Happy Halloween!

Hope you all have a great day, and a fun night if you go out!

XoXo,

Lori

October Goals Update

Hello lovelies, I hope you're having a great day! This month has been absolutely crazy! I've accomplished so much and at the same time so little!

When I look back at this month I'm really proud of everything I've accomplished, sure there's a lot I wanted to do that I didn't, but I prefer to look at it in a positive note rather than be disappointed. 

Overall it was a great month, I didn't do so well with my goals, but so what, I still had a great month.

Lose weight.

Keep up with blogging.

Finish five college applications.

Get my laptop fixed.

Read five books

Finish Geometry Part 1

Start and finish English 2

Try to start or be close to starting Spanish 2

Take the ACT for the last time and try not to freak out.

Find a photographer and schedule an appointment to finally get my senior pictures taken.

4 of 10 goals accomplished this month.

Lose Weight.
- Since I'm still recovering from my sprained ankle I haven;t been exercising much, but I've been trying to walk a little each day. So far it's not showing anything on the scale, but it is showing in my clothes, my jeans are starting to get a little baggier and I don't look as bloated.

Finish Geometry Part 1
- I hate math. I hate math. I hate math. Do I need to say more?

Start and finish English 2
- This was wishful thinking on my part, I thought I could start and finish an entire course in a month based on how quickly I finished English 1, but that's because I wasn't expecting as many writing assignments, so I'm still working on it.

Try to start or be close to starting Spanish 2
I'm only allowed to have four classes open at once, I was counting on finishing Geometry Part 1 and being able to start Spanish 2, but that didn't happen.

Take the ACT for the last time and try not to freak out.
Originally I was planning on taking the October 25 ACT, but then I decided not to. I hate taking tests, it gives me terrible anxiety, so I decided to just deal with the fact that I didn't score as high as I wanted to the first two times I took it.

Find a photographer and schedule an appointment to finally get my senior pictures taken.

This one is kind of half-way done. So far I've narrowed it down to two photographers, now I'm just trying to book an appointment.

So that's all for today, I hope you liked my update! Make sure you check back next week, I'll be throwing in an extra post on Thursday!

XoXo,

Lori

Book Review: Karen Whiddon - A Secret Colton Baby

Today I will be reviewing 'A Secret Colton Baby' by Karen Whiddon, copy received from Netgalley via Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.

'A Secret Colton Baby' is a romantic suspense novel, it is 288 pages long and it took me about three hours to read. It is available at Amazon (Kindle) for $4.39, and at Barnes & Noble (NookBook) for $4.99 .

Book Stats

Genre:  Romantic Suspense

Length: 288 pages

Publisher: Harlequin

Release Date: Ocotber 7, 2014

Book Synopsis:

Is Theo Colton the father of a baby dropped at his doorstep by a dying socialite? Even more shocked than the sexy bronc-riding champ is his beautiful cook, Ellie Parker.Just as she becomes the baby's nanny, she discovers a terrifying stalker has followed her to Dead River.

What's worse--as a mysterious virus quarantines the town, danger goes viral, too. But to Theo and Ellie, the biggest dangers are their sizzling attraction and profound new feelings. Can Ellie tame a cowboy who wants nothing more than a wild ride with women? Or must she deny her heart to save his life?

So what did I think? 4 stars

Like: The beginning.

Dislike: The stalkers identity reveal. Too many loose ends.

Would I recommend it?

Yes, I would recommend this book. Is it a must read? No, but it's entertaining and I enjoyed it, I might even read more of the books in this series!

I really like how this book started, most books take the first few chapters to give a backstory and prepare the reader for upcoming events, but this book really just jumped right in with the action.

Honestly I was disappointed in who Ellie's stalker turned out to be, I had a few theories and I wish it would have been one of those instead. I also wish the scene where she discovers who her stalker is would have been longer, I would have liked to have seen him explain a bit more.

I also would have liked to have seen a few of the loose ends tied up, I know this is supposed to be a part of a series, but I would have at least liked an update on Theo's grandma. It's like she was a big part of the first half of the book and then for the last part she wasn't even mentioned.

Overall, I really liked the book, and if you like drama, action, romance, and suspense then this is the book for you! There are a few love scenes, but nothing too graphic, and they don't take up a huge part of the book.

Thank you Harlequin via Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review!

Will you be buying this book? Let me know below!

XoXo,

Lori

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Movies to Get You in the Halloween Spirit

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly link-up hosted by The Broke and the Bookish .

This week's theme: Top Ten Books/Movies To Read or Watch To Get In the Halloween Spirit.

Hocus Pocus

The Little Vampire

Twitches & Twitches 2

Halloweentown 

Halloweentown 2

Casper
The Addams Family
The Nightmare before Christmas
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Beetlejuice


Honestly, I prefer more kid friendly Halloween movies, I'm not a fan of horror movies. When I was a kid I loved it, I would watch any horror movie you put in front of me, but now, I wouldn't watch a horror movie if you paid me!

That's all for this today, I hope you liked it! What are your favorite Halloween movies? Do you prefer kid-friendly Halloween movies or Rated R?
XoXo,
Lori

Book Review: Nina de Gramont - The Boy I Love

Hello lovelies, today I will be reviewing 'The Boy I Love' by Nina de Gramont. Back in September I mentioned in a Top Ten Tuesday post that I wanted to read more books by Nina de Gramont, later that day I received an e-mail from Nina asking me which book I would like to read and then she sent it to me!

I know usually today I would be doing my monthly weight loss update, but I over-scheduled my blog and I really wanted to post this asap! After looking at my blog calender I've actually decided to make some changes to my posting schedule, I haven't figured out all the kinks yet, but I think I'll be doing a post about the changes on Saturday, maybe.

'The Boy I Love' is  Young Adult novel, it is 271 pages long and it took me about four hours to read. It is available at Amazon for $17.99 (Hardback) or $9.78 (Kindle). It's also available at Barnes and Noble for $13.42 (Hardback) and $10.99 (NookBook).

Book Stats

Genre: Young Adult

Length: 271 pages

Publisher: Atheneum Books 

Release Date: September 2, 2014

Book Synopsis:

When the boy you love asks you to keep his greatest secret, do you?

Sixteen-year old Wren has been content to stay in her best friend Allie's shadow. It doesn't bother her that Ally gets the cutest guys, the cutest clothes, and even a modeling gig- Wren is happy hanging with the horses on her family's farm and avoiding the jealousy of other girls. But when Tim, the most intriguing guy in school, starts hanging out with Ally and Wren, jealousy is unavoidable, but not the kind Wren expects. Because even though Ally is way into him and Wren hasn't flirted, not one little bit, it becomes increasingly clear that Tim prefers Wren's company to anyone else's.

Tim's unexpected devotion comes at the exact time Wren's home life is about to be turned upside down. But at least there is Tim...always a gentleman and ever dependable. But as his own seemingly perfect world comes spiraling down around him and he tells Wren his biggest secret, Wren must decide what she'll really do for love.

What Did I Think? 5 Stars

Like: The characters.

Dislike: Nothing. 

Would I recommend it?

Yes, I would 100% recommend this book. It's been a about three years since I last read a Young Adult book, so when I received this book I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it at first, but once I started reading I loved it. I received 'The Boy I Love'  Thursday and I finished reading it last night.

Part of the reason I wasn't sure I would like the book is because most books I read are written in third-person, so reading a book in first-person was a big change, but it was a nice change. While I loved the plot, I feel like the characters are what made this book. That's what I loved most about the first book I read From Nina, her characters are well-developed.

Overall I loved the book and I highly recommend it. Since I've already confessed to this being the first YA novel I've read in years, how about another confession? I confess that this is the first real book I've read all year, every other book I've read this year has been read on my phone!!!

Honestly, just thinking about it makes me want to cry, I love reading, and I love books, but I've been in a funk all year when it comes to reading. I have a stack of 8 books sitting on my dresser that's been sitting there since February that I haven't even touched, and I hate myself for it. If you've ever been through a reading funk please leave any tips below you have for getting out of this funk, I really want to learn to love paperback and hardback books again.

Thank you Nina for sending me this book, once again I've enjoyed your work!
Will you be buying this book?  Let me know below!

XoXo,

Lori

Weekly Inspiration

Via

XoXo, 

Lori

5 Words: Week 92

Hello lovelies, I'm so happy it's finally Friday, this week has been crazy! But I kinda enjoyed it, I like keeping busy, because it makes me happy, but I really need a break, so I'm happy it's Friday!
 Sadly my job interview had to be rescheduled so no news about that, but I did finish two college applications and I finished most of another, so this week was a huge success in my book!

Here's this week's 5 Words...

Mot Juste - The exact, appropriate word.

Lagniappe - Something given as a bonus or extra gift.

Osculate - To come into close contact or union.

Omphaloskepsis - Contemplation of one's navel as part of a mystical exercise.

Xyst - A covered portico, as a promenade.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed it! See you on Sunday!

XoXo,

Lori

Book Review: Lynette Eason - The Lawman Returns (Wrangler's Corner)

Today I will be reviewing 'The Lawman Returns' by Lynette Eason, copy received from Netgalley via Love Inspired Suspense in exchange for an honest review.

'The Lawman Returns' is  Romance-Suspense novel, it is 224 pages long and it took me about three hours to read. It is available at Amazon (Kindle) for $4.99 and at Barnes & Noble (NOOK book) for $5.49 .

Book Stats

Genre: Romance-Suspense

Length: 224 pages

Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense

Release Date: October 7, 2014

Book Synopsis:

Deputy Clay Starke has come home to Wrangler's Corner for one reason only: to solve his brother's murder. Denied the official resources that will help him unravel the case, Clay is forced to rely on his wits-- and on the help of beautiful social worker Sabrina Mayfield. But Sabrina's willingness to assist him him soon draws her into the troubles of Clay's past. Now both Clay and Sabrina have targets on their backs, and Clay is at risk of losing not only his heart, but also his life. Will finding his brother's killer cost him the woman he has come to love?

So what did I think? 5 Stars

Like: The pace.
Dislike: Nothing.

Would I recommend it?

Yes, 100% recommend this book, I really liked the pacing, it wasn't too fast, but it also didn't drag. I love that the author was able to keep me entertained until the very end, sometimes when reading I get bored and distracted, but I didn't experience that at all with this book.

This was the first book I've read from Lynette Eason, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. Usually when I read something from a new author I'll look at book reviews, but for some reason with this book I didn't.

Overall, I loved the book, I highly recommend it, and I hope to read more Lynette Eason books in the future! I hope to read more from Wrangler's Corner soon, I'm not sure if this is a series or not, so far I haven't been able to find any other books, so I'm thinking this might be the first book in a new series.

Thank you Love Inspired Suspense via Netgalley and Harlequin for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review!

Will you be buying this book? Let me know below!

XoXo,

Lori

Fabulous Flats

Hello lovelies, As the weather cools down I've been desperately searching for a new pair of flats. Sadly this past spring, after three years of daily wear, my favorite pair of flats gave out.

 I still haven't thrown them away, and I've been wearing them recently, but my feet are starting to hate me for it, so I think it's time to retire them, and I will, just not till I find a new pair!

I've been searching high and low, but I just can't seem to find any flats that I like, that I can afford, AND that are actually in my size. I've finally got to the point where I know I'm going to either have to order online or travel two hours to the nearest Nordstrom. I think I'm going to try online first, and if that doesn't work then I'll make the trip to Nashville.

Here are a few flats that I'm loving but can't have, and even thought I can't enjoy some of  them (either because of the price tag or because I've been cursed with giant feet), I hope you can. 

From left to right:
One. Two. Three. Four.  Five. Six.

Honestly I think I've decided to go with a pair of Tory Burch flats, I haven't decided which pair I'm going to get, but I'll keep you updated on that.

 That's all for today, I hope you liked it! What are your favorite pair of flats? Do you think I should buy the Tpry Burch flats, or do you recommend another brand? Let me know below!
XoXo,
Lori

Pinterest Finds

Hello lovelies, I hope you're having a great day! Today I have great news to share with you, big changes are coming, very big changes, some personal changes and then some pretty big blog changes too!

First up blog changes. I've known for a while that I wanted to make some more changes. I'm 100% sure I'm going to be making changes to blog content, and I think I want to make some design changes too.
I know for sure that I will be getting rid of the 5 Words series, I used to love doing it, but for the past few months I just hate it! So that's going to change, I have a few ideas of what I'm going to put in its place, I just haven't made my mind up yet, but that's okay I still have a few more weeks to make a decision.
 The last 5 Words will be posted on December 26, it will be the last Friday in December and also the 100th 5 Words post, so I figured that it would be the perfect time to end the series! In regards to the blog design, I will tinker with it over the next few weeks, I don't plan on making any huge changes, just a few tweaks, but who knows, I might decide to makeover the entire blog!
 Regardless of what happens I'll keep you updated!

Second, personal changes. This one actually might end up affecting my blogging schedule, I'm going to try not to let it interfere, but it might.
So last week I went to Tumbleweed for dinner with my family and while we were there my mom startedtalkingwith the manager and I decided to ask her if they were hiring, and they were. So she told me to put in an application and to call her the next day, so I went home, put in the application, and called her Thursday.
We set up an interview for Yesterday and it went great! I go tomorrow for my second interview with the other manager and she told me that the job was pretty much mine because she liked me enough to send me to a second interview!

You guys!!!! I can not explain how excited I am, I've been trying to find a job since the day I turned 16, I feel like things are finally starting to work out right and I'm really excited for tomorrow!

Okay so now that I've said all that I think it's time to get to what today's blog post is supposed to be about, this months Pinterest Finds!!!

1. I really do believe this quote, I believe that there's a reason it took me so long to find a job and I really hope that the time is right for this to happen.

2. This is so true.

3. Since I'm still recovering from my sprained ankle I've been sorley lacking inspiration for working out, so this month I've been pinning a lot of exercise motivation.

4. This month I've developed a great love for Jennifer Lawrence, she's amazing!

So that's all for this months Pinterest Finds, I hope you liked it!!! Let me know below what you think about my blog plans, I would love to hear any ideas you have, whether it be about the design, or about what you think I should replace 5 Words with!!!

XoXo,

Lori