that has a Hunger Games feel. This is the audio series that I've been listening to during my commute, and while I don't love everything about the writing, the story is compelling enough to make traffic less of a drag.
4. Never Have I Ever by Katie Heaney - the subtitle is "My Life {so far} Without A Date," and so far {I'm 60-ish pages in} this is a hysterical reflection on life and relating to both boys and girls. 

Books Recommended by Moi:

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - most people read this before they are almost 25 years old, but in case you're like me and haven't yet read Lee's work, add it to your to-read list. There's a reason {or several} that this is a classic.
2. 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker - Jen takes readers through her journey as she and her family learn how to live life differently. Don't read this if you're content with the way life is now.
3. Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart - if you've followed this blog for longer than a day, you may have noticed that I was born in the wrong country. Miranda Hart is a stand-up comedian and writer and star of her sitcom "Miranda." Her book is just as funny as her show, and you should read it just for the pleasure of hearing her voice in your head while you read.
4. Unwind by Neal Shusterman - this story is gripping... I thought it was a trilogy and when I got to the end of UnSouled {the third book} I was both pleased and horrified that there is fourth book in the works. Disclaimer: I do wish Mr. Shusterman had a better editor: I've caught at least two typos per book, but fortunately these small errors, while frustrating, do not detract from the story at all.
5. I'm torn between reviewing Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent or The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Samara already reviewed TFIOS, but I only have one fiction book on this list. Gah. Read them both and write your own reviews. Bam!

There you have it! Hopefully these books add spice to your life and beauty to your bookshelf. What do you recommend?

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7 Quick Takes: February is Tomorrow!

Linking up with Jen at Conversion Diary for 7 Quick Takes!

1. In case you missed my passion for link-ups the announcement, I'm going to be participating in #blogeverydayinFEB, aka #TryNotToCrashAndBurn jk not really okay maybe sort of. Anyway, the lovely Bailey Jean is hosting and I've already got Laura to commit with me :)

2. Kayla will probably appreciate this: last night I painted my nails blue and green.

I'm not even sure what happened, because we all know about me and sports {Fantasy Football, anyone?}. But I guess there's some local pride showing, so I'm rolling with it and will repaint my nails next week.

3. Alright, book lovers...what are our feelings about audio books? I've been listening to a trilogy in the car, and a couple months ago I heard/read To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time. Audio books are great, I think, because they make my commute much more pleasant and productive. I'm 25% done with my 2014 goal, which means I'm probably going to have make an adjustment.

My only "meh" feeling towards them comes from the fact that sometimes the vocalist {what is the correct name for the person reading?? Performer? Voice donor?} reads things differently than I would have if I had been reading it for myself. Listeners get the tone that the vocalist interprets, which is not necessarily how I would have interpreted it. But it doesn't happen very often, and I'd rather have a story going in the car than be searching for a good song on the radio.

4.  Last night I watched the very first episode of Doctor Who. "An Unearthly Child" aired in 1963, and the rest, obviously, is history...or the future...or a big ball of wibbley-wobbley, timey-wimey...ceasing the fangirling riiiiight now.

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5. Remember last week's Take about "Gimme Shelter"? I went to see it on Sunday...it is incredible. The characters were so, so genuine and did such a great job. If you're able to see it, I recommend it. There was one scene I wanted to keep going, but they ended it too soon, in my opinion. Other times, it seems like certain situations were not completely resolved, but the main plot is well done and so inspiring.

6. Have you read John Green's The Fault in Our Stars? The first time I read it, I finished it in 12 hours. Three months later, I re-read it {which rarely happens, and never in the same year} and finished it in 24 hours. Check your tissue levels. Read. This. Book. Refill tissues. And then watch the trailer for the movie.

7. Because it's Friday and everyone needs a laugh, here are some faves:

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Happy Friday! Go see Jen at Conversion Diary for more 7QTs!