A to Z Bookish Survey

Hello! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season!!!!

I found this little tag on tumblr, and thought I would complete it.  I'm such a bookworm (but you guys probably already knew that if you've been reading this blog for awhile); this tag is absolutely perfect if you love to read.  If you guys have a tumblr/ blog/ YouTube channel, you should definitely give this a go :)

Just a heads up, I did include some plays along with books.  I couldn't do this survey/ tag and not include Shakspeare. Sorry.

A. Author you've read the most books from: James Patterson (the Maximum Ride series was one of my favorites when I was younger)

B. Best sequel ever: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

C. Currently reading: A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

D. Drink of choice while reading: An iced mocha from Starbucks

E. E-reader or physical book: I have a nook, but I prefer to read physical books.

F. Fictional character you probably would have dated in high school: Gale Hawthorne from The Hunger Games series

G. Glad you gave this book a chance: The Divergent series

H. Hidden gem book: Not sure if this really counts, but not a lot of people seem to talk about the Dexter series by Jeff Lindsey.  I love Lindsey's writing (there's never a dull moment!).

I. Important moment in your reading life: When I discovered Goodreads!  I absolutely love the website and the app- it's so helpful for bookworms who like to keep track of what they've read and what they want to read.  I use it all the time when I'm in Barnes and Noble.

J. Just finished: Coriolanus by Shakespeare (it's a play, but I'm going to say it still counts)

K. Kind of books you won't read: Romantic, Nicolas Sparks type novels are definitely not for me.

L. Longest book you've read: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling (870 pages)

M. Major book hangover because of: I'm still not over the ending of Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

N. Number of bookcases you own: 2 at my parents' house, and 1 at my apartment

O. One book you have read multiple times: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

P. Preferred place to read: In the bathtub (it's so relaxing after a long day of classes)

Q. Quote that inspires you/ gives you all the feels from a book you've read: "Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not" (Tyrion Lannister from A Game of Thrones)

R. Reading regret: Reading the Twilight series in high school; I really can't stand Stephenie Meyer's writing, and I just want to punch Bella in the face........ Sorry Twihards.

S. Series you started and need to finish (all the books are out in the series): I really want to read the Percy Jackson series.  For some reason, I just never got around to reading the books when they first came out.

T. Three of your all-time favorite books: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling, Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, and Hamlet by William Shakespeare

U. Unapologetic fangirl for: This is going to sound really strange, but I absolutely love mythology (mostly Greek and Norse).  I'm a total Marvel fangirl, so when I started researching the origins of Thor and Loki, I got hooked on Norse mythology.  I'm also a huge Shakespeare nerd.  I know, I'm crazy.

V. Very excited for this release more than all others: I'm super excited for the 6th Mortal Instruments book (City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare) to be released!!  I'm still on the 3rd book (City of Glass), but I love the series so far.  If you saw the movie but didn't read the books, definitely check out the books- the movie did not do them justice!

W. Worst bookish habit: I'm not so bad about this anymore, but I used to lose the dustcovers for all of my hardback books... I would take them off the book when I started reading it, and the cover would always seem to disappear.

X. X marks the spot: start at the top of your shelf and pick the 27th book: Matched by Allie Condie

Y. Your latest book purchase: The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson

Z. Zzz-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late): A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin.  The chapters are kind of long, so I would always stay up to read "one more chapter" and end up reading the whole night. 




Thanks for reading, and hopefully I'll talk to you all again soon!
Keri <3

Jolly VoxBox Unboxing

Hi there!

I received another VoxBox in the mail a few days ago, and thought I'd do an unboxing post for you all :)  This is the Jolly VoxBox- I'm not really sure if this box has a theme or if it's just kind of a grab bag of random things.  Either way, these products are pretty awesome!  As always, this is just my first impressions of these products, but I will have a review of the products up in about a month. 

Just for reference, here's a time line for this box:

December 12: Received an email letting me know I qualified for the Jolly VoxBox

December 19: Received tracking number and shipping confirmation

December 21: Received the VoxBox

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DISCLAIMER: I received these products complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster.com. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. 

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The Box

Puffs Ultra Soft and Strong To Go Tissue Pack ($0.49)

This was the perfect thing to include in this VoxBox!  I know I'm not the only one who suffers from a runny noes this time of year- that's just what happens when it gets cold.  These tissues are great for on the go; I have a few of these packs stashed in my car and some in my purse.  I've used the Puffs brand before, but I usually buy Kleenex (not really for any particular reason, that's just the brand my family picks up).  I'm glad these are the Plus Lotion tissues.  They're just moisturizing enough to keep your nose from getting irritated.

NYC New York Color HD Color Trio Eye Shadow ($2.99)

Since this is just the unboxing post, I haven't had a chance to swatch or try out this trio yet, but I will definitely have pictures in the review post.  This trio is a nice, neutral palate, and can work with any skin tone.  I feel like these shadows may come off a bit more sheer than most, but we will see.  The top color is a soft pinkish highlight shade, the middle color is a deeper bronzy taupe, and the bottom color is a golden pink shade.  All of these shadows look pretty shimmery and soft (which can be a good thing and a bad thing).

Rimmel London NEW Show Off Lip Lacquer ($5.49-5.99)

I was excited to see this little product in my box.  I've already tried out a few of the colors from the Show Off Lip Lacquer line, but this was one I hadn't tried yet (thank goodness!).  This shade is called "Nova (#102)."  It's a nice basic pink with no shimmer- I have worn these before, so I can tell you that they are a little drying but not as drying as a matte lipstick.  These are kind of a hybrid between a pigmented lipstick and a smooth, non-sticky gloss.  I really love the formula, and can't wait to try this shade out.

Skinny Cow Candy ($3.99)

I haven't tried anything from the Skinny Cow brand, but I've heard a lot of great things about their candies.  In this box, I received the Skinny Cow "Divine Filled Chocolates" candy- they're little milk chocolate bites filled with peanut butter.  These sound absolutely amazing!  One serving (one pouch) has 130 calories, which is awesome considering this is a candy.  Hopefully these taste as good as they sound :)

Ducklings Mini Rolls ($2-3)

Oh. My. Goodness!  I cannot tell you how much I love duct tape!!  I was so excited when I saw this at the bottom of my box.  The pattern is so cute (blue and purple cheetah print), and I love the size of this mini roll.  I'm not sure what I'm going to make with this tape yet, but I'm sure it will be super cute :) 


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Thank you all for reading this unboxing post!  Make sure to check back in about a month to read my final thoughts on each of the products from this Jolly VoxBox.

Until next time,

Keri <3

Perler Beads- Loki and Thor

Hey guys!

I have a really short post today. I was in a really crafty mood and decided to make some little Loki and Thor sprites out of perler beads. Here are the patterns I used (I didn't make the patterns):

And these are my finished sprites :)

So cute!! I am so obsessed with Thor: The Dark World that I had to make these. I think they look pretty awesome. 

Thanks for reading :) I'll talk to you again very soon!

Keri <3

Varsity VoxBox Review

Hey everyone!

As you probably already know, I've been trying out some products this month that I received in my Varsity VoxBox from Influenster. I did an unboxing post a few weeks back (check it out here!), and decided it was time for me to post my final review of the products. So, let's get started!

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DISCLAIMER: I received these products complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster.com. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. 

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Clearasil Daily Clear Refreshing Superfruit Wash ($6.49)

Just as an FYI, I have combination skin, and I have a few problem areas that tend to break out (mostly around my chin). My skin is not overly sensitive. 

I used 2 out of the 3 samples I was sent. I decided to hold onto the last sample for when I was really having issues with my skin (I want to see if it makes a difference). The first two times I used this wash, I wasn't breaking out too terrible bad, but I did have some spots that cleared up after I used the product. This smells awesome- like a fruit smoothy- and really gets your skin nice and clean. Because I was sent 3 $1 off coupons, I'll most likely purchase this product in the near future. 

Overall, this wash does it's job, and I would recommend it to you guys. 

Airheads Xtremes Bites ($1.69) 

Like I said in my unboxing post, I'm so glad Influenster sent me some candy!  I absolutely love sweet and sour candy, so these Airheads Bites were perfect- I snuck them into the movie theater when I saw Thor: The Dark World last weekend (which is one of the best movies I've ever seen, and I'm kind of obsessed with Loki now).  These would be awesome to have as a snack during a late night study session; they're also great for any other time of the day :) I will definitely be repurchasing these candies!

Kiss Nail Dress ($6.99)

Ok, I'm not going to lie, these were the worst product I received so far from the program.  Honestly, I don't know if it was just me, but I had a really hard time applying these strips- I couldn't get them to look good, they barely fit my nail, and they kept wrinkling on the edges as I tried to apply them.  It doesn't help that my nails were unusually short when I applied these.  I'm sure the strips would look better over longer nails.  I've used the Sally Hansen nail strips before and I adore them!  For some reason, these are just not up to par with the other brands I've used in the past.  Trust me, I wanted to like these nail dresses. 

I do not recommend these nail dresses.  If you want a hassle-free nail strip, try the ones from Sally Hansen (they are a few dollars more, but it's definitely worth it).  The only thing good about this product is that they came right off my nail when I wanted to remove them.  That being said, I don't see these as lasting any longer than a few days.  I should have left mine on to see how long they would last, but I just couldn't stand the look of them on my nails.

NYC New York Color Big Bold Plumping & Shine Lip Gloss ($3.99)

As part of my VoxBox tasks, I did a separate review for this lip gloss, which you can read about here.  Overall, this gloss is not my favorite, but it's not bad.  It doesn't have a ton of color payoff, but it isn't overly sticky, and it gives a nice shine to the lips.  I don't notice a major plumping effect, although there is a slight tingle when you first put the gloss on.  This probably lasts about 2-3 hours with minimal drinking/ eating/ talking (you will need to reapply this gloss after lunch).

Tide Pods (no price)

This is another tried-and-true product for me.  I've been using these Pods since they first came out- I was in the dorms for a year, so these were my go-to laundry detergent.  They're convenient for storage, light-weight, and so easy to use (you just throw a Pod in, pile in the clothes, and wash!).  I use cold water to wash all of my clothes and I haven't had any problems with these.  Even though I have my own washer and dryer now, I still like to buy these little guys :)  The scent Spring Meadow is amazing, by the way!

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All and all, I loved every single product in this box with the exception of the nail dresses.  If you want to learn how to get free stuff for testing purposes, check out Influenster for more information. 

I'll talk to you all again very soon.  As always, thanks for reading!

Keri <3

What I'm Reading: 2013

Key:

* - read for class

RE - re-read

Books, Plays, and Short Stories

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth

2. Insurgent by Veronica Roth

3. City of Bones (Mortal Instruments # 1) by Cassandra Clare

4. City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments # 2) by Cassandra Clare

5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

by JK Rowling (RE)

6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling (RE)

7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (RE)

8. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling (RE)

9. The Way I See It: A Personal Look At Autism and Aspergers by Temple Grandin *

10. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon *

11. Marked (House of Night # 1) by PC Cast

12. Betrayed (House of Night # 2) by PC Cast

13. Chosen (House of Night # 3) by PC Cast

14. Untamed (House of Night # 4) by PC Cast

15. Hunted (House of Night # 5) by PC Cast

16. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling

17. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling

18. Notes from Underground by Fyordor Dostoyevsky *

19. Are You There, Vodka?  It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler

20. "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" by Leo Tolstoy *

21. Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen *

22. The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov

23.  "The Rod of Justice" by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis *

24. "Kabuliwala" by Rabindranath Tagore *

25. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad *

26. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka *

27. "Barn Burning" by William Faulkner *

28. "Spotted Horses" by William Faulkner *

29. Omeros by Derek Walcott *

30. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

31. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (RE)

32. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (RE)

33. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

34. Coriolanus by William Shakespeare