Happy Birthday and Goodnight.

Today I am tired.  I made some food, read some magazines, and attempted to avoid the computer, to a point.  With that said, Happy Birthday to a certain someone, and anyone else celebrating their birthday today.  I hope to have some actual posts soon, but for now, I am good, because I am, and I don't need an explanation.  Oh yeah, and I probably need to sleep, yes.  That would be a good idea.  Yawn (I literally just yawned)...  Goodnight.

Tomorrow never comes, so live for today.  For my today, I need to sleep, so goodnight.

See you in the morning,

xoxo

Lauren

4 Whole Months

As of today, I have been gluten free for 4 months.  It feels like I posted about my 3 month-iversary just a week ago.  I guess that time really does fly when you're not paying attention.  Anyways... with that said, I still haven't had any big flops in terms of gluten free conversion (besides those horrific buckwheat pancakes), and I am getting better all the time.  It is such a relief to say that.  I know that celiac will always be a part of my life, but the further I get into the diet, I realize more and more how easy it is going to be.  I don't mean that it will be easy, I just mean that once I'm used to it, more and more, things will get easier.  It won't be such a hassle for going out to dinner or going to a friends house for lunch.  Yeah, I have to plan ahead, but so what?  I'd rather be making plans than be putting gluten into my body.  

Enjoy your gluten freedom,

xoxo

Lauren

Fashion Find: Dot Necklaces

I keep forgetting to do post these finds, even though I am constantly looking at various fashion sites, and making comments in my head. Anyways, here is today's feature, a selection of beautiful jewelry from shinyblackshoes, once again on Etsy. Of course, being from Etsy, means that they are all handmade.

With that said, here are some of shinyblackshoes's most recent creations.

They are all so beautiful.

I find that this picture, has an almost ethereal quality to it, and once again the necklace is gorgeous.

photos via here.

To find out more about this wonderful designer, you can visit her at Etsy, or at her blog. These necklaces are each $24 Canadian American, and they are made in Ontario.

Happy shopping.

xoxo

Lauren

All Gone

Today is the end.  The end of our all-purpose gluten filled flour.  The one that somehow made it through all this time.  Thankfully, Mom didn't use it for us.  She made her signature chocolate chip cookies for our friends that moved yesterday.  Last I heard, they were all gone.  Not one is left at my friend's house.  No, there are only two left here (Mom did keep a few for her, Dad and red firetruck).  Surprisingly, they are not mocking me.  I didn't really go near them, but I did get a little jumpy when there were crumbs on the keyboard...  Turns out they were only chip crumbs.  Red firetruck's after school snack, with salsa, of course.  Anyways, now we can officially move on from that.  The gluten is almost all gone (there is still some leftover pasta, and we still keep bread in the house).  I know that my house, minus the gluten toaster, is safe, and that is good.  Having your home be safe is essential to a Celiac/gluten-less person.  Although I would prefer that the whole house was gluten free, I know that that wouldn't happen unless there was at least one more Celiac in the house (Dad (untested) or red firetruck (he could still develop it/it could present later)).  Anyways, thats all I have for today, because Today is the end.

Enjoy your endings, 

xoxo

Lauren

Garlic Chicken Lasagna

Ok, so I can't take any credit what-so-ever for this lasagna, but I'm still going to tell you about it. This is one of the Gluten-Free Goddess, Karina's Recipes. You can find it here. My family loves this lasagna. So far we've made it twice, and loved it more than any other lasagna we've ever had.

Our only changes/customizations are:

• No mushrooms (red firetruck and I are not fans of them)
  
• Add carrots and/or zucchini and/or celery
• We cooked our noodles (you can do either)
• Instead of a 11" by 13" dish (don't have one), we used a 9" by 11" and a 8" by 8" dish(that we froze, see next bullet).
  
• The second time we used 3 dishes. All were 2L (8" by 8") dishes. The only problem was that there weren't enough lasagna noodles for the top layer, so if you did it this way, use/cook a few more lasagna noodles. (this way, we cooked 2 of them for 30 mins, then took them out and let them cool completely, then put them in the freezer for a later date, the third one, we cooked as directed, and ate it that night. When eating one of those two that we froze, we cooked as you would if they had never been in the oven, something like an hour at 350 degrees F, 180, I think, degrees C)
  

Mmm... the first time we had it, this was what was left (of the 9" by 11" dish, by the end), and there were only five of us. It was really good.Enjoy this amazing lasagna, created by the amazing Gluten-Free Goddess herself, Karina.

xoxo

Lauren

Pretty Pictures

Today, like yesterday, I'm pretty lazy, so here are some pics of recent kitchen creations, hopefully with recipes soon!
I guess that red and brown are my kitchen colours. Haha oops, that wasn't on purpose!

xoxo
Lauren

Apple Orange Passionfruit Juice

Ok, so juice is naturally gluten free.  So, why am I posting about some random type of juice?  Well its pretty simple.  I love this juice.  I even had 3 glasses of it yesterday morning (It's all gone today).  Yeah thats a lot, but as I said it's good.

I couldn't find a picture of it, so here is the Sun-Rype Page.

What it's like:

It's not like any of the juices in it.  It is a mix of apple, orange and passionfruit.  It is unique, but not really random.  I don't know.  It's just good.

Why I love it:

It's good.  I could drink it all day long.

The Sun-Rype Page has all of the nutritional info you'll need to know.  I'm sorry. but I'm kind of lazy today.

Enjoy this juice, or whatever your favorite flavor is.

xoxo

Lauren

ps.  I'd love to know what your favorite juices are.  My past favorite have been: apple.  orange.  mango tangerine.  grape apple.

[Edit: I bought this product, it was not sent to me nor was I asked to review it for any sort of compensation.]

Sydney White!

Ok, so last night I watched Sydney White, again. I saw it in the theatre when it first came out, but we rented it this time, because I liked it and my brother hadn't seen it. As you may know, it is a twist on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, being Sydney White (and the Seven Dorks). Anyways, Lenny, their version of Sneezy, was allergic to SO many things, including wheat/gluten. Then there was one scene where they were at the tailgate party, trying to raise awareness about their Freedom to the 7th Power Party, and they were giving out burgers. Lenny had a special gluten-free soy burger, and Dinky (Sydney's former roommate) asked if she could have one. Lenny asked if Dinky was allergic to gluten as well, ans she said All my life. She also said that it was hard to find a decent gluten-free soy burger. Then they had a moment.

Anyways... I just thought that while many of you may already have seen and know about this, it was worth sharing. For although they weren't raising awareness for Celiac, the fact that they mentioned gluten allergies is enough to keep me going for now, even if it was in a joking sort of way. Also, Sydney White is a really cute little movie.

Hope you enjoy (or did enjoy) the movie,

xoxo

Lauren

Book Review: Uglies

I recently found this book in my basement. I had always been distracted whenever had I tried to read it before, but this time was different, because this was one of the last presents my grandma ever gave to me. Not to get sappy, but I figured that it was time to read it. Man, am I glad I did. This book was wonderful. Right now, I'm reading the third one. I told you they were good.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld Canada USA

photo via here.

Summary

Imagine a world where upon turning sixteen, you get an operation that makes you gorgeous, absolutely breathtakingly drop-dead gorgeous. That is Tally's world, and as an Ugly (someone between the ages of 12 and 15, or anyone without the operation), she waits for the day when she gets to join her friends in New Pretty Town, as a Pretty of course. But after pulling a big stunt, sneaking into New Pretty Town (to visit her BFF Peris), she meets Shay, a fellow Ugly who has big ideas and questions about the operation. Tally and Shay become fast friends, sharing a birthday and being the last of their friends to turn pretty. Anything can happen. And anything will.

What I thought

The book was amazing. It made me really think about true beauty, and what it is. I realized how lucky we are, even though this book calls us Rusties, because it is set about 300 years in the future, after we pretty much destroyed the world. Tally's world is overly controlled, with even the populations having regulation. Also, Tally's world gets turned upside-down, which is something I could definitely relate to, no matter how different the circumstances were. um... basically, this book (and the next ones) are really good.

Note:

The main characters are sixteen. Kinda silly at times, no mature content that I can remember, just kisses once in awhile. The only thing would be operations, ones that change tons of things, but I'm pretty sure nothing was graphic (word-wise), only maybe a tad bit scary, after all, they do change everything about you, even your skin, in the operating room.

Hope that you enjoy this book (or series) as much as I did! By the way, the next books in the series are Pretties, Specials, and Extras.

xoxo

Lauren

Fashion Find: Apple Jacket

Woah, I sure haven't done one of these in a long time. I guess I got preoccupied with other things. With that said, today is a special edition of Fashion Find, with the article not being for humans, but instead a jacket for your apple! To find more handmade items you can visit Etsy. Anyways...here is the awesome Apple Jacket!

And here is a Pear Jacket! They are so cute.

And...I couldn't resist, here is another Apple Jacket!

photos via here.

Ahh! So adorable! All of these creations are from jacquelineknits on the Etsy website. They are $12 Canadian American, and they are made by Jacqueline in Woodbridge, Ontario. I think that this is one of the fashion finds that I could actually afford, and maybe buy... Anyways, the Apple and Pear Jackets come in many different colours, including the ones above (there is also pink, black, red, green multicolour, pastel multicolour, and white). Also, Jacqueline makes coffee cup sleeves. So Cute!!!

Happy Shopping,

Lauren

PVR Problems

Ugh.  I am mad at my PVR/DVR/whatever you call the stupid thing.  Tonight, I recorded the season finale of American Idol, which I just watched.  Don't worry, I wont spoil anything, for I don't know who won.  By 2 seconds.  I swear my TV stopped recording after The winner of American Idol... Season 7... 2008... is... STOP.  WOULD YOU LIKE TO DELETE THIS PROGRAM? YES/NO.  Ugh.  This is silly.  I watched 2 stinking hours of American Idol, only NOT to find out who won.  I know I recorded the show at the earliest time, but COME ON, Why should I miss out?  I know that I didn't watch it on the channel, but on the recorded version, but why should that matter?  I swear, I missed like a minute tops.  I'm done my rant.  I'm gonna go find out who won.  (Soon I will say congrats to whomever won, I liked them both, but I DID want to know WHO was the winner.  So Congratulations to David B (since b is the letter in the middle))  Anyways... I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully happy like normal.

xoxo

Lauren

Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free - Breakfast - Cinnamon Marble Cake

Ok, I know. Cake. Not the healthiest thing in the world, but oh my goodness, this cake is good. Really good. It comes from the book "Gluten Free French Desserts and Baked Goods" by Valerie Cupillard. Which you can buy in Canada and the USA. Anyways, I ate this cake up so quickly, first, before dinner, then after dinner, then breakfast the next morning. As I said, I know it's not the healthiest breakfast, but boy is it good. With that said...here is the recipe...


Cinnamon Marble Cake

Ingredients
1/3 cup vegetable margarine, softened
1/2 cup raw cane sugar
1/3 cup finely ground blanched almonds
3 eggs
3/4 cup rice flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Steps
1. Cream the margarine with the sugar. Add the finely ground almonds and the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the rice flour with the baking powder.

2. Mix well. Put half the batter into an oiled cake pan.
Add the cinnamon to the remaining batter and drop it by spoonfuls into the pan on top of the other batter.
Draw a knife through the batter in an irregular pattern to make swirls.
3. Bake at 400-425 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes. (NOTE: DO NOT PREHEAT THE OVEN, IT WILL CHANGE THE RECIPE GREATLY, as the book says not to) The cake is done when a knife blade inserted in the center comes out dry.
More Notes:
As everything else in this book, it is meant to serve 4 people, and I found that the cake wasn't very large, and didn't rise all that much. Another thing idea that we had, actually this was my mom's, was to cut it into strips and bake/dry out/whatever you do to make biscotti. Also, when I ate it, we didn't eat it in the traditional triangle piece shape, but in strips, it wasn't because of anything that was bad or flimsy about it, it just happened that way.Anyways...Enjoy. To be specific, this is my entry into the Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free May 2008 Breakfast edition, hosted by Naomi at Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried. Here is the post, that explains it.

Also... Today is my one month post! I know...time flies. I can't believe that I decided to become part of the wonderful world that is gluten free blogging only one month ago. Ok I'm done my rant...you can go back to your daily lives now. Oh, and here is one more picture of the amazing Cinnamon Marble Cake, created by Valerie Cupillard. Well I made this one, but she did the recipe...you know what I mean...
xoxo
Lauren

Happy Victoria Day!

Ahhh.... Today is Victoria Day, part of the wonderful long weekend we get every mid-May. Usually it is around May 24th, as this weekend is typically called May 24th Long weekend, but I believe that they do the second last weekend in May as this long weekend. It started out as Queen Victoria's Birthday, but has kind of become a day off. Lots of people tend to go camping this weekend, and there are lots of other traditions, most having nothing to do with the former Queen. Here is the picture I get in my head when I think of Queen Victoria.

photo via here.

Ok, on a totally other, random note it seems to finale time. All sorts of shows that were stopped mid-season are wrapping up their seasons. I kind of got hooked on a TON of shows, seeing as all I did was sleep and watch TV for a long while... So I'm watching/recording all sorts of finales. Today alone, there are like 6 shows ending their season (that I watch). Tonight I will be watching/recording How I met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, House, Bones, and I think thats it, but I'm not really sure. Tuesday, I will get American Idol Pt. 1, and um... I'm pretty sure that monday is the only jam packed day. Anyways... That is a lot of shows... well at least it means that for this season at least, they will be over, and I can attempt to get back to a normal, low TV life.

Happy Finale Season, and Victoria Day!

xoxo

Lauren

Simple Solution...Salads!

Woah...this is my 25th post. Maybe not in 25 days, but 28, so I guess its pretty close. Anyways... Today I have some very awesome salads. My simple solution to a hungry stomach at lunch on the weekend. Ok, so maybe that doesn't sound so simple, but a nice light salad has become my go to meal when I'm hungry on the weekend. Also, lately we've been eating spinach more than any other leafy green (or whatever you call that part of the salad)...but I'm sure that either of these would be fine with lettuce, or whatever you have on hand, after all, salads are all about being uniquely your self, so feel free to change absolutely any part of these salads to make them purely your own. With that said...here are my 2 most recent salad mixtures.

1. Almond Carrot Cheese Salad. There you go. Its all in the name.

For this one, I pretty much just cut up some cheddar and a carrot then tossed in a handful of slivered almonds.

2. Avocado Red Pepper Salad. Once again, all in the name.

Today I made this one. We happened to have bought a packof avocados, so I put half of one in here, then Mom got red pepper for kabobs.
For me at least, salads are all about eating the fresh foods in your fridge. They are about who we are and which vegetables we like. No, neither of these salads have dressings, but for me, the point of a salad is to combine all sorts of fruit, vegetable, leaf-type, cheese, and nut related items that bring out the best parts in each other. I never said I was very good at it.

Anyways, have fun experimenting with your salads,

Lauren

Live Clean

I just got some new Shampoo and Conditioner...not because my former products weren't gluten free, but because I was finishing those off, and this new brand is organic, gluten free and smells good.

What they're like:

Shampoo and conditioner. They work, smell good, and are gluten free, what more do you need?

Why I love them:

As I said, they work, smell good, make my hair smell good, and are gluten free. Also, they are vegan and I found that my hair dried quicker than with my former shampoo, but that could just have been because of how I was drying it. They also made my hair soft. I don't know what else to say but I like them. Lastly, they are never tested on animals, biodegradable, and the containers are recyclable and made from recycled material.

What they're free of:

Gluten, animal products, DEA, and parabens. Also, the shampoo is free of SLS/sulfates.

What they've got:

All ingredients are naturally derived and it contains certified organic botanicals.

All the types:

• Invigorating. Green Earth scent. (thats what I got)
  
• Volumizing. Clean Air scent.
• Moisturizing. Fresh Water scent.

Where to get it:

In Canada at least, you can get it at Shoppers Drug Mart.

If you are looking for a new shampoo and conditioner, hope you enjoy these.

xoxo

Lauren

[Edit: I bought this product, it was not sent to me nor was I asked to review it for any sort of compensation.]

Blueberry Almond Cake

In the most recent issue of Canadian Living, (a Canadian magazine focusing on Style, Health, Food, Life, Home and More Great Stuff... at least those are the sections they have) my Mom found a very yummy looking Gluten Free Blueberry Almond Cake in the Splenda ad part. By the way, for all of you not from Canada, or not subscribers of Canadian Living, all of their recipes are tested till perfect, they even have their own stamp to show it.

Anyways... Here is their very yummy recipe with our changes.

Gluten-Free Blueberry Almond Cake
Ingredients

1 package 100g ground almonds

3/4 cup Splenda (Granulated) or sugar (we used sugar)

2/3 cup cornmeal

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 tsp almond extract

3 eggs

1/2 cup light sour cream

3/4 cup fresh blueberries (we used dried, it was what we had on hand)

1/2 cup whipping cream
Steps

• In bowl, whisk together ground almonds, all but 2 tsp of the Splenda/sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
  
• In separate bowl, beat butter with almond extract until light. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in sour cream. Stir in almond mixture. Fold in blueberries.
• Pour into greased and parchment paper lined 9 inch, 1.5L round cake pan. Bake in 180 degrees C/350 degrees F oven for 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Let cool on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan; let cool completely.
• In bowl, whip cream; fold in remaining Splenda/sugar. Serve a dollop of whipped cream over cake. Makes 8 servings.

Nutritional Info - Per Serving (if you used Splenda and fresh blueberries)

Calories - 327. Total Fat - 26 g. Saturated Fat - 12 g. Cholesterol 122 mg. Sodium 343 mg. Carbohydrate - 18g. Fibre - 3g. Sugars - 2g. Protein 8g.

Notes

Very Yummy. The top kind of caramelized, well technically it was the bottom, but I tend to flip over cakes when I take them out of the pan. My Dad absolutely loved it. He was thinking of tons of ways to make it better, or at least different... dumping a bottle of rum on it, putting in cranberries, currants, raisins, or any other dried berry-type fruit, making a hard sauce, having it for breakfast, as a coffee cake, and so many other possibilities.

Enjoy the cake,
Lauren

[Update: This post is one of my entries for Slightly Indulgent Mondays =D]

Missed

Ok, so I know I've missed a few days. Make that a lot of days, but while I may not have been posting I have been writing, taking pictures and buying things... With that said, I've got a few posts coming like now. Or once I get to be on the PC...to download those pics and whatnot. So...don't worry I'm not going to disappear just yet. At least I hope not. I don't really want to disappear.

xoxo

Lauren

Celiac Testing. Or not...

Today my Dad had his annual physical.  Everything is fine with him, but his doctor wouldn't test him for Celiac.  His doctor said that it was pointless because he didn't have any symptoms.  The doctor said that he would only do it if my Dad payed for it.  I don't know.  His doctor kind of said that I'm just fixed on that Dad must have it, even without symptoms... but I don't know.  I had kind of figured that me having the disease would be enough grounds to test him for it, especially since my Mom and brother both have gotten negative blood tests.  I don't know.  It just kind of bugs me that the simple fact that I have Celiac isn't enough grounds to test him, even though it IS a genetic disease.  Of course this made my Dad happy because it means he doesn't have to give up anything, but I really think that it is better to be sure than sick later on.  I guess he just needs some more convincing... or at least his doctor does.  

I'm sorry I don't have anything fun today, but this really annoys me that he wouldn't test my Dad for Celiac, or at least consider the antibodies blood test.

xoxo 

Lauren

Salt

Ok...so I know that most people try to reduce the salt intake they have, but I don't have that luxury. I have low blood pressure. Not deathly low, but I have been known to get dizzy when I don't get enough salt & water. I have also had purple toes. Yeah, that may seem weird (I thought so) but when the blood pools in your feet, it makes sense. Anyways...here are my tips on Adding Salt (do the opposite if you are eliminating/decreasing)...by the way I'm not a big fan of salt. Or its taste.

-Eat canned soup (and not the reduced-sodium kind). Lots of them have tons of salt without the salty taste.

-Use salted butter, not unsalted. A simple switch.

-Drink Gatorade. While it doesn't have lots of sodium (compared to soup), it does have electrolytes, which are said to be good.

-Season your food (meat and cooked veggies) with salt whenever possible.

-Eat chips. While not the healthiest option, if you are growing and don't eat too much, it's not a bad snack food. Salted crackers work just as well.

-Snack on salted nuts. While these have more of a salt taste, they’re not that bad once you get used to them.

-Use condiments when possible (ketchup, soy/tamari sauce, mayo, or whatever you like).

-When reading the labels (you have to anyways for gluten), choose products with more sodium per serving (make sure the serving sizes are equal, or you have to do more math).

-Always buy the regular versions of foods...Never the reduced-sodium kind.

-Basically...eat anything processed (not uber-processed though, you still want it to be healthy)

Hope these tips help for any other people with this annoying issue. Just keep in mind that people with lower blood pressure, (not necessarily low blood pressure, but lower than normal) tend to live longer. So at least there is one big upside to purple toes...

Good Luck,
Lauren

Mother's Day

To every mom out there, Happy Mother's Day! I hope that you are enjoying your day off. To every kid/teen/child/whatever, why are you reading this?! Go be with your mom! I'm Just Kidding...sort of

Anyways... We just finished our Mother's Day ritual/routine, in other words, my brother and I make breakfast, it used to be with help from Dad, but now he only tries to take over whenever possible, pushing us out a bit too much... anyways...this year I made pancakes (before Dad pushed me out/took over) then, I cut up some amazingly fresh and juicy pineapple (I really love that fruit). Meanwhile, my brother made a quick little card and got out the butter, maple syrup, a glass of milk and the paper. Normally we would do breakfast in bed for Mom, but this year she wanted to eat in our newly created sunroom. We brought down her food on a tray, then finished the rest of the cooking and cutting. Unfortunately our dog was already out and Mom wasn't down yet, so red firetruck had to guard the food. Then Mom came down, she ate her food and then read the paper. Then when we were finished, we came down and ate then gave her her gifts. Then, we kind of dispersed, Dad with the paper, Mom in the shower, red firetruck outside, and me here. Now all thats left is dinner, cleaning up and doing dishes...in other words, all Mom wanted for Mother's Day.

I would love to hear about other people's Mother's Day traditions, I love seeing what other people do for holidays...

Happy Mothers Day Mom! Love Lauren.

Help!! It's Advil!! (I think)

[UPDATE:] Advil was not the cause of this. Advil is Gluten Free, and this was a coincidence. I've had the same experience without any Advil involved.

Ahhh! This morning I had my thyroid medication, as always at 8 am, then, after lying in bed half-sleeping for an hour with a headache, I had some Advil to get rid of it. Then, at 10, just after staring to eat my breakfast, I got this awful pain. My stomach was bugging me, and I got horrible pains in the low part of the middle of my back. It was piercing shooting pains. Then I started to get all hot and sweaty just all of a sudden. Just my luck, my Mom had just left. I called her, then lay down. My back was killing me. 5-10 minutes later, when Mom got home, I was feeling much better, my stomach wasn't bugging me anymore, I wasn't too warm anymore, and the pain in my mid-lower back was just an ache.

None of this made sense to me, it still doesn't really. Mom and I talked about it trying to figure out what in the world had happened. I remembered from my endoscopy that I couldn't have Advil for 10 days before, because it could make your stomach bleed... I wondered if the Advil on an empty stomach had made my stomach bleed, making my kidneys work or spasm (I don't know the connection, but Mom said that the area in my back that was bugging me was where my kidneys were), then the food that was making its way to my stomach made it work, which made my stomach stop hurting, then my kidneys stopped spasming because they were done. I really don't know, that's just a guess.

Anyways, if anyone knows what could have happened, I'd love to know!

Book Review(s): Gemma Doyle Trilogy

Considering that today I actually feel OKish, I figured I should get to reviewing The Gemma Doyle Trilogy. It is also known as A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, and The Sweet Far Thing. If I could I would just review The Sweet Far Thing, but seeing as it is the last book in the trilogy, and I don't really want to ruin the first 2 books for anyone, I figured I would just review the books as a trilogy. Here goes...

Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray

A Great and Terrible Beauty Canada USA

Rebel Angels Canada USA

The Sweet Far Thing Canada USA

Summary

Upon turning 16, Gemma's world changes forever. Her mother is killed, she has her first vision, and shortly afterwards, she is forced to leave her home in India. She is sent to Spence, an all girls finishing school, where she meets some friends, and her life begins to change more and more. With a member of the mysterious Rakshana telling her to shut out her visions and ignore the changes in her world, Gemma gets confused and searches for answers all over, discovering many things including the Order, and the realms.

I could say more, a lot more, but I REALLY don't want to spoil this series for anyone.

What I thought

I loved this series. It was semi-fantasy, with an interesting twist. The realms and magic became the fantasy, while the events at Spence were very real. Through the series there was romance, death, magic, a mental hospital, and corsets, what more could you ask for in a Victorian Era trilogy? haha. I loved these books, simply because I couldn't put any of them down, and considering they were 432 pages, 560 pages, and 832 pages respectively, that says something.

NOTE:

Especially if you are scared easily, don't read this book before bed. I'm usually ok with that stuff, but I found myself almost jumping if I heard something while I was in the dark. Just be careful. Also, I wouldn't recommend this book if you are really young, because I said so...and I've heard that the series is for 12 and up. I'd just be careful, and if you're not sure, just wait until you're a bit older.

Anyways, Enjoy the books!

photos via here.

Sick...

Tuesday, Wednesday and today were also bad days.  I was home sick...again.  I hate this.  Anyways, this time, Mom said that it was either Spring Allergies (I've never had those before), or I am growing again.  I hope that it is growing, because I really don't need another health thing to worry about right now.  

Anyways, so much for that a post a day thing.  I knew it wouldn't last, but this is pretty quick.  I guess now I have to play catch up.  haha.  No.  I barely feel good enough to sit here for a few minutes, I'm not going to write a million posts to make it seem like everything is great.  I'm not going to fake happy when I don't feel good.  So hopefully I will be back to posting sometime soon, but not now.  Now, I am going to try to feel good again.  And that's ALL I'm going to do.

Bad days and books

Some days are good. Others aren't. I prefer the good days, especially since I've had so many of the bad this past year. With that said, I have like to keep myself busy when those bad days come around. Today I got a headache, a cold-type thing, and this band around my abdomen, as I had had in November when I went to the hospital. I am tired and just plain yucky. I'm glad that my homework is minimal, and I don't have to do much. These are the days when I find a good book. I mean a suck you in, can't put down, dream about the story type book. This is when I need to read and let my problems and hurts and bad stuff go. The only problem with this kind of book is that A. they are hard to find. and B. The one I'm reading right now isn't the most tame book I've ever read. Its hard when you can't put a amazing (and a bit frightening) book down...especially to go to bed and actually fall asleep well. I have been sleeping fine, don't worry. Anyways...speaking of that book...here is the one I have been reading for a little while. My only recommendation, if you do decide to read it, is that you read the first 2 parts of the trilogy first...

photo via here.

This book is called The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray. The first book in the trilogy is A Great and Terrible Beauty. The second book is Rebel Angels.

Anyways...I know that today I don't have a review for this particular book, but oh well. Today is not a good day. For me anyways.

I find that Bad Day books are best when you like the type of story, and I like it when they are long...then you can read all day or really get into the story...if you don't have school.

Good luck...and I hope that you don't need a bad day book to cheer you up, or at least not in the near future (after all, everyone has bad days).

Summer Clothes...

Being a growing girl, who kinda has been out of things for a year, I am constantly running out of clothes. So many of the ones I used to have don't fit any more. That is the best excuse to go shopping, is it not? It also helps that my mom had been saying how I needed new clothes a lot recently. I love going to stores, whether they are at a mall, or individual locations. I love exploring all of the possibilities for clothing and accessories, even if they are unbelievably expensive. Those are the ones that I know I am not going to buy, but knowing that makes it even more fun to try on, especially if mom is there, and they fit me like a glove. Then I can say, 'But it looks amazing and the fabric is to die for! Mom, I HAVE to get it, it was made for me!'. She never really buys that... unless she agrees with me.

Anyways, today I actually bought lots of clothes. I never get this much stuff. Today must have been my lucky day! I always find that you get lots of stuff when you're specifically looking for something else. I guess from now on I will have to be looking for something that I don't need, and I will get everything that I do need. Hmm...good logic. Right?

May is Here!

Ahh.  It's so nice to get a new month every few weeks.  Ok, so I know that that is obvious, but change is always good, even if it's a scheduled one.  To me May is a transition month.  It's not quite summer, yet.  However, it's not really spring anymore.  Somedays can seem like winter, but others are almost exactly like the middle of summer.  I love the world for that unexpected-ness, even if the world doesn't love it.

Also,  I have heard that May is Celiac Awareness Month, so here is to raising awareness of this amazing disease, regardless of the month! 

May is a time for new beginnings.  Here is a pic of an adorable little puppy my friend had before she moved to Canada.