“What’s Up Wednesday” is a fun weekly meme started by my friends Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk. From Jaime: It’s similar in some respects to the Currently… post, but it’s been whittled down to only four headings to make it quicker and more manageable on a weekly basis. You’re invited to join us if you’re looking for something to blog about, a way to let your blog friends know what’s been going on with you. If you’re participating, make sure to link your What’s Up Wednesday posts to the list on Jaime’s blog each week. That way, others can visit your post and check out what you’ve been up to.And now, here’s what’s up with me this week…And now, here’s what’s up with me this week…
First, congratulations to… Jaime Morrow, who was randomly selected as the winner of a signed copy of Meredith McCardle’s soon-to-be-released debut, The Eighth Guardian! I think you’ll love this one, Jaime. I’ll have your book in the mail ASAP!
What I’m Reading: I’m slowly making my way through Huntley Fitzpatrick’s What I Thought Was True. It’s a lovely story, but I’ve not had a lot of time to sit down and read lately — see “What Else I’ve Been Up To” below. I’m very much looking forward to settling in and getting lost in Gwen’s island world.
What I’m Writing: I’m trying to work out the plot of the WiP I started playing with, the follow-up to one of my other projects. I know what I want to happen, but getting there isn’t as easy as I’d hoped — surprise, surprise. That’s okay, though, because I’m still feeling super inspired by these characters and all of the new conflict I’m planning to throw at them. Yay for SNIs!
What Else I’ve Been Up To: Lots of stuff! It’s been a busy week…
I got a lot done around my house. I filled some pots and decorated my front porch (finally), and spent hours helping my girlie sort out her mess of a bedroom. When we moved in, we didn’t give much thought to furniture placement or functionality, so we did some rearranging and reorganizing and the space is so much neater and prettier now.
On Saturday, my girl had a tea party to attend for her friend’s birthday, and then we went to Pensacola for a minor league baseball game. We ate hotdogs and cheered for the Blue Wahoos and had an awesome time.
On Sunday we went to the beach, my very favorite thing to do. I could happily spend every afternoon with my toes in the sugar sand, watching my girl pretend to be a mermaid in the waves. My happy place. 🙂
Yesterday I tried a new recipe, Flourless Chocolate Cookies. Yum. They’re sort of fudge-y and super rich, and also very easy to make. Recommend!
What’s Inspiring Me Now: Gossip Girl! I’m nearly done with the second season and I’m loving it. It’s fluffy and soap-opera-esque, but the writing is a lesson in creative conflict, amped up pacing, and pushing the envelope. The characters — even the most evil characters — have backstories and redeeming qualities that make them fascinating. Plus, the fashion… it’s glorious. In other news, I had lots of fun reading YA Highway‘s recent License to Drive post, all about road trips and first cars. The WiP I’ve been toying with has a road trip element, so I’m eating up everything I can find about teens on the road. Got any extraordinary road trip stories to recommend?
What’s up with you today?
katyupperman.com 
I really really enjoyed WHAT I THOUGHT WAS TRUE…the setting and the characterization are pretty much amazing I find 🙂
And yay for SNI! If you feel like sharing as you go, don’t hesitate 🙂 And those cookies, YUMMY!
I will be happy to share about my SNI idea soon, Elodie! It’s all sort of jumbled right now, but I’m excited about it. Definitely whip up those cookies when you get a chance — yum!
I went on a college roadtrip from NC to CA and back again. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience. My friend Laura posted photos on her blog from our various stops: http://laurakitto.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/road%20trip ^_^
Hooray for a SNI! Enjoy 😀
Mmm, yummy cookies. Those look amazing, as always.
Have a great week!
Oh, awesome! Thank you so much for sharing that link! It looks like you guys saw some amazing spots, and the photos are beautiful. Santa Fe and The Grand Canyon are stops on my fictional road trip. 🙂
And awesome stops they are, too 😀 The Grand Canyon is, without a doubt, a highlight of my existence 😉
Love Gossip Girl! I just read a review about that book. Sounds good. I yhink I might pick it up next. Also, that recipe looks fantastic!
Yes, those cookies turned out so well! Definitely a recipe I recommend for next time you’re in the need of a treat. 🙂
Time to read hasn’t been abundant with me either, which isn’t good when I’m trying to get through WAR AND PEACE, and I have some awesome books waiting to be read. *sigh*
It sounds like you’ve been spending some great family time this week, Katy. You’re creating some wonderful memories for your girl that I’m sure she’ll treasure forever. Talking to my older teens, I’m often surprised at the things they remember from their childhood, and the things we did that they remember with fondness.
Have a wonderful week! 😀
My daughter has freakishly good recall, so I’m hoping these memories do stay with her. Either way, we’re having lots of fun. 🙂 Best of luck with WAR AND PEACE, Colin. I’m not sure I’ll ever have the guts to tackle that one!
I just love your front stoop. I’ve always had a fondness for brick houses in general because, well, we just don’t have them down here. And it looks like you and your girlie had a marvelous weekend!
I love a good road trip story, too. My favorite is THE DISENCHANMENTS by Nina LaCour. 🙂
And yay, Jaime!!
Yes! I adore THE DISENCHANTMENTS! I actually have a signed copy of that one, and I got to meet Nina LaCour a few years ago in Seattle. She was delightful. 🙂
Your daughter’s bedroom is amazing. I wanted to walk right into it and read a book!
Thank you! We spend lots of time reading in there. 🙂
I feel like I’m one of few of whom didn’t love WITWT. However I don’t know why I bothered because the plot didn’t sound my alley. I think Huntley is a Sarah Dessen type for me — I will read every and all of her books even if I think they won’t appeal to me. I am a loyal reader! 😛
It sounds like you had a great time w/ C this week. and oooh flourless chocolate cookies. I wish you had posted that two weeks ago during Passover when in fact flourless desserts was king around here 😛 ah well beggars can’t be choosers.
And ohhhh Gossip Girl…I watched your first season and I got kinda bored in the second so I stopped. BUT I have to be TOTALLY honest…I was an addict of the book series back in 2003 (yup! 2003) and I owned THEM ALL. No shame. 😛 So when the show came along and veered a complete 360 away from them, I couldn’t deal. Yes I’m a purist. Even for my junky summer books. Hehehe.
Have a great rest of the week Katy & a great weekend!
p.s. now I feel super embarrassed that Huntley wrote right above me….(Huntley I’m so excited for Tim’s story and whatever you write next. and I loooooved My Life Next Door.!)
I haven’t read the GOSSIP GIRL books, but I am loving the show. It’s all fluff, but it’s lots of fun. The Blair/Chuck dynamic is awesome. And even though Passover is finished, I still think you should bake those cookies, Rachel!
What’s interesting (and was shocking to me as a book reader)…Chuck was gay. Blair and Chuck never could have happened because of this and it was a fascinating choice to switch around. But yes…B & C in the first season? mmmm
So I’m home until 11 and wishing I had powdered sugar so I could make those cookies! Haha. Any server connection so you can get back to researching? Rain rain go away!!!!
Yes! I’m plugging away at it as we speak. No haircut = WiP progress, I guess. 🙂
It looks like you and your sweet girl had an amazing weekend, Katy! I also loved seeing (and was so inspired by!) your front porch and C’s room – so charming and warm. I am knee deep in lots of organization and decorating right now 🙂 It’s the first place that really feels like ours, so am trying to add those little touches that will make it feel like true home for the girls 🙂 So excited for you that you have a project inspiring you – go, Katy! I hope you have a wonderful week ❤ Oh! I've also become hooked on the show Once Upon A Time – have you ever seen that one?
I’ve been thinking of you, Tem! I hope the move went smoothly. Once you’re all unpacked, the fun decorating part begins. 🙂 I’m sure you’re making your new place lovely. I have seen Once Upon A Time, but only the first season. C and I used to watch together. I think we need to catch back up! Have a wonderful week, and don’t work too hard!
I read the recipe for the cookies and it described them as an over-the-top brownie. I’m sold! I think it was your blog I saw the link to Nutella brownies – when I made them I pretty much ate the entire pan myself, so rich and yummy 🙂
The beach…I haven’t been in over 10 years. What a great place to just chill.
Yes, those cookies are brownie-like! They’re chewy and delicious. 🙂 And yes, those Nutella brownies — YUM. You need to get back to the beach, lady. So lovely!
Shiny new ideas are fun! ^_^ Sounds like you’ve had a great week!
We have, and I’m definitely having fun with my SNI! Have a good one, Emma!
“I know what I want to happen, but getting there isn’t as easy as I’d hoped — surprise, surprise.” That’s how I’m feeling about the outline I’m working on. Good luck with piecing the story together!
I have to read WHAT I THOUGHT WAS TRUE now–I love an island-set book.
Have a great week!
You should definitely read WITWT, Rebecca! It takes place on a Northeastern resort island and it’s really lovely so far. You’ll have to let me know what you think. 🙂
I’m so excited about THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN! Thanks again! 🙂 I would recommend AMY & ROGER’S EPIC DETOUR, but you’ve already read it and loved it, so… Have you read HOW MY SUMMER WENT UP IN FLAMES by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski? That was a kind of fun YA road trip book. Not as good as AMY & ROGER, but still fun. I’ll definitely have to get my hands on the latest Huntley Fitzpatrick! I don’t know how I didn’t realize she had another book out.
I’m loving all of your photos on Instagram, Katy. I guess you could say I’m living vicariously through you and your gorgeous surroundings. 😉 That sand…wow! #envious Have a wonderful week!
I haven’t read HOW MY SUMMER WENT UP IN FLAMES, but thank you for the rec. I’ll definitely check it out! And I’ll have TEG in the mail to you tomorrow, now that our thunderstorms/flooding/tornado warnings have ceased. Have a great week, Jaime!
I love Gossip Girl. I definitely want to rewatch sometime in the future.
The beach is my happy place too. Unfortunately I live in a very non-beachy and somewhat cold place. There’s a man made lake nearby though that I’m hoping to take my kids to a bunch this summer.
Lakes definitely work when the beach is too far away. I grew up in WA where the beaches are mostly unswimmable, so we did lakes quite a bit. Living in FL, close to a beautiful beach, is a big treat. 🙂 Have a great week, Melanie!
Starting a new project is always fun, but this –> “I know what I want to happen, but getting there isn’t as easy as I’d hoped — surprise, surprise.” is always a little frustrating. Good luck with working through you plot! Also, I need one of this cookies and you potted plants look great!
It can be frustrating, but I’m trying to be chill about this project. It’s supposed to be for fun, so I’m trying hard not to let it get me all angsty. So far, so good. Have a great week, Rebekah!
I need to follow your example and start getting some things done around here. We renovated 4 or 5 years ago now, and I STILL have pictures and curtains and other things to take care of. Love your potted plants! We can’t plant anything outside until after the May long weekend here, so I have a bit of time before I tackle that–assuming I get around to it this year.
Those fudgey- cookies look amazing! I’m now craving chocolate in a big way. It’s awesome to hear that your SNI has really taken hold. I hope things start falling into place as far as getting to that end point you’ve imagined!
If I waited four or five years to decorate and hang pictures, I’d NEVER have a homey house. We move every 2-3 years, so we usually hang pictures within the first few weeks. 🙂 Aah, life with a military spouse. 🙂 And thanks for the positive SNI vibes, Erin! 🙂
Yowza… So many smiling faces in that first response. You’d think I’m having a stellar afternoon or something. 😉
Ah, your beach pics make me want to go to the beach! It’s certainly hot enough this week in CA!
I haven’t been on any long road trips. The closest things are probably going up/down the coast to/from Berkeley during college with my roommate and recent drives to Las Vegas with the girls. Both are actually pretty uneventful – though the trips to Vegas inevitably become 90s pop song sing-alongs. During college, I did drive with some friends up to Oregon for Spring Break at one girl’s family cabin. That was fun. We stopped at a Mystery Spot on the way back to CA.
Please see the DM I just sent you. 🙂 🙂 🙂
I’ve seen the first two seasons of Gossip Girl. I really want to finish the series I have to know what happens. Have fun with your new project! Now off to make those cookies. They look so good. Have a great weekend!
Hope you enjoy those cookies, Amy! Let me know what you think! 🙂
I have to admit, I was a bit of a Gossip Girl fanatic for a while. In secret mostly, because you know, I’m too old to be publicly obsessed with that show, haha… but the quality does go down over time. The first few seasons are amazing though. Love me some Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass.
Yeah, I wondered about the quality factor. I’m nearly done with season two and it’s pretty freaking good, but really… how many times can Dan and Serena break up and get back together over the course of the series? Have a great week, Crystal!
I think Claire’s room is my dream room from childhood. It’s so adorable. I’m pretty sure I would have squealed with joy if my mom found that white mirror with the purple ribbon. Very cool.
Good luck with the SNI. I’m confident you can whip it into shape.
Thanks, Trace! I sort of love C’s room too. It’s fun to hang out in there among all the girlie things. 🙂 Have a great week, lady!
Ah, Gossip Girl. I’ve never seen it, but a very dear childhood friend of mine is in a band with one of the actresses from that show 🙂
Really? That’s so cool! Which one? And you should watch it sometime… Highly entertaining. 🙂