ChelsReads: My Summer Reading List

Now I'm not going to lie, all of the summaries of these books came directly from Amazon, but I wanted to make sure that I did them justice. Now that it's officially summer time, I at least feel  like I have more time to read and relax. As a result, I have a pretty big list of things I want to read which I wanted to share my planned reading list for Summer 2015.

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

The third book in the Outlander series, I've already started this book and I'm at least 60% of the way through it right now. But I added it to the list because it's a loooooong book and I've been reviewing the books in the series as I've been reading them, so expect a ChelsReads book review when I'm finished.

The Summary

Their passionate encounter happened long ago by whatever measurement Claire Randall took. Two decades before, she had traveled back in time and into the arms of a gallant eighteenth-century Scot named Jamie Fraser. Then she returned to her own century to bear his child, believing him dead in the tragic battle of Culloden. Yet his memory has never lessened its hold on her... and her body still cries out for him in her dreams.

Then Claire discovers that Jamie survived. Torn between returning to him and staying with their daughter in her own era, Claire must choose her destiny. And as time and space come full circle, she must find the courage to face the passion and pain awaiting her...the deadly intrigues raging in a divided Scotland... and the daring voyage into the dark unknown that can reunite—or forever doom—her timeless love.

The Dude and the Zen Master by Jeff Bridges and Bernie Glassman

Another book I've started and not finished, I'm at least close though. So far, it's really good. I'm not super into new-agey literature but I do love The Big Lebowski (also Jeff Bridges. Apparently my grandma used to babysit him when his dad was filming Sea Hunt) so when I saw this in a bookstore in Healdsburg on my birthday, I immediately ordered it on Amazon for half price. The idea that The Dude is somehow some kind of spiritual guru is a wildly interesting concept to me so I couldn't resist. This will be another ChelsReads post when I'm finished with it.

The Summary

Zen Master Bernie Glassman compares Jeff Bridges’s iconic role in The Big Lebowski to a Lamed-Vavnik: one of the men in Jewish mysticism who are “simple and unassuming,” and “so good that on account of them God lets the world go on.” Jeff puts it another way. “The wonderful thing about the Dude is that he’d always rather hug it out than slug it out.”

For more than a decade, Academy Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges and his Buddhist teacher, renowned Roshi Bernie Glassman, have been close friends. Inspiring and often hilarious, The Dude and the Zen Master captures their freewheeling dialogue and remarkable humanism in a book that reminds us of the importance of doing good in a difficult world.

What I was Doing While You were Breeding: A Memoir by Kristin Newman

I really can't remember who recommended this but I know I saw it on Instagram and was intrigued. As someone who's never been 100% into the married with kids life and also 100% interested in traveling the world, this completely appealed to me. It's going to be the perfect summertime read for me, I think.

Kristin Newman spent much of her twenties and thirties buying dresses to wear to her friends' weddings and baby showers. Not ready to settle down and in need of an escape from her fast-paced job as a sitcom writer, Kristin instead traveled the world, often alone, for several weeks each year. In addition to falling madly in love with the planet, Kristin fell for many attractive locals, men who could provide the emotional connection she wanted without costing her the freedom she desperately needed. 

Kristin introduces readers to the Israeli bartenders, Finnish poker players, sexy Bedouins, and Argentinean priests who helped her transform into "Kristin-Adjacent" on the road–a slower, softer, and, yes, sluttier version of herself at home. Equal parts laugh-out-loud storytelling, candid reflection, and wanderlust-inspiring travel tales, What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding is a compelling debut that will have readers rushing to renew their passports.

The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner

Chelsea, didn't you talk about this in a favorites post like two years ago? Yes, yes inquiring readers, I did. At that point, I'd read the first few chapters and really did like the book. However, I got sidetracked and never got around to finishing it which means that I'll be finishing it up this summer. 

Part foreign affairs discourse, part humor, and part twisted self-help guide, The Geography of Bliss takes the reader from America to Iceland to India in search of happiness, or, in the crabby author's case, moments of "un-unhappiness." The book uses a beguiling mixture of travel, psychology, science and humor to investigate not what happiness is, but where it is. Are people in Switzerland happier because it is the most democratic country in the world? Do citizens of Qatar, awash in petrodollars, find joy in all that cash? Is the King of Bhutan a visionary for his initiative to calculate Gross National Happiness? Why is Asheville, North Carolina so damn happy? With engaging wit and surprising insights, Eric Weiner answers those questions and many others, offering travelers of all moods some interesting new ideas for sunnier destinations and dispositions.

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

I read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children about two years ago and saw the second book at Sam's Club one day while shopping for snacks. Needless to say after loving the first novel as much as I did, I can't wait to give this one a try. 

September 3, 1940. Ten peculiar children flee an army of deadly monsters. And only one person can help them—but she’s trapped in the body of a bird. The extraordinary journey that began in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children continues as Jacob Portman and his newfound friends journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. There, they hope to find a cure for their beloved headmistress, Miss Peregrine. But in this war-torn city, hideous surprises lurk around every corner. And before Jacob can deliver the peculiar children to safety, he must make an important decision about his love for Emma Bloom. Like its predecessor, this second novel in the Peculiar Children series blends thrilling fantasy with vintage photography to create a one-of-a-kind reading experience.

Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L.A. Meyer

I'm not going to lie, I came across this book by accident when I was looking for Blue Tattoo the book about Olive Oatman on my local library's website, but being that I love all things piratical, I decided that this was going to definitely be worth a read. 

Life as a ship's boy aboard HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. Gone are the days of scavenging for food and fighting for survival on the streets of eighteenth-century London. Instead, Jacky is becoming a skilled and respected sailor as the crew pursues pirates on the high seas.

There's only one problem: Jacky is a girl. And she will have to use every bit of her spirit, wit, and courage to keep the crew from discovering her secret. This could be the adventure of her life--if only she doesn't get caught. . . .

I figure this will take me through the summer and at that point, I'll have a whole new reading list. What are you planning to read this summer? 

Disneyland 2015: Round 2

Well folks, I did it. I went back to Disneyland within 6 months of already going this year. It was actually a family trip that my mom earned through her Pampered Chef business this time so it's a little more justified (just like my trip in November is justified ;) ) this time than last. 

The trip that my mom earned was 3 days in the park with a stay at the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa. Never having stayed in a Disney Resort Hotel (we usually stay at other hotels within walking distance of the gate), we were excited to see what it was all about. 

However, after having stayed there, I can honestly say I'll keep my hotels across the street. The staff is amazing but the Grand Californian is looking a little old and tired and the room wasn't any bigger than the other hotels we normally stay in. 

The Grand Californian has a little waiting area for kids in front of a TV that plays Mickey cartoons on a loop. We saw one of the other guests try and fail to sit in the mini chairs so I decided I had to give it a try, too. Conveniently, my butt still fits in a baby chair and I watched old school Mickey while I waited for my family to finish checking in. 

After that, we headed straight into California Adventure, which is attached to the hotel. The first thing we rode? The Little Mermaid ride, of course! It's one of my favorite rides between either park and I admittedly ride it a handful of times every time I'm there. 

After getting to the hotel and checking in, we got to the park around 9 and we wandered around for a bit before deciding we would rather be in Disneyland proper and headed across the way. 

This trip was actually the first time we're all been as a family since my younger sister started college a couple of years ago, which was nice since I had someone to go on rides with and hang out with while we were in the parks. 

Don't get me wrong, I love Tangled, but I was not happy that my sister and I stood in line for 20 minutes to meet Merida (to recreate my photo from 5 months ago), only to have Rapunzel come out as we got to the front of the line. It was super hot and there was what has to be the crankiest lady I've ever met behind us in line, so I wasn't having it. Plus, I missed the show at The Golden Horseshoe while we were in line and I've never seen it before. 

This is the view from our room. It was actually really cool to be able to see the park (and parts of World of Color) without having to brave the heat and all the maniacs with strollers. 

Day 2

The best part about staying in a Disneyland Resort hotel is Extra

Magic Hours. You get a full hour in the park before it opens to do whatever you want. Uh, way cool!

My dad and I got up early on Friday morning and hit the rides that normally have the longest lines during the day: Midway Mania and Radiator Springs Racers. Both of them we practically walked on to which I loved. 

Ran into Mater on his way to work first thing in the morning ;)

When my mom and sister finally woke up, we headed over to Disneyland to get me a Dole Whip. I have a very specific list of favorite treats that I must have when at Disneyland and Dole Whips are at the top of the list which means standing in a long line and maybe or maybe not hitting the Tiki Room afterward. 

ALL OF THE DOLE WHIPS 😍 The line was sooooooo long but so worth it. And I got to go into the Tiki Room through the hosts entrance because it took so long #besttikiroomvisitever

This was by far the best perk of our trip. If you have the Disney Chase Visa card, you get an exclusive character meet and greet in California Adventure. Shorter lines and a free 5x7 photo are definitely worth it! Plus, I've never seen Daisy in the parks before so this was actually a cool experience and Daisy is an excellent sassy pose coach. 

Day 3

Our last day in the parks was Saturday. It was a really chill day, we had Extra Magic Hours in Disneyland that day and headed over as soon as it opened. We hit the rest of the rides we wanted to see (including Matterhorn, which is still super uncomfortable post redo, FYI) and then had lunch at Cafe Orleans. 

After lunch, we went back to California Adventure because I had heard that Stitch would be at the Chase Meet and Greet area and I wanted to get a picture with him. Full disclosure: I watch Lilo and Stitch when I'm having a bad day and he's by far one of my favorite Disney characters. 

After that we went back to the hotel for naps before the Pampered Chef event that would have us in a very empty California Adventure until 1 am. 

Buuuut I got bored and met my sister in the park to hang out and then leave guest compliments for all the great cast members we had met on our trip. 

Here's the group (sans mom) on our way to the park to start our late night adventure. I grabbed a very nice Pampered Chef staffer and asked her to please take our picture. I think they turned out quite well and this one was my favorite of all the ones she took. 

We met Mike Wazowski and in fact I made a cast member let a shy little girl pose with him first because she had been waiting and our group was supposed to be the last ones to get a photo opp. 

"I just can't control my happiness (or my hair)." Kelly O'Moore

Another round of Radiator Springs Racers and Midway Mania were the highlight of the night and an exclusive showing of World of Color to top it all off. 

Obligatory Flik pic since he was standing all by himself in A Bugs Land on our way over to ride Tower of Terror for the second time that night. Flik needs to work on his posing. 

Overall it was a good trip but I much prefer going during off season. Believe it or not, I'm going back again in November to celebrate my boyfriend finishing his paramedic training course and to see it all decorated for Christmas too. 

Plant Friends

Like literally every other girl on the Internet, I've jumped on the succulent bandwagon. Not that I don't love to have fresh flowers and other plants around me, but succulents are definitely a more low maintenance alternative for those of us who may not have the greenest of thumbs.

For mother's day this year, my family went on a garden tour in East Sacramento and one of the stops was a bazaar of sorts where they were selling succulents 4 for $10. My sister and I each got two and while she planted hers right away, I was a little bit lazier and couldn't decide what I wanted to do with mine. Until one day I saw these Fossil watch tins sitting on the shelves over my desk, unused and empty and got a little inspired. They're stupid easy to plant and I think that they look so cute planted in the printed tins, too!

I'm out of watch tins now, but I have some tea tins that I think are going to house the next few succulents I add to my collection. The best part is they're kind of a middle of the road size so they're good for smaller plants, giving them room to expand, but they'll be super east to transplant into a larger pot when they get to that spot as well.

My Room, One Corner at a Time: The Gallery Wall

I know, I know. Long time no post. My little sister asked me the other day if I was still blogging and I honestly had to answer that I wasn't because I've been a little off track lately. But not anymore. I thought I'd share with you some of my room inspiration now that I feel like it's finally coming together. 

While I don't claim, by any stretch, to be a savvy decorator, once in a while, inspiration will strike and I'll end up with a very well-styled corner. I think for the most part, I have pretty good taste. The issue is just always finding a place for everything so that it looks good together and is as functional as possible. 

I think that this is by far and away my favorite section of my room right now, especially because of the eclectic gallery wall that I've got going on. All of the pieces on the wall are from some of my favorite places that I've been or am planning to go. And I think that after playing with it for a while, everything actually works really well together on the wall. Just a note, normally, my laundry basket hangs out under the picture of Greece but it's full and I figured you probably wouldn't want to see my dirty laundry, so there's a hole there in the pictures that doesn't exist in real life. 

Let's start with the section on the right, shall we? I skipped showing my calendar but you can see some of the little illustrations I do on it each month when I have something planned on that day. The round thing at the top is actually an orthopedic horseshoe, believe it or not. There's a place in Northern California called Columbia and it's an old-timey mining town near Sonora. They have a blacksmith shop there and they sell horseshoes with your name imprinted on them. My aunt got me this one because I thought the fully round shape was cool and the story behind it even more so. 

The photo underneath is one that I bought at Apple Hill last fall but ironically enough is a window on campus at University of the Pacific where my little sister goes to school. I loved the black and white and the architectural feel of the window when I saw it and when I found out it was taken at UoP, I had to bring it home. 

The "C" on the bottom is from Tuesday Morning, I think. My mom got it for me a while back and I didn't really do anything with it until one day, I saw the gap in the wall and decided to see if it worked. It did and it's been there ever since. 

This picture of Greece has to be the most serendipitous art find I've ever made. About 2 years ago, when I first moved into my apartment near school, I decided that I wanted art on the walls from places I wanted to travel to. I kept my eyes peeled at Ikea, Target, and TJ Maxx for a picture of Greece, which is my number one place I want to go before I die, but no luck. 

One afternoon, my mom and I stopped into Good Will (where we don't really go on a regular basis) and there on the wall was this picture. For 5 dollars. FIVE. DOLLARS. I'd been searching for the better part of a month for a picture just like this all over the place and I happen to walk into Good Will on a whim and there it is for practically free. Needless to say, I snapped it up and it's been on my wall ever since, through the move to the apartment and back home again. 

The next two had to come off the wall to get photographed because of the awful glare coming in from my windows. Luckily, my bedding makes a pretty cute background, huh?

This is the newest piece on my wall. My sister bought me those two prints at Wonderground Gallery in Downtown Disney. I've loved mermaids my whole life (I pretended to be Ariel every time I was in a swimming pool from ages 2 on) and Pirates of the Caribbean is not only one of my favorite movies, but has been my favorite ride since my first trip to Disneyland at age 6. I just got around to framing them this month but I love the frame that I chose to go with them because it accents the darker colors in the pictures without being too overwhelming to the prints themselves. 

I bought this picture in Venice Beach about 3 years ago for $5 off of an old hippie photographer. This was the only print he had of this particular image and I fell in love with it immediately. It's an old car that's clearly been painted with craft paint, and it's just a super funky, awesome representation of Venice Beach which is one of my favorite places to visit in Southern California when I'm there. 

The top of the bookshelf has had a lot of different things on it in the last year, but I finally settled on this more sparse collection of things to go with the pictures on the wall and the space that I have there. So, a hurricane candle holder and my favorite perfumes it was. 

I think this was probably one of my first real "decor" purchases. I got this hurricane a year ago with a graduation gift card from one of my mom's dearest friends who has since passed away. I saw it in the store at Bath and Body Works and was in love immediately. The glass gives such a cool effect to the candlelight and I love the polka-dotted finish even when there isn't a lit candle in it. Now, every time I light a candle (which is pretty much every weekend morning), I can think of Elizabeth. 

The last section of the bookshelf is just my favorite perfumes for Spring/Summer and a cutout "C" that I had no idea what to do with so it got stuck there. The little tray is a cheese platter from Pampered Chef, but I love their bamboo pieces and this little tray was the perfect size and shape to hold perfumes and the wood finish is great to accent the perfume bottles without distracting from them. Not super exciting but definitely a useful addition to this party of my room. 

There you have it, my gallery wall. I think I might actually do a post for each section of my room as it comes together (although I'm moving in a couple of months, so we can start all over again, then, I suppose) and share them with you. I've honestly been struggling with what I want to do with this blog for a while. I'm not a beauty girl (nor do I want to become one), I don't go on cool trips all the time (wish I was able to, but entry level job market budgets don't exactly allow for jetsetting and globetrotting) and I have a food blog already that is also in a state of hibernation. 

Lately, I've made the decision to get out there more and do some more activities than Netflix in my room or going out on dates with the guy I've been seeing for the past few months and I think that I'd like to share that with you as I start to find those things. Whether that's my move, or my trip to Disneyland coming up, or even my favorite products that I've tried out recently, I think this blog is going to be a place where I share what I'm doing, without worrying about a central theme. The theme is me, Chelsea, after all and I'm pretty random myself. 

Cheers, guys!

ChelsReads: Dragonfly in Amber

Hey guys, been a while, hasn't it? 2015 so far has been a little nuts and I haven't had time to just sit down and blog for a while. But I finally (I mean, seriously, I bought the book the second we got in the door from Disneyland in January) finished the second book in the Outlander series, Dragonfly in Amber and I thought I would share it with you.

The second book of the series followed Claire and Jamie's time leading up to the second Scottish Uprising and the battle at Culloden Moor. I don't want to spoil too much, in case anyone out there wants to read it, but the story spans Europe, from Paris back to Scotland and I think that it was a great  second foray into their story. At the end of Outlander, we were in France where Jamie was recovering. From there, we move to Paris and traverse the social scene of a time where the Jacobite movement was still taking off. To be totally honest, it's kind of insane how all over the place the story was and I can't believe it was all one book. 

Apart from some minor discrepancies between the first book and the second, overall it was a great read. In fact, I wasn't originally planning to continue with the series after finishing Dragonfly in Amber (honestly, as good as it was, it's a looooong read and I was told that the subsequent books don't get really good again until the 5th or 6th stories) but I finished the book and had to find out what happened next so I downloaded Voyager. 

I'm hoping that now that I'm working a different (and much better) job that I'll have more time to post both here and on the food blog that I work on with my friend. And yes, I know how many times I've said that, but this time I'm actually planning to make it work. This is going to be a big year and I can't wait to share it with you. 

A Lesson Learned

I told you guys in my last post that I started a new job a few weeks ago. Somehow, it seems to be my luck that I always start a job at a time when they're more busy than they ever have been and I get to learn the ropes in utter chaos. 

The same has held true for this newest foray into employment and I'm not going to lie, it's been killer.  My firm is currently at about 90% billable hours. In case you don't know what that means, that means literally every day, apart from my lunch break, I'm doing work that is specific to one client or other. Most nights during my first few weeks started out with a beer and an immediate retirement to my room for Netflix in a mostly horizontal position. 

However, over the last few weeks, I've certainly gotten a better handle on things, resulting in a lot less stress on my part, and when I came across this photo on Pinterest earlier, it inspired me to write a bit about the new job and taking things in stride without letting them ruin you. It's important, from both a professional and personal standpoint to establish a policy of once you hit the door, your other stuff, whatever it may be, stays outside. 

When I go to work each day, I leave my personal stuff at home. I work, taking on whatever the tasks may be for the day, and when I leave, that stress and frustration and whatever else I felt in the course of my day stays at my desk to hang out until I come in the next morning. I don't get my work emails to my phone (I considered it, but with Sprint's shitty service, I couldn't make it work so gave up), and I don't check my Facebook (which I literally only use for work. Wish people from high school would stop finding me and trying add me) at all once I leave for the day or weekend. So far, it's helped immensely to manage the way I feel about work and rather than immediately going home and vegging out, I've started looking forward to my evenings to do whatever I want.

All in all, I'm not an expert, and there are still days when I come home and I'm still not happy about things that went on that day, but that will improve with time and thus far, I'm proud of myself for being able to compartmentalize as much as I have. 

My January Favorites post will be up Monday. I'm sorry its taken so long. This week totally got away from me and I didn't have time to photograph the stuff. But I promise I'll get it up tomorrow morning the second I can upload my photos. 

Cheers guys, happy weekend! 

ChelsReads: Outlander

Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ! Alright guys, I have a confession to make, I have officially jumped on the Outlander Bandwagon. One of my good friends, Jill, has been reading the books since she was 13 and told me about the TV series months  ago but I didn't pay a ton of attention because I don't have Starz and I'd never heard of the books, much less read them. 

All these months later, after binging on all 7 seasons of 30 Rock, I was in desperate need of something else to watch. That something turned out to be Outlander. The first episode is still available on Starz for free if you want to check it out. I can't even pretend that I behaved like a normal person in regards to this show. I watched the first eight episodes in one day and then watched them all again the next day because I had fallen asleep during one of the episodes and missed everything.

The show just won a 2015 People's Choice Award for favorite Cable Sci-Fi show, beating out Game of Thrones (another favorite of mine) and Walking Dead for the title. If that isn't evidence enough that they're doing something great, I don't know what else to tell you, really. It's a great group of actors who I think have done a tremendous job bringing this amazing story to life. Plus, Sam Heughan is no slouch to look at either. 

After watching it twice though, I couldn't possibly wait until April to find out what was coming next, could I? No, I couldn't. So, I bought it in the Kindle store on Amazon and started in. The book is sooooooo good! I read it the entire time I was on the plane down to Southern California, every spare minute that we weren't doing anything, and all the way back up the state in the car. Needless to say I was addicted. So addicted in fact that when we got home, the first thing I did was buy the second book to download on my Kindle immediately after walking through the door. It's that good.

For those of you who were also living under a rock for the last 15 years or so, Outlander follows main character Claire Randall as she goes on a second honeymoon to Scotland with her husband, Frank after they both come home from World War II. After spending most of the 8 years of their marriage apart, they're trying to get things back on track while Frank, a historian, also tries to trace his family tree. Without giving too much away, Claire is magically transported from 1945 Inverness, Scotland into the wilds of 1743 Highland Scotland, complete with kilted men and English redcoats. 

It's a must-read if you're someone like me who enjoys historical fiction. I'll warn you there are romance-y bits, but it isn't annoying or over graphic like some romance novels have a tendency to be. Definitely worth the $1.99 on the Kindle store if you have one, and if not, check out your local used bookstore. They should have the whole series for relatively cheap. Or hit Barnes and Noble for your set if you're so inclined.

If you enjoy these posts, you're in luck. Jill also started me on the PopSugar 2015 Reading Challenge,  which encompasses 50 different books with different requirements, such as, "a book set in another land" or "a book that was published the year you were born". It'll definitely be fun to expand my literary horizons a bit...once I've figured out how to incorporate the entire Outlander series onto the list ;) 

That Time I Found My Twin

Greetings, friends! Welcome to 2015 on this blog. Did you miss me? I know, I know, I'm really not good at the whole regular blogging thing still. Consider it a New Years resolution. In the meantime, why don't I tell you a bit about what I've been up to since my last post, shall I? 

The new year so far has started out brilliantly. I was offered my first grown up last job on New Year's Eve, which I enthusiastically accepted. I started this week, in case you were wondering. But before I started life as a real, contributing member of society, I thought I'd have a bit of fun first. 

Which brings me to my trip to Southern California. 

I can't remember if I've told you or not, but my sister is starting the Disney College Program down in Anaheim. She'll be there for the next 8 months or so, working in the parks. And someone had to take her down there and move her in, right? 

We live in Northern California so to get down there it's either take a plane (which isn't really feasible if you're moving your life down there for 8 months) or drive. And it's a loooooong drive. Rather than drive down with my mom and sister and spend 8 plus hours in the car bored out of my head, I thought I would fly down a couple days early to visit some friends I have down here. That way, I could have even more fun before helping to move her in on Sunday and going to Disneyland the next day. 

My visit was really fun, and definitely a recharge opportunity for me after all the stress at my old retail job. Unfortunately though, I definitely was having too much fun to take any pictures, so I have nothing to show for it. However, I did take a picture of my Peanut Butter Stout at the Stadium Tavern when we went for lunch. 

Disneyland on the other hand is a place all about pictures. And I had some very specific goals that day which means I have little more to show for my efforts on that front.

We got to the park when it opened and managed to get into a relatively short, really fast line. Once we were in the park, we booked it to Peter Pan's Magic Flight. Even though it's been around for 60 years, that is consistently the longest line we ever stand in. I have always loved the ride, I mean, there's mermaids for crying out loud! I managed to snap a shot of the mermaid mural at the end of the ride on our way out. 

After Peter Pan, Alice was closed down so we hit It's a Small World. The cool thing was that it was still decorated for Christmas. I love Christmas so a little carryover was definitely appreciated. Plus they sang Christmas carols rather than the It's a Small World song which I appreciated even more.

In case you were wondering where Santa spends his off season, it's right here ;)

Scotland! I swear this lady was like moving on purpose to get into my pictures. 

It was so irritating that I started shooting pictures from the back of the boat instead. 

I think that my taking pictures of Ireland every time I'm on this ride goes without saying.

This picture I had to take because it's a family joke. When I was little, I wasn't 

as adept at Spanish as I am now and I thought the song was saying, "Felice Naughty Dog"

which is how I would sing it. Once my family noticed, that was how we all

started to sing it and that's how it's been ever since.

I took this one for my mom because she wanted it as her phone background

and she still isn't that quick with her phone camera. It turned out surprisingly good.

Right after, I tried to get on Thunder Mountain only to have both tracks shut down right as I was getting to the front of the line. 

After that, we started to head through Fantasyland because I wanted to go to the Fantasy Fun Faire to see if Merida was in the Hall of Princesses...or whatever they call it. She wasn't but she was right outside and we got in line immediately. 

And, one of the girls in front of us in line gave me her "I'm Celebrating" button! I mentioned in passing to my mom that I still wanted to go to City Hall to get one because I was, in fact, celebrating my new job but hadn't wanted to stand in the massive line first thing in the morning. We had been talking on and off with the girls in front of us in line because it was one's birthday, one's first visit, and one of the girls is a diehard Disney lover and was telling us that this Merida was a lot better than most of them. When she heard me mention that I still needed the button, one of the girls reached into her bag and handed hers to me. It was so sweet. 

My mom snapped a bunch of pictures with me and Merida. For some reason, I got really starstruck and was nervous but she was really sweet. I walked up and she immediately said, "Has anyone ever told you that you look like me?" and I said, "No, but thank you for thinking so." She proceeded to tell me that we could be twins and that we should find a third lookalike and dress up to play tricks on her three brothers. I was literally thrilled by the whole thing and got some pretty cute pictures with her as well. 

This was during the "twins" exchange. 

"Say Angus!"

Ignore the size of my hair. It was oddly misty there that day and I actually ended up being freezing. My sister actually brought me a jacket when she picked us up in Downtown Disney because I couldn't take it anymore. 

After leaving Merida, we hopped on Pirates and had one of the bumpiest rides we've ever experienced, even getting stuck for a solid 5 minutes in the treasure trove section. We had lunch at Cafe Orleans which is by far my favorite restaurant in the parks. As usual, I had to have a Mint Julep, so here's the obligatory photo of that. 

Lunch was delicious. I had the gumbo with a side of hot sauce (this is the only way to eat. They make it for kid's pallets and if you don't add some spice to it, it's really boring), and my mom had some salad or other. Obviously you don't go to Cafe Orleans without getting Mickey Mouse Beignets. We were stuffed. However, I thought it was an excellent idea to try my luck on Thunder Mountain right after eating lunch and have to report that the redo on the ride is fantastic. It's so much better than it was! 

At that point, we were due to use our fast passes for Indiana Jones and pretty much walked on which was awesome because that line is nothing to mess around with. After eating a huge lunch and going on two bumpy rides right after, I decided it was time to tone it down a bit and we did a little shopping on Main Street. 

After accidentally discovering the flag retirement ceremony a few years ago, we always make sure that we're at the Main Street Train Station in time to see it. On our way there, I finally was able to get my picture with Minnie who was maybe 5 feet tall, ears and all. 

 By that time, it was time for the Soundsational Parade, and the flag retirement ceremony. Both of which I'd seen before so I wasn't as interested, but my mom loved it. 

Our last ride of the day was Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters and I have to say, I outdid myself, as evidenced by the picture. At that point, we were cold and tired and decided to get some treats from the Confectionary on Main Street and meet my sister in Downtown Disney. 

I mean...I don't want to toot my own horn but toot toot, beep beep.

Overall, it was a really fun day. No pressure and no people so that was fantastic. We'll be back in June, but I can honestly say after that, I'm ok with holding off for a while. 

ChelsReads: The Cousins O'Dwyer Series by Nora Roberts

As mentioned in my November Favorites post, I recently started (and devoured) the Cousins O'Dwyer series by Nora Roberts over my Thanksgiving holiday and couldn't put the books down even after I came back home. These were my first Nora Roberts books, at least that I've read. As I mentioned in my favorites post, there was a Lifetime Movie Series based on her books running around the time I graduated in 2009. As a girl with her own (very) Irish roots, I have a tendency to gravitate toward anything based in the "mother land" but even more so because of the magical component of this series. When I read the description of the first book on Amazon, I immediately clicked the Buy button, but sort of forgot about it until headed down to Fort Bragg.

The series opens in the 13th century with a powerful witch, Sorcha, and her three children: Brannaugh (Bran-ugh), Eamon (Ay-mon), and Teagan. Threatened by a dark sorcerer named Cabhan (Ca-van), who covets not only her great power but her incredible beauty, Sorcha must stop him to keep him away from her children. To keep them safe, Sorcha sends them to live with her cousins, The O'Dwyers, hidden from Cabhan. 

In preparing for what she knows will be her final showdown, she gives her power to her children, creating within them the power of "The Three." While each of them is magically powerful on their own, they are nigh unstoppable when working together. When he comes for her, Sorcha attempts to destroy him, using the last bit of power that she has to poison him but for some unforeseeable reason, he isn't completely destroyed. With her last breath, she curses Cabhan, and all that come from him, to be ended by her bloodline, whether her children or another Three thousands of years later. 

Flash forward to spring of 2013 and the first book of the series, Dark Witch, when petite, blonde Iona Shehan moves from America to Ireland in hopes of finding her destiny and her roots with her cousins, Branna and Connor O'Dwyer. I won't lie to you, the first chapter or so of the book based in Iona's perception are a little hard to get through. I'm not sure if it's because she's so scattered, having been uprooted from her previous life, or if I wasn't used to Roberts' writing style yet, but I wasn't too sure about the book at the beginning. However, once it progressed, I was all in and definitely couldn't put it down. 

Without giving too much away, because I really can't recommend the read more, and want you to find out for yourselves. The current "Three", Iona and her cousins are, as the generations that have come before them, charged with destroying Cabhan once and for all and the three books detail their exploits in trying to do so after Iona makes her way to Ireland and completes the circle. Along the way, because they're Nora Roberts books, everyone falls in love in one way or another and there's a great sense of family, both blood-related and chosen, interwoven throughout the series which I greatly enjoyed. 

If I'm completely honest with you, the second book, Shadow Spell, was my favorite (which is weird for me in trilogies because the second book is almost always filler-y fluff) because I found that I related so much more to Connor O'Dwyer than I did to either one of the women (Roberts centered each of the books around one of the three cousins and how they felt about the whole deal as the drama unfolded). Connor just has such an easy way about him; he's quick and funny and cares about everyone close to him. While I really enjoyed the first book (or I wouldn't have downloaded the entire series before I even left Fort Bragg), it was definitely the second book that made me fall in love with the cousins and the series as a whole. 

While I read the books on my Kindle (they retail on Amazon for $2.50/book in the Kindle format), you can find these books all over and I wholeheartedly recommend reading them if magic is up your alley. 

Cheers! 

Stay tuned for a recipe from the books over on Eat.Drink.Adventure later this week!

True Life: I Suck at Blogmas

Well guys, here we are day 5 and I've already missed two posts. It's completely unintentional. I just have been really busy at work/after work and haven't had time to sit down, brainstorm post ideas and then actually take the time to write/photograph for them. So...I'm calling off Blogmas. Not completely, but I am going to hold back on posting until k have something relevant to post, rather than rando spewing words at you every day. Deal?