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maegan mariee

"If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it."



Sheesh. What a year 2018 has been. A lot of kicks to the teeth and a lot of unexpected things have happened that have left me re-evaluating the future. I wasn't going to do this this year because I feel like every time I do, I just stray from it. But I also want to keep moving forward and crush those goals. So here we go...

Here were my 2018 goals;
♥GET THAT BODY WORK DONE!
♥save even MORE money.
♥read even MORE books.
♥let's try getting healthy again, shall we?
♥focus more on myself

Okay, so we did some of those things. Kind of. That body work? Ended up just getting a new car. So nothing to worry about there, we can cross that off. Save more money? Kind of. Things popped up where I needed to pull money out. So we'll add that again. Read more books. I hit my goal for the year, so that's been accomplished. We'll aim for more. I joined a gym and have been doing well, so getting healthy fitness wise is done. All that said, let's look at the year ahead.

2019 Goals;
♥Focus on health for myself and husband
♥New home
♥Continue on fitness journey
♥Travel
♥Spend more time with family/friends
♥Keep saving that money
♥Keep reading

So basically, my goals are the same. My husband has run into some health issues, so that is my top priority. Hopefully once he's back to normal, we can focus on our other goals, like finding a new place to live. It's time.

Here's to hoping 2019 is better than 2018 was.
♥
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I think I've finally done it...



After what seems like years of battling dandruff and trying different products to attempt to banish these annoying things, I think I've finally found something that has worked! To think I've only needed four things this entire time...



If you're unfamiliar with the product above, I highly suggest you go to your closest drug store and pick this up. I first wrote about this in a favorites post, which you can read here. This is a daily clarifying shampoo that removes product buildup and residue from hair. Ditch the higher ends brands though, because Suave has all the bases covered and it's an amazing deal. Under two dollars?! Sold. For the results it gives, it's most definitely worth it and it has become a staple in my hair care routine. I use this first, ALWAYS, with a little tool that's changed my life. I'll get into that in a bit.



My second shampoo and I know what you're thinking; you wash your hair twice? Why, yes. I do. I briefly wrote about this during blogtober this year and I don't think I'm ever going back. This shampoo has changed everything. I haven't seen dandruff in three months because of this wonderful stuff and if you haven't tried it yet, I'm telling you, you're missing out on something that could save your life! My scalp does sometimes still get itchy, mostly when I sweat. But it's gone as soon as I shower and use this. GAME CHANGER. Also, it doesn't smell like someone dumped an entire bottle of tea tree oil in it. Which is a bonus.



I've only just started using this conditioner. My hair is thin, fine, and prone to damage and fall out. I wanted something that could protect and prevent all of that. This seemed promising so I picked it up. So far, I have no complaints. It smells wonderful and I have noticed I've been having less fall out. Not much of a difference, but we're getting there.



For a while now, I've been debating on getting this weird looking thing. Excuse the photo, it was kind of difficult to get a good image of this. THIS THING is a scalp massager. It's bristles are made out of a flexible rubber so it doesn't scratch and damage your scalp. I use this with my clarifying shampoo and it's seriously helped in getting rid of all of the buildup and crap in my hair. The shampoo does a good job of that on it's own, don't get me wrong, but I wanted the extra help. And this has definitely helped. It's also been good for getting some volume into my hair. It has two vibrating settings, if you want that super massage feeling, but I think it works well on it's own.

Vitagoods Massage Brush
Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo
Shea Moisture African Black Soap Deep Cleansing Shampoo
Garnier Whole Blends Honey Treasures Repairing Conditioner

Follow my hair journey!
THD: Battling the Flakes Part 1
THD: Battling the Flakes Part 2
THD: Volume
THD: Texture
Banning the Frizz

♥



*This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own, as always*
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Hello Lovelies!



I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I've been on a post break since Blogtober and still haven't decided if I'm going to be doing Blogmas. Maybe Twelve days of Blogmas? I don't know...

  • Had a great Thanksgiving with family, though I had a migraine the entire day. Still have it now, as I'm typing this. 😒
  • Been playing a lot of Sims lately. Get Famous just came out so... y'know.
  • Got about halfway through Muse of Nightmares. Ugh, it's so good.
  • Bought a new TV for the living room, so it's actually a living room now.
  • Also got a new carpet for said living room. Bye-bye cold, stone floor!
  • Christmas tree went up! Definitely before Thanksgiving, but the snow came first, so it's justified.
  • Also started Fallout 76. Still trying to figure out if I like it or not. I'm currently at a meh stage.
  • Been dealing with a lot of family medical issues. Prayers that everything goes well!

♥
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I hate throwing parties.


There. I said it. I seriously dislike throwing parties. Why? Because I just can't focus on one thing long enough before I freak out over how many things I need to get together and get done before throwing my hands up and calling it quits.

One of my resolutions for the new year is going to be working on this. And I'm going to get a head start with the holidays. However, before we get to the merry time of the year, my mother's birthday is very close at hand. (As I'm writing this, it's today! Happy Birthday, Mum!)


I love personalizing things. While Basic Invite is mainly a website where you can pick and choose from thousands of birthday, holiday, and wedding invitations, they are so easy to customize that you can make them into anything you want, really. I turned this beautiful birthday invite into a simple and easy birthday card for my mum.


It was also super easy to make some lovely holiday cards! Basic Invite has really gorgeous foil options that you can use to give your invites a pop. The rose gold is my favorite, but you can also choose from gold and silver. They can also be raised or flat like the rest of the card. It really just depends on how fancy you want to be! I love the watercolor card I picked. I might not even give that one away!



As these invites are one hundred percent customizable, you can make whatever you can think of. The above was a Christmas card. The ones where you can put images of your family in and say something like, 'Happy Holidays! From, The Robinsons!' I used this design to make something cute for my husband with our wedding date on it. He loved it. 💘


If you own your own business, you can also find tons of business card designs on this site. Look at this really cool clear card! Honestly, if I needed to pass this around, I would have ordered a ton more. It's so different from any other business card I've seen and it would definitely get people to look twice!


I think my favorite part of this entire process was the amazing color options you could pick from. They have practically every color you could ever want and almost everything on every invite they have is up for changing. There are so many variations of the same invite that you could make! The envelopes all have tons of color options as well, so you don't just have to settle for a white or a cream to match that invite.

For the rest of the month, Basic Invite is offering 15% off with this coupon code: 15FF51

Party Invites | Birthday Invites | Adult Birthday Invites

Do yourself and your future parties a favor, use Basic Invite!

♥




*This post was kindly sponsored by Basic Invite. All thoughts and opinions are mine, as always*
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From princess to witch to cowgirl, I loved Halloween. There's a few other costumes missing from this collection, I distinctly remember being a geisha one year, but I think these are a good array of images. I don't do Halloween anymore, my last one dressing up was the eskimo, but it's definitely a fun and cherished pastime. My favorite? The pink princess with my ghoul/zombie mom!

♥
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Hiya! If you've been here for a while, you might remember my bookshelf tour of 2015. It was a simple, small bookshelf, so I broke it up into two posts. Today, I have another bookshelf and a lot more books. So I'm going to cut this short and dive right in!

Please ignore the dust and overall messiness of my shelves. I have a lot of overflow. All links are to posts where books are reviewed or briefly discussed.



Bookshelf One; Top Shelf
♥Puffin in Bloom Collection including:
♥Little Women | Louisa May Alcott
♥Anne of Green Gables | L.M. Montgomery
♥A Little Princess | Frances Hodgen Burnett
♥Heidi | Johanna Spyri

Bookshelf One; First Shelf
♥Dissolution | C.J. Sansom
♥Dark Fire | C.J. Sansom
♥Sovereign | C.J. Sansom
♥Revelation | C.J. Sansom
♥Heartstone | C.J. Sansom
♥Lamentation | C.J. Sansom

♥Lovely Bones | Alice Sebold
♥Calm | Michael Acton Smith
♥Ugly Love | Colleen Hoover
♥Mary Boleyn | Josephine Wilkinson
♥The Five People You Meet In Heaven | Mitch Albom
♥yesterday i was the moon | Noor Unnahar
♥milk and honey | Rupi Kaur
♥Strange the Dreamer | Laini Taylor
♥Vicious | V.E. Schwab
♥The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo | Taylor Jenkins Reid
♥Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe | Fannie Flagg
♥The Traveling Cat Chronicles | Hiro Arikawa
♥My Cousin Rachel | Daphne du Maurier
♥Rebecca | Daphne du Maurier
♥Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine | Gail Honeyman
♥Pachinko | Min Jin Lee



Bookshelf One; Second Shelf
♥eat smart | Niomi Smart
♥Tanya Bakes | Tanya Burr
♥Love, Tanya | Tanya Burr
♥Wilde Like Me | Louise Pentland
♥Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales | Jacob Grimm
♥Harry Potter and the Cursed Child | J.K. Rowling

♥Passenger | Alexandra Bracken
♥Wayfayer | Alexandra Bracken

♥Thirteen Reasons Why | Jay Asher
♥Everything Everything | Nicola Yoon

♥Madly | Amy Alward
♥Going Viral | Amy Alward
♥Royal Tour | Amy Alward

♥Anna Karenina | Leo Tolstoy
♥To All The Boys I've Loved Before | Jenny Han

♥Wars of the Roses: Stormbird | Conn Iggulden
♥Wars of the Roses: Margaret of Anjou | Conn Iggulden
♥Wars of the Roses: Bloodline | Conn Iggulden
♥Wars of the Roses: Ravenspur | Conn Iggulden

Bookshelf One; Third Shelf
♥Bearskin | James A. McLaughlin
♥Meddling Kids | Edgar Cantero

♥Stalking Jack the Ripper | Kerri Maniscalo
♥Hunting Prince Dracula | Kerri Maniscalo
♥Escaping from Houdini | Kerri Maniscalo

♥So Great a Prince | Lauren Johnson
♥Turtles All the Way Down | John Green
♥Starfish | Akemi Dawn Bowman
♥They Both Die at the End | Adam Silvera

♥The Perfectionists | Sara Shepard
♥The Good Girls | Sara Shepard

♥Fatal Throne | Candace Fleming & Multiple other Authors
♥The Bookshop of Yesterdays | Amy Meyerson
♥Furyborn | Claire Legrand
♥There There | Tommy Orange
♥Sky in the Deep | Adrienne Young
♥An Ember in the Ashes | Sabaa Tahir
♥Children of Blood and Bone | Tomi Adeyemi
♥Heartless | Marissa Meyer
♥The Darkest Minds | Alexandra Bracken
♥Three Dark Crowns | Kendare Blake



Overflow

♥Circe | Madeline Miller
♥Vengeful | V.E. Schwab
♥The Book Thief | MarKus Zusak
♥Grim Lovelies | Megan Shepherd
♥Muse of Nightmares | Laini Taylor
♥I Have Lived a Thousand Years | Livia E. Bitton-Jackson
♥Night | Elie Wiesel
♥Psycho-Cybernetics 2000 | Bobbie L. Sommer
♥Carve the Mark | Victoria Roth
♥1Q84 | Haruki Murakami
♥The Diviners | Libba Bray
♥Women Who Run With the Wolves | Clarissa Pinkola
♥Cordially Invited | Zoe Sugg



My second bookshelf here is the original and looks similar to how it did in my first bookshelf tour. However, things have been moved around!



Bookshelf Two; Top Shelf

♥Harry Potter 2013 Edition Boxed Set | J.K. Rowling

Bookshelf Two; First Shelf
♥Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone | J.K. Rowling
♥Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | J.K. Rowling (currently reading & missing from shelf)
♥Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | J.K. Rowling
♥Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | J.K. Rowling
♥Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | J.K. Rowling
♥Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince | J.K. Rowling
♥Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows | J.K. Rowling
♥The Tales of Beedle the Bard | J.K. Rowling

♥Girl Online | Zoe Sugg
♥Girl Online: On Tour | Zoe Sugg
♥Girl Online: Going Solo | Zoe Sugg

♥The Hunger Games | Suzanne Collins
♥Catching Fire | Suzanne Collins
♥Mockingjay | Suzanne Collins

♥Holding Up the Universe | Jennifer Niven
♥The Fault in Our Stars | John Green



Bookshelf Two; Second Shelf
♥Divergent | Veronica Roth
♥Insurgent | Veronica Roth
♥Allegiant | Veronica Roth
♥Four | Veronica Roth

♥All the Bright Places | Jennifer Niven
♥Looking For Alaska | John Green
♥Work in Progress | Connor Franta
♥Unreasonable Hope | Chad Veach
♥The Anne Boleyn Collection | Claire Ridgway
♥The Hemptameron | Maurgerite de Navarre
♥Mademoiselle Boleyn | Robin Maxwell

♥Le Temps Viendra: Volume I | Sarah Morris
♥Le Temps Viendra: Volume II | Sarah Morris

♥Wolf Hall | Hilary Mantel
♥Bring Up the Bodies | Hilary Mantel

♥Love Letters from Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn | Henry VIII
♥The Tudor Treasury | Elizabeth Norton
♥The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn | Robin Maxwell
♥The Autobiography of Henry VIII | Margaret George
♥The Life and Death of Cardinal Wolsey | George Cavendish
♥Naked To Mine Enemies: The Life of Cardinal Wolsey | Charles W. Ferguson

Bookshelf Two; Third Shelf
♥Something Missing | Matthew Dicks
♥The Wild Things | Dave Eggers
♥Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter | Seth Grahame-Smith
♥Wuthering Heights | Emily Bronte
♥the perks of being a wallflower | Stephen Chbosky
♥The Boleyn Deceit | Laura Andersen
♥Henry VIII | William Shakespeare
♥Macbeth | William Shakespeare
♥Romeo and Juliet | William Shakespeare
♥Romeo and Juliet | William Shakespeare (yes, I have two copies)
♥Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl | Anne Frank

♥Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (UK 20th Anniversary Slytherin Edition)
♥Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (UK 20th Anniversary Slytherin Edition)

♥The Little Book of Hygge | Meik Wiking
♥Shakespeare's Works Volume 12 | William Shakespeare
♥Essays | Ralph Waldo Emerson
♥Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | Lewis Carroll (Camille Rose Garcia Illustration)
♥The Illustrated Jane Eyre | Charlotte Bronte

 
You can see my 2015 Bookshelf Tour here and here!

♥
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It's no secret that I have a TV watching problem.



 And by problem I mean that I have a hard time just sitting down and watching something new. I have a habit of re-watching... well, everything. I mean, if it's not broken, don't fix it, right?

It's something I need to work on. And because it's a never-ending problem, my list of things to watch has grown. And it keeps growing as more things are getting released. Here's my current list. Which is bound to change. Gah.

Netflix

  • Knightfall - Yes! I started watching this and then had to stop because the History channel wants you to log in after a certain number of episodes. Very excited!
  • The Office - I want to know the jokes. I need to be in the know.
  • Friends - Don't judge me. Finished the first season. Six to go.
  • The Good Place - Watched the first episode. Pretty funny, must continue.
  • Supernatural - I'm curious and haven't started.
  • Empire Records - Looks interesting.
  • Hilda - Looks so cute! And I love cartoons.
  • Stranger Things - This is a maybe. I finished the first season, so I'm trying to decide if I want to jump into the second.
  • Ella Enchanted - Hm. I've seen this, but not in a long time. A re-watch, but I don't remember much.
  • Sons of Anarchy - This is emotional for me. I finished the first season a while ago. I'm still not emotionally prepared to continue. I may have gone and read the episode summaries for the next seasons. Yikes.
  • Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - First season down. Funny and light hearted show, must continue.
  • Lincoln - I like Abe Lincoln.
  • The Hollow - Recommended by a co-worker. Cartoon. Yes.
  • Young & Hungry - Not really sure about this one. Haven't started.
  • Mad Men - Sixties and designing? YES.
  • 13 Reasons Why - Finished the first season and it really fucked me up. Not sure I want to dive in for a second round.
  • Versailles - I love getting historical recommendations. 
  • Set It Up - Looks hilarious and I want to watch thiiiiiis. 
  • Call the Midwife - Two seasons down. Love this show, just need to get back into it.
  • The Duchess - Again, historical.
  • Roman Empire - 🤷
  • Mindhunter - Watched the first episode. Was pretty good, but I need to really motivate myself to sit down and watch.
  • Alias Grace - Can't even remember what this is about, but it's on my list.
  • The Borgias - More historical shows.
  • To The Bone - Might be too emotional for me.
  • Anna Karenina - I wanted to read the book first, but it's leaving Netflix soon, so I need to watch this first.
  • Steel Magnolias - Don't remember why this is on there, but it's leaving soon, so must get to work on this.
  • The Magic Pill - ???
  • GBF - haha, this still looks cute
  • Friends From College - There's a good chance I might not get to this, but we'll see.
  • The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - Salem doesn't talk, I don't know how I'll like this.
Hulu
  • Vikings - I'm in season four. I really need to push myself to sit down and watch.
  • Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Started this and it's right up my alley.
  • The Handmaid's Tale - Again, want to read the book first.
  • The Last Man on Earth - Started this and need to finish.
  • Roseanne - This is actually on Amazon Prime, but I wanted to re-watch.
  • The Conners - And then I want to see where they're going with this after the whole Roseanne getting fired thing.
And that's it for now! I seriously have some work ahead of me.

♥
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Today has been a particularly lazy day, so blogtober is going to be a little lazy as well. Hope you don't mind a little weekly summary.
  • Finished rereading Harry Potter one and started a new series on the blog. You can read that here.
  • Seriously lazed it up after my gym class Saturday and watched three movies in a row. So unlike me.
  • Bought some new, amazing bread. Yes, I said bread. Adulting.
  • Managed to get some laundry done.
  • Played the sims for the majority of the weekend.
And now back to it! Happy Sunday! 

♥
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"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."




Does anyone remember the very last Harry Potter movie premiere, when J.K. Rowling said;

Whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.


I mean, yes, you teared up when she said it, when you heard it, but I never really thought going back to Hogwarts would bring so much back to me. This is going to be a seven (duh) part series on my blog where I re-read Harry Potter, annotate my old books, and relive everything that made me fall in love with this series when I was seven years old.

This is something I've tried in the past and only got up to GoF (Goblet of Fire for those of you that might not have read the series yet), so I'm hoping that this project here will keep me accountable.

Going into this, my favorite characters ever since I can remember have been Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Sirius Black, Fred Weasley, Oliver Wood, and Hagrid. I've had some soft spots for Dumbledore and Snape, so I'm interested to see if my mind will be changed by the time the series is over.

The following annotations are just funny quotes that I'd forgotten and some really hilarious descriptors that I'm not sure would have made the final print if they were being written today. The 90's were WILD.



Chapter 1, pg 11 // "It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs." - Albus Dumbledore

Chapter 1, pg 14 // ...he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. - Describing Hagrid. And let me just tell you, that this messed me up. How did I not remember this descriptor? Have we all forgotten this?

Chapter 2, pg 25 // Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump. - A scene where Harry recalls how he ended up on the roof of his school after running from Dudley and his friends. Seriously, Harry?

Chapter 2, pg 29 // He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. - Would it really have been so bad for him to grow up with a wizarding family, Dumbledore? Maybe one that would have promised to live in the muggle world to keep him away from everyone that would know him? Poor kid.

Chapter 3, pg 40 // ...trying to knock in a nail with a piece of fruitcake... - Uncle Vernon sealing up the mail slot. LOL.

Chapter 3, pg 41 // "No post on Sundays," ... "no damn letters today - " - Vernon Dursley - Surprise, Vernon. Hogwarts doesn't mess around.

Chapter 3, pg 43 // "Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" - Dudley Dursley

Chapter 5, pg 77 // In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him, slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length. - Our first Draco encounter!

Chapter 6, pg 92 // "I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?" - Fred Weasley

Chapter 6, pg 95 // "Harry Potter," chorused the twins. "Oh, him." said Harry. "I mean, yes, I am." - LOL get on then, Harry.

Chapter 6, pg 100 // "His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up." - Ron Weasley - Wormtail spotting!

Chapter 6, pg 105 // She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of brown bushy hair, and rather large front teeth. - Hermione! What a beautiful character.

Chapter 7, pg 123 // "...I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" - Albus Dumbledore - Yes, hi, why wasn't this in the movie?

Chapter 7, pg 128 // "Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!" - Albus Dumbledore

Chapter 7, pg 129 // "Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." - I still wonder why they didn't include Peeves in the movies. However, I'm only slightly glad they didn't, once I read more LOL

Chapter 9, pg 150 // But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick's class looking confused. - Oliver! I love him.

Chapter 9, pg 162 // "You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped. ..."I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed - or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed." - Hermione Granger - Iconic.

Chapter 10, pg 170 // "I wouldn't be surprised if you turned out better than Charlie Weasley, and he could have played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing dragons." - Oliver Wood

Chapter 10, pg 171 // "You're saying it wrong. It's Wing-GAR-dium Levi-O-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long." - Hermione Granger - I have the mnemonic spelling of Leviosa on my ankle. This is literally my quote LOL.

Chapter 10, pg 179 // But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.

Chapter 12, pg 200 // "My mom. I told her you didn't expect any presents and - oh no," he groaned, "she's made you a Weasley sweater." - Ron Weasley

Chapter 12, pg 203 // Up at the High Table, Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard's hat for a flowered bonnet, and was chuckling merrily at a joke Professor Flitwick had just read him.

Chapter 12, pg 207 // Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. - To think, if Harry could read backwards, he'd have known what the mirror did.

Chapter 12, pg 213 // "The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. / It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you. / However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, now knowing if what it shows is real or even possible." - Albus Dumbledore

Chapter 12, pg 214 // "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that." - Albus Dumbledore

Chapter 12, pg 214 // "One can never have enough socks." - Albus Dumbledore

Chapter 13, pg 218 // "You're worth twelve of Malfoy." - Harry Potter

Chapter 13, pg 219 // "I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading." "LIGHT?" - Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley

Chapter 13, pg 220 // "And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry," said Ron. "He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?" - Ron Weasley

Chapter 13, pg 221 // Snap was so horrible to Harry. - yet he sometimes he had the horrible feeling that Snape could read minds.

Chapter 13, pg 227 // "It'll be gone by next Tuesday," said Ron. - Talking about Quirrell not giving in to Snape about the Stone.

Chapter 14, pg 234 // "Wonder what it's like to have a peaceful life," Ron sighed. - LOL it's just getting started, Ron.

Chapter 15, pg 257 // "...I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must." - Firenze - >Bruh.

Chapter 16, pg 262 // In years to come, Harry would never quite remember how he had managed to get through his exams when he half expected Voldemort to come bursting through the door at any moment. - Definitely foreshadowing. But it's funny how small this moment compares to everything else he'll have to go through.

Chapter 16, pg 263 // The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows. - Why wasn't the squid in them movies? Did I miss it?

Chapter 16, pg 264 // "I'm not ill," said Harry. "I think it's a warning... it means danger's coming..." - LOL his spidey sense is tingling!

Chapter 16, pg 266 // "Well - yeah - how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep -" - LOL oh Hagrid.

Chapter 16, pg 278 // "Yeah," said Ron, "and lucky Harry doesn't lose his head in a crisis - 'there's no wood,' honestly." - Ron Weasley, after escaping Devil's Snare - Honestly, Ron had some gems, why did they give them all to Harry and Hermione?

Chapter 16, pg 287 // "Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things - friendship and bravery and - oh Harry - be careful!" - Hermione Granger

Chapter 17, pg 289 // "...All the other teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning, he did make himself unpopular... and what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you tonight." - Quirrell

Chapter 17, pg 290 // "Oh, he does," said Quirrell casually, "heavens, yes. He was at Hogwarts with your father, didn't you know? They loathed each other. But he never wanted you dead." - Quirrell, talking about Snape hating Harry.

Chapter 17, pg 291 // "...There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it..." - Quirrell, explaining what Voldemort taught him.

Chapter 17, pg 296 // "...I believe your friends Misters Fred and George Weasley were responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat. No doubt they thought it would amuse you. Madam Pomfrey, however, felt it might not be very hygienic, and confiscated it." - Albus Dumbledore - LOL I love the twins.

Chapter 17, pg 297 // "...After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." - Albus Dumbledore

Chapter 17, pg 298 // "Call him Voldemort, Harry. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases the fear of the thing itself." - Albus Dumbledore

Chapter 17, pg 300 // "...And then, your father did something Snape could never forgive." "What?" "He saved his life." - Albus Dumbledore - Wait. Explain. I forgot this, what did he save him from? HELP!

Chapter 17, pg 300 // "...You see, the only one who wanted to find the Stone - find it, but not use it - would be able to get it." - Albus Dumbledore

Chapter 17, pg 304 // "Sent owls off ter all yer parents' old school friends, askin' fer photos... knew yeh didn' have any... d'yeh like it?" - Hagrid, giving Harry a photo album of his parents. SO CUTE.

Chapter 17, pg 309 // "They don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. I'm going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer..." - Harry Potter



This was such a blast to the past and I can't wait to get on to the second. As funny as some of the descriptors were, the story is still so solid.

♥
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Are you obsessed with history?




 I really don't want to reiterate how much I love history, and especially the Tudors, but this post is basically me doing just that. It was kind of a spur of the moment decision, this post, but I find that once I sit down and think about it all, I could write/talk for days about it. I think it's mainly because I don't have someone else in my life that I can gush over about this. Aside from the one or two that I chat with online, but it's not the same as getting excited in person. So I've been gushing about it on my blog. Which helps me release all my pent up historical nerd.

So what is this post really going to be about? All the embarrassing things I do in the name of history. Like:
1. Listening to Tudor era music, because I'm curious and whoa, they actually got down in the 1500's.
2. Watch The Tudors repeatedly throughout the year. I've honestly lost track of how many times I've watched it. But you know, skip the last couple episodes of Season Two, because I can't break my heart over Anne that many times.
3. Jonathan Rhys Meyers was a beast as Henry VIII. Full compliment.
4. I would be so down to dress up in Tudor clothes. Like, just show me what to do, I'll do it for the rest of my life.
5. I look up Tudor landmarks on Google Maps so I can feel like I'm there.
6. Definitely planning on getting a Tudor rose tattoo at some point. When I decide where to put it.
7. I read everything I can get my hands on when it comes to Tudor history. Fiction, non-fiction. Everything.
8. Tudor coloring book.
9. Still looking for the best Anne Boleyn sweatshirt. Haven't really found one I like. Would settle for one of just the rose or her Falcon badge.
10. There's a Tudor monthly box I want to get for the rest of my life.
11. Podcasts; a new discovery by me.

Want to be Tudor obsessed too? Just curious? See the links below for prime Tudor content.

English Renaissance Playlist
Springtime Renaissance Madrigals Playlist
The Tudors Coloring History
Tudors Dynasty Podcast
Monthly Subscription Box
My Tudor Bookshelf
My Anne Boleyn Post

Also, The Tudors is still up on Netflix as of right now! It's only four seasons, so go go go!

♥
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The Autumn Tag!


I’d like to thank Naomi ( Room to Glow) for making the questions available on her blog!

1.What signifies the start of autumn to you?
When the trees start changing color, it's officially autumn! Our weather likes to vary in temperature, so we can't really say when it gets cold, it's fall, because sometimes it doesn't start getting cold until November! October has been pretty chilly this year, but the leaves changing lets me know that it's time.

2. Best way to spend a rainy day?
There is absolutely nothing better than turning on some fairy lights, lighting some candles, and settling down with a book. Sometimes I'll switch it up and watch a movie, but rain definitely means reading.

3. Your most fond autumn memory?
Raking the leaves. We used to stuff them in these bags that looked like pumpkins and would just scatter them all over the yard. It looked like we had grown and carved giant jack-o-lanterns!

4. Favourite fall scent?
The Leaves candle from Bath and Body Works. But also, when people have bonfires or are burning leaves/sticks, whatever they have in their yard. Smells so good.

5. What are you most excited for this fall?
Honestly, we still need to go on a hike. And quickly, since it's been getting very cold out lately.

6. Favourite autumn song?
FortyFive by Bootstraps.

7. Favourite autumn movie?
For now, I'm going to say Coraline, because I'm always putting it on. Mainly I just like it for the background noise while I'm doing something else, but I always stop and end up watching it. You can see all the other movies I watch here.

8. What TV shows are you looking forward to this autumn?
Oh man. I'm a bad TV watcher. I always say I'm going to sit down and watch something, and then never do. So unfortunately, I don't have an answer for this!

9. Favourite autumn colour?
A deep rust orange or a deep mustard yellow.

10. Favourite autumn fashion trend?
Scarves! They're both necessary and cute.

11. Your most loved outdoor autumn activity?
Taking walks, as boring as that sounds. It's nice to get out in the morning and allow the crisp morning air to wake you up. Plus the sun rising and making those trees look extra pretty? Perfecto.

♥
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"To the men and women living in 1509 the future would not have seemed so certain."



At the beginning of the year, I sat down and read the book above, expecting a typical historical telling of life during Henry VIII's reign. What I got was so much more. As many of you know, I'm a little bit interested in the Tudor era of British history. Obsessed. So when I got to read first hand what commoners would do during specific holidays? I was over the moon.

The book focuses on two point of views; one from royalty/Henry, and the other from the everyday person living in medieval London during the first year of Henry VIII's reign. And what a glorious time it was. The young Henry was a completely different Henry from the one almost everyone knows about. The one with six wives under his belt, a notorious bad temper, and... well, the weight. This Henry was tall, handsome, energetic, and generous with his people and courtiers. He LOVED his wife, Catherine, and was more than happy to dote on her. This first year was critical for his career, because it would determine what kind of King he would be. Loved or hated?

On the everyday person's side, we see what they did to prepare for various holidays. Not everyone had the means to throw a massive feast like the court, so we get to read about a lot of humble gatherings. Practically everyone spent the holidays together, on the streets, with neighbors and friends. The author even gets in deep and describes some of the more horrible conditions for the homeless and those without. Winters were not kind, as you can imagine.

All in all, this is an informational book, heavy with detail. But the author makes it flow and I found myself getting through it easily. There was not one time where I needed to put the book down to recharge and refocus my thoughts. I was in this one hundred percent and would highly suggest this to anyone.

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Getting a perfect bath isn't hard.

And it's really all how you're feeling while you're deciding. On this particular day, I was out of bath bombs noooooo so I had to dig through a bunch of my other stuff.

Thankfully, I have a whole basket full of bath stuff to pick from. Today I did a mostly Zoella Beauty bath, because to be honest, I have a lot of their products to use up.



I always start off my bath with some bubbles, so I used the Merry & Bright bubble bath from the 2017 Snow'ella collection. I love this glass bottle and the smell. But it's huge so I'm happy I was able to use some more of it. I can't wait to make some use of this bottle when it's empty!



Next up, I used some bath milk from the Splash Botanics range that came out this past summer. Bath milk is really cool because it makes your bath look, wait for it, milky and your skin is extra super soft when you get out.



And finally, just to add some extra sparkle and moisturizing elements, I added this bath disk also from the 2017 Snow'ella collection. It doesn't have too much glitter though, so if you want to get this, don't worry! You won't come out looking like a disco ball.

After that, the only thing I suggest to make any bath a good one, is some music, a book, and maybe your phone. Watch a movie, catch up on YouTube, play some games. Whatever you need to make you feel the most relaxed.

♥
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I know, this sounds ridiculous.

Of course I know what exfoliating means. And I've used body scrubs in the past and loved the results. However, I've delved a little deeper into it recently and my mind is blown. How have I not been doing this before?


The first thing you need, which I've never bothered getting before, is a pair of exfoliating gloves. These are relatively cheap and give you the extra exfoliating power you need to really make it effective. I got these in a beauty bundle from Zoella Beauty's newest Christmas range. You can see everything I got from the collection here.



Please excuse all the yellow, whoever designed the bathroom was clearly colorblind. Anyway, the next thing is a body oil. Now, I've never used a body oil before. I was never told that this is something that is very important to your skincare because it just sounds like a bad idea, right? Oil doesn't sink in right away and you can get it everywhere. And what are the real benefits anyway? Well, I don't know everything, but the main thing that stuck out to me was that it helps your skin look younger than it is and keeps it healthy. I'm sure there's more science to it. I started using this body oil from Wal-Mart. It's cheap, works great, and it smells like cocoa!


And last but not least, I use some kind of exfoliant to top everything off. I do all of this in the shower, so this is used after the oil and it helps to get off any extra dead skin cells that may have been missed. I know, who can really tell, right? I just so happen to be using this Zoella Beauty sugar scrub from their core collection, but I also love Soap and Glory's Sugar Crush.

Now when I get out of the shower, I'm super soft and feel extra scrubbed down. Dry off and layer on some lotion and you're good to go! This routine is especially important in the winter months, when everything is extra dry and unpleasant. It helps!

♥
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I'm constantly going through different hair care products.

I've actually lost count over how many different things I've tried in the name of banishing dandruff and getting volume. While I've done well with documenting my hair journey here on the blog, I still feel like I have a lot of discovering to do. However, my current hair care routine has been working really well for me. I also think it's due to the fact that I've been eating better and exercising more, but the following stuff has definitely helped!


I always start off my hair routine with some Suave Essentials Daily Clarifying shampoo. You can see my full review of it in this post here, but it's very important to start with a clarifying shampoo. IT helps to break up all the gunk and product in your hair, so when you come in with your normal shampoo, it doesn't have to work so hard and is more effective. Meaning if you have something that is for volume or to banish frizz, it'll work a lot better.

I've been using Shea Moisture's African Black Soap Deep Cleansing shampoo and it's been working wonders. You can feel the difference immediately. As soon as you wash it out, your hair has a completely different feel to it. It's amazing and you need to try this.



The conditioner I've been using varies, but I've been trying to get some length to my hair again, so I decided to try this Marc Anthony Grow Long treatment. I don't use it every time, so I haven't really seen any results, but I think if you're consistent with it, it'll work great.

If you're interested in my hair care journey, check out the links below to see the other products I've used!

THD: Battling the Flakes Part 1
THD: Battling the Flakes Part 2
THD: Volume
THD: Texture
Banning the Frizz

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The best thing about Hygge is that it's all about self-care.

And over here, we're really starting to dig deep into the self-care routines. So if you're new, welcome. If you're not, welcome back. I'm still on my personal journey of self-love and self-care. Hygge (hue-guh) is the Danish and Norwegian word for a mood of coziness with associated feelings of wellness and contentment. I love that this word exists. I love that this feeling exists. And I love that you don't have to be Danish or Norwegian to put this into practice.


My first suggestion, but it's definitely not necessary, would be to get your hands on a copy of The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking. Whether you buy a copy or get one from the library, having this book on hand is... well, handy. First, the small size of it already does a good job of making you feel cozy. And the illustrations inside are particularly cute as well. Having this with you will give you the extra reassurance that you're getting into your Hygge zone right. Though, there is no wrong way to Hygge.



Get yourself a comfy corner. A cozy nook. Anything where you feel warm and happy. This could be your bed, your living room, a big fluffy chair in the den. A good spot would be near a window, but definitely not necessary. Light some candles, turn on some fairy lights and the mood is set! I like to alternate between my office couch, which is loaded with pillows and blankets and has a good view from the window, and my bed, which also has a good amount of blankets. It really depends on my mood at the time and really it's just where you feel the most relaxed.



Grab something warm to drink. Tea is a must for me, but this could be anything. It could even be cold! Tea, coffee, hot cococa, anything you fancy! Curling up with a good book or throwing on your favorite TV show or movie is a good start. What I love about Hygge is that you can basically do whatever you want, as long as you feel comfortable and happy.

This is also a perfect time to invite family and friends over for dinner or a game night. Indulging in your favorite comfort foods is highly suggested, even if you're dieting. Throw that out the window and enjoy. This is a time that's meant for you to be the most happy, the most carefree. And like I mentioned before, there is no wrong way to hygge.

Get comfy and be happy.

     ♥
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If you're a candle lover like me, then you know how important it is to always have some in the house. It doesn't matter what time of the year it is, I always have some candles on hand to burn. Scentless pillar candles are nice to have, but there is nothing like a seasonal scent wafting through the house that really makes it feel comfy. It gets you in the mood for the season, definitely!

For me, the best place to get candles is from Bath and Body Works, as they always have the best seasonal options, in my opinion. See some of the selections below and then get some yourself!

Sweater Weather - Fresh Sage, Juniper Berry, Aromatic Eucalyptus, Fresh Woods
Flannel - Fresh Bergamot, Heirloom Mahogany, Soft Musk
Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin - Warm Cinnamon, Fresh Ground Clove, Vanilla Cream, Brown Sugar
Autumn - Bright Red Gala Apple, Juicy Fig, Eucalyptus Leaf, Fir Balsam
Pumpkin Apple - Red Delicious Apple, Fall Pumpkin, Fresh Ground Cinnamon, Clove Buds
Leaves - Crisp Red Apple, Golden Nectar, Warm Clove Spice
Crisp Morning Air - Crisp Fall Breeze, White Oak, Golden Amber Wood, Saffron, Soft Sandalwood
Black Cherry Merlot - Dark Cherry, Black Raspberry, Sumptuous Merlot
Harvest Gathering - Fresh Picked Apples, Autumn Berries, Clove Buds
The Perfect Autumn - Fresh Cranberry, Spiced Pumpkin, Crisp Apple, Rich Clove
Blackberry Tea Leaf - Wild Blackberry, Bramble Tea Leaves, Hint of Sweet Orange

♥



*This post is not sponsored. All opinions and recommendations are my own, as always*
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The best soup is prepared in fall.



I think I've done it! I've found one of the best soups that you can make in the fall. It's comforting and has all the best ingredients. I love a good tomato soup when it's cold out, but the following is the best comfy chowder I've found.

Cooking time: 55 minutes. 

Grab this;
3 large carrots
3 celery stalks
4 ears of corn
5 garlic cloves
1 bell pepper
2 red potatoes
1 white onion
2/3 coconut milk
2 tsp cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 cups water

Do this;
1 | Cook your corn by boiling it in hot water until plump and juicy. If you want this to go faster, skip the ears and use corn from a can. However much you'd like.
2 | Cut potatoes and add to boiling water along with corn. Remove when soft.
3 | If you stick with the ears of corn, drain water and, using a knife, carefully cut the corn off of the cob.
4 | While potato is cooking, saute the rest of the vegetables and seasonings with coconut oil in a pan.
5 | Cook until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
6 | Place half of your corn into a blender along with some of the potato. Blend until smooth.
7 | Add everything into a pot, including your blended mixture, and bring to a gentle boil.
8 | Remove from heat and taste. Add more salt and cajun seasoning as desired. Serve with chopped green onion, if you'd like.

Honestly, this is so so good. I found this recipe off of pinterest, where you can find the more detailed instructions. Also, if you LOVE tomato soup, check out this recipe I found to give it a little kick!

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I love a good tea in the cold months.



 There really is nothing more calming and relaxing than tea. Honestly! Even the preparation of tea is relaxing for me, because I know that when it's done I can properly sit back and relax. Last year, I did an entire post on some beautiful teas with Adagio, which you can read here for some lovely recommendations.

Lately, my go-to tea has been peppermint. It wakes you up, it warms you up while giving you a cold, minty kick, and it's just a really invigorating flavor. I've been using Adagio's peppermint, but any brand will do. As with most teas, it doesn't really matter what brand you get. It's really hard to mess up tea.

To get relaxed at night, I've been leaning towards a wonderful Chamomile/Lavender blend. Both are good for helping the body to wind down and relax, so it's been really nice to have this on hand. Also, I won't lie, I've been a little obsessed with Lavender everything lately.

When it comes to something to snack on, I can't say I've been doing too much of it. But since it's autumn, those Pillsbury sugar cookies make a comeback and I love them fresh out of the oven. And apple crisp! Can't go wrong there!

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Welcome to the little part of the internet that I like to call my own. Come here to see what I'm reading and what I'm throwing on my face.

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