Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone

I attended a Speed Friending event in San Francisco last night. I wrote about my experience on Gals' Guide. Check it out!

SoCal Visit

Santa Monica Pier

Originally uploaded by Mr. Monroe

In two weeks, I will be in Pasadena for work. I am so excited about my trip. The best part about it is that I am meeting up with two of my old college roommates. I haven't seen them in about 9 years. One of them is married and has a 2 year old. I talk to them often on Facebook & email but it isn't the same. Since I will be there for two weeks, I hope to visit some of the places where I used to hang out & places that I never visited such as Santa Monica pier.

Oh and you bet I will be trying out some Pinkberry!

A Lesson Learned The Hard Way

Read about my latest mishap on Gals' Guide. I definitely got what I paid for.

We Are God In The Chrysalis

You Shiny Little Devils
Originally uploaded by another planet (back + catching up!) : )

Originally saw this posted on Gala Darling's blog. She is amazing!

“Whenever you go out of doors, draw the chin in, carry the crown of the head high, & fill the lungs to the utmost; drink in the sunshine; greet your friends with a smile, & put soul into every handclasp. Do not fear being misunderstood & do not waste a minute thinking about your enemies. Try to fix firmly in your mind what you would like to do; & then without veering off direction, you will move straight to the goal. Keep your mind on the great & splendid things you would like to do, & then, as the days go gliding by, you will find yourself unconsciously seizing upon the opportunities that are required for the fulfilment of your desire, just as the coral insect takes from the running tide the element it needs. Picture in your mind the able, earnest, useful person you desire to be, & the thought you hold is hourly transforming you into the particular individual… Thought is supreme. Preserve a right mental attitude — the attitude of courage, frankness, & good cheer. To think right is to create. All things come through desire & every sincere prayer is answered. We become like that on which our hearts are fixed. Whenever you go out of doors, draw the chin in, carry the crown of the head high. We are god in the chrysalis.” — Elbert Hubbard

Books & more books

Taken from A Little Pink

Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback?
Electronic? Since I have gotten my Kindle, I haven't any actual paper books. Not a fan of hardback books.

Waterstones, Borders or Amazon?
Amazon definitely!

Bookmark or dog-ear?
Dog ear... I always lose my bookmarks.

Amazon or brick-and-mortar?
Amazon. I only go to bookstores to browse magazines.

Alphabetize by author, or alphabetize by title, or random?
By color... check out my wanna be Apartment Therapy bookcase

Keep, throw away, or sell?
Keep some donate most.

Keep dust jacket or toss it?
Keep it...

Read with dust jacket or remove it?
Usually keep it...

Short story or novel?
Novels... like to get into a story

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
Lemony Snicket? No clue who that is. Harry Potter... eh!

Buy or borrow?
Mostly buy... used to borrow from my old coworker and we passed them around the office but I no longer work there so I am out of the rotation :)

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse?
Recommendations then book reviews and then browse. I will buy some books based on their cover. Sometimes I have been pleasantly surprised.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
Depends on the book... if it's a series, as much as I get antsy I like a good cliffhanger.

Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
Nighttime reading...

Stand-alone or series?
Either really...

Favourite series?

Twilight... hee hee I also loved the Baby Sitters Club series as a young adult

Favorite children’s book?
Sweet Valley High!

Favourite YA book?
Twilight

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?

The Red Book: A Deliciously Unorthodox Approach to Igniting your Divine Spark by Sera Beak. The book focuses on igniting spirituality among women in their 20's & 30's.

Favourite books read last year?
Didn't read anything too memorable last year. in fact, I hardly read at all.

Favourite books of all time?
This is hard one... I don't think I have one.

Favorite book to recommend to an 11-year-old?
Anything by Judy Blume

Favorite book to re-read?
Twilight... gosh I need to branch out!

Do you ever smell books?
Ew no!

Do you ever read primary source documents like letters or diaries?
Nope

What are you reading right now?
L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad - hangs head in shame. Guilty pleasure!

What are you reading next?
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest by Stieg Larson

Obama's Speech to the Students

"Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up. No one's written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future."

I read the transcript to this speech & didn't understand why people were upset about it. I thought it was a great speech & one that all (not just students) should listen to. We are all responsible for our actions.

Obsessed much?

Le sigh...