Finding time for leisure reading is not particularly easy. Between school, work, and life, I just don't have an hour the day that I am willing to give up to chill with a novel. When I wind down, I would prefer some
trashy vampire filled teen dramas than a bunch of words on paper that create a plot that requires concentration to follow.
When winter break came around, I decided to start using the library to procure new reading materials for free. After all, why would I want to read the books that I paid for months/years ago that sit on my shelf, ripe for the picking?? I figure now is as good as a time as any to provide you with simple reviews.
One Day took me all of one day to read. The story follows a couple through their lives together and apart, but all events occur on the same date, July 15th. I found their relationship intricate and was constantly wondering how things would turn out. After about the first 50 pages, I did the unthinkable.
I read the last page of the book! I never do this. I was also forever convinced the ending was going to be terrible as I did not know the context of those sentences and concluded the worst. Don't worry, I will not comment one way or the other how this wonderful love story ends, but like any book/movie that I deem amazing, I was left breathless. (and a bit damp with tears)
Room was my next pick. I read numerous reviews praising the story and style. Sadly, about half way through, I realized this book was not for me, but I wanted to see it to the end. There is nothing I hate more than not knowing the ending. On my book shelves there are books that took multiple attempts before I got to the end, but I have always found that I was just not in the right place for that particular story. (My eye is on you,
Life of Pi)
This story is told from the voice of the five year old boy in the story. I enjoyed seeing life through a child's eyes. Every object had a name, even if the name was generic, the lamp was named Lamp. The child and his mother are kept in a room, she was kidnapped and we subsequently find out he was born in this very space. The room is all the boy knows and understands. I think the main reason this book did not sit well for me is that I was simply not in a space that could handle a book that revolves around kidnapped people. Honestly, there will probably never be a point where this kind of story would go over well for me, right now, I couldn't even praise the writing style without feeling guilty and morally corrupt.
If you are a science nerd, and love of the cuff personal observations and comments (see, this blog), then this book is for you! I took the book out during a very stressful point of the current semester. Renewed the book twice, and then decided to keep it and accrue fines until I finished, which I did last night. The Minuteman Library system is currently ready and awaiting my 60 cents in fines.
This book was worth those six dimes. It covers all aspects of the space experience including the physics of moving in space, the use of chimps in NASA's early days, space food, and even space sex. Mary Roach has a way with words, and footnotes. I would be interested in reading her other novels, I have a feeling she could make any topic enjoyable.
Recently, I came across an invention that has the same properties as the spinner but would be way more useful to me and my life style.
If you read through the instructions you will totally see the connection. This is a salad spinner for laundry. I don't care that it costs 5x as much as the lettuce version. I want one, and I want one now...or for Christmas...but definitely soon...ish
What a commitment! I hope my DD has the lemon filled powdered doughnut...yummo
The key holes around the neck and down the back are what really sold me on the dress. They are elements that just spark interest. Additionally, I sometimes have redness on my upper arms, so I am extremely grateful for having the coverage without having to have full on sleeves. Can't wait for June to wear this out!!
Sadly, I have a feeling this dress will be beyond my price range. And furthermore, most of the classier events that I have in the summers are weddings. As of right now, it is still considered tacky and taboo to show up in white. Can't justify splurging a dress that is limited in functionality. Sigh.
Honestly, how do you not smile when looking at this picture??
The major difference being that these chairs don't float. Lame. Let's hope these don't catch on, like the Segway failed to do. People need to walk or else we will fulfill Pixar's prediction.
I first fell in love with Judy Greer's comedic timing when she played Kitty Sanchez on Arrested Development. The scene when GOB tries to take one for the team by seducing her in the closet has to be one of the most amazing moments of the show.
ecurring roles on two very different shows. The first being Archer, where she voices Cheryl (aka Carol, Cristal, etc) an sassy, yet stupid, secretary to the title character. Just a few weeks ago, we learn she is from an extremely wealthy family, and works because she feels like it, she just doesn't feel like working that hard. Archer has slowly become one of my favorite shows and her comments, such as "Will someone tell me what cancer is already?" just make me crack up. I cannot wait to see what happens to her character now that her background has been revealed.
The downside of the outfit would be that I would have to be pantsless, but hey, I did that last year with Lady Gaga.
Cross dressing for a Halloween costume can be difficult - especially with my long hair - but it can be worth it. My friends pointed out that I move like Stefon when I talk which would mean embodying the character would take no effort. It really is about finding the right t-shirt, and human suitcase.
The construction of this clock reminds me of something I would have made in wood shop back in middle school, but sometimes simple is best. After all, the iPod is a very simple looking device and we all fawn over it. So here I have a big wooden box with ears and a pig nose, just seems like a large novelty clock until you realize it wakes you up by cooking bacon!
All you have to do is put in a piece of frozen bacon when you are getting ready for bed and the timer is set to start cooking 10 minutes before you want to wake up. You are then gentley woken up with the smell and sizzle of bacon. Yum. Now I would still need some sort of noise, because I don't know if the smell of bacon alone could wake me up every day. But I would definitely pop out of bed faster if I had Beyonce AND Bacon.
I am slightly behind the times. This past weekend my traveling companions and I joined foursquare for the first time. The unnecessary competition is just too much fun to pass up. No matter how may times I read about Foursquare or heard about it, I just couldn't understand why you would want people to know where you were. But now, I get it.
This weekend I went to NYC with a few friends. As we are huge fans of Cornwall's here in Boston, we decided to find a bar that offered patrons the possibility of playing board games. Through the powers that be, aka Yelp!, we found ourselves at the 675 Bar between 13th ad 14th street in the Meatpacking District.
I visited Brooklyn Flea this weekend with my friends. During the winter, the flea market held indoors. The space is an old bank, which become apparent as soon as you begin your walk.
If we are friends in real life, or were at some point and are still friends on facebook, you may recall that I recently posted the picture above. I decided I wanted to go beyond my comfort zone and cook things that real people would want to eat. (I have learned that eating a can of baked beans for dinner is a bit odd)
Ingredients
Normally I am not one for full sleeves, winter or summer, but this dress is calling my name. In fact it is yelling it from across town. Dare I say, it is a little on the short side, but I feel those lacy sleeves balance the garment out nicely. I could envision myself wearing this dress, but I can't quite figure out where I am going. At the moment, I just see myself walking down the street. (but not in those shoes, I am really over that style in a major way)
The other dress that caught my eye is this one. I find that volume around my stick-frame usually ends up looking pretty great. I am a bit worried that the flow begins right at the boob line, as without any assistance with defining that curve, my bust goes buh-bye. Additionally, an A-line that starts that high has high odds that the shape of the dress will make my legs look like that they start up at the armpits. This dress is definitely the runner up, and again, not loving the shoes...
