What I Need...Now (July Edition)

Wow, July has almost come and gone, and I haven't done a post about the things I am craving this month.  Time to correct that.  These are the things I currently have my eye on.

I first saw these booties on-line while perusing the Nordstrom's Anniversary sale.  I immediately fell in love with both the color and the style of this shoe.  It also has a great heel.  I went to see them in person, and they were even more adorable than I first thought.  I have these high on my wishlist.

Seychelles 'Clue' Bootie  $86.90 (on sale)

In my mind, I have this ideal bag that holds my whole world, plus an iPad.  Once again, Tory Burch has created something amazingly beautiful and super functional.  My only wish is that it came in more colors.  

Tory Burch Leather Tote  $328.90 (on sale)

Seychelles is definitely (and probably obviously) one of my favorite shoe brands. They are always on-trend, while being both affordable and comfortable.  Three things I find very important in my shoes.  I have been searching for something in a neutral that is summery with a nice sturdy heel.  This fits the bill perfectly.   

Seychelles 'Witness' Sandal  $99.95 

This is an adorable clutch. A great size for the times you just want to bring a few things with you.  I love anything that is studded in the pyramid design.  I even have studded earrings in this shape.  This bag originally caught my eye during a recent visit to the Gap, and it hasn't been forgotten.

Pyramid stud clutch  $25.46 (on sale)

Finally, husband and I have been looking for a bookcase for our living room.  We have a matching cabinet from the Hemes line, so this seemed like the natural choice.  The color is perfect and the the build is very sturdy.  This piece will bring us one step closer to finishing the room (and it would be nice to have at least one room in the house finished at some point in my lifetime).  

HEMNES Bookcase  $180

What about you?  What new things made your wishlist this July?

Erin Loves Lace

I love being a girl.  I love the color pink and fuzzy puppies and frilly things. And I love lace.  It is a very versatile fabric that can be both dressy and casual.  It is great for wintertime parties and summertime picnics.  Recently, I have started seeing it everywhere.

This summer it has been popping up on everything from rompers to handbags.  It is the most feminine material I can think of. I always feel pretty and elegant when I put something lacy on. Plus there is that undeniable touch of sexiness that comes with a material that you can almost see though (I wore a lace top on my first date with husband).  Here are a few of my current favorite lacy things.

1)    Joie Fanny Lace Top  $198
2)    Juliet & Company French Lace Earrings  $35
3)    Horkelia Shift  $178
4)    Lace Overlay Top  $19.80
5)    Dallin Chase Cale Lace Shorts  $92.50 (on sale)
6)    Madewell Lace Lakeshore Romper  $94.50 (on sale)
7)    Valentino Bow Thong Sandal  $295
8)    Pretty in the Piazza Dress  $104.99
9)    BCBGMAXAZRIA Hanne Lace Print Dress  $194.60
10)  Hanky Panky Low Rise Thong  $12.90 (on sale)
11)   Scallop lace shell  $29.99 (on sale)
12)   Vintage Lace Ballerina Bag  $98

The Sunshine Award

I am very excited.  Erin, of the very lovely blog Truffles n Ruffles, has given me The Sunshine Award.  I want to send her my undying appreciation through the blogosphere.  I am so thrilled to receive an award that is all about positivity and creativity.  It feels great to know that I am (possibly) inspiring others.  

The Sunshine Award is awarded to a blogger whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blogging world. The Sunshine award is given by bloggers to bloggers as a way to spread the bloggy love!

- thank the person who gave you this award

- write a post about it

- respond to the questions below

- pass it on to 10 8 (you know I like to change the rules) bloggers who you feel really deserve it

Here are the questions:

1.  Favorite color?   Purple, without a doubt.  Left to my own devices, I would have nothing but purple flowers planted in my yard.  Husband has threatened to stage an intervention.  As a compromise, he let me pain the guest room the purple of my choosing.  The sheets match.  

2.  Favorite animal?   This is a hard one.  I am what you call an animal lover.  Growing up, I was really into unicorns.  My family always had a lot of animals from cats to horses.  I guess at this point in my life, I am really into dogs.  I worked at a puppy store when I was in college, and just fell in love, especially with pugs (but I promise, I love all of my dogs equally).  Whew, long-winded answer, Erin.

3.  Favorite number?:  I am partial to the number 4.  I really like writing it.  No real reason.

4.  What perfume am I wearing now?:  I went to Sephora today and sampled Jennifer Aniston.  I have a general rule where I let husband give his opinion on anything before I purchase it.  As a side note, I have been wearing Amazing Grace a lot this summer, and husband does not really like it (but everyone else does).  The jury is still out on Jennifer Aniston's scent.

5.  Something you always wear and identify yourself with?:  My engagement and wedding rings.  My engagement ring belonged to my grandmother, and I was honored to have it passed down to me.  When it was time to get engaged, I knew there as no other ring that I could even consider.  It is beautiful and old and no one else has anything similar to it.  I will have to post a picture one day.  My wedding ring was the first one that husband and I looked at.  It fit perfectly with my engagement ring, and had the same  a kind of almond shape to it and scrollwork.  It was meant to be.  

6.  What's your passion?: My family and friends and living life to the fullest.  Because at the end of the day, what else is important?

7.  Giving or receiving presents?: Oh gosh, both!  I love spending hours tracking down something that I think someone will love as much as I love receiving something that someone picked out for me.  I love the whole gift exchanging process.

8.  What was the last eyeshadow you used?:  I am not much of an eyeshadow person right now.  I use Stila Smudge Pots as eyeshadow from time to time though.

9.  Favorite day of the week?:  Saturday.  I didn't have to get up early that morning, and I don't have to go to bed early to get up for work the next day.  It is the perfect day.

10.  Are your nails painted right now?:  Yes.  My toenails are pale yellow with black flowers and a little pink rhinestone.  I will even be brave and show a picture (does anyone else think their feet look ridiculous in pictures?).  My fingers are Essie's Mademoiselle (kind of a natural pink).  It varies all the time.

And now to pass this award on to Bloggers that are currently inspiring me.  My list changes all of the time.  If I don't mention you here, it doesn't mean I don't adore your blog (promise).  Your time will come.

Hazel and Mare- Her daily haikus make me laugh every day.  How does she come up with this stuff?

High Heels & Good Meals- Killer food and fashion.  Two of my favorite things.

Jess Cause- This up and coming blogger has fantastic fashion sense, along with some amazing hair inspiration.  

Gawgus Things- A Brit living in Paris and dressing Gawgus-ly.  I have a huge weakness for all of these things

Elle Sees- Great style and beauty inspiration.  Plus, I just adore her monthly resolutions. 

What Makes Me Happy - Fashion, life, recipes, and lots of great ideas.

Cruisin' Over Sixty- Lots of interior design, fashion and garden inspiration.  I love all of the beautiful flowers she takes pictures of.

J&K- Katie blogs about her life and faith, and I find that very inspiring.  

Thanks again to Erin from Truffles n Ruffles, one of my favorite blogs (and favorite named people).

Salsa and Queso Dip (Yum!)

 I love homemade salsa (and I like it hot).  Husband and I have tried many (MANY) recipes until we found one that we really loved.  Funny enough, it started with a trip to Baja Fresh.  They have really good hot salsa.  So we started looking for copycat recipes.  This was our starting point.  Over time, we have tweaked this recipe to our liking.  Bonus, you can freeze batches and eat them later.

First of all, you have to gather your vegetables.  I kind of wavered on posting this now, because I wanted to wait until I could just go out back and pick all of the ingredients from my yard.  Alas, a promise is a promise.  

Perfectly fire roasting the tomatoes is the most important part.  Doing it over high heat until the tomatoes turn black is what you want.  Keep them on the grill too long, and they become sweet.  Cloyingly so.  Over time we have added lime to this recipe, extra garlic, and red as well as white onions (because we grow them in our garden).  Also, we use less cilantro.  If you are new to cilantro, I suggest you do the same.  It is a strong flavor.  

After following the instructions in the recipe, you should have something that looks like this.  The air bubbles will dissipate around the sides, and you will have perfect salsa.  We usually use a mixture of  jalapeños, serranos, and habaneros (depending on your taste).  If your jalapeños or habaneros start developing stripes on them (also called corking) it means they are very hot.  Keep this is mind as you are adding them to your mixture.

Once you have your perfect salsa, you can make a perfect queso dip (so much better than that stuff you buy in jars).  This recipe is easy to follow and foolproof (and you probably already have all the ingredients in your cabinet).  Enjoy!

Go The F**k To Sleep (A Children's Book)

I don't think Baby Week would be complete without a proper book review.  If I am going to review a "children's" book, it is going to be one that is something new and different.  I am pretty sure I have found it here.

First of all, let me say that I actually listened to this as an audiobook.  Samuel L. Jackson was the narrator, and no one in this world can drop an F-bomb like he can.  I don't even think that is debatable.  As you can probably tell, this is actually a child's book for adults, and boy, did it make me giggle.

Via

If you have a child, or have ever even babysat for one, you know how difficult it can be to get them to stay in bed and go to sleep.  All the excuses, all of the procrastinating, all of the ways they try to pull one over on us to stay up and hang out just a little longer.  This book addresses the situation head on.  In fact, it captures the moment to a T.

I would give this book 5 stars because it made me laugh...hard!  Maybe it was Samuel L. Jackson's delivery.  Maybe it was the pure genius concept of poking fun at every parent's ultra-relatable dilemma. However, if the F-bomb offends you, this book will not be your cup of tea.  If you can look past swear words, it is a cleverly written little book.  Definitely worth the 6 minutes it took to listen to it via audible.com.

Celebrity Baby Bumps

Continuing on with "Baby Week," I present to you the stylish celebrity baby bump.  The kind of baby bump that ALMOST makes you want to run out and get one for yourself.  I always find it exciting when the trend- setters are pregnant, and we get to see how they are going to dress up the bump.  Gwen Stefani is probably my personal favorite.  She made both pregnancies look so effortless and fashion forward at the same time (just as she does when she isn't prego).

Who are your favorites?  Should the belly be covered up or allowed to peak out?  Is the bikini a brave style statement while pregnant or a big don't?

*all pictures via Google images

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (My Picks)

I love the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.  I look forward to it every July.  This year most of the things I am liking involve jackets, shoes, and purses. Not really all that surprising for me.  In keeping with the "Baby Week" theme (that I just decided I was doing), I have also included my picks for the stylish infant.  Those booties (#15) are to die for.  I haven't quite narrowed down my selection yet (to just a few reasonably priced choices), but I am working on it.  What pieces are you liking?  Are you going to shop the sale this year?

All prices listed reflect current sale price.

1)   Miss Sixty Knit Trim Anorak with Faux Fur Trim  $79.90

2)  Rubbish® Fitted Knit Biker Jacket  $44.90

3)   Rubbish® Fitted Knit Duffel Jacket  $48.90

4)   Caslon® Ruffled Faux Leather Jacket  $78.90

5)   Gianni Chiarini Slouchy Leather Shoulder Bag  $218.90

6)   Halogen® 'Half Moon' Tasseled Crossbody Bag  $118.90

7)   Kooba 'Anya' Leather Satchel  $348.90

8)   Love on a Hanger Ruffled Plaid Shirt  $24.90

9)   Indigo by Clarks® 'Water Row' Bootie  $79.90

10)  UGG® Australia 'Mountain' Quilted Boot   $109.90

11)  Enzo Angiolini 'Sten' Mid Calf Boot  $109.90

12)  Big Star 'Liv' Bootcut Jeans  $98.90

13)  Hatley Apple Print Raincoat  $29.90

14)  Jamie Rae Hats Peony Hat  $13.90

15)   Robeez® 'Kendall' Boot  $22.90 

16)  Widgeon Faux Fur Pompom Coat   $49.90

A Flower Power Baby Shower

As previously mentioned (ahem), this weekend was my sister-in-law's baby shower.  Husband and I are just thrilled to be an uncle/aunt again.  My mother-in-law (m-i-l) and I hosted the shower at m-i-l's house with the theme of flowers.  Let the games begin.

First of all, let me introduce you to my beautiful sister-in-law (heads have been cropped to protect the innocent).  This is how easy breezy she makes 8 months prego look.  Not fair to the rest of us mere mortals:) I decided that the sash was mandatory.  How else would people know who the mom to be was without it?  Are you feeling me here?

This is the scene of the crime.  As you can see, it was a beautiful day up in the Easy Bay hills.  We used baby onsies and bibs as decor and hung them on clotheslines.   The potted vinca was the shower favor.  Husband and I decided that it was our job as the future aunt/uncle to buy a ridiculously oversized shower gift.  Mission accomplished. 

Dessert came in the form of  giant cupcakes, one carrot and one chocolate.  The main course consisted of quiche, finger sandwiches, and assorted salads.  The big hit was this winter white sangria that tasted like ripened summer fruit.  Seriously, we had to refill it several times.  I highly recommend it for your summer  libation needs.  

We played several games, including guessing how many pieces of candy were in the giant baby bottle (737 to be exact), guessing what kind of candy was melted into baby diapers (gross, isn't it?), and guessing how much  a tray full of baby items was worth ($38.10, with sales tax). Oh, and we also played the game where everyone is forbidden to say the word "baby" and you lose a necklace (that we made for the game) if you do.  Whoever has the most necklaces at the end of the day wins.  Can you believe I lost my necklace within approximately 30 second of putting it on?  It was kind of liberating though, being able to say, "baby" whenever I wanted:)

The opening of the gifts is my favorite part of any party, and this did not disappoint.  There was a lot of  pink, frills, and snugly material.  Girls are so much fun to shop for.  

At the end of the day, I was totally exhausted.  I forgot to mention that my washing machine mysteriously broke the day before, so in-between hosting duties, I was also trying to finish off six loads of laundry.  On the upside, I think everyone had a great time, and I had clean towels and a great night's sleep.  I don't know about you, but family time, laundry, and sleep equals a little bit of perfection in my world.

How was your weekend?

Finger Sandwiches

I know I promised  my salsa and queso recipes this week, but that can wait until next week. This weekend was my sister-in-law's baby shower.  My mother-in-law and I hosted it, and it was a really fun event.  Among other things, one of my duties was to make finger sandwiches.  Knowing I was dealing with a largely vegetarian group, I tried to keep anything animal related to a minimum.  The sandwiches I came up with were this, this, and this.  They were largely successful (especially the cucumber variety), with the exception (in my opinion)of needing to use a more moist and fluffy bread for the pumpernickel and whole wheat selections.  I'll get 'em next time.

Smoked Salmon and Caper Tea Sandwich

Curried Egg Salad on Whole Wheat and Cucumber and Lemony Dill Cream Cheese Tea Sandwich

More pictures  to come from the baby shower tomorrow.  I promise lots of pink, flowers, and frilly things.  Also, a giant teddy bear.  Because who else can get away with such a ridiculously wonderful present?  Stay tuned, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.

Elephunky (Yeah, I Was Reaching With That One)

I am a sucker for anything with an elephant on it.  I have a few necklaces, this plant stand, and some figurines scattered around my house (I heart Jonathan Adler).  Aside from being beautiful, majestic animals, they are often considered symbols of good luck and good fortune. And who wouldn't want to be surrounded by good fortune?  Plus, they are adorable to look at, but also seem very adult.  I just love being surrounded by them.

1)  Wildfox Elephant Love Baggy Beach Sweatshirt  $108
2)  Elephant Shaped Patchwork Pillow  $36
3)  Elephant Grey Nail Polish  $2.80
4)  Heritage Silk Elephant Print Top  $34.99 (on sale)
5)  Relevant Elephant Necklace  $15.99
6)  Sterling Silver Elephant Cuff Bracelet  $315 (on sale, kind of pricey for Kohl's, no?)
7)  Jonathan Adler Elephant Salt & Pepper Set  $48
8)  kate spade new york Elephant Belt  $95
9)   Cirque A-Line  $148

I'm A Shoe-In

I love shoes.  Like many women, I have big dreams of one day having a giant closet with shelves upon shelves for shoes (I'm looking at you, Tamara Mellon).  In reality, when we moved into our house 3 years ago I knew the closet space would be a bit challenging.  Lucky for me, husband is pretty handy and was able to build some shoe shelves.  Was I able to organize everything?  Not exactly.  But if I had a before picture, you would see that this is really pretty perfect.

I posted my flip flop collection a few moths ago (which is not stored in my closet).  This is almost everything else.  Yeah, I said almost. Some stuff is in boxes on the top of my closet.  Yeah, I might have a bit of a problem.  Good thing Louboutin's are still out of my price range:)

What I learned from this experiences is that I am not so good at photographing shoes.  In my mind, these pictures were going to look a lot better different . A photography class is definitely moving up higher on my to-do list.  

Chili's Southwestern Eggrolls

Confession: I love fried food.  I am not even going to pretend I don't.  I try not to eat it very often, but every once in a while, it really hits the spot.  One of husband's and my favorite things is Southwestern Eggrolls.  We discovered this recipe about five years ago, and have perfected it over the years.

There are two major tweaks we have made over time that I am going to recommend, if you do try this.  The first is to add a little more seasoning to the chicken when you grill it.  We used Kinder's DK's Blackened Spice here, which basically added a little garlic, onion, red pepper and paprika flavor (aside from salt and pepper).  I like things to be flavorful, and this is bold.

My other recommendation is to not use tortillas, in favor of eggroll wrappers.  We originally did follow the recipe and tried the tortillas, only to have the fall apart during the frying process.  The eggroll wrappers seal nicely (especially when sealed with a bit of egg yolk).   If you are looking for eggroll wrappers, they can usually be found the the refrigerated section of your produce department.

The finished product looks just like this.  Finish with a little sour cream, salsa, or queso on the side, and you have a great appetizer (or on a lazy night, dinner).  Next week, I will follow this up with my homemade salsa recipe (pictured below) and also homemade queso (which requires the homemade salsa).  Is the suspense killing you already?

Enjoy!

Twitter, Anyone?

I just started a Twitter account.  I have absolutely no idea what I am doing, but it sounds like fun.  Are you on twitter too?  I would love to follow you!  If you have any tips, I would love to hear them.  Or you can follow me...but only if you wanna.  Like I said, I have no clue what I am doing.  It might be fun to watch me mess up.  See, I knew you were secretly interested:)

Follow here: @PopPugPeoBlog

Gratuitous Dog Shots (Just Because I Can)

I finally got around to adding a page specifically about the pups.   I tried to capture their personalities in the pictures I used for their page, but here are a few outtakes.  As you can see, Petunia is quite a character.  She basically has two speeds, playing and sleeping (both pictured below).  She also loves to lick Meatball.  Luckily, Meatball loves to be licked.  And Harriet, she just goes with the flow.

DIY Update Part 3 (Or Oh My Gosh, You Aren't Done Yet?)

Where did I leave off last time?  Oh yeah, our backyard garden area looked something like this.  I am sure you have been waiting at the edge of your seat for my 4th of July weekend update, just so you can see the finished product, right?  Just humor me here, and let's pretend that you were.  I have some bad news.  It still isn't finished.  We are almost there.  Almost....

First we had to get some dirt delivered.  Then we had to move it all to our backyard.  Twenty-one wheelbarrow-fulls to be precise.  And it was hot.  Like close to 100 degrees hot.  A good time was had by none.

This is what twenty-one loads of dirt looks like.  You are trying to count them, aren't you?  Don't.  There are some piles you can't see around the corner ( and you will just be disappointed).  Just take my word for it. 

Then we had to mix in all of the compost.  Six very heavy bags (which also had to be wheeled around the back of the house in 3 more loads).  Are we having fun yet?  Wish you were here:)

Rototilling came next.  Husband did his thing.  We ended up with some really nice dirt.  But we weren't quite ready to plant.  No, that would be too easy for a project at our house.

We still had to expand our watering system.  Of course, when you start digging around in ground that has been covered in concrete for many years, you find things long buried.  In our case, it was what seemed to be another concrete border that lay exactly here we wanted to expand our watering system.  So we had to plan a work around.

At the end of all of this it was too hot, and we were too short on time to begin actually planting anything.  So maybe this weekend?  We still have to get everything into the ground, get it all on the watering system, lay weed block, mulch, blah, blah, blah.  So close, yet so far away (especially in this heat we are having).   Did I make you sing a little Hall & Oates in your head?  You know you did:)

Stuff You Should Be Watching: My Drunk Kitchen

Since I usually do a cooking post on Mondays (and didn't this week), I wanted to share one of my favorite "cooking" sites with you.  I will warn you that this is NSFW (she drops an F-bomb now and again), but if that doesn't offend you, this series is totally worth watching.  Not for the cooking tips so much, but for the fantastic editing and great belly laughs that will no doubt ensue.  But don't take my word for it.  I will even embed the first video of the series here (and the rest can be viewed on her website, here).  I promise, she will make you laugh (just press play).  Ready...set....go!

*I am in no way affiliated.  I just like to laugh.

Summer at the Office

For years, Banana Republic has been my go to store for most of my work clothing needs.  It has also been a great resource for beautiful handbags and fantastic jewelry and shoes.  One of the things I love the most about this store is that the pieces are classic, but still on-trend.  Also, they have fantastic sales, where I can often find items at 40% off the original price.  


Living in the Bay Area, we have many microclimates.  My office recently moved from a city on the bay to an area much more inland, meaning I had all of the wrong clothing to wear for a summer on the job.  I work in a business casual to dressy casual (think jeans and a blazer) type of environment, and as the season has gotten warmer, I have realized that it is time to do some wardrobe updating.  So I threw a couple of things in my virtual (read, pretend) cart.  I may need to do some whittling down (my current cart total is $1493.84...eeek).  

1)   Mirra wedge  $79
2)   Stretch pencil skirt  $69.50
3)   Lace overlay shell  $39.50
4)   Leather rhinestone bracelet  $19.50 (I am currently waiting for this to arrive)
5)   Semi-precious necklace   $69.50
6)   Nylon zipper tote  $59.50
7)    Moto snap jacket  $130
8)    Marcia knot flat sandal  $79
9)    Silk print sheath  $150
10)  Cropped cardigan  $49.50
11)  Mayle t-strap heel  $120


OK, I actually stumbled across this bag on Piperlime (but hey, it is the same 
company).  I am more than a little bit obsessed.


12)  Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Baby  $398

Happy Independence Day, Everyone!

Greetings, everyone!  I just stopped by to say, "hello."  I know that a lot of you are off to barbecues and parties and to watch fireworks, so please be safe and have fun.

Just to catch you up on the goings-on at my house, the garden expansion is well under way.  Things have been moving along smoothly for the most part.  I have a post coming up soon to show you how much we have accomplished. We will be so happy when it is finished.

On another note, the days have been hot.  We bought the pups a little kiddie pool to supplement our walks down to the creek.  Petunia wasn't sure what to think of it at first, but bribery (in the form of a Kong thrown into the pool) seemed to help.

The first time Petunia jumped into the pool.  It took her a while to decide to get in.  

How are you celebrating the 4th?  More importantly, what will you be wearing?

P.S.  The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale catalog is available online if you are a fan on Facebook.  I'm just sayin'.

And may the odds be EVER in your favor!

Last night, I had my FIRST drawing for my FIRST blog giveaway, ever.  I have been thrilled to see so many new followers over this past week, and to read so many new blogs (and some old favorites too).  This has been a really fun experience for me (and I hope that you guys like the items I have assembled) (really hope).  Without further ado...summer things I really dig

1)  scünci Elasti-Cone No Damage Hair Elastics- you really never can have too many (and summer is ponytail weather).  Not to mention, how cute (and summery) is this packaging?

2)  Bath and Body Works Caribbean Salsa Candle- smells incredible, very tropical (and a little goes a long way)

3)  Jillian Dempsey for Avon Mascara- What I love about this is that it has two wands...one for your top lashes, and a smaller end for your bottom lashes.  Who thought of this?

4)  Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain in Forbidden- I am currently having a love affair with lip stain and find that this color gets a lot of compliments.  It also lasts a long time.

5)  Ice Breakers Frost Mints- I love these (and can't find them half the time).  They are strong and have a lovely texture.  Yeah, I find that important in a mint:)

6)  Sparkly Nail File- It is sparkly and pink.  What is not to be loved?

7)  Essie "A French Affair" Nail Polish- Another amazing pink creation (sort of a lavender pink tone).  I love the whole A French Affair collection (and had a hard time choosing just one color).

8)  Convertible Floral Bag- I stumbled upon this at Bath and Body Works, and immediately fell in love with the pattern and durability of this.  Not to mention it also folds itself up and fits into a pocket (which serves as a container) that is attached to the bag. Great for bringing home goodies from the grocery store or farmer's market (instead of plastic bags). 

And the winner is Jessica Gitler of the very lovely blog Jess Cause.  You should definitely stop by and check it out. Congratulations, Jessica!  Please send me your address so I can get your package out to you.
Email threepsblog@gmail.com

* I am in no way affiliated or paid to represent any of these products.  They are just things that I genuinely happen to like. 

Mockingjay

I have finally finished the Hunger Games Trilogy.  Overall, it as a great series.  Mockingjay was probably my least favorite of the three books, but it was still pretty good.  This book picked up exactly where the second left off, with Katniss Everdeen being captured by the Rebels in District 13.  Unlike the first two books, this one does not revolve around any of the Hunger Games, but around the rebellion and fall of the Capitol. 


Via

This book resolved many things to my satisfaction, most importantly, the love triangle between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale.  Sometimes the battles of the rebellion were a little  long detailed for my liking, but it did help make a very developed plot.  The ending was also a little surprising, but wrapped up the story very well.

I would give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.  It definitely rounds out the series well, but it felt a little long in some spots.  Did you read this series (or some of the books)?  What did you think?  Which was your favorite?  Are you excited for the upcoming movie? I am having a hard time waiting, myself.

Up next, Bossypants by Tina Fey. Yeah, I am really looking forward to this (I am a huge fan).