Merry Christmas from our family to yours!
See you in the New Year!
Category: Randomness
One-Word Wednesday
Happy Halloween, friends!
Labyrinth
{Navigating the corn maze at the best pumpkin patch ever.}
Critical
{Listening to (and eventually enjoying) Red, the new Taylor Swift album. (Yes, my child has a DiscMan, not an iPod. She’s five, and we’re old school.)}
Merriment
{Hula hoop tossing at the local Fall Festival. I know we’re only a few months into the school year, but so far I’m impressed with the community atmosphere of my daughter’s elementary school. This Fall Festival was a really cool family event/PTA fundraiser that kiddos of all ages seemed to have a blast at.}
Yum
{If you’ve never had Biscoff, you’re missing out. It’s a gingerbread-tasting spread that’s similar in consistency (and calorie count) to peanut butter. You can find it at World Market, and it is yummy! I found an fantastic recipe for Biscoff Chocolate Chip Cookies at Eat, Live, Run, one of my favorite food blogs. If you’re looking for a unique new cookie recipe, give this one a try! It’s definitely one of my new go-tos.}
Beer
{One-hundred ounces of Bud Light in preparation for the WSU vs. Standford football game that was awesome, despite a Cougar loss.}
*sigh*
{Remember the one-hundred ounces of beer? This is the kind of lasting memory it produces.}
NaNoWriMo
{I’m plotting! A good thing, since NaNo beings TOMORROW! I’ve got my main characters and setting decided, along with my MC’s GMC and a loose plot outline. Tonight I hope to plot my first several scenes more specifically so I can hit the ground running tomorrow morning.}
Guts
{Pumpkin guts, I mean. My husband was deployed during Halloween last year, so this year’s annual pumpkin carving evening was extra special. My daughter ADORES Halloween and everything that goes with it — even pumpkin guts! Today she gets to participate in a costume parade and Halloween party at school, and then, of course, there will be trick-or-treating tonight. Can’t wait!}
How are you celebrating Halloween?
(And if you’re participating in NaNoWriMo, are you ready?)
One-Word Wednesday
First and most importantly, HUGE congratulations go out to my longtime blog friend Rebecca Behrens. Her debut novel When Audrey Met Alice is going to be published by Sourcebooks and I couldn’t be happier for her! Not only is Rebecca smart and sweet and generous, but her story sounds AMAZING. You can read more about it HERE, and you can read Rebecca’s official announcement HERE.
Congrats, Rebecca! I couldn’t be happier for you!
And, here’s what I’ve been up to lately…
Spellbinding
(Seriously. This book rocks. And look! I splurged on a signed and doodled copy! Find The Raven Boys on Goodreads.)
Opulent
{My dad visited last week and we took him to visit Hearst Castle, the “ranch” once owned by William Randolph Hearst. The property and the house are gorgeous, and if you ever find yourself near San Simeon, CA, I definitely recommend checking it out. (Though, I don’t necessarily recommend driving down Highway 1, especially if you’re traveling with kiddos. My poor girlie had a bit of a carsickness episode about two miles from Hearst Castle, so that was fun to deal with. Oy.)}
Warm
{Indian Summer has arrived in Central California, and I’m SO HAPPY. I adore heat and sunshine and afternoons on the beach. :)}
Prettiness
{Like I said… I love the beach.}
Boo!
{My husband loves Rice Krispie Treats, so my girl and I decided to surprise him with a very festive jack-o-lantern version. Yum… Homemade Rice Krispie Treats are the best!}
Craftiness
{So, Dolly needed a bed. Rather than spend $150 on the American Girl version, my husband and father-in-law crafted her one from old banisters and crown molding, and I painted it. Then, I made Dolly linens from the somewhat garish peacock fabric my girlie picked out. All in all, it turned out pretty darn cute, and the final cost was a fraction of what American Girl was asking. Success!}
Gratuitous
{Because my girlie and I like to get our pose on!}
Tell me: When’s the last time you were crafty? What did you make?
Remember when I went on vacation?
We spent all of last week visiting family in Washington. It was fantastic! So, because I really like Instagram and my girlie and my husband, I’d love to share some images from our trip…
Cutie pie waiting to board our flight…
One of my girlie’s favorite things to do with her Mimi (my mother-in-law, who has quite a green thumb!) is pick flowers. These are a sampling of what they collected from the garden.
We took our girl to the American Girl Store, which was amazing. She was absolutely delighted with all there was to see! She got to pick out matching jammies for herself and Dolly, and also a few books. We had a special lunch at Romano’s Macaroni Grill (YUM!) and tea/lemonade/coffee in the American Girl Bistro. All in all, it was a very fun day, and made for one tired kiddo!
Only on vacation, right? I had veggie, and it was delish!
My hometown is known nationwide for its fair, which happens over the course of two weeks in September. It’s a huge deal, and people come from far and wide to check it out. The Puyallup Fair is a big part of why we chose to visit Washington in September — my girlie has yet to miss a fair! This year’s experience didn’t disappoint; the weather was gorgeous, the food was abundantly greasy, and the rides were headache-inducing. What more can one ask for?
My husband is cute. ❤
We were lucky enough to enjoy not one but TWO adult evenings out during our trip (thank you, awesome in-laws who are always happy to baby-sit!), and we spent them both at the Puyallup Fair. Because it’s so much fun!
This sassy girl was so in her element. She had the full attention of her Mimi and Baba, plus she got to spend all kinds of time with her cousins, aunt, and uncles, who she adores. Obviously she’s not shy about hamming it up!
Bud Light, + Apple Crisp + Vanilla Ice Cream = A Perfect Autumn Treat
(Sadly, this treat was enjoyed while watching my beloved Cougs lose their Homecoming football game in its final minutes. Boo.)
Major highlight of the trip: TIM MCGRAW! This was the second time we’ve seen him live and, oh, he was so freaking good! My only complaint was that we somehow ended up sitting among a lot of old, lame people, which means my husband spent the bulk of the concert trying to convince me that I should sit down and stop fan-girling and flailing about. (He was unsuccessful.)
Airport Fun: An unexpected game of Where’s Waldo? How excited do you think this guy would be to know he’s found his way onto my blog? 😉
I’m curious about the last trip YOU took…
What were the highlights?
One-Word Wednesday
Celebrate
{Check out YA Confidential’s HUGE 1st Anniversary Giveaway! All of our favorite YA books are up for grabs!}
Peace
{Kayaking on the bay with my husband…}
Pride
{My mini-me and me, cheering our Cougs on to victory!}
Fandom
{Harry, Ron, and Hermione as interpreted by my five-year-old. Because you’re never too young to appreciate Harry Potter.}
Run
{Over the weekend, my hubby and I began the Upperman Running Club with a 12.5 mile inaugural jog. We also signed up for the Big Sur Half-Marathon. I’ve wanted to do a half for ages, and Big Sur is right in our neck of the woods. It’s also absolutely beautiful. Can’t wait for November 18th!}
Captivating
{We left for vacation on Monday! Of course I had to secure a shaken iced tea and a fantastic read before boarding the plane. So far, Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl is unputdownable!}
What are you reading this week?
Something to think about…
Ah, politics.
Your blog/Twitter account/Facebook page is yours to use as you see fit.
HOWEVER…
Please think about the way you present your beliefs (political or otherwise) if you choose to expound them via social media. Passion is a beautiful thing. Intensity is a beautiful thing. Informed opinions, differing theories, and thoughtful debates are beautiful things. But if you communicate your argument in a snide or aggressive manner, your point is lost on me. If you attempt to assert your case by belittling my beliefs or the beliefs of others, or try to make me feel stupid for thinking a certain way, I only end up thinking poorly of you.
So, cheers to sixty-seven mutually respectful, issue-focused campaign days.
Tell Me: Who are you voting for?
Kidding!
What are you up to this weekend, blog friends?
One-Word Wednesday
First, thank you all a million times over for your kind, supportive, and often humorous comments regarding Monday’s post. The awesomeness of my writing buddies and blog readers never ceases to amaze me. While I hate knowing that so many of you are also experiencing a case of the blahs (and for so many different reasons!), it is comforting to know that I’m not alone, and that I’ve got plenty of friends in my corner, rooting me on.
So, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you…
Brownies and Bud Light for everyone!
Lucky
{Impromptu date night with my husband at The Fish Hopper. Yum!}
Comforting
{Pasta with homemade Bolognese}
Cute
{The cookie and the kid. :))
Splurge
{Happy August to me!}
Tell me: What’s the last item you treated yourself to, just because?
Pity Party
I’m throwing myself one, here and now.
While I try to keep the tone of this blog generally upbeat, I’ve been feeling very blah lately. My blahs, I think, stem from a few different catalysts. May I elaborate?
One, news I’ve been anxiously awaiting pretty much the entire summer finally trickled in and… it was not great. Two, I’m smack in the middle of a revision that, while necessary (and awesome), is giving me more than its fair share of fits. Three, my daughter is in school now, all day, every day, and despite the much-needed additional work time, I’m a little lonely. Four, I can’t for the life of me get into a book. I’ve been picking up and putting down the same two for a week-and-a-half, and neither of them will hold my attention. And five, the winding down of summer… Eh. I’m a fun-in-the-sun girl, and I always feel a little down when the weather starts to turn.
Transition and change and the unpredictable can be tough, and lately I feel like I’m seeing A LOT of all three.
So, yeah. Boo hoo.
The good news is: I’m not alone! Posts throughout the blogosphere have cemented that over the last week, particularly this one from Caroline Richmond, and this one from Christa Desir. My writing friends make me feel normal, and for that I’m grateful.
In that spirit, I invite you to join my pity party. It’s right here, right now, and since you can’t bring brownies or Bud Light, I welcome you to leave a gripe (big or small, important or insignificant) in the comments . We can all take a few moments to wallow together, and then we can let our crap go and move onward, toward a better week. A happier week!
So, what are you bringing to my pity party?
Admittedly, it’s hard to be *too* grouchy when I get to spend afternoons laughing with this girlie.
MAY I ask something about you?
During our recent road trip to California, we spent a few nights in Cannon Beach, Oregon, which is pretty much my favorite town ever.
While in Cannon Beach, my husband, daughter, and I experienced what turned out to be an entirely perfect day. It was one full of kite flying, sandcastle building, picnicking, hiking, biking, and shopping. We capped our perfect day with the perfect meal, a four course evening of deliciousness at The Irish Table. Dinner began with cider beer (a Shirley Temple for my girlie) and authentic Irish soda bread, followed by roasted beet salad, then fresh grilled halibut with fingerling potatoes and zucchini. After watching the sunset, we walked to a local grocery store and picked up a ridiculously expensive dark chocolate candy bar that was packed with almonds and cherry bits. All in all, the meal was freaking amazing. Frankly, I wish I could relive every delectable bite right this very second.
So, my question for you: What is your idea of the perfect meal (location, company, food, drink, etc…)?
{Oh! Don’t forget to enter my Reading is Sexy Giveaway if you haven’t already!}
MAY I share something funny?
Raise your hand if you figured out the theme of today’s funnies!
🙂
I love my daughter more than life, but some days… If I don’t laugh, I’ll cry.
Tell me: What’s your favorite part of being a mama (or daddy or auntie or uncle!)? Or, if you’re not there yet, is there anything about parenthood you look forward to?
Katy Upperman ~ Author 