Book Swap!

Thank you so much to everyone who took place in the book swap! Heather and I had a great time hosting it!

My swap partner was Caitlin from The Finer Things in Life (and also one of my besties). We read just about the same books and have been known to spend hours on the phone talking about the books we are reading and discussing TrueBlood. If I were to ever be turned into a vampire, she would hands down be the first person I would call.

So of course, we swapped The Vampire Diaries.

If you haven't watched the show, it's on Netflix and it's amazing. I am fully addicted and pushing it on Caitlin like it's a drug at a rave (ew). She is only about half way threw with the book, and I some how ended up on book for this weekend. I have no idea how that happened!

I will have a full review of the series once I finish this last book, but so far so good! It reminds me of True Blood in that the books are completely different than the show. So if you are a fan of the show and don't want to read them because you feel like you know it all, you don't. So read them, and then talk to me about it!

If you took place in the swap be sure to link up with Heather and I so we can read all your posts! Thank y'all for making it so easy as well :) We didn't have to call out any assholes, hi five y'all!

My favorite apps!

A few weeks ago my girl Totty made a awesome post about her favorite iPhone apps. I have been begging her to do this because chick always manages to find the most gnarly (I'm bringing it back) apps. So I figured, you could be like me, and want to see my most excellent appage. (No, I have not watched Fast Times at Ridgemont High recently, but I need to).

Here we have my main home screen. It has my Instagram (you can follow here :) ), Pinterest, Tiny Towers (so addictive), Tumblr, and so forth. The Wiki and IMDB gets used a insane amount of times during the day, probably during every tv show I watch. HAR is a local real estate app that I am addicted to because I like looking at houses 

Seriously y'all, Tiny Towers is addicting! 

I mean, are y'all surprised? I am a huge book worm. And yes, I have read a whole novel on my phone.

page deaux. 

This has games I don't really play, news sites, and some apps I don't really use. I would also love it if more blogs had apps like PrettyShinySparkly. It gets read so much more because it is so gosh darn easy! 

All the news I read.

The top four are all Houston news apps, the bottom 2 are pretty obvious. I bet there are some people surprised I don't have Fox News on there! 

I really don't think I would have been able to quit smoking if it weren't for the livestrong app. I am going to go into more detail in another post on it, but really. It made quitting SO much easier. 

You might have noticed that The Toddler doesn't have any apps on here. Well, that's because he has his own iphone (thanks to his Auntie Meg) so they are all on there. 

So tell me, what are your favorite apps? 

Let's talk about audio books shall we?

This is a completely nerdy topic that for some reason I have been afraid to discuss. For some reason people get touchy when audio books are brought up. I think you are either for them, or against them. I have always been in the against camp. I know, I  know, I'm an ass (or awesome, depending on your camp). 

My main complaint with the audio book is it doesn't count as reading. Here is the definition of reading for those of you who don't know it. 

1: the act of reading

2

a : material read or for reading

b : extent of material read

3

a : a particular version

b : data indicated by an instrument

4

a : a particular interpretation of something (as a law)

b : a particular performance of something (as a musical work)

5

: an indication of a certain state of affairs 

{via Websters}

And then I got a Audible account. 

A few months ago I signed up for a gold membership, it was all because of a boy, isn't it always about a boy?

{via google}

This boy to be exact. Have you ever heard Ed Westwick talk in his English accent? SWOON. I found out (by stalking his IMDB page) that he is one of the narrators for City of Fallen Angels (Mortal Instruments, Book 4).  I have already read this book (like, with my eyes) and I thought it was the best one of the series. I figured what the hell and signed up for the Audible account to get the book for free and listen to Ed's voice for 5 hours. WIN. 

Then they charged my credit card for 2 more months after that (it was legit, I just forgot, oops!). So I got two more credits (you get 1 credit, which is one free book a month with a gold membership). So I got Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices) and Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices). Now, these two I haven't read (with my eyes) so it's going to be different for me when I do listen to them (in Eds voice, duh). When I do finish them I won't count them towards my reading goal, which I have yet to decide what it is this year. I feel like listening is cheating still. When I am listening to these books I am doing it while I study and write papers, normally my focus isn't 100% on them, when I read I want my focus to be 100% on the book.

So what side of the fence are you on when I comes to the audio book? Let me know in the comments, see if you can sway me!

Sh*t Mom (I think all) Blogger Say

I am apart of a thuper thecret group on Facebook that  has some like minded bloggers in it, this was recently posted by Melissa {Growing Up Geeky} and killed dead, brought me back to life, and then killed me again.



I am guilty of so many of these, the one that really had me going was "watch the kid so I can go to a blogger meet-up!". I do think most of these can count for general bloggers to, because I recognized some of them for my girls without kids!

What is some ish that you think bloggers say? Something you say a lot?

Today is the last day to enter the book swap, don't forget loves!

My first Birchbox!

{via}

My friend Tara {Fabulous But Evil} recently posted about Birchbox (you should really read her post BTW). I had heard about it here and there, but hadn't seen much about it. So after reading her post I decided to try it out.

You sign up, pay $10 a month and you get some samples of different beauty and health products. From what I understand they will also surprise you with full sized products on occasion. Every month that you use the service you get 10 points that can go towards a full sized purchase.

Jouer Lipgloss in Birchbox pink, I put this on and immediately asked J if I looked like a whore due to it's electric hot pink shade. He said I looked more like a slutty sorority girl. WIN FOR ME. Some Juicy Couture perfume of the same name, I am good with this, I always like to carry a sample in my purse. I am really excited about the Zoya nail polish in Kristen. It's been in the 70's here in Houston so I am craving spring colors even though it is January, so this makes me happy. Some VMV Hypoallergenics eye serum, meh, I love the Bobbi Brown stuff I have, this will probably go to mi madre.

I also got a magnent and a Larabar, I didn't care for the larabar to much, The Toddler called it yucky, but Molly the dog really seemed to like it.

I would call this a pretty good haul if I do say so myself. I am going to keep up with Birchbox, it was fun getting this stuff and I also like to get things that aren't bills.


Don't forget to sign up for the awesome book swap that Heather and I are hosting!

Book Swap Time!

My awesome sister in bookworm-dom, Heather from Blonde Undercover Blonde and I are hosting our first annual book swap! The rules are this are simple. You fill out the little form, we pair you up with someone, email you who you got, and y'all converse about swapping books!

Heather and I recommend setting up a Amazon wishlist so you get what you want and not some moldy old book that has been sitting around in someones bathroom (yuck!) We will do our best to match you up with someone who has similar book reading styles, like both of y'all have e-readers. The spending limit is $15 dollars, please try to adbide by it. The deadline to sign up is this Friday. We will email you ASAP to give you your matches, then the ball is in your court. You have two weeks to get your books out to your partner. If for some reason you do not recive your book, or any communication from your partner please email me at katie@thenerdykatie.com and let me know. Also, if you plan on being a asshole and not sending out a book, don't bother signing up please. You will get called out on your asshole ways! On January 30th we will have a link up where everyone can show off the books they received!

If this sounds like the most fun in the world to you (and really, why wouldn't it?) sign up below! Happy swapping!


****The swap is now closed to new entries***

In my Mailbox

It was a good book buying week at the TNK house y'all. I got "real" (non e) and e-books this week! Hopefully next week will be the really big haul since I ordered some of my text books last night. I already have one paper to write and two chapters to read by the time school starts. That's just for the two classes that I have done my orientation for :/

But that's boring talk, lets talk about BOOOOOKKKKKSSSSS!



P.S.-- I Made This . . .(PS I Made This): I See It. I Like It. I Make It.


The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening


Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)

I also got some new-to-me music!


Brothers

And this is hands down one of my favorite albums of all time. I want everyone to go buy it right now

Awake Is the New Sleep (Dig)

Happy New Year!

Hello friends! I had taken a little bloggy break, but I am back now, 100% full steam ahead. There is so much going on this year in the TNK house. With me going back to school, The Toddler being a Mother Day Out drop out and me thinking about going back to work, at least part time. But I want to add to what I am doing. So in addition to all that (okay, for some reason I don't feel like it is that much), here is what I want to be doing for some me time.

{via}

I really want to learn to knit, and 2012 is going to be the year! If you know of any good tutorials or blogs please let me know!

{via}

I didn't make my goal this year and that makes me mad at myself, because that is the only person I have to blame! Okay, maybe Netflix to :) But I will read more this year. I haven't decided what my goal is yet, but I will let y'all know as soon as I do!

{via}

My Aunt gave me her old sewing machine that needs to be fixed, it's amazing, and I will be able to monogram! I live for monogram y'all. I have all these visions of the beautiful things I will make for myself and friends. Let's just hope it pans out okay?

{via}

My Uncle gave me his Kitchen Aid mixer (I have seriously awesome family) and I am going to bake more. Homemade y'all, breads, cakes, cookies, donuts (God how I love donuts). This one goes hand in hand with walking more to :)

Hopefully, I will accomplish at least one of these this year! What are your plans for 2012?