Things I am Looking Forward to for Fall Break

So Fall Break is next week and it cannot come fast enough! Truthfully, I'm ready for the semester to me over, but a week off will be a good place to start. Here's everything I'm looking forward to that week.

Celebrating my four year anniversary with my boyfriend
Tomorrow (the 18th) my boyfriend and I will have been dating for four years. That's a long time! Though we won't be celebrating until weekend, I'm looking forward to spending the entire week with him!

Getting Pokemon X or Y
I've been looking forward to this game for a long time, and I've finally  saved up enough money to buy both a 3DS and the game. So if it seems like I'm hardly online, that's why.

Thanksgiving
I'm really looking forward to spending a lot of time with my family, even the relatives I don't get to see as often.

Black Friday
 My boyfriend and I also go Black Friday shopping every year for the experience.

Just relaxing
I'm really just looking forward to having a break. Everything is go, go , go all the time and I just want to slow down for a little bit.

What are you looking forward to on your fall break?

An Update

So upon realizing that for the past two months, I had done monthly favorites in terms of blog posts and that was it, I thought I should maybe do an update post to explain my absence somewhat. It really just boils down to one reason: College

For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to take seventeen hours this semester. Never again. I have just be drowning in homework and Phi Sigma Pi stuff. Hopefully, during fall break at the end of this month I'll get to recharge for a little bit. I also plan to have a lighter semester next semester, if only so I can get some rest and not be so completely devoted to school.

Another reason is some of my personal relationships started to take over certain aspects of my life. I really don't want to go into a lot of details, but these last few months of 2013 are involve me taking a step back and realizing what is important to me and what I want to do, not what I think others expect me to do.

I'm hoping during fall break I will be able to recharge my batteries a little bit and make some life decisions on just where I want 2014 to take me. When I find that out, I will let you all know.


Happy November!

September Favorites

Well, the month of October is upon us and that means it is time for another favorites post. Funny story, I haven't posted anything since my August favorites. Oops.

September was crazy busy for me, as usual. What with school being in full swing, the beginning of planning for regional conference, and a bunch of family of birthdays at the end of the month, there was barely any time for blogging. However, there was a little time for some new favorites to creep into my life.

1. American Authors
OH MY GOODNESS. I love this band so much. I'd heard "Best Day of My Life" on the radio and thought, "I like this." So one day I decided to listen to more of them at work. Another great decision. My current favorite is "Luck".
AND they are coming to KC in December and I'm really hoping to see them!

2. Bath and Body Works Apple Candle
So early last month, I went and bought three mini candles from Bath and Body Works. Of these three candles, my favorite this month has hands down been the Farmstand Apple Candle. Apples are on of my favorite fruits, so having a candle that captures that scent is amazing! I'm considering buying a bigger one when I get the chance.

3. My new kitten! 
So the last week of September, my parents were surprised with a new edition to our family. He just showed up and decided he lived here now. His name is Hoover and he has a fractured pelvis and stitches in one leg. But he is the sweetest thing and I love him so much!

What are your September favorites? 

August Favorites

So today is September 1st, which means all the witches and wizards are boarding the Hogwarts Express to go back to school. I, however, have been back at school for two weeks now and let me tell you, it's not all it's cracked up to be.

August has been an interesting month so far, what with Phi Sigma Pi National Convention  and starting back at work and school, and Kelly's 21st birthday. Here are some of my favorites from this month:

1. This shirt
I have been waiting for this shirt to get here since I ordered it in July and I finally got a chance to wear it yesterday and I am in love. (Ignore the fact I am taking a selfie in Target. Focus on the glory that is this shirt.)

2. My boat shoes
My boyfriend bought me a pair of boat shoes while he was in California and I have seriously been wearing them everywhere! They are so comfortable and I think I prefer wearing them over my regular ballet flats (which is saying a lot because I was a serious flats girl last year). They are also pictured.

3. Waiting for the Dawn- The Mowgli's
About halfway through this month, I decided to listen to more of The Mowgli's than just "San Francisco". Best decision ever. I have this album playing constantly on Spotify. (Link to playlist here!) Some of my favorite tracks are "The Great Divide" and "Time".

And that is all I can think of for favorites this month! Most of this month has consisted of work and school, as will September! And unfortunately, I didn't get much reading done at all this month! =[

Cheers!

Plans vs. Reality

So before I left for my vacation to Philadelphia, I had all these beautiful plans to queue a ton of post to go up while I was away. Unsurprisingly, none of them happened.  Then, I was super sick and didn't feel like doing much of anything other than lying in bed and playing Pokemon (my default activity when I am too sick to do much else.) Then, I went back to work and have been consumed with fall distribution. Next week, I start up with school again, taking seventeen hours plus twenty hours of work a week plus Phi Sigma Pi activities. In short, I will try to have something interesting and relatively engaging up once a week, but cut me some slack, because I am busy.

The Elite by Kiera Cass

Title: The Elite
Author: Kiera Cass
Published: April 23, 2013 by HarperTeen

Plot Summary from Goodreads:
Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending

My thoughts:
I wanted to LOVE this book. Really, I did. I was so excited about it when it came out. I waited for months to read it. I was so excited when I got it. I reread The Selection in preparation for it. 

And yet, I was disappointed. 

That's not to say I didn't like this book- I did. But I didn't love it like I was expecting to. 

Character-wise, this book kinda sends you between the poles of loving a character and hating a character. For me, this happens with America several times. One minute, I like her, the next she frustrates me to no end. Maxon, you love one minutes, hate the next. I don't like Aspen pretty much ever, so this pole never existed with him. I love the maids though. I love them so much. 

There was a serious lack of world-building in The Selection because it is mostly focused on, you know, The Selection. This was somewhat made up for in The Elite. By somewhat, I mean we got a little more information on how this system came to be, but still don't know a lot on how things work. I found the histories interesting and wished they would've been focused on more, rather than being introduced then there being a gap before it was actually used as a plot point. 

The whole competition in this book is a lot more intense than in the previous one because the number of girls is significantly fewer. America's jealous side comes out a lot because of this and it really hinders her relationship with Maxon.  What this book mostly was was America hindering her relationship with Maxon. 

Overall, it's a lot more frustrating than the first book. If you liked The Selection you'll probably want to read this.

Reread Review:The Selection by Kiera Cass

Photo from Goodreads

Title: The Selection
Author: Kiera Cass
Published: April 24th, 2012 by HarperTeen

Plot Summary from Goodreads:
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined

My Thoughts:This is a reread- I originally read this book last summer and never got around to reviewing it.

The main reason I really like this series because it has a fascinating premise. It's marketed as The Bachelor meets the Hunger Games and that is exactly what it is. However, this book has its faults.

America kinda annoys me sometimes. My main thing is her self-doubt, which I understand is supposed to be the thing she overcomes in this series, but, man, it's difficult to sit through.  In this book, we have two boys she has to choose from: Aspen her secret boyfriend who broke up with her before she was even chosen and Maxon the prince she is competing for.

There was a serious lack of world-building in The Selection because it is mostly focused on, you know, The Selection. The plot. America doubting herself the entire time. What we do learn, we can't know for 100% because America says there are a bunch of different stories circulating around.

Overall, I would recommend this book to people who enjoyed The Hunger Games and dystopian novels and general, but want more of a girly dystopian read.