30 Day Book Challenge -- Day 12

Day 12 - A book or series of books you’ve read more than five times

I hope comic strip books are acceptable for this challenge as I have read It's A Magical World: A Calvin and Hobbes Collection by Bill Watterson easily more than five times. Calvin and Hobbes appealred to the rebel in me, provided numerous laughs when laughs were needed, and warmed my heart on the coldest of days. Also this cartoon provided lots of snarky commentary which I loved. If you have not read this series, do so now.

30 Day Book Challenge -- Day 11

Day 11 - A book that disappointed you

I have to agree with a friend of mine who also took this challenge and go with Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Another highly overrated book that is force fed to high school teenagers. It falls under Kerouac boredom.

Fun Fact Saturday: 50 Concerts

I saw this on one of my friends Facebook notes and figured why not give it a shot.

K, here are the rules. Test your memory and your love of live music by listing 50 artists or bands (or as many as you can remember) you've seen in concert. List the first 50 acts that come into your head. An act you saw at a festival and opening acts count, but only if you can't think of 50 other artists. Oh, and list the first concert you ever saw (you can remember that, can’t you)?

1: New Kids on the Block
2: Cherry Poppin' Daddies
3: Pantera
4: White Zombie
5: Deftones
6: KISS
7: Queensryche (at least 17 times)
8: Anthrax (at least three times)
9: Metallica (at least four times)
10: AFI (twice)
11: Lacuna Coil
12: GWAR
13: Bon Jovi
14: My Chemical Romance (before they became huge)
15: Mary Prankster
16: Lady Gaga
17: Taylor Swift
18: Disturbed
19: Sevendust
20: In This Moment
21: Ozzy Osbourned
22: Kelly Clarkson
23: The Drive (at CBGB's, rip)
24: The Donnas
25: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
26: Iron Maiden (twice)
27: Katy Perry
28: Mariah Carey
29: Heaven and Hell (RIP Ronnie James Dio)
30: Fridays Child
31: Skid Row
32: Blondie
33: Korn
34: Sean John
35: Parachute
36: The Nerds
37: Stephen Lynch
38: Vains of Jenna
39: Tommy Page
40: Lollipop Lust Kill
41: Machinehead
42: Coal Chamber
43: Down
44: Lynda Carter
45: NOFX
46: God Forbid
47: Nickelback
48: Collie Caillat
49: 22 Jacks
50: Bad Religion

(Man that was hard....)

30 Day Book Challenge -- Day 10

Day 10 - A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving.

One of the things I hate about the entertainment industry is the constant over hype. From Titanic to The Matrix Trilogy to Cowboys and Aliens, I constantly ask myself "why is that being hyped?" only to realize that it truly does suck. I have never seen what I said above and do not plan to. But then people start quoting this line over and over again which made me mad, as well as intriqued.

"Welcome to Fight Club. The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club."

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk. That is the book that was over hyped in my eyes. I did not get it -- a bunch of men fighting. Big whoop. But then...I picked up the book and entered a world of darkness and despair in a modern world. This book would soon start my love affair of Chuck Palahniuk; even to the point of getting his non fiction books. Fight Club is one of the greatest, provocative, and enlightening books that I have read. It's a must-read, with a brilliant story, a writing style wonderfully crafted to depict the real world for as disgusting as it is, and a mischievous character who goes by the name of Tyler Durden, who's out to change the problems of modern-day society. There is a twist at the end of the book which made me throw the book half way across the room to only pick it up and scream out "WOW".

30 Day Book Challenge -- Day 9

Day 9 - Best scene ever

The best scene ever would come from my favorite book ever -- Foxfire by Joyce Carol Oates. The main character in the book, Legs, is an athletic, charismatic girl with feminist ideals about female pride and solidarity. She holds a Foxfire initiation ritual on January 1, 1953, involving secret tattoos of the gang's symbol, a red flame. Soon after wards, Legs announces her first plan for the gang: the public humiliation of their high school math teacher. Mr. Buttinger has taken an inappropriate interest in Rita, often mocking her in class and requiring her to stay after school for "disciplinary" sessions where he gropes her breasts. This first Foxfire adventure is non-violent; the girls paint graffiti messages on Mr. Buttinger's car such as "I TEACH MATH & TICKLE TITS". His secret now public, Mr. Buttinger is openly laughed at in school and quickly retires from teaching altogether.

The set up and details for this scene create pictures so vivid in your mind it blew me away. Telling you....READ THIS BOOK.

Things I Love Thursday -- July 28th Edition

Well, NYC..we survived the Heatapocalpse...so now here is my weekly Loveapocalpse list!

~~Finding these two websites to embrace my girl geekdom: The Mary Sue-- A Guide to Girl Geekdom and Fashionably Geek

~~This video:

~~Having friends of mine participate in the 30 Day Book Challenge with me.

~~Going to see Captain America at a matinee price.

~~Helping David's dad on editing his resume.

~~Getting comfortable in wearing shorts during summer. Yes I have pale white legs. SO WHAT? It is hot out there and I will be comfortable darn you!

~~Two weeks to California! I am excited!

~~This watch. I am definitely a math geek and want this watch like NOW Math Formula Watch

~~Talking to someone on Etsy about making me a custom pair of pyramid studded Converse sneakers.

~~Making new friends at the Caprice Crane book signing.

~~Having a young child give up their seat for me WHILE none of the "men" did. If I was in Atlanta or Chicago....

~~Getting slimmer in my sides and feeling better about myself.

~~Still having the ability to make small talk wherever I go.

~~Thinking of outfits for California already.

~~The song "Mirrors" by Natalia Kills. Listen NOW

What are you in love with this week? Let your Loveapocalpse flow!

30 Day Book Challenge -- Day 8

Day 8 - A book everyone should read at least once

Wow. Only one book? A book everyone should read at least once, in my opinion, is Dracula by Bram Stoker. It is one of the greatest horror novels ever written and is classic literature. It started a phenomenon/fandom of vampires in horror and even though the types of vampires might change (daywalkers, sparkly, "vegetarian") the original premise of the vampire comes from this novel. Stoker managed to craft the ultimate vampire novel, which has spawned countless movies, spinoffs, and books that follow the blueprint of the Transylvanian count. I can not recommend this book more.

30 Day Book Challenge -- Day 7

Day 7 - least favorite plot device employed by way too many books you actually enjoyed otherwise

Hmmm...this is a tough question. I think my least favorite plot device employed by way too many books I actually enjoyed would have to be the red herring which diverts the reader away from something significant. These are very common in mystery, horror and crime stories. The typical example is in whodunits, in which facts are presented so that the audience is tricked into thinking that a given character is the murderer, when actually another character is. While it is an excellent plot device, it drives me NUTS when I think I know the answer and find out that I do not.

Thought Tuesday #25

Can not believe this is the twenty fifth Thought Tuesday! I hope you all enjoy this series that I have started!

"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting." --E.E. Cummings

What thoughts or words are fueling your week?

30 Day Book Challenge -- Day 6

Day 6 - favorite book of your favorite series or your favorite book of all time








I thought I already answered this prompt in Day 4 but since I do have a lot of favorite books, I will answer it again.

One of my favorite book series is The Twilight Saga. Now I know what you are thinking -- how are you a fan of that series when Stephenie Meyer completely destroyed the image of vampires as well as how co-dependent on a man she made her main character Bella which is not a healthy role model for young girls? Well let me tell you, one I do not like the character Bella simply for the reasons I said above. My favorite characters in the series is Alice and Jasper. But to answer the prompt, my favorite book in this series is Eclipse. I loved the climax of Edward and Jacob fighting for Bella, how Jasper trained the Cullens to fight off Victoria's army, and that Stephenie focused on the other characters of the series in this book. I still have to read Breaking Dawn though.

Favorite book ever...you know the answer to that.

100 Things That Make Me Happy -- Parts Six and Seven

Can not believe this series is almost over....I am in the midst of participating in a 30 Day Book Challenge and this challenge too. My creative writing muses are back baby! Love it. Anyway let me now show you parts six and seven of one hundred things that make me happy:

61: Knowing that David really loves me.

62: Completing a project whether it is knitting, photography, or journal writing.

63: Looking forward to the weekends to see David.

64: Seeing the one I love do nice and sweet things for a perfect stranger.

65: When the testing period in my school is finally over.

66: That my students actually learn something new everyday instead of regurgitating for a standardized test that does not count for much except for federal funding.

67: When an express train comes to a local stop I am at and I can just jump on.

68: Being able to pay for things on my own

69: Well…we all know what this number means…and yes I am happy for that!

70: Feeling appreciated from my fellow co-workers/teachers.

71: Being able to give directions to tourists in NYC.

72: Fruit and cheese plates, a good book, and a park.

73: Chips and salsa.

74: Good, authentic, Mexican food.

75: Being silly on the subway or bus with David.

76: A good rainstorm to cool down the summer days.

77: Receiving a phone call or a text from someone unexpected.

78: Train wreck television—better known as reality television. It puts everything in balance.

79: My broken in Converse sneakers.

80: The sport known as HOCKEY and the team known as the NJ Devils.

Stay tuned next week for part eight!

30 Day Book Challenge - Day 5

Day 5 - a book or series you hate






I seriously try not to hate books as I think you can learn something from a bad book. But one book I hate with a passion is On The Road by Jack Kerouac. The book is so dull and boring and I hope the movie version with Kristen Stewart and Garret Hedlund is loosely based on the book because I really do not want to sit through this for 2 hours: Got on train. Met a man. He was homeless. He took me to next station. Got off train. Ugh!

A book series that I hate, which might come as a shock due to its popularity, is The Millenium Trilogy (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo/Girl Who Played with Fire/Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest) by Stieg Larsson. Just could not get into it and do not understand why the mass appeal and popularity. But then again, people can say the same thing about The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer which I enjoyed.

30 Day Book Challenge -- Day 4

Day 4 - your favorite book or series ever

Picking a favorite book is really hard for me since I enjoy a lot of different books on different levels. But if I have to pick one book that is my favorite book EVER, I would have to pick Foxfire by Joyce Carol Oates. If you watched the movie starring Angelina Jolie, this book is a million times better. The characters feel more real, acts of rebellion in the story are more extreme, the setting is more appropriate, and it is just a compelling story. This book is on its way out of print so you might have to go to a library to get it so READ THIS BOOK!

New Recipe: 2 Minute Almond Butter Flourless Cake

Over on Kelli's blog, there was a recipe for a one minute peanut butter cake. Now myself and baking might not go hand in hand. I do have somewhat of a sweet tooth and I traditionally go for desserts with chocolate and frosting. With my attempt of losing weight, I changed the recipe around. I did and it turned out DELICIOUS!

Here is the recipe I used:




Dani's 2 Minute Microwave Almond Butter Flourless Cake

Ingredients
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1 tablespoon Stevia in the Raw or Sugar in the Raw
* 1 heaping scoop of Barn Nutrition/Kurt Angle UltraFiber DX
* 2 tablespoons almond butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla soy milk

Directions:

1. In a small bowl or mug, whisk together all ingredients above
2. Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
3. Go answer a few text messages or read a newspaper article
4. Remove cake from cup (or don’t),let it cool
5. Enjoy!

The cake turned out so fluffy and moist...definitely a good healthy dessert!

30 Day Book Challenge -- Day 3

Day 3 - the best book you’ve read in the last 12 months

Hmmm....the best book I have read in the past 12 months would have to be "Undisputed" by Chris Jericho. Yes I know it is a professional wrestling memoir but his writing and storytelling made it feel like you and him were sitting in a room having a conversation. Great hook, great stories, a must read -- even if you are not a professional wrestling fan.

Things I Love Thursday -- July 21st Edition

This weeks love list will start from last Friday, the 15th. Ever since that day until today I had one of the best weeks ever. But then again don't I always say that?

With that said, here is what I am in love with for this week:

~~People watching at Starbucks at 7am in the morning on a Friday. Now I have not been in NYC that early in a very long time so it was an interesting thing to watch. All of the hustle and bustle that was happening. One woman was yelling at someone on her mobile phone about business at 7am. 7am. ON A FRIDAY. What is there to yell about at 7am in the morning on a Friday?

~~The perfect oatmeal at Starbucks.

~~The movie Midnight in Paris. Such a visually entertaining movie. I enjoyed the scenery as it was set and filmed in Paris (swoon!) Owen Wilson was superb as well as Racheal McAdams but there was a major plot hole for me, At midnight, Gil (played by Owen Wilson) would go on these crazy adventures with his creative idols from the 1920's since he believes the best time of the world was Paris in the 1920's and that he was born too late. The idols -- I am talking about Cole Porter, Gertrude Stein, Hemingway, Dali, and so forth. My question is -- how exactly did he get to the point of having those adventures? Was he drunk or stoned? The jist of the movie was a love story and to make sure you are with the person you most connect with and while I enjoyed the movie above is what I had a major issue with. Maybe I need to see it again?

~~Sitting in Madison Square Park with a typical Parisian lunch of salad and baguette after viewing Midnight in Paris. Very peaceful and splendid.

~~Telling girls in Madison Square Park's reflection pool that they were stealing wishes when they were picking out pennies from the pool. They listened and put them back.

~~Having a random woman in Union Square Park give me a spot on psychic reading.

~~Bar XII for showing WWE Money in the Bank.

~~Having random chants of COLT CABANA and ICE CREAM BARS happen in Bar XII

~~Trying a new cake recipe with some variations to it (will be posted tomorrow.)

What are you in love with this week?

30 Day Book Challenge-Day 2

First I would like to say THANK YOU for the warm response to this blog feature for the next 30 days. It made me all squishy inside. With that said, lets go on to Day 2!

Day 2 - a book or series you wish more people were reading and talking about

Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead. Yes it is a graphic novel/comic book series but it is thought provoking, great writing, and hooks you in right away. Plus you have ZOMBIES. Who doesn't love zombies?

Things to Do on a Rainy Day

My friend Kelli over at her blog On The Brink of Something Beautiful created a list project series. Now while I have not participated in all of the lists projects (bad blogger friend!) I decided to try this one.

Things to Do On a Rainy Day

1: Catch on blog reading.
2: Catch up on current book.
3: Watch movies.
4: Sing in the rain.
5: Jump in rain puddles.
6: Take a nap with a pet (if you have one).
7: Play board games.
8: Watch mindless train wreck reality television.
9: Craft.
10: Sketch/draw.
11: Clean out your closet.
12: Have a shredding party...or just shred papers you do not need anymore.
13: Blog/write in a notebook or journal.
14: Go online window shopping.
15: Create outfits out of the clothes you already have.
16: Bake cupcakes.
17: Have tea and crumpets/scones.
18: Daydream.
19: Create more lists.

What do you like to do on a rainy day?

30 Day Book Challenge: Day 1

Everyone, well mostly everyone, knows that I am a bookworm. Does anyone here remember the show Gilmore Girls? You know how Rory always had a book in her bag as well as having amazing concentration reading in a noisy area? Yeah that is me.

Here is a story for you--About 7 years ago I was at a wrestling show (I know shocker!) and one of the matches going on completely bored me. I could not tell you who was wrestling or the finish or anything. So what do I do? I took out my book to read. Well...one of the wrestlers in the ring saw me reading, climbed out of the ring, grabbed my book out of my hand and FLUNG IT all the way to the other side of the venue. Yeah...luckily I got my book back at the end of the night. So now whenever I go to wrestling shows and if I am bored--out comes my book!

So when I saw this challenge on Snippets and Doodles I knew I had to do it. So here we go with Day 1:

Day 1 - a book series you wish had gone on longer or a book series you wish would just freaking end already (or both!)

I think for myself a book series that I wish had gone on longer was J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. I personally did not like The Return of the King but think The Two Towers had more of a story to expand on.

Things I Love Thursday -- July 14th Edition

HAPPY BASTILLE DAY EVERYONE!

Okay yes I am not French, I am Italian-American. But I can still appreciate other cultures that give the world great art, clothes, and cuisine!

What else am I in love with this week? Let's see...

~~My disengagement from Facebook and Twitter for two days. Okay..I tried. I really did. I did not check it as much as I usually do (every 5 minutes lol) but I could not totally disengage. It was an exciting experiment though.

~~The movie Horrible Bosses. If you have not seen it yet, GO NOW. A lot of truth in that movie about bosses/managers/higher up people in the world of work.

~~My mom enjoying the macarons I got at Macaron Cafe. I got her a box of 6 and the flavours were grapefruit, hazelnut chocolate, pistachio, caramel, cassis, and violet. Her favorites were the pistachio and violet. I think I know what to get her for her birthday now for birthday "cake".

~~Watching my brother in awe of the wrestlers Jack Evans and Amazing Red.

~~RuPaul's Drag U on LOGO Channel.

~~The release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 tomorrow!

~~The pierogi at Veselka on 2nd Avenue. Definitely worth a trip back!

~~Kurt Angle's UltraFiber DX. It works!

~~Checking off the restaurants I have tried on my list.

~~Alex Riley's new theme song "Say It To My Face" by Downstait. Listen below:


~~Going for a manicure with my mom who got a pedicure.

~~Pomegranate black tea for breakfast.

What are you in love with this week?

Thought Tuesday #24

"Rejoicing in our joy, not suffering over our suffering, makes someone a friend." ~~Nietzsche

What words of thought are fueling you this week?

Rules of (Dis)Facebook and (Dis)Twitter

After reading this great article Heat Wave Hermitude: The Rules of Disengagement by Alexandra Frazen, it really got me thinking...I spend entirely way too much time on Facebook and Twitter. As soon as I wake up, the computer goes on and I immediately check status updates or tweets. Sometimes I do not get up out of bed and check it on my phone. There are books that are piling up and sometimes my bed goes unmade. So this is a proposition I bring forth to you:

~~I AM GOING TO GIVE UP FACEBOOK AND TWITTER FOR TWO DAYS~~

That is right. I will not check Facebook or Twitter for two whole days. I feel that my digital life is taking over my real life and I simply need to change that. I need to get out more, read, see movies, all of that fun stuff. So for two days -- July 12th and 13th -- I will not check Facebook and Twitter. If you need to get in touch with me, you can email me or text/call me; that is if you have the number.

Hope you join me on this adventure!

100 Things That Make Me Happy -- Parts Two, Three, Four, and Five!

EEP!!! I start a blog feature on June 12th and completely forgot about it! I am really sorry about that. So because of that here are #11-60 of 100 Things That Make Me Happy.

11: Having a tax refund every year

12: Waking up with thoughts of David running through my head

13: Hearing the words “I love you” every day

14: Sunsets

15: Sunrises

16: Having a big comfy chair to sit in to relax and read

17: My temperpedic bed…so comfy!

18: Blogger/Facebook/Twitter/Tumblr

19: Digital photography

20: Taking photos of beautiful women

21: Finishing a book

22: Starting a new book

23: Being able to sleep in past 6:30am

24: Going out on the weekends

25: The television shows Heroes, Gilmore Girls, Gossip Girl, 90210, MTV Cribs, V, Supernatural. Color Splash, How Do I Look, Sex and the City, My Wife and Kids, Everybody Hates Chris, George Lopez, and so many more.

26: Seeing the NY Rangers lose.

27: The NY Giants winning the Super Bowl

28: The NY Mets

29: Stargazer Lilies

30: Daisies

31: Having David make me dinner, even though I question his motives.

32: Vanilla Chai Lattes from Starbucks

33: Students passing my Mathematics tests

34: Random Acts of Kindness

35: Having flowers delivered to my jobs unexpectedly

36: Seeing the birds in my backyard garden and fountains

37: Watching a squirrel scurry across the top of my backyard fence

38: Hot Beverages and quiet time with David

39: Even though sometimes we are both broke, David and I can still have fun at his uncles house, whether it would be watching television or talking.

40: Watching David sleep.

41: Seeing affectionate couples on the subway

42: Being part of one of those affectionate couples on the subway.

43: Being blessed with a phenomenal fiance' and great friends. ;-)

44: Licking the pot after making chocolate pudding

45: A warm blanket straight from the dryer on a cold night.

46: Watching the July 4th Fireworks

47: Butterflies

48: Cuddling with my dogs

49: Finally knowing the meaning of love and what it feels like.

50: Just being in love.

51: Finding and helping stray animals

52: Having all of my five senses to appreciate and love everything in life

53: That I have a job to go to every day, even though I hate it sometimes.

54: The fact that David is not only my fiance', but my best friend.

55: Being able to pay for my Masters degree with my own money and having no loans from a bank.

56: Two words—FROZEN YOGURT

57: Staying smoke free

58: Staying drug free

59: When I think I am worth nothing, someone thanks me for being there in their life and tells me that I mean the world to them

60: Back rubs

What are some things that make you happy? Will be back next week with #61-70!

Things I Love Thursday -- July 7th Edition

Ahhhh summer....no work, no getting up at 530am and dashing out the door at 630am to catch a bus....as you can tell I love summer vacation! Here is what I have been in love with this week besides summer vacation:

~~The Macy's Fireworks Show on 12th Avenue with David, especially how we left...
~~This bracelet from Tarina Tarantino Starchild Odyssey (debating about saving up for it)
~~Gala's blog of fabulous outfits for fancy femmes.
~~My ice box of a room. It helps with my sinus problems that I have developed due to humidity.
~~The movies Love Etc. and Mr Popper's Penguins.
~~Finding out that bread and cheese do not love me anymore which is fine with me.
~~Having the confidence in wearing shorts in NYC.
~~Helping various tourists navigate my lover of NYC.
~~Ruby red grapefruit.
~~Watermelon!
~~Antipasto with my mom and dad after swimming.
~~Finding presents for myself for either Christmas or my birthday.


What are you in love with this week?

Thought Tuesday #23

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us." -- Helen Keller

What words or thoughts are fueling you this week?