Blake's Books: Holiday Picks!

Hey everyone!

For those who know me well, you know I like to read.  Young Adult (YA) novels, mostly.  I'm constantly looking for new books to read and many ask for my recommendations. In light of the holiday season, here are my top picks! They make a great read by a cozy fire or a wonderful gift.  

1. "Divergent" by Veronica Roth. 
This is an ongoing triology.  I don't know about you, but I love to beat the bandwagon.  This is a series that is about to be big.  The first book is already in the pre-production process in becoming Hollywood's next Hunger Games, which I also recommend reading. Currently, two of three books have been published. This is a post-apocalyptic dystopian novel in which a futuristic Chicago is divided in five factions; at sixteen, one must choose which faction to spend the rest of their life serving, and it is not necessarily the faction in which they grew up.  You follow young Tris on the journey of her decision and what becomes of the bigger picture.  This book was so good that it made me want to get a tattoo. (You'll understand when you read it.)  This book also made me think about the role that politics, community, responsibility, and identity plays in our lives.  It's awesome.  Worth the read. Also, it has some great, classic romance.  None of this love-triangle crap that is permeating everything these days. Don't people know that those kind of relationships are just unhealthy and unsustainable?!

I digress. Back to the point, I like this book for a multitude of reasons.  I've read it six times and counting.

Quotes from the critic (aka Joe) sent via text message: "LOVED EVERY SINGLE PAGE!" When's the next book come out?!

2. "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" by Laini Taylor. 
 This is another ongoing triology. This is a bit of a fantasy novel, and it's absolutely fantastic.  If you're into realistic fiction or even non-fiction, just try it anyway. Please.  It's beautifully written and expertly crafted to keep you always asking questions.  The story is original. I was absolutely lost in this book.  I've read it 3 times thus far; I started it again tonight when I was thinking about my recommendations.  Yes, it's that good.
 
Here's a taste:
"Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.  
In a dark and dusty shop, a devils's supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.  
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war."

If you like it, you're in luck because the second book just came out, "Days of Blood and Starlight".  The third and final installment is due out November 2013.


3. "Unwind" by Neal Shusterman. 
This book is wee bit controversial, but that's part of why I like it so much.  This is actually a futuristic novel after the settlement of a pro-life vs. pro-choice war.  Children cannot be aborted before birth, but can be legally "unwound" by their parents once they turn thirteen.  The story follows three kids who are sent to be unwound by their circumstances.  It's a heavy read, I'll give you that.  It makes you think about things that you might be uncomfortable talking about: religion, science, politics, ethics.  That's what I love about these books, they make me stop and think about my ideas and values.  Books shape me to be a better person, or at least I'd like to think so.

4. "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer
Yes, this is the same woman who wrote the Twilight series.  Don't. Judge.  This book is Meyer's first adult novel and it surpasses Twilight in every sense.  I'm allowed to say this because I'm a huge Twi-head and I'm not judging based on prejudice.  It's just a better book. Yes, singular, only one book. That hasn't kept me from reading it about four times, though.

I can sum up my review by quoting one of my literature professors: "This book makes me think about my soul."  What is a soul? What does it mean to me? to others? What is it's importance? If you're not looking to do a personal inventory on your personal beliefs, you can just sit back and enjoy the romance and alien invasions.  Be sure to beat the bandwagon! The movie is due out in March!



That's all I have for now. I hope you enjoyed these recommendations at some point in time.  If you have any suggestions for me, leave a comment and I'll put it on my to-read list!

Lots of love!
Blake and Joe

Thanksgiving in Lawrenceburg!

Hello everyone!

We had such a fun, relaxing weekend when we came back to Ohio for Thanksgiving.  We spent the holiday with Blake's family in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.  Oh, it was a trip full of surprises!

Awesome Foursome!

We left after I got off work at 7:30 Wednesday night.  That meant that we got into Lawrenceburg at 4:30am Thursday.  Though we drove throughout the night, we had our good friend Joey carpooling with us.  Between that, Christmas music, and late-night coffee breaks at McDonald's, the trip went faster than we expected. Though it was exciting to be back to see everyone, we wouldn't really get to say hello until a more appropriate morning hour; or so we thought.  My cousin, Angie, surprised us by camping out in the basement to welcome us home. She wasn't supposed to make it back for the holiday at all-- let alone be waiting for us in the middle of the night. I think I woke the house up because I screamed so loud with excitement.  It's the first time in a long time that the four cousins, Blake, Morgan, Angie, and Maria were all home.  Bless Joe for hanging around so much estrogen.

Tater and Joe

Another surprise awaited us with Tater, the new dog that my Aunt Karen and Uncle Don adopted.  We deduced that "Tater" was short for "Couch PoTater" because this dog is literally the biggest cuddle monster ever. If he never left the couch, he'd probably be happy. Cue the cute picture of Joe and Tater snuggling!

 Another fun little surprise, Christmas came early!  Joe and I discussed going out and doing some Black Friday shopping but decided against it, especially after having such a long and stressful drive the night before.  Little did we know that my Uncle Don went out to buy us our Christmas present from himself, Aunt Karen, Aunt Linda, and Uncle Greg: a new flatscreen tv.  I don't know if I can describe the extent of Joe's excitement.  The poor man has been stuck streaming ESPN on his computer for the entire Buckeye season and now that it's over, he has the ability to stream it to our big screen. It's awesome, I'll admit.  But who needs electronics when you can make Christmas cookies?!

Cookie Time with Angie and Morgan!

Last surprise, we were in Columbus on Saturday night to pick up our friend Joey to carpool back to DC when Joe's parents and family invited us for a evening of pizza, chit-chat, and Joe's little nephew Liam having so much fun with his new-found ability to walk and say "Wow", "Mama", and "Cracker". 

 It was great to see so many people on our trip.  It makes us realize that no matter how wonderful this adventure is out here in D.C., there really is no place like home. 

Sisterly Love!

Thank you to everyone who made this an amazing holiday!

Fall Fun!

In order to celebrate our favorite season, fall, we've had a little fun over the past couple of weeks. 

Dinner is Served!

Our friends John and Zach invited us over for an autumnal meal. Joe has dubbed this event "Friendsgiving".  I'm proud to say it our first themed dinner party in D.C.  Basically, it was a group of new friends coming together to give thanks and celebrate all the blessings that life has given us. 


John and Zach invited us over to their apartment where we met our friends Joey, Erin, Micheal, and Kathy. We had refreshing pumpkin beer, scrumptious buffalo chicken dip appetizers, and a deliciously planned meal of mushroom gravy pork chops, mashed sweet potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts, and butternut-squash soup. (Is your mouth watering? Yeah, mine is too.)  Top that all off with pecan pie and vanilla ice cream, and you're bursting at the seams with deliciousness. It. Was. Awesome. We're so thankful for all of these individuals, who coincidentally all attended Ohio State at some time or another, and their friendship.  It has made this big city feel like a little more like home.

John and Zach, our Wonderful Hosts!

If you know Joe, you may know that his holiday specialty is making cinnamon-sugar roasted pecans. In fact, my family literally fights each other for them.  In honor of our upcoming visit to Cincinnati for Thanksgiving, we decided to make a batch and bring them home with us. 







Below are some pictures of our baking adventure.  I'll tell ya what, Christmas music, sipping hot apple cider, and dancing around like a crazy person while baking with the person you love makes some wonderful memories.

Yummy!

Let's get ready to rumble!

We are both so excited to head back to Ohio for the holidays! We hope that we can see as many people as we can while we're there.  Love and miss you all!

Blake and Joe <3

We Survived Sandy!

Hello everyone,

Rooftop Construction

Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers this past week.  Sandy, also known as "Frankenstorm", was definitely all that they thought it would be and more for different parts of the East coast.  Luckily, we were hardly affected.  Our hearts go out to all those who fared worse than us.

We had bottled water, canned food, candles, and cards just in case we needed them, though! We had 48 hours of straight rain with wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour. The metro shut down, the federal government closed; the city was seemed practically uninhabited. The most exciting thing that happened was when the small covering to our roof's exit flew off and tumbled across the building.  Joe, valiant as he is, scrambled up the ladder, fetched the hood, nearly got knocked down by a wind gust or two, (Yes, I almost had a heart attack. No, he is not allowed to do that ever again. I can't take the stress.) and then proceeded to screw it into the building so it wouldn't fly off again.

***Side note: Joe's handiness doesn't just stop with roof construction.  He was also brave enough to tackle the clogged bathroom sink.  After literally taking apart the sink's plumbing, we found the cause for the clog: facial cream cleanser, long blonde hair, and brown sludge that was once make-up.  Aka, MY fault. I would say I'd try to be better, but I don't know how! I will try, though.

Hard At Work

Joe's Accusing Face

Anyway, back to Sandy.  I was lucky enough to stay over at the hospital Sunday night and work Monday as extra emergency staff personnel.  No wonder everyone feels like crap in the hospital; it's definitely not conducive to sleep!  I was happy to be home after that 50+ hours straight in the hospital, that way Joe and I could brave the storm together.

It was a rough couple of days but it definitely could have been worse.  Thank you again for all the love and support we received this past week.  It's nice to be loved!

Missing you all!
Blake and Joe

Family Fun!

Old Ebbitt Grill on Saturday Night!

What a fun weekend!

Joe's parents, Bob and Jul, came down to visit us for a long weekend! When they were traveling into DC, I was rushing home from night shift to catch a quick nap so I wouldn't be so cranky when they came to visit. (If you're up for over 24 hours, you're bound to be a little cranky, okay?!) After a much needed power nap, we all got together for lunch on Barracks Row.

Barracks Row is where we went to see the President's Band perform (see the earlier post!), and the place is lined with awesome restaurants. Not only that, it's got to be one of the safest places in DC!  It's crawling with Marines-- both off- and on-duty-- who mill around the block all day long.  Afterwards, Joe, the hard worker that he is, had to go back to the office and finish his work day.  Bob, Jul, and I went for a stroll down to the Capitol building. It was a beautiful fall day, there were hardly any tourists, and we enjoyed some of the historic sights that DC has to offer.

Friday night was a nice night in.  I made my much-praised "Country Club Chicken".  I call it the perfect fall meal: baked chicken, onions, mushrooms, cream of mushroom, garlic (lots of it), bacon (lots of that, too), cheese (need I say it?), and the kicker-- apples!  I'm posting a link of this recipe because I cannot possibly keep all this yummy goodness to myself: http://www.kayotic.nl/blog/country-club-chicken

Nurses Memorial at Arlington Cemetery

Saturday we went to the zoo where we saw the pandas!  Unfortunately, this was after the baby panda had already died.  The rest of the animals were out and about, though!  The great thing about the DC Zoo is that it's considered a Smithsonian museum, which means it's absolutely free! We had a great time, and even made a pit stop along the way to make sure our hubbies (okay, mine is a hubby-to-be) get the flu shot! Can you tell the women in the family are both nurses? Lastly, we visited Eastern Market, a place where local artists sell their work and nearby farmers bring their fresh produce. Productive day? I would say so!

Changing of the Guard: Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Saturday night we ate at Old Ebbitt Grill, a famous restaurant right next to the capitol building where countless members of Congress have to eat. On occasion, you might even see a senator or two in there! I saw Senator Voinovich from Ohio there last Winter!

Sunday was as relaxing as the rest of the weekend. We ended their visit with a trip to Arlington National Cemetery. This place was breathtaking, humbling, and awe-inspiring. We were able to see the Changing of the Guard for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Kennedy's grave, and even a tribute to nurses who served in the war.

It was so great to spend some quality time with Joe's parents.  We had a lot of fun and made some wonderful memories. We were sad to see them go!

Miss and love you all!

Keepin' It Cool

Virginia Wine Festival!

It's my favorite time of year! Bring on the hot tea, cute scarves, boots, candles, and everything pumpkin because Autumn is finally here!

It's true what they say; on September 1st, Washington goes from a hot, sticky, nasty summer to a breezy and beautiful fall. As the tourists shrink away, it seems all sorts of festivals come out around the city!


Joe and I went with a couple of friends to the Virginia Wine Festival.  There were over 70 wineries and 300 wines to be tasted. As amateur "winos" we thought this would be a great opportunity to learn a little more about wines, and more importantly, what we like. We packed up a picnic lunch and spent the  day on the beautiful grounds of Great Meadow Park and felt very posh. We found that we prefer smooth, medium-bodied red wines and dry white wines aged in oak, rather than steel. All in all, it was a great way to welcome in a new season!

A Silhouette On Our Riverside Picnic View

Next, a fun fall adventure on Friday night. I decided I was in a cooking mood, so I spent the half the day in the kitchen making a three-course dinner of antipasto appetizers, spinach and prosciutto pasta, and iced pumpkin bars. When Joe came home, I surprised him by having everything packed in a picnic basket with a blanket. He decided on the perfect place, so we headed out to Hains Point, which has a marvelous view of the Potomac River. We sipped wine, ate a fabulous dinner (if I do say so myself!), tossed around the football, and enjoyed each other's company on such a romantic evening. Sigh.

Fall = Picnics!

My bucket list of fall activities include:
- Apple picking
- Pumpkin carving
- Roasting the carved pumpkin seeds
- Get ready for all the good TV shows to start up again
- Trying (and probably failing) to bake fun fall things
- Buckeye Football tailgating at one of the three Ohio State bars in DC
- See family and friends :)



Love and miss you all!

A Bride's Tale...

Yes, it's that intimidating.

Hello everyone!

Blake here (aka the bride, therefore my tale). I am so happy to announce that after a few road trips, several visits, multiple emails, and endless phone calls, Joe and I get to announce everything we've accomplished for our wedding! We have set a date, have a venue, dress, caterer, photographer, DJ, and we're currently working on the most inspirational officiant you could ever imagine! Much of this I can thank, in large part, to the massive pink binder of "The Ultimate Wedding Planner and Organizer". I can't believe that, in less than a year, I'll get to marry my best friend and the love of my life. We've had so much support from our family and friends throughout our relationship, and they are being even more helpful when it comes to the wedding. We appreciate all that you do; it makes us feel loved!

First, the date: Saturday, September 7th 2013. Please mark your calendars!

Second, the venue: Freeman's Farm in Columbus, Ohio. (For you Cbus natives-- it's about 5 miles north of Polaris mall).

To us, this is just perfect!

Joe and I are really excited! I mean, we're making this so easy on ourselves! We want to do both an outdoor ceremony and tented reception (not tempting mother nature at all, no!), and better yet, we want to do so in the middle of a meadow at Freeman's Farm (oh yes, it's really easy to build a venue from the ground up). But no matter how difficult it might be I truly believe that, rain or shine, our wedding is going to be fantastic! All that matters is that we have our friends and family at our side. Take a peek! We're going to use the surrounding woods as a beautiful ceremony site.


"Wait, Blake! What about the fun crafty projects that come with wedding planning?!", you ask?  Don't worry-- I saved my proudest moment for last! I recently was inspired by Pinterest to create a "Will You Be My Bridesmaid?" invitation. I realized that, with everyone being scattered across the United States, there was no way we could all get together and meet for a Bridesmaids' Brunch. So I thought I would ask my wedding party, as well as introduce them, through a crafty project. I created an invitation, envelope, and paper cutouts of each young woman that will be with me on the big day!

Thank you, Pinterest!

**Please note: You have to be careful when you walk into places like Paper Source. I could have gotten lost and spent a lot of money in there. Thankfully, I had eleven minutes on my parking meter to get in and get out with only what I needed for the project. Take a look at how they turned out!

We've got a lot more of these little projects coming up... probably a lot closer to the wedding. We'll keep you posted! Just look for more "Brides Tale" posts. Again, thank you everyone for your love and support as we make our way to the big day! (Move over, Dr. Seuss!) We love and miss you all,

Blake and Joe :)