Owner: Fluttering Butterflies URL:http://michelle-says.blogspot.com Join Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2007 11:10:30 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Ramblings, mostly of books and the adventures of raising a toddler, from a twenty-something American living in England! Site statistics:Click here
My Visual DNA 2007-04-10 13:21:00 Read my Visual
DNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™I've seen this around, thought I'd share mine. Elliot isn't feeling well, so might not be able to post much this week :( Read more:Visual DNA
TT: TV Programmes 2007-04-12 13:32:00 1. 24 - I didn't love this series immediately. It was a bit slow to get going, but now I'm thoroughly enjoying it! I've loved 24 from the start, even last season when they killed off some of my favourite characters (Tony Almeida, Edgar Stiles) (Is it wrong of me to be glad that Audrey Raines is dead?)2. Lost This was another season I just wasn't sure about from the start (or was that last season) We're behind in America, and I always seem to look at sites with spoilers, but nothing has been too badly spoiled, thankfully.3. Heroes Love, love, love this show. Could Hiro's character be any sweeter. And yes, I have a mild crush on Peter Petrelli. 4. Jericho I've been watching this show on Hallmark, and we're a million years behind the American showing. I couldn't even tell you what it is that makes this show so gripping, but it is.5. Ugly Betty I love Betty Suarez! There's so much humour and heart in this programme!6. Miss Match I know this is really old and I did watch glimps Read more:Programmes
Reading List 2007-04-11 15:57:00 I have so many books to read at the moment. There's a ton of books on my TBR pile, but they always get pushed back as soon as I bring that stack of books home from the library. I went looking for a specific selection of books and came back with entirely different books:We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver, which I'm currently reading and it's going very slowly because of the content of the bookThe Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon (because Kate recently read it, as did Ryan in the first series of The OC)The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald, which I've strangely never read beforeFahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - part of the Dystopian Challenge over at Books Lists LifeOryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, also part of the challenge - I'm looking forward to this one because I recently read and loved The Handmaid's TaleDo Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick - Another Challenge book - my husband just emailed me to say he managed to get m Read more:Reading
, Reading List
Big long list of books 2007-04-13 09:14:00 I saw this on another blog I read. Sorry if it's become overly complicated. I'll give you the key in just a second. It's strange that lists like these really inspire me to read those books I haven't yet got around to. And more because it makes me feel special to have more titles in bold, because it makes me feel like I'm winning :) There were a ton of titles on that list, that I've started and didn't finish. (The English Patient, Catch-22, Les Miserables, the Gabriel Garcia Marquez books) I'm not sure if I'll ever go back to them. Anyway. Bold titles are books I've read. (54/100) Italicised books are books I'd like to read. + before a book means I own the book, * in front means I've never heard of it. Enjoy? 1. + The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)2. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)3. + Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)4. + To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)5. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)6. + The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien)7. + The Lord of the Rings: Return of the
Why I will never be paid to review movies... 2007-04-17 18:32:00 I've watched three movies
recently. The Lady in the Water - It was OK, nothing great.X-Men 3: The Last Stand - It was OK, nothing great.The Devil Wears Prada - It was OK, nothing great.What would you do without me, huh? :) Read more:review
There's nothing I hate more than... 2007-04-18 17:52:00 Ironing. Sleeves and collars are the worst. I think that's why I haven't ironed in the last six months, and we're living in the House of Wrinkles. Until today. Today I caved in and ironed far too many shirts and tops and just maybe I'll have to find some place permanent for my iron.
Welcome to the Neighbourhood 2007-04-20 12:47:00 When we moved here six months ago, we were offered a 'Welcome
to the neighbourhood' pack, which included flyers of things to do in the area, lists of doctor's surgeries, the number for the police department and fire station... that sort of thing. Nothing was too surprising, as we'd looked everything up on upmystreet.com pretty thoroughly before moving in. Or so we thought. Check out what we found listed under 'Nearest Hospitals':Broadmoor HospitalYES! Broadmoor Hospital, formerly known as Broadmoor Asylum for the Criminally Insane is right on my doorstep! Read more:Neighbourhood
Something a little sad 2007-04-19 15:36:00 I was tidying up our smallest bedroom yesterday, and came across some wedding things in the wardrobe. I know I don't fit into my wedding dress any longer, but just for the hell of it, I tried on my wedding shoes. I don't fit into them either :( I can't imagine ever wearing them again on any occasion, but it just seems sad, to not have that option.I shouldn't have been surprised, I don't think. It's amazing how much my body shape has changed since having my little
boy. Either that or I've always worn the wrong clothes for my shape, but none of my clothes seem to fit in the same way as I remember just last summer.
I WANT ONE! 2007-04-19 13:12:00 I've noticaed all the contests and prize giveaways over at 5 Minutes for Mom before, and this isn't the first time I've thought to myself 'oh wow, I'd love to have THAT!' but this is the first time I've realised I CAN enter to win! (most of the prizes need to be sent to US postal addresses, and it's just occurred to me that I can have any prizes sent to my father's address and he'd never mind sending whatever prize along in his latest care packages!) So here we go, I really, really want this 9" digital photo frame from Philips! Check out 5 Minutes for Mom...
I ate 6 doughnuts in 2 days! 2007-04-23 11:44:00 We decided to head out to a big shopping centre in the area for a day out on Saturday. We were after THIS for Elliot, but also ended up buying him THIS. As we were walking around, we noticed a massive crowd of people and a whole lot of Krispy Kremes... that were going for free. Free. Krispy Kremes. While I got pushed around in the crowd, N snagged us a box of 12 original glazed. I had a good weekend. What did you do?
TT: Books I'm Looking Forward to Reading (in no particular order) 2007-04-26 13:15:00 1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling- who ISN'T looking forward to reading this one? I'm considering reading all of them again before starting this book, but I know I'll never have the time!2. The Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris - A sort of sequel to Chocolat. She went a bit off since Coastliners, I hope this is a return to what we all used to know and love... 3. The Voice of the Gods by Trudi Canavan - I've loved this series! And am looking forward to sleepless nights reading it!4. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak - I've heard good things about this book!5. Outcast by Michelle Paver - So long to wait! I'm a bit disappointed because I've always read the books as advance reading copies and now I don't work in a book store! Wah!6. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer - I've read the first book in the series maybe 10 times already! I seriously had a dream the other day about these books. That's slightly worrying.7. How to Be Popular by Meg Cabot - I heart Meg Cabot Read more:Books
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Friends 2007-04-25 14:53:00 It's always been difficult for me to make friends.My family moved around a lot when I was younger, and I had so many first days at a new school. I was always shy and awkward and I always waited for other children to come to me, and never the other way around.Luckily in 8th grade through high school, I had some wonderful friends. I had some great times with them, and when I moved to England, a few of us still kept in touch. It'll never be the same as what it was, but it's nice to retain childhood friends. It's a reminder of who I once was, and a glimpse into the ways I've changed over the years. Recently, I've reconnected with old school friends as they're getting married and having their children, and I miss them...In England, I found it difficult to make friends of my own. For years, my only friends were my husband's friends and I never felt more lonely. Gradually I made friends through work, and when I got pregnant, I made great friends during my antenatal classes. Our childr Read more:Friends
Would you buy things from me? 2007-04-24 13:57:00 Ever since I gave up work, I've been looking for ways to bring in some money aside from going back to work. I've tried selling unused items around the house on ebay, which was short-lived, and since then, I've been looking for something that would last a bit longer. I don't have any special skills, like jewellery-making or anything, but I really want to do SOMETHING. Here are the options I've found ... selling Usborne books or selling Phoenix cards. I'm not sure how viable it is to try and sell both, but let me ask you - would you buy either from me? How good do you think either option is for me? I need help and advice! Read more:things
101 Things in 1001 Days 2007-05-02 13:24:00 (I saw this over at Books Lists Life as well as other places. I thought, 'what the hell, everyone needs goals' and decided to jump on board. I'll try and update when I cross stuff off, and it'll make me feel all special and important, and that's always nice. The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).Why 1001 Days? Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as new year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.And I've posted this list a
It All Happens on This Day 2007-05-01 13:50:00 I married into a family that has a weird history, particularly on this one day, May 1st. Let me explain: my sister-in-law was born on 1 May 34 years ago. My father-in-law sadly passed away on 1 May 7 years ago. My grandfather on my father's side would have been 99 today. An aunt and uncle were married on 1 May (not sure of year). Contracts were signed and exchanged for a first house on 1 May. Last year, I was admitted into hospital with pancreatitis on, you guessed it, 1 May. For this family, things happen on May 1st, and let's hope it's something good this year.
Note to Self 2007-05-01 13:42:00 Self,The next time you're awake at 10:30pm and feel a bit peckish, do not under any circumstances decide to nip downstairs and eat a huge bowlful of Chinese leftovers. As tempting as cripy chilli beef is, it is not worth a sleepless night with that resting heavy on our stomach. You'll thank me for it, I promise.-Me.
I had a dream... 2007-05-02 23:10:00 And I'm so thrilled, because this is the first time in about 9 months that I've remembered it! So please forgive my excitement, but I've got to share it! It was one of those dreams where I kept jumping from scene to scene:It starts off, and I'm in our old Cherokee Jeep, it's me, my father and my brother and it feels like we're on one of our old family road trips from when I was 10, but there's no pillows or blankets or bags or the cooler filled with Dr Pepper in the car or anything, so it feels strange. It's really late at night and we're on a highway. There's signs up ahead which say the highway is splitting into two, and we've got to choose which exit to take. To the right, we'd be headed into France and the rest of Europe, and if we choose left, we'd be headed into Southeast Asia. The car goes towards the left, and as it does...I'm now in an outdoor theater, like the one in Regent's Park that N and I went to once when it was showing A Midsummer Night's Dream, and N a
Uni classes 2007-05-04 18:49:00 Have I mentioned before that I want to go back to university and finally finish my degree? I do. Though because of everything that's happened (I was studying one subject then changed my mind and went into a different direction, failed at it and wasted a lot of money and time) I don't feel very confident going back. I feel like I failure and I hate that I messed up, but this time I do have a lot of interest in the subject that I'd be studying (the degree would be for social sciences) and I'm looking forward to moving on with this part of my life, but I'm still afraid. Anyway, I thought I'd share some of the courses I'd be looking into taking. I'd only have to take 5 of these, but I can't narrow it down:An Introduction to the Social Sciences: Understanding social ChangeChild DevelopmentChildhoodPersonal Lives and Social PolicySocial Psychology: Critical Perspectives on Self and OthersExploring PsychologySocial Policy: Welfare, Power and DiversityWorking with Children and Fa
Death by Brownies. 2007-05-03 18:47:00 You know how one of my goals on my huge list, is 'bake once a month'? Well, I thought that I'd start with brownies for this month. Who doesn't love brownies? Well anyway, they came out great, and I added huge chunks of quality milk chocolate into the batter to make it really rich and gooey. And then I ate three huge chunks, feeling very proud of myself. And then I suffered. All day long. It was such a huge surge of sugar and chocolate to my system, you really should only eat small amounts. This I know now. I threw out all the rest of those damn brownies.
One book down 2007-05-11 17:47:00 It has been a very long time since I've blogged about the books I've been reading, and that's because I haven't been reading. It's been a weird few weeks without books, and I feel somewhat ... lost, but I can't bring myself back as yet. I don't know how to explain it. But I did read this, one of my Dystopian Challenge books, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick awhile back. It was OK. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. It's the book that Blade Runner was based on, and while I know I have seen the film, I don't remember the details so I went into reading this book without much of an idea of what it was about apart from the fact that it was set in a dystopia. I hadn't read anything by Philip K. Dick before, and possibly this wasn't the best book to jump in from? It's about a bounty hunter in a future covered in radiactive dust where having a live pet is the ultimate symbol of prestige and all animals are sacred, even spiders. Rick Deckard is set the task
Top 7 according to N 2007-05-11 13:48:00 Elliot's bedtime routine goes like this:By 8:30, we clear up the toys in the living room and head upstairs, where Elliot is changed into his pyjamas and has his teeth brushed. We then say our prayers together, and then N reads a story. N is sometimes not home by this time, in which case I do an abbreviated version of the above. N decided as a special treat, he would read Elliot N's 'Top 7' books for bedtime every night for a week. It appears that the best books are books with lots of dialogue (so N can talk in funny Scottish or Scouse accents), books with lots of rhymes (a la Julia Donaldson, and yes, don't we have a large collection of her books), or books that allows us to join in together making funny noises like animal sounds. Here's the list (a little mixed up and not quite in the right order):1. My Best Friend, Bob by Georgie Ripper2.Webster J. Duck by Martin Waddell3. A Squash and a Squeeze by Julia Donaldson4.Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson5.One Ted Falls out of Bed
Mother's Day Giveaway.. 2007-05-10 13:07:00 ...over at 5 Minutes for Mom! Enter to win a ipod, beautiful jewellery, mommy business cards and more. Check it out :) (I hope I win, I hope I win, I hope I win!)
Fahrenheit 451 2007-05-15 18:57:00 I finished another one. This time, Fahrenheit
451 by Ray Bradbury. I'd been meaning to read this book for awhile, but I'd never gotten around to it until now. It's a fantastic book! And really powerful. It made me reconsider the amount of time I spend watching TV, it had me wondering if I really listen to the people I care about, it made me more aware of how little I am aware of current events. If ever a book made me really stop and think about my, then this book was it. It's set in a future where books are banned and no one thinks for themselves in order to achieve happiness. No one listens to what other people have to say, everyone's lives are very superficial and based around silly nonsensical TV programmes. Life is very fastpaced and surrounded by noise and chatter and materialism. The protaganist, Guy Montag is a fireman whose main responsibilites are to burn books and to burn the houses of people who still own books. He meets a strange girl who asks him unusual questions and
Camera Phone Photos Part 2 2007-05-14 11:45:00 There can never be too many photos of Elliot :) Have I mentioned that Elliot can say many words now? Here's the list: mama, hi, bye, yeah, puppy, car, bear, my bad, baby. I'm very impressed, except everytime Elliot says 'my bad' I cringe just a little bit. Read more:Camera
Camera phone photos 2007-05-13 14:06:00 N transferred the photos
from the (three) camera phone
s to the computer yesterday, and I thought I'd share a few with you. Blogger only let me upload 5 photos, so here are the first five. Now if only I knew how to share the videos with you... Read more:Camera
Something nice 2007-05-12 11:22:00 A few weeks ago, I was sitting in a cafe with a friend of mine from antenatal class, drinking our mint frappes, and my friend said the nicest thing to me. We had been talking about our complicated relationships with our mothers and how that had affected how we are as parents. I mentioned that I still felt insecure about my abilities as a mother because of my own mother, and she was surprised. She said she thought I was a great mother, and that as a mother she looked up to me because of the obvious affection between Elliot and I, because of my relaxed and laid-back approach to motherhood. I almost cried. She said so many nice things that day, and two weeks later, those comments still make me feel good inside. So I hope you all read this and decide to tell someone close to you something nice. Something that they will carry around for weeks, that makes them smile. On another note, it's Mother's Day in America (in England, Mother's Day has already come and gone) so to all my Amer
Thanks for the traffic! 2007-05-17 12:56:00 I saw this on Lil Duck Duck once. I waded through my sitemeter and have listed the blogs that have recently brough traffic
to my site! A big thank you to all of you! (sorry, those of you who use bloglines!) Check them out and maybe consider thanking those that link to you as well :) Love all around, I'm sure!Jim and Katie had a little mishap with an exploding barbecue recently...What I Do... has taken a little break from blogging, but the archives are still there!Random Stuff and Ramblings is busy moving homes!I'm Me, What More Do You Want? has had a loss in the family :(A Meyerific Life has the most adorable children, but they seem to be a bit of a handful at times :)Abundantly Blessed recently had a birthday in the family!Exorcise My Devils is feeling a bit under the weather!Mis-adventures of Captain Poopy has a 'fig' growing inside her (and I'm so jealous!)Books. Lists. Life. is walking down a musical memory lane...Adventures in Babywearing LOVES shoes! Go check them all o Read more:Thanks
The Road by Cormac McCarthy 2007-05-16 14:20:00 Wednesdays are the days that Elliot goes to his grandma's house for the day, and I usually spend my freetime catching up on housework or laundry, but today was different. Today, I had The Road by Cormac McCarthy
to keep me company. I stayed in bed all morning reading this haunting yet beautiful book. I could have wept, but I didn't. I almost couldn't. Here's what the front flap has to say:A father and his young son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing but a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food - and each other. I couldn't believe this heartbreaking world, set in a time after an unexplained catastrophe. With many forced to abandon their humanity to survive in this new world, a father and son try to get by and be 'th
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