Favorite Books: Junior High

Here we are! Part II! I'd like to call this The Wonder Years but Junior High was not a very wonder yearish time in my life. So I just went for the ever so simple Junior High title. Not going to lie, while there are other books from this time Sweet Valley High dominated the majority of my reading material. 

Well... here it is:

Favorite Books: Junior High

And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie

The Giver - Lois Lowry

A Bone From a Dry Sea - Peter Dickinson

Sweet Valley High Series (any and every one I could find)

Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret - Judy Blume

Goosebumps Series: R. L. Stine

A Walk To Remember - Nicholas Sparks

*The Education of Little Tree - Forrest Carter

What were some of your favorite books in Junior High, or if you know someone in JH right now what have been their favorites?

xoxo

*I'm going to leave this one on for the sake of the list but I have recently heard that this man Forrest was a part of the KKK and not Native American what so ever. There is a lot of back and forth about the man and his untrue depiction of Cherokee life. I did enjoy it at the time and I am sad to hear the truth behind the story

Mid Year Goals

While perusing my bloglovin subscriptions I happened upon this post by this delightful lady* and decided I would follow suit and make a list of my own Mid-Year Goals.

It's quite true, I have forgotten about my New Year's Resolutions and while I have been kind of thinking about my 25 before 26 I haven't been giving it quite the attention it needs. Plus there are other things I have been wanting to make habits of that seem even more important now and so this is a great way to get everything in line and a great new project to stick with after my 8 weeks.

Unless otherwise stated these goals are to be met by January 1st, 2012! :)

My first two very important areas of needed improvement are the two f's, fitness and financials.

1. Pay off credit card by March, 2012.

That means I have 9 months and need to pay roughly $350/month. 

2. Read 31 Days to Fix Your Finances PDF and complete all needed steps.

3. Do barre classes (that I already paid for) and 3 other exercise classes.

4. Be able to do 10 pull ups and the splits on both legs with back leg bent up.

5. Take a walk once a week.

The rest of my goals are going to do with the norm, reading, photography, blogging, etc.

6. Have 50 I guess we'll make that 100 (!!!) readers (subscribers) between bloglovin and blogger. I wish I could count others but I don't know how to figure out how all of you lovely people are following otherwise, maybe google reader and such... (OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! Loves, I have already made my goal! I just checked google reader. Have I told you all how much I love you lately? Fantastic. That's going to need a post of its very own!)

7. Continue on the 52 in 52. Yes this is a 25 before 26 goal, just want to keep it fresh in my mind. I have about 27 more books to go, not counting the books of June which I will be posting in the next few days. Just want to complete one more in the next two days! 

I think I am going to leave it at that. I am really excited with all of my goals, even the ones that pain me (credit card). What are some of your current, semi long term goals?

xoxo

*p.s. Lauren and her blog are ultra stellar. 

My First Attempt at the Rolleiflex

What follows is my first attempt with the Rolleiflex (and 120 film) my grandparents so graciously let me borrow! I'm not going to lie, none of them came out like I wanted, but it's definitely a starting point! I did not post or even scan them all, I took the ones I tolerated the most and left them untouched for your viewing pleasure.

Of course I wish that these could have come out better or that there had been at least one that I was totally proud of. Alas the bunch was varied and I am definitely not an instant pro with this camera. I knew there were things I would have to learn but they seemed complicated when I was scanning over the manual online so I just loaded the film, focused the subject and pressed that little button. 

I've printed out a copy of the original manual so I can study it and figure out how to make the camera work with me better. I must remember that one does not start a new adventure perfect at the trail. I'm going to read the manual and try again. When I do I'll share the once again unadulterated pictures with you. :) 

Here's to learning!

xoxo

Love From the First: the iphone 4

This week, I, Corey, purchased myself the iphone 4. I was going to hold out until the 5 came out but I just couldn't wait for the camera apps and Words With Friends any longer (ps on instagr.am and Words With Friends I am Butwewillstay... play with me!) I don't think I've let my beautiful phone out of my sight for more than 5 minutes since I became the proud owner. I hate to be one of those people that I use to complain about with the "apps this" and "apps that," but oh my gosh I love this phone!

I'll spare you the rest of my gory love sesh with my phone (we make out on the daily) and just skip to the good (great) part, the photos!

The Manwich... oh Target.

A blanket fit for a baby king.

Just realized both my and Nicole's reflection is in this scale!

Tent as a dressing room? Rad.

Nicole's lovely gams.

My favorite thing, besides my phone now of course!

A great way to start a day.

delicious

My favorite tattoo picture and the most comfortable shoes ever. Not even Tom's... they are by Soda and pretty inexpensive.

Airport parking lots.

A friend's new kitten. I am eternally jealous. Next big purchase is a kitten (the pet deposit part), or a tattoo.

The cutest little candy store inside a school bus!

self portrait

Morning, before I went to bed...

Plain Jane but oh so pretty.

I've been collecting all the camera applications that I've drooled over and dreamed about for years, well, a good amount of time. I'm incredibly stoked and believe me, this is only a small portion of all the pictures I have taken.

I'm excited to be able to document even more of my day to day in pretty ways. So excited to add more apps to the collection and work with different cameras and films without actually having to have all of them. Glorious.

Not to mention, Words With Friends is a great way to keep my mind working hard.

xoxo

Monday Mayhem: Closet Inspiration

I've been taking some time lately to think about my closet and how I want it to evolve. I have some pieces I love, some I never wear and I stick to a pretty standard style of t-shirt or tank and jeans and flats every day. I want to not only break out of the v-neck/jeans habit but I also want to invest in some great pieces. I'm also going to be getting rid of even more clothes so my closet is going to be empty for a bit.

Here's the inspiration for my style and the style I want to morph into....

I know, v-neck and jeans but it looks polished and I've been on the hunt for a perfect brown leather bag. Preferably faux or second hand leather.

While I want to stick to basics in the big pieces I want accent colors in scarves, jewelry and shoes for sure.

Great, comfortable, fitted. Awesome.

A good, at least inch thick leather belt, possibly with some designs, but not necessary.

This purse in brown? I think yes. Again, my norm for an outfit but I just can't get enough of it!

Brown boots, well, as long as we're shopping, quality black boots as well. I ruin the heels on my cheap ones reaaaal fast.

Basic dresses with thin (and thick) belts to go with them.

a great maxi dress like this lovely is wearing...

Sweaters in bright colors, but not yellow because it just doesn't work with my skin. Maybe a green or blue color.

How is your closet looking these days?

xoxo

My Eight Weeks: The Final Stand

Last weeks goals:

1. Wake up by 12 pm every day.

2. Put $70 on credit card at the end of the week

3. Spend 20 minutes each day on a project of your choice (ie rainbow blanket, camera refurb, blog, pictures scanned and edited, etc.

4. Write down one positive, beautiful, wonderful thing every day.

5. Go on 2, 20 minute walks.

6. Bake vegan pumpkin muffins.

7. Put up 3 posters/pieces on wall.

I'm going to be real honest, I did very little of what I planned to do...

I only did number 3 I think, even if that. 

I have been starting to study for the GRE which is exciting (for me). I've been out of the school scene for a while and I'm excited to start studying again. 

I've thought, for an hour or so now, of what this week's goals could be. I'm not sure I mind that I didn't get everything (or much of anything) done last week. I think I was a little too ambitious and repeated things that obviously weren't enough of an interest. So this week's goals, on my final week, are all about keeping up with things I am already doing.

1. Morning pages every day, but this time on tumblr with a picture accompanying it. (After the week is over and I see what I write I might share the link, I haven't decided just yet.)

2. Read one book.

3. Study at least 50 vocab words for GRE.

4. Mail blanket out to Shay.

5. Crochet 4 squares for Unicorn Sparklebottom's blanket.

I wish I could say this week's goals were cumulative or climactic of this project but they are not. I started it with little organization and by gosh that's how I'm going to end it. I think I'm going to keep with keeping weekly goals and writing them down. I might even make it easier on myself and get a whiteboard to write them on and stick above my desk. Then I'll remember.

What are you doing this week?

xoxo

Favorite Books: The Younger Years

Once upon a time I thought I would put together a list of my favorite books. After searching and remembering and the list growing longer I figured it would be best to break it up. This is Part I, The Younger Years. From birth (when people started reading to me) all the way to the end of elementary school. I know I've missed some but I'll be adding to this as I make a books page.

Feel free to use this to buy gifts for friends and their babies... and also feel free to add your suggestions or what you remember loving from childhood. Junior High and then High School and beyond will come in the following weeks!

I know there are many other very popular kids books but either I was not into them or didn't get them when I was little. These are my favorites.

Favorite books: The Younger Years

The Noisy Counting Book - Susan Schade, Jon Buller

The Little Engine That Could

The Giving Tree – Shel Silverstein

The Berenstain Bears - Stan Berenstain

Aesop's Fables

Where the Sidewalk Ends - Shel Silverstein

Santa Mouse books - Michael Brown

Nancy Drew Mysteries - Carolyn Keene

The Pokey Little Puppy 

What were some of your favorite books when you were young?

xoxo