Book Wishlist December 2013

I've realized lately the amount of books that I want to read has grown incredibly over the last few months.  I'm not sure what exactly made that happen(probably cold weather), but since the end of the summer I've started finding more and more books that I've added to my Amazon wishlist and I would love to hear any feedback you guys have if you've read these!  Also, if you have any suggestions or favorite books, let me know =)

(All photos from Amazon.com)

1. Paddle your own Canoe by Nick Offerman
2. This Book is Full of Spiders by David Wong
3. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
4. Paper Towns by John Green
5. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
6. Egghead by Bo Burnham

(All photos from Amazon.com)

1. Adulting: How to become a grown up in 468 easy(ish) steps by Kelly Williams Brown
2. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
3. Bossypants by Tina Fey
4. Bitches on a Budget by Rosalyn Hoffman
5. The Bedwetter by Sarah Silverman
6. Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

Project 365

As this year creeps to an end (already!), I have decided that I want to take on another project this coming year.  I had attempted a 365 day project back in 2011, which sadly only ended with a mere 179 photos in the set.

This year, I feel like I will get a better outcome due to the fact that I have a phone with a better camera (that I use almost daily as it is) and have my new(ish) Canon camera that I've been in love with for a little over 2 years now.

The Canon also has some fun filters, like this fish-eye option.  Sorry dad, I made you an alien.

The only problem right now is figuring out which one to start.  I've had an ongoing search for which challenge will fit my lifestyle at this point (and if you've seen any good ones, let me know!).  Some people seem to be able to pull it off without any sort of prompting, but personally I feel like I need ideas to help me out since no one wants to see 200 pictures of my face in one spot, nor do I wish to bestow that on the public.  This may also help me keep up my goal to update this blog more than once every week (or longer).

Honestly, I've been considering the idea of making my own list compiled from all of the lists I've found through Pinterest, Tumblr, and Google searches, and maybe I will, but I feel like I have a little more searching to do.  What do you think?  Should I make my own list or go for ones I've found from other sources?

ABC's of Thanks

So, I have seen this going around on Facebook and decided it will keep me motivated to write here a little more often.  I know I fell off the wagon with my weekly random act of kindness, which I hope to bring back in the future, but this seems a little less active (and less expensive, too!).

So, this Sunday marks day 3, so we'll start with A, B, and C.

A - I am thankful for autumn because it all feels new and motivating.
B - I am thankful for my brother-in-law (and sister) for giving me a place to live for a while.
C - I am thankful for coworkers for being so supportive and helpful through a not-so-smooth transition into moving away.

Next Sunday I will be going through the next 7 letters (up to J!) and hopefully before then I'll give you guys an update on what I've been up to.  I have a lot of pictures, and even more to come this coming week!  I also have a lot of plans coming up that I'm excited to tell you about and hopefully you'll be able to help me out with even more ideas.  Happy Sunday!

Silver Lining

This past wee has been nothing short of exhausting.  While I love my job, I've found myself just wanting to stay in bed all week instead of getting up and being productive.  I have a lot to do in my last month living in Connecticut, but I don't really want to do any of them.

Today was especially lazy.  It's the first real day off I've had in a while, meaning I didn't have anything I really had to do, I didn't have to be anywhere at any time, I just got to sit on the couch and watch some t.v. and watch the trains pass the apartment I'm staying in for the next couple of weeks.  It was a gloomy, rainy day, so I stayed in my pajamas and ate ramen.  This is going to be a "Today, I believe..." list.

Today, I Believe...

•  showering, getting back into pajamas and watching BBC can make for a great day off in the middle of chaos.
• train rides really are amazing and beautiful.
• barely using your phone all day can help to clear your head and keep from stressful conversations.
• everything happens for a reason, even if it isn't clear why everything is falling apart around you right now.
• "You have to do everything you can, you have to work your hardest, and if you do, you have a shot at a silver lining..."  is probably one of the most accurate and hard-hitting messages for me right now.

Happy Sunday, everyone.  Hopefully the coming weeks will be better.

Things I've Learned From Living On My Own

I've been trying to move out of my parents' house since I was 18 years old.  Not that I don't love my parents, I do, I just always felt like I was stuck there and relying on them, which I didn't want to do for forever.  I can honestly say, I'm glad I stayed with my parents as long as I did.  Being an adult is hard, and if you don't think so, you are probably not doing it right.  Or you're way more self-motivated than I am.

Things I've Learned From Living On My Own:

• Speaking of self-motivation, this is something you need to be really good at.  And if you aren't good at it, you better learn to be good at it, and quickly, otherwise nothing gets done.
• Getting things done is hard.  And expensive.
• There is a lot more cleaning involved than you will ever be okay with doing.  Always.
• You can eat whatever you want, whenever you want.  That isn't as great as it sounds (especially after you realize you gained 8 pounds in 2 months).
• Family suddenly feels closer once you get farther away.  When I lived at home, I could go a week without seeing a member of my family.  Now that I live an hour away from them, I hear from most of them almost every other day.
• I have too much stuff.  I need to get rid of it because it's still sitting in boxes three months later...

I need to have a yard sale... And a good work out routine.

Summer To Do List

I am a big believer in lists.  Although I may not stick to them all of them time, I make them more often than I probably should.  I have an assortment of shopping lists, music lists, and, mostly, To Do lists.  I've started a to do list for this summer that I really hope to accomplish, and luckily this list doesn't include doing dishes (although I'm sure I will be doing that very often anyways).

Summer To Do List:

• Go camping
• Go to the Farmer's Market
• Feed ducks
• Sit on the beach at night - I live literally 3 minutes from a beach, there's no reason not to.
• Go swimming
• Make homemade popsicles - I have found SO MANY great ideas on Pinterest
• Throw a party (or two, or five)
• Have a movie night - and have everyone sit on giant floor pillows
• Experiment on the grill - I've never really used a grill before!
• Make smores - smores bar!
• See fireworks
• Make messy art projects outside

Let me know if you have anything on your to do list for summer yet!  I'd love to add on to my list and see what you're up to.  Happy Friday!