Summer 2017

It's my last official day of MY summer and I'm sitting in MY favorite spot (the coffee shop), reflecting on MY summer. While it wasn't quite the adventure of last year, I have a lot to look back on. The summer started off great. My hubby and I celebrated our nine year wedding anniversary at the fair in Del Mar. Was that an interesting adventure!! The fairgrounds were beautiful. We stayed at the Hilton, right across the street from the fair. What a convenient location to stay. We didn't have to bother with traffic, driving a car or paying for parking. We just walked to the fair. The hotel itself was pretty. Our room was standard. They had a beautiful pool, which we didn't use and an amazing bar in the middle of the grounds, with a fire place, where we could relax on couches. 

I've decided that the Orange County Fair is my favorite. Unfortunately, I didn't make it this year. By the time the OC Fair rolled around, I was very sick and we couldn't go.  I'm very upset that I missed out on Terrie's Berries. I don't like the fried fair food, so Terrie's Berries candy apples are my one splurge. There's always next year. I think we may hit up the LA county fair this year. It's been ages since I've gone and I don't think my husband ever has. 

The summer blockbusters were a bust. I didn't find much to be happy about when it came to the movies this year. Nothing really peaked my interest. There were a few I loved. Wonder Woman was amazing. I loved it! Girls Trip was super funny and The Glass Castle was great too (not funny at all). During the summer I'm usually at the movies at least once a week. Not this year. Every year I make two lists. My 10 favorite movies from January to June and then from July to December. 

I read a few books, but then stopped when I got sick. I only read three. Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella, Pretty in Plain by Jen Lancaster and Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts. I've never read a book by a Nora Roberts or a Danielle Steel or a Janet Evanovich or any other author in this genre. I always felt that they were beneath me. I know that's smug and snobbish, but I have seen the light. The book wasn't bad. It was readable and fun and quick. Since it's a trilogy I have two more to go. I started reading Voyager by Diana Gabaldon. This is the book I stopped when I got sick. I love the Outlander series and have to finish this before season three this fall. 

I spent some time at the gym. I was going a lot at the beginning of the summer but stopped when I got sick. I was out of commission completely for two weeks. I didn't leave the house unless it was to a doctor's appointment. I started to emerge the 3rd week, but really maintained and continue to maintain a low profile. 

I did a no makeup buy for July and shopped my stash all month long. I have a lot of makeup. Every week I change out my eye shadow palette. I hit pan in my Sweet Peach Too Faced palette. I love that one the most. It sat on my nightstand for the weeks I was out of commission. August 31st Too Faced is coming out with their Peaches and Cream line and I'm ready. There are a few things I will be getting from that line. I didn't get much from the original line. I bought two of the lip oils and of course the shadow palette. I realized I never posted a review of the Sweet Peach palette. I'll hold off until I purchase the Peaches and Cream.

August also saw the Grand Opening of the NYX Cosmetics store in the Cerritos Mall. The Ultimate Multi Finish palette in Sugar High is amazing. I also bought the Epic Ink in Hearbreaker. It's a stain and I love it!! They were having an online sale so I bought another palette in Warm Rust and two of their Pin-Up Pout Lipsticks in Bombshell, a hot pink and Darling a light pink. Both of these palettes are great complementary palettes to the Too Faced Sweet Peach. NYX is beginning to be my favorite drug store cruelty free brand.  

When we were in San Diego, I bought a few things from 100% Pure. I've seen the brand at the Del Amo mall, but never tried anything from them. I'm trying to be more organic and pure. 

I also bought some makeup from Kiko. They're cruelty free too and I can't wait to try it out! My mom and I stopped at the mall after one of my doctor's appointments and this was my treat. I had to have a blood test that day. Instead of a sucker, I got makeup. 

My car was in the shop the first few weeks of the summer, so we were down a car. I got up every morning at 6:10 and drove my hubby to work. I would go back home and nap, but it wasn't the same. 

I bought a new laptop! It's what I'm using to write this blog. The same day, we celebrated my hubby's 47th birthday. 

I didn't see many of my friends this summer, with the exception of a few. Again, it's because I got sick. 

I spent a lot of time with these friends. Sammy and Mia playing in a box.

I love spending summer days with my dogs. They're the cutest and the best. My Mia had surgery. The day after her surgery I was in the ER.  I'm glad I had my little buddies to keep me company while I recovered. Mia went to the groomers a week before her surgery and came out with a pink tale.

After the groomers

After surgery. Sweet baby girl.

My mom bought a beautiful new bird. I love animals. 

One final great thing of the summer, my nephew had his major league pitching debut. I won't talk about who he is, but as a family we couldn't be more proud of his accomplishments. The middle of July, he pitched against the Angels. So many family members and friends came out to show their support.  Watching him pitch has been a major highlight of the summer. 

My summer is over and while that's sad, I have so many things to look forward to coming up in the next few months. The hubs and I have a few trips planned. One to Vegas (we go every year) and the other to Chicago!! I've never been and can't wait to explore the city. 

The Devil and Miss Prym Review

It's been a very long time since my last blog, more than six months.  I've been neglecting it I know.  So many things have happened, a New Year has come and gone.  The title of my blog is severely outdated, I'm another year older and a few grays wiser.

In January I read a book called "The Devil and Miss Prym" by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho. It's about the inhabitants of the village Viscos.  A stranger enters the town with 12 gold bars and a proposition to determine whether or not men and women are just innately evil. The proposition presented in the novel; kill one of the villagers before seven days are up to receive the good bars. It got me thinking can people truly be good or are we all evil? Interesting concept, but with what has happened lately in California, it makes me wonder.  In the last few months Orange County has been plagued with both Christopher Dorner and Ali Syed.

I don't think we are all born bad. On a bad day I've said I "have little faith in mankind." There are days that I do in fact believe my statement. However, if I was presented with this proposition, I could never do it, it's not even a temptation for me.  For the most part I'm good. As much as it pains me to say it, I'm not perfect, I make mistakes.  Being raised a Catholic and attending Catholic school for 12 years, I have to say Catholic guilt would get the better of me. The 12 gold bars wouldn't be worth the guilt I would feel later.

I wasn't completely thrilled by the ending of the "The Devil and Miss Prym".  The beginning and middle truly made me think of the importance of human life and that maybe there's hope for us yet.

Right now I'm reading The Host by Stephanie Meyer (I decided to try it even after Twilight, yuck!!).  Since most of America has already read the story, I won't give any plot information but once I am done I will review the novel.  It makes me what wonder would happen if our free will was taken away? For the record I'm not suggesting that it should, but would we be any better off?

WARNING:  "The Devil and Miss Pryn" is not for everyone! If you're not a thinker or you are a thinker but you just like to read happy novels as a form of escape, then don't read this.  This is a story about human nature.  But, because I like this type of novel, I will award it 4 out of 5 Pink Gerber Daisies. The ending was a little lackluster.

This time my quote will be a little different.  I am going to end this blog with a quote from the novel "The Devil and Miss Prym" by Paulo Coelho "The story of one person is the story of all of humanity" (Coelho 195).

Summertime is Almost Over

My summer will soon be coming to a close and work will start up again (only a week left). I'm anticipating a wonderful year.  Not much has happened this summer but the hubs and I had multiple "mini"-adventures.  I caught up on my reading, watched my Friends DVDs, one season at a time, went to more weddings than I can count on my one hand, and caught up with old friends.

I'm currently reading Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith, which I'm actually enjoying.  Grahame-Smith is the author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a book I also read.  I like them both, but Abe has a slight edge.  I love true stories! (wink wink)

Tim hasn't surfed in a while

Being funny at the fair

Timmons and I had a great time attending the OC Fair, in Costa Mesa, together twice this summer. There's nothing like going to the fair and enjoying chocolate covered berries or a caramel apple at the berry stand. We pass on all the gross fried stuff.  I wonder what they'll try to fry next year. Fair time is really the best time of the year for me. I love the Carnival of Products and the petting zoo. I can't wait for July 2013, can it be July 2013 yet? Tim went a 3rd time to see Duran Duran, a concert I skipped out on.  It was too hot and the idea of being on the lawn wasn't too enticing. I saw them in 2003, at KROQ's Inland Invasion, that's enough. 

In the petting zoo.

It's been extremely hot here this summer, so any way we can escape from the heat we do, even if that means sitting through a not so great movie.  Has anyone see The Bourne Legacy?  Movie time is always fun time, but I noticed we didn't go so much this year.

Feeding a deer.

I started working on my scrapbook.  I'm not one for "scrapbooking", actually I use another name for it.  But these long hot summer days I had to find something to do with my time. My first scrapbook is almost finished and while it took me almost 3 years to complete, I find it a great accomplishment. Next I'd like to tackle a scrapbook of our dogs, and then maybe be more adventurous and try my hand at a wedding scrapbook. I don't know, they take up a lot of time. 

Best Buds Forever

This summer I got to catch up with old friends I haven't seen in years.  That's the great thing about Facebook, getting reacquainted with friends I haven't seen in years. Oh how our lives have changed!

Since April, we've attended seven weddings.  While each and every one was lovely in their own way, Tim and I are "weddinged" out and are happy to spend some quiet time, alone with our little loves.


I can't say that this summer offered spectacular surprises or travel to exotic places, but it was still entertaining. Soon Tim and I will be accomplished ballroom dancers. OK, maybe not accomplished because were still in the beginning stages, but we can do a pretty mean cha-cha! 

Cutest dogs ever!!

To quote American Pulitzer Prize winning writer Russel Baker; Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it. I concur. It's been a very very hot summer!

Next month Tim and I will be headed to Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo in Los Angeles, to the Funniest Orange County Housewives Comedy extravaganza in Orange County and on a  Harbor Cruise of Long Beach (we got free tickets)!!  Looking forward to September!!

 

Summer!!

Have to say, it's been a very long while since I've posted on my blog, partly due to the craziness which is my life and partly because I haven't had much to say. I still don't have much to say. 

I've read many books that I've forgotten, I've seen many of the summer blockbuster films which weren't worthy to review. Haven't this year's summer movies been a tad mediocre?  A couple were good, The Avengers and Hunger Games I liked enough. I refused to watch the Hunger Games until I read the book.  I was a bit late to jump on the Hunger Games bandwagon after my disappointment with Twilight, but I thoroughly enjoyed the book, well the first chapter at least and then everything after page 130.  The movie exceeded my expectations, thank god! It's been so long since I read and watched the movie, I won't waste my time reviewing either, but read it and go see it.

My life changed completely, for the better of course.  After years dealing with layoffs, department restructuring and part-time and freelance work in Public Relations, I'm teaching again.  It's what I enjoy doing. I learned that, yes, I had the best of both worlds, but one fits better into my lifestyle.  I learned that I don't have to give up the things that I love.  I can still blog, still do a little bit of Public Relations freelance work, and I can still be a social media guru! I learned that I am resilient, strong and am capable of many things.  Life is good right now, I just need to take care of myself, lose some weight, get in shape, and try to be a little more laid back.  Things work out in the end, sometimes it takes going back to where it all began. Am I a success? Right now I think so!

Have a great start of the summer (at least it's my start).  I look forward to what the future has in store for me!

Unfortunately I had nothing to review, so I have no Gerber Daisies to give out. As usual I have quotes, three to be exact, all on the topic of success.

The world belongs to the enthusiast who keeps cool, William McFee, English engineer and writer
Though a tree grow ever so high, the falling leaves return to the root, Malay Proverb
You always pass a failure on the way to success, Mickey Rooney, American actor and entertainer

I'm Excited, it's my First Blog!!

This is my first blog. I’ve never written one so it may be a rough start, but I will try my best. At first I wanted to review books that I read, and I will, but I have more to talk about than just books. So I’ve decided to write about whatever is on my mind. Kind of like my own personal growth story.

A little bit about myself, first, I should say that I have been out of work since June of last year. It has been a pretty difficult time for me, but I have managed to keep myself busy with things that I enjoy. During this time I gained 30 pounds , (not something that I am happy about), but I am working hard to lose the excess of me that I don’t like and I will talk and be open about my struggle. Second, if I think it I usually say it, which at some times can get me into trouble. I am open, sarcastic and am willing to make fun of myself. I make many mistakes and therefore I am willing laugh at me and will laugh at others, when they are deserving of it! Third, my stream of consciousness is like a runaway train. I move from one topic to another, kind of like my life story. Fourth, I’m married with two dogs, (just had to throw that in!).

Now, enough about me and down to business, my first book review:

I recently finished reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. The story, without giving anything away, is about the effects that WWII and the German occupation had on the people of Guernsey Island. Guernsey Island is one of the Channel Islands, owned by England and located in the English Channel near France. When my book club suggested this book, I was not in the mood to read another story about WWII. I am in multiple book clubs and have read roughly five books on the subject. The title I thought was ridiculously hard to remember (and to write out in this blog). When I was looking for this book, I kept asking people for "The Potato Peel Society". Everyone still understood what book I was requesting and with good reason, it was great to read! It was quick and hard to put down.

The book is written as correspondence back and forth between The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society members and Juliet Ashton, who is looking to write her next novel. From here we learn why the members start their own book club and why it’s entitled, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Although this book is fiction and its characters are fiction, you can’t help but become engaged in their lives and think that they actually did exist.

This book went through the whole gambit of emotions from, sadness to happiness to just wanting to laugh out loud. Two of my favorite characters were Eben Ramsey and Isola Pribby.

Eben’s character was the most compelling and every time I read one of his letters I broke out in tears. Isola’s character was the most endearing. She reminded me of a feisty grandma, who like me, thinks it, says it and doesn’t care what others think. She made me laugh out loud when I really shouldn’t have been laughing.

Keep a pen and paper by your side when reading this book because keeping all of the characters in order was quite a challenge. The book really began to pick up when the society members were sharing their stories with Juliet.

Overall this book was a joy to read with compelling stories and characters. It is a book that I recommend.