Book Club Friday

Hey y'all,

This Memorial Day I was able to get back into the groove of reading just in time for summer to start. I figured I would review the three I read and then it's on to what books I am eyeing for some summer reading. As always, suggestions are always welcome! 

I cranked out three teen novels this past weekend and I am about 75 pages away from completing another. So let's get to it:

Bad Attitude (B.A.D. Agency #1)

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I am almost finished with this book (as in once this post is done I am off to finish) but I love Sherrilyn Kenyon so I am going to go ahead and say I love this start to another series. 

It's described as:

BAD agent Sydney Westbrook must find the perfect sniper for a risky counter-terrorism mission. J.D. Steele, a military sniper whose attitude problem landed him in prison, seems a good candidate. But as they're dragged into a secret world of freelance killers, Sydney begins to discover the man of honor and passion beneath Steele's arrogant façade. It's a man even Steele didn't know he could be -- and a man whose mission will risk the life of the only woman he's ever loved...

How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True

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I love Sarah Strohmeyer's adult fiction so I thought I would give this a try. I think it is a cute story but not something I would say is a "have to read." 

It's described as:

From Sarah Strohmeyer, author of Smart Girls Get What They Want, comes this romantic comedy about one girl's summer job from hell. Think The Devil Wears Prada set in Disney World.

When cousins Zoe and Jess land summer internships at the Fairyland Kingdom theme park, they are sure they've hit the jackpot. With perks like hot Abercrombie-like Prince Charmings and a chance to win the coveted $25,000 Dream & Do grant, what more could a girl want?

Once Zoe arrives, however, she's assigned to serve "The Queen"-Fairyland's boss from hell. From spoon-feeding her evil lapdog caviar, to fetching midnight sleeping tonics, Zoe fears she might not have what it takes to survive the summer, much less win the money.

Soon backstabbing interns, a runaway Cinderella, and cutthroat competition make Zoe's job more like a nightmare than a fairy tale. What will happen when Zoe is forced to choose between serving The Queen and saving the prince of her dreams?

So Not Happening (The Charmed Life #1)

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The beginning of a series about a girl being forced to move to Oklahoma due to a re-marriage and the bumps of the transition as she tries to see God's plan in her life. 

Described as:

New York's social darling just woke up in a nightmare: Oklahoma. Problem is, it's right where God wants her.
Bella Kirkwood had it all: A-list friends at her prestigious private school, Broadway in her backyard, and Daddy's MasterCard in her wallet. Then her father, a plastic surgeon to the stars, decided to trade her mother in for a newer model.
When Bella's mom falls in love with a man she met on the Internet--a factory worker with two bratty sons--Bella has to pack up and move in with her new family in Truman, Oklahoma. On a farm no less!
Forced to trade her uber-trendy NYC lifestyle for down-home charm, Bella feels like a pair of Rock & Republic jeans in a sea of Wranglers.
At least some of the people in her new high school are pretty cool. Especially the hunky football player who invites her to lunch. And maybe even the annoying--but kinda hot--editor of the school newspaper.
But before long, Bella smells something rotten in the town of Truman, and it's not just the cow pasture. With her savvy reporter's instincts, she is determined to find the story behind all the secrets.
"How can a girl go on when her charmed life is gone and God appears to be giving her the total smackdown?

Legacy

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A story about a teen learning about her family history and about her mother's death all set with a boarding school and some witches. If you like paranormal teen series I think it is good to pick up if you need a read. I already grabbed the second book in the series from the library.

Described as:

When her widowed father dumps 16-year-old Katy Jessevar in a boarding school in Whitfield, Massachusetts, she has no idea that fate has just opened the door to both her future and her past. Nearly everyone in Whitfield is a witch, as is Katy herself, although she has struggled all her life to hide her unusual talents. Stuck at a boarding school where her fellow students seem to despise her, Katy soon discovers that Whitfield is the place where her mother committed suicide under mysterious circumstances when Katy was just a small child. With dark forces converging on Whitfield, it's up to Katy to unravel her family's many secrets to save the boy she loves and the town itself from destruction.

Summer Reads List

Gone Girl

The Pillars of the Earth

Good Christian Bitches

The Moon and More

Southern Charm

The Forever of Ella & Micha

The Ashford Affair

The Elite

Inferno

The Weird Sisters

...and more

What have you been reading lately?

WILW+OHP

Hey y'all,

I was completely thinking today was Tuesday but it's Wednesday, yay for short work weeks! So as usual it is time to discuss somethings that I am loving:

...my future roomie is currently out apartment hunting for our future place! I am so excited and I wish I was there right now but she has the day off and my schedule didn't really work out so I did a lot of the research and she will narrow down our choices.

Amarissa Leather Ballet Flat

...these beautiful flats are in the mail to me! I love my LAUREN by Ralph Lauren flats in gold I found at Marshall's last summer so when I saw the silver ones on sale for Memorial Day for under $40 I grabbed them. They are the most comfortable flat ever.

38 Signs You're From North Carolina

...this little article about my current home state (I'm a transplant but I relate to a lot of the list).

Saucony Women's Grid Shadow Genesis

...I went to Dick's Sporting Goods on Friday and found some great running shoes. I had begun to get a few shin splints and since my shoes were over a year old it was time to retire them from the running arena. While I am still really behind on my 5K training I am trying and I have a whole 25 more days to improve. My goal is under 45 right now but it looks like I might be running another 5k in September so this one is my first and I will have plenty of time to continue to train for September.

Mossimo Supply Odell Flat

...I found these flats at my Target for $3.24 no less in my size (yes, I did buy a lot of shoes this week.) They were the only pair I saw and since flats are my constant work shoe, and the fact that I had no leopard items in my closet these came home with me.

...While I was out on Saturday, grabbing my running shoes, I cruised into the Old Navy next door since they were having their Memorial Day sale. I ended up trying on two swimsuits(The mix & match halter style in navy/green stripe and the ditsy-floral knot tie bikini) since I love to swim and they were having a 50% off sale. Both suits I tried on I liked. This was a first to go into a store and not have to try on a million suits. My parent's have a pool and I have been swimming since the age of 2 so summer to me always meant a new swimsuit. When I got to the checkout I was so excited since both suits came up under $26!!!

Lilly Pulitzer 2014 Luxe Agenda in Shorely Blue First Impression

...this Lilly Pulitzer planner has me debating between an Erin Condren or Lilly for next year.

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...the Larry to my Bob and I are finally getting together to catch up this week. LE and I were both English majors and in the same pledge class of PBX. She graduated early though and has been in the "real world" a whole 1.5 years. I am so glad that we are both in the Triangle area so that we can continue our friendship. (and if you didn't catch the Bob/Larry reference you need to watch some VeggieTales).

LE & I back in Fall 2009! 

...starting on my Christmas list. I know that we are only half-way into 2013 but I am one of those crazy planners so whenever June/July hit I begin to dream of my future Christmas gifts. This year I mainly just have some DVDs for now but in the Fall I will share my completed list.

link up with Jamie

....these Pinterest finds for Oh, how Pinteresting with Michelle

The Frat Collection (and giveaway)

Hey y'all,

I hope that you are all enjoying your Memorial Day especially if you have the day off like I do. It is a great time to reflect on all of our blessings including living in a country that fights for freedom. To continue the start of summer I was recently contacted by a member of the Frat Collection's campus representatives and was given a beautiful shirt. I love a nice t-shirt for all of those barbecue/backyard events between friends and neighbors, it is the perfect mix of comfortable and cute. Now if you do not know, the Frat Collection is a young up and coming clothing brand which was started by two students from Millsaps College, and is aimed at college students and more. The Frat Collection is unique in that it allows the buyer to create personalized shirts, tanks, button downs and aprons; they currently provide over 2,000 pocket t-shirt combinations. They also give a small percentage of every order to the philanthropy of the buyer’s choice. The Frat Collection is rapidly expanding across the country to all colleges, as people are falling in love with all The Frat Collection has to offer, and it is a must have for every college student. I personally love a "frocket" shirt and norts for hanging out on the weekend running errands and they were a favorite of mine in college for those comfy study days or even class.

I received the beautiful Adelaide but I am currently crushing on the Cindy, the Ellis and the Sophia for my next shirt.

Now as well as receiving my beautiful shirt I also had a few goodies in my package and I want to share! So I am giving away the extra koozies (each winner, I will have three, will receive a Frat Collection koozie and 8 bowtie decal stickers to use, share and spread the word), just leave a comment below stating which pocket of the Frat Collection's line you love and you are entered. With barbecue season upon us I know that you will love to have a nice koozie to carry around. You have until Friday, May 31st at 5pm to enter.

And for all of you lovely readers to help you get started to have a comfortable, cute summer you can enter the promo code "millsaps" to receive a 10% discount (and don't forget to choose your Philanthropy upon checkout)! Also, if you follow their social media sites they often have coupon codes or even giveaways!

*I received the shirt and koozies by The Frat Collection, however all opinions are my own.

Sunday Saying

Hey y'all,

In honor of memorial day I thought I would share this pin:

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Peace and Blessings,
jDl

WILW + OHP

Hey y'all,

It has been a long week and it is only Wednesday! So here are a few things I am loving this week:

....Monday=Memorial Day! It is the first day off I have had since Good Friday so I am looking forward to a day spent in my PJs/sleeping in.

Old Navy Summer PJs

....BLT Salads. Recently I have been making a lot of BLT salads for dinner as the meal or a side. All you need is lettuce, bacon (I use turkey bacon), some tomato and ranch. Yummy!


....Curly hair. If you didn't know I have naturally curly hair and for the past few months I have been letting it down more often now that I know how to tame the frizz a bit. I mean, everyone wanted straight hair in high school so I always wore my hair up as well as in college for tests and things so now going to work, curly hair is the easy thing in the morning. I was recently sent some products from Bed Head and Bzz Agent and while the shampoos didn't wow me, they were likes not loves, I am obsessed with the "One the Rebound" curl cream!

...my Kate Spade Pride & Prejudice Book Clutch (from the surprise sale) that arrived yesterday! I wore it out with friends to a 22nd Birthday/Graduation celebration dinner last night and had a ton of compliments on it.

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....in a few weeks I will be making a mini road-trip to the J.Crew Clearance Center in Lynchburg, VA! I am excited to go and it is helping all shopping impulses since I know I will need to save a up for a bit before I go.

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Now go link up with Jamie!

Now onto some Oh, How Pinteresting, I am loving the following Pins:

Weekend Shenanigans....

Hey y'all,

Sorry for the bit of a bloggy hiatus over the past few days but my weekend was pretty non-stop. I would love a few extra days to lounge around but in the professional world, summer is a season not a vacation. 

Onto the re-cap. So, Friday evening began with leaving work and heading to downtown Raleigh for yummy Italian food at Cafe Luna with EC, LW, and CW from work. 

Cafe Luna
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After dinner, we headed over to watch a performance of Giselle by the Carolina Ballet. It was a great show and none of us had seen a performance of Giselle so when we spotted the Groupon for $20 tickets we grabbed them. 

Giselle

Saturday began with a trip to the gym since I am still working on running my first 5k NEXT MONTH! I am still not where I should be but I started training a bit late and in the middle of the busiest season of work but am running about a mile and I still have four more weeks to go! After a trip to the gym it was time to get some reading done as I finished the book, Burning Blue. 

It was an interesting story described as "How far would you go for love, beauty, and jealousy?

When Nicole Castro, the most beautiful girl in her wealthy New Jersey high school, is splashed with acid on the left side of her perfect face, the whole world takes notice. But quiet loner Jay Nazarro does more than that--he decides to find out who did it. Jay understands how it feels to be treated like a freak, and he also has a secret: He's a brilliant hacker. But the deeper he digs, the more danger he's in--and the more he falls for Nicole. Too bad everyone is turning into a suspect, including Nicole herself.

Award-winning author Paul Griffin has written a high-stakes, soulful mystery about the meaning--and dangers--of love and beauty."

After reading and some laundry it was time to head to church where I co-lead a class of 4&5 year olds while their parent's attend "big church." Typically I would go to the service following my class but my Mom and baby sis, kDi were in town to see Sister Act: The Musical  so I met up with them for dinner before the show at a German bakery/restaurant called the Guglhpf Cafe.It was great to eat German food together since it is so hard to find a good German restaurant.

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After a delicious dinner, it was an hour long chat with one of my best friends, some TV then off to a 21st birthday party for one of my sorority sisters. 

The Birthday Girl, JP, RM and I

Sunday morning began early with some babysitting at 6:30am-2:30pm. After that long morning with little sleep watching a four year old and an 18 month old (talking 5 hours of sleep) it was time for lunch and a nap. After that, it was finishing laundry, making some dinner and back on the road in the rain. I drove into Raleigh to visit with RM and her roomies to see Identity Thief. It was hysterical and I am glad I made the journey for the $2 ticket and fun times with friends.

Sunday night ended with watching some of the ACM's present Tim McGraw's Superstar Summer Night. I am a huge fan of Tim so it was great to relax for a bit and listen to some great music.

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And other news from the weekend, Caitlin and her sweet husband are expecting! There is so much joy and love going on with my friends it is such a fun time to log onto Facebook to see engagements, weddings, and little ones! God has blessed everyone so much and it is a constant reminder of the plan He has laid out for us.

What was your weekend like?

Navy+Interior Designs=Oh, How Pinteresting

Hey y'all, 

I think I have spilled the beans on all the things I am loving including my new blog design, K's engagement, and my splurge on my Kate Spade book clutch so I thought I would link up with Michelle for the first time with "Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday." It appears though that all my pins are saying I'm loving interior design and the color navy.

some midweek laughs

My next cooking adventure.

Top 5 Tuesday: Candles

Hey y'all,

One of my favorite bloggers is back! Rachel of Just Peachy is restarting her Top 5 Tuesday series and since she now has a new place the topic is CANDLES! While my mother hates candles I for one am all for it. My favorites tend to always be Slatkin & Co. by Bath and Body Works so I thought I would just do my Top 5 favorite scents. Luckily, all but one are still available for sale since the last time I had a big candle haul was in the summer!

top 5 tuesday candles by janeaustenprepster on Polyvore

So I am not the greatest at describing scents so I thought that Bath and Body Works did a great job on their site so here is what they say:
1/ "Salty and Sweet! Mandarin, juicy mango and ripe plum capture the aroma of this classic poolside cocktail with a freshly salted rim."
2/  "Dive into this blend of tropical melon, raspberry nectar and lemon mellowed by creamy coconut milk and raw sugarcane for a fragrant and exotic escape."

3/ "Indulge your sweet tooth! Notes of fresh vanilla bean, sugar, cake batter and rich buttercream frosting combine to create a sweet fragrant treat as mouth-watering as the real thing." *This is the best candle for when you first move into a place and want the smell of fresh buttercream frosting!
4/ "Cheers! Enjoy this pretty and intoxicating mix of zesty mandarin, crisp apple, watery pear and sugared berries."
5/"A mysterious blend of cranberry, rich blackcurrant and raspberry delicately layered with notes of cinnamon bark, cedarwood and warm amber." *The Wallflowers are still available but this scent was my go to during the fall and winter months since it is such a cozy scent.

Link up with Rachel to show off your favorite candles/scents.

And I was going to wait until WILW but y'all should hurry to Kate Spade's Surprise Sale!The Pride & Prejudice Book Clutch which I have been lusting over since it appeared on the site (I mean English major who loves Jane, it was meant for me) but $328 was out of my budget but $99 will do!

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A Fruit or a Vegetable?

Hey y'all,

I love the summer due to all the great fruits and veggies that are in season. One of my favorite memories of summertime is eating lots of recipes with tomatoes since my mother grows tomatoes and since she has a green thumb every year it seems we have to give bags away to the neighbors. So since I am feeling all nostalgic I went on Pinterest and found some great looking recipes for tomatoes and had to share:

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Marinate tomatoes in balsamic vinegar for 30 minutes. Lay on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper. Bake for 7 minutes at 350 degrees. Then top with sautéed spinach and mozzarella. Broil until cheese melts.

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Summer Garden Pasta

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Italian Grilled Cheese

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Grilled Tomato & Basil Pizzas

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Spaghetti in Garlic Gravy with Herbs, Cherry Tomatoes, & Lemon Marinated Chicken

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Chicken with Garlic Balsamic Tomatoes

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Bruschetta Chicken

What is your favorite recipe with tomatoes? What foods are you looking forward to this summer?

Congrats....

Hey y'all,

Lots of congratulations are in order this weekend so I thought I would share:

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Congrats to all the Carolina graduates today, especially my PBX sisters (and littles!)

Little #1 kBb

little #2 mGk

Some of the PBX Seniors

*photos via their facebooks so don't re-pin please!

And since that wasn't exciting of a weekend enough....

K&D are ENGAGED!

Photo Credit: Burleigh Bodart Photography

K was president of Phi Beta Chi when I was VP and that experience brought us closer together as friends it's crazy that last year we graduated together and now she is ENGAGED! I am so happy for her and D!

Last May!

What are you celebrating today?

Book Club Friday

Hey y'all,

So if you are new around here welcome, and if not you might notice that this little blog had a face-lift yesterday afternoon thanks to the wonderful, Shannon Page Designs. Shannon was so lovely to work with and I am obsessed with the result. What do you think?

Well, it has been forever since I posted a book club Friday but that is mainly because I have been crazy busy  so reading has not been my my go-to.I mean this week so far I have had something to do every night of the week so I have been getting home late. So this is going to be a hybrid review/to-read list. As always you can follow along on my Goodreads account as well. So let's get to it:

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Described as: "From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.

Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.

Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.

As moving and life-changing as an encounter with long-lost best friends, Sisterhood Everlasting is a powerful story about growing up, losing your way, and finding the courage to create a new one."

I liked this ending of the sisterhood but be prepared with a box of tissues. It is not my favorite of the series but it was the end of the sisterhood.I would recommend it to anyone that loved the series but it is not a stand alone book in my opinion.

 

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Described as "The second in the incredible new Rules of Scoundrels series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean.
Lady Philippa Marbury is odd. The bespectacled, brilliant fourth daughter of the Marquess of Needham and Dolby cares more for books than balls, flora than fashion and science than the season. Nearly engaged to Lord Castleton, Pippa wants to explore the scandalous parts of London she's never seen before marriage. And she knows just who to ask: the tall, charming, quick-witted bookkeeper of The Fallen Angel, London's most notorious and coveted gaming hell, known only as Cross.
 Like any good scientist, Pippa's done her research and Cross's reputation makes him perfect for her scheme. She wants science without emotion—the experience of ruination without the repercussions of ruination. And who better to provide her with the experience than this legendary man? But when this odd, unexpected female propositions Cross, it's more than tempting . . . and it will take everything he has to resist following his instincts—and giving the lady precisely what she wants."

I love this series and can't wait for the next book. They are really quick reads and are very humorous. I think I might like this book a smidge more than the first since I relate more to Philippa than Penelope. If you like historical romances about reformed rakes this series is for you.

Upcoming Reads

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What are you reading?