WLW: Random Lovely Things

Hello lovelies! 

Renovations are complete, they were complete on Saturday, but I've been using the time to attempt to recenter myself and bring back the calming energy that seemed to have vanished for the duration of the time my house was in chaos.  So, let's get back into the swing of things! 

Anyway, today's wish list includes a few things that support fantastic causes, some books that I want, and also a few supplies for my bullet journal, because you know my wishlist wouldn't be complete without supplies for my bullet journal!

The #GirlLove Rafiki is high up on my wish list.  It was created by Lilly Singh, aka iiSuperwomanii.  This project, which began on her birthday last year, was inspired by her trip to Kenya.  Each bracelet sold helps to fund education for girls in Kenya.  At $15 it is super affordable, I just have to find the extra funds to get it.  I'm loving the design and the fact that it helps to give young girls an education that they so desperately need is just a bonus to owning this absolutely wonderful bracelet, that is actually handmade by a woman in Kenya.  If you want to purchase one for yourself, you can find them here.

I am by far and away in love with anything Studio Ghibli, but My Neighbor Totoro is by far my all time favorite (Sorry Spirited Away...just kidding you'll always be my #1).  I want a snuggly little Totoro to cuddle up with because he is just so totally adorable.  This one is $10 on Poshmark and I am seriously considering ordering him when I get paid.  If you want this lovable little guy you can find him here.

If you've seen my bullet journal or yesterday's video you know by now, that I am totally in love with Washi tape, and well...my WLW wouldn't be complete without some washi.  These are on my wishlist through AliExpress, and I totally love it.  I don't mind waiting a few weeks for it because usually, I forget that I've ordered from them until it shows up in my mailbox :D  If you want to see these patterns or other that are offered from them you can go here.

I think that's all I got for you this week! <3 

See you next time! 

Two for One...WLW and Thankful Thurs

I have legitimately been all over the place this week emotion wise.  This week has been physically and mentally draining for me.  I had two days where my anxiety was pretty much at peak levels for most of the day...though the worst of the two days was Tuesday.  Wednesday the anxiety didn't kick in until the afternoon and I somehow managed to keep that particular anxiety attack low-key which is a first for me.  Though, I am still not thrilled that I have had two major anxiety attacks in the past week - the first was the most awakening if you can call it that.  Mainly because it was concerning my health care, and ultimately what having the new administration do to potentially strip me of my health care - coupled with the fact that I was struggling to find a doctor that would see me (since my original assigned PCP was booked solid for new patients until late April or early May).  Ultimately I found a new doctor, and I'd gone to see him Wednesday morning, and he's actually really, really nice.  I am glad that I made the choice to go to him, and quite glad that the office is legit like a 10 min walk from my house.


This weekend I seriously hope to get quite a few things done including finally getting around to filming my bullet journal faves youtube video, not sure when it will go up, but I at least want to get it filmed so I can start editing it.  I also have to edit the vlog for this week - which I will probably do either tonight or tomorrow and get that up Sunday.  I am considering starting to vlog every day, but I don't know we'll see what happens.  My life really, really isn't that interesting and I dunno.  However, I've found that just randomly vlogging has helped calm me down when I feel things starting to go kinda in a direction I don't like. 


I am thankful for the ways that I can express myself in this journey that is life.  The fact that I can cover so many things in different ways is something that makes my heart smile, and now if I can just stop procrastinating and start being more productive I will definitely be a lot happier. 


Also, I am working on getting myself in shape - I am thinking I might kick my C25K back into gear and do a little bit of a workout this afternoon, or at least do something inside since it's starting to get hot AF outside right now.  The joys of living in Florida in January...when the weather isn't being a bipolar hot mess.  Though we are supposed to get rain all weekend so chances are most of my workouts will be done inside...meh, I can live with that.  I also need to figure out my meal prep for next week and get that going. I don't know my schedule yet because it isn't freaking done...I am honestly hoping that it is up by the time I leave work tomorrow at 2, but I'm not going to hold my breath.  I might end up taking a walk up to work on Sunday to try and get my schedule.


As for my wish list items this week, they are all stationery related.


I am looking for stationery sets.  Goulet Pens has some that I am seriously contemplating getting when I have the extra money to splurge.   However, I'm also looking for some cheaper ones that I can use for writing to my pen pals.  It doesn't have to be super quality paper or anything like that - lately I've been using the stationery that I have had in my scrapbooking box for ever and that was purchased in the printer paper section of Wal-Mart years ago.  So, what are some of your favorite stationery goodies?


Thankful Thursday, I think I covered that a couple of paragraphs up.  I am hoping that I can continue to find the light in each day and continue to add a little bit of myself to those that I come across.  Please be kind to one another and remember that you don't know the fight that someone else is fighting - a smile and a kind word goes a long way. 


I think that's all I have for today, so I'm going to leave you with two of my favorite songs.  I have listened to these songs on repeat a couple of times on some of my bad days, and some of the days that I've been dealing with things that I can't entirely figure out and ultimately they have helped me realize that I am the biggest and strongest driving force in making the changes I want to happen in my life.

Wishlist Wednesday: Jan 2017 Releases

There are loads of books coming out this month and I'm absolutely looking forward to all of them!  Seriously!  I want them all and I want them now!  Gimme!  

Ahem...I mean, now I'm done channeling my inner Varuka from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  Let me share with you the fantastic books that I want to get my hands on this month! 

The final book in the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning.  I am anxious and a bit saddened that this series will be over so soon.  However, I have absolutely loved every single pulse-pounding moment of this series.  I cannot wait to see what conclusion has been crafted for MacKayla Lane and Jerricho Barrons.  This one hits shelves on Jan 17th and I must have it! 

This book is the first book in a new series by Veronica Roth.  This one, I'm a bit critical going into it, however, I am looking forward to it.  It is touted as a book that will appeal to Star Wars and Divergent fans so we will see how this shapes up.  I did enjoy the Divergent series, and I am a Star Wars fan.  I am willing to give it a chance, and eventually, I will be offering my own review on this book.  It just might take some time.  This one will hit shelves on Jan 17th. 

City of Saints & Thieves! This cover is absolutely eye catching and totally makes me a sucker for wanting this book.  Well, to be honest, I'm looking forward to the story that's written on the pages as well!  This thriller is set in Kenya and involves a girl who essentially doesn't exist. She attempts to figure out who killed her mother and it takes time before she ultimately begins to find out what she has been waiting for.  This one will hit the shelves on Jan 24th. 

This is a story about a landmark civil rights case that allow for marriage between races.  Richard and Mildred Loving were the subjects of this civil rights case.  They faced discrimination, hatred, ultimately their love won and interracial marriages were legalized.  This story will hit shelves on Jan 31st. 

What books are you looking forward to this month? 

WLW: Bullet Journal

Two months ago, I ultimately started bullet journaling.  The end of June I started, and my first full month was July and by the first week of July I was one hundred percent addicted to the freedom it offered me.  I've been struggling with productivity, and organizing my thoughts.  I absolutely love everything about bullet journals.  Everything.  

I can be as creative as I need to, and ensure that I have organization for the projects I'm working on things of that nature.  Especially now that I am working on getting my crew trainer title back at work.  So, here are a few items on my wishlist for my bullet journal. 

The notebook I want: 

I've been going back and forth between this one and the Moleskine, however, this one is ultimately the one that I want, because of some of the features that it offers that put it a step or two above the Moleskine.  This one has numbered pages, index, as well as stickers for archival processes.  Thus, this is the one that I will hopefully be buying this month.  For now, I am using pocket sized sketchbooks. 

The pens: 

These pens are some of the most common used for bullet journals.  They don't bleed through and the come in a variety of colors and are good for fine line detail.  The current pens I use are good, but I want these to add detail and more color to my bullet journal and it will allow me to actually color code various tasks in such a way that it will stand out a bit more.  

Washi Tape..:

No, seriously...washi tape.  Do you have any idea how addicting this stuff is?!  GIVE IT TO ME!  All the colors.  ALL THE THINGS! 

It's good for quite a few different things in a bullet journal, and I need quite a bit more :D 

Do you bullet journal? 

Wish List Wednesday: New Releases

To echo the gif above...I am seriously excited about all these books that are on my wishlist...because well DUH! Books.  I want them in physical copy, I want them in digital copy.  Yes.  Both.  Why? Because I'm a cover whore, and I absolutely love pretty covers and they look good on bookshelves!  Digital, so I can cart them around wherever I go on my Kindle! 

Anyway, without further adieu here are a few of the books that are on my wishlist: 

THAT COVER! So pretty and bloody...and just Stephen King.  The third installment in the Bill Hodges Trilogy...and it is out NOW!!!  Chances are my hold from the library will come in within the next few days once they get their copy and things...and then I won't be able to talk to my roommates about it because I'll have been the only one to read it!  Why does it have to come in when I have to go to work and can't sit up and read all night?!  WHY?!

This book caught my attention (and not just because of the eerie looking cover), because the description puts it along the lines of Pan's Labyrinth and John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things which I've not had the pleasure of reading yet.  However, I've seen Pan's Labyrinth and adored it.  So, I'm looking forward to getting my hands on this one. 

Okay, I've at least read the first two books of this series, and now it appears that I need to get my grubby hands on the third book and wait patiently for the fourth book in the Asylum series by Madeleine Roux.  Patient (yup, I can be that...honest!)

Wish List Wednesday: End of the Month Releases

WISHLIST WEDNESDAY!!!

Every booknerd has a wish list...it's usually a synonym for their TBR pile...which as we all know grows exponentially every time another book is read.  Seriously.  God forbid you've read the first book in a new series...EVERY other book that comes out in that series gets added to the TBR pile.  Don't even try to deny it...you are all guilty of it!  I know I am, unashamedly so! 

Anyway, here are some of the books that have come out in the last day or so that have wormed their way onto my wish list (read TBR pile)! 

The Selection is one of my favorite series, and the fact that Kiera Cass has a new book coming out that isn't in the series, makes me happy.  I want to see more from her.  I am still missing a couple of books from the Selection, but I'll fix that eventually.  For now, I want this book...seriously.  The cover is pretty and the premise of the story sounds absolutely fantastic.  

The following is taken from the blurb,

"You must never do anything that might expose our secret. This means that, in general, you cannot form close bonds with humans. You can speak to us, and you can always commune with the Ocean, but you are deadly to humans. You are, essentially, a weapon. A very beautiful weapon. I won't lie to you, it can be a lonely existence, but once you are done, you get to live. All you have to give, for now, is obedience and time..." 

Cannot wait to get my hands on this in print or ebook. 

Charlie Jane Anders is the editor-in-chief over at io9.com and this book has definitely caught my attention.  I am definitely looking forward to this book, I love reading her reviews over on io9.com, and I've not had the privilage of reading any of her books before.  I will have to remedy this situation...seriously!  Beyond that, I think part of the reason this one ended up on my wish list is because the cover is absolutely WONDERFUL.  The birds against the background...really does make it look like birds in the sky.  Sorry, I'm a sucker for a pretty cover...which tends to lead me into trouble with books... but oh well!  

Here's a bit from the blurb - 

But now they're both adults, living in the hipster mecca San Francisco, and the planet is falling apart around them. Laurence is an engineering genius who's working with a group that aims to avert catastrophic breakdown through technological intervention into the changing global climate. Patricia is a graduate of Eltisley Maze, the hidden academy for the world's magically gifted, and works with a small band of other magicians to secretly repair the world's ever-growing ailments. Little do they realize that something bigger than either of them, something begun years ago in their youth, is determined to bring them together--to either save the world, or plunge it into a new dark ages.

What books are you looking forward to?