i want you[r] opinion!

Okay all you avid book readers (and even those that don't read avidly), here is a question for you. (Or a few questions I guess.) What makes a good book good?

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What makes a bad book bad? How soon when reading a book do you make the decision to keep reading or put it down and walk away?

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And then, what kind of characters, plots, and situations appeal to you and what kind of all that annoys you? What books/authors do you like and why? What books/authors don't you like and why?

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All answers welcome!

xoxo,

starting the weekend off right.

here's something fun to start your weekend off:

one of my favorite bloggers, anna over at much love, is doing a fabulous give away.

no really. its great. its being done by  the pagestoppers etsy shop (which is so quaint!)

and they're giving away one of their fabulous pieces.

so. if i were you, i'd get over there and enter.

for sure.

and while you're at it, have a stupendous friday!

{via}

xoxo,

s.m.i.l.e

i have not shared smiles in so long! (not sure what i'm talking about? this post, this post, or this post will inform you. also this one, this one, and this one, but i know that's asking a lot of you. soooo much clicking to do. so if you're only going to read one it might as well be this one... or this one is also good... but this one was my first one so you may want to check it out too!)

MOVING ON!

so, background story first:

last night i was trying to purchase the call by regina spektor on iTunes and, ugh, it wasn't working. the thing is, iTunes wanted me to purchase the whole album which i didn't want to do. i just wanted the one song. so i did what i usually do: vented on facebook. minutes later, i received an e-mail from a friend with the downloadable mp3 of the call. i was ecstatic. so, i downloaded it (for free) onto iTunes. (take THAT apple... or disney... or whoever made up that dumb rule of having to purchase the whole album!) lovely.

needless to say, she made me smile big time.

second smile is: its my sissykins 22nd birthday today.

aw. what a gem she is. :)

happy birthday sissykins. i miss you.

that's all for now friends.

over and out,

a little pick me up.

its wednesday again.

that means we're half way through the week, but the weekend is still 2 days away!

wednesday is kind of a bittersweet day if you ask me. a teaser, if you will.

so, to help get you through the rest of the week, i recommend checking out these fabulous bloggers:

b is for brown, breathe, and believe

i just recently found this blog through another blog (isn't that how its usually done?) and i was so inspired by summer's posts. she just tells it like it is and leaves it at that. i really like that about her. she and her husband are also trying to adopt a baby, and since that's something my family has also tried to do, i've been relating to some of the things she's been posting. 

so. if you like: life, babies, new york, acting, marriage, mustaches, or can relate to those who do, i'd recommend checking out her blog.

life is bananas

i know i've recommended her before, but i'm doing it again. this girl [mayra] is sassy and classy all rolled into one. her blog touches on a little bit of everything from fashion, diy, her bulldogs and bf to movies she's seen or books she's read. she's funny and honest as all get out, which makes her down to earth and relatable. check. her. out. you know you want to.
(if you hate miley cyrus, this is the girl to see.)

leah

photographer extraordinaire and one of my fashion icons, leah's blog is absolutely charming. her posts are short and sweet with great pictures of her daily outfits, and little excerpts about her boys. it only takes about a minute to scroll through her posts, but they are always inspiring and lovely. 

happenings of a not so cookie cutter mom

this blogger is one of my bffs (literally for life). she has another blog, but this one is new and very promising. she blogs about her 2 boys, her hubby, and the crafty projects she does to help get her through life. she's one of the most creative people i know, and if you like seeing other people's crafty sides (and how to diy), this is the place to be! i think the best part about this blog is, she takes submissions from mom's all over the place. so if your a mom, check it out and submit something! its great to hear from all different walks of life and artistic minds.

lastly but definitely not leastly (yeah i just made that word up)

hey gorgeous
this blog is full of great photographs and little words of inspiration. the writer is engaged to be married and so most of it is marriage based, but i find its still relatable. she's such a positive girl, and always has something nice to say. i recommend this blog if you need wedding inspiration, or just like to google over all that is awesome.

have a wonderful wednesday!
more recommendations next week.

xoxo,    

p.s. if you haven't heard, my create blog, sugar and spice (and all things nice), is up and running. you can visit it by going here. or by clicking the sugar and spice button on the right hand side of my blog. (its at the top. see the colorful thing up there? yeah, that's it.)

what do you want from me?

maybe if there was more than this:

aslknglsknosijboan blzmc.wjerowueotiuwoegdanbl

asmdlkjflsakawngwenboweihjrowiejlbknalemvlkwh3

ejowijrgoenblkasowihgoaenblasjdr

jweo ghoernb oje optjoinrblkawnfaoierjhbo;

wenboqweijropqiwjvboiqwnrbonqpofenqowng

going on in my brain today, i could write a decent post.

but since there is not...

i. got. nothin.

(i'm surprised i even formed the words i did to write that i can't write!)

xoxo,

phew.

the wedding that i did is finally up and posted.

you can go here to view it.

xoxo,

weekending.

hey all, happy friday!

i hope you have some wicked sweet plans for the weekend.

i know i do [not].

i'd like to congradulate leah for winning the giveaway!

congratulations leah!

e-mail me your mailing info and we'll get those sent off to you!

have a great weekend everyone!!

{via}

xoxo,

dear earth:

i'm so rude.

i completely forgot it is earth day today.

poor earth.

well, in honor of earth day, i'd like to share some photos of... you guessed it: the earth (and all her beauty).

enjoy peeps.

{taken from our backyard.}

{i don't know where this was taken...}

{taken in alaska.}

{taken in st. george.}

{taken in yellowstone ntl. park.}

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{okay, okay! i couldn't help myself.}

happy earth day!

{there is still time to enter the give away.}

xoxo,

last day. last day.

all i have to say today is:

it is the last day to enter the give away.

get over there and enter!

you know you want to.

oh and happy thursday friends.

have a good one.

{via}

xoxo,

laughs anyone?

need a good laugh about mid-week? well for starters, i was digging for pictures on my computer (and we're not talking flickr or weheart it, we're talking folders on the computer of pictures we have) and i came across this:

it was mixed in with all our family photos. who saved it to our computer and why?

i have no idea. but after the initial shock wore off, i found it quite humerous.

then it reminded me of this site (recommended to me by a friend), which if you need a good laugh, you REALLY need to check it out:

awkward family photos.

the captions are what really make the pictures funny! my mom, brother, and i looked at this site for a good 45 mintues one night laughing our butts off. it. was. great

hope you have an awesome wednesday!

(oh and if you haven't entered the give away, you can go here to do that if you'd like!)

xoxo,

lights, camera, action.

lets talk about movies for a second.

there are a lot of movies coming out that i'm pretty stoked to see,

but i'm most interested in the sereies movies that are coming out.

ie harry potter, twilight, chronicles of narnia.

for the past few years, its been a battle between series flicks in the box office: (i'm a box office watcher...)

pirates of the caribbean

transformers

lord of the rings

harry potter

chronicles of narnia

star wars

spiderman

twilight... 

(strikethrough = series ended)

and i want to see what will be the most seen series movie in 2010.

can you guess what one i'm most excited for?

you could try figuring out by this post but i don't think its much of a hint.

...

okay i'll just tell you:

chronicles of narnia: voyage of the dawn treader.

why am i so excited? well my first and main reason: ben barnes. my one true love.

(i haven't forgotten about r-patz, but he's just my love. not my one true love, which is much more important and valid - complicated i know.) and other reasons include: i like the books, the story, costumes, sets, characters etc. i just think it will be excellent.

what are you most excited about seeing?

you can tell me in my little vote box up in the right hand corner of my blog.

don't see your movie there? tell me in the comments section.

xoxo,


p.s. have you entered the give away yet? if not, go here to do so.

paper flowers give away by stephanie.

hey all! how was your weekend?

i'm ready to start a fresh new week that's sure to be exciting.

and guess what, its monday, which means:

the give away is here!!!

i'm really excited about this give away because its the first of many talented people that i get to help promote.

this weeks give away is brought to us by the talented and sweet stephanie collins.

i worked with her husband for about 1 1/2 years, and briefly knew stephanie, but i had no idea she was this crafty! i'm thirlled to be promoting her handiwork.

so here's what you can win:

{1 set of handcrafted paper flowers by stephanie.}

stephanie makes her own style of Tim Holtz grunge inspired roses using only card stock paper, her Cricut Expressions and acrylic glitter paint "to dazzle them up".

they can be used for anything from scrapbook minis to picture frames,

or head bands to broaches. 

i love these pieces simply because there are so many possibilites! 

alright, so here is how you enter:

you MUST BE A FOLLOWER OF MY BLOG. that's the first rule. - in other words i have to see your bright shining face in my followers page. (it makes things easier to keep in contact with you if you win. that's why.)

next: visit stephanie's blog and/or etsy shop,

leave a comment on this post by thursday april 22nd, telling what your favorite item(s) is and why. the winner will be chosen at random on thursday night and will be announced firday morning. its that simple! 

*want an extra entry? become a follower of stephanie's blog as well and leave an extra comment here saying you are now following her blog (please see above for what "following" means). 

alright everyone! send those positive thoughts out into the universe and get commenting!

{you can also visit stephanie's you tube channel for some awesome how-tos and shopping hauls.}

xoxo,

calling all men.

tonight boo (aka my 7 year old brother.) informed me he's ready to be an uncle.

maybe i should back up a little. here's some background deets for my story:

i'm the oldest of 6 kids ranging in ages from 24 (that's me) to 5 (yeah, that's how we mormons roll.)

none of us are married so there are no neices or nephews yet.

okay, we all caught up?

so tonight boo informed me he's ready to be an uncle and that it was about time i get married.

i agree witht this fact. it is about time i get hitched. 

so, to get one of these precious little bundles of joy:

{via, via}

i need the following items (in this order):

a boyfriend (okay so it doesn't specifically have to be ben barnes, but i would NOT say no to him either... imjustsayin.)

   

{via, via}

who later turns into a fiance and gives me this:

{via, via}

and then we get married and life happily ever after. (which is when the babies come in.)

{via, via}

so, (for boo's sake of course) calling all eligible, awesomly good looking guys.

i'm single and ready to mingle.

(okay so i know "it" doesn't actually happen like that, but... wouldn't it be nice sometimes? i'll find him. he's out there waiting for me. my mr. right.)

xoxo,

okay everyone.

its official. i've got someone to do a give away, featuring their crafty selves!

i'm super excited about it cause this girl is cra-fty! and i had no idea! its amazing what you can learn online!!

the give away will start next week on monday so be sure to tune in! details will be shared then, but i can tell you this:

you must be a follower on this blog to enter (and you can't be a family member of yours truly. sorry mom and sissykins.) so if you're not a follower yet, but you want to participate in the giveaway, get a head start by following my blog today!

xoxo,

make me stop already.

i've talked about this before.

and now i'm going to do it again.

because, frankly, i'm down right obsessed.

ob-sessed.

there is a slight possiblity that i may be lusting over things i can't have at the moment cause i'm kind of broke and, oh its still basically winter here so i can't even wear these, but still. there is no doubt these are amazing. 

lets talk about:

(drum roll P.L.E.A.S.E.)

dresses. and not just any dresses, but dresses from modcloth.

they are all so amazing, and may someday put one giant gaping hole in my bank account, but for now, i'll just lust.

observe:

{who wants to be a frillionaire?}

can you see me in this? with my hair all did up and some stunner heels on? (yes. there are stunner heels. mainly because i said so.)

{provincetown dress.}

very casual. very adorable. very me. i l♥ve it. a glammin' pair of flats, and a braid in my hair and i'm ready to go.

{the woman in white.}

everyone needs a white sundress. i am a firm believer in that fact. this would be one of mine.

bottom line? regardless what your style is, they've got it.

so go buy stuff and brag to me what you got, so that i may live vicariously through you until further notice.

thanks.

xoxo,


{all pics are courtesy of modcloth. i do not have permission to use them (eek!), but since i'm promoting them i believe they will allow them to stay up (right?).}

♥

i need an adventure.

{via}

xoxo,


p.s. "welcome" and "hello", to my newest followers!

want to give something away?

i've decided for my second giveaway i'm going to give someone who's crafty and creative the opportunity to promote their craft. i don't know how well it will go over, but we'll see! so here goes: if you make things or sell things that you would like to feature here on a day in the life of... please e-mail me (at sparrow.child at hotmail dot com - in the subject line, put "i'm crafty".) and we'll talk! it can be anything from vintage clothing or accessories to home decor. if you make it or sell it, i'll promote it! 

happy monday! 

xoxo,


p.s. happy 200th post to me!

over the weekend.

finally saw this over the weekend:

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i know i'm a bit late on the must-see movies, but when you're broke as a joke and jobless like nobody's business, you sure as heck don't have $10 to see a movie. sad but true. when i saw it was at the cheap-o theatre, i jumped at the chance to see it. 

anyway, it was pretty good. i liked it, but i don't see why people kept going and seeing it over and over and over... hmmmm. maybe someday i'll know.

i also did a little of this over the weekend:

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retail therapy for the room. i finally have sheets and a comforter that i pretty much love and i found a few other things for ridiculously good deals so... i bought them. and i didn't stop with the bedroom. i found other great deals for things that will be going in my future house. i. couldn't. resist.

(pics to come soon! believe me. they're pic worthy.)

also, i don't know if you care or not, but i had lunch here (finally):

{via}

i've eaten there before. many times. and i actually haven't even liked it until just recently (but seriously where else can you eat pretty healthy for a pretty good price as well?!) but as of late i've been dying for some rio. and finally i got some. oh. you don't know what cafe rio is? well if you live in az, co, ca, id, nv, or ut, you're in luck there may be a cafe rio near you. {click here for location finder.} if you don't then i recommend vacationing to one of those places and trying the rio. its worth it. believe me. best. mexican. food. ever. (besides hole in the walls. those are the best.)

other than that i finally got my room un-packed (now i just have to get to decorating... even though i'll have to pack it all back up in a couple of months.) and hung out with the fam. nice weekend.

what'd you do? i'd love to hear.

xoxo,