Books, books, and more books.

I recently bought a Nook Color and it is a-ma-zzzing (emphasis on the z). I love my Nook. During college I was not able to really read leisurely but now I read all the time, even at work. So I thought I would blog about my favorite books, and books I’ve recently read. So first I would like to say my absolute favorite favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. If you haven’t read this book go buy it right this second. No for real go buy it. Don’t even think about it just get it!

I also loved The Help. It has a To Kill a Mockingbird feel. It has an interesting plot and is an easy read. I felt so connected to the characters by the excellent writing of Kathryn Stockett . She has an amazing sense of life in different worlds, that of the help and the women who employ them.

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, are morbid but I love it. I love that all of the characters are so extremely interesting. Really, every single one. I’ve only read the first book but the second two books in this trilogy are very promising. The first book left so many questions I cannot wait to dive into the second one, Catching Fire and then Mockingjay.

I also read, Between a Rock and a Hard Place. This story of Aron Ralston’s amazing life story really kept me interested. Ok well, Aron came to speak at LSU and I was very inspired, as I think everyone was. He clearly has an amazing outlook on life and I could not wait to read his story. If you don’t know the story, maybe you heard of the movie 127 Hour. I still haven’t seen the movie but I hear its great. The book is my main concern here. I felt Aron’s description of other adventures really added to the message of “its ok to rely on other people sometimes”. Aron explains that he didn’t tell anyone where he was going and that was a mistake that he doesn’t want anyone else to make.

Gosh, I’ve been reading so many books but that’s a start I guess. I will get back to you when I find others that I love! Oh! I forgot! I also read Tina Fey’s Bossypants…love it.

Catch ya later.

ps. these photos came from amazon.com

Haley's getting married!

I recently hosted a Bridal Shower for my dear friend Haley. This post can also be seen at The Eclectic Traditionalist, another dear friend, Katelyn's blog.

There were six hostess including myself; Samantha, Kristin, Lauren, Emily, and Katie. The shower was a true southern affair. The invitations invited the guests to a Kitchen Brunch in honor of the bride. The invitations had a beautiful bouquet of flowers tied with a ribbon printed on the side. The walkway to the house was lined with standing sconces filled with Rosemary and Baby’s Breath.

We tied white, tulle ribbons around these. We decorated the house with pictures of the couple in mismatched frames including gold, silver, and wooden. The menu for the shower was a mix between southern favorites and tea-party essentials. Kristin brought delicious homemade chicken salad and Lauren brought a fruit tray with pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew, and strawberries. We served scones with lemon curd and cream, cheese grits, ham biscuits, petit fours, and cupcakes that were dusted with “pixie dust”. Samantha brought cake balls and we served iced tea, lemonade, and coffee punch. Coffee punch has always been a big hit in our house. We serve the punch at our annual Holiday party, family reunions, and showers. I have included the recipe if anyone would like to try! We used both of my grandmothers’ china and glass party saucers and cups.

There was mingling and socializing. Haley opened some wonderful gifts including an ice cream maker and her dishware. The guests were given small white mesh bags filled with “pillow mints” as they left. After the shower, Haley gave her hostesses a beautiful hand-made notebook her fiancé made.

I think the most important thing is to first decide what type of shower you would like to throw. Because we decided on a brunch and the kitchen opens right up into the party area, we decided on a kitchen theme. The shower had a sort of garden party feel which was perfect with the beautiful weather. We knew we wanted it to be very classy and elegant. The food was placed on antique serving dishes and placed on the dining room table. Pictures were an easy way to highlight the couple. I think that simple decorations are essential to a beautiful brunch shower!

Café Latte Punch

Mix together the night before:

1 c of instant coffee

½ c of cocoa

1 c of boiling water

1 ¼ c of sugar

1 T vanilla

3 c of cold water

3 quartz of milk

Refrigerate the above overnight. Whip 1qt. whipping cream. Soften ½ gallon of vanilla ice cream. Fold the ice cream and whipping cream in a punch bowl. Pour in other mixture. This makes quite a lot so make sure to have another container ready for the extras!

Pull up a seat!

Welcome,

I love reading blogs and I like to write. So why not start a blog? Well first I was afraid of people reading my blog (not that anyone would ha). I’ve gotten over that now and have decided that it is important to forget that and just write. I’m going to write about my life. It may not be interesting or exciting. I want to be able to write about my life, my style, and my thoughts. I am going to try for awhile and then we shall see how it goes! If I sound silly then ignore me. But if you think I sound half okay then read me please!

Catch ya next time,

Catherine