Gratitude, Goals, 2 books, 3 movies!

So to start off my post tonight, I just wanted to mention a few things that I am thankful for. When I find myself getting down, it's helpful to remember the things in my life that are worth smiling about.
- I have a loving cat who is the sweetest creature a girl could live with :-)
- I'm grateful that I'm not ashamed to get excited about things...it makes watching my favorite movies and TV shows all the more enjoyable!
- And I absolutely love my church. It is an amazing place filled with amazing and loving people :-)



And now for my January Goals update - still going strong!

1. Go through my Christmas gifts
a. make a list of who gave me what - CHECK
b. put items where they go/in places where they will be used - CHECK
c. pull out thank you cards and addresses - (Sometimes, the simplest things are the most difficult things to actually get done...sigh)
d. write thank you notes

2. Financials
a. find all random financial documents laying around - CHECK
b. stack documents in proper piles - CHECK
c. file away - CHECK
d. place tax pertinent documents in manila envelope - CHECK
e. pull out GrottoFae info and place in above manila envelope

3. Closet
a. pull out all hanging clothes I have not worn in a year - (I think I've pulled out all of them, but I need to give it time to make sure I really do get all of them!)
b. fold these clothes and place in bags with other give-aways - (once again, the simplest things take forever...)
c. go through non-clothes items on closet floor - so close to being done! (I actually found a number of items that were supposed to go in my memory box!)
d. put these things away in proper locations - same here!
e. go through clothing on closet floor - ditto!
f. take all give aways to Plato's Closet

4. Memory Box - COMPLETE :-)
a. decide on categories for memory box - CHECK
b. decide on separation method (folders for paper memories and Ziplock bags for 3-d items) - CHECK
c. separate into piles (separated by school) - CHECK
d. file these piles into box - CHECK
e. along with b, I need to find a new box to put the post-college stuff in - CHECK (I decided on a beautiful wooden box I've had laying around for a while now. I purchased this box from The Hospitality Shop back at Sewanee which is basically like a thrift store of everything left behind by college students...a pretty cool place. The box has a beautiful Swedish heart pattern on the lid, which is perfect to honor my heritage :-)



Just to warn you, there's still more. Below are 3 movie reviews and 2 book reviews lol. I think I've been more productive than I realize since I've also been doing homework, prepping for Sunday School, and all of the above goals plus watching/reading the following :-P
I'll start with the books!

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey (Book #2 of 2012)
This was a fantastic story with characters that I truly cared about. I found myself walking from room to room of my house with my Kindle in hand not able to get my eyes off of the pages. To summarize, Jessica finds herself in a very interesting situation involving her surprising past and must learn to love or at least tolerate the new vampire in town. The ending is so intense and gorgeous. Beth Fantaskey is a truly incredible author as she takes you from a barn in Pennsylvania to a castle in Romania and you never question how bizarre the change is, especially since Jessica is undergoing the same crazy journey. I rate this a 5/5!

The Wedding of Antanasia Jessica Packwood and Lucius Valeriu Vladescu by Beth Fantaskey (Book #3 of 2012)
So this is a web-only novella sequel available on bethfantaskey.com. Yes, I did just give away some of the above book, but I promise (!) that nothing can take away from the suspense of the above novel. This novella was fabulous and I read through it in no time. There are a few pictures along with the chapters that show off the Romanian castle, Antanasia's wedding dress, and the wedding rings. I would LOVE to have her dress for whenever I get married...it was so incredibly gorgeous! Even though it is a web-only novella, the writing was just as profound and drawing as the above book...I once again loved it. I was additionally delighted to find out on her website that their is a full-length print sequel that just came out...I can't wait! Rated this one 5/5 too.


My Girlfriend's Boyfriend (a movie)
Frankly, I just wanted to watch a sweet mindless romcom to get my mind off of the fact that I am still oh so single. This movie did the trick. I have to say that the twist at the end absolutely blew me away! And a few tears were most definitely shed. The love story is adorable and Alyssa Milano was, of course, fantastic :-) You won't believe what happens...

Morning Glory (a movie)
This movie was simply a sweet comedy about a passionate and wired workaholic who makes a huge difference in an unlikely place. It was absolutely hysterical at times and the ending produced a moment of open-jawed smiling joy...I'm not exaggerating on this one. Harrison Ford once again plays an insufferable bitter man, but this time I couldn't help having a soft spot in my heart for him.

Hot Tub Time Machine (a movie)
Yes, I did in fact sit through this entire movie despite all of the terrible reviews and warnings against it. Just like Horrible Bosses, the first half was absolutely terrible, but the second half was substantially better. The humor finally become decently funny and the ending was definitely interesting. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this movie as the first half is just awful, but if you're forced to watch it, know that it does improve.

And that's it for today. I've got class at 8am and I'm getting sleepy so I think I'm gonna head on to bed...