Document, Document, Document....

This post is coming about for a couple of reasons.

1.  Project Life:  You are documenting your life on a weekly basis.  Since I worked on a few weeks yesterday, I remember how much fun it is.  I also remember how important it is to document things as they happen.
2.  I am reading Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.  It's the story of Louis Zamperini.  It reminds me so much of my grandfather, and I am so grateful that I heard his stories of his time during the war.  I am so grateful that the man took pictures of everything.  We have so many photos of his WWII experience.  Now, it's time for me to document them and write them down.  Otherwise, they will be lost forever.  As soon as I can get a few photos, I will post them for you.

3.  My fellow blogger Nat posted about having tons of photos with no description.  That is another thing I am so grateful for.  My grandfather labeled almost every. single. photo he ever took.  It includes names and places and dates.  In the digital age, photos are no longer in boxes, but stored on the computer.  That's why, it so important to print them out and scrapbook them, or put them into a digital album using Shutterfly or other resource.  Printing them online into a photo book is very easy, and then the pictures are documented with the who, what, when, where, and why.  If you're not into scrapbooking, throw them in an album with a quick description.  If that's too much, when you print them, write on the back of the photo with the information.  My grandfather's pictures are from the 1940s and I'm sure he did not use an acid and lignin free pen, but the pictures are just fine and the information is still there.

So, in summation, document, document, document.  A picture is worth a thousand words...label those pictures with just a few of them.

Book Recommendations...It's been a while

It has been a while since I made some recommendations on here.  It's not for my lack of reading.  I just haven't posted.  I've found a few online book groups that are AWESOME.  I've been sharing my wealth of knowledge there.  Anyhow, I thought I would share a few books that really got me.  All synopsis are from Amazon.

My life was perfectly mapped out for me since before I was born. I followed it, begrudgingly, because it was expected. And then one day, everything changed. 

I woke up. 

Different. Independent. Free from all the rules that had defined my life. 

Only I have no idea how I got to where I am. I have no memory of the last two years. I don’t remember graduating college, and I certainly don’t remember Adam – the boyfriend I live with. 

He loves me. And I love him. At least that’s what everyone says. But when my memories return to me as dreams, I see a different man than the one everyone claims is perfect for me. 
He terrifies me. He makes my heart race and he makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. 

Do I want to welcome the emotional chaos that his piercing brown eyes and messy black hair causes every time I get a glimpse of him? Or should I run back to the perfectly manicured life that used to be mine? 

Loved this one!!!  Broken, broken boy.

From the acclaimed bestselling author of Lost to You and When We Collide comes a New Adult novel of one woman’s obsession: a man who’s as passionate as he is elusive—and as tempting as he is trouble…

Aleena Moore is haunted by Jared Holt. It’s been six years since she’s seen her brother’s best friend, the self-destructive bad boy she secretly loved in high school. As the years pass, she knows it’s time to move on. Time to decide between a practical nursing degree and her true dream as an artist. Time to get over Jared and give another guy a chance…

Just when she opens her heart to her friend, Gabe, Aly returns home to find Jared sleeping on her couch. The teenage boy she loved has grown into a man she can’t resist. Covered in tattoos and lost in rage, he’s begging to be saved from his demons—the memories of the day he destroyed his family. As the two reconnect, their passion is hot enough to torch Aly’s judgment. But can she risk her future for a man who lives on the edge of destruction?

Book Club Book

So as some of you may know we started up a book club on Facebook.  We have chosen to start reading

We will begin by September 1st.  If you want to join, please let me know.

A Few Book Recommendations

I've read a few books over the last few weeks.  First let me say that Heller's Decision is out!!!

J.D. Nixon is one of my favorite authors.  Of course I read the new book in a day.  I loved it!  It was very funny, and I chuckled my way through it. The first book, Heller is a free ebook.  She also has the Little Town Series.  The first book, Blood Ties is also a free ebook.  You won't be disappointed if you decide to read those two books.

The next is the Shattered Hearts Trilogy.  The three books are about a girl who dropped out of college and starts a new life in another town, where she meets Adam.  The only problem is that her high school sweetheart comes back after a year long absence...he's been on tour...he's a rock star.  The series overall is a five star read for me.  It was real, and it dealt with real and heartbreaking issues.  The first two books were 99 cents last time I checked.  So worth the read.

Private Book Club

I know some of you all read this blog for book recommendations.  I started a private group on Facebook for us.  This is a place where we can share books, author links, and discussions.  If you are interested please contact me and I will surely add you to the group. You can leave a comment or email me at mariahashbaughathotmail.com

Happy Reading!

Summer Book Recommendations

I did a lot of Summer reading this season...Now my summer is sadly over.  I thought I would share a few standouts with you.

LOVED this one!

Free Book!  It ends on Cliffhanger, but the second book is out and below.

2nd book in series...cliffhanger ending though!

2nd book in Series.  The first is The Opportunist which I loved.  I probably recommended it here already.

Conclusion to The Opportunist and Dirty Red.  Really good.

Loved this one!!

A Very Witty Book Recommendation

Sorry, everyone.  I don't usually do two posts on book in a row.  I just had to today.  I just read this book

By Penny Reid 

This book was so good!  It is one of my five star reads.  You know the kind only Colleen Hoover, K.A. Linde, and J.D. Nixon get?   This book was just so funny and witty and excellently written.  Unlike that last sentence, which was a run-on.  This book really reminded me of Heller and Blood Feud.  The characters were extremely well developed and likable.  The story was very entertaining.  I laughed out loud so many times during my read.  I read this book pretty much nonstop yesterday because I just couldn't put it down.  I did manage to do some laundry, though so don't be too upset about my lack of activity.  You won't be sorry if you purchase this book.  In fact, it's only 99cents on Amazon, right now.  The synopsis from Amazon is below.

There are three things you need to know about Janie Morris: 1) She is incapable of engaging in a conversation without volunteering TMTI (Too Much Trivial Information), especially when she is unnerved, 2) No one unnerves her more than Quinn Sullivan, and 3) She doesn't know how to knit.

After losing her boyfriend, apartment, and job in the same day, Janie Morris can't help wondering what new torment fate has in store. To her utter mortification, Quinn Sullivan- aka Sir McHotpants- witnesses it all then keeps turning up like a pair of shoes you lust after but can't afford. The last thing she expects is for Quinn- the focus of her slightly, albeit harmless, stalkerish tendencies- to make her an offer she can't refuse.

Oh, and I promise the next post I write will be something about not reading :)

Some Book Recommendations

I have to say, I have about read myself out of books.  Nothing sounds particularly interesting to me right now.  I have been reading slowly but surely rewarding my effort for cleaning out my entire house. (I read a chapter, clean...read another chapter...clean)  Yes, I said valiant.  Have you seen my house lately?  It's a wreck!  I have probably twenty loads of laundry to go.  We've been cleaning out our tent trailer...lots of blankets and sleeping bags.  I've cleaned out my closet...waist-high pile of laundry.  Plus, just our day to day laundry.  I am pleased with the work so far.  Our closet, bathroom, and bedroom have been thoroughly cleaned out.  Clutter is gone, and they look spotless.  Maybe someday, I will get a new bedroom set so my room doesn't look like some mismatched college dorm, or poor bachelor pad.  I have to say, I am in post Wyli mode.  She ruined a lot of things around here.  I am also in puppy mode.  Mazzie loves to chew.  I am waiting until she is fully potty trained and stops chewing the underside of my bed before I buy a new bedroom set.  I can see the light, people!  I can. see. the. light.  So, anyhow, back to reading.  Here are a few books I've read so far this summer that I find worthwhile to share with you.  Again, know that I read a lot of books.  I only share the ones that I like here.  The ones I think are worth your time.  Trust me, I've read some that are not so great.

Loved this one.  I actually got butterflies in my tummy for a minute.

I really, really liked this one!  The characters were GREAT!  I love Shey Stahl.  She is a sports centered writer.  Nascar, hockey, motocross...sigh.  I think I'm going to watching Hockey this upcoming season ;)

This book is HILARIOUS!  I mean you will laugh, and laugh, and laugh.  It's from a man's point of view and I found it very entertaining.  I highlighted tons of quotes from this book.  Erik was upset with me because he said the author is a man hater.  He says good men don't act this way.  The book is told from the perspective of a manwhore.  Then, he meets the girl of his dreams.  You have to read this book so good!

This is a great book!  I loved the romantic suspense, as well as the actual suspense and mystery!  Very good.  

This is the sequel to There is No Light In Darkness...I liked this one even better then the first one.  Read these two books.  You won't be sorry!

I really enjoyed this book.  It's about a fat girl, who isn't fat anymore.  Yes, she still thinks she's fat.  She is pining away for her true love so she decides to have a "practice" relationship with a player.  I really loved the writing style.  Who doesn't love books set in England?  I laughed and cried!  This was a good one.

Okay, I guess that's all for now.  I will go through my other book posts to see what other books I might be missing.

Some Book Recommendations For You

All Synopses from Amazon:

REAL

A fallen boxer.

A woman with a broken dream.

A competition…

IS HE FOR REAL?

He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting… Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life. He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong–but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents . . . But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me. I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations. If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?

I waiting for like three weeks to buy this book, because I am an idiot.  Buy the book, and read it.  It is so good.

"He was my darkness and I was his light. We couldn't exist without each other."

For me, life was simple. I went to school and studied. I spent time with my friends and stayed out of trouble. I didn't drink or swear and I only dated gentlemen. I was the typical good girl with a bright future. My world seemed perfect.

But that was about to change.

Ryder Delaney was the one imperfection in my life. He was the bad boy, the black sheep, the one your mother always warned you about. He had only one hard-and-fast rule - Don't fall in love.

But some rules were meant to be broken.

We were best friends, inseparable since childhood despite our differences. I knew the real man hiding behind the tattoos and bad attitude. He knew all my secrets and dreams. But he didn't know there was one thing I wanted and couldn't have...him.

But sometimes Fate has a way of intervening. Soon our world collapsed. War erupted. Darkness prevailed. Alone and on the run, our only goal was to survive and to ignore the feelings we had for each other. But love is powerful...

and so is the darkness.

I love this book.  The US is attacked by our enemies and loses all electricity, use of electronic devices, etc.  I loved this book.  The only downside is that it is a cliffhanger ending.  I'll be getting the second book as soon as it comes out!

I knew a boy once.
He was a boy that changed everything.
I didn’t know Parker O’Neil outside of the occasional smile and wink. The AMA Supercross racer came to our small town one winter, and I had no idea what he was capable of. How could I have known that he would change my life forever that summer?
Eventually, the occasional smile became a smile I grew to love and longed to see. The occasional wink became a gesture that made my soul sway and my heart ache. In the canyons of the desert, he showed me his lifestyle and his love.
What I didn’t see was the control he had over me. It was a power the glitz and glamor of his professional lifestyle had and eventually what tore apart any life I thought I knew.
In his world of banging bars and soaring jumps, there was no room for someone like me. But for five years, every time he called or touched me, everything changed again. It was a touch that could heal anything and a smile that could light even the darkest nights.

This story sucked me in like crazy and I knew it was going to tear me to shreds when I started it.  It was so worth it.  I loved it.  It reminded me of Erik and I in some ways.  

Spring Break Book Recommendations

Spring Break is over for me...insert sad sigh...but I thought I would share a few books incase yours isn't. Please understand, that I read ALOT, so if I recommend it, it means its worth reading.

This is book 1 in the series...It was very good.  A love story with a main character who suffers from BiPolar and Personality Disorder.  Very good...

Book 2...I liked it even better than the first.  It was great 4.5 stars and finishes up the story of Clay and Maggie.

First book in the Dark Light Series...It starts very slow.  It does.  About half/three quarters of the way it picks up.  It is still a good read.  You have to read this book, however, because #2 in the Series is AMAZING!!!

That is Book 2...It is a 5 star read!  Five stars.  I stayed up until 2 am reading this book.  In fact, Erik woke up at some point and I was all, "Shhh...I'm going to bed in a minute."  That was around 1ish in the morning.  I loved this book.  It is everything I love about romance..angsty.  I got the chills, I got butterflies.  I cried.  So good.  You have to make it through the first book to read this.  It is so worth it.  Oh, but it's a cliffhanger ending :(  I will be waiting for Book 3.

How About Some Book Recommendations?

Let me start by saying, I have a few book recommendations for you.  I am going to share my favorite so far since my last post (about books anyways) , that I think you need to read.  Also, I'm not sure what happened to Maryse's Freebie Friday.  It has not been around for the last two weeks, only bargain priced.  People have asked and so far there is no explanation.

First up is Sins and Needles...I waited for this to be bargain priced...I got it for 99 cents.  I would have gladly paid full price for this book.

I loved this book.  So full of angst.  I was always telling the main character to stop asking why are you doing this?  I loved this book.  It is a cliffhanger ending, but I loved it.  Here is the synopsis from Amazon.  

Ellie Watt is used to starting over. The daughter of a grifting team, Ellie spent her childhood being used as a pawn in her parents' latest scam. Now she’s much older, wiser and ready to give her con artist life a rest. But returning to the dry desert town of Palm Valley, California means one more temptation than she bargained for – Camden McQueen. Once known as the high school weirdo, Camden is bigger and badder than the boy he used to be and a talented tattoo artist with his own thriving business. Ellie’s counting on Camden still being in love with her but what she’s not counting on is how easily unrequited love can turn into obsession over time. When Camden discovers Ellie’s plan to con him, he makes her a deal she doesn’t dare refuse, but her freedom comes with a price and it’s one that takes both Ellie and Camden down a dangerous road.

And next was the prequel Novella that came out...On Every Street.  I'm not a novella reader. I hate short little stories.  Give me a good, long book any day.  I just had to read it, though, after reading Sins and Needles.  It is the story of Ellie and Javier....before Ellie and Camden.  I actually, thought the length of this book was just right!

When young con artist Ellie Watt decides to call herself Eden White and go after the drug lord who ruined her as a child, she never expects to fall for one of his henchmen. But Javier Bernal is no ordinary man. Subtly dangerous and overwhelmingly seductive, Eden finds herself passionately in love with Javier, the very person she's set-up to betray. With her body and heart in a heated battle against her deep need for revenge, no one will walk away from this con a winner.

This 50K word (100+ pages) novella takes place six years before Sins & Needles (book #1 of The Artists Trilogy) and tells the story of Ellie and Javier’s passionate yet torrid affair. It can be read before or after Sins & Needles.
You do not need to have read Sins & Needles to enjoy this book and can be read as a standalone.

The third book in the Thoughtless Series.  You have got to read these books.  They are so GOOD!  I'm sure I've mentioned Thoughtless and Effortless before.  A nice ending to a good love story.

This is the first book in the Elemental Series.  There are four.  Oh, did I mention the Kindle Edition was free at this time?  The entire series is out now so you don't have to worry about cliffhanger endings.  I loved these books.  Romance, Vampires, and Mystery.  These books had a very Divinci Code to them.  I loved them.  Here is the synopsis for the first book from Amazon. 

No secret stays hidden forever.

   A phone call from an old friend sets mysterious book researcher Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mystery that has eluded him for centuries.  Little does he suspect a young librarian holds the key to an ancient secret, nor could he expect the danger Beatrice De Novo would attract.  

   Now both will follow a twisted maze leading from the archives of a university library, through the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a passion that could destroy them both.

So, there you go.  Hope you enjoy!

Living a Life of Glamour...and a Book Recommendation

Maddie's idea of organizing the cubbies in the living room.

I am living the glamourous life.  That's right, except instead of going to elegant parties and wearing fancy clothes, I'm awakened at 3:00 a.m. to cat vomit.  That's right.  The cat vomited on Wolfie's pillow at three a.m. and he smelled like cat vomit.  I went to go take care of the mess and crawled back into bed and almost threw up on Wolfie, because he smelled.  I made him shower.  He kept turning all the lights on and woke the entire house up.  Then I laid back down on my pillow and almost threw up again because it smelled like cat vomit.  

If that ain't glamourous, I don't know what is.

I also wanted to let you know that Heart Song has been released.

It is the sequel to 

It wraps up the story.  There will also be a new book released featuring Violet's mom and dad and their love story.  That should be interesting.  I can't say much because if I do, I will spoil Phoenix Rockstar for you, if you haven't read it.

Two Must Reads

This book was so well written.  I read this book with a lump in my throat for over half of the book.  My synopsis...Emmy, the main character, falls in love with two men at the same time.  The love triangle tears her apart at the seams.  It is so good.

Here is Amazon's synopsis:

Emmy thinks her boss Kyle Sterling of Sterling Corporations is a dick.
So, she sleeps with him.

Emmy tries to put the mistake behind her, but then finds herself snowed in with Kyle. As the snow builds, so does the heat in the house between the two. The problem is that Kyle has a steady girlfriend that he is unwilling to break up with. Emmy cuts Kyle off and starts dating Luke. Even as their relationship takes off, Emmy is finding Kyle hard to shake. He is blatant in his feelings and desires for Emmy, putting her in an awkward situation. She tries hard to resist Kyle, but deep down inside Emmy's motives are shady. When Emmy succumbs to her hidden feelings for Kyle without setting Luke free, devastating consequences ensue.

In addition to her two men, Emmy daydreams about doing violent things to her loud mouthed, opinionated mother.

With drama, romance, some humor, and plenty of alcohol, follow Emmy as she deals with the consequences of "accidentally on purpose" falling for two men at once. 

This book pissed me off!  I don't mean because it ends in a cliffhanger.  I was fully warned of that going in.  It's because the characters made me really upset.  This is such a good story.  It is full of flawed characters, all with their own secrets.  Such a good story.  After reading this book, I stewed about it for days.  I was just so mad.  I think the next book comes out in March and I am awaiting it's electronic download.

Amazon's synopsis:

This book is Erotica. It is crazy, beautiful, drama filled and in parts morally incorrect. IT DOES HAVE A CLIFFHANGER ENDING, but I assure you the series will end in HEA. It does contain bikers and rockstars, so therefore a different lifestyle, so please if this isn't your thing, don't purchase it. You have been warned - ENJOY!!

Violet has been raised in a world with bikers, rough men and separated parents. The only savior in her world, was her love for Travis, her best friend. They grew up together, creating a hopeless friendship against all odds. Then he left, with no goodbye, no explanation.

Travis went on and became a successful rockstar, Violet moved on and thought she was finally over it. Then Travis returns and tugs on her heart strings all over again. She finds it hard to say no, she is different now...she isn't the girl he once adored; dark things have happened to her. What if she isn't what he believes he wants so badly?

Come on Travis and Violet's journey of love, heartache and all the things in between.

****

I would also like to add that I downloaded these books for Free.  I find the freebies on Maryse's Book Blog.  I don't believe they are free now, but Accidentally on Purpose is 99 cents.  Who can't afford that?  Enjoy your day.  I've been home with sickies for 4 days this last week.  Thank goodness for three day weekends, however!

Book Recommendations

Hi kids!  I have no actual things to post, but I still wanted to post. That makes no sense.  Anyhow, I thought I would give you a few book recs for happy reading.

Rule by Jay Crownover
Thorough Breeds and Trailer Trash by Bev Pettresen
The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden
Tidal by Emily Snow
Cleaning House by Kay Willis Wyma
Tall, Dark & Handsome by R.L. Mathewson
The Opportunist
Three Girls and a Baby by Rachel Schurig
Back to You
Leopard Moon by Jeanette Battista

I'm sure there are more.  I am on a time limit!

No New Years Resolutions...And a VERY Useful Book Reccomendation

So  this year I have no resolutions.  I just don't.  My plan is to live by my one little word; BALANCE.  Living by this word didn't start as of January 1...as many of you know I started about a week ago.  I've been reflecting on a lot of things, talking with Erik.  We are really examining our life and our goals.

Enter this new book I'm reading...

If you are an overwhelmed mom who thinks your home could use more help from the kiddos, this book is for you.  I heard about it from The Coffee Shop Blog.  Her post really spoke to me and made so. much. sense.  For some reason, I've felt like I needed to do everything around here....control issues anyone?  Anyhow, I've realized that I can't do it alone.  It only makes me upset, angry, and overwhelmed.  It just became so much easier to do things myself than argue with the kids to do it, or listen to their fighting about who got what out.

I also really think it leads to a future of entitlement.  If we think our kids deserve everything in the world and provide everything for them, then they expect that.  Then guess what, surprise...you're an adult and you don't get everything you want.  I think that's why we as Americans live out of budget, buy things to compete with everyone else.  I have always told my children that hard work pays off; that you have to work hard to get the things in life that you want.  I just don't think I've actually showed them how to be accountable and to appreciate things.  

Here are some of the quotes from the book that really made sense to me.

"Kids must do for the world and family; they must give to the world and family."

"TR (Theodore Roosevelt) would climb out of his grave, metaphorical big stick in hand and all thoughts of speaking softly abandoned, if he knew what we have done to this country that he and so many other determined leaders worked diligently to shape."

"When I catch myself muttering under my breath, "I told them to pick this up" and then proceeding not only to pick up pajamas, towels, and shoes but also to organize their closet while I am it, I'm solidifying my children's expectation that someone will always be around to do their work for them."

"I believe in you, and I'm going to prove it by putting you to work"

There are so many more quotes.  I'll let you read them for yourselves.  Really good book, and really enlightening.  I am so using the jar idea.

Have a good day!

Hopeless...a few words.

So, let me just get it all out there.  Let me just tell the truth.  The fact of the matter is that I have felt so lost this last year or two.  I haven't scrapbooked.  I haven't done the things I've wanted to do.  And I really think, if you go back and read my posts on this blog there were hints to this.  Little hints that some part of me was no longer there.  Because it wasn't.  I was lost.  Lost in something.  What it was, I don't know.  I wasn't sad, per say.  I just felt off.  I let things overwhelm me.  I let things slip by.  I let things go...and I let myself go.  And I don't mean I gained like 50 lbs.  I just mean, I may have forgotten who I was.  Then, I got to the point where I couldn't take anymore.  I wanted to be me again.  That crazy girl...the funny one...the serious one...the fashionable one...the one who didn't ever give up.  I wanted that girl.  I missed her.  I really missed her.  And so two weeks ago, I bought a journal.  Because I needed one.  I NEEDED to have this one little place to myself.  I wanted to share it on my blog, I did.  I just couldn't summon the energy to do it.  And when I bought that journal, I felt the first layer crack.  I felt it slip away.  I hugged my journal...and I loved it.  Erik may/maynot have thought I was insane.  And then I also had to let go of my dream.  I cried for my dream.  I mean I laid on the floor of the closet and sobbed.  I cried for all I wished for.  It had to slip away.  And that dream was moving home.  Raising my boys at home.  HOME...a small little town that I love.  But I had to let it go.  The things I envisioned for my life, I had to realize were over.  You see, my husband was perfection at his job.  He represented everything for me.  Everything, I couldn't physically be.  I can't work on a jobsite.  I'm not strong enough.  It just couldn't happen.  I grew up on a jobsite.  And I learned so many, many things.  But you see, my husband represented ME.  He lived my dream.  He lived it for 10 years.  And he did it without complaint.  He went to work everyday and he gave his best.  But his best was NEVER good enough.  It was never, never good enough.  There is this thing called control...and I understand control because I love control.  I do.  It is what I need.  I thrive on it.  But I had to let it go.  And this past year has been about me fighting for control.  Guess what?  Control means nothing.  It means absolutely nothing if it comes at the cost of everything.  The way I always envisioned my life is over.  It's gone.  We aren't going to move home.  We aren't going to be a part of the most important thing I've ever been part of.  It's done.  And it burns all the way down to my soul.  It does.  I just cannot change things, because I don't have that kind of control.  It's really hard to write this, because it's always hard to give up on your dreams.  It's so hard to let them go, when it's all you wished for.  And I know this sounds so crazy, but I finished reading Hopeless (by Colleen Hooover) today.  And every last thing clicked into place.  The last layer was broken.  And I felt this freedom in my stomach.  This huge relief.  I haven't felt it in so long.  I actually felt the knot in my stomach loosen.  The story was everything I needed.  It was poignant.  It was perfect.  I was breathless, because there were so many words in it that made sense to me.  That struck home.

And so today, I scrapbooked.  It felt so good.  Then I ordered pictures for my Project Life Album.  And they're going to be printed.  And I'm going to finish it.  For this next year, I came up with one little word (Thanks Ali Edwards...her one little word project rang in my head loudly).  The word is BALANCE.  Balance, and because I didn't want to procrastinate until 2013, I started trying to figure out things.  I want my life back in balance.  I want it all to make sense.  I don't want to be overwhelmed anymore.  I want to be that ferocious, passionate girl I've always been.  And I'm going to find her.  I know I am.  And I know that everything is going to balance out.  It's going to work out.  And, God, you guys...I am so back.  I am so back.  And it feels so good to say this.  You don't know what this means.  Thank you all for riding along.  For sharing in my moments.  Thank you so much...but just know I'm back!  I AM BACK!

Another Must Read...Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

I just finished this book.  Just now.  This book is breathtaking.  Absolutely breathtaking.  You must read this book.  Here is the synopsis from Amazon.

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies...

That's what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she's never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he's nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn't at all who he's been claiming to be. When the secrets he's been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky's life will change forever.

There is so much more to this book than the synopsis.  It was life altering for me.  Here is a quote from the book that I will keep with me forever:  (Hope I don't get arrested for posting it :))

"The things that knock you down in life are tests, forcing you to make a choice between giving in and remaining on the ground or wiping the dirt off and standing up even taller than you did before you were knocked down.  I'm choosing to stand up taller.  I'll probably get knocked down a few more times before this life is through with me, but I can guarantee you I'll never stay on the ground."

Go read this book.  You won't be sorry you did.

Book Recommendation...Life of Pi

This book was amazing.  It started off very, very slowly which is why it took me so long to finally finish.  Part 1 of the book tells about Pi's early life, and how he became Catholic, Muslim, and Hindu.  Part 2 of the book is the story of his struggle to survive after the ship he is on sinks in the Pacific Ocean.  He must struggle to live while he shares a boat with a Bengal Tiger.  Part 3 is extremely short and consists of an interview with the Japanese company who owned the ship.  This book had a huge message, a huge huge message.  I cried at the end of the book.  It's not sad, but because of the realization of what I wished to believe.  Read this book.  It's going on my Must Read list.  It's a book that will make you a better more enlightened person.  

On a side note...My friend, Charlcee, made me read this book so we could go watch the movie.  I'm not sure I want to see the movie.  I think the movie will take away from the central message of the story.  I don't know if I want to see that happen.  Anyhow, hope all is well in your corner of the world.  I'm a busy girl here trying to get photos edited and get over my sick spell.  I blame Erik for sharing his germs.  Have a great evening.