SLIDER

So Obsessed With: The Spring 2014 Edition

May 8, 2014

Some of my favorite posts are ones where bloggers highlight the products they're loving lately or the things they're currently coveting. Posts like that always put new products on my radar and give me great ideas for gifts. I love this kind of content so much that I decided to start incorporating it into my blog by highlighting my loves and lusts and each season. Rather than give it a creative name, I thought my blog name was more fitting. So, here's what I'm so obsessed with this spring:

1. L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara ($8.99) - I love finding a great new mascara, especially when you can get it for a good price. I've tried expensive mascaras in the past, but I always return to ones I can snag at the drugstore. My mom recently told me about this one, and it's my new favorite!

2. Butter London Nail Lacquer - Fiver ($15) - I'm a total nail polish addict, and Butter London is my favorite brand. They're not cheap though, so I usually keep an eye out for specials and coupons so I can get them for less. This spring, I'm loving this minty color that looks so bright and cheerful!

3. Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick - Boy ($35) - My mom always tell me I ought to put a little lipstick on to bring some more color to my face. While I know she's right, I really dislike most of them... and then I found this one. I hate the price, but my love for this color and the way it goes on makes it all worth it.

4. Stila Custom Color Blush - Coral ($20) - So, I haven't bought this yet, but it's on my wish list after Magan from Rather Be Reading tweeted about it. The color supposedly adjusts when you apply it so that it's the perfect pop of coral for your skin tone. I'm so intrigued!

5. Drybar Texas Tea Volumizing Spray and Drybar Mai Tai Sea Salt Spray ($25) - I haven't tried either of these products, but I'm always in the market for a volumizer and sea salt spray. I'm currently using Bumble & Bumble's versions and like them, but I want to give these a shot next!


6. Gigi New York Sand Dallas Tori Tote ($265) - I don't need this purse, but that doesn't mean I can't put it on my wish list! I first saw this tote when Erin from Elements of Style posted a photo of hers, and I've wanted one ever since. I often have my laptop with me, so I like the roominess of this bag.

7. Moon & Lola Logan Necklace ($64) - There's actually another necklace similar to this that I want more, but that etsy shop is on vacation right now. So, I thought I'd highlight this necklace instead! I have a few things from Moon & Lola already and love them all - now I just want a dainty, rectangular  necklace for layering!

8. Textured Tank Dress ($69.95) - This gorgeous dress is already on sale, but I got an additional discount on it when Anthropologie was having a sale one weekend. Let me just tell you - this is even prettier in person than it is online. I absolutely love it and can't wait to wear it this spring! It's perfect for dressing up or down.

9. Midday Dress ($59.95) - I also picked this up in the "sale on sale items" at Anthropologie, and I'm so glad I did. I wasn't sold on the picture, but the rave reviews from customers convinced me to give it a shot. This is one perfect for spring! Cute and comfortable is a win for me. 

10. Franco Sarto Divine Sandal ($89.95) - My mom was wearing these on Easter, and I wanted them from the moment I them on her. I love platform wedges that basically feel like you're wearing a flat! I'm already really tall, so I don't need to be walking around in heels... but sometimes I can't resist.

11. Since You've Been Gone, To All the Boys I've Loved Before and What I Thought Was True ($18-20) - With spring in the air, I find myself suddenly craving some cute contemporaries. I think the publishing world agrees since there have been quite a few published recently! I picked up these three on their release days, and now I need to find time to read them.

12. Belle Movie - I love costume dramas, and I've been dying to see this one ever since I first saw the trailer (months ago). It's based on the true story of "an illegitimate mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral who is raised by her aristocratic great-uncle." This sounds amazing, doesn't it?

13. Johnnyswim - Diamonds + Heartbeats ($9.99 + $4.99) - I discovered this musical duo by accident, but I'm so glad that I did. I'm hooked on the music from this husband and wife team - it's so gorgeous! I've had the EP and their brand-new full-length album on repeat ever since I bought them a few weeks ago. And check out their YouTube channel if you want to see how I got sucked into spending hours watching them sing.

14. Hubert's Raspberry Lemonade (Under $5) - There's something about ice cold lemonade in the spring! Lately I'm craving this raspberry lemonade - a nice blend of sweet and tart to sip on while I read in the backyard.

15. Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream ($12) - It's always the right time for ice cream! There is a Jeni's in Atlanta, but I haven't gotten a chance to go yet. But I did discover the pint-sized version of this treat at a Fresh Market near me. You better believe I tossed one in my cart right away! The dark chocolate was delicious. Mmm...

16. Veronica Mars Movie Blu-Ray ($15) - This list wouldn't be complete without the Veronica Mars movie! I didn't get to see it in theaters, but I did rent a digital copy the day it came out. I can't pass up on these characters! The movie reminded me of how much I loved the show, so I ended up binge re-watching it in April. The timing was perfect because I finished season three right as the blu-ray was released!
READ POST
FILED UNDER:
7 comments

Arrivals & Departures

May 7, 2014

Taking Flight by Erin Brown

Release Date: May 6, 2014
Publisher: Self-Published
Source & Format: Author | e-ARC
Amazon | Goodreads

 Summary (from Goodreads)
Seventeen-year-olds Willa Thompson and Dan Martin are falling in love. But there's one major problem: Willa lives in New York. Dan doesn't.

Teens with divorced parents, Dan, a comic book nerd from Texas, and Willa, a sassy urbanite, have spent the last three years coordinating their monthly trips to visit the parents they don't live with so that they can meet up during their layovers. As their junior year wraps up, Willa and Dan realize that their feelings for each other are more than friendly.

When they begin a long-distance relationship, Dan and Willa find out that there is more working against them than geography - both are serious students who aren't applying to any of the same colleges. To make matters worse, Dan's ruthless ex sees Willa as nothing more than a challenge to overcome, and Willa's more-experienced-in-love best friend doesn't trust Dan as far as she can throw him. Which is not at all.

Spanning a year and told from Willa and Dan's alternating perspectives, Taking Flight captures the many stresses of being a high school senior, and how very difficult - but also how very easy - love can be.

Thoughts on Taking Flight
To be completely honest, I don't think I've ever accepted a self-published book for review before this one. While I know there are truly some gems out there, it can still be really hit-or-miss. I already feel so swamped with traditionally published books that I struggle to take a chance on something that's been self-published... and then author Erin Brown contacted me about Taking Flight.

I'll admit that I was already predisposed to like Taking Flight because I follow the author on Twitter and am a fan of the book's editor. The connection I had with both was what made me take notice when I received the email about it, but I realized as I was reading the summary that I was really intrigued by the story itself. I have been craving some older young adult - you know, the kind that involves choosing colleges and graduating. So, I couldn't pass up on a book involving the stresses of being a high school senior! I've definitely passed that pivotal stage of life, but reading Taking Flight brought it all back like it was yesterday.

Okay, so I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me rewind a little bit and properly introduce you to this book. Taking Flight opens with a meet cute: Dan and Willa strike up a conversation at an airport, and it soon becomes a regular occurrence. And as crazy as they know it seems, their feelings for each other grow as the months fly by. The long-distance aspect of their relationship isn't the only thing standing in their way. With graduation quickly approaching, Willa and Dan must face the exciting but stressful reality that is choosing a college. And you'll have to actually read the book to find out any more!

Needless to say, I genuinely loved that Taking Flight focused so much on applying to college and all of the factors that go into choosing a school. Do you stay close to home? Challenge yourself by going somewhere new? And how much influence does your current relationship have over where you see yourself in the future? Brown explored this in her book, and I couldn't get enough! I can't think of another YA book off the top of my head that focuses so much on this part of being a teenager, so this felt like a breath of fresh air in that respect.

I enjoyed this book from the very beginning, but I did find that it really captured my interest and hit its stride by the time I was about a quarter of the way through. At that point, I found that I was really invested in the story and wanted to know what was going to happen with these characters. The ending was fitting and realistic, which I loved (and had to email the author about it as soon as I finished!). I think this touches on some of what "New Adult" could be - without all the intense drama that seems characteristic of it now. It's slightly more mature and deals with that transitional "still a teen but beginning to make adult decisions" phase in such an interesting way.

My only complaint about the book was that it was somewhat heavy on pop culture references and focused on a few too many details at times (like descriptions of characters' clothes, etc). Overall, it's a pretty minor criticism, and I was really glad that I decided to trust to my gut and give this self-published book a place in my reading schedule.

Taking Flight was a fun read that I could see so many fans of contemporary YA really enjoying! I was rooting for Willa and Dan and couldn't wait to see where their story was going to lead. I'd happily read more from Erin Brown in the future, especially if it involved a peek at these characters a few years later. Hint, hint!
*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any way for my review.
READ POST
FILED UNDER: , ,
4 comments

I've Got My Walls Covered

May 6, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Every week they post a new topic/top ten list and invite everyone to share their own answers. I'm so obsessed with lists - so it makes perfect sense that I'd love this feature!

Top Ten Covers I'd Frame As Art
Cascade | Maryanne O'Hara
The House of the Spirits | Isabel Allende
Burial Rites | Hannah Kent
Lost Lake | Sarah Addison Allen
Love, Life and Elephants | Daphne Sheldrick
Flapper | Joshua Zeitz
The Real Jane Austen | Paula Byrne
Queen of America | Luis Alberto Urrea
Pride and Prejudice | Jane Austen
All the Light We Cannot See | Anthony Doerr
READ POST
FILED UNDER:
13 comments

April 2014: On My Shelves + Recap

May 2, 2014

via Vineyard Vines
Adios, April! So, I read 11 books this month - and I'd say my reading kick is still on a roll. I slowed down a little compared to February and March, but that's mostly because I decided to re-watch all three seasons of Veronica Mars. Suffice it to say, binging that show meant I wasn't spending as much time reading. I had some amazing reads this month and definitely found some new favorites. If I haven't fangirled about them yet, just know those reviews are coming.

And my book buying? Out of control! April was a great month for new releases, but I also ended up purchasing some favorite books that I'd originally read from the library or on my Kindle. I know, I know. I was almost embarrassed when I was taking the photos for this post, and then I thought about how much great reading I've got ahead of me... No shame in my game!

Books Read

53. The Invention of Wings - Sue Monk Kidd
54. Open Road Summer - Emery Lord
55. On the Fence - Kasie West
56. Mended - Angie Smith
57. The Thousand Dollar Tan Line - Rob Thomas & Jennifer Graham
58. Night of Cake and Puppets - Laini Taylor
59. The Assassin's Blade - Sarah J. Maas
60. These Broken Stars - Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
61. Split Second - Kasie West
62. Dreams of Gods and Monsters - Laini Taylor
63. There Is No Me Without You - Melissa Fay Greene

On My Shelves


New Editions of Old Favorites 

Adult Fiction For Review (Thanks Penguin & Henry Holt!)


E-Books for Review (Thanks Crown Publishing & Erin Brown!)

On My Blog

I reviewed: The Here and Now by Ann Brashares, I Shall Be Near to You by Erin Lindsay McCabe, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, Open Road Summer by Emery Lord, Sparkly Green Earrings and The Antelope in the Living Room by Melanie Shankle, The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay, The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes and Split Second by Kasie West



READ POST
FILED UNDER:
9 comments

My Book Blogging To Do List Printable

May 1, 2014

I'm always in search of a way to be more organized when it comes to blogging. I often have a general idea of what I want to post each week, but I don't always have those posts scheduled in advance. I've written before on how I use May Books to brainstorm and plan out posts, and those have been invaluable in helping me stay on top of everything going on with my blog. But lately I found myself wishing for something else!

I wanted a clean, simple (but cute) single-page planner where I could see in a glance what I needed to do for the blog. I'm a huge fan of lists, so I searched Pinterest and etsy for some sort of printable to do list worksheet. Everything I found was so generic, and I wanted a worksheet that was geared specifically towards book blogging.

With a daily to do list planner as my inspiration, I got to work creating something that combined the look I loved with the book blogging categories I wanted. A couple hours later, and I was seriously so excited about the result! I've been using it for the last week or so, and I'm totally in love. Sure, it's basically just a pretty to do list, but I think having something that looks nice can make a huge difference in your attitude about getting it done. The worksheet is broken down into six categories:
  • Book Reviews
  • Weekly Features
  • Monthly Posts
  • Review Copies
  • Discussion Posts
  • Random Thoughts
I'm able to see, in a glance, exactly what I need to work on for the blog. If I need and/or want to have the post done by a specific date, I've got the column there to remind me. And there's nothing like checking off one of those little boxes once I'm done! My goal was to make it specific to book blogging but general enough that almost any type of blog post could fit in the categories. Why did I want it to work that way? SO I COULD SHARE IT WITH ALL OF YOU! Duh.

The look of my to do list was inspired by a daily to do planner I found, which was created by Miss Tiina (check out her etsy shop!). After I finished creating it, I realized that I wanted to make it available to any book blogger interested in downloading it. So, I emailed Miss Tiina to ask for permission to share what I made. Thankfully, she was so nice and had no problem with me posting it for y'all. YAY!

I love having this fun thing to keep me on track, and I'm really excited for y'all to use it, too. Truthfully, I hope it's helpful for you because I'm determined to show everyone the benefits of getting organized! You may not color code your calendar just yet, but I'll get you there in time...


CLICK HERE FOR THE BOOK BLOGGER TO DO LIST PRINTABLE.
READ POST
FILED UNDER: ,
24 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
© So Obsessed With • Theme by Maira G.