So excited! I can't wait until November!
The best song from Weird Al's new album
Fascinating video about tattoos
I'm intrigued
Those these Mental Floss lists
July 2014 Wrap-up and Monthly TBR
Hop on over to Booksessed to participate.
July's TBR Pile (14/15):
- J's pick: A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby √
- Nonfiction: Handmade to Sell by Kelly Rand √
- Fluffy romance: What Happens in London by Julia Quinn √
- Freebie: Fairest #1 Wide Awake √
- Comic Pick: Fairest #2 The Hidden Kingdom √
- Book club selection: Bel Canto by Anne Patchett √
- Carry-over: Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn √
- Series pick: Firelight by Kristin Callihan √
- Random pick: Fairest In All The Land √
- Monthly Motif: Fables 19 Snow White √
- Series Ender: Locke and Key #6 √
- Monthly Key Word: The Little Prince
- Crafty Pick: Journal Bliss by Violette √
- Business Pick: How to Sell Your Crafts Online by Derrick Sutton √
- Added: Pinterest Perfect by Walter Foster Creative Team √
Picture Book Roundup (I'm not planning on reviewing the picture books we read, but I do plan on recording them monthly for my reading challenge)
- Amanda and Her Alligator by Mo Willems
- This Morning Sam Went to Mars by Nancy Carlson
- In My Barn by Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich
- The Scrambled States of America Talent Show by Laurie Keller
- Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
- Bedtime for Monsters by Ed Vere
- The Museum by Susan Verde
- When Blue Met Egg by Lindsay Ward
- The Pigeon Needs a Bath by Mo Willems
- Dinotrux by Chris Gall
- Hidden Hippo by Joan Gannij and Clare Beaton
- Do Unto Otters by Laurie Keller
- The Beatles Yellow Submarine by Charlie Gardner
- Bedtime Bunnies by Wendy Watson
- A Couple of Boys have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee
- Introducing Limelight Larry by Leigh Hodgkinson
- Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems
- Puddle Jumping by Emma Quay and Anna Walker
- Yummy Ice Cream by Emma Quay and Anna Walker
- Abe Lincoln's Dream by Lane Smith
- Baby Loves to Rock by Wednesday Kirwan
- Hush Little Turtle by Maranke Rinck & Martijn van der Linden
- If Kisses were Colors by Janet Lawler
- Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi
- A Baby is Born
- Penguins, Penguins Everywhere! by Bob Barner
- The Baby That Roared by Simon Puttock
- Tea Rex by Molly Idle
- Cheetah Can't Lost by Bob Shea
1,000,000 Page Goal
Monthly Total: 3414 pages
Pages Remaining: 819,375 pages
Current Read - The Little Prince
Books Won (0)
Books I Gave Up On (0)
Challenges Completed - Women Authors
Comments - Wow! July kicked some reading butt! I didn't think I would get even 2000 pages read with the boys here, but we did it. The couple days at Great America reading while they went on rides probably helped. So too did reading hour (Arthur's short afternoon nap). And I almost completed my entire TBR pile for the month. This past month was awesome, now it's time to look ahead to August (and Bout of Books!!!).
August's TBR Pile:
- Carry Over: The Little Prince (iPad)
- J's pick: Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
- Nonfiction: Becoming Mona Lisa by Donald Sassoon
- Historical Pick: Washington by Ron Chernow (library)
- Classic: The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Contemporary YA: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (iPad)
- Series pick: Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn
- Book to movie: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
- Random pick: Living History by Hilary Rodham Clinton
- Adult Contemporary: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (library)
- YA Pick: Sunrise by Mike Mullin (library)
- Fantasy Pick: Moonglow by Kristen Callihan
- Mystery Pick: Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn
- Book Club Selection: The Orphans at Race Point by Patry Francis (iPad)
Quote Wednesday -- Kant
Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life. -- Immanuel Kant
Arthur: 41 Weeks
Arthur had to say goodbye to the twins this past week. For two days after they left, he kept going into their room. He definitely misses them.
Likes: Cake and ice cream (just a bit, but he loved it); slides and swings; crawling in grass (and sometimes eating it)
Dislikes: Bedtime (still an issue); bread; when mom leaves (or so I'm told)
Sleeping: Still not in a good place. He goes down anytime from 8pm to 10pm and still wakes at least once during the night. Waking time is usually 7am. Nap times are a joke. Sometimes I get a good 1 1/2 hour nap from him and other times it's 20 minutes here, 20 minutes there. I'm afraid that we are going have to start sleep training soon. And after he was such a good sleeper early on!
Eating: This is one area that we have yet to encounter a problem. He loves almost everything he's tried (except bread, weird kid!). He eats a healthy amount at meal times. Right now we're working on him telling us when he's done...
Playing: So much development lately! He's learned out to operate a few of his toys (especially his racecar). He rolls the ball to mom and sometimes even throws it. He's figured out how much fun swings and slides are. I help of course, but he loves sliding down. He also loves anything that makes music. His tambourine and maraca are current faves. Today, we're heading out to the splash park. I can't wait to see what he does there...
Medical Milestones:
- Showing a preference for specific toys. books, lovies, etc. -- Check! He has favorite toys (maraca, race car, yellow ball) and an attachment to his two blankets. He doesn't seem to care about any specific stuffed animal, but he has grabbed his stuffed turtle a few times lately. No favorite books yet, but he's starting to sit still for storytime.
- Sitting down from a standing position -- Check! He's getting much more coordinated with his movements lately.
- Waving -- Not yet. He loves throwing his arms up when we do, but no actual waving yet.
- Experimenting with volume -- Check! He loves to vary his volume when "talking" to me.
- Biting phase -- Check! Although I think we are coming out of it. He was biting when the top teeth were not quite through the gums yet. He stopped as soon as those popped through this week.
Schedule:Still nothing set...
Out and About: This week was crazy! We had so many activities!
- Lots of errands to get the boys prepped to head back
- Playdate at Mariposa Park (swing and slide pics)
- Out to eat at multiple places (Gumba's, Panera, Boudin, Tutti Frutti)
- Doctor appointment
- Day Out with Thomas at Roaring Camp Railroad in Felton (near Santa Cruz) -- much better than the event we used to go to in Indiana; will definitely go next year
- Penny and Charlotte's birthday party
Summer 2014 Week 8
Music Monday will be going on hiatus for the summer so I can bring you our weekly recaps. I will be highlighting all the fun pictures and activities we have planned for this summer. Eight weeks of fun!
Monday
We had a day of random errands. The boys got haircuts for back to school. Two haircuts in one summer! Their hair is growing so fast right now. Afterward we dropped off the library books for the last time and then headed to the comic book store. My friend Pam had gotten them gift certificates to a store in Campbell (a friend of hers works there). We traveled over and perused the selection. The boys settled on some Sonic comics and some Yu Gi Oh card packs. They definitely loved looking at everything. In the afternoon, Arthur and I headed to baby playdate at Mariposa Park. The boys got to stay home with J. After dinner, I headed over to Panera for book club while the boys hung out at home.
Tuesday
Tuesday we didn't have the car, but that didn't stop us from exploring. We lunched at Gumba's on Murphy (yum pizza!) and then walked over to the doctor's office for Arthur's 9 month appointment. He had to get a blood draw (anemia check) and didn't even cry. Such a big boy! The afternoon was spent back at home enjoying the pool and lounging. After dinner we all walked over to Tutti Frutti for our last visit. The twins got chocolate with chocolate and more chocolate. Big surprise!
Wednesday
Last full day in California. The boys opted to visit the Golfland arcade one last time. Of course they took advantage of the unlimited arcade pass and used the rest of their tickets on some candy and mohawked duck. While they played, Arthur and I popped over to Target for the usual and then grabbed Wendy's for lunch (boys' choice). After an afternoon of packing, we headed to Panera for dinner (boys' choice). We made sure to have everything ready and prepped before heading to bed.
Thursday
The twins' plane didn't leave until 12:45pm, so we had a bit of time in the morning. We double checked the bags and made a big brunch of eggs and cinnamon rolls. The boys said their goodbyes to Arthur and J and we headed to the airport. After the usual airport nonsense (really hate the airlines!), we made it to the gate right before boarding started. Perfect timing! I got hugs and the boys were off!
Another summer come to a close. This one was cut short due the twin's school's schedule change. We only had 8 weeks, but we made sure to hit all our favorite spots and still have time to relax by the pool.
High Summer Readathon Finish Line
This is the twins' last week here so I imagine that reading will not be extremely high on my list, but I do want to make a point of reading everyday. As such, here are my goals and tentative TBR pile.
Goals:
- Read two books √
- Review all books read √
- Read at least 500 pages √
TBR:
- A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby (in progress)
- Handmade to Sell by Kelly Rand
- The Little Prince
- Journal Bliss by Violette
- How to Sell Your Crafts Online by Derrick Sutton
- Pinterest Perfect
Overall, I ended up reading 767 pages and four and a half books. I'd say that's a resounding success for this week. I somehow managed to fit in all that reading along with the usual housework, a cranky nonsleeping baby, and two 11 year olds. I didn't update at all throughout the week, but I made sure to focus on the reading. I'm calling this one a success!
Crafty Book Reviews
Title: Handmade to Sell: Hello Craft's Guide to Owning, Running, and Growing Your Crafty Biz
Author: Kelly Rand, Christine Ernest, Sara Dick, Kimberly Dorn
Publisher: Potter Craft 2012
Genre: Business; Crafts
Pages: 176
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Mount TBR; Well Rounded - Self Help
No one knows more about helping handmade businesses than Hello Craft, the nonprofit trade association for crafty entrepreneurs. Written by the directors of Hello Craft, Handmade to Sell is the most complete, up-to-date, and authoritative guide for DIYers seeking to learn every aspect of selling, marketing, and branding.
A very thorough guide for those serious about making crafting a full time business. I'm not there yet, but I did pick up a few pointers and concerns throughout.
Title: How to Sell Your Crafts Online: A Step-by-Step Guide to Successful Sales on Etsy and Beyond
Author: Derrick Sutton
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin 2011
Genre: Business; Crafts
Pages: 224
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Mount TBR
With over 400,000 sellers on Etsy, how can you make YOUR shop stand out and increase your sales? This is a key question for many crafters and artists who are selling online these days. Now here are all the answers and much more from author and Etsy seller Derrick Sutton. Based on his self-published guide, and drawn from his practical experience, you will learn how to boost your Etsy sales, attract more customers, and expand your online presence. Derrick shares his proven online sales and marketing knowledge in an easily accessible format, complete with simple actions steps at the end of each chapter. Learn how to completely optimize your Etsy shop, website, or blog, and much more.
I'll admit that I skimmed the second half of this book. I don't need to learn how to set up a blog or even a Facebook account. Those sections didn't really apply to me. But I did get some great advice in the first half: all about the Etsy shop. I've been kicking around the idea of opening my own storefront, so this gave me some good points to think about.
Title: Journal Bliss: Creative Prompts to Unleash Your Inner Eccentric
Author: Violette
Publisher: North Light Books 2009
Genre: Crafts
Pages: 128
Rating: 3/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Mount TBR
Whether you're looking to express yourself creatively for the first time or have found yourself in a creative rut, you'll soon be following your inspired voice with the help of Journal Bliss. With the guidance of author, Violette, you'll learn to express your thoughts and feelings like never before in your own art journal. Not only will Violette inspire you with her own journal pages, she'll teach you techniques for creating your own unique pages.
This book just wasn't for me. I'm not that into sketching or doodling and that's what the book focused on. I was rather hoping that it would be more about writing style journaling. Oh well. Not bad, just not for me.
Title: Pinterest Perfect: Creative Prompts & Pin-Worthy Projects
Author: Walter Foster Creative Team, Jamielyn Nye, Flora Chia Jung Chang
Publisher: Walter Foster 2014
Genre: Crafts
Pages: 128
Rating: 3/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Mount TBR; Well Rounded - Home
Filled with step-by-step projects, tutorials, art tips, and crafting techniques on everything from drawing, painting, and illustration to mixed media, typography, and papercrafts, each featured artist shares her unique art style with readers in an interactive and engaging format. Each section features a brief introduction to the artist, followed by four to six easy-to-follow, step-by-step projects and/or art techniques. Open practice pages at the end of each section invite readers to brainstorm, sketch, and collect inspiration for their own artistic projects. In addition, useful sidebars throughout the book share tips for using Pinterest efficiently and effectively, as a hobbyist and professional artist. One part inspiration, one part how-to, and filled to the brim with color, inspiration, and beautiful artwork, Pinterest Perfect! is the picture-perfect visual resource for any artist, crafter, or creative Pinterest enthusiast.
Not that excited once I actually dove in. The creators said that they wanted to emulate the look of Pinterest and they definitely do. Unfortunately that look doesn't really translate to a paper book. Ultimately I was confused by the tactic. With regards to the projects, they were decent. But I found that almost all of the projects have a counterpart on my own Pinterest boards already. Why do I need it in paper form? I kept asking myself that questions, hence the 3 stars.
Spark Days 1-5
I signed up for the Spark ecourse about two weeks with every intention of sticking to it. Basically it's a 30 day course designed to help get the blogging spark back. I've been so overwhelmed with life lately that my blog seems mixed up and about to collapse. Of course it may not seem that way to readers. I've kept the everything looking nice and neat for readers, but behind the scenes, I am a mess. I needed something to help me get back on track. I needed a bit of a push to focus. Enter Spark. Every day I received an email with a bit of discussion and a task. I was supposed to do the tasks daily, but with my life, it just didn't happen. Instead, I created an email folder and just dumped the emails in when I received them. Whenever I got a 30 minute window of quiet, I pulled up the next day's email and went to town. This has resulted in a 30 day course stretching into almost two months, but that's okay. Even with the delays, I feel like I'm getting my blog back on track. Click on the pic to join in the fun!
Here are my thoughts and accomplishments for Days 1-5:
Day 1 - Cleaning
The first day was all about cleaning your work space to help focus on writing. Unfortunately I don't have a dedicated blogging area. I alternate between using the craft desk and the living room chair. I would love to have a dedicated space, but life just doesn't allow for one right now. Actually my most productive place to blog is the coffeehouse. If I can steal 2 or 3 hours, I run down to the coffeehouse (it's two blocks away), buy a mocha, and plant myself at a table. Once I put my earphones in, there are no distractions. I stay off FB and Bloglovin' and I get down to writing. It's hard to find the time to escape from house and family obligations, but when I can, it's glorious. For this day's task, I did make an effort to clean off the craft desk (which recluttered itself in about two days) and cleaned out the ottoman in the living room. I rediscovered some blogging ideas and notes shoved into the ottoman and grabbed an empty notebook to help with my thoughts. Even though I blog and am constantly connected with technology, I still love a clean notebook. I don't have my dedicated space, but cleaning did give me a bit of a clean slate. And I started thinking about potentially scheduling coffeehouse time every other week. I wonder if I put it on the family calendar, if I could actually commit to time?
Day 2 - Make a Playlist
There was a time (years ago) that i absolutely adored making playlists. We had ones for road trips, ones for rocking out, ones for reading, and ones for any other random occasion that popped up. Lately I have relied on Pandora or iTunes to make the playlist for me. Today was a great opportunity to explore my own music again. Here's my blogging playlist, 538 songs (I like variety!):
- Adele 19
- Alexa Wilkinson Lullaby Appetite
- Alexi Murdoch "Orange Sky"
- Anna Nalick Shine EP
- Arcade Fire "Abraham's Daughter"
- The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
- Ben Folds Live
- Birdy "Just a Game"
- Birdy and Mumford & Sons "Learn Me Right"
- Bonnie Somerville "Winding Road"
- Brandi Carlile The Story
- Broken Bells "The Ghost Inside"
- Caedmon's Call Selections from multiple albums
- Christina Perri "Jar of Hearts"
- Christina Perri "A Thousand Years"
- The Civil Wars Barton Hollow
- The Civil Wars The Civil Wars
- Coldplay "Atlas"
- Colin Hay "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You"
- Damien Rice -- Selections from multiple albums
- Dave Matthews Band -- Selections from multiple albums
- Dixie Chicks "The Rainbow Connection"
- Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros "Home"
- Ellie Goulding "Mirror"
- Fiction Family "When She's Near"
- Fiction Family "Betrayal"
- Finley Quaye and William Orbit "Dice"
- Fiona Apple -- Selections from multiple albums
- Florence + the Machine -- Selections from multiple albums
- Frou Frou "Let Go"
- Goo Goo Dolls "Name"
- Goo Goo Dolls "Iris"
- Guster "Satellite"
- Guster "May Parada"
- Guster "Fa Fa Fa"
- Howie Day -- Selections from multiple albums
- Inara George "Fools in Love"
- Indigo Girls "Water is Wide"
- Iron and Wine "Flightless Bird"
- Iron and Wine "Such Great Heights"
- Jamie Cullum -- Selections from multiple albums
- Jars of Clay -- Selections from multiple albums
- John Mayer -- Selections from multiple albums
- Josh Groban -- Selections from multiple albums
- Joshua Radin "Star Mile"
- Joshua Radin "They Bring Me to You"
- Kate Voegele -- Selections from multiple albums
- KT Tunstall -- Selections from multiple albums
- Lady Antebellum -- Selections from multiple albums
- Lifehouse "Breathing"
- Lifehouse "Hanging by a Moment"
- Lifehouse "Everything"
- Lisa Loeb "Stay"
- Lisa Loeb "Falling in Love"
- Lorde "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
- The Lumineers The Lumineers
- M83 "Oblivion"
- Maroon 5 "Pure Imagination"
- Maroon 5 "Come Away to the Water"
- Mikky Ekko "Place for Us"
- Mumford & Sons -- Selections from multiple albums
- Nada Surf "If You Leave"
- Nada Surf "Always Love"
- NeedtoBreathe -- Selections from multiple albums
- Neko Case "Nothing to Remember"
- Nickel Creek -- Selections from multiple albums
- Norah Jones "Sunrise"
- OAR -- Selections from multiple albums
- Of Monsters and Men My Head is an Animal
- OneRepublic -- Selections from multiple albums
- Phantogram "Lights"
- Punch Brothers "Dark Days"
- Rachael Yamagata "Reason Why"
- Ray LaMontagne "Hold You in My Arms"
- Red "Ordinary World"
- Regina Spektor "Real Love"
- Ryan Adams "Wonderwall"
- Santigold "Shooting Arrows at the Sky"
- Sara Bareilles -- Selections from multiple albums
- Sarah Brightman -- Selections from multiple albums
- Sarah McLachlan Mirrorball
- The Secret Sisters "Tomorrow Will Be Kinder"
- The Shins "Caring is Creepy"
- The Shins "New Slang"
- Simon and Garfunkel -- Selections from multiple albums
- Sister Hazel "Your Winter"
- Sixpence None the Richer "Don't Dream It's Over"
- Smashing Pumpkins "Landslide"
- Snow Patrol -- Selections from multiple albums
- Suzanne Vega "Tom's Diner"
- Taylor Swift "Safe and Sound"
- Third Day "Blackbird"
- Third Day "She Sings in Riddles"
- Tori Amos -- Selections from multiple albums
- Tyler Hilton -- Selections from multiple albums
- The Weeknd "Devil May Cry"
Day 3 - Write a letter to your blog
I won't reproduce my letter here; it's a bit personal and rambling. But I did realize a few things while free writing the letter:
- I want to get back to writing for me (no offense to readers, but this was meant to be a place to collect my thoughts)
- I want to focus on quality instead of quantity
- I need to take a critical look at my memes and weekly features
- I need to do a bit of clean out
- I need to write more substantial posts (not just memes)
- I need to overhaul my reading challenges/reading progress sections
Day 4 - Get dressed
Today was about creating a routine for my writing. Thinking about how I approach blogging. Trying to decide how to be more productive. And i realized that I do my best writing at the coffeehouse. I need to escape the distraction from home. I don't do my best writing at home (written while at home, but oh well). I want to create a schedule for my blogging. No that's not right. I want to schedule time for my blogging. So I went to our family calendar and scheduled a few hours at the coffeehouse every other Sunday. Now to stick to it!
Day 5 - Write a task list
Whew! This one was a biggie. I made a blog goal list, a blog task list, and a house task list. Pages of action items, but this does make me feel so much better. I love my lists! They help me organize my thoughts. And I tend to get more things done with my lists than without. I already crossed an action item off of my blog task list: TBR piles for through December. Already making progress!
FF #26: Game Night
We loving have game night. But I don't want to wear my sweats while playing, especially if we go somewhere or have others over. This outfit is a great compromise between fashion and comfort. I love the easy nature of the top paired with a great pair of jeans, a cute pair of slip on shoes, and a little sparkly necklace. The tote would be perfect for hauling the games to and fro. I need this entire outfit right now!
toryburch.com
DVb Victoria Beckham boyfriend jeans
boutique1.com
toms.com
etsy.com
Michael Kors crystal heart pendant
forzieri.com
Quote Wednesday -- Adams
Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. -- Scott Adams
Arthur: 40 Weeks
Still not sleeping regularly. More mobility (almost walking!). Lots of joyful times during the day.
Likes: Food, food, and more food; cuddles; running away from mom; his pacifier (need to work on that...)
Dislikes: Sleep times; not being allowed to escape out the front door or balconies
Sleeping: All over the place. Again we're having trouble with set nap and bed times. He's definitely on his own schedule right now, and I hate it. The other night he woke up every hour from 10pm to 2am. It was stressful...
Eating: Anything and everything. He loves food. His current favorites are plain goldfish and watermelon. He could eat tons of those two foods. In this past week, he tried peanut butter (not favorite, but no allergic reaction either) and pizza.
Playing: Lots and lots of exploration. He especially loves when we open the hallway gate. He scurries down the hallway to explore the hall bath and our bedroom. We started rolling balls back and forth. He hasn't quite gotten the hang of it, but it's definitely fun. We also played on the swings and the slide at the park. Of course, mom held him to slide, but it was still lots of fun. We're hoping to make it to the splash park next week for more summer fun.
Doctor Visit Stats: Arthur has his 9 month check up today. No shots, but he did have an anemia check which requires a blood draw. He was such a little trooper. No crying; just a little squirming. So proud of him! And such a big boy!
- Height: 30 inches (96th percentile)
- Weight: 22 lbs 3 oz (86th percentile)
Medical Milestones:
- Practice steps -- Check! He's been cruising along furniture and behind his walker. He's also been standing on his own, but no independent steps yet. So close!
- Better balance -- Check! He can stand on his own. He's also gotten very good at reaching out for things while crawling.
- Imitating mom and dad -- Nothing big that I've noticed.
- Pointing for things -- More like reaching for things. He doesn't really point at things, but he'll attempt to show me what he wants, especially at dinner time.
- "Baby talk" -- Check! We've had some great "conversations" lately. And I can tell that he's understanding more and more.
Schedule:This category is becoming laughable. We have no stinkin' schedule.
Out and About: This past week we visited two libraries (one for music in the park along with books), the waterpark, two park playdates, and a birthday party. Lots of fun!
Summer 2014 Week 7
Music Monday will be going on hiatus for the summer so I can bring you our weekly recaps. I will be highlighting all the fun pictures and activities we have planned for this summer. Eight weeks of fun! Overall this week was pretty quiet in terms of big excursions. This was a lull before the rush to get ready to go back to school and return in Indiana. My photo uploader is being very wonky today, so no photos...
Monday
Today was all about catching up on house chores and resting. The twins played a fair amount of video games.
Tuesday
We finally made it to the Mountain View library's summer song series. Arthur loved every minute of it. The twins chose not to sit on the grass and listen to the music. Instead, they ventured into the library, found some books and a nice quiet spot, and read for awhile. We got a MV library card to check out some of their selections. Arthur and I will definitely have to go back. From there we spent part of the afternoon Back-to-School shopping. The boys grabbed almost all of their school supplies including new backpacks (a must!). That night we had dinner at Panera as I had my card swap. The twins were excited to get their mac and cheese. I was excited to get my swap cards back.
Wednesday
We finished our school shopping by getting some new shoes at Kohl's. Without prompting, the twins each picked a pair of classic Vans slip-on skater shoes. I couldn't be more prouder! I even found a pair of amazingly comfortable black wedges. These are definitely going to be the wedding shoes. Now I just need to find a dress to wear to both of them.
Thursday
J stayed home to work, so the twins got the morning in at home. Arthur and I ventured out to Shoreline for our usual ~4 mile walk with the mom's group. It felt nice to get out and exercise. A very enjoyable morning. In the afternoon, the boys hit the pool and generally chilled out.
Friday
This was our last Great America day of the season. We finally made it to the waterpark section. The twins splashed in the wave pool and the giant play structure filled with cascading water. Arthur even sat and splashed at the edge of the wading pool. He wasn't too sure about the waterfall... After the waterpark, the twins hit their favorite rides for one last time. Good day!
Saturday
J and I split duties today. Arthur and I went to another little baby's first birthday party while J and the twins went go-karting. Yep, they finally made it out to one. Nick had a blast. Alex was not as excited, but I figured that would happen. They had an enjoyable time while I hung out with some other mom's and babies. J and the twins arrived to pick us up just in time to partake in cupcakes and candy. Perfect timing!
Sunday
Sunday was another home day: video games and pool time. We ended the day with our last pizza night.
Sunday Sunset #21
Listening To: Attempting to make a blogging playlists for my Spark ecourse. So far, I've narrowed it down to ~400 songs. I think it needs to be narrowed down even further...
Book finished: Fairest: In All the Land; What Happens in London
Reading: Nothing at the moment, I just finished a book today
On the Nightstand: A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby; Various crafting books
Making Lists: Blog tasks, household tasks, party planning, September weddings (sister and J's brother) related tasks, simplifying tasks... Lots of things to start thinking about for fall.
Around the house: As the boys have only a few more days here, we are attempting to organize, pack, and generally clean out their room. The house has gotten a bit disorganized and cluttered over the summer. We really need to do a thorough cleaning and organizing.
From the kitchen: Nothing too exciting this week, but I am thinking of lining up some new recipes for the next month.
On the Web: Pondering my blogroll and trying to decide what to cut... I keep finding more and more interesting crafty blogs to add. But I've got way too many blogs already.
Watching: Top Gear, Mythbusters, Drunk History, Star Trek movies
Wondering: How long will it take me to actually work through the Spark ecourse?
Shopping Scores: We finally finished our Back to School shopping! It took a very stressful trip to Target, but we got it done. Okay, I'm lying. We still need to get Alex a pair of pants. Then we will be done.
Project: Prepping for the twins' departure. We have lot to do in the next few days: arcade, haircuts, packing, library returns, dinner out, etc.
Picture: Baby snack shipment!
What Happens in London by Julia Quinn
Title: What Happens in London (Bevelstoke #2)
Author: Julia Quinn
Publisher: Avon 2009
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: 372
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Women Author; Seriously Series; 52 Books - W30
When Olivia Bevelstoke is told that her new neighbor may have killed his fiancée, she doesn't believe it for a second, but, still, how can she help spying on him, just to be sure? So she stakes out a spot near her bedroom window, cleverly concealed by curtains, watches, and waits . . . and discovers a most intriguing man, who is definitely up to something.
Sir Harry Valentine works for the boring branch of the War Office, translating documents vital to national security. He's not a spy, but he's had all the training, and when a gorgeous blonde begins to watch him from her window, he is instantly suspicious. But just when he decides that she's nothing more than an annoyingly nosy debutante, he discovers that she might be engaged to a foreign prince, who might be plotting against England. And when Harry is roped into spying on Olivia, he discovers that he might be falling for her himself . . .
I was with this book all the way up to the last 30 pages. And then it just went off the rails for me. We get this story of two interesting characters who eventually fall in love. I loved it! However, the ending involves a kidnapping, an extortion plot, a sudden reversal of character, and a hasty gimicky marriage proposal. No thank you. I could have done without those plot turns. What's so bad with having a nice romance novel focused on characters instead of a cliched plot devices? My advice, read the novel until they arrive at the ball. Then, just quit reading. It's a much better story that way.
Bevelstoke
- #1 The Secret Diary of Miss Miranda Cheever
- #2 What Happens in London
- #3 Ten Things I Love About You
High Summer Readathon Starting Line
This is the twins' last week here so I imagine that reading will not be extremely high on my list, but I do want to make a point of reading everyday. As such, here are my goals and tentative TBR pile. Goals:
- Read two books
- Review all books read
- Read at least 500 pages
TBR:
- A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
- Handmade to Sell by Kelly Rand
- The Little Prince
- Journal Bliss by Violette
- How to Sell Your Crafts Online by Derrick Sutton
- Pinterest Perfect
Fairest: In All the Land
Title: Fairest: In All the Land
Author: Bill Willingham
Publisher: Vertigo 2013
Genre: Fantasy Comics
Pages: 160
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Seriously Series
FAIREST has explored the secret histories of the most stunning beauties in Fabletown: Cinderella, Snow White, Briar Rose, Rapunzel, and the list goes on and on. In FAIREST IN ALL THE LAND, the best names in comics take their turns fleshing out the pasts of the loveliest Fables in existence. For all those wanting to dive into FAIREST or FABLES, this original graphic novel is a fantastic entry point, as well as a great new chapter for those that have been following Bill Willingham's fairy tale epic for years.
Oh I liked this one a lot. Cinderella gets a starring role in a murder mystery starring all our Fairest ladies. We even get to see what's been going on in the Business Office since it was cut off from Fabletown. A very interesting little tale. Even I didn't foresee the entirety of the ending. Nicely constructed storyline giving the readers just enough clues to figure it out with Cindy.
Fairest:
- #1 Wide Awake
- #2 Hidden Kingdom
- In All the Land
- #3 The Return of the Maharaja
- #4 Cinderella - Of Mice and Men
FF #25: Mom's Night Out
I don't get many opportunities to go out at night, but when I do, I want something stylish yet comfortable. This outfit fulfills both of those requirements. The top is the focal point. I love the structure and detailing. I can imagine that this would be easy to wear even hiding the problem areas. The rest of the outfit plays directly off of the top. I need a good pair of flats to run around in. This pair is a cute dressy option.
mango.com
bonprix.co.uk
$47 - greatplains.co.uk
$30 - nelly.com
solesociety.com
$1,600 - jamesness.co.uk
$155 - superette.co.nz
Odds and Ends
Here is my randomness for the week:
- Arthur standing on his own excites and scares me
- One week left with the twins, so much to do!
- I love back to school shopping even if I'm not going back to school
- I need more sleep (this is an ongoing issue)
Quote Wednesday -- Edgeworth
The human heart, at whatever age, opens only to the heart that opens in return. -- Marie Edgeworth
Top Ten Tuesday -- Current Fave Movies and TV
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.
Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!
I do love my movies and tv shows, even if I have limited time to actually enjoy them. Here are my current faves:
- Anime series: Samurai Champloo, Cowboy Bebop, and The Big O -- J got the boys hooked on various anime series. We are actually on our third series of the summer. I'm even enjoying myself. Go figure.
- Catch-up show: Game of Thrones -- Ugh! We are still behind, in the middle of season three in fact. If I had my way, I would binge watch this in one weekend. But J usually as objects claiming that the show is just too serious...
- Twins' Faves: Top Gear and Mythbusters -- If we are at a loss of what to watch with the twins, either of these two shows works. Even if we've seen the episode, they have great rewatchability.
- Soap Opera Fun: Reign and The 100 -- My current ridiculous soap operas from The CW. I just can't resist the cheese. Don't worry, J and the twins do not watch these. I just last week finished season 1 of both shows. Can't wait for season 2.
- Classic Comedy: Monty Python's Flying Circus -- A fall back twin favorite. Every once in a while you need a little Python.
- Ongoing viewing: Star Trek (TOS; TNG; Voyager; DS9) -- We're still making our way through all the Star Trek series. I'd say we're about half way done. We finished TNG a few months back, getting close to finished TOS, almost halfway through the movies, and moving forward in Voyager and DS9.
- Documentaries: Tattoo Nation, Somm, Why Ships Sink, Viking Sword -- Every once in a while, I just need to watch a documentary. The above listed are some of my recent views.
- Classics: Star Wars Trilogy -- Seems like we watch trilogy (there are only three movies!) once every few years. We still need to watch Jedi before the twins leave.
- New Favorite: Gravity Falls -- The twins requested we download this show for the summer. I was skeptical. I'm not usually a fan of Disney's new cartoons. But this one is such a treat. I will totally keep watching after the twins leave.
- Zombie fun: The Walking Dead -- Another show that we are completely behind on. I need to just binge watch this one weekend and be done. Then I can rewatch!