Television. It would be books, but I've been sucked in.

If you're into things like aliens, time travel, David Tennant, robots, space travel, and Time Lords, than Doctor Who is the show for you. I'd seen all the pins on Pintrest about Doctor Who and figured it'd be great. It is. There's history, the Doctor visited Shakespeare in an episode, evil-doers, and general nerdiness. I love it! Now, all I have to do is make it through the episode Blink. It's about weeping angel statues. It's creeping me out to think about it, and I haven't been able to finish it. I did read about it though, so I know what's going to happen. I could go on and on about how amazing this show is. In fact, I do go on and on about it to Sara. Poor girl. Time to man-up and finish that crazy episode so I can move on!
    I do have some fall-esque photos to post, but with class registering, book reading, and Doctor Who watching my time is spent.

via

Scandal Free Minnie Mouse

This week's Friday's Fancies is all about Halloween!
So I decided to go with a scandal free costume, because
I don't think that Halloween is a good enough excuse to
look scandalous. What can I say, I'm just a tiny bit of a
prude. Be sure to click the button to see everyone else's Friday's
Fancies!

My 12 by 2012

I saw this over on The Small Things, and I thought it was brilliant. It's a list of goals to complete before 2012 comes around.

1. Be able to run at least a mile without stopping. I'm nearly there!

2. Don't get a drastic haircut. A hard one, because I love my hairdresser. A lot.

3. Have all my Christmas shopping done before December.

4. Have my list of books read up to 200.

5. Make my crazy just a little bit less crazy.

6. Wear crazy high shoes because I can.

7. Have a week of jean free outfits, and actually wear them.

8. Get better at crocheting.

9. Finish mine and Sara's scarves.

10. Re-read all the Harry Potter books.

11. Keep running every day.

12. Stay happy.

It's not a life changing list, but I think it's doable and will come with good results. What are you hoping to achieve before next year?

Luncheon with My Mama

Once again, I'm linking up with the always fabulous {av} over at Long Distance Loving for Friday's Fancies! I love this week's inspiration, Think Pink, for breast cancer awareness. It should be a treatable disease, not a life taking one, so research and testing needs to be done! Get checked every year by your doctor.

Book. It would be books, but it's only about one.

   So my time this week has been taken up with lots of reading. Not reading lots of books, but that's ok. The book I read was so spectacular! It was like reading Harry Potter for the first time. When I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the first time back in 1998, I was mesmerized. I thought that surely the book itself was magical. I looked the book over, trying to find out why such a plain paperback was so magical. I know now, that it wasn't the book that was magical, it was the story and the characters and being able to so easily imagine that I was a part of Harry Potter's world. Ever since reading that first book, I've felt that way about every other Harry Potter book. I always feel whenever I pick one up to read that something magical is about to happen. It makes a small town life exciting, and it always makes me wonder. So to get that kind of feeling with a new book as an almost adult was a big deal to me. I read this book slowly, well, slowly for me anyway, to savor that feeling for as long as possible. I don't know what it is about a great story, but I'm rather confident that I'd be happy to earn a degree in reading. Sadly, you can't earn a living by reading alone.
   The book that gave me such a feeling is A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. It's about witches, daemons, and vampires, all very exciting things to me. The story starts in the nearby Oxford at the Bodelian  Library with a witch named Diana Bishop. She unknowingly calls up lost manuscript, which sets off a reaction in the creature world. Soon, she meets Matthew de Clairmont, a vampire, and their adventure starts.
   I'd love to just write out an account of the story, but then the fun of reading the gigantic book would be gone. Read it, love it.

via

Days in Pictures and Books 3

Thursday:

Only .5% alcohol, 100% delicious

   Lunch at Limes Farm. Rose lemonade is delicious!

Friday:

A pumpkin tray with leaf dip dish.

    Bunco. I won this easy to pack pumpkin tray. Sara's getting it for Christmas.

Saturday:
  I don't have a picture for Saturday, don't be sad, I lounged.

Sunday:

An empty coconut shell. 

   Sunday is always Mass, and then out. We went to Aston (sadly they don't build Aston Martins there.) for lunch, and came home to make horse hoof coconut shells. At least, that's what Robby did. Now, I can be King Arthur!


Books
   
     Over the past week, I've read 4 books, but I only took pictures of 3.

The first book I read was Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie. She's brilliant. I would never have guessed who killed who. If you want to read about deaths at Petra, read this book. Then watch Indian Jones and the Last Crusade to see Petra.

The second book I read was another Agatha Christie. It too was set in the Middle East, only this time the murder wasn't in Petra, it was in Iraq. I won't go into detail about the story because if I do, then you might guess who did it, and that's no fun.

I'm the next big book photographer.     

  The third book I started and finished was the second book in the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan, it's called Throne of Fire. And boy what a book! There's ancient Egyptian gods roaming around in the duat, magicians, and an almost missable mention of the Greek gods. If you've read all the Percy Jackson books then you'll get it. I loved this one! It picked up a few months where the first book left off, but it kept up the story line and added a new one. I'm excited for the third one!

The book photography just gets better and better!

   The fourth book was absolutely astounding! I had heard nothing but good things about this book, and I was not disappointed! I could continue to gush about this book, but I'll stop. Now, I do hope that the world never gets ugly enough to come to anything like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Read this book, you will not regret this. Unless you're a stick in the mud and don't want to be my friend.
 

I feel like I have a whole book photo career in front of me!

Stolen from Facebook

I borrowed this from my friend Hannah on Facebook. She's British, and this is hilarious:

To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II: In light of your immediate failure to financially manage yourselves and also in recent years your tendency to elect incompetent Presidents of the USA and therefore not able to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. (You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary.) Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas , which she does not fancy). Your new Prime Minister, David Cameron, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated sometime next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect: 1. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour,' 'favour,' 'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise.'Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary'). (I love that one) Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as ''like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u'' and the elimination of '-ize.' ' (I love that one too) 3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday. 4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not ready to shoot grouse. 5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public. 6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour. 7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.) 8.You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar. 9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. New Zealand beer is also acceptable, as New Zealand is pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion. 10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialogue in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater. 11. You will cease playing American football. There are only two kinds of proper football; one you call soccer, and rugby (dominated by the New Zealanders). Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies). 12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America . Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the Australians (World dominators) first to take the sting out of their deliveries. 13. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad. 14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776). 15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season. God Save the Queen!

Via

Here is where you can find the original.

Running!

   Thanks to the influence of my sister-in-law Sara, I've taken up running. It's a slow start, but fun nonetheless. I'm thinking that by posting my schedule to the public, I'll have more encouragement to get out the door. So here it is!

Sorry for the quality sucking. Time to be better at this. 

   So far I'm still in the stage of adding more and more running, so I only run 3 days a week and walk 3 miles in the early morning (that would be 6am) with Sara. Hopefully in about 3 weeks I should be up to 30 minutes out, and running for the majority of the time!

Almost learning at Starbucks

   It's Friday! Almost, it's Thursday night, so close enough! 
   I'm linking up with the always fab {av} from {Long Distance Loving}, 
to share my would be outfit if I had endless amounts of money. Also, 
this outfit would happen if I had a Starbucks I could drive to, set up my 
books, and think about learning. I have books, I have a Starbucks, but I
 have no need to think about learning right now. It's  a tough tough world.
 I hope you have a fabulous weekend!!

Real Life Willy Wonka

   I celebrated Columbus Day weekend with a trip to Apple Day, and I finished it off with a trip to Cadbury World. Robby said that it was Cad World and that the tour would be narrated by Hugh Grant. I told him that he hasn't been caught soliciting a lady of the night in ages. Our talks in the car are excellent. 

   Cadbury World is like real life Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory without Oompa Loompas. If there were Oompa Loompas I wouldn't have stayed, because that would have creeped me out. People just shouldn't be orange, I'm talking to you Jersey Shore cast. Sadly, you can't take pictures inside of Cadbury World, but I did manage to get some pictures. These are pictures of things that they won't mind getting out.

Technically this didn't have a sign that said no pictures, the factory room next to this did so I didn't take pictures of that. Plus, I though this was awesome. 

Inside the pretend candy shop.

My bounty. As you go in, they give you 2 full size chocolate bars (I ate one, so there's only 3), and then they give you another one halfway through. I did cough up the money for the Starbar though. 

   If you're ever in England and can get to Birmingham to go to Cadbury World, do it. And be sure you have a drink, because they give you 2 cups of melted chocolate. While it is delicious, it's very rich and milk is the only thing to cut down on the richness. Sadly, I only had Diet Coke, but it still worked. Now to finish my last chocolate bar. 

Travels, that will happen in the future.

I'll be the first to admit, I have a severe case of wanderlust. I'm not sure how I came to be in such a state, but I don't mind, I think it's fab. In honor of Christopher Columbus and his travels, I'd like to list a few places I want to visit in the next 5 years.

1. Switzerland. I want to sample the chocolate and buy a fancy watch. Oh, and sing as I walk over a mountain, because I just escaped from the the nazis.

2. The Netherlands. I'm hoping to acquire wooden clogs, see some tulips, see some Van Gogh, and take a canal ride.

3. Germany. I hear it's lovely, and I like sausage.

4. Belgium. I want to pretend I'm Poirot, before he moves to England.

5. Italy. Seeing the Pope is important to me. And seeing all the spots from the Lizzie Maguire Movie.

6. France. I've been before, but I'd like to see some more.

Rexy, my mama, and me at Notre Dame- I'm going back to Paris to see it at night and to visit Versailles.

I say I want to visit these places in 5 years, because going to all these places is something I want to do while I'm young enough to do an obscene amount of walking and sleep deprivation. Also, I'd really like to do this before I do adult things, like get married and stuff. The only hurdle before I can take this trip, saving up!

Apple Day at Sulgrave Manor

Here's my pictures of my lovely fall day out at Sulgrave Manor ("The home of George Washington's ancestors.")

A hedgehog. Rex's dream pet.

Pressing the apples.

My first cup of hot apple cider of the season!

Checking out the ferret race.

Ferret race!

A British flag and an American flag. Awesome. 

Me and Isaac, my nephew, with the huge bust of George Washington. It was donated by George Washington University in DC.

I had a fabulous day! Sadly I won't be here for the Apple day next year, but I'm sure someone in Georgia has an apple day thing.

Afternoon Tea

Afternoon Tea by sarahmilesp13 featuring calfskin boots

Balmain double breasted jacket
€2.350 - shopmrsh.com

Orla Kiely cotton skirt
£70 - peopletree.co.uk

Ralph Lauren calfskin boots
€850 - luisaviaroma.com

Proenza Schouler mini handbag
$1,555 - net-a-porter.com

House of Harlow 1960 gold jewelry
$75 - charmandchain.com

Vintage style necklace
$65 - modcloth.com

Deborah Lippmann Across the Universe
$18 - barneys.com

Christmas Music

Lately I've had the urge to sing and listen to and sing some more, Mariah Carey's version of "All I Want for Christmas." I don't know why I have such an urge. It's not like I'm a huge fan of her musical stylings. Though I am a huge fan of that song. There's only one thing wrong with this, it's October! I haven't even figured out what to be for Halloween. (Right now, it's between a pirate and a sailor.) So now I'm off to listen to that darn song again. And hope that I'll be able to think about a new one soon.

Oh Mariah, your song is so catchy, even at the wrong time of year. 

October- Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and why I don't support Susan G Komen

So October is an important month for women. It's the month when we're all reminded to get tested for breast cancer, how to check yourself, and write a check and send it to some organization. There are walks and run and all sorts of activities that go to support the cause.

Well, one of the biggest breast cancer groups is the Susan G Komen for the Cure group. I'm sure they do lovely things for breast cancer research and funding. But they also support Planned Parenthood. As a member of the Catholic Church it stands to reason that I don't support or think that abortion is a good thing. I think that it's atrocious and shouldn't happen. And since Planned Parenthood performs abortion I just can't get behind them or any group that does. Though according to their website, the money they give to Planned Parenthood goes to breast healthcare, I just don't feel right donating money to a group who gives money to Planned Parenthood. I'll just have to find another organization to donate to.