Remember when I used to make these and post them on here a lot?

I think I'm going to start doing it again because I am still madly in love with these awesome, old school, library catalog cards.

I'm really not a fan of doing book reviews, so it'll be rare for you to see them on here, but I do read a lot, and I would love to share the books I've enjoyed each month with you all. And here's where my "ah-ha!" moment happened: use the catalog card generator as a platform for sharing book titles.
Duh.
So obvious.

Fill in the Blank Friday

1. I am currently obsessed with Cheetos. Honestly, I think it has something to do with my period (TMI?), but I crave them and pretty much want to eat them all the time right now. In fact, can someone make a bag magically appear on my desk soon?

2. Today I am chilly because it's snowing outside, and has been since 6 ish last night, and I am at work rather than reading in bed with a giant sweatshirt on, cocooned in several quilts.

3. The age I am is 24 and the age I feel is a bit older than that. I've almost always felt older than my actual age, and while I don't think that's a bad thing, I am aware that it can be to my disadvantage to not act my age. "Old Soul" is often used to describe me, and just yesterday my admin told me she's convinced I was born 35.

4. My favorite place is my apartment. It's my own little safe haven and I simply adore it.

5. Something I have been procrastinating is buying my plane ticket from L.A. to Sydney...apparently I am getting in touch with my inner frugal commitment-phobe. Awesome.

6. The last thing I purchased was a cup of coffee on my way into work. The above-mentioned snow made this a necessary purchase.

7. The thing I love most about my home is that it is so Erin. My apartment screams "Me!" and is an ever-evolving place because of that. I love it.

Happy Friday, lovelies!
ps- play along here

New Boots

If any of you follow Viktoria with a K you'll be familiar with these boots already. She found them a few months ago and ever since she first posted about them I've been envious. I'm super picky about both my boots and about shades of brown. In fact, I've been on the hunt for a pair of brown boots that wouldn't break the bank since last Fall...as in, a year and a half ago, not 6 months ago. I never have any problems finding black boots each season that meet my criteria, but brown is tough for some reason.

Anyway, I was looking at Spring flats at Macy's with my Mom on Monday when I noticed a whole bunch of clearance boots. I immediately rushed over and started sorting through the Size 9-10 section, hoping to find a good deal. Not surprisingly, the majority of the the boots were black, but there were some brown pairs thrown in for good measure, including the above beauties by Steve Madden. These babies are an acceptable shade of brown, real leather, have a small, wedge-style heel and hit nearly knee-high; they're perfect! The minute I put them on I was sold! I was even more sold when I realized they were marked down to just under $30. Yea, I kind of wanted to squeal with delight in the store. My little frugal heart is so happy!

I think it's time for another Little Things post

Because we all know that it's the little things in life that always make you smile...and these are some more of my favorites:

A little Skype gushing...

I seriously love Skype! I love that even though Jamie is halfway across the world and in a different hemisphere than me, Skype makes it seem almost like we're roomies again...well, maybe not roomies, but it makes it seem like we live in the same country again.

I think our morning conversations are my favorite. Technically, it's morning for me and just before bedtime for her, but we'll say "morning" for convenience. This is when it really feels like we're living together again. We had our morning routine down pat when we were roomies, so when we're Skyping and I hop up to shower or blow dry my hair, I don't even have to say anything; she automatically knows what part of my morning routine I'm at and just goes with the flow. It's awesome.

When we lived together, Jamie was usually ready faster than I was, so she'd sit on the toilet (with the cover down, obviously) and we'd babble at each other while I finished my hair and put on my make-up. Well, that's exactly what we still do. Haha...I put the computer on the toilet, tell Jamie she's on her throne, and we continue to chatter away while I finish getting ready. It's perfect! I also love running outfit ideas by her. She know my style, knows how I handle different types of weather and if I give her a general run-down she can yay or nay clothing choices almost as if she were living in the next room again.

My life simply wouldn't be the same without our random, all-over-the-board conversations, so I'm glad they can still happen. It's not the same as having her here, but you won't hear me complaining about our video chats, where, when Skype freezes (as it tends to do), Jamie's face is always stuck in some hilariously awkward position, or when we're just IMing each other we somehow manage to carry on 5 different strings of conversation without flaw until one of us mentions in, causing confusion to set it until we have to pick just one conversation to run with. It's how we roll!


By the way, according to this morning's conversation, I will be moving to Australia so Jamie and I can drink goon (wine) and drive around the country following the bushfires until we meet sexy firemen and eventually settle down near a bigger city. Naturally, these firemen will be brothers and I already called dibs on the older of the two.

How to spend a Groupon: Erin-style

Sometimes I can't help but laugh at myself and the things that I get a little stressed about. Case in point: The $20 Barnes and Noble Groupon that had been burning a hole in my pocket for weeks. Yep, I was stressing over, what is essentially a gift card. Who does that?!

The thing about this is, I read A LOT, and I go through a lot of books in a fairly short amount of time; and when it comes to new books $20 doesn't really go that far, so my choices needed to be calculated. I didn't want to pick up any ol' paperback that looked interesting; no, I needed to get books that I truly wanted to read, that I wanted to keep on my bookshelf, and that I couldn't just pick up at the Library. With me, chances are good that if I can get the book at the Library, even if I have to hang out on the waiting list for a few weeks, I won't shell out cash for it. I'm poor, I have bills, I live on a tight budget and I would be broke in an instant if I bought all of the books that I read and/or check-out from the Library. I'm sure you all are smiling and shaking your heads at this a little right now, but I bet you also understand exactly what I'm saying.


So, after checking my "To-Read" list, comparing it against the Library, looking at the lists of upcoming new releases by my favorite authors and wandering around Barnes and Noble several times I finally made my decision, and I couldn't be happier! After much deliberation, I decided on A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness and The Art of French Kissing by Kristin Harmel. I know, I know...all of that for just 2 books? But my reasoning makes sense. A Discovery of Witches is a new release that isn't available at the Library yet, and is one of those investment pieces. Meaning, I know I'm going to love it, will want to give it a permanent place on my bookshelf, and I bet I'm going to lend this one around a bit. Plus, as a B&N member, I got it for a steal! The Art of French Kissing is your basic, feel-good, smile-over-a-bit-of-romance chick lit book. It is by an author that I love who cannot be found at the Library (which truly baffles me), and it was in the bargain bin.

Success! I walked out of Barnes and Noble with a smile on my face, and 2 new books in hand.

Can I be here?

Please.

This could be Cape Cod, and there could be a light breeze coming in off of the water.
Not a hot breeze, but one that cools you off to the perfect temperature, while still making you crave a hot cup of tea to accompany your book.

Fill in the blank Friday

1. I am in love with my new Chamilia charm bracelet that my Dad got me for Valentine's Day (shout-out to Mom for helping him pick the charms). His thinking of me meant so much to me, and the charms are perfect...one is even a crab!!

2. The bravest thing I've ever done was probably making it official in my mind to visit Jamie while she's in Australia. I know that seems like a no-brainer and not very brave, but if you know me and my OCD ways, then you know this is huge. I'm a total control-freak when it comes to money and I live on a really tight budget. I have savings that I guard with my life and any time I have to dip into that account I'm guaranteed to have a cry- or shout-fest over it. Well, travel to AUS? Yea, good-bye savings! And, as Jamie and all of you know, I get nervous when I fly alone, and I feel better knowing the airport that I'm landing in. Well, an international flight alone and an airport I've never been to in a foreign country are bound to get my heart racing a bit. Now, all of that being said, I cannot wait to visit Jamie and play tourist in Australia, but actually doing it comes in pretty high on my bravery list.

3. I feel prettiest when I'm having a "skinny" day, when my bangs cooperate and when I have freshly painted finger- and toenails.

4. Something that keeps me awake at night is work, my to-do list, when I have something I need to get off of my chest, fighting with people, etc...pretty much anything that causes worry has the potential to keep me up at night, or cause me to sleepwalk.

5. My favorite meal in the entire world is dependent upon my mood. I know I've answered this question with butternut squash ravioli before, but today I think classic fish and chips is winning out. I don't have one specific favorite, but rather a list of food loves. I'm a foodie!

6. The way to my heart is through words and touch.

7. I would like to have a spa day. I could really go for an all-out day of pampering: facial, massage, pedicure, manicure, brow wax, hair cut, etc.

Love is never ugly

Ok, everyone, I am soooo freaking excited for the movie Beastly to come out. I know I've babbled about my love of Beauty and the Beast before, but just in case the point hasn't hit home yet: I want to be Belle; I want to live in a castle; I want a 2-story library that I can get lost in; and I like a guy with some hair on his chest. Definitely not news to all of you lovely readers, right? Haha, anyway...

I think the modern re-telling of a fairy tale classic is going to be pretty awesome. I'm intrigued by Mary-Kate Olsen's role as the witch, and absolutely love that tattoos and scarring, rather than a full-on animalistic transformation, are used to create a "monster". Plus, setting the movie amid the hustle and bustle of New York City seems the perfect juxtaposition for this classic tale.

"find someone who can see you better than you can"

Because it's Valentine's Day...

...and I love Keats' romanticism, here is a little poetic swooning for you all.

Bright Star

Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art--
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors--
No--yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever--or else swoon to death.

-written for Fanny-

Happy Valentine's Day

Hi lovelies!

I'm so sorry I've pretty much been MIA for the past week. Last week was a mess of work meetings that left my brain too fried to even attempt a half-way decent post once I got home in the evenings. But, things are calmer this week so I'll be getting back to my "regular" posting. And, I'm slowly but surely getting caught up on everyone's blogs...comments will be coming, folks!

In the mean time,

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Someone worth keeping

It is terribly difficult to find someone who completely loves you for the person whom you are. Most of the time, people make ridiculous demands; they expect you to change the little bits of yourself to cater to their wishes. What I think is, we all deserve that someone who will love the good, the bad, the disgusting, the weird bits and pieces about us - being late all the time, not knowing how to play sports properly, not having any talent in particular, being klutzy, the PMS-y moments. That's someone worth keeping for the rest of your life.
-Unknown-

Rolling in the Deep

While blog-hopping this morning I came across this music video over at A Blonde Ambition and I just had to pass it along. I love Adele. I love her soulful voice and emotion-packed lyrics, and this music video is gorgeous...the glasses of water that are perfectly still until the beat picks up, the pile of broken china at the base of the stairs and the dancer. Love. You've all heard me talk about how I get completely obsessed with a song for a while, and I think it's safe to say that this is my new "on repeat" song. It's snowing and cold, and even though I can't be curled up in my pjs at home, at least I can blast this song in between meetings today.

Wanderlust is getting the best of me

Do you ever have one of those mornings where you wake up and would rather be somewhere else? That's the kind of morning that I'm having. It's not that anything is truly wrong, it's just a general sense of wanderlust that I can't seem to kick. I'm a creature of habit and am happily settled into my little life, but every 6 months or so, I want out. I want to get on a plane, take a break from Colorado and immerse myself in new scenery.
If I could throw together a suitcase, grab my book and purse and hop a flight this morning I'd like to find myself:

- drinking Penfolds cabernet sauvignon and laughing with Jamie, Nick and Andy in Bathurst, Australia.

- in Cambridge, MA...browsing through the used bookshelves at the Harvard Bookstore with a soy latte in hand.

- Eating a pretzel the size of my head while wandering through old town Heidelberg, Germany.

- Bicycling from winery to winery in Napa Valley (there's sunshine and a sundress in my fantasy).

- in Paris with my Mom. I want to eat pastries at a little cafe, get lost wandering around the city and see my Mom's reaction to viewing the city from the top of the Eiffel Tower. I want to fight the crowds to see the Mona Lisa and then show my Mom my favorite Degases at the Musee d'Orsay. And, I want to be there when she's dazzled by Versailles.

- bundled up against the snow flurries in Vail, CO with Jamie. We'd window-shop, take too many pictures and gorge ourselves on spaetzle.

- strolling through downtown Providence, RI, eventually ending up at Amy's Cafe where I could sit at the little table by the window, reading and people-watching while enjoying a grilled cheese with tomatoes, sweet potato fries and a mug of coffee that never seems to empty.

There's nothing wrong with a little wanderlust...

Where would you all like to be right now?

Fill in the Blank Friday

It's another cop out week (read: quick post on Mon and now blanks), my loves...so sorry. But, I do actually feel like blogging for the first time all week, so I'm willing to bet that this wont be my only post today. As always, thanks for bearing with me (I should rename my blog that...). I love reading all of your blogs and getting a little glimpse into your lives. I love sharing my ramblings with you all and your comments always make my day.
Happy Friday, lovelies!

1. If I could only read one magazine publication for the rest of eternity, I would choose Travel + Leisure. Most of the time it's the closest I can get to visiting all of the far off places that I dream about. Or InStyle because I do love fashion and celebrities.

2. If I were to run my own magazine it would be about fashion, travel, food and books...all of my favorite things!

3. I buy my magazines (at the grocery check stand or via subscription) usually via subscription, but I do pick up a magazine that I just have to have every once in a while.

4. I prefer my magazines (in print or online) in print. I love to rip out articles, pictures and quotes from magazines once I'm done reading them. I also love being able to throw a magazine in my purse to read throughout the day; and since I'm one of the few people who still doesn't have a data plan for my cell phone, I couldn't read an online magazine unless I was at home.

5. The number of magazines I buy each month is 3 right now. I get Health, Glamour and Cosmo. But, I also take my Mom's InStyle and Architectural Digest once she's done with them, so maybe the correct answer is actually 5.

6. My favorite magazine genre is (lifestyle, gossip, home, etc...) lifestyle, food, fashion, gossip...I can't pick just one!

7. The magazines I read regularly are the same ones that I get every month (see #5) plus I almost always pick up the latest Psychology Today and I like to browse The Knot Weddings because it's pretty.