January 2016 Wrap-Up and Monthly TBR

Hop on over to Booksessed to participate.

January's TBR Pile (15/15):

1. Book Club Selection: Chocolat by Joanne Harris √
2. MVPA Book Club Selection: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (reread) √
3. Series Pick: The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig √
4. Nonfiction Pick: The Great Influenza by John Barry √
5. Jar Pick: The Heart of Christmas √
6. Jar Pick: Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon √
7. Comics Pick: The Manhattan Projects 2 by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra √
8. Comics Pick: American Vampire Vol. 4 by Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque, and Jordi Bernet √
9. Comics Pick: American Vampire Vol. 5 by Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque, and Dustin Nguyen √
10. Comics Pick: American Vampire Vol. 6 by Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque √
11. Comics Pick: American Vampire Vol. 7 by Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque, Matias Bergara, and Dave McCaig √
12. Comics Pick: Fairest Vol. 5 The Clamour for Glamour by Mark Buckingham, Bill Willingham, Russ Braun, Meghan Hetrick, and Andrew Dalhouse √
13. Added: The Walking Dead Vol. 23 √
14. Added: The House of Hades by Rick Riordan √
15. Added: Rose of Fire by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (reread) √

Picture Book Roundup:

1. Little Green Peas by Keith Baker
2. Snowmen All Year by Caralyn Buehner
3. Red Light, Green Light by Yumi Heo
4. Hello Dinosaur by Dwell Studio
5. Muddy Truck by CJ Calder
6. Fast truck by CJ Calder
7. Supermarket by Simon Abbott
8. Frankenstein by Jennifer Adams
9. Snow White by Trixie Belle
10. Good Night Trucks by Brian Biggs
11. Jungle Book by Jennifer Adams
12. Little Red Riding Hood by Trixie Belle
13. Sense and Sensibility by Jennifer Adams
14. Fire Engine No. 9 by Mike Austin
15. The Bus Driver by Todd Doodler
16. Goat Goes to Playgroup by Julia Donaldson
17. Lots of Spots by Lois Ehlert
18. What Can a Crane Pick Up? by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
19. No More Pacifier Duck by Michael Dahl
20. Meow! Katie's Big Book of Animals by Liesbet Slegers
21. Two at the Zoo by Danna Smith
22. Duck's Vacation by Gilad Soffer
23. Pirate Nap by Danna Smith
24. Pigs in Pajamas by Maggie Smith
25. Hiccupotamus by Steve Smallman
26. I'm Your Bus by Marilyn Singer
27. Let's Go Potty Elmo by Lori Froeb
28. Dino Match by Lisa Gardiner
29. My Bus by Byron Barton
30. My Day Bathtime
31. Counting Dogs by Eric Barclay
32. Opposites by Sandra Boynton
33. Animals by Nick Ackland
34. Busy Railroad
35. American Babies
36. Spooky Pookie by Sandr Boynton
37. R is for Rocket by Tad Hills
38. Small Elephant's Bedtime by Tatyana Feeney
39. Steve, Raised by Wolves by Jared Chapman
40. Cinderella's Stepsister and the Big Bad Wolf by Lorraine Carey
41. Dinosaur Rocket by Penny Dale
42. Dinotrux Dig the Beach by Chris Gall
43. Peep and Ducky Rainy Day by David Martin
44. Sea Rex by Molly Idle
45. Monkey and Duck Quack Up by Jennifer Hamburg
46. George and the Dinosaur by Felix Hayes
47. Play and Learn 123

1,000,000 Page Goal

Monthly Total: 4951 pages
Pages Remaining: 770,218 pages

Current Read - Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (I started this back in November 2015, but it had to go back to the library. Excited to pick it back up again.)

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Challenges Completed  -- None yet, but I've made great reading progress for it just being February.

Comments - So excited about how January's reading turned out. Hoping to keep the momentum. I think my new TBR plan (detailed below) helps me manage my expectations and reading list.

February's TBR Pile:

1. Book Club Selection: The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
2. MVPA Book Club Selection: A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
3. Series Pick: The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig
4. Nonfiction Pick: TBD
5. Jar Pick: Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
6. Jar Pick: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

The Great Influenza by John M. Barry

Title: The Great Influenza

Author: John M. Barry

Publisher: Penguin Books 2004

Genre: Nonfiction -- History, Science

Pages: 546

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual (Nonfiction Adventure); Nonfiction

At the height of WWI, history’s most lethal influenza virus erupted in an army camp in Kansas, moved east with American troops, then exploded, killing as many as 100 million people worldwide. It killed more people in twenty-four months than AIDS killed in twenty-four years, more in a year than the Black Death killed in a century. But this was not the Middle Ages, and 1918 marked the first collision of science and epidemic disease. Magisterial in its breadth of perspective and depth of research and now revised to reflect the growing danger of the avian flu, The Great Influenza is ultimately a tale of triumph amid tragedy, which provides us with a precise and sobering model as we confront the epidemics looming on our own horizon.

Such an interesting premise! The 1918 Flu is one of my great interest areas. I was excited to learn more. Unfortunately, I can't praise this volume. Barry is no Erik Larson. I kept getting very distracted by the slow plodding nature of the writing. I wanted more of a storytelling approach a la Larson. Some of the asides dealing with medical history or epidemiology  went on too long and were too detailed. About 250 pages in, I was getting very weary of the book, but I wanted to find out more about the pandemic and end result. I'm glad I finished it, but it's not going on my favorite books list at all. Just couldn't fully endorse this one.

101 in 1001 Update #12

What I did:

3. Complete 52 once a week photos of Arthur -- One of my 2016 goals!

13. Pass 500 books for Arthur’s 1000 Books Before Kindergarten (426/500) -- Getting closer to this goal and the larger goal of 1000 books.

22. Ask 20 friends to suggest one book, and read them all -- I asked for suggestions on Facebook. Now to spend the next year reading them...

28. Read 100,000 pages toward 1,000,000 page goal (35,897/100,000) — In December, I read 1769 pages. Decent showing for the last month of the year.

34. Make 250 different greeting cards (168/250) -- 11 different greeting cards were made in this period. getting closer to this goal!

45. Make 50 new recipes (40/50)

• Overnight Apple Pie French Toast -- Pretty yummy even if J is not a huge fan of french toast.
• Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Pasta Bake -- Perfect for freezer meals.
• Tex Mex Chicken -- Another freezer meal.
• Simple Chicken Casserole -- The last of my freezer meals for January.
• Apple Cider Bourbon Punch -- My choice for Christmas Eve cocktails. Very very good, but must be made in a big batch.
• Pomegranate Gin and Tonics -- Our New Year's Even cocktail. Very yummy.
• Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup -- Very yummy, although a bit salty. Next time I need to use low sodium vegetable broth and low sodium sausage.

54. Try 25 new restaurants (15/25)

• The Hoppy Gnome (Fort Wayne) -- While in Indiana, mom, uncle and I tried The Hoppy Gnome. I had a very yummy Cubana sandwich and two great new-to-me beers.
• Vault Cafe (Berkeley) -- I just had lunch with a friend at a decent diner cafe in Berkeley. Now I have a spot if I'm in the Ashby area of Berkeley and need a bite.

85. Finish a Soduku puzzle -- I finally did one!

Remaining goals and total:

Friends, Family, and Love 1.Send out homemade holiday cards in December 2x (1/2) 2. Build a snowman 5. Date nights x 20 6. Complete a Jar of Life 7. Host a tea party 9. Write a personal manifesto 10. Take a picture of myself every first day of the month 11. Give 5 Just Because gifts 12. Give Arthur 25 pictures books in 25 days for December 2016 16. Take Arthur and twins to go see Santa

Crafting and Culture 17. Attend an opera or musical 18. Reread the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit 20. Finish one of my Perpetual Reading Challenges 23. Watch a meteor shower 24. Attend 5 concerts (1/5) 25. Complete 10 Day in the Life posts (2/10) 27. Tour a factory 29. Finish 2015 and 2016 Project Life book (family and Arthur) 30. Finish 2015 and 2016 December Daily 32. Watch 100 different TED Talks and do a short review/analysis on the blog (new series) 33. Watch/rewatch every Academy Awards Best Picture since the year I was born (1982) 1982: Gandhi 1983: Terms of Endearment 1984: Amadeus 1985: Out of Africa 1986: Platoon 1987: The Last Emperor 1988: Rain Man 1989: Driving Miss Daisy 1990: Dances with Wolves 1991: Silence of the Lambs 1992: Unforgiven 1993: Schindler’s List 1994: Forrest Gump 1995: Braveheart 1996: The English Patient 1997: Titanic 1998: Shakespeare in Love 1999: American Beauty 2000: Gladiator 2001: A Beautiful Mind 2002: Chicago 2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2004: Million Dollar Baby 2005: Crash 2006: The Departed 2007: No Country for Old Men 2008: Slumdog Millionaire 2009: The Hurt Locker 2010: The King’s Speech 2011: The Artist 2012: Argo 2013: 12 Years a Slave 2014: TBD 2015: TBD 2016: TBD 35. See a drive-in movie 36. Listen to every song by The Beatles 37. Finish watching every Star Trek television episode and movie 38. Have a Pixar movie month 39. Complete The Artist’s Way 41. Learn Ruby on rails

Food and Drink 44. Take a cooking class 46. Open a cookbook to a random page and make what ever is on it 47. Give up dining out for one month 48. Take a bartending class 51. Make fresh pasta 52. Learn to make a good martini 53. Do a brewery tour 55. Try 5 new to me foods 56. No pop for a month

Health and Fitness 57. Lose 2 pants sizes 58. Walk a 5K 59. Get a massage 60. Take a yoga class 61. Get three pedicures (1/3) 62. Do a spa day 65. Get lasik 66. Get CPR certified again

Travel 67. Stay at a Bed and Breakfast 68. Go on a vacation with Josh 70. Travel to a new state

Philanthropic 71. Give a 100% tip 72. Donate something extra at each MVPA social x 10 (4/10) 73. Pay it forward at Starbucks/coffeeshop

Financial 75. Two week money fast (starting with full gas tanks and a full pantry) 76. Open an Etsy shop

Miscellaneous 79. Get Arthur’s tattoo 80. Get a passport 81. Get rid of 100 things 82. Learn how to use our DSLR 84. Make a chalk mural on the driveway/porch 87. Complete a coloring book 89. Take an IQ test 90. Play Bingo in a bingo hall 93. Unplug completely for 24 hours 95. Go to a convention (blogging, SU, etc) 96. Dye my hair purple 97. Revamp my wardrobe 98. Take real photos of me for my blogs 99. Post a vlog 100. Go apple/berry/etc picking

New Year's Thanks

1. My couch -- For being a fairly comfy place to sleep with the toddler while he's been sick. Not ideal, but much better than the twins' beds...

2. Blogfeed -- For great new podcasts to listen to. In the past week, I've checked out The Simple Show, What Should I Read Next, This Week for Dinner, You Are Not So Smart, and Around the Table.

3. Social Committee -- For stepping up and helping to organize the Winter Social. Sickness and time has worked against me, but I'm much less stressed after our meeting on Tuesday. I think we can actually pull this off on Saturday.

4. Random chocolate bar in fridge -- I was seriously craving some chocolate, but couldn't justify going out to the store (time and money). Thankfully I found a chocolate bar in the fridge. I had bought it before Christmas and completely forgot about it. So yummy!

5. Pinterest -- For some great inspiration for retreat gifts. I found the perfect way to mix my love of crafting and some very personal. Can't share right now, but the gifts are awesome, trust me!

Currently #2

Watching: Lots of light-hearted fare over here. Specifically, we've been binging Galavant and Telenovela. They are so cheesy, but I love them!

Reading: The Great Influenza by John Barry. Nonfiction about The Spanish Flu. I'm 120 pages in and it's just getting good. Barry is no Erik Larson, but I'm still exciting to dig in further.

Listening: Lots and lots of podcast episodes. I've completely caught up with One Bad Mother and The Simple Show. I'm close to being caught up with Happier. And I've listened to a few You are Not So Smart episodes. Plus, I've downloaded Gilmore Guys because so many people have raved about it! Hoping to start that one soon.

Making: I always make a few surprise gifts for the retreat attendees. I grabbed an interested idea from Pinterest and ran with it. May not be the best considering the amount of time I'm spending on seven of these, but I still enjoy the process.

Feeling: We finally had our social committee prep meeting today (scheduled last Thursday, Arthur was puking, so no go). The social is Saturday and I was feeling the pressure to get everything set. We had a very productive meeting and I'm feeling a lot less stressed now. This thing might just happen!

Planning: I'm feeling less stressed about the social, but we still have a short list of to-dos.

Loving: Really been craving iced tea this week. So good!

Music Monday -- Highly Suspect "Bloodfeather"

I adored "Lydia" and this song is in my brain right now! 

Life Right Now #2

As I look outside my window: Still overcast and rainy. I'll take it over snow and ice any day, but I am missing the sunshine.

Thinking and pondering: I've been struggling with my goals for this year. What big projects do I want to take on? (ex. launching a third blog, learning some new skills like coding) Right this moment, I feel very stretched thin. I think that feeling is due to January just being a crap month. We've been sick almost the entire time. Getting healthy should help alleviate some of that stress.

On my bedside table: A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking; The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon; Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

On my tv this week: Galavant (love the buddy comedy portions and Vinnie Jones is a treat), Revenge (only three episodes left, I'm almost done!), Limitless the tv show (J had me watch the pilot last night, has potential), The Magicians (J and I both love the book series, tv series has potential)

Listening to: Lots of podcasts! I completely caught up with One Bad Mother (love the podcast and the closed FB community, so supportive and funny!). I started The Simple Show with Tsh Oxenreider. I'm not a fan of the faith discussions, but I do enjoy the discussions about simple living. I'll keep with it. Getting caught up with Happier with Gretchen Rubin. Hoping to dive back into Elise Gets Crafty this coming week.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Asian glazed shrimp
• Tuesday - Mini quiches
• Wednesday - Pulled pork sandwiches
• Thursday - Leftovers
• Friday - Baked potato soup
• Saturday - Black bean and guacamole wraps
• Sunday - Dijon brown sugar steak

On my to do list:

• Sort out Social Committee -- sickness pushed this meeting to next Tuesday
• Finish my book club book (Jan. 31st) -- so close!
• Clean Bathrooms -- sickness took all my energy this past week
• Make 4 design team cards -- never got around to it...
• Grocery shopping
• Start looking into plane tickets for March
• Brainstorm some long term goals
• Finish my stamp club cards for the absent ladies
• Pick up the playroom!
• Mail out Craftmas Swap Project

Happening this week:

• Monday - Grocery and errand day
• Tuesday - Possible park day if nice
• Wednesday - Playdate at Seven Seas Park, dropping off meal to mom friend with newborn, possible card classes (if people RSVP by Monday)
• Thursday - Library day
• Friday - Coffee and playdate at my house
• Saturday - Winter Social!!!!
• Sunday - Nothing so far... will be nice to have a break after the insanity of the Winter Social

What I am creating: February design team cards. Hoping to get 4 done this week. And maybe start working on February stamp club cards...

My simple pleasures:  A healthy toddler. Thank goodness!

Looking around the house: It is a disaster after multiple sick days. Hoping to get some things cleaned up this week.

From the camera: My favorite card I designed for January stamp club. Love watercolor emboss resist!

Dia and Co. Box (January)

I used to do Stitch Fix, but since having my son, I’m too big for most of their items. Their 14+ sizes are very limited. I’ve heard they are working on it, but until then, Stitch Fix is not a good fit for me. Someone in my online mom group pointed me towards Dia & Co. They specialize in size 14+. Yeah! I signed up immediately and received my first box this week.

Details of how it works:  For $20 a shipment, you get a personalized style pack of five items.  Then, you try everything on and decided to keep 1, 2, 3, 4, or all 5 items.  The $20 stylist fee is credited to your purchase.  And if you buy all five items, you get an extra 20% off.

My fourth Dia and Co. box. I'm still liking this service, but I think this has been my least favorite of all the boxes. The pieces just didn't quite click with me...

Item #1: Fashion to Figure Flared Jeans $46.90

Pros: Great fit. Don't have any flare jeans in my wardrobe. My butt looks fantastic in these!

Cons: Price. I don't usually pay this much for jeans, but I may need to rethink that policy.

Item #2: Cone Necklace $22.00

Pros: Pretty

Cons: Just don't see myself wearing this one.

Item #3: Fashion to Figure Plaid Sweater $36.90

Pros: None that I can think of.

Cons: Super boxy fit made me look way bigger than I am. It was too short and tight in the shoulders.

Item #4: Junarose Tie-Waist Dress $78.99

Pros: Love the color

Cons: Everything else. The long sleeves were awkward. But worst, the drawstring hit me at my biggest area. The dress made me look like a sack of lumpy potatoes. Just no.

Item #5: Junarose Slouchy Oversized Sweater $48.99

Pros: Love the color. Fit was great. Very comfy!

Cons: I just got about 7 sweaters for Christmas and I rarely wear them as it is. My town is too warm year-round and I tend to run hot.

So, what did I keep?

..

..

..

..

..

#1 Flared jeans -- Another pair of jeans is a nice addition to my wardrobe. My bootcut jeans were getting a little tired. Plus, they make my butt look great!

Fashion Friday #2: January Chic

This will be my last Fashion Friday, at least for awhile. This feature is just not bringing me joy lately.

Loving this play of brown, black, and blue. Usually the navy would be a neutral, but in this outfit, it acts as an accent color. Plus that jacket is just so luxurious!

Elie Saab brown jacket

$2,600 - yoox.com

Rayon pants

$145 - vanmildert.com

Ankle boots

zulily.com

Mulberry leather tote bag

$1,725 - mulberry.com

WithChic golden jewelry

$16 - withchic.com

Topshop hat

topshop.com

Odd and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• We're loving the rain in drought-California, but I must say, trying to put a toddler in the car in the rain is no fun. Wish I could pull the car into the garage...
• I'm really energized for planning activities in the new year.
• Loving my reading this week! Finished a great historical romance, in the middle of a great reread, and just started a fascinating nonfiction.
• Why oh why did I not make two Dalek notebooks? I love the finished project, but it's being sent out for a craft swap.
• Craving a few hours to be completely alone. Thinking I might need to schedule something this weekend.

Quote Wednesday -- Matisse

An artist is an explorer. -- Henri Matisse

The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig

Title: The Deception of the Emerald Ring (Pink Carnation #3)

Author: Lauren Willig

Publisher: New American Library

Genre: Historical Fiction 2006

Pages: 430

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Read My Own Damn Books; What's in a Name - Clothing Item; 52 Books - W3

Eloise Kelly has gotten into quite a bit of trouble since she started spying on the Pink Carnation and the Black Tulip-two of the deadliest spies to saunter the streets of nineteenth-century England and France.

Not only has she unearthed secrets that will rearrange history, she's dallied with Colin Selwick and sought out a romantic adventure all her own. Little does she know that she's about to uncover another fierce heroine running headlong into history.

Another great volume this is series! I really enjoyed Geoff and Letty's story (although I think my favorite is still Miles and Hen). Plus, the larger storyline took some interesting twists and turns. I can't wait see what happens next... Hope we get more info about the Black Tulip's actual identity.

Pink Carnation:

• #1 The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
• #2 The Masque of the Black Tulip
• #3 The Deception of the Emerald Ring
• #4 The Seduction of the Crimson Rose
• #5 The Temptation of the Night Jasmine
• #6 The Betrayal of the Blood Lily
• #7 The Mischief of the Mistletoe
• #8 The Orchid Affair
• #8.5 Away in a Manger
• #8.7 Ivy and Intrigue
• #9 The Garden Intrigue
• #10 The Passion of the Purple Plumeria
• #11 The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla
• #12 The Lure of the Moonflower

Music Monday -- Three Days Grace "Fallen Angel"

Digging this song this week...

Life Right Now #1

With the start of the new year, I'm changing up my usual Sunday wrap-up posts. I've grown tired of my format. I found this one somewhere on the internet and love it!

As I look outside my window: Overcast and rainy. Starting to miss the sunshine...

Thinking and pondering: What to do with the social committee and upcoming winter social? Long story short, I'm taking over as Social Director of my nonprofit parent group earlier than I had planned. Things are a bit in disarray and we have a social planned for Jan. 30th. Time to get my butt in gear and sort it all out...

On my bedside table: The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig; A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking

On my tv this week: Ash vs. Evil Dead; Telenovela (surprisingly funny); Revenge (I will finish this series sometime soon)

Listening to: David Bowie tribute channel on Sirius XM, it's been a hard week

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Vegetable Beef Soup and Baguette
• Tuesday - Lemon Chicken Skillet with Brussel Sprouts
• Wednesday - Chicken Parmesan Wraps
• Thursday - Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup
• Friday -  Pot Roast
• Saturday - Cookout
• Sunday - Leftovers

On my to do list: 

• Sort out Social Committee
• Brainstorm for Cares Committee
• Finish my stamp club cards for Thursday
• Figure out my stamp club order for Thursday
• Finish my craftmas swap
• Finish my book club book (Jan. 31st)
• Laundry
• Clean Bathrooms (oh fun...)
• Make 4 design team cards
• Send out first retreat email
• Lots more I'm sure I'm forgetting right now...

Happening this week:

• Monday - Errands probably
• Tuesday - Cares Committee brainstorming meeting
• Wednesday - Visit to the parking lot sized sand box in Berkeley; it's only open this week so we have to take advantage of it!
• Thursday - Social Committee prep meeting
• Friday - Trip to the Bay Area Discovery Museum
• Saturday - Crop Day and Thirty-One Open House and dinner BBQ
• Sunday - Book club meeting (Chocolat by Joanne Harris)

What I am creating: Working on crafts for my Craftmas Secret Swap buddy. Can't tell you what I'm working on, but I'll be sure to share once I've sent it off.

My simple pleasures: Arthur going to bed at 8pm (he didn't while we were in Indiana...), cup of tea before bed, time to read, my couch

Looking around the house: The bathrooms haven't been cleaned since I left for Indiana in early December. J's not big on the cleaning. And I need to do another closet cleanout.

From the camera: Arthur really loves his baby (panda Care Bear)

December 2015 Clothes Summary

December was a weird month as I was traveling for most of it and Christmas happened. My clothing summary is going to look a bit different... This summer I participated in a capsule wardrobe challenge. I learned a lot from three months of wearing ~40 pieces. One of the biggest things that I learned was that I hate most of my wardrobe. I have so many ill-fitting and/or not my style pieces cluttering my closet. After completing the summer capsule wardrobe, I decided to take the fall off from that particular challenge and work on building a wardrobe I love. To that end, I started buying clothes agin. But not just any old clothes. No more purchases from the clearance rack “just because it’s cheap.” No more keeping things that don’t quite fit. No more buying things that i love on the mannequin but look silly on me. No more buying clothes that I realistically won’t wear. Instead, I’m trying to be very selective in my buying. So, dear readers, I am going to share with you what I bought during the past month. I will post links if the item is still available and prices i paid. I don’t have a specific budget, but definitely don’t want to spend more than $100 a month. (Realistically I’m aiming for around $40 a month). You will also get to see pieces I bought that I ended up returning. By December, I want to be able to say that I bought some great pieces that I wear often. I also want to plan for a possible winter capsule wardrobe…

Goodwill 

One of my hometown's Goodwill locations always has great finds! Of course I had to stop while in town. I snapped up this Old Navy sheer blouse ($4.50), Loft open cardigan ($4.50), and Apt. 9 sparkly top ($4.50).

Meijer 

It hit almost 70 degrees while I was in Indiana. And silly me, I had only packed heavy sweaters. So, I snapped up this cute thin sweater while buying booze for Christmas Eve. It was perfect for those warm days in Indiana and I can wear it in California. Bonus: It was 40% off! ($12.00)

Gifts

My mom is almost always on point with clothing gifts for me! I received this awesome 3/4 length thin cream sweater, thin burgundy sweater, knit brown sweater, leopard print flats, black moccasin flats, and a few tanks. Love it all! Bonus points for all of it being light enough to wear in California!

December Total: $27.29

The House of Hades by Rick Riordan

Title: The House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus #4)

Author: Rick Riordan

Publisher: Disney Hyperion 2014

Genre: Children’s Fantasy

Pages: 590

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Read My Own Damn Books; Popsugar - YA Bestseller; Finishing the Series; 52 Books - W2

At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy's instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through Gaea's forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors from both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don't succeed, Gaea's armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus.

I so enjoy this series! I love the allusions to classical myths and legends. I love the twists Riordan puts on the various gods and goddesses. This was a fast paced enjoyable read for a rainy week. I am excited to see how this series ends. I'm sure we will re-meet many characters and monsters in the last volume of this series.

Heroes of Olympus:

• #1 The Lost Hero
• #2 The Son of Neptune
• #3 The Mark of Athena
• #4 The House of Hades
• #5 The Blood of Olympus

Fashion Friday #1: Updated Mod

I love the look of leather and plaid together. And this outfit is perfect for the middle of winter. I seriously love those booties!

Topshop red checkered dress

nordstrom.com

IRO leather zip jacket

intermixonline.com

Nly Shoes high heel ankle booties

$54 - nelly.com

Michael michael kors purse

bloomingdales.com

Jennifer Zeuner engraved pendant necklace

$255 - neimanmarcus.com

Videos of the New Year

Definitely going to have to see this. I love the original! 

Yep... I'm donating my body to science. And once it's been used, do whatever you want with it just don't pay for a funeral.

I have a few doubts, but I'm sure we'll end up seeing this one. I do like Star Trek.

Really enjoyed this little video. Didn't learn much, but it's a nice video explaining some of these myths.

Currently #1

Watching: J waited for me to get home to watch the Sherlock Christmas special. So much fun!

Reading: The House of Hades by Rick Riordan -- Finally getting around to it.

Listening: David Bowie, lots of David Bowie. His passing is so incredibly sad.

Making: Getting back home, I pulled out all my new Stampin' Up Occasions Catalog supplies and started making cards.

Feeling: Sinus pressure that is. Going on my second week with all this pressure, snot, and sneezing. No fun!

Planning: I joined a Craftmas swap through my One Bad Mother FB group. I'm still debating what exactly to make, but I at least have my theme.

Loving: Definitely enjoying being back home, even if it is rainy.

Top Ten Tuesday -- Books I Didn't Get To

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!

There was definitely a few books I didn't get to in 2015...

1. A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin -- Really wanted to get this one read in 2015... Now it will have to wait until sometime this spring.
2. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley -- Been on shelves for years, I really want to read this in 2016.
3. The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare -- I started the series in 2014 and never progressed beyond the first book. Maybe I'll get more of these read this coming year.
4. The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman -- I loved the first two in the trilogy. And somehow I just never got to it.
5. All the Romance series -- I've got at least 15 romance series just sitting on my floor. I really want to cut that pile down by at least a third by the end of 2016.