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!

WARNING: LONG POST AHEAD

Days 86 - 93:

I want to go back to Florida now!! We went (as always) to Cape San Blas and stayed in the same house that we've been in for a few years now. Although the weather wasn't great because of the tropical storm, we still had a ton of fun. We spent our time...

eating out at our usual restaurant Papa Joe's in Apalachicola






taking family pictures




playing cornhole (bean bag toss) on the beach




swimming at the neighborhood pool




making sand castles


laying out




sleeping...A LOT




walking on shells instead of sand


taking pictures of the beautiful clouds


dealing with the rain


and witnessing a rainbow on out last day


You can see why I would rather be there. :)

Day 94:



Happy 4th of July!! I hope everyone has an awesome and safe holiday!

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Now on to books.

I finished a really good detective novel that was written back in 1930 by Dashiell Hammett: The Maltese Falcon. The story follows the legendary Sam Spade as he is recruited by a woman who tends to cover the truth and then contacted by many other characters as they all search for the same thing: a maltese falcon. This book was pretty good even though there were some parts that I struggled to get through. When the scenes were action packed, I found it hard to put the book down, but there were moments that the story was hard to follow and it was quite boring. Overall, I think this is a good book to read; since it's short, it won't take long to get through either!

After finishing The Maltese Falcon, I attempted to read The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo. To be honest, the first chapter of this book was brutal; I couldn't make it through the second one either. I decided to put off reading it because Sara said that it gets better after those two chapters, so I'll try it again soon.

Now, I'm currently reading Bag of Bones by Stephen King. It's really good so far. I read it most of the way home yesterday. I think this book is going to be both a thriller and centered around a custody case. I'm only about 150 pages into it, but it feels like I just started it!

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I also received a couple awards while I was on vacation! I would follow the rules like I normally do, but I think I'll just acknowledge the awards and the givers this time :)

Thanks Island Gal for the first award: You're Going Places! And thanks to Veronica for the other You're Going Places award! Yall are too sweet! :)

DO IT NOW!

I just finished one of the best books that I've read in a long time. The Condition by Jennifer Haigh was one that kept me interested the entire time. Each chapter was written from a different characters perspective and although the characters are related, they rarely crossed paths. This book follows a family that has to deal with a child with Turner's syndrome; they also all have their own problems also which is why I think the title refers to each character, not just the one with an actual condition. With each chapter following a different character, you get to see their side of the story and you also get to follow them to the past and see what parts of their lives have made them who they are. I found it really interesting the way the family deals with the other members and how they each lead their own lives; not every one knows what each other are doing day in and day out. This kind of raises questions as a reader because you wonder how the others would act if they actually knew. I recommend this book to everyone! It's more detail and past oriented rather than following a specific plot, but trust me, it will keep your interest!

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Day 76:



Yesterday, Sara and Kayla went to the farmer's market downtown. I unfortunately couldn't go because I had to go to work, but I had a nice surprise waiting for me when I got home from work! They picked up some lovely flowers that I am now keeping in my room :) There is a beautiful sunflower (my favorite!) and three other ones, red, purple, and pink (i dont know what kind they are). My roommates are so thoughtful! :)

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Today was uneventful, but I really enjoyed it! Besides finishing my awesome book, I also made a trip to the library and the grocery store. I left with good things from both. From the library, I got Practical Magic and The Maltese Falcon. I love the movie Practical Magic, so I'm interested to see if they are similar or it they differ like other movie adaptations. As for The Maltese Falcon, I saw this as Barnes & Noble once and thought it looked really good. It's a detective novel, so I'm sure I'll like it!

From Kroger, I got oreos, cream cheese, and chocolate chips. Can anyone guess what I made??



OREO BALLS!

They were delicious. And it only took three simple ingredients to make them! Most of the time, people make them with white chocolate, but I'm not a big fan of it, so I took the same route I do with Buckeyes (peanut butter balls) and used semi-sweet chocolate chips. I really want another one, but I've already eaten too many!



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I also received another award! It's the Versatile Blogger Award from Natasha over at Natasha's Corner.



So now onto the rules:

Thank the person who gave you the award:
Thank you Natasha!! I'm so glad I stumbled across your blog. I've only know about it for a little while, but so far, I'm really liking it!

Share 7 Thinks About Yourself:
1. I really want to see a whale jump out of the water before I die :)
2. I would LOVE to see a polar bear in real life, not just on tv
3. I consider myself a very family oriented person and I would do anything for any of them
4. I only have a few really close friends, but I adore each and every one of them
5. My greatest fear is a bridge collapsing while I'm on it
6. I'm jealous of people who are musically inclined
7. I'm glad I started blogging!!

Nominate 15 newly discovered blogs that you think are fantastic:
Like Natasha said, 15 is so many!! I'm always trying to find new blogs (sometimes i forget the ones that ive already visited...is that bad??) I'll do my best though!
Ok, so I looked through the blogs that I follow, and I only technically have 4 new ones that I've recently started following! I've been following the other for a while now. In order to avoid cheating, I'm just going to nominate those 4 :)

Alfie @ Coffee and Stilettos
Rhiannon Nicole @ Hey Gorgeous
Jennifer @ more than a MOMMY
The Zhush

Let your nominees know about the award:
DONE!

Again, thanks Natasha for the award!

TYPICAL

I feel like I'm getting so behind on blogging these days! Which is really weird since I don't have school to deal with...so anyways, here's to catching up on reviews and 365 Picture thing!

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Day 53:

After a trip to the grocery store and starting some laundry, I decided to watch Grey's Anatomy. I thought that this season was just okay, but after watching some episodes to catch up, I think this season is awesome (it will never beat season 2 though). Before rushing to work, I ate a very delicious pizza...I don't remember who makes it, what kind it was, or anything about it, all I know is that it was delicious!

Day 54:

I updated my "Books to Read" list! I was very happy to be able to mark off some books, but as you can see, I still have many to read!

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Date Night
This movie was really funny! I feel like it was kind of geared toward the older adult audience, but I still found it to be very amusing. It's about a couple (Steve Carell and Tina Fey) who are mistaken for another couple at a restaurant in the city. They then have to go through all of these obstacles to try and get away from the men that are trying to find what the real couple was using as blackmail. I'm not a very good explainer, but you kind of get the idea. If you go to see this movie, definitely stay until the credits are done though, they show outtakes from the improv parts and it was seriously the best part of the movie, aside from the stripper pole scene.

Remember Me
This was the second time I've seen this movie, and although it didn't move me as much as it did the first time, I would still recommend this to just about everyone. It's about a family living in NYC and all of the things they go through. There's problems from the past, with the father, and with the girlfriend's father. All of the problems fall on Rob Pattinson's character and he has to deal with basically everyone in the family. I really thought he did a good job, and as always, Pierce Brosnan was excellent!

It's Complicated
Again, this was a movie that was kind of geared toward older people. It was kind of slow in the beginning, but then it picked up and was really funny. The best part was the scene where Meryl Streep and Steve Martin "poked smot." HILARIOUS! Plus, John Krasinski was in it; he was seriously one of the best characters.

The Last Song
I've heard so many good things about this book that when I first picked it up, I thought it would be amazing from the beginning to the end. To be honest, it was pretty boring at the beginning, but toward the middle, it picked up and by the end, I was crying. All in all, I actually liked it a lot! Nicholas Sparks wrote in an immature way at the beginning (which is why i dont think i liked it), but then as Ronnie matured, so did the writing. Of course, the ending was not unexpected (something like this always happens), but it was one of the most emotional endings of any Nicholas Sparks book. Although I'm not a fan of Miley Cyrus, I want to go see this movie!

The Princess Diaries and Princess in the Spotlight
It took me 3 days to read both of these books. They are so short, but very funny and easy reads (perfect for the beach!). I absolutely LOVE the movie and Kayla had these books so she let me borrow them. The books are very different from the movie, same story very different delivery, but they were still very good. I'm working on the third one now, so I'm sure I'll finish it soon!!

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I was given an award recently!! :) It was the Beautiful Blogger award and I received it from Christy over at 25 Before 25. I can't tell you how much I love her blog! It is awesome! She writes about all kinds of things that are always interesting: movies, food, and even her workout.
I wish I felt like passing this on to other bloggers, but I'm just ready to put on my pajamas and watch Grey's! But thanks Christy! :)

DAYS, MEMES, AWARDS, ETC.

Day 28:

THE FIRST DAY OF MAY! So, Happy late May!!
As I do with the beginning of every month, I re-did my calendar. This month was pretty exciting for me to fill up because I no longer have to write "CHFD/HACE/FDNS/MIST/ARHI Exam #..." I used to dread writing that. The only things going on this month with school are final exams. I'm already half way done with those now though, so two more to go! I can't wait to be able to have my schedule revolve around something interesting, not school. PLUS, we're going to Panama in a couple of weeks. SO MUCH FUN!

Day 29:

One of my roommates, Kayla, works as an intern for Kimberly Clark. About a week ago, she got a large shipment in of water bottle that she was going to pass out for Earth day. I kept bothering her and telling her that I wanted a blue one and on Sunday she so graciously gave me one :)

Day 30:

On Monday, I had a final at 8 AM. I stepped outside at 7 to see how the weather was and if I needed a jacket; the weather was hot and muggy, but no rain. I later walked out the door to catch the 7:15 bus to take me to campus and it was pouring. Seeing as I didn't have my umbrella I had to run back inside and gather that. If I would have known that campus was basically flooding, I would have also taken the time to change my shoes, but I didn't...big mistake. My Keds got soaked and muddy and just gross! Luckily though, I didn't have socks on, wet socks are the worst!

Day 31:

This has been happening for quite a while, but I don't understand my laptop's battery! I don't want to charge it constantly, but I basically have to. I let it charge until it's full then I unplug it and within an hour, it's back down saying that only 10% is remaining. I've tried to look up how to extend the battery life, but nothing's really helping. I'm starting to get very frustrated with it.

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I decided to copy something from both Sami at Sami by the Sea! and Krysten from After 'I Do'. It's a handwriting meme! Here are the rules:

Write down the following, take a photo of it, and post it - The Handwriting Meme!

1. Name & blog name
2. Right handed, left handed or both
3. Favorite letters to write
4. Least favorite letters to write
5. Write 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.'
6. Write the following words in all caps.
CRAB HUMOR KALEIDOSCOPE PAJAMAS GAZILLION
7. Favorite song lyrics
8. A special note or drawing

So here's mine:
(I know, it's Tuesday, but it says "Happy Monday." I meant to post it yesterday, but I completely forgot about it. Just pretend it says "Tuesday" :) )
Thanks guys for the great idea!


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I received another award! This one is the Sweet Blog award and Veronica over at .V. was kind enough to pass her award to me! Thanks so much Veronica, I'm glad I found your blog through stalking other people :) Your blog definitely deserved this award!

Now onto the rules:
*give this award to 10 (I'm only going do 5) sweet and friendly bloggers
*make a post about the award including the picture and mention the person who gave it to you
*put the award on your blog
*let your nominated 10 (5) know you've awarded them by leaving a comment

I pass this award on to...

Chelsea Rebecca at Triumphs and Blunders of a Kooky Gal
Krysten at After 'I Do'
Melanie at Unravelled Threads
Mimi at What Mimi Writes
Sami at Sami by the Sea!

I hope everyone's having a fantastic week so far!

AWARD

I got my second award yesterday! Thanks Mimi for thinking of me when you got your award (congratulations by the way :) ) So now, to follow the rules of award giving and receiving...

1. Thank the person who nominated you
2. Copy the award and place it on your blog
3. Link to the person who nominated you
4. Nominate the blogs you love
5. Post links to the blog you nominate and let them know

I'll pass it on to these wonderful bloggers :)

Sara at My Fancy Tuna
Kayla at thoughts I've stumbled on to...
Celeste at wanderlust
Twyo at The Purple Fairy
Cara at the marvelous flight of cara
Christy at 25 Before 25

All of your blogs are awesome and so inspiring!

BIRTHDAY WEEKEND

SPRING BREAK BABY!! WAHOOOOO

I'm so excited that Spring Break is here! I was really burned out from school (5 tests in 2 weeks...I think they were trying to kill me to be quite honest). But this weekend already has been pretty good! Although I didn't really do anything for my birthday yesterday, I will tomorrow with an old-fashioned slumber party! YE-AH! Plus today, I was able to go over to my grandparents house to see them. My grandma and I share the same birthday (pretty exciting!), so we gave her her card and I was able to see my grandpa and aunt :) After that though was awesome because I always love spending time with family. Although, I do have to admit that I get stressed out when 1. I have to make a decision about where to go out to eat and 2. when I think about how much money my parents have to spend to take all 7 of us out (thanks Mom! Love you :) ) AND thanks Mom for my delicious cookie cake!

the best kind of cake ever made.

This weekend was also productive because I finished two things I've been working on for a while. First off, I finished the fifth Harry Potter! YAY! I really really liked it, but I don't quite know if it beats the third. PLUS, Sara informed me that in addition to her reading a Jodi Picoult and Nicholas Sparks book because I'm reading all of the Harry Potters, I could also add a Stephen King book to the list. Now, I have to decide on The Green Mile or The Shining (I'm currently leaning toward The Shining). Second, I finally finished my painting. I did the background a couple of months ago, so I'm glad that I can hang it up now and not look at the canvases sitting on my floor. The painting though, is very plain, which for some reason is what I think most of my paintings are.

the background

the flowerish thing i added (i dont quite know what you would call it)

how it will hang on the wall (when i pick a place)

Today, I received my first blog award :D It was the Happy 101 award from Chelsea Rebecca at TRIUMPHS and Blunders of a KOOKY Gal! Thanks :) I, too, am happy when you update! All of your posts are hilarious and always cheerful!