Category Archives: Currently Obsessed With

Currently Obsessed With: All Things Christmas

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Currently Obsessed With is a monthly (but sometimes more) feature where I talk about my favorite things and what’s going on in my life.

Tomorrow is Christmas!  I love Christmas, and thought I’d share some of my favorite Christmas things- movies and music, mostly, but a few other things too.  It might not be snowy or rainy at Christmas where I live (it tends to be sunny on Christmas here in San Diego) but I still love how festive everything is, and I still manage to get into the Christmas spirit!

Movies:

  • A Charlie Brown Christmas is something I look forward to watching every year.  Because it’s not Christmas without it. I’ll probably be saying that a lot in this post.
  • Same thing with Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer, and all of the other stop-motion movies that air every year.  It’s not Christmas without them either!
  • Love, Actually is one of my favorite Christmas movies ever.  Seriously, it is.  Two words: Alan Rickman.
  • And we can’t forget about The Nightmare Before Christmas!  I only watch it at Christmas, and not Halloween.  I’ve tried, but for some reason, it’s not the same.
  • I always associate this time of year with watching Harry Potter.  I think it’s because for the longest time, the movies came out this time of year, and I don’t know why but Harry Potter is always something I really like watching (and reading) this time of year. Harry Potter is great any time of the year, but this time of year especially.
  • Home Alone!  I love Home Alone…and that reminds I have yet to watch it this holiday season.

Food:

I haven’t done any holiday baking this year, which is weird for me, but I really like all of the cookies and fun things that I seem to eat only during this time of year!  Rum balls, fudge, sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, molasses cookies, peanut brittle, chocolate covered pretzels…they’re all so good!  Trader Joe’s has this really good chocolate cheddar cheese that’s only available this time of year.  I know it sounds totally bizarre, but it’s actually really good and not as weird or as horrible as it sounds.  I love hot apple cider in the crockpot, and I’ve made it on Christmas the last few years.  I’ve also made some sort of holiday punch the last few years too.  I don’t know why I don’t make punch throughout the year.  I really should start a Pinterest board for holiday treats.

An Assortment Of Christmas Randomness:

  • Every Christmas, I wish I had more Christmas hats!  I have a Santa Hat that I always seem to have to go looking for every year, but I really want to crochet a few different hats- I know there are elf hat patterns, and I am pretty sure that there are Santa hat patterns too.  It was actually hard to find an elf hat crochet pattern for adults- I know that I could change up the pattern a bit to make it fit, but I am not confident in my ability to do that, or in my ability to come up with my own pattern for it.  I could with so many different colors- red, white, green…I have some bright pink and bright green that aren’t Christmas-y, but would still be awesome for an elf hat.
  • And speaking of crafts, there are a ton of Christmas crafts that would be so fun to make.  I’ll have to do some Christmas crafting one of these days.  Like, maybe I should find some I want to make, and if there’s something Christmas-y involved, get it after Christmas?  Because that’s when it all goes on clearance.
  • Christmas decorations!  I love seeing how people decorate their houses.  It’s so fun to just go out at night, drive around and see all of the lights.  I really miss Candy Cane Lane, which was this one really cool neighborhood that went all out with Christmas decorations, but I think there’s a newer version (with a different name, of course).  I may have to go see it one year.

Music:

I love Christmas music so, so much!  Once Thanksgiving is done, it’s Christmas music almost all of the time. Christmas music is one of my favorite things about Christmas, and I really could listen to the same songs, done by different people.  I love hearing how different artists do the songs, but I have a soft spot for the classic Christmas songs by Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra and anything from that time in music.  I put together a small playlist of some of my favorites.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas & holiday season, no matter what holiday you celebrate!

Currently Obsessed With: I Survived November!

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Currently Obsessed With is a once-a-month feature (sometimes more) where I talk about my favorite things and what’s been going on the last month.

I can’t believe November is over already!  It was definitely eventful, with both NaNoWriMo going on, and with a sprained ankle that happened early in November.  Seriously, I fell down and hurt myself, but it’s a lot better.  I’m finally walking without an ankle brace (well, mostly) and I wrote 50,000 words this month.

Nails/Beauty:

I decided to skip the November Maven box.  I wasn’t super into the colors, and the ones I was kind of interested in were way too similar to other colors I already have.  I did get a glitter-y top coat from Sephora, which I did over black.  It has this really cool paint-splattered effect, and it looked really pretty on top of the black, but it was super-hard to remove.  Glitter polish always is, but this is seriously the hardest removal ever. It took me a good hour of soaking my nails in nail polish remover for it to even sort of start coming off, so if I wear it again, I’ll probably do it as an accent nail.

I also got another Urban Decay eye shadow, this time in Bordello.  I like that with Urban Decay, you can create your own eye shadow palattes and switch out the colors.  I have no idea if you can do this with other brands, but it’s nice to be able to create your own, with colors I know I’ll wear, instead of one where I use 1 or 2 and ignore the other ones.

Crochet:

I’ve been working on a couple of scarves for Christmas presents- one for a Secret Santa, and the other is from someone at work who wanted a scarf for his wife for a Christmas present.  I found this awesome chevron scarf pattern that I really like, and I totally want to make another one already.  And I’m also using this super-simple infinity scarf pattern.  I’m also working on a super-secret Christmas present that I’ll share next month.  Oh, I’m also crocheting a Viking helmet that is currently on hold, because of the other stuff I’m crocheting. It’ll be awesome, because 1, it’s a Viking helmet, and 2- it’s bright green.  You can’t go wrong with that combination!

I also got a huge bag full of yarn!  Someone at work found some yarn that belonged to her grandma, and she was nice enough to give it to me.  I think I might have a project or two in mind…it’s time to pick up amigurumi!

Books:

I only got School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins.  It’s a Hex Hall spin-off that I’ve been wanting to read for a while. Although…it’s been a while since I’ve listened to an audio book, so it may be time to start getting back into them.

TV:

I’ve finished season 4 of Blue Bloods, but I am also too lazy to hunt down season 5.  I also started watching The 100 (finally!) and I really like it.  I’ve also been watching Pretty Little Liars, which I actually like a lot better than the books (at least, the first 10, because I really didn’t care after the 10th one to keep going).  It’s so addictive, and I wish the books had that quality- if only the books didn’t feel so repetitive.

Around The Internet:

So many things!

Music:

I am sharing the playlist I created for NaNo this year!  Except for Blank Space by Taylor Swift, because her music is no longer on Spotify.  And a few other songs I couldn’t find on Spotify.  Enjoy!

Currently Obsessed With: October’s Over, So Insanity Has Begun

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Currently Obsessed with is a once-a-month (sometimes more) feature where I talk about my favorite things and what’s been going on over the last month.

October is over!  Which means NaNoWriMo has started (and I’ve already talked about it a bit here).  I can’t believe Thanksgiving is just weeks away, and that Christmas will be soon after that!

Nails:

I’m really starting to love the customizable Julep Maven box!  I really do.  For October’s box, I didn’t like 2 of the 3 selected colors, so I switched them out for Logan, and the Oxygen Smoothing Base Coat, plus I added Margarita,  I like the three colors, and I have a couple of holographic glittery top coats that I think might look really good on Ledi, the one color I kept.  I really liked Ledi, and Logan and Margarita were really pretty too.  I love the base coat I got, and I think it’s my favorite of the different ones I’ve used.  I can’t explain why but I feel like it makes my nails slightly more healthy.

I actually don’t have a picture because I could not get a good one if my life depended on, but I may add to next month’s nail polish update.

Crochet/Halloween:

I’m actually talking about my costume here, because I’ve done quite a bit of crocheting for my Halloween costume!  I decided to dress up as Anna from Frozen, for reasons I can’t remember (but probably because it was something I could throw together in a short amount of time).  There is something fun about a DIY-costume, and I was inspired by Disney Bound to do an inspired look, instead of a full-on costume.

Oct 2014 Crochet- Collage

I made a Princess Anna inspired hat that was part of my Halloween costume!  I found the pattern over on Etsy, and while I’m sure I could have found a free version somewhere, I really liked the look of this one.  Not going to lie, it did come out a bit crooked and the streak of white hair was on the wrong side, which, of course, I didn’t notice until I tried it on after finishing it and looked at it in a mirror, but I can actually see Anna wearing a crooked hat!  As for the stripe, I didn’t really care.  Plus…I finished it late Thursday, and there was no way I was going back to fix it.

I also made a capelet to go with my costume, but me being me, I didn’t give myself enough time to work on it. I used this pattern, which I wasn’t sure about at first, but I ended up really liking it once it I started crocheting it.  I got 11 rows done (of 16), and I’ll definitely be going back to finish the last few rows.  The nice thing about this pattern is that 8 rows in, and you have a nice little collarette.  It totally looked okay, though, and I borrowed a brooch from my grandma to pin it together.

I had a plain black top that I wore, and I found this really cute royal maxi skirt at Ross.  I have no idea why I don’t shop at Ross or TJ Maxx more.  I was torn between the maxi skirt and a dark blue knee-length skirt, but ended up getting both for less than each of the couple skirts at Kohl’s I was thinking about getting.  (Although I may end up getting at least one of them anyway because they’re super-cute).

I’m actually glad I went the Anna-inspired outfit, which I like for Halloween, because I’m only going to wear the costume one time.  And with an inspired costume, I end up with something I can wear throughout the year.

Books:

I didn’t get any print books, but I did get a few audio books.  My audible credit went to Crow by Barbara Wright and early in October I got Dark Days by Kate Ormand and We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson.  I’m really excited to listen to Crow, because it sounds really good!  And I feel the same way about Dark Days and We Have Always Lived In The Castle.

TV:

I’m slowly making my way through Blue Bloods, and am currently on season 4.  I’m pretty sure I’ll be done with it over the next week or two, and then…I’ll figure out what I want to watch next!  I really like American Horror Story and Walking Dead so far, and I actually really like everything that I’ve been watching.  I’ve given up on Resurrection- while I liked the first season, I also wasn’t sure about continuing, and with everything else I’m watching, I’ve decided that I will not be continuing with it right now.  Maybe I’ll watch it over the summer or something.

Around The Internet:

Music:

There are a few songs I’ve been listening to over and over this month!

  • All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor- I wasn’t sure about this song at first, but it’s really grown on me!
  • Rather Be Clean Bandit- I don’t know why but this song makes me want to dance.
  • When A Heart Breaks by Ben Rector- There’s something heartbreakingly beautiful about this song.
  • Shake It Off by Taylor Swift- I can’t stop singing along to this song!
  • Habits (Stay High) by Tove Lo.  There’s something very chill about this song.
  • Summer by Calvin Harris- I don’t know why my favorite songs by him are the ones he sings on. And Summer is quite catchy.

Currently Obsessed With Interlude #3: The Article Edition #2

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In my last Currently Obsessed With post, I said I was going to do a separate post for all of the articles I’ve come across because I couldn’t make up my mind about which ones I wanted to share.  So this is said post!

Before I get started, I thought I’d share how I pick out the articles I share.  Throughout the month, I bookmark (or star in my bloglovin’ feed) different articles and blog posts I come across.  Once it’s time to do my currently obsessed with post, I pick the handful that were super interesting to me.

And last month, I found that I came across quite a few things I wanted to share!  So here they are…

  1. A Banned Books Infographic by the Huffington Post.  I found that the map showing the number of challenges each state had to be particularly interesting.  I hate to say it, but it’s not surprising (to me) that Texas had the highest number, and quite honestly, I expected the south and midwest to have more challenges than the rest of the country.  I know it’s horrible to stereotype entire regions of the country and that I shouldn’t do it, but still…I was definitely surprised and intrigued.
  2. I have one major issue with this article about why reading is a good way to spend time.  Notably, that reading is learning. It just frustrates me that it seems implied that reading is the only way to learn.  There are other ways to learn things besides reading.  Also, you can be curious about the world and not be a reader.  You can also be comfortable on your own and not be a reader.  Also, you can be intelligent and not be a reader, because I feel like like there are different kinds of intelligence.  Now that I’m done with my mini-rant, I do like that it’s about why reading is awesome.
  3. Back to banned books, I love this post over at Book Riot about Banned Books Week.  I never thought about it like that, and to be honest, I always forget about it until it’s over.
  4. Also: Diversity In YA has an interesting post about diversity and book challenges.  I have no thoughts on this one, but it’s still interesting to check out.
  5. Speaking of diversity, I love this blog post about authenticity and diversity in literature.  Diversity in the book world really is a topic in and of itself, but this post in particular struck a chord with me.  I don’t read as diversely as I should, and I wouldn’t even know where to start (but Diversity In YA will likely be a big help and a good resource).
  6. This article over at The Guardian about how young adult novels speak to people whereas adult novels don’t really frustrates me!  As much as I love young adult (I mean, most of what I read is YA, after all), it doesn’t mean adult books don’t speak to people.  I definitely feel like the author of that post is making assumptions about adult books the way that some people make assumptions about YA.  But it’s still worth checking out, especially with recent articles about how reading YA is something to be ashamed of.
  7. This is a really interesting interview about how Harry Potter, Twilight and 50 Shades have influenced the lives of several young women.
  8. A million times yes to this blog post about strong women.  This is another one that could fill goodness knows how many posts, but I agree that all kinds of women are strong and have stories that need to be told- and that certain stories aren’t better than others just because a female character has characteristics we don’t like.
  9. And a final- but completely fun and awesome note- I LOVE this article about the stall that lived.  It totally made my day when I read it.

Currently Obsessed With: Fall T.V.

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Currently Obsessed With is a monthly (but sometimes more) feature where I talk about what’s going on in my life and what I’m obsessed with!

So, in my last currently obsessed with post, I mentioned that I was going to do a much needed separate post on t.v., since I’ve been watching A TON of t.v. (And the article edition is coming soon, I just need to sort through everything!)

It’s going to be a long one, because I swear I’m watching ALL OF THE SHOWS, even though I’m nowhere near it.

What I’m Watching On Netflix:

I’ve been watching American Horror Story– just season 2, since I watched season 1 ages ago, and season 3 isn’t available yet.  Which I don’t mind, since each season has no relation to any of the other seasons.  I’m really excited about the next season, which starts up this week!

I’ve also been watching Hart Of Dixie, and I can’t believe I’ve only just started watching it! I’m not completely caught up, since I’ve only seen the handful of Season 3 episodes that are on Hulu Plus, so I’m just waiting to see if it’ll show up on Netflix.  I’m going to watch it regardless of whether I’m caught up, but it would be nice to see the entire season.

And I’ve also been watching Walking Dead, and I’m hoping to be caught up with that one before season 5 starts, but I’ll watch season 4 and 5 at the same time if I have to.

For some bizarre reason, I got super-excited that all seven seasons of Gilmore Girls is available on netflix. This doesn’t make a lot of sense, since I own all 7 seasons on DVD, but on the plus side, I can now watch it on my Nook and my laptop, so maybe I’ll be watching and posting those recaps more regularly.

And now, for Fall T.V., where things may or may not be spoiler-y, so read at your own risk.  

Sunday:

Once Upon A Time: I LOVE that Frozen has come to Storybrooke!  I love the scene where Emma is talking to Regina, and I really wish they played Do You Want To Build A Snowman in the backgroud, because I totally love that scene.  And Marshmallow!  And the scene between Belle and Rumplestiltskin, and the music from Beauty And The Beast!  I’m so excited for this!

Resurrection: I’m actually not sure if I want to keep watching it, so I’ll have to see.  This may be a show I end up dropping, considering I haven’t seen the premiere yet.

Revenge: I am so glad it’s back!  Things will certainly be interesting, with Emily and Victoria, especially.  I feel like I need to go back and watch the entire season for a refresher.

Monday: 

Sleepy Hollow: I could not stay awake during the premiere, which was just as well, because I remember being really confused about what was going on.  I literally watched season 1 just to figure out what the heck was going on.  I’m not sure how I feel about the new sheriff or anything that’s going on.  Is it bad that I feel like I need to watch the first couple episodes a few more times to make sense of everything?

Blacklist: James Spader is still awesome.  He’s a really good bad guy, and I’m curious about where this season will take us, especially with Keene’s husband being dead…right, he died last season?  Maybe I need to go back and watch the finale (because I definitely don’t have time to watch the entire season right now) for to remind myself of what happened.  Also: I need to finish last weeks episode.

Tuesday:

NCIS: It’s interesting that a guy connected to Ari, from season…2?  Ziva’s brother, from when she first came on?  I’ve only started watching a few seasons ago, and it’s only because of random episodes on USA, so I’m not sure what season that’s from.  What it with his fixation on Gibbs?

Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: FitzSimmons is not the same with Fitz, and no Simmons.  It’s breaking my heart, it really is.

Wednesday: 

Nashville: I’ve been catching it on Hulu, because for some reason, I cannot handle these 10 pm shows (mostly, but we’ll get to that later).  Reina is totally with the wrong guy, and Juliette realizing that the baby is likely Avery’s, which will probably change her mind about having an abortion…actually had me staring angrily at the computer screen.  I’ll probably have more thoughts in a few more episodes.

Thursday:

Grey’s Anatomy: Meredith is a character I normally like, but she’s pretty damn annoying right now.  I know Christina being gone is hard for her, and she wasn’t going to like anyone who came in, but I really hate how she’s treating Pierce.

Scandal: This show is so addictive!  I’m glad Olivia’s back in D.C., and I’m wondering if we’ll see more of her father.  And Mellie!  I feel so much for her right now.  And…I just don’t know what else to say, but I think it’s going to be a slightly different season than the previous ones.

How To Get Away With Murder: I am not sure what to think!  It feels like there are so many story lines, and I’ve had to watch the episodes a couple times to figure out what was going on- because it feels like there are so many different things going on. I’m actually curious to see how it’ll all come together.  I do like Viola Davis’ character, and Wes is pretty awesome! Considering it’s on at 10, I’ve managed to stay mostly awake, but even that didn’t help me keep up with the different story lines.

Reign: I really like it, but…I don’t know.  I’m not super enthused about it yet, so I’ll probably give it a few more episodes to see if it catches my interest again.  This may be another show I end up dropping…if I do end up dropping something!

An Assortment Of Thoughts:

So, I’m definitely watching a lot of t.v. right now, and for the most part, I can’t seem to drop anything to save my life.  I actually want to go back and watch a few shows from the beginning, like Once Upon A Time and Grey’s Anatomy and NCIS, because I feel like I’m overdue for all three shows.  Especially NCIS, because I came to it so late.  At least you can jump in with it at any time, because I really can’t afford to get it on DVD for the older seasons.

I’m also looking forward to Downton Abbey coming back, but at least that’s a few months away!  Seriously, I feel like I’ve had to re-watch so many episodes.  Partly because I had trouble staying awake during most everything, but also because I’m feeling fuzzy on stuff because there are so many things to keep track of.  I think I need a week or two to get back into keep up with what feels like ALL OF THE SHOWS, instead of 1 or 2 shows like I’ve been doing all summer.

I hope everyone is enjoying all of the awesome t.v. that’s on (whatever it may be).

Currently Obsessed With: September Was Just Weird

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Currently Obsessed With is a monthly feature where I talk about my favorite stuff and interesting things from the last month and also where I talk about what’s been going on in my life!

Nails & Beauty:

So far, I really like the customizable Maven box from Julep!  The September box was my first box after upgrading, and I’m actually glad that I upgraded my Maven box, because the ability to customize to my box is really great when there’s a color I’m not sure about or a color I KNOW I don’t want.  For September, I knew I didn’t want one of the polishes and that actually worked out great, because I was in desperate need of their Freedom Polymer top coat.  I was really happy that I was able to swap out the color I didn’t want for a top coat I really needed.

Maven Sept 2014

Left To Right: Ryan, Mahima, Freedom Polymer Top Coat

I really liked Ryan, which has a matte finish to it.  And I was really intrigued by Mahima, which is gold but not a sparkly, metallic or chrome gold that I’m used to!  I wasn’t sure about it as a creme nail polish, but I was reminded very much of gold leaf that’s used in paintings from hundreds of years ago.

Left To Right: Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit, Buzz, Trick, Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart

Left To Right: Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit, Buzz, Trick, Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart

Remember last month, when I talked about the Urban Decay Naked3 palette?  I actually like it a lot! The colors are really neutral, and they’re great for everyday use.  I’m sure someone who’s much more comfortable and confident in their make-up applying skills would be able to create some awesome looks from it, but it’s great for people (like me) who want something really simple in the morning. My only issue is that some of the colors don’t show up really on someone with really fair skin, to the point that even I had trouble telling if I had any on or not.  Granted, I’ve only tried Dust, Burnout, Buzz, and Liar, and Dust and Buzz are my favorites.  Still, I really like the colors, and it’s one of my favorite palettes that I’ve actually used.

Crochet:

I’ve been crocheting a bunch this month!  I tested out a crown pattern for a friend, I made a bunch of face scrubbies, a scarf, I finished the cowl I was working on and I started a washcloth.  I like that the scarf is really textured and wavy, which doesn’t show up very well in the picture.  As for the cowl, I like the color, but I don’t like it as one solid color- it definitely needs a stripe of color every once in a while.  And when I tried it on…it felt like I was being choked a little bit, so I don’t know if I maybe needed to add some extra stitches, or if I maybe need to block it, or if that’s how cowls are supposed to be…I’ve never worn a cowl (or made one, for that matter) so I have no clue if it’s just how cowls are or if it’s the pattern and needs to be a little bigger or what’s going on.

Crochet Sept 2014 Collage

And I abandoned that green shell hat I was working on.  It seemed like it was going to be way too big, and it seemed like each row took FOREVER to do…once I got to the shell part of. One of these days, I’m going to have to completely frog it, so I can use the yarn for something else.  I also tested a pattern for fingerless mitts…well, I got through the one, and now I just need to do the other one.  Hopefully it’ll start cooling down so I can start working on my blanket again too.  Plus, I have my eye on a few other projects, so there may be more news on that front.

Books:

Book Haul Sept 2014

I got Seriously Delish, which is a cookbook by Jessica Merchant…who also has a totally awesome food blog.  I haven’t made anything from it yet, but everything looks so good!  And I want to make almost every single recipe in the book, which is super-rare for me.  I also got Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein, and I’m really curious about this Code Name Verity companion novel, especially since I’m reading Code Name Verity right now.

I’m also starting to come out of my reading slump!  Talking about it helped a lot, and I’m starting to get back in the swing of (reading) things.  Seriously, my reading habits are starting to get back to normal, so I think the worst of it is over.

T.V.:

I have been watching so much t.v. that I’ve decided to do a completely different post about it that’s coming up in the next few days.  I will say that it’s partly because fall t.v. is back and partly because I’ve been watching a couple shows on netflix.

Around The Internet:

I’ve come across a lot of interesting things this month, and while I only pick a few to share every month, this month I’ve decided to do a separate post because there are quite a few articles I have thoughts about, and I just want to talk about them a little more.

I will say that I’ve made these crescent sausage bites before, and they go over sowell, and these Nutella brownies are completely awesome.  And I was intrigued by this crock-pot BBQ chicken.

Podcasts:

So, I actually have NO music for this month.  My listening to stuff time has been really sporadic lately, and whatever listening time I do have is trying to keep up with a small number of the podcasts I managelisten to.  I hate having to cut down on the number I listen to, but the time just isn’t there right now.  Anyway, I thought I’d share a few of the ones that I’ve been listening to.

  1. Welcome To Nightvale.  I know I’ve mentioned this one before, but it’s not going to stop me from mentioning it again! If you haven’t had a chance to listen to Night Vale, you should check it!  It’s what you’d get if you mixed Stephen King, those conspiracy theories people who are on History Channel shows and NPR were mixed together.  I’m sure other people have better descriptions than me, but it’s delightfully weird.
  2. The Book Riot podcast.  I’m a big fan of Book Riot, and their main Book Riot podcast is fun to listen to.  They talk about all kinds of book-ish things, and I’ve heard of some really cool books and news stories because of their podcast.
  3. Alohomora.  I love this Harry Potter re-read podcast.  I look forward to every episode, because the discussion is always interesting, and brings up things I never thought of before.
  4. We’re Alive.  I’m really sad that this audio drama podcast is over, but I’m looking forward to see if/what the people behind it come up with next.
  5. The History Chicks.  It’s been a while since they’ve had an episode, but I like that each episode is an overview on different women from history, with the occasional fictional woman thrown in. I also love that each post on their website talks about each woman and has books, movies and resources on each woman they talk about.

Hope everyone has a great October!

Currently Obsessed With: Why Is August Over?

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Currently Obsessed With is a monthly feature where I talk about my favorite stuff and interesting things from the last month and also where I talk about what’s been going on in my life!

So.  It’s September!  I’m not in school, haven’t been for several years, and yet it’s weird to me that it’s September!  I just really want it to be 70 degree weather again, because the 80 to 90 degree weather has gone on for too long!

Nails & Beauty:

From Left To Right: Joyce, Kirti, Tammi, Priscilla

From Left To Right: Joyce, Kirti, Tammi, Priscilla

I really like this month’s Maven box!  I particularly liked Joyce, which surprised me, because red isn’t a color I normally go for. And I loved Kirti, which wasn’t a big surprise, since it was the one I figured I’d like.  I don’t know why, but I have been a big fan of the orange nail polishes I’ve worn.  Tammi- the yellow-green- was the one I wasn’t sure about it all, but I liked it a lot more than I expected!  I also bought Priscilla last month, and it’s part of Julep’s birthstone collection.  It really does remind me of emeralds, which is the birthstone for May.  It’s a full-coverage glitter, and I loved it!  As it’s glitter, it was a pain to remove, but it was worth it! And it didn’t chip that much, which is weird for a glitter polish, but I liked that it didn’t chip much after a week of wearing it.

I finally upgraded to the next tier in the Maven box subscription, starting with the September box, and I like the idea of being able to switch out a color I don’t like.  I don’t know how often I’ll do it, but it’s nice to have that option because sometimes, there are colors I’m not sure about, which is great for that random month when I like another color.  I’m sure I’ll have more thoughts about it once I’ve had it for a few months.

China Glaze's X-Ta-Sea, Left, and OPI's Into The Night, Right

China Glaze’s X-Ta-Sea, Left, and OPI’s Into The Night, Right

I did get a couple of other bottle of nail polish recently- X-TA-SEA from China Glaze, and Into The Night from OPI.  I like both, but I kind of like the OPI one a little bit better.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Last Call, Left, and Fresh Lip Treatment in Honey, Right

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Last Call, Left, and Fresh Lip Treatment in Honey, Right

Also: I am on a weird make-up kick right now, which is weird, because it’s something I wear only every once in a while.  But I LOVE this tinted lip treatment from Fresh.  I like that the color is really light, but it’s really moisturizing, which is awesome, because my lips do get chapped, and it really helps!

I love this eyeshadow from Urban Decay, and have it in Last Call.  I love that how much the color shows up, and even though I’ve only worn it a handful of times, I liked it so much that I just got the Naked3 palette, which I think will be better for everyday life, while Last Call seems better suited for something fun.  (More on the Naked3 palette next month, after I’ve used it).

Crochet:

I started a cowl, which is almost done, and I’m still working on that hat.  It’s taken me a while, and I feel like I’ve been working on it for months.  I think I’ll really like the cowl, and it’s a powder blue…and I’ll be glad when the hat is finished. I have a few other projects in mind, and I’ll be glad when it cools down so I can start working on that blanket again.

Books:

Top, The Lemonade Cookbook by Alan Jackson (no, not the country singer), and The Family Cooks by Laurie David

The Lemonade Cookbook by Alan Jackson (no, not the country singer), and The Family Cooks by Laurie David

I doubt it’s surprising I got more cookbooks- I just can’t stay away from them!  I do have a few I have my eye on, but I think I’m going to wait a bit, until I cook a bit more from the ones I have.  On the plus side, I should have quite the cookbook wish-list when I am ready for more cookbooks…

I’m probably going to make exceptions for Seriously Delish, because her blog is awesome, and Joy The Baker’s Homemade Decadence.  Joy, by the way, also has an awesome blog and an awesome cookbook!

And my audible credit this month went to You Look Different In Real Life by Jennifer Castle, which I’m looking forward to listening to!  It’s an interesting idea, and I’m hoping I like it a lot!

T.V. And Movies:

Last month, I saw Guardians Of The Galaxy, which was so fun to see!  And the soundtrack is just as fun- after seeing it, I knew I had to get the soundtrack.  I ended up seeing it in IMAX 3D, which I actually really liked.  I also saw The Giver and If I Stay in August, but there are spoilers in both reviews, so just keep that in mind if you click on over.

I haven’t been watching much t.v.- at least, not much on Netflix/Hulu.  I’m slowly making my way through Blue Bloods (still! but I am on season 2 now) and I’ve watched most of the pilot of Flashpoint, which I’ve randomly seen a few episodes of and liked.  Really, I’ve had the Food Network or the History Channel on in the background, because I’ve needed background noise while I stare at pinterest and random things on the internet.  But I am glad that fall t.v. is coming back soon, because I’ve missed my usual rotation…which may cut into catching up on other shows time, but who knows?

Around The Internet:

I’ve seen so many cool things this month!  I’ve decided to go for my favorites and the really interesting posts.

My all time favorite thing I’ve heard about is this letter J.K. Rowling sent to a teen who lost her family in a shooting.  J.K. Rowling is just awesome.

This DIY creepy doll mobile was posted ages and ages ago, but I just came across it for the first time, and I so want to make it!

Apparently, people think that Stephanie Meyer is going to ruin people’s childhoods by producing a movie adaptation of a Lois Duncan book and that makes me so mad, because if it were literally anyone else, no one would even care.  I just hate that people are making assumptions based on their hatred of her previous work, which has nothing to do with producing a movie. I want it to do well, but I have the feeling that if it’s “horrible” (and that’s totally subjective) and it completely bombs, Stephanie Meyer is going to get blamed, even if it has nothing to do with her ability as a producer.

I thought this post about YA and New Adult was interesting.

And I really want to make these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and these sausage muffins.

Finally, I thought this list of books by women under 50 is one to check out!  I really want to read some of these books now.

Music: 

I bought a ridiculous amount of music last month, but weirdly enough, I didn’t get a chance to listen to much of it…mostly because there were some songs I couldn’t get enough of.  I normally pick a few songs to share, but this month, I’ve decided to share the entire playlist, because I just can’t pick a few to share.

Currently Obsessed With: Where Did July Go?!?!?!

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Currently Obsessed With is a monthly feature where I talk about my favorite stuff and interesting things from the last month and also where I talk about what’s been going on in my life!

I can’t believe July is over.  Really, I can’t!  It went by really, really fast!

Nails (And A Bit Of Beauty):

Left To Right: Linden, Dawn & Braiden, Add-On is Lissa

Left To Right: Linden, Dawn & Braiden, Add-On is Lissa

After skipping the Maven box for a couple months, I’m back to getting it again!  I’ve tried out all of the colors, and I’m not a big fan of Dawn, which is the yellow one.  It’ll be fine as an accent color, or maybe on my toes, but I can’t picture myself wearing it.  Linden and Lissa (Linden’s from my box, and Lissa is an add-on) are great, and while I like Braiden as a color and a glitter-y, texturized nail polish, it’s also a major pain to take off, so I may not wear it often.  Also, I wish the picture came out better, but that really is the best one I could get…

Also: I’m kind of obsessed with the matte top coat from Nicole by OPI.  Plus, I got a reflective top coat from Sephora’s Formula X for Sephora line, so I’m looking forward to trying that out.  I also got a nail hydration treatment from Sephora’s Formula X For Sephora line, because my nails have been cracking and peeling, so I’m hoping this will help.  Not wearing nail polish may also help, but that never seems to last long…

Left To Right: Formula X Nail Hydration Treatment, Formula X Reflective Top Coat, Nicole By OPI Matte Top Coat, Too Faced LashGASM

Left To Right: Formula X Nail Hydration Treatment, Formula X Reflective Top Coat, Nicole By OPI Matte Top Coat, Too Faced LashGASM

I used to be a big Sephora person years ago, but due to unfortunate circumstances, could no longer afford to shop at Sephora. And then I got into the habit of not going, which is probably good for my bank account, because Sephora is a bit on the pricey side.  But I kind of miss it, because for some reason, it doesn’t feel as overwhelming as getting beauty products at CVS or Target.

BUT.

I got the most amazing mascara, and I love it to pieces.  I’ve tried a few different mascara over the years.  Like a bottle of mascara from Tarte, and I think I used it once for a cousins wedding last year.  I’ve also liked Clinique’s naturally glossy mascara. But the LashGASM mascara from TooFaced is my current obsession!  I’m usually a lip gloss and nail polish person, and I’ll sometimes wear mascara.  I may have spent $20 on a bottle of mascara, but it’s so worth every penny, because my eye lashes look amazing!  Not even kidding.

Let’s Talk Books:

So, I’ve been on quite the print kick this month!  I’m very much an e-book girl, but for whatever reason, print seems to be my reading thing right now, so I’ll go with it.  I’ve been in this weird reading funk where I’m reading stuff, and liking it, but I really haven’t been super-jazzed about anything.  And as much as I love my e-reader, e-books aren’t completely doing it for me, so I’ll probably be reading quite a few print books and listening to quite a few audio books.  Also, I haven’t wanted to read as much, which is bugging me, because reading is one of my things, you know?  I suppose it was bound to happen at some point, given how much I read, so maybe…I need to figure something out.  Like, reading, but not as much or something.

I usually get one book a month with audible (this month’s credit went to Gated by Amy Christine Parker), but I also got Septimus Heap (random audible sales are awesome!), Roanoke Vanishing and Beholding Bee.  I’m not sure why I got more audio books, since I have quite the backlog of audio books, but I’ve been in a mood for them, so why not add a few more?  Also: listening seems to get me reading.

As for print, you can see them below.

Lots and lots of books!

Lots and lots of books!

As you can see, it’s quite the stack.  I’m really hoping one of them will get me out of this reading slump I’m in.

T.V. And Movies:

I saw Lucy this month, which was really odd but interesting.  It started off super-weird, and I wasn’t sure if I should have gone with something else, but it turned out to be an okay movie.  Once you get past the set-up, it got a lot more interesting.  It definitely was more appealing than Planet Of The Apes and Transformers, which were the other two options…but I’d say wait until it’s available on RedBox or something if you’re interested in seeing it.

As for T.V., I haven’t been watching much of it.  I’m watching Gilmore Girls again, after a several month-long break.  I’ve also been watching Blue Bloods on Hulu, so I’ll keep watching that.  Oddly enough, it’s a CBS show (at least, Season 1 is), and that’s sort of confusing because CBS is weird, and only makes current shows available on their website.  But I’ll take it, even I need to hunt down the most recent season.

I actually really hate watching t.v. shows on the network websites, because I’ve always had HUGE issues with watching an entire episode.  Like, lots of buffering and poor issue quality, which really turned me off to watching stuff on the network site. Granted, that was several years ago, and it could have been my computer, but it was enough to make me never want to do that again.

Crochet:

There’s not much going on in the crochet department.  I’m working on another hat, and I’m currently looking at other projects, because I’m going to need one when my hat is finished.  Between Pinterest, ravelry and a few crochet books I have, I should be able to find something.  (And hopefully, I’ll already have the yarn for it).

Around The Internet:

There’s a lot of interesting stuff out there!

Like this article about an Oregon School Board reversing their pre-emptive ban on The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian.  Also: a school board gets rid of a summer reading list for incoming freshman, as talked about in this article.

I like this article that talks about where To Kill A Mockingbird would be shelved if it were published today.  It’s interesting to think about this in regards to other classics, and how people may categorize other books.

I’m not sure how I feel about a couple of the things mentioned in an article about YA heroines, but I do agree with the idea that we need to see all kinds of females in YA.  Also: this topic is a can of worms that really does warrant its own post.

A really interesting blog post about the grey areas of spoilers.  Eventually, I’m going to do a post on spoilers, because I can’t limit it to a couple sentences.

The science of old book smell.  I know there are people who really do like the smell of books, but sometimes, I feel like people say that to make themselves look super-impressive and are just lying about it.  As much as I love to read, I’ve never understood why some people love the smell of books.

E-book bundling needs to be a thing, so I’m glad HarperCollins is trying something out.  HarperCollins (more than the other 4 major publishers) seems to be more on-board with trying this stuff out.

Also: the Nostalgia Machine is totally awesome.  90’s music, here I come!

Music: 

Speaking of music, I’ve been on a music kick this month!  Not enough to do a separate post, but I did get some new stuff recently so there will probably be more music next month.  Since this post is getting really long, I’m just going to leave you with a couple of my favorite songs right now.

1- Fancy by Iggy Azalea and Charlie XCX.  If you like Lorde, you’ll probably like Iggy.

2- Ain’t It Fun by Paramore.  I can’t stop singing along to this one.

I hope everyone has a great August and a great weekend!

Currently Obsessed With Interlude #2: The Article Edition

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So, there were several articles and blog posts I came across in June, and I wanted to share them in a separate blog post. Mostly because my last currently obsessed with post got super-long, and I didn’t want to make it longer, so why not do another post and add in a few thoughts?

  • The Stephen King Money tumblr, which you can find here.

I still find the idea of this blog hilarious and amusing.  It seems like she’s having fun with it, which is awesome.

  • Why e-books are awesome, courtesy of Buzzfeed.

Like I said a few days ago, it’s actually nice to see something highlighting the awesomeness of e-readers, instead of one of the millions of articles about why e-readers are all evil.  Still, can we maybe get past the idea that one is not better than the other, and that audio books, e-books and print have good and bad things about them?  And that people use some combination of the three, and not just one?

I just thought it was interesting, and I liked that Fangirl was the main focus of the article.

I love it when she does these kinds of posts, because they really resonate with me.  This one in particular, and I so agree with what she talks about in this post.

  • 10 Obnoxious Things Hard-Core Readers Say To People, over at Book Riot.

Random Thought: I kind of find certain segments of the bookish population to be more obnoxious than those who aren’t into reading.  Especially all the judgy-ness going in, which drives me up a wall sometimes.  If someone isn’t into reading, that’s cool, because we’re all different, and they’re just as interesting as a reader.

Sometimes pseudonyms confuse me.  Like, I get using one to distinguish between writing and non-writing lives, or even something like Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb and different names for different genres.  But…it’s slightly confusing when a name seems familiar, and it’s because the author has several (i.e., more than 2) pseudonyms, or they write in the same genre (YA paranormal, for example) under 2 or 3 different names.  I get wanting to having genres or whatever separate, but…sometimes it’s hard to keep up with, because I find myself searching for a series under the wrong name, particularly if there isn’t a lot of different in terms of genre.

  • This one made me cry.

It also made me think about my grandpa, who loved to read- and my reading life would be so different if it weren’t for him.

That’s all for today, and I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Currently Obsessed With Interlude: The Music Edition

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I normally share some of my favorite songs from the month in my currently obsessed with feature, but in June, I was on such a music kick that I decided I needed an entire post to share some of what I’m listening to!

The Fault In Our Stars Soundtrack:

After seeing TFIOS last month, I knew I had to get the soundtrack, because the music was amazing!  The entire soundtrack is amazing, and goes so well with both book and movie, but there are a few songs that I absolutely love.

1- Let Me In by Grouplove.  It just goes so well with both book and movie.

2- Boom Clap by Charli XCX.  It’s just a fun song to listen to!

3- While I’m Alive by STRFKR.  Something about the music makes me think of Another Brick In The Wall by Pink Floyd.

Julie Fowlis:

I’ve actually been a fan ever since I heard her on the Brave soundtrack, and I decided I needed to round out her music by getting the albums I didn’t have.  She’s a Scottish singer, and primarily sings in Gaelic, and even though I have no clue what she’s singing about, I can’t help but love her!

1- Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird a’ Chuain (My Love Is On The High Seas)

2- Puirt-a-beul Set.  This song totally makes me want to dance…

3- Tunes Set.  …and so does this one.

4-Ho bha mi, he bha mi (Ho I Was, He I Was).  Such a beautiful song.

2Cellos:

I first came across them on Pandora, and I love that they do covers on the cello!  I don’t normally seek out covers, especially acoustic ones, but I actually liked listening to it without looking at the songs just to see if I could figure out which song I was listening to.

1- Smooth Criminal.  I shared this last time, but thought it was worth sharing again!

2- Use Somebody (originally done by Kings Of Leon).  It’s my other favorite song by them right now, and I just love it.

An Assortment Of Songs

1- Sing by Ed Sheeran.  I totally thought this was a Justin Timberlake song at first, before realizing it was Ed Sheeran.  It’s such a fun song.

2- Interception from the Beautiful Creatures soundtrack.  I’ve been listening to it a lot lately.

3- In Your Grave by Jaymes Bullet.  For some reason, I can totally picture this song on Nashville.

So…that’s actually quite a bit of music!  I’m actually going to leave you with one more song- 10k Tattie by Manran.