Friday, May 29, 2015

Bucket List!

1. Get a Tattoo.
2. See Starry Night in person.

3. Get married.




4. Eat a macaron in Paris.
5. Watch a silent movie.

6. Have a family.




7. See the Northern Lights in Alaska.
8. Eat Hagelslag in Holland.

9. Have a pixie cut.




10. Read all of Jane Austin.
11. Ride a train.
12. Publish a novel.
13. Attend Book Expo America
14. Visit Powell's Bookstore in Portland, Oregon.
15. Have my cards/palm read in New Orleans
16. Go on a spontaneous road trip with no clear destination in mind.
17. Have a honeymoon.
18. Actually run (and not die) a 5K marathon (specifically color run).
19.Go camping out in the "wild".
20. Visit a castle in Ireland.
21. Visit Harry Potter World

22. Join a book club.
23. Visit the Grand Canyon
24. Experience zero gravity.
25. Go skinny-dipping. (Sorry, no pictures for this one! You're welcome!)
26. Dye my hair an outrageous color.
27. Attend Comic Con
28. Have a garden.
29. Catch a fish.
30. Watch Dead Poets Society.
31. Visit the Poe Museum in Baltimore.
32. See the play A Midsummer Night's Dream
33. Have a Picnic in the park.
34. Watch the sunrise over the ocean.
35. Graduate from college
36.  Buy a house.
37. Go to London and see the play "The Cursed Child" by JK Rowling.
38. Stay at a Bed & Breakfast.
39. Build a fort with River.
40. Pay for River's college.
41. Go Stargazing in a truck full of blankets.
42. Leave notes in books at a used bookstore.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things... This Week!


    1. Adore starring Robin Wright and Naomi Watts. Browsing through My (very long) List on Netflix, I found this little gem. It's bizarre, passionate, and pretty intense. I love the chemistry between all the characters, not to mention the absolute beauty of the actors. I hope I age as prettily as The Princess Bride.




    2. Just One Day by Gayle Forman. I really *loved* this story. Gayle Forman has a wonderful knack for putting you in the shoes of her characters, making it impossible to leave them alone. Of course, in true Forman fashion we do get a sort of "non-ending" in this book (similar to that of If I Stay). So if you like absolute, door-slamming closure, you may want to skip this one. But you'd be missing out.

    3. My new do. I'm not going to lie, this is a love/hate relationship depending on my mood. One minute I'm almost in tears over my long hair, the next I'm rejoicing over how easy and fun it is. It doesn't hurt that the hubs loves it and compliments me on it all the time. And the fact that I just whacked off all my hair does make me feel a little bit more brave. Of course, having River made me feel like a boss, so apparently I just think I'm a badass now ;) ...still don't do upside down coasters though.

    4. The Pandora station called "The Mozart Effect (Children's) Radio".  It plays tons of (mostly classic rock) cover songs, but with a classical twist. Boo and I listen to it often while she plays on her play mat.

    5. This picture. We both just look like a two adorable (on her part) goons.

    6. This Article on Buffy.Seriously, number eighteen. Oz & Willow. But I pretty much teared up all the way through it.

    7. That new Netflix show called Between. Could Netflix be any cooler?

    8. The moment the hubs humored me and danced with me last Saturday to "In My Life" by the Beatles because it's one of my all time favorite songs. It was a little awkward considering he's a 6'2 giant while I'm just 5'2, but super sweet because I had wanted it to be the song we danced to at OUR wedding, but was unable to because (a) I forgot the music and (b) our reception "hall" was way too small to dance in.



    9. And finally, the fact that River has quite possibly got the hang of sleeping through the entire night! I mean, she still tries to wake up at 5:00 am, but me and her pacifier shut that down pretty quick... at least until 6:30.




    Wednesday, May 13, 2015

    Seven Things I've Learned So Far About Being A Mom For Seven Weeks.



    1. Being a mom is weirdly wonderful. You're utterly exhausted (I'm talking can't-hold-your-eyes-open-during-work-hardly-bone-tired), but you have NEVER been happier in your entire life.

    2. Despite the fact that I would probably slay a demon to take a real nap, I still smile and laugh when River decides that 4:00 am is a good time to giggle and wake up for the day.

    3. I finally understand selfless love. Don't get me wrong, I love my husband with my whole heart and I know he feels that way about me too, but after birthing River I found another level of that love so intense and deep that I am just blown away by it daily.

    4. I don't mind that my husband frequently kisses and cuddles with another girl every single day. Watching Zack bond with, and take care of, our daughter fills my heart with even more love for him. We've always been great together, but having a baby has brought us even closer. We also appreciate each other so much more than we did in the past, because we're a team and we know the only way to get through this is together.



    5. For what is probably the first time ever in my life, I'm *proud* of my body. I'm proud of what I endured, and that my body helped to give life to this amazing human being. I feel so much stronger knowing that I went through giving birth. 

    6. My goals and dreams didn't go away, if anything they became more intense. I was terrified that being a mom meant that I was going to lose myself. I was thrilled to be pregnant, but I was scared of never being me again. But the truth is, I'm still the same person. I'm still a huge geek. I still want the same things that I wanted before, but even more so now because I want my daughter to know that her mother reached her goals and that she didn't settle. 

    7. "Mothering Instincts" are real. I thought it was just a myth, but I promise you, I know better than anyone else what River wants and what she needs. It's a scary thing because I know that on down the road I will have to let go of these instincts, or at least loosen up on them, so River can be her own person. But for now, she needs me and my instincts and I will absolutely cherish these early days for the rest of my life.


    Saturday, May 2, 2015

    "Dorothy Must Die" by Danielle Paige

    Series: Dorothy Must Die #1
    Genre: YA Fantasy/ Retellings
    Format: Kindle
    Publication: April 2014 by Harper Collins
    Cover Rating: 3/5 Stars

    Links: GoodreadsAmazonBarnes & NobleBook Depo,

    From Goodreads: I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

    But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado - taking you with it - you have no choice but to go along, you know?

    Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still a yellow brick road - but even that's crumbling.

    What happened? Dorothy.

    They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

    My name is Amy Gumm - and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

    I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.

    I've been trained to fight.

    And I have a mission.


    My Thoughts: Dorothy Must Die has to be my least favorite fairytale retelling that I have ever read, and I had such high hopes for it to. I mean, just look at that cover! This book was designed to lure you in with a cover like that! But alas, I feel victim once again to my cover lust.

    So, here's my issues with DMD:

    1. Pacing- While this novel started off VERY strong, it quickly got boring fast... and slightly confusing. The story seemed to drag on and on, without bothering to really explain certain important plot elements. By the time I was half-way through, I was already wanting it to just be over with.

    2. Characters- While our MC, Amy Gumm is pretty rad and awesome, the rest of the stories characters are FLAT and lame. I didn't feel any kind of connection or love for any of the side characters, or their relationship to Amy. Even Dorothy herself was just plain boring. And don't even get me started on the love interest, Nox (I could seriously punch myself in the face trying to get through reading scenes with him).

    3. Immature writing, but with adult language- This was the real kicker for me. The story read for a young audience (think 14 and younger), but it felt like the author changed her mind by dropping the F-Bomb randomly throughout the story to "adult it up", which just came off as silly.

    Bottom Line: I won't be recommending this one.

    My Rating: 2/5 Stars
    © Whimsically Bookish. Made with love by The Dutch Lady Designs.