Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

I’m going to start this post by saying…I love Sophie Kinsella. I love all her novels, and when I found out that she has more novels, under her real name, Madeline Wickham, I literally was jumping in the bookstore…literally. However, right now I’m going to write about her newest novel, Wedding Night.

First of all, I didn’t know that she had a book coming out. I walked into the bookstore and saw this from a distance. I beelined straight to it. I’m so glad I bought it, I thought it was absolutely adorable.

The book centers around 2 sisters: Fliss and Lottie. Fliss is going through a rough divorce and Lottie believes that she found her one true love, Richard. However, Lottie thinks Richard is proposing and needless to say things get awkward. So how does Lottie cope? She finds her first love, Ben who she hasn’t seen in 15 years and decides to marry him! What!?!

Yeah, things get crazy. I think that’s enough to wet your appetite . Kinsella does a wonderful job at writing these fun, flirty, hilarious novels. It’s compelling, and believe me craziness ensues.

I had moments of laughter within this book and moments of intense worry. You know those feelings. When you actually have to stop reading because you are so embarrassed for the character.

It’s a wonderful, romantic story and I would recommend it to anyone!

Where Have I Been? Lost In My Fandoms

I’m sorry I have been slacking on this blog, and honestly I can give you a few reasons why….but the main reason is fandoms.

Yes. I am part of some very huge fandoms, and I find that they are slowly taking over my life. I can’t help it! It also doesn’t help that my roommate is in the same boat as I am. We end up just talking/pinning/watching things pertaining to our fandoms.

As you can probably see, I am very deep in the Sherlock fandom – although I’m not as clever/detail oriented as my fellow Sherlockians, it is my favorite show at the moment. (Season 3 is coming!!!!) I can’t help it, I’m totally hooked.

Sherlock is not only brilliant and witty, it has the perfect cast. It’s beautifully directed and filmed. And of course, I am in love with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. Who wouldn’t be?

I am also slowly becoming immersed in the Doctor Who fandom. I love the craziness of it, and I can’t wait to fully understand everything…well, understand as much as the rest of the fandom does

My roommate and I watched three episodes yesterday (should I be worried?) and the first episode I was so confused my head hurt. The second episode I was so scared I had to pause it to finish it, and the last episode we watched it took everything in me not to cry.

THIS IS WHAT I LOVE ABOUT FANDOMS. The feels.

The freaking feels.

Everything that is happening in Sherlock (oh my gosh, John! Poor John.) and everything that we have seen in Doctor Who (we started in the middle, so very confused, but we still feel the feels.)

Did you know, I had not heard this expression until a couple of months ago, and now I use it all the time…I guess that’s no surprise as I am in two fandoms who are in a constant state of feels. It really is just the perfect explanation of everything. It encompasses everything, and it is perfect.

Oh, did I also mention, I’ve started to watch Merlin? Yep, I have heard that I am going to hate myself for that one….Yes, BBC is taking over my life. Moffat! Gatiss! As much as they pain me, they are the best. Trolls at their finest

Anyway, here I am focused on these fandoms, and I am just wondering how I ended up here….and it’s definitely the internet’s fault. Don’t get me wrong, if I didn’t have the internet, I would still be obsessed with these shows, but oh my, with the internet, everything is multiplied. I just keep finding more things to love, and as soon as I’m about to stop and actually do something with my life, I read a new pin or theory and I’m hooked again!

Slowly, it just takes over everything. I think the best explanation of it, is right here. This man speaks the truth. I swear this video is hilarious, especially if you are in a fandom.

However, I have to say, I really don’t care. I love being in fandoms! And I will always try to pull people to my side of the fandom…so beware

Anyway, are you part of a fandom? Which one?

Beefy Mac

Look at me! Finally cooking again . I know, I know, it has been forever since I have cooked (something new at least). However, before we get to the recipe, let me just say, I don’t know how my mother did this. As I was cooking yesterday, I had to watch two dogs who don’t like each other while simultaneously cooking, while making sure they don’t get into a mess (puppies, you know?) I was so anxious the whole time, and I couldn’t concentrate on anything. So here’s a big shout out to my mother who did this every night with 3 kids and one dog….it’s crazy.

Anyway, here is what I made last night:

 

It was absolutely delicious, and fairly easy to make…you just have to do three things all at once. Or, I guess you could do them one at a time and be less stressed than I was

Here is what you need:

• One box elbow macaroni
• Big can of purred tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 small can tomato paste
• Whatever spices you would like to add to your sauce (I used garlic, oregano, onions and basil)
• 4 cups of low fat cheese (I used cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese)
• 1 lb ground beef

And now for the fun part:

1. Cook the pasta as directed on the package
2. Brown the meat and then drain.
3. Combine all tomato sauces and spices to blend
4. Once everything is complete, mix all three ingredients with 3 cups of the cheese and stir well in a lasagna pan
5. Top off the casserole with all the left over cheese
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes

Right seems easy enough!

Although I definitely learned something about myself:

1. I need to concentrate when I cook, otherwise it leads to my next point.
2. I am messy. I am such a messy cook.

Haha, some points to definitely work on.

Anyway, it was amaaaaaazing, I am going to count this one as a win!

10 – 1

Mark of Athena

Rick Riordan is an amazing author. Never heard of him? He primarily writes for kids, his popular series being the Percy Jackson series and the Kane Chronicles.

But seriously? You should read them. He does a phenomenal job at creating a compelling, adventurous, suspenseful storyline.

I guess I should start by telling you where exactly this book is in the series. Well, Mark of Athena is the third book in the sister series of Percy Jackson…so you can almost think of it as being the 8^th book in the series. I know, I know, that’s a lot of books, but I swear you will be able to finish them so fast!

I also love Greek (and Roman) mythology. Riordan puts his own twist on the gods and goddesses, and it is truly spectacular how he portrays them in 21^st century. I always loved reading myths growing up, but, reading this, I have realized how many I have forgotten. He references so many myths and lesser gods or goddesses that I have forgotten. For example, in this book we ran into Echo and Narcissus. I had completely forgot that story! However, as soon as I started reading through it, I remembered what happened.

It’s actually hard for me to say anything more about this book without giving things away. Basically, and this is definitely the most basic I can say this, a group of demi-gods are chosen to go on a quest. They are up against bigger and stronger villains, and they have to use their unique talents to prevail. I liked how the group of demi-gods have to work together…they are uncomfortable with this, but it is nice to watch (I guess, read) them overcome this obstacle because the only way they would have succeeded was through each other’s help.

With that being said, I am not happy with the ending…Riordan does a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful job with cliff hangers. All of his books read like one story. There is no time in between them, every ending leads right into the beginning of the next book. It is absolute torture to have to wait for the next book to come out.

Anyway, I know this isn’t very descriptive, but it is a wonderful series that you should check out!

Who Dunnit?

Ok, so I know many of you probably have never seen / heard about this movie. For everyone else who has seen it, most of you probably aren’t that keen on it. AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHY!

This was one of my favorite movies as a child, and it still is one of my favorites. I think it is incredibly funny and enjoyable to watch. I have so many favorite lines from it:

Mrs. White: Husbands should be like Kleenex: Soft, strong, and disposable.

Colonel Mustard: You lure men to their deaths, like spiders with flies.

Mrs. White: Flies are where men are most vulnerable.

Lolz. I mean, right? Hilarious.

How about this one:

Professor Plum: What are you afraid of, a fate worse than death?

Mrs. Peacock: No, just death, isn’t that enough?

True story, Mrs. Peacock, I’m right there with you.

And one last one, I swear:

Wadsworth (The Butler): Frankly, Scarlett, I don’t give a damn.

Yep, they went there.

And there are so many other quotes that I would like to show you, but unfortunately they are hilariously tied to the scene / story and I wouldn’t want to give anything away

It gets funnier the more you watch it because you start to notice lines and objects that were never there before. The music is perfect, full of mocking “DA DUUUUUMS” everywhere because, you know, we need it as dramatic as ever.

However, if none of this is enough to convince you to watch it, here is one last attempt: Tim Curry. Yes, Tim Curry, is, in my opinion, the best part about this movie. His comedic timing is great and he quite literally tells this story.

I was the kid, who recorded this on a VHS tape from the TV (yeah, old school!), then bought the actual VHS tape, and now I have it on DVD. Truly, truly, if you come across it, check it out! Do you know who dunnit? Well I do!

Any other Clue fans out there?

Between the Lines

As you can see, I might not have been doing much cooking recently, but I have been reading quite a lot. I just finished Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and her daughter, Samantha Van Leer.

I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and I was semi-relived to find out that it was not as intense and sad as Jodi Picoult’s usual novels. This book is based off an interesting concept: What if the characters in books live their own lives once the book is closed? It’s almost like Toy Story. When you aren’t around the toys, they come alive. It’s the same idea.

Well, here is the kicker, what if one of the characters wanted to get out of the novel? That’s where this story begins. One of the characters within the story, Oliver, starts to communicate with a reader, Delilah, and they start to develop feelings for one another.

The story follows their crazy adventure of trying to get Oliver out of the book. They come up with many different plans, but the book always restores itself. At one point, Delilah ends up in the story (I would freak out!).

I enjoyed the way this book was set up too. Not only do we get to read the story through Delilah and Oliver’s point of view, but we also can read the fairy tale as is. It’s interesting how she portrays the characters that are stuck in the story. Nothing is as it seems, they act completely different in”real life” then they do in the book. it’s really like they are actors/actresses on set waiting to film a movie.

The ending is pretty cute. As I’m sure you can tell, it’s a happy ending As for how it ends, well that’s just a little twist that I’m going to keep to myself! Although I can tell you now, you’ll never guess it.

Has anybody else read this?

Skinny Lasagna

Well, well, well. This is the first time I have cooked in awhile. I got this recipe from pinterest, here.

Annnnnnnd it was interesting. I picked this recipe on a whim and didn’t take a look at it before trying it out. I have to say it was pretty delicious, but the whole time I was making it, I had no idea if it was going to work out. I ended up using ground beef instead of the turkey, and it was still wonderful.

But I’m going to go and give myself a win

10-1

Writer’s Block

Writer’s Block is no fun.

As I have stated before, I really would like to write a book. I know, I know, many people say that they want to write something and, of course, never do. I do not want to be one of those people. I think it would be so amazing, just to have something out there, something that I have created for the world to see.

All in all, I want to be more creative. I’m going to let you in on a little secret, I graduated with a math degree…so I didn’t get to use my creative side too much in college. It’s crazy, I also want to be involved with photography and I totally wish I could draw…that I will not even attempt because I am that bad (truly, I am). Now I am sitting here with a blank page in front of me, hands on the keyboard with nothing to write about. I have so many ideas that I could potentially write about, but as soon as I am in the zone to write…nothing.

I know writer’s block happens to everyone, but it’s almost as if I just want it so bad, that I am too afraid to put all the time and effort into it if it’s not going to work. It’s a cop out, I know. I need something to get me motivated, but I just don’t know what.

This post is short, sweet and to the point Does anybody have any ideas to get out of writer’s block?

To All You Harry Potter Fans…

First off, let me start this by saying, that I love Harry Potter. I grew up with the series. I waited in line for the midnight book releases, had bonding moments with complete strangers over the series and I wrote my fair share of fanfiction (I guess I’ll admit that ). The series has been with me through so much, and I’m sad that it is over. I know some other people are probably feeling the same way, so here are a few things to keep the love alive!

Here is a sporcle quiz. Have you never been on sporcle? Well, let me apologize because you will be on this site for most of the upcoming month…no joke, it’s addicting. However, the name of the quiz is Can You Name All 199 Harry Potter Chapters? Right now, you are probably thinking that no one will be able to do that…well, many people have done it (myself included). My roommate and I would battle and see who could guess the most. It’s a fun quiz, and I guarantee that you know more than you think

Since you’re reading this, I’m assuming you like Harry Potter. Do you like musicals? Also do you like parodies of HP? Because if you do, do I have something for you! It’s only the best HP musical ever! Yes, I wish I knew these totally awesome people who wrote and performed this musical. Anyway, if you have some time WATCH THIS!

Annnnd, of course, pinterest doesn’t hurt either

It also has been brought to my attention to add this. Potter Puppet Pals! I am honestly so sad that I didn’t include them in the first time! Come on, everyone knows the Mysterious Ticking Noise! Hmm…Now what is that mysterious ticking noise?

So I hope everyone enjoys these links Nothing makes me happier than meeting another HP lover. Also, I have had an inkling to go reread this series….and after writing this, I might just start!