It's Monday but it's okay.

It's Monday but it's okay because Monday is a great excuse to indulge in a guilty pleasure.

My guilty pleasure of the moment is this song.



I saw you singing along. I am really loving it.

P.S. I may not be posting this week. I will be taking care of the niece and nephew.

YA Historical fiction challenge

Vixen by Jillian Larkin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the first book I read for YA Bliss: Young adult historical fiction challenge

I give the cover-art five stars.

I only give Vixen three out of five and to be honest I would like to only give it two and a half. My main problem with the book is that it took so long for me to care about any of the characters. I did not like any of them because they were to jealous, self involved, mean, or secretive. The characters do eventually open up and let you in.
The strong point of the story is the description of the speakeasy atmosphere. It starts out as the shiny forbidden fruit with beautiful flappers, great jazz music and booze. By the end it shows it's true colors a poison apple run by thugs.
The absolute saving grace is the heightened drama and surprise information at the end.

Even though I only give it three stars I would still recommend it and I will be reading the next book in the series.





View all my reviews


The next book I am reading for the challenge is  Wicked girls.

I wish

I wish I had a Vespa.

Obviously the zebra one was made just for me. I love it. Sadly it was difficult to find pictures of purple Vespas. What is wrong with this world.

images from We Heart It

Kisses~VA

Book review

I finished reading the first Scott Pilgrim book today. I was going to wait to review it until I watched the movie and read Volume 2 which is the one that shares the name with the book. I couldn't wait because I LOVED the book. A comic book with a dry since of humor that actually made me laugh out loud. I will say it is probably not everyones cup of tea. Next time you see it at the bookstore pick it up and read the first two pages. You will know if it is for you.

image from Barnes and noble


I will make sure to review the second volume and the movie after Ihave enjoyed them.
Kisses~VA

There is a little snow outside. Okay there is a lot pf snow outside. I don't know if I have to go to work yet. It sure would be nice to stay home. I want to finish this book I am reading and this would be the perfect opportunity. If I do get to stay home I am sure there will be another blog post or two, so maybe talk to you later.

Notable Totes

I really need a new bag so I decided to browse the ModCloth site. Of course now I love tons of there items. Here are some of my favorites.

Decisions decisions.

Kisses~VA

I doodled

I doodled sounds so gross yet hilarious. (I know I should seek professional help)

I love to doodle. I noticed I doodle swirls a lot.
This is what I doodled  this week.

She looks like a Molly to me. 

Happy doodling

Kisses~VA

It's okay to be different.

Did you know "It's Okay To Be Different"? I can't believe I haven't discussed this book yet with the blogosphere. This is very important in my classroom. The book teaches that we are all different and that is okay. It teaches that differences can be celebrated. I would love my class to learn that lesson even more then what sounds different letters make. It really is a great book for everyone.

Quest of 2011'

My list of randomness. It's a quest for 2011. 

1.  jump on somebody else's bed.
2. wear full on Lolita gear
3.  become high maintenance
4.  go for a ride in a horse drawn carriage
5.  meet another Virginia around my age.
6.  teach my niece and nephew to make the perfect mud pie.
7.  beat someone at scrabble
8. visit with the people I love at least once a season. (in depth phone conversation counts if they are a plane ride away)
9. paint
10. take a karate class
11. take a tap class
12. Make a new move incorporating karate and tap
13.  build a fort
14. find a new band or singer to obsess over
15. rediscover my love for movies
16. find a new book to obsess over.
17.  take a math class
18. continue to write...
19. master the hula hoop. Is it too late?
20. Use snail mail more.
21. Stop and smell the roses.

It's Monday but it's okay.

It's Monday but its okay because the refurbished Dunkin Donuts within walking distance of my house just reopened. Good morning toasted almond coffee with skim milk and splenda. (I'd rather have cream and sugar but my hips wouldn't.)

Photo source We Heart it.


Kisses~VA

Sunday salutations

Salutations everyone
How was your weekend? My weekend was lovely but busy. Do people still have lazy weekends where they lay around the house eat good food and read a book or watch television. Do whatever you pleasure. It feels like I only dreamed of weekends like that it's been so long. Oh well Busy has it's own charm. I did get to go to the bookstore and I bought this. So far so good. Thanks Twinkie Chan My niece is going to love this.

I went to Perkins and met my sister and her family there. Scrumptious it was!
I told my nephew I predict him falling in a fountain or something just like the lady on the Internet because he was walking and playing his Nintendo DS at the same time (It's going to happen.)

Then I went to the grocery store apparently so did the rest of the world. Now I am home doing laundry. I think I have mentioned this before but I detest folding clothes. Oh well.

I think the Highlight of my day was seeing a most spectacular mullet. It was great. I loved it. I once had a dream about mullets. Weird but true.

Kisses everyone and remember tomorrow is Monday but it's okay.

VA

Captivating compositions.

I am here to share some ETSY love.

I would like to invite these posters into my life.

First we have the wonderful letter V.  This piece is from Weedoodle.

Weedoodle  has Z is for zebra. You know I love my zebras.

Modern Pop has lovely alphabet wall art as well. 

I love my V's.

I also love my Harry Potter. Lucky thing there are people out there who make wonderful literary wall art like Nan Lawson Illustration.  

 I need this I need this in my life.

I really want to go on a whole Harry Potter tangent but I will spare you.

Kisses~VA

Cezanne inspired

I was perausing some art books on Mr. Paul Cezanne yesterday when I found out it was his birthday. All I can say is great color!

I'm a fan of The Flowered Vase.

I found a book about the Cezanne font. It looked pretty intresting but now I don't remember what site I saw it on. It was either The Philadelphia Museum of art or The MET.

If  you haven't noticed I have been thinking about the old spring wardrobe lately. These dresses are my window shopping picks for the day. Thanks for the inspiration Cezanne.

The first two dresses are from ModCloth. I don't remember the source of the third.


Kisses~VA

Fashion Heights

I think I need some height added to my spring wardrobe. These beauties from Zappos are definite contenders.

Kisses~VA

I wish

I wish I could go for a ride in a hot air balloon. It is something I have always wanted to do. Actually I may have already as a child. I'm not sure if my memory is a dream or reality and my mom said she cannot confirm or deny this event. Weird I know.

It's Monday but it's okay.

It's Monday but it's OK because someone had a dream and wasn't afraid to share it.

What I got for Christmas

I  finally found the time to share the wonderful things I got for Christmas.

 I got the Nook color

I also got

 books

 movies

 lots of gift cards (Hello Target)

I got to spend time with friends and family that I don't see often enough
I got bangs. (Not sure how I feel about them)

I am blessed and grateful.

Kisses~VA

♥♥ Happiest Penguin Ever ♥♥

If the shoe fits

I am in love with these pairs from Modcloth.

Kisses~VA 

Snowday! and blog news

It snowed today. All of the public schools are closed in the area. My school is not but there are so few kids there (they had one child when I called) they don't need me right now. I will take what I can get. In honor of magical snow and a possible free day of work I will be making a couple posts today.

Now on to the blog news

1. Did I tell you that I hit my one year mark for my blog. I started my blog on January 1 2010.
2. I officially Have a themed post on Mondays (It's Monday but it's okay)
3. I am doing a book challenge and a photo challenge for the year. I hope to give an update on how I am doing with these about once a week.
4. Did I tell you that I love the Blogging community? Well I do!

That's all for now. I am going back to sleep.

Kisses~VA

Book challenge for 2011

I have decided to participate in a YA Historical fiction challenge hosted by YA Bliss.

I

My first book of choice is Vixen by Jillian Larkin.

I am doing level one in the challenge. Level one is only five books for the year. This seems quiet manageable. I do think I will be reviewing my selections. I will either post them here or on my Goodreads page.

Kisses~VA

word treasures

1. Iridescent- when I here the word iridescent I think of delicate things that are always changing color as if in a dream.
2. Pigment-Is it weird that one of the reasons I like the word is because it has the word pig in it. I also like it because it has to do with color, or more so that it gives or bestows color.
3. Genteel- the word is sort of snooty and stuck-up but also elegant and polite everything I'm not but sometimes wish I was.
4. Hillside-The word makes my minds eye work overtime and picture myself on this hillside and what wonderful nature is there and what must the view be like and what am I doing on this hills and how much fun would it be to roll down this hillside. 
5. Quintessential- Dictionary.com defines it as "the most perfect embodiment of something" 

Photo source We heart it.

Kisses~VA

It's Monday but it's okay.

It's Monday but it's okay because it snowed this weekend and it looks like a winter wonderland outside.

Fun at the Please Touch Museum.

The Please Touch Museum is a children's Museum located in Philadelphia. It is a great place to visit for children and your inner child.

Here are a lot of pictures from my visit there over Christmas break. (I sad a lot. You have been warned)

The Museum is housed in this beautiful building Memorial Hall

 remember this pile of toys and stuff?

that and this

 All this junk combined make up this elephant

There is also a statue of liberty arm replica made out of toys and such.

The museum has lots of different rooms to explore 

You can build and launch rockets with pressurized air in the space area.

They have a massive water table area

They have a carousel.

there is an Alice in wonderland exhibit

there was even more to see and do but we just didn't have the time. You know what that means. We have a great excuse to go back soon.

Kisses~VA