Bombshell Mascara by Covergirl

Hello there ladies! I am super excited to write a review about this product! Let me just start out by saying I love makeup & once upon a time I thought it was something I wanted to do with my life but living in good ole Evansville, IN I knew it wasn't an ideal career choice for me. I've tried countless mascaras some good and some very bad but when I saw a review on this product on Youtube I knew the next time I was at the store I wanted to pick this up and try it for myself. First of all you should watch Kandee Johnson's first impressions video for this & then tell me you're not convinced {link below!} I like that it doesn't leave my lashes clumpy and short. It actually makes them look long and thick. I will say a couple of things I don't like about this mascara is the packaging, the wand is huge and not ideal for sticking in your to go makeup bag & it's a bit difficult to get off but then isn't that what we look for, products that last and don't wear off? So with that said I do spend an extra couple of minutes on  my makeup removing routine getting this mascara off. But I can get past that for the price of $9!

This is the only pic I got after I applied this mascara, I should have gotten another closer up of my eyes but oh well. I can tell a difference in length!

Click here to watch Kandee Johnson's First Impression Video

The Fault In Our Stars By John Green

Summary: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Rating: ***** (5 Stars)
Review: So here I lay, after reading this book with swollen eyes, a runny nose, a wet puffy face and a whole lot of heart ache and a head ache too. For the past year I've seen this book everywhere. It was the first book cover I would see walking into Barnes & Noble, I often saw people reading it in Starbucks when I would stop in to get my green tea frap, & it was Goodreads Choice Winner for 2012. Let me just say the entire book is wonderful.  I loved John Green's wit. I gave his characters a little leeway on the maturity scale, but still I didn't believe they could be this articulate. But I loved Green's writing so much, I didn't mind. Without the wit and endearing characters, this would be nothing but a book about cancer. Green's characters feel real and quirky and I fell for them and felt for them. I cried for them. In unexpected ways, like Hazel's parents waiting for the loss they know is coming and Hazel trying not to be a grenade in their lives. And the complications of facing your own mortality and therefore being wise beyond your years but still having to live like a teenager with all its restrictions. Then there's watching your friends die off and dealing with the shallowness of people who weren't there through the tough times. I made the mistake of thinking I could read this book at work, I actually had to make myself stop reading because I had tears coming down my face at my desk! So if you don't want others to think you are having some kind of breakdown save it for the comfort of your own home where you can ugly cry all you want!

The Fault In Our Stars is an insightful and moving novel that will not just leave you with a inspiring story to remember, but also with a more optimistic understanding of life. I think the movie to this book comes out in June & after seeing Divergent this past weekend I'm really looking forward to seeing it. Shailene Woodley knocked Divergent out of the park for me & the trailer for The Fault In Our Stars also looked impressive. I'll be sure to bring along a box of Kleenex to go with my popcorn.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Summary: Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of "disability." She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome--and Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting for all her life....
But Bill has a disability of his own: He's a vampire with a bad reputation. He hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of--big surprise--murder. And when one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next....

Rating: ***** (5 Stars)
Review: So I read this book back in 2009 right after I had started the Twilight series & I'm pretty sure the only reason I picked it up was because it was about vampires and I was coming down off my Twi high (haha Twi high..!) But the fact that it's about vampires is where the comparison to Twilight ends. After the first couple of chapters I fell in love with it instantly. Can I also just say that the art work on the covers in this series are awesome?! The southern gothic writing is absolutely phenomenal!! I have pushed this book series on all of my friends & they have loved not only the book but the series on HBO as well.  I enjoyed the aspect of two "unusual" people getting together and falling in love, which was strange especially for a vampire who supposedly has no emotions. I wouldn't even characterize this series as a guilty pleasure. It's well-written, with a lot of humor, & a sense of place. And I appreciate that it is aimed towards grown-ups. These vampires & other beings are not in high school; they are complex adults with real (& rated-R) lives to boot. Although my husband has not read the series he does watch the show & really enjoys it. He often asks me how the book compares & then we have a discussion on the differences. I have read 12 out of the 13 books in this series & the only reason I haven't read the last one is because I'm in denial that it's the final book & ending. So if you can commit to a long series then this is for you!

Posted Up - Literally

So this past weekend I decided I would get a head start on spring cleaning. I know spring is a few weeks away yet but it was so lovely out this weekend & I had the motivation! My thought is if I got a lot of cleaning out of the way now that when spring finally does decide to come I can be outside enjoying the beautiful weather & redoing a few pieces of furniture instead of cleaning. The only problem with that is after doing so much around the house I kind of maybe threw my back out? Which I'm not even sure that's what I've done since it's more of my upper back/neck that's hurting. So I am laid up in bed today with a heating pad trying to take it easy & not move much. Which let me just add is so incredibly difficult for someone like me who doesn't like to sit still or waste a day in bed: all I can think about is how much I could be getting done at work & home. But at least I've got a pretty view & good tv! "You've bewitched me body & soul & I love, I love, I love you." -Mr. Darcy {Pride & Prejudice} sigh...

I have finally found new bedside table lamps & accent pieces for the walls, I just need to make time to go & get them. I also need to add hang up the curtain rods to my honey do list {which is basically the house fixer upper things list for my hubs to do}

And just because I adore this so very much I thought I'd show you this beautiful vase I found at Gordmans - I'm switching up a lot of things in my home and I love this rustic look that I'd like to transform my dining room into! Think rustic farmhouse with white ceramic accent pieces!

 

 

Personalize This

So I love to do all sorts of crafts; that doesn't mean I'm a professional by any means but anytime I can personalize something is fantastic. My sister is having a baby soon & one of the items on her registry was my soon to be nephews initials from Babies R Us. I knew she didn't want just plain white ones because her walls are white so I thought I'd  head to the craft store and get them unfinished. Any craft store will have unfinished wood letters for around $4 for 9" which is how big I wanted mine to be. Be on the look out because places like Michael's, JoAnn's, & Hobby Lobby often have 30% off sales on unfinished wood items & if not they all always have 20%-40% off coupons!

 

I found a small bag of letters for around $1.99 to spell out my nephews name & just used wood glue to put them on. I then got little hooks and hammered them on the back and midnight blue ribbon to tie them so she can hang them on the wall. They match her theme perfectly!
Here is a picture of the H I did for Holden's room - I hot glued a little race car I got from Hobby Lobby {per the request of Holden} & just painted on some flames!

And last but not least I got this cardboard K {again from Hobby Lobby- can you tell it's my favorite store?!} - I left it unfinished because I like the look of it and glued on these paper flowers {I got them at Michael's for $1} I now have it sitting on my desk at work. These are fun & easy crafts that anyone can do - so grab some paint, glue, wall hooks, & ribbon to personalize any space of yours!

 

Wordless Wednesday

As I sit here listening to the Indie Station on Pandora I can't help but feel happy. It's my day off work (a nice break in the middle of a hectic week) & I have my marshmallow fireside candle lit (a Christmas gift from my little sister), wrapped up in a soft blanket chillin on my couch doing book reviews. It's such a simple day & the sun is shining (don't let that fool you it's 30* outside but I'll take that any day over the single digit temps we've had for weeks.) I always like to look for the positive in every thing. It's so easy to focus on the negative & complain or point out bad things but if you just take a step back and breathe, count your blessings you'll find a reason to smile even if it's just for the simplest things. That pic above is my very own bookshelf, yes it's jam packed and double rowed of books. I have a little bit of an issue letting go of books & if I could have it my way my bedroom walls would be lined with bookshelves. Ever need to borrow a book, just ask ;)

Speaking of bedrooms; these are a few of my favorite things in mine. As you can gather I'm a bit obsessed with candles from Bath & Body. They can be a tad pricey but I will always catch them on sale or have a coupon because let's face it paying $20 for one candle is mad! But they are my favorite, they are powerful & will make my whole house smell amazing. My absolute favorite is Fireside & Mahogany Teakwood but I also love the Flannel & Paris one as well.

 

This is from this past weekend: we went to an Icemen hockey game on behalf of my work event & celebrated my husbands birthday!

On a little more of a serious note prayers are needed for my sister Samantha who lost her grandfather last night. Heaven gained an angel & just know that you are loved by many!

Hate List By Jennifer Brown

Summary: Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.
Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life

Rating: **** (4 Stars)
Review: I'm not gonna lie, this book made me tear up towards the end. A tear did not actually come out of my eyes but they did well up. It was really touching & I found myself going through an array of emotions for this was a conflicting read. The author expressed the point of view from a teenager so well in a situation like this. This novel is a powerful fictional account of a school shooting and the inner turmoil that witnesses and victims suffer through. The characters are complex; the way their thoughts and feelings are revealed throughout the book is riveting. Hate List not only tackles the issues on bullying and campus killings, but it also tells about what it feels to grow up, battling loneliness and the need to belong, the feeling of envy, and the journey to self-discovery and self-acceptance. The only part of this story I didn't care for was the father, it made me angry at the way he expressed himself. I found myself itching to get through this story & having hopes & wishes for these characters. It makes you wonder how you’d cope under similar circumstances.

Thank You

So a few weeks ago our dog Tootise got really sick. A couple of days before New Years we took her into the emergency vet for the very first time and were told she had an upset belly and a small chance of pancrentitis. The vet said she had recently thrown up and with Christmas just being days before we did give her new treats. He gave us meds for an upset belly and we went on our way. But on New Years I knew something was wrong, she wasn't getting better. So I took her into another vet that happened to be open and they ran blood tests and diagnosed her with pancreatitis. Sure I was upset thinking I should have had them test her the first time but thought ok well now we know what's wrong lets get her to feeling better. Our vet called when they saw that we had taken her elsewhere because they were closed and offered to do a free exam for a checkup. It seemed like one day she started feeling better and then next it was back to shaking and not feeling well again. So our vet said they needed to do an ultrasound, which is where we found out that she had pyometra (an infection that can happen in unsprayed female dogs to the uterus) and fatal. My vet didn't even understand how they came to the conclusion of pancreatitis after looking at all the testing she had done. Which of course made me furious but that wasn't important at the time. He then dropped a bomb on us that her surgery would be $1,800-$2,100... We couldn't believe it. We applied for the care credit our vet offered and didn't qualify. The best my vet would work out with us was to pay half up front. Even then we knew we didn't have $900 laying around & to make things worse since she had been suffering from this for quite a few days now we knew we didn't have much time to figure out something. We got so many suggestions & advice it was overwhelming. My husbands boss had referred us to his vet about an hour away and he agreed to do the surgery for a third of the cost and got her in the very next morning. We were flat broke from having spent several hundred dollars for wrong diagnosis and I was worried how we would manage this. Thanks to my wonderful mother she started a donation page. I can not express the thanks I feel to each and everyone of you who donated. Tootsie is our very first baby, my husband got her for me for my 19th birthday when she was just 6 weeks old. She is our one and only fur baby & we are so blessed  to be able to have many more years with her. I appreciate all of the support from all of my friends, family, coworkers & complete strangers. Words can not express how touched we are, we are truly blessed. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

 

Toots has fully recovered & is back to being her sweet & playful self!

 

P.S. If you'd like to support a good cause and someone truly wonderful, then please visit my moms facebook page for feral cats. She not only volunteers/fosters for Another Chance For Animals she takes in neighborhood feral cats & has them fixed & cares for them.

Jeannie's Ferals

Winner, Winner, Winner!

Drum roll please....... And the lucky (no pun intended) winner of the Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks is Shawna Henshaw!! Congratulations & I hope you enjoy this read! (I used random.org to determine the winner of this contest.)

 

Thank you to everyone who entered & who has scoped out my blog! It's so appreciated & I will be doing more giveaways soon so keep checking back!

Too Much Television Will What?

Ok folks so I'm slightly obsessed with my flat screen... I watch entirely too much television & I know it but I'm always finding some fantastic show to watch & I can't help it! I almost don't even want to list every show I watch because I'm slightly embarrassed and it will prove that I basically have no life what so ever but here it goes: Ok on Mondays my hubbs & I watch Sleepy Hollow. This is one that we aren't super into & frankly don't know why we still continue to watch it. I think because we've invested so much time we might as well see how the first season plays out. Moving on to Tuesdays, this is one of my favorite nights for tv because Pretty Little Liars, Twisted, & The Originals is on. Let me just say that no I haven't read the PLL series yet. I have the first 4 books and every time I go to start it I get distracted and pick up something else instead. It's one of my favs (& hello Mr. Fitz is obviously the best) I normally don't like spin off shows hence Ravenswood but I really like The Originals! Let's talk about Wednesdays, my hubbs & I both watch American Horror Story & Duck Dynasty. But then Chicago PD came along and while I can't DVR it I do catch it on demand. It's only 2 episodes in and I can't tell if I like it or not yet. I pretty much only tuned in because it's based in Chicago. Next up is Thursdays, I look forward to this night often because it's Vampire Diaries night! I have read the first 5 books in that series and fell off when they switched writers - lets face it the books started to go downhill and I'm glad the show is so totally different. On Fridays we watch Grimm, both my husband & step dad love this show & if you're into all the Grimm stories then you'd love this (Monroe is the best!) Saturdays I actually don't have much so I spend it watching the dailies like Ellen & Jimmy Fallon, because who doesn't love those two?! And then on Sundays it's Once Upon A Time & if it's during the summer True Blood. I could also watch marathons of Law & Order SVU (only when Stabler is on - after he leaves who cares right?!) & Big Bang Theory.  What are some of your favorite tv shows?! I'm already thinking of another tv post that is all about vintage tv shows! That could be a long one...!

Wordless Wednesday

Wednesday's are my day off work aka read all day & lounge around in yoga pants day! But today I actually did go out to do a little Valentine's Day shopping for my boys & my husbands birthday is coming up as well. I'm currently reading Hate List by Jennifer Brown - it's really good so far & as soon as I'm done with it I'll review it!
Oh by the way I totally want this sign for my door - it would basically never come off!

My First Giveaway

 

Why hello there, love to read like me?! Well then this giveaway is right up your alley! Pictured below is a paperback version of The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks, one of my favorite books!
All you have to do to win is follow my blog (< located on the left side of my page) & comment on this post letting me know that you did so! Easy peasy right?! In a week I will announce the winner! Good luck!

Summary: When U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman half-buried in the dirt during his third tour of duty in Iraq, his first instinct is to toss it aside. Instead, he brings it back to the base for someone to claim, but when no one does, he finds himself always carrying the photo in his pocket. Soon Thibault experiences a sudden streak of luck—winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat that kills two of his closest buddies. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune: the photograph—his lucky charm.
Back home in Colorado, Thibault can’t seem to get the photo—and the woman in it—out of his mind. Believing that she somehow holds the key to his destiny, he sets out on a journey across the country to find her, never expecting the strong but vulnerable woman he encounters in Hampton, North Carolina—Elizabeth, a divorced mother with a young son—to be the girl he’s been waiting his whole life to meet. Caught off guard by the attraction he feels, Thibault keeps the story of the photo, and his luck, a secret. As he and Elizabeth embark upon a passionate and all-consuming love affair, the secret he is keeping will soon threaten to tear them apart—destroying not only their love, but also their lives.
Filled with tender romance and terrific suspense, The Lucky One is Nicholas Sparks at his best—an unforgettable story about the surprising paths our lives often take and the power of fate to guide us to true and everlasting love.

Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout

Summary: Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…
Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.
Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

Rating: **** (4 Stars)
Review: Alright so Onyx picks up right where Obsidian left off. I won't go into full detail about that because I don't want there to be any spoilers for those of you who haven't read the series yet! I must say that I really liked this book & the only reason I didn't give it a full 5 stars is because it did get a tad repetitive at times but nothing you won't be able to handle. The tension between Katy & Daemon is hot in this book. It really captivated their frustrating undefined relationship & shows a much more realistic side than most other paranormal books. There were so many moments in this book that I literally laughed out loud. I liked the direction of this book and how the plot played out. There are several twists & turns until the end! This is one of my favorite paranormal series I've read in a while & if you're interested in investing your time in this series there are 5 books total with one of them being a prequel that I haven't read yet. The cool thing about these books is the author always gives a little bit of Daemon's pov at the end of the book, which is something I always enjoy.

Get Lost In A Book Today

One must always be careful of books & what's inside them for words have the power to change us.
-Cassandra Clare

That picture is actually my wedding ring - I've always wanted to take a picture of my ring inside of a book and noticed the lighting in my sunroom was just right to try and do so, I love it!
So that is what I'm doing today, diving into a new book & enjoying a cup of English tea! I'm just trying to figure out what one I want to read next. I've read 3 books so far this month! A review on my next one will be up soon!

Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout

Summary: Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up. And then he opened his mouth. Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. The hot alien living next door marks me.You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.
If I don't kill him first, that is.

Rating: ***** (5 Stars)
Review: So I just happened to stumble upon this book while browsing the good ole Barnes & Noble site. It was a recommendation to I Am Number 4 which by the way I read & liked. After reading the reviews on my iBooks app I decided I would give this one a try. The dialog in this book has got to be some of the best written. It's so current & hip that it's refreshing. It's not annoyingly so but the quirky spunky sayings & insults are hilarious. The first book Obsidian in this series focuses on a girl named Katy (andplusalso how cool is it that a lead characters name is mine?!) She's strong, independent, & determined. And it's sorta kinda way freaking awesome that she's a blogger & has a huge love for books, so I can relate! I really enjoyed the banter between Daemon & Katy, it made the romance part of it that much more interesting because you just itching for the two to just admit they like each other. The storyline is exciting, fun, & dangerous. The only thing about these books that I'm not a fan of are the covers, it's kind of lame and in all honestly probably detours people away from reading them. I'm all about a good book cover, & if it were up to me I would have went with something simple. But anyhow don't judge a book by it's cover & read this!

Italian Chicken Potato & Green Bean Bake

 

Hey pals! So this is probably one of the first yummy recipes I ever pinned on pinterest years ago but never got around to actually trying it until now. Let me just start off by saying I am not a cook & to be honest I just recently started to actually try and cook. So anything super easy really appeals to me & this dish is not only tasty but it hardly takes any prep time and only an hour in the oven! Here's what you'll need:

2 cans of green beans (frozen or fresh can also be used) *I used whole green beans
4 pieces of boneless skinless chicken breast
3 generous cups of red skinned potatoes diced up
1 1/2 packets of Italian seasoning mix (I used hidden valley)
3/4 stick of butter

If you're picky like me cut of the fat on your chicken before baking, just like the picture shows put your potatoes, chicken, & green beans in and use one packet to cover all over. Then with your 3/4 butter cut up into little pieces and place them all over for coverage, next sprinkle half of the 2nd packet of seasoning mix. If you want a little more zest use the whole thing! Cover with foil & bake at 350* for one hour! Enjoy!

Gone Girl By Gillian Flynn

Summary: On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer? As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

Rating: **** (4 Stars)
Review: This book is huge right?! It seemed like everyone everywhere was or is reading this book. So after hearing from a few friends that I must read this book I started it at the end of summer 2012. A year later I finally finished it... That's how long it took me to get into this book. I would pick it up & read a couple of pages, sigh and put it down. I won't give up on a book no matter how awful it is, I will eventually finish it even if it takes a full year to do so. The beginning was torture for me to get through. If you can make it past the first half of the book you'll eventually be rewarded with the start of a good read. I can honestly say I never saw that plot twist coming. It's one of those moments where you sit there and think "oh my god you've got to be kidding me!" & "how in the world? why in the hell...?" I couldn't believe what direction Flynn was taking but it was a captivating one. It's shocking and crafty. So if you have patience to get through the first half of this book you'll like this book. I'm of course looking forward to the movie coming out October 3, 2014 with Ben Afflect starring at Nick Dunne & Roasmund Pike as Amy Dunne (fantastic casting) also you can't go wrong with Niel Patrick Harris & Tyler Perry either.

The Touch Series by Laurie Stolarz

 

Summary: Some secrets shouldn't be kept...
Up until three months ago, everything in sixteen-year-old Camelia's life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades; an okay relationship with her parents; and a pretty cool part-time job at the art studio downtown. But when Ben, the mysterious new guy, starts junior year at her high school, Camelia's life becomes anything but ordinary. Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend's accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She's reluctant to believe the rumors, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. She's inexplicably drawn to Ben and to his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he can help-but can he be trusted? She knows he's hiding something... but he's not the only one with a secret.

Rating: ***** (5 Stars)
Review: I'm going to start out by saying if you liked Twilight then you would like this series. It has a very similar plot & turn of events but at the same time the style in the writing is completely different. This book has everything: great writing, stunning character development, unprecedented suspense, and gripping emotion.What I enjoyed most about this book is the originality of the story and the concept. I love the idea of psychometry; it was something I hadn't read about before. Every time I thought I was close to solving this mystery Stolaz threw a curveball that I didn't see coming. I actually read the first book in this series years ago and have waited for the final book to be released. So when I got the 5th for Christmas I dove right in.

I do have to say that the 5th & final book in the series was just so-so. I didn't really feel the closure I thought I would. It started off with a huge reveal but then just fizzled out afterwards. There was a lot of detail lacking, something I'm not used to feeling from reading Stolaz's books. I'm sad to see it end but it was time. (Side note: can we just discuss how much I love the covers of these books?!)

Bedroom Re-Do

So we are redoing our bedroom & when I say we I mean me. My husband kind of lets me do the decorating in our house unless it involves moving heavy things & then he's kind of forced to participate. Our bedroom has had a beach theme for as long as I can remember. The beach after all is my favorite place to be but this year I've decided it's time for a change & makeover of almost every room in our home. So since I spend most of my time in our bedroom aka my serenity I'm starting with it first. Starting out small since buying furniture is a pricey investment & we are saving for that. So I've replaced our bedding & bought little pieces to display.

The bedding is probably my favorite thing ever right now. I'm going for more of a vintage romantic feel in creams & blacks & the bedding is just so pretty. It's hard to tell from the picture in the bottom left corner but it's a vintage necklace/bracelet holder. It'll take sometime for me to redo but I'm really enjoying putting it all together. I found this Paris book & this cream decorative piece both at TJ Maxx. The book opens up and has a little bit of storage inside, I adore it!



Divergent by Veronica Roth

Summary: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.


Rating: ***** (5 Stars)
Review: Ok, so if you're like me and late getting on the bandwagon you probably thought this was just another Hunger Games. My husband told me about this book a year ago & to be honest I had no interest. I had read the first book in the Hunger Games series and while I didn't hate it, I didn't love it either. But enough about that book - I knew Divergent was another dystopian series & I didn't think I'd be into it. Boy was I wrong! I seriously read this book in less than a week. I couldn't put it down and when I was forced to (by having to eat, work, or shower) all I did was look forward to the next time I could pick it up again. Having lived in a suburb of Chicago myself for years it was really cool to know the locations described in the book and be able to picture exactly what was going on. I loved the deeper meaning throughout this story: how these human virtues are singled out and defined. It shows the good and bad of each, as well as the consequential aftermath. We are shown the impact and power of these values combined. I haven't picked up the second book in the series but have it on my to do list!