September Reading Wrap Up

I can't believe that September is already over! How did this happen? Is it really almost my birthday month, do you really only have 18 days left to buy my birthday present? Yea, you do. Anyhoodle, it's time for my monthly reading wrap up, YAY!!

Unleashed: A Dark Ones NovellaAn eSpecial from New American Library

A novella set in New York Times bestselling author Katie's MacAlister's Dark Ones series.Meet Jacintha Ferreira, kitty whisperer. Or at least that’s what the guys around the Washington State Game and Wildlife office call Jas. Her skills with bigger cats than are normally found left on the back doorstep of the Cupid Cats Animal Shelter are put to the test when she encounters a sexy Dark One shape-shifter who has no idea how he became a really big kitty…but he does know a Beloved when he sees one.{via amazon}

This was a mini book, maybe 100 pages that was, from what I could tell written just to help explain the next Beloved book. If you are a fan of the series you will like this one, it was a good short read. 

Heat Rises (Nikki Heat 3)
The bizarre murder of a parish priest at a New York bondage club opens Nikki Heat?s most thrilling and dangerous case so far, pitting her against New York?s most vicious drug lord, an arrogant CIA contractor, and a shadowy death squad out to gun her down. And that is just the tip of an iceberg that leads to a dark conspiracy reaching all the way to the highest level of the NYPD.
But when she gets too close to the truth, Nikki finds herself disgraced, stripped of her badge, and out on her own as a target for killers, with nobody she can trust. Except maybe the one man in her life who?s not a cop: reporter Jameson Rook.
In the midst of New York?s coldest winter in a hundred years, there?s one thing Nikki is determined to prove:  Heat Rises. {via amazon}

Loved this! I am a huge fan of the show Castle, the books are just as great. This one really compared to season 3 of the show, you could see all the parallels pretty quickly. It kept me on my toes as well. I read a lot of murder mysteries and am pretty good at picking the bad guy, this one really had me shocked. Even if you don't watch the show this is a great series to pick up.

 New York to Dallas (In Death)The number-one New York Times-bestselling author J. D. Robb presents an intense and terrifying new case for New York homicide cop Eve Dallas, one that will take her all the way to the city that gave her her name-and plunge her into the nightmares of her childhood.

When a monster named Isaac McQueen-taken down by Eve back in her uniform days-escapes from Rikers, he has two things in mind. One is to pick up where he left off, abducting young victims and leaving them scarred in both mind and body. The other is to get revenge on the woman who stopped him all those years ago. {via amazon}

This story is starting to get old, the characters are getting a little stale, I need something major to happen to keep into the series. This book was predictable, it went on a little to long and we didn't get near much time with the "crew". We did get a bunch of new characters, but some of them were hard to keep track of. I liked this book for what it was, but I hope the next one offers more. 

Real Vampires Have More to Love Glory St. Clair is a vampire with man trouble. Between her on-again, off-again lover Jeremy Blade, smoking hot rock star Ray Caine, and former bodyguard turned apartment mate Valdez, there's enough man-candy around to make even a gal with a liquid diet feel a sugar rush.
Glory's got no time to enjoy it, though, considering that she's in the middle of planning her best friend's wedding. And let's not forget that there happens to be a hit on her head, thanks to when she took out a techno-freak billionaire. Now, between planning a bachelorette party and dodging stakes, Glory has to decide which man she really wants, before her love life meets an early grave... {via amazon}


LOVE the Glory St. Clair series and I honestly think this is the one supe book that everyone should read. The vamps are loveable (you know, for vamps and all), the sex is great (which you want in a vamp, duh), so funny and witty. And the best of all, I can relate to Glory (well, minus the whole "un-dead" thing) she is a plus sized girl trying to make it in a sample sized world. These books have evolved great over the year, they are still fresh and you are not getting new characters thrown in your face every 10sec (Hi JD Robb!) This one you do need to start with the first book in the series to fully "get" everything, but it well worth it, trust. 

Kate Spade Style
Back in 1993, editor-turned-designer Kate Spade made a splash in the fashion world by turning out a small collection of boxy, utilitarian handbags, each elegantly accented with her name stitched in discreet, lowercase letters. As a result, the simplicity and unabashed refinement of the Spade moniker on those Lilliputian labels has come to define the very foundation on which the designer has since built a fashion empire, one that now, in addition to handbags, includes shoes, clothing, and smart home things, all of which embody the Spade formula of timeless style--a seamless merging of cheerful colors, clean shapes, and well-chosen embellishments. Not bad for a Kansas City-born girl who used to comb vintage stores for fun. Having perfected and expertly marketed her own brand of personal style (one that has famously been counterfeited throughout the world), the designer has emerged with an equally elegant trio of books whose topics Spade has become a virtual authority: Style, Occasions, and Manners.{via amazon}


Y'all, don't bother. You will get no tips in this book and it basically comes off as show-offy, name droppy and pretentious.  I really wanted this to be a good book, it wasn't. 

It's OK Thursday

I'm linking up with Amber and Neely today for It's OK Thursday, and that's ok :)





It's okay that I haven't really been updating this week, I needed to step away from the computer a bit, and I honestly didn't have much to say, now I have lots :)

It's okay that I waited an hour at Starbucks today to get a Pumpkin Spiced Latte

It's okay that I am dressing for fall, even though it is still 100+ outside

It's okay to question what your doctors say, and have 100 women back you up on that.

It's okay if your kid watches Toy Story 3 everyday, at least it isn't Saw 3 right?

It's okay to let your kid have a pink sprinkled donut for breakfast, he is going to choose my nursing home someday.

It's okay to cuddle on the couch with your dog, she doesn't expect you to put out.

It's perfectly okay to eat bacon with every meal.

It's okay to put your plans for all fashion reading on hold for a bit because three of your favorite authors came out with a book this week.

It's also okay to read all three of those books in one week, letting everything else in your life sit on hold....right?

Fun With Our Phones Monday!

I love this little meme that Savanah does, because I get to show off. Y'all should be show off like me :)

Codric, the most awesomest cod there ever was.

My Missoni for Target finds! 

Crazy guy at Chick-Fil-A

Teal for Ovarian Caner Awareness month!

Maddie <3

My boy loves his swing!

He has no idea I took this picture, or posted it on the internet.

Reading FAIL!

As I said in this post I am going to be reading a lot of fashion books. I had decided to start with Kate Spade Style, but The Toddler must have realized I thought it was crap, and hid it from me. Thanks little dude. Once I find it I will tell y'all my thoughts on it. I can't guarantee they will be good, at least from the like half the book I have read. 


Since that was supposed to be my post today, I am going to tell y'all about more new books! Because yes, I keep buying books even though my pile to read is almost as tall as me, and those are "real" books, only one is a e-book. Oops! But thanks to the Borders sale (okay, maybe not thanks since they are closing and all) I managed to get some more books, yay!

I was really excited to pick up True Prep I loved the orignal The Official Preppy Handbook, which sadly I lost my copy of and is a beech to get now since it is out of print (my birthday is October 18th hint hint) so, when I saw True Prep for $2, I made that bad boy mine! Granted, I have read the first part, but I have it in e-format, which is crap for this book. There are tons of pictures and the formatting was all off. Granted, I haven't tried reading it on the iPad, because I just remembered to do that now, but oh well. It's something I can pass down to The Toddler though, hopefully he won't lose it the way that I lost my copy of The Official Preppy Handbook that my Aunt gave me. 


I also picked up Laura Rider's Masterpiece, Incendiary and Beneath a Starlet Sky. I will fully admit that I got these books because they sounded somewhat interesting but I really thought the cover was pretty. Yes, I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but lets face it, I'm a judgey bitch, there are tons of people sitting at home nodding there heads at that statement. 


Needless to say, I am going to be doing a lot of reading this weekend. Did any of y'all make it to the Borders sale? What did you pick up? I know Tara{Fabulous But Evil} managed to get the House of Night series for a steal! 

Shopping for kiddos {with tons of Toddler pictures!}.

I would really like to think I have a well dressed little man. God knows he thinks he is. He is such the fashion critic that when I go shopping he will straight up tell me if something is bad, or if it is wonderful. Nothing will boost your spirits more than hearing your little guy say "Momma, you beautiful". Melt my cold black heart. Also, did I mention he isn't 3 yet? I'm in for it.

The Toddlers wardobe mostly consist of Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, and of course the ever popular, Target. Don't let those name brand names make you think I am Mrs.Money Bags, so not true! I just know how to shop, and I love a good sale!

Places like Marshalls and TJ Maxx keep The Toddler clothed for the most part. They have a great selection of Ralph Lauren, some of it comes with 2 pieces for around $14, then I can re-sale it for $10. Same thing with the collared Polos, they retail from $7-$14, if they are in great condition I can sell them for a little more than half of that. Jeans at these places are usally cheaper than going to Target where a good pair can run $15, I can get named brand at one of the other guys for half that.

Sales are also your friend. I have been shopping at the same Dillards for years, we know the people that work there (Hi Janice!) they always give me the heads up when the big sales are about to go down. That's how I am able to get a seasonal wardrobe over hall for myself for under $100, like you kinda saw in this post. Dillards can be pretty hit or miss as far as the kids clothes go. If you have a girl, you might have a little more luck, but the boys stuff I can still get cheaper at the other stores. Now shoes though, if you hit them the first day of their 40% off already marked down prices, and usually they go lower, well you hit the jackpot. Last year I was able to get The Toddler a pair of Sperrys and a pair of Stride Rites for $21 all together. I am kicking my self for not stocking up!

I am going to start trying to buy more online, I read about people getting amazing deals all the time. But I am one of those who likes to see what I am buying, if it's for me, I am a little more okay with. But the last time I ordered on-line for The Toddler I got burned so I am a little gun shy.

What amazing deals have you gotten lately? Have some favorite places to shop?




And come someone please tell me how this adorable little Astro turned into this handsome little boy?

Oh, How Pinteresting! {Just Awesome Edition}

I have a board filled with random awesome stuff. Most of it is funny sayings, or crazy clothes I would never wear, but all of it is awesome.


And I am going to share some of that awesome with you guys today, you're welcome.

I totally have these on my Mini-Van, Big Pimpin.

Art for Arts Sake!

The Toddler is in Mothers Day Out 2 times a week, so this means that we have tons of his little master pieces. I am one of those people who holds on to everything so it's super hard for me to decide what to keep and what to toss. But then I had a idea! I am sure I saw it somewhere, I have no clue. But for now, the idea is mine. I scanned in everything and the next time I get one of those emails for a free book from Shutterfly or Snapfish I am going to make a book of his art!


 Here is some of the most awesome art you have ever seen.

This is currently the background on my laptop, AWWWW <3

Looks just like our dog Maddie.

That little hand melts my heart.

I think I might frame this for my fall stuff.

I hope this is a scarecrow and not a hippy.

Fun With Our Phones Monday!

I'm linking up with Savanah today because 1.) She's awesome and 2.) I am a attention whore and like showing off pictures. WIN! If you are a AW like me, you should link up as well.

We built a tent in the living room and camped out. Some how a ball  made it in. 

Think he is going to be a parking garage designer when he grows up?

I don't know what Molly did, but she got put in time out.

The Tent of Awesome.

Remembering 9/11

When I was a child I would always ask my parents where they were when JFK was shot, the Challenger exploded, or in my Grandparents case Pear Harbor. I honestly never thought I would be answering a question like that to my own child someday.

I was 17 and a Senior in high school, in my first period math class. It was towards the end of the class period and someone had gone to the bathroom and came back saying that the President had been assassinated. Of course we all talked about that, but the teacher never did anything to confirm it. This was also in the days before you could just whip out your cell phone and check out the CNN app, we didn't even have texting!

Bell rings, leave class, as I was walking threw the halls to my second period Theater class (I was a aid so therefore special) I heard kids talking about the President, and planes crashing into NYC. Still nothing concrete and I just kinda blew it off as crazy rumors (my school was really good at starting those).

I went into the Theater office and our Tech Director(TD) was sitting at the computer with the other aid trying to get on the CNN website, TD confirmed that a plane had sure enough flown into one of the twin towers. What I remember most about that moment is the other Aide cussing, he said something like "holy shite" and I  looked to TD waiting for him to get on for him to cussing, he just shook his head and said it was a time to cuss.

Bell rings, we go to our classes, the teacher I was working with (Farlanator) had our class go into TD's class. That's where we watched everything unfold. We stayed in that class period for longer than we were supposed to. They came on and made an announcement as to what happened. And then asked us to turn off the TV, not look at the internet. Well, us Theater people are rule breakers so we kept watching.

We were all scared, a lot of us were crying there was a lot of confusion. The rest of the day went by in a blur, a lot of kids were pulled out of class, some even evacuated. Our neighborhood is directly behind NASA, my Mom told me to stay at school because I would be safer there. That was another scary though, I was safer at school than my own home.

For years after that plans didn't fly over our house, we were a no fly zone. They just recently started flying again, and they flow low since we are in the fly plan for Hobby Airport. I would be lying if I said it didn't scare me at times.

Today is a day to reflect. To mourn the lives that were loss, the loss of innocence to our country, to be thankful for what we have. May we never forget those who loss their lives in New York, DC and Pennsylvania.

Dump Cake

I am a huge fan of cake, any kind of cake. Unless it has nuts, that's just weird. If a cake is easy to make it somehow taste ten times better, probably because I am not all sweaty from being in the kitchen. So I am going to share with y'all the wonderfulness that is Dump Cake.

I know, it's a weird name for a cake, but that's because you literally dump everything into the dish. And no matter how you make it, it tastes the same, unless you do something weird to it like try to make it healthy. It's one of the few things that I can make that just remind me so much of my Granny, it's like we are hanging out talking books again when I eat it.

yes, this is the best picture I have because this stuff does not last long!

Ingredients 

• 1 Large can of cherry pie filling
• 1 Large can of crushed pineapple
• 1 Stick of unsalted butter
• 1 Box of yellow cake mix

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350
• Dump the can of cherry pie filling in the pan
• Drain all the juice out of the pineapple, and then dump in the pan
• Dump the yellow cake mix on top, but don't be lazy, spread that out!
• Cut the butter up in patties and spread on top of the cake, yes, you will use the whole stick
• Cook for 30 min, I would check on it around 20, the top should be nice a golden.

That's it y'all! How easy is that? In J's family they just use peaches, so you can do that to. Also, you might want to serve it with some vanilla ice cream because it is kinda sweet. It also makes a wonderful breakfast!

Fashion by the Book.

I am not really that fashionable, I know a bit. I have the basics, and love to shop. So it should be pretty easy for me to figure this stuff out right?

So I have enlisted some of my best friends-books! September is going to be the month of F&B! I love fall, I love fall style and being in Texas I can get away with a lot more. Basically up until winter I can wear a tank with a cami over it, and shopping this summer I shopped with that in mind. Thankfully I am pretty set on tops (but there is always room for more!). It's the bottoms that is going to be a issue, I am down 2 sizes from last fall (yay!). So that's where my lovely books come in.

Which ones am I reading you ask? Well, I shall tell you my friend!

Kate Spade Style Style, with 230 watercolor illustrations, is a wonderfully personal and friendly book intended for readers of all ages and style temperaments. If there's one rule Kate espouses, it's that true style comes when you follow your own rules. Moreover, as the writers William Strunk, Jr., and E. B. White once wrote, "To achieve style, begin by affecting none." {via amazon}

What Would Jackie Do? Shelly Branch & Sue Callaway We can’t help but want to be like her: Exuding unmatched poise and style, Jackie O continues to fascinate women and men of all ages. But how would Jackie have handled the twenty-first century? What would she have thought of a society defined by casual rules of conduct? Gathering intriguing research, commentary from today’s experts, and fond reminiscences about the first lady of perfection’s day-to-day decisions, journalists Shelly Branch and Sue Callaway offer a sparkling answer to the question: What Would Jackie Do? {via amazon}

The One Hundred Nina Garcia In the wildly popular The Little Black Book of Style, fashion authority Nina Garcia showed women how to think about personal style in an entirely new way. Encouraging readers to creatively assert their style identities, Nina showed women of all ages how to hone and self-edit a distinct fashion voice.
With her style philosophy firmly out in the world, Nina decided to address the most popular question readers consistently ask her: Exactly what are fashion's timeless pieces? {via amazon}

Savy Chic Anna Johnson Anna Johnson is not a tea-bag squeezer, a penny-pincher, or inherently thrifty in any way—but she knows how to enjoy the finer things in life . . . for much, much less! In Savvy Chic, she shares her secrets on how to dress, decorate, entertain, and travel in high style without breaking the piggy bank. Style: Get "rich girl" chic for dimes and master the fine art of thrift-shop vintage. Decorating: Create exquisite curtains with Chinese lace tablecloths and shop the flea market like a stylist. Entertaining: Feast on abundant rather than expensive food—from the ten-dollar dinner to the shoestring wedding reception. Travel: Fake snobby style in Capri or make a one-star hotel feel like home. Leisure: Take the town with nothing but a ball gown and twenty dollars or enjoy the most original dates in the history of love, for less of course. All it takes to live well is taste, style, imagination, and rebellious flair—and Savvy Chic will show you how. {via amazon}


I am so excited to start on these books! Of course I will let y'all know what I think of them, even if you don't want to know. I will also keep y'all updated on how I am doing with my fall looks, because I know y'all care :) 

Fun With Our Phones Monday!

I totally forgot today was Monday. I seriously thought it was Sunday all day. Hence why my Monday blog is going up at 10:28, but it's still Monday right?

I am linking up with my boo Savanah tonight, y'all should to. All the cool kids are doing it!

First Day of School! 

Waiting in the car on the first day of school! 

I think this is the longest time I have ever played a game. 

J, he was supposed to be taking a picture of us. FAIL.

Birthday cake, nom nom nom.