whatcha readin'? {2016::book 7 - goal 12}

if you happened to have stopped by here
during the time of the great giddings flu of 2016
when i was sick for a week and
all out of sorts on neo citran
and tylenol cold & cough for kids
you may remember that i listened to the
audio book via youtube videos
of the graveyard book by neil gaiman
but because i kept falling asleep
i didn't realize that the videos weren't in order
until much later...like...when it was too late...

so i read the book to get the full story.

and it was so good...
but how could it be anything but good...
it's neil-freakin'-gaiman!

if you haven't read it, read it...
even if you aren't a kid.
even if you are.
read it to your kids.
you will come back and thank me.
:)

NEXT UP:  THE END OF YOUR LIFE BOOK CLUB - WILL SCHWALBE
 

friday i'm in love...{& yes, i know it's sat...i'm late!}

-  with the video of humans performing animal courtships

-  with this art....i want to eat it...

-  with these adorable little miniature homes...i would like to try something like this but i know the cats would seek and destroy...

-  i love austin kleon...and i love lists...and i love to read...so....

-  this blog...that i used to follow and then kind of lost track again...but finding it again was like finding an old friend...

-  speaking of friends...i went to lunch with 2 of my best friends last week and i was asking them if they ever get a random urge to do or say/yell something out of character at an inappropriate time...(i am slightly concerned that it is just me and maybe my mind is going and i'm going to be a little old lady that randomly curses and hits people in public places, if you want to know the truth.)  One of my friends sent me this a couple of days later and i was like YES!  I AM NOT ALONE.  everyone's brain sometimes becomes a jerk and tries to mess with their head.  right?  that's how this should be taken, right?  (please note #3 and #8 on the list)

-  the cranberry goat cheese salad (minus the goat cheese, of course) at Pizza Delight...no photo...cause i ate it all!  Stirling got the Burger Love and he loved it!

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whatcha readin'? {2016::book 6 - goal 12}

one of my best friends
lent me this book
and said so many good things about it...
i couldn't wait to start it.

and i was not disappointed.

it is a beautifully written
sad and haunting book
that drew me in with a world of miniatures
(cause i think we have established that i LOVE tiny things)
and pulled me along breathlessly
even when i wasn't sure i wanted to go,
it is not a happy light book
but it is sweet and sad
and a little bit happy and a big bit heartbreaking...

i just realized i wrote this on a post it note when
i was done reading this book -
"all the light we couldn't see broke my heart
again & again & again...
the words were like lyrics,
the sadness was tangible."

but read it...you will not be disappointed...
you may be as mad at me as i was at my best friend
for making me feel things...
but that's a good thing.

{by the way...i'm halfway to my goal for this year!}

NEXT UP:  THE GRAVEYARD BOOK - NEIL GAIMAN

tuesday truth on a sunday...

so...if you know me at all,
you will know that i like to play games
when i am doing some kind of
menial or repetitive task...

like dishes.

we don't have a dishwasher...never have....
i do a lot of dishes by hand.
i play this game
where all of the dishes go in the soapy water
but my goal is get all the plates in the dish dryer
before the bowls...
(cause they are easier to stack that way)
but
i can't dig around and find the plates in the soapy water
i have to take the first thing i touch.
and same idea when i take it out of the rinse water...
i can see what i am taking there
but i can't take it if it's under another dish.
aaaaaand
there are a bunch of other rules
but i don't think you need any more detail
to think i might slightly losing it
(i have done this for years actually...years.)

so now with the fitbit,
i am doing a different game.
i used to have a little game for putting away laundry
but now i have incorporated the fitbit...
i play music really loud and dance while putting away the laundry...
but if i put something in the bottom drawer of my dresser,
then i do like 15 jumping jacks or squats or something...
same thing when i empty a basket...
and so far...it's working!
i'm hitting my step goal
AND all of my laundry is getting put away!
now...if only it would make my clothes fit better.
 

friday i'm in love....

-- with my fitbit...and the fact that i just realized i can do challenges which has really made me
up my game.  i am totally determined.  :)  oh...and i really, really, REALLY want to upgrade to this...

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-- with this photo of me trying to figure out how to work the timer on my phone so i could take a photo with the pug...please note casey in background...i'm not sure what she is doing but it does not look like it's going to be good.

-- these videos of cookie monster!  this made my day!  :)

-- this UH-MAZING "week in the life of" photo series which makes me want to break out the big camera again...i mean i love my phone...but...sigh...these photos took my breath away.

-- THIS!  i want to make a 60 second photo, too!!!!  go look at this site...i was totally lost in these...

-- i love everything this site offers!!