December Book List

Zero-Budget Christmas: The Almost Entirely True Story of Our Quest to Do Our Christmas Shopping Without Spending Any Money by Jason Anderson (2 stars)
I was intrigued by this short book when I saw it for a dollar on Amazon. It's exactly what the title says. Jason Anderson's writing is funny and Jon Acuff-esque, he and his wife sound like nice people, and their ideas are good. If saving money is new to you, this book will be helpful. But if you're already a bargain hunter (like me), you probably won't find any new information here.

The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass by Mandy Hale (3 stars)

After a bad breakup, Mandy Hale couldn't find any books or encouragement for single women. So she founded her own website/ministry, The Single Woman, and wrote this book. I like her for that, and am in FULL support of her overall message! But while the book had some good nuggets of wisdom, it was a little cutesy and Oprah-motivational for me (the many rhyming couplets made me feel like I was back in the Pentecostal church where I grew up). If that doesn't bother you, you will love this!

Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion by Sara Miles (4.5 stars)
Sara Miles was a very unlikely candidate to become a Christian. But one day, as she walked past a service at St. Gregory's Episcopal Church in San Francisco, she felt an inexplicable urge to go in. When she took the Eucharist, she knew her life had changed forever. Within a year, compelled by Jesus' command to "feed my sheep," she had started a food pantry at the church that provided groceries to hundreds weekly. I was fascinated, inspired, and convicted by this memoir. I haven't been part of a Eucharist-focused denomination, so I've never thought much about Jesus as nourishment. I hope these insights will stick with me.

PS - I later discovered that Sara is (I think) the daughter of Betty Miles, who wrote YA before it was YA, including a lesser-known favorite of mine, The Real Me. It was about a teenage girl in the 1960s or 70s who fought The Man for permission to deliver newspapers and play sports.

These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen (4 stars)
Cate and Renee are NYC roommates and co-workers at an InStyle-like women's magazine. Cate has just landed an editorship and has to prove herself, while Renee is vying for a beauty editor position and struggling to lose weight so she can look the part. They're just beginning to establish a real friendship when Abby, the troubled sister of a colleague, comes into their lives. Each woman is hiding a lot of trauma and at least one big secret. More than anything, this novel is about how they learn to trust each other. There is a love interest (a good one), but the women's friendship is definitely the focus of the story, and I love that.

Books for December: 4
2013 FINAL TOTAL: 68

Not my highest annual total, but I read a lot of quality books this year, and Quality Over Quantity is slowly becoming one of my rules for life.

See you in 2014! :)

The 2013 Survey

The Year-End Survey

1. What did you do in 2013 that you'd never done before?

Took an online, community-oriented writing course; ran a 5K in just over 34 minutes, and an under-11-minute mile; shopped at Trader Joe's; got preview access to a few big-time book releases; met one of my favorite authors; grew a very successful vegetable garden!



2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I didn't make resolutions, but I chose a One Word for the year: Focus. I'll talk about it and my 2014 word in another post.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

My college BFF Emily, and my church friends Nell and Stacey.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, but an alarming number of my friends and acquaintances lost loved ones. It was a rough year for a lot of people – I have a smidge of survivor guilt.



5. What countries did you visit?
No new countries or states.

6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked this year?

Peace.



7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
None in particular.



8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Becoming a LOT more comfortable with taking chances, putting myself out there, and potentially failing.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not eliminating frantic overactivity from my life… despite multiple attempts. I need to buckle down and deal with this, but I'm finally forced to admit that I just don't know how.



10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Once I recovered from the Eternal Sickness that bled into January, I had a healthy year... aside from my recent eye problems. 



11. What was the best thing you bought?
New flooring; my Dyson vacuum; my Madewell military jacket; and my faux Clarisonic.



12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My sister's, as usual, for moving to a new state and taking all kinds of difficulties in stride.



13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
A lot of people on the internet.



14. Where did most of your money go?

Travel? It definitely went somewhere in a hurry. My main post-holiday goal is to get a better handle on my financial situation.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Getting new flooring; my cat getting a second lease on life; March Madness; going to Colorado; my garden; the Grizzlies going to the playoffs; my niece's first birthday and dedication; meeting D.J. Stephens; reuniting with my best friend from seventh grade; my birthday dinner at Flight.

16. What song will always remind you of 2013?

Blurred Lines.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Slightly happier.
b) thinner or fatter? About the same.
c) richer or poorer?
 Poorer. 



18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Writing, reading, and resting.



19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Cleaning up my cats' messes. In that sense, I am totally equipped for motherhood.



20. How did you spend Christmas?

With my parents and brother here in Memphis.



21. Did you fall in love in 2013?

No.

22. What concerts did you attend this year?

Other than several Myla shows, it looks like Hanson at Minglewood Hall was my only 2013 concert! Wow.

23. What was your favorite TV program?

My consistent faves are How I Met Your Mother, New Girl, and The Mindy Project. This year I also picked up The Mentalist and Project Runway.



24. Do you dislike anyone now whom you didn't dislike this time last year?
No, thankfully.



25. What was the best book you read?

My Favorite Fiction and Non-Fiction of 2013

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I liked a lot of songs by new and new-to-me artists, but I haven't gone crazy over anyone in particular.



27. What did you want and get?
See 11 and 15.



28. What did you want and not get?

A date.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?

In theaters: Catching Fire and Now You See Me. DVD: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.



30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 34, and it was the best birthday I've had in a long time. I took the day off work, rode the Greenline with my mom, lunched at McAlister's with Elizabeth and her kids, relaxed in the afternoon, and went to dinner at Slider Inn with several friends followed by cake at Caroline's.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

A greater sense of achievement and more obvious "progress" in my life.



32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?

I'm starting to prefer fewer well-made, loved pieces to a closet full of meh bargains. My wardrobe is slowly adjusting to reflect this. Also: I am currently ALL ABOUT hosiery for some reason. Tights and leggings, woo! (NEVER AS PANTS.)



33. What kept you sane?

My family, friends, and excellent counselor. Shoutout to Alanna and Esther for doing more than their share this year. Thankful for you. ♥



34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
My favorite celebrities remain consistent: Jimmy Fallon, Justin Timberlake, and Katy Perry.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?



Let's not go there. :P

36. Who did you miss?

My siblings and niece.



37. Who was the best new person you met?

My neighbor Elizabeth! I'd seen her at Sunday School, but we actually met at the park down the street from my house. I've prayed for a fellow church member nearby for a long time (the majority of our congregation lives in the same pocket of East Memphis, nowhere near my house). 



38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.

I learned a lot of life lessons, but here's one of the biggies: Adrenaline brain and creative brain cannot coexist. (How will I respond to this knowledge? TBD.)



39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Sometimes it seems that the going is just too rough
And things go wrong no matter what I do.
Now and then it seems that life is just too much
But you've got the love I need to see me through.
When food is gone, you are my daily meal.
When friends are gone, I know my Savior's love is real.
You know it's real.
 - Florence + The Machine

The 2013 Playlist

I've been doing annual playlists since 2002, and I think about them throughout the year. Although there are no real time constraints to playlists anymore, I still limit mine to the length of a CD. Usually it takes a couple of tries to figure out the right arrangement of songs. When I burned a trial CD for myself yesterday, I still hadn't figured out what to call the playlist, so I wrote "First Draft." In the next moment, I realized that it was the perfect name. Much of this year has been about learning to own my identity as a writer, and I've tried new things overall. And failed a lot.

So I give you:

(We called this picture from our Gold Gathering photo shoot "The Album Cover." I couldn't resist.)

I will comment where I have something to say. These soundtracks always help me identify the common themes of my year. 2013: Confidence and boldness (in what God is doing in me, who He made me to be, and the truth as I see it). Impatience (with fakeness, The Establishment, and the unbearable slowness of progress in my life). Somehow, hope and love in the midst of it all.

1. It's Time - Imagine Dragons

2. Carry On - Fun.

3. She Don't Want Nobody Near - Counting Crows
This song summed up my mess of feelings about my dating life/lack thereof.

4. Light In Your Eyes - Sheryl Crow
I put this on the CD for Niecy's "Little Miss Sunshine" themed first birthday party, and it always makes me think of her.

5. Can't Hold Us - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
I will forever associate this song with the Grizzlies' playoff run. It encompassed the whole experience at the perfect time. I got my city right behind me. If I fall, they got me.

6. Ain't It Fun - Paramore
Paramore was by far my album of the year, and this was always the frontrunner for my soundtrack.  I never get tired of it.

7. Get The Girl Back - Hanson
The only track from Anthem that grabbed me immediately. I keep a mental list of songs for the high school musical I want to write someday, and from the first time I heard this, I saw a full-production number in my head. (Yeah, I'm just letting my freak flag fly these days.)

8. Safe and Sound - Capital Cities
Probably my favorite song of the year. It always makes me smile. 

9. I Love It - Icona Pop
A lot of my most-listened-to songs this year were for running and working out. Lots of Britney, Nicki Minaj, and their ilk. So this is me restraining myself to one favorite ridiculous song. Also the lyrics are deeply satisfying for a person who would never actually push someone's stuff down the stairs or crash her car into a bridge.

10. You've Got The Love - Florence + The Machine
The 2013 Psalm of Brenda.

11. Clarity - Zedd feat. Foxes
I'd be embarrassed to say how many dramatic dance routines I made up and performed to this in the privacy of my own home.

12. Roar - Katy Perry
A close runner-up for my favorite song of the year.

13. Bruises - Train feat. Ashley Monroe
This song gives me hope.

14. I'm Not Your Hero - Tegan and Sara
In all honesty, this is how I sometimes felt about my relationship to The Church this year. (Have I mentioned that the whole Heartthrob album is amazing?)

15. Cassiopeia - Sara Bareilles
Before Roar came out, Brave would have been my Sara selection for this list, but the two songs are so similar and I loved Roar SO much. Then, the day I read The 5th Wave, I heard this song in the car, and the convergence of the song and book stunned me. It could have been written for the story. There's an urgency about it (and the character of Cassie) that I deeply connect with.

16. Bravado - Lorde
All my life, I've been fighting a war... I am telling you that when the lights come on, I'll be ready for this.

17. Face of Love - Myla Smith
This goes out to the future man who will try to win me (if he exists).

18. Say It, Just Say It - The Mowglis

19. Anything Could Happen - Ellie Goulding
Sometimes you have an unexpected encounter and it's enough to remind you that life still holds a lot of potential, even if you don't see it very often.

20. Bonfire Heart - James Blunt

Honorable Mentions:
Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men
Wake Me Up - Avicii (love the Aloe Blacc part, but the techno part grates on me after a while)
Stay - Rihanna feat. Mikky Ekko
Pusher Love Girl - Justin Timberlake
Summertime Sadness - Lana Del Rey


You can listen to this playlist, or the full list before I cut it down, at Spotify. Yay!

My Top Books of 2013

If you're looking for a last-minute gift for the bookworm in your life, here are my top ten fiction and non-fiction reads of 2013 (not all were released this year)! I had such a great reading year that it was hard to narrow it down. These selections were based on pure enjoyment and/or how much they've stuck with me, regardless of how I rated or ranked them initially. There should be something for everyone here.

Fiction

Life After Life, Kate Atkinson

Thin Space, Jody Casella

Clockwork Princess, Cassandra Clare

Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn

Burn For Burn, Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Flat-Out Love, Jessica Park

Across A Star-Swept Sea, Diana Peterfreund

Eleanor & Park, Rainbow Rowell

This Is What Happy Looks Like, Jennifer E. Smith

The 5th Wave, Rick Yancey

Nonfiction

Saturday Night Widows: The Adventures of Six Friends Remaking Their Lives, Becky Aikman
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, Brene Brown
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, Susan Cain
But Enough About Me: A Jersey Girl's Unlikely Adventures Among the Absurdly Famous, Jancee Dunn
A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live, Emily P. Freeman
Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs.-Christians Debate, Justin Lee
Bread & Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes, Shauna Niequist
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, Sheryl Sandberg
Mo' Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove, Ahmir Thompson
When We Were on Fire: A Memoir of Consuming Faith, Tangled Love, and Starting Over, Addie Zierman


Happy reading!

Christmas Tour of My Home

Now that all my decorations are up, welcome to the 2013 Christmas tour of my house!

Last year my dad hung hooks under the eaves of my house so I could easily put up lights on my own. It only took me about twenty minutes. He did help with the additional blue icicle lights, though! I love them.

When I first set out my deer (in the top photo), only the torso was lighting up. My dad said he'd come back later to work on it. The next night, I was backing out to go somewhere and noticed that the whole deer was aglow. I called my dad to thank him, only to find out that he hadn't done anything. The deer healed on its own. Christmas miracle!!

Here's this year's Christmas wreath! Inspired by this pin (and then this one), I saved paper towel rolls for months, then cut them, hot-glued them together, and spray-painted the whole thing gold. Once the wreath was dry and set, I glued on the small ornaments (from Hobby Lobby) and hung it with ribbon. It's not exactly what I envisioned, but I'm still happy with it. I just wanted a change from evergreen this year.

My interior decorations are simpler this year. I wanted to add some garland or lights to the mantel, but worried that the cats would somehow yank it down and break everything. So this is as good as it gets. Even though it's not perfectly arranged, it makes me happy to look at it!

This Photoshop job of me and my siblings with Baby Jesus is already legendary in our family. Someone (either my mom or sister) decoupaged it onto plaques and gave one to each of us. It's one of my favorite Christmas things. The ceramic lamps are Lenox, both gifts from different people several years apart. And I just tied a holiday bow around this bird to make him festive.

I scored this holiday dish at my clothing swap, and it's the perfect accent to my Yankee candle. I put it all on a Christmas cloth from India. (Don't mind the weather station, it stays out year round.)

I like to mark my travels with ornaments (and refrigerator magnets), so I bought this gold-plated aspen leaf in Steamboat Springs to remember my time there. I thought of my Gathering friends as I hung it on the tree.

Meanwhile, the cats are extra adorable at the holidays.

I'll be back next week to start the end-of-year wrap-up posts!

Sartorial Wishes

I regret to do two fashion posts in a row, but in all the hustle and bustle, my brain is too cluttery to produce deep thoughts. And in all the shopping, I've wished for many clothing items, most of which are out of my price range. So just for fun, here's what I would add to my wardrobe this Christmas if I won the Mega Millions... and if these clothes were still available! I've been stalking them so long that most of them are sold out now.


 

J. Crew Factory Graphic Dot Dress // ModCloth Twinkling at Twilight Dress (perfect for New Year's Eve)




Madewell Shirred Silk Dress in Hazestripe // this entire Moorea Seal ensemble


 

PJK Patterson J. Kincaid Sweatshirt (similar) //  Limited Striped Shirred Front Sweater
I've been obsessed with this specific sweatshirt since I saw it in a fall issue of InStyle. I'd like to DIY one, but finding a pattern even similar to that in a sweatshirt fabric seems unlikely.


 

Gap Camo Always Skinny Jeans // H&M Faux Leather Skirt

A neutral pattern like a subtle camo is the only way I'll participate in the patterned jeans trend. I was converted after Hollywood Housewife posted about a similar pair.

 

Fossil Erin Satchel in Real Red //  Nine West Flax Pump in Peacock (other colors)


 

Steve Madden Heaven Star Flat (sold out everywhere) // Wallis Gray Platform Ankle Boot

What have you had your eye on for the holidays?

Jewelry Winner

Sweater: Uniqlo // Cami: Old Navy // Denim pencil skirt: Gap

Lips: Revlon Black Cherry // Nails: OPI I've "Red" The Script

Necklace and Earrings: Ruth Barzel Jewelry Design

Two weeks ago, I won a giveaway on my favorite fashion blog, Wardrobe Oxygen! I'm pretty sure it's the first blog giveaway I've ever won, and it was a great one - a $100 credit to Ruth Barzel Jewelry Design. After I got the happy news, I had a hard time choosing just one or two of Ruth's gorgeous pieces, and figuring out whether to stick with the credit or put it toward a larger investment. I was very tempted by the Starfish Necklace and the Mixed Chain Necklace. But eventually...

...I settled on the Long Turquoise Pendant and the Mint Amazonite Earrings. I've been on the lookout for more yellow gold jewelry, and I like the simplicity and boldness of the turquoise square.

Here's a better look at the earrings! They're the same size, shape, and color as one of my most frequently worn pairs, which are plastic/aluminum and starting to look rough. As I get older, I'm getting more sensitive to fake metals (womp womp). So I jumped at the chance to "upgrade" to these nice silver hooks and real stones!

Thanks so much Allie and Ruth! You've made my holiday season happier. Also, thanks to my friend Stacy for taking these pictures outside in the freezing cold.

Breaking Traditions

On the last night of the Soulation Gold Gathering in September, Jonalyn did a fascinating presentation on different Christian faith traditions. She talked about the contemplative tradition, the charismatic... the evangelical. For the first time, it thoroughly hit me that evangelicalism, the tradition that has dominated my life, is a channel within Christianity and not Christianity itself. It's a way to know and experience Christ, not the only way. The implications of this continue to unfold in my life, and I have to say, I feel freer.

Evangelicalism is characterized by a focus on Scripture - working to understand it and interpreting all of life through its lens. In keeping with that world, the denomination I'm part of is very academic. The Bible is studied and analyzed intensely. As a scholarly person, I was majorly drawn in by this approach and dug in happily for over a decade. But over the last couple of years, my ESV Study Bible with its endless footnotes has gotten heavy. My individual Bible study has dwindled. When I started losing interest, I buckled down and bought books, books with study outlines and questions for reflection, expecting them to solve my "problem." They sit in a dusty pile on my nightstand, barely written in.

In my hundredth attempt to get  back "on track," I signed up for another YouVersion plan - chapters delivered to my inbox five days a week. I went to the preferences page to switch the version to ESV as usual. But as I scrolled down the list of options, I hesitated over one. The translation I've raised my eyebrow at for my entire adult life. The modern-language favorite of hipsters, emergents, and greeting card writers: The Message.

I decided that if The Message couldn't make the Bible feel fresh again, nothing could, and I selected it before I could change my mind. So here's my confession: for the past month, I've been reading the New Testament in The Message... and loving it. Paul and Timothy and the gang seem like real people. I can clearly picture the events described. I'm comprehending things I never have before because they're in plain English. I'm experiencing a story, not dissecting a textbook. Maybe every word isn't precisely translated from the Greek, but it feels refreshingly real, and that's what my worn-out soul needs right now.

I've had a chokehold on my faith for a long time, and this is one way that I'm finally letting it breathe a little. At times I've even been afraid for my salvation because I'm growing and questioning and don't believe or behave exactly as I used to. But I maintain that a messy but alive faith is healthier than a solid but stagnant one. I'd rather grow to be an oak tree, though it can be scary and uncomfortable, than to stay locked up in my safe acorn in the ground.

Ice Storm 2013

We had a small ice storm last weekend! It shut down most of the city, even though the roads were generally okay. I lost a few tree limbs but thankfully never lost power.

To me, a perpetually overextended introvert, a snow/ice day (or weekend) is the greatest gift. It means I don't have to go anywhere. It allows me to slow down for as long as the ice lasts. On Friday morning, I was mentally composing a list of what I really need this Christmas - a lot of things that you can't put on an Amazon wish list. One of them was the gift of time. Yes, every once in a while, you get an answer to prayer immediately. My Christmas panic was already building, but this weekend pushed the reset button before I was too far gone.

Everything has melted here in Memphis, but I know a lot of the country is just getting started. Stay safe and warm, everyone!

Miami Thanksgiving

I went to Miami for Thanksgiving this year! My mom and I, plus Debra, Lance, and Niecy, celebrated with our Miami family while my dad and Kevin went hunting. We went to the North Miami Thanksgiving Day Parade and feasted at my grandfather's house.

'Merica

This world's cutest turkey was not easy to wrangle, but we had a good time trying.

On Friday, my sister and fam had to head back to Dothan. To make the departure even sadder, I came down with a mysterious stomach bug late Thanksgiving night. We were supposed to have lunch at the beach before they left, but I couldn't even sit up for more than five minutes, or get very close to Niecy for her own safety. Thankfully, I'll see them again in just a few weeks!

By Saturday the worst was over, so my mom, uncle, and I went for a walk at the nearest beach. They practically jogged while I strolled at a slow pace. I took pictures and enjoyed the conversations of strangers. One lady was telling her companions animatedly, "I was watching Homeland until 11:30. I was so jacked, I had to take an Ambien." Which instantly became my new favorite catchphrase anytime something exciting happens.

Can you imagine living in a building like this on the beach? I might die of happiness.

On Sunday, we went to our usual bagel place for brunch, then to Miami Beach to rent bikes. They have a great bikesharing program with stations all around town. You pay for a certain amount of time and take a bike, which you can return at any station! We rode along South Beach and down to the cut where the cruise ships come and go. There are nice parks and paths there.

A LOT of stray cats (or as I called them, "sea cats") live in this area. Across the way is Fishers Island, one of the most exclusive communities in America. You can only get there by ferry.

One of my favorite downtown buildings! My uncle showed an apartment there recently. They start at $1 million. O_O

On the way back to the car, we rode through Flamingo Park. I went crazy over this beautiful tree.  Anyone know what kind it is? I don't remember it from my childhood.

Another notable sighting: what may well be THE LAST BLOCKBUSTER. Moment of silence.

We came home on Monday, and PS: ATL now has a Pinkberry!

 

The end.