November 2013 Wrap-up and Monthly TBR

Hop on over to Booksessed to participate.

November's TBR Pile Recap: 

Books Read and Reviewed (9/13 books)

1. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
2. The Billionaire Wins the Game by Melody Anne
3. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
4. Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir
5. Love and Friendship by Jane Austen
6. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
7. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
8. Tanglefoot by Cherie Priest
9. 100 Days in Deadland by Rachel Aukes
10. Saving Wishes by GJ Walker-Smith
11. The Watsons by Jane Austen
12. Jane Austen and the Unplesantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron
13. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

1,000,000 Page Goal

Monthly Total: 3606 pages
Pages Remaining: 838,328 pages

Current Read - Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Books Won (0)

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Challenges Completed  

• Romance Challenge -- Five romance books down.  Not the best selection, but fairly entertaining.
• Eclectic Challenge -- Twelve different classifications. The only one that gave me any trouble was the last category for me to read: new adult.  Finished and done.
• Zombie Challenge -- Only six zombie books this year, but I do always love some zombie...
• Witches and Witchcraft -- An interesting collection of books.
• Blogger Recommendations -- Ten interesting books recommended by other book bloggers.  Found some gems in here...
• Graphic Novel -- Another successful year of comics and graphic novels.  I can't wait to see what I discover next year.

Comments - A decent reading month, but I ended up reading a lot of books that weren't on my original list.  I've got an ambitious list for December.  I highly doubt I will get to all 12 books, but I'm certainly going to try.

December's TBR Pile:

1. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
2. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
3. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
4. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
5. Tanglefoot by Cherie Priest
6. Universal Rights Down to Earth by Richard Thompson Ford
7. Flip! for Decorating by Elizabeth Mayhew
8. Final Jeopardy by Stephen Baker
9. Creative Pilgrimage by Jenny Doh
10. Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir
11. 1984 by George Orwell
12. The Children of Men by PD James

FF #41: New Mom Comfort

I'm a new mom.  Most days you can find me in yoga or comfortable linen pants.  If I venture out of the house, I'm still aiming for comfort over style.  However, this outfit looks comfortable and stylish and it's so simplistic.  Take some nice jeans, slip-on shoes, a simple tank, and a snuggle into cardigan and presto! an awesome low-key outfit.  Of course, I would probably also be lugging around a baby and diaper bag (although mine is definitely stylish and fairly small).

Oasis cardigan $64 - oasis-stores.com

IHeart red shirt $54 - veryeickhoff.com

Mavi jeans

$94 - conleys.de

TOMS shoes

$56 - office.co.uk

Michael kors shoulder bag

macys.com

Thanksgiving Thanks

I used to do a Thankful post on almost every Thursday.  Somehow I've gotten completely off track with those.  This thankful list is to make up for all the Thursdays I've missed lately. I'm thankful for...

1. My beautiful new baby boy Arthur -- He is such a joy.  Even at only 1 1/2 months, he has such personality.  Can't wait to see what he does next.
2. All the nurses and doctors at Kaiser Santa Clara -- Even with some complications during surgery, Arthur and I had a great birth and recovery experience.  I was especially grateful for the skin-to-skin time immediately after he came out.  I didn't get that with the twins so this was extra special.
3. J -- For being there for me throughout and helping around the house, especially right afterward.
4. Nick and Alex -- For being awesome sons.  And for their excitement at officially meeting their baby brother at Christmas.  I can't wait to spend time with all three of my boys.
5. Caffeine -- A new parent's best friend.  I cut back to almost nothing during pregnancy, which makes a small reintroduction that much sweeter.  I don't consume much, but it's nice to have a strong cup of coffee in the morning to get my day going.
6. Friends and family -- For all the congratulations, best wishes, and gifts.  While we have kept mostly to our little family of three, it's nice to know that others are thinking about us.
7. Christmas -- For the time to spend with friends and family.  I'm looking forward to visiting with everyone, and showing off Arthur of course.  And I get to meet two babies born this past year.  And I get to spend two whole weeks with the twins.  And I get to have awesome home cooked meals (thanks mom!).  And hopefully we get a white Christmas (I miss those living in California).  And I get to go eat at all the restaurants and shop at all the stores that I don't have in California.
8. The good weather -- For allowing Arthur and I to get out of the house even if it's just a quick walk to the coffee shop.  If we still lived in Indiana, it would be difficult to make myself get out and about in super cold temperatures.  Here I can still wear sandals if I want and Arthur only needs a light blanket to be snug.
9. Books -- For keeping me awake and entertained during those middle of the night feedings that seem to drag on and on.
10. Candy Crush on the iPad -- See #9
11. Fellow parents on my Hellobee board -- We are all supporting each other through the struggle of the fourth trimester.  They validate my feelings, fears, and joys and I hope I do the same for them.  Wish I could meet all those ladies and the babies in person... especially my baby birth day twin whose experience so closely mirrors my own.

Quote Wednesday -- Dahl

"On the afternoon of the day when her father had refused to buy her the book, Matilda set out by herself to walk to the public library in the village. When she arrived, she introduced herself to the librarian, Mrs Phelps. She asked if she might sit a while and read a book."- Matilda by Roald Dahl

I love this imagery!  Thankfully I had parents that supported by book reading habit (even if my mother thinks I read a bit too much).  I wish that all children were encouraged to discover the adventures awaiting in books.

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

Title: Hyperbole and a Half

Author: Allie Brosh

Publisher: Touchstone 2013

Genre: Graphic novel; Memoir

Pages: 384

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel; Mount TBR; Bingo -- 5 from 2013; 52 Books -- W48; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: I own it!

FROM THE AUTHOR: This is a book I wrote. Because I wrote it, I had to figure out what to put on the back cover to explain what it is. I tried to write a long, third-person summary that would imply how great the book is and also sound vaguely authoritative—like maybe someone who isn’t me wrote it—but I soon discovered that I’m not sneaky enough to pull it off convincingly. So I decided to just make a list of things that are in the book:

Pictures Words Stories about things that happened to me Stories about things that happened to other people because of me Eight billion dollars* Stories about dogs The secret to eternal happiness*

*These are lies. Perhaps I have underestimated my sneakiness!

I have followed Brosh's blog for awhile now and always find myself moved by her posts.  Her raw honesty cuts right to my soul.  (Okay, that sentence sounded a bit crazy, but it's completely true).  I may not have her specific problems, but I think everyone can relate to believing themselves to be crazy and fucked up every once in a while.  It's nice to have that reaffirmation.  And it's wonderful to follow Brosh's stories in and out of the crazy in her life.  While reading, I laughed quietly to myself and loudly to everyone.  I teared up on my occasions.  I also found myself shaking my head in agreement to some of her more introspective stories.  This may look like a fun little collection of stories with illustrations, but it's so much more.  Brosh stands stripped bare before the reader allowing them to see all her flaws and all her beauty.  This is a must read!

Arthur: 6 Weeks

We made it out of a very bad week.  Growth spurt in both a physical and mental sense.  It made Arthur a very cranky baby.  Now that things have settled, he is a such a delight.

Likes: Enterprise mobile, Jedi Mickey, staring at mom and dad, talking, scooting around his crib

Dislikes:Direct sunlight (lots of flinching and fussing), sleeping alone

Sleeping: Arthur sleeps in his crib at night, but the daytime naps are in his monkey bouncer.  Now if only we can get him to sleep more than 3 hours at night.  We're still working on getting Arthur to bed faster without as much fussing.

Eating: Consistently eating 4 ounces every 3 hours or so.  But lately he's been playing with his bottle instead of just drinking his milk.  He seems to have a lot of fun spraying me with formula.  Hope this ends soon.

Playing: Arthur's discovered that he can wiggle himself around the floor or his crib.  He seems to get enjoyment around wriggling around.  He's also actively looking at his hanging toys.  Pretty soon he should start grabbing at them.

Medical Milestones:Lots and lots of big developments this week.  First my favorite development -- Smiling!  Finally I'm seeing real smiles in response to talking to him.  I'm loving the adorable smiles.  He's also working on grabbing and holding onto my fingers and shirt.  Plus, I've noticed different cries for being hungry, needing a diaper change, and wanting to be held.

Schedule: No new developments yet, but I've been in many discussions with other new moms about when and how to work on a set schedule.  I'm thinking of holding off on trying anything for another week or so.

My Recovery: I have my 6 week follow-up tomorrow.  Hope to be cleared for exercise.

And to finish our update this week, highlights from our Thanksgiving photo shoot.  Thanks to Grandma Heidi and Papa Bill for the turkey hat.  Arthur tried to eat it, but seemed to grow to like the hat towards the end.

Music Monday -- iPod Shuffle November

Since I've finished my 101 Faves series for Music Monday, I thought I would do something complete different.  I turned on my iPod, hit shuffle, and recorded my first 5 songs.

1. "Criminal" by Fiona Apple (Tidal)

2. "Headlights on Dark Roads" by Snow Patrol (Eyes Open)

3. "It'll Be a Long Time" by The Offspring (Smash)

4. "Catalyst" by Anna Nalick (Wreck of the Day)

5. "Emergency" by Paramore (Riot!)

Sunday Sunset #39

Book finished: Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor; The Count of Monte Cristo

Reading: Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh; Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

On the Nightstand: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Making Lists: I've started my packing list for Christmas in Indiana.  I need to leave a ton of room for presents and such to come back.  Minimalist packing is the key.  But I still have to transport various baby accessories to even get us there.  This will be a challenge.

From the kitchen: I tried a couple more new recipes.  All of these were taken from Iowa Girl Eats. I love that her recipes are tasty yet simple.

• Red beans and rice -- Super yummy and easy.  Throw everything in the crockpot and 8 hours later you have a filling meal.
• BBQ chicken, apple, bacon, cheddar quesadillas -- Quick and easy, just how I like recipes.
• BBQ pulled pork -- Definitely a keeper.

Crafting: Arthur and I went to stamp club on Thursday.  We made three cute cards and a candy holder.  Of course, Arthur only let me make the first card before he started to fuss.  Thankfully Pam made the other cards and the project for me while I watched with a fidgety baby.

Watching: The usuals...

• The Daily Show
• Almost Human
• Atlantis
• Revenge
• Once Upon a Time in Wonderland
• Once Upon a Time (hello Marilyn Manson!)
• Sleepy Hollow
• The Voice
• Elementary
• Dracula
• The League
• Parks and Rec

Plus, I started watching Reign.  It is better than I expected.  Of course, I don't have very high expectations for a show on The CW.  I am digging the political intrigue on the show.  It definitely makes the soap opera melodramatics much easier to watch.

From Nature: It rained almost all day on Wednesday...  I miss the rain storms.  It reminds me of the Midwest falling asleep to thunder storms.  I have a pair of rain boots in my closet that have just languished for almost two years.  It didn't rain enough to pull them out, but I was really really tempted.  By the end of the week, it was back to be sunny and high 60s.

Out and About: I joined two mom's groups this week.  On Wednesday, we met at a local park for playtime and socializing.  Of the five other ladies scheduled to come, only one did.  And it was the other first time participant.  I think it was because it was sprinkling a bit here (unusual for around here).  Oh well!  The other lady and I had a nice hour walking around the park and chatting.  Hope to meet here again at another meeting.  On Thursday, I attended another meetup from the same group.  I showed up, no one else did.  Extremely disappointed!  Arthur and I ended up walking the trail anyway for something to do.  I posted a comment on the meetup about no one being there, not changing their RSVP, and not posting any messages.  The group organizer (who was also supposed to come) apologized and said she would remind everyone to keep their RSVPs current.  But, I am very irritated by these women's behavior.  I don't think I want to be a part of a mom's group that shows such little consideration for others.  I RSVPed for an event on Monday with a different mom's group.  I hope I have better luck with them.

Project: I have not idea why, but suddenly this week I got the decluttering and purging bug.  I just felt the need to shed all the crap laying around the house.  I started on Tuesday in my closet.  Within an hour, I had two bags of trash and three bags for Goodwill.  Holy crap!  I also rediscovered some gems in my closet.  I've been pregnant for so long, I forgot some of the clothes I actually owned.  I also did a bit of organization in the hall closet getting rid of some blankets.  Since we now live in California, stocking ~10 heavy blankets (not including baby's and twin's blankets) just doesn't make sense.  Half of those... gone right away and I'm debating on a few more.  I hope to tackled my clothes drawers before Thanksgiving.

Picture: It's a real smile from a very chubby little baby!  I need to get a better picture of his smile...

Day Zero Project Update: W109-114

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs (101/101)

• B.O.B. and Hayley Williams "Airplanes"
• Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss "Whiskey Lullaby"
• Ben Folds and Regina Spektor "You Don't Know Me"

24. Keep a journal for this project

37. Pass 250,000 pages read for my 1,000,000 pages challenge — 3804 pages read this period giving me a total of 158,066 pages so far

88. Go hiking or horseback riding

Overall Progress

35/101

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Title: The Count of Monte Cristo

Author: Alexandre Dumas

Genre: Classics

Pages: 1276

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Classics -- Adventure; Mount TBR; Blogger Recommendations; Book to Movie; Fall into Reading; Rory Gilmore (perpetual)

How I Got It: iPad

Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantes is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and becomes determined not only to escape but to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. A huge popular success when it was first serialized in the 1840s, Dumas was inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment when writing his epic tale of suffering and retribution.

I had put off reading this classic for far too long.  When it showed up on the list for the Blogger Recommendations Challenge, I knew I had to add it to my 2013 TBR list.  After taking forever to finish it (I blame the baby and Dumas' lack of brevity), I found that overall I really enjoyed the book.

The Good

Dumas can create very interesting and intriguing characters.  I especially loved Dantes, but of course the audience is supposed to connect with him throughout the adventure. The other supporting characters play their parts well.   I also enjoyed the storyline even if I knew it before reading the book.  I couldn't wait to see what happened next.

The Bad

As this was published in serial form in the 1840s, the novel lacks any sense of editing.  Dumas rambles on and on, especially the dialogue sections.  Characters take 20 pages to say something that could have been conveyed in 2 pages.  There were times that I had to put the novel down because I was getting tired of the slow pace.  As such, it took me three weeks to finish it.  Also, I loved the passages with Dantes as the main point of view, but felt distracted by chapters from the other characters.  Those chapters just didn't seem as engaging.  The switching of narrators was tiresome.

While, I had some issues with the novel, this is a classic that everyone should experience at some time in their lives.

Movie:

We happened to own the 2002 version of the novel, so I watched that one.  While I enjoyed the film on its own, it definitely changes much of the novel.  Dantes is still imprisoned and enacts his revenge once he escapes.  But most of the other parts and even character relationships have been changed.  I found the weird renewed romance between Dantes and Mercedes to be the most troublesome aspect of the changes.  I just couldn't get behind it, even if they made Albert their son instead of Mercedes and Fernand's son.  On a much happier note, I loved the action scenes and the introduction of the Count by way of hot air balloon.  To any thinking they can watch this movie instead of reading the book, you will miss so much...  Go read the book first!

FF #40: Thanksgiving Dinner

Let me lose another 20 pounds or so and I will definitely wear this outfit.  It just looks so comfortable and it brings in all the colors of Thanksgiving.  I only wish I would have found a great necklace to go with this one.  The sweater dress looks a little plain by itself.  And I seriously want those shoes!  I have black ones, but brown is too cute!

Rich Royal legging

$96 - zalando.co.uk

Call it SPRING heeled oxford shoes

jcpenney.com

Crochet bag

etsy.com

Leopard print belt

asos.com

Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron

Title: Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor (Jane Austen Mystery #1)

Author: Stephanie Barron

Publisher: Crimeline 1996

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 353

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Jane Austen; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading; 52 Books -- W47

How I Got It: iPad read

On a visit to the estate of her friend, the young and beautiful Isobel Payne, Countess of Scargrave, Jane bears witness to a tragedy. Isobel's husband—a gentleman of mature years—is felled by a mysterious and agonizing ailment. The Earl's death seems a cruel blow of fate for the newly married Isobel. Yet the bereaved widow soon finds that it's only the beginning of her misfortune...as she receives a sinister missive accusing her and the Earl's nephew of adultery—and murder. Desperately afraid that the letter will expose her to the worst sort of scandal, Isobel begs Jane for help. And Jane finds herself embroiled in a perilous investigation that will soon have her following a trail of clues that leads all the way to Newgate Prison and the House of Lords—a trail that may well place Jane's own person in the gravest jeopardy.

I picked this up in my exploration of Jane Austen adjacent books.  I thought it might be a fun mystery, but I was fairly disappointed.  Overall the book just didn't grab me at all.  It was a fairly dry mystery without any interesting characters or plot twists.  Everything was super predictable.  I didn't like the character of Jane Austen.  This series is just not for me.

Jane Austen Mystery (DNFed series)

• 1. Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor
• 2. Man of the Cloth
• 3. Wandering Eye
• 4. Genius of the Place
• 5. Stillroom Maid
• 6. Prisoner of Wool House
• 7. Ghosts of Netley
• 8. His Lordship's Legacy
• 9. Barque of Frailty
• 10. Madness of Lord Byron
• 11. Canterbury Tale

Quote Wednesday -- Mann

A house without books is like a room without windows. No man has a right to bring up children without surrounding them with books…. Children learn to read being in the presence of books.   - Horace Mann

Trying to build Arthur's bookcase...  Hint hint: Christmas present idea.  I love the idea of having children randomly picking up and enjoying books.  The boys have learned to appreciate a good book.  Now to work on the little one.

Arthur: 5 Weeks

With the acquisition of the company, we have to switch insurance.  So not happy about this at all!  My 6-week post-partum appointment will still be covered under Kaiser, but we're done at the end of the month.  This means that we need to get Arthur's 2 month appointment with vaccinations scheduled before we leave for Indiana on the 17th.  To do that, we have to have his social security card which isn't processed until 6-7 weeks after birth.  We still don't have it.  So frustrating...

Likes: Staring at new things, sounds from the rattle, being talked to, lots and lots of cuddles, sleeping in mom and dad's bed (apparently, this is the magic place, but I don't want it to become a habit)

Dislikes: Not being held, specific noises (microwave beeping and door closing and opening, dryer door opening, dad's coughing), time between getting out of the bath and getting a diaper on (really really hates that)

Sleeping: Not going so well.  Many nights he's up every hour or hour and a half fussing and wanting food.  This does not help mom or dad get any decent sleep.

Eating: Constantly.  It seems like the thing he wants to do all the time.  Hope this growth spurt ends soon.

Playing: Tummy time is not the horrible thing that it was.  He actually seems to like it for a few minutes.  Plus, he's shown more interest in looking at his hanging toys.  I hung a chime/rattle thing from the bunk bed so he can look at it during diaper changes.  He seems to be very interested in the sounds it makes.  Still working on warming up to the taggie monster rattle and blanket.  Maybe next week.

Medical Milestones:Week 5 is all about physical developments.  Arthur is definitely using his body more.  Lots of kicking, punching, and wriggling.  He's also grabbing at things, usually my hand or his blanket.  I've seen a few fleeting smiles, but have yet to capture a good one on camera.

Schedule: We were doing pretty well with 3-4 hour stretches, but those days are gone.  Arthur has been going through something this past weekend resulting in very little consistency.  Argh!

My Recovery:After giving up my pain meds and healing well, I regressed a bit this week.  I have no idea why, but my entire body has been sore for the last few days.  Not just my incision, but absolutely everywhere.  Possibly I am fighting some kind of buy.  All I know is that I have had to take a few ibuprofen to get through the day.  Hope this disappears soon.

Music Monday -- Zedd Feat. Hayley Williams "Stay the Night"

Really loving some dance music lately.  I've been hearing a ton of Zedd and I love Hayley Williams, so together they make a great combination.

Lyrics:

I know that we are upside down So hold your tongue and hear me out I know that we were made to break So what? I don't mind

You kill the lights, I'll draw the blindsDon't dull the sparkle in your eyesI know that we were made to breakSo what? I don't mind

Are you gonna stay the night Are you gonna stay the night Oh oh oh, are you gonna stay the night

Are you gonna stay the night Doesn't mean we're bound for life So oh oh, are you gonna stay the night

[beat break]

Are you gonna stay the night Doesn't mean we're bound for life So oh oh, are you gonna stay the night

I am fire gasoline, come pour yourself all over me We'll let this place go down in flames only one more time You kill the lights, I'll draw the blinds Don't dull the sparkle in your eyes I know that we were made to break So what? I don't mind

Are you gonna stay the night Are you gonna stay the night Oh oh oh, are you gonna stay the night

Are you gonna stay the night Doesn't mean we're bound for life So oh oh, are you gonna stay the night Night night night night night....

[beat break]

ARE YOU GONNA STAY THE NIGHT

[beat break]

Are you gonna stay the night Doesn't mean we're bound for life So oh oh, are you gonna stay the night

Sunday Sunset #38

Book finished: 100 Days in Deadland; Love and Friendship; The Watsons; The Lace Reader

Reading: The Count of Monte Cristo (still...  getting close to the end); Jane Austen and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor

On the Nightstand: Boneshaker by Cherie Priest; Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

MakingLists: Grocery lists... the bane of my existence.

From the kitchen: This past week I was a cooking fool! As I hate cooking, my experimenting is an epic achievement.  I made Blue Moon chicken that justified buying and consuming most of a six pack by myself.  Decent, but not amazing.  I made beef and barley stew.  Yummy crockpot meal for cooler weather.  I made molten chocolate cookies.  Good but could have been better. And I made creamy black bean chicken in the crockpot.  Perfect for scooping with tortilla chips!  I added jalapeños to the recipe.  That addition makes it a keeper in my book.  Lord help me but I have another 3-4 recipes to try out this coming week.

Crafting: Nothing this week...  Didn't even get around to my PL pages today. Hopefully the little monster will take a good nap tomorrow so I can do those.

Watching: We finally finished the 4-part series The Men Who Built America.  It's been sitting on the server for a ridiculously long time.  Finally watched the last episode and it was a ton of fun.  I do so love my history documentaries.  Arthur and I have been watching our usual shows, but I am finding an issue with one of them.  I am so not interested in watching Grimm this season.  I made it through the first two episodes and am thoroughly bored.  Thinking about dumping it...  We have been enjoying Dracula, Elementary, and Sleepy Hollow.  Plus we watched Olympus Has Fallen for a stupid action film night and Starsuckers for an interesting albeit slightly depressing documentary.

From Nature: Chilly nights around here.  Of course not as chilly as the Midwest but for here it's almost cold.  Arthur was super fussy the other night and wouldn't go to sleep. Exhausted, I finally brought him into our bedroom to sleep with us.  As soon as he was snuggly, he passed out.  I'm convinced that he was cold and that was keeping him awake.  Guess we need to bust out the fleece sleepers for nighttime.  I don't want to close all the windows as it gets really stuffy in the day, but the nights are just a little too cold for my tastes.

Shopping Scores: Zulily was having their huge blowout sale.  And I couldn't resist buying Arthur some stylish outfits.  Can't wait until they fit, especially the mustache pants.  I also ordered a Boba wrap.  We have a structured baby carrier, but I also wanted more of a wrap style carrier.  This one came highly recommended on Amazon and wasn't a huge amount of money.  We haven't tried it out yet as I am still learning how to tie it.  Hopefully this will help with traveling and while in Indiana.

Picture: Absolutely adore this expression.  So much attitude! I call this one "Hey ladies!"

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

Title: The Lace Reader

Author: Brunonia Barry

Publisher: William Morrow 2009

Genre: Mystery; Paranormal

Pages: 416

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Witches and Witchcraft; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: I own it

Every gift has a price . . . every piece of lace has a secret.

Towner Whitney, the self-confessed unreliable narrator, hails from a family of Salem women who can read the future in the patterns in lace, and who have guarded a history of secrets going back generations. Now the disappearance of two women is bringing Towner back home to Salem—and is bringing to light the shocking truth about the death of her twin sister.

This book has been sitting on my shelves for awhile now.  I finally brought it down to read and I am so glad I did.  To be completely honest, I was not sucked in right away.  The story is a slow build.  We only get bits and pieces of the past and why it matters.  And yet, I knew there would be some amazing if I just kept reading.  Towner is an interesting character.  I don't necessarily relate to her, but she intrigues me.  In fact, all of the women in the novel were intriguing.  I feel like the male characters weren't as fleshed out at the women, but it's a nice change of pace from male centric novels.  I loved the mystery of the story.  I love the way everything came together in the mind, even if it wasn't what I thought was going to happen.  I loved the atmosphere of Salem.  The town seemed almost like another character in the story.  Overall, this was such a joy to read.

Video Time!

The Spell Block Tango!  Awesome redo!

I love this music video.  So moody!  And I really want that couch.

Love Jerry!

Freddie Wong never fails to entertain me.

This movie looks horrifying in an awesome awesome way.  Must see it!

I laughed entirely too loudly at this video.

FF #39: Modern Classic

This outfit screams 1960s but updated.  I love the structured mod pieces combined with more modern lines and accessories.  My favorite is definitely the shoes.  I think they tie the entire outfit together.  Classic pumps would have looked too dated.  And tall boots would just throw off the proportions.  I had to use the purple top as soon as I spied it.  It's my favorite color hands down.  And that handbag is just amazing!

Alexander McQueen sleeveless peplum shirt

alexandermcqueen.com

Elizabeth and james blazer

thecorner.com

Alice Olivia fitted mini skirt

scoopnyc.com

Black velvet pumps

storenvy.com

MICHAEL Michael Kors handbag

$505 - profilefashion.com

Roberto Cavalli swarovski crystals necklace

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Arthur: 1 Month

I can't believe it's already been a month since Arthur was born.  Sometimes in the early morning hours it seems like forever, but overall the time has flown by.  We're still getting to know each other, but that's to be expected.  We are still in the fourth trimester...

Likes:Cuddles, patterns, fuzzy blankets, being talked to, watching me make dinner.

Dislikes: Being cold (I have no idea how he is going to survive Indiana at Christmas), gas, waiting for mom and dad to make a bottle, tummy time.

Sleeping: Each day is different.  I never know if he will sleep in his crib or want to sleep with someone.  He seems to sleep well some nights (not long, but well), and other nights it's a struggle for more than 30 minutes at a time.  He does seems to love sleeping in his monkey bouncer, but I am reluctant to let him at night.  He needs to learn that his crib is his bed.  I have to keep reminding myself that he's only a month old.  We'll figure this out eventually.

Eating: We're up to 4 ounces at a time.  We've had a few major spit up incidents, but usually he's fine with just a little spit up after eating.  And my goodness the burps that come out of that tiny little body.  He puts any of mine to shame.  The trick is to get him to take a break in the middle of the bottle for burping and settling before finishing.  

Playing:Tummy time is still not his favorite...  He does love to lay partially reclined on my chest and then lift and turn his head this way and that.  So at least we're getting some strengthening of his neck muscles even if I can't get consistent tummy time.  He's also starting to warm up to his activity gym.  He's finally started noticing the hanging animals and will follow them with his eyes if I move them.  No reaching yet, but I imagine that will come soon.

Medical Milestones: According to the development sites, now is  the start of the baby making more varied noises.  Arthur's definitely starting to do that this week.  He's begun "talking" back to me.  It's not quite babbling yet, but we're getting a variety of noises.  So adorable!

Schedule: What I wouldn't give for a set schedule...  Our only constant is Arthur waking up and being alert in the mid morning hours.

My Recovery: No more pain meds!  Woo hoo!  Even though I'm not taking anything, I still have some discomfort and slight pain with certain movements.  And I still working on my endurance.  I can't wait for my 6 week appointment so I can start exercising again. 

And now for the big 1 month pictures...