New Look!

If you’re reading this in the WordPress reader or in your email, STOP. Please take a second, click, follow the link to my actual blog. If you’re already here, ISN’T IT PREEEETTTTYYYY????

So things look a little different around here! Don’t worry, it’s all still the same snarky content, just a little more pink.

The two biggest changes:

Check out my beautiful new banner! It’s so lovely. *sigh* Huge thanks to Jenn @ Jenniely for doing such beautiful work! Jenn is super multi-talented, so get ready to do some following!

• Jenn runs the fabulous Jenniely blog which you should DEFINITELY check out!
  https://jenniely.com/
• Jenn works as a graphic designer creating graphics for blogs (like this one!).
  https://jenniely.com/graphic-design-services/
• Jenn runs the Etsy shop LiteraryGalaxy which primarily sells really cool bookmarks (will definitely be adding the Priory bookmark to my Etsy wish list <3).
  https://www.etsy.com/shop/LiteraryGalaxy
• And, as always, follower her on twitter to see a little bit of all of this!
  https://twitter.com/JennieLy

I’m Thirty?!?

So yeah, that happened this week. Still processing.

The thing is, I am absolutely not freaked out about getting older. Normally I don’t even keep track of how old I am, and anyways I’m looking forward to my thirties and seeing my family grow up. I am a little freaked out about how old I actually am. I feel like just yesterday I turned twenty-three.

I don’t feel thirty. Not even close. Adult-hood has completely taken me by surprise. Like, I know I have two kids and I own a house and I have a real adult job, but I still don’t feel like I have my stuff together. I just feel like I’m making everything up as I go. Maybe that’s normal for thirty-year-olds, but it just seems like they all have everything figured out.

I’m Back!

Hello friends! I’ve missed you all!

Well, Baby #2 is here. This is William. He is tiny, but so SO strong. I don’t want to brag, but he’s been rolling over since he was about 2 weeks old, so, yeah. Beat that every other baby! And I might be a bit biased, but I think he’s pretty cute. Bonus, unlike my first, he’s a real cuddler, so I’ve been getting a lot of good snuggle time.

I wasn’t expecting to be back so quick, to be honest. I expected to be on hiatus for two months, maybe more. My first child was … difficult. He cried basically every moment he was awake and wouldn’t sleep unless you held him for the first 4-5 weeks of his life, so I spent my entire day in my husband’s armchair just holding him and watching TV. I didn’t open my computer, I stopped reading, I didn’t even play phone games really. It was a mess. So I expected things to be similar with this one. Nope. He’s sleeping like an angel. Most of the time, anyway. So I can put him down in his crib and come work over here for an hour or two. Or I can read while I’m holding him and he naps. It’s been really nice, and I’m excited to be back. (I’m also LOVING the book I’m currently reading, Wolf Hall, so I’m happy I’m getting some reading time!)

Major Life Update!!

Okay, I’ll give you three guesses what it is.

1. No. I’m not moving to Japan.

2. No, I am not quitting my job to pursue a career as a professional sports analyst/commentator.

3. No. I’m definitely not selling all my possessions and becoming a Tibetan monk.

Any more ideas? No? Well, then I guess I’ll let my son tell you. Hang on, let me get him …

Blogger Recognition Award

I’ve been nominated for the Blogger Recognition Award by both Victorious Pages and A Song of Books and Coffee, both of which are relatively new blogger buddies of mine, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know them. Go check ’em out! Thanks for nominating me ladies!

The Blogger Recognition Award is an award given out by other bloggers. (Because all the other awards aren’t??) (To be honest I’m still trying to figure out blog awards. They seem similar in every way to tags…) But this is a nice way to be recognized as I know my blog is currently followed almost exclusively by other bloggers. It’s nice to know I’m not putting anyone to sleep!

Wow, 200 Followers!!!

You guys are amazing. When I started this blog back in May it never occurred to me that I would have 200 followers by the time school started again. What a fun, exciting adventure this has been!

I want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to follow, read, like, and comment on my little blog. It means so much to me that there are people out there listening to what I have to say. And, I admit, I am really excited to have made a couple of friends. It is so nice to finally have people to talk to about my books.

I am especially thankful to those of you who are continuing to read my blog even though I don’t currently have time to return the favor. Today is the first day of school for me (YIKES!), and so things are more than a little busy. But I’m hoping that in a month or so I’ll be back in the groove and reading your blogs again.

Seriously, y’all are awesome.

Back to Work

Well, it’s officially August, and all of the teachers know what that means.

I’m at a new school this year, so I’m both excited and soooooooo nervous. Going to a new school is almost as nerve wracking for a teacher as it is for a student, and for a lot of the same reasons. How will I remember everyone’s names? Who am I supposed to sit next to at Convocation? What if the other teachers don’t like me? What if I get a tough principle? Plus bonus scaries like What if the kids are the worst kids of all time?

But, for good or for worse, here I am, 6 AM in my fancy clothes, eating breakfast and trying to get the blogging in before I have to leave.

100 Followers! Wow!

I can’t believe I’m already at 100 followers! It has been a great first few months book blogging and getting to know you all. I’ve said it a couple of times on various social media pages, but I think it’s worth saying again: this is a pretty cool community.

I can’t begin to say how much I appreciate you all for following, viewing, and especially liking and commenting. I would have done this blog even if you hadn’t, but it makes it so much more fun knowing that people are reading what you write and care about what you say.

Hopefully this isn’t the last post of this kind you’ll see in 2017! I’m looking forward to growing!

I’m a Liebster!

“What the heck is a Liebster?” I hear you ask. Well, in the blogging community the Liebster Award is an award given by bloggers to bloggers with 200 followers or fewer. (Although, I bent the rules a little on that.) Find out more here. A big thanks to Maggie at The Caramel Files for nominating me! See seems pretty awesome, and has definitely made this whole blogging venture feel like maybe it’s not a complete waste of time, lol.

Summer Vacation in Cheyenne, Wyoming

Last night my husband asked me how my day was. After filling him in on what my toddler and I had done that day, nothing too different from what we’ve done every other day this summer, I admitted that I was already getting kind of bored. Not because I am already tired of not going to work. Oh no, not at all. But the things that are fun for my toddler aren’t necessarily all that fun for me. For example, yesterday he wanted to play Boo. It was sooooo cute and sooooo much fun … for about three minutes. But he kept playing for seventeen minutes longer. And heaven forbid I pull out my book and start reading while I play with him. He will have none of that.

Anyway, I felt (and still feel) kind of guilty admitting this. I love my son, and I enjoy playing with him, but … I don’t know. Not as much as I think I’m supposed to.

Later we watched John Green’s Vlogbrothers video from yesterday, and it really struck a chord with me.

John talks about a phrase he heard in a movie he really likes called Rushmore, where a character says “I ain’t even here, Sergeant. I’m in Cheyenne, Wyoming.” John talks about how ever since then, he has used the phrase “Cheyenne, Wyoming” to describe when he is really immersed in a project. He often seems to be not there, even when he is, because his brain is so totally focused on his project.

This is something I can completely relate to. I get more than a little obsessive, and have been known to stay up until one or two in the morning (more shocking when you consider I usually go to bed at nine…) because I can’t sleep because I just HAVE to get started on a project.

And I realized, that’s why I’m feeling a little frustrated with my obligations as a mommy this summer. I’m currently in Cheyenne, Wyoming.