Saturday, February 28, 2015

Crafty Saturday #61

It's late on Saturday, but I am, in fact, posting this on Saturday! Here's to me doing things on time, being less lazy, and getting motivated. Tomorrow is March 1, and I am ready to bring it on!
But first, let's wrap up February with a Crafty Saturday round-up (oh, and I'll have an Instagram post this upcoming week).
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!


DIY cactus succulent pillow (3)
No Sew Cactus Pillow, via Brit + Co.


Spring Fringe Scarf, via The Purl Bee


watercolorpapermagnoliadiycraftberrybush2
Watercolor Paper Magnolia Flowers, via Craftberry Bush



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Wednesday, February 18, 2015

50 Books in 2015: 1-5

Sorry I have been slacking a bit on getting posts out there. I promise that I'm going to get better at this soon!!
Until then, enjoy the reviews of the first five books I have read this year.


1. A Girl Named Faithful Plum: A True Story of a Dancer from China and How She Achieved Her Dream, by Richard Bernstein

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GoodReads says: "In 1977, when Zhongmei Lei was eleven years old, she learned that the prestigious Beijing Dance Academy was having open auditions. She'd already taken dance lessons, but everyone said a poor country girl would never get into the academy, especially without any connections in the Communist Party of the 1970s. But Zhongmei, whose name means Faithful Plum, persisted, even going on a hunger strike, until her parents agreed to allow her to go. She traveled for three   days and two nights to get to Beijing and eventually beat out 60,000 other girls for one of 12 coveted spots. But getting in was easy compared to staying in, as Zhongmei soon learned. Without those all-important connections she was just a little girl on her own, far away from family. But her determination, talent, and sheer force of will were not something the teachers or other students expected, and soon it was apparent that Zhongmei was not to be underestimated."
Average Rating: 4.03

I said: 4/5 stars, "This was an uplifting and inspiring book about a young Chinese dancer from the country who managed to succeed despite the fact that the odds were stacked against her. As someone who dances and knows how hard the dance world can be, I found this book to be a different perspective on the world of dance."


2. Skinny, by Diana Spechler
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GoodReads says: "After her father’s death, twenty-six-year-old Gray Lachmann findsherself compulsively eating. Desperate to stop bingeing, she abandonsher life in New York City for a job at a southern weight-losscamp. There, caught among the warring egos of her devious co-counselor,Sheena; the self-aggrandizing camp director, Lewis; his attractive assistant,Bennett; and a throng of combative teenage campers, she is confronted by acaptivating mystery: her teenage half-sister, Eden, whom Gray never knewexisted. Now, while unraveling her father’s lies, Gray must tackle her ownself-deceptions and take control of her body and her life."
Average Rating: 2.97


I said: 3/5 stars, "This book was a quick-read, standard YA fiction story about a young woman dealing with what else, but her weight. The main character proves to be a bit superficial and self-centered throughout the story. It was a decent read, but it did not blow me out of the water by any means."


3. Sisterland, by Curtis Sittenfeld
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GoodReads says: "From an early age, Kate and her identical twin sister, Violet, knew that they were unlike everyone else. Kate and Vi were born with peculiar “senses”—innate psychic abilities concerning future events and other people’s secrets. Though Vi embraced her visions, Kate did her best to hide them. Now, years later, their different paths have led them both back to their hometown of St. Louis. Vi has pursued an eccentric career as a psychic medium, while Kate, a devoted wife and mother, has settled down in the suburbs to raise her two young children. But when a minor earthquake hits in the middle of the night, the normal life Kate has always wished for begins to shift. After Vi goes on television to share a premonition that another, more devastating earthquake will soon hit the St. Louis area, Kate is mortified. Equally troubling, however, is her fear that Vi may be right. As the date of the predicted earthquake quickly approaches, Kate is forced to reconcile her fraught relationship with her sister and to face truths about herself she’s long tried to deny."
Average rating: 3.35

I said: 4/5 stars, "I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This is probably in part due to my love for all things new age and spiritual (the two main characters are psychics, but the new age-ness of this is extremely downplayed). I also found the story line addicting, and the writing wonderfully executed. I may have not personally been pleased with the ending, but I could not put this book down."


4. No Experience Necessary: The Culinary Odyssey of Chef Norman Van Aken, by Norman Van Aken
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GoodReads says: "No Experience Necessary is Chef Norman Van Aken s joyride of a memoir. In it he spans twenty-plus years and nearly as many jobs including the fateful job advertisement in the local paper for a short-order cook with no experience necessary. Long considered a culinary renegade and a pioneering chef, Van Aken is an American original who chopped and charred, sweated and seared his way to cooking stardom with no formal training, but with extra helpings of energy, creativity, and faith. After landing on the deceptively breezy shores of Key West, Van Aken faced hurricanes, economic downturns, and mercurial moneymen during the decades when a restaurant could open and close faster than you can type haute cuisine. From a graveyard shift grunt at an all-night barbeque joint to a James Beard award finalist for best restaurant in America, Van Aken put his trusting heart, poetic soul, natural talent, and ever-expanding experience into every venture and helped transform the American culinary landscape along the way. In the irreverent tradition of Anthony Bourdain s Kitchen Confidential, and populated by a rogues gallery of colorful characters including movie stars, legendary musicians, and culinary giants Julia Child, Emeril Lagasse, and Charlie Trotter No Experience Necessary offers a uniquely personal, highly-entertaining under-the-tablecloth view of the high-stakes world of American cuisine told with wit, insight, and great affection by a natural storyteller."
Average rating: 3.54

I said: 3/5 stars, "There were times when this 'zero to hero' chef memoir seemed to read slowly and drag on. Despite this, I still enjoyed reading about how the chef's passion for cooking grew through time. There were times when I really enjoyed this book, and there were times when I just wanted to "finish it already"."


5. Farm Fresh Murder, Paige Shelton
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GoodReads says: "Becca Robins leads a simple life, making jams and preserves on her very own farm. But when there's a murder in her quaint little town, she puts herself in the line of fire to defend her friend's innocence-and goes from making jam to being in one."
Average Rating: 3.66

I said: 5/5 stars, "I read this entire book in a day in part because it was a quick read, but also because I couldn't put it down. I am very passionate about farming/homesteading/etc., so the background that the story is set against was particularly enjoyable for me. I've never considered myself much of a murder mystery fan, but I can't wait to read the next book in the series."




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Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Tumblr Tuesday #72

Sorry that this post is coming out to you a day late. I have been bouncing in and out of bouts of asthma attacks, and it is such a pain! Here's to getting and staying healthy for the rest of this harsh winter!
In other news, here is this week's Tumblr photo dump (warning: there is a lot). Enjoy!


via ltdcommodities.com
Up High by cookinghamus




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Monday, February 9, 2015

20 Great Vegan Boots for Under $100

With the snow going absolutely NO WHERE here in Boston, there is a constant need for boots, and there will be until about May or so.
I put together a set of some really cute vegan boots, all of which are under $100(!), that I personally would love to get my hands on.
Click the picture to see the details of each pair!


20 Great Pairs of Vegan Boots under $100






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Saturday, February 7, 2015

Crafty Saturday #60

If you read my life update that I posed yesterday (http://wildflwrchild.blogspot.com/2015/02/life-lately-6-february-2015.html), you would know that I'm pretty bleeping sick. While it is comforting to be able to have an excuse to lay in bed and watch bad reality shows all day, there are a lot of things I want to get done. Like some rad DIY projects, such as the ones I've posted in this week's Crafty Saturday. Enjoy!


Love this! Donut apron DIY (click through for tutorial)
Donut Apron, via A Beautiful Mess


Wrapped Baskets, via Tell Love and Chocolate


Glittered Crowns!!
Lace Princess Crowns, via The Girl Inspired


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Friday, February 6, 2015

Life Lately: 6 February 2015

Listening - Nothing at the moment

Eating - My boyfriend and I just ordered veggie burgers from Root, and he is picking them up on his way home. I can't wait!

Drinking -Lots of water & tea because I am sick :( :(

Reading -  I feel like I'm behind on my reading lately. I'm in the middle of a few different books right now. You can check out all of my books on GoodReads (goodreads.com/wildflowerchild)

Watching - The last thing I watched was my Pats win the Superbowl!!
Planning - The busy work week I have ahead of me. This is a really bad time to be sick because I have two giant projects that I need to finish ASAP

Wearing - my pajamas (flannel & sweats) - I'm sick, what do you expect
Nails -I haven't worn nail polish in months. I've always enjoyed wearing nail polish, but I'm trying to reduce the amount of toxins I put onto my body and into my surroundings

Feeling - sick, sick, and more sick! I thought it was just a head cold, but I've started wheezing. Here's to hoping it goes away soon

Weather - extremely cold with lots of snow. It is full on blizzard season here in Boston. We received a record-breaking 40 inches of snow in just one week, and we are expecting more snow in the next few days. Not to mention that the wind chill is below 0F

Wanting - some more tea, and my veggie burger! In fact, I think I will get up and make some tea momentarily

Needing - lots of rest and fluids, I suppose

Enjoying - the hilarious blizzard and New England weather memes. they're so relevant
 
This one is particularly relate-able
because my car is so deep under snow right now that I can't even see it
 
 
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