Updates

So, we got our apartment, keys, information...all that jazz. We signed all the papers, did a walk through, checked for damages and the like, and just...yeah. I'm excited to finally start moving in. Even though my room is smaller than my previous one, my closet is twice the size and my stuff WILL fit, just with some creative organizing.

That's gonna be the trick. I love to have everything organized, but I don't have the money usually. Actually, all I need right now would be...

-Bigger bookcase
-New photo box
-Tub/shoe organizer
-Bigger file folder
-Something to display my pandas/plushies on
-Purse holder (?)

I'll slowly get this stuff done. I have two shelves I can use for my pandas, if necessary. I'd rather use them for my "pretties" (aka: breakables) and diploma. Oh well, I'll figure something out.

I also can't wait to re-decorate. Mom got this toilet lid cover thing with duckies on it at the store, and three blue photo frames. My project is to cut out the duckies and put them in the frames for mine and my brother's bathroom. I love the duckies. We even have a duckie shower curtain and all my rubber duckies on a shelf. So much fun.

Maybe this time around I can get my curtains up and stuff, finally have my room decorated how I want with my bright colors.

Anyway...I think it's time for bed here soon.

Daily To-Do List 1

I'm getting into the habit of making daily to-do lists with anywhere between 5 and 10 items on them to do, well, daily. Although I keep them in a small notebook to carry around with me, I thought, just for shits and giggles, I'd also post them here to show what I'm up to and how well I'm getting along. I may have to up the lists as we get moved in to our apartment.

But for now, my first list.

1. Get keys back from mom
2. Update status in postcard exchange groups
3. Write movie reviews
4. Organize purse
5. Organize belongings in spare bedroom

Oh, the joys of moving again...

Book Review

I've decided to post personal reviews of the books I've read lately, along with images of the covers of the copies I have. I'll also post movie reviews, but in seperate posts from the books. So here's the first installment of book reviews.


Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald

The story of Iranian Tamila Soroush was a very moving one. Tami comes to America in search of a better life, and possibly love, that she wouldn't be able to find in her home country. Through her challenges to learn English and find a way to stay before her Visa runs out, she hits many roadblocks causing her panic and heartbreak. But by the end of the book, she's got her happy ending.

I laughed, I cried, I read late into the night until the point where my eyes felt like they were going to fall out of my head. I couldn't put this book down. I could very easily see in my mind where the scenes took place (mostly due to Fitzgerald's details, but also partially due to the fact I live in the same state and know where some places are). Her way with words was just wonderful and easy to follow. It touched me because, really, what girl doesn't want a happy ending? Who doesn't want to find their place in the world? It was a generally easy read, not very challenging, so even those not-so-great readers can pick it up and enjoy Tami's quest.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5





The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory

Hannah Verde, aka Hannah Green, is a girl on the run with her father, fleeing from Spain to England during the time of the Spanish Inquisition. She has the Gift of Sight, seeing angels and thus becoming a Holy Fool for Queen Mary and, ultimately, Queen Mary. Dressed as a boy, growing into a young woman, becoming a wife and mother. Hannah tumbles through love, lies, secrets, and death as she struggles to keep her history a secret to escape punishment during the time where heretics were burned and the Tudor court was being torn from the inside out. In the end, though with a sad past and an uncertain future, Hannah finds her peace with her new family.

This was the first historical fiction novel I've ever read, and I loved it. I've heard of Gregory's other books but never read them. Although now I can't wait to get my hands on more. Her style of writing is stunning and chock-full of details and character development from beginning to end. I cried at touching moments, I read until the words started running together and my back screamed at me to quit hunching over the pages. This book has given me a new outlook on historical fiction, and I would very happily read it over and over again until it falls apart (and then go buy another copy!). It's a great read for more mentally-mature readers, having talk of death throughout and some more adult themes towards the last quarter. There's love, hate, despair, drama, and a bit of angst if you read into it. It covered all my likes, honestly, and I'd say it has earned a permanent spot on my bookshelf.

Overall Rating: 5/5

Growing Pains

More like "moving pains" if you ask me.

So, my walk took me almos an hour to get up to the library in the community. In 75-degree sunshine that was burning my shoulders, at that. My upper arms are killing me, and now, when they stopped aching, I go and walk that far and so my feet, ankles, and bad knee hurt. I just need a nice hot bath...

But I did get to check out two books while I was up there that I've got for three weeks. Not like I needed to borrow two more. I've got one I'm in the process of reading already, and another I brought with me just incase I finish that one while we're here. Oh well. It'll just add to my total number of books I've read this year. Total so far: 2

I'm enjoying a little quiet time now, savoring it until gramma and I have to go get Bug (my not-so-adorable, not-so-little little brother). When we come back, I'll probably go hide in the spare room with my CD player and one of the books until dinner, then after my bath again until Bug goes to bed.

Tomorrow I get to hang out with my best guy friend and go see the new Alice in Wonderland movie at the IMAX. Midnight showing and in 3D! I'm really excited. My only problem is I have to find my tights so I can wear my purple/black tutu dress...My favorite casual dress that I own. Plus, it's the colors of MY Cheshire Cat. My fandom Cheshire Cat. And I think another friend wants to take me to see the movie later in the day once I'm done with my census test (oh yeah, I'm going to try and get a job with the census. $15/hr sounds pretty sweet to me!), and hey, I am NOT going to pass up a chance to see it again. I'll see it so many times it'll be burned into my brain forever.

I can't wait for the 14th of March. Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver are released, and I've got SS reserved and paid for already. All I have to do is pick it up that day and start playing it. The Johto region has always been one of my favorites, second to Kanto.

I'm so hungry...but I have to wait for dinner. Which will be a few hours, I think...

Ooh, American Idol is on tonight. I need to remember. I missed it last night. I guess it balances out last week. I missed the guys last week, I missed the girls this week. As long as I get to see the results show tomorrow...oh wait...I won't...I'll be in line for the movie...Ah, I can record it and watch it later Friday or something. Whenever gramma isn't watching anything.

Into the Wild Blue Yonder

Well, not exactly. More like an excursion around my gramma's community to get out of the house, explore, and take some photos. It's a very pretty place in most areas, with green grass, some water features, nice plants. The animals running around don't hurt either. This will give me a chance to practice my photography skills, even though I don't have a professional camera or anything. But still, a camera is a camera for now.

I'm seriously thinking my friend got me the new camera I've had my eye on forever that I showed him during an outing last week.

My everything hurts from the move. But at least we're out of that apartment. Now just to find a new one to move into. -sigh- So much to do and not really a lot of time. I'm hoping we can get out of my gramma's soon, since my birthday is next week. I can't exactly have a bunch of friends over for dinner in a retirement community.

I still can't believe I'm going to be twenty in a matter of days. Nine days, to be exact. Where have my years gone? I suppose all my hospital stays ate up plenty of days, moving ate up three this week, and moving all those times before just gobbled up my life. Twenty-three days in Michigan flew by. It feels like I should still be in high school, heading to Economics right now to sit throuh another day of notes from Mr. Saunders, then off to English with Mrs. Groeber. It's Wednesday, right? Yeah, it is...that would be Sign Club during lunch. Then I'd have to hurry to Mr. Saunders' s room again as his student aid, and finally to study hall. I don't know. May will mark my one-year graduation anniversary.

I miss some of my friends. One of them helped us move on Monday, and he told me that two of them were trying to get me out of office in Anime Club, even though they were higher positions than me. And now they're letting it just go down the drain and use me as negative references. I'm not sure what to think anymore about the one. The other just doesn't really have a mind of her own, so she just follows along. But she's real nice and a sweet girl. So my heart is torn over her.

I shouldn't let myself get depressed. It'll ruin my adventure and I won't want to take any photos or anything. Heck, gramma depresses me enough on her own without me adding to it.

I hope I get a lot of mail today. I need to know where everything is before those locks get changed.

iHanna Postcard Swap Pt. II

And now, because I really don't want to go to bed quite yet (I mean, c'mon, only 11?), I've decided to also upload the images of the 10 cards I've received from iHanna's Swap project. So here they are.



(Okay, so this one didn't scan as well...)

(or this one...but this one was somewhat 3D, and so the scanner lid didn't close all the way, and I wasn't going to force it and break off the shells)

Yeah, there's only six right now. Hopefully I'll get my last four VERY soon...before the apartment manager has the mailbox lock changed and I end up SOL. I'll update this as the stragglers come in.

iHanna Postcard Swap

So, I joined this project where you make 10 postcards yourself and send them to your designated people, and in return you get 10 handmade cards from whoever got you as a receiver. After getting 6 of them, with some having their own Blogspot URL in the package or on the card itself, I decided to upload images of the ones I made myself. Why not, right? Nothing else to do tonight, now that the move is over (getting out, at least). So, here're all 10 of my handmade cards for the swap I found at iHanna's blog ( http://www.ihanna.nu/blog/?p=1047 )

Well, that took longer than I thought to upload those...Pathetic computer.