Bout of Books Challenge: Personify that Story

Have you ever come across a story and you think this is the perfect story for my mom or that character is so like my ex-boyfriend?

Kelly and Amanda, the hosts of Bout of Books, have invited me to host one of their challenges.

In case you haven't heard about Bout of Books 7.0, here's your opportunity go on a book bender.  It has been so much being a part of the TweetChat community and meeting other avid readers.  For those of you that don't know what a book bender is, it's an opportunity for you to sit down and read READ read! You can also tweet about it and share what you're reading with others.  There's always a good possibility that you'll discover some books that you've never heard of and add to your TBR list.

Challenge: Personify that Story
How it Works:  Match a story to a person- sounds simple, but it can definitely be challenging.  Have you read story or watched a character develop and thought it sounded just like your mom or favorite celebrity?  Well now it's your opportunity to share.  Feel free to add pictures and explain why the two relate.  Below you can link-up and check out the other entries.  Can't wait to meet you all!

That handsome man is my wonderful husband, Ryan.  Why I think Eddie reflect Ryan and vice versa, they're just really similar.  They both have military backgrounds, come from working families.  He's been working his entire life and he's a man of few words.  He's very funny and sometimes crass but he is a wonderful man.  As I write this, I just got my wisdom teeth removed today and whoo boy, does it feel weird.  I had gauze in my mouth for like an hour and that was just gross.  I still can't feel my lips and parts of my chin, so call me drool city.  He has been giving me towels, water, feeding me, getting me new shirts and making sure I'm comfortable.  He went to the commissary right after my appointment and picked up a lot of soft food items that would be gentle on my mouth.  He cares so deeply for his family and I know that one day he's going to be a great dad.  If you've never read The Five People You Meet in Heaven, it's a story of man who essentially goes to heaven but the pathway there causes him to meet five people that were influenced by him.  They span the entirety of his life and are a cause of deep reflection for him.  It was a book that had me in tears and one that I highly recommend.  Eddie, the protagonist, is a hard worker and cares so deeply for his wife. I thought that quote was most fitting and I'm excited to see what you all choose!

Bout of Books Create a Cover & Blog Every Day in May #2

Linking up with I Talk Books for Bout of Books 7.0

Today's challenge involves creating a new book cover for an already existing book.  Last week's link-up with Nicole from Three31 challenged us to not judge a book by its cover...but we know we all do it.  I thought this was a fun exercise and chose The Great Gatsby.  If you remember from the link-up, I'm not a huge fan of the original cover but its become so iconic that it just brings back memories of my favorite book.  However, I thought I would take a stab at it and create a new cover.

The center focus is a man and a woman, Gatsby and Daisy since the book focuses on their relationship and character development.  However, they are definitely not the only two characters in the book and so the hands represent not just the other characters but how influential they are on Daisy and Gatsby.  The hands also represent society's demands, our fears, and selfish desires.  Finally I chose a glitter overlay on the font to symbolize the lavish lifestyle and parties that surrounded these characters.

Now I'm a little behind on my blog every day in May plan, so I will quickly turn this into a double post.  Two-for-one folks...BOGO!

The challenge for the second day was to 

"educate us on something you know alot about or are good at"

At first I wasn't sure what people would even be interested in, but I was reminded of my friend Hannah and what it's like to be a new military wife on a base.  There are a lot of things you may not necessarily know or understand.  Or if you have never been on a base, I figured some of these tips and lingo might be good things to know.

We have grocery stores on bases called commissaries.  These are tax-free organizations that function very similarly to that of the grocery stores anyone shops at, however, you do need to have a valid active, dependent, or retiree ID to shop there.  They have a lot of sales and deals, so for us with a limited budget, it tends to be our go-to place for getting groceries.  Another tip about the commissary: the baggers work solely from tips so make sure you have a few dollars on hand when you go to the commissary.  That was definitely something that I didn't know.

At a certain point in the late afternoon, we have retreat.  You'll start to hear music over a loud intercom system.  If you are outdoors, you will stop and face the direction of the music and/or flag and place your hand over your heart.  You'll see military members stop and salute.  If you're driving, you need to pull over and stop until its completion.

We also have shopping centers called an Exchange.  Like the commissary, these are tax-free but you must have that I.D. to shop there.  They're like mini-malls that feature an electronics, homegoods, cookware, clothings, etc. sections throughout the store.  Often you'll find a gas station and sometimes even mechanics.  You'll usually find discounted things as well, like we usually have Bath and Body Works products on sale there.  It's nice and convenient, especially when your base is in a more remote location.  They often have make-up counters as well, which is awesome if you use products like Clinique.  Each one is different.  When we were stationed at Camp Pendleton, we had an amazing one but throughout different military visits I've noticed that some are better than others.

There are officers and enlisted members.  Officers usually have some type of shinier rank on their covers (hats) or blouses and enlisted members usually have theirs on their upper arms.  You always salute to the higher rank, so you'll often see Master Sergeants saluting young lieutenants like myself because I'm technically a higher rank.  Nevertheless, I always respect each and every one of service members.

When it comes to deployments, they can be anywhere for any length of time.  One very important issue that will be discussed with you is OPSEC.  It stands for operational security and that means while your spouse, significant other, or family member is deployed its important that you share very little information with anyone else.  By being conservative with what you share, you provide a safer environment for you loved one.  For those who don't have a connection with the military, that's often why military families don't share homecoming dates or where they are, etc.

Hopefully this has provided some insight on what it's like on a base or if you have friends that are in the military.  Thanks for reading :)   

   

American Girl Dolls aren't what they used to be

Source

 

The Atlantic posted an article about American Girl dolls and how they're not really considered radical anymore.  At first, I read that title and was slightly confused.  Radical?  I spent most of my childhood pouring over pages of the American Girl catalog and hoping for a doll.  Each Christmas I had hoped that Santa would have left me my doll and it wasn't until I was in fourth grade did I receive Samantha.  My dad still has the Christmas video.  Every Christmas Eve, we would gather at our grandma's house after mass, have dinner, and patiently wait for our parents to allow us into the living room.  Grandma had a deal with Santa and he would leave presents for us the day before Christmas.  I've talked about my grandmother numerous times here and the impact she had on creating a magical childhood for us.  These memories are ones that I always hold dear to me.  When we rounded the corner, I found that Samantha doll and I could not stop screaming with sheer, unadulterated joy.  I finally had an American Girl doll, someone to have adventures with me.  Not just that, but hundreds of dollars of dresses and accessories.  

If you were a fan of American Girl growing up, Samantha was the "popular" one.  I cannot tell you the amount of Samantha-related items I had as a child.  I had a theater computer game and like the entire collection.  The only thing I hadn't done or experienced was go to the American Girl Place in Chicago.  Last winter, I was home for break and Ryan was deployed so my mom, brother, and I went to Chicago.  I toted them through the American Girl Place only to discover that Samantha had been replaced by Rebecca and there were a ton more new characters.  Of course, I had not read their storylines or the history behind them, but I was definitely disappointed to see that Samantha had been archived.  

In reading The Atlantic's article about the lack radicalism, I think my disappointment is only further cemented.  I loved Samantha's character because it was the Victorian era and she was fabulous.  She used her privileges in life to help others.  After Mattel took over the Pleasant Company, they've replaced the stories with more emphasis on the look-a-like dolls who like to tend butterfly gardens or bake sales to save an art program.  What?

At $110, I would want my daughter to be learning about true activism.  Not that these doll representations of girls aren't good things, because they are.  However, I feel like Mattel has severely watered down the stories.  Samantha tackled child labor during the Industrial Revolution.  I'm sorry, but tending a butterfly garden is not the same realm.  Felicity dealt with societal norms of domesticity when all she wanted to do was wear pants and ride horses.  Molly deals with a war (and her doll as well as Emily are still there).  Seeing the classics still there gives me some sense of comfort and I hope that they continue with them instead of archiving.

What I also found interesting in reading the comments on the article was that one commenter is a teacher in Latin America.  She said that the little girls she teach almost all have a look-a-like doll but their skin shades are actually lighter than their true skin tone.  Readers were commenting that selecting your doll in person is like being at a make-up counter.  Now these dolls, being expensive, were often a sign of family economic status and privilege.  However, that put aside it offered an opportunity for young girls to have a real taste of the perspective of some of the young girls in different time periods.  I'm just disappointed to see how it's changing and I'm interested to see how the new stories are developing.

My anniversary is coming up

Our second year anniversary is rapidly approaching and if you don't know I have a mad love the Ellen DeGeneres Show.  Neil Patrick Harris, one of my favorite actors, was recently on and shared his 40th birthday experience, albeit a few months early.

  The gears in my head started to turn and all the creative juices started working. Originally Ryan and I were happy with settling for dinner at home and we're doing a joint gift of getting a new TV, but it definitely doesn't hurt to be a little creative with love. Our budget is pretty tight with paying car loans and my students loans, but I think it's a welcome challenge to work with a budget.  I could put together a scavenger hunt but I also don't have a ton of cash.  Any ideas?

For those who are married or dating, what did you do to celebrate your second anniversary or any anniversary?