Five Little Grins

I haven't done one of these in a really long time. But I've been feeling extremeley grateful lately. :)
//one// I got a new job and will be starting next Monday. I have been struggling job hunting but I'm so happy that I finally got a full-time job!! Woo!!
//two// Went to a book signing last Thursday with Emily Giffin. I was so excited, and I am still starstruck. 
//three// Spending time with family is always the best. 
//four// Summer is finally here. And although my skin started peeling and my back got sun burned can't wait to catch some more sun.
//five// Still smiling about how much fun me and my friends had a couple of weeks ago in Palm Springs. 
What are you smiling about lately?

Sunday Social

It's Sunday!!!! Woooo!!! Happy Sunday!!
1. When do you take time for you? Right before going to bed, I like to take some time for myself to read or do a little bit of crochet. 

2. What do you find to be your biggest weakness? Gahhh I always have trouble answering this question.. heheh. But I think my biggest weakness would be that under pressure I sometimes tend to break down. I'm working on it. :) 

3. What is your biggest attribute? Gahh another hard one. But I think I'm a good and loyal person. 

4. What is your favorite place to shop online? I don't usually shop online. Sometimes its hard to find the right clothes, so I'm the kind of person who NEEDS to try things out. :) 

5. What is your favorite place to kill time? Barnes and Noble or Starbucks. :) 

What do you do in your down time?

The One & Only by Emily Giffin {Review + Photos}

This post is sponsored by BookSparksPR in honor of their 

4th annual Summer Reading Challenge. Check out all the details here.

Okay so this post is going to be a long one.. The first part will be all about the book review, which I highly recommend. The second part will be photos of the Book Signing I went to with Emily Giffin. Ahhhhh.. Sooo excited. And someone very special and sexy made an appearance. :)

Title : The One & Only

Author: Emily Giffin

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Release Date: May 20th, 2014

Summary from GoodReads:

Thirty-three-year-old Shea Rigsby has spent her entire life in Walker, Texas—a small college town that lives and dies by football, a passion she unabashedly shares. Raised alongside her best friend, Lucy, the daughter of Walker’s legendary head coach, Clive Carr, Shea was too devoted to her hometown team to leave. Instead she stayed in Walker for college, even taking a job in the university athletic department after graduation, where she has remained for more than a decade.

But when an unexpected tragedy strikes the tight-knit Walker community, Shea’s comfortable world is upended, and she begins to wonder if the life she’s chosen is really enough for her. As she finally gives up her safety net to set out on an unexpected path, Shea discovers unsettling truths about the people and things she has always trusted most—and is forced to confront her deepest desires, fears, and secrets.

Thoughtful, funny, and brilliantly observed, The One & Only is a luminous novel about finding your passion, following your heart, and, most of all, believing in something bigger than yourself . . . the one and only thing that truly makes life worth living

My Take: I'm loving it. I'm about 80% done with the book. And I really liked it. Yesterday at the book signing they described the book "a mix between Friday Night Lights and When Harry Met Sally". And I think it is a perfect combination. The book takes place in Texas, the capital of football. 
The book follows the life of Shea, a 33 year old, who still lives in her small hometown, where she grew up, went to college, and works. She is OBSESSED with the game of football. She lives, eats and breathes football. She grew up alongside her best friend Lucy. Lucy is the daughter of football coach Clive Carr.  But when a tragic event shakes her close-knit small town, she begins to question her relationships with men, love and even her job. 
Coach Carr has become Shea's role model and "all-time favorite person. " When Coach helps Shea get her dream job working as a sport reporter to Coach's team, she is ecstatic. But soon she realizes that she has to look deep within herself to admit things that  she never admitted before.  I love how Emily Giffin, makes her characters so relatable. Although this is slightly different than her other books like "Something Borrowed" I highly recommend it. And don't worry, if you know nothing about football. It think Emily Giffin does a good way to mesh romance with sports. :) 

Rating: 4 out of  5
My other Summer Reading Challenge reviews: Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick
Find my other reviews here: Book Thoughts

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I was so excited to go to the book signing. Although I went by myself, I did make new friends, which was really cool. Emily Giffin is so down to earth, and so sweet and hilarious. She talked about how The One & Only came about and how she thought it would be a good idea to make football a part of the story. She answered questions about all her books. She talked about how she likes the way she ends her book, "they aren't tied up in a perfect bow" but the characters are in a good place.  She did confirmed that there will be a movie adaptation for Where We Belong. And then talking about movie adaptations this cutie pops in. 

Yes that is Colin Egglesfield aka Dex from the movie Something Borrowed. He is so gorgeous. He even read an excerpt from The One & Only. And yes it was one of the sexy scenes in the book, his favorite. Also, Something Blue will be made into a movie.. Ahhh.. She didn't say when... but it will be done.

It was my first author book sign, and I had so much fun. :) 

What's your favorite Emily Giffin book?

Necklace Display {D.I.Y}

Gahhh I haven't done a D.I.Y in such a long time. I'm sorry ya'll!! :/  But here is my latest creation. A Necklace Display, using Shoe box lids. We all love necklaces, and if you are anything like me, you have your necklaces all over the place and all tangled up. I needed something to hang my necklaces in a neatly way. I found this pin like a couple months ago, and decided to try it. Trust me super easy and inexpensive. 

//Materials// - Shoe box lid (any size) - Fabric (any kind you want) I used the Fabric Quarters they sell at Joann's for like $1 - $2 - Mod Podge glue or any adhesive to glue the fabric down - Scissors -Tissue Paper (optional - I used tissue paper before I glued the fabric down, because my lids had bright colors and the fabric was kind of see-through) - Nails -Thumbtacks

• If you need to cover the bright colors of the lids, glue tissue paper that is a similar color  of the fabric you are using. 
• Next, measure the fabric to the lid, making sure you have extra fabric on the sides to be able to fold it over inside the lid. 
• Make a diagonal cut on the corners of the fabric, so that the corners will be easier to glue. 
• Apply some mod podge to the side of the lid, one side at a time,  and wrap the fabric to the inside of the lid. Do the same with all four sides. 

• Once the glue is finished drying, attach the lid to the wall using the nails. 
• Once the lid is in your desired postion begin adding your jewelry using thumbtacks, make sure you dsitribute the weight of your jewelry evenly. We don't want it to fall off. :) 

And there you are done, wooo!! Who doesn't love some jewelry organization. :) 

How do you display your jewelry?
Looking for other D.I.Y projects? Dream Catcher Tiered Plate Stand Shoe Box Shelves Earring Organizer Box Glittered Wine Glasses

Hello June..

Wooot Wooot!!! Happy June everyone!! We are at the halfway point of the year.

When I think of June I think of summer, longer days, late nights, barbecues, the pool and the beach. 

Here are some of the things I'm looking forward to this month.

1. One of my aunts (but she is the same age as me) is getting married this month. So I'm excited to be with the family and dance. 
2. Vegas trip at the end of the month!!! wooot woot!!! 
3. I got a new job and I'm so excited to be starting in two weeks. Wooo!!!
4. Continue enjoying the Summer Reading Challenge new books. 
5. Continue working out before going to work, I feel it works so much better for me in the morning than in the afternoon, when I'm feeling lazy. 
6. Hoping to spend time at the beach or the pool. :) 
7. Looking forward to my Half Birthday!! I'm halfway to my 25 birthday on June 25th.. eeek.

----------------------------------------------------- This next part was inspired by this post over at But first, Coffee. Where Kallie summarized the month of May by showing her iPhone pictures!! :) Love it!! May through my photos:

Row 1: Never a dull moment with these cuties. I love spending time with my nieces and nephews Row 2: Healthy start to most of my days with a green juice. We celebrated mom's birthday at Benihana's. May was a really hot day here in California, I needed to bring out my Maxi dress for my Fashion Photo Shoot. Row 3:  Got my creative juices flowing this month, with a handmade Peplum Skirt and a cute baby blanket for my pregnant cousin. Another cousin graduated from college, wooo!!! Took my mom out to watch a movie, guess what she wanted to see.... X-Men!! #nerd Row 4: Palm Springs Vacation!! We spent it mostly at the pool!! How was your May? What are you looking forward the most in June?