Taking a Spring Break- back April 1st with #AtoZChallenge

Mar23

I am taking a short hiatus because I am participating in a month long challenge in April called Blogging from A to Z.
In April, I will be blogging every day except Sundays.

Each day will correspond to a letter of the alphabet. Day 1- A, Day 2- B, and so on.

I am trying to get ahead of the game and start thinking which items/books I am going to review as part of this challenge. Mostly books of course. But I am going to also try to write some of those shorter blog posts that have been knocking around in my head and I have been procrastinating to put pen to paper (yes I have to write my posts before I type them).

To learn more about the A to Z challenge, http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

RMFAO 2015 My Bookshelf Challenge

Dec31

For fun, I decided to participate in this bookshelf challenge.

To participate in this challenge, write an announcement pose with the logo and if possible pictures of your bookshelf. To follow the discussion board of this challenge visit here.

While most of my books are on my Kindle, I have lots of books still on my bookshelf.as you can see the topics are varied and I like to think eclectic.

Top Ten Blogging Confessions

Jul9

This is not a review but a blog entry extra–

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by the authors of The Broke and the Bookish.I found out about it from Heena Rathore after I visited (and promptly followed) her blog.

Top ten blogging confessions

I am an eternal optimist. Even if a book is terrible, I have to finish it. I am hoping that everything will work out in the end. Many times I am disappointed, annoyed, and aggravated that I wasted my time, but that does not stop me from repeating the same behavior.
I will ignore phone calls when reading a good book. I cannot talk on the phone. I’m READING!
I have to read an entire book in one setting. Even when it is late and I want to go to sleep, I cannot sleep unless I finish the book. I have tried to sleep but the characters are in my head urging me to finish their story. This is why I have to gauge which book I can read by what time of night it is. If I get started around 5:30, then I can read 400 pages easily before bedtime. 9:00? I have to find 200 page-book. 10:00? Looking for a novella. For anything more than 400 pages, that is my Saturday afternoon & evening.
I hate book series when I am not forewarned ahead of time. Books that end (as in no more pages) like the end of a chapter (i.e. extreme cliffhanger) are my biggest pet peeve with writers these days. It makes me so irrationally angry that I feel like how Bruce Banner must feel as he turns into the Hulk
(I realize he is an imaginary character but still, I believe you understand my point).
I am extremely stingy with 5 heart/star reviews. I feel it is my duty and responsibility to balance out the “Oh my God, that book was awesome” reviews when in reality the storyline was mediocre at best.
I am not a romantic. It may seem that I should be with the amount of romance novels that I read.
I still have not figured that one out.
I am a Kindle book hoarder. I wish I had a dollar for every time I tried to buy a book on Amazon and received the message that I have already purchased the book. My response is “Really? I need to find it in my library and read it. That synopsis was as interesting now as it was a year ago when I bought it the first time!”
I can go days without turning on the TV, but my Kindle battery has to be charged at least every other day.
Amanda Quick is my all-time favorite romance novel author. I love her!!!!
I like finding obscure authors that create stories that blow me away. If someone suggests a book on the NY Times best seller’s list, I am less likely to read it. I try to support indie writers and self-published authors. Of course this means that I have to read a lot of junk (editing should not be considered overrated) and trashy books (I’m learning to discern how “trashy” a book can be from key words in the synopsis) to find that one gem. In the end, it is TOTALLY worth it.

Celler 56 – Buckhead Atlanta

Mar22

What do you call tapas if it is not at a Spanish restaurant? Small plates.

This is what Cellar 56 is all about. The nibbles. >>something to know before you go<<

Hubby and I went because we had a Groupon for 2 entrees and 2 drinks. Sounded great. I checked out the menu online. Oooo weee yummy options.

I ordered the lamb chops with balsamic vinegar glaze reduction. I asked the waiter what side accompanied the dish. At this point, I was still thinking this is a regular plate. He said “a bed of arugula”. To me, that response sounded like a fancy way to say “there is no side”. However, I kept an open mind because this was our first visit. Hubby and I ended up ordering additional plates. See picture for my plate #2 which was a BBQ pork eggroll. It was tasty as well. One plate is not enough to fill you up unless you are a bird OR you eat before you come.

For my drink, I ordered a margarita. It was salty, a little sour, and sweet enough for my tastebuds. I enjoyed it.

Each plate is in the price range of $5-10, so it was not too pricey. There are a variety of dishes for every palate. Our server was attentive and helped us decide what we wanted. By the end of your meal, you will still probably spend about as much as you would have in another restaurant with standard size dishes. The only difference is that at Cellar 56, you would have had the chance to try several different mini plates.

Overall, we have a good time. I would go again. I recommend Cellar 56 to anyone looking for something different in Buckhead area in Atlanta.

2013 in review: A REALLY GOOD YEAR

Dec31

When I look back over all the things that happened in 2013, I must say that I am thankful that it was a very good year for me. For my blog annual review, click this link https://amaryllisturman.wordpress.com/2013/annual-report/

– Did my first of many 5k races (Run your ice off) and continued running. Most notably I did a Mud Run and a Color Run. That is saying a lot because I do not like to get dirty.

– Qualified with my tennis team to go to State championships twice and my doubles partner and I won a one tennis tournament.

– Did a lot of traveling with the hubby, best vacay locale: Honolulu Hawaii

– Saw Mumford and sons in concert and it was AMAZING

– Went zip-lining for the first time through the jungles of Mexico and that was pretty cool

I am ready and excited for what new adventures I will have in 2014!