AbielleRose

Ooh, looks like you've been doing very well for yourself so far this year! <3

Hey VF It's been a while, hasn't it? Things have been pretty nutty in teh life but I've missed this place and all the cool people here.

Aw! That can be both a curse and a little bit of a blessing as you can re-read great books and enjoy them as being 'new' all over!

I actually just sold 5 shelves worth of books and am trying to get down to the ones I haven't read and the ones I can't stand letting go of. A lot of the books I was hanging on to were ones I was never going to touch again but was holding on to because... well, books. Heh, not having a TBR pile sounds freeing! If you see something you like, go get it and don't worry about the ones you have sitting at home.

Hey Ooshie! It's been good so far this year. I've been working more on writing and reading friend's novels (beta reading) than just kicking back and enjoying candy from Mt. TBR so far, but I'm setting a goal of 2 books a week to devour. Hope yours has been going well, too!

Homemade chicken fried rice

I know I'm a bit late starting this, but the last 4 months have been really intense... so... a late thread is better than no thread, right? *shifty eyes* I'm just going to start off slow and list the books sitting on my bedside table. Currently Reading: Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding TBR: Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins Les Miserables by Victor Hugo Divergent by Veronica Roth Matched by Ally Condie The Fault In Our Stars by John Green The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowlling A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness Hourglass by Myra McEntire Titanic Survivor by Violet Jessop Re-Reads: Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson Across the Universe by Beth Revis Paranormalcy by Kiersten White Plan To Buy: The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson It's not a huge list, but it's good enough to get me started. I'm a little more than halfway through Bridget Jones (one of my all time favorites) and am hoping to just jump in and get this list read within a couple months.

Heh, I saw that on FB. Such a cute pup!

The weather here is about to get bad again. My dad came up to visit for the weekend (he's a 5 1/2 hour drive away) and had to cut the trip a day and a half short because this morning they announced a blizzard warning for tonight and tomorrow. The roads have already gotten bad for him so I'm hoping he makes it home okay. Right now nothing sounds better than a relaxing trip to somewhere tropical with a lush spa and cocktails full of fruit chunks (all expenses paid, of course!)

Zumba is fun, Frankie! YouTube seems to have quite a few good work-out videos. I love the belly dancing ones. They really help if you're trying to strengthen your tummy area (which is where I need it most!) If anyone is interested, I started a new blog where I'm going to take all of the Pinterest (and other random) diets/cleanses I can find and test them to see how effective they are. I'm hoping to lose 40 lbs by June and thought it would be fun to see what, if any, of these work best for me. The link is: Flab to Fab Diaries

You are just too cute! <3

A Mexican enchalada rice dish.

Birdy- Terrible Love

I'm impatiently counting days until Maureen Johnson's next book in her Shades of London series is released on Feb 26th. I have a 20% off coupon that's burning a hole in my wallet and want to use it on that!

Your favourite read of the year? Across the Universe by Beth Revis Your favourite author of the year? Beth Revis Your most read author of the year? Maureen Johnson Your favourite book cover of the year? Maureen Johnson's The book you abandoned (if there was more than one, the one you read least of)? Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks The book that most disappointed you? Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken The funniest book of the year? Bridget Jones Diary by Helen Fielding (Yes, this was my first time reading it. Brilliant) Your favourite literary character this year? Katniss Everdeen Your favourite children's book this year? I haven't read any new ones, but I did reread The Cat in the Hat for fun. Your favourite classic of the year? Le Miserables <3 Your favourite collection of short stories this year? Absolute Visions Your favourite illustrated book of the year? The Cat in the Hat Your favourite re-read of the year? Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler

That's great, Muggle! Congrats

That is if your meat is cut up. If you're doing a roast where it's all one big hunk you want to cook the meat a little longer than the veggies or the veggies will turn to mush. Trust me. I like my veggies firm enough to fork without them falling off but tender enough they slide onto the fork easily. That timeframe is what seems to work best for how I prefer my dinner. We're all different, though!

*ears perk* Cookies? Things are stressful, but life goes on. That's what books are for. Glad the hubby is feeling better! xoxoxox

I use mine on a weekly basis. One of my favorites is salsa chicken. 4 chicken breasts, one jar of salsa- let cook for 4 hours on high or 6 on low. An hour from the end (if you like) add black beans and corn and serve over rice. The chicken just falls apart and the salsa gives off a lot of flavor. I also use it for pot roast. 3 lb beef roast, 2 cups of carrots, 2 large potatoes diced, 2 stalks of celery, 1/2 white onion and 3 cups of beef broth. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. I usually put the veggies in at the halfway point or they'll get too mushy.

*sneaks in*

Hey guys. Sorry I haven't popped In lately, thIngs have been so crazy wIth startIng a new job and movIng and general lIfe In adjustment mode once agaIn. I'm movIng today so after everythIng's settled I'm goIng to settle In and have a read through all the latest thread Of course I pIck the day when the temp Is goIng to be over 100 here In Fargo to move. It NEVER gets over 100 here. Its only 9:30 am and I'm sweatIng lIke a dog! After the movers are gone I'm goIng to have a nIce long cold shower In my new place! x0x0

I read the first 14 pages and ended up giving the book to a co-worker. Just couldn't do it.

Drop Dead Diva

Can I borrow your mojo for a little bit? Looks like some good ones there.

The only mention of the series getting renewed has been in the article below where they say they're on the verge of issuing an early renewal for it (though a rep declined to comment). Hope its true, I love this show! At first it seemed a little slow going but now that feeling has turned into an 'I can't wait to see what happens next!' suspense. http://tvline.com/2012/03/23/greys-anatomy-castle-revenge-once-upon-a-time-renewed/