Runs on Coffee and Cream

My first convention of the year is in about 2 weeks which means I'm in full-on sewing mode. So if I disappear on social media or seem a bit grumpy, it's because I'm tired and a little stressed. Sorry. To get me through the stress right before a convention, I find myself getting lost in audio books and music. It helps me zone out and just sew.

City of Heavenly Fire

I finally listened to the last book in The Mortal Instruments series, City of Heavenly Fire. It was a good ending to the series and had a few twists that had me quite invested in the story. I don't feel sad that the series is over. It was a good time in the series to wrap things up. However, I am now interested in reading the other series that take place in the same universe; The Bane Chronicles, The Infernal Devices, The Dark Artifices. I really like the world Cassandra Clare has created and I'm ready to become connected to other characters in this universe.

Source

Love

Lana Del Rey released a new single and video last week. To say I'm obsessed is an understatement. This new single has led me to listening to her previous albums on repeat. They have been providing a great soundtrack while I get lost in sewing. Though I keep coming back to 'Love' to listen to at least a few times each day.



What have you been loving lately?
xo Jen

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend."

It's April and it's Spring and I'm feeling happier every time we have a somewhat sunny day or I smell a fruity candle or see bright colours in stores.

Maple Latte

It's also maple season in Canada which means McDonald's has come out with a Maple Latte and let me tell you, it's amazing! You can really taste the maple in it and they top it off with whipped cream and maple sugar. Ugh. So good. Do yourself a favour, and go buy one before they disappear from locations!


Throne of Glass

I finally started the Throne of Glass series last month. I'm now two books down, and I'll be starting the third tomorrow. Why have I not read these books sooner?! I seriously didn't expect all the supernatural aspects in the stories and to love the main character, Celaena Sardothien, so much.

This is the synopsis from Goodreads for the first book in the series:

"After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined."

I finished up a new audio book a couple days ago - Every Day by David Levithan.  There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day."

January has been so cold and snowy. In the last three weeks I've become a hermit. And I'm ok with that. The Fall was super busy and I have sewing, TV shows, and books to catch up on. Plus, the weather outside isn't too friendly.

Winter

I had mentioned in my Reading Challenge post that I had started the latest Lunar Chronicles book, Winter, just before the new year. It was a long audio book at 23 hours. Long for me anyways. Typically the audio books I listen to range from 6-12 hours depending on the book. So 23 hours took me a bit to get through.

Once I got into the story I found myself listening constantly and flew through the last half. I won't give any spoilers but it was a good book. It wasn't my favourite book in The Lunar Chronicles series, but it was an entertaining book that wrapped things up nicely. I found myself rooting for certain characters and relationships, and I got a little teary eyed a few times too. I thoroughly enjoyed the 'Snow White' aspects throughout the book as well, since Winter is based on that fairy tale (like all the books in The Lunar Chronicle series).

The synopsis from Goodreads:

"Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana."


Supernatural

I decided to play catch up with Supernatural again. I always find myself binge watching this show and in the middle of cold Winter seemed like a perfect time. I started season 9 a couple of weeks ago and I only have a few episodes left. No matter how long this show goes on, the Winchesters, Crowley, and Castiel entertain the hell out of me. I think I might be tempted to head right into season 10 with how season 9 is playing out.

Also, look at my FBI Winchester Pop! Vinyl figures I got for Christmas! I just love how accurate they are, even the stance on both of them!

What have you been into lately?
xo Jen

The past few months have been a trying period. Struggles with health issues, what feels like working opposite shifts to Adam's most of the time, unexpected bills, dark days, exhaustion. This isn't completely new to me. I've had crappy times in the past where I just have to keep on fighting.

I've been working on making things better - both myself and my life. During this I've been pushing Adam to make some positive changes as well. Things like getting out of our comfort zones, doing things that might scare us a bit, scheduling dates, scheduling time to rest, eating more fruits and veggies. Our social calendar over the last month has been more packed than it has in years. It's crazy. Fun, but exhausting. After a night playing board games with people, I want to hide in our home for a week to recover. I don't know if this feeling will last forever. But I really do prefer my cats to humans most days.

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson couldn't have come at a better time. Jenny writes about her life with mental illness - good days, bad days, struggles, her phobias, and tells some very interesting stories about her life. She is a fantastic writer and absolutely hilarious. The book itself is such a wonderful look into life with depression and anxiety. Not only did it make me feel more normal and less like a freak, it gave me encouragement to keep going forward because good days are around the corner.

“You learn to appreciate the fact that what drives you is very different from what you’re told should make you happy. You learn that it’s okay to prefer your personal idea of heaven (live-tweeting zombie movies from under a blanket of kittens) rather than someone else’s idea that fame/fortune/parties are the pinnacle we should all reach for. And there’s something surprisingly freeing about that.” 
― Jenny Lawson, Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things

I cannot recommend this book enough to everyone. I'm actually looking forward to re-reading it because I have a feeling I'll laugh every time and it'll give me some comfort.


December is sneaking up on us and I'm hoping the month of Christmas lights, baking, movies, wrapping gifts, and cheery music will be a fun one and that I can find some balance so I don't wear myself out.

xo Jen

The holiday season is upon us and it's already exhausting! I swear I love this time of year and Christmas makes me beam like a 5 year old, but working retail during this time can really stress you out. Add in all my other hobbies (sewing, baking), a craft show, possibly getting my items into a local store (eee!), and Christmas shopping, I've become a walking zombie that lives on caffeine, preferably in peppermint mocha form, and Christmas music.

So what have I been loving recently (besides peppermint everything and Christmas music)...

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

From Goodreads:
"Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it's Amy's responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn't ready to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip - and has plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar - especially with their friendship venturing into uncharted territory - but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way."

This book was really good and it will cause a lot of feels. You keep reading to find out more about Amy and Roger because the author just shares small details about each of their stories slowly in the writing. Also, the descriptive writing about the states they drive through, the landscapes they see, the places they visit - it set pleasant and vivid imagery in my brain. Each segment of the story includes a road trip music playlist and, oh boy, did it ever make me nostalgic for some bands - hellogoodbye, Passion Pit, Jack's Mannequin. 





What have you been loving this month?
xo Jen

It seems this is the 'audio books I'm loving now' edition. I've been on a kick lately and I've flown through two audio books pretty quickly over the last couple of weeks.

Mosquitoland

This book was fantastic! It was recommended to me by a friend and I'm so happy I read it sooner than later. The narrator was very engaging and reminded me very much of Kristen Bell/Veronica Mars. The lead character had an attitude and sass that reminded me heavily of Veronica Mars so that clearly made me a little bias about the character. But it really is a fantastic story.

The synopsis from Goodreads:
"After the sudden collapse of her family, Mim Malone is dragged from her home in northern Ohio to the "wastelands" of Mississippi, where she lives in a medicated milieu with her dad and new stepmom. Before the dust has a chance to settle, she learns her mother is sick back in Cleveland.

So she ditches her new life and hops aboard a northbound Greyhound bus to her real home and her real mother, meeting a quirky cast of fellow travelers along the way. But when her thousand-mile journey takes a few turns she could never see coming, Mim must confront her own demons, redefining her notions of love, loyalty, and what it means to be sane."


Why Not Me

Of course I moved Mindy Kaling's new book to the top of the list as soon as I got the audio book. I enjoyed this book almost as much as her first book. Hearing about how she fought for The Mindy Project, her body and confidence struggles, and also her advice and how she deals with these things was very inspiring. I've yet to encounter anything about or from Mindy Kaling that I don't love.

From Goodreads:
"In Why Not Me?, Kaling shares her ongoing journey to find contentment and excitement in her adult life, whether it’s falling in love at work, seeking new friendships in lonely places, attempting to be the first person in history to lose weight without any behavior modification whatsoever, or most important, believing that you have a place in Hollywood when you’re constantly reminded that no one looks like you.

In “How to Look Spectacular: A Starlet’s Confessions,” Kaling gives her tongue-in-cheek secrets for surefire on-camera beauty, (“Your natural hair color may be appropriate for your skin tone, but this isn’t the land of appropriate–this is Hollywood, baby. Out here, a dark-skinned woman’s traditional hair color is honey blonde.”) “Player” tells the story of Kaling being seduced and dumped by a female friend in L.A. (“I had been replaced by a younger model. And now they had matching bangs.”) In “Unlikely Leading Lady,” she muses on America’s fixation with the weight of actresses, (“Most women we see onscreen are either so thin that they’re walking clavicles or so huge that their only scenes involve them breaking furniture.”) And in “Soup Snakes,” Kaling spills some secrets on her relationship with her ex-boyfriend and close friend, B.J. Novak (“I will freely admit: my relationship with B.J. Novak is weird as hell.”)"

First off, Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians! It's been a chilly month so far and we've had more rain than sunshine. Which means I've been indoors keeping busy and getting through a lot of TV and books.

Isla and the Happily Ever After

I flew through the third book in the Anna and the French Kiss series, Isla and the Happily Ever After. I really, really enjoyed it. This book takes place back in France, and a little bit in NYC. I really love the descriptive setting Stephanie Perkins writes. I really get a visual of where the characters are. Isla and Josh have become my second favourite couple from this series (Lola and Cricket still top the list). I found Josh to be the most likable male character of the three books. He seemed the most real and his emotions caused emotions in me. There was only a small bit in this book where all three couples collide and reside in the same space. I'm really hoping there's a fourth book planned so we can see what the future holds for these couples.


Kate Spade & Magnolia Bakery Collection

I received the email for this collection this morning and instantly my mouth dropped. I've visited NYC four times so far and I was completely swept away by Magnolia Bakery. Yes, the first time I checked out the bakery was because of its appearance on Sex and The City. But man, their cupcakes are incredible. So sweet and creamy and buttery. Their cupcakes are classic. So to combine that with Kate Spade, you have the sweetest collection in my opinion. I'd be incredibly happy to own anything from this collection. These are some of my favourites though.



What's grabbed your attention lately?
xo Jen

Right now my to-read (or to-listen to) pile of books is huge! But I love having a ton of books that I'm super excited to read. Seriously, the library is an amazing place and feeds my book addiction. 

I feel like my to-read and to-watch pile have grown massive over the Summer! So many friends have been recommending books and television shows. I guess as the temperatures drop and the sun sets earlier, I'll have more time in the evenings to snuggle up with a cat to get through these piles.

Lola And The Boy Next Door

Lola And The Boy Next Door is the second book in a series after Anna And The French Kiss. I was told by numerous people that Lola And The Boy Next Door was even better than the first book and it was! The two main characters, Lola and Cricket, were so lovable and flawed and just perfect. I got hooked quickly while listening to the audio book. I really like how they included Anna and Étienne (from Anna And The French Kiss) in this book too. I'm very excited to start the last book in the series, Isla And The Happily Ever After. We'll see if the next couple can top my love for Lola and Cricket. 


Pretty Little Liars

I've been a fan of Pretty Little Liars for a couple of years now but I gave up at the beginning of season 5. I found the stories recycled and I wasn't caring for the characters anymore. But like with other shows, when I realized they were ending the series and wrapping the story up over the next season, I had an urge to catch up and watch the conclusion. I watched all of season 5 in August while getting ready for Fan Expo and I just started season 6 this week and I have to admit, season 5 gets really good. The story line gets quite dark and I enjoyed the new twists. I'm very interested in seeing how things turn out for the girls of Rosewood. 


What have you been watching or reading lately?
xo Jen

P.S. I Still Love You

It's satisfying flying through a good book. I moved P.S. I Still Love You right to the top of my to-read pile after devouring the first book. I find the series adorable and I'm a big fan of the narrator who narrates the audio books. The lead character, Lara Jean, is a very cute character and I love her enthusiasm for themed parties, her adoration for old-fashion and vintage things, and of course, her love of baking. This book is an easy, light, feel-good read. It was perfect for summertime.


Face Masks

I recently visited The Face Shop during my last trip to Hamilton and I fell in love with the store instantly. They had a whole wall of Korean face masks - you know the paper masks with cut out holes for the mouth and eyes? I wanted to buy one of each but I settled on ones that'll be appropriate for the next few months. Ones to help exhausted skin from the hot summer and preparing for Fan Expo and then moisturizing and rejuvenating masks for the cool weather to come.


Other things I'm loving - Pretty Little Liars Season 5, Lola And The Boy Next Door audio book, Mad Men season 5, s'mores everything!

Have a good weekend!
xo Jen

Life has been full of audio books and TV shows since I'm back to sewing like crazy for Fan Expo. I have a giant audio book list to get through and I'm excited to get to each book.

Anna and the French Kiss

I've heard of the book, Anna and the French Kiss. a lot. But the cover of the book and the synopsis didn't grab me. However, after hearing about it for the millionth time and about the following books in the series I decided to give it a try. I was looking for some fun, easy, modern books for the Summer anyways. Well, I loved the book. It's a really cute and basic story. The characters and setting are great though. I enjoyed it right from the beginning of the audio book. I'm very excited to move onto the next book, Lola and the Boy Next Door.


Being Erica

You know I'm busy filling cat toys and trimming pouches when I fly through two seasons of Being Erica in a couple of weeks. I finally watched season two and three and I'm itching for season four - the final season. But of course I don't own it. Ahh! I really like this show. I used to catch the odd episode when it aired on television and a friend recommended it to me. It's a Canadian show and takes place in Toronto, Ontario so it's fun to watch since I recognize a lot of places. There's also love, friendship, and time travel! It's so good.


I'm now re-watching all of the seasons of The Big Bang Theory and let me tell you, it will not take me long to get through them all with how much time I'm spending with my sewing projects.

I hope you're having a great weekend! I'm off to the craft room.
xo Jen

Since I've been busy outside a lot lately, I'm not watching as much TV. Though, we have been heading to the movie theatre more regularly for date nights since all the Summer movies are being released. It seems like we'll be going to the movies every week this Summer with all the new movies coming out.

Jurassic World


We finally got the chance to see Jurassic World at the theatre and I really enjoyed it. The story line was predictable and there wasn't much character development, but it was very entertaining. I enjoyed all the actors. Chris Pratt was great and I really liked Jake Johnson (Nick from New Girl). There were plenty of moments where I jumped in my seat or threw my hand over my mouth. It was a very good Summer blockbuster movie.

Lately I've been flying through audio books again. Probably because I'm working on sewing projects often while I get ready for comic conventions and also because I've switched to some lighter YA reads which tend to be shorter in length.

Fairest

I've been looking forward to more books in The Lunar Chronicles series ever since I finished Cress. The first three books were great and I loved all of them. Fairest is a prequel that tells Queen Levana's back story. It was a great read and I found myself glued to this book. I honestly didn't think I'd ever feel bad for Levana but there were a few moments throughout the book where I felt for her. But I also could see her manipulative monster come through. This book has re-sparked my love for The Lunar Chronicles and has me very excited for the new book, Winter, which comes out in November.


Once Upon A Time

I just finished up Season four of OUAT. I started the show late in the season and marathoned the entire thing over the last couple of weeks. I really enjoyed the first half of the season with the Frozen storyline. Elsa and Anna were great characters on the show. The actors were perfect too. The second half of the season, Queens of Darkness, was good but I didn't love all of it. I don't want to give any spoilers but Cruella got on my nerves and I disliked Gold more than normal. I did get a decent dose of Captain Swan this season though, so that was always enjoyable.

What have you been reading or watching recently?

xo Jen

It has been absolutely gorgeous out this past week. We've been going for a lot of walks - walking to the local ice cream shoppe, out for burgers, and to wander around garden centres. We also started cleaning up the yard this week and I'm feeling the pain from raking leaves and cleaning out garden beds.

Bunny Cactus

In my search for shrubs and vegetables to plant, I came across the 'Bunny Cactus'. I'm now obsessed and need to get my hands on one! I have plans to hit up garden nurseries in our area to look for one (and for other plants we want, of course).


Have you read any good books lately? I'll be starting Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles) next!
xo Jen

This week has been filled with yummy food, board games, video games, audio book listening, and baking! It's been a good week! These are at the top of my current obsessions this week:

Cadbury Creme Egg Cake

Every year Adam and I make birthday cake requests for each other. Then we have to somehow make that cake. I've requested a s'mores cake, a Passion Flake cake, a lemon-blueberry cake, and a pink lemonade cake. Adam's requested a chocolate bar cake, a mint cake, a lime cake, and this year he requested a Cadbury Creme Egg cake.

Surprisingly there weren't many recipes online for such a thing. There were a lot of cupcakes and cheesecakes but nothing stood out so I saved a picture of a cake I found for inspiration and then manipulated it to what my brain was picturing.

This is my finished cake:


Under the top chocolate frosting layer, I poked holes in the cake and poured a bit of sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce down inside. This left the cake super moist. I'm quite proud with how this cake turned out.

The Final Empire - Mistborn #1


A couple of IGGPPC staff members were discussing The Mistborn series a while back. About how amazing these books were and how they were obsessed with the author, Brandon Sanderson. So I decided to give them a try. I needed a break from the YA books I was reading. Oh man, I wasn't prepared for the audio book I picked up. I ended up listening to the graphic audio book for the first book in the series. So basically the audio book is recorded like a movie. Every character is narrated by a different actor and there's sound effects and music. It was like listening to a movie. I LOVED it. The voice actors were great. And the story was incredibly interesting and it sucked me into their world. I'm excited to move onto the next book in the series.

What are you loving this week?
xo Jen

I've been slowly getting back into my routine since the holidays are over now. I'm back to reading regularly and listening to my audio books. I've also been playing more video games with Adam.

Yes Please

Earlier this week I finished the Yes Please audio book. I was itching to listen to this book since Amy is the narrator and it did not let me down. I laughed out loud quite a few times and I just really appreciated Amy's honesty throughout the book. I found it very interesting and it was really cool seeing a bit into her life. If you're a fan of Amy Poehler, I definitely recommend this book, especially the audio book so you can hear Amy and all the funny voices she puts on. Plus, there's a few really fun guest narrators as well.



Soul Calibur V

We finally finished up Lego Batman 2 this week, but we've been squeezing in some rounds in Soul Calibur V over the last few weeks. Adam was playing this game and he introduced me to the creation part of it. Making my own characters was so much fun! Adam made quite the roster of characters as well. Let's just say we were fighting a lot as DragonBall Z and X-Men characters. Though, I had flashbacks the entire time playing this game because Adam kept telling me I was a button masher and I was being cheap. Oh, the memories of being told the same thing by my brothers while playing Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter growing up. I can't help that my button mashing allows me to beat you!


Binocular Bag

I can't say that I've had an itch for Spring yet. I'm still looking forward to so many Winter activities (skating in particular). But the Kate Spade email I received the other day did make me think some happy Spring thoughts. Look at this Flights Of Fancy Binocular Bag! It's perfect!


What have you been loving lately?
xo Jen

I hope you're having a fantastic weekend! I'm actually off this weekend which is lovely. Spending time with my boys and Mr. and getting things done around the house is exactly what I needed. We're making Christmas plans, working out Christmas gift details, and doing some decorating. 

Landline

Landline is Rowell's newest book and I flew through the audio book in two days. Again, I loved the writing and the flow of the story. The characters were great - flawed, real, personable. I didn't completely connect with the story as much as I did with her previous books, but I still enjoyed it.