My Reading Goals

This year, I discovered the 50 Book Pledge.  It's not really all that different from the annual challenge on Goodreads, other than being run by a publisher (Harper Collins Canada) and offering silly badges, but I got drawn in.

I'm not going to make my goal of 50 books.  I'm mad about it.  I thought fifty books, between audiobook and real book, would be a piece of cake.  Maybe if I'd counted the 300 times I read Ten Apples up on Top this year, then the challenge might have been easy, but no...

I read two epics on audiobook, and that's gotta count for something.  I also gave myself credit for two books that I did not finish, but that's not too bad when you consider the number of books I began and didn't finish this year.

The reality is that my life, my career, my days make finishing the number of books that used to be easy, well, difficult.

With that said, I've read some phenomenal books this year.  Favorites in paper have included:  Eleanor and Park, A Hundred Summers, N0S4A2, The House Girl, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore, Where'd You Go Bernadette?, among others.  Favorites in audio have been:  The Heretic Queen, Zeitoun, and Ready Player One.  I'm really surprised to have so few audiobooks favorites, but I spent a LONG time on the two epic novels mentioned before, and I really didn't LOVE either.

But I should make 40.  And that's not too shabby at all.  The book I began today (and see no reason I won't finish in 16 days with a vacation ahead) is intriguing and really popular, which bodes well for my finishing it quickly.

So, without any adieu, here's my 2013 shelf on Goodreads.  Not all unfinished books are posted here, but a few are.  Sidenote, in 2012, I shelved 49 books as read that year.  Mama needs to read more in 2014!

Christina's bookshelf: 2013

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend

Where'd You Go, Bernadette

The Silver Linings Playbook

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

People Are Unappealing: Even Me

Gone with the Wind

The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D.

Friday Mornings at Nine

Seven Year Switch

The Heretic Queen

Oryx and Crake

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Glass Castle

The House Girl

The Dressmaker

30 Something and Over It: What Happens When You Wake Up And Don't Want to Go To Work Ever Again

The Great Gatsby -- Penguin Critical Studies Guide

NOS4A2

A Hundred Summers

Girls in White Dresses

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker

The First Husband

The Year of the Flood

An Abundance of Katherines

Second Chance Summer

A Summer Affair

Zeitoun

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells

The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared

American Gods

When You Are Engulfed in Flames

Allegiant

Slaughterhouse-Five

Eleanor & Park

Ready Player One

The Good Children

Home to Woefield

Nov 11

I have come to the realization thatI'm not frumpy so much as in a rut.  I feel frumpy because I think I ear the same basic things every day.  I di t tend to wear skirts, especially in the wintertime, so it's pants and a top every day.  My budget is pretty tight right now, thanks to my back to school spending spree, so I'm feeling pretty stuck.I

Nov 4

Mixed it up a little bit.  This sweateris from Loft last year and is so comfy and cozy.  The pants are from last year at Loft too.  Shoes from Target.I

Nov 5

Oct 22

Oct 21

Oct 18-pink day

A few days ago, I mentioned this pink top.  In a petite, my belly flashed every time I moved, but the same size in not petite worked well.

I don't usually go monochromatic with my outfits, but I mentioned that I'm loving these pants and they're way more fun than plain old khakis.

Top...Loft
Pants...Loft
Shoes...One Stars from Target

Oct 17

A plain button down (though I love this color) feels very...well, plain.  But pairing them with this amazing pants (pretty color, flattering, and super soft) made me feel way better in this standard top.

I didn't go crazy with accessories, choosing a simple teal necklace.

Oct 15

My first time wearing chambray.  Probably ever.  I wasn't feeling too confident about this shirt; I intended to copy this look  from Lilly's Closet:

Source:  http://simplyme091909.blogspot.com/2012/01/sunshine.html

but my chambray top is kind of on the bulky side and I felt really uncomfortable with the sweater over top.  Also, my classroom was on the warm side, so it worked much better without.

Anyway, I received a compliment on my top from the first woman who saw me this morning, so I felt much better.  I also got a few compliments on the flower peeping out from my belt.

I went 90s style with my boots, preferring to put them under the pants.  Much less Gestapo for sure!

Growing out the damned pixie

I've been trying to grow out my pixie.  It has not been going very well.  I'm frustrated, feeling UGLY, and staring at short haired girls.  My hair has not been long in quite some time.

August 2009

April 2010; not my most flattering shot ever.

And has varied in length since...

August 2010

It hung out in that bob for awhile in 2010 and 2011 until I chopped it all off sometime in July 2011:

July 2011

August 2011

I think this was one of the last times it was super short,

October 2012

For this cut, I went to a beauty school and said I wasn't sure if I wanted to grow it or stay short and the stylist said she was going to give me a pixie.  Ok.  But the idea to start the grow out process was there and this is starting to let it grow a little too.

April 2013

So I let it go.

May 2013

June 2013

July 2013

August 2013--I rocked that headband all summer.

Here's the cut I finally got at the end of the summer, after realizing it was in mullet territory for sure.  I definitely told the stylist I was trying to grow it out.

August 2013

So here's where I'm at today:

October 2013

I wanted to change things up, so went for this side thing, but am typically wearing my hair bobby pinned like this:

September 2013

In that August 2013 picture, I can see the bump that represents my shortest layer.  I think I'm going to ask for something like this next (and I am in need of a haircut already); fitting to link to Maybe Mathilda, who of course inspired this post.  She definitely had much faster progress than me!

Here's a style I loved, and it looks so great in the picture.  In my head, this is what I'm growing toward, but I really don't know what I want.  Advice?  Suggestions?  Which of my hairstyles over the past few years do you like best?

August 2007

Oct 11--Jeans Day

I started today in this top.  It's a Petite top from Loft.  I LOVE it, however, it's so short that my Momma-belly shows every time I move.  Not very professional or flattering.

So instead I wore this top, also from Loft.  It's so soft and pretty, I'm thinking about ordering it in another color!  It's charcoal gray, though it looks black here, and while it's also a petite, I ordered it in a larger size than the pink one above.

I decided after taking the picture to go with a purple scarf and purple flats, which add some fun to the neutrals.

Have a great weekend!

October 10

Oh how some new clothes give so much confidence.  I just got a shipment of clothes from Loft, including this very basic white tee, super soft "denim" pants, and cardigan.  

Still not loving the pants tucked into the boots; maybe I'll figure out how to make that work without the bunching some time soon.

Also wearing a necklace from Sears last year.  Like the pop of teal?

October 9

My first picture actually in the classroom.  Another day of comfort and old stuff.  This is my uniform.  This sort of embarrasses me because I know I could do better, but budget and straight up tiredness are winning this game.

Blazer is super duper old... from Sept 2005 at JC Penney.

Top is old... from probably 2008 Worthington at JC Penney.

Pants are also old... Dockers.

Happily wearing fun socks for Halloween.

Shoes are my super comfy, super old, teacher shoes by Sketchers.

October 8

Again, going for comfort.  It's becoming clear that I re-wear pants.  Hope no one else notices.

Top is from JCPenney; I believe last year.

Pants are Dockers.

Shoes are my favorite Clark Primos.