The Happiness Report #45

-Sharing books: A month ago, I was able to share a  book that I thought my friend would enjoy. On Monday, another friend and I swapped books. And don't even get me started on the love affair I have with Paperback Swap.
- an extra hour of sleeeeep (or whatever you wanna do with it)
- the new Jack Johnson album

- mini Reese's cups free CANDY!
- fresh flowers
- a great performance review at work
- dressing up
- baking treats
- meeting my friends' babies
- this:

- Jamie Dornan (who played the sheriff in Once Upon a Time in Season 1) as the new Mr. Christian Grey

Linky Love:
Chivalry is Dead- From a Male's Perspective
NYTimes: The End of Courtship
Put The Smartphone Down
Obsessing Over Social Media
Has Facebook Ruined Love?

Book Club and Back That Azz Up!

This week I'm sharing...

From GoodReads:
"With a wry sense of humor, Jennifer Close brings us through those thrilling, bewildering, what-on-earth-am-I-going-to-do-with-my-life years of early adulthood. These are the years when everyone else seems to have a plan, a great job, and an appropriate boyfriend, while Isabella has a blind date with a gay man, Mary has a crush on her boss, and Lauren has a goldfish named Willard. Through boozy family holidays and disastrous ski vacations, relationships lost to politics and relationships found in pet stores, Girls in White Dresses pulls us deep inside the circle of these friends, perfectly capturing the wild frustrations and soaring joys of modern life."

My Thoughts:
This story fell a little flat for me. I had heard so many great reviews, and was anxious to read it. It also sounded perfect because though these girls start off a little younger than me, it really seemed that I was/am living their lives. So many weekends spent at friend's wedding showers/bachelorettes, weddings, and then baby showers. It's great, but also tiring and leaves you thinking "so, when will it be my turn?" That's a feeling I can definitely relate to.

However, there were so many characters thrown in haphazardly, that I started to lose track. I kept thinking Wait, who is this again? Where did this person come from? Oh, so and so is engaged now? But he was never introduced...? I found this confusing.  Characters were thrown in for a chapter and then abruptly dropped from the story. I did feel a connection with Mary, Lauren, and especially Isabella. She was my favorite; it was like she was in my head. Lauren was too much of a lush, and Mary was sarcastic and stiff. Isabella may be impulsive, but her story was the most believable. I also liked how each chapter was told form a different person's point of view, but I wish there were less people to keep track of. Also, I didn't find many "laugh out loud" points that I was promised, but overall it was pretty good. 

(I think this review best sums up how I feel about it.)


Noteworthy Quote: 
“In college, twenty-nine had seemed impossibly old. By now, she'd thought, she'd be married and have kids. But as each year went by, she didn't feel much different than she had before. Time kept going by and she was just here, the same.”

Dark Horse- Katy Perry

"Shawty’s heart was on steroids

Cause her love was so strong

You may fall in love

When you meet her

If you get the chance you better keep her

She's sweet as pie but if you break her heart

She'll turn cold as a freezer"

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Hope you get some great treats!

Someday?

Someday I Will...

*Have my makeup done professionally/learn how they did it, then splurge and purchase all of the products used

*Get a hot stone massage or mud/seaweed wrap

*Get a bikini wax

*Go to a planetarium

*Get something published

*Throw someone a surprise party

*Buy a respectable headstone for grandma's grave

*Ride on the back of a motorcycle 

*Travel to Italy and Australia

*Buy a new laptop or seriously fix the one I have

*Finish a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle and frame it

*Frame my diploma

*Make sangria

*Buy a nice map and put a push-pin in every place I've been (I love maps. Weird, I know)

*Get professional photos taken

*Send a secret to Postsecret

*Complete a scrapbook

*Ride a mechanical bull

*Be an extra in a tv/music/movie production

*Read all the books I currently own but haven’t yet read

*Develop all my old negatives

*Ask for advice...and take it

*Learn to change a flat tire

*Purchase a home... complete with outdoor hot tub, porch, and firepit

*Be debt-free

*Learn to drive stick shift

*Fly first class

*Go wine tasting in wine country

*Purchase a car

What do you hope to do "Someday"?

Taste of Tuesday: Crockpot Italian Chicken and Rice

I found this recipe on Pinterest- it sounded easy, so I tried it. I know it doesn't look gorgeous, but believe me it tastes much better than it looks! 

Ingredients:
2-4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese (let sit out to soften)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pkg. italian dressing seasoning (the dried kind in the packet)
rice

Directions:

1. Stir the cream cheese, cream of chicken, and seasoning together in the crockpot. I actually started it on low and let them sit in there for about 30 min so the cream cheese is softer to stir. 

2. Put the frozen (because i'm lazy) chicken in and cover with the mix. Cook on high 4-6 hours or until the chicken is cooked and fall-apart-tender. (After about two hours, you can cut your chicken up, unless you used Short Cuts like I did!)

3. Cook the rice in a pot according to the package instructions and smother with chicken mixture! The Italian seasoning is the secret ingredient- really tasty!

crock pottin

So I'm not a great food photographer... but it tastes good!

Weekend Updates

What's up lovelies?!

I have had one helluva weekend! Therefore, I am le tired, and you get pics! Woot!

Thursday:

My coworker who lives in Wisconsin was in town this week, so we took her out to dinner. I had this ah-mazing carrot cake... in a jar. Absolutely delicious- it was warm, and moist, and just divine!

my first cake in a jar experience- yum!

Friday: 

My friend was supposed to have a birthday party this night, but she decided to post-pone it. However, she was free from kids and husband, so I took full advantage. She came over, and though we were planning on going out, we wound up just staying in. It was pretty perfect- wine (for her)/beer (for me), music, food, laughs-- it was a great end to the week. So great, in fact, that I forgot to take pics. *womp*

Saturday: 

I *finally* made it to a Halloween party! I have been wanting to go to one for the last few years, so I was super excited to go this year! I met a whole bunch of new, super fun people, drank some pumpkin ale and Jello shots and danced the night away! Can I just say... I honestly don't remember the last time I had a Jello shot. But they were just as good as I remember! Also, they let me play DJ, which is always a win!

new favorite pumpkin ale

shots shots... shots shots shots shots!

booze + fire pit = October happiness

my friend's husband found a Sloth mask somewhere... apparently my friend wanted to eat him

Dark Angel/ Angel of Death, me, and Marg

From the above pic, you can't really tell what I am. Maybe. My sign/label was turned the wrong way- gah! 

So here is a classic bathroom selfie:

North West bishes!

Sunday:

My guy friend [read: friend who happens to be male, not like boyfriend] came over to watch football, drink beer, and eat pizza- the perfect hangover cure if you ask me! However, not exactly pic worthy. I really like that he just invited himself over too, because I've been wanting to hang out with him, but a little "self/apartment-conscious" because I don't have a couch. Of course he didn't care (I think he actually laughed when I mentioned this), but it makes me rethink inviting anyone over. I have chairs and a table, just no dang couch! Working on that though!

How was your weekend? Are you ready for Halloween?

5

Today marks what would have been 5 years with C. But it's not. 

Yeah, I still hurt.
But it's ok.
Because I will be okay.

"How would you have learned if I ain’t leave?

I guess I was way too naive

I should've been checked you

But I let you get mad disrespectful, huh

Couldn't be serious, was you?"