Gratitude, Carbs, and Vamps...oh my

November is over, and what a month it's been. I have not been a good blogger lately because I've spent the month recovering from what I'm sure was the Spanish Influenza that killed Edward Masen back in 1917 or what my mother lovingly refers to as the Hippie Jippie Flu. I was sick from the 9th until just before Thanksgiving and it evolved from a sinus headache, to a chest cold and fever, to fatigue, until it finally finished out as a coughing, sneezing, hacking, congested festival of gross. I had to live my life all while it was going on so I still went to work, school, and attended life for the most part, I just did not look or feel good whilst I was doing it.

My Thanksgiving was spent paying homage to one of my favorite things. Carbs. I haven't mentioned on the blog that I'm a vegetarian. I've been one since May 2008 and have done it off and on throughout my life and finally decided after reading several books about the subject that I was going to commit to it and not look back. Well of course growing up in a family that includes meat in everything, it makes Thanksgiving a little rough. Now don't misunderstand me, I love my family to death, but hanging with them only convinces me that I seriously must have missed a gene in our DNA makeup because they really just don't get me. On the carb front, I was able to eat sweet potatoes, stuffing, and my own manna from heaven, mashed potatoes. Overall it was a good day and even if I was asked dozens of probing questions about my choice of vegetarianism, my dating life, and other amusing subjects, I still enjoyed being able to stuff my face and spend time with all of them.

Another awesome part of my November was going to see New Moon. I know I've mentioned my hardcore Twifandom before, and my insanity has not waned despite being bombarded with New Moon marketing over the last few months. (Crowns available at Burger King? Really?) I wanted to review the movie and give a blow by blow of my thoughts on it, but it's been done to death by every fangirl with a blog and a dream so I'll just say I loved the movie, so much more than Twilight. I thought Taylor Lautner did an awesome job as Jacob and look forward to him turning 18 so all of the cougars can STFU already. The movie theater experience was really a tragic commentary on where we are as a nation. Screaming and hooting for a child to be half naked...disgusting. (Not that I didn't ogle but I really did it objectively and completely without perversion) I actually went to see the movie twice in a 12 hour period, the first time with 3 of my best friends, and the second with a group of Twi-loving ladies from my book club. I wore a Jasper Says Relax t-shirt and really struggled with slapping on some cute so I could enjoy the experience. Please chalk up the lack of photos to my insane sickness at the time and the Croc wearing beyotch who broke my camera back in August.

I so loved Robert Pattinson's tragically emo and tortured Edward. Yes his abs were incredibly inferior to the beefcaked eye candy of Taylor (did I mention he was underage?) but RP's hot lankiness, in addition to him reciting Shakespeare, and the vampire bitch slap he gave to Jacob in their little showdown solidified me as Team Edward. Plus, Jacob wears jorts, and I can't commit to a team that allows that to happen.

Kristen did a great job as Bella, I loved her dead inside face in the scene where all the months went by. She also looked gorgeous, and did not overblink. Honorable mention of awesome goes to Michael Sheen as Aro. I loved him so much, he was perfectly cast and was wicked creepy while simultaneously being hilarious. A huge WTF goes to the sparkling frolic through the woods in Alice's vision as well as Alice's outfit choices throughout most of the movie. Chris Weitz dropped the ball on a few of the details, but overall he did a phenomonally better job than Catherine Hardwicke did with Twilight. I am eagerly anticipating Eclipse and hoping to the sweet Lord above that they do not make the 4th book into a movie.

Yes I realize I just gave a whole review of the movie...stop judging.

Winner, winner, tofurkey dinner!

I have been a horrible blogger lately, but with very good reason. I mentioned in a previous post that I was participating in Nanowrimo. Well cross another goal off the list because not only did I finish in under 30 days, I beat the goal and wrote about 67 thousand words!
My story is absolute crap but I'm so proud of myself for doing it. I'm usually a procrastinator and kind of halfhearted when it comes to completing goals so I'm elated that for the first time in a long time, I followed something through, and I finished it.

Despite my story's lack of cohesion or interesting plot, I'm so glad I wrote it. It's kind of a comedic drama with some chick lit elements for good measure. It's basically a fictitious account of my life except I have much cooler shoes and I live right on the beach. Truthfully, writing it was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I included everything I have been through the last few years specifically my divorce, dating life (or serious lack thereof), my friends, my family, and how hard it can be balancing life with the princess. I'm going to work on it some more over the next few months and see if with some major editing, I can turn my sow's ear of a rough draft into a silk purse of a novel worthy of getting me on Oprah!

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen {Review}

I am flabbergasted that it took me nearly a month to read this book. It's not exactly War and Peace I realize, but somehow real life kept me from getting much of anything done this last few weeks. I've been trying to read little snippets at a time, and managed to finally finish yesterday. To add insult to injury, someone has the book on hold at the library and I haven't returned it. Bad reader, I know!!

So anyway, onto The Luxe. First of all, the cover...c'est magnifique! (That's French cause I'm fancy)
The Luxe is a YA historical that takes place at the end of the 19th century in New York. There's gowns, high society beyotches, backstabbing, gossip, sex, secrets, and lies. If I watched Gossip Girl, I would definitely make the comparison, but I don't so I'll just say it has shades of nighttime soap opera combined with historical elements. I loved the book, I thought it was funny, well paced, and interesting. I admit it took me a good 50 pages before I was sucked in, but I think that had more to do with me than the writing or plot. I expected that I would love it since the cover is a girl in a pink dress and I'm all about a girl in a pink dress. I didn't expect to be so engrossed and I'm equally excited that it's a series with three additional stories! Envy, Rumors, and Splendor both have equally pretty girls in even prettier dresses and are about the other characters introduced in The Luxe.

Now I realize that I haven't given much in the way of plot, but as the title of my blog says, these are random ramblings. I truly believe that if I gave up the plot, I'd end up giving up the whole story because shock of shocks, I tend to ramble. Trust me, it's a great story and if you don't love it then you can trash it on Goodreads.