Tag Archives: crochet blankets

Currently Obsessed With: February 2020

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Hello friends!

I can’t believe we’re in March.  A year ago, we had no idea how much our world was going to change.  It’s been the longest and slowest year, I swear.  But here’s the highlights from last month.  Enjoy!

Inspired By:

  • Nature.  I’ve been taking walks during my lunch, just to get outside, and it’s been nice to get outside.  Especially because I work in a somewhat rural area.
  • School.  I’m just over a month into spring semester, and I feel like I’m learning so much!  One of these days, I’m going to have to do another school update, but I just really want to keep learning.  Learn is my word for the year, and that’s another thing I’m to have to talk about.  Hopefully, soon!

Watching:

  • Greenhouse Academy.  I liked it!  There’s a lot of cool technology and something about it almost felt really sci-fi/fantasy but I’m not sure why.
  • To All The Boys: Always And Forever.  I cried so much watching this movie.  I love Lara Jean and seeing how much she’s changed!  I absolutely loved this movie!
  • Dare Me.  This was dramatic but entertaining.  The relationship between the Coach and Addie really creeped me out-  I got total inappropriate student-teacher relationship vibes from it, but not in a romantic way.  I still liked watching it, though, and I’m disappointed there’s not another season.  Or at least more episodes, because I wanted more!
  • Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina.  I know I said this in my January recap but I got distracted by other things, and finally made my way to the 4th season.

Reading:

  • I listened to a few audio books!  I don’t know why but I just wanted to sit and listen to something.  Which is how I ended up listening to three audiobooks last month.
  • Also: Textbooks.  I feel like that’s been most of my reading last month, but it’s just a part of school.

Thinking About:

  • School.  I have school on the brain!  Not surprising, considering spring semester started last month.  It was a busy month while I got settled into school.
  • How I communicate.  I’m taking an intercultural communications class right now, and it’s been really helpful!  I’m glad I’m taking it, because I’m not only learning a lot about how I communicate, but how I communicate with people from other cultures.

Listening To:

  • You’re Wrong About.  I’ve known about this one for a while, but I finally started listening to it.  I loving hearing about things I’ve heard about, but aren’t familiar with, and how differently I see things after each episode.
  • One Strange Thing. I love this podcast!  The episodes are short and sporadic but really interesting.  You get really old news stories that have been forgotten about.
  • Crimes Of The Centuries: This is a good one!  It’s historical true crime, and each episode is about a different crime that was a big thing when it happened, but isn’t talked about anymore.

Dream Life:

  • I couldn’t remember any of my dreams!

Researching:

  • Honestly, nothing for this month.

Eating & Drinking:

Grateful For:

  • I got my 2nd COVID vaccine!  I’m glad that’s done, and I was able to get it.  I know a lot of people are having a rough time to get it for themselves and for family.  It’s bananas how differently people react to it, but thankfully, I only had a sore arm, and it wasn’t as bad as the first time.
  • Keeping up with yoga!  I did a 30 Day Yoga journey in January, and I kept it going last month.  Not every day but I did it a lot of days, which is more than I thought I’d do.
  • Getting into a school routine.  It was a little overwhelming the first week or two and then I got into a routine.  It’s good to have a routine, especially since there’s a lot to keep track of.

Good Things:

I’ve mentioned some of the good things in other sections, but here’s a few more:

  • I finished a baby blanket for one of my coworkers.  I have another one I need to get started on, so I’m going to have to make a Michael’s trip to get some yarn.  Not sure if I should go with different colors, or the same ones I did for the last blanket- she really liked the colors for the one I just did, so I’m leaning towards that, but I’m not sure.  We’ll see once I actually get to Michael’s.
  • I filed my taxes.  I’m glad that’s done and over with, and now I don’t have to worry about it until next year.
  • I meditated, and it was almost every single day!
  • I also did some meal prep!  I have some hamburgers and chicken strips in the freezer, and it’s really nice to be able to pull it out and heat it up.

And that wraps up February!  School was a big thing, so I wasn’t reading as much.  Not that I’ve reading a lot over the last year-ish, but school took over my life for a few weeks there.  Now that I’ve settled into a routine, hopefully I can get some reading and crocheting in there.

Have a great day,

Craft Corner: Current Crochet Projects And Journaling

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I’ve been meaning to talk about some of my crochet projects because it’s been ages since I’ve talked about some of the things I’ve made.  Hopefully I’ll talk about them a little more, but I don’t want to make any promises about how regular these posts will be.

One of my current projects is an Elf Hat, and the pattern can be found here.  I haven’t gone with traditional Christmas colors, but I wanted something really fun for it, and the yarn I used fit with that really well.

I’m also working on some slipper socks, and the pattern I’m using is super easy!  I really love the Caron Cake yarn, so the color blocking on it means the slippers are mismatched, but that’s okay with me, since I’m going to be wearing them at home anyway.  I’m pretty sure I can get at least one more pair out of the yarn I’m using.

I’m also working on a mermaid tail blanket, and while I can’t find the link to the pattern, it’ll be fun to work on.  I’m not very far with the pattern (as you can tell) because there’s a lot of counting in this part of it, and I haven’t had the mental energy to count.  At least for what I’d need to do for the pattern.  It’s going pretty slow right now, because I’ve been working on other things but hopefully I’ll be in more of a counting mood soon.

I also wanted to talk about journaling!  I really love journals and notebooks, and I have more notebooks than I know what to do with.  I’m really excited about this new journal I got at Mysterious Galaxy called The Severed Moon.  It’s from Leigh Bardugo, and there are prompts and quotes from all of her Grishaverse novels.  I’ve only done a couple of the prompts from it, but I’ve really enjoyed it so far.  Plus, it’s really pretty and there’s something very magical about it.

Even if it ends up being a sporadic thing, I also feel like I’ll get a lot of inspiration from it, so it might be good during NaNo when I’m stuck and need a break.  Or if I need some inspiration in my day to day life.  I’m really good at buying journals and starting them but I’m terrible at keeping up with them.  But I also really miss it because I used to do it all the time in high school and college, and then it just dropped off.  Maybe this journal will get me back into journaling more regularly.

Oh, back to crocheting really quick!  The backdrop I used for all of the photos is a blanket I made a few months ago.  Usually I just use my dining room table if I need to take pictures for the blog, but I decided I wanted to do something different.  Plus, it’s pretty and colorful and a lot easier then clearing off a table every time I want to take a picture.  I really do need/want a different set-up every time I want to take some pictures.  It’s something to think about.

That’s really of the crafting I have going on, so that wraps up today’s craft talk!

Currently Obsessed With: May 2017

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Currently Obsessed With is a once-a-month feature where I talking about my favorite things from the last month.

May was fun!  I find myself needing to review quite a few books…but unable to find the motivation to sit down and write them.  They will be coming, though, I promise.  Maybe I’ll start going to the library or Starbucks or something once or twice a week to get myself back into writing and blogging, since that’s the only place I seem to be productive these days.

For whatever reason, I’ve had a hard time writing at home, and I really have to sit down and force myself to do it. But if I’m not at home, I’m perfectly fine.  It’s weird, because while I’ve always managed to write at home just fine, it’s never been this hard.  I’m randomly in the mood to blog, but maybe the lack of motivation is a weird way to get me to take a break?  I haven’t really taken a break from blogging since I started back in 2010.  I can’t believe it’s been that long, but maybe it’s overdue.  I’ll be glad to get back to it consistently because I really miss it.

Books:

I did buy a few books last month!  I got The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye, Soldier by Julie Kagawa, and Binti and Hello, Moto, both of which are by Nnedi Okorafor.  I also got a couple of cookbooks: Joy The Baker’s Over Easy and Five Ingredients Or Less Slow Cooker Cookbook by Stephanie O’Dea.  Now that it’s summer, it’s pretty much time to dust off my crock-pot and find some new recipes.

I know it sounds weird, but I use the crock-pot more during the summer than any other time of year. It just gets so hot that I don’t want to turn on the oven or stand over a stove and cook anything, and the crock-pot is a pretty easy (and wonderful) way to cook that doesn’t require the oven or the stove.

I’m actually really excited about the slow cooker cookbook, because I really like her recipes- the ingredients are things I either have on hand, or things I can find easily at the grocery store.  I can’t wait to start making things from it.  I’m also really excited about the Joy The Baker cookbook too.  I have her other cookbooks, and I love her recipes, so I had no hesitation in ordering it online.

I also got The Rose And The Dagger by Renee Ahdieh and When Dimple Met Risha by Sandhya Menon from Audible.

Crochet: 

I’m still working on the blanket I mentioned last month!  I still don’t know what I’m going to work on when it’s too hot to work on it.  I’m going to have to find something in the next couple of weeks, because I figure by the end of the month, I’ll have to set it aside.

It might be the perfect time to work on a Viking hat- I’ve always wanted to make one, so I might start on that first. I also ordered a beginner embroidery kit from Etsy, since I’ve always wanted to try my hand at something besides crochet, and that seemed like a good start.

I also have this shawl that I started last year, and I’m considering going back to it.  It’s been in time-out for a long time, because the stitch count is completely off, and I didn’t want to keep going…but I also didn’t want to frog it either.  At this point, I’m considering frogging it and starting over, because being off on the stitch count is really bothering me.

Crocheting something that required a lot of attention during my lunch was not a good idea- I eventually switched over to projects that didn’t require any (or minimal) counting because then I wouldn’t lose track of where I was.

I’m also considering doing something made out of granny squares- I’m towards a blanket (of course) or a bag. Making the squares will be fun, but I’m a little hesitant because eventually I will have to put the squares together and there would be so many ends to weave in.  I have the feeling that they may sit there for a while before I get around to doing that.  By the time I have enough for some sort of project, summer would be over though.  Since I’m not sure what to make with them, I’d probably skip over the one method of attaching the squares where you do it as you go along.

T.V./Movies:

Let’s start with movies!  I saw Guardians Of The Galaxy, and it was fun.  Which wasn’t surprising, considering the first one was fun, but Groot was my favorite part of the whole movie.  I have the soundtrack, but have yet to listen to it- I liked the music but not as much as I like the music from the first Guardians Of The Galaxy.  I did really like a couple of the song, though.

I never made it to Everything, Everything, which I want to see, but I don’t know that I want to see it enough to see it in an actual theater.  Also, there aren’t a lot of showings, and none of the times work super well for me. They’re not horrible, but I don’t want to see the movie enough to make it work.

As for t.v., I’ve been watching The Crown on Netflix!  I really like Matt Smith in it, and I wasn’t sure if I’d like him in it.  And I’m not sure who’s playing Queen Elizabeth, but I really like her!  I also watched a few episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale, and I like it, but not as much as I thought.  It’s hard to watch- mostly because it’s something I can see happening.  Not to the degree that it’s happening in the show, of course, but so much of what’s happening seems so very familiar, and not in a good way.

I haven’t read the book, though, so I wonder if maybe that’s why I’m not as excited as I thought?  In a lot of ways, I’m glad I got to watch it before reading the book, because I don’t have the book to compare it too, and I can go into it with a fresh set of eyes.  Plus, the wait list for the audio book is really long- it’s narrated by Claire Danes, which I think will be cool/interesting.  I did try reading it a few years ago, but it didn’t work for me, so I’m hoping the audio will work better for me.

As for what to watch next…I’m not sure what to go with next.  Nothing is really jumping out at me, but I’m considering watching this series called The Keepers.  It’s about this nun who was murdered, and the connection it may have to a priest who was accused of abuse.  I’ve heard a lot about Anne With An E, so that’s on the shortlist. I’ve only the first couple of books, and that was when I first started blogging years ago, so maybe I’ll watch it and then re-read it.  And I haven’t watched the latest season of The 100, so I’m between those 3 for now.

I haven’t listened to many podcasts lately, so I’m super behind on those.  I’ve given up hope for catching up on Gilmore Guys and Alohomora- their episodes tend to be long (especially Gilmore Guys, those 3.5/4 hour episodes kill me sometimes), and it’s hard to get through anything that’s over an hour-and-a-half tops.  But since I’m not really in the mood to watch anything, maybe I’ll switch over to podcasts for a while.

Around The Internet:

  • I don’t think about what it’s like to be a truck driver, but this article about truck drivers is pretty interesting.
  • I always wonder about storing certain foods (especially produce), and this list of resources seems like it will be really helpful.
  • I really like this article about writing ASL.  It’s such a visual language, and I wonder if some of the points mentioned in the book are why I had major issues with Soundless by Richelle Mead.
  • There are two interesting articles about some of the changes made to what the Librarian Of Congress can do.  You can find them here and here.
  • I think trigger warnings are important, and I love this post about why they matter.
  • I’m still on the fence about watching 13 Reasons Why- I was not a fan of the book, and from what I’ve heard about the t.v. show (from sources I trust), I’m not sure it’s for me.  I do want to know what people are talking about, though, so maybe eventually?  At any rate, there are a ton of articles and blog posts about the series, and this is one of my favorite posts I’ve seen so far.
  • I have yet to see the video, but this article highlighting a panel Chimamanda Adichie and Trevor Noah did on cultural identity in both literature and life makes me want to watch it even more.
  • If you’re looking for podcasts about food & nutrition, this list might be a good place to start.  I haven’t listened to any of them, but a couple have caught my eye.
  • Speaking of food: I made this lemon chicken, and it was really good!  Unfortunately, I went to make it, only to realize I took out a package of chicken thighs and drumsticks instead of all chicken thighs, but it was still really good with the drumsticks.  If anyone is wondering.
  • I also really liked this recipe for skillet chicken, and I like the idea of this breakfast meal prep.  I usually stick with oatmeal, since that’s a lot easier for me to prep, but I might do this every once in a while.

Fun Things I Did In May:

  • I did a Star Wars pub trivia thing with some friends.  I am completely horrible with Stars Wars trivia, but it was still fun!
  • I went to a book signing for Injection Burn!  I know Jason, and it was great to go and support him and his book!
  • My birthday was a few days ago!  Car stuff took up part of my day- it turns out I had a nail in one of my tires, and that was why it randomly needed air, but thankfully it was able to be patched up.  I will need new tires pretty soon, though, but not right away.  On the plus side, my car is good, and there’s nothing wrong with it.
  • Back to my birthday!  I did wander around Old Town for a while.  They have this shop that sells coffee and tea, and I was in desperate need for both, so I stopped by and got some.  I love their Highlander Grog coffee and their black currant tea.  I also stopped to get some salt water taffy from Cousin’s Candy Shop, and it’s fun to see them pulling the taffy and cutting it up.  Plus, they usually have samples.
  • And I know I can buy olive oil and balsamic vinegar elsewhere (and for a lot cheaper) but I just really, really like this roasted garlic olive oil and fresh apple balsamic vinegar.  I also like that they have a tasting room, which I would never think to do.  And tacos!  It’s Old Town, so there are a ton of Mexican food restaurants, and since I was really hungry, I figured I might as well eat something, and fish tacos sounded really good.

June Things I’m Looking Forward To:

Honestly, it’s not much.  I am looking forward to the launch party for Now I Rise by Kiersten White, but that’s it. Maybe I’ll do something else, but who knows?  I have plenty of time to figure it out.

Music/Podcasts:

Well…I haven’t been listening to anything new, music wise.  I do have a couple of podcast recommendations I want to share.

  • I just started listening to The Baby Sitter’s Club Club, and even though I’ve listened to the most recent episode, plus their first episode, I am already a fan.  It makes me want to go back and re-read the series along with them, because I haven’t read those books in forever.  Even though it’s been a very long time since I picked up a BSC book, it’s still easy to follow along.
  • I also started listening to My Favorite Murder.  It’s worth checking out if you like true crime, and I think it’s pretty interesting.  I’m a few episodes behind, but I’m hoping I can get caught up soon.

That’s all for today!  Have a great Sunday!

Currently Obsessed With: April 2017

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Currently Obsessed With is a once-a-month feature where I talk about my favorite things from the last month.

I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these…probably because it’s actually been a while since I’ve done one!  Not a lot has been going on over the last few months, and my break from blogging really wasn’t intentional. But I think it was good because mentally, I just needed a break.  Now I feel more refreshed and focused on things again.

Books:

I have quite a few new books!  Over the last few months I got American Street by Ibi Zoboi, The Reader by Traci Chee, and Iron Cast by Destiny Soria.  The last book I got on one of their half-off sales, and I’m not sure what book I’m getting this month.  I’m thinking about The Rose And The Dagger, since I listened to The Wrath And The Dawn, and I’m a huge fan of the narrator.  But I’m still undecided.

I did get a few cookbooks!  I got the King Arthur Flour’s All-Purpose Baking Companion, which I love, even though I’ve only made a few things from it.  They’re my go-to when I want to bake, and I’ve had my eye on that cookbook for a while.  I also got the Damn Delicious cookbook– I’m a big fan of her blog, and her recipes are really easy and are really good!  The last cook book I got was 30 Minute One Pot Meals.  I really like the recipes in this one too.  I’ve made a few things from it, and they all came out really good.

As for e-books, I bought Talon and Rogue by Julie Kagawa, The Storm Siren Trilogy by Mary Weber, These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker, The Only Thing To Fear by Caroline Tung Richmond, Caraval by Stephanie Garber and Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones.  I also pre-ordered A Court Of Wings And Ruin by Sarah J. Maas.

Crochet:

I’ve been crocheting a lot!  I made a baby blanket, some baby booties, and a baby beanie for a co-worker, and I made a blanket for my Grandma for her birthday a few months ago.  Well, it was in progress way before that, and I thought about giving it to her at Christmas, but there was no way I was going to finish it in time if I wanted it to be a Christmas present, so it turned into a birthday present.

I am working on another blanket- I’ll probably keep this one for myself- but I’m going to have to find a non-blanket project soon, since in the next month or two, it’ll be too warm to work on the blanket.

T.V./Movies:

I saw a couple of movies recently!  I saw Kong: Skull Island, which was fun.  I also saw Beauty And The Beast, which I loved!  I’ve also been re-watching Star Wars in preparation for a Star Wars-themed trivia thing that I’m going to this week.

I’ve watched a few episodes of A Series Of Unfortunate Events on Netflix, and I’m on the fence about 13 Reasons Why.  I didn’t like the book, but people at work keep telling me I need to see it, so maybe I’ll watch it eventually? I’m also curious about The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu, and even though I’ve never read the book, I’ll definitely be watching it soon!

Around The Internet:

This one is several months old at this point, but here are the reasons why some libraries are getting rid of their late fines.

This also also a little bit old, but I love the photos of the U.S.-Mexican border in this photo-series The Atlantic did.

I can’t begin to imagine not having access to pads and tampons.

I love to bake, and this article explains why perfectly!

I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t care if the book is better than the movie.  A good story is a good story, no matter how it’s told.

Here’s what happens when “And Then The Murders Began” is the second sentence of novels.  I don’t think I can pick a favorite.  They’re all pretty funny.

This blog post about the problems with #ownvoices LGBTQ books is really interesting.

I doubt we’ll come to a consensus on when to spoil things, but in general, I think it’s important to respect other people’s spoiler preferences.

Upcoming Things:

  • Star Wars Themed Trivia Night!  I hope I remember enough to be helpful, but either way, it will be fun.
  • My birthday!  I usually don’t do anything for my birthday, but maybe I’ll do something the weekend before.

Music:

  • The Cure by Lady Gaga.  This is currently on repeat.  I really love this song.
  • LA Devotee by Panic! At The Disco.  Why do I not listen to them more?  I used to love them, and then I just sort of stopped listening to them.  This is one of my favorites right now.
  • Restless by Cold War Kids.  I don’t remember when I first heard this song- maybe on the radio?  Anyway, I really like it!
  • Now Or Never by Halsey.  I really like Halsey in general, but this is my new favorite song…by her.



That’s all for today.  Have a great week!

Currently Obsessed With: January 2017

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Currently Obsessed With is a once-a-month feature where I talk about my favorite things from the last month!

Currently Obsessed With

 

January felt like such a weird month!  There was reading, but I just couldn’t get myself to actually review the books I read.  Some of them, anyway.  Hopefully, a trip to Starbucks or the library will do the trick, because attempting to write some reviews during my lunch break didn’t work out very well.  I feel like I mostly stared at pinterest, or curled up in bed the second I got home from work, which is super-weird for me.  I feel like I’m starting to come out of whatever funk I was in, so hopefully I’ll get back to reading and reviewing soon!

Books: 

Not a lot of book-buying happened last month!  Just Dawn Study by Maria V. Snyder from Audible, and that’s it.

Crochet:

I continued working on a blanket that I’ve been working on for a while.  I finished it last night, which is good, considering it’s a birthday present for my grandma, and her birthday is tomorrow!  I have a couple projects I need to get started on (baby gifts for a co-worker), and after that…I have no idea what to work on next.  I’ll figure it out eventually, I just need to get through the baby gifts first!

T.V./Movies:

I haven’t really watched anything- I’m just waiting for Beauty And The Beast to come out (which reminds me, I don’t even know when that is).  I haven’t really been in the mood to watch anything, but maybe that will change this month!

Around The Internet:

Why We Need More New Adult Books.

Why Libraries Are Awesome!

This is an interesting article on social isolation.

I also really liked this article about how one man helped shaped climate change.

Has anyone else read this transcript of President Obama talking about what books mean to him?  I thought it was absolutely fascinating.

Speaking of President Obama, I also thought this article about the letters mailed to the White House was really fascinating.

I never really thought about how restaurants prep for VIP’s before.

The ALA Midwinter award list has some amazing books and authors on it!  I really need to read March by John Lewis.

Things YA authors need to stop doing.

Also: Should authors agree with everything they write?

Music:

I’ve been listening to Brave Enough by Lindsey Stirling a lot over the last month!  It’s so good, and it’s interesting because she normally does a lot of instrumentals, with one or two songs that have vocals.  But the songs on Brave Enough are split between instrumentals and vocals, and those are the ones I ended up loving.  Here are two of my favorites!

Song #1: Brave Enough.  I can’t stop listening to it!



Song #2: Where Do We Go.  It’s another one I’ve been listening to constantly.



Currently Obsessed With: Wrapping Up 2016!

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Happy new year!  I hope everyone had a safe and fun New Year.  I spent New Year’s Eve with a friend, and we watched Clue the movie, played a game, and watched the Doctor Who Christmas special.  It feels like 2016 went by so fast, and it was an interesting year, to say the least.  It felt like so much happened!  I thought, instead of just focusing on December, I’d take a look back at the whole year.

Currently Obsessed With

Crochet:

This was the year of the crocheted blanket!  I made quite a few blankets- I finished three, and I’m still working on another one.  Blankets are so easy, and I don’t have to think about what I’m going to work on next, but I also want to work on something different, so maybe I’ll find some other projects to work on.  I’m hoping this is the year that I actually make fun hats for NaNo earlier in the year, instead of scrambling to make something in October.

Books:

I got quite a few of them!  I got the screenplay of Fantastic Beasts as a present, I got the first 2 Iron Fey books on audible, and I bought An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir and Sorcerer To The Crown by Zen Cho.  I wasn’t sure what to get on Audible, because I have my eye on quite a few new-to-me books.  Nothing seemed right, and when I was looking through my wishlist, I noticed the Iron Fey books and decided to get the first 2.  They are narrated by one of my favorite narrators, it’s what I’m in the mood for right now.

I also bought A Thousand Boy Wishes by Tillie Cole, and I pre-ordered The Hate U Give and Frostblood with a Barnes and Noble gift card.  It was so hard picking which books to get- I had a hard time deciding between 2017 releases, and I have the feeling I’ll be pre-ordering quite a few books this month.

5 Favorite Things I Watched:

  1. Stranger Things is really good, and one of my favorite new shows!
  2. Fantastic Beasts was my most anticipated movie this year, and I have three words: erumpet mating dance.
  3. Deadpool was fun!
  4. The new Gilmore Girls episodes did not disappoint, and I loved going back to Stars Hollow.
  5. Finding Dory was adorable.

Fun Things From The Last Year:

  1. My trip up to Oregon.  I went for a cousin’s wedding, and had a great time.
  2. All of the book events I went to!  In particular, the signings for the Welcome To Night Vale scripts, And I Darken by Kiersten White, Imprudence by Gail Carriger and The Beauty Of Darkness by Mary Pearson.
  3. I had a great time at the midnight release party for HP & The Cursed Child.  When Deathly Hallows came out years ago, I never thought we’d get another midnight release party, and it was a nostalgic night but also cool to have another midnight party for a Harry Potter book.
  4. NaNoWriMo- it’s come and gone, but I wrote at a lot of cool places, and I won.  I do want to go back to it at some point this year, hopefully soon.  If I wait any longer, I probably won’t go back to it.

Some Cool Things To Check Out:

Dinosaur Tail Feathers!  These look so cool!

National Geographic’s 50 Best Images Of The Year.

I have food on the brain today, because I want to make these french toast roll-ups, this Cheesy Beef Enchilada Rice Bake, this chicken parmesan casserole, these Asian Pork Rolls, and Bacon Cheddar Waffles And Chicken.

While we’re at, here some of my favorite links from the last year:

The 100 Most Influential Photos Of All Time

Amazing Photos From A Pilot

Here are some cool photos of the Northern Lights

One more picture-filled link: 20+ Rare Historic Photos

Anyone want to play Jane Austen Bingo?

I really need to make these crispy chicken thighs again, because they were AMAZING!

And I am so glad I came across this DIY Oatmeal Packet, because I now make my own oatmeal packets instead of buying them from the store.  I love oatmeal, and this so much cheaper!

Looking At Last Year’s Resolutions:

To be honest, I’m only doing the non-bookish resolutions, because I’m saving those for another post.

I did not crochet 52 granny squares, and I most certainly did not work on a chevron blanket I have sitting next to me. I also didn’t go out of my way to exercise, and I had a pretty good year.  My room is organized enough, though it could probably be a little more organized.  And I saved some money, but not as much as I wanted to.  I’m still not sure what goals I want to accomplish this year.  I have some reading-related goals, but absolutely nothing in terms of stuff that’s not reading-related.  If I can come up with something, I’ll be sure to share!

Favorite Picture I Took:

I didn’t take a lot of pictures, but the one below is my favorite.  It’s a photo of Mt. Shasta in Northern California.

Mt Shasta

Music:

I thought I’d share a playlist of my favorite songs from the last year!  Minus I Don’t Wanna Live Forever, because it’s not on spotify, but it’s one of my favorite songs right now.



I hope everyone has a wonderful and amazing year!

Currently Obsessed With: October 2016

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Currently Obsessed With is a once-a-month (but sometimes more) feature where I talk about my favorite things from the last month.

Currently Obsessed With

Crochet:

I don’t know if I mentioned it last month, but I started another blanket.  It’s going pretty well, and it’s a good time for blankets.  I was going to take pictures but then I forgot, and then I remembered, but at that point, I was too lazy and slightly distracted.  Maybe next month I’ll have pictures of the new one I’m working on and the one I finished.

I made a white infinity scarf.  It was originally going to be part of my Halloween costume, because I was going to dress up as Sadness from Inside Out.  I ended up making a last minute change to my Halloween costume because the hat was a disaster.  The pattern for the hat in the original pattern was working, and my stitch count seemed to be off no matter what I did, so I tried a different hat pattern.  That one didn’t work at all because the sizing was completely messed up, and based on the comments, I wasn’t the only one having a problem.  It was supposed to fit a teenager/small woman, and even after going up a hook size, it barely covered the top of my head, so I found a third hat pattern that actually worked.

Until I went to assemble all of the pieces- the eyes, the glasses, the eyebrows, and the hair.  Because I went with a different pattern for the hat, all of the measurements were completely off because the hat was too big for the pieces. At around 10 pm on the day before Halloween, I gave up and decided I was going to dress up as Fleur from Harry Potter since I had everything I needed.  I may try the hat again at some point but not for a while.

Books:

There was not a lot of book buying- the only thing I got was Kiss Of Broken Glass by Madeleine Kuderick from Audible.

T.V./Movies:

I didn’t see any movies but I’ve been watching Blacklist.  And for some bizarre reason, I starting shipping Ressler and Keen and I have no idea why.  (It may be time to find some fanfic for that).  I’m also glad Walking Dead is back, even though the season premiere was brutal and heartbreaking and I’m not kidding when I say that I was crying.  So many tears.

Around The Internet:

I can’t imagine having a stroke at the age of 26.

Cosmetology schools in prison is an interesting idea.

I LOVE bath bombs but I’ve never thought about making my own before.

I thought this post about diversity was interesting to read.

As someone who has read and written fanfiction, I completely love this list of why people should read it.

I also love this list of things you shouldn’t say to non-readers.

I need these bookish beauty products in my life.

November may be the perfect time to listen to Harry Potter Ambient Sounds.  I’m totally starting off with the Hufflepuff Common Room.

As someone who listens to both audio books and podcasts, I totally understand the dilemma of not having enough time for both.

Speaking of Harry Potter, here are 7 weird quizzes to take.

October Stuff:

  • I got ready for NaNoWriMo!  I already talked about it here, and I had the hardest time picking an idea.  I narrowed it down to two ideas, and I literally picked my idea an hour before November 1 by rolling dice. I’m not kidding.  It’s going well so far, and I have a little bit of a buffer.  Not as much as I was hoping for, considering I took November 1 off so I wouldn’t go to work exhausted (with either no sleep or very little sleep). But I did catch up on some old blog posts I needed to write, so it balances out.

Things Happening In November:

  • NaNoWriMo!  The one time I year I write 50,000 words of fiction.  It’ll be interesting, and that’s going to be my life for a month.
  • Fantastic Beasts is coming out!  For when I need a writing break.  Because I’ll definitely be needing some sort of break.
  • Also Thanksgiving.  Because pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes are really good!

Music:

I’m too lazy to actually put something together, but I’ll share my NaNo playlist next month.

Happy November!

Currently Obsessed With: September 2016

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Currently Obsessed With is a once-a-month (but sometimes more) feature where I talk about my favorite things from the last month.

Currently Obsessed With

Crochet:

Not a lot of crocheting has been going on, except for my blanket.  It’s still hot but it’s cool enough that I feel like I can sit under a blanket.  Once I finished the blue, I knew I had some decisions to make about how much bigger I wanted it to be.  I had 4 skeins I wanted to use, and with each color getting smaller and smaller, I decided it was time to finish the blanket.  The neon green/yellow/pink/orange was the last main color, and then I started the border, which was the really pretty pink and blue and the green and blue.  I like the color changes, and everything goes well together, but I kind of wish I had alternated between variegated and solid colors, just because I think the contrast would have been a lot nicer.

I had a fun time picking out a border, and this book of crochet borders is actually really helpful.  I had to pick a border once I made the decisions to finish the blanket so I would know how many more rows I needed to do, and I really liked the one I picked.  I’ve found with granny square blankets that a single crochet base row doesn’t work too well, just because the corners don’t lay completely flat, even with other rows.  Half double crochet works pretty well, so that’s what I ended up going with for the 1st row of the border.  The 2nd row was a puff stitch, and it wasn’t until I finished that row that I realized I did 2 puff stitches in the corner instead of 3, but it looks fine and I’m the only one who’s going to know. Considering it’s for me, it doesn’t really matter, and it’s too big to completely undo that entire round.

Since I used Red Heart Super Saver for the whole blanket, it’s super scratchy and itchy, and it definitely needs to be softened, so I still need to do that, especially if I’m not going to be using on my bed.

As for my next project, I’m not sure.  I am dressing up as Sadness for Halloween, so I’m going to make a hat and a scarf or cowl as part of my costume.  That will definitely be my main project for the month, but I don’t think it will take too long.  I also started ANOTHER blanket.  I have a lot of yarn I’m not sure what to do with, and I’ve done enough blankets this year that I’m kind of hooked on them now.

Books:

This was not a big book buying month.  I got the two new Nightvale books, which are just the scripts from the 1st two years, but there are forwards from different people and artwork throughout the book.  I haven’t read them, but I have flipped through them and they really cool.  I might read them while listening to the podcast, and might be a fun way to revisit the old episodes, which I haven’t listened to in a while.

I also got Veil Of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald from Audible.  I still have a couple of audio books from the library I need to get through, but once I do, I really need to start listening to the books I have from Audible.

T.V./Movies:

I haven’t made it to the movies, but I’ve watched Season 3 of Blacklist now that it’s up on Netflix.  And fall T.V. is back, so I’m watching my usual stuff, plus a few new shows!  I really like Designated Survivor so far, and there are a few other shows that look good/interesting but I haven’t had a chance to watch them yet.  I’ll probably talk more about it if/when I do.

Around The Internet:

Romance novels as feminist texts.  I really like to see positive stuff about romance.

I’ve seen a lot about the Bullet Journal but I never thought about using it for blogging/reading.  I’ve never considered using it, but now I might have to check it out.

Diversity and mythology– I haven’t looked at any of the links, but it seems like a pretty good list.  I feel like I’ve been saying this for a while, but I like when non-European mythology is in a book.  There are so many different myths and stories, and yet Greek seems to be really common in stories.

These photos taken by a pilot are amazing.

As are these photos of the Northern Lights in Norway.

I really like these tips from a butcher…even though I don’t go to one, and just get what I need at the grocery store.

September Stuff:

  • The Welcome To Night Vale book tour.  They stopped at Mysterious Galaxy for a Q&A and signing, so of course I went.  It was fun, and I loved hearing them talk about Night Vale.  Like, I had no idea that they take turns writing and editing each episode- I assumed they wrote the episodes together.  And they don’t give Cecil a lot of direction.  Instead, they just let him do his thing.  Sometimes, he does a different voice than what they expected or imagined, but it seems like they just go with it.  There’s a lot I could talk about, but those really stuck out. (I do like this blog post, which is written by the person who moderated the event).
  • My grandma went into the hospital last month, and she was there for a few days, but she is having trouble swallowing, so most of her food has to be blended/pureed and everything she drinks has to be thickened.  And she has pneumonia right now, but she’s okay otherwise.  I just haven’t had a lot of mental energy, so even though I read like crazy at the beginning of the month, it soon evolved in re-reading because I just couldn’t handle new books.  For the most part, anyway, but I think I’ll be back to my usual reading life soon.

Stuff To Look Forward To In October:

  • Getting ready for NaNoWriMo!  I have around 6 or 7 ideas, and I’m not sure which one I want to.  There’s the one I’ve been working on the last couple of Novembers, but have done no other work on, an original idea that has a 30 day outline, plus another original idea that has two chapters outline.  Plus 4 ideas for Harry Potter fanfics- one is outlined enough to get me through November, should I decide to write it.  One has about 10 chapters outline, one has a couple of chapters outlined, and one just sort of came to me recently, so I still need to outline it.  I’ll definitely be talking about it more sometime this month, and knowing me, I’ll probably pick closer to November.
  • Getting back into blogging.  I took an unplanned break, and most of what I’ve posted was already scheduled (which I’m glad I did, looking back).  But I have a bunch of reviews I still want/need to write, and I really miss blogging regularly!

Music: 

I’ll leave you with a couple of songs that I’ve been listening to a lot.

  • SOS by Joseph.  I love Joseph, but this is the only song I have from their new album..for now, but that should change soon.



  • Closer by The Chainsmokers and Halsey.  I don’t know why I can’t stop listening to this song but I’m just going to go with it.



Have a good October!

Currently Obsessed With: May 2016

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Currently Obsessed With is a once-a-month (but sometimes more) feature where I talk about about my favorite things from the last month!

Currently Obsessed With

May was a really good fun month!  I went to my cousin’s wedding up in Oregon, which I talked about here (and I shared a bunch of pictures too).  And, of course, I had my birthday, and it was pretty nice, even though I didn’t really do anything.  I don’t really get why people freak out about turning 30, because it really wasn’t a big deal to me.  If anyone has thoughts on that, I’d love to hear it, because it seems like people seem to freak out about turning 30 more than any other birthday, and it just confuses me as to why…

Crochet:

It’s been a good month for crochet!  Partially because when I went up to Oregon, I needed something to do in the car, and it was a good chance to work on stuff.  Like a cowl!  I love that it’s bright pink, and it’s pretty warm, but it was hard to do as a capelet.  As it turned out, it was a quite a few inches off in terms of circumference, so while it was good as a cowl, the capelet didn’t quite work.  But I’ll still wear it, and if I make one from this pattern again, I’ll either need a slightly bigger hook, or I need to do more chains to make it work as a capelet/cowl.  I do like it, though, because it’s really simple, and you just keep going until you’re done!

May 2016- Collage

I also started this shawl, and I really like the pattern.  It started off going pretty fast, but now it’s big enough that each row does take a little bit longer.  It’s taking longer than I thought, partially because it’s getting a little bigger, but I also think it’s because I’m using a small hook and a fairly thin yarn.  I’ve never worked with fingering weight before, and I’m still getting used to working with it.  It’s pretty yarn (and squishy, which makes it fun to work with) and I love that’s self-striping.  I’d definitely buy more of the yarn, but next time, I might do something that involves using 2 strands of it.  That could give it an interesting look.

And I’m still working on the blanket.  The yellow is done, and blue is next!  I’m not sure if I’ll keep adding colors after the blue is done, or if I’ll start on the border.  Maybe measuring the blanket is in order…it is big enough to keep me warm and sit under, and it’s going to get really hot soon.  Once that happens (and if it’s not done), it will definitely have to be put aside until it’s cool enough to work on.

Books:

I’ve been busy reading a lot, but I did buy a few books this month too!  I got The Cage by Megan Sheperd, The Girl Of Fire And Thorns by Rae Carson, plus the rest of the books in the Throne Of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas. I already had Throne Of Glass, and after reading Crown Of Midnight and Heir Of Fire, I knew I liked them enough to actually buy the e-books.

I also got The Daughter Of Smoke And Bone by Laini Taylor from audible.  I also bought Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto from audible.

I’ve read Daughter Of Smoke And Bone, and I’ve tried reading the 2nd book in that series a few times, but always put it on hold because I can’t get into it, so I’m hoping I’ll like the audio book more!  It helps that I really like the narrator they have for the series.

I’ve also been getting audio books from AudioBook Sync, which I did last summer too.  I still haven’t listened to those (I really should get them on my iPod to listen to when I’m driving to work), but I love that they have such a wide range of books.  And I love that they’ve paired classics with newer books.  Some I already have, and there’s a couple I either have on audio already, or it’s one I’ve read, and didn’t like.  But there’s a bunch I haven’t heard of, and I’m looking forward to actually listening to some of them.

T.V./Movies:

I saw Captain America, and I thought it was completely awesome!  I don’t always get to the theaters for the other Marvel movie they do, but the main ones are getting better and better in my opinion…I think this one is my favorite so far!

I also saw X-Men: Apocalypse, and for me, it was entertaining but just okay.  But maybe that’s because the last X-Men movie I saw was the first one- I haven’t seen any of the others until this one, so it stands on it’s own pretty well…but I was probably missing things from the previous movies.

As for t.v., I’ve been catching up on stuff (mostly Nashville and Agents Of Shield since I’ve been way behind on both of them), but it seems like t.v. is winding down until the fall.  At least for me, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll actually start something new this summer.

Around The Internet:

These fish tacos are really good!

I love these diagrams of family trees in Greek, Norse and Egyptian mythology.  It makes them seem more clear somehow.

The kitchn has a really good guide to storing tea.  I drink tea, but not the way I drink coffee…but I think it has some pretty good tips.

And on another tea-related note, is loose-leaf tea really better than tea bags?  Which reminds me, I do need to get some more loose-leaf tea.  I have a place here in San Diego, but I’m always looking for more places.

I thought this article about wellness and healthy eating was interesting.

This Jane Austen Bingo makes me wonder how it would work as a drinking game.

I need a reading nook.  These make me want one so bad.

This post about whitewashing in The Hunger Games movies made me think a lot, as did this post about things to keep in mind when talking about books with LGBT characters.  And from The Huffington Post: 4 myths about reverse racism that need to stop.

This post about movie adaptations: a million times yes!

Should we stop worrying about spoilers?  Maybe, but it probably depends on the person.  Either way, this article was a pretty interesting read.

You can find all that and more over on pinterest!

Music:

I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve done an actual, official playlist, but I’ve been listening to quite a few songs lately, so I figured it was warranted!

Have a great day!

Currently Obsessed With: April 2016

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Currently Obsessed With is a once-a-month (but sometimes more) feature where I talk about about my favorite things from the last month!

Currently Obsessed With

It’s May!  I can’t believe it’s May already!  I found a dress for my cousin’s wedding this month- I’m glad I found one, because I kept putting it off, and if I hadn’t found one…I think I would have been scrambling!  And I’ve been feeling a little sick for the last week or so, but I think I’m mostly over it, so that’s good.  Other then dress-shopping and and feeling a little sick, April was pretty boring, but at least this month will be really fun!  Plus, my birthday’s this month too, so that makes it even better!

Crochet:

I’ve been crocheting a lot this month!  I’ve made slippers (that ended up being a little too big, but whatever), a soap saver, and I’ve finished a couple of blankets.  I’m still working on one for me (using this pattern, it seems to be my go-to pattern for blankets), and I’ll be adding yellow next, then blue, and after that, I’m not sure.

Crochet- April 2016 Collage

I really like the idea of granny square blankets.  For one thing, it’s really easy, and after about 3 or so rows, I don’t have to think about it, because it’s so repetitive- in a good way, though.  Two, it’s easy to make it as big or as small as you need it to be.  I’ve used the same pattern for 3 finished blankets, and one currently in progress, and it’s easy to customize the size to what you want/need it to be.  And three, you don’t need to worry about the sides getting all crooked, or stitch count or anything.  Which is partly why it’s such an easy pattern.

I really wish I thought to get a picture of the soap saver before I starting using it.  This pattern is pretty awesome, but I don’t know that it’s best if you’re using the last little bits of the soap bar. They keep coming out, so if I make another one, I might try going down a hook size or two to see how that works.

I have a few projects in mind, so I might start on one of those.  Especially since it’s going to start getting a lot warmer, and working on a blanket won’t be very practical.  It’s big enough to cover me up when I’m working on it, and it’s pretty warm, so I might have to set aside once it gets too warm to work on it.

Books:

Not a lot of book buying happened last month.  I got Naughts & Crosses from Audible, and I have a bunch of e-books on hold for the library- I’m hoping I get at least some of them in time for my trip up to Oregon, but even if I don’t, I still have plenty of reading material!

T.V./Movies:

I finished re-watching Grey’s Anatomy, and I’ve since picked up my re-watch of NCIS!  That’s really it, other than my random assortment of shows I watch.  Plus the stuff on my Netflix queue that I’ve been putting off in favor of re-watching Grey’s and NCIS.

As for movies, I’m excited about seeing Captain America!  Really, really excited!  I never did make it to see Allegiant, but I know there’s another one coming out next year, so I’ll just have to catch up before then.

Around The Internet:

This post about criticizing characters with mental illness very accurately describes my struggle with reviewing diverse characters in general.  It’s very interesting to think about!

I love, love, love this post at The Perpetual Page Turner about reading Harry Potter at the age of 30.  All experiences with Harry Potter are magical!

And reading as a blogger vs reading as a reader…this post is worth checking out!  How I read now is very, very different, but I think it’s still possible to read as a reader/for pleasure instead of reading critically.

I’ve been on an enchilada kick lately, and these chicken and spinach enchiladas look really, really good!  Having I don’t know how many things of chicken in the freezer because of 50% off sales on chicken at the grocery store almost every single time I go means I need a lot of chicken recipes. Good thing I have some shredded chicken in the freezer!

I don’t usually make pancakes, and when I do, I definitely reach for the box of Bisquick, but these Funfetti pancakes look really good.

I do tend to eat oatmeal for breakfast during the week, and this DIY oatmeal packet seems like a far easier and cheaper option than buying the pre-made packets!

Music:

I haven’t been listening to much music, but there are a few songs I’ve been listening to a lot!  I’m feeling lazy, so no spotify this time, but maybe next month, I’ll have more new music!

  • Piece by Piece by Kelly Clarkson.  For some reason, this song makes me cry.  A lot.  But I love it anyway!
  • Also: 7 Years by Lukas Graham.  A couple lines make no sense (and one sort of bothers me), but overall, I really like this song!
  • And New Romantics by Taylor Swift.  I’ve been listening to it a lot lately.

Have an awesome week!