I immediately jumped on this skirt and then started to build a complete outfit to compliment it. In the end, I just had to add the cat shoes. The outfit is classic with a bit of whimsy!
Diane Von Furstenberg wool shirt
thecorner.com
stylemoi.nu
vessos.com
Pietro Alessandro fold over tote bag
lorisshoes.com
$235 - astleyclarke.com
accessorize.com
1. All my mommy friends -- I've been feeling lost in the shuffle and a bit frustrated lately. Hanging out with some awesome ladies and their babies has helped get me back on track.
2. Starbucks -- For the pumpkin spice lattes making me feel like it's fall even though it's over 90 degrees here lately.
3. South Bay Feminist Book Club -- For providing an arena for me to express my thoughts on feminism. This past month's discussion on transgender exclusion was very thought-provoking. Thoroughly enjoyed the articles and the discussion. I can't for next months reading of The Handmaid's Tale and watching of Half the Sky.
4. City of Sunnyvale -- For still having the water on at their splash pads. I know we are in a serious drought, but when it's 90+ degrees in October, having a bit of water time is great for the littles.
5. The Milk Pail -- For selling some amazing bake-at-home croissants. I am so addicted!
In books lies the soul of the whole Past Time; the articulate audible voice of the Past, when the body and material substance of it has altogether vanished like a dream. -- Thomas Carlyle
Title: Entwined (Darkest London #3.5)
Author: Kristen Callihan
Publisher: Hachette Book Group 2012
Genre: Paranormal
Pages: 120
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Ebook; Read Your Freebies; 52 Books - W41; Seriously Series
Eamon Evernight has always lived in his older brother's shadow. While his brother is fair of hair and lithe in body, Eamon sparks fear with his fiery locks and massive frame-and rumors of a mysterious power. But when his brother has the good fortune to be betrothed to a beautiful stranger, it's Eamon's help-and quick wit and romantic heart--that he needs. Eamon agrees to write the noble lady...a generous offer that will forever leave him a changed man.
Lady Luella Jane Moran has no interest in an arranged marriage and tries valiantly to dissuade her betrothed from afar. Though her own letters plainly state her case, the words her husband-to-be writes her leave her aching for his touch. Will Lu give in to the desire the missives have kindled within her? Or will desire turn cold when she discovers their true author?
Such a fun little novella to expand the Darkest London universe. I didn't realize how this story fit into the larger one until the last page, but the story itself was worth it. I loved following Luella and Eamon as they discover one another and their own destiny. It was a real treat. Can't wait to read the next volume.
Darkest London
A whirlwind of destruction this past week. He is into anything and everything. On the plus side, his vocabulary and physical development have jumped this past week. I think he is on the verge of saying actual words and truly walking...
Likes: All the fruit! Especially if is comes from Miss Lauren. Apparently her snacks taste better than ours. Splash pads. Swings. Playgrounds.
Dislikes: The vacuum. Diaper changes.
Sleeping: Randomly he woke up and stayed awake around 5am twice this week. Those made for two very long days for this momma. Generally he is sleeping well with good naps. That sleep training really was effective!
Eating: Anything and everything. He has been constantly eating all week. I think we've hit a growth spurt. I can't keep enough snacks in my bag for our activities out the house. And then we come home and he demolishes lunch and dinner. Plus, he's still drinking about five 6 ounce bottles of formula throughout the day and night. He is going to eat us out of house and home.
Playing: At each playdate or activity, he's now interacting with the other kids more and more. They play together, sometimes share, sometimes steal toys, and generally are adorable. Twice this week, he's had fun playing peek-a-boo with friend E (one month older than Arthur). I think E's his current favorite play buddy.
Medical Milestones:
Schedule:Arthur's settled on one nap right after lunch. Usually he goes down for about 1 1/2 hours. Sometimes he sleeps for 2 1/2 and sometimes he sleeps for only an hour. We plan our activities around that one nap. Most of the activities are either before lunch or after 2pm, so it works out fairly well. At this point we have scheduled parent's group activities for Monday through Friday. Arthur's a busy bee!
Out and About: So much fun this past week.
Three songs that I have really enjoyed lately...
Ella Henderson "Ghost"
Echosmith "Cool Kids"
First Aid Kit "My Silver Lining"
So I didn't quite finish all my goals... but I got a chunk taken care of. I've been attempting to read Dune for ages. Knocking that one out makes me happy. I also read a decent chunk of The Living Dead and will definitely finish that one this week. Decent accomplishments, but as usual, life with a baby boy got in the way of reading.
Goals:
TBR:
Auggie-Talk's Fall Reading Challenge is a 2014 Autumn reading hop that takes place between October 1 and December 20 on Thursdays. Every Thursday participants can recap their reading week, which books they read towards their goal, and hop to other reader's posts to cheer them on! This is an all-for-fun way to connect with other readers and maybe find a few new favorite books! Prizes are awarded to random participants at the end of the challenge!
I'm joining in this year. I have a pile of books to read before the end of this year and maybe this will be the extra incentive to get them done!
Goal: 20 books!
Listening To: Fall Out Boy and Florence + the Machine. Weird combo I know, but I decided that I really want to listen to the entire discography of both these artists.
Book finished: No Turning Back; Dune
Reading: The Living Dead
On the Nightstand: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon; The Awakening by Kate Chopin; Entwined by Kristen Callihan
Making Lists: All the craft related projects for October. So many to figure out what, how, and especially when. This month may just be a black hole.
Around the house: Continuing my battle with the tornado that is Arthur. At this point, I could vacuum everyday and no one would be able to tell. As it is, I do vacuum about every other day. Constant, constant. On a happier note, I'm starting to serious destash before our upcoming move. J wants to find a place and move before Christmas, so I'm starting now. Not packing yet, but definitely weeding through the crap. We saw a few properties this week and at least two possibilities. We may put in an application for those two. Still mulling it over a bit.
From the kitchen: This past week's meals were some of our tried and true favorites: Italian beef sandwiches, buffalo chicken sliders, tacos, tilapia, and bbq chicken. I did attempt a new recipe on Friday, tomato pie, but it turned into a soggy gross mess. We got Thai takeout instead of eating the pile of goo. Since J is leaving on a work trip and we have Arthur's party on Saturday, I've only got one new recipe up for next week: Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup with Rosemary Rolls. We'll see how it goes...
Watching: Lots of Key and Peele... Seriously addicted to that show.
Wondering: When and how much food should I buy for Arthur's party? We now have about 60 people coming... Crazy times! And I can't forget about beer!
From Nature: Such a contradiction. We've had 90+ degree days while parts of the midwest saw their first snowfalls. Can we have something in between? I would love a good 70 degree day right about now.
Shopping Scores: Finishing up the last of the party supply buying (except food). I think we now have all the nonperishable items. I also picked up more supplies for the preschool playdate and the fall social. Getting close!
Project: Final prepping for Arthur's party next Saturday. A fair amount still to do.
Picture: Hurricane Arthur, the aftermath...
Title: Dune
Author: Frank Herbert
Publisher: Chilton Books 1965
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 894
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges: NPR Scifi and Fantasy; NPR Teen; Ebook; New Author; Monthly Motif - Award Winner
Here is the novel that will be forever considered a triumph of the imagination. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Muad'Dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family--and would bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream.
A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what it undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction.
J has been trying to get me to read Dune for ages (at least 2 years). I finally did it and I'm pleasantly surprised. I actually enjoyed another classical science fiction book. Many complain that the book throws the reader into a complicated world with its own language. That's true, but I had not problem parsing out the meaning of the words or figuring out the various houses and motivations. As the book progresses, Herbert touches on a variety of topics including politics imperialism, race, and religion. I loved the layers. On the surface you get a story about a boy/man avenging his family name. But then we start to see that this isn't just Paul's story. Instead, it's a story of a universe; a variety of people all striving to survive and thrive under a multitude of restrictions. I really got into the story and couldn't wait to read what happened to all the great houses and players. Definitely a good read.
Another year, another long list of reading challenges. I told myself that 2014 would be the year of no challenges, but that didn't quite turn out the way I planned. Instead, I entered a ton of challenges still keeping the original idea of reading from my own stacks. Doing good so far. I thought it would be a good idea to do a periodic checkup on my reading challenges. A way of reminding myself of my successes and failures. So here goes…
Total Challenges: 4/30 13.3%
Total Spots: 372/521 71.4%
Individual Challenge Progress:
*Successes: I've finished four challenges so far. One of those was the 100 picture books challenge. I've very excited to have read over 100 unique books to Arthur just this year. We're participating in 1000 Books Before Kindergarten and off to a great start. I'm also very close to finishing a handful of other challenges (Nonfiction; Top 100 YA; Mount TBR; Monthly Key Word; Lucky No. 14). I'm feeling pretty good about my progress.
**Failures (Needs Improvement): There's a few challenges that I've obviously stuck on the backburner. I'm looking at you Back to the Classics and Time Top 100. I probably will not be finishing these challenges by January...
Summer is still around here in the Bay Area. In fact, it's been over 90 yesterday and today. I wanted to make another fall outfit, but just couldn't do it. Instead, I went with something light and breezy perfect for our late summer days. I started with the top because of the beautiful detail around the neck. The pants were a complimentary choice playing off of the vaguely floral design. From there, I wanted some fun accessories (the shoes and bracelets!) and a little pop of color (handbag). I finished the look with a cardigan just in case you live in a place that currently isn't hotter than the sun.
$34 - only.com
nicandzoe.com
tedbaker.com
Giuseppe Zanotti heeled sandals
giuseppezanottidesign.com
Victoria Beckham leather shopper tote bag
mytheresa.com
lastcall.com
Here are my random thoughts from the week:
Before I get to this month’s goals, let’s check in on September’s goals and my progress.
This month's challenges:
A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing. -- Laura Ingalls Wilder