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Friday, July 31, 2009

Just about today

Today BT and I are going to lunch together after I get off work. We are going to eat sushi (yum yum) and then doing a little shopping. Target is my favorite store and I use to go every weekend but I've had to stop since I was spending so much money there. I love that store so much. They have the coolest things. Anyway, we are also going to go to the bookstore to get some of the Yolen "How does a dinosaur..." books for Bubs since he is into dinosaurs a lot right now. Then we are going to get him and I think go to the Children's Museum or something. BT has to work all weekend and wants to spend time with him this afternoon. I think it will be fun.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

More book covers

Yesterday I did the YA Book Cover meme that I got from Amanda. Here is a gallery of other people who have done it too. Some of them are really cool and interesting. Alicia at The LibrariYAn did a version of Justine Larbalestier book, Liar. She took the first picture of a human figure which turned out to be a Lego. I took the first picture of a person and this is what I got. Not much better than Justine's real cover, but eh.



There is some ongoing controversy in the book world. Liar is about a black girl who is a liar, but the cover of the book features a white girl since the industry says that covers of black people won't sell. I don't know about that, but I do think that the cover should reflect the book. To read more about it, here is Justine's original post with her objection. Here's Publisher Weekly's article. There are a lot more blogs, etc. who have written about it.

And for fun, I decided to do Libba Bray's new book, Going Bovine. It's cute, I'd say.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Look at this YA book!

Check out this awesome book!

Well, not really...I got this meme from Amanda at The ramblings of a hopeful artist to create your own book cover. Here it is. I like it looks really cool and is a good word for that picture.

CREATE YOUR DEBUT YA COVER

1 – Go to “Random Name Generator” or click http://www.behindthename.com/random/

The name that appears is your author name.

2 – Go to “Random Word Generator” or click http://watchout4snakes.com/creativitytools/RandomWord/RandomWord.aspx

The word listed under “Random Verb” is your title.

3 – Go to “FlickrCC” or click http://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/index.php

Type your title into the search box. The first photo that contains a person is your cover.

4 – Use Photoshop, Picnik, or similar to put it all together. Be sure to crop and/or zoom in.

5 – Post it to your site along with this text.

This was really easy to put together on Picnik, and the flickrcc website where you chose your picture links right to it.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

A little bit

We are down to one car. BT's has finally given up so we've been sharing mine, but the store he is working at now opened today so he is going to have to do at least one night shift a week and that could get awkward. Luckily I have the best parents in the world and my dad doesn't work too far away so he went and got BT today and brought him to work. I hate imposing on my dad during work hours (not that he can't get away or anything) but still.

BT had an phone interview with a large coffee company on Monday and will be having a face-to-face soon. It should pay more money which is good since this current job pays significantly less than his last one. And we cannot afford that. Also now we have to buy him a car. At least mine will be paid off next month, thank God for small favors.

Monday, July 27, 2009

What would you do with a glimpse into the future?

For some reason, I was thinking today that if I had one opportunity to see a glimpse of the future what would I want to see? Cheesily, I would want to see if Bub's turns out alright and that he is a good and happy man in the future. In my heart of hearts, that is the thing that matters to me. I can't be the perfect mother and I'm not always patient or kind or even-tempered with him. But I try, I really do, and I don't want to speed up time. I want to hold my baby as much as possible and kiss him when I can and color and watch movies and read and talk about dinosaurs for as long as he wants me too. But I also want to know that I'm doing the right things and that he turns out alright and that nothing really bad happens to him from now until I have no control over his whereabouts. That is what I'd what to see.

What would you see?

Friday, July 24, 2009

More about names

In keeping with my recent theme of talking about names for a child I hopefully won't be pregnant with for another year, I've found this week site: BABY'S NAMED A BAD, BAD THING which is dedicated to pulling out the crazy crap that people suggest for baby names. Ya'll, what is wrong with people? Simple names, people, names that will get your child into college and a respectable job. How are they going to become a CEO if you are giving them a stripper name straight out of the womb? Why are you saddling them with names that guarantee that little Candy will become a porn star or little Magnum a hitman? Think about the children!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

This and That

I'm trying to post more here. But today I cannot think of anything to talk about. I have been so tired lately.

BT thought of the name "Magnolia" for the next baby (girl) but I don't know about that. It's pretty but not my taste. I thought of Bennett (boy), but it's too close to BT's name and there would be some confusion, I'm sure. I also like Darcy (girl) but that will probably be a no too. (Can you tell I'm reading Pride & Prejudice?)

The crazy people here are extra crazy, like they swam around in the crazy sauce before they came to work. I won't get into it, but I've never seen anything like it and my last job had some serious wackiness.

Java seems to be feeling better. He had an ear infection, but he is doing better now.

We are still working on Bub's room. We'll be done soon.

That's about it. I'm falling asleep typing this so I'd better go walk around or something.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Everything Austen

So I'm reading Pride & Prejudice for a book challenge, Everything Austen, and it's been a LONG time since I read it. The beginning was a little boring but when Mr. Collins came the action picked up which is funny since Mr. Collins is himself very boring. For the challenge I have to read or watch 6 things that are Jane Austen related, books she wrote or parodies or sequels or any movies. I'm doing an all P&P list since there are some many adaptions of her books.
This is my list.

1. Pride and Prejudice (Austen)
2. Pride and Prejudice (BBC mini-series)
3. Pride and Prejudice (2005 movie)
4. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Grahame-Smith)
5. Bride and Prejudice
AND either
6. Bridget Jones' Diary OR Pride and Prejudice:A Latter-Day Comedy(2003 movie) OR Pride and Prejudice (1940 movie)

I decided to start with the original so that I can compare the rest to it. I can't wait to read P&P&Z since I've heard great things although I'm not big on zombies. The only thing is I can't decide for #6. I'd like to watch the Latter-Day Comedy since I think that would be interesting, a very different take of P&P. And I LOVE Bride and Prejudice. It's the Bollywood version and it is really good by the same lady who did Bend It Like Beckham.

So anyway, that's what I'm reading right now.


Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Potty Training randomly enough

Well, I'm almost done with the boy's new room. The squares are painted except the red needs another coat I decided this morning. But it is too cute.
The chalkboard wall should be ready today. I need to stop and get some chalk and see if it works but I think Bubs will love it.

They have started putting him on the potty at daycare and we've been talking about it a lot at our house. He will sit on it, but he still isn't aware of when he needs to. I don't think he is ready but I'm going to start with pull-ups anyway. They are easier to change standing up. Luckily my favorite brand of diapers, Seventh Generation, makes training pants so I ordered some of those along with some regular diapers but next time I think I might only get pull-ups. The only problem is that they are not good for naps or night-time so I'm still going to have to invest in some night-time diapers or something. But they are the chlorine free, hypoallergenic, environment-friendlier brand that I've been using on him so I'm going to continue that. This other brand, Nature Babycare, also makes training pants but I didn't like the diapers so I don't know about those. I should have ordered some flushable wipes. Seventh Generation doesn't make any so I'll have to get another brand.

So this turned into a post on diapers. Scintillating I'm sure.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Half Blood Prince thoughts

I went with my mom to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince on Sunday. I really loved it and would like to see it again. I've seen some people have problems with the Harry/Hermione thing and the fact that Ron is only used for comic relief. I get that, I do. But it doesn't seem that important to me. The fact is that the movies are never going to live up to what plays out in my head when I read and there is no way to satisfy everyone.

Harry and Hermione's friendship needed to be reaffirmed for the next movie and I couldn't tell you about Ron, honestly. I do wish that they had kept him in the final "we're going with you" conversation but maybe the point was to say that of course he will go there is no real need to say it aloud.

The girl who played Lavender did an excellent job and so do Luna and Ginny. I didn't understand the point of the Burrow scene and wasn't too fond of the H/G kiss. It is really better in the book. I wanted more H/G scenes.

I cried at the end, of course, but I wished there had been a funeral scene. I wish the twins hadn't talked in unison. They usually finish each other's sentences and it was lazy of the someone to make them talk together.

It was such a pretty movie. I love the look of the cave and how Hogwarts looked. Michael Gambon and Tom Felton gave really great performances, very nuanced and subtle. This is the first time I liked Gambon's Dumbledore. Also it was nice that Ron said more than "Bloody Hell" in this movie.

I think I need to see it again.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Too much paint


We are redoing Bubs' room with more of a little boy theme. Right now he has puppies which is fine, but we are going to do transportation (trucks, cars, etc.). Although he is so into dinosaurs that I should have done that, but I think the cars will last a long time and he likes those too.

I got the paint yesterday and bought too much. I got 2 gallons of the main color which is fine since he has really high walls (cathedral ceilings) but we are painting color blocks along the middle and putting the adhesive wall stickers in the middle to create a border and break up the blue and make his room really fun and bright. But I ended up buying 1 gallon of each color since I was afraid that I wouldn't have enough with a quart of each. Oops! It might be too much. But even though I don't like yellow that much we might use the yellow to paint the spare bedroom and that would be okay. I was looking at comforters this morning and I'd like to do something really fun and bright in there, but cheap since I'm hoping to have another kid within a year or two.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

A Short Thing

I feel guilty. I've spending almost all my time at my book blog and neglecting this one. I got so pumped up for BEDA and then fizzled out once it was over. I need to make a goal of at least one to two blogs a week over here.

In other news, I'm still considering changing the blog name.

In other other news, I painted the hall bathroom "Antique Silver" which is really a blue gray this past weekend even though I was sick. It look good and brings out the shower curtain. We are painting the little man's room "Costa Rica Blue" this weekend and doing a transportation theme. I'm also going to paint one of the short walls with chalkboard paint so that will be fun.

I've been sick and feel guilty since I've been in and out of the office for the last couple of months with different things. And then this week the weirdness of certain people became amazingly apparent and then it got really crazy. But I try to stay out of things.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Blog Backgrounds

I've been experimenting with different backgrounds and stuff ever since I made the one for this blog. My practice blog is where I do all the experiments and see how things look, etc. I really like the one that is up right now. Look now before it becomes something else.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Ya'll I have to stop the madness

Once again I felt brave and crazy and we gathered ourselves up and went to New Orleans for a day trip. But this time we went with my cousin Kia and her husband David. So we all rode together in their car which is roomy but that car seat takes up a lot of space so Kia and I crammed in the back with Bubs. I should mention that Kia is tall and her husband likes to spread out when he drives apparently because his seat was pushed all the way back and she was folded up like a sardine. I told her to sit behind BT since he doesn't need as much leg room but she didn't so whatever. We went to the aquarium (of which I have no pics since we forgot our camera) and it was nice since it was cool inside. By the time we got there however I was already ready to kill someone.

Bless their hearts, but they have no idea how to schedule time when they have a toddler with them and boo on BT and me for not saying so. When we got to New Orleans Kia was hungry so we walked down to the Riverwalk to eat, which was our first mistake. It was hot in there and I forget that the food is not the best. Bubs is already freaking out since we didn't stop to see the dinosaur outside the aquarium and he is tired, hot, and unhappy. Then we walked back to the aquarium and waited in line to get tickets and Bubs is still trying to see the dinosaur and we don't let him. Then inside he is happy running around going Fish! Fish! and all is okay. But he is still stuck on the dinosaur and wants me to hold him the whole time. But I'm hot and aggravated and I think he needs to walk some or get in the stroller. And then...

he see the white alligator but BT wants him to go to the touching room first and thus begins a total meltdown. Alligator, I see alligator and BT is trying to get him to play, but there will be none of that. So finally I said let's just see the damn alligator and Kia & David are lagging behind since I don't think they wanted to be in our little group by then (not that I blame them, I didn't either). So we see the alligator, which is HUGE, and we are happy.

Then we went and walked down the Quarter and showed David some of New Orleans, of which he didn't seem impressed, and that was about it. We walked to Bourbon and BT (& David) got a hand grenade for BT's birthday and Bubs slept in his stroller and that was fine. The car ride home was long and tiring and Bubs got a little stir-crazy and we of the backseat fell asleep and I have little fingernails indentations in my skin from the little man and I learned never to wear a long dress to walk around New Orleans. Oh and I'm not going back until it cools off. I'm done with New Orleans for now and that's that. It's too damn hot.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

I have a problem

If you regularly read this, then you've notice that I can't stop playing with the look of my blog. I have a problem, an addiction if you will. I can't seem to find a template or a background that I like for this blog. I've settled on something for my book blog that even though it isn't quite right, I'm keeping until I find something that is or I buy or make something. But it looks good and is very clear. This blog though I have been searching and searching but nothing is quite right so I keep changing it, but I just want to find something right, that fits. I wanted something plaid to go with the name, but I've find nothing that completely appeals to me. I like a 3 column blog with a clear header. I like plaid, I like pink, but nothing too busy. I could change the name of the blog, but it took me forever to settle on Half Asleep in Plaid Pajamas and I like that name since I am half asleep most of the time. I could eliminate the pj part and just call it Half Asleep but I don't know if that is better or worse. Or I could call it Annie Kawaii like my twitter name and that might be cute and free me up from the burden of plaid. And I could find something really cute and maybe leave it alone. Hmmm.... well if this blog suddenly changes its name and look (once again), here was fair warning.

ETA: So after I wrote this blog, I made a new background and header. Yes, I made it so I could have something I liked. We'll see how long this last, but I think it came out pretty good.