loving >> week 40

Hello!

I’m loving…

american girl’s september/october issue

The autumn magazines are always the best, wouldn’t you agree?! I read my newest AG issue from cover to cover, and I think it was one of the best of 2012. Here are the articles that I enjoyed the most…

• monster cake Cute cakes make me happy. I love the playfulness of the two, and I think they will be perfect for my sister’s birthday in October. Will they come out as cute as the ones in the magazines? Noooo, but they will be fun to make! :)
• fearless Gosh, I think I loved the design and illustrations of this article more than the article itself! Hehe :) Anyhoo, this showcased three girls who participate in daring activities. {karate, flying, and soapbox derby.} It was interesting to read about, and I learned some new things!
• haunted hotel party Fall parties are the best. You can do so much, but a common theme is Halloween. This article took a new twist on it, and made it a Halloween Hotel Party. I can’t wait to try out the recipes myself, but it had some good party games and decorations as well. Oh, and did I mention it came with stickers?!
• farmer’s market This is too cute! There’s no other words to describe it other than cute. I now need to go to Michael’s so I can buy this stuff.

new york fashion week

Aren’t you excited?! New York Fashion week officially starts on Thursday, September 6, and will run to the following Thursday, September 13. I can.not.wait to see what is revealed on the runways, not to mention the incredible street style outside! There will be lots of pictures, thankfully, because there will be plenty of outfits that will need to be pinned :)

method’s orla kiely line

Yes, I’m so cool that I like to talk about soap :) Just kidding, but, for real now, aren’t these bottles gorgeous? My mom picked up some soap in Primrose and some all-purpose cleaner in Pear Ginger and they are the BEST! Not only do they smell nice, the bottle design is so fun and totally brightens your day. If only someone would convert the pretty patterns into bags…

this book

Despite the slightly negative title, I adored this book. I loved Jennifer L. Holm’s Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf, but I wasn’t expecting a sequel. When I saw this on Amazon, however, I jumped up and down with happiness! A quick read, I devoured this in an hour {nothing beats reading on your porch with some lemonade} but this graphics are so utterly amazing that you will want to go back and flip through it again. {to clarify, its told through letters, emails, etc.} Not to pressure the author or anything, but this fan would like another book! :)

my chalkboard wall! 

Isn’t it pretty? After one hour and plenty of chalk, I had adorned our chalkboard wall with the alphabet, which screams back-to-school. I walk by it all the time, and I can’t help but smile. Obviously not everyone will feel the same way, but I’m the artist, so it’s all good :)

School starts next week, everyone. I’m ready, but not ready, you know?

Have a lovely rest of Friday!

B :)

Two Mini Book Reviews {The Final Battle // Summer of the Gypsy Moths}

Hello!

Remember way back when I did two mini book reviews? With summer wrapping up, I have been reading plenty of {taking a cue from Willa, from The Wedding Planner’s Daughter} Skinny Punch books! :) And so, because they are on the shorter side, I thought another round of mini reviews was in order. Today we’re talking the final installment in the Sisters Eight series and the latest release from Clementine author, Sara Pennypacker.

The Final Battle… For Now by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Summary: It’s the final book! Each of the Eights has received her power and gift and they even know where Daddy is—inside a snowglobe-shaped Christmas tree ornament. Now all they have to do is get inside the ornament and rescue Daddy. Hopefully, Mommy’s in there with him. For heaven’s sake, how are they supposed to shrink all of them (plus the cats!) down to a size small enough to fit in the globe and then actually get inside it? Of course, through magic or just shear will power—who really knows which—the girls have done quite a few things that, to be honest, they really shouldn’t have been able to do. But this seems like asking too much even for these intelligent and talented girls. But the Eights are also a very determined group. Now that they know where Daddy is, they will—and they do—find a way to him. But they never would have guessed what else awaits them inside the snowglobe.

{kindly taken from Amazon}

My Thoughts: I have always loved the Sisters Eight books, and each one left me dying to know what happened next! Finally, after I have grown from the age group the series is intended for, Lauren Baratz-Logsted has released the last book. My little sister is a fan too, so I felt that justified my purchase of the book on my Kindle :) The plot and characters are just as silly and outrageous as the other books. The story wrapped up all the loose ends, yet the author could still write another book if she wanted too. {expect a brand new character to appear at the end!} I adore the sisters, and their different personalities are hilarious to read about. I did run into the problem where each character could have used a little more developing, but I had to remember that one, it was a series, thus the characters develop as they go along and two, there are EIGHT sisters to start with! I know it’s not right to pick favorites, but I really like Durinda, Georgia, and Zinnia. Durinda rocks in the kitchen, so I could see we would become fast friends. I admire Georgia’s spunk, and, although she may not be everyone’s favorite, I think she really grew in the last book. Finally, how could you not love Zinnia? :) All in all, the author did a terrific job wrapping up the series. It may be a bit on the lighter side, but I’m sure little girls will devour the book!

Pros: Solid plot and “round” characters.

Cons: I don’t think that this will be up for any awards, but it wasn’t bad.

Heads Up: None!

Overall: I give it 3 1/2 stars {*** 1/2} and I recommend it for ages 7 and up.

Check out the website here.

Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker

Summery: Stella loves living with Great-aunt Louise in her big old house near the water on Cape Cod for many reasons, but mostly because Louise likes routine as much as she does, something Stella appreciates since her mom is, well, kind of unreliable. So while Mom “finds herself,” Stella fantasizes that someday she’ll come back to the Cape and settle down. The only obstacle to her plan? Angel, the foster kid Louise has taken in. Angel couldn’t be less like her name—she’s tough and prickly, and the girls hardly speak to each other. But when tragedy unexpectedly strikes, Stella and Angel are forced to rely on each other to survive, and they learn that they are stronger together than they could have imagined. And over the course of the summer they discover the one thing they do have in common: dreams of finally belonging to a real family.

{kindly taken from Amazon}

My Thoughts: This book was flat-out amazing. I have been eyeing this at bookstores for a while, mainly because the story sounded like a good read. I didn’t even realize that this was by Sara Pennybacker, whose books I adored in elementary school. To start, we have a well-written plot. There were a few bumps here and there, but overall, the storyline was a winner. The whole let’s keep my great-aunt’s death a secret and hide her in the garden was unique, if not a bit creepy :) Stella had everything a main character needs: a strong personality, funny quirks, and a “voice” that can carry the story. She wasn’t my favorite character in the whole world, but she is definitely on the list of memorable narrators. Angel was a bit tougher to know. She appeared to not let anyone to really know her, which I can only assume is from the fact that she has been in and out of so many foster homes. Anyhoo, at the very end, you could tell that she was finally happy. My favorite character wasn’t one of the girls at all, however, it was George, the cottage caretaker. Seriously, I loved that guy. Overall, this was a winner, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it get mentioned more often in the next few months.

Pros: Strong plot and fleshed-out characters.

Cons: None!

Heads Up: There’s a death, but that’s about it.

Overall: I give it 5 stars{*****} and I recommend it for ages 9 and up.

Visit the author’s website here.

Have a terrific night!

B :)

my top ten bookish confessions

Hi!

Well, long time, no see Top Ten Tuesday! Although I haven’t done one in a while, I loved this week’s topic, so I just had to participate! This week’s topic was Bookish Confessions. I have a lot of those. . . :) This was a fun one to write, but I liked reading everyone’s confessions even more. Want to link up yourself? Visit The Broke and The Bookish to get started. Better late than never, right?

[1] I have never read the Harry Potter series. Not one. However, I really like the movies :) That counts for something, right?

[2] I am kind of possessive of the books I read. I hate to think that other people in this world fall in love with the characters just as I do.

[3] I can’t read two books at once. Enough said.

[4] I won’t read books that are tattered and old and have that moldy smell. I’m probably missing out on a lot of good reads, but I prefer new books a lot more. If I am required to, I do it with a lot of dislike ;)

[5] Dog-eared books make me cringe. You will never find that happening in my own books!

[6] Whenever I read a mystery, I like to skim the end first. That way, I can piece together all of the clues while I’m actually reading it.

[7] I totally judge books by their cover. A good cover will really sell the book for me.

[8] I check out seven to eight books every time I walk into the library. It’s a really bad habit.

[9] If I’m reading a book, I have to stop at a certain chapter, like 3, 5, 8, 10, or 12. I have no clue why. Of course, there’s an exception to the rule when the chapters are really loonnng or very short.

[10] Finally, my bookshelf doesn’t really have an order. I know some like to organize it by color, authors, genre, etc. but as long as I can find the book I want, I’m good!

Have a lovely night!

Bella :)

White Chocolate Bars

Hi!

{I played around on Picasa a bit. Isn’t it fun?}

I think white chocolate is often unappreciated. Regular chocolate can be used in everything – cookies, cupcakes, cakes, pie, seriously, the possibilities never end. White chocolate? Not a whole lot. When I saw this recipe way back in February, I knew I had to make them for my sister, the person I know who lists white chocolate as her favorite food :) What looks bland and nothing special is actually a burst of flavor in your mouth. A perfect choice for a little pick-me-up, along with a glass of milk. I do think I baked them a little longer than I should have, so when the time comes near, I would keep your eye on them. Either way, the bars were tasty enough to make again. And, they got approval from my sister, which is all that matters!

White Chocolate Bars Adapted from the February/March 2012 issue of Girls’ Life

ingredients

• 3/4 cup quality white chocolate chips, melted
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

to make

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Stir together butter and chocolate chips. {I melted them together, and it worked out just fine, but you might want to melt them separately.}
3. Beat the eggs and sugar together in a separate bowl.
4. Add the chocolate mixture, and stir well.
5. Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt.
6. Grease an 8 x 8 pan with butter or cooking spray. Spread the batter into the pan.
7. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until the top is light brown and cracked.
8. Cool on a wire rack before cutting into bars. {we got about 16.}
9. Enjoy! :)

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Bella :)

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow: A Book Review

Hello!

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

Summary: The lass and her family weren’t expecting any visitors, least of all, a great white bear! The animal promises riches to the family, but only if the lass promises to come and live with him in a castle for a year and a day. Her father and older brother are reluctant to let the young lass go, but they finally give in. The lass herself sees the whole thing as an adventure, and with her faithful wolf by her side, she and the bear go off to foreign lands. Thankfully, the lass was blessed with the gift to communicate with animals, so she is able to talk freely with the bear and the servants among the palace. For the first few weeks, the lass happily lives with her new companions, but suddenly things take a turn for the worst. The servants and the bear are always talking about a woman, but who? What is the language on the pillars? Unfortunately, being curious has its downfalls… {going back to my own summaries for the time being! I have a feeling it will be a lot of switching back and forth, especially with school starting, but we’ll see.}

My Thoughts: Tons of spoilers ahead! I became a fan of Jessica Day George this past spring when my sister got me hooked :) This summer, I decided to take a crack at her other young adult novel, Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow. To start, it’s a totally different feel from the Princess stories. Set in a Norwegian village {I don’t remember a time period, but I’m assuming it was long ago} we meet a young lass. Her mother didn’t want any girls, so when the lass was born, the mom threw the baby girl into her eldest daughter’s arms. Since naming was the mother’s job, the girl was never given a name :( Sad, right? Anyhoo, the author tells us a bit about her life as a child and her early teen years, which then leads into the development of her special skill. The lass can communicate with animals, thus becoming a legend in the local villages. Surprisingly, even though this part of the story took up a good chunk, I always thought I had only been reading for 5 minutes! The pacing was superb throughout the entire book, which is always a plus. No one likes a slow story! The lass was strong and quite intelligent, yet still had the mistakes needed for a good story. I thought Jessica Day George did a terrific job developing her as a character, even if she didn’t have a name! She was a tad too curious, but that’s what led her to defeat the troll queen. I adored the bear/prince! :) Seriously, what a nice guy. I had no idea that the bear was the same person as the “sleeping man.” However, as the story continued on, the author subtly revealed hints as to what the whole picture was, allowing the reader to piece together everything at the same time as the lass. Total cuties, the lass and the bear. I bet they got married, right!? The lass’ family divided into two categories for me: the nice, supportive type and the crabby, greedy type. Her father, sisters, and Hans Peter were oh-so kind, and extremely protective of the little girl. Her mom? Not so much. And, apparently, this is based after a fairy tale? Who knew?! :)

Pros: Good pacing and developed characters.

Cons: Hrm. I don’t really know, but the book wasn’t outstanding. Maybe it was the plot itself that could use a little work?

Heads Up: A little scary for younger Jessica Day George fans. This one is meant for upper elementary and middle schoolers, in my opinion.

Overall: I give it 4 stars {****} and I recommend it for ages 11 and up.

To read my reviews of her other books, click here and here.

And, Jessica Day George has another book coming out! Whoo-hoo! :)

Have a nice night!

Bella :)