five friday favorites #4: week of oct. 31, 2014

IT'S FRIDAY!!! Can you tell I'm excited? This week has felt particularly long for some reason, and I'm super ready for the weekend. I'm also excited to see all the trick-or-treaters who will come to my door this evening, and I'm super excited about something that's happening tomorrow, which I'm sure will make next week's Friday Favorites (so be sure to come back ...).

Below are some of the things I've enjoyed this week:

1. Official Raging Heat Webmercial
I've been a fan of Castle since the beginning ... and this might be my favorite thing they've ever done! Had me in stitches during Monday night's episode, and, well, I'm giggling again just thinking about it!

2. Crockpot Potato Soup
This is quite possibly the best--and easiest to make--potato soup ever. I didn't think to take any pictures while I was making it, except for this one:

I had bacon in the oven to make bacon crumbles to use as a garnish, and Skaara really wanted some. He sat like that for about 10 minutes before giving up.

Anyway, this soup is fantastic! I made a few modifications--I didn't have an onion, so I used flakes; I didn't have cream or half and half, so I used whole milk; I left out the chives; and I threw in some leftover gouda (a previous Friday Favorite!) with the sharp cheddar. It's absolutely delicious! It's a good thing I was taking it to a meeting, or I would have been tempted to eat three or four bowls--it's that good!

I had the leftovers for lunch today. Mmm-mmm good!

3. Butter London Nail Polish
I'm usually pretty cheap when it comes to nail polish. $3.50 Avon sale? Sold. I tend to balk at anything over $7. But I recently got a free full-sized Butter London polish as a gift with another purchase, and I. Am. In. Love.

Shay Shull, one of my favorite bloggers (and the sister of Bachelor Sean Lowe), swears by Butter London, so I knew it would be good. I just wasn't sure if it was worth the normal $15 price tag. It absolutely is.

I have been wearing this polish for one week, without a top coat, and it still looks great! With a top coat, my Avon polishes last maybe a week, but with lots of chipping. (FYI, this color is Ladybird.)

4. My Cat Babies
So they could be a favorite every week (as you well know if you've been reading my blog or following me on social media for any length of time), but I've especially enjoyed them in this last week. It all started when Hammond jumped up on my lap and fell asleep while I was blogging last Saturday morning:

Every evening this week, I've ended up with all three cats asleep on my lap. Maybe they're looking for warmth, as I keep it pretty cold in my house ... I'm cheap :-)

5. "This Is Reality" Podcast
You may remember The Bachelor's Jason Mesnick as "The Most Hated Man in America" (which is complete bunk, by the way). I, along with millions, thought he was total scum for dumping Melissa on national TV and then asking runner-up Molly for another chance.

Jason & Molly kind of faded off my radar screen until I heard they had started a podcast where they talked all things Bachelor. It's so fantastic! They give lots of insider information and talk about their experiences on the show. And now? I think they're totally awesome.

Their most recent episode, which I listened to this week, talks about the Australian Bachelor, who is now being called "The Most Hated Man in Australia" ... for "pulling a Mesnick." (I always thought "pulling a Mesnick" was sobbing over a balcony rail, but apparently the term can also be used when you dump your fiancee for an ex.)

If you're even remotely interested in the Bachelor/ette world, I highly recommend you check them out. You can listen to all of their episodes here or through a podcasting app (I use Podbay).

What are your favorites this week? Be sure to hop over to the linkup and check out other people's favorites, too!

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agonizing over reviews

You probably know that a large portion of my blogging is reviewing books. (I do that over at Christian Chick's Thoughts.) Most of the time, it's pretty easy. Time consuming, but easy. Even when I come across a book I don't love, I can usually find something redemptive about it and can focus on that while still being honest about what I didn't like.

But tonight, I'm struggling.

I just finished a book that, in all honesty, I hated. I only read beyond the first 20 pages because I'd agreed to review it.

Let's take a glance at my notes, shall we?

commas! where they shouldn't be and not where they should be

misplaced modifiers

Gag me! Too sappy!

25 year old male skipping over to his mentor? Evokes a different image than intended.

too flowery

Of course, I was a little kinder in my review. I'm not even going to tell you what book it is, though if you jump over to my book review blog, you can probably figure it out.

Sometimes it's hard to be both honest and kind, but I'm really trying.

---

I wrote this prior to writing the review of the book, but I wanted to hold off on publishing this post until after that particular book tour was over on the off chance the book's author would visit Christian Chick's Thoughts to see the review and then follow the link over to this blog. (I'm guessing he did read my review, but I doubt he got any farther than that.) You know, the whole spirit of kindness. 

The problem? I think the review ultimately was a lot heavier on honesty than kindness. I know there's a balance to be struck, but I don't think, at least in this case, I did it successfully.

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five friday favorites #3: week of oct. 24, 2014

Welcome to another Friday Favorites ... on Saturday! My book review schedule was a bit crazy this week, so I didn't have time to work on this until today. Once again, I'm linking up with Heather at Housewife Glamour.




1. Spotify's "Ultimate Covers" playlist
I've recently been listening to a lot of Spotify at work--mostly movie scores with some music from my youth thrown in for good measure (dcTalk, anyone?). But yesterday I discovered an absolutely fantastic playlist: Ultimate Covers. Most of these covers are acoustic, and a few are inappropriate for work, so you've gotta stay on top of things. But it's such a soothing way to spend your day--especially when you've been fighting with the html on your company website for hours and you just want to throw something!



2. Walks with my mom
My mom and I have recently been walking the Dark Island Trail, this trail just outside of town that crosses the Platte River. We've seen lots of deer, a few owls, an eagle, and a heron ... as well as beautiful fall colors! The pictures below are ones my sister took on a recent walk, as she's home for fall break this weekend!!!

3. Friends who give me GF stuff
I have two friends who used to be gluten free and don't need to be anymore, and they've both given me gf goodies! Earlier this week, Steph brought in a sack of stuff. My favorite? The Pamela's Bread Mix. I made a loaf of bread, and, to someone who hasn't had bread since Memorial Day (except for some horrible hamburger buns that tasted more like cardboard than bread), it was fantastic! I made toast, grilled cheese, and used the last two slices for pumpkin French toast this morning. I think there's a Pamela's purchase in my future ...

4. Listerine Healthy White
Listen, I'm not really into teeth whitening. I mean, I know my teeth aren't nearly as white as they could be, but I could never justify the purchase of a quality teeth whitening product. Then I saw a commercial for Listerine Healthy White, and I thought, "Why not?" The package claims you'll see results in five days, and I really have. I adore online shopping, but this is one product you should get at Walmart or your local drug store, as it's much cheaper there than online. Plus, you can get a coupon from Listerine's website--I wish I would have thought to check there before I bought mine!

5. Pill Organizer
So this one isn't too glamorous, but it's probably my favorite thing this week. After I finally saw an endocrinologist for my Hashimoto's, I started taking a new thyroid med in addition to Synthroid. It's helping tremendously, but I also have to take it first thing in the morning at the same time every day. Since I get up at 6:30 on weekdays, I leave my alarm set on the weekends, too, and then I go back to sleep after taking the pill. Except sometimes, in my grogged state, I don't actually take it after slapping the alarm ... and when I wake up, I'm not sure if I've taken it or not. After having this happen a couple times, I decided to bite the bullet and get a pill organizer ... even though I've always seen pill organizers as something for old people. Then I found this one. It's attractive (for a pill organizer), and I like that it's seven individual pill holders that fit in a stand. Right before I go to bed, I pull the next day's out and set it right by my water. And in the morning, I can easily tell if I've taken my pill or not. Win!

What are you enjoying this week?

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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movie mondays: movies to avoid (amazon prime)

If you have any streaming services, you know your options often seem limitless. You also know that the majority of films available to stream are not the blockbusters everyone's heard of. No, most of the films are independent films, and their covers often announce all of these wonderful film festival awards. But how do you know if they're worth your time?

That's where I come in.

I have this incredible knack for picking out terrible films. Every once in a while, I'll hit on a gem, but usually, I strike out. (I'll tell you about the gems in an upcoming post.) So here are some Amazon Prime offerings that I've recently suffered through. Don't make the same mistakes I did. Or do--but don't say I didn't warn you!

Please Kill Mr. Know It All (NR)

This film actually inspired this post. The other night, I was looking for something to watch, and it popped up as a recommendation. It was awful ... yet I watched the entire thing.

Sally is an aspiring author who writes an advice column, Mr. Know It All, to pay the bills. For some unknown reason (or perhaps it is known, and I was just too bored to note it), no one knows Mr. Know It All's identity. Eventually, Sally has to come up with a "face" for Mr. Know It All, so she sketches Albert, a man she notices at the movies. Turns out he's a hit man, and his sudden notoriety makes it difficult for him to do his job, so he sets out to kill Mr. Know It All. In his quest, he meets Sally, and they fall in love. Throw in contracts on both Albert's and Mr. Know It All's lives, and Albert & Sally's romance may be over before it even begins. The resolution makes zero sense (how does putting a dead hit man's prints on Sally's coffee mug identify him as Mr. Know It All? And if Albert has already been identified in public as Mr. Know It All, wouldn't his reappearance a year later cause people to talk?)--but that's OK, because the resolution meant the movie was over.*

*I do have to say that I found both leads to be charming. But the script? Awful.

I Don't Buy Kisses Anymore (PG)

I honestly don't know what possessed me to watch his film, except that I always love the underdog gets the girl story. It had some good reviews, and I guess I was in a sappy mood.

Anyway.

Bernie is a down-on-his-luck, overweight bachelor who still lives with his mother and runs his father's store. His whole family views him as a loser, and Bernie buys into that mentality himself ... until he meets Theresa. He is immediately drawn to her, and he finds himself transforming for her--he comes out of his shell, joins a gym, and stops buying Hershey's Kisses at the local drug store. Meanwhile, Theresa is using Bernie as the topic of her thesis ... something about overweight men. But of course, they fall in love, blah, blah, blah. Dumb.

Madea's Witness Protection (PG-13)

This film is the most "mainstream" film on the list--I recall seeing commercials for it on TV, and Tyler Perry is a pretty reliable "brand," love him or hate him. But chances are good that you haven't seen it, and you might be curious ... thus its inclusion.

As a general rule, I love Tyler Perry movies, especially the ones with Madea. But Madea's Witness Protection is a total bomb. I think maybe it tried to be too broad, with Eugene Levy, Doris Roberts, and Denise Richards as members of a family in witness protection who end up staying with Madea, instead of sticking with the normal formula of members of Madea's family in trouble. Perhaps the classic Perry morality lesson comes in at the end, but I couldn't force myself to watch the entire thing. I tried--multiple times--but ultimately, I decided the it just wasn't worth my time.*

*Looking for a Perry movie that is worth your time? Check out Madea Goes to Jail, Meet the Browns, or, if Madea isn't your thing, Why Did I Get Married? Unfortunately, they aren't available to stream for free.

A Big Love Story (NR)

This movie baffles me. As I said before, I'm a sucker for the geek/nerd/ugly girl/underdog falls in love story. And A Big Love Story has some absolutely amazing reviews on Amazon. But it is so, so terrible. While it's not rated, it definitely would be rated R if it had gone through the MPAA.

Sam is an obese former football player who decides to get in shape. He hires Cassie to train him. They both have train-wreck lives, and I'm pretty sure they fall in love. I watched the entire film, and, two months later, I can't even remember the end. I do remember some sub-plot about Sam's roommate and his girlfriend, who thinks she's pregnant, but she's not. This won a bunch of film festival awards, so obviously some people liked it--but I am certainly not one of those people. (It appears more and more people are agreeing with me, as many of the recent Amazon reviews are not so complimentary.)

The World's Oldest Living Bridesmaid (NR)

Yes, the title should have warned me off, and if not the title, then the picture. But this was a 90's TV movie, and I have such fond memories of other 90's TV movies with semi-bad to horrible titles (Our Son the Matchmaker, Chance of a Lifetime, Forever Love) that I thought I would give this one a chance.

I probably should have passed.

Brenda is a 40-something lawyer who can't seem to keep a secretary--they keep getting married. She ends up hiring Alex, a 20-something artist who works as a secretary because his art career hasn't taken off yet. They fall in love. She's embarrassed to be seen with him in public. He dumps her. She realizes the error of her ways and apologizes. He proposes. The end.

And the title? It's just a throw away line that Brenda utters at a cafe. She's really not obsessed with getting married; in fact, she shows no interest in it whatsoever until Alex proposes. The best part though? The waiter that she says the line to is Colin Mochrie of Whose Line.

Have you seen any of these films? What did you think? Can you give us other Prime offerings to avoid? Let me know in the comments!

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five friday favorites #2: week of october 17, 2014

Welcome to another Five Friday Favorites post! I had so much fun last week that I decided to do it again. (And I'm linking up at Housewife Glamour again, too.) After I got into this week's post, I realized that almost everything was food related, so I decided to just go for it and make this Five Friday Food Favorites. (How's that for alliteration?)



1. Coconut milk
Recently, I've been trying to cut down on my dairy consumption. It's not so hard, except for my lattes. (I got a great deal on this latte maker from Amazon about six months ago, and I'm completely in love.) I tried almond milk, but I hate it. My one almond milk latte got dumped down the drain after I took one sip. Gross. But coconut milk? It's actually decent. Coconut milk lattes taste nothing like dairy milk lattes, but they're quite drinkable, nonetheless. And I see that as a victory.

2. Ginger Ale
When I was in Indiana for my sister's wedding, I got some bad food at a "Mexican" restaurant, and one of the other bridesmaids suggested ginger ale. I'd never tried it before, and I didn't try the bottle she brought me. But a couple months later, I bought my own bottle, and the rest is history. I'm pretty sure ginger ale is my new favorite pop. Honestly, my favorite is the Sam's Choice brand, but it's also full of things like high fructose corn syrup. I tried making my own ... and that didn't turn out so well. So now my go-to is Sodastream. I like that I can decide how strong I want it to be, and it's really just fun to make your own pop! (It tastes even better when I drink it from my grandma's Pepsi glass. Whenever we had pizza at her house, we also had pop, and she put it in these glasses.)

3. Peanut Butter Cookies
I've mentioned these cookies before, but I never told you how to make them. These cookies are what get me through being gluten free because, well, I have a sweet tooth.

Here's the super-simple recipe: Mix 1 cup peanut butter (I use creamy), 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until blended. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips if desired. Roll into walnut-sized balls and place on parchment paper covered baking sheet. Flatten slightly with your hand (or flatten with a fork in the classic peanut butter cookie pattern). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. This makes about 2 dozen cookies, but you can easily make them bigger or smaller to suit your whims. Just be sure to keep an eye on them when they're in the oven, as you may need to adjust the baking time.

See how easy that is? I promise that you won't even miss the flour! I've also adapted this recipe to make chocolate peanut butter cookies, and I'll post that recipe soon.

4. Gouda Omelettes
First of all, I can't think of gouda without immediately flashing to this:

I don't know if I'd ever really had gouda before, but I recently picked some up on sale, and now my go-to supper is a gouda omelette. Yum! (Yes, it's dairy--but it seems that cow's milk is rougher on my system than products made with cow's milk.)

5. Popcorn with Ghee & Himalayan Pink Sea Salt
I'd never heard of ghee before I started researching ways to help my Hashimoto's through diet. Ghee is clarified butter, and, while it tastes strange right out of the jar (yes, I tried it), it's fantastic on popcorn! I just pop up some popcorn with my air popper, pour over some melted ghee, and liberally salt it with Himalayan pink sea salt. It's some of the tastiest popcorn ever :-)

The Ghee came from Trader Joe's, and the sea salt is from Vitacost, which I've found to be cheaper than Amazon on most food items.

Those are my faves! What are you enjoying this week? Let me know in the comments!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you click the link and then make a purchase, I will receive a small commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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throwback thursday: and here's the proof ...

When I wrote about my love for Faded Glory, my sister commented that she was hoping to see pictures of me from high school wearing Faded Glory clothes--specifically, this plaid shirt that I wore all the time. While I'm always reluctant to look back at "High School Becky," I tried to accommodate her. But I couldn't find any pictures of myself wearing that shirt ... until now.

As part of my job, I go through old school photos to find one to use in each issue of the NC Advance. While looking at photos earlier this week, I found this gem:

Sadly, it's not in color, but you can still see the shirt! This was either freshman or sophomore year, I think. (I'm guessing sophomore year because of the hair.) I loved that shirt ... but not quite as much as I loved this one:

The fact that I'm even posting this deserves major applause. This is me, circa 1995. Yikes. I wore that shirt literally to death. When I finally threw it out, it was completely threadbare. My grandma bought it for me when I was in junior high, I wore it for my freshman school picture, and I wore it for my senior pictures. I can't remember when exactly I got rid of it, but it's very possible my college friends will recognize this shirt, too. It's safe to say that I had not an ounce of fashion sense until my senior year of college ...

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movie mondays: a great sci-fi film you've never seen

I'm introducing a new series today: Movie Mondays. I may miss some weeks because, you know, life, but I'm hoping to have a movie-related post most Mondays.

About 10 years ago, my brother told me about this science fiction movie he'd seen. He told me I'd love it, and he gave me a copy to back up his claim. It took me a while, but I did watch it. And he was right--I loved it.

I just recently noticed that Equilibrium is available to stream on Amazon Prime, so I watched it again. It's just as great as I remembered.

Equilibrium stars a pre-Batman Christian Bale as John Preston, a cleric in post-World War III Libria. Clerics are responsible for ferreting out "sense offenders"--those who cease taking their mandated feelings-eliminating drugs. They also are charged with destroying contraband including art, music, and literature.

When John realizes his own partner (Sean Bean) is a sense offender, he begins to question the necessity of eradicating emotion. When he stops taking the drug, he opens himself up to a whole new world of love, anger, and grief, and he makes it his mission to bring down "Father," the all-powerful government ruler.

I don't know about you, but I don't even remember Equilibrium's 2002 release, and it only made a little over $1 million in its entire US theatrical run. According to Rotten Tomatoes, only 37% of critics liked it, deciding that "Equilibrium is a reheated mishmash of other sci-fi movies." By contrast, 82% of viewers liked it.

I can see where the comparisons to other sci-fi movies come in, especially if you compare it to The Matrix, which released a few years before Equilibrium. Both feature men in long black coats who use guns and martial art to defeat their enemies. Both John and Neo could be seen as the saviors of humanity (though Neo's role as a Christ-figure is much more clearly defined). In message, however, Equilibrium is more in line with Nineteen Eighty-Four and Harrison Bergeron. And really, what idea hasn't been done before in some form? I don't think it's so much like other films that it can't stand on its own.

If you enjoy science fiction or dystopian films, I definitely recommend Equilibrium.

Stream it on Amazon Prime.

Content note: This film is extremely violent--however, it is, for the most part, bloodless. I can't recall hearing a single swear word, but IMDb's content warnings page says the "f" and "s" words are each used twice.

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five friday favorites #1: week of oct. 10, 2014

My sister (who has become my blogging champion of late and should really begin blogging herself) recently came up with a list of things I should blog about. On that list? Friday Favorites. I've noticed other bloggers doing them, but I'd never really thought about it. Until now. So today begins my Five Friday Favorites--five things I'm enjoying this week. I'm linking up with Heather from Housewife Glamour, so when you're finished here, head on over and check out the other Friday Favorites posts!

1. The Flash
I am absolutely loving Forever, starring the always dashing Ioan Gruffudd, and until earlier this week, I would have said that was my favorite new show. Then I watched The Flash. It's so fun! Within the first 10 minutes both Dawson Leery's dad (who played the Flash on a short-lived series in the early 90's) and Ed showed up. And I know that Michael, Linc, and T-Bag from Prison Break will be on later this season. It always makes me happy to see actors from dearly departed shows! And Grant Gustin as The Flash? He's just so darn likable! But what captured me most was the tone of the show. It's light and fun. Even though this is a DC show, it has that Marvel movie feel to it--think The Avengers.

2. Dutch Butter Cake--GF Baking Fail
The other day, this recipe from Kevin & Amanda popped up in my Facebook feed. It looked so good ... but it wasn't gluten free. I decided to make it anyway and just substitute in the same amount (by weight) of my gluten free flour blend. I did this even though I've yet to successfully adapt a recipe--I do much better when I make a recipe that's been designed to be gluten free. Well, this recipe most certainly didn't turn out like it was supposed to. It's very soft on the top and bottom (like fine sand) and really hard in the middle. But boy does it taste good! Obviously, I won't be taking it to any potlucks, but I'm enjoying eating it at home. (And I bet the kind made with all purpose flour is to die for ...)

3. Orange & Spice Herbal Tea
I lived with my grandparents for a semester after high school, and my grandma had this cupboard that was full of tea. I can't recall her ever drinking tea except for plain iced tea, but her cupboard was well stocked. (Come to think of it, maybe she had her tea at breakfast and I just never knew because my grandparents ate breakfast way earlier than I did!) At the time, I was just discovering a love for coffee, and I had no interest in tea if it wasn't iced. Now, though, I love tea. I recently purchased an herbal tea variety pack, and I discovered that the Orange & Spice tea tastes exactly like my grandma's cupboard smelled! I miss my grandma a lot, and now when I drink my tea, I think of her.

4. Fresh Prince Online Quiz
If you're a child of the 90's, then this quiz is very easy ... but it's oh so fun! Thanks to Jen for sharing it on Facebook!

5. Big & Daring Volume Mascara
In the past several years, I've become a big fan of Avon cosmetics. I used to think Avon was just for old ladies (probably because my grandma had lots of Avon products), but I've since learned that Avon is awesome! My most recent find is the Big & Daring Volume Mascara. I tried it simply because it was cheaper than my regular mascara, but I've fallen in love. Here's the thing: it actually stays on! My mascara always, always, always winds up under my eyes. Think raccoon eyes. But this stuff stays in place!

There are my five! What things are you enjoying this week?

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dear faded glory ...

I love you, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

I work at a Christian school, so I don't get paid a lot. Honestly, I don't need a lot—I live in Nebraska, where the cost of living is well below the national average, and I don't have any kids to support (although my cats are surprisingly expensive). But since I bought my house, most of my spare money is going to paying down my mortgage ... so I don't have much money to spend on things like clothes.

I also hate trying on clothes. You other plus size girls can probably identify. It can be insanely difficult to find clothes that fit me just right. Add to that the fact that my chest is, well, larger than it should be for the rest of me, and you see my dilemma. A shirt that fits well across the chest hangs off of my shoulders and trunk, creating a tent-like look. And a shirt that fits the rest of me is way too tight across the chest.

Enter Faded Glory. Faded Glory is a clothing brand sold at Walmart. Yes, Walmart. Back when I was in junior high and high school and my parents could only afford to shop at Walmart, I was embarrassed to admit that my clothes all came from there. But now I'll say it proudly: I shop at Walmart!

I kind of stumbled into my Faded Glory love. Last spring, I sang in the worship choir at my church, and each week had a different color theme. For Palm Sunday, the color was green. I discovered I didn't have a stitch of green in my closet, so I went shopping at Cato (a great store for plus sized girls!). I found two shirts that I really liked, and while they were a bit pricier than what I'd normally buy, I got them both. Then I went to choir practice and learned that our shirts were to be a solid green, and both of mine were green and white. So on my way home, I stopped at Walmart. I was too tired to try anything on, so I took the first solid green shirt I could find and prayed it would fit me. It did! Since then, I've purchased four or five Faded Glory shirts without trying them on first, and all have fit. I think their 1X model must be shaped like me :-)

Faded Glory isn't paying me for this post (though I'd certainly be open to promoting the brand for compensation, hint hint!); I just wanted to share the love. If you're a curvy girl, at least check out Faded Glory. Their clothing is cheap (and is frequently on clearance), it doesn't all look like old lady clothes, and, at least for me, it fits perfectly. For an example, here's one of my most recent purchases. I'm kind of tempted to buy online, as there's a much wider selection than at my local Walmart! (But I also know that items are discounted in store that aren't online, so there's that ...)

Side note: This is what my sister had to say when I told her I'd written this Faded Glory post:

ahahaha! as in, the shirts you wore exclusively in high school?? please tell me there will be pictures.

Here you go, sister!

You wanted to see them on me? Sorry, you should have specified.

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welcome to coffee & conversation!

Hello! I'm so glad you're joining me here at Coffee & Conversation.

If you're a regular reader of Christian Chick's Thoughts, I'm glad you've made the move with me to my new blog home. I hope you'll continue to check out Christian Chick's Thoughts for my book reviews, but I also hope you make yourself at home here!

If you're brand new, a special welcome to you! Please look around, join in the conversation, and have fun!

I now have four blogs, and each has a different focus. I'd love for you to check them all out! (Just be aware that some are updated a lot more frequently than others ...)

• Coffee & Conversation: Life, faith, media, and basically whatever else I feel like writing about
• Christian Chick's Thoughts: Book reviews & promotion
• Cinematic Survey: Movie reviews
• Watching TV with the Christian Chick: TV reviews

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october goals

My six questions post (and the conversation with my mom that preceded it) has had me thinking about goals. I still have no idea what my long-term goals are. But short-term ones? Those I can come up with. Here they are:

I chose six because, well, you know how I feel about that number! My goal (ha, ha) is to have a new set each month. And when I finally come up with long-term goals, I'll share those, too. (No explanation of these goals for now—I'll leave that for the follow-up post. Aren't you proud of me for keeping my words to a minimum?)

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