The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants

The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

 I know. How could a book about pants possibly receive an “exceptional” rating? I first read these books while I was in high school, and they quickly became some of my favorites. I’ve been wanting to re-read them for awhile, and there is no better time than the summer for these books. But could a book I loved in high school still hold up now that I’m 24? A significant and resounding yes.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized how remarkable this book (and the others in the series) is. I am not ashamed to admit that I am a fan of young adult fiction. True, it may not always be the “deepest” literature out there, but it is fun and quite entertaining. And as someone who has read a handful of the Gossip Girl novels and three of the four Twilight installments, I can definitely say that Brashares’ Pants is a greater work than all the aforementioned combined. She doesn’t focus on social conquests in the teen world or the catty female relationships such as in Gossip Girl. She doesn’t focus on an all-consuming Romeo-and-Juliet type romance. Instead, she chooses to illustrate the deep and meaningful relationship that exists between teenage girls. I think that some of your richest and most memorable friendships are those that you experience in high school, and Brashares captures this perfectly through her four main characters: Carmen, Tibby, Lena, and Bridget.

The fact that Brashares is an extraordinarily talented writer is simply icing on the cake. Her characters are versatile and complex. Her language is rich and her descriptions vivid. She includes real-life scenarios that everyone has experienced, making the novel very relatable. I ate it up, as I’d imagine any teen reader would. It’s funny, it’s poignant, it’s gorgeous and it’s honest. Every. Girl. Should. Read. This. Book. (Four out of Four stars)

Shutter Island

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

Lehane is becoming one of my favorite authors. I generally find that mystery/thriller novels are a lot of plot and little substance, but Lehane seems to find the perfect balance of both. When I read Mystic River last fall, I found myself unable to put it down, despite the fact that I had seen the movie and therefore already knew how it was going to end. 

And so what made Shutter Island all the more fantastic for me was that I didn’t know how it was going to end. It was just as fast-paced, suspenseful, and thrilling as Mystic River, but even more mysterious and bizarre. It is one fantastic book. I was dazzled by his tangled plot line, utterly bewildered while I was in the middle of it, then amazed at how neatly it all tied up at the end. 

Very few books are able to put me on edge, but Lehane’s descriptions are so vivid that I was honestly getting chills. He depicts sorrow and grief better than any other author I’ve read. The ending is exquisite. After hearing several people say they were able to guess the ending, I deliberately prevented myself from coming up with any of my own theories as to what was going on on this mysterious island. But I have to say, even if you do have a general idea of what’s happening, it’s the handful of details that will make it all worthwhile. With a complex storyline and page-turning suspense, Shutter Island will hardly disappoint. (Three and a half out of Four stars)

The Cardturner

The Cardturner by Louis Sachar
In his author’s note at the beginning of the book, Louis Sachar tells his readers how difficult it was to write about bridge in a way that would help his young adult audience understand how the game is played. And so, I commend him for taking on this difficult task. Having said that, this book was still hard to understand. I suppose this could be considered a good thing, because it kind of makes me want to learn how to play bridge just so I can understand what the heck he’s talking about half the time. The great thing, though, is that this is still an enjoyable book, even without understanding the bridge game. As always, Sachar pens intriguing characters, smart humor, and an overall poignant novel. 

His main character, soon-to-be high school senior Alton Richards (like the great Stanley Yelnats), is pretty much your typical teenager, but with a certain sort of quiet wisdom about him. In the book, Alton’s parents volunteer him to be a cardturner for his blind uncle Lester Trapp at his bridge tournaments. To his surprise, Alton finds himself intrigued by both his uncle and the game. As his summer progresses, he struggles to figure out what the game means, and ultimately figure out the meaning to his own life. 

I think what I like most about this book is its different levels. It goes from teenage worries (the recently dumped Alton is pained to think about his ex, Katie, with her new boyfriend, who also happens to be Alton’s best friend: “I don’t know why it hurt more to think about Katie with Cliff than Katie with somebody else, but to put it lightly, it tore at my insides”(13).) to humor (“I once had a teacher who told me I’d be twice as smart if I was half as smart as I thought I was. I’m still trying to figure that one out”(67).) to the philosophical (“’Just because some of us are smarter than kangaroos, it doesn’t mean we know everything… we see, hear, touch, smell, and taste. But how do we know those are the only five [senses]? What are we failing to perceive?’ It didn’t seem right to point out that [Trapp] no longer had all five senses. Or maybe, I considered, it was his loss of sight that made him wonder what else he was missing”(68).). I was surprised with every turn of the page. 

Holes is still my favorite Louis Sachar book. It’s going to be difficult to top that one. But The Cardturner offers something original and entertaining. (Three out of Four Stars)

Walt Disney World: A Retrospective

So now the question I'm being asked is: Which do I prefer, Disneyland or Disney World? This is actually a tougher question to answer than you would think. In my opinion, you can't really go wrong with Disney. In general, I'd say I probably like the west coast version better. I feel that since it's older, it has more nostalgia and history. When you're walking through Fantasyland, for example, It's small and feels like you're walking through a little village, rather than a theme park. I missed that feeling in Disney World. I felt that Disney World was more like, "let's just go big." Which I think is ultimately what Walt Disney had in mind when he built it. Not to say there's anything wrong with that, but it felt a little less personal to me. Also, since I've been to Disneyland so many times before, I noticed the differences in some of my favorite attractions. I much rather prefer the Disneyland version of "Pirates of the Caribbean," where you float past the restaurant and everything's calm and peaceful, then suddenly you're plunged down a waterfall and into the "Pirate World." I also missed the Matterhorn and the amazing music track to "Space Mountain."

On the other hand, there are some great things you have at Disney World that you don't get at Disneyland or California Adventure. The whole experience of just staying at the Disney hotel was unlike anything I've experienced. I know Disneyland has hotels, too, but I've never stayed at one. I think going home to the hotel every night made the whole Disney World experience all the more special for me. It was like the magic never ended.

Disney World also has Epcot, which I am a big fan of, as well as some great rides at Animal Kingdom and the Hollywood Studios. But there's also so much to do, when you're finished with it all you feel fulfilled enough not to come back for a few years.

I had an amazing time, and I'm really happy I got to experience this other facet of Disney. It really is a truly unique experience that I will never forget and want to relive many more times!


Currently Reading: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares (I'm on page 190)

Our Week At "The World": Day Five - Magic Kingdom, Part 2

We decided to end our stay at Disney by going back to the Magic Kingdom (I think it's the overall favorite, although I really liked Epcot a lot). We wanted to ride some of our favorite attractions one more time, and, of course, meet Mickey! We all bought matching t-shirts, each in a different color, to wear to the park on our last day.

We checked out of the hotel, and the bellhop kept our bags safe for us. When we got to the park, we first got our picture taken with Pinocchio on Main Street (he was too cute), because I'd never gotten to meet him before. We rode Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin in Tomorrowland, since we hadn't gotten a chance to do that on Tuesday. And we rode Space Mountain a second time, of course.


Next we headed over to Toon Town to meet Mickey! Unfortunately we were waiting a little while, because it is Mickey Mouse, but you can't go to Disney and not meet Mickey. We were originally going to tell him that he looks great for 81, but when we got into the room where he was, we were surprised to see Minnie there, too! It was great. So Katie asked Minnie when she was going to get "the ring," and everyone in the room suddenly burst out laughing. She pointed to Mickey, as if to say, "ask him!" And Mickey just put his head down, embarrassed. It was actually very cute. Mickey really liked our matching shirts, too. 

Next we had another lunch at Pecos Bill and then actually waited in line for Splash Mountain (no FastPass this time!) That made the total times on Splash Mountain 5 for the entire trip. We had to ride Peter Pan again, of course, and then we did some major shopping on Main Street, and even caught one of the many "celebration" parades.


We used our last snack to enjoy some oddly watermelon-y cotton candy, but it was still delicious. We left a little early, because it was hot that day (as we later found out, 103 degrees!), so we headed back to the hotel to collect our bags and take advantage of the free soda for as long as we could. We played some UNO, then it was time to catch the bus to the airport.


It was a great trip, but we were exhausted. We didn't get home until after midnight, and I know I didn't wake up until around 1:30 on Saturday afternoon. We had a great time, though, and hopefully we can make a return trip soon. :)


Currently Reading: Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane (I'm on page 292)

Our Week At "The World": Day Four - Epcot

It's going to be another long day, today at Epcot Center. (Did you know that "Epcot" is an acronym for "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow"? On the way from the airport to the resort, we watched a video where Walt told us all about it. It was actually pretty cool.) Epcot is basically split into two halves: The "bottom" half is Future World, and the "top half" is the World Showcase, which has a bunch of different countries. There's a giant lake in the middle of the World Showcase, and all the different countries are all around the rim of the lake.

We explored Future World first. The first ride we went on was "Soarin'," which is one of my favorites from California Adventure Park. The ride simulates a free-flight over California, although we thought that since this is Disney World, they should change the ride so that you fly over famous world landmarks, or even just famous United States landmarks. Next, we rode "Test Track," which is a roller coaster-type ride that simulates the different tests auto makers put their new models through before they get manufactured. Next we went on "Mission: Space," which has two levels of intensity: You can choose to be on the green (less intense team), or the orange (more intense) team. I was able to convince my friends to do the less intense version, as I was not sure what the "orange" version would entail. It was actually a very cool ride. Everyone gets a "job" to do on a simulated trip to Mars, and depending on how fast and accurately you complete your jobs depends on whther you complete or fail your mission. And we were able to successfully complete our mission!

Next we had a delicious snack of giant pretzels and caught the "Universe of Energy," which is kind of like a show/ride starring Ellen Degeneres and Bill Nye the Science Guy! I thought it was very funny, and it also features cameos by Jamie Lee Curtis and Alex Trebek. Our last ride in Future World was Spaceship Earth, which is inside the big Epcot globe, and is narrated by Dame Judi Dench! It ended up being my favorite ride, which just goes to show what a big nerd I am. It's actually a very educational ride, taking you through the history of mankind, basically, and how technology and language has helped us evolve and bring us to where we are today. I found it fascinating and entertaining, especially with the Pirates of the Caribbean-esque animatronics and the fun game at the end.


Next it was on to World Showcase. Here are the countries we visited, in the order we visited them:

MEXICO - You enter this big Aztec castle, and suddenly you're in the middle of this outdoor Mexican market at night. There's also the Gran Fiesta Tour boat ride with the Three Caballeros and a restaurant.

NORWAY - Norway? Really? There's a lot of Viking Stuff, including the boat ride Maelstrom, which definitely isn't as cool as it sounds. After it's over, all you can think is: "What...?"

CHINA - Bee-yootiful buildings and an amazing 360-degree film about China, where the screens are on all walls of the theater (hence the 360 degrees). Also, a gigantic shop with just about every souvenir imaginable.


GERMANY - Lots of beer memorabilia. We also saw Snow White, but decided to keep moving rather than get a photo.

ITALY - I'd say probably a less-than-accurate representation (as far as the streets being so evenly paved, anyway), but it was still beautiful. We saw a street performer and lots of Venician glass in the shops.

THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE - Very 18th century, we even saw a patriotic marching band and then said the pledge of allegiance that the children lead. It was very cute.

JAPAN - Basically one big, giant store (even bigger than China's) with lots of fantastic Japanese pop culture and traditional souvenirs. More amazing architecture, of course.

MOROCCO - More wonderful architecture, with all the blue-tiled buildings. Also, lots of neat belly dancers' gear and "magic" lamps (we saw Aladdin, but the line was so long that again, we decided to pass).

FRANCE - In the end, I guess it was good we didn't wait in line to see Aladdin, otherwise we wouldn't have met... Belle! We were just entering France and Belle came out in her blue dress, and I told her we were going to follow her. She said, "You are? Well all right, let's go! And she started skipping around and we skipped after her. When we told her Sarah had just gotten engaged, she asked, "Where's your beast?" And we said it was just the girls this time. She could relate. She said that the Princesses get together in Cinderella's castle, and they send the men off to do "whatever it is boys do." Princess Aurora agreed (we met her in France, too). She said sometimes she leaves Prince Phillip at home because "it's nice to come home to a dragon-free castle."

UNITED KINGDOM - I was hell-bent on meeting Mary Poppins, so when we crossed the bridge into the U.K. and she was standing right there, I apparently squealed like a five-year-old and sprinted over to get in line. I don't remember doing any of this, but apparently it happened. We asked her if she and Bert were "just friends," and she assured us that they were. She said she's too busy being a nanny, and Jane and Michael take up too much of her time to even consider anything else. She was very cute, and she was wearing her beautiful white "Jolly Holiday" dress. This was the highlight of my day. :)

CANADA - Besides some nice landscaping and a waterfall (to represent Niagra Falls, I'm assuming), I felt there wasn't a whole lot to Canada. There was another 360-theater that we decided to skip because it was getting late and we wanted to reserve a spot to watch the night show, "Illuminations: Reflections of Earth." We were able to see a Canadian Celtic rock band called "Off-Kilter" (they wore kilts, as the name would suggest) as we enjoyed our dinner, which was fun.


At 9, we saw "Illuminations," which was a HUGE fireworks display/laser show on the lake. It was quite amazing, but unfortunately my photo doesn't do it justice. So you'll just have to take my word for it. The coolest part was the globe that opened up and shot fireworks out of it. Afterwards, on our way out, we rode "Spaceship Earth" one more time (since we were staying at the hotel, we got to take advantage of the "Extra Magic Hours," and we could stay later. This was the only time we really ever used it, though). After the long day, we were ready to go back to the hotel and rest up for our final day in the Magic Kingdom. I think we were sad the trip was soon coming to and end, but at the same time, we were ready to head back to Chicago.

Currently Reading: Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane (I'm on page 99)

Our Week At "The World": Day Three - Animal Kingdom

It's Animal Kingdom day, and as much as I hate to admit it, I think we were all looking to kind of get in and get out so we could go back to the hotel and relax in the pool for as long as possible (the long day at the Magic Kingdom took a lot out of us). So it was another early start, so that we could get back earlier, but that was absolutely fine by me. The other good thing about arriving early was that the animals were out-and-about, since it wasn't yet too hot to want to do anything.

So we went on the African Safari first, which was a great idea. We saw a lot of animals, though it wasn't always easy to get some good pictures. It was a fun ride, though, and definitely worth doing early in the day.

The picture at the beginning of this entry is of, I think, one of the coolest sights at Animal Kingdom: The Tree of Life. The tree itself is cool-looking enough, but its trunk is then embellished with these amazing relief sculptures of different animals, in a sort of collage-type arrangement. It's quite beautiful, as is the architecture of the buildings in the park (but no surprise there). It's almost like getting a little preview of Epcot, because Animal Kingdom features Africa and Asia (which I know are continents, not countries, but it's the same basic concept), and the buildings are decorated accordingly.

There is also DinoLand U.S.A., home of the scary and thrilling "Dinosaur" ride. Since this was our second ride of the day and it was still pretty early, the wait time was only 5 minutes and we were able to get right back on and ride it a second time, too. We were all pretty surprised at how scared we were, even the second time, when we knew what was coming! Next we did the "Primeval Whirl," which was kind of like a roller coaster/tilt-a-whirl, although much gentler.

We stopped for a great rib lunch at "Flame Tree Barbecue" before heading into Asia to get our Fastpasses for "Kali River Rapids." While we waited for the time to approach, we waited in line for "Expedition Everest," which I thought was going to be like the Matterhorn from Disneyland, but it was much more intense. This coaster goes backwards at a point during the ride, and Sarah and I both agreed that we were going so fast, it felt like we were going to go upside-down at one point!


I opted to rest my feet while Katie, Sarah, and Kristen did the "Maharajah Jungle Trek," and then it was time to get on the river rapids. Or so we thought. Just our luck, the ride broke down right at our designated Fastpass time! Gah! We couldn't get much information out of the cast member as far as when it would be open again, so we decided to do some shopping. Luckily they have this great chalkboard in the center of Discovery Island that tells you the wait times for all the rides, so we were able to stay updated on when it was open again. And fortunately, we didn't have to wait that long! We were able to get on, and we ended up getting soaked. It was pretty evenly distributed - no one from our raft exited that ride dry.


Luckily, we were ready to head back to the hotel after that, so we didn't have to sit in wet pants for very long. We got to enjoy some much-needed pool time and a nice dinner at Pop Century, and then it was time to get rested for our long day at Epcot. Oh! And the Blackhawks ended up winning the Stanley Cup that night! Woo!

Currently Reading: Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane (I'm on page 37)

Our Week At "The World": Day Two - Magic Kingdom

I wasn't as tired as I'd expected to be on Tuesday, given the screwy time schedule we'd been on, and the fact that I had a hard time falling asleep. Luckily, once I was asleep, I was out. I was very excited to visit the Magic Kingdom - I think we all were! We got there right at opening time, and we were planning on staying late to see the Electrical Parade. So we had a long day ahead of us, and we were determined to make the most of it.

We went straight through Cinderella's castle (I couldn't believe how huge it was!) and into Fantasyland. We decided to get all the "little" rides out of the way first. "Snow White's Scary Adventures," "The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh," "Mad Tea Party." I'd actually never ridden "Mad Tea Party" before, and now I know why. I got so dizzy (but I'm sure that's more due to the fact that Kristen was spinning our teacup like crazy). Next we went on "Peter Pan's Flight"... I cannot believe I had never ridden it before! Every time I've been at Disneyland, the line has always been super-long, and I think I always figured it was something like "Snow White" or "Mr. Toad" (which is not as wild as advertised), and therefore a 45 minute wait didn't seem worth it. Oh man, now it's like, one of my favorite rides. You get into a pirate ship and fly over "London" at night, which is amazing enough itself, but then you fly over Neverland and it takes you through the basic story of Peter Pan. It's so fantastic. We also went on "Small World," of course.

Moving on through Liberty Square, we did the "Haunted Mansion," another one of my absolute favorites (I've even gotten to see "Haunted Mansion Holiday" at Disneyland, where they decorate it all in Nightmare Before Christmas!). Next, we went on to Frontierland to get our first of many Fastpasses for "Splash Mountain" (a top 2 favorite!). As we waited for he designated time to approach, we went on "Big Thunder Mountain" (also fantastic),, and ate lunch at Pecos Bill. Pecos Bill had a great little dining area that was decorated to look like an outdoor patio at night, complete with lanterns strung across the ceiling. After lunch, we rode "Splash Mountain" and immediately got another Fastpass to return.


 We headed over to Adventureland to ride "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Jungle Cruise!" Unfortunately, there is no Fastpass for "Pirates," so we were waiting in line for a bit, but at the same time, we had quite a bit of time to kill. Afterwards, we enjoyed some frozen treats and even caught a glimpse of "Captain Jack Sparrow" during a little pirate presentation.

In Tomorrowland, we saw a talking trash can named "Push" who moved around, interacting with guests. I really got a kick out of it. He asked two little girls wearing pigtails: "I know they call them 'ponytails,' but where are the ponies? Did you leave them at home?" It was too cute. I would've liked to watch him longer, but we had to get  on "Space Mountain!" Alas, I really missed the music that's included on the Disneyland version, but this is such a great ride, anyway.


We caught the Walt Disney World train back to Main Street to meet Tigger and Pooh (it was amazing, they were so cute. I think they were excited to meet a few fans who were older than 5), and then back again to Frontierland to ride "Splash Mountain" yet again. We had a great dinner (in great air conditioning) at the Colonial Harbor House, and caught the fireworks at 9. After that, we found a prime spot on Main Street to watch the Electrical Parade, and I realized I'd forgotten how amazing it was. It was a great end to a fantastic day.

P.S. - Total times on "Splash Mountain" for the day = 4. Boo ya.


Currently Reading: Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane (I'm on page 25)

Our Week At "The World": Day One - Pop Century Resort And Disney's Hollywood Studios

Happy Flag Day, everyone. I have returned from a c-razy "vacation" (I use the term "vacation" loosely because you're supposed to relax on vacation, and we definitely didn't have much time to relax. Which is just as well. We paid good money for our trip to Walt Disney World, and it was simply logical to get our money's worth.


But first, we checked out the hotel. We were staying at the Pop Century Resort, which is one of the value resorts. I've read that the Grand Floridian is really the place to be as far as hotels go (Katie says that's where we're staying next time, lol), but what Pop Century has is humor and fun. It's a great place for families, especially - it does really well in catering to the kids. We stayed in the 80s building, complete with giant Rubik's cubes concealing the outer stairwells, and breakdancer cutouts decorating the outside of the buildings. I couldn't believe how many pictures I was taking just of the hotel!


The pool looked amazingly inviting, and even though we'd been up since 3:30 in the morning in order to catch a six o'clock flight, we didn't waste any time in heading over to our first park once we arrived.

First on the agenda: Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM), which is basically Universal Studios, but the Disney version. For some reason, it's probably my least favorite of the Disney parks, but there are actually a lot of things I like about it. The architecture, for one thing. I think this is something Disney does really well, overall. They create such fantastic, magical atmospheres through their building design (and overall design) of the park. The Hollywood Studios have a very cool retro feel, with a great art deco vibe.


Our first ride was one of my personal favorites from Disneyland, "Star Tours." Afterwards, we even caught a glimpse of the "Jedi Training Academy," where a bunch of little "Younglings" got to wear special brown Padawan robes and get trained by a Jedi master. It was super-cute. We also saw "Muppet Vision 3D," which I didn't think I'd seen before, but as I was watching it, it seemed really familiar, so I guess I saw it at California Adventure Park. We even found a Christmas shop, complete with "snow" and a "snowman" outside!

Next we took the "Studio Tour." First, we watched them film a "scene" for a fictitious movie called Harbor Attack. They used members of the audience and put them on a fake battleship, eventually spraying them with water cannons and showing off the various pyrotechnics and special effects. They really did film it, and played the footage back for us, complete with editing, dialogue, and sound effects! It was actually pretty cool. We got to see some props from various Disney films (including the statue from The Rocketeer!), and we saw an American Film Institute exhibit of some great movie villain props and costumes, including Darth Vader's and Darth Maul's costumes from Star Wars, and Davy Jones' organ from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

We went on "The Great Movie Ride," which was kind of kitchy, but also kind of cool. It's basically a slow-moving train that moves through scenes of famous movies (like Casablanca, Alien, Indiana Jones, and The Wizard of Oz), making you feel like you're actually in the movies. I opted out of "Rock 'N' Rollercoaster," knowing I couldn't handle going upside-down twice and a corkscrew and still go on "Tower of Terror" afterwards. So I just did "Tower of Terror." I had to hold both Sarah's and Katie's hands, but it was actually a great ride, and gave me quite the adrenaline rush.

Another thing I like about the Hollywood Studios is the Pixar section, where they have "Toy Story Midway Mania," which is probably my favorite ride at California Adventure. It's in 3D and is also a game, AND stars all the Toy Story characters, so it's a lot of fun. After that, we were ready to head back to the hotel for some swimming and gear ourselves up for our next day at the Magic Kingdom! Stay tuned!


P.S. - I can't believe all this happened a week ago already. Time truly does fly when you're having fun.


Currently Reading: Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane (I'm on page 10)

Jake Gyllenhaal Is A Sexy Persian

Yes, I have been slacking in the blog department this week. Let me tell you what's been going down. Sunday night I felt my throat getting sore. Not a good sign. I can't remember how I felt Monday, but I'm pretty sure I felt tired (the story of my life). And congested. Because that's pretty much how I felt Tuesday. For some reason, I thought it was a good idea to go to Michigan to visit my grandparents on Tuesday. Mom kind of convinced me to do it, seeing as Will is no longer in school and my other brother, AJ, said he would go up with us. So that's what we did Tuesday afternoon - we made the 2 1/2 hour drive to Michigan.

Now, my grandparents spend half of the year at their place in California (this would be during the winter months) and half the year at their place in Michigan (during the summer months). When they used to live in Illinois, their place in Michigan was where they would spend their weekends and holidays during the summer. But now they just live there half the year. It's near the beach, the charming harbor town of South Haven, and is very, very small. And musty. So I'm sure the drastically different atmosphere only further aggravated my congested and phlegmy condition. I basically self-diagnosed myself with a sinus infection. Add on top of that a whopper of a headache and a bought of vomiting, and you have one great trip. Not. Will was also not feeling well, and was running a temperature on-and-off for the entire trip (Mom took him to the doctor today and it turns out he has strep throat. Woo hoo.), so he was not that pleasant to be around at times.

So we came home yesterday instead of today, because I obviously wasn't feeling well and couldn't take Will being attached to me at the hip anymore. It was also nice to get back to the air conditioning, although it was cooler weather in Michigan than it is here. And luckily my grandpa had an unused z-pack that I readily accepted. It's basically a full course of antibiotics in just 5 doses, and does wonders. I'm on my second dose today and already feel a ton better. Right now I'm just trying to recover in time to leave for Disney World (very early) Monday morning. So needless to say, I won't be making any entries next week, either.

Today I did some major laundry and packing for the trip. This evening Will and I went to go see Prince of Persia, which I really didn't have much interest in seeing, but Will really wanted to, and I figured, how bad could it be, staring at Jake Gyllenhaal for 2 hours? Not bad at all, as it turns out. It's not as magical as Pirates of the Caribbean, but it was still fun. I think movies about time travel are super-cool.

Currently Reading: The Cardturner by Louis Sachar (I'm on page 117)
Days Till Disney World: 2!

Pride And Prejudice And Zombies

Pride And Prejudice And Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
I was really excited to read this book - from the title alone, it sounded like it had a lot of potential. (Which it does.) I have admittedly never read the original Pride and Prejudice, although I do know the basic story and have seen the movie. Knowing what a classic romance story it is, the inclusion of zombies seemed to be something so random but so hilarious that it just might work. Unfortunately, Smith's execution of this seemingly brilliant idea left much to be desired.


I felt this book was, quite literally, Pride and Prejudice... and zombies. While entertaining, I felt the "zombie scenes" were sparse, and not very well-integrated at times. It's almost as if the whole zombie thing were an afterthought that was just tacked on at certain parts of the book. I was expecting Smith to take more liberties with Austen's story - take the general framework of Pride and Prejudice, but create his own, original, humorous story. Instead, it felt kind of like a cut-and-paste job; he merely spliced in original "scenes" which he wrote (or, since I've never read Austen's original novel, I suppose they could be re-imagined scenes from her original text). I think these scenes are really wonderful, and you definitely want to hear more of them, so it's kind of a shame that Smith did it the way he did. One of my favorite moments in the book is when Elizabeth is sparring with Lady Catherine's ninjas, and "[delivers] a vicious blow, penetrating [the ninja's] rib cage, and [withdraws] her hand - with the ninja's still-beating heart in it. ...Elizabeth [takes] a bite, letting the blood run down her chin and onto her sparring gown. 'Curious,' [says] Elizabeth, still chewing, 'I have tasted many a heart, but I dare say, I find the Japanese ones a bit tender'"(132). I thought this to be an incredibly funny (albeit gruesome) scene, and I really wanted to read more of it in the book.


Overall, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies definitely had its moments, I just don't think there were enough of them. However, I think the illustrations are definitely worth a look. (Two and a half stars out of four)


Currently Reading: The Cardturner by Louis Sachar (I'm on page 22)
Days Till Disney World: 5!

Being Grown Up Isn't Half As Fun As Growing Up

My little brother Will is now officially a kindergartener! I wish I were still in school sometimes. You know that great feeling at the end of the school year, when the weather's just starting to get hot, and you can feel the summer approaching? That feeling you get when you clean out your locker, say goodbye to old teachers, and sign yearbooks? I miss it. I may miss going back to school even more. Getting your class schedule, buying new supplies, taking notes... wow, I am such a nerd. Honestly, I would probably go to school for the rest of my life if I could. I just love learning. Maybe I should become a teacher. But I don't think I have the patience to be a teacher.

Currently Reading: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith (I'm on page 297)

Days Till Disney World: 9!

The Triumphant Return of the Nanny!

This week has been so long... I feel like it should be Friday. I don't think I'm going to have kids till I'm, like, thirty. I feel like I've had my fill in these past three days. One kid is exhausting enough, but two (and sometimes three) at the same time is crazy. Not to bring up Kate Gosselin again, but I don't know how she did it with sextuplets. Luckily, our nanny, Daria, came back today, so I was able to take a nap and do some wedding invitation work.

Potbelly's for dinner... oh my goodness it was so amazing. I guess I haven't had it in awhile, and therefore forgot how delicious their turkey sandwiches are. I must've sighed with satisfaction about five times throughout the meal. Is it sad that this is probably my biggest news of the day? In all honesty, I don't really care. I just haven't really been up to much lately - besides getting pumped for my trip to Disney World! I have been to Disneyland several times, but have never visited the Florida resort. I am even more excited to be going with three terrific ladies, and to disregard any common sense I may have while I'm there. Let's do this.

Currently Reading: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith (I'm on page 266)

Days Till Disney World: 10!

No Gold For The Golden Boy :(

Alas, Evan did not go home with the mirror ball trophy last night. But if he was going to lose to anyone, I'm glad it was Nicole. She was really incredible to watch, but even so, I thought it was almost too obvious that she was the one who would come out on top. Evan seemed to be more of the underdog, which only made me root for him that much more (in retrospect, I suppose what I really should've done was vote... shame on me!). And I thought he had a really good chance of winning. Personally, I thought he was going to win, and not just because he's been my pick from the beginning. Nicole is a great dancer, but she's also a Pussycat Doll, and I'm not sure what kind of following they have. Whereas Evan is an Olympic gold medalist from Naperville, making him a local hero, and building quite a following. Plus, he's hot. Nicole's hot, too, but I think more ladies watch Dancing With the Stars than men, and are therefore more likely to vote for the hot male figure skater.

But, whatever. I thought Erin, Nicole, and Evan were all really good, and deserved to be the remaining three finalists. I would've really liked it if Evan won, but Nicole was definitely a deserving champion, as much as I hate to admit it. :) The question that remains now is: What am I going to write about on Wednesdays now that it's over?


In other news, for Harry Potter fans like me, Team Starkid has been releasing some teaser photos for the upcoming A Very Potter Sequel! For those of you not yet enlightened, this is a sequel to the play A Very Potter Musical, which is a fan-made production put together by a small theater troupe at the University of Michigan. It is hilarious, even more so for fans of the series. It has some great music, and a lot of heart. About two weekends ago, Starkid performed A Very Potter Sequel at the University of Michigan, and will be showing the video recording at Infinitus, a Harry Potter convention in Orlando on July 15-18. After that, it will make its YouTube debut! July can't come fast enough!

Currently Reading: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith (I'm on page 252)
Days Till Disney World: 11!

Let's Go Evan!!

I had no idea the Dancing With the Stars Finale was on tonight!! I will of course be rooting for Evan, but will probably not watch until they announce the winner (or I may even wait till tomorrow morning to check the internet, haha!). I just can't sit still long enough. The show is 2 hours long, first of all, and then you have all the commercials and stuff... I just don't have the patience. I can't handle the suspense. That is all for now.

Currently Reading: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith (I forget what page I'm on and don't feel like looking right now)
Days Till Disney World: 12!

Can't Take The Heat.

I feel like I got very little accomplished this weekend, when I wanted to do a whole lot more. I wanted to read a lot - and possibly finish P.A.P.A.Z., but alas, did not. I wanted to work on some of my friends' wedding invitations, but again, this did not come to fruition.

Basically, I'm blaming the heat. Not only was it in the frickin' 90s this weekend, but I was also in Dekalb, at my boyfriend's apartment - which is unfortunately air conditioning-less. Now, I spent a month in Italy in an un-air conditioned apartment, but I guess I either forgot how brutal it is, or I got used to it over the course of the month that I didn't think it was that bad. But, while I was in Italy, I got up and went to class at 8 in the morning, and the school was air conditioned, so perhaps that broke up my day a bit.

This weekend, we tried our best to break up the days - we did grocery shopping Saturday afternoon and then went to see Iron Man 2 in the evening. But yesterday it was pretty much unbearable. It makes you so sleepy, and you just want to lie there, doing as little as possible. So it was much easier to just take a nap rather than do some work. We did manage to get out of the house long enough to go over to Target and buy a second fan - which did end up helping tremendously, as did spending a few minutes in an air conditioned store.

Today it was just as bad - maybe even 10 degrees worse (the car thermometer said 100 degrees!), plus I had 17-month old twins to look after (my siblings, Jenna and Joe). At 1 o'clock, when he was done with preschool, my other little brother, Will, joined us. Our nanny is on vacation, so it's me and Mom. The solution: Run lots of errands. Unfortunately it was in the sweltering heat, but at least it made the day go by a bit faster. Needless to say, I'm very tired and need to shower.

And now my left eye is constantly watering. What's up with that? At least I'm really digging this new blog layout. :)

Currently Reading: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith (I'm on page 235)

Days Till Disney World: 13!

Nuts For Neon!

Why, oh why has it taken me this long to discover the awesomeness of neons? I am hooked. I was at Walgreens with Nicole last week and they had a big Sinful Colors display called "Neon Night." Oh my goodness, it was fantastic. They had about 7 or 8 neon colors that looked especially striking against the black display stand they were sitting on. I wanted to buy them all, but settled on two - an orange and a purple. (I may have to go back and get the rest.) The think I like about Sinful Colors is, first of all, the range of colors they have, and the fact that it's an inexpensive line. Each polish is only about $1.99, which is pretty fantastic. I remember reading a tip in a magazine about neon polishes, and they recommended putting down a layer of white polish first, so then the color would really pop. So the above picture is #113, "Dream On," on top of #1, "Snow Me White." Unfortunately the photo makes "Dream On" look kind of pink, but it's actually a purple polish. I really can't believe how different it looks in the photo. I'll have to try taking a new one. Oh, well. I still recommend it.

My new neon nails inspired me to dig out a lime green eye shadow I had purchased actually quite awhile ago, I just have never tried it out for some reason. I had even more incentive to try it when I found out that Leesha had used it in a Seventeen blurb last August (how cool is it that the magazine featured her?! She was also in the March 2010 issue!). So, this is CoverGirl Eye Enhancers in Lime Alive:

FYI, this photo is a much better representation of the color. I ended up loving this shadow so much, I wore it two days in a row (it even matches perfectly with one of the greens in my NYX glitter palette!). I found that the same principle I used for my nails worked equally as well on my eyes; the color popped a lot more when applied on top of a white eye shadow primer.

I love the neons for summer - they give off a nice, fresh vibe (although I'm sure I'd personally wear them any time of the year!).

Currently Reading: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith (I'm on page 214 - I'm really behind on my reading!)
Days Till Disney World: 16!

Harajuku Lovers Sunshine Cuties - Super Kawaii!*

Ah! I am obsessed with these amazingly adorable fragrances from Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Lovers. I am a sucker for great packaging, and these five little "dolls" are gravy on top of an already great product. These are the limited edition "Sunshine Cuties," released for summer. These are the latest in a series of three sets that HL has released. All are bafflingly cute, and I definitely cannot pick a favorite set. They come in two sizes; you can get one ounce or a third of an ounce. Of the original set, which I believe premiered in 2008, I have only two, because I want to get the one ounce bottles, which retail for about $45 a pop. I have bills to pay, so my collection hasn't always taken the highest priority. :( You can see the different sizes (and the original designs for Love and Lil' Angel) here.

This past winter, HL released the special edition Snow Bunnies, which I also snatched up. Because the snow bunnies and the Sunshine Cuties are limited editions, I wanted to get all of them. Luckily, they've released adorable gift sets, where you can get all five of the girls (third-ounce bottles), complete with cute carrying case (see the inside here!) These retail for 100 bucks, which is really a good deal considering you would pay $30 each for the third-ounce bottles. So I got the Snow Bunnies for myself for Christmas, which are adorable. They are all dressed in their winter parkas and such, and have rosy cheeks. Super-cute.

Obviously, this spring HL released the special edition Sunshine Cuties, which I ordered from Sephora and got in the mail on Tuesday! They are unbelievingly charming. Each girl wears her own swimsuit (Love even has special sunglasses!), with summery flowers in their hair and a healthy tan. I personally love that their belly buttons are shaped like hearts - that is too funny. They arrive in a bright blue "beach cooler" that could potentially be used as a makeup case. Even the box that the whole thing arrives in is pretty! The other great thing about the Sunshine Cuties is that the scents are different, too! The original set and the Snow Bunnies have the same scents:

LOVE (Original)
Romantic, Sensuous Floral
Top: Pink Pomelo, Sparkling Bergamot, Bamboo Leaf Mist
Mid: Rose, Watery Peony, Egyptian Jasmine
Base: Creamy Vanilla

LOVE (Sunshine Cuites)

Fruity Floral
Top: Nectarine, Passion Fruit, Lemon Blossom
Mid: Plumeria, Osmanthus, Rose Petals
Dry: Vanilla Orchid, Coconut Water, Sensual Musks, Sandalwood

LIL' ANGEL (Original)
Tasty, Sweet, Fruity FloralTop: Pineapple, Raspberry, Cranberry, Blackberry
Mid: Candied Violet, Pear Blossom, Sugared Rose
Base: Lollipop Accord, Hinoki Wood, Crystal Amber

LIL' ANGEL (Sunshine Cuties)

Citrus Vanilla
Top: Meyer Lemon, Mandarin, Touch of Blackberry
Mid: Pink Rose, Vanilla Orchid, Tropical Sampaquita Blossom
Dry: Sugared Patchouli, Vanilla Bean, Skin Musk, Golden Amber

MUSIC (Original)
Sparkling and Juicy, Delicate Floral
Top: Sparkling Pear and Clementine
Mid: Sweetpea, Jasmine Sambac, Honeysuckle
Base: Sleek Woods, Vanilla, Skin Musk

MUSIC (Sunshine Cuites)
Sensuous Floral
Top: Juicy Pear, Granny Smith Apple, Dewy Freesia
Mid: Tiger Orchid, Jasmine Petals, Honeysuckle
Dry: Cashmere Woods, Creamy Musk, Precious Woods

BABY (Original)
Fresh, Clean, Powdery Musk
Top: White Rose, Bergamot, Freesia
Mid: Orange Flower, Tiare Flower, Jasmine Petals
Base: White Musk, Soft Woods, Vanilla, Violet

BABY (Sunshine Cuites)
Dewy Floral
Top: Crisp Mandarin, Wet Neroli, Bright Sunflower
Mid: White Poppy, Living Valencia Orangeflower, Jasmine Absolute
Dry: Soft Musk, Rich Vetiver, Creamy Birch Woods

G (Original)
Tropical, Sunny, Delicious, A Modern Gourmand
Top: Fresh Coconut, Crisp Mandarin, Apple Skin
Mid: Jasmine Sambac, Soft Freesia, Magnolia Vapor
Base: Cotton Woods, Coconut Cream, White Sandalwood

G (Sunshine Cuites)

Creamy Musk
Top: Coconut Water, Mandarin, Bergamot
Mid: White Peach, Heliotrope, Exotic Tiare Flower, Orange Flower
Dry: Vanilla Bean, Tonka, Skin Musk, Creamy Sandalwood

Of course, they all smell wonderful, and I actually wear the original scents quite a lot. The Sunshine Cuties' new summer scents are equally as delicious, though I've only tried Love and Lil' Angel so far. I am highly satisfied with both! I cannot wait to try out the rest of the scents. (I got the above descriptions from the Harajuku Lovers website.)

Overall, these are highly recommended (last year the little third-ounce bottles were my go-to birthday gift for my friends). Harajuku Lovers is totally original and sure to please!

Currently Reading: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith (I'm on page 206)
Days Till Disney World: 17!
*"Super Kawaii" is "Super Cute" in Japanese!