Hi guys, I hope you're getting your reading on this Thanksgiving weekend :)
I was thinking about putting all of November's "Unplug and Read" books all in one post, but I decided against it because I thought that each book deserved its own review. (In case you missed what I planned to read this month, journey over to this post!) I wasn't able to read The Uglies because of time constraints, but I bought it so I can come back to it in the future.
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Book 1 in the Delirium trilogy
Young Adult Fiction // Categories: Dystopian, Romance, Science Fiction
Release Date: August 2, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: Paperback • 441 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Other books by Lauren Oliver: Before I Fall
"In an alternate United States, love has been declared a dangerous disease, and the government forces everyone who reaches eighteen to have a procedure called the Cure. Living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in Portland, Maine, Lena Haloway is very much looking forward to being cured and living a safe, predictable life. She watched love destroy her mother and isn't about to make the same mistake.
But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena meets enigmatic Alex, a boy from the Wilds who lives under the government's radar. What will happen if they do the unthinkable and fall in love?"
Although I abandoned this book the first time I read it, I'm glad I decided to pick it up again. Love as a disease is a strange concept, but Lauren Oliver did a pretty good job providing solid examples (i.e., death due to love in Romeo and Juliet.) I really enjoyed playing this book like a movie in my mind, especially the thrilling and heart-pounding parts.
I have to give this book three stars for the interesting storyline and ability to keep me flipping onto the next page, even when I was tired. It didn't reach the status of AWESOME because it took a while for the story to actually start, I think it would've made a really good TV show though. (It was supposed to be one, but FOX cancelled it ...) Read this if you're looking for a twisted love story!
Which book would you like to hear about next—Allegiant or The Maze Runner? Tweet me at @amarisafloria to let me know!
I wanted to include this in my October Love List back at the beginning of this month, but I thought it deserved its own post!
Even though I own real shampoo, I would consider throwing it away if Batiste mailed me a lifetime supply of this stuff. (Just kidding, sort of.) Since I've decided to keep my red hair, I wash it every three days to maintain its color. And yes, a bun or beanie is definitely necessary on that third day to hide all signs of oily hair!
I have tried a handful of other dry shampoos, but no other brand comes close to the amazingness of Batiste. Although it does come out white when you spray it onto your hair, it goes away almost immediately once you start brushing and styling. It also smells nice and floral (as the bottle shows), but nothing too strong. If you want a more fruity scent, I liked the cherry version!
In all honesty, dry shampoo could never substitute the feeling of clean hair. But if you're looking for something to hold you over for one extra day, Batiste brings the magic in this bottle.
In all honesty, dry shampoo could never substitute the feeling of clean hair. But if you're looking for something to hold you over for one extra day, Batiste brings the magic in this bottle.
Is there a dry shampoo that you are in love with?
One of the places that Joe and I were able to visit last weekend was the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (I have been wanting to visit the Urban Lights ever since watching No Strings Attached!)
We mainly walked around the Ahmanson Building, which reminded me a lot of the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco. As much as I hate to say it, I don't think I enjoyed it as much as I had anticipated. I'm more of a "let's touch this!" person, so not being able to touch ANYTHING (except the Urban Lights, haha) was kind of sad.
I just searched "museums that allow you to touch" on Google and there's a Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. I guess you know where I'm going next!
Have you ever been to a museum where you could touch something? (I really want to know.)
PS — If you haven't seen part one yet, click here to read it!
As you may have observed from my previous post, I took a quick trip to the Disneyland area with my boyfriend to relax and watch the new "World of Color — Winter Dreams" show. Throughout our whole trip, we ate a LOT of food.
A good 50% of our time was spent consuming these delicious meals :p
Even though we arrived a little after dinner time on Thursday, we went out to eat at Boiling Point with Lisa, one of my very best friends. I got the Thai Flavor Hot Soup (above) and both the food and soup was incredibly delicious. Just looking at it right now makes me wish I could have it again right now. If you are ever around the Los Angeles area, give it a try.
Not only does Lisa pick the best places to eat, but she makes some pretty darn good food. Just imagine this: you're sleeping as much you can before the alarm rings at nine. You wake up and get ready. You're hungry, but you anticipate a McDonalds meal at most for breakfast. But WAIT. Your best friend tells you she made you and your boyfriend some breakfast. And not just cereal and fruit. This is five-star stuff, guys. See for yourself!
I am really blessed by the best and am still jumping for joy that I was so lucky to even eat these meals.
On the same day of the eggs-in-a-basket breakfast, Joe and I had lunch at Wine Country Trattoria in California Adventure. The shrimp in my pasta was the best shrimp I ever had — it was a little crunchy and cooked to perfection. We also did a little wine tasting because we're classy like that. (Ha ha ha.)
For dinner, we ate garlic fries, cinnamon beignets, and a DELICIOUS banana split from Ghirardelli — complete with little pineapples. It always works out perfectly because my boyfriend likes chocolate and I like vanilla. And then we destroy the middle strawberry section together. Quite the dinner, huh?
On Saturday, we had dessert at Milk! We had to have it for ourselves after hearing so many good things about it. I got a thai tea ice cream sandwich while he got a "grasshopper," which is just mint chocolate chip. We thought the macaron part was a little stale, but it's probably because we visited later in the day. I love that you can see the people making the macaron part in the back of the store!
On our last night, we had AYCE (all you can eat) Korean BBQ at Cham Sut Gol in Garden Grove. We had 4-5 plates of bulgogi and a lot of other meat ... I definitely had at least two food babies after that meal! I hope these pictures make you hungry :)
A good 50% of our time was spent consuming these delicious meals :p
Even though we arrived a little after dinner time on Thursday, we went out to eat at Boiling Point with Lisa, one of my very best friends. I got the Thai Flavor Hot Soup (above) and both the food and soup was incredibly delicious. Just looking at it right now makes me wish I could have it again right now. If you are ever around the Los Angeles area, give it a try.
Not only does Lisa pick the best places to eat, but she makes some pretty darn good food. Just imagine this: you're sleeping as much you can before the alarm rings at nine. You wake up and get ready. You're hungry, but you anticipate a McDonalds meal at most for breakfast. But WAIT. Your best friend tells you she made you and your boyfriend some breakfast. And not just cereal and fruit. This is five-star stuff, guys. See for yourself!
I am really blessed by the best and am still jumping for joy that I was so lucky to even eat these meals.
On the same day of the eggs-in-a-basket breakfast, Joe and I had lunch at Wine Country Trattoria in California Adventure. The shrimp in my pasta was the best shrimp I ever had — it was a little crunchy and cooked to perfection. We also did a little wine tasting because we're classy like that. (Ha ha ha.)
For dinner, we ate garlic fries, cinnamon beignets, and a DELICIOUS banana split from Ghirardelli — complete with little pineapples. It always works out perfectly because my boyfriend likes chocolate and I like vanilla. And then we destroy the middle strawberry section together. Quite the dinner, huh?
On Saturday, we had dessert at Milk! We had to have it for ourselves after hearing so many good things about it. I got a thai tea ice cream sandwich while he got a "grasshopper," which is just mint chocolate chip. We thought the macaron part was a little stale, but it's probably because we visited later in the day. I love that you can see the people making the macaron part in the back of the store!
On our last night, we had AYCE (all you can eat) Korean BBQ at Cham Sut Gol in Garden Grove. We had 4-5 plates of bulgogi and a lot of other meat ... I definitely had at least two food babies after that meal! I hope these pictures make you hungry :)
When was the last time you had a weekend getaway?
Since I am at Disneyland/California Adventure for the weekend, I thought it would be appropriate to share a list of things I recommend doing if you have the chance to visit. If not, you can watch this California Screamin' roller coaster POV or this World of Color show that someone kindly recorded! (I may or may not watch those when I am not at Disneyland.)
- Ride the Disneyland Monorail and sit in the front seat.
- Take a picture in front of the castle (you knew this would be here.)
- Visit Cars Land and ride the (semi) new Radiator Springs Racers.
- Eat at the Blue Bayou — it's inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride!
- Watch Beauty and the Beast or Tangled at the Royal Theater in Fantasyland.
- Get a root beer float or some soft serve ice cream at Paradise Pier Ice Cream Co.
- Ride California Screamin' in the dark.
- Watch the World of Color show (and make sure you pick up tickets at Grizzly River Rapids early!)
- Grab some beignets at Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney. You will thank me.
- Start your own pin collection!
Have you ever been to Disneyland? What was your favorite ride?
You probably don't see many blog posts around here about problems, but I thought it would be interesting and humbling to type up some habits that I need to (and should) break. Although there are SO many more things I can list, here are a handful that I shouldn't do but keep doing just because I may or may not be able to stop:
1. Peel/cut my cuticles
I know, I know, this is gross but unfortunately true. I just can't help it. Yes, something is wrong with me. And yes, my fingers feel like they are on fire sometimes.
2. Keep tissues in random pockets and then do laundry
I just did the laundry last Friday and found bits of tissue stuck to every single item. It's funny because I checked every single pocket except one and it happened to be that one with the tissue. I guess I should start throwing my tissues away.
3. Snooze the alarm and/or not even waking up to it
Since I have a roommate who doesn't start class until 1:30 pm, I try to turn off my alarm almost immediately after it goes off so it doesn't wake her up. However, I'm someone who turns off her alarms while still sleeping (yes I have super powers) so that's a problem. I also set a bunch of alarms (7, 7:15, 7:30, 7:45, 8) ... as you can tell, it doesn't work out very well. Solution = get more sleep.
4. Buy alcohol when I don't even like it
I'll probably be the first person to admit that alcohol doesn't taste good. It might be because I have a huge sweet tooth and alcohol is just sour and bitter to me, but I haven't found anything that I fully enjoy. The sad thing is that I'll always try something new whenever I go out to happy hour with my fellow newspaper friends, but I never choose the right drinks ...
5. Tell people I'll email them but never do it
I have a friend from preschool that I still talk to (hi Mel!) and I told her that I would email her at the beginning of the school semester. I eventually got to it, but it was about three months late. Oops. I should probably stop pretending to make time for it and just do it.
As you can tell, I have many problems. Maybe I'll make one of these a resolution and start working on it now :p
What is one habit you need to break?
With fall ending and winter beginning, now's the time to purchase the boots you've been looking at. I'm someone who always looks for a good deal on boots, so I've picked out six different types of boots that cost less than $50.
EDGY • Double Buckle Back Combat Boots ($35)
Although I live in my combat boots all-year round, I think fall is the best season to wear these. They are actually very versatile and can add personality to any outfit.
COMFY • Wedge Ankle Boot ($35)
I own these ankle boots, so I can vouch for the reviews that state its comfortability. The material may seem cheap, but I can literally last a full day in these without keeling over.
WATER-PROOF • Quilted Rain Boot ($45)
With winter comes rain, so why not look cute while splashing in puddles?
BASIC • Tall Boots ($50)
Target has been an amazing place to buy cute and affordable shoes, so go with this pair if you have to choose one. Wear 'em with knee-high socks, leggings and an oversized sweater — now you have your everyday "go-to" outfit :)
GIRLY • Faux Suede Booties ($35)
If you're someone who dresses on the brighter side, try these! The small heel provides more balance than a tall heel will, plus you get some added height and femininity.
TWO-TONE • Biker Boots ($50)
There's something interesting about wearing shoes with two different colors, but these go together very nicely. It might be because these are named biker boots, but I can imagine a cropped leather jacket with these shoes!
I am definitely eyeing those tall brown boots ... my last pair got DESTROYED (the whole rubber bottom peeled off) after I wore it every day for five straight months. Does this happen to you? I think once I get attached to a pair of shoes, I wear it non-stop until I can't wear it anymore :p
What type of boots do you wear most in the fall and winter?
There's nothing like a little themed reading to spice things up a bit! I've decided to choose a theme each month and stick to it so you can be informed of what might be next or maybe even read with me.
The theme I have chosen for this month is dystopian (naturally), so I'll be reading and reviewing these four books. Let me know if you have any suggestions for future themes :)
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
One of my housemates recommended this book to me, so I'm giving it a go! There is a movie coming out in 2014 and I watched a random trailer — it looked awesome, so I'm hoping the book will be too.
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Although I started off having mixed feelings about this book, I picked it up a second time and finished it in three or four days. I loved Delirium, but I'll let you know why when I review it in a couple of weeks.
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
I have been waiting for the release since last November, and I was so excited (and a little sad) to be finishing the last book of an amazing trilogy. I am now done isolating myself with my cup of lemon citron tea and am ready to persuade you to read this!
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
I have no idea what prompted me to buy this book three months ago, but it happened so I'm reading it *shrugs shoulders*
The theme I have chosen for this month is dystopian (naturally), so I'll be reading and reviewing these four books. Let me know if you have any suggestions for future themes :)
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
One of my housemates recommended this book to me, so I'm giving it a go! There is a movie coming out in 2014 and I watched a random trailer — it looked awesome, so I'm hoping the book will be too.
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Although I started off having mixed feelings about this book, I picked it up a second time and finished it in three or four days. I loved Delirium, but I'll let you know why when I review it in a couple of weeks.
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
I have been waiting for the release since last November, and I was so excited (and a little sad) to be finishing the last book of an amazing trilogy. I am now done isolating myself with my cup of lemon citron tea and am ready to persuade you to read this!
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
I have no idea what prompted me to buy this book three months ago, but it happened so I'm reading it *shrugs shoulders*
Have you read any of these books yet?
What books are you planning to read this month?
I'm curious — I'm always looking for more books to add on my Goodreads list!
I can't believe November is here and that there's only a month and two weeks left in my school's semester. I'm super excited for Winter Break because I'll be able to go home and spend time with my family. Do you guys have any plans for the holidays yet?
I wanted to start this "Love List" series to just talk about a couple of items that I love each month. I'm a little afraid that these posts will turn into long essays, so I've divided them up by categories so you can pick and choose what you'd like to read. Also, I've limited myself to three items or less per category so it won't take you 500 hours to load this page :)
BEAUTY
Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge Liquid Lip Color in 10 Raspberry ($24)
Although it comes with a hefty price tag, the quality is definitely there. I love the doe foot applicator and that it only comes off with oil. (So if you're eating pizza, I suggest not wearing this. Actually, just don't wear lipstick when you eat pizza ...) As for my personal preference, I don't like wearing the gloss because I feel ratchet with it on.
L'Oreal Lineur Intense Liquid Eyeliner in Carbon Black ($9)
I used to only use MAC's Blacktrack eyeliner, but I love the intensity of this liquid liner. Out of all the liners I've tried, this one is most black and long-lasting. I've slept with it on overnight and it was still good the next morning :)
Maybelline Color Tattoo in 70 Barely Branded ($7)
When I want to wear gold eyeshadow, I always put this on to make the color stand out. I like to apply it with e.l.f.'s Studio concealer brush — it works really well with any kind of cream product. It's starting to dry out, which makes me kind of sad because I bought it not too long ago.
FRAGRANCE
Dot by Marc Jacobs ($22)
I bought the rollerball version but if I finish and still want to continue using it, I'm definitely going to buy the full-sized one. Recognizing scents is not my forte, but Sephora's website describes it to have notes of red berries, dragonfruit and honeysuckle. If you're able to, get yourself to a beauty store and smell Dot!
ETC
Bath and Body Works' Heirloom Pear candle ($12.50)
I went into Bath and Body Works to look at their candles, and I instantly loved this one. It smells like any artificial pear scent would, but it burns neatly and evenly. (Don't you hate it when it ends up being a dent?) B&BW always have coupons, so make sure you search the web before you buy one!
MUSIC
I have been loving Hunter Hayes, especially this performance of "I Want Crazy" that he did with Danielle Bradbery, The Voice's Season 4 winner. It also doesn't hurt that he's a very cute boy :)
I am also obsessed with Elli Ingram's cover of "Poetic Justice". I have heard the original by Kendrick Lamar countless times because my youngest brother always bumps it in the car whenever I'm home, so it's cool to hear a female make an awesome remix.
TELEVISION
Season five of The Vampire Diaries. It's a little weird that I watch it now because I told "high school" me that I would never watch anything involving vampires. But I'm glad I started because it's a great show. I'm a little sad that Klaus isn't a recurring character anymore, but I'm still excited to see how certain events will play out. (Tweet me if you watch!)
I wanted to start this "Love List" series to just talk about a couple of items that I love each month. I'm a little afraid that these posts will turn into long essays, so I've divided them up by categories so you can pick and choose what you'd like to read. Also, I've limited myself to three items or less per category so it won't take you 500 hours to load this page :)
BEAUTY
Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge Liquid Lip Color in 10 Raspberry ($24)
Although it comes with a hefty price tag, the quality is definitely there. I love the doe foot applicator and that it only comes off with oil. (So if you're eating pizza, I suggest not wearing this. Actually, just don't wear lipstick when you eat pizza ...) As for my personal preference, I don't like wearing the gloss because I feel ratchet with it on.
L'Oreal Lineur Intense Liquid Eyeliner in Carbon Black ($9)
I used to only use MAC's Blacktrack eyeliner, but I love the intensity of this liquid liner. Out of all the liners I've tried, this one is most black and long-lasting. I've slept with it on overnight and it was still good the next morning :)
Maybelline Color Tattoo in 70 Barely Branded ($7)
When I want to wear gold eyeshadow, I always put this on to make the color stand out. I like to apply it with e.l.f.'s Studio concealer brush — it works really well with any kind of cream product. It's starting to dry out, which makes me kind of sad because I bought it not too long ago.
FRAGRANCE
Dot by Marc Jacobs ($22)
I bought the rollerball version but if I finish and still want to continue using it, I'm definitely going to buy the full-sized one. Recognizing scents is not my forte, but Sephora's website describes it to have notes of red berries, dragonfruit and honeysuckle. If you're able to, get yourself to a beauty store and smell Dot!
ETC
Bath and Body Works' Heirloom Pear candle ($12.50)
I went into Bath and Body Works to look at their candles, and I instantly loved this one. It smells like any artificial pear scent would, but it burns neatly and evenly. (Don't you hate it when it ends up being a dent?) B&BW always have coupons, so make sure you search the web before you buy one!
MUSIC
I have been loving Hunter Hayes, especially this performance of "I Want Crazy" that he did with Danielle Bradbery, The Voice's Season 4 winner. It also doesn't hurt that he's a very cute boy :)
I am also obsessed with Elli Ingram's cover of "Poetic Justice". I have heard the original by Kendrick Lamar countless times because my youngest brother always bumps it in the car whenever I'm home, so it's cool to hear a female make an awesome remix.
TELEVISION
Season five of The Vampire Diaries. It's a little weird that I watch it now because I told "high school" me that I would never watch anything involving vampires. But I'm glad I started because it's a great show. I'm a little sad that Klaus isn't a recurring character anymore, but I'm still excited to see how certain events will play out. (Tweet me if you watch!)
What are some of your favorites from October?
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