Stuff I Want To Read in 2015.......

Well, it's January 2, 2015.........

Day 2 of the New Year and Day 2 of my blog every day challenge:)

Today I am supposed to write about what I want to read in 2015.

Hmmmmmmm.........Since I didn't read much in 2014,

you'd think I had a long list.

However, I am so out of the loop in reading circles, it isn't all that long.

Maybe I'll add to it throughout the year.

That way I could "review" a book I have read while adding to my list.

I think I'll give it a try........

"try" being the key word.

A few things you should know about me.........
At 50 years old,
I can read what I want and do not need to impress anyone.
My taste is quite simple........
~Light, entertaining, engrossing, with rich characters.
~If it's a DIY type of book, I need it to be clear, informative and have pictures!
~I like books that are inspiring, encouraging, positive and motivate me.
~Southern stories, with funny, quirky, witty southern women, full of "Southernisms" are some of my favorites.
~I also love forensic/criminal minds types of shows so suspense books
 in that genre are favorites also.
~I do not like trashy books and definitely no vulgar language.  Just not my style.
~I enjoy learning something new but I don't like a book that is too technical.
Remember.....keep it simple for this girl;)
~I'm in awe of those who have faced and/or overcome struggles in life.
~I like books I can read anywhere, and if I need to put them down for a day or three,
 I'm not totally lost when I start back up again.
You may absolutely hate my choices or laugh your head off at them.
I haven't read these so if I start one and it is bad, I'll stop.
(Besides the Bible, which is really the book I hope to read more of in 2015:)
Okay, here goes.........

Stuff I Want To Read in 2015

1.   The book I just started is You Can, You WILL by Joel Osteen.

Positive, encouraging and motivating.
A reminder that as a child of God, He wants me to be a winner.

2.  An Absent Mind 
About a man and his family fighting the race against time.
Time being swallowed up by the rapid onset of Alzheimers, and how it affects a family.
Reminds me of Still Alice by Lisa Genova, a book I really enjoyed.

3.  Speaking of Lisa Genova, I give you her newer book Left Neglected.
Th story of a vibrant woman......wife, mother,friend who is in a tragic car accident leaving her with a traumatic brain disorder that changes everything.

4.  Grain Brain
Whether you buy into his eating plan of being wary of wheat, grains and sugar, he does offer useful tips and really valid arguments.  And as someone with MS, I have to pay attention to these findings and possibly adapt at least a few in my life.

5.  Big Little Lies

Described as "funny, smart, entertaining, irresistible and a perfect beach read."  

I might give it a try this summer.  

6.  And while we're on the subject, Over 50, Overweight and Out of Breath.

Looks like a fun read while getting fit.

7.  The Book Club 

Five women in a book club, facing changes and all that comes with life.

Sounds like a winner!

8.  Wedding Belles

Funny story about five southern women, red hat ladies, facing the marriage of one of their daughters...to an inappropriate groom.  And they will NOT let that happen:)

9.  The Southern Belle Breakfast Club

Southern Belles who get together for a breakfast club.

Chick lit, heart warming and funny:)

10.   Firefly...a psychological suspense.

11.  Chasing Daylight is about an incredibly successful CEO who is diagnosed with brain cancer.

He writes this book in 3 1/2 months until he passes away, describing how his terminal illness transformed his life, relationships.....  Can't wait to read this!

12.  Try to Make Your Life

On January 25, 1943, the day of a planned escape from Nazi Germany, 22-year-old Margot Bendheim learns that the Gestapo has just picked up her brother and mother. Her mother manages to leave her a message, "Try to make your life." This is Margot's award winning story...written when she was 88 years old.  Another one I can't wait to read.  What these beautiful people suffered is unfathomable.

13.  I Brake For Yard Sales....

Lara Spencer from GMA is a flea market maniac.....

and she shows you how to score great stuff!

14.  I'm a HUGE fan of Alexandra Stoddard, and these are two books I have yet to read:)

Gracious Living in a New World...

"In today's fast-paced world, as we juggle family responsibilities, jobs, and social obligations, we seem to be missing out on what we fundamentally crave: a calmer, gentler, sweeter, and more gracious life. In Gracious Living in a New World, Alexandra Stoddard offers a rich assortment of ideas for achieving a gracious lifestyle. "

15.  Open Your Eyes.....1,001 Simple Ways to Bring Beauty into Your Home 
and Everyday Life.
 Alexandra helps you become more attuned to your surroundings-as you set a table, straighten out a linen closet, stroll through a garden, or browse in a thrift shop. Then, through personal anecdotes; examples from masters; a rich array of ideas, tips, and techniques, she reveals hundreds of ways to see and solve problems or proportion, pattern, color, and composition. Her simple suggestions-whether it's changing a lampshade, rearranging treasured objects on a table, or moving a chair-will yield dramatic results.

and finally.......

16.  Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer.....

Warren St. John seeks out the roving community of RVers who follow the Alabama Crimson Tide from game to game across the South. A movable feast of Weber grills, Igloo coolers, and die-hard superstition, these are characters who arrive on Wednesday for Saturday’s game: Freeman and Betty Reese, who skipped their own daughter’s wedding because it coincided with a Bama game; Ray Pradat, the Episcopalian minister who watches the games on a television set beside his altar while performing weddings; John Ed (pronounced as three syllables, John Ay-ud), the wheeling and dealing ticket scalper whose access to good seats gives him power on par with the governor and many more.

And win or lose......Roll Tide

Well, that's about it.  

Once again, use your own judgement if you choose to read one of these.

Wish me Luck!!!  I really hope to read more in 2015.

And I hope on Day 2 of 2015, you're still having a good year:)

XOXOXO

Suzanne

What do Scotty McCreery, Tootsie Rolls, Victoria's Secret, Twitter and Flat Stanley Have in Common?

hmmmmmmm........
give up?

they're all great gift ideas this year!

i know, it isn't even halloween yet,

but you have to admit time is FLYING by.......

before you know it, halloween is past, the turkey is stuffed:)

and the Christmas Holiday is upon us.

don't believe me?

i try to hold off.
really!!!
but just as some don't like talking
 or even THINKING about it,
i happen to LOVE thinking about it.
"keep Christmas in your heart all year, ya know???:)
gotcha!
and no, it is NOT all about shopping.
far from it.
it's the whole "package, so to speak;)
now, in my defense, Taylorina is in full NUTCRACKER mode

and on Saturday, we are doing a Holiday Boutique for
Vintage Charm.
soooooooo.......
be warned.......
cause here on my lil 'ol blog,
 the Christmas season is OFFICIALLY on :)


now, the one thing i know how to do is SHOP!
and these are just a FEW little ideas to get you started.
no doubt i'll have MANY more in the days to come, okay?

on to gift idea #1.....
Christmas Music
my first gift idea is actually a Pre-Holiday gift.
remember Scotty McCreery,
who WON American Idol a few years back?
if not, here's the low-down.
Scotty is one of the Good Guys.
~~~17 years old when he won.
~~~a sweet, shy, southern boy who sings country music
 with his beautiful deep baritone voice.
~~~a Christian.....who at 17 was not afraid to share his
Faith at every opportunity on national TV.....
and still isn't.
~~~a very grounded, all american, baseball loving kid who
is doing it the "right" way.
~~~the kind of young man you hope and PRAY your
daughters bring home some day.

 Scotty released a Christmas CD this week,
and when i listened to it,
i just knew it had to be my number one pre-holiday gift idea this year.
songs include the traditional
Let it Snow,  First Noel,  Jingle Bells,   Holly Jolly Christmas,
Winter Wonderland,   Christmas in Heaven (one of my favorites)
Christmas Comin Round Again,  O Holy Night,
The Christmas Song,  Elvis's  version of Santa Claus is Back in Town,
and the most beautiful, pure version of "Mary Did You Know" I've ever heard.
trust me, at $11.99, it's a GREAT gift!

and being the GINORMOUS fan of Michael Buble that i am,
i MUST tell you he also has a Christmas cd coming out.

(something tells me i'm gonna be adding a few new albums this year)


gift idea #2.
PINK Clothes from VS.
ummm.....what's so new about this?
well, they finally added a REALLY pretty
SOFT pastel pink to their line.
and it's flying out of the stores.
these photos don't do justice.

once again, trust me.....
they will be a HUGE hit for someone on your list.
i also love this hooded, raglan sleeve top.
talk about COMFY!
and these Sparkly boots are super cute:)
all from VS.
and selling out fast!



gift idea #3. 
Books!
 of my favorite authors is John Grisham,
and he has a new book out,
The Racketeer.

actually, he has a lot of books, and if you haven't read them,
now might be a good time to start.
they're clean.....and gripping from the very start.
this would be a very welcome gift around here!


any TEENS on your list?
this is an AWESOME book that i have given
 as gifts for a few years now.

5......

Where Will You Be FIVE Years from Today?

actually, it is a great book for anyone, of any age.

here's what it's about;

The next five years can be the most exciting and satisfying years of your life---or just another five years. Whether you are just graduating from college, newly married, considering a new career, setting goals for retirement, or just looking to inspire a special friend, employee or family member, here's the most inspiring and compelling gift you can find.

sounds good, huh?


know anyone who's a fan of Christian fiction?
Tricia Goyer is a really good writer,
and her brand new book is on MY wish list:)
The Memory Jar.

Click here to read about it on amazon.

and the last book for today is actually a BOOK SET,
and it's for the kiddos out there.
the adventures of FLAT STANLEY!!!

i wish we'd known about Flat Stanley when i was a kid.
fortunately, Stanley comes to stay with us once in awhile,
 and we get to have fun that way:)
i bet the little ones on your list would love having this books set!


gift idea #4.
a TWITTER necklace.
like facebook and other social networking sites,
twitter is HUGE.
and if you know someone who LOVES to TWEET
 (kinda sounds silly, i know;)
here is the perfect accessory for them.....

a twitter id necklace, from various sellers on ETSY
these are a few examples.
mine would read @shabbychicksmom.
hey...it's just an idea:)

gift idea #5.......
a Tootsie Roll scarf!!!

look, if you have to go through winter,
why not have a sense of humor about it?
even better if you love tootsie rolls (like i do!:)
you laugh, but these are selling out fast.
i found this on amazon,
but if they sell out,
try searching other stores online.
good luck...it's realllllly CUTE!
gosh, i need to stop!

but a few more things.......
like, where is this place?

i want to shop there!
shoot, i want to LIVE there!!! :)

and most importantly,
 whether it's October, November or December,
remember the REAL reason for it all.

xoxo,
Suzanne

happy rules and inspiration from afar.......

i explained yesterday about my blog.......

 giving it up, keeping it, 

doing what makes me happy.

and i talked about wonderful people who read your blog,

people whom you have never met and likely never will. 

well, yesterday i received another very SPECIAL email..........

all the way from Bulgaria!

Maria is a beautiful 19 year old who said i inspired her, 

and she hoped I would keep my blog.

me? inspiring?  that's sooooo nice to know.  

and so cool that it comes from a 19 year old!

i have two teenaged girls and my hope is that i inspire them

and that they find others who can inspire them also.

what Maria doesn't know is,

she inspired and encouraged me with her email!

so to beautiful Maria from Bulgaria,

thank you so very much!

your email is a keeper for when i need a boost:)

awhile back, i read

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.

i felt some of it applied to my life and some of it didn't.

but let's face it,

 we all need a bit more "happy" in our everyday.

one thing she suggests if you start your own "happiness project" is to

make a list of happiness "rules".

i thought it wasn't a bad thing to think about that,

so here is my own list of happiness rules to live by.

i'm not perfect.

i have bad days.....too many:)

basically, i think i'm doing okay with life,

by the grace of God only:)

but i kinda like my little happy rules list:)

and if it serves as a reminder to laugh instead of cry,

or do instead of watch,

then it's a good thing:)

hope you have a happy, colorful week!

i promise, next time i post something, 

it will be my usual, random, shallow stuff;)

hugs,

suzanne

happy things: curling up with a good book

well, a few days back I put out a plea for some

GOOD book selections.

thank you to all who commented and emailed me.

now, i want to share the suggestions with you

***NOTE:  i haven't read these myself so please read

the synopsis and reviews.  

but i DO have some of the greatest readers in all of

blogland, 

so i am pretty sure the choices are good ones,

but as I said, see for yourself!

Books:

i am suggesting this book...

Gift from the Sea.

Very short, easy read...but a special book.

from Sugarplums and Lollipops:

the trailer park mysteries ...

other suggestions received are:

(supposedly the next Grisham?)

from Paula at thriftymomma...

and two of my favorites come from my own sweet girl, Jordan.

She suggests two very inspirational books.

one goes without saying...

I'm so proud that this is the type of book she chose.

and being a huge tennis fan,

her favorite male player is Rafael Nadal.

she found his book inspirational, informative and as a mom,

i appreciated that it was clean

 and he doesn't talk about partying but of a simpler life,

growing up in Spain and of his love for the game.

probably the COOLEST thing i learned about was a

website that will suggest books for you based on your favorites.

http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/

All you do is type in one of your favorite authors and

it will give you a list of similar authors/books.

like i said, pretty cool!

please remember to preview these on your own.  

hopefully you will find something to curl up with:)

XOXOXO

Suzanne

Wink, Wink...

hey y'all...Merry Christmas Eve!!!

hope all is merry and bright with you!

i'd like to tell you about this little book i'm reading,

"When God Winks at You"

by Squire Rushnell.

it isn't new...2006...but it's really good!

it would make a GREAT last minute gift for someone if you need it.

see...i'm a SIMPLE person.

one time i even had a patient tell me and a fellow nursing student that he thought

we were PRETTY nurses...but kinda simple:)

the same goes with the way i learn...

i like to keep it simple.

so when i find a book on Faith,

i especially love when it speaks to me...SIMPLY:)

here's what it's about in the author's words...

"What do Godwinks mean? Think about when you were a kid and someone you loved gave you a little wink across the dining room table...Mom or Dad or Grandma. You didn't say "What do you mean by that?" You knew. It meant: "Hey kid, I'm thinking about you right now." That's what a Godwink is too: a message of reassurance from above, directly to you, out of six billion people on the planet, saying "Hey kid...I'm thinking of you! Keep the faith! You're never alone."

 it also talks about how our life is a jigsaw puzzle.

all the pieces are there and looked at from above, they all fit.

and those little "coincidences" throughout our life weren't coincidences at all.

this isn't a new concept to many of us.

but it may be to some...

so to them, THIS IS FOR YOU.

ever had a "strong gut feeling" 

or felt that "someone is trying to tell you something?"

as a believer, i don't think it's my gut talking:)

but let me tell you about a few "winks" i caught recently.

one i already spoke about happened after my daughter's

performance in the Nutcracker,

when a relative stranger reassured me that my dad did see the whole performance,

with a smile on his face and a gleam in his eye.

you can read more about that HERE.

something else happened shortly after my dad passed.

my sister welcomed a new grandbaby into this world.

i think baby Lathan Leo (named after my dad and his great grandpa)

arrived just a few days after my dad went to Heaven.

well, my sister didn't even know he was to be named after my dad.

it was a last minute change...and what a precious one.

she told me that her first thought, and what she said to my mom,

was that she wished my dad had been able to hold this little boy.

then, it occurred to her, that he DID.

he held this baby close before God delivered it to earth.

he cuddled it and kissed it's soft cheek before sending it to all of us.

now that baby has some mighty big and wonderful shoes to fill.

maybe my dad whispered some words of wisdom in his ear:)

see...i said i was simple.

but i think many in this world are.

and they want to believe...have faith...

but sometimes it seems so out of reach.

but it isn't.

God is right there.

giving winks and signs to let you know which way to go.

so what do you say...

ever received a wink from God?

i'd love to hear about it if you did!

now don't forget to get a copy of this book.

speaking of jigsaw puzzles,

we'll be starting our Christmas puzzle tomorrow

for my dad, the puzzle king.

bless and BE blessed, my friends!

XOXOXOXOX

Suzanne