A Slapdash Mosaic Monday

I must apologize to the three or so people who read my blog. The past week or so have been endlessly wonderful, but have left little room for important things like blogging...and writing my senior thesis.

And today my wonderful friend Katie is coming to stay for a few days (yeah!), so I won't be back to normal blogging for a bit because we will be busy eating scones and watching Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (and maybe Downton Abbey AKA my lifeblood at the moment).

I thought I'd do a proper New Year's post with resolutions and what not, but I never make resolutions. I just...can't. I forget what they are within a week, even if I write them down. I mean, I do have a list of things I try to work toward (towards? really must look that up again) every day, but that's more of a "be a decent human being" list than anything else and I try to keep it up year round instead of just the first week of January!

So instead, how about I ring in the new year with a collage of my cat? Because who doesn't love a giant, grumpy cat partaking in Christmas cheer?

For some reason, Big Boy (perfect name for an 18lb Maine Coon, let's be real), the Boo Radley of our household, decided he loves Christmas so much he can't stand it. He got right into all the ribbons and wrappings and didn't move until present time was over. Bless.

Go check out Mosaic Monday at Little Red House!

Mosaic Monday: More Christmas on Flora Street

One reason I love Christmas is because its an excuse to decorate our house in loads of little sparkly things like ornaments, mercury glass birds, gold wreaths, glitter covered reindeer...etc. I just love sparkly things, especially when a little glitter is involved.

I also love winter bouquets. However, in our house they tend to be a little different this time of year. Here's some of our Christmas greenery from the garden.

I'm so glad I stumbled upon Mosaic Mondays at Little Red House. I love seeing how everyone else has decorated for the holiday season.

Cats Love Christmas Trees

We already know cats hate reading, but apparently they're crazy about Christmas trees. Our cats are obsessed. They sleep under it, stare up at it in wonder, etc. Would probably write bad poetry about it if they had thumbs.

Unfortunately, only one of them will sit still for photos.

I'd say Marshmallow spends 90% of her day sleeping under the Christmas tree. The other 10% is spent looking for potential lizards that might've snuck in on the tree. Luckily, she hasn't found any yet!

Cat lady thought of the day: This cat was especially designed to appear on winter greeting cards, I swear. Look at that snow bunny. Not that I'm biased or anything. 

Christmastime in Tampa

I've officially been home from school for four days and its finally starting to feel like I'm done with school! All papers are turned in, projects completed, and I've slept off the delirious exhaustion that accompanies finals.

Yesterday was a perfect winter day in Florida: 75 degrees, a little breezy, and sunny! After having lunch at one of my favorite Tampa spots, Wright's Deli, we took a trip out to Hyde Park and just walked around enjoying the weather (...and Anthropologie).  Everything was decorated and looking suitably festive.

This sweet dog was getting his photo taken with Santa's sleigh. Its always nice to see something reaffirming the fact that other people are just as obsessive over their dogs as I am. Totally tempted to bring our dogs out here now.

It's good to be home!

Top Ten Tuesday! - Books to Give as Gifts

My friend Julie posted her Top Ten Tuesday today, and it was the top ten books she'd give as gifts, inspired by The Broke and the Bookish. I love the idea behind Top Ten Tuesday, and so I thought I'd make my own list! So in honor of the holiday season, here are the Top Ten Books I'd Give as Gifts

1. Soccernomics: Why England Loses, Why Germany and Brazil Win, and Why the U.S., Japan, Australia, Turkey--and Even Iraq--Are Destined to Become the Kings of the World's Most Popular Sport by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski 
Now THAT is a mouthful. However, Soccernomics is one of the best non-fiction books I've read in the past year. Its a definite must read for anyone who is interested in soccer/football or the historical/socio-economic factors that go hand in hand with a country's success in sports. Although some of the statistical information is a little dense, the writing is clean, easy to understand, and even humorous at times! It'll spoil her Christmas if she reads this blog entry, but I think I'm going to get this for my friend C, who recently developed an interest in ~the beautiful game.

2. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
One of my all time favorite books. Gaskell's writing is reminiscent of Austen, albiet darker and with more robust language. Definitely more romantic than any of Austen's novels. The story revolves around a family that moves from the countryside in the south of England to--surprise!--a factory town in the north. It deals mostly with how the family's young daughter deals with the culture shock. And yes, there's a male protagonist to rival the brooding Mr. Darcy. It's definitely not as miserable, heavy, etc as some Victorian novels. Gaskell's writing style also comes across as more modern than some of her contemporaries'.  Perfect gift for anyone who's a sucker for Victorian romance novels. There's also a mini-series starring Richard Armitage that's pretty fantastic.

3. The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock
Written in 1930, the Savoy Cocktail Book is great for anyone who is a) a huge history nerd and b) loves fancy drinks. It's got tons of vintage cocktail recipes, all of which have pretty fantastic names. The most ridiculous of the names just might be the Satans Whiskers, an orange flavored cocktail. A perfect gift for anyone is a penchant for amateur bar tending! I think I may get this for my friend K this Christmas!

4. Then Again by Diane Keaton
I've actually got this one on my Christmas list. My mother has already asked for it for Christmas. Diane Keaton is pretty awesome, so I have a feeling I may be borrowing this from her.

5. Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby
Another must have for football fans. Or at least supporters of Arsenal or the EPL. Definitely getting this for my friend C, who is studying abroad in London and has fallen under the spell of Arsenal. Hornby's writing is light, humorous, and at times poignant. A perfect read for anyone who has understood the sweet, sweet misery of loving a sports team.

6. Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit: A Son Remembers by Sean Hepburn Ferrer
My friend Sarah and I share a mutual love of all things Audrey Hepburn. This is a wonderful book that includes many personal stories and insights into Audrey's life. Sarah would love it. One of the best parts of the book, however, is the inclusion of a recipe for Audrey Hepburn's version of Spaghetti al Pomodoro (which is fantastic by the way). 


7. Bossypants by Tina Fey
Okay...this is a bit of a cheat. This is actually a book I would love to get for Christmas! Somehow I still haven't read it yet and I'm a little ashamed of myself. I need to buy this book very soon! Better yet, maybe Santa will bring it to me. 


8. My Dearest Friend: The Letters of Abigail and John Adams
Okay, bear with me. It sounds dense and a little boring but IT SO ISN'T. I haven't finished reading it yet but I already love it. Some of the letters are hilarious, others downright tragic. However, there's always an underlying sense of pure love and friendship within the letters sent between America's first power couple (sorry George and Martha, but its true). The letters span over 49 years, from the beginning of Abigail and John Adams' courtship to about 1801, I believe. Its a fantastic gift for history nerds and hopeless romantics alike. 

9. Swept Off Her Feet by Hester Browne
An antiques dealer is offered a job appraising family heirlooms at a castle in Scotland. The family, once rich, is struggling to keep up the inherited castle, and cannot afford to keep it running unless they find some expensive family furniture to sell off. I love Scotland and I love antiques, so of course I enjoyed this book. There's also a romance subplot (of course), but Hester Browne's writing is lighthearted and its an easy read with an enjoyable heroine. A good fluff book for the beach or an airplane trip!


10. Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America by Leslie Knope
I absolutely, positively love Parks and Recreation. Best show on television, Leslie Knope is my queen, etc. A couple of my friends are also pretty obsessed with it, and I can think of at least three people who could be getting this book for Christmas. I've seen a few excerpts of it on Tumblr and it looks pretty marvelous. Hell, add this to the list of books I want for Christmas as well!

So that's that! Undoubtedly one of the longest blog posts I've ever written. However, I love lists and I love books, so I couldn't resist the Top Ten Tuesdays challenge! What are some books you'd like to receive as gifts?