I wasn’t looking forward to last weekend because I had to decline the invitation to join my friends in St. George for another murder mystery party because of my midterms.  (I got a 95% on my Doctrine and Covenants midterm and 90% on my Japanese written midterm.  I still don’t know how I did on my Japanese oral midterm or my English midterm, but I’m hoping it wasn’t too bad. )  Luckily, my weekend took a turn for the better when I received a tweet from Natasha inviting me to the book blogger social she puts together twice a year.

I felt really privileged to go, honestly.  I had seen Natasha’s post about it on her blog, but I wasn’t going to go because I didn’t think I’m a “true” book blogger nor am I a member of the Utah Book Bloggers group (soon to be remedied; my membership is pending).  But, I guess I post enough book reviews and talk about books and my interactions with authors enough to get an invite.

The evening was full of fun, food, and lots of social interaction.  Natasha told us that this was the biggest turn out yet.  Lucky for us! It was so much fun to socialize with book bloggers and authors.  It’s always fun to socialize with others that share my same interests.

I sat at a table with my friends Debbie and Catie.  And, because of Debbie’s and my connections to our soon-to-be-published-author friend Brodi Ashton, we also got to sit with Brodi, Bree Despain, Sydney Salter, Emily Wing Smith, and Ann Bowen.   I had already met Bree and Sydney thanks to Debbie and Brodi’s connections, but it was fun to see them again, and meet Emily and Ann.

After dinner, we had a book exchange.  I got Jaleta Clegg’s book, Nexus Point: The Fall of the Altairan Empire.  After the exchange, Jaletta came over and signed it for me.  The book looks really interesting and I’m excited to read it.  Kristyn Crow also gave me one of her books to read: Bedtime at the Swamp.  It looks very exciting and I love the artwork.

I was happy to see Karey Shane at the event.  I met Karey at the Children’s Book Festival last May when she told me about her upcoming book Secret Speakers and the Search for Selador’s Gate.  I’ve been keeping tabs on her ever since and I’m so excited that her book will be released on April 6!  It has been a whirlwind of events to get her book published, but her time, dedication, and persistence is about to be paid off! I was lucky enough to get a copy of her book in January when she printed a run of ARCs.  Unfortunately, because of school, I haven’t had the chance to read it yet.  It’s the next on my list, though, once I finish Elantris.

I also had the chance to meet James Dashner and because of my interaction with Brodi on her blog, I felt like I was part of the “in” crowd when I talked to him.  I spent a couple of quality minutes with Shannon Hale discussing a fun event my group of friends had with her last September and a charity event Kristyn Crow and other authors will be hosting this August.  (I’ll post more details about it when I have them since I’m sure it will be fun and a good cause!)

I also met Ann Cannon, Becky Hall, Jean Reagan, and a few other authors of whom I can’t remember their names.  It was also fun to meet not only Natasha, the overseer, but Rachelle Rogers Knight, another book blogger and publisher of reading journals, and Suey, another book blogger.  I know I missed out on meeting a lot of bloggers and a few more authors, but I hope to meet them next time.

I’m glad I had a chance to go to this event.  It was so much fun!  I hope I can go to future ones as well.

Wow! It’s already four days into February and this is my first post.  I really need to blog more, but that would require playing less Facebook games when I have free time.

Anyway, on Saturday, my friends and I threw a party for Bree Despain, the author of The Dark Divine.  I feel like Bree and I are BFFs now, she was that personable.  She was so much fun to get to know and I loved hearing about why she wanted to become and how she became an author.

Not only was meeting Bree a lot of fun, but so was the party.  My friend Debbie was the one with the idea and once conceived, she and my other friends hit the floor running to make everything a great success!

Most, if not all, the marketing for The Dark Divine has included the color purple because of the gorgeous cover.  (At some of the book events, they even had custom nail polish named after the book.)  Because of the cover, we decided to decorate with purple balloons and other purple and black decorations and most of us wore purple to the party.  (I have to say that color wise, this was definitely my favorite party. )

The Dark Divine takes place around Thanksgiving, so we had a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner.  It was so yummy! (I love being able to eat Thanksgiving dinner more than once a year. I used to request it for my birthday meal when I was younger.)

We had prizes too.  I was excited for the prize given to the person who wore the most purple.  But, alas, that game/contest was canceled a few days before the party because not everyone in the group had something purple to wear. Instead, a prize was given to the person with the best manicure or pedicure.  (Debbie knew I was disappointed about not being able to win a prize for wearing the most purple, so she gave me a prize anyway–lavender bubble bath–because she knew it was inevitable that I’d win. The bubble bath is “divine” as I’ve already taken a bath with it.)  Another prize was given to the person with the best story about a time when they wished they had a cell phone, but didn’t.  (The main character, Grace, wished she had a cell phone more than once in the book.  But, her parents wouldn’t let her have one.)

My group of friends and I can get a little crazy at times.  We’ve been known to scare away people or make people nervous with our laughter and overall joviality.  Before we started to ask Bree questions, I warned her about our group.  Of course, I made it seem like I was innocent and wasn’t part of the devilishness to which most of my friends protested and corrected me. I only mention this because of the inscription Bree left in my book when she autographed it.

To Jennifer-
Thanks for the love & support. I had a great time laughing with you all. You’re right; this is a crazy bunch.
<3 Bree Despain

I laughed when I read it and I was happy we had made such a good impression on her.

It was a very fun party!  If you ever have the chance to meet Bree, I definitely recommend that you do.  She’s very down-to-earth, sweet, and funny.  And, as I stated in my review of The Dark Divine, I definitely recommend that you read it.

PS – For the record, I know I didn’t wear very much purple to the party.  But, in my defense, if the prize for wearing the most purple would’ve still been available, just trust the fact that I would’ve won.

Happy birthday, Caryn!

I decided I needed to post something uplifting on my blog to lighten the mood. Anyway, last Friday, I went to a party with my friends.  We decided to have a gift exchange, eat yummy food, and just enjoy each other’s company.

When we walked into the party, we noticed a cardboard stand-up of Taylor Lautner, the actor who portrays Jacob Black in the movies.  My friends Christie and Cami bought it for Danylle because she loves Jacob Black.  They even wrote a fun poem to go with him.

I had my second experience with a cracker since Danylle gave each of us one.  I got another green hat, but my friend Sue was kind enough to trade me.  It might have something to do with the fact that she hates purple. I also got a yo-yo in it and a joke.  “Q: Where do sick gnomes go?  A: To the Elf Centre.”

We had Cafe Rio style salads with real Cafe Rio tortillas and dressing.  It was really yummy!  We always have good food at our parties, though.  Christie found an ice cream cake decorated like New Moon, so she bought it for the party.  It was very neat!  The things you can do with cakes.

After dinner, we had a gift exchange.  It was lots of fun.  It seemed that everyone was in sync with who they were giving to because everyone loved their gifts.  My friend Luisa had me and I never dreamed she’d get me the thing I wanted the most for Christmas–a slanket! I’ve already put it to good use at work because the air conditioner blows right on me.

The party was a lot of fun.  Cami and Christie did a wonderful job of putting it together!  I love these women so much and I’m so glad they’re my friends.  I look forward to another year of great fun!

Happy belated birthday, Alice!

In May 2007, I started crocheting an afghan for my friend Alysa.  It was for the upcoming birth of her baby.  Unfortunately, due to time crunches, unlucky circumstances trying to find the yarn I used when I needed another skein, lack of desire to crochet, and pain in my hand from cubital tunnel syndrome which contributed to the lack of desire to crochet, I never finished it … until today.

(Sorry it took me so long, Alysa! Hopefully, Benjamin will have it by Christmas if the mail cooperates.)

I got the itch to crochet again in October.  I’ve been crocheting off and on again since then.  I have to take breaks here and there to let my hand rest, so it doesn’t cramp up and aggravate my cubital tunnel syndrome.  Luckily, as long as I’ve taken some Ibuprofen before I start crocheting, then I usually don’t experience any pain.  However, if I do get some pain, I’ve found some hand stretches I can do to help relieve it. I’m actually planning on finishing some other projects I’ve had in the works for a few years, not to mention starting a couple of projects for Christmas gifts.  I guess we’ll see how well finishing my ongoing projects works out with starting school in January.

I have now seen New Moon twice and it’s better than Twilight for all the reasons Twilight bugged a lot of the fans and non-fans.  The special effects are better, the acting is better, the adaptation is better, and all the little nuances are better.  For example, I loved that Victoria’s hair is actually red instead of strawberry blond.  The sparkling was done better too, which definitely added to the story since that’s a part that most fans love.

I actually only have four complaints about the movie, but they’re super small, which is a miracle. The first, what the heck did they have Alice wearing throughout that entire movie?  Her outfits were so unflattering and made her look frumpy.  The second, the circling around Bella’s room during the months she was a zombie made me car sick.  The third, the new Volvo.  It’s not silver.  The fourth, the flashback with the old Volvo added to the inconsistency with the new Volvo.  However, all of these complaints are made better with the addition of Jacob’s smoking pecs, abs, and hip dents!

I didn’t get a chance to go to a midnight showing.  I decided to be responsible and go to bed, so I could go to work the next morning.  (However, I didn’t end up getting to sleep until 4:00 am on Thursday night anyway because of the antibiotics I’m taking. Grrr!)  But, I’m glad I waited so I could go with my niece Megan.  We had fun at the movie together, which made all the difference.  (Pardon the pictures.  They were taken with my crappy phone camera.)

On Saturday, I went to the Twilight Lexicon New Moon Movie Event with my friend Ali.  Corey and I hang out with the Vigues all the time, but I’ve never really just hung out with Ali.  It was a lot of fun to go to the movie together and we’ve decided to hang out with just the two of us more often.  (Also, if you’re wondering, neither Ali nor I won any of the raffle prizes.  We’ve decided we’re just unlucky.)

It was fun to see the movie with all my other friends too.  We have so much fun together and we always look forward to our get togethers.  This time around, it was a little crazy because we were trying to help Lori and Laura with everything for the movie event, but it was still good to see them and all of our out-of-town friends too.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing the movie a third time next week with my in-laws.  And, I’m actually trying to talk Corey into seeing it tomorrow.

All you Twilight haters need to see New Moon because it’s better.  It also captures the essence of the Twilight Saga almost perfectly, so you’ll understand better why the fans enjoy the stories so much.  Plus, there’s a lot more action for you manly men.

Happy belated birthday, Jack and Jarron!

I’ve had a lot of fun with my thankful jar so far.  It has helped me realize how much I have to be grateful for and I really enjoy making and doing things for other people.  I continue to look forward to the next 20 days.

I’m Thankful for My Legs

On Tuesday, I pulled out, “I’m thankful for my legs! Do something outside that requires your legs.”  I couldn’t have pulled out that scroll on a better day because it coincided with my weekly personal trainer session.  Even though I wasn’t outside, I was still working my legs!  And boy, was I grateful!

There are so many things I love doing that requires the use of my legs, bike riding, walking, roller skating, etc.  I can only imagine what it would be like to be confined to a wheelchair your entire life.  I think it would be so hard because not only are you not able to do the things I like to do, but it limits the places you can go too.  Fortunately, I’ve never had to do without my legs for which I’m very grateful.  I hope I can never take for the granted the mobility I have and enjoyment I get because of my legs.

I’m Thankful for Neighbors

On Wednesday, I pulled out, “I’m thankful for neighbors! Do a secret service for a neighbor.”  I decided to take a plate of cookies to three of our neighbors.  And, instead of making it secret, I let them know as I handed the plate to them, how grateful Corey and I are to have them as our neighbors.  I thought it would be more meaningful (and less scary to eat) if they knew who the cookies were from.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the cute card I made to go with the cookies.  Corey drew a cute turkey and I colored it and wrote, “Happy Thanksgiving.”

I’m Thankful for Nieces and Nephews

Yesterday, I pulled out, “I’m thankful for nieces and nephews! Write a letter to one of them.”  This one was really hard for me.  Most of you know I have a butt load of nieces and nephews, 36 (almost 37) to be exact if you count my nephews-in-law and my great-nieces and -nephew.  I thought it was hard and kind of unfair to choose only one because I’ve worked really hard not to play favorites with my nieces and nephews, even though it may not always seem that way.  So, choosing one kind of made me feel like I was going against everything I have worked for.  However, at the same time, there’s no way I would’ve had the time to send every one of them something either.  So, I had to choose. I just hope my other nieces and nephews don’t feel bad that I didn’t choose them and I hope they all know I love each and every one of them a lot!  As they all know, they’re my demons and there’s nothing better than that. *hugs*

Anyway, I decided to send a message via Facebook to my niece Kati.  She lives in San Diego and I haven’t seen or talked to her in almost a year.  And, when I did see her last year, it was for a very short amount of time.  I don’t really keep in touch with her via e-mail or messages either, so honestly, I don’t feel like I’ve seen or talked to her for longer than a year.  Consequently, I thought it would be good to send her a message letting her know how much I miss and love her.

I’m Thankful for Teachers

Today, I pulled out, “I’m thankful for teachers!  Do something nice for one of your teachers.”  I don’t really have any teachers right now.  However, I feel like I’ve learned a lot from my counselor over the past four years.  So, I decided to take her a bag of treats to my session this morning.  (Again, the timing couldn’t have been better.  And no, I’m not rigging things, except for the first day when I made my thankful jar. )

Happy birthday, Shauna!

It was pretty slow yesterday, business wise, at Froyo.  But, Corey and I expected as much.  Even with it being slow, though, Froyo did better than a typical Monday at the old location. We figure business will grow steadily over the next few weeks as word gets out that the location is finally open.

Some of our friends, the Vigues and Meyers, decided to come by and show their love and support.  It meant a lot to us to have them there on our first day!

There were lots of other people we knew that came in too.  Like I said in the post It’s Official, Erin, Lauren, and I went to Froyo during our lunch.  (I’d post a picture of them, but they complained about the one I took. )  Erin’s mom and sister also came by to show support for Meghan, one of our employees and Erin’s other sister.  My old boss and his family dropped in, too.  His daughter was so excited to see that her bookmark was the same as the bookmarks being given away at the store.

We know a lot of you are planning to come see us in the future and we also appreciate your love and support!  Because we’re not always in the store, especially me, give us a call or send us an e-mail before you come in, so we can be there if possible.

To those of you who live out-of-state and can’t support us with your patronage, thank you for your encouragement and love!  We appreciate you just as much as the locals!

Also, for my lactose-intolerant family and friends, the sorbets haven’t arrived yet. Because of the economy, all the sorbet distributors have been going out of business.  Every time we get squared away with someone, we have to do it all over again because the company goes bankrupt or closes down permanently.  There are still a few distributors available and Corey’s trying to get everything squared away with them.  We’re just keeping our fingers crossed that they don’t go out of business too.  If they do, Corey said we’ll find a way to get sorbet in our store, even if we have to make it ourselves!

Anyway, Corey said business was really steady today, which is awesome since it’s only our second day open in this location! Corey said he’s been hearing a lot of encouragement and praise from the customers.  They think the product is really good and better than the other frozen yogurt places around.  Everyone also likes that there are so many flavors and topping choices all at once!  I know it means a lot to Corey when he hears things like this.

One of the things he’s told me since we’ve owned Froyo is he really likes that our customers come in and leave with a smile.  I honestly haven’t ever seen him as happy as he has been in business since buying Froyo and that makes me happy!

Once we (mostly Corey) get more of a handle on the new location (i.e. actual signage, Grand Opening celebration), Corey’s going to start getting all the particulars ready for our second location back in the Provo/Orem area.