Category Archives: Blogging

11.30.17
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Getting Personal #96: November Goals Recap

Mathnasium

Image Credit: Mathnasium

November felt like a long month, but it was full of excitement!

Here’s the link to my November Goals post:

Ready?

Here we go!

  1. Celebrate our second wedding anniversary! — Accomplished!
  2. Keep our kitchen table clean. — Did not accomplish.
  3. Write some snail mail! — Did not accomplish.
  4. Start organizing my “Lady Lounge.” — Accomplished!
  5. Enjoy Thanksgiving! — Accomplished!

Here’s the breakdown!

Celebrate our second wedding anniversary! — Accomplished!

  • We celebrated our anniversary with a wonderful dinner at River Stone Chophouse in Suffolk. Al had their biggest steak, and I enjoyed their Colorado Lamb Chops. Everything we ate was fabulous. We didn’t have room for dessert, but we will be returning. They just started brunch service on Sundays, too!

Keep our kitchen table clean. — Did not accomplish.

  • I de-cluttered some of our old mail, but I don’t feel satisfied with my progress.

Write some snail mail! — Did not accomplish.

  • This didn’t happen. I even forgot to mail several birthday cards!

Start organizing my “Lady Lounge.” — Accomplished!

  • Every weekend, piece by piece, I’ve hauled boxes from the garage and started organizing. My biggest success has been my bookshelf. I’ve already filled three boxes of books and DVDs to donate to the local library!

Enjoy Thanksgiving! — Accomplished!

  • We took nearly a week off of work, and headed to the farm. Al’s mom fed us so well every single day!
  • We spent Thanksgiving Day with about 40 members of the Chambers family (Al’s mom side). We drove about 2 1/2 hours toward the mountains. There were four tables full of food, and one full table of desserts. Delicious!
  • When we weren’t eating, we relaxed. We went on several drives through the countryside, built a bonfire, and saw the International Space Station fly by!
  • We saw Justice League with Al’s dad. It was a good movie!
  • We also went bowling, and played about 20 rounds of UNO over two different nights.
  • It was so nice to get away!

Final Thoughts:

  • I was able to put Accomplished next to three out of five goals: Yippee!
  • The two goals that I did not accomplish: It was slightly disappointing, but I just need to dedicate more time and effort to these.

What about you? Did you have any goals for the month of November?

Come back tomorrow to see my December Goals!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

11.13.17
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Tag #36: Currently Reading Book Tag

Mommy and the Books

Image Credit: Mommy and the Books

The amazing Thrice Read ladies did another tag! I’m always up for answering fun book-related questions!

Here are the links to Jenn and Eden’s posts:

How many books do you usually read at once?

I try to stick to one book!

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If you’re reading more than one book at a time, how do you decide when to switch books?

I typically don’t do this, but it happened this week. I had a long reading break / hiatus, and I felt it was necessary to switch books for the time being. The nice thing about books I own – They’re not going anywhere!

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Do you ever switch bookmarks while you’re partway through a book?

Not really. I love my Glee bookmark that I bought a while back.

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Where do you keep the book(s) you’re currently reading?

I try to keep them on my nightstand.

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What time of day do you spend the most time reading?

At night, before bed.

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How long do you typically read in one sitting?

These days, it’s typically less than an hour, since we go to bed so early. It’s really sad!

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Do you read hardbacks with the dust jacket on or off?

On. I hate taking them off!

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What position do you mainly use to read?

Sitting up, usually with a pillow behind me.

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Do you take the book you’re currently reading with you everywhere you go?

No, unless I know I’m headed to an appointment with a waiting room!

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How often do you update your Goodreads progress on the book you’re currently reading?

Sporadically. I’m lucky if I remember to do it once a month!

What are you currently reading?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

11.02.17
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Tag #35: My Name in Books Tag

Good e-Reader

Image Credit: Good e-Reader

Two of the ladies at Thrice Read did this really cool, yet challenging book tag. I wanted to see how I fared with the nine letters that make up Laura Beth.

Here are the links to their posts:

Here we go!

L – Looking for Alaska, John Green

A – A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray

U – Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, Laura Hillenbrand

R – Rosebush, Michelle Jaffe

A – Anthem, Ayn Rand

B – Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America, Barbara Ehrenreich

E – East of Eden, John Steinbeck

T – Thirteen Reasons Why, Jay Asher

H – Half Broke Horses, Jeanette Walls

What about you? Which books correspond with your name? Let me know!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

11.01.17
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Getting Personal #94: November Goals

November Goals - Jen Russum

Image Credit: Jen Russum

Welcome to November! It’s hard to believe we’re in the home stretch for 2017!

Here are my goals for the month of November:

  1. Celebrate our second wedding anniversary!
  2. Keep our kitchen table clean.
  3. Write some snail mail!
  4. Start organizing my “Lady Lounge.”
  5. Enjoy Thanksgiving!

Here’s the breakdown:

Celebrate our second wedding anniversary!

  • It’s hard to believe two years have gone by.
  • Since our anniversary falls on a Tuesday this year, we’re headed to a really nice chop house in Suffolk to celebrate!

Keep our kitchen table clean.

  • I’m so mad at myself from last month. I’m tired of the clutter. I’m committed to making this happen!

Write some snail mail!

  • I’m determined to mail out many cards and letters this month!

Start organizing my “Lady Lounge.”

  • With moving the rest of my things from Mom and Dad’s, our garage has many more boxes that need to be emptied!
  • I want to start with my bookshelf, and then my dolls.

Enjoy Thanksgiving!

  • We’re excited to take a few days off from work and spend the holiday with Al’s parents and some of their family!

Do you have any goals for the month of November?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

10.31.17
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Getting Personal #93: Ask Me Anything – The Answers!

Ask Me Anything Answers

Image Credit: YouTube

As promised, here are the answers to your questions! Thank you to everyone who participated this past week!

Here’s the link to my original post:

Coyote from Orion – The Age of Taurus: last occurrence… asked:

  • Do you like the Lost Boys? I am watching it now.
  • Would you join our secret society for people who don’t need a t.v. because we read the TV guide?
  • Oh… and what do you make of the latest Corey Feldman ‘arrest’ in California? Will we see the balance returning a la the Battle of Evermore?? 😂🤣😎 And would you like to hear me play Black Dog? 🎸🎶🎶🎶

Answers:

  • I have heard of the Lost Boys, but I haven’t watched the show to which you are referring.
  • As much as I appreciate the invitation, I don’t read the TV guide, not anymore. With all the streaming services offered now (Netflix, Amazon Video, Hulu), TV is a big staple / privilege in my house.
  • I don’t follow many celebrities, so I can’t offer an opinion on Corey Feldman. I had to look up the Battle of Evermore, it wasn’t ringing a bell at first. I like Led Zeppelin, though. Black Dog is a nice song, so yes.

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Sara in LaLaLand asked:

  • What is your biggest life dream and what steps are you making to get there?

Answer:

  • My biggest life dream is to be a published novelist. To get there, I’m currently finishing my three National Novel Writing Month endeavors from 2012, 2013, and 2014. All of them have more than 10,000 words, but I would like to get them all to 50,000 words of more. Once those are finished, I plan on having them edited professionally, and then work toward publishing them in both e-book and print form.

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Bookmark Chronicles asked:

  • What made you come up with the title “Hot Headlines” for your blog?
  • What book are you currently reading?

Answers:

  • The title of my blog, Hot Shot Headlines, is inspired by a few things. For years, my dad’s pet name of sorts for me has been “Hot Shot.” I can’t remember how it started, but it’s stuck. The “Headlines” piece comes from writing for The Rotunda, the student newspaper of Longwood University. It was such a big part of my college life. Since I didn’t enter the journalism field as a career, I wanted my blogging endeavors to have research, writing, and journalism tied in. It will always be a part of me.
  • I’m currently reading Camino Island, by John Grisham.

Thanks to all who participated!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

10.31.17
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Getting Personal #92: October Goals Recap

Vibe Shifting

Image Credit: Vibe Shifting

October was really busy, but fun and awesome. Fall has arrived!

Here’s the link to my October Goals post:

Ready?

Here we go!

  1. Donate blood. — Did not accomplish.
  2. Celebrate several birthdays! — Accomplished!
  3. Celebrate Mary Lauren & Jeremy’s wedding! — Accomplished!
  4. Celebrate Nick & Savy’s wedding!! — Accomplished!
  5. Write at least 400 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo attempt. — Did not accomplish.
  6. Write at least two blog posts on home improvements. — Semi-Achieved.
  7. Make / purchase photo canvases. — Did not accomplish.
  8. Attend Hampton Comicon! — Did not accomplish.
  9. Finally start moving items from my parents’ house to ours. — Accomplished!
  10. Keep our kitchen table clean! — Did not accomplish.
  11. Update my TBR. — Accomplished!
  12. Be a successful co-hostess for the October PEO meeting. — Accomplished!
  13. Write some snail mail! — Did not accomplish.
  14. Celebrate Halloween! — Accomplished!
  15. Enjoy Little (Lane) when she visits for a week! — Accomplished!
  16. Order the Desert Mist Diffuser, and more Savvy Minerals makeup! — Semi-Achieved.

Here’s the breakdown!

Donate blood. — Did not accomplish.

  • My iron level was just 0.1 away from qualifying. Needless to say, I’ve been taking my liquid iron supplement with breakfast every single day since!

Celebrate several birthdays! — Accomplished!

  • We celebrated my mom’s birthday at the beginning of the month with a big party – Dad, Al, me, Debbie D., Karen, Michaela, Kathy, Perry, and Lucy!
  • We pulled off the most epic surprise for Mia at Nick and Savy’s rehearsal dinner – She had no clue until we got halfway through singing “Happy Birthday.” It was awesome!

Celebrate Mary Lauren & Jeremy’s wedding! — Accomplished!

  • Mary Lauren and Jeremy tied the knot on Saturday, October 7th. It was a beautiful ceremony!

Celebrate Nick & Savy’s wedding!! — Accomplished!

Write at least 400 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo attempt. — Did not accomplish.

  • There were too many other things going on this month!

Write at least two blog posts on home improvements. — Semi-Achieved.

Make / purchase photo canvases. — Did not accomplish.

  • One of these days, hopefully before the end of the year, this will happen!

Attend Hampton Comicon! — Did not accomplish.

  • We decided not to go – We’re waiting for Tidewater Comicon 2018!

Finally start moving items from my parents’ house to ours. — Accomplished!

  • This finally happened on Saturday the 21st. My mom was so happy, she was dancing!

Keep our kitchen table clean! — Did not accomplish.

  • This just didn’t happen.

Update my TBR. — Accomplished!

Be a successful co-hostess for the October PEO meeting. — Accomplished!

  • I co-hosted the meeting at Susan’s house in Virginia Beach. The grapes I brought were the biggest hit!

Write some snail mail! — Did not accomplish.

  • Again, too many things going on this month.

Celebrate Halloween! — Accomplished!

  • We celebrated Halloween at Kathryn & Tim’s “Stranger things are coming” party on the 21st!
  • We’re passing out candy to the neighborhood kids tonight!

Enjoy Little (Lane) when she visits for a week! — Accomplished!

  • We thoroughly enjoyed the party at Tim’s house last Friday night. You can’t go wrong with good food, a roaring fire pit, and s’mores!
  • Last night, I went to a wooden door hanger painting party at Mrs. Cindy’s house. We had a blast! I didn’t get home until after 10:00 p.m. Mine is three pumpkins with fall leaves. The best part – I can paint a snowman on the reverse side later!

Order the Desert Mist Diffuser, and more Savvy Minerals makeup! — Semi-Achieved.

  • This is going in my November order. I can’t wait!

Final Thoughts:

  • I was able to put Accomplished next to eight out of 16 goals! Woohoo! Since this month was really busy, I’ll take it!
  • The two goals that were Semi-Achieved: I’m happy about these.
  • The six goals that I did not accomplish: This was slightly disappointing. But, I knew that I was being extremely ambitious with 16 goals! More to do in November!

What about you? Did you have any goals for the month of October?

Come back tomorrow to see my November Goals!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

10.24.17
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Getting Personal #91: Ask Me Anything

Pinterest - AMA

Image Credit: Pinterest

I was recently inspired by Sara, the lovely and talented author of Sara in LaLaLand, to have my readers ask my anything!

Here are the three posts Sara made for her blog:

So, for the first time, I’m giving you, my readers, free reign! Post as many questions as you want in the comments. I will answer all questions this time next week!

Thanks for participating!

Come back next week for the answers!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

10.23.17
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Tag #34: Horror Movies Book Tag

Here’s another awesome book tag, courtesy of the ladies at Thrice Read!

Here’s the link to their post:

The Rules:

  • Please credit and link Princess @RoyalReader as the creator of this tag, and add the rules.
  • You can use the graphics provided in your post, or you’re welcome to make your own!
  • Thank the person(s) who tagged you and let others know of their fabulous blogs.

The Zombie Apocalypse

Name a book you’d save when civilization ends.

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald.

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The Vampire

A book you would stake through the heart.

Allegiant, Veronica Roth.

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The Haunted House

A book that still haunts you.

13 Reasons Why, Jay Asher.

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The Psychological Thriller

A book with a twist you did not see coming.

The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins.

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The Creepy Doll

A book that seems innocent, but isn’t.

Safe Haven, Nicholas Sparks.

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The Monster

A book you could barely tackle.

Angels & Demons, Dan Brown.

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The Comedy Horror

A book with mixed genres that worked, or didn’t.

I actually haven’t read any mixed genre books!

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The Cliched Teen Horror

A book you found super cliched.

Twilight, Stephenie Meyer.

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The Demonic Possession

A book so gripping you need an exorcist to escape it.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1), Stieg Larsson.

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The Science Fiction

A precious book you would sacrifice to aliens for the good of mankind.

I agree with Thrice Read, I would sacrifice The War That Saved My Life, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.

What would you pick? Let me know your answers in the comments!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

10.19.17
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Tag #33: The Would You Rather Book Tag

would-you-rather-book-tag1

Image Credit: Dreamy Addictions

The lovely Jenna at Bookmark Your Thoughts participated in this awesome book tag!

Here’s the link to Jenna’ post:

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Ready?

Here we go!

Would you rather …

Have unlimited money for e-books, or a $5,000 Barnes & Noble (B&N) gift card?

download (9)

Image Credit: Barnes & Noble

I’ll take the $5,000 gift card, please! Without hesitation, I might add.

E-books are great for certain purposes, but I will always be a physical book kind of girl.

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Would you rather …

Meet any deceased poet, or J.K. Rowling?

JK Rowling

Image Credit: Goodreads

This one is also a no-brainer. I think I would freak out a little if given the opportunity to meet J.K. Rowling. I can picture myself asking her so many questions about writing, publishing, and wanting to know more about her life. Harry Potter was a big part of my life when the books were being released, and it still is, with the movies, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. She’s an amazing writer!

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Would you rather …

Write the world’s most famous book, or visit the world of your favorite book for one day?

a_readers_advice_to_writers

Image Credit: Salon

This is definitely a selfish choice, but since I’ve dreamed of being a writer since I was 10-years-old, I would want to write the world’s most famous book. I think it would be such a cool experience!

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Would you rather …

Choose __________ or ___________? (Insert characters from your favorite fictional love triangle).

I’m not a love triangle person, so I have no answer for this one.

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Would you rather …

Experience Hogwarts in a very realistic and accurate virtual reality, or travel around the world for a year, at no cost.

travel-022

Image Credit: VitalityToday

I’ve been fortunate enough to have traveled many different places already. But, if given the opportunity to travel around the world for an entire year, at no cost, that would be AMAZING. I’ve already started a list! In no particular order:

  1. Italy
  2. Everything touching the Mediterranean Sea
  3. Ireland
  4. Scotland
  5. Greece
  6. The Amazon Rainforest
  7. Costa Rica
  8. All of Canada
  9. Japan
  10. Australia
  11. New Zealand
  12. Antarctica
  13. All 50 states
  14. Puerto Rico
  15. Bermuda
  16. Scandinavia
  17. Jerusalem, Israel
  18. Germany
  19. South Africa
  20. The Galapagos Islands
  21. Fiji
  22. Tahiti
  23. Bali, Indonesia
  24. All of the National Parks
  25. Switzerland
  26. The Panama Canal
  27. Machu Picchu
  28. Easter Island
  29. Acapulco, Mexico
  30. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
  31. Santa Catalina Island

This tag was so much fun! Some of these questions were really hard.

What would you answer?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

10.09.17
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Tag #32: Fall Activities Book Tag

Fabulous-Autumn-Quotes

Image Credit: Parryz.com

The lovely ladies at Thrice Read did this awesome seasonal book tag! It doesn’t quite feel like fall right now here in Virginia, but the leaves are starting to change, we’re decorating for Halloween, and planning for so many amazing things!

Here’s the link to the original post:

Apple Picking:
A book on your TBR that looks so great you can’t wait to get into it.

The Hate U Give

Image Credit: Amazon

The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas.

I can’t tell you how many people have recommended this book, in blogs, in book reviews, and a few personal recommendations, too. This is the next one I’m getting from the library!

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Corn Maze:
A book to get lost in.

The Last Song

The Last Song, Nicholas Sparks.

I love most of Nicholas Sparks’s books. I remember eagerly awaiting for this book to be available from the library. I got it just in time to take it on a long trip to Florida, and the hours flew by in the car with this book. The movie actually wasn’t so bad, either.

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Haunted Houses:
A book that scared you.

Catalyst

Image Credit:

Catalyst, Laurie Halse Anderson.

I remember being shaken when I finished one. Anderson is an immensely talented writer, and I’ve read all of her books. It wasn’t a horror novel by any means, but it scared me in a real-life kind of way. I identified with the main character, Kate, in several ways, and I felt myself changing several things in my own life after reading this.

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Pumpkin Patch:
The latest book you picked up / purchased.

Camino Island

Image Credit: Amazon

Camino Island, John Grisham.

John Grisham is one of just a few select authors where I strive to own every book that he will ever publish!

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Scenic Drives:
A book that is lyrically beautiful.

Tuck Everlasting

Image Credit: Goodreads

Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt.

I was assigned to read this book in middle school, and we later saw the movie in theaters. I haven’t read it in years, bur I remember the impression it made on me.

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Pumpkin Carving:
A book you didn’t like and wouldn’t mind cutting up.

allegiant_novel_cover

Allegiant, Veronica Roth.

I don’t think I need to elaborate my disgust for this book!

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Drinking Apple Cider:
A sweet book to curl up with.

The Vacationers

 

The Vacationers, Emma Straub.

Although it took me a good long while to finish it, I ended up loving this book, and Straub’s writing style. I can’t wait to read more from her.

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Jumping in a Leaf Pile:
A book that reminds you of your childhood.

images (2)

Image Credit: Pinterest

The Baby-Sitters Little Sister series, Ann M. Martin.

I loved checking these out from the library, and I owned quite a few of them. I think I eventually read all of them!

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Scary Movie Night:
Your favorite spooky read.

The Lovely Bones

Image Credit: Goodreads

The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold.

Just thinking of this book gives me goosebumps.

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Costume Party:
A book with an eclectic cast of characters.

The Help

Image Credit: Goodreads

The Help, Kathryn Stockett.

If you haven’t read this book, I highly recommend it. I wanted to read it as soon as it was announced. I laughed so hard while reading it – It’s so funny, during a tough time in the American South. There are several generations represented, and the whole cast of characters makes for a great read. The movie was excellent, too.

I loved this tag!

What’s your favorite fall activity?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂