I loved this quote when I read it because it is so true for me. People change all the time but that doesn’t mean that the changes are growth or that they are even good changes for that person. I also agree with not all movement is forward because lately I feel like I am moving but I don’t feel like I am going forward. I feel as though I am stuck right now but I am hoping to change that this year and get back on track to where I want to go in life. Those are just a few of my thoughts for this week.
Now I want to know what you think of this weeks quote by Ellen Glasgow? Do you agree or disagree?
This week for the writers workshop I am going to write about number 2 which is something that made me smile this week. Instead of just writing about one thing I am going to list several things that made me smile so far this week.
The first thing that has made me smile is this stray cat that I feed at work. He eats funny and always makes me smile when I watch him. I am going to include a video & picture so you can see what I am talking about.
The second thing that has made me smile this week is my own cats. They are always doing something silly and they always make the days better because even if I have had a super bad day when I go home they don’t judge or care what happened to me. They always love me no matter what which is nice.
The third thing that has made me happy this week was getting my nails done yesterday. I always love getting my nails done because the lady that does my nails has become one of my best friends so it is always a good time.
The fourth thing that has made me smile is thinking back to Saturday when we were watching my nephew and all the crazy things that he does. It is so fun to interact with him now but it is a lot more work and if I am being honest I don’t have the energy to really keep up with him anymore. I play with him for a little bit and then I go lay down. I just keep seeing over and over that I don’t have the energy to be a mom (I will have an MS update coming up sometime next week).
The final thing that made me smile this week was paying off all of my credit card debt!!!! I am going to wait a few months to see what happens at work but I am hoping since it is all paid off that I will be able to afford to get an iMac by the summer time. Those of you who know me know I love Apple products so I want an iMac so bad it isn’t funny.
Anyway those are the things that made me smile this week. What made you smile this week?
Here are rest of the prompts for this week incase you want to join in:
1. Throwback Thursday: Choose a photo from a previous February and write a poem or a blog post.
2. Something that made you smile this week.
3. Write about something mean you did to a sibling growing up.
4. Write a blog post inspired by the word: red.
5. List 10 things you never knew until you were a mom.
6. Write a 26-line poem using all the letters of the alphabet, where the first line starts with the letter “A,” the second “B,” the third “C,” etc., culminating with the final line starting with “Z.”
If I Say No by Brandy Jellum was a great book. This is the second book in this series and I did read and review the first one so if you missed that review you can click here and check that one out. I have to say that I liked this book more than I like the first one and I am not sure why. One thing about this book that was different for me is the fact that I loved Reid this time and didn’t like Eli at all. There were things in this book that took me by surprise which is why I think I like this book more than the first one. If you love mystery/thriller type books than I would for sure tell you check this one out. If you have read it what did you think of the book?
About The Book
Reid Harder thought his life was seemingly perfect. He had the woman he loved and nothing could go wrong. The only exception comes in the form of his brother—Rhett.
Set on revenge, his brother will stop at nothing to make Reid pay for his past mistakes. Teaming up with the FBI, Reid is determined to put an end to his brother once and for all. But sometimes, fate has other plans in store. His relationship with Liza is falling apart, enemies become friends, and family becomes his worst nightmare. With the future unknown, Reid must figure out a way to make amends with his past if he wants to move forward with his future.
About The Author
Brandy’s passion for writing began long before she actually sat down to write. As a child, she has had an obsession with reading, everything from the classic stories by Jane Austen to YA Fiction by Richelle Mead. Finally, in 2012, she decided to create her own stories for people to fall in love with. Brandy bounces back and forth writing both Romance and Young Adult Fiction (which is mainly just for fun).
At the beginning of 2014, Brandy signed a contract with publishing company Booktrope. She is very excited about the next chapter of her life and cannot wait to share her books and passion with readers.
When she isn’t writing, she can be found chasing after her husband, her four children and her black lab, Diesel. Or curled up on her favorite corner of the couch with her newest book.
When I read this one I thought of celebrities and how they need to be good role models because kids and even adults look up to them because of how they are in the public eye all the time. I also have seen people in my real life who change once they get money or a great job and that makes me sad. I hope that I never become one of them because that is not who I want to be like. I just want to continue to be the person I am now and not let anything go to my head. I am always going to try and stay humble because you never know when it will be all taken away from you.
What do you think of this weeks quote by Marcus Tullius Cicero?
I chose this one because it is a sweet quote but is is also something that I don’t know if I believe or not. I think this week I am going to leave it up to you to tell me what you think about it. What do you think of this weeks quote by Thomas Merton?
Book Description for Authentic Arts: Venice Travel Guide
Every traveler to Venice wants to go home with a special souvenir–a carnival mask, a piece of Murano glass, a handcrafted piece of lace. But selecting which mask or which goblet to buy can be an intimidating experience. How do you know if you’re buying something authentic, something made in Venice, something made in a traditional way? How do you gauge how much you should pay, and how do you know if you’re being ripped off? How do you determine if you have fallen prey to one of the city’s many tourist traps?
Laura Morelli, an art historian and trusted guide in the world of cultural travel and authentic shopping, leads you to the best of the city’s most traditional arts: Murano glass, carnival masks, gondolas, lace, paper, and more. This indispensable guide includes practical tips for locating the most authentic goods in one of the busiest tourist destinations in the world. Packed with useful information on pricing, quality, and value, and with a comprehensive resource guide, Laura Morelli’s Authentic Arts: Venice is the perfect guide for anyone wanting to bring home the unique traditions of Venice.
Artisans of Venice is the companion to Laura Morelli’s Authentic Arts: Venice, A Travel Guide to Murano Glass, Carnival Masks, Gondolas, Lace, Paper, & More. Put both books together and you’ll be the most knowledgeable traveler in Venice!
Book Description for Artisans of Venice: Companion to the Travel Guide
Going to Venice? Don’t buy anything in Venice until you read this book!
Buyer Beware: Venice is full of tourist traps and mass-produced souvenirs passed off as authentic. Do you know how to tell the treasures from the trash?
In Venice, it’s not easy to tell the treasures from the trash. This is true now more than ever before, as increasing numbers of carnival masks, glass, and other souvenirs flood into Venice, imported from overseas and passed off as authentic. There is no substitute for an educated buyer. Laura Morelli helps you locate the city’s most authentic artisans–those practicing centuries-old trades of mask making, glass blowing, wood turning, silk spinning, and other traditions. Wouldn’t you rather support authentic Venetian master artisans than importers looking to turn a quick profit without any connection to Venice at all?
Venice boasts some of the most accomplished master artisans in the world. Here’s how you can find them.
Laura Morelli leads you beyond the souvenir shops for an immersive cultural experience that you won’t find in any other guidebook. Artisans of Venice brings you inside the workshops of the most accomplished makers of Venetian fabrics, Murano glass and millefiori, carnival masks and masquerade costumes, gondolas, Burano lace, mirrors, marbleized paper, hand-carved frames, and other treasures. This book leads you to the multi-generational studios of some 75 authentic master artisans. If you’re reading on your Kindle device, tablet, or smartphone, you can click directly on their street addresses for an interactive map, and link to their web sites and email addresses directly from the guide. A cross-referenced resource guide also offers listings by neighborhood.
Laura Morelli, an art historian and trusted guide in the world of cultural travel and authentic shopping, leads you to the best of Venice’s most traditional arts. Laura Morelli’s Authentic Arts series is the only travel guide series on the market that takes you beyond the museums and tourist traps to make you an educated buyer–maybe even a connoisseur–of Florentine leather, ceramics of the Amalfi Coast, Parisian hats, Venetian glass, the handmade quilts of Provence, and more treasures.
Bring Laura Morelli’s guides to Venice with you, and you’ll be sure to come home with the best of Venice in your suitcase.
About The Author
Laura Morelli holds a Ph.D. in art history from Yale University, where she was a Bass Writing Fellow and Mellon Doctoral Fellow. She authored a column for National Geographic Traveler called “The Genuine Article” and contributes pieces about authentic travel to national magazines and newspapers. Laura has been featured on CNN Radio, Travel Today with Peter Greenberg, The Frommers Travel Show, and in USA TODAY, Departures, House & Garden Magazine, Traditional Home, the Denver Post, Miami Herald, The Chicago Tribune, and other media. Recently her art history lesson, “What’s the difference between art and craft?” was produced and distributed by TED-Ed.
Laura has taught college-level art history at Trinity College in Rome, as well as at Northeastern University, Merrimack College, St. Joseph College, and the College of Coastal Georgia. Laura has lived in five countries, including four years in Italy and four years in France.
Laura Morelli is the author of the guidebook series that includes Made in Italy, Made in France, and Made in the Southwest, all published by Rizzoli / Universe. The Gondola Maker, a historical coming-of-age story about the heir to a gondola boatyard in 16th-century Venice, is her first work of fiction.