St. Martin's Griffin: The Weight of Feathers Blog Tour!

The Weight of Feathers, by Anna-Marie McLemore

St. Martin’s Griffin

On Sale: September 15, 2015

Hardcover: 978-1-250-05865-2/ $18.99 USD

eBook: 978-1-466-87323-0 / $9.99 USD

About the Book:

"For twenty years, the Palomas and the Corbeaus have been rivals and enemies, locked in an escalating feud for over a generation. Both families make their living as traveling performers in competing shows—the Palomas swimming in mermaid exhibitions, the Corbeaus, former tightrope walkers, performing in the tallest trees they can find. 

Lace Paloma may be new to her family’s show, but she knows as well as anyone that the Corbeaus are pure magia negra, black magic from the devil himself. Simply touching one could mean death, and she's been taught from birth to keep away. But when disaster strikes the small town where both families are performing, it’s a Corbeau boy, Cluck, who saves Lace’s life. And his touch immerses her in the world of the Corbeaus, where falling for him could turn his own family against him, and one misstep can be just as dangerous on the ground as it is in the trees. "

My Review of The Weight of Feathers!

About The Author:

Anna-Marie McLemore was born in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and grew up in a Mexican-American family. She attended University of Southern California on a Trustee Scholarship. A Lambda Literary Fellow, she has had work featured by the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West, CRATE Literary Magazine's cratelit, Camera Obscura's Bridge the Gap Series, and The Portland Review.  The Weight of Feathers is her first novel.

Author's Links:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

What inspired you to become a writer? And what inspired you to write a story about traveling performers?

My family, and the cultures I grew up with, first inspired me to write stories. And it was actually a family member who gave me the first inspiration for THE WEIGHT OF FEATHERS. Years ago, my father told me about a mermaid show he’d seen when he was in his twenties. Ever since I’ve wanted to write a story about performing mermaids, but it wasn’t until a photographer friend had me out in the woods while wearing a set of wire and cloth wings that the idea for the book came to me. Women swimming in mermaid tails, and winged tree performers. The story grew from those two images coming together.


I'm absolutely afraid of heights, and would never walk a tight rope, if the opportunity surfaced, would you?

You and me both! But if the opportunity surfaced, and there was someone experienced to teach me, I’m not sure I could pass it up!


I love the title, The Weight of Feathers, how did you come up with it?

I actually didn’t! My wonderful agent came up with it, inspired by a phrase in the book.


If you could become a performer in this traveling show, what do you want to do?

I’d love to be a mermaid! I love being in water, and I’ve pretty much wanted to be a mermaid since I was three. Though I was young enough that I don’t remember learning, my father tells me about how quickly I took to swimming.

Thank you so much for having me!

Giveaway:

This giveaway is only for residents of US & Canada!

And the book will be shipped to you by the publisher, St. Martin's Griffin!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

IndieBound

Kobo

iBooks

Google Play

Books-A-Million

The Offering, by Kimberly Derting

The Offering by Kimberly Derting

(The Pledge #3)

Release Date: 12/31/13.

"True love—and world war—is at stake in the conclusion to The Pledge trilogy, a dark and romantic blend of dystopia and fantasy.

Charlie, otherwise known as Queen Charlaina of Ludania, has become comfortable as a leader and a ruler. She’s done admirable work to restore Ludania’s broken communications systems with other Queendoms, and she’s mastered the art of ignoring Sabara, the evil former queen whose Essence is alive within Charlie. Or so she thinks.

When the negotiation of a peace agreement with the Queendom of Astonia goes awry, Charlie receives a brutal message that threatens Ludania, and it seems her only option is to sacrifice herself in exchange for Ludanian freedom.

But things aren’t always as they seem. Charlie is walking into a trap—one set by Sabara, who is determined to reclaim the Queendoms at any cost."

The Offering is the third and final book in The Pledge trilogy! And I will say this over and over again, I love Kimberly Derting's writing, characters and stories! If you haven't read anything from her yet, you definitely should, because you're missing out.

After reviewing, both in verbal terms and in writing, The Pledge and The Essence, I'm starting to feel like I'm repeating myself a lot. I don't want to give too much information away from the previous books, and everything I can say, I feel like I already have.

The Pledge Review

The Essence Review

Instead of giving you all a little bit of background information, I'm just going straight to the meat and potatoes, to tell you what I think about the final segment in this trilogy!

I can easily say I'm in love. I started this trilogy curious about the main character, Charlie and her ability to speak so many languages. Also, I really wanted to see what kind of society she lived in, and what conditions she had to live with. But this trilogy gave me so much more than that.

It gave me a strong and brave female leading character, that doesn't exactly know what she's doing, but she knows exactly what she wants for her Queendom and people. She was quickly thrown into the royal throne, and Charlie basically rolls with the punches!

It also gave me, three fantastic endings, one explosive, one that kept me on the edge of my seat, and one that wasn't "happily ever after", but more than I could have ever hoped for. 

I couldn't get enough.

But after reading the entire trilogy, there are still a few questions I have that have been left unanswered.

1. Now that the society isn't divided by language or class, what other powers does Charlie have? Is that it?

2. What about Charlie's little sister? Will she use her powers to heal other people besides her family?

Overall, I enjoyed The Pledge trilogy, and can't wait to see what else Kimberly Derting has in store for her fans! Have you read this trilogy yet? What did you think?

Candles I'm Currently Burning!

Fall is "officially" upon us on in four days, meaning Wednesday September 23 is the first day of autumn.

Unlike the calendar, fall starts for me once the Pumpkin Spice Latte hits every Starbucks in my 50 mile radius, when the leaves start to change colors, and once it cools down enough to start burning candles!

After coming home from a long day at work or school, and driving in cold rain, there is nothing better than laying back and relaxing. All I want to do is get into comfy pajamas, warm blankets, light some candles and spend the night reading a good book...doesn't that sound...magical?

I love candles, and I'm sure I share this interest (addiction?) with some of you! So I decided it would be fun to show you all, which candles I'm currently in the middle of burning.

The first candle I'm burning is from a brand named "Living Colors", which I purchased for only $2.50 at Big Lots. I haven't purchased or even heard of this brand before, but they were cheap and smelled amazing! The scent I'm burning is "Cinnamon and Clove".

 

The second candle I'm burning is "Spiced Pumpkin Cider" from Bath and Body Works. I picked up this candle and five more, last year during their "3-wick candle for only $8" sale! I love Bath and Body Works candles especially when I can pick them up for an amazing deal! The only issue with this specific candle is that every time I light it, the wicks start popping small bits of black coal...right onto my white tables...

If you know how to solve this issue, please let me know! Cleaning off the black coal, on my white table is pretty hard!

 

The final candle I'm in the middle of burning is "Pumpkin Gingerbread', again from Bath and Body Works! This candle is VERY strong. It's a candle you can burn on one side of the house, but can smell it on the other side, or even upstairs. This candle doesn't hold back...It's one of my favorite candles, because of that! You only need one candle to make the entire house smell like gingerbread and baking!

 

Those are the three candles I'm in the middle of burning right now, and am looking for some different suggestions! If you have any favorite candles, or any good suggestions please leave them down below! They don't have to be from Bath and Body Works, as long as they smell good, it doesn't matter to me where they're from!

What Am I Currently Reading?

To All The Boys I've Loved Before, by Jenny Han.

Released Date: 4/15/14.

"To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all."

I fell in love with Jenny Han's writing in her older trilogy, "The Summer I Turned Pretty". I adored her characters, I admired her stories and overall, Jenny Han quickly became one of my favorite authors!

I attempted to read her "Burn for Burn" trilogy, but just couldn't get into the first book. I decided to put it down, because I honestly enjoyed her writing too much in "The Summer I Turned Pretty" and didn't want to ruin that through "Burn for Burn".

When "To All The Boys I Love Before" was released I knew I had to get my hands on a copy! Obviously it's been a while since this book first hit the stores, but better late than never, right?

I started reading around midnight last night, and am three chapters into it. I don't really have an opinion just yet, but I can already sense, that I might not like Lara Jean's older sister. She seems heartless, and cold. 

I'm excited to crawl into bed tonight, light a few candles, and continue reading! I don't know too much about this story, besides what I read in the first few chapters, and that my best friend really enjoyed it...which means a lot because she hates contemporary romance!

Have you read "To All The Boys I've Loved Before"? Let me know what you think in the comments, just no spoilers!

The Weight of Feathers, by Anna-Marie McLemore

The Weight of Feather, by Anna-Marie McLemore

Release Date: 9/15/15

"For twenty years, the Palomas and the Corbeaus have been rivals and enemies, locked in an escalating feud for over a generation. Both families make their living as traveling performers in competing shows—the Palomas swimming in mermaid exhibitions, the Corbeaus, former tightrope walkers, performing in the tallest trees they can find. 

Lace Paloma may be new to her family’s show, but she knows as well as anyone that the Corbeaus are pure magia negra, black magic from the devil himself. Simply touching one could mean death, and she's been taught from birth to keep away. But when disaster strikes the small town where both families are performing, it’s a Corbeau boy, Cluck, who saves Lace’s life. And his touch immerses her in the world of the Corbeaus, where falling for him could turn his own family against him, and one misstep can be just as dangerous on the ground as it is in the trees. "

The Weight of Feathers is a very different and unusual take on Romeo and Juliet! Instead of taking place in the 1300's, this story takes place in modern time, following two star-crossed lovers, who each travel and perform in their feuding families businesses.

While Lace performs with her cousins, as colorful mermaids, Cluck invents and builds costumes for his family's performers. 

Their families have been feuding for twenty or so years; each blaming the other for various occurrences, and spreading rumors. No one truly knows what started this rivalry so many years ago, but each families members know better that to interact with the other. 

After Lace is stuck in not only a nylon net, that is tangled in the lake from their performance, but also an acid rain storm that is causing her skin to burn, she is saved by Cluck. While she is still conscious, Lace sees one of his black feather, with a hint of red fall on top of her, and she knows, right then, who he is. 

Since she was young, she's been told what these feathers mean, and what black magic hides behind them. She also knows that whatever they land on, or touch, is cursed with that very same black magic...

After waking up in a hospital bed, and finally making her way home, Lace knows that she needs to apologize to Cluck, thank him, and then figure out a way for him to get rid of the feather marking he left behind on her. If anyone in her family sees this feather traced onto her skin, she knows they will force her to leave.

Overall, I truly enjoyed the book, I mean...I did read the entire thing in a day!

I do have to say, that I was a bit worried The Weight of Feathers would be too similar to Romeo and Juliet, and follow the same basic outline. But after only a few chapters, I quickly began to realize that this wouldn't be an issue. 

These two families aren't just any traveling performers; while the Corbeaus grow black feathers out their hair, the Palomas each have a marking on their skin. I simply assumed that these families would walk tight ropes, and perform circus acts, but BOY was I wrong! Also the connection between the two families, and what truly caused this entire feud, was not only totally unexpected, but also amazing!

I honestly can't say there was ever a dull moment in this book. Every page and every chapter included new information about the two rivaling families, and new scenes from Cluck and Lace. What I also really enjoyed was that Cluck and Lace never turned one another, they stayed true to who they are, and what they believed and felt. They didn't let some old stories, and their family members get in their way. 

I enjoyed The Weight of Feather, very much! I do wish, however, that Cluck would have knocked one over Dax a LONG time ago, instead of just taking his beatings. But I was also very proud of him when he actually did!

If The Weight of Feathers isn't on your TBR list, it should be! This story is the perfect modern spin on Romeo and Juliet! 

The Essence, by Kimberly Derting

The Essence, by Kimberly Derting.

Released January 1, 2013.

"At the luminous conclusion of The Pledge, Charlaina defeated the tyrant Sabara and took her place as Queen of Ludania. But Charlie knows that Sabara has not disappeared: The evil queen’s Essence is fused to Charlie’s psyche, ready to arise at the first sign of weakness.

Charlie is not weak, but she’s being pushed to the brink. In addition to suppressing the ever-present influence of Sabara, she’s busy being queen—and battling a growing resistance determined to return Ludania to its discriminatory caste system. Charlie wants to be the same girl Max loves, who Brook trusts, but she’s Your Majesty now, and she feels torn in two.

As Charlie journeys to an annual summit to meet with leaders of nearby Queendoms—an event where her ability to understand all languages will be the utmost asset—she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. And the only person she can turn to for help is the evil soul residing within."

If you've followed me through this blog for a while, you know how big of a fan I am of Kimberly Derting and her stories! I love them and I just can't get enough! The Essence is the second installment in The Pledge trilogy, and after enjoying the first book as much as I did, I had not other option but to pick it up. 

(If you want to read my review of The Pledge, click HERE.)

The Essence takes place just a while after The Pledge ends. Charlie is now Queen, and in charge of an entire Queendom. She has a lot of things she want to change, and new laws she wants to instill, but that isn't as easy as it sounds, even though she is the Queen. There are rebels going against her, who want things to go back to the way they were, and who are willing and ready to fight.

Besides dealing with these rebellions, all of the laws Charlie wants to create, the child slave camps she wants to get rid of, and actually learning how to be a Queen, she is also dealing with something....or rather someone else.

This someone else is the previous Queen and tyrant Sabara, who's soul is residing within Charlie. Charlie can hear all of her thoughts, can understand her talking, and can even feel some of her powers. The same powers Sabara used to hurt and kill her very own people.

Charlie has a lot of lost time to make up when it comes to her Queendom; people are divided, children are enslaved, people are falsely imprisoned, the society as a whole is very far behind in technology and production. 

Charlie has a lot on her plate, a lot of people depending on her, and she knows she can't do it alone. So when she's invited to a conference with a handful of Queens from local Queendoms Charlie decides to attend, in the hopes of finding allies, who are willing to trade.

One of her biggest goals was to open schools, and allow any children to attend any school, to learn any trait. Charlie wants them to have the freedom of choosing their own career, instead of being stuck doing the same thing their parents did. When she finally has the opportunity to make this dream become reality, Charlie is there to see it all happen, to make a speech, to watch the children walk into the school building for the first time...and later the rebellion that wants to shatter her dream.

The school is bombed, before the first day of school is completed. The building is ruined, and children are seriously injured and killed. After this attack, family and friends are advising Charlie to stay within the castle, but she is more determined than ever, to go to this conference, find allies, and make big and better changes for her Queendom.

Overall, I would consider The Essence a stepping stone into the third book. 

"Yes! Obviously Lisa, its the second book!" 

I know, I know. But The Essence wasn't as exciting, or as shocking, and didn't completely keep me on the edge of my seat the whole time.  It was a stepping stone I enjoyed and felt was needed. We, as the readers, needed to see Charlie take her place on the throne, and we also needed to see that doing so, wasn't easy. 

And that cliffhanger at the end?! Like what?! That perfectly led us up to the third and final book!

Just like The Pledge, I loved The Essence. The entire idea of a nation being run strictly by a first born girl in the royal line, who has superhuman powers, is intriguing. Then we also aren't overwhelmed by romance, and the entire story isn't outshined by a relationship, which I can honestly say was the best part! Yes, there was a little here and there, but for more than 85% of the book it was on the back burner and I loved it!

If you haven't started this trilogy yet, you need to! It's amazing!

DNF Pile vs. A Book Review

In my vlog from yesterday, I stumbled on the topic of writing a review, or in my case, not writing a review, for a book I didn't finish reading.

And because I uploaded a vlog today, I decided today's discussion post, is going to be based of off this idea.

I recently attempted reading Forbidden, by Tabitha Suzuma, and that attempt utterly failed. The subject of the story was what pulled me in, but the execution is what pushed me away. The story and it's characters, as well as the way certain situations played out, didn't hold my attention nor did it meet the high expectations I had for this book.

I decided to stop reading, because not only did I not enjoy it, but it was also causing me to go into a reading slump. To avoid that from happening, I decided to officially put it down, and start on something else.

Originally, I wasn't going to do anything more with this book. I don't write reviews on books that I didn't completely finish. I was just going to lay it aside and continue with something else. But doing so, I felt like I wasn't being fair to my blog, and to my followers. I want this blog to be a place for all of us to share our opinions, and our passions. Including the good and the not so good.

It wouldn't be fair if all I did was write good book reviews, nor would it be fair to write a review on a book I didn't bother finishing, especially half way through. It was my decision to stop reading it, with 200 pages still to go, and I will never find out what happens in those 200 pages. I'm okay with that, because I've decided that I can move on, and live without knowing what happens. But just because I decided that those couple pages weren't worth my time, it doesn't mean I should rate this book based purely on the first hundred or so pages.

I don't know what happens in those last 200 pages, so I don't have the right to judge this book and write a review.

On the other hand, I do have the right to explain myself, and my reasoning as to why I stopped reading it. I may not have the proper backing to write a review, but I do have enough to convey my thought process, when I made the decision to lay down this book.

I've made the decision from here on out, that when I don't complete a book, and lay it in my DNF pile, that I would still write a blog post about, but simply not a review. I also won't be rating it on Goodreads, simply because of the same reasons. I still want my followers to know what I thought about the book, but I also want to make the point that I didn't finish the story, and those thoughts are based on what I did read.

What do you think about this topic? Do you write "reviews" on books you didn't finished?

Clothing Haul Part 1!

So if you checked out my last post, Clothing Haul Part 2, then you already know that I accidentally edited and upload part 2 before I realized what I was doing. I'm here today, to give you part 1, and I'm excited to show you all of the amazing things I found for amazing prices!

With the seasons changing, the crazy storm that cause a huge power outage, and school starting back up again, I decided it was time to do some shopping. Everyone knows the best times of year to do clearance shopping is when seasons change, and when school starts up!

So I went, I fought and I conquered!

I went to various stores including Khols, Sears, Nike Outlet and Target! Each of these stores had sales going on, so I couldn't resist!

Head's Up: Not all of the items shown in the video above, are displayed in the images below! I get way too excited and want to wear everything right away, so some things are already in the laundry!

This Dana Duchman bag stuck out to me right away, I love it's smooth and elegant look, but also it's practicality. Also one of the things that caught my attention was it's size. I love tote bags, but always find myself struggling with their large size. This Dana Buchman bag is perfect for anyone looking for a tote, that isn't massive!

I found a link on Khols.com if you're interested!

I purchased this second bag with the idea that I would carry my laptop to school in this bag! I couldn't find any bright and fun laptop cases, so decided to go with a stylish bag! This one is from Sears, but I sadly couldn't find it online!

The maroon 3/4 length sleeve sweater was a find from Sears, for only $10.00. I've already worn and washed it, and couldn't be any happier about it! The salmon colored shirt in the middle, is also from Sears, and was also $10.00. The orange hoodie on the right is one of the two purchases I made from the Nike Outlet. I love it's bright and vibrant color!

Sadly I already wore two of the five amazing Target clearance items I purchased, but here are the other three. This extremely cute and sheer kimono, and these thinly knitted, half sleeve, cardigans! I won't be able to get much use from the kimono this year, but these cardigans will come handy!

Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out my blog! I hope you enjoyed and I hope I inspired you to dig through all of your clearance sections! Leave a link down below if you've recently found some gems for awesome prices!

Clothing Haul Part 2?!

Okay, I have some explaining to do...I know this is part two, and you're probably curious as to where part one is...well..I haven't edited or uploaded it yet. I spent an hour uploading this video, another editing, and another hour uploading it to Youtube...before I even realized it wasn't part one.

So today were going with part two first, and part one will be up tomorrow!

Also, I know I went crazy on the clearance rack and with the sales, but it's the beginning of school, and everything was just so cheap, I couldn't resist.

Head's Up: Not all of the clothing items mentioned in the video above are shown in the pictures below...simply because I was too excited and already started wearing them!

This is the Dana Buchman purse I searched for, after buying it in a military green color! I love this bag, and all it's simple, but still professional look.

LINK To This Bag On Kohls.com

I picked up the blue/grey long cardigan on the left from Khols (they are having amazing sales right now for back to school). I bought the green long sleeve sweater, when I randomly stumbled into a clothing store known as Loft. And the maroon kimono hanging on the right side of this picture was a $6.00 find at my local Rue21!

The brown and cream colored vest, are $17.00 finds at my local Costco, be sure to check there for amazing deals on fall and winter coats! And the jeans vest was another amazing find at my local Rue21 for only $10.00.

This picture is full of random things I picked up, including boot cuffs from Target, that were each $5.00, here's a link to find these! There are also some amazing finds from Macys; the salmon colored shirt and the shorts. The plain t-shirts are from Papaya for only $3.99, here's a link! And finally I also picked up a pair of leggings, with a zipper detail from Khols!

And finally I picked up some new shoes for school, including a pair of red converse, a white pair of keds, and these CUTE ankle booties! I found the ankle booties online at Sears.com, here's the link if you're interested!

Thank you so much for stopping by! Are you picking up some awesome deals for back to school and the upcoming fall season?!

DNF: Forbidden, by Tabitha Suzuma

Over the last few months I've learned that some things just aren't worth the time, stress and struggle. Those things include books that just don't catch your attention, or hold it for very long. The feeling of not finishing a book, that you not only paid for, but also expected so much from, truly sucks. But wasting your time on it, sucks so much harder.

Also, I've learned that if I try to force myself through the entire book, I end up not reading it, or anything else for that matter, and get into a mini reading slump.

So instead of writing a review of Forbidden, by Tabitha Suzuma, I've decided to explain why I stopped reading it.

Forbidden was a book that I had heard a lot about, and that some people in the reading world seemed to enjoy. For a few months I considered purchasing it, but was always distracted by a different book, and chose that one instead. But just a few weeks ago I was lucky enough to find a used copy, and picked it up.

If you don't know what this story is about, in general terms, it revolves around a older brother and younger sister who fall in love. They live a hard life, with a mother who doesn't seem to care about her five children, and would much rather go out, drink, and spend time with her boyfriend. Not only do they both attend high school, but they are also the parents to their three younger siblings, and sometimes their drunk mother as well.

I love stories that are different. I love stories about things I don't understand, and have never experienced. I love seeing life, love and experiences through different perspectives. Which are all reasons as to why I picked up this book.

With such an amazing story line, and so many people seeming to enjoy it, I was excited to finally get started.

After only a few pages, I quickly realized that this book wasn't as fast paced as I expected it to be. I understand the need for reason to explain background information and cluing in the reader, when it comes to this type of story, but still, it was very slow.

The book is a total of 440 pages, and we don't see too much romance or feelings until about page 180. I understand that the author wants to set up their entire life, and make the reader see what these two have to deal and live with...but getting through 180 pages of it, is tough.

The second thing, I also noticed right away, was the way Lochan and Maya spoke. Lochan is a senior in high school, who is more on the shy side, while Maya is a junior (I believe) and a little bit more outgoing. They are teenagers, they shouldn't be speaking formally. AND they are brother and sister, as well as close friends, you wouldn't expect them to speak to each other like adults at a business meeting.

These two teenagers seemed more like puppets, orchestrated by Tabitha Suzuma, going through these motions of "oh I love him/her", but "oh we shouldn't be together", "oh what are people going to think of us", and "oh we'll never be able to have a normal life, we'll have to live in hiding".

This wasn't something consistent throughout the story, but would happen sporadically.

When it comes to Forbidden, the content and the subject matter isn't the reasoning behind this blog post; actually its what pulled me into reading this book in the first place. The way the story was executed, and the characters were relayed to the readers, is what threw me off.

Overall, I read 239 pages of the 440 total, and nothing major has caught my attention.

Their mom basically abandoned them, wasn't picking up kids from school, didn't answer any phone calls, and almost no one suspected a thing. Lochan and Maya realized their feelings at around page 180, and weren't sure what to do about them. But then in the blink of an eye, they take things QUITE FAR.

I felt it was unnecessary to spend 180 pages explaining their home life, and only 30 or so, when it comes to realizing their feelings, arguing about them, and then doing "things".

I am sad to say that I didn't enjoy Forbidden as much as I would have liked to, especially knowing how much my peers loved it. But sometimes it just doesn't work out.

I don't think I will pick up this book in the future to try again, but I'll probably hand it off to a good friend, who might enjoy it.

I do, however, plan on picking up more books on this subject matter, because it interests me, and I would love to see this type of literature conveyed in a better way, instead of what seemed to be puppets.

Have you read Forbidden? What are your thoughts?!

What's In My Back Pack

While school is another three weeks away for me, others of you may already be in the full swing of attending classes, taking notes and doing homework...I'm sorry for those of you who..but look at it this way, you get out earlier!

I decided it would be fun to show you what I take to school on a daily basis, according to this quarter's classes and schedule.

There are a handful of things that I don't take every single day, but occasionally will! Those things include my laptop, a USB, and my lunch box.

Depending on how long my days are, and what part of my day they take place, I'll pack my own lunch. The university I attend doesn't have a cafeteria, meaning my choices lie between fast food, restaurants, or snacks from a student convenience store. Of course buying lunch and snacks every day quickly adds up and it's usually unhealthy, so I would much rather bring my own lunch.

I don't usually bring my laptop to class, simply because I prefer physically writing my notes, instead of typing them. A few reasons why I would bring my laptop include a large gap of time between classes, where I can do homework. Also if I have a class where I sit too far away from the screen and can't see, or if a professor goes through the slides too quickly and I can't keep up.

Back Pack:

To do a "What's In My Back Pack"...I'll probably need an actual back pack. I'm using a Victoria's Secret PINK bag that I purchased last winter. I love the color, I love the style, I love how comfortable it is. Also I love the fact that it isn't too "PINK-ish", but instead more subtle.

Binder:

For this quarter, I'm using this two inch binder for all three (or four) of my classes. To separate each class, I'm using a set of eight dividers. Inside of my binder I'm also storing a ruler that doubles as a hole punch.

Pencil Case:

I decided to go with a bigger, sturdier and basic colored pencil pouch this year. Inside you're going to find the basic things, from pencils, high lighters, to pens. I'm also storing a stapler and some extra staples inside.

Personal Pouch:

In my "personal pouch" I keep hand sanitize, chap stick, lotion, feminine products, and anything else that will help me get through the day.

Planner/Calculator:

Two other essentials that I usually carry around, include my planner and a calculator. I love planning, obviously, and a calculator is essential when you're a Accounting Major, but especially essential when you're a Math Minor.

So that's what's in my back pack, what's in yours?!

What Am I Doing This Fall Season?!

With fall officially here, at least in the Pacific Northwest fall has been in swing for a week or so. We started one and ended one day with eighty degree weather, and then started another day, with a wind storm, rain, no power, and less than sixty degrees. Trees and power line were knocked down, so literally, fall was upon us.

Autumn and Winter are my favorite times of year, and there are so many festivities and activities I love doing, and make sure I get the opportunity to do. I decided the best way to keep track of this fall was through a bucket list.

Originally I wasn't going to post this, or make a point of it, but then I decided it might be fun. I also thought that maybe I could you all ideas of fun things to do this Autumn, or the other way around, with you adding things to my list.

Without further chitter chatter, let's get into it!

Those are just some of the things I want to do this season, what are you planning to do? I would love to know!