Thursday, February 9, 2012

Thursdays are my Saturdays

It is only 11:40 AM and I feel I have so much to post. So this will be a long one...

First I want to post a video from Mindy Gledhill in my countdown to Valentine's day. I like this song because I feel this way when I have a crush on a guy. (Yes I am 25 and still say crush.)
The point of these music videos wasn't really just to share love songs but new performers I am discovering. I used to think that people who spent time on YouTube had too much time on their hands but as I am trying to add music to this blog I am discovering some cool music through YouTube and Spotify. It is adding a great mix to my music. So hope you enjoy the music too. I am always willing to take suggestions so please feel free to contact me.

Second a few weeks ago I entered a giveaway contest at Live.Laugh.Rowe
She was having a guest writer, LA Kuehlke, who was writing about her passion in life. Here is a little snippet...

I have many things in life of which I am proud and with which I am fulfilled. I am a wife, a mother, and an experienced teacher who still enjoys what she does. The one thing I hadn’t done, though, was something that I’d always said I’d do “one day”. For some reason, “one day” just never seemed to arrive.

What was this thing? you ask.
Oh, to write a novel, I answer.


While I am not a mother or a teacher, I know the feeling of "one day" I want to write a novel so I really loved this post. She talks about her passion being writing and how she pursued that passion (click here to read more). I was moved by her post that I entered the give away to win a coy of her book... and guess what I did. So I guess I have more books to add to my list. 
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Speaking of my book list I have finished The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin. It is 465 pages and I think I found it my biggest but fastest read. I mean I have read bigger books than this but I was surprised how  fast I got through the book. Even though it was big I found it easy to read on the T. A lot of bloggers I saw this that mentioned this book called it a good read as we wait for season 2 of Downton Abbey to begin and interestingly enough the main characters name is Cora. Like Lady Grantham in Downton Abbey, Cora Cash,  is an American Heiress who marries for a title. But Downton lovers this is not a prequel to Downton Abbey, it is just a good book to get lost in the world of English Aristocracy. I should say you can like this book with out having ever seen Downton Abbey. 
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This clip comes Single Minded Women
Be careful what you wish for. Cora makes a dazzling impression on English society—followed by a brilliant match—but finds that the chill in the air of magnificent ancestral homes comes from more than the lack of central heating. As she gradually learns that old-world aristocrats are governed by obscure codes of conduct and loyalty that can betray even the most charming, accomplished outsider, Cora must grow from a spoiled young rich girl into a woman of substance. 

That is a good description of the book. Cora while she is not as eager to marry a title as her mother is, she wants freedom from her pushy and over bearing mother and sadly it doesn't seem like English society is a good place to find freedom. She seems more surrounded by rules, servants who don't obey her and every one is waiting to gossip on her failures. Her mother in law despises her, her "best friend" is plotting for her ruin, and I personally had a hate love relationship with her husband who though wanted to embrace her "new world behavior" turned cold at any mistake she made. Aw to British.  With my little insight into Vanderbilt world this seemed like a good fictitious story of Consuelo Vanderbilt. 
Consuelo Vanderbilt

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If you like getting lost in the world of the "Gilded Age" I also recommend the book Alva. That Vanderbilt-Belmont Woman. A fictionalized biography of Alva Vanderbilt-Belmont (Consuelo's mother) and the builder of the Marble house in New Port, RI.
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I could not help but imagine Marble House as Cora Cash's house, where the story starts off in New Port. Of I course I couldn't get Downton Abbey AKA Highclere Castle out of my head when I imagined Cora Cash's house when I thought of her new dwellings as Duchess of Wareham.
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Now that I am done with The American Heiress I have four new books to read as I listed in my Button and Books post (click here). I will be reading Beth Moore's Praying God's Word recommended to me by Colleen at Soundtrack to I do.While I love fiction I think I can get easily swept up and lost in that world. I need to come back to earth every once and awhile. Plus I want this year to be full of new books, though I love re-reading books, I am going to read new books... good thing  have a good list ahead of me.
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I am glad I will have lots of time on the T to get some reading done.
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This is my favorite view of Boston so I am glad I have more excuses to see it. 

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