Peanut Butter Jelly Time

One of my internet friends, Jenny, has had a tough go of things. From dealing with infertility to giving birth to preemie triplets, I can't help but think of her as Wonder Woman.

When I found out that she was going to be participating in the March of Dimes walk held on April 30th, I wanted to help. Not only did I want to help by donating money to sponsor her, I wanted to do something more.

In the last few months I have taken up a hobby of jewelry making and even opened an ETSY Shop (FunkyPineapple Designs) so I decided I would make a special bracelet in honor of the nickname she gave her babies while they were still in the oven, PB&J.

The Peanut Butter Jelly Time bracelet (seen below) can be purchased through my ETSY shop with $10 of each purchase being donated to help Jenny and her family reach their goal of raising (at least) $1,000 for their walk.

Help me help Jenny reach her goal and maybe even surpass it. You'll not only help future families that need the assistance, but you'll have a nice little thank you on your wrist from all the people that are touched each day by March of Dimes.

Peanut Butter Jelly Time bracelets can be purchased here.
Jenny's blog post talking about what March of Dimes meant to her can be found here.

Nods to Media in Writing

If you read my previous entry, you'll know that I love watching tv. There have been so many shows that I've watched over the years that I've never forgotten for one reason or another.

I think when it comes to writing, especially your first manuscript, a lot of who you are and what you like comes out in it. I've come across this numerous times in what I have been working on and I keep wondering things like "is this TOO much me?" or "should I save this for another character in something else I do down the road?" So far my answer has been to keep with it. It just so happens that my MC is a lot like me and it works for her. 

China Beach and Tour of Duty were shows based around war that my parents used to watch. I was only about six at the time but I remember watching some of these episodes. I can't tell you what happened except I remember liking them. Mostly I remember the songs used as the theme songs and they are two of my favorites. The song Reflections by Diana Ross and the Supremes has remained a favorite of mine and I even used part of the song as one of the email addresses I created a few years ago.

I was brought up in a house where the music of the '50s, '60s, and early '70s was pretty much the soundtrack. I still love the music and one of my favorite musicians of those time periods is Buddy Holly. Can you guess why I'm telling you this?

Yes, my MC has a crush on somebody who looks up to Buddy Holly. He has the dark hair, he longs to be the musician that Buddy Holly was and most recognizably he sports the same style glasses Holly wore (and yes, I one day want to visit Clear Lake, Iowa to see the shrine for Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens, who I'm also a huge fan of).

As for television, I can only recall (so far) one show that has crept into my writing and that would be Breaker High (laugh it up chuckle-butt). This was one of my favorite shows when I was in middle school and it was the show that put Ryan Gosling on my radar. Although it wasn't exactly his most noticeable work, it's one of my most memorable of him. He has been my favorite actor ever since (yes, I've bought all his movies as soon as they came out. My favorite is The United States of Leland) so when I was naming a location within my story, I used the last name of his character (Hanlon) as the name of the place.

Dracula: Dead and Loving It is also mentioned in my WIP because I love this movie (yes, this IS my favorite vampire movie) and it was a big part of sleepovers at my friend's house when I was in middle school. So of course when my MC and her BFF have a movie night, this is one of the movies that they watch.

Will people who aren't me know these things? Of course not but it's still fun to sneak these kinds of tidbits in there. These are my Easter eggs and I know that my chances of getting published are low and right now I'm just writing for myself, but should the day come where you get to read a book by me, know these little nods to my favorite shows, movies, and music will undoubtedly be present.

Basically, I love media. I would be bored to tears without music, tv, movies, and books. Have you noticed any authors who like to do this?

Are you a writer? Do you find yourself sneaking in these kinds of things?

If you're not a writer but know an author does these types of things, do you think it's distracting to what you're reading or are you more inclined to look at it as a treasure hunt?

Hear me when I say..

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught, Nevada

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
What do you call gym shoes?
What do you say to address a group of people?
What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped
body and extremely long legs?
What do you call your grandparents?
What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry
groceries at the supermarket?
What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

Want to hear what some of my friends sound like? Here are some of their videos:

Julie

Angel

Kayla

Super 

Kelsey

So what's the verdict on my accent?

Wiiiiii

First I want to say that I can't believe that I haven't posted this year! I was bit by the procrastination bug and we all know that he worms his way into our brains and tells us what we can do today can also be done tomorrow or the day after. Pesky little bugger.

The hubs and I have had Netflix for quite a while but it was only in the last few months that we were given the opportunity to stream shows and movies from our Wii without having to insert a disc. To be honest, when the discs were first sent out for the Wii, there wasn't much on my queue that would allow for streaming.

I don't know if you remember but one of the first things I really watching using this method was the complete series of Veronica Mars. That was the beginning of the end.

I absolutely ADORED Veronica Mars and started wondering what other shows that I had always wanted to watch and never got the chance were hanging around waiting for me.

Soon after the hubs and I met Dexter. I always heard Dexter was a great show but I just left it at "we don't have Showtime." We have since become up to date on Dexter and also have a subscription to Showtime (which we'll continue the HBO/Showtime Tango for True Blood/Dexter).* I LOVE that show now and we were even able to get my mother-in-law hooked and she bought all the seasons on blu-ray.

After we were done with Dexter, I felt this emptiness (don't make fun) of not having a new old show to fall in love with. It didn't last long because almost two weeks ago I re-met Michael Scofield and Prison Break.

I was a follower of 24 from the beginning and I know Prison Break was paired up with it but for some reason I never really got into at the time it was airing. I think part of the reason was because the first episode I actually saw on TV was in the middle of the season and I hate not seeing shows like that from the beginning. We're currently a few episodes shy of starting season 3 and I'm LOVING this ride (plus, you know, Wentworth Miller is VERY easy on the eyes..oh his eyes).

So thank you Netflix dudes for allowing Wii users to stream awesome tv shows. I'll be sad when Prison Break is over but maybe I'll fill that void with something new like Bones or Firefly or maybe an old friend like Buffy the Vampire Slayer that I haven't seen in a while.

Yes, in case you didn't know I'm a TV junkie and I love getting into new shows just like I love getting into new books.

Do you have any suggestions on what I should add to my streaming queue?


*Last summer we ordered HBO so we could watch True Blood over the summer and a few weeks ago we realized the only way we could watch season 5 of Dexter was to order Showtime. We called our cable company and without even a price change, switched from HBO to Showtime and we'll be switching back again for the summer.

Farewell 2010

After doing my Top 10 books of 2010, I thought it would be fun to also do a list of my favorite memories/moments of the past year. Like the books, these are in no particular order.

Wizarding World of Harry Potter

This had to have been one of my favorite things of the year. I had been anticipating this park for quite some time and I told the Hubs that we were going to be going the same year it opened. We took our vacation in August and it was breathtaking. I felt like I was a part of Harry's world and the details were phenomenal. I can't wait to go back. 

 Second Wedding Anniversary

I know it's not a picture of the hubs and I, but for our anniversary we went to Chattanooga. While we were there Julie and her husband took us to the Aquarium and I just love this picture. Every year we try to go somewhere new for our anniversary and it's always fun planning for our new destination. 2011 will bring me back to Tucson, Arizona.

Book Festivals / Signings

This was definitely the year of books for me. I bought a lot and attended as many book related events as I could. The Alabama Book Festival started it all. I also attended the Decatur Book Festival which featured TONS of amazing authors (including Diana Gabaldon who I'm pictured with above) and individual signings for Rachel Hawkins, Lindsey Leavitt, Jen Lancaster, Kathryn Erskine, and Rachael Ray. I look forward to more festivals in 2011 including the LA Times Festival of Books (!!)

Auburn Writers Conference

 Not only was this my first conference, but it was also in my favorite town (and former home). I got to meet some really cool people and learn about various aspects of writing. The conference was Chantel's brainchild and she and everyone else did an amazing job.

Backstreet Boys concert

2010 finally allowed me to live out my teenage dream (and okay, current dream) of seeing the Backstreet Boys live in concert. Julie met me in Atlanta for a night of pure BSB Bliss and it was all I had hoped for and more. We had amazing seats and the only thing that could have made the night better would have been meeting them. I heart BSB.

Going to Auburn Football Games

 I had never gone to a non-high school football game until I started attending Auburn University in 2006. Once I started going, I was hooked and looked forward to the atmosphere. I now love Auburn Football and after moving away from Auburn, I was so happy to be able to go back and attend some SEC matchup games (Arkansas, LSU, and UGA) inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Hubs and I are going to try to get season tickets in 2011.

Auburn winning SEC Championship / Playing in National Championship

If going to games made the list, so does Auburn winning the SEC Championship game and making it into the National Championship game. I look forward to the games and I never imagined that we'd be undefeated and playing in Arizona a few months ago. War Eagle to that.

Meeting Amazing People

I have met SO many amazing people this year and feel so blessed to have turned cool internet friends into some of the best friends I've ever had. Not all of us live in the same town but we live close enough to get together at least once a month. They're all incredible and it never ceases to amaze my husband just how similar we all are to each other and how similar all our husbands are.

To the year 2010, you've brought me great friends and good times. I'll remember you for it but I'm excited to see what 2011 has in store. Happy New Year!

I can't help myself..

Yet another year is about to come to a close and although I'm not quite sure where it went, I want to leave you with my top 10 favorite books of 2010.

Let it be known that it was a hard decision. There were over fifty contenders but the following ten stuck with me for one reason or another. All books were enjoyed by me at some time this year, not necessarily published in 2010.

Without further ado, I give you my Top 10 books of 2010 (in no particular order):

Anna and the French Kiss

  I waited for all of 2010 to find out what my favorite book of the year would be and of course I didn't find her until almost the last minute. Jessica was kind enough to share her ARC with a few people in our writing group and after all the high praise, it was my turn. I feared that the hype would make me a little disappointed with the book but I quickly fell in love and all the fears vanished. I couldn't get enough and Etienne gave me pit-of-the-stomach-butterflies that only a few other characters (Marcus Flutie and Jamie Fraser) have done. Talk about saving the best for last.

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

I know I say I love covers a lot but I LOVE this cover. It's cute and fun and totally mirrors those characteristics from the story. I flew through this book so fast thanks to the great writing and the back and forth between Dash and Lily. The ending left a little to be desired, but everything else made up for it. 

Hex Hall

You had to have known Hex Hall would be on my list, didn't you? This book gets major cover love from me, of course, but the story, the voice, the writing was all fantastic. Sophie is a great character and someone I'd totally want to be friends with. I must admit, I liked her so much because how many characters move from Arizona to the Dirty South when they're around the same age you were when you made that same move? Plus, I've gotten to know Rachel Hawkins in 2010 and this book is SO her. She brings her personality and the funny to every single page and she just makes it seem so effortless. She has a reader for life right here and if she were to publish her grocery list, I bet you it would be frexing hysterical.

Before I Fall

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book from the description and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought that it sounded like the high school version of Groundhog Day. Lauren Oliver did an amazing job with her debut book and if I hadn't known it was her first book going into it, I would have been shocked. The characters in this book had such depth and felt so real to me, it was like I knew them at some point in life. Even the girl you're supposed to hate had me feeling sorry for her by the end.

Paranormalcy

When I first heard about this book, I kind of rolled my eyes and thought, "oh great, another paranormal book." Then I found out there were fairies and I REALLY didn't think I would like it. However, after sharing a few tweets with Kiersten and seeing how sweet (and cute as a button) she was, I was ready to start reading. The cover is gorgeous and when my signed copy came in the mail (Thanks again Jess!), I started it right away. It was fun and I loved that Evie had a pink bedazzled taser (appropriately named Tasey) in her life and that she didn't fall for some hot, undead guy from her Biology class. Even the fairies were tolerable (and I really hate fairies). I can't wait for Supernaturally to come out and see what happens next for Evie.

If I Stay 

 I'm a crier. When it comes to books or movies and I know something is going to make me sad, I avoid it. I kept hearing how great this book was and received this book as a gift and not knowing much about it, I picked it up. It's a good thing I didn't know much about it before starting, otherwise I would have put off reading it until I felt ready for a good cry. There were parts in this book that opened a fairly fresh wound of personal loss and hit VERY close to home that caused my tears to flow to the point I couldn't see. The writing was beautiful and this is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time. I'm really looking forward to Where She Went in 2011.

The DUFF

First I have to say, Kody Keplinger makes me feel so..behind in life. She wrote and had this book published as a teenager. If that's not the mark of awesome, I don't know what is. Kody definitely used her age to her advantage when writing Bianca. She was cynical, sarcastic, and everything a seventeen year old girl is. I did have a few issues with the book but regardless, I LOVED it. It was very easy for me to go back to when I was seventeen and be able to know how Bianca was feeling and because of that, she was one of the characters I was able to most relate with.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians / The Heroes of Olympus

Rick Riordan's books captivated me like you wouldn't believe. I ate these stories up and you could throw a hundred more books about Camp Half-Blood at me and I still wouldn't get tired of them. I don't know what it is about these books and their spin-offs, but I absolutely adore them. I've always enjoyed mythology and these books are just plain fun. I cannot wait until the 2nd Heroes of Olympus book makes it way in front of me.

Mockingjay

Oh, Suzanne Collins. This was the most anticipated book in 2010 and rightly so. I first read The Hunger Games last year and I remember finishing chapter 2 and telling my husband what had already happened. Instead of the blank stare and him just saying "ok...?" he said that it actually sounded interesting and like something he might like! So thank you Suzanne for having an amazing trilogy that would get my husband to listen to audiobooks. Some people didn't like Mockingjay for whatever reason, but I thought it was a nice, and the right, ending for such a fabulous work. Team Katniss for life.

The Darkest Powers Trilogy 

When it comes to book recommendations, there are people who like the same thing I like and I trust them completely. I haven't been steered wrong yet. When my friend Leah told me I should give Kelley Armstrong's trilogy a try, I got it from my library that week and was hooked. It was a fun ride and as I was reading it, it felt like I had a movie playing in my head. It was fitting because that's how Chloe processed things in the book, as if looking through her camera. I remember having the second book on hand for when I finished the first, and it was after midnight when I did. I couldn't stop thinking about what was going to come next that I got up, grabbed book 2, and read the first three chapters.

My honorable mentions include:
Looking for Alaska
 The Dark Divine
Linger
Forget You
Some Girls Are
Sean Griswold's Head

Did any of my Top 10 books make your Top 10 list?

Fitness Friday (1)

My girl Stella is also doing P90X and asked me to join her in Fitness Friday so here I am!

There's not much to report on my end though. I know I was going to start last month but I got sick and then when it came time for the Hubs and I to start, I kept putting it off. One reason was that since we were going to be working out together, we'd have to do it when he came home from work. I would rather do it earlier in the day and relax at night so I made an executive decision.

We have now officially started, I work out during the day and he does the same thing that night when he gets home. This way we're still doing the same thing and holding each other accountable, but at the time that serves best for each of us.

I am definitely feeling soreness in the muscles I've started using. We still need to get some bands for some of the work outs, but I created my own modification for those using weights.

The Hubs is currently having some shoulder issues that make even getting in and out of the car hard, so we're going to wait to continue until he feels he's able to do so. I guess it works out though because his dad is staying with us for a few days for Christmas.

I'm really excited to continue, especially knowing that I'm doing something to make myself healthier and happier.