Favorite Books of All Time

**I write this post yearsssss ago. Not sure why I never posted it. My guess is I wrote it in 2012 or 2013.

Favorite Authors of All Time:

1. J.K. Rowling
2. David Sedaris
3. Janet Evanovich
4. Deanna Raybourn
5. Meg Cabot
6. Mary Higgins Clark
7. Ernest Hemingway
8. Jennifer Crusie
9. Agatha Christie
10. F. Scott Fitzgerald

Of those ten authors, my favorite books that they have written:

1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (gun to my head ... that's really the only way I could choose. And ask me tomorrow and I'll choose "Deathly Hallows." And on Wednesday, I'll choose "Half-Blood Prince." And on ... well, you get the idea.)

2. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (This may be the easiest choice on the whole list. All his books are brilliant, but this one is genius.)

3. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich (I remember when I began this series I thought they were the most original books I'd ever read, Stephanie Plum was the most original heroine, and Evanovich was the most hilarious author.)

4. Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn (but they are all gold. I've been saying for about the last year or two that she is truly my favorite author.)

5. Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot (but reeeeaally hard to choose!!! My favorite young adult book is probably "All-American Girl." Or perhaps a classic like "The Princess Diaries.")

6. Weep No More, My Lady by Mary Higgins Clark (I lied about #2. THIS was the easiest choice on the whole list. I have read this book upwards of twelve times.)

7. In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway (So this is actually a collection of vignettes, not a novel. If I were to choose a novel I'd choose "The Sun Also Rises" which ranks as one of my top five classic novels. But "In Our Time" was the first Hemingway I read so it introduced me to his style and his sneak-up-and- punch-you-in-the-gut- sudden-poignant-lump-in- the-throat-for-reasons- you-can't quite- understand style of writing, so it has a special place in my heart.)

8. Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie. (Easy.)

9. Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie (Definitely not her most clever novel, but my absolute favorite. I think I prefer her "adventure" mysteries over her "detective" mysteries, if that makes sense. Best choice for a new reader is definitely "And Then There Were None." Definitely.)

10. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (No surprise there. Highly recommend "Winter Dreams," the short story he wrote first and later revamped into "The Great Gatsby." My second favorite novel though is "Tender is the Night."


Other Favorite Novels:
1. Rebecca by Daphen Du Maurier
2. P.B. Ryan's Nell and Will series
3. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
4. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding
5. Persuasion by Jane Austen

25 Things You Didn't Know About Me

1. I took piano lessons for ten years while I was growing up. I hated practicing but now I'm glad my mom forced me to.

2. My two favorite activities as a kid were reading and swimming. My two favorite activities as an adult are reading and swimming.

3. I watch waaaay too much TV! My favorite shows are Glee, House, the Office, the Big Bang Theory, Covert Affairs, and the Good Wife.

4. I love to make lists and organize things!

5. I like to speak in foreign accents just for fun. Sometimes my sister and I will have conversations using foreign accents.

6. I graduated from the University of Iowa and bleed black and gold!

7. I have been best friends with the same girl for my entire life. We were born three days apart and were inseparable until we went off to college. We still live about five minutes from each other.

8. My favorite thing to do in the summer is go to the movies. I like to see good movies more than once and will see everything except horror movies.

9. I'm so bad in the kitchen that I don't really even know how to cut up a lemon.

10. My absolute favorite thing to do is go to the movies. This summer a few of my favorites were Salt, Inception, and Ramona & Beezus.

11. I like to read magazines while I blow dry my hair. My favorites are TV Guide and InStyle.

12. I spend most of my money traveling. This summer I went to New York City; Denver, Colorado; and Portland, Oregon.

13. I love board games (my favorite is Trivial Pursuit) and I'm very competitive! I make my siblings play with me whenever we're visiting my parents and I expect to win every time.

14. Since I was in middle school, my goal every year is to read 100 books. I've never made it. (I usually end up between 73 and 76. This last year was my worst. I barely made 40.)

15. I'm fascinated by languages.

16. I need to stop buying boots. I have ten pairs that I wear frequently ... and plenty more that are too uncomfortable for a teacher like me to stand in all day.

17. When I was growing up I wanted to be a flight attendant so I could see the world ... until I discovered that I was five inches short of the height requirement.

18. I am obsessed with the Today Show. I don't like to face the day until I hear Matt Lauer's or Meredith Vieira's voice.

19. I like scarves. I bought 12 on a trip to New York City last summer.

20. I love board games (my favorite is Trivial Pursuit) and I'm very competitive! I make my siblings play with me whenever we're all together and I expect to win!

21. I love to see plays and musicals. I saw five this summer: Jersey Boys; Promises, Promises; The Addams Family Musical; Lend Me a Tenor, and South Pacific.

22. After reading a book about Helen Keller in fourth grade, I taught myself the American Sign Language's manual alphabet. I'm still really good at spelling but not very good at reading it.

23. I could live without my iPod and my phone and I could probably live without my computer, but Icould never give up my Tivo!

24. I'm so visual that sometimes I watch TV with the closed captioning on because I can understand better if I can read the words.

25. I took gymnastics for years as a kid. I can't do handsprings anymore, but sometimes I still feel the need to go outside and do cartwheels.

Top 10 TV Moments

by Rix and Trix
(cause we're sisters like that)

1. Sydney, you've been missing for two years. (Alias)
2. Veronica and Logan kiss on the balcony (Veronica Mars)
3. Monica and Rachel lose the apartment to Joey and Chandler (Friends)
4. The finale of "Pier Pressure" ... it all comes together (Arrested Development)
5. "Two Cathedrals." Nuff said. (The West Wing)
6. The Christmas episode warms hearts all over Hollywood. (Studio 60)
7. Marian almost dies in the cave and Robin Hood gets all emotional. (Robin Hood)
8. Miranda's mother dies and Carrie goes to the funeral. (Sex and the City)
9. Pam gives her speech during "Beach Games." Nuff said. (The Office)
10. "They Shoot Gilmore, Don't They?" (Gilmore Girls)

Books Read in 2010

January:
1. Beachcomber by Karen Robards
2. Superstition by Karen Robards
3. Ice by Linda Howard

February:
4. Murder Is Easy by Agatha Christie
5. The Espressologist by Kristina Springer
6. ?? What else did I read here???

March
7. The Next Best Thing by Kristan Higgins
8. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
9. The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie
10. When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt
11. Strange Bedpersons by Jennifer Crusie
12. Charlie All Night by Jennifer Crusie

April:
13. Boy by Roald Dahl
14. Unzipped by Lois Greiman
15. Wild Ride by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer

May:
16. Unplugged by Lois Greiman
17. Unscrewed by Lois Greiman
18. Unmanned by Lois Greiman

June:
19. One Hot Mess by Lois Greiman
20. The Shadow of Your Smile by Mary Higgins Clark
21. Not One Clue by Lois Greiman

July:
22. Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich
23. The Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz
24. Murder on Lexington Avenue by Victoria Thompson

August:
25. Insatiable by Meg Cabot
26. The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy by Sara Angelini
27. The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn
28. A Lucky Child by Thomas Buergenthal

September:
29. Being Nikki by Meg Cabot
30. Runaway by Meg Cabot
31. Finding Lubchenko by Michael Simmons

October:
32. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
33. Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie
34. The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie
35. All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins
36. Holly's Inbox by Holly Denham
37. Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City by Holly Denham

November:
38. Pants on Fire by Meg Cabot
39. The Dark Road to Darjeeling

December:
40. Thornyhold
41. A Reliable Wife
42. The Cater Street Hangman

Movies Seen in 2010

January:
1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 01-01-10
2. Wuthering Heights 01-02-10
3. 12 Men of Christmas 01-03-10
4. Emma 01-03-10
5. Cranford 01-03-10
6. Little Dorrit 01-07-10
7. Leap Year 01-09-10
8. It's Complicated 01-10-10
9. Return to Cranford


February:
10. Masterpiece Classic: Emma
11. Masterpiece Classic: Northanger Abbey
12. Couples' Retreat
13. Valentine's Day
14. Post-Grad
15. The Hangover


March:
16. Up
17. Alice in Wonderland
18. Dear John
19. Green Zone
20. Masterpiece Classic: Persuasion
21. The Bounty Hunter
22. Sense and Sensibility
23. The Hurt Locker
24. An Ideal Husband


April:
25. Ever After
26. Diary of a Wimpy Kid
27. The International
28. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
29. French Kiss
30. The 39 Steps
31. The Bounty Hunter
32. Date Night
33. The Proposal


May:
34. Robin Hood
35. Deja Vu
36. Sherlock Holmes
37. Robin Hood
38. The Stepfather
39. Brothers
40. Avatar
41. Prince of Persia
42. Spy Game
43. Taken
44. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day


June:
45. Leap Year
46. Nine
47. Letters to Juliet
48. The Notebook
49. The Blind Side
50. Bridget Jones's Diary
51. When Harry Met Sally
52. Ghosts of Girlfriend's Past
53. The A-Team
54. Masterpiece Mystery: The Secret of Chimneys
55. The Code
56. The Karate Kid
57. The Invention of Lying


July
58. Robin Hood Season 1
59. Robin Hood Season 2
60. Eclipse
61. Robin Hood Season 3
62. Veronica Mars Season 1
63. Veronica Mars Season 2
64. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
65. Masterpiece Mystery: Murder on the Orient Express
66. Masterpiece Mystery: The Blue Geranium
67. Masterpiece Mystery: The Third Girl
68. Masterpiece Mystery: Appointment with Death
69. The Interpreter
70. Did You Hear About the Morgans?
71. Knight and Day
72. Elevator Girl
73. Beezus and Ramond
74. North and South


August:
75. Inception
76. Salt
77. Despicable Me
78. The Pelican Brief


September:
79. The Switch
80. The Switch
81. The Back-Up Plan
82. The Bounty Hunter
83. Killers
84. Eat, Pray, Love
85. The Town


October:
86. Yes, Man
87. Easy A
88. The Town
89. High Crimes
90. How to Train Your Dragon
91. Robin Hood
92. Just Wright
93. Life as We Know It


November:
94. You Again
95. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
96. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
97. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
98. Valentine's Day
99. Untangled
100. Get Smart
101. 27 Dresses
102. Elf
103. Spring Breakdown
104. Dirty Filthy Love
105. My Life in Ruins
106. Our Family
107. When in Rome


December:
108. Sleepless in Seattle
109. While You Were Sleeping
110. The Shop Around the Corner
111. The Family Stone
112. Love Actually
113. Morning Glory
114. The Holiday
115. Enchanted
116. New in Town
117. The Good Witch
118. Surviving Christmas
119. A Charlie Brown Christmas
120. Home Alone
121. Home Alone (with commentary)
122. Prince of Persia
123. The Nightmare Before Christmas
124. Easy A
125. Tangled
126. The Tourist
127. The Skulls

Summer Plans

June:
1. Went to NYC!!!!
a. Saw Promises, Promises
b. Saw The Addams Family
c. Saw Lend Me a Tenor
d. Went on the Circle Line night cruise
e. Bought 12 scarves (oh, yeah! That deserves a comment of its own!)

2. Visited college roomie in Chicago
a. Watched 9 (NINE) movies that weekend
b. Saw She and Him in Millenium Park

3. Went to Chicago with sister to see Dixie Chicks, Keith Urban, and the Eagles. DIXIE CHICKS!!!!

4. Baby-sat the BFF's son a couple of times

5. Read a few books (it's such a low number I'm too embarrassed to put it up here. I usually read 2-3 a week. I didn't even average one per week. THE SHAME!!!!!)

6. Enjoyed the Corn Carnival. Rode on float for ten year class reunion. Saw many friends I hadn't seen in years. Ate a few maid-rites and a few cups of ice cream.


July:
1. College roomie's wedding in the mountains of Colorado
a. There are many things I could say about the wedding but let's stick with the good and leave it at this: the wedding day itself was loads of fun and all the bridesmaids received many compliments on how we looked in our dresses.
b. Enjoyed fireworks in Fraser, Colorado on the fourth of July. (Okay, that's a lie. I didn't enjoy them BUT IT WAS 39 DEGREES!!!!!!! ON THE FOURTH OF JULY!!!!!!!)
c. I spent something like $1900 on this wedding. I'll be broke for the rest of my life.

2. Watched Robin Hood seasons 1, 2, and 3.

3. Watched Veronica Mars seasons 1 and 2.

4. Enjoyed watching many summer shows with my mum including The Closer, Rizzoli & Isles, Covert Affairs, and ESPECIALLY Masterpiece Mystery: Marple!

5. Baby-sat the BFF's son two or three times.

6. Visited the sister twice to hang out and rent/go to movies and a baseball game. Did some shopping and some yummy eating.

7. Dropped the father off at RAGBRAI destinations and went to Waterloo one night to enjoy the RAGBRAI festivities. Enjoyed a Beatles tribute band called the Fab Four. VERY fun!!

8. Saw Jersey Boys.

9. July 25th: 16th anniversary of diabetes diagnosis.


August:
1. The BFF's younger brother's wedding.

2. Appointment with the diabetes educator.

3. Eye appointment.

4. Movie time: Inception, Salt, etc.

5. Squeeze in as much lying around and watching TV time as I can before school starts!!!

Fashionista Statement: Monday, May 21

Getting close to the end of the school year now (no professional clothes during the summer for me--it's all mini skirts and very short shorts. I'm such a grown-up), so I wanted to wear this dress from Penney's ($20ish) one more time before the end of the year. This time I tried it with a curly curly ponytail which I achieve by adding a little mousse and then wrapping all my hair in one direction. It dries that way on its own with a little help from the Midwestern humidity. The joy of curly hair. (Try not to notice that it's falling out a little on the left. This was at the end of the day.)

Fashionista Statement: Thursday, May 17

Tank top from Maurices ($26)

Cream leggings (from Wal-Mart or Target or some place like that for $6)

Flower sandals from K-Mart last year ($15)

Brown shrug from Maurices ($20)

Borrowed necklace from my mom--love that thing! I think I still have it nearly two months later!

Fashionista Statement: Wednesday, May 18

Trapeze dress from K-Mart ($20) that I got for the first day of school almost two years ago.
Kimono sweater ($20) from Target. Love it!
Silver strand necklace $15 from Penney's. Don't usually spend that much on jewelry since I have SO much of it, but I had coupons.
Flip-flops ($12) from Payless

(I remember I was talking on the phone to my bestie during this pic. And again, ignore the mess. Clearly I had not straightened up yet.)

Fashionista Statement: Tuesday, May 18

Turquoise, green, and brown dress from Maurices on sale for $20-ish (can't remember exactly). Dress has racerback straps in netting. Dress is very low cut, so I wore with a brown cami here.

Brown shrug from Maurices $20

Gold necklace with my initial was a gift from my bff in high school

Long leaf necklace was 50 cents from Claire's

Turqoise watch from Claire's. Five dollars for the watch and four other bands.

Gladiator sandals from Penney's $12 (on sale)



(I had just gotten these shoes and really wanted to make sure they were obvious. Love them, but unfortunately they cut into my feet. When I wear them to work, I often have to unzip the back of them by midday to make it. Still worth it though!) :)












Different sweater in this pic. Brown glittery sweater that my mom got me. No idea where it came from or how much it was, but my mom is a super shopper, so I'm sure it was a bargain! Opted for a different cami here. I think I prefer this one even though it doesn't QUITE match.

Also, ignore the pile of clothes in the chair. I'm usually so tidy.

Fashionista Statement: Monday, May 17

Black t-shirt from K-Mart (approx. $9)

Orange cardi from the Gap ($17)

Paisley skirt--a gift from my mom (I think it was on clearance for around $6)

Eiffel Tower necklace (long): whatever ten pounds equates to (about $15? Ordered online so I'm not sure what the exchange rate was at the time.)

You can see the shoes in the background--black with tan toes and heels and a buckle on the toe. Brand name Minelli from Paris. Whatever 36 Euro equates to ($50 maybe? Can't remember what the exchange rate was when I got them).

Fashionista Statement: Early June in NYC

Fell a little behind in the fashionista statements. Here are a few outfits I wore on a trip to NYC in June. I'm skipping the rest of May for now and will update during July.






Green boyfriend tee from Target ($8)
Denim skirt from Maurices ($26)
Blue striped cardi from Target (clearance for $15--best purchase ever! I wore that sweater for two days straight in NYC because it was kind of chilly)
White and pink scarf ($6) from Wal-Mart last year











Pink and navy sundress from Maurices ($39). Bought for the bachelorette party in Portland in April. Very comfortable!!

Navy sweater from Target ($17)

Tank top from Maurices ($26)
Blue sweater from Target ($17)
Denim leggings from Target ($6)

Fashionista Statement: Thursday, May 13

May 13

Black skirt with red and green and grey images of Parisian scenes (Arc d'Triumph, shopping scenes, etc.) from Penney's that I ordered online a few years ago. You can't tell from the picture but the skirt is very full which makes me feel very pretty when I'm walking in it and it's swish-swish-swishing.

Black t-shirt from K-Mart or some place like that. Lime green sweater that I got for $6 from K-Mart last summer. I've never worn it because it's difficult to match, but this skirt works with it.

Eiffel tower necklace, bit silver earrings (click on the picture to see), and black flats. A closer picture with the awesome green knock-your-eye-out ring from Pier 1 (courtesy of my awesome cousin).

Fashionista Statement: Wednesday, May 12

May 12

Brown, gold, and cream shirt from Maurices that I was considering taking back. I bought it for the bachelorette party weekend but never wore it. After wearing it to work, I've decided I absolutely love it! I especially love the neckline.

Brown leggings from Wal-Mart $5.

Gold and brown gladiator sandals from Penney's for $12 (half off plus a coupon for $10).

Brown shrug from Maurices. LOVE this shrug!! I'm very fond of my sweaters and cover-ups!!

Fashionista Statement: Tuesday, May 11

May 11

This is a dress I bought in Portland when I was visiting for a bachelorette party weekend. It's strapless, zips in the back, and is a shiny material. I love it but it has a very odd shape. If I have gained even one pound, I can't wear it because it makes me look like I've gained 10 pounds. I'm very careful to only wear it on the day after I have had a limited amount to eat.

Paired with my favorite cream sheer-ish sweater from Target ($15), brown boots from who-knows-where (these are the boots I forgot I owned, so I went to Younkers and dropped $60 on brown boots that I "HAD to have", came home to put the new boots away, and discovered these in the closet. There are starving children in Africa, and Miss Rixie can't remember how many pairs of brown boots she owns. Shameful.), necklace from Penney's.

Fashionista Statement: Monday, May 10

May 10

I bought this dress from J.C.Penney's last weekend because I had a $10 off coupon. The dress was originally $60 but 50% off. Love the square neckline of the dress and the puff sleeves (which are currently covered up by my hair), but of course, my absolute favorite thing is the color. "I would rather wear a barrel than conservative apparel." Paired with black flats.

Fashionista Statement: Friday, May 7

May 7

The entire ensemble came from Target:

Skinny jeans (actually leggings but with a front button and back pockets; the zipper and other pockets are just a facade) that are my absolute favorite thing I own right now. $20.

Teal boyfriend tee $8.

Long semi-sheer cream sweater $15 on clearance rack. (I have a black one like--best $30 I ever spent. I get so much use out of them especially because I have SO many dressy dresses and this "dresses them down."

Scarf from Target $3 on clearance.

Fashionista Statement: Wednesday, May 5

May 5

I got this gypsy-style strapless dress from Target for $30. I rarely spend $30 on a dress unless it's for a special occasion because I own so many of them, especially every day dresses for work. I wasn't sure I'd really have enough opportunity to wear it because I never go sleeveless and it seemed so casual.

The first time I wore it I paired it with this sweater (also from Target) and discovered it appeared much dressier than I had imagined. Now I always wear them together. Cannot for the life of me remember where I got the scarf but I want to say Wal-Mart.

You can't see them but I'm just wearing black flats.

Fashionista Statement: Tuesday, May 4

May 4

I have had this dress since high school. It originally came with a matching cropped yellow jacket that tied below the bust. The jacket never really fit me well and yellow is a terrible color on me--my absolute worst color, especially pale yellow. I swapped the jacket with a lavender sweater I got from the Gap and paired them with white flower sandals I got from K-Mart for $14.

Another closer view.

Fashionista Statement: May 3

May 3

This is the shirt I wore on my first day of lead teaching during student teaching. Back then I paired it with pale pink tweed pants that are waaaay too long. I once had patience for that, but I no longer do (one of the main reasons I wear skirts every day). I have a pink skirt that would probably match better, but I like the blue. It felt springy, and like Stacy and Clinton say, it's good not to be too matchy-matchy.

The shoes are my favorite pair of shoes I own. I got them in Paris in 2007 and they are near and dear to my heart. They have witch points at the toe as well as giant flowers on the toe. They are sling backs with kitty heel, and they make me feel so pretty and feminine that it makes up for the blisters they give my little toes for three days after I wear them.

As for jewelry, I'm wearing a gold chain with my initial and big brown earrings that you can never tell I'm wearing because of my hair. Oh, well.