5 on Friday

Happy Friday!! I am linking up for the first time for 5 on Friday to show you some of the things I am loving this week!

ONE

Its the weekend! More specifically, its Labor Day weekend which means Sky has 4 days off!  We are headed to the beach!!  I am so ready to relax and hear the waves crash.

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TWO

I have decided to attend a craft fair with my mom in November! This will be my very first one and I cant quit thinking of ideas! Quilts, embroidery, hand cut confetti, chalkboards, the possibilities are endless!

THREE

Thinking of dying my hair a coppery red color. Like Lilly Collins in Mortal Instruments. Thoughts?

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FOUR

We just rearranged our living room the other day and now there is a huge gap on one of the walls.  We are thinking of building this bookcase. Its the perfect mix of industrial and rustic, just my style!

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FIVE

I am already thinking about Christmas!  Christmas is my ABSOLUTE favorite time of the year!  I love the magic that's in the air and the snow!  Well, we don't get much snow here but back home there is always so much snow!  These are the projects that I have already started working on to decorate.

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Happy Birthday To Me!

Yesterday was my birthday!

I went shopping at Forever 21.

Had yummy cupcakes from a brand new cupcake store. Yum!  Sky had red velvet and I had dark chocolate with vanilla bean frosting. mmmm.

We also had dinner (after dessert) but I was too busy stuffing my face with steak and shrimp to take a picture!  I had such a great day was thoroughly spoiled!  24 was such a great year for me but i have a hunch that 25 is going to be the best year yet!

Lately

 New comforter for our bed//Birchbox ALWAYS sends red lipstick...finally starting to wear some of it// Overwhelmed by all the Project Life options!

Saw Mortal Instruments last night, its was AHMAZING!//Eucalyptus in the shower is my new favorite//Saved a turtle the other day right as he was trying to cross the street

Sky went to the flea market this morning and came home with a brand new sewing machine and bagels from Panera.  Dang, I love him.

I have also recently discovered the wonderful website Twice. Its pretty much a consignment store that you can shop online. LOVE! I seriously at any given moment have about 5 pairs of jeans in my shopping cart, I just cant decide!  Here is a link you can use to get started, you get a $10 credit just for signing up! (which pretty much equals a new top!)

Hope you all are having a great weekend!

Linking up here & here.

Tumblr Obsessed

Hello! Just popping in to say that I FINALLY got a Tumblr account!  I am waaay late to this party but already am having a hard time tearing myself away! Mostly I re-blog pictures of coffee, camping, cozy beds, and cute pups. Oh, and books...lots and lots of books.  If you would like to follow along with me on Tumblr, you can find me here. and if you have an account link in up in the comments so I can follow you too!

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Literary Junkies

I am super excited to be linking up with Taylor for Literary Junkies!  I am a big big reader so when I find other people that love books as much as I do, I get a little giddy!


Join in on the fun and create your own post answering the following questions! Don’t forget to link your post below!

1. What are you currently reading? Tell us about it!
The Murmurings by Carly Anne West
   

This book is exactly what the cover promises, creepy!  Sophie's sister Nell started hearing the voices when she was really young which eventually landed her in a psychiatric facility. Everyone assumes Nell just went crazy, everyone except Sophie. After Nell commits suicide, Sophie starts to piece together the events leading up her death but ends up with more questions than answers. Then Sophie starts to hear the whispers, is she going crazy too?

2. What is one book you think every person should read at least once in their life? Why?
Harry Potter. Period.

3. Do you think you could ever write a book? If so what genre would it be?

I would LOVE to write a book. I used to write a lot when I was in high school but the habit kind of fell away as I got older.  If I was to write a book it would definitely   be of the Young Adult genre

4. Do you listen to audiobooks? Do you look for the same things in an audiobook that you do in one you’ll read?

I have just recently jumped on the audiobook bandwagon. I have to drive about 45 minutes to school every other day so this has been the perfect time to start! 

5. Can you suggest a book of each type for others to try:

Fantasy – No suggestion

Nonfiction – I'm not super into nonfiction so I don't read it very often. The last one I read, way back in April was The Secret Lives of Wives:Women Share What it Really Takes to Stay Married.  

Fiction – The Time Between by Karen White

Romance – Sorry I got nothing for ya

Classics – The Great Gatsby

Young Adult – All Sarah Dessen.

{DIY} Mason Jar Pin Cushion

Happy Weekend!  Thank goodness right?!  

I just wanted to share this super easy ( and adorable!) pin cushion!  I recently got a new to me sewing machine and have LOVED pulling out all of my old sewing supplies out of storage. Unfortunately, my machine needs a little fixing before I can tackle my loooong to-sew list but this project doesn't require any sewing and gets your pins organized. 

All you need is:

• Glue Gun
• Mason Jar or old jelly jar (which is what I used)
• Scrap of fabric
• Stuffing

• Hot glue some of the stuffing to the lid of the jar. More fluff means bigger pin cushion, less obviously mean you will have a smaller cushion.  I dont have a huge stash of pins so I used a small amount of fluff
• Cover stuffing with scrap of fabric. Its not necessary to glue the fabric but if you want, you can
• Trim excess fabric or glue to the bottom of the lid.  It works either way.
• Fill jar with pins and add a few to the top for easy access

Admire your new pin cushion!  Its much cuter than the standard tomato that is sold in all the fabric stores!

Stitch Fix #2

 I finally ordered my second Stitch Fix!  I had high hopes for this fix, since my first one was kind of a let down, and while it was better it certainly didn't blow me away. If you aren't familiar with Stitch Fix, here is the run down:

• Sign up, pay $20 styling fee (that can be used towards your purchase)
• Stylist hand picks 5 pieces that fit your body type and style based on the style profile you fill out
• Box is shipped to you, try on all your pieces, decide what to keep and what to send back (if you keep all 5, you receive a 25% discount)
• Ship all the rejects back in the prepaid envelope that is included

• First, was this very light and airy cardigan. It was super soft and had sleeves that could be worn long or button to 3/4 length.  So so neutral and girly and too boring. I have a LARGE cardigan collection and this just didn't make the cut. (It was also the most expensive item in the box at $98)
• Um...this button up tank. On my style profile I have that I want boho pieces and the stylist said this tank was boho.  Perhaps our ideas of boho are different but this tank is western! Covered in tiny flowers with pearl buttons, I hated it.  

• This dress was cute.  It was a beautiful mint color with tiny polka dots all over and an elastic waist.  The back of the dress has a key hole cutout with a small button closure.  I didn't end up keeping this because 1. it was way too short 2. It felt really cheaply made 3. Summer is almost over and i'm not wanting to add anymore summer pieces to my wardrobe.

• This sweater was the winner!! It was baggy and loose with a woven type of material, its perfect for a crisp fall day. It has large white and multi color stripes. The neckline is larger, almost a boatneck, which is perfect for layering over a tank and throwing on a scarf!  I love love love it!

• Lastly, was this scarf that I also sent back.  It was very soft and comfortable but I have a couple scarves that are very similar.  Also, it was $48 and that seemed a little steep for a scarf.

Overall, this fix was OK.  I would have loved to see more chunky sweaters and layering pieces.  I think I will order another fix in the future but I feeling less excited about it and am not getting my hopes up.  

Let me know what you liked in my fix! If you are wanting to sign up for Stitch Fix here is a link for you to use. If you sign up through that link I get referral points!

Happy Weekend + A Book Lovers Survey

So obviously I've been living under a rock because I just discovered this whole world of book bloggers, including Jamie from The Perpetual Page Turner.  Ok well she recently did this fun survey all about her favorite books and I wanted to join in!

Here is a terrible, super grainy picture of my bookcases

Author you've read the most books from:

Kate Brian. I feel like her books only half count because they are such easy reads and so short. My second most read author is Tess Gerritsen. She writes the Rizzoli & Isles series, great crime novels!

Best Sequel Ever:

uh Harry Potter?  Of course.

Currently Reading:

City of Glass. I am way behind the times when it comes to Cassandra Clare but her books are amazing!  I cant seem to put any of them down!

Drink of Choice While Reading:

Lately its been Mimosas since I don't get the chance to pick up my book until the end of the day.

E-reader or Physical Book?

Physical book.  I have a Nook Color that I adore but I mostly just use it when I am traveling and cant bring along 4-5 books.  There is really nothing like holding a book, smelling the paper and hearing the page turn.

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:

Patch from the Hush Hush series. Dark and mysterious..a little on the side of crazy, my ideal guy in high school!

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:

Beautiful Lies by Jessica Warman  Wow this book blew me away!  I had never heard of the author but randomly picked this up from the library and boy am I glad I did!

Hidden Gem Book:

A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass  This book sat on my to read list for years before I finally got around to reading it. Its such a beautiful and interesting story, its now one I read over and over. 

Important Moment in your Reading Life:

Discovering Goodreads <<<  Agreeing with Jamie. I fell off the reading wagon a couple years ago for no real good reason.  My friend told me about Goodreads and it reintroduced my into the world of reading. I will be forever grateful!

Just Finished:

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:

History. As informative as they are, they are so dry! I cant make it through the first chapters.

Longest Book You've Read:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,  870 pages.

Major book hangover because of:

Most of Sarah Addison Allen's books. Her books are just so magical!

Number of Bookcases You Own:

2 really tall ones.  Although the second one is quickly being filled!

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

A Mango-Shaped Space.

Preferred Place To Read:

Bathtub!  I take a bath every night, its my favorite place to relax and catch up on reading.

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you've read:

"Books may very well be the only true magic." Alice Hoffman

Reading Regret:

Probably the reading hiatus I took a couple years ago.  It seriously put me behind and I really missed out on some wonderful stories (that I now have to catch up on)

Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series):

The Hunger Games. I LOVED the first book, tolerated the second, and couldn't get around to even picking up the third.  I even bought it!  Eventually I will read it...I hope!

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:

The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans

  Savages by Don Winslow

Wildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

Gossip Girl. I read these books in high school (and was obsessed). Then the show came out and the obsession continued.  I need to reread!

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

Allegiant by Veronica Roth  I am a newby to dystopia but I read these books back to back and couldn't put either of them down! 

Worst Bookish Habit:

Oh boy.  Dog earing pages, always returning my books late to the library, starting and not finishing....

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

Little Bee by Chris Cleave  This is one that I picked up on a whim at Goodwill but haven't gotten around to reading yet!  If you've read it, let me know how you liked it!

Your latest book purchase:

The Pretty Little Liars series. Only a couple more to go!

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):

The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler This not only kept me up late reading but I cried my eyes out!  Such a beautiful story!

A Promotion

I have to take a minute and brag on Sky a bit.  In the Air Force, after reaching the rank of Senior Airman, to further make rank you must take and pass a test. Only a certain number of people (Air Force wide) will pass and therefore put on another stripe, making them a Staff Sergeant.  Sky tested way back in May and we recently got the results, he passed!  We are over the moon excited and I seriously couldn't be more proud.  This was his first time testing and he hit it out of the park! He should be able to put his stripe on around the first of the year! Yay!! 

We were out all last weekend celebrating and I think that was the first time in my life I enjoyed being DD.  This bunch of people are a riot!  I laughed my butt off and had so much fun celebrating Sky.

Congrats Sky!

Lately

Wow!  I cant believe its August already!  I've been buried underneath a pile of homework, house listings, and finally spending time with Sky. Big things are happening around these parts and I cant wait to share!

Found a cupcake shop!//Smoothie on the back patio//Relaxing by the pool reading Pretty Little Liars//Books a Million has these beautifully bound classics stories for sale! 

Annnd just for fun... Here are some songs I've been playing on repeat.

And as always, liking up here.