2016 Book Challenge: {A Book You've Read At Least Once...}

Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone

Illustrated  By Jim Kay

J.K. Rowling

I am always willing to re-read Harry Potter, and to be quite honest, I have only read them once. :) I thought that it would be more fun to read the illustrated version, one day I am going to own all of the illustrated ones, because they are fantastic! :)

This book is even more entertaining and enjoyable to read as an adult! The writing is fantastic and the story is even more compelling!

It didn't take me very long to finish it! But I would suggest this version to anyone that has already read the books. I don't think i would want to spoil someone's imagination with the pictures. But the pictures are Definitely worth it for the second time! The artistry is fantastic! Would recommend to anyone!

I give this book 5 stars! :)

2016 Book Challenge: {A Book Recommended by Local Librarian/Bookseller...}

Tales From Two-Bit Street and Beyond Part 1

Drienie Hattigh

I actually discovered these books at the Ogden Farmers Market. It was my first time going to the Farmer's Market and I had the WEIRDEST experience of my life there. 

I guess I could go ahead and share the story. 

We started our adventure at Waffle Love and when we came out, there were people handing out these "1 Million Dollar Bills" that were asking if I knew where I was going after I die. You know those stupid papers that everyone seems to hand to me? {Apparently they are concerned that I'm going to Hell... Eek.} Anyway, we take the papers so they will walk away and head to the train because Sandee's friend was with her nephews and they wanted to ride the train. 

We get to the train and a cop walks up to me and asks if he can ask me a question.
I tell him sure and he says "You know those Million Dollar Bills that are being passed around?"

"Yes."

"So you've been passing them out?"

"No... I had them passed out to me."

"Oh!"

So he proceeds to tell me that it is illegal at the event because it is a private event. Apparently I look shady as well as someone that is going to Hell. :) Haha

Anyway! The author of these books was at the farmers market and started telling me about these book sand how they have "Ghost Stories" that are involving the state of Utah, with this one specifically involving 25th Street.
For those of you that don't know, I am kind of obsessed with scary movies and books and ghost tours, So I knew that I HAD to get these books.  

These are the other 3 in the collection. 

Anyway. It was a fairly easy read that involved around 10 different stories. They were written okay and were definitely entertaining. But I also feel that they were DEFINITELY made up! Most of them were in the perspective of ghosts, and while they were still entertaining, I don't buy that they were real. I will read the rest of them because they are enjoyable, even if they aren't real. :)

I give this book 4 stars. :)

Until Next Time...

Peace & Blessings.

2016 Book Challenge: {A Book That Was Banned At Some Point...}

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

Judy Blume

This is Definitely a child's book, but I quite enjoyed it! I can see why it was banned at some point, it does go over some "taboo" topics that are not typically spoken about in the open.  

I think that it was definitely talked about in an appropriate manner for 6th graders, which is the projected age group that the book is geared towards. 

It was a pretty quick read, especially from an adult, but I think that the story line was pretty good. I think that Judy Blume is never afraid to say what needs to be said, but is often forgot to be said. 

Judy Blume has had 5 books that were banned for some period of time. Pushing the limits can sometimes be a good thing, and I think in this case that it served a good purpose. 

I give the book 3 stars. :)

Until Next Time..

Peace & Blessings!

2016 Book Challenge: {A Book That Intimidates You...}

~Mr Mercedes~
Stephen King

As I have said before, I mostly put this book in this section because it was the only one left and I was already reading the book. :) I would be lying if I didn't admit that it was Oddly believable and realistic, but  that is all the point of Stephen King's writing. 

I had the opportunity to hear The King speak in person. It was completely incredible and it made me really respect him as an author. I own so many of his books that I am unsure I will be able to keep up.

I thought that this book was very well written and it definitely kept my attention. It was disgusting to realize that there are individuals that think like The Mercedes Killer and find Joy and Pleasure in the pain that they inflict on others. But it was also beautiful to see how good conquers evil and any other cheesy line that can be inserted. 

I can't wait to read the other two in the series! :)

#stephenkingfanforlife

:)

Until Next Time...

Peace & Blessings. 

{2016 Book Challenge}

My sister, Sandee, started a book challenge this year that she tried to get me to join in on but I was ornery and said that I didn't have time for such things. (To be fair, I was in my last semeseter of Grad School and had lots of other reading that I should have been doing and wasn't.) Ha. Now that I am out of school, I have found that there is a whole other amount of time to do things that I have been missing for, I don't know, about 20 years. :) Reading has been something that I love to do, but I have a tendency to not like it when it is something that is required of me. (Me? Resistive to things that I'm told I have to do??! I would NEVER! :) )
Anyway, I was finally getting to the point where I was interested in reading again. I was currently reading Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King when I decided that I would do this book challenge. To be quite honest, the book doesn't intimidate me at all. It is pretty realistic and creepy and gross and beautiful all at the same time. In true Stephen King fashion! :) But it was the only slot that I had left and I figured I should be able to count the only other book that I have read in 2016.
I thought that I would share the Challenge with you all! Maybe you want to join. It's only about a book every couple weeks at this point. If I can do it! So can you! :)

2016 Book Challenge

Heidee Miller's Picks 

A Book You Own But Haven't Read
          Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children-Ransom Riggs
A Book That Intimidates You
          Mr. Mercedes-Stephen King
A Book Published This Year
          Harry Potter and the Cursed Child-J.K. Rowling
A Book Chosen For You
          The Leaving- Tara Altebrando
A Book You Can Finish in a Day
          Siddhartha-Hermann Hesse
A Book Published Before You Were Born
          Son of The Black Stallion-Walter Farley
A Book You've Been Meaning to Read
          The Pact-Jodi Picoult
A Book Recommended by Local Librarian/Bookseller
          Tales from Two-Bit Street and Beyond-Drienie Hattingh
A Book You Should Have Read in School
          The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn-Mark Twain
A Book That Was Banned At Some Point
          Are You There God, It's Me, Maragaret?-Judy Blume
A Book You've Previously Abandoned
          The Prophecy of The Stones-Flavia Bujor
A Book You've Read At Least Once.
          Harry Potter and The Sorceror's Stone

Let me know if you start and what books you're reading! I will write posts of reviews of the book so I can track my progress.

Until Next Time....
Peace & Blessings! :)

{Fall Favorites Tag}

I wasn't technically "tagged" to do this tag, but because I seriously LOVE fall, I felt like it was an appropriate thing for me to do. I really want to get back into the habit of posting on this blog. I really like sharing things with you guys that I love. 

I got the idea to do this tag from Jaclyn Hill. She is one of my favorite YouTuber's to watch. I also looked online for a few more questions. A few of them didn't apply to me, so hopefully you don't mind if I adjusted the questions to fit myself. :)

1-FAVORITE FALL CANDLE?

SWEET CINNAMON PUMPKIN

I'm not going to lie, I had never really looked at candles up until this year. I have a candle warmer and I kinda slack at actually using it. So I never have all that many scents. But since everyone and their dog on YouTube is raving about the Bath & Body Works Candles, I thought I should go check them out.

LAKESIDE SUNRISE

BEAUTIFUL DAY

These three have been my favorite ones. I have spent like three days in the story smelling different ones. Which, on that note, does anyone else think they are missing the coffee grounds? Can I get an Amen!

Anyway. I would have to say that the order goes
1-Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin
2-Beautiful Day
3-Lakeside Sunrise

However, they are all amazing!

2- FAVORITE FALL LIP COLOR?

Speaking of Jaclyn Hill, I would have to say that my favorite fall lip color would be one of two options. The first being a Gerard Cosmetics Lip Color in 1995. This color was a collaboration with Jaclyn. But I guess that she isn't affiliated with any of that anymore. I don't know any of the details. But hey, I still got the good color right?

1995

TRUE LOVE'S KISS

Second would have to be MACs True Love's Kiss from their Maleficent Collection.




Now, I feel that I would be a liar if I didn't admit that I wear whatever color of lipstick my heart desires at any time of the year. So this isn't exclusive to the fall.

3- FAVORITE CLOTHING ITEM?

This isn't even a questions. I LOVE CARDIGANS. Especially Boyfriend Cardigans. I love the versatility of a cardigan, meaning that I can wear a short sleeve shirt underneath in case I get warm.

Because, you know, one of the best things about fall is that the mornings and evenings are very cold but it definitely warms up around noon. I totally unpacked all of my cardigans and got SO excited just the other day. I can't wait to wear them all. Hurry up Utah!!! It's time for Fall!

4- FAVORITE FALL MOVIE?

Is this even a question?!?! This one picture will sum up my answer, but you all should have it too!

HOCUS POCUS

5- FAVORITE FALL TV SHOW?

I feel like I am cheating at a lot of these questions. Here is the deal. I usually wait until a TV Show comes out on DVD before I watch it. Especially for the ones that I already own most of them. I have really bad reception in my room, so the types of shows that I do watch on TV are things that I would watch with my family. I.E. Dancing with the Stars or American Ninja Warrior.
But! Because I used to watch these on TV. I am counting them.

SUPERNATURAL

 Just look at these men. Look at them!!!! GORGEOUS! :)

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES

This show gives me so much anxiety! But I love it!

6- FAVORITE THANKSGIVING FOOD?

PUMPKIN PIE

Pumpkin Pie is my absolute favorite! And I would never ruin it with whipped cream!



I take after my dad a little bit when I say that Turkey Gravy is one of the favorites. It goes on everything and is D-Lish!

TURKEY GRAVY

7- FAVORITE HALLOWEEN COSTUME I EVER DID?

For those of you that don't already know, I love horses and feel that I should be a cowgirl! So I would have to say that my favorite Halloween costume I ever did was, being a cowgirl. Which, I have done often.

This year was probably my favorite with my dad's belt buckle and those leather chaps. Plus, I value any picture I have with my Grandpa Miller.

8- FAVORITE FALL ACCESSORY?

Need I say more? Okay. I have like a million and a half and use about three. But. I love them. 

9- UGGS OR MOCCASINS?

My dad loves Indians. I don't know how to explain it, but the history and their jewelry is his favorite. And for that reason, I pick Moccasins. Plus. I don't own a pair of UGGs. :)

I may or may not have this pair. :) 

10- FUZZY SOCKS OR KNEE SOCKS?

I am definitely the type of person that if my feet are happy the rest of me is happy. In the summer I love to wear sandals, because it helps my whole body cool down.

In the fall and winter I LOVE Fuzzy Socks. Knee socks tend to make me too warm. I have a couple pair and I wear them when I wear tall boots, which makes the heat worse.

11- FAVORITE FALL FOOD?

Homemade Soup. Hands down. I LOVE my mom's Chicken Noodle Soup. She usually only cooks it when it starts getting cold. Which, in Utah, varies between 1 months and 8 months. Bring on the soup mom!

12- RED OR PINK LIPS?

I'm a fence sitter when it comes to all of this. I love both lips. I suppose that Red is more appropriate for Fall. But like I said earlier, I wear what I want when I want it! Haha.

BOTH

13- WINGED EYELINER OR BOLD EYE SHADOW?

You would think that Jaclyn Hill had sponsored this blog post. I wish. But no. Anyway. I definitely go for Bold Eye Shadow. There are a couple reasons. But the main reason is that I am WAY too lazy to practice Winged Eyeliner. This eye shadow look on this picture has been my go to this season. LOVE! :)

14- FAVORITE FALL LIP PRODUCT?

I feel like this is a different question than favorite lipstick. And maybe this is because it isn't a lipstick choice. During the fall time, my skin gets really dry! I guess the combination of dry and cold air gets to me. So for this reason, I need to use chap stick more than the rest of the year.

The EOS lip balms are my absolute favorite and I refuse to admit how many of them that I own. :)

15- FAVORITE FALL NAIL POLISH?

This is a really hard question for me because I have SO many different nail polish. If it was a "what is your favorite nail polish?" I could have told you. But I usually only wear a nail polish color once. So remembering a color that I would have worn a whole year ago is a hard one for me. 

I would say that the nail polish that I wear every year is some form of a breast cancer awareness nail polish. Several new collections come out every year and I usually buy them all. Because my piano teacher was diagnoses with Breast Cancer, it has a special place in my heart. So. Yeah. 

16- HAUNTED HOUSE OR HAUNTED HAY RIDE?

Haunted House. Definitely. Hay Rides are a winder thing in my opinion. I would rather go somewhere that would creep me out, but I could leave at my own disposal. Lets be honest here. I haven't gone to a lot. Just Haunted Circus and Nightmare on 13th. I will probably do ghost tours and such this year instead. Who knows. We'll see once they all start opening again. 

17- FAVORITE CANDY TO EAT ON HALLOWEEN?

This! This right here! YUMMMMMMMMM!! The Candy Corn Pumpkins are my absolute favorite! I know that it is totally just in my head, but they taste different than normal candy corn. If I hadn't started a diet a couple months ago, I would have already purchased like 3500 bags of these. I want some now.... 

18- WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT FALL?

Fall in general is absolutely amazing! I would have to say that there are two main things that I love about fall.
1- The colors. How could you not? The whole mountainside changes and gives a whole different atmosphere to the state.
2- The crisp October air. I love spending time outside later in the evening, the small pain of breathing in through your nose is my favorite. The cold air just smells different and after such a hot weighed down summer I love being able to breath the air in with ease. At least, as easy as I can in Utah. :)


Let me know what your favorites are! I hope that you liked this post and getting to know me a little bit more. I used to post Getting to Know me posts a lot! Maybe I'll continue on that journey!

Until Next Time..

Peace & Blessings! 

{Big Brother}

I have spent a lot of time today at the Hospital waiting for my cute little niece to be born. My Brother is awesome and got married three or so years ago.
When I found out that he and his wife we expecting, I was so happy for them. It was so awesome to see how excited they were and they will be the best parents!!
 But I was also a little sad because I knew that things would be different now. He is going to be raising his little family. Which is totally awesome. But still hard for the little sister to grasp. 

Because of all of this going on, I was thinking about the BuzzFeed post that talks about the 10 Reasons why having a little brother is the greatest. This got me thinking. Why isn't there a post going around about big brothers? Is having a big brother such a terrible thing? There may be times when you want to wring his neck, but I think having a big brother is awesome. 

Here are my

 10 Reasons Why Having a Big Brother is the Greatest!

1-He Got Blamed For All The Bad Stuff You Did As A Kid

It's Sad, but it's True. When we were little, Bradon Convinced me to call 911 and tell them that Ed's Mailbox was on fire. Which I did. and then of course they called back and talked to my dad, and Bradon got in trouble for it. Haha. Pretty much any less than idea thing that happened as us kids, me and him were involved in together. Including the time we were throwing waffle blocks at each other, both of us having fun, and then Bradon gave me a bloody nose and got in trouble for it. Haha.  

2-He Looks Out For You

I'm pretty sure that it was a blessing in disguise that Bradon was on his mission while I was going to High School, I'm positive that he would be all up in the face of any date that I went on and would have been overly cautious. Which isn't a bad thing. I know that he just wants to have a happy little sister and he will be the one to answer to if I ever shed a tear.

3-You Get To Watch Him Grow Up To Be An Awesome Person

Bradon was always the big brother (obviously) so I got to see him graduate high school, go on a mission, get married, and now have a kid. I aspire to be like him. If I had been older, I think I would be so focused with my own stuff that I might not notice his. Him being older is the best because he will be protective, but not overshadow me. 

4-He Tells You How It Is

He's not afraid to tell me that I'm wrong and then explain why. He isn't afraid to say if an outfit is questionable. He also isn't afraid to say that I look nice or that He likes my jewelry. He says it how it is, like any best friend should. 

5-He Loves You

He's the big brother, he is the ultimate protector because he Loves you. Bradon doesn't have to come right out and say it for me to know. But it's an awesome thing to know. 

6-He'll Tell You Why You Should Get Over A Guy

He may have already killed the guy, but he will tell you all the reasons why a guy isn't good enough for you and that it's really for the best that you didn't end up together with him. 

7-He Invites You To Do Stuff With Him

Even though our interests may be different, he still invites me to go places with him and spend time with him. It's nice to know that he isn't  "too cool" to hang out with his little sis. 

8-He Teaches You Manly Stuff

There are countless times where he has taught me to play the guitar, or a Red Hot Chili Pepper's bass guitar part. He'll teach you how to do the things that he does so you can spend more time together. He'll even ask you to teach him some of your hobbies. 

9-He Is Kind and Compassionate

Even though he has to put on the man suit, he is really just a kind guy that wants to best for you. Bradon always asks me the right questions because he cares to see me happy. He'll be the first to throw a basketball and invite me to play Horse. It's the little things that show his kind heart. 

10-He'll Always Be There For You

At the end of the day, I know that I could always ask Bradon anything. Irregardless of the subject. He's always there to lend an ear or an advice or two. He'll keep secrets, he'll give hugs, he'll do all the stuff that a big brother shouldn't do, but does because he cares and loves you.

Shout out to You Bradon for being the best big brother in the world. 

I Love you!

-Until next Time

Peace & Blessings.