Happy Birthday to the best mommy in the universe!
See her blog: Sue's Kitchen
7.07.2010
7.04.2010
Strawberry Fields Forever: Ben Harper
Happy Fourth of July, everyone! And Happy Birthday to Kyle, as well!
Whether you only read books for school or if you read for pleasure, everyone's finished a book or two in their time. These are some of the best books I've ever read and why. But keep in mind that this is totally opinion only. Everyone has one, usually different.
Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks- I thought this was a fantastic book. I actually read it for summer reading in high school. When you think of the plague, you don't think of anything beautiful or romantic. Yet, somehow, Geraldine Brooks found a way to address the highest and lowest points of a woman who lost everything she had left in life from the plague and survived through it. She wrote the book in such a way that no matter how dark everything was there was still going to be a bright side no matter what. In all of the negativity of the era, there was such optimism in the story. Plus, I definitely learned a lot about the plague and the era in reading it!
Sounds Like Crazy by Shana Mahaffey- Such an incredible book! I'll be honest, I felt a little crazy after reading it. Such a great read, though! In this book, a girl with multiple personality disorder struggles to create peace between the five people living in her head. The character development in the story between "the committee" (what the five people in her head are called), her family, therapist, coworkers, and so many others is fantastic and totally spices up the story. This book was probably one of the best books I've read all year, and I bought it totally out of the blue while browsing the "employee recommendations" shelf at Barnes & Noble.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak- ENOUGH SAID. Favorite kid's book of all time... this book will never ever get old for me! The movie was so, so different from the book, though.
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey- This was another one of those summer reading books that turned out to be way better than I could have ever expected it to be. I didn't need to read this one... I only had to read three summer reading books and I ended up reading six because there was a good list that year. In addition, this book was technically to take AP English, but I was really, really glad that I read it anyway. It gave a really interesting perspective on an inspector who worked at the Scotland Yard, confined to his hospital bed. Bored, he became mesmerized by a painting of Richard III and ended up trying to disprove the case of the Princes in the Tower, where Richard III murdered his two nephews. From then on out, the book just became more and more interesting. It really makes you wish you could go back in time and find out for yourself what the truth is.
Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling- I think this is another one that hardly needs explanation. It's absolutely fantastic and I've only met two people in my life who didn't enjoy the books.
The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks- Long story short, I officially feel prepared for the zombie apocalypse. Definitely a good read, definitely comedic, definitely highly recommended on my part.
The Narnia Series by C. S. Lewis- I feel like the movies being released for these books don't even do them justice. They're all completely magical books. To explain why I love these books so much, I'm actually going to use part of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe that isn't even in the story line. The dedication in the beginning of the book reads "My Dear Lucy, I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand, a word you say, but I shall still be your affectionate Godfather, C.S. Lewis". Not only is the dedication beautiful, but it makes a really great point. At any age you can appreciate it as a fairy tale and an enchanting story. And as someone who has read the book many times as a little kid and as an adult, I think this is one story that you find more reasons to love it at every age you read it.
Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors- Reading this was kind of like candy for the brain. Hehe. That's what I consider a lot of novels like that, though. Definitely an easy read, very romantic, very quirky, and very fun. Some parts of it are kind of sappy, but I definitely enjoyed reading it in the springtime nonetheless and would certainly read it again. Well written and fun! Which is the point of brain-candy. :)
Cut by Patricia McCormick- This was a very, very heavy read. Especially because I read it in middle school. Despite the morose nature of the story, though, I really enjoyed it. It was a really dark story about a girl who was sexually assaulted in high school at a party, called the police for help, and ended up with an entire high school worth of teenagers angry with her. By the title, I'm sure that you can tell what the girl's coping mechanism was to losing all of her friends, and even friendly acquaintances.
The Giver by Lois Lowry- Short read, fairly easy read, yet one of the best books I've ever read. I read it in middle school, high school, and college for pleasure, not classes. The way it is written is not only artistic and vivid, but it opens your eyes to a world we could be living in. Despite its political undertones (I like to avoid reading into those when reading for pleasure), I could read this book over and over and over again and never be disappointed. Ever.
Obviously this list doesn't include every single book I've ever loved... this is just a top ten. There are many other classics that I loved to read time and time again. But I was thinking about books that I've really enjoyed and lingered on my mind for a while later... and this is just some of them. What are some of your all-time favorites?
Whether you only read books for school or if you read for pleasure, everyone's finished a book or two in their time. These are some of the best books I've ever read and why. But keep in mind that this is totally opinion only. Everyone has one, usually different.
Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks- I thought this was a fantastic book. I actually read it for summer reading in high school. When you think of the plague, you don't think of anything beautiful or romantic. Yet, somehow, Geraldine Brooks found a way to address the highest and lowest points of a woman who lost everything she had left in life from the plague and survived through it. She wrote the book in such a way that no matter how dark everything was there was still going to be a bright side no matter what. In all of the negativity of the era, there was such optimism in the story. Plus, I definitely learned a lot about the plague and the era in reading it!
Sounds Like Crazy by Shana Mahaffey- Such an incredible book! I'll be honest, I felt a little crazy after reading it. Such a great read, though! In this book, a girl with multiple personality disorder struggles to create peace between the five people living in her head. The character development in the story between "the committee" (what the five people in her head are called), her family, therapist, coworkers, and so many others is fantastic and totally spices up the story. This book was probably one of the best books I've read all year, and I bought it totally out of the blue while browsing the "employee recommendations" shelf at Barnes & Noble.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak- ENOUGH SAID. Favorite kid's book of all time... this book will never ever get old for me! The movie was so, so different from the book, though.
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey- This was another one of those summer reading books that turned out to be way better than I could have ever expected it to be. I didn't need to read this one... I only had to read three summer reading books and I ended up reading six because there was a good list that year. In addition, this book was technically to take AP English, but I was really, really glad that I read it anyway. It gave a really interesting perspective on an inspector who worked at the Scotland Yard, confined to his hospital bed. Bored, he became mesmerized by a painting of Richard III and ended up trying to disprove the case of the Princes in the Tower, where Richard III murdered his two nephews. From then on out, the book just became more and more interesting. It really makes you wish you could go back in time and find out for yourself what the truth is.
Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling- I think this is another one that hardly needs explanation. It's absolutely fantastic and I've only met two people in my life who didn't enjoy the books.
The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks- Long story short, I officially feel prepared for the zombie apocalypse. Definitely a good read, definitely comedic, definitely highly recommended on my part.
The Narnia Series by C. S. Lewis- I feel like the movies being released for these books don't even do them justice. They're all completely magical books. To explain why I love these books so much, I'm actually going to use part of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe that isn't even in the story line. The dedication in the beginning of the book reads "My Dear Lucy, I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand, a word you say, but I shall still be your affectionate Godfather, C.S. Lewis". Not only is the dedication beautiful, but it makes a really great point. At any age you can appreciate it as a fairy tale and an enchanting story. And as someone who has read the book many times as a little kid and as an adult, I think this is one story that you find more reasons to love it at every age you read it.
Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors- Reading this was kind of like candy for the brain. Hehe. That's what I consider a lot of novels like that, though. Definitely an easy read, very romantic, very quirky, and very fun. Some parts of it are kind of sappy, but I definitely enjoyed reading it in the springtime nonetheless and would certainly read it again. Well written and fun! Which is the point of brain-candy. :)
Cut by Patricia McCormick- This was a very, very heavy read. Especially because I read it in middle school. Despite the morose nature of the story, though, I really enjoyed it. It was a really dark story about a girl who was sexually assaulted in high school at a party, called the police for help, and ended up with an entire high school worth of teenagers angry with her. By the title, I'm sure that you can tell what the girl's coping mechanism was to losing all of her friends, and even friendly acquaintances.
The Giver by Lois Lowry- Short read, fairly easy read, yet one of the best books I've ever read. I read it in middle school, high school, and college for pleasure, not classes. The way it is written is not only artistic and vivid, but it opens your eyes to a world we could be living in. Despite its political undertones (I like to avoid reading into those when reading for pleasure), I could read this book over and over and over again and never be disappointed. Ever.
Obviously this list doesn't include every single book I've ever loved... this is just a top ten. There are many other classics that I loved to read time and time again. But I was thinking about books that I've really enjoyed and lingered on my mind for a while later... and this is just some of them. What are some of your all-time favorites?
7.02.2010
6.19.2010
Around the Bend: The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
How I shop:
Some people go shopping and they splurge on incredibly expensive items. They show off these items, proud of what they worked so hard for (or maybe didn't work so hard for). Me and my best friend Carolyn? We don't go that way. We like to find good deals. We dig for the steals. If we can find an awesome shirt on clearance for five bucks, not only will we wear it all the time and show it off, but when people comment on it we're happy to say "Yeah, isn't it awesome? I got it for five bucks on clearance at this store!" We're proud of our nifty, thrifty finds. So this is what I do when I go shopping...
First of all, I'm a huge fan of coupons. I think they're totally awesome. If you're buying something solely because you have a coupon for it, that's not a good deal. If you stumble upon a coupon for something that you normally buy or to a store that you frequent, that's rockin'.
Second, SALES ARE THE BEST. When a store is having big sales full of good deals, that's always good. Even better if you can find a good deal on something AND you can use a coupon!!
Third, the first area of a store that I visit is the clearance section. Typically stocked to the brim with out-of-season merchandise, that can be perfect at times. For example, I go to school in Vermont; so it stays colder later in the year than in New Jersey. When I come home for break in February, March, or April, stores are typically already beginning to take a look at spring fashion lines, and therefore pushing out their winter lines as much as inhumanly possible. This is perfect for me, who would love to find a great deal on a rockin' new hoodie to bring back to school where it's still too cold to walk around in a tee shirt! Not to mention, there's always next year.
Very important: If you're not sure about it, you probably shouldn't get it. Unless you know you want it, you can see yourself putting together an outfit (or two, or five) with that item, you know you'll use it no matter what... whatever, don't go for it. Even if it's just a five dollar tee shirt, if you're never going to wear it, that's five dollars you could be using on another shirt. Or dinner at Burger King.
Also, the used CD rack at my local music shop is one of my best friends. I've bought so many fantastic CD's from that rack, super duper cheap. Like... I'm talking between two and five bucks for a CD!!! If that rack doesn't have the CD you're looking for, you're probably out of luck. But I have found some fantastic CD's on that rack, whether I was looking for them specifically or just stumbled upon them. It's always an exciting find.
Now, I am human. I do like nice things and there are, of course, quite often, moments when I find something that is in no way, shape, or form a good deal. And I know that it will more than likely be on clearance in a month or two, but sometimes you JUST WANT THAT DRESS RIGHT AWAY. That can be rewarding, too. Although it feels much more rewarding for me to say I got an awesome deal on something, there are times when I will happily shell out my hard-earned cash for that dress that I happened to experience love at first sight with in the Urban Outfitters display window...
Moving on.
The key to shopping, whether you love a good deal or you love flaunting your immense amount of money, is buy it cause you want it, love it, or need it. Don't buy it if you're not sure, because you'll either regret spending your money on it or forget about it completely. And have fun. I know I personally hate shopping for things when I need them. If I need it, I can never find it. Of course. Regardless, it's always good to make shopping a fun thing. :)
SHOP ON!
Some people go shopping and they splurge on incredibly expensive items. They show off these items, proud of what they worked so hard for (or maybe didn't work so hard for). Me and my best friend Carolyn? We don't go that way. We like to find good deals. We dig for the steals. If we can find an awesome shirt on clearance for five bucks, not only will we wear it all the time and show it off, but when people comment on it we're happy to say "Yeah, isn't it awesome? I got it for five bucks on clearance at this store!" We're proud of our nifty, thrifty finds. So this is what I do when I go shopping...
First of all, I'm a huge fan of coupons. I think they're totally awesome. If you're buying something solely because you have a coupon for it, that's not a good deal. If you stumble upon a coupon for something that you normally buy or to a store that you frequent, that's rockin'.
Second, SALES ARE THE BEST. When a store is having big sales full of good deals, that's always good. Even better if you can find a good deal on something AND you can use a coupon!!
Third, the first area of a store that I visit is the clearance section. Typically stocked to the brim with out-of-season merchandise, that can be perfect at times. For example, I go to school in Vermont; so it stays colder later in the year than in New Jersey. When I come home for break in February, March, or April, stores are typically already beginning to take a look at spring fashion lines, and therefore pushing out their winter lines as much as inhumanly possible. This is perfect for me, who would love to find a great deal on a rockin' new hoodie to bring back to school where it's still too cold to walk around in a tee shirt! Not to mention, there's always next year.
Very important: If you're not sure about it, you probably shouldn't get it. Unless you know you want it, you can see yourself putting together an outfit (or two, or five) with that item, you know you'll use it no matter what... whatever, don't go for it. Even if it's just a five dollar tee shirt, if you're never going to wear it, that's five dollars you could be using on another shirt. Or dinner at Burger King.
Also, the used CD rack at my local music shop is one of my best friends. I've bought so many fantastic CD's from that rack, super duper cheap. Like... I'm talking between two and five bucks for a CD!!! If that rack doesn't have the CD you're looking for, you're probably out of luck. But I have found some fantastic CD's on that rack, whether I was looking for them specifically or just stumbled upon them. It's always an exciting find.
Now, I am human. I do like nice things and there are, of course, quite often, moments when I find something that is in no way, shape, or form a good deal. And I know that it will more than likely be on clearance in a month or two, but sometimes you JUST WANT THAT DRESS RIGHT AWAY. That can be rewarding, too. Although it feels much more rewarding for me to say I got an awesome deal on something, there are times when I will happily shell out my hard-earned cash for that dress that I happened to experience love at first sight with in the Urban Outfitters display window...
Moving on.
The key to shopping, whether you love a good deal or you love flaunting your immense amount of money, is buy it cause you want it, love it, or need it. Don't buy it if you're not sure, because you'll either regret spending your money on it or forget about it completely. And have fun. I know I personally hate shopping for things when I need them. If I need it, I can never find it. Of course. Regardless, it's always good to make shopping a fun thing. :)
SHOP ON!
6.06.2010
Smile by Charlie Chaplin: Glee Cast
Smile, tho your heart is aching. Smile, even though it's breaking. When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by. If you smile through your pain and sorrow, smile and maybe tomorrow you'll see the sun come shining through, for you. Light up your face with gladness, hide every trace of sadness. Although a tear may be ever so near. That's the time you must keep on trying. Smile, what's the use of crying? You'll find that life is still worthwhile, if you just smile. Smile tho your heart is aching, smile even thought it's breaking. When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by. That's the time you must keep on trying. Smile, what's the use of crying? You'll find that life is still worthwhile, if you just smile.
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