Book Review: "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell

     I went into the library to search for a new book. A few friends had recommended Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, so I figured I would give it a try! I had to venture into the 'Young Adult' room of the library, which is fine because I adore YA books! 

     This book was a very fast read, mainly due to the fact that the story, and vocabulary was extremely simple. The plot is a basic one: weird new girl, who is a constant object of bullying, sits next to quiet boy on the school bus. The two youngsters form an almost silent friendship, which turns into an almost nonverbal relationship. You get a little insight into Eleanor's troubled home life- she and her 4 siblings had a nice home and life until her parents got divorced, her mom remarried a horrendous man, and the family lives in near poverty. You also get an insight into Park's home life- very loving parents, mom is an Avon lady and has a home salon, only child, well taken-care of.

     This is a love story in it's purest form- first love. Rainbow Rowell does a great job of accurately writing the gamut of feelings and thoughts that accompany all of the "firsts" in a relationship- holding hands, an arm draped around a shoulder for the first time, first kiss, first make-out session, first fight, first time meeting the parents, etc. But, while all of these little moments are occurring, the reader is just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Will 'Eleanor & Park' stay together? Will they ever find out who has been writing dirty things on Eleanor's school books? Will Park confront Tina for bullying Eleanor? Will Eleanor's mom come to her senses and dump her husband?

REVIEW: 

     I give Eleanor & Park 2 stars. Ouch- I know! I simply did not enjoy this book! While I AM a fan of YA books, this book was just a tad too young for me. The plot was so basic that I found myself bored and my mind wandered while I was reading. The conflict in the story was measly and I felt that the main characters overreacted by fleeing to another state so Eleanor could live with her Uncle. The brief introduction of Eleanor's father was unnecessary and felt extremely forced. And, finally, the ending was anticlimactic and felt like a let-down. I was disappointed, as this book came recommended by some close friends. Ah well, not every book can be a winner!

NEXT BOOK:

     For the next selection, I'm reading Desperation by Stephen King! I am a huge King fan, and I feel in the mood for a good horror novel! I actually went to the library with my little sister, presented her with the Stephen King section, pointed out which books I had already read and let her select from the remaining books! I think she picked a good one, and I'm anxious to sink my teeth into this long novel!

Book Review: "The Girl You Left Behind" by JoJo Moyes

     My JoJo Moyes book adventures continue! After throughly enjoying Me Before You and One Plus One by Moyes, I KNEW I had to immerse myself in one more of her novels! I took a visit to my local library to see which other Moyes book they had available, and The Girl You Left Behind was sitting on the shelf, calling my name!

     Well, it did take me significantly longer to read this book (two and a half weeks!) than the previous Moyes works, but I have been on my honeymoon cruise for the last week and our schedule was packed with different games, activities, exotic ports (St Martin, St Thomas and the Bahamas!), excursions and loads of swimming and eating! So, I didn't have a ton of time for reading, but I squeezed in some time here and there whilst waiting for an activity or game to begin! 

     Without giving away too much, I want to outline the basic plot of the book. Liv Halston is a widow of a talented, young architect. Her late husband, David, purchased a lovely portrait from a frantic and frazzled woman whilst the couple was vacationing in Paris, and he bestowed the painting to his wife as a late marriage gift. David and Liv hung the painting in their bedroom and it remained there even after David passed away. Present day Liv is a bit down on her luck. Bills are piling up and her debt is reaching a staggering height. She works as an independent editor, but the jobs are few and far between. She has been unable (and, I suspect, unwilling, to venture into the dating world.) Also meet Paul, the divorced father of a young boy, ex cop, and he works at a company that is hired by individuals to find artwork believed to have been stolen or obtained under illegal methods during WW1, WW2, etc. Paul has not had a relationship since the divorce. A chance encounter brings Paul and Liv together and they ignite a passion inside each other that neither can ignore.

     As a chemistry starts to build between Liv and Paul, a client comes forward seeking a painting called "The Girl You Left Behind" that was painted by his distant relative, Edouard Lefèvre. The painting was said to have been stolen during WW1 by a German Kommandant, and now, a century later, the relatives demand it's return to it's rightful owner. It is also worth mentioning that the painting is worth a significant amount of money! Unfortunately, Paul finally locates the painting, which happens to reside in Liv's bedroom. Paul explains the dilemma to Liv, insisting that she do the right thing and return the art, but Liv emphatically rebukes him, stating how much she cares about the piece and how it's the most important thing to her. It isn't until Paul storms out that Liv begins to research the painting, and the past of it's subject, Edouard's wife Sophie. Liv also discovers the value of the painting. A media circus court case begins and more and more evidence is brought to light about "The Girl You Left Behind", Sophie, Edouard, and the Kommandant.

     The book not only follows Liv and her story, but it details Sophie's narrative. In fact, the opening few chapters are all centered on Sophie and her family and her life. It isn't until the reader becomes invested in the story that Moyes brings us to present day and introduces Liv and Paul.

     I really enjoyed The Girl You Left Behind!! The past juxtaposed with the present was extremely interesting! I was rooting for Liv and Sophie throughout the entire book! Two strong women, faced with trials, tribulations, heartache, and longing. It's a great story and another marvelous feather in JoJo Moyes' cap! As Moyes wrote in this book: "Sometimes life is a series of obstacles, a matter of putting one foot in front of the other. Sometimes it is simply a matter of blind faith." 

REVIEW:

     I give The Girl You Left Behind a solid 4 stars! The book was interesting and a good read, the story and concepts were well written, and the characters (as par for Moyes) were extremely well developed! I recommend this book if you enjoyed her other works!! 

NEXT BOOK:

      For the next selection, I'm going to read and review Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell! I have been recommended this book by several friends, so I'm excited to pick it up!

The wedding- Harry Potter inspired!!!

                       OCTOBER 15, 2014

                   Nieves/Hemphill Wedding

               Grand Plaza Hotel, St. Pete, Fl.

     My husband and I had a Harry Potter inspired wedding! Being a HUGE Potter fan, I knew that I wanted to include the boy wizard in my wedding. I went through so many different ideas: from full-blown Potter (which included having each bridesmaid represent a different Hogwarts house, and each table at the reception be a different Hogwarts class) to a wedding modeled after Bill and Fleur's wedding from Deathly Hallows (outside, enclosed in a huge tent, with purple accents) until I finally decided that I just wanted to have a casual, relaxed wedding with Potter touches and accents. Little hints and nods to the Harry Potter series, some that people may not even pick up! Here are some of the things that I did, I hope you enjoy!!

     Being a non- traditional bride, and not very keen on flowers, I made a brooch bouquet. I watched countless YouTube videos, bought my brooches from ebay, and constructed it. It took a surprisingly long time and about 35 brooches in total! I also used craft pearls, white ribbon for the handle, and a base holder to hide the wires. I am immensely proud of it- although it was laborious!

   Next up: shoes!! I bought very inexpensive white ballet flats for myself and my bridesmaids from Amazon. The ceremony was on a beach, so no shoes were required, thus shoes would only be worn during the reception. Again, shoes are not something that I cherish or invest much thought in, so I was perfectly fine not spending $100's on them for one day! One of my bridesmaids made cute bows, white for me, and then Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff-inspired bows for the other shoes! She also added "Always" and a lightening bolt onto the sides of the shoes! I absolutely loved them! 

 For a touch of Potter on me, I found this amazing bracelet online! It has the mark of the Deathly Hallows on it, two owls, and a "Golden" snitch (made with silver wings, and a pearl.)

      Our adorable ring bearer, Lilly, held a giant Golden Snitch that, when opened, revealed our wedding rings. The Snitch was made by the Groom's mother and it was perfect! We made sure to tie the rings tightly inside in case Lilly dropped it- we didn't want our rings to get lost in the sand!!

     For my flower girls, I again wanted something non-traditional. I had two sisters as flower girls, ages 5 and 3. I know that tossing flower petals is not something natural for a little girl to do, and that they wouldn't have the patience to rehearse it a few times. I also wanted the girls to have fun and not stress out about anything. Thus, my alternative... Bubble Guns!!! My "Bubble Girls" were a huge hit! They loved being able to shoot bubbles at everyone, and they kept the guns, so it made for an easy party favor! We had to go through a few different types of bubble guns before we found ones that were easy to operate, held enough bubbles, and didn't leak everywhere! (If I had more time, I would have loved to experiment in painting the guns our wedding colors without messing up the internal mechanics)

       When it came time to decide on what my bridesmaids would hold- I was at a complete loss. I researched every flower bouquet alternatives- fans, lanterns (this was my choice for a long time during planning, I even purchased lanterns!), Harry Potter wands (but it didn't seem grand enough for a wedding), brooch bouquets (but after the length and expense of MY brooch bouquet, I vetoed this idea!), button bouquets, and even balloons! But nothing seemed quite right. I was walking aimlessly through a craft store one day and I came across these lovely wooden letters. Inspiration struck! I picked up L, O, V, E letters in a fairly large size, my Fiance spray painted them grey (one of our wedding colors), I added coral (our other wedding color) and grey fabric flowers as accents, and bought craft pearls that I lined the letters with. My Fiance drilled holes in the bottom of the letters and we glued in dowel rods (also painted grey!) The result were beautiful, unique pieces of art that I now hang in my home around a display of wedding photos. The letters also looked beautiful next to the bridesmaids dresses! 

     Until you start planning a wedding, you never realize just how many flower-related accessories and decorations there are! My next issue that needed addressing were the boutonnieres for the Groom and the Groomsmen. I wanted each aspect of our wedding to depict the personalities of both John and I, and for each little thing to mean something, and the boutonnieres are no exception! In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry has to use a flying broomstick and catch a key that will open a special door. There were hundreds of keys flying around, but Harry had to find a very specific key- a large silver one with blue wings. That was my inspiration! I purchased two different 'lots' of antique keys from e-bay, in all shapes and sizes. The cost was very inexpensive. I then found different wings to glue to the keys. A little ribbon and a safety pin, and a Potter boutonniere was born! John, the Groom is the only person who wore a silver key with blue wings. Everyone else had either golden keys, or different color wings.

     Now onto the reception! An inexpensive birdcage, purchased at a flea market, painted grey, and housing two different pigmy puffs (purchased at Universal Studios), made for a great card holder!

                                    

     Instead of a traditional cake, we went with cupcakes! We had two different flavors of cupcakes, and the wrappers were created out of pages of Harry Potter books! I would like to take credit for making them, but my baker ordered them from etsy!

Our venue had a small bar that sat in the corner. We had an open bar for our guests, but we wanted to spruce up the bar area. It was the perfect spot for some Potter themeing! While it was a completely open bar, we had three specialty drinks that our guests could order by name for a little fun. First was "Felix Felicis"("Lucky Potion) which was Amaretto Sour. Then there was "Amortencia" ("Love Potion") which was a Hurricane. And lastly there was "Veritaserum" ("Truth Serum") which was a Margarita. My Fiance purchased card stock paper and printed out the labels for the drinks. The picture frame was bought at Hobby Lobby. We also bought a few inexpensive bottles, and added some sticker labels. We researched our favorite Harry Potter "potions" and labeled the bottles accordingly- as well as adding water and food coloring and some bottles even contained glitter! The result was a nod to the boy wizard that made me smile every time I looked at it!

     The last item that we agonized over was the party favors. It took a lot of researching, and vetoing of different ideas before we came up with something simple! We wrote an abbreviated excerpt from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone about the key that Harry had to catch (see the description for the boutonnieres) and printed it on card stock paper. We then complied a list of 95 of our favorite book and movie quotes, so each favor had a different quote, glued on little coral and glittery hearts, and attached small antique keys with either coral or grey ribbon. These were very inexpensive to create, and our guests enjoyed them! 

     We also took a few Potter-themed photos (we asked all of our bridal party to bring their wands!)

Book Review- "One Plus One" by JoJo Moyes

     

     After reading Me Before You  by JoJo Moyes, and LOVING IT!, I decided to give some of her other works a go. I usually get burned when I do this- so I proceeded with caution!

     In the first chapter, you are introduced to a bevy of characters and it gets a bit muddy with names and details. Some bloke named Ed, along with his friend Ronan, own/developed their own company and Ed is approached by a few gentlemen (the "Suits") who discuss a serious allegation that a women claims to make against Ed. 

      As in Me Before You, this first chapter is something the reader needs to remember, as it will become important a bit later. But the second chapter moves onto a completely different set of characters, Jess (Jessica) and her family (a little girl named Constanza-aka Tanzie, a high school-aged boy named Nicky, and a huge dog that go by the name of Norman.)

     At the start of each chapter, Moyes lists a characters name. The reader quickly grasps the fact that the chapter will be following the actions or thoughts of that particular character. I have found that this can get extremely confusing when I've read other books with this same method, but Moyes only switches from Ed to Jess with a few chapters by Tanzie and Nicky intermittently dispersed in. 

     The basic plot is as follows: Ed (a divorcee) had a short, hot & heavy, "relationship" (really just a few nights of good sex) with a women. When she becomes immensely clingy, he attempts to get rid of her. She mentioned that she wanted to travel but lacked the proper funds.  He gave her some information about his company that would allow her to make some money if she invested in a few stocks, evening giving her a check to allow her to purchase said stocks. The woman and her brother made a fortune off of the information, and the Feds went after Ed for "insider trading." 

      Introduce Jess and her family. Jess is a part-time house cleaner and a part-time bar maid. Money is tight, to be generous. The father of the children (Marty) left two years prior to live with his mother, and he has no job so is unable to pay child support. Nicky, the high-school aged boy, is Marty's son from a previous marriage, but his mother was a drug addict and couldn't take care of him, so Jess welcomed him into her family. Nicky is partial to the "Goth" look and, because of this, he is constantly attacked and hurt by a group of boys (the Fisher family.) He even winds up in the hospital at the start of the tale. Little Tanzie is a math genius!! Her math teacher at school referred her to a private school (St Anne's) that would be able to help her develop her skill and talent as well as provide her with a top notch education. St Anne's offered Tanzie a 90% scholarship to their school, but that still wasn't enough for Jess to be able to afford it. 

     Ed winds up in the bar that Jess works at (she also happens to clean his Beachfront home), and he drinks to the point of intoxication. So drunk that he has to be driven home by another bar patron (while Jess accompanied them.) On their way back, Jess discovers that $500 pounds has fallen out of Ed's wallet. She pockets the money and uses it to reserve Tanzie's spot at St Anne's.

     Faced with the prospect of still not being able to afford the tuition, books, and uniforms for St Anne's, Jess is distraught. She then receives a phone call from Tanzie's math teacher notifying her of a math competition (The Olympiad) that was taking place in Scotland that awarded the winner $5,000 pounds- enough to cover the first 2 years of St Anne's! Unfortunately, they didn't have the money to make it there via train or bus. Fortunately, Marty (the Ex-husband) had left a beat-up Rolls Royce in the garage (along with it's expired tags, and rat-eaten seats.) Jess, determined to give her little girl a chance in life, boards the family (including the dog!) in the car to drive them to Scotland! Unfortunately, Jess hasn't driven a car in years and is not very good at it, AND they get pulled over by the police within a few miles. Fortunately, Ed drives by, recognizes Jess (from both the bar and his house cleanings) and gives the family a lift back to their house. Jess, Tanzie and Nicky explain what they were doing, and Ed offers to drive them across the country to Scotland! 

     Not believing that Ed will actually show up the next day to drive them, embarrassed that they have to depend on a complete stranger, and nervous that he knows she took his money, Jess is a ball of emotions! She is shocked when Ed shows up and Ed, in turn, is shocked when he realizes that Tanzie gets sick if you drive over 40 mph, and their 8 hour trip was going to turn into a 5-day trip. Meanwhile, Ed is caught up in the lawsuit, his ex-wife pestering him for money, and his sister's insistence that he come to visit their dying father.

     The trip is chalk-full of discoveries, disasters, nerves, smiles, and dog farts! As each day passes, Jess and Ed relax more around each other and their fondness for each other blossoms. They reach the Olympiad, more disasters, and then it's time for the return trip. They make a detour to see Marty, who has a new wife and lives in a beautiful home with the woman's two children! The relationship between Ed and Jess finally reach a boiling point and they both decide to let themselves fall! Once they are back to their home, a series of unfortunate events take place and you, the reader, find yourself racing to finish and uncover the ending! 

SPOILER:

     During the course of the story, I (like Jess) had COMPLETELY forgotten about Ed's stolen money. It seemed like two completely different people and a completely different time! When the deceit was uncovered, I covered my mouth in shock! I was fully rooting for the positive and sweet-hearted Jess, who deserved to be loved, to be happy, and to have someone take care of her. And I cared about Ed, who was accused of a crime he didn't intend to commit, who needed to experience the bright side of life, and who DESPERATELY needed someone like Jess! After Ed left, I didn't know where the story would go. Then, when Tanzie is attacked by the Fishers, and Norman, in an attempt to help her, was hit by a car, I cried. I don't know what it is about the death of an animal that causes such a visceral response from me! If a person dies suddenly in a book, I feel sad, but if an animals dies unexpectedly, tears fall! 

     The story does have a happy ending! All of the characters get what they want and most deserve. I finished the book with a smile!

     I highly recommend this book! It was a good read! The plot is easy to follow, language isn't bogged down, characters are relatable & likable, and you get to experience a rainbow of emotions!

RATING:

     I give One Plus One by JoJo Moyes 4.5 stars. 

    I struggled with this rating! I really enjoyed this book, but I LOVED Me Before You (which I give 5 stars to!), and this book seemed to fall just below that one. It took me a moment before I realized the reason for that. In Me Before You I learned something. I received insight into the lifestyle and the psyche of a quadriplegic. I didn't 'learn' anything from One Plus One, but it was a great read. Thus, 4.5 stars! 

NEXT BOOK:

     I decided to continue the JoJo Moyes reading spree and try The Girl You Left Behind. Let's hope it's a good one!

September 11-14 2014- 34-31 days until the wedding!!

September 11, 2014:
     Thursdays are the toughest day of the week!! Cardio Kickboxing with Jesus followed immediately by Butt & Abs Bootcamp with Kristie. Whew! My arms are depleted from kickboxing, and then my thighs and glutes get a thrashing in bootcamp! Phew!!! I love bootcamp because I can feel it's immediate effects on my body, but it is the only class that I constantly think about leaving due to the difficulty! Butt & Abs Bootcamp with Kristie is the hardest class at Vixen Fitness in my opinion!

September 12, 2014:
     Butt & Abs Bootcamp with Marissa was first up this evening. I got there and... I was the only one taking the class! This was a first for me! But it felt like I had my own personal trainer! We ran 3 laps around the building, Marissa staying with me the entire time, and then he stayed outside and did lunges, walking kicks, exercises along that line. Then we moved inside and used the glides (which I'm terrible at!!!) and did across the floor exercises utilizing the glides (inchworm, skating, backwards crab walk, etc!) We decided that next time we have class together and I'm the only student, that she would do a ballet core class with me instead of bootcamp! 

September 8, 9, 10 2014- 37, 36, 35 days until the wedding!!

September 8, 2014:
     It's Monday!!! You all know what that means! Zumba and 30/30/30! This was Ariana's first time taking 30/30/30 with the full 30 mins of spin! It's those spinning 30 mins that get you! I don't sweat as much in any other class as I do in that short span of time! My entire upper body leaks fluids and gripping the bike handles becomes difficult! I am still working up to taking the 1 hour spin class, but it makes me extremely nervous! I can barely get though 30 mins, how can I possibly do twice that amount of time?! Ariana wasn't ready for the spin portion! She was on the bike beside me and I kept checking in on her! She'll be more prepared the next time!

September 9, 2014:
      I started the evening with my second dose of Intro To Pole with Staci. I can see my progress and how some of the moves are coming with greater ease. I can also tell that I'm feeling much more confident and comfortable on the pole. There are still people in this class who are NOT beginners though. Those individuals like to show off and it makes the rest of us feel uneasy. I wish they would not take intro classes, because it takes the spot of someone else who could be trying to get into pole fitness.
     Next was Yoga with Jesus and then Hip Hop with Josan. I love the class variety that I get on Tuesdays! It's awesome!

September 10, 2014:
     I had to work a special event that took place in the evening, so I was not able to attend any classes today.

September 3-7, 2014- 42-38 days until the wedding!

     Ok- so now that all of the classes are starting to repeat themselves, and I really have no new information to share, I'm going to be condensing the posts to chunks of days instead of individual days! 

September 3, 2014:
     Tuesdays and Wednesdays are turning into my 3 class days! Today was no exception!
     First was VRX. Jesus likes to switch up VRX each week. One week we'll focus on upper body and the next week will be lower body centric. I much prefer the upper body routines to get some sexy wedding arms!! All brides worry about their arms because most wedding dresses are sleeveless and/or strapless, and the arms are so prominently featured! If you can remember from my first blog post, my arms are desperate for attention. They were flabby and soft. I know that they are slowly changing, I can definitely tell the difference, but it's going to take much more work to get my arms where I want them to be! Luckily today was upper body VRX! And I could feel the burn!!

     Second class was Sexy Pole Dance. Ariana and I were extremely excited to take sexy pole dance because we knew it would be a new routine. The last routine was so much fun, and we were looking forward to this one! The instructor decided to do a lyrical routine. The class was overbooked, so Ariana and I had to share a pole, and when people have to share it slows down the class because the instructor has to allow everyone ample time for the pole tricks. The routine was very pretty and sweet, but we preferred the sexier, high energy, up-beat songs and routines. And the fact that we had to share poles was inconvenient and neither of us felt great with our performances. Hopefully the next sexy pole dance class will be more our pace!

     To round out our evening we took Sexy Chair dance with Jasmine! Tonight's routine was SO fast!! I was sweating trying to keep up. We also did a lot of booty popping! If you read my post about my 'Booty Bouncin' class, you will know that I am no twerker! For some odd reason, I just cannot seem to pop and shake my rump. Hopefully it will come with time. I'll definitely update you when I can finally twerk. It will be a momentous occasion! 

September 4, 2014:
     I got called to come into work today, and I couldn't turn it down. The hours, and pay, are much needed! We are in such a desperate financial situation with the upcoming wedding, and having to pay two mortgages. We had a buyer for our old house, so it was taken off the market for 3 weeks, but the buyer backed out 5 days after the inspection. My Fiance and I were devastated, because it meant that we had to pay another month of double mortgages. But we know everything will work out in the end. Nothing to do but stay positive!!
     So I could not take any classes today.

September 5, 2014:
     Marissa's 'Rockin Hard Beach Bodies' Tuesday class got moved to Friday's and renamed Butt & Abs Bootcamp. It is at the perfect time and there were no other cardio classes offered on Friday evenings, so I, of course, took the course! After my work shift I zipped over to the Vixen Studio and settled in for a 2 class-kinda night! Butt & Abs Bootcamp, Marissa style, was a good workout! It was a great class to take right before the weekend!
     Next up with J'adore Go Go!! This was my first time taking this class, and I loved it!!! I think Go Go is my new favorite class! I was somewhat apprehensive about taking this class because heels are required and I've never really danced in high heels. Character heels- sure, but not regular high heels! The first thing that Jasmine had us do (after the warm-up) was walking. Just simply putting one foot in front of the other in our heels and being sexy with it! Fortunately, I wear character heels all day at work, so walking sexy in heels is almost second nature! The dance routine was fun and sexy and I loved it! I'm going to make a solid effort to try to make this class every time it's offered, which seems to be every other Friday!

September 6 & 7, 2014:
     I worked both weekend days and no evening classes on Saturdays and Sundays are offered, so no classes for me.