GOOD USE FOR WINE BOTTLES

The blue bottles that I've had as decoration on my bookshelf were actually wine bottles that I got from my mom. I love the color of them and they really added some height in my room. There was one thing that I wasn't a big fan of though: they were kind of plain. They were the same height as my other vase so I needed something that would make them prettier and taller.




On my trip to Hobby Lobby, I got two large sunflowers that they had on sale and decided they would be perfect in the bottles. I had to cut them shorter and take the stems off, but I really like the result. I also had to clean up the bottles a little bit and take off the stickers, which was not a fun task, but now you would never know that they were wine bottles. Now there's a taller and more colorful addition to my bookshelf!

SHOPPING

Yesterday, I made a little trip to the mall. I only bought one thing though. For some reason, I couldn't bring myself to buy anything else! I kept making excuses about the price or that I wouldn't wear it that much so I left with only one shirt. I thought I could prevent this from happening by saying that I could only spend $100, but that obviously didn't work because I only spent 12 of the 100. It's not that I didn't find things that I didn't like, I found a lot! Anyways, here's some things that I found yesterday and some things on my wish list:

Forever 21


Rosette Leatherette Clutch
$12.80


Water Drop Tunic
$19.80


Fab Senorita Top
$9.50



Charlotte Russe


Sequins Embellished Tribal Print Top
$9.99


Checkered Print Tank
$9.99

Those are just a few things that I've been thinking about! Now that I have that off my mind, I have to go call Polariod. That's something I'm not looking forward to. I left my camera out of its case the other day and something in my purse cracked the screen. I don't think it will be covered under the warranty, but I'm hoping it will!

DAYS 110 - 115

Day 110:



We made a trip to the library when I got off in hopes of finding Along Came a Spider and Mrs. Kimble, but neither were available. I ended up getting Sail and Rose Madder. You can see the review for Sail here and I'm reading Rose Madder now so expect a review for that one soon.

Day 111:



I didn't have to work and it had been a while since I cleaned so in full cleaning mode, I ended up re-organizing my bookshelf. I still didn't have enough room for my movies though!

Day 112:



The second day I had off in a row! WHAAAT?! Hobby Lobby was my destination and before I left, I decided on 2 craft projects that I'm in the middle of now. I got a ton of stuff for pretty cheap and I also stopped by Wal-Mart to get some supplies for the cookies that were the focus of my last post.

Day 113:



While working on a little painting thing, I watched a good bit of Friends. I'm currently on my favorite season, 3, so it was awesome. I love having it on in the background; it makes everything better :)

Day 114:



On my dinner break, I decided to do a little shopping even though I'm trying to save money. Gap was having a 30% off everything sale so I had to look around. I ended up buying 2 shirts for under $18. I was pretty excited!

Day 115:



So I did some more shopping today. I promise this is the last I will buy for a while! I was pretty proud of what I got today though! I bought 2 INC shirts and a pair of leggings for under $7. Yes, that's right, $7. I love sales and coupons :) Mom, Weyman, and Jackson showed up while I was working too and Mom picked out a purse. It's actually one that I've been watching to go lower so I told her that I'll probably steal it from her soon. After all of the discounts, the purse went from $129 to $45. Not a bad deal at all!

DELICIOUSNESS

I had a nice little craft day the other day and to finish up my night, I made cookies (again)! This time though, instead of making them with chocolate chips and caramel bits, I used mini M&Ms and peanut butter chips. They are very tasty, if I do say so myself, but they are a tad on the sweet side (i think its mostly because of the peanut butter chips).




Peanut Butter M&M Cookies

2 1/4 cup of all purpose flour
1 tsp. of baking soda
1 tsp. of salt
2 sticks of butter
3/4 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp. of vanilla
2 eggs
1 package of peanut butter chips
1 package of mini M&Ms

*Mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Coat the peanut butter chips and M&Ms with mix.
*Cream butter with sugar and mix in vanilla.
*Add the eggs to the sugar mix.
*Slowly combine the two mixes.
*Bake at 375 for 12 minutes.



ENJOY!!

SAIL

Barely out of sight of land, the Dunne family finds its summer getaway to paradise already turning into the trip from hell. Carrie, the eldest, has thrown herself off the side of the boast in a bid for attention. Sixteen-year-old Mark is getting high belowdecks. And Ernie, their ten-year-old brother, is nearly catatonic. It's shaping up to be the worst vacation ever.
Katherine Dunne had hoped this trip would bring back the togetherness they'd lost when her husband, a high-powered Manhattan attorney, had been able to postpone his trial and join them it would all have been okay...
Suddenly, a disaster hits - and it's perfect. Faced with real danger, the Dunnes rediscover the meaning of family and pull together in a way they haven't in a long time. But this catastrophe is just a tiny taste of the danger that lurks ahead: someone wants to make sure the Dunne family never makes is out of paradise alive.

from front flap


I've only read one James Patterson book before, Sundays at Tiffany's, and it wasn't the best. However, it wasn't one of the mysteries that he's known for, so I thought I would give this one a chance. I really wanted to get Along Came a Spider, but someone had already checked it out so I settled with Sail. The whole plot and story line was actually pretty good, but the way it was written was the part that made this book kind of bleh. I felt he wrote with an immature mindset; the sentences were short and choppy and just some of the chapters were reminiscent of what a 15 year old could write. Although the majority of the story was predictable and I was just waiting to turn the page and see that what I thought was going to happen was actually happening, I really enjoyed the characters. Another positive is that it was a super quick read. Since the chapters were a maximum of 5 pages, I got through this book in a couple nights. I'm not going to write off James Patterson yet, I think I'll still try Along Came a Spider, but if the writing is similar to that of Sail, I don't think I'll be reading anymore of him.

PHOTO SHOOT WITH MAX

While I was trying to do a little craft project (more on that later) today, a playful move turned into a photo shoot.














This obviously wore him out.

P.S. As you may or may not have noticed, I'm trying a new thing with the 365 Picture Thing. What I'm going to try and do is post a week's worth of pictures on Sunday. This way, I don't feel obligated to post every day and it lets me post about other things that are going on throughout the week!

DAYS 103 - 109

Day 103:


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I finally watched Alice in Wonderland! In my opinion, the title was very misleading. Of course, it was about Alice being in Wonderland, but for what I gathered, this was based off Through the Looking Glass more than Alice. I went into the movie thinking that it would be more like the cartoon movie, but I was mistaken. Big time. It was very different, but for the most part, I liked it. The acting was very good, even though Anne Hathaway got on my nerves a little. This really made me want to read the book!

Day 104:



I stayed by the pool for most of the day, but I would have much rather been here, soaking in the sun.

Day 105:




I finished Mary Poppins! It was so good! I really love the movie and the play so I knew I would love the book. Although the characters were a little different from the movie, it was still so good. I think this book is going to be added to my Christmas list.

Day 106:


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I got called in to work early, but the day was a pretty successful one. Since it was a one day sale, I decided to go ahead and get my mom's Christmas present :) I've heard her mention it before so I know she'll like it! I also got a new necklace. I've been watching it since it came in the store and on Friday, it was marked down from $100 to only $9.99. Oh how I love sales!

Day 107:



I worked the majority of the day, again. But it wasn't too bad, considering I kept playing this song over and over again in my head. I love it!

Day 108:


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Yesterday, I headed home after work to get some stuff from Mom. I planned on only staying until around 9 then heading back to the apartment, but other plans were made. Adam rented The Bounty Hunter so of course, I had to stay and watch it! I really like Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the movie. It was pretty good, but it was yet again, another typical comedy/love story. I guess I'm ready for someone to come out with a movie that is unpredictable.

Day 109:

i'll post the picture later :)

In the many things that I brought home yesterday, I brought back a homemade calzone that my mom made. They were delicious! It has some kind of meat, spinach, and cheese in them. YUM. I will definitely eat this before I go to work tonight!

TAG

I got tagged by Krysten at After 'I Do' today! I have to answer the 8 questions she posted, come up with 8 of my own, and then pass it on to 8 bloggers.

So for her questions...

1. What is your favorite thing to have for breakfast?
Well, there are two things, either chocolate chip pancakes or french toast. I think if I had to absolutely choose, I would pick the french toast.

2. What is for favorite thing to have for dinner?
Oh, that's a good one. Basically anything Italian. I really love chicken parmesan. The best is from Olive Garden! You can't beat those bread sticks, the salad, and the huge entree. DELICIOUS!

3. What is your absolutely all time favorite dessert?
Definitely cookies. No question. I could eat cookies all day every day. Throw in some ice cream and I would be even happier!

4. What would you consider your food "specialty"?
A box of macaroni and cheese. No, even though I love that food, I think I would have to say that I make a very good chicken pot pie. That is one food that good right when it comes out of the over, or microwaved.

5. Favorite restaurant?
See #2. Either Olive Garden or the Cheesecake Factory. Who doesn't love a great main dish followed by the best piece of cheesecake ever?

6. What food do you absolutely hate to eat?
Lima Beans. EW. I think what I hate about it, aside from the taste, is the texture. You have to bite through a plastic case to get to a mushy center. GROSS.

7. What food do you absolutely love to eat?
Aside from macaroni and cheese and cookies, I would have to say kiwi. It's so refreshing and the taste is awesome. Plus, it's pretty. :)

8. Would you consider yourself a picky eater or someone who will try anything once?
I will definitely try anything once. It might only be for a small bite, but I will definitely try it.

On to my 8 questions. I assume they have to all fit under a certain category, so I'm going to go with the television...

1. What is your all time favorite tv show?
2. What show reminds you of your childhood?
3. If you could be on a show, which one would it be?
4. Which character from any show would you choose to be your best friend?
5. Which character from any show would you choose to be your significant other?
6. Which tv character do you feel like you relate to and why?
7. If you could pick one show to make a movie, which one would you choose?
8. What, in your opinion, is the worst tv show ever made?

Now, I tag...

1. Sara @ My Fancy Tuna (i know you dont like awards, but i dont know how you feel about tags and i thought this would be a good one :) )
2. Kayla @ my (sometimes) seredipitous life
3. Sami @ Sami by the Sea
4. LyddieGal @ Chic on the Cheap
5. Mimi @ What Mimi Writes
6. Natasha @ Natasha's Corner
7. Audrey Allure
8. Chelsea Rebecca @ TRIUMPHS and blunder of a KOOKY gal

AWARDS :)

I received two more awards recently!

The first on is the Seven Colors Award. It was given to me by Tywo over at The Purple Fairy...thanks so much Tywo!!



For this award, you're supposed to list seven things that make you happy, so here it goes:

1. This family picture



2. Thunderstorms



3. My wonderful friends



4. Painting/Drawing



5. Old Pictures



6. Musicals



7. My pup Levi :)



The second is the A Blog with Substance Award that i received from Natasha at Natasha's Corner.



With this award, you're supposed to sum up your blogging experience, philosophy, and motivation in 5 words. Hmm...I guess I would have to say, "sharing my life with others." Lame, I know, but I can't think of anything! :)

Now, instead of sharing this with 7 for the first one and 10 for the second one, I'm just going to pass them on to 3 bloggers each.

Seven Colors is going to...

Natasha @ Natasha's Corner
Veronica @ V-Chronicles
Krysten @ After 'I Do'

A Blog with Substance is going to...

Melanie @ Unravelled Threads
Christy @ 25 Before 25
Tywo @ The Purple Fairy

You should go check out everyone's blog if you haven't! They're all great!

BAG OF BONES

I finished another great book last night. Bag of Bones by Stephen King is a great, great novel. Even though it's over 500 pages, it was a semi-quick read and it was very fast paced.

This novel is based around an author, Mike Noonan, who experienced writer's block in the four years following his wife's sudden death. After doing nearly nothing since her passing, he feels like he is called to their lake house, Sara Laughs. Before going to the house he starts having strange dreams about what occurring around there and when he gets there, even more strange things start happening. He feels cold gust of wind, he hears a bell ringing, he hears multiple people screaming, but despite the odd actions around him, he stays. On one trip into town, he meets a little girl and her young mother. Following the meeting, Noonan gets a call from a very wealthy and powerful man, Max Devore, in town telling him to stay away from them. After doing a little research, he finds out that and the young mother are in a custody battle for the little girl, and that basically everyone in town is scared of the man so no one is willing to help Noonan. Against the man's warning, he gets involved with the family, his writer's block disappears, and what happens around Sara Laughs gets more intense.

I thought this book was very well written. King likes to travel back in forth between times, dreams and reality, and characters very quickly, but it wasn't hard to follow. I will admit that it was quite scary when I first started reading it, but I'm really glad I didn't put it down. I got so involved with the characters and I was still trying to guess what was going on by the last chapter. There are a few twists and turns in the book so the 500 pages is well worth it. I will admit that there were about 20 pages that I was pretty annoyed by King's writing style, but I know it was he was trying to explain a lot and tie everything together so after struggling through that part, it was a great ending. I definitely think this book is for everyone and I highly recommend it!

DAYS 99-102

Day 99:


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I worked the whole day, but it was awesome. In the morning we had some very amusing little customers and I basically played with them while the other girl was ringing their mom up. After that, we all found out that it was Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A. Their deal is that if you dress up like a cow, you get you're whole meal for free. Well, considering that we have to wear black to work, this was perfect! We took some of the sticker tape we have at the registers and put them all over our clothes and it worked! Even though I had pizza in the refrigerator, I went up there anyways and got a free meal. And let me tell you, that was the best sandwich I have ever received from Chick-fil-A.

Day 100:


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On Saturday, I was still feeling kind of sick so I didn't really feel like doing anything that night. Instead, I stopped by the store on my way home from work and got some supplies. With those supplies, I made the best cookies ever: caramel and chocolate chip cookies. They were so tasty! And they're very simple to make.

Day 101:


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i'm eating these as i write this right now actually!

Yesterday, Mom was alone at home so she decided to drive up here and spend the day in Athens. We did a little shopping at Rack Room Shoes, Old Navy, and Barnes & Noble before we did some major damage at Sam's. I ended up spending more money than I would have liked, but it was well worth it. Now I have a ton of kiwis, strawberries, chocolate covered raisins, and macaroni and cheese. Hopefully, that trip will allow me to skip the grocery store for a couple of weeks.

Day 102:


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this isn't the ring, but it kind of similar to it

The search is on. Sometime yesterday, I lost my ring that my mom gave me when I was 16. I cannot think of where it is and I don't know what I can do to find it. I guess today, I'm going to look through the entire apartment very thoroughly and then if I have to, I'll get the trash from yesterday and search through it. That will definitely come after the search and calling all of the places we went yesterday though. I know that it didn't fall off my hand so it has to be somewhere in this apartment! Wish me luck!


**UPDATE: I found my ring! It was in the pocket of the shorts I was wearing yesterday. I swear I looked there at least 5 times yesterday, but I guess I missed it!