take me away my dear imagination

the husband and i have a jillion books. and it seems as though we have no problem buying more books.  our favorite place to get books you ask?  half price.  we go by there atleast once a week, sometimes more depending if we have a hankering for a certain book but dont want to pay new bookstore prices.

seriously, who doesnt love the smell of old books, gathered in one central location, waiting to be swiped up by another avid reader looking for an escape to a place described only on beige paper in black font?  better yet, they are half off. and if you hit the clearance section just at the right time, you can even get books for cheaper than that. sometimes a dollar. and me plus bargains are like best friends.

i go through spurts of reading. reading like a crazy person to get through a really good book. and sometimes i just read the trashy entertainment magazines for months on end.  but here lately its more of the earlier.  i love james patterson.  he is one of my favorite authors ever. most because his books keep my imagination, leaving me wanting more. & the fact his chapters are only a couple pages help too.  i'm one of those people who can not just stop in the middle of a chapter.  i must must must complete the whole chapter before retiring the book for the time being.

i've read all the women murder club series. all 1 - 10. and i loved them.  currently working on his alex cross series.  it doesnt at all bother me either that i havent seen the two movies that were created from two books of this series, along came a spider & kiss the girls. i plan on watching them after i finish the books themselves.  its only proper to do it that way.  but i do know morgan freeman is alex cross. and it is a little fun imagining morgan while reading page after page of this series. 

we hope to have a whole wall, maybe even a room, full of books when we have a house one day. until then we have them stuffed onto several bookcases throughout our apartments. the thought of walking into a room full of books and selecting from hundreds is a fascinating feeling.

do you have any favorite books or authors i should add to my collection?


ps. dont forget to enter my 100 follower giveaway - deadline is wednesday at 11:59PM.

christmas tree our christmas tree..

on friday, i asked everyone what their christmas tree style was & told everyone that the mister and i are classic christmas kind of people. with the exception of our tradition of getting a new ornament every year that represents us as a couple.

and with christmas 20 days away, yea 20!, i figured it was time to put my tree up and get into the full swing of the christmas spirit. i've only been talking about christmas for months now. i think decorating for christmas has to be one of my favorite parts of the holidays, putting a little holiday cheer into every aspect of my apartment, office, wardrobe, etc.

i also mentioned a few posts back, more like several, my plans of paper chains and snowflakes hanging from our apartment ceiling.  its finished! well until i decide it needs something more. it doesnt look like much from the picture, but sitting underneath it, lights off, with the christmas tree twinkling, its just amazing and feels a little like the north pole.

notice the reindeer on the window treatment? yea had to have those!! santa is flying in for his landing. i tell the husband constantly i wouldnt mind living at the north pole with santa, mrs. claus, the reindeer and all the elves making yummy treats and toys. but then im pretty sure he already knew that along time ago.

maybe i am still a child at heart, but i'm totally okay with that.

what is your one fantasy place that you wouldnt mind visiting or moving to?

a snowy hideaway



whimsy at its finest

 a cold front is supposed to move in this afternoon. the winds are supposed to pick up and we could even possibly see a chance of rain.  its nothing like the northeast, who has seen piles of snow, but we are dipping down to the 40s & maybe even 30's tonight. which means extra cuddling while i sleep.

when it gets chilly out, i think of places like the cottage in the holiday. so whimsy and perfect. all its beauty tucked away in the backwoods of surrey.  the tiny bedroom up top with the small kitchen connected to the perfect living room downstairs.  sipping hot coffee or chocolate (with marshmellows of course!) while listening to the radio, watching out the old pane windows as the snow piles up outside.

days when the sun rises and melts the snow enough to venture out, the nearby town awaits the arrival of the locals, dressed in shiny snow boots and sparkly scarves. the grocer with the finest of wines, breads & cheeses.  the pub with their pints and snacks for the regulars who visit on a night when there isnt much else to do.  music in the background, they gab over recent events and laugh at the small things.
as the pints disappear and the neon light goes to black, residents make their way back to their cottages, to soak in hot baths with the perfect amount of bubbles, the ideal cure for a cold winter's day. and when the skin proves it has soaked long enough, fingers and toes all shriveled like a sun baked raisin, its finally time to retire to the tiny bedroom upstairs. furnished with an iron-framed bed dressed with a goose-down comforter and perfectly broken in pillows.  drifting away into a deep sleep full of dreams comprised of love, laughter and whimsy.