30 Day Challenge: Day 27 - A Physical Feature You Love

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Hair.

And not just mine, either - although that is, in my opinion, my best feature.  (I wrote a blog post about my hair, once, and talked about donating hair to making wigs for sick kids going bald.)  Hair is generally the first thing I notice about a person, whether it's my first time meeting them or we're best friends.  I don't know why.  My eyes are just drawn to hair. :P

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For laughs. ;)
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Things I'm Afraid to Tell You

Once upon a time, Jess Constable got sick of the picture-perfect lives that people online look like we lead.  Often we don't set out to paint ourselves as ideal or perfect; we just don't share the messy or uncomfortable, so an imbalanced picture is created in peoples' minds.  This just leads to everybody feeling like they're failures - at home, in their relationships, in their writing or art, at work.  So she decided to open her heart and share the things she was afraid to tell her readers.

Naturally, other bloggers related to the frustration with the picture-perfect life found online.  So Ez decided to start a movement... and now, bloggers everywhere have shared/are sharing the things we're afraid to tell the world.


I cannot sew to save my life.  I know how to sew.  I have made pillows and mended stuff and taken a sewing unit in Home Ec.  But every time I see an online DIY tutorial that involves pinning or patterns or a sewing machine, I just click the little 'x' and wonder why I'm such a failure in this domain of womanhood.

I can't cook, either.  I love to bake.  I can follow a recipe.  I can make anything from a box or can.  But I don't know the terms or tools of cooking, and I never ever alter a recipe, because I'm guaranteed to ruin it.  I have no recipes of my own.  And this also makes me feel like a homemaking failure.

I don't talk about God much.  You know those Christians who are always witnessing, or the ones that will make a little mention of God in everyday conversation, and you can just tell they've at least had some church influence in their lives?  That's definitely not me.  I'll talk about God and the Bible at church, and during my Christian-homeschool-curriculum assignments, and during soul-winning, and when somebody else brings Him up.  But I don't start those conversations.  And I feel like a terrible Christian for that.

I've never done a load of laundry without Mom telling me exactly what settings to use, and even then, I can count those loads on one hand.  This goes back to being a failure as a homemaker.

I struggle not to hate certain famous or infamous people, while at the same time I get angry with people who hate gays or other generalized groups of sinners.  An old pastor of mine once said, "Love the sinner, hate the sin."  I want to do that.  But I have to fight my hatred of corrupt celebrities like Lady Gaga or terrible people like abortion doctors or fake Christians like Westboro Baptist Church.

I don't like reading classics, generally.  I'm a bookworm.  I get higher test scores than the average girl my age.  I'm a writer.  I watch movies obsessively, and I love Emma and Much Ado About Nothing, among others.  So I should love reading the classics behind the movies, right?  Wrong.  Of all the classics I've read, the only ones I really enjoyed were Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre; even those two had 'boring parts' I had to force myself through.  All this put together can make me feel like I'm less than or below other girls, who can easily read and love Shakespeare or Dickens.

I'm sometimes jealous of my best friends.  One has relatives that are super rich.  The other has two working parents.  Therefore, they own or do things that I don't.  Everything I know about these girls makes me certain that jealousy of them is never logical.  And most of the time, I don't feel this way.  But the envy creeps up on me sometimes, and it's so illogical that it makes me feel like a stupid green-eyed monster.

The news drives me crazy.  When it's on television in the doctor's office or a newspaper is sitting on the kitchen table, I get sucked it and eat it up.  I love reading/watching the news, whether it's online, in the paper, or on television.  But then I get so depressed or mad about all the crazy, negative stuff that's happening.  I love to know but I hate all the evil and sadness in the world.

I wish I could go back in time and erase the feminist movement.  I wish this at least once daily.  Please don't hate me, fellow females.  I know there are good things - great things - the feminist movement did for us.  But I also feel like they destroyed a sacred and special part of womanhood that God Himself bestowed to us, and that makes me sad.  I can't even put that something they destroyed into words, but everyone feels its loss in general culture and politics, whether or not they recognize it.

Book Review: Angel Eyes

Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore
Once you've seen, you can't unsee.



Click the cover to buy

Some of my lovely readers may remember my review of Rippler, the first in a sci-fi(ish) YA trilogy by Cidney Swanson.  I loved that book, and the rest of the trilogy.  They were some of the best secular books I've read; Angel Eyes was very similar.  The writing styles, the chapter setup, and the author's use of different points of view were nearly the same in Rippler and Angel Eyes.  They're also both the first in a trilogy.  But the likeness doesn't stop there - not at all.  The main characters, their relationships with others and each other, and the small-town setting were very alike.


Now obviously, these books have different plots and different authors - they're distinct.  Angel Eyes kept me guessing and turning pages long after I normally have a book's ending figured out.  The writing style draws you in, the storyline unfolds naturally, and the characters are three-dimensional.  There are a few unanswered questions - after all, it's part of a trilogy - but there are enough answers to keep a reader satisfied.

The Christian aspect of this book seems aligned with Scripture.  The main premise of the book is focused on angels, demons, and Heaven; the Bible doesn't tell us nearly as much about these things as it does salvation or the Christian life.  Naturally, the author had to take some liberties and use her imagination.  That's part of writing any novel.  But everything that is found in Scripture about these subjects was written into the book accurately and beautifully.

To conclude, I'd say that I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys young adult fiction or stories that blend suspense, action, and romance.  I give this book five stars.

I received this book for free through BookSneeze in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

30 Day Challenge - Day 26: Your Dream Wedding

This post wasn't supposed to go up until tomorrow, but I read Blogger's calendar wrong when I scheduled it.  I guess you lovely readers can enjoy it a day early!

Today I get to do a squeal-ly teenage girl post. :)  Any males out there reading this, I guess you can keep reading if you want to... but don't blame me when you're bored and confused by females' obsession with weddings.

Girls love weddings.  (Most girls.)  I think it's because we love love, and love stories, and happy endings, and happiness in general - all of which are celebrated at weddings.  Also because we love pretty things and fancy hair and flowers and all the other girly wedding stuff.  :)

A while back, I posted a photo slideshow of a wedding dream book I made during a sleepover.  That sleepover and post occurred during one of the 'future wedding daydream phases' I tend to go through.  Right now I'm just getting over yet another of those phases, so this post is perfect timing.

Since that post, my basic idea of the "perfect wedding" hasn't changed much.  The ceremony and the reception would both be on the beach.  Lately I've been looking at Lover's Key State Park.  It's pretty, and it has a lovely gazebo for a reception.  :)  Although there are other pretty beaches, like Sanibel, where my grandma goes on vacation every year.

Some people decide to have an indoors ceremony or just a beach-themed wedding because they want a formal and/or traditional wedding, or because they don't want public beach goers (i.e. strangers) to show up at their wedding.  Honestly, as long as they don't take food or favors (since I'd have planned for just the guests I know of), I'd love to have random people at my wedding.  Maybe I'm just weird.  Anyway, moving on.

The bridesmaids would wear blue - like sky blue or teal - tea length dresses, made of tulle, organza, or chiffon.  They would not wear satin or taffeta - too stiff and shiny - and the dresses would not be strapless or one-shoulder.  Something like this:

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But in this color:

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The groomsmen would be more casual than at most weddings.  I'm thinking a white, cream, or ivory dress shirt, with the top button undone and the sleeves pushed or rolled up, and khaki shorts.  Definitely no ties.

Not quite what I had in mind, but it's the best I could find.
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The groom would probably wear the same thing as the groomsmen, except maybe with pants instead of shorts.

I love wedding dresses but can be very picky as to specific kinds I like.  However, my only preferences are a dislike for sweetheart necklines, short hemlines, and sleeves.  (I like certain straps, though.)  Two of my current favorites, both of which happen to be one-shoulder:

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The wedding party would choose their own shoes, but during the ceremony the wedding party would be barefoot.  Also, instead of unity candles, the groom and I would have a sand ceremony.

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Before moving on to the reception, look at this lovely sign.  My perfect wedding would have this at the ceremony and reception.  It would look a little different, with shells instead of flowers, but I love the poem.

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Now, to the reception!  The cake would be simple and round, probably three tier (none of those tier-separating pillar things) and white-frosted.  Most likely fondant icing for neatness, although my taste buds would prefer buttercream. :P  It would be decorated with shells, either real, sugar, or fondant, and maybe some form of edible coral.  I love personalized bride and groom cake toppers, too, although beach chairs might also be cute.

I'm having trouble finding pictures, but something along these lines:

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Not at all what I was thinking of, but I kinda like it.
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As for decor, I'm not quite sure.  I like the idea of fishbowl centerpieces, with tea light candles (maybe floating on water) and some sand and shells.

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These are cute, too.
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I also found the idea of painting food coloring and Elmer's glue onto glass to turn candleholders into 'sea glass.'

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Other details like tablecloths or whatever aren't something I've thought about.

And, while I generally decide to leave the food at my perfect wedding up to my future actually-getting-married self, I thought these were too cool not to share:

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I'm skipping over the dancing part, because other than the first dance (which I'm also leaving to my future actually-getting-married self) and the father-daughter dance (which I already discussed), I'm not sure if I even want dancing at my perfect wedding.  Music, yes.  Dancing, no.  I'd much prefer awesome games.

Like super-sized Jenga.

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Or the shoe game, which I've seen played and am determined that my wedding will have.

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And the best idea to ever enter a bride's head...

a wedding pinata!

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So there you have it.  The highlights of the perfect wedding, of my dream wedding.  If you want to see all the details, articles, advice, and ideas I've collected, (along with some random engagement photo shoots), check out my wedding Pinterest board.

My Little Personal Blogger Moment

I talk about Bailey a lot on here.  I guess that's because, when I was new to the blogosphere, hers was the first blog that touched my heart and spoke about things with substance, rather than just cute photos or squealing about Christmas presents.  (Nothing wrong with either of those; they just don't speak to the heart like spiritual epiphanies or theological ramblings.)

Many of my lovely readers know that I still admire Bailey, and that I actually have a post tag called "Inspired by Bailey".

So I'm going to take a moment and squee to all of you that she wrote a post inspired by me!

Love Stories

I recently told my brothers about a Beauty and the Beast screenshot I found on Pinterest... which led to our arguing whether the best library in the world was Belle's or the real King Xerxes's... which led to my trying to Google how many books would fit in Belle's library if it were real... which led to my watching a bazillion YouTube proposal videos.


Please note: I'm not trying to make a point here. Just talking about YouTube videos and a growing trend in America.
Everybody's heard at least one 'amazing proposal' story - the couple on Dancing with the Stars, or the guy who made a movie preview and the theater played it before a movie his girlfriend was at.  The biggest one I've seen is this:

Which, admittedly, is an awesome proposal.  Although the actual wedding part is where I draw the line and start to wonder what these people are thinking.

Then, of course, there's another category: Disney proposals.  These are the best kind, in my opinion.  My personal favorite:

But when I see big and/or public proposals - like the first video above, the Dancing with the Stars proposal, a ball game halftime proposal, etc. - my first thought isn't generally 'how sweet' or 'aww!'  No, it's "What if she said no?"  Then I imagine all the ways a best friend of mine would undoubtedly humiliate any guy who tried any sort of public proposal.  She's not the kinda girl you mess with.

But, of course, a public proposal would make any girl look like a witch in the surrounding strangers' eyes - just for saying no.  How fair is that to them?  I mean, even in old days when a girl had practically no say in her own life, the one thing she did have was the power of saying no to a suitor.

So when I found this video, it cracked me up.  All I can say is - Finally!



Then again, I feel very, very sorry for the men.

30 Day Challenge: Day 25 - A Recipe

I have no recipes of my own.  I'm a failure as a homemaker-in-training, I know.  But my friend Kathryn has tons of recipes, plus an entire 300-something recipes pinned on Pinterest to try.  While her husband was deployed, we spent a ton of time together and tried a few recipes.  One of our favorites:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Crescents!

These things are sooo good, and so easy!  The recipe we used and source for the photo is here: http://www.messforless.net/2011/09/guest-post-from-this-moms-happy-life.html

Just a note, though - spread the peanut butter *very* thinly, and don't go overboard with the chocolate.  Trust me.

The {Booker} Award: for those who refuse to live in the real world

Hello, my lovely readers!  Guess who was just awarded with her first-ever blog award?  Yes, that's right: yours truly! :)

Sarah over at Inklined awarded me with The {Booker} Award!

Rules:

1. This award if for book blogs only! To receive this award the blog must be at least 50% about books, reading, and/or writing.

2. Along with receiving this award, you must also share your top five favorite books you have ever read in your life.

3. You must give this award to five-ten other lucky book blogs that you adore.

Five of my favorite books, in no particular order:

1. A Family Forever by Brenda Coulter

2. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

3. Christy Miller & Friends series by Robin Jones Gunn

4. Books of Bayern series by Shannon Hale

5. TrueColors series by Melody Carlson

Here's where I make my confession: Inklined is one of two book blogs I follow!  So I've decided to do things a little differently: I'd like my lovely readers to each nominate one book blog.  Ready, set, nominate!

Book Review: Swipe

Swipe by Evan Angler
Logan is just months away from getting Marked - from becoming a free adult.  But his sister left for her Mark five years ago and never returned... and Logan swears he's being watched.

Click the cover to buy

This book is awesome.  It's set in future North America (dystopian? yes, please!), where all citizens of the American Union can receive the Mark on their thirteenth birthday.  Pledging to receive the Mark isn't required, but it's the only way to go to the movies, buy groceries, or do any other adult activity - so everybody does.  Everybody except the Markless, who are dreaded and dangerous criminals.


But to Logan, the Mark creates a mixed reaction.  On the one hand, he knows it's supposed to be the right thing to do.  On the other hand, he is one of the few children who know that Flunkees - those who die during their Pledge - are real.  His sister Flunked her Pledge five years ago.  Then there's the matter of his paranoia; nobody believes him, but he knows he's been watched since her death.  Things only get worse when a new girl comes to town and Logan becomes involved in a conflict of international proportions.

I love futuristic novels, and this one didn't disappoint.  It's a fast read that holds your attention and keeps you turning pages.  The plot was great, and the characters were realistic.  I especially liked the parts where Logan and the new girl brushed with the Markless - although I won't say anything else.  No spoilers here. :)

My only complaint would be the intended audience.  The book is marketed to kids age 7-10; but, with the setting, characters, and events combined, I would be more inclined to recommend Swipe for kids ages 9-13.  There's some romantic elements and complicated world building, although not enough to make this YA fiction.  If you're a teenager who's not opposed to reading younger characters (like I am), then you're sure to enjoy it, too.  I already can't wait for the sequel, Sneak, releasing this September.

While I originally chose this book just for reviewing purposes, my brothers and I recently started a family book club and chose Swipe for our first book.  Since it was released just this month, there are no discussion guides available at the moment.  So I wrote my own!  The author himself has read and loves my questions; if you'd like to use the discussion guide yourself, just email me at newyorksnowflake@gmail.com.  I'd post it here, but it contains some spoilers.

All in all, I give this book 4.5 stars and look forward to more from Evan Angler.

I received this book for free through BookSneeze in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

30 Day Challenge - Day 24: Things You Want to Say to 5 People

To the begger lady outside BAM:  Even though I know your story is straight out of the Wikipedia definition of con artist - literally - I still feel bad for not giving you my money.  I'm not sure what that says about either of us.

To the little girl with cancer whose blog I follow although I don't know you:  I hope that copy of Tuck Everlasting arrived properly and that you enjoyed it and passed it on, and that it is now in the hands of another little reader.

To the person who dropped a GameStop gift card outside the ID card place on base: My brother found it, and now I have to figure out how to find if there's any money left on it.  Thanks a lot.

To Carson and Devin, the bullies from my fourth grade class, whose last names or physical descriptions I don't remember:  I finally forgave you at summer camp several years ago.  Just thought you should know that.

To the person who made the rule that any orthodontic work done at an overseas military base had to be taken off before the patient left the island:  I blame you entirely for my getting TMJ at only fifteen years old.  Also for the time I spent wearing a Herbst, which I finally get off on Monday.

Once Upon a Time

The sixth annual Once Upon a Time Challenge, hosted by Stainless Steel Droppings, officially began March 21st, and it ends June 19th.

"This is a reading and viewing event that encompasses four broad categories: Fairy Tale, Folklore, Fantasy and Mythology.

Rule #1: Have fun.

Rule #2: HAVE FUN.

Rule #3: Don’t keep the fun to yourself, share it with us, please!

Rule #4: Do not be put off by the word 'challenge'.

Over the years various well meaning, and not so well meaning, people have tried to dismiss this kind of literature as childish, no longer relevant, escapist, etc...

The literature that falls into these categories speaks to me in a way that no other literature does. I think it is all the history. Ancient folklore and mythology inform so many types of stories and there is something very special about those fantasy stories that in some way build upon that foundation. They are not kids stories to me. They never were. But they do retain the magic that they had when I was a child. And I am thrilled that it is that time of year for us to share these stories with one another."

“Come away, O human child: To the waters and the wild with a fairy, hand in hand, For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.”

~William Butler Yeats

This is my first year participating, so I chose the simplest challenge level: The Journey.

"By signing up for The Journey you are agreeing to read at least one book within one of the four categories during March 21st to June 19th period."

My one book was chosen for me, it seems.  My mother and I visited a used bookstore, Gottwals, to use a gift card.  I found several books I'd read before and wanted to own, along with a few writing books, but only one novel I had not already read: The Princess and the Hound.

I found myself with nothing to read less than a week later, so I pulled this book off my shelves.  I almost put it back and chose a book I knew I loved; but I told myself I'd paid for it and therefore ought to read it, if only to know whether I liked it.

The Princess and the Hound was nothing I expected.  For one, it is about a prince whose life is deeply affected by the titular characters, rather than about those characters themselves.  For another, the story centers around a fantasy world full of forbidden magic and lives that are separated by centuries yet still connected.  The story was woven together so beautifully and unfolded in a much more realistic and natural way than most novels written today.

From the dust jacket:

"He is a prince, heir to a kingdom threatened on all sides, possessor of the animal magic, which is forbidden by death in the land he'll rule.  She is a princess from a rival kingdom, the daughter her father never wanted, isolated from true human friendship but inseparable from her hound.  Though they think they have little in common, each possesses a secret that must be hidden at all costs.  Proud, stubborn, bound to marry for the good of their kingdoms, this prince and princess will steal your heart, but will they fall in love?"

This is no ordinary love story, nor is it a simple fantasy novel.  It is a tale of magic and trust and humanity, of the way a single person's life can be so deeply affected by another's.  This is not merely a story of a girl and her dog, or of a prince and princess's love, but of two countries and the persons and forces within them.  The Princess and the Hound is for readers seeking a fantasy deeper than the novels of today.

As a personal opinion, I give it four stars.  But as a literary work, I give it five.

30 Day Challenge: Day 23 - A Website

This is perfect timing, because I've recently discovered a website I planned to share with my lovely readers.  For once, it actually relates to writing!

See, like all other writers, I go through writers' block.  A lot.  And just forcing myself to write anyway doesn't work much for me.  Also, like several writers (although not a majority), I have time to write most days - I just don't write.  Maybe I'm bored with my story right now, or I'm stuck, or I'm just plain not in a writing mood.

I've found a website that has remedied both of these problems, without a regulated program and nothing I have to pay or register for.  It's www.creativewritingprompts.com, and I love it.

CreativeWritingPrompts is simple.  You just scroll over one of the 346 purple numbers, and a prompt appears.  (Just so you know, clicking the number won't make the prompt stay when you move your mouse away.  I tried.)  Some of the prompts are for stories, some for poems, some for articles or blog posts - and some just for crazy fun.  :)  I've started going through them in order.  Every time I feel like writing, I open the website and look at whatever prompt is next.  Then I follow it, and save the file on my computer in a CWP folder.  I save them by day numbers and a note as to what the prompt was; I put the date at the bottom of each document.  Sometimes I spend an entire weekend on one prompt; other times I use two or three prompts in one day.

Now, there are a bunch of ads for books and kits you can buy - but they all look like great stuff I might actually buy sometime, especially if they're endorsed by CWP (which most are).  Also, they're all for writing-related things, so it's not like those GoogleAds you get that track your search engine terms and try to give you related ads.  (Those things aren't supposed to annoy you, but they do me.)

There's also a list of sister websites, although I've only had time to check out one of these.  They are all writer- or reader-related as far as I know.

So there you have it.  My favorite writers' block cure and newest Internet obsession, in one package.