Wordless Wednesday

*I was FINALLY given permission to post a picture with my nephew in it! However, if after seeing this KIM, you decide that it's too much just let me know. I have another picture that just shows a tiny sliver of his leg that I'll gladly replace it with. 💜 

Listen

Currently - May

Hello, hello! It's been a minute since I've done one of these posts, and I figured it was about time that I bring it back. But first, I just wanted to say that we made it, y'all! The last day of school was yesterday for the little. We received her final report card, and the only subject she really struggled in was math. But not all math, just one section. And she was just a few points off from where they recommend that she be at for her age. Thankfully, it's nothing that serious. Still, I was so proud of her because even though she came up to me with her results, bummed about that single subject, she asked if we could get her some 3rd grade level Math workbooks for her to do over the summer. Now, I'll happily snag those up for her but I also want her to enjoy summer. To taker her mind off of school for a bit, and have some fun. She's only going to be this little once and call me crazy, but I don't think little kids should stress over school that much. So, we basically have the whole month of June filled with camps, classes, and the swimming lessons that she wanted to attend. But the best perk of all? This momma gets to sleep in until 6:30 every morning! Ooooohh, yea! I'm so excited for this guys! You don't even know. Well, some of you do. Anyway, while I internally celebrate getting an extra hour of sleep, lets dive right into the currently post for May.

Playing: I’m not going to lie y’all I’ve listened to a lot of different things on repeat this month. However, the main album that’s had several songs make appearances in the majority of my current playlists would be “Invasion of Privacy” by Cardi B. Now, I know she’s not one of the best rappers. Cardi is definitely an acquired taste too. I’ve heard some people say that they find her voice annoying while others think she raps about some pretty stupid stuff. Ex: "Bickenhead" - I mean what the fuck is that? BUT I will say that even with some questionable tracks her album has some pretty real and raw stuff in it too. This is probably one of the only reason why I continue to give anything that she puts out a shot before forming an opinion. Turns out some of her songs are really relatable, and they struck a nerve. But in a good way? After listening to "Be Careful" I sat there thinking “DAAAAMMMN, she gets it. She knows those feelings. She knows.” And then I turned it up, and rapped right along with her to get it all out of my system. So, yea, I’ve been diggin’ her lately.

Reading: So, in case you’re living under a rock, there was a really public wedding recently that the majority of the US population was going crazy over. At first it was all pretty exciting to be honest. I mean what girl doesn’t love the whole “Prince Charming” fantasy right? Well, after the engagement was announced it was nothing but drama splattered all over the internet. And as the wedding date got closer, I would get no less than TEN notifications a day in regards to “The Royal Wedding”. Megan this. Prince Harry that. The Queen does not approve. The Queen does approve. Megan left all of her dogs. Megan took one of her dogs. The family is in shambles. What about the ex’s?! And a whole bunch of other nonsense. This caused my excitement to morph into annoyance real quick. Now, what does any of this have to do with what I’m reading you ask? Well, I found myself browsing through reviews over on GoodReads and came across “The Swedish Prince” by Karina Hall. This particular story is inspired by the film “Roman Holiday” according to the author. But can you guess what it’s about? Huh? Can you? Can you? That’s right y’all, it’s about an American girl falling for a Swedish prince. Now, when I saw the title I was a little skeptical about this book. I felt like I was pretty burnt out on the royalty subject-- fictional and non. But right off the bat it grabbed my attention, and it includes some pretty steamy sex so it’s already a winner in my opinion. However, I’ve been a little busy so I’ve only gotten a little over halfway through. I try to sneak in a few chapters here, and there when I get the chance. But where I stand right now is that it could go either way. I’ll keep you posted though. 

Watching: QUEEN OF THE SOUTH!! And one more time for those in the back: QUEEN. OF. THE. SOUTH! I cannot get enough of this show, and I feel like it’s seriously underrated. It originally popped up under my recommendations on Netflix last year, and it sat in my queue for awhile. Then one kid free afternoon I selected it, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Here’s the short version of the plot for you: Teresa flees Mexico after her drug-runner boyfriend is murdered. Settling in Dallas she looks to become the country's reigning drug smuggler and to avenge her lover's murder. Mmmm, but that's just the beginning. Granted this is all a work of fiction, but there are certain elements that are not too far off from the truth if we’re being honest. You have drugs, sex, violence, betrayal, love, money, and marriage that all take center stage on this show. The majority of the cast is Latino too which I thought was pretty awesome. And the acting is on point. Not to mention they deliver in the eye candy department with Peter Gadiot as James. This is the first role I’ve seen him in, and I love it. Bring on that intensity papi, I am here for it! Jon-Michael Ecker isn’t bad either. Though, without giving too much away, he’s not as present. But he is at the same time. I know, it’s weird. Also, let’s not forget that this show delivers when it comes to strong female leads. Alicia Braga and Veronica Falcon are phenomenal! But don’t get too attached to some of these characters as they made it very clear in the first season that anyone can be placed on the chopping block. I think this adds to the show’s appeal for me though. But I swear if they kill off James I will never recover. NEVER, I tell you! Anyway, on Monday Netflix sent me a notification that season two was available to stream so I’m currently halfway through it. Fingers crossed that I’ll get to finish it over this long weekend. So, all of this to say, if you ever find yourself with a kid free afternoon and you can’t decide on what to watch definitely check out Queen of the South. At least give it a shot, okay? 

And that concludes the currently for this month. If you have any other suggestions be sure to drop me a line either on here, or any of my other social media pages. Links are all at the top. I'm always on the look out for new artists, films, or books so I'm totally open to recommendations. Until the next post, Happy Friday folks! 

Wordless Wednesday

Book Review - Midnight Blue

Midnight Blue by L.J. Shen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 STARS

First, let me begin by saying this is my 2nd L.J. Shen book. Second, I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump & my normal “go to” when it comes to diving right back into a reading binge is to find something steamy, or overall cheesy. Blue was definitely more on the steamy end of that spectrum. And third, I absolutely LOVE dual POV books. LOVE. So this book already had me there. Now, you’ve already read the blurb so I’m not about to rehash that, but you’re probably reading this in order to decided whether or not you’ll buy this book. So, let me give you my two cents:

I found this book to be a pretty yummy read. I finished it in one sitting (stayed up until 2 am) because I just HAD to know how Alex & Indie’s story was going to end. One thing I’ve noticed about Shen’s writing is that she can make even the most rude, cocky, and arrogant characters like-able. Love-able even. And it kind of sneaks up on you. So if your into that, then this book is for you. Alex was definitely a character I found myself wanting to hug, and punch in the face at the same time (if he’d been real that is). Indie was super relatable in her love of family. Even when she knew that a certain member was really more on the toxic side; she still loved them. She made decisions while keeping her family in mind, and then some others that even though she knew weren’t going to end well dove into any way because she WANTED to. Pure selfishness & sometimes you just need that. There’s also another subject matter: addiction, that definitely has a presence of its own within the book. And I think Shen did a great job writing the issue in, but not allowing it to take over the story. In fact, I think it gave the story a nice touch of realism.

Another thing I judge a book by is the writing. If it’s choppy, or the chapter transitions are all over the place then you’re going to lose me. If you set up a character to be a certain way, and then randomly (mid-book) make them the complete opposite without anything to prompt it I’m going to be mad. This was not the case for “Midnight Blue”. It was a consistent read with a steady build, if that makes sense? Alex was brutally honest, and I enjoyed that a lot. His character laid out his expectations, and wants un-apologetically. Indie was reserved, but tougher in certain areas that the reader gets to see shine through. And I enjoyed how easily she could keep up with Alex’s banter, and insults. Now, I’ll go out and say that there are some books in the past that I’ve let slide when they have a lack of character development as long as the writing is good. But this being my second Shen book, to read & thoroughly enjoy, I’m going to go ahead and say that this is not something our author struggles with. SHEN CAN WRITE ladies & gents. And I didn’t have any issue with the character development in this story. There were a few things I would have liked to see expanded on, but for the majority of the story it flowed smoothly, and made sense for the story-line.

Now, I’ve read some reviews from people who didn’t like this book. And I get some of them. The story can be a little over the top. But to me, that’s what a book is supposed to be. At least in this genre. I don’t know about you, but I don’t pick up a book with a shirtless, tatted, and six-pack bearing guy on it’s cover because I want realistic, y’all. It’s supposed to be sexy, and steamy mixed in with some fantasy that gives us a slow-burn we all want. So, if you do end up buying this, just go in knowing it’s about a ROCKSTAR (in every sense of the word & with an addiction problem), and the woman in charge of making sure he doesn’t relapse. On a world tour. With A LOT of time being thrown together. What could possibly go wrong?

“I apologize in advance.” He cocked his head to the side. “For?" “Ruining you for any other man on this planet. I’m going to fuck you, Indie. So hard you’ll think about me years from now, when you lie under your boring, missionary-loving husband. I will own every orgasm, every shiver, every wave of pleasure inside you. From here on out, it will be me. Just me. And for that, I truly am sorry.”

Enjoy. 😘

Listen

Mount Pleasant - Day Two & Three

Our second day in Mount Pleasant was a short one. We all woke up a little on the late side and had pan dulce with coffee for first breakfast. Then we slowly, but surely, got ready for the day. We packed up our bags and started discussing our food options before having to start our drive back home. My dad and brother went downstairs to make some final adjustments to one of the trucks they had been working on the day before while we all debated where we’d be headed for second breakfast. The toss up was between IHOP, and a local family restaurant. And let me just say that it was a bit of an ordeal when it came to deciding. I made two circles before we finally ended up at Herschel’s Restaurant.

After having a little freak out moment, sorry Kim, we all made our way inside. And it was a cute little restaurant that had a diner feel to it. We ordered off of  the breakfast menu and I totally recommend the Royal Breakfast. This bad boy comes with two‎ extra-large eggs, short stack pancakes, a sausage patty, two slices of bacon, and breakfast potatoes. And you can bet your sweet cheeks that I ate ALL OF IT. Well, minus the bacon because my daughter asked if she could have my slices. OH! And definitely ask for them to throw in some chocolate chips for your pancakes if you ever visit one of their locations. It’s the bees knees! And the next time we go out there I definitely want to try out their lunch menu. Because the burgers that were rolling out as I stuffed my face with pancakes looked pretty mouthwatering. Once we finished up with our food we made our way back to the apartment in order to load up our bags, say our goodbyes, and head back home.

Fast forward two weekends later, and we managed to squeeze one more trip in. And on this one we actually ate more and were able to visit a few other locations. As usual, when we all woke up that Saturday morning coffee was first. Once everyone was ready we made our way downtown to a local pizza tavern. Now, originally, I thought this was going to be regular pizza joint like the one we ate at in Sulphur Springs. This was so not the case. Nardello’s Pizza Tavern is on the fancy side, y’all. The pizza is gourmet, the dinnerware looked pretty expensive, and the prices were on the higher side. Now normally, when I order a single large pizza I’m expecting it to feed three of us in the price range of $10 (Little Cesar’s) to $15 (Pizza Hut). If you’re on my same level then just know that Nardello’s isn’t going to do that for you. There were seven of us so I get that we were a decent size group. And man can we put it away so you’d expect us to have to pay a good bit for some grub. I get it. However, at this place we had two pizzas (medium size option only), a kid’s personal, and one small appetizer plus drinks. The total bill came out to $100. I their defense I will say that the pizza was pretty yummy. They make it in a brick stove right in front of everyone, and the ingredients seemed very fresh. However, if you’re on a budget, or you’re expecting some pizza and wings action this is not the place. I can’t speak for everyone else, but I was still hungry after we left.

This is where we parted ways with the boys. They went back to the apartment to work on a vehicle while we hit up the local thrift store. They had a decent size selection of clothes, home goods, and furniture. Keep in mind that this is a second-hand store though, and sometimes that’s where you find some of the coolest stuff. And the lady who was working there was really sweet! Once we were done looking around my sister-in-law asked if I was ready for coffee. I mean, is that even a serious question? She didn't have to tell me twice. We left my mother at the thrift store to happily continue browsing while we walked across the square to a coffee shop. And I’m just going to go ahead and say that this was the highlight of all the places we went to that day. Jo’s Coffee Shop is pretty much perfection. The layout is exactly what I always pictured one day running myself. Though, in m shop, I’d have a bookstore/lounge area on the second level. Still, this place was fantastic! They offer coffee, lattes, drip coffee, non-coffee options, and some food. You have plenty of places to sit, a few couches thrown in, and a little stage for when they have musical guests playing. Then the back door opens up into a large deck with tables in case you want to be outdoors while enjoying your coffee. Or non-coffee. I opted for the “Daydreamer” latte which had lavender in it, and oh my sweetness. Y’all I fell in love with that coffee. They next time we go to MT. Pleasant you better believe I’m getting myself as much of that coffee as I can consume. I don’t care how many trips I have to make! Take all my money, Jo! JUST. TAKE. IT. So, if you couldn’t tell by now, Jo’s was a hit for me. The barista was really nice, and the other customers were really friendly. Side effect of drinking coffee, obviously. And you’re looking at Starbucks pricing for coffee that was waaay better. So, if you’re ever in the area just do yourself a favor and stop in. You won’t be disappointed.

And this is when we started to see the rain headed towards us. We made our way back just in time for me to squeeze in a nap during yet another thunderstorm. I find that this is the best time to sleep, read, or binge on Netflix. And since I still had to drive back home that afternoon I decided to get some sleep before it was time to go. When I woke up an hour later we had more coffee. Are you sensing a theme yet? The majority of our group were watching TV and discussing politics in the living room. Once the rest of the sleepy heads got up we all loaded up our cars, and then headed out for dinner. The burger joint we had originally decided on was closed so we quickly made our way across the street to Jorge’s Mexican Restaurant. It was pouring outside so we were the only ones there. It smelled like Fabuloso, carne asada, and tortillas. A slightly odd combination when you write it out, but this is seriously the only way you can tell if your in a REAL Mexican restaurant. And maybe it's because we grew up with it, but that smell always makes me feel at home. With Spanish music playing in the background we all talked, shared food, and laughed. This would be the last time we’d ALL be together for a while, and you could sense it. None of us really wanting to rush with eating or leaving the restaurant. But after an hour it was time for us to say “See you later” and hit the road. And that was the end of our adventure that weekend.

Mount Pleasant - Day One

In April we found ourselves getting to spend two(ish) weekends in Mount Pleasant with my family. We live several hours apart (that’s how we measure distance in Texas), and with a few changes that we’d all been undergoing – as well as my aunt’s recent passing- we decided it was time to spend a few days together. So, we packed some clothes along with a few essentials and made our way over. Now, before I get too into this, let me just say that both of our visits were rainy. Because it wouldn't be Texas without some freak storm passing through while we were in town. So, while Spring was just dusting off its boots for us here where we live, it was the beginning of tornado season for them in Mount Pleasant. But we made the most of it.

Before we had decided on this venture I had been playing around with the idea of committing to a strict diet, and exercise routine. Sadly, or not so sadly depending on how you look at it, as soon as cheesecake was mentioned in my presence that idea was shoved way back into a tiny corner of my mind. Which brings me to the first place we went to eat while there: Laura’s Cheesecake & Cafe. This is a fairly new little café right off of their main square. It had been raining, and the lighting gave this place a really warm and cozy feeling. We had arrived a little too late to order breakfast so we grabbed some items off of their regular menu. I had a “*Chicken Fajita Wrap” with a slice of triple chocolate cheesecake for dessert. Then there was the whole “build your own sandwich” option which I may or may not have indulged in as well. And let me just say that whoever was back in that kitchen: YOU. ARE. AMAZING. And whoever makes the cheesecakes: CAN I TAKE YOU HOME SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE ME CHEESECAKES TO MY HEART’S CONTENT? PLEASE?! Overall, this place was really nice. I think the pricing was decent considering where we were at. The décor was on point, the staff was friendly, and the food was great! We walked out with full bellies. And by the time we made it back to the apartment I seriously considered taking a nap. Laura’s will definitely be a place that we go back to on our next visit.

HOWEVER, I had already made plans. You see, on our drive up to Mount Pleasant the night before I saw a sign on the interstate that read “SULPHER SPRINGS NEXT THREE EXITS”. And I kept thinking, “Hmm. Where do I know that town from?” I didn't give it much thought after we passed the sign as I was focused on my coffee and making sure not to piss off any of the eighteen-wheeler drivers I was sharing the road with. It wasn't until we were getting off on our exit about twenty miles down the road when it hit me: COLLEEN! THAT’S WHERE COLLEEN LIVES!! As soon as I got over my fangirl moment I was hit with another round of excitement. Because as we pulled up to the apartment I realized that The Bookworm Box Bookstore was only twenty-five minutes away from me. If I went the speed limit, and that was a big IF by this point. As I threw my car into park and grabbed our bags I knew that there was NO WAY I was going to miss out on making a trip to this bookstore when it was so close. Now why is this place so important you ask? Well, Colleen Hoover is one of my favorite authors.  “It Ends With Us” is really important to me as it literally changed my life. Or at the very least, allowed me to be okay with the changes that needed to be made in my life at that time. Now, a few years ago she started The Bookworm Box which was a way for her to give back. Then a physical store was opened. And ever since I found out about it I have always wanted to go. However, for one reason or another, I never got the chance. Until THAT day. So, as I have shuffled half rolled my ass into my car I asked my sister-in-law if she would like to join me. Once she agreed we loaded up the kiddoes, put on some 90’s tunes, and made the drive over.

Now, Sulpher Springs --what we saw of it-- looked really cute. We drove around their main street and were able to see several little shops and restaurants. Some we made mental notes to look into for the next trip. Because there will be a "next trip". But this visit was a specific one. And as we walked up the little sidewalk I knew that this was going to be one pretty great day for me! I felt so giddy, as the store sign came into view, and I almost ran through the front door. As we entered we were met by a nice open seating area followed by rows of books. It felt amazing! It felt like I was a kid in a candy store. Unfortunately, Colleen wasn't actually there. Though I didn't expect her to be since I do keep up with her Instagram posts. But y'all, just being in that bookstore. Filled with so many books signed by their authors. Getting to meet her mom and aunt. Knowing that Colleen has walked through those same doors, I mean, I did my best to play it cool. But inside I was squealing like a little pig, I kid you not. Then as my heart finally started to settle back into a normal pace I was picking up my first book, just about to reach my happy place, when I heard: "MOM! This is soo cool! What BOOKS can I get?" And I practically heard my mental breaks screech to a halt. Because as much as I wanted to grab up ALL of the books for myself, it was now very clear that my daughter was also wanting in on this book action. So, I did what every other parent in my position would do. I compromised, and bargain with my 8- year old. After a few options, we finally settled on me getting a book and coffee mug while she got a book and the free t-shirt. And technically, she called dibs on the free t-shirt without even considering that I might want it so I really didn't even have a choice on that one. After we made our final choices we browsed for about thirty more minutes before heading out. Now, before I end this paragraph let me just say that this store had a pretty impressive collection. Not just in regards to books either. They had a nice selection of bookmarks, mugs, t-shirts, handmade items, and bundles. Everything was reasonably priced too. I thought for sure I'd be spending $20+ on a single signed book, but that was NOT the case at all. I spent less than $40 on two signed books and a coffee mug. Plus they threw in two bookmarks, and a t-shirt for free. How's that for an awesome deal? Afterwards, we grabbed lunch at a local pizza joint, took some more pictures, and then finally all climbed back into the car for the trip back. 

And those were the highlights of day one. Once we returned to the apartment we made a pizza run and watched movies. We stayed up debating several topics and listening to movie soundtracks. All while a nice storm rumbled outside. We drank coffee and ate pan dulce until it was time to call it a night. It was a wonderful end to a pretty epic day.

*If you order this just know that it has jalapeno even though it's not stated ANYWHERE in the description. I found out the hard way. 😞

Wordless Wednesday

📷: my cousin

Listen

Let's Recap Shall We?

After that last post I realized I should probably work on a "Catch Up" post. As luck would have it, I found myself with a semi-free Thursday afternoon. And in order to not fall so behind that I'm posting things a month late I finally cracked open my laptop with the intent of writing something. Anything. So, it goes without saying that we’ve been really busy around here lately. Between trips out of town, working overtime, doctor appointments, and just trying to get the little through what’s left of the school year in one piece I feel like we’ve been in this constant state of chaos for the past few weeks now. I feel like I’m always tired, and then there’s the next level of exhaustion that kicks in every few days. BUT we’re almost there, guys! Three weeks until summer starts, and even though that originally sounded pretty great I just realized as I’m typing this sentence that I still have to find a sitter for my daughter. Crap! And now what was once “Yay! Three weeks left!” has turned into “Ahhh! What the crap... I only have three weeks?” So, while I mentally freak out over what I’m going to do, here are a few random (emphasis on the few) highlights from what we were up to in April.

Technically this is from March, but whatever. Emery’s class had an Easter egg hunt at their school before being let out for the holiday. Surprisingly, it was a really nice day considering we had had rain that morning and the two days before it. The kids were able to use the local university’s field to gather eggs which basically means the adults said "Okkay go find your numbered eggs" and sent them loose in an open field. Even though the plans had changed the kids still had a blast, and then we were all granted a three-day weekend. YAY! 

Moving right along: We finally put Emery’s telescope, which she received as a birthday gift, together. Yes, I know I'm terrible. In my defense we've been busy, and our weather has been crap so it's not like we had clear skies to gaze up into. Still, in the spirit of honesty I wasn't exactly looking forward to putting this thing together. There are little pieces, several knobs, and a tripod. AND did I mention the directions were a little "ify"? However, to my surprise, it wasn’t as awful as I thought it would be. Nor was it time consuming which I was initially afraid of. So, if you're on the lookout for a telescope for your big kid then I highly recommend this one. It's pretty easy to put together, doesn't feel cheap, and I think it's perfect for a kid's first telescope. The knob can be a bit difficult to move around, but it's not fragile which I liked. Now, I'm just as new to this whole "stargazing" thing as my daughter, and to be honest I have no clue what I'm doing. But I was still able to get a pretty fantastic view of the moon on our first night. Woohoo! Since then, we've used it several more times, and even though my daughter was a little disappointed because "Mom, you can't see the galaxies or outer space" she still says that it's pretty cool. So, shout out to grandma & grandpa for that one!

Up next is an afternoon with my dad at a Texas Rangers game. Y'all, I love when we get afternoons like we did that day. About a week before the game my dad was given a few tickets by the company he works for to attend it with several other employees. He thought it would be great to take Emery along, and when we mentioned it to her she said she wanted to go. Fast forward to the actual game day when her friends invited her to a day of cake, ice cream, and unlimited play time. Can you guess who won out? Yup. My daughter bailed at the last minute. Or more like I allowed her to bail because some battles are not worth it. The amount of whining, and crying that would have been attached to the long drive into the city was just not something I wanted to be subjected to on that day. So, it was just me and my pops. And you know what? Secretly, I was kind of glad that my daughter decided she didn't want to go. Not because I didn't want my daughter there; it would have been just as great if she had gone. It would have been her first game too. But I was able to get some one on one time with my dad. We live in the same town, we go to the same gym, and I even work odd jobs with him. But there's always something that we're doing. We're either working, or we're trying to resolve an issue. We're taking turns driving long distance so that the other one can get some sleep, or we're trying to get our gains in (lol). We hardly ever get to just sit down with some food, take in a game, and have ourselves a cold beer on a nice day. So it was pretty great! We laughed, we cheered, and then we left during the 8th inning because our boys were getting spanked and traffic is a nightmare.

And last but not least, we went to visit my brother and his family. I won't post a lot of pictures in regards to these visits as I plan to dedicate a whole post to them. But I just wanted to share a little bit about it. The town they live in is so cute, y'all! We were able to visit a few local shops, and restaurants. I even made a little trip to a neighboring town as a gift to myself. If you follow me on Instagram you already know where I went. It was such a fun time! Plus getting to cuddle with my nephew, though there was an incident that had him mad at me for a bit, wasn't too bad either. Then watching Emery dote on him the entire time was priceless too. So, I'm really glad that we were able to make the trip not once, but twice last month. There were a few instances when I debated on quitting my job, and moving in with them. That's how much I enjoyed being there. Alas, logic won, and I came back home. But now I can't wait for the next visit! So, that about sums up this recap. Now I leave you with a picture of my brother and I. We look alike when we laugh. It's great! So, April, even with its rough start, was good to us. Until the next post folks! 

Wordless Wednesday