I just had a vacation from Christmas Eve day to New Year’s Day! As usual when all my siblings are in town, I didn’t “accomplish” anything on my break, but the time off and together was good for me.
Christmas (and Second Christmas):
I gave my dad these fox socks. He loved them. (Target!)
Niecy is 20 months old now (getting close to two!!) and such a joy. I had a blast with her.
New Year’s Eve Day geocaching adventure at Shelby Farms with the sibs:
Low-key family New Year’s Eve:
I highly recommend the stuffed shells at Mimi’s Italian Cafe.
New Year’s Day “brunch” at my house:
First cornbread I’ve made in my grandma’s skillet!
Remember this champagne glass? :)
I know I haven’t been on top of my blogging game for the last month-ish, so thanks for sticking with me. Sometimes you just have to rest. I’ll have more thoughtful content and a big change coming soon!
5 Comments + Posted in: christmas, family
Zero-Budget Christmas: The Almost Entirely True Story of Our Quest to Do Our Christmas Shopping Without Spending Any Money by Jason Anderson (2 stars)
I was intrigued by this short book when I saw it for a dollar on Amazon. It’s exactly what the title says. Jason Anderson’s writing is funny and Jon Acuff-esque, he and his wife sound like nice people, and their ideas are good. If saving money is new to you, this book will be helpful. But if you’re already a bargain hunter (like me), you probably won’t find any new information here.
The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass by Mandy Hale (3 stars)
After a bad breakup, Mandy Hale couldn’t find any books or encouragement for single women. So she founded her own website/ministry, The Single Woman, and wrote this book. I like her for that, and am in FULL support of her overall message! But while the book had some good nuggets of wisdom, it was a little cutesy and Oprah-motivational for me (the many rhyming couplets made me feel like I was back in the Pentecostal church where I grew up). If that doesn’t bother you, you will love this!
Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion by Sara Miles (4.5 stars)
Sara Miles was a very unlikely candidate to become a Christian. But one day, as she walked past a service at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in San Francisco, she felt an inexplicable urge to go in. When she took the Eucharist, she knew her life had changed forever. Within a year, compelled by Jesus’ command to “feed my sheep,” she had started a food pantry at the church that provided groceries to hundreds weekly. I was fascinated, inspired, and convicted by this memoir. I haven’t been part of a Eucharist-focused denomination, so I’ve never thought much about Jesus as nourishment. I hope these insights will stick with me.
PS – I later discovered that Sara is (I think) the daughter of Betty Miles, who wrote YA before it was YA, including a lesser-known favorite of mine, The Real Me. It was about a teenage girl in the 1960s or 70s who fought The Man for permission to deliver newspapers and play sports.
These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen (4 stars)
Cate and Renee are NYC roommates and co-workers at an InStyle-like women’s magazine. Cate has just landed an editorship and has to prove herself, while Renee is vying for a beauty editor position and struggling to lose weight so she can look the part. They’re just beginning to establish a real friendship when Abby, the troubled sister of a colleague, comes into their lives. Each woman is hiding a lot of trauma and at least one big secret. More than anything, this novel is about how they learn to trust each other. There is a love interest (a good one), but the women’s friendship is definitely the focus of the story, and I love that.
Books for December: 4
2013 FINAL TOTAL: 68
Not my highest annual total, but I read a lot of quality books this year, and Quality Over Quantity is slowly becoming one of my rules for life.
See you in 2014! :)
Add a Comment + Posted in: book reviews, reading
The Year-End Survey
1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?
Took an online, community-oriented writing course; ran a 5K in just over 34 minutes, and an under-11-minute mile; shopped at Trader Joe’s; got preview access to a few big-time book releases; met one of my favorite authors; grew a very successful vegetable garden!
2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn’t make resolutions, but I chose a One Word for the year: Focus. I’ll talk about it and my 2014 word in another post.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My college BFF Emily, and my church friends Nell and Stacey.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, but an alarming number of my friends and acquaintances lost loved ones. It was a rough year for a lot of people – I have a smidge of survivor guilt.
5. What countries did you visit?
No new countries or states.
6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked this year?
Peace.
7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
None in particular.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Becoming a LOT more comfortable with taking chances, putting myself out there, and potentially failing.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not eliminating frantic overactivity from my life… despite multiple attempts. I need to buckle down and deal with this, but I’m finally forced to admit that I just don’t know how.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Once I recovered from the Eternal Sickness that bled into January, I had a healthy year… aside from my recent eye problems.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
New flooring; my Dyson vacuum; my Madewell military jacket; and my faux Clarisonic.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My sister’s, as usual, for moving to a new state and taking all kinds of difficulties in stride.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
A lot of people on the internet.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Travel? It definitely went somewhere in a hurry. My main post-holiday goal is to get a better handle on my financial situation.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Getting new flooring; my cat getting a second lease on life; March Madness; going to Colorado; my garden; the Grizzlies going to the playoffs; my niece’s first birthday and dedication; meeting D.J. Stephens; reuniting with my best friend from seventh grade; my birthday dinner at Flight.
16. What song will always remind you of 2013?
Blurred Lines.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Slightly happier.
b) thinner or fatter? About the same.
c) richer or poorer?
Poorer.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Writing, reading, and resting.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Cleaning up my cats’ messes. In that sense, I am totally equipped for motherhood.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
With my parents and brother here in Memphis.
21. Did you fall in love in 2013?
No.
22. What concerts did you attend this year?
Other than several Myla shows, it looks like Hanson at Minglewood Hall was my only 2013 concert! Wow.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
My consistent faves are How I Met Your Mother, New Girl, and The Mindy Project. This year I also picked up The Mentalist and Project Runway.
24. Do you dislike anyone now whom you didn’t dislike this time last year?
No, thankfully.
25. What was the best book you read?
My Favorite Fiction and Non-Fiction of 2013
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I liked a lot of songs by new and new-to-me artists, but I haven’t gone crazy over anyone in particular.
27. What did you want and get?
See 11 and 15.
28. What did you want and not get?
A date.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
In theaters: Catching Fire and Now You See Me. DVD: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 34, and it was the best birthday I’ve had in a long time. I took the day off work, rode the Greenline with my mom, lunched at McAlister’s with Elizabeth and her kids, relaxed in the afternoon, and went to dinner at Slider Inn with several friends followed by cake at Caroline’s.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A greater sense of achievement and more obvious “progress” in my life.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
I’m starting to prefer fewer well-made, loved pieces to a closet full of meh bargains. My wardrobe is slowly adjusting to reflect this. Also: I am currently ALL ABOUT hosiery for some reason. Tights and leggings, woo! (NEVER AS PANTS.)
33. What kept you sane?
My family, friends, and excellent counselor. Shoutout to Alanna and Esther for doing more than their share this year. Thankful for you. ♥
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
My favorite celebrities remain consistent: Jimmy Fallon, Justin Timberlake, and Katy Perry.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Let’s not go there. :P
36. Who did you miss?
My siblings and niece.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
My neighbor Elizabeth! I’d seen her at Sunday School, but we actually met at the park down the street from my house. I’ve prayed for a fellow church member nearby for a long time (the majority of our congregation lives in the same pocket of East Memphis, nowhere near my house).
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.
I learned a lot of life lessons, but here’s one of the biggies: Adrenaline brain and creative brain cannot coexist. (How will I respond to this knowledge? TBD.)
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Sometimes it seems that the going is just too rough
And things go wrong no matter what I do.
Now and then it seems that life is just too much
But you’ve got the love I need to see me through.
When food is gone, you are my daily meal.
When friends are gone, I know my Savior’s love is real.
You know it’s real.
– Florence + The Machine
4 Comments + Posted in: year end
I’ve been doing annual playlists since 2002, and I think about them throughout the year. Although there are no real time constraints to playlists anymore, I still limit mine to the length of a CD. Usually it takes a couple of tries to figure out the right arrangement of songs. When I burned a trial CD for myself yesterday, I still hadn’t figured out what to call the playlist, so I wrote “First Draft.” In the next moment, I realized that it was the perfect name. Much of this year has been about learning to own my identity as a writer, and I’ve tried new things overall. And failed a lot.
So I give you:
(We called this picture from our Gold Gathering photo shoot “The Album Cover.” I couldn’t resist.)
I will comment where I have something to say. These soundtracks always help me identify the common themes of my year. 2013: Confidence and boldness (in what God is doing in me, who He made me to be, and the truth as I see it). Impatience (with fakeness, The Establishment, and the unbearable slowness of progress in my life). Somehow, hope and love in the midst of it all.
1. It’s Time – Imagine Dragons
2. Carry On – Fun.
3. She Don’t Want Nobody Near – Counting Crows
This song summed up my mess of feelings about my dating life/lack thereof.
4. Light In Your Eyes – Sheryl Crow
I put this on the CD for Niecy’s “Little Miss Sunshine” themed first birthday party, and it always makes me think of her.
5. Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
I will forever associate this song with the Grizzlies’ playoff run. It encompassed the whole experience at the perfect time. I got my city right behind me. If I fall, they got me.
6. Ain’t It Fun – Paramore
Paramore was by far my album of the year, and this was always the frontrunner for my soundtrack. I never get tired of it.
7. Get The Girl Back – Hanson
The only track from Anthem that grabbed me immediately. I keep a mental list of songs for the high school musical I want to write someday, and from the first time I heard this, I saw a full-production number in my head. (Yeah, I’m just letting my freak flag fly.)
8. Safe and Sound – Capital Cities
Probably my favorite song of the year. It always makes me smile.
9. I Love It – Icona Pop
A lot of my most-listened-to songs this year were for running and working out. Lots of Britney, Nicki Minaj, and their ilk. So this is me restraining myself to one favorite ridiculous song. Also the lyrics are deeply satisfying for a person who would never actually push someone’s stuff down the stairs or crash her car into a bridge.
10. You’ve Got The Love – Florence + The Machine
The 2013 Psalm of Brenda.
11. Clarity – Zedd feat. Foxes
I’d be embarrassed to say how many dramatic dance routines I made up and performed to this in the privacy of my own home.
12. Roar – Katy Perry
A close runner-up for my favorite song of the year.
13. Bruises – Train feat. Ashley Monroe
This song gives me hope.
14. I’m Not Your Hero – Tegan and Sara
In all honesty, this is how I sometimes felt about my relationship to The Church this year. (PS: the whole Heartthrob album is amazing)
15. Cassiopeia – Sara Bareilles
Before Roar came out, Brave would have been my Sara selection for this list, but the two songs are so similar and I loved Roar SO much. Then, the day I read The 5th Wave, I heard this song in the car, and the convergence of the song and book stunned me. It could have been written for the story. There’s an urgency about it (and the character of Cassie) that I deeply connect with.
16. Bravado – Lorde
All my life, I’ve been fighting a war… And I’m telling you that when the lights come on, I’ll be ready for this.
17. Face of Love – Myla Smith
This goes out to the future man who will try to win me (if he exists).
18. Say It, Just Say It – The Mowglis
19. Anything Could Happen – Ellie Goulding
Sometimes you have an unexpected encounter and it’s enough to remind you that life still holds a lot of potential, even if you don’t see it very often.
20. Bonfire Heart – James Blunt
Honorable Mentions:
Little Talks – Of Monsters and Men
Wake Me Up – Avicii (love the Aloe Blacc part, but the techno part grates on me after a while)
Stay – Rihanna feat. Mikky Ekko
Pusher Love Girl – Justin Timberlake
Summertime Sadness – Lana Del Rey
You can listen to this playlist, or the full list before I cut it down, at Spotify. Yay!
2 Comments + Posted in: music, year end
If you’re looking for a last-minute gift for the bookworm in your life, here are my top ten fiction and non-fiction reads of 2013 (not all were released this year)! I had such a great reading year that it was hard to narrow it down. These selections were based on pure enjoyment and/or how much they’ve stuck with me, regardless of how I rated or ranked them initially. There should be something for everyone here.
Fiction
Saturday Night Widows: The Adventures of Six Friends Remaking Their Lives, Becky Aikman
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, Brene Brown
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, Susan Cain
But Enough About Me: A Jersey Girl’s Unlikely Adventures Among the Absurdly Famous, Jancee Dunn
A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live, Emily P. Freeman
Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs.-Christians Debate, Justin Lee
Bread & Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes, Shauna Niequist
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, Sheryl Sandberg
Mo’ Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove, Ahmir Thompson
When We Were on Fire: A Memoir of Consuming Faith, Tangled Love, and Starting Over, Addie Zierman
Happy reading!
2 Comments + Posted in: book reviews, reading, year end