December 25, 2016

🎶 All I Want for Christmas is a Tattoo 🎶

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

So, my mom was awesome and paid for my new tattoo as a Christmas present :) It's pretty self explanatory, but this is kind of a tribute piece to my fur babies, Charlee and Dany, and all of our previous pups who are no longer with us. I'm so glad I was finally able to fill the awkward, narrow gap on my leg. My shin is almost completely covered, which means I really only have to add some fillers and my calf piece and my right leg will be finished!! 

Ok, here are my new paw prints:


I also had Jimmy touch up my little foxes while he was at it. Their ears and eyes are all nice and perfect now :)

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Thanks for checking out my new tattoo! I hope you're having a wonderful day, and a great end to your year!!

Keri <3

December 2, 2016

The Ultimate Book Tag

Good evening!

I'm bored and don't know what else to do with myself.  So, what better time to do (yet another) book tag??  I found this on Book with Bite :)  I just Googled "book tag" and found some pretty awesome questionnaires.

Let's get started!

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1. Do you get sick while reading in the car?
No, thank goodness!  I love reading on long road trips.

2. Which author's writing style is completely unique to you and why?
Right now, I'm obsessed with Hunter S. Thompson and Sarah J. Maas.  HST is obviously a critically-accalimed journalist/ author, so I don't really need to say much about him.  Honestly, his writing is so raw, and he somehow maintains a crazy amount of realism even though he's trippin' out of his mind.  Sarah J. Maas, author of A Court of Thrones and Roses and the Throne of Glass series.  Oh my goodness, she's insanely talented, and I haven't found another fantasy author that even comes close to her style.  Her books are still considered "YA" (I believe), but she writes some intense/ steamy sex scenes; she somehow manages to do it without making it disgustingly smutty.

3. Harry Potter series or the Twilight Saga?  Give three points to defend your answer.
Harry Potter, no doubt about it!  a. The characters in HP are so well-developed and dynamic characters, b. the plot (or lack thereof) in the Twilight Saga is absolutely horrendous, and c. J.K. Rowling is one of the most amazing and inspiring women on the face of this planet.  Sorry, Twihards.

4. Do you carry a book bag?  If so, what is in it (besides books...)?
I carry a bag to and from school, but I usually just carry my wristlet/ wallet thing.  However, I do take a book with me pretty much anywhere I go :)

5. Do you smell your books?
Nope, but I don't judge.

6. Books with or without little illustrations?
I don't really pay attention to that, but I can't help but love the little illustrations in the HP books!  They add a nice touch depending on the type of book you're reading.

7. What book did you love while reading, but discovered later it wasn't quality writing?
Probably the House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast.  I read them while I was taking a ton of intense classes my sophomore year of college.  They weren't awful, from what I remember, but the quality was definitely lacking.  I don't know, I'm just not a huge fan of this series.

8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood?
I have a heart-warming story, if that'll work for ya!  I'm a fifth grade teacher, and I kept a lot of my childhood books for my classroom.  One of my kiddos started reading The Rainbow Fish the other morning and he had a huge smile on his face!!  I love when my kids discover books I've previously read :)

9. What is the thinnest book on your bookshelf?
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

10. What is the thickest book on your bookshelf?
A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire #5) by George R. R. Martin

11. Do you write as well as read?  Do you see yourself in the future being an author?
I'm published in the University of Arkansas' Inquiry (a journal for undergraduate research/ thesis papers).  I wrote an honors thesis entitled "The Effects of Peer Mentoring on Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder" in 2015.  Honestly, academic writing is probably my favorite (I know, I'm a werido), but I also like writing the occasional short story.  I don't think I would ever publish anything other than academic papers, unless I posted it here.

My boyfriend, on the other hand, is an incredible writer!  He has a blog called Rassle Tribune where he reviews wrestling matches on a weekly basis.  Check it out if you're a mark like us ;)

12. When did you get into reading?
My parents read to my brother and I every night before bed, and I know that's where my love of reading stems from.  We had a program called Accelerated Reader in school- basically, you read books and answers several comprehension questions on a computer afterwards.  I'm still in love with the program, and I hope I can find some way to get it into my current school.  Pizza Hut also had a program called BookIt.  If you read a certain number of books, your teacher gave you a card for a free personal pan pizza!  How cool is that?!

13. What is your favorite classic book?
"The Odyssey" by Homer (even though it's technically an epic poem)

14. In school, was your best subject Language Arts/ English?
I was all about my education and got As in almost all of my classes.  ELA was always my favorite subject, but I think my overall best subject was math in elementary school.  My best subject through middle/ high school and college was ELA for sure!

15. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated, what would you do?
I would say "thank you," and hopefully re-home it to someone who would like the book.  I'm not big on returning presents, honestly.

16. What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or the Hunger Games?
I'm not sure if it's a lesser known series, or if I just hadn't heard about it until this year, but I really enjoyed the Legend series by Marie Lu.  It's set in a dystopian society in which the different classes are divided into sectors.  It reminds me more of the Hunger Games series, but it's unique in its own right.

... and I just thought of another series I wanted to mention!!  The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor is so incredible!  There's magic, romance (ugh, but whatever), demons, etc.  Seriously, if you need a new series that's quick and easy to read, check this one out!

17. What is a bad habit you always do (besides rambling) while filming?
I don't film YouTube videos or anything, but I'm sure my worst habit would be looking in the view finder instead of at the camera.  I only say that because I'm really bad about doing that on FaceTime with Mom haha

18. What is your favorite word?
Umm... I'm not really sure if I've seen this in a book recently, but I like the word "facetious."  It's a fun word to say and it's not overly common in our day-to-day lives.

19. Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb?  Or all of the above?
I honestly don't know the difference, but I would identify as a nerd, I guess.

20. Vampires or fairies?  Why?
Fairies- A Court of Thrones and Roses series is all about Fae and human relations.  It's pretty awesome, and you should definitely check it out sometime!

21. Shapeshifters or angels?  Why?
Laini Taylor made me fall in love with angels.  Her angels can be total assholes, but they can be cool at times.  I like the thought of ancient beings that possess endless amounts of knowledge and power.

22. Spirits or werewolves?  Why?
Spirits mostly because ghosts/ demons fascinate me.

23. Zombies or vampires?
I haven't really read a lot of books with zombies, so I'll go with vampires.  Not Twilight vampires; more like Interview with the Vampire vampires.  I like that they're ancient and have tons of knowledge (I know, it's the same reason why I chose angels), but they also have their quirks and silly little characteristics.

24. Love triangle or forbidden love?
I.  Hate.  Love.  Triangles!  I can enjoy forbidden love stories once in awhile, if I'm in the mood.  But most of the time I reach for books without a lot of romance involved.

25. Full on romance books or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in?
Ugh, I can't stand romance books, so I'll have to go with action-packed books with a few love scenes mixed in.  That's why I adore Sarah J. Maas' writing so much!!

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Thanks for checking out my little blog.  Hope to talk to you again soon,

Keri <3