Christmas is coming!

Today is the first time this entire month that I have felt like excited about Christmas. CHRISTMAS IS COMING!

Maybe this mood has to do with me listening to Pandora's White Christmas station, featuring some of my favorite songs by Mariah Carey, Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, Bing Crosby, Burl Ives, and other old people. (For the record, Mariah is not old)

In light of my spectacular mood, because Christmas is coming (!), and the fact that I don't work retail tonight and that I have most of my Christmas shopping done, I'm giving away something pretty awesome.

You can win this book that I picked up from the infamous STRAND store in Manhattan when I was in NYC a few months ago. The book is about this photojournalist named Alison Wright who has traveled the world. In particular, she loves Thailand and Laos (is that in Thailand?) and some other exotic countries. Oh, and she's personally talked with and met the Dalai Lama, which makes her even more awesome in my book.

The book is a super easy read and it definitely kept my attention. It centers around a horrific accident she was in and how meditation kept her alive. Then it chronicles her journey to recovery and how she dealt with everyday life. It's an amazing story, and I'm glad I happened to randomly buy it.

Anyone can win, even if you don't live in the U.S. Because I hate it when people say, "tweet this" or "facebook that" for more entries, I'm keeping it simple kids. All you gotta do is comment. It can be something about meditating, about Christmas, or about what you ate today. I could care less. Just comment. I'll have my dog choose the winner.



Provided I actually get comments, this giveaway will end at midnight on the first day of winter, aka December 21. So get crackin'!

Goodbye

My desk is the cleanest it's ever been because there's currently only a pen, a cup, and a computer on it. I'm relieved that the moving is done. I finished loading all the books in my car today and let's just say that it now looks like I work out of my car. The entire backseat and trunk is filled with books that I need to take somewhere to try and sell back. A coworker suggested the Bookworm in Boulder.

Anyone else know of any good places to sell back (real aka not textbooks) books?

I'd like to unload them sooner than later so I can actually use the space in my car again.

sleeeeepy

I'm still exhausted, just from lack of sleep. I did manage to take a little nap at my new favorite super secret napping spot. Book club last night was good-no one really read the book, so they just filled me in on the previous book they read and we chose a new one for this month, called Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. We met a Caribou Coffee, and I tried their hot chocolate and a french toast muffin--which was definitely really sweet. I ate the rest of it for breakfast this morning.

L suggested another book to read called Love and Other Natural Disasters by Holly Shumas. It's about "a woman whose husband has an emotional affair with another woman." Sounds juicy and dramatic. I'll suggest it next month. And if ya'll have any book suggestions, lemme know.
It's snowing right now. Can't say I'm thrilled but can't say I'm surprised. Blah.

A coworker gave me some Amish Friendship bread batter. It looks pretty gross in the baggie right now, but seems pretty easy to make. She made hers with chocolate and it was yummy.

I'm meeting with potential roommate from Craigslist tomorrow--gonna see the condo/townhouse and hopefully have a sense of direction after meeting her. We'll see.

Nice Girls Do

I finished this book awhile ago but I'm finally getting a chance to write about it. It's by Sarah Duncan, and it's set in London. It's about a garden historian who receives this project of analyzing this estate. I have to be honest, I usually don't like any books set in London--probably because I can't relate to the towns or the way they speak sometimes.

Anyways, this book did grow on me. I would say that it doesn't get interesting until about 88-100 pages in. I know--I almost gave up on it, but I'm glad I stuck with it. She ends up getting involved with the man that is set to inherit the estate once his grandma passes away. He's a typical bad boy--rich, and doesn't give a crap about the estate gardens. He treats her to all the finest restaurants and clothes. And then he gets her turned on to doing coke. Meanwhile, one of the estate helpers, is also romantically interested in her, but she blows him off for the rich boy. The love triangle continues, and she discovers more history about the garden, and uncovers a bridge to a secret cave. There's alot of anthropological references throughout the garden, and I love that she wants to find out who used to inhabit the estate, and what it was like back then. She reads old letters and explores the history of the gardens more closely, and the estate helper continues to help her, while the rich boy tries everything in his power to get her away from it. He doesn't want her to find anything so that he can sell the estate and get the money.

I won't tell you how the book ends, but I will say that it ended up being a good read!

Next review: Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Yesterday I finished reading A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. It was so sad! L had warned me it would be sad, and she said she cried. I didn't cry, but I felt a sadness in my soul. The book was very detailed--I could imagine the character's in the book, and what they experienced. It was like I was there. It was well-written, and it made me want to talk about it. I usually don't read sad books--maybe one or two a year--because I get emotionally attached to them, and it's hard to deal with sometimes. While I don't regret reading this book, I also think it would be in my best interest to take the rest of the week off from reading any books.

A Golden Birthday

I had the best birthday everrrrrrrrrrr. Seriously! It was a golden birthday for realz. M and K were awesome! We went out to sushi, had saki, and even had cupcakes from Mermaids Bakery & Pie House. They were amazinnnnng! I was so excited! And our waiter gave us free shots after dinner, and two bottles of saki. And then we went out to the bars and sang to some classic songs that I used to hear at happy hour in 'cuse. The night ended with M and I getting a ride in a petticab to the parking garage. Seriously. Best. Birthday. Ever. I was so happy that everyone could come out, and that was soooo sweet of M and K to plan it all out. They sure are sneaky! But it was great!

The birthday festivites continued on Sunday with M and I waking up at 5am to go to the Rocky Mountain Balloon Festival. It was worth it! After that, I got a free chair massage at my aunt's spa party, and some presents. Then I went to Bonefish Grill with my family, aunt, uncle, and baby cousin. I tried a pomegranate martini--it was so good. I really felt like a birthday girl! Dinner was amazing, and I even had peach pie for dessert at home with the fam. I got a bottle of wine from my aunt and uncle, and my mom gave me new perfume, a new tote bag and case, and new makeup. And my cousin Jessica said she would give me a free birthday haircut. Yay! All in all, it was an amazing weekend!

Book Club!

L and I are starting a mini book club. Turns out we both read the book I'm With Stupid. Any book suggestions are welcome. I recommended that she read Schooled, and she recommended I read Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.