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Bout of Books 15!

Bout of Books

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 4th and runs through Sunday, January 10th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional.  For all Bout of Books 15 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I'm going to try and participate again. I love doing this no-stress readathon. My TBR pile is a bit up in the air, but I do know that I want to read:

  • American Vampire Vol. 4-7
  • Fairest Vol. 5
  • Manhattan Projects Vol. 2
  • Chocolat by Joanne Harris
tags: Bout of Books Readathon
categories: Readathon
Monday 12.21.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Christmas Vacation

It's time for my annual two week vacation from the blog. I try to focus on family and fun during Christmas vacation. This break also helps me leisurely prep for the next year. I'll see everyone in 2016 with some great new blog ideas (and potentially another new blog)!

 
tags: blogging, Christmas, vacation
categories: Life
Monday 12.21.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Sunday Sunset #29

Listening To: Christmas music! The car radio has been set on the Christmas music station. Loving it!

Book finished: Soulbound; Body and Soul; Fables Vol. 20

Reading: Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (yep, still)

On the Nightstand: Fairest Vol. 5; American Vampire Vol. 4-7

Making Lists: Meals, blog ideas, craft class ideas, 2016 projects, etc. It's time for my big blog break. I usually take the break to plan ahead for the next year and take time to brainstorm. This week I've been working on meal planning for January through March and craft classes.

From the kitchen: Nothing as my mom has been cooking or we've been going out. I am looking through my Pinterest board for a good bog batch Christmas cocktail...

Crafting: I received my SU preorder this past week and can't wait to dive in. I'm playing around with some designs for my swap cards. Nothing definite yet, but I'm hoping to do some crafting soon. And I have a few holiday albums to complete before we leave.

Watching: PBS cartoons. Arthur's been enjoying a bit more television while we're here in Indiana. As for me, I've been starting Season 3 of Sleepy Hollow. Hoping to get caught up before I go back to California.

From Nature: Flew from California to Indiana and didn't change temperatures. So weird! We've had temps in the 50s for the first part of this week and then it dropped to the mid-30s. Mid-30s this normal for December. Hopefully it doesn't get super cold while we're still here.

Project: So many projects! I'm working on a ton of new projects and ideas for 2016.

Picture: The twins and Arthur hanging out at one of our Christmas get-togethers last weekend.

tags: Sunday Sunset
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 12.20.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

101 in 1001 Update #11

What I did:

1.Send out homemade holiday cards in December 2x (1/2) -- I actually remembered to send these out with traveling and crazy toddler antics!

8. Choose and document One Little Word 2015 -- Finished! I decided that I didn't love this process, so I'm not going to participate in 2016. Instead I will be focusing on a variation of Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project. For the purpose of the Day Zero Project, this goal has been completed.

13. Pass 500 books for Arthur’s 1000 Books Before Kindergarten (423/500) -- 14 new picture books this past month!

22. Ask 20 friends to suggest one book, and read them all -- I asked for recommendations on FB this past week. The books highlighted are going on my TBR list for 2016.

26. Read 50 of my owned unread books (50/50)  -- And with this month's reading, I've finished this goal! Even though this goal is crossed off my list, I'm still trying to read from my own shelves and empty out some space.

28. Read 100,000 pages toward 1,000,000 page goal (34,128/100,000) — In November, I only read 2215 pages. Not great, but I'll take it.

34. Make 250 different greeting cards (157/250) -- 15 new designs this past month. Getting closer to this goal!

40. Complete a year of no book buying -- Did it! Woohoo! I'm not going to go crazy buying books in 2016, but I am giving myself permission to grab a book or two when I see a great deal.

As we near the end of 2015, I've chosen to modify a few goals. Those with an asterisk have been modified.

Remaining goals and total:

Friends, Family, and Love 2. Build a snowman 3. Complete 52 once a week photos of Arthur 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** (I originally had this for 2015, but I'm going to wait until next year when he might actually get into the process) 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 45. Make 50 new recipes (33/50) 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** (This used to be Try Whole30, but after some more thought, I'll never to commit to that. A bartending class is much more likely!) 51. Make fresh pasta 52. Learn to make a good martini 53. Do a brewery tour 54. Try 25 new restaurants (13/25) 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 85. Finish a Soduku puzzle 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

tags: 101 in 1001
categories: Day Zero Project
Saturday 12.19.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Fables: Happily Ever After

Title: Fables 21: Happily Ever After

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2015

Genre: Fantasy Comics

Pages: 197

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Books - W52

Holy cow! I am floored by this volume. I know there's only one last volume in this series, but wow! There were so many ends and revelations in this volume, I have no idea how this one ends. But I can't wait to read it! Now to see if the local library has it on the shelves...

Fables

:

  1. Legends in Exile
  2. Animal Farm
  3. Storybook Love
  4. March of the Wooden Soldiers
  5. The Mean Seasons
  6. Homelands
  7. Arabian Nights (and Days)
  8. Wolves
  9. Sons of Empire
  10. The Good Prince
  11. War and Pieces
  12. The Dark Ages
  13. The Great Fables Crossover
  14. Witches
  15. Rose Red
  16. Super Team
  17. Inherit the Wind
  18. Cubs in Toyland
  19. Snow White
  20. Camelot
  21. Happily Ever After
  22. Farewell
tags: 5 stars, 52 books in 52 weeks, Bill Willingham, fairy tales
categories: Book Reviews
Friday 12.18.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Body and Soul by Stacey Kade

Title: Body and Soul (Ghost and the Goth #3)

Author: Stacey Kade

Publisher: Hyperion 2012

Genre: YA Paranormal

Pages: 316

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: TBR Challenge; Ebook; 52 Books - W51

Alona Dare is now trapped in Lily Turner's body, and no matter how many psychics she and Will Killian visit, it looks like she won't be getting out anytime soon...

One of those series that I've been wanting to finish if only to say that I finished it.  And I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this series ender. Alona and Will are intriguing characters. I liked following their journey after the events of Queen of the Dead. Plus we get appearances from Misty and other former friends of Alona's. A nice enjoyable two day read for my Christmas vacation.

Ghost and the Goth

  • #1 The Ghost and the Goth
  • #2 Queen of the Dead
  • #3 Body and Soul
tags: 4 stars, 52 books in 52 weeks, ebook, Stacey Kade, TBR Reduction, young adult
categories: Book Reviews
Friday 12.18.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

FF #43: Sparkly New Year's Eve

Sparkly New Year's Eve

As my Christmas outfit last week featured red and gold, I went the opposite direction for the New Year's look: blue and silver! This dress is so detailed and striking! I let it shine on its own with the addition of minimal accessories. But I couldn't resist some sparkle on the shoes and the some shine on the clutch.

Peter Pilotto mini dress

$1,100 - brownsfashion.com

Silver pumps

unique-vintage.com

J Mendel leather handbag

barneyswarehouse.com

Fine jewelry

runway2street.com

categories: Fashion
Friday 12.18.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Quote Wednesday -- Einstein

Creativity is intelligence having fun. -- Albert Einstein

categories: Quote Wednesday
Wednesday 12.16.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Soulbound by Kristen Callihan

Title: Soulbound (Darkest London #6)

Author: Kristen Callihan

Publisher: Hachette Book Group 2015

Genre: Paranormal

Pages: 366

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: TBR Reduction; Ebook; Seriously Series; 52 Books - W50

Once two souls are joined . . . When Adam's soul mate rejected him, there was more at stake than his heart. After seven hundred years of searching, his true match would have ended the curse that keeps his spirit in chains. But beautiful, stubborn Eliza May fled-and now Adam is doomed to an eternity of anguish, his only hope for salvation gone . . .

Their hearts will beat together forever No matter how devilishly irresistible Adam was, Eliza couldn't stand the thought of relinquishing her freedom forever. So she escaped. But she soon discovers she is being hunted-by someone far more dangerous. The only man who can help is the one man she vowed never to see again. Now Adam's kindness is an unexpected refuge, and Eliza finds that some vows are made to be broken . . .

An enjoyable volume in this series. I wasn't a fan of Eliza or Adam in the previous books, but they definitely grew on me over the course of this one. I really came to pull for them throughout the book. The storyline was fun. The ending was satisfactory. But my favorite part was encountering all the previous characters in the series. The little glimpses of Ian and Archer were great. And I liked seeing more from Lucien and Sin. The ending left the series open for another book.  At least I hope so...

Darkest London

  • #0.5 Ember
  • #1 Firelight
  • #2 Moonglow
  • #3 Winterblaze
  • #3.5 Entwined
  • #4 Shadowdance
  • #5 Evernight
  • #6 Soulbound
  • #7 Forevermore
tags: 4 stars, 52 books in 52 weeks, ebook, fantasy, Kristen Callihan, Seriously Series, TBR Reduction
categories: Book Reviews
Monday 12.14.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Music Monday -- CHVRCHES "Leave a Trace"

Love their sound... 

tags: CHVRCHES
categories: Music
Monday 12.14.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

FF #42 Christmas Dinner

Christmas Dinner

We don't get this fancy for Christmas dinner, but if we did, I would love to wear this outfit. I love the silhouette for this dress. I have a thing for 1950s throw-backs. I kept he accessories simple as this dress has a lot of detail, but I want a bit of shiny bling. And that gold clutch is just the perfect addition to the look!

BF Designed by Beatriz Furest studded leather purse

$240 - yoox.com

Wrapped In Love round diamond ring

macys.com

H m jewelry

$9.30 - hm.com

categories: Fashion
Friday 12.11.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Videos for the Holidays

Just amazing! 

I love Adele!

Charlize Theron's Evil Queen was the best part of the first movie. Can't wait to see her again!

Oh yeah! I am excited!

I love Jennifer Lawrence!

Love Nick Offerman!

Have to say that most of these do not look that appetizing...

categories: Fun Videos
Thursday 12.10.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

So Long Warm Weather..

It's travel day! Arthur and I are leaving warm California for super-cold Indiana for the holidays. We're currently on a plane somewhere over the Rockies. Hopefully the traveling bit goes well. You never know with a toddler!

tags: travel
categories: Life
Wednesday 12.09.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Top Ten Tuesday -- New-to-Me Authors 2015

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!

It's been another year of discovering great new-to-me authors! Here are my favorites from 2015:

  1. Lauren Willig -- How have I not read a book from her before? I'm really enjoying the Pink Carnation series right now!
  2. Anthony Doerr -- All the Light We Cannot See was a lyrical joy of a book! I loved it!
  3. Kristin Cashore -- I really enjoyed the Seven Kingdoms trilogy, especially Fire.
  4. Andy Weir -- The Martian is definitely going on my Top 10 Books list this year. Can't wait to see what he does next!
  5. Erin Morgenstern -- The Night Circus was another of my favorite books this year. I love her writing style!
  6. Maria Semple -- I loved her slightly comedic style in Where'd You Go, Bernadette. Hope to read more from her!
  7. Susanna Clarke -- Another great lyrical writer! Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell was a giant book but so well-written!
tags: Top Ten Tuesday
categories: Books
Tuesday 12.08.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig

Title: The Masque of the Black Tulip (Pink Carnation #2)

Author: Lauren Willig

Publisher: New American Library 2006

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 464

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: TBR Reduction; 52 Books -- W49

...But now she has a million questions about the Pink Carnation's deadly French nemesis, the Black Tulip. And she's pretty sure that her handsome onagain, off-again crush, Colin Selwick, has the answers somewhere in his archives. But what she discovers in an old codebook is something juicier than she ever imagined.

I think I liked this volume even more that the first. Really it came down to the characters. I really enjoyed Henrietta and Miles as our main characters. They were incredibly likeable and fun. Plus their romance was very believable. I enjoyed the furtherance the larger storyline while giving more attention to a few specific characters. And of course, I enjoy the little glimpses into Eloise and Colin. I'm taking a bit of a break from their series while I travel, but I fully intend on continuing in late January.

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
tags: 5 stars, 52 books in 52 weeks, historical fiction, Lauren Willig, TBR Reduction
categories: Book Reviews
Monday 12.07.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Music Monday -- The Neighbourhood "R.I.P. 2 My Youth"

Loved their first album. Digging this new song. 

tags: The Neighbourhood
categories: Music
Monday 12.07.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Sunday Sunset #28

Listening To: One Bad Mother. I'm about 5 episodes behind (horror!) and trying to catch up. I'm hoping to be able to listen to some during the plane ride. Here's hoping Arthur cooperates and plays and/or sleeps for part of the long flight.

Book finished: The Secret History of the Pink Carnation; The Happiness Project (reread); The Mask of the Black Tulip

Reading: Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (still)

On the Nightstand: Chocolat by Joanne Harris; Heart of Christmas

MakingLists: Ideas of 2016. I've got a blog ideas list, a craft ideas list, a general household list, a kid-related list, and many more... Yeah I love making lists!

From the kitchen: Nothing exciting at all...

Crafting: I finished all my Christmas cards last week, so this week was all about clean-up!I wanted my craft are to be clean before I left. But before I got to that, I knocked out November's PL pages. Now my area is clean and tidy. All ready for me to get back in January and dive back into crafting!

Watching: Lots of Atlantis, it got super serious and good. Catching up on Shield, Elementary, and The League.

From Nature: The weather has gone from chilly to warm and sunny to raining. My favorite has been the rainy days. I love listening to the sound of the rain.

Project: Prepping for travel. Arthur and I leave for Indiana on Wednesday. I've gotten most of our stuff packed, but have a list of last minute things to put in (you know, toothbrush, phone and charger, etc). I managed to pack everything in one large suitcase, my new Take Two Tote as a carry-on, and a small backpack for Arthur. My suitcase is mostly full of presents. Thankfully those will be gone coming back, but just in case I need an extra carry-on, I packed my Fold-Over Weekender in the bottom. It lays completely flat in the suitcase and can be made bigger or smaller depending on my needs.

Picture: After bath time, I was laying on the bed reading while Arthur ran around. He grabbed a book off my shelves, climbed up on the bed, laid down next to me, and starting "reading." He's definitely my kid!

tags: Sunday Sunset
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 12.06.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

November 2015 Clothes Summary

I didn't do an October Clothes Summary as I didn't purchase any clothes in October. And my Dia & Co. box didn't come until November. (Scheduling changes)

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…

Dia & Co. Box

I started this subscription service in August. You can read about my first box here and my second box here. My third box came the first week in November. I bought the red plaid shirt ($29.90) and black leggings ($40).

 

LuLaRoe

I met a wonderful LuLaRoe rep at our craft fair. I was thinking abotu buying something from her and then she posted a pop-up on FB one week night. I snapped up two pieces: a turquoise Irma Tunic ($28) and a navy and white polka dot Cassie Skirt ($29). I've worn both and they are oh so comfortable. I'm hosting a pop-up with friend in February. Can't wait!

 

November Total: $138.57 Over my max of $100, but oh well. Every once in awhile, I might go over a bit. I'm sure I'll pick up a few new things in December.

tags: Clothing Summary
categories: Fashion
Saturday 12.05.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

FF #41: Christmas Shopping

Christmas Shopping

I've loving this comfy looking outfit. This would be perfect for running around complete errands and Christmas shopping. I've been on the hunt for good non-denim pants. Something like this would be perfect. And the trench is to die for!

J Crew pink shirt

tradesy.com

Chicwish trench coat

chicwish.com

J Brand jeans

$325 - harrods.com

H&M high heel boots

$39 - hm.com

H M drawstring backpack

$39 - hm.com

TOMS infinity scarf

toms.com

categories: Fashion
Friday 12.04.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

  • My new Thirty-One bag (Soft Utility Tote) is huge! I'm loving the crazy space in this thing. Mine is Plum with Oatmeal polka dots and is embroidered with a gold B. The bag is absolutely gorgeous. 
  • Mulling over some plans for 2016 this week. I'm feeling the itch to change some big things.
  • I finished a book yesterday and have yet to start the next one. What is wrong with me?
  • Arthur has had two poo explosions this week. Feels like I have a newborn again...
  • Got sucked back into Atlantis. That show is pretty cheesy, but I love it!
  • Super glad that I got my open Thirty-One party submitted. One of the prints was on low inventory, and three of my customers ordered it. Submitting early ensures that they get their product. Thank goodness!
  • Loving my new book series... I may just have to add the third book to my suitcase for Indiana.
 
tags: Odds and Ends
categories: Life
Thursday 12.03.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 
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