Book Reviews: The Immortal Life of Henreitta Lacks, The Giver, About a Boy, Paper Towns and The Trouble with Goodbye

Over the past month, I've read quite a few books! I figured, I go through them and give you my thoughts. 

About a Boy

I picked this up without any idea that there was a currently running TV show based off of it. It was funny and clever, but also kinda depressing at times. I hated the ending though, very disappointing. I actually like the TV show better. 

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

This is one of those books that really makes you think. I almost didn't read it because I kept thinking how boring a book about cells would be, but I was wrong. I couldn't put it down. It's opened my eyes to the world of science and made me really question "What really does belong to us?" Weird, I know, but once you read it you will too!

The Giver

It may be shocking, but I had never read this book before! I don't know why, but our schools never required it (we read Number the Stars instead). I figured I'd go ahead and read it since the movie is coming out soon (My girl T-swizzle is in it, holla!) Guys, it's good. Like, I can't believe I've never read it before now, good. It's brilliant and thought provoking and I just want to make every middle-schooler read it! It's a pretty quick, easy read so definitely check it out. 

Paper Towns

You know I had to at least mention my man, John. All of his books are just so brilliantly magnificent that I just want to, like, steal his mastermind of a brain. The dialogue, the characters, the imagery, the metaphors, everything is great in this book (as usual). I'll admit though, that I began reading this in October and read about 1/3 of it and put it down. I just now picked back up where I left off and didn't put it down until I finished it. It's both hilarious and heartbreaking (not as bad as TFIOS, I shed no tears, don't worry) in a way that only John Green could pull off, but it's just freaking amazing. I don't really agree with classifying it as a YA book (same with TFIOS) because the depth of it is so beyond anything I think that genre could ever fill. Just read it. In fact, if you've never read any John Green books before, I recommend starting with this one!

and finally,

This was an extremely fast and short read. It was okay. It's kinda one of those books that requires no thought so I flew through it. Nothing spectacular, just a cute, cheesy love story! Plus it's free on my Nook, so that's a plus. I'm not sure if I will continue with the series or not.

What are you currently reading?

What I'm Jammin' To Currently

So you guys. I am obsessed with TFIOS (you should now this by know) so of course I had to buy the movie soundtrack. And every since then, I've been listening to it nonstop. So today I figured I'd highlight some of my favorite songs on the album. (because I am obsessed and a total nerd)

The one that's always stuck in my head is this one:

I listen to it on repeat and have a full on dance party for 1 in my room. I can totally tell this will be this year's summer anthem. Like I said, it's always in my head, like it is currently.....and it goes on and on and on and on and....

This one is probably my favorite one on the album:

I won't lie and say that it doesn't bring tears to my eyes almost every time I hear it. I also get goosebumps and I'm basically just a giant cheeseball of emotions every time I listen to it. Ed just gets me.

and this one I'm pretty sure everyone who rids in my car is sick of because I literally (misuse of literality, I know) play it over and over again:

gimme gimme that love I've been fightin' for, yeah!

This one I just love to pretend like I can actually sing to:

Just so you know, I can't sing. Like at all. But this song is awesome, nevertheless.


and because I just love John Green's sense of humor, I also jam like gangsta to this one:


Yes. This is swedish hip hop.
Just imagine my friend and I (both white girls, mind you) turn the bass up real high, windows down, drivin' around town pretending like we're wearing flat bills backwards, dropping a sideways peace sign, nodding our heads back and forth.

I could go on, but you should just buy the album and enjoy all of its awesomeness for yourself.




ps. Aunt Denise, if you're reading this (you might be the only one reading this) JUST READ IT ALREADY!! :D

May Ipsy Bag

I hope everyone had a relaxing weekend to remember all those who've served for our country!

It's that time again... I'm sharing what I got in my monthly Ipsy bag.

I feel like I say this every time, but I really believe that this is the best bag to date! I was so happy with all 5(!!) products and I really feel like I got way more than my $10 worth!

1. Therapy Session Hair Mask by Eva NYC

What they say:

The Therapy Session Hair Mask deeply conditions, repairs and strengthens dry and damaged hair. Argan Oil nourishes and revitalizes, while Keravis Protein drastically increases hair’s strength and elasticity. The results are hydrated, soft and manageable hair. 

What I say: This smells amazing and makes my hair so soft and smooth! I definitely recommend this.

2. Mineral Eye Shadow Duo by Pacifica in Celestial and Opal

What they say:

The Pacifica Mineral Eyeshadow Duo are coconut infused mineral eye shadows that are a perfect addition to any makeup collection. Packaged in a beautiful travel ready recyclable container, these exclusive duos are customized just for ipsy! These shades can be found in the Pacifica Mystical and Charmed Palette. Smooth application with gorgeous color pay-off. 

What I say:

I am already a huge fan of this brand, so I was excited to try these! I love the shades, great for everyday wear. I apply the warm shade all around the lid and then highlight with the lighter shade along my brow bone and inner eye. It's such an easy, but beautiful everyday eye look! 

3.Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer by Too Faced

What they say:

Bronzing has never been so delicious. The Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer is a shimmer-free, matte bronzer perfect for contouring and creating an all-over deep tan using real antioxidant-rich cocoa powder. It’s all the tan without the twinkle. Infused with antioxidant-rich cocoa powder and signature bronzing pigments to create a unique matte bronzer that neutralizes red and evens skin tone. 

What I say:

You guys know I am already a huge fan of this bronzer! It was a favorite of mine for a while, so I was happy to see it in my bag. I looooove the smell of this, chocolate, but it does go away once applied to the face. It's a great shade, even though I'm pale, it's not too dark. This will be great travel size to take on trips!

4.Classic Sport SPF50 by Hang Ten

What they say:

Protect and nourish your skin with our clear, lightweight, naturally scented sunscreen. Provides maximum water resistance and full body coverage against harmful UVA/UVB rays. 

What I say: Sunscreen is always a good thing...this will definitely be thrown into my beach bag this summer! It smells a bit like coconuts, which I love.

5. Thermal Spring Water by Avene

What they say:

Known for its long history in treating atopic dermatitis, the Avène Thermal Spring Water is the only thermal spring water bottled directly from the source and packaged in a sterile environment to guarantee purity and maximum skin benefits. Its unique composition is proven to soothe inflammation, itching, redness, general sensitivity and post-medical and aesthetic procedure irritation as it softens, protects and purifies the skin. Avène Thermal Spring Water is recommended by dermatologists worldwide. 

Spray onto the skin in a fine mist. May leave on for 2 to 3 minutes, and then gently pat dry. Ideal for use after cleansing, shaving, exercise, sun, to soothe diaper rash and set make-up to help keep it fresher looking longer. 

What I say: I was so intrigued by this product, as I've never tried anything like this before. It works great on the skin to remove any excess oil, and I can't wait to apply it after I shave (I get bad bumps). This is such a multi-use product, I will definitely get lots of use out of it. 

Swatches:

To get your own bag, for only $10 a month, click here!

Don't you ever tell me that "you can't live without me." I will punch you in the face.

You know when people say 'I would die without you.” or “I couldn't live without you.” to their significant others?  (In our culture, said phrase is used as a way to describe an exaggerated, all-consuming adoration for their girlfriend/boyfriend/husband/wife.)

 I call bullshit. 

In fact, that's the biggest amount of horse malarkey I've ever heard.

source

NEWS FLASH! No! You WILL NOT die without that person. I repeat, you will NOT die. You will carry on. You will pick yourself up and you will eventually, in your own time, move on with your life. Sure, it will be hard. There will be good moments and some pretty bad ones. There will be times where you're driving down the road and you will see a sign on the street that will remind you of a time you once shared with that person and there will be this pang of emptiness in your heart, but it will not kill you.You will make it. There will be times where your pain will be so strong and agonizing that you may feel as if you are dying, but you won't. You will move along, carrying those feelings with you, trying and sometimes failing in finding balance between pain and happiness and you will be fine. You are alive and you should cherish that. No loss, no matter how significant, should take that simple gift from you.

Why has our culture fabricated this lie? Isn't it basically saying that I have absolutely no worth outside of this other human being and that continuing my existence without that person is a complete and utter waste. That's a lie.

The truth is that I have worth and value just for the simple fact that I am breathing. I am valued because I was lucky enough to make it onto this world and for that, I should be endlessly thankful. No other person, no matter how important, could ever take that gift away from me.

 Let me repeat this. YOUR VALUE IS NOT INHIBITED BY OTHER'S CHOICES. You have value not because of others and their presence in your life, but simply because you are. Simple as that. 

Are you following me?

Now, I, personally, have never 'lost' love (I've never been 'in love' either, but that's another story). So, I do understand that technically, I have no pretense to claim to know what said pain feels like, be it death or a breakup. But I do know how it feels to have to let go of certain people in my life and it sucks...balls. But their reason to leave should in no way shape or form affect the way that I choose to continue my existence on this planet.  I am not the choices others make. The only thing that I can control in my life, is myself, and forgive me for choosing to live my life for me and not wasting any precious second on this earth on someone who doesn't choose reciprocate in having me in theirs. Sure, I still feel the pain of their absence, but I won't allow that pain to consume my life and inhibit myself from growing and evolving as a human being. We all owe it to ourselves, the universe even, to pick up the pieces they left behind and carry on with our lives. 

So, please never ever use that phrase. Don't you ever tell me that "you can't live without me." I will punch you in the face. And then probably hug you and tell you that you are way more valuable as an individual to say such things. 

(Note: I don't actually plan on punching anyone in the face. I don't think my soul has the capacity to do such things, but I was serious about that hugging part.)

My DIY/Revamped $35 Desk

So, a while ago, I decided I needed a desk.

 I needed somewhere to sit and do my makeup, but I didn't want just a vanity. I wanted something that has a multi-function aspect, as I also needed something to sit and do homework at and also to blog at!

Me, being the savvy shopper that I am, went to a local Facebook trading site and found this desk on there for $35. I instantly saw potential.

(Note, this isn't the actual place my desk resides. I just moved it over here it's normally in front of my window and the lighting in the pictures kept turning out horrible.)

 My initial thought was to repaint it, but for now, I like the color and antique-y feel.  

I love that it is on wheels and has deep drawers.

It came with really ugly wood knobs, but I knew that was nothing but a trip to Hobby Lobby to fix.

I went with these gorgeous mercury glass pulls for the side drawers...

and these flower-y silver pulls for the middle drawer.

Let's chat about the chair for a second. 

I had went to CCA with our friend from Canada (who didn't even know what CCA was) with the intent on buying a chair for my desk. 

I walked the entire store and didn't see anything I liked. As we begin to walk out, our friend yells for me to come look at just one more. 

Meet my new chair!

Once again, I thought it would be awesome to paint seeing that it was less than perfect, but now the dark wood is growing on me. I like how it accents the cream desk! Perfect for me :)

It had an ugly blue leather seat (which I was going to show you but I took the pictures of it without a memory card in the camera, and can't get them off.) 

 and once again, the seat was nothing a trip to Hobby Lobby and a staple gun couldn't solve. I went with this burlap-esque (it just looks like burlap, but it's really a soft fabric) and sliver metallic floral design. I love how it matches my pulls!

So, what does my desk contain, you may ask?

I have a few (okay, 4) drawers for makeup stuff,

           and the rest just hold a random assortment of stationary, memorabilia, and honestly a lot of crap. 

On the top of the desk, I store my brushes in miscellaneous jars/coffee mugs I thrifted. 

I also hold my perfume on this mercury tray I got at a thrift store. 

And that's my perfect DIY desk!! I love it so much. 

Why My Job Keeps Me Laughing

I work in a preschool and I also nanny and babysit on the side. I couldn't be happier doing what I do.
You see, there isn't ever a dull moment or a time when I look at the clock thinking "gosh, is it over yet!?!"...okay, maybe there is a few of the moments, but they are rare. What I  love the most about my jobs are the kids. (obviously) In case you didn't know this already, children are freaking hilarious. There are times where I can't control my laughter because they cracked me up so much. (There are other times that I really really have to control it by biting my lips and stifle my laughter for  fear that they will repeat what they just said to their parents because I thought it was funny).

Anyway, all that's to say, that I've been trying my hardest to write down some of the really funny ones to share with you guys. Now, I am unsure about how this humor will play over the computer, so this post could be not funny at all, but I assure you, they were hilarious at the time. Believe me.

  Don't worry, though, keep reading...I save the best for last ;)

First one...let me set the scene for you. I am sitting in a first grade class observing for my college course. The teacher was going through a powerpoint about landmarks. (why the teacher decided to teach 1st graders via a powerpoint is another issue for another day). Anyway, so I was sitting at an empty desk next to a little boy. The teacher flips to "Geysers" and begins to explain what a geyser is. I'm looking down, writing notes and the class is supposed to be filling in papers.  The little bright eyed boy sitting next to me, looks up from his paper and whipsers:

"Wow. I wish I had a chocolate geyser in my backyard."
Me too, buddy. Me too. 

2. I'm standing at the door checking in all the kids into my class. A sweet girl walks up to my door, and I begin writing her info down. I notice she has a tiny (I can't say this enough, it was tiny) pocket bible with her. So proud that she had brought it to class, I say enthusiastically, "How awesome is it that you brought your bible today!"

She looks at me, with a stark, deadpan face and says in a monotone voice, "That's not a bible. That's my iPad." Me, completely and utterly shocked at her reply, kind of giggle and looks at her mom thinking she would be laughing too. Her face was stone cold, not a hint of humor crosses her face.

Ok, then. Just me. I see though where your daughter gets her facial expressions from. 

So she comes inside and sits down at the table, whips out her bible iPad and begins pressing 'buttons' as if it really was an iPad. Silly me. Bibles are iPads.


3. I generally avoid asking about Santa/tooth fairy etc. because there are so many different families who have different traditions, I don't want to ruin it for anyone. But the following conversation happened in the middle of April, (almost 5 months after Christmas, mind you.)

A little boy kept going around knocking everyone's lego towers down. I kindly pulled him aside and redirected him telling him that it wasn't nice to knock down other people's towers. A rather bossy little girl walks up to us and says matter-of-factly, "He's being naughty."

Then, she gets rather close to his face and says, "You know Santa's watching, right?!?"
That must've done the trick, though, because the little boy stopped knocking down their towers.
#futureteacherinthemaking #shesonthenicelist

4.  Me and about 4 children in my preschool class (they are about 3yrs) are sitting around a table coloring. Another little girl gets dropped off into the class and walks over to the table. I notice she is wearing a princess costume and I say "Wow, you look so beautiful! Who are you today?" (meaning which princess she was)

She replies, "I'm princess Auora!"

Before I even have time to reply, another boy, named Matthew, who is also sitting at the table, looks at me and calls out,  "I'm just Matthew today" with a look of disappointment flashing across his face.

5. Another mom comes to drop of her child into my class. I greet her at the door and the boy bolts inside and begins to run all the way around the class in circles. I try to catch his attention to tell him that we can't run inside with no luck at hindering him. The mom steps in and screams "DAVID. DAAAAAVIIIIIIIDDD. HEY! COME HERE!"
David stops running and walks slowly over to his mother. His head hangs low as he reaches her.

She lowers her voice half a decibel, (which is really still a scream), "WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?!?! WHAT BUILDING ARE YOU IN????"

David looks up at the ceiling and really thinks hard for a minute. When he finally comes up with his answer he says quietly, "This one."

Both the mom and I just look at each other and completely fail at stifling our laughter.
Hey, I like the way you think, David. 

6. This one isn't from work, it's from my sweet, youngest cousin, Will. He's in first grade.

It was a thursday and his mom (my aunt) and I picked him up for school and began chatting about how his day was. My aunt then asks him this: "Hey, do you have anything big going on tomorrow at school? We might have to call you out early so we can get started on our road trip earlier."

There was silence for a little while as he was recalling what his plans were for that Friday. Finally, he replies. "Well, there is one thing."

"Well, what is it?" my aunt said curiously.

"Tomorrow is Mac and Cheese day at lunch... and I really don't wanna miss the Mac & Cheese."

You've definitely got your priorities straight,Will.  I admire that. 

Side note: guess what we had for dinner that night just for him ;)
here's a hint: Mac&Cheese. 



and finally, 7.

I love to give all my kids hugs at the end of the day. So when their parent comes to the door, I typically pick them up and give them a big hug then hand them over to their mom/dad.
So I was doing just that when I picked up a boy and gave him a long hug, as it was the last day of class before break. He finally pulls back, and as I'm still holding him, he looks me in the eye. He asks in the most concerned voice, "Was that good for you?"

I wish I could just show you the look on the mother's face, she was mortified. I, on the other hand, about died of laughter. How does one even reply to that question (remember, this is coming out of a 4 year old)
#uhhhwheredidyoulearnthat?


That's all for now! Hopefully at least one of these brought a smile to your face. Unfortunately there are plenty more, but I don't always get the chance to write them down  and I end up forgetting them because my memory is crap.

Happy Monday!

A Girl's Best Friend.

This furry girl has my entire heart and then some. 

Are you sticking your tongue out at me missy?!?!

Who me? No certainly not. 

I'm too adorable to do that!

“Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day. 
It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.” 

-John Grogan

 If I could only convey how much joy she brings to my life. 

An Evening with John Green and the TFIOS Cast!

So what does a girl do when one of her favorite authors (who wrote one of her favorite books) decides to come to her town,  along with the cast of the upcoming movie based on said favorite book?!?!?!

SHE GOES!!!!

Along with about 4,000 other girls.

Oh and just waits in line for about 2 1/2 hours to do so. 

SO yeah. If you've been living under a rock for the past few months, there's this little novel called The Fault in Our Stars (TFIOS for short) and it's soon to be a movie next month! I couldn't be more excited because the book is amazing. Like in my top three favorite books of all time amazing. I also just happen to adore John Green and watch the vlogbrothers religiously. 

So when Texas won the statewide contest and John Green plus the stars of the movie (Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort and Nat Wolf) were all coming to Dallas for an exclusive Q&A, my friend and I decided that we absolutely had to go. 

As soon as my friend got off work Friday, we sped to downtown Dallas. (I won't mention the crazy driving it took to get us there in time)

Luckily, we got there just in time to wait for 2 almost 3 hours. 

Totally worth it. 

we felt very legit with our wristbands...hahaha!

Some graffiti we fell in love with while waiting in line. No we did not do this ;) 

I also find the cigarette butt at the top of the picture a little bit metaphorical but completely coincidental. 

 But as luck would have it, we were the very last two people to get in. I felt bad for the people behind us, but overjoyed that we made it in!!!

After filing in like sardines, we were shown an exclusive 10 minutes of movie clips. I can't even tell you how excited I am for this movie. It actually looks like it's going to be a great adaptation from what we saw.

I'm so excited I can't even. 

can't.even.

Then the biggest moment happened. 

left to right: Ansel, Shailene, Nat and John

They all walked out on stage and we all went absolutely nuts. 

They were so genuine and funny. We all laughed, we even cried. 

(Check out the video below for the reason why we had tears!)

Shailene even wore a cowboy hat and danced to "These boots are made for walkin" and Ansel break danced! In true form, John was is normal awkwardly amazing self.

They answered really cool questions that made me even more excited for the movie. 

Have I said that already? ;)

Afterwards, we walked the red carpet and of course had our picture taken with the movie poster!

It was a must to wear my 'okay' shirt ;)

You can watch John's blog below...skip to 2:16 to just see the Dallas part (and the sweetest moment that had us all in tears!)


and in true TFIOS fashion, of course the cast had to do an Okay? with us:

If you're curious, the surprise was the crowd singing " The stars at night are big and bright...deep in the heart of Texas!"

It was so much fun and I am so glad I can say that I went. If you haven't read TFIOS yet, you're missing out! Here's to June 6th....I'll be at the midnight premiere! hehehe. 





"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are the underlinings."

                                                                                                  -Shakespeare

My Hero

My Mom,  My hero. 

I hope all you moms out there had a fantastic Mother's Day! We sure did over here. We had a very low key day...just the way we like it! We had a large waffle breakfast and then went out shopping for a bit. We went to our favorite sno-cone place and then came home and watched Monsters INC. To end the day we had a great seafood dinner! All of my mom's favorite things :)

In honor of my wonderful mother, I figured I'd share this video I made at my high school graduation 2 years ago.

General Housekeeping

If you think this post is about cleaning after reading the title, you came to the wrong blog.
No cleaning here, except virtual cleaning! I've finally finished my tabs up there ^^^^. Go ahead, check them out, I'll wait here for you!

It was tedious but it should be so much easier to find just what content you're looking for! Exciting, huh!?! There are now 5 different categories: Fashion, Beauty, Life, DIY and etc. All are pretty self explanatory, except etc. which is just a breadbasket of all the posts I couldn't shove into a specific spot. All you have to do is click the links on each page and it will bring up a feed to all of the related content.


I guess I should say here that I don't claim to be an expert in fashion beauty and all that stuff... far from it! But you should know that by now ;)

While you're up there, I also updated my 'about me' just a tish. Actually, I only added one sentence. Still...


Anyway, hope you like it!

Weekend Wrap Up: Garage Sales and CANTON!

I haven't done one of these in a long time and I had such a fantastic weekend, so I figured I'd share it with you!

Friday:

Friday night, my brother, his wife, my other brother and my mom (whew that was a mouthful) all decided to go have some drinks and appetizers on the patio of one of our favorite restaurants. They weather was gorgeous, the music was awesome and the company was even better! We had a blast.

Saturday:

All our saturday mornings are consumed by the same thing each week: yard sales! We get up around 7:30 and go saleing till around 11. We didn't come back with much, but most of the fun comes from just driving around anyway!

...which is where we found this guy!

We were back in the country and stumbled across this cow. He's pretty photogenic, no?

Afterwards, we went and had brunch on you guessed it...another patio!

My mom and I split this amazing fruit salad. It was so good!

Because the restaurant we were at was right next to Barnes and Noble, of course we just had to go in. Duh. 

I took pictures of about 50 books I want to read. Why pictures you ask? So I can order them on Amazon/check them out of the library...I'm cheap like that. 

My mom stumbled upon this book. SO funny!

Then we finished the day napping and reading and going grocery shopping at Trader Joe's: my new favorite store! I could barely sleep that night because I was so excited about what was coming Sunday...

Sunday:

We woke up extra early and headed out to CANTON! If you don't know what Canton is, it's a flea market out in East Texas (about 90 minutes outside of Dallas) that happens each month on the first weekend. It's amazing. There's antiques, garage sales, booths with clothes/accessories and a bunch more interesting things!

While I didn't end up buying anything (shocking, I know!) it still is so much fun just to walk around. My mom did find a few fun things...check out her post to see what she found! 

(I stole her pictures by the way) ;)

You can read about a previous trip to Canton, here!


 This past weekend was filled with so much fun and I am so glad to be able to spend time with my family.  BUT! This friday I have something really really exciting going on...you'll just have to wait and see!