Book Nerd!

Yes I am a book nerd, and I've been even more so since I got my Nook :-) I found out that I could "borrow" ebooks from my library, which has been amazing. I have not forgotten my beautiful real books (I am currently reading one now!)
Lately, I have been knee deep in a variety of things...
I finished the Hunger Games series, and loved it. I really enjoyed the series, although I still think the first book was the best. 
I embarked on my first true erotica as well. If guys can watch porn, why can't I read my delicious novels about demon-possessed sexy warriors? The series by Gena Showalter has been dubbed Lords of the Underworld, and although it is teeming with sex, there actually is an intriguing plot based on a revised version of the Pandora's Box myth. I would definitely recommend the books to anyone who likes fantasy-esque novels (or sexy ripped men and Showalter's cheeky writing that makes any girl pant...)
Currently, I have been lent the entire Wicked Lovely series. This one is a  young adult series based on the secret world of faeries. I love the lore that is woven into the modern life of several female lead characters. Melissa Marr likes to play with love triangles and the balance of what we think of as good and evil.

I have also recently become obsessed with the site Goodreads.com. I love how it allows you to see what you've read and what you want to read all in one place. I have been looking for a way to list all those books people recommend me. It also has a great community and lots of ways to find new books to read. I'm a total nerd and I'm okay with that :-)

Well, well... Shame on me

So apparently blogging is not really my thing...
I really should set aside some time to do it more often. Especially since I have lots of adorable pictures of things that i have done recently.
A dear friend has inspired me to upkeep this little nugget of my life a little better.

And so I shall start with my current project list:

-Reading: Lots and lots of reading. Just finished The Hunger Games. What a book. In essence it's really messed up. But that's the point. It really makes you think about where life is headed. In the end of the book I definitely had a moment were I stepped back to look at myself and my life. And society in general. Although the book presents a dystopic society of the future it really has a lot of subliminal comment about the current status of our messed up society's idea of entertainment and the value of a life. Even though this book is marked as "Young Adult" it is definitely a read anyone can relate to. The strong and stubborn female character helps too :-)

-Quilting: Several unfinished projects... I've been a sewing bum after my intense week of costume making. I will eventually put up pictures of the sexiest Jolly Green Giant ever. (Did I ever mention how amazing my boyfriend is for offering to wear tights??) I suppose I have to get working on those projects... I will have several others soon. very soon.

-Cupcakes: my new crafty obsession! With the help of the best decorating books Hello, Cupcake! and What's new, Cupcake? I have become the talk of the town! I will soon hopefully take my new crafting skills and branch out to my own designs. Until then I will continue to replicate the fabulosity of these tasty art projects! Pictures to come!

-Grad School Apps: They are all in! And I'm just waiting for the acceptance (or rejection) letters. I thought doing them was stressful... but my future basically rests in the hands of those who say yea and nay. Le sigh...

Well that's a pretty decent recap for now. I should probably get some sleep... considering I will be the teacher in class tomorrow. It is Fun Friday though, so it should be a fun day!

It just doesn't make sense...

So a grim note to start up the blog again, but I need to get all the thoughts out of my head....

I got a call from the teacher I work with about an hour ago... she informed me that one of the other early childhood teachers had died this weekend. It's a bit of a shock. Something I definitely wasn't expecting to hear. She's so young... like late twenty's I'm guessing. I saw her Thursday at work. And she died of an asthma attack.... apparently only 4,000 people a year die from asthma.

I just can't wrap my head around it... there is no way it makes sense in my head. I'm sure it will hit me walking into work tomorrow morning... and there is a big chance I won't sleep at all tonight. It's just so creepy and wrong and weird.

I don't want to end up seeming inappropriately unemotional at work, which has happened to me in the past, but I suppose I don't know how I will feel. I kind of knew her. I interacted with her. We were supposed to have a room connected with her next year. I was supposed to see her tomorrow at summer school.... It just doesn't make sense, and I hope it does hit me... I think I need to feel something other than confusion right now... even though I know all too well that confusion and denial is supposed to happen it just adds all the more to extended senselessness....

Sew monkey sew!!

So It's been a while... quite a while.... since my last post. Probably due to job 2. I hate that I have no social life (aside from Quizzo every Wednesday) and the job pretty much sucks right now... It's prom season... But I keep telling myself, if I can just get through May all will be well and good. My mom keeps telling me to think of the money. I just keep thinking about how much I miss my pillow...

When I'm not working, I'm sewing. I finished my quilt for Kelly's wedding (left) and now I'm on to another one, as well as a billion other mini projects. I wanted to make my mom some wine glass coasters for mother's day... but I doubt I'll actually have the time to fiddle around to see if the design in my head will actually work.

In other news, my weekend at Purdue was... entertaining to say the least. I would also have to add the words "unexpected" and "ewwwe" to the description.... Lots of drinking... lots of shirtlessness (well, I wasn't shirtless) and a little bit of nasty flood water from the bathroom in the kitchen. The weather was beautiful, my friends' home brew was delicious, and the weekend was an all around winner. It was nice to have a weekend where I didn't actually have to work. But I will basically be bound to Mr. Tux for the rest of May. Okay, I lied a bit, I'm going to Florida for Memorial Day weekend with Mark :-) Hopefully we will go to the over-priced and probably-less-exciting-than-I'm-expecting Disney World.

And now I shall be off to iron and do other un-exciting prep work for my quilt!

Yay Babies!!! (and other ramblings...)

So my Aunt finally had her baby on St. Patrick's Day!! A little boy! His name is James (after my Grandpa) Michael Phillips. I have yet to see him, but I'm sure he's absolutely adorable! It will be exciting to have another baby in the family again, since our youngest is almost 5! No doubt that this will be the last baby of the family until us grandkids get around to it. so YAY BABY!

EDIT: Saw the baby last night! He's Perfect!!



Also, the coming of spring is exciting me :-) I enjoy the warm weather and all the flowers blooming! I highly doubt that there will be any more snow this year, although the past few years I believe we've had it well into April. We shall have to see. Happy First Day of Spring everyone!

St. Patrick's Day this year was AWESOME! I went with my friend Phil to see Flogging Molly at the Congress Theatre in Chicago. It was absolutely insane! The mosh pit was a much needed energy/stress relief for me. I'm surprised I didn't drop 10 pounds from all the sweat dripping off of me when we left. It was seriously nasty, but fully worth it. I did come away with quite a few bruises, which look terrible, but again, just all part of the moshing experience.

And as a good end to a good week, I found out that I do in fact have a job next year. The district is cutting a lot of jobs, and I happened to be on the bottom of the seniority list for teacher's aides and other support staff, but I somehow got lucky. I get to stay with the teacher I am currently working with too, which is an added bonus. Now I just need to find a part-time job/night speech pathology grad school program. I'm not sure that night programs exist for speech... I'm having trouble finding decent full-time programs. We will have to see.

I hate it... but I LOVE it

So in the past two weeks my work-out routine has suffered, as is reasonable. Of course the stress and depression have added to my snacking... as well as all the wonderful people who made delicious stress food for our family (ie sending brownies, cheesecake, cookies, fried food) And I accept all of that as natural. Although it took some time and a little slacking off... I did finally get my ass in gear. I realized I truly do enjoy sweating and the soreness that comes with my workouts. And I find myself feeling better about me, even if I haven't really noticed any results (nor the wii fit noticing any either...) I'm finding myself wanting to push more in my workouts and some of it is getting a little easier, or I get through more of the workout. I suppose I don't know why I waited so long to actually work out. I really cannot wait for summer and for all the bike riding and frisbee playing that will ensue :-)

In other news, our trivia team finally won on Wednesday! Horray Disasterous Raptors! This means $50 of bar fun next week! (and hopefully another win!)

Other bar related excitement: I found a bar that is now serving Murphy's stout (and red) on tap! I think I scared the bartender last night with my enthusiasm over it. Mark suggested they may be starting to sell it here in America, which would really be an excitement to me :-)

And my last tidbit of blab for the day... the Illini are losing to Purdue... but I suppose they have time to come back. I-L-L I-N-I!!

Quilting!!!

So I am embarking on another quilting mission! (Unfortunately it's kinda top secret so I cannot reveal much...) I am very excited!
I think my first real gift-quilt turned out exquisitely! Thanks to my dear Heather, I finally have pictures to stroke my ego with!

Voila! The amazing front of the quilt! I chose a pastel base for the colors with floral prints accenting. I think my pattern also turned out pretty cool too! The pinky-purpley bit was supposed to be more diamondy looking, but I like the pattern it makes when you squint your eyes at it a bit or look at the picture from afar. The back is fleece with a border of the same floral used in the purple squares.

It's a totally cuddly quilt meant to be destroyed with love!

Mostly, I'm really proud of myself for actually doing it and finishing it! Quilting is very much a stress-reducing activity for me (although it can cause a bit of stress on its own...) I enjoy it completely!!

I'll have to wait a little while to have any info/ pictures of my next project... but I promise it'll be awesome!!