September 12 of 30

Today is one of my most favorite days! It ranks right there with Christmas and my birthday! What makes me so excited?!? It's the first Sunday of the 2010 NFL season!!

There's nothing better, really, than laying on the couch all day Sunday and watching as many football games as possible. I'm not usually a lazy person but it's just a perfect way to spend a Sunday... especially when it's a chilly, dreary day and I snuggle under a blanket. LOVE it!!

Sadly, though, our beloved Broncos dropped the season opener to Jax 24-17. Oh well.. you know what they say... any given Sunday!


My bag today was an old favorite. I carried a Liz Claiborne leather satchel. I bought it in the early 90s. I worked at Foley's in the handbag department. It was so fun. Even putting out stock was, usually, like opening presents on Christmas morning. We had first choice of what we put out. And I took full advantage of that! I bought a lot of bags during that time and I still carry most of them.

September 11 of 30

September 10 of 30

I began First Line Friday because first lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside. So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book. Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny? Join in, if you enjoy first lines as much as I do! Be sure to use my great First Line Friday graphic and leave me a comment so I can read your blog! I'm not the only one with a meme celebrating first lines... Becky at Page Turners at http://pageturnersbooks.blogspot.com/ hosts Book Beginnings... check her blog, too.

"If there's one thing I've learnedin the past fifteen years, it's this: that murder is really no big deal."
Gentlemen and Players
Joanne Harris


This is why I love first lines! Are you kidding me?!? This is an AMAZING first line!! I bought this book, mainly, because of the cover and the storyline, of course but, wow, this first line moves it right up the TBR pile! How can I not want to read it? I sure hope that the rest of the novel lives up to the first line.


I carried my black Vera Wang satchel today as I had a bunch of errands to run and it's perfect to carry all the odds and ends that accumulate on a day like today. The handle stitching is coming apart(again, darn it!) so I'll take it to a different repair place next week. I love this bag and want to carry for years to come.

September 9 of 30

Are you ready for some.... I'm SO ready for some...!!!!

September 8 of 30

I guess I'm on a bit of a TV kick. I just discovered that Jimmy Smits is returning in a new drama, "Outlaw". From NBC... "Cyrus Garza (Smits) is a Supreme Court justice who abruptly quits the high-level position. A playboy and a gambler, Garza had always adhered to a strict interpretation of the law until he realized the system he believed in was flawed. Now that he's quit the bench and returned to private practice, he's determined to represent "the little guy" and use his inside knowledge of the justice system to take on today's biggest legal cases -- and he's making plenty of powerful people unhappy along the way."


I love Jimmy Smits! I'm so happy that he's back on TV. I liked him on LA Law but loved him as Bobby Simone on NYPD Blue. Honestly, though, I also had a little crush on Dennis Franz as Andy Sipowicz. Weird, I know but I liked his soft side. Anyway, the last show Jimmy Smits starred in was "Cane" which I also loved but, sadly, it was cancelled. He was amazing in Dexter, as well! I really hope "Outlaw" is a great show and stays on the air for years. He's just yummy to watch!


My handbag today was my huge black faux croc shoulder bag. I know this is a really bad picture of the bag... it doesn't show all the details that make it a gret bag. It has a lot of gold zippers... most of them are purely decorative. I wore it with a tunic that has a black, white, caramel and grey design. Sometimes, I wear silver jewelry with this tunic and carry a black bag with silver accents. Sometime, I wear gold jewelry and carry a black bag with gold detailing to play of the caramel color of the top. I love that not only is the tunic so versatile but I can choose which accent metal I want to wear with it. I like to mix it up a little.

September 7 of 30

"Catherine slipped into a sterile gown and pulled on gloves. Her palms were slippery with sweat."
The Surgeon
Tess Gerritson
page 96

This is the first book in the series that is the basis for "Rizzoli & Isles" on TNT. I really liked the show and my friend, L, loaned the books to me as she says they're great. So far, so good.

There are a few shows on TNT that we watch... Rizzoli & Isles, Leverage and Dark Blue. They are all interesting dramas with actors that I enjoy watching. Although, I do have to say that Dylan McDermott from Dark Blue will always be Bobby Donnell from The Practice... another great show!


I carried one of Dooney & Bourke bags today. It's so big that I can, comfortably, carry a book in it. In this case, it's a mystery that I'll be reviewing at the end of the month. Again... so far, so good :D

September 6 of 30

Since it's late and I'm tired...

September 5 of 30

I loved my experience reviewing for CSN so much that they asked me to do it again. I am so excited and truly amazed at the product selection. I've looked at Corelle dinnerware, bookcases, boots and... can you believe... tools?!? What an incredible place to shop!

Speaking of Corelle dinnerware... I might just have to review something Corelle. I honestly can't remember when I bought the dinnerware we use now. It's been quite a while, though. Maybe, it's time for new dishes. Hmmm... this could be a lot of fun choosing a new pattern.

Do you use Corelle dinnerware? Let me know what pattern you use!

September 4 of 30

Well, Friday "got away from me" as they say. So, First Line Friday is happening on Saturday. I hope you don't mind :D
I began First Line Friday because first lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside. So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book. Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny? Join in, if you enjoy first lines as much as I do! Be sure to use my great First Line Friday graphic and leave me a comment so I can read your blog! I'm not the only one with a meme celebrating first lines... Becky at Page Turners at http://pageturnersbooks.blogspot.com/ hosts Book Beginnings... check her blog, too.

"Glastonbury
In the eightieth year from the Adventus Saxonum

I am in my ninetieth winter, the oldest man in the western lands."

The Killing Way
Tony Hays


Great, great first line. This is, from what I know, how someone would describe their age if he lived in Arthurian times. He definitely would not say, "I am ninety years old." This tells me, from the start, that the dialogue will be historically accurate.

I also love that it sets the story in Glastonbury. A lot of the Arthurian legend takes place in Glastonbury. We've been to Glastonbury. It really is a mystical place. I'm sure just knowing the myths and legends attributes to the feel but I really felt a "vibe". Weird? Probably. We also went to Stonehenge and Avebury on that trip and I loved all the history. I'll never forget walking down a path, after breakfast and seeing an albino peacock. It was an amazing sight. This is not my picture but my pictures are in an album and it's too late to find them. When we told the lady who ran the B&B where we stayed, she was very nonplussed. Apparently, the peacock was a town fixture. How very cool is that!

I found this mystery on Amy's blog... http://www.passagestothepast.com/. She offered it in a giveaway... which, sadly, I didn't win. However, my friendly neighborhood library had a copy ready and waiting. It's now in the TBR pile. It looks to be a quick read.


I carried another white bag today. I've only a few days left and it was about 95° today... perfect summer day to carry a white bag. I even carried it to Old Chicago tonight. My son and I went to dinner. It was just the two of us as my husband was with his sister and M went to a party. I love one-on-one time with each of my kids. J and I talked about how he likes high school. He's attending a Catholic high school with a fairly rigid dress code. He's okay with that although he's not so thrilled that his hair can't be longer than his collar. We've told him that he'll get a fantastic education here which will lead to a full (cross your fingers) scholarship at his first-choice college which will allow him to get his dream job at NASA... which, as far as we can tell, allows longer hair. See, how a Mom can "spin" just about anything...LOL!

September 3 of 30

It's Friday!!! I didn't hop last week so I'm really excited to hop this week!

From Jennifer's blog... " In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list below!!
The Hop lasts Friday-Monday every week, so if you don't have time to Hop today, come back later and join the fun! This is a weekly event! And stop back throughout the weekend to see all the new blogs that are added! We get over 300 links every week!!
Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.
RULES:
1. Enter your book blog link in the Linky List below
In your link, please state the main genre that you review: eclectic, contemp. fiction, ya, paranormal, mystery, non-fiction, etc. Please do not list every genre you review - if you are review a variety, please put eclectic! The Hop gets jumbled up if the title is too long, so please limit to one genre. I will be limiting the number of characters in the title to ensure the Hop doesn't look messy! Thank you!
Example: Crazy-for-Books (literary fiction)
NOTE: You no longer have to enter the length of time you've been blogging, but do let us know if this is your first time hopping with us!
2. Post about the Hop on your blog. Spread the word about the book party! The more the merrier! In your blog post, answer the following question (new question each week!). If you have a question that could be used in a future Hop, leave it in the comments! Thanks!
This week's question comes from:
Sarah @ SarahReadsTooMuch
**Do you judge a book by its cover?**

MY ANSWER...
~Of course I do. I have passed on books because of the cover. Conversely, I've bought books just because I like the cover so much. My favorite covers are of women in period dress. I am always drawn to those novels. Obviously that doesn't make the book good but it, at least, makes me stop to look at it.

3. Visit other blogs in the Linky List! Make new friends! Follow new book bloggers! Talk about books! Rave about authors! Take the time to make a quality visit! Check out other posts and content, make a new friend! Don't randomly follow someone if you never intend on actually following them! No spamming please! (Please do not leave your link and not visit other blogs - it's just not cool and not in the spirit of the Hop!)
And just as an FYI - this event is not something you should feel that you have to participate in every week. If you want to join in and link up once a month, GREAT! It's up to you how often you participate!
So, have fun HOPPING and enjoy your BOOK PARTY weekend!!!

**And if you've found my blog, through The Book Blogger Hop... Thanks, I'm happy you found me! Please check back later as I will post my weekly meme... First Line Friday! I love new visitors! Please leave a comment for me... I'd love to visit your blog, too.**

September 2 of 30

I took a picture of the bag I carried today with my phone. However, my phone isn't really phone. It's my son's old phone. Huh? My phone that I absolutely love stopped holding a charge. It's an older model that I bought brand new on Ebay. I love the color but I the flip up QWERTY keyboard is perfect for texting. And with a teenage son and a tween daughter, I do a lot of texting!


I took it to my "guy" at Verizon... thinking it was a dead battery or a bad wall charger. Sadly, it was a bad charger port :( I was told that I could buy a battery charger (charging the battery as opposed to the phone itself). So, again from Ebay, I ordered one. In the meantime, though, I had to use J's old phone. It's an LG Venus. It's a fantastic phone except it doesn't have a QWERTY keyboard so texting is kind of a pain. But... I, like most people now, need (well, not really... want is a better word) my phone so I switched my number for a while. I hope the battery charger works... like I said, I love my phone. If it doesn't... well, it's back to Ebay. I'm buying another one. I looked at the Verizon store but all the phone with a keyboard require a data plan. I know most of you are probably phone "geeks" (I mean that in the nicest way) and have the latest and greatest smartphone but, honestly... I don't want all that. I know I'll probably change my mind at some point but, for now, I just want a phone, a camera and a QWERTY keyboard.


So... getting back to my bag... lol... it's a silver/black/grey patchwork hobo with criss-cross stitching. It reminds me of the patchwork bags of the 1970s but with a trendy edge to it. It has a whipstitch handle that is very reminiscent of Balenciaga handbags... only I paid NOWHERE near what a Bbag sells for.

September 1 of 30

I've decided I'm going to blog every day in September. If you've read this blog for a while, you know that I've done this before. I didn't blog a lot in August as I was so busy with J & M both starting new schools. I want to get back into blogging and, really, the best way for me to do that is to set this goal.

I'll tell you right now... there will be days that I have something interesting to share. On the flip side of that, though, there will be days that I will not :D


My handbag today was my white floral tote with black patent handles. I have only a few days left until Labor Day to wear white so I'm carrying this bag a lot. I know it's an accepted fashion convention to wear white after Labor Day but I just don't. I'll wear a white sweater or blouse after but I won't wear white shoes, pants, shorts or carry a white bag.

Table Talk Tuesday

Cheryl at http://cmashlovestoread.blogspot.com/ has started and is hosting this great new meme. From her blog... "Welcome to the first Table Talk Tuesday meme, hosted by yours truly. I have been having so much fun with the recent memes I have found whereas you get to know a little bit more about the blogger behind the screen. I have met so many nice, funny, kind, caring people in the past 8 months and have said on many occasions, how I wish we lived closer and could meet for coffee, lunch, and yes..even dessert. That is the premise of this hop. Your 3 tidbits can be, for examples, tell us something interesting about you that we don't know, ask a question of your gal/fellow blogger that you would like to know, share something that may have been exciting that happened to you this week, or something you are looking forward to, or share a how-to, or maybe ask about a how-to, or talk about something that annoys you, your opinion about a certain issue, a comment about something that was in the news this week and your opinion, or maybe ask advice, etc., etc., the list is endless. You get the idea. Just as if you were meeting a friend over coffee. And the conversation begins.
After you post your 3 conversation tidbits, come back here and link up, start visiting other blogs, answer their questions or respond to their comments. Then meet another blogger for coffee at their place, maybe have another piece of pastry while talking (and just think...this has 0 calories!!!)
Hope you join in, tell your friends, get to know more about old friends, meet new friends (possibly even becoming a new follower of their blog...if you do...leave that in your responses so that they know and hopefully will follow you back), get to know more about old friends, meet new friends and more importantly.....HAVE FUN !!! So lets grab a table, sit down, order a coffee and start gabbing !!!!"

~~ MY THREE TIDBITS/QUESTIONS~~

1. What is your favorite part of my blog?
2. What is your favorite part of your blog?
3. What is your favorite part of Cheryl's blog...http://cmashlovestoread.blogspot.com?


Because I haven't blogged in a while, I've missed posting pictures of my purses. So, I'm going to post one. I carried my black and white peace sign bag. This was a great choice as I carried a rather large ARC of a FANTASTIC historical novel. Don't worry I will be postng a review at a later date :D

Book Blog Hop

From Jennifer's Crazy-for-Books.com blog... "ABOUT THE HOP: In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list below!!
The Hop lasts Friday-Monday every week, so if you don't have time to Hop today, come back later and join the fun! This is a weekly event! And stop back throughout the weekend to see all the new blogs that are added! We get over 300 links every week!!
Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.
RULES:
1. Enter your book blog link in the Linky List below
In your link, please state the main genre that you review: eclectic, contemp. fiction, ya, paranormal, mystery, non-fiction, etc. Please do not list every genre you review - if you are review a variety, please put eclectic! The Hop gets jumbled up if the title is too long, so please limit to one genre. I will be limiting the number of characters in the title to ensure the Hop doesn't look messy! Thank you!
Example: Crazy-for-Books (literary fiction)
NOTE: You no longer have to enter the length of time you've been blogging, but do let us know if this is your first time hopping with us!
2. Post about the Hop on your blog. Spread the word about the book party! The more the merrier! In your blog post, answer the following question (new question each week!). If you have a question that could be used in a future Hop, leave it in the comments! Thanks!

This week's question comes from Libraryscatbooks!
How many blogs do you follow?

3. Visit other blogs in the Linky List! Make new friends! Follow new book bloggers! Talk about books! Rave about authors! Take the time to make a quality visit! Check out other posts and content, make a new friend! Don't randomly follow someone if you never intend on actually following them! No spamming please! (Please do not leave your link and not visit other blogs - it's just not cool and not in the spirit of the Hop!)
And just as an FYI - this event is not something you should feel that you have to participate in every week. If you want to join in and link up once a month, GREAT! It's up to you how often you participate!
So, have fun HOPPING and enjoy your BOOK PARTY weekend!!!"

My answer... I follow A LOT of blogs! In my defense, though, they're all so interesting! I look at my Google Reader daily and catch up on new blog posts that interest me. I also follow some blogs "unofficially". I read them through my "favorites" as opposed to my Google Reader. I'm not quite sure why I don't follow "officially" but it works for me.

**And if you've found my blog, through The Book Blogger Hop... Thanks, I'm happy you found me! Please check back later as I will post my weekly meme... First Line Friday! I love new visitors! Please leave a comment for me... I'd love to visit your blog, too.**

I'd also like to thank Jennifer for featuring my question for her Crazy Talk feature. Please check out her blog (http://www.crazy-for-books.com/2010/08/crazy-talk-lure-of-ya-books.html) and take part in the discussion! I am very interested in the topic.

Book Blogger Hop & My TBR Shelf

Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books.com hosts Book Blogger Hop! From her blog...
ABOUT THE HOP: This is a weekly event, hosted by Jennifer at http://www.crazy-for-books.com/, where book bloggers and readers can connect to find new blogs to read. It's a great way to network with other bloggers and make new friends! Every day I seem to find another book blog that I start following. In the spirit of the Friday Follow, I thought it would be cool to do a Book Blogger Hop to give us all bookies a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.If you start following someone through the Hop, leave a comment on their blog to let them know! Stop back during the week to see other blogs that are added! And, most importantly, the idea is to HAVE FUN!!

ABOUT THE HOP:
In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list below!!

The Hop lasts Friday-Monday every week, so if you don't have time to Hop today, come back later and join the fun! This is a weekly event! And stop back throughout the weekend to see all the new blogs that are added! We get over 200 links every week!!

Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.

RULES:
1. Enter your book blog link in the Linky List below
In your link, please state the main genre that you review: eclectic, contemp. fiction, ya, paranormal, mystery, non-fiction, etc. Please do not list every genre you review - if you are review a variety, please put eclectic! The Hop gets jumbled up if the title is too long, so please limit to one genre. I will be limiting the number of characters in the title to ensure the Hop doesn't look messy! Thank you!
Example: Crazy-for-Books (literary fiction)
NOTE: You no longer have to enter the length of time you've been blogging, but do let us know if this is your first time hopping with us!
2. Post about the Hop on your blog. Spread the word about the book party! The more the merrier! In your blog post, answer the following question (new question each week!). I have to thank my friend, Lori, for this week's question! I was drawing a blank and she came up with this fab question! If you have a question that could be used in a future Hop, leave it in the comments! Thanks!
3. Visit other blogs in the Linky List! Make new friends! Follow new book bloggers! Talk about books! Rave about authors! Take the time to make a quality visit! Check out other posts and content, make a new friend! Don't randomly follow someone if you never intend on actually following them! No spamming please! (Please do not leave your link and not visit other blogs - it's just not cool and not in the spirit of the Hop!)

**And if you've found my blog, through The Book Blogger Hop... Thanks, I'm happy you found me! Please check back later as I will post my weekly meme... First Line Friday! I love new visitors! Please leave a comment for me... I'd love to visit your blog, too.**

This week's question comes from Michelle from Michelle’s Book Blog! (waiting for her blog link!)
How many books do you have on your 'to be read shelf’?

Honestly, my TBR shelf is "layered". Let me explain... I have a bookshelf in my living room that I put all my new or new-to-me books. They stay there until I *think* I might read them soon. At that point, I'll put the book on my nightstand. Generally, if it makes it to my nightstand, I'll read it within a short time. That's not to say, though, that the nightstand books don't ever get "bumped". Oh... but they do :D It's a very "fluid" situation... I'm sure all book lovers can relate. Right now, there are probably six or so books on my nightstand and, maybe, fifty on the bookshelf.