Living in a fictitious world

I just went to see The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and I'm not too sure where my head is at right now. There's just something so perfect in seeing everything you imagined come to life. I was not disappointed, at all. 

Seeing a movie like that just made real the part of my life that I spend in fictitious places. When I read, I read 90% fiction. I find something so relaxing and compelling with reading fiction. Some people say it's not worth much because you're not learning. But I think they're wrong. There's so much to learn from fiction.

I believe that people who read for fun and read fiction have a greater developed range of emotions and are more capable of experiencing empathy and understanding others. I find it very easy to relate to people, to see many sides of a story and to adapt to different situations with ease. I'm not saying all of that comes from just reading, but I think it's helps.

But with an addiction to reading comes the inevitable down fall: the fact that you cannot spend all your time reading...work certainly gets in the way. I would love so badly for my career or my life to revolve around reading. Is there a job were you just read for a living? Were my childhood dreams of becoming a librarian really actually worth something? Or am I slated to be a closet fiction addict my whole life?

Needless to say, all I want to do right now is curl up in bed with my Kindle and new stack of Christmas books and read my hours away. But, alas, I must away to do some laundry and be practical for the work week is upon us.

Besides, I need to catch up on American Horror Story: Coven this afternoon!

Other Worlds

I have been reading a lot. Not a lot in the writing department but a lot in the reading department. For my 25th birthday at the beginning of August, my sister bought me a Kindle Fire. There has been a big inner debate for myself on whether to give up and just purchase a Kindle or to hold out and continue to schlep my lovely, heavy, bulky books everywhere with me. 

Sadly and not-sadly, the Kindle won.

I was always under the impression that purchasing an e-reader meant giving up on books altogether but I have vowed that when I read a book I like, I will TWICE support the book by purchasing it for my Kindle then purchasing a hard backed cover for my ever-growing library. I want to be able to pass down books to my children and my grandchildren. I'm just hoping they have my taste in books!

Along with reading a lot for me comes the influx of creative ideas. I've been thinking more and more how I want to write a book someday. I think it would be a sort of historical fiction or fiction or something loosely based on my life. I am slowly compiling a little book of ideas for myself to keep track of the people I meet, the places I go, the names I like for characters, etc. 

I recently have developed an obsession with a house in Rogers, AR that I want my book (or one of the books I write) to take place in. I have also started jotting notes down about people I've met in the past and people around me now for characters. I'm continuing my journey through life and through this moving a lot process with an open mind. I think these years is what will make my book freaking awesome!

While I have updated my reading list, (check out that page here), I have read a few certain things recently that I enjoyed:

I really liked this book. It was the first one I bought on my Kindle for my birthday and I really liked it. It's just a series of little stories and personal adventures from Kaling but I found it enjoyable to read and easy to read. It was nice to see that someone so famous now had a pretty normal (or I guess abnormal in a funny way) upbringing. I think it makes celebrities more relateble and likable when they share their upbringing, especially one like her's which is full of mistakes and screw ups  It makes me feel like I'm right on schedule!

Being such a huge Hunger Games fan, I tentatively jumped on this bang wagon. But I'm glad I did! I read a lot of (or have starting reading a lot of) dystopian society books, mainly because I really feel that we will get there someday and by reading these I will have advance knowledge on how to handle situations like this (haha yeah right!) This series is both very similar and very different to Hunger Games. It's a bit more modern and addresses some societal flaws that I think are a little closer to home then those in Hunger Games. But don't get me wrong...I am forever faithful to Katniss and The Hunger Games family. 

I just started the second book in this series, City of Ashes. And I'm actually currently update because I was reading the books before I saw the movies (because, common, who doesn't do that?!) and I'm been trying really hard not to see any pictures or trailers from the movie while I'm still reading the books. I like to have my own images in my brain of what characters look like, etc. And by Googling for this picture, I totally saw some stuff I did NOT want to see!

But regarding the book itself, I'm starting to enjoy it. I dislike the main girl right now, Clary. I think she needs to grow a pair. But I think I just have a beef with most female leads in books. I always find them a little annoying, but it's not stopping me from liking the story. The idea that we're surrounded by people/worlds that we cannot see is really interesting to me. I like the concepts of the marks and the magic and am interested to see where it goes! But I've heard the movie is shit...so...we'll see! I'll still see it :)

That's what have been on my plate reading wise lately! Any suggestions??

Beautiful Creatures.

Last week, I finished a book series that I absolutely adored. 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. That was some brilliant crime writing and such a captivating story. While the first book was amazing, the second I think was my favorite. The third, obvio, was really good but it went really deep and took a lot of concentrating to get through. However, I do feel satisfied even though it's over, and that's a rare feeling. Usually I feel sad, lost and lonely.

Last Thursday, a student at the dance studio where I work brought me a series to read: Beautiful Creatures. I started reading it on Sunday and am almost done with the first book. It's a really easy read and actually really captivating. Naturally, it has my three vices: magic, tragic love and high school.  

But I think the writing goes a little deeper in places. Reading a chapter (one of many, I stayed up way too late!), it seemed that the writers touched on a subject greater then two teenagers and their forbidden love (and magic, of course). The town in which this story is set is deeply afraid and prejudiced against anyone and anything "different." Maybe it's just where our society is at the moment but I thought this was a really interesting theme of the book. These towns people will go to any length to force a new person, someone who makes them uncomfortable, from their town. 

I'm just getting into the book but I'm hoping to start noticing more deeper themes. I think it has potential. When I'm finished, which I project will be in a month if  spend a week on each book, I'll let you know!

Has anyone read this series?

The Dirty Life.

Currently, I'm reading The Dirty Life. It's a story about a woman who suddenly finds herself uprooting everything she has been her whole life, falling in love with a rustic farmer and starting a farm from scratch with him.

Now, I've found myself, more often then not, totally relating to her, the situations she finds herself in and the path she chooses to take. I'm not exactly on a path like hers, I'm actually following that path in an arcing fashion.

Source.

I was raised more on a farm then not (meaning I did farm-esque chores and had more of a farm life then any other kid I was friends with. I know how to clean out animal pens, identify types of chickens by their egg color and clip wings while I don't know how to play Super Mario, I couldn't name more then two cartoon shows and I wouldn't be able to name all the charms in Lucky Charms). Some of the stories the author tells remind me of times on my parents land, the ridiculous things I've done in the name of 'farming' and what I plan to do with my life.

As much as I've tried to fight the farmers life, it's buried deep inside my soul. I have come to terms with the fact that I will spend the rest of my life somewhere within the vicinity of farming. Lucky girl I am, in my attempts to push myself further into urban life, I've found myself smack dab in the middle of a (really good) relationship with a guy who, at some point, wants to join the over-all wearing, straw hat totin', hoin' kind.

Fresh from my parents garden.

But I must say, reading this book has made me miss Oregon. I was walking to work this morning and I had some crazy deja vu about walking down the garden at my parents house, the familiar crunchy-squelch of the wet, muddy grass covered in half frozen leaves. The dogs running on ahead, occasionally barking at a squirrel who thought it was safe to exit the apple tree. I thought about opening the chicken coop, shooing squawking hens off the nests and carefully putting warm eggs in a tub. 

As I sit here, remembering the feel of the air, the smell of the grass and the sounds surrounding me, I can also imagine the scoffing my parents just be doing right now. It's hard growing up doing different things then all your friends. Of course, when I was 12 the last thing I wanted to do on a Saturday morning was clean out the rabbit run, shovel chicken crap or help stack wood, but as I'm getting older and moving to all these different, mostly more urban places, I miss those days.

The garden after my sister's wedding.

Maybe it's the time of year, with winter coming and the holidays close behind. I think I miss the warmth of the wood stove in my parents' kitchen, the smell of baking bread, the familiar puddles of warmth in bed as the hot water bottle heats the covers. I miss the tinkling of the front gate bell and the twinkle of the lights from the house shining through the holly tree out front. I miss my dog, Chasey, sleeping on her strangely over-stuffed yet too small for her dog bed and the silky soft cat who I swear will probably never die sneaking into the kitchen unnoticed by the dog to curl up on the chair by the wood stove.

It's so weird the things you miss as you get older.

Magazines.

Wanna know a secret?

I love magazines.

Everything from...

1.

to..

2.

There's nothing I like more in the summer then to claim a lounge chair by the pool/river/ocean/hose

with a tall glass of lemonade/water/punch/mojito

and a good magazine.

I have this system, you see.

First, I go through the magazine and look at the pictures.

Doesn't matter what kind a magazine it is, I always do this first.

Then I go back through and read all of the small articles.

How to properly line lip with lip liner.

What colors are coming in this fall.

Which is better, full fat yogurt or low fat yogurt.

How to get rid of those pesky stains.

Then I'll go back through again reading the full length articles.

I could do this every single day and be happy.

What magazines do I love?

3.

4.

5.

6.

Just to name a few.

Recently, however, I've started reading REDBOOK.

7.

When I told Jake I got a subscription to REDBOOK,

he told me it was for women of the older age.

...is it?

Granted, besides like one or two articles about babies or wrinkles,

it's just like any other health or beauty magazine.

I told him he doesn't know what he's talking about.

Long story short, I just got a new one in the mail yesterday 

but have yet to have time to read it.

Poo.

What are your favorite magazines?

Bloggy Blog Blog: What I'm Reading

As I work to expand my blog and my knowledge about blogging,

I do a LOT of reading.

A LOT.

I follow and read 37 blogs daily,

(Thank you Bloglovin!)

and try to keep lists and binders of inspiration!

So as I sit here catching up on some blog reading 

before I catch my train to work,

I decided that I want to post in honor of Spring this week 

and show you the 5 blogs I read that are talking about,

you guessed it,

SPRING TIME!

1. Camille Styles is everything I want to be and MORE. I don't know how I came across her blog but I am SO glad I did! Today she didn't really post about Spring necessarily but she did post about something that I noticed yesterday myself: All my friends are having babies! Check out her latest post but also stop by her inspiration section, it's wonderful there!

2. A new blog I'm following is EatDrinkChic based out of Australia! Her page is so pleasing to the eyes and has given me lots of inspiration! Check out her post for today, it talks about Spring fashion! 

3. Kendi Everyday is slowly working it's way up on my favorite's list!

I just love her fashion! I find myself shopping at the same places as she does 

she it makes me excited that one day I can have fashion posts like hers! Today, her outfit is just too adorable!

4. City of Dionne is a place I am still exploring but the first few glaces at the page are so aesthetically pleasing, you can't help but read further!

With a post titled Colors of the Sun, I couldn't NOT mention her!! So much color! it just brightens this day!

5. Dream Delight Inspire does all three of those for me! It's so dreamy, delightful and inspirational! She has such a variety of posts that I love. Today isn't about Spring, which would be the theme of my post, but she talks about dreams, and to me, that's Spring like!

I hope you enjoy reading what I'm reading! Maybe you can see where I get some ideas and who I idolize! I love that I idolize seemingly normal and everyday people!

What do you think?

Who do YOU enjoy reading??

Bloggy Blog Blog

Waking up in the morning is always hard.

I've always envied those individuals that can wake up and GET up all in the same hour period of time.

My favorite activity (much to my boyfriends disgust) is waking up and laying around in bed on the weekends.

Whether it's cuddling, laughing or catching up on some morning time reading, I just feel so relaxed and comfy in my bed!

One thing that helps me wake up and stay awake is reading.

I will usually hop onto Facebook to see what the world was up to whilst I was dreaming.

But lately, I've been Bloglovin!

It's a fantastic way to keep on top of the blogs you read.

And I read a LOT of blogs.

Speaking of, lets take a look at some posts from the blogs I love to read!

1. Food Coma is one of my favorites. Can you guess why?? YES! It IS because I love food! She just has some awesome recipes and is fun to read! It's currently on my to do list to make THESE delicious looking Southwestern Rolls.

2. A Beautiful Mess was the first blog I started reading. I don't remember how I came across this wondrous world of projects, recipes, crafts and style pointers. But it's such a great place to get lost in! Elsie really sparked my creative fire again! It's from her blog where I got my wreath ideas! Check her out! (And her sister, who writes for A Beautiful Mess AND Food Coma!) This blog also just won Best DIY Blog 2012! Totally deserves it, too!

3. Eat Sleep Cuddle is another must read blog I follow. She has such great photography and I love her style! Her labels make searching for something really easy, you just find a word in the cloud that fits what you want to see and click on it! I loved that idea and imposed in on my blog here!

4. Fork and Vine is extra-special to my heart these days since it's based out of Portland! Her blog is so easy to follow and fun to look at. I love all the posts about food, obvio, and am striving to build a recipe box just like hers! I want it to be summer so I can try THIS delicious concoction. 

5. Tomboy Style is moving up on my list of Must-Read-Every-Day blogs. While I love fashion, I don't really have any trends that are just mine, nor do I have inspiration that I've been looking to for years. Tomboy Style is really nice to just look through the book of ages when it comes to style. I love all the different women she features!!


Those are just 5 on the long, long list I have created on Bloglovin! What blogs do you enjoy reading daily, weekly or monthly?!