Read A Book? What?

I set a goal to read 30 books this year. I think I picked 30 as the number since I am 30.

But with 24 down now I am striving for 50 because with winter just around the corner I will just want to curl up on my sofa and read. 

So what have I been reading since I last shared?



The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Love legal books. Love Mickey Haller.








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The Reversal by Michael Connelly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Good yet predictable.







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The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Good book that kept me intrigued but at the end felt very formulaic. I'm excited to see something new and different for Mickey Haller in his next book.





View all my reviews A Place of Yes by Bethenny Frankel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought this book gives sound, frank advice about love and life. Amazing insights into her life as well.






View all my reviews All She Ever Wanted by Barbara Freethy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very good book. Quick read. Perfect for the pool or beach.






View all my reviews The Choice by Nicholas Sparks


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Good book, beautiful love story but I'm afraid it could provide false hope to others in a similar situation.



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Everything Changes by Jonathan Tropper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another fabulous book by my favorite author. He can do no wrong in my opinion.






View all my reviews A Bump in the Road: From Happy Hour to Baby Shower by Maureen Lipinski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Decidely honest book about life changes. I love the honesty in the authors voice ans was happy to see that it wasn't all roses.





View all my reviews If You Were Here: A Novel by Jen Lancaster
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Easy read in her total Jen Lancaster voice. I enjoy her witty snark.

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About a Boy

There may be a boy.

It is very new.

So new I am hesitant to write about it.

But he's sweet and kind and wants to spend all of his time with me.

And for the most part I am not feeling smothered. Though I do think my trip to the corporate office this week was well timed.

The discussion about my career path I am about to have, knowing I won't relocate, is not on my top 5 favorite things to do list.

But its nice to hear he wishes I were there.

It isn't without complication of the B variety.

Full fledged melt down on Friday and I fear it could happen again.

To which I say; you have no one to blame but yourself.

But there is a boy and we will see where this goes.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

My Space

I've never really had a finished bedroom.

Sure, when MX and I were together I painted and purchased bedding. But it was never fully done. I always concentrated on other rooms in the house. It was always the lowest priority.

But I am changing that now.

As I prepare for the arrival of my new bed I will be overhauling both my guest room and my bedroom.

This is a lot to accomplish by the 16th. Luckily my sister volunteered to come paint my guest room tomorrow! Such a help!

But I think I have finally settled on a look for the room.

One that is me.

One that is calm.

I'm going shopping tonight for accessories and am so excited to see this come to life. I won't be having the drapey thing or that bedframe. Rather I am in search of an old door to create a headboard...More to come.

PS - can anyone tell me how to add a Pinterest board to a blog post?

Travel Like a Child

I got up at 3 a.m. Central time for my 6 a.m. flight.

At 3:50 a.m. while printing my boarding pass I realized my flight wasn't until 7:50.

Which meant I didn't need to be up, dressed and about to leave.

So I did the mature thing and went back to bed.

I've now completed my first flight where I was in the very last row of the small plane, directly across from the restroom. By some twist of fate no one was in the set next to me.

Again, being a mature 30 year old woman I loosened my seat belt, lifted the arm rest and curled into a little ball until we touched down in Phoenix.

Since we are 30 minutes early and our gate has another plane still attached I'm stifling my inner child's desire to scream for someone to bring me Starbucks. Because I'm tired, cranky and hate work interfering with my weekends.

And I still have one more flight to go.

Hoping for an ocean view once I make it to San Diego.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

The Calm

I'm hoping that August brings a sense of calm.

Since the weekend before Memorial Day I have had plans every weekend which included; a cook off, weekend at the lake, town festival, bridal shower and boat races, wedding, Vegas (part fun/part work), lake, wedding, shower/bachelorette party, shower/bachelorette party, wedding.

11 weekends.

11 weekends with plans.

This weekend I get to leave for a work trip at 6 a.m. Sunday which means a 3 a.m. wake up call.

But the weekend after that?

For the first time since May?

All mine! And I am getting a facial and an hour long massage.

The only things on the agenda for the rest of the month are attending the State Fair, duck races and overhauling my bedroom and guest room in anticipation of 2 sets of visitors later this month.

If your guest room currently looked like Rainbow Brite threw up everywhere wouldn't you want to redo it?



I can't make this up. I swear what you see is a 2 hot pink walls, a partially orange wall and 2 yellow walls with maroon shades.

Yes, in one room.

And of my 6 bedrooms, it is not the worst...

More to come on that one someday.

But it has good bones. Beautiful hardwoods and I am going to build the room around my beloved cowhide rug. 

Some inspiration ideas below.

About Nothing

The theme of life lately seems to be nothing.

I felt nothing, there was nothing....

Today this is a post about nothing.

The highlights of my life this week:

• Mowing the lawn
• 2 great workouts
• Starting a company sponsored walking program
• Draining the hot tub (it's just too hot)
• Fresh sweet corn
• Softball playoffs
• Ordering my very first bed.

In my adult life I have never bought a bed. Not even with MX. We just always seemed to collect someone elses unwanted beds and those were sufficient. But when I left I only took one bed. A full.

Now it's time to have a big girl bed.

On B's birthday my Sealy King Plush Pillowtop will be delivered.

In the spirit of the money spent on the new bed and the subsequent decorating expenses I listed 4 dresses and 3 pairs of jeans. These may or may not have been on my to do list for the last 6 months...

Don't judge.

Let the master & guest bedroom decorating begin.

If you have seen any phenomenal bedroom designs lately that can easily incorporate all white bedding - please let me know!

There Really Was Nothing

As I mentioned  MX got married this past weekend when I was in the same city on that day for a friends wedding.

I waited and waited to feel something. Anything.

But it never came. I was indifferent.

I lunched with a friend, the wife of MX's oldest friend. I learned her husband had made a point of telling MX we'd be lunching that day. The evil part of me loved that just a bit. I learned they would be attending the wedding. And I was grateful.

Grateful because I do not want to harm their relationship with him. I know they do not agree with his actions but they were friends before and I'd like them to remain that way. They are the kind of people he needs in his life, whether he knows it or not, because they are good people.

The wedding I attended. The bride had been a reception host in my wedding. One of her bridesmaids had been one of mine. Another bridesmaid and both her personal attendants had roles in my wedding. While they were taking pictures at a foutain they ran into none other than MX and wedding party 2.0. They made a point of yelling hello and watching him squirm.

And for that I may have smiled another wicked smile.

There were no tears. No feelings of sadness.

That isn't my life anymore. He has his life 2.0.

As do I.

And the only place I want to be is right here, right now.