by Laura Beth

Getting Personal #33: September Goals

Here are my goals for the month of September!

Complete my first full 30-day blogging challenge!
Enjoy my six-year dating anniversary with Al.
See Emily G. before she jets off to London!
Keep on track with my Trial Prep & Discovery Practice assignments.
Attend the Chambers Family Reunion.
Work on an exciting wedding anniversary surprise for Al!
Join the Portsmouth Public Library.
Play catch-up with my 2016 Reading Challenge.
Read the September book and attend my first book club meeting with Sarah H.
Make at least three new recipes.
Sign up for a pen pal through Geek Girl Pen Pals.

Here’s the breakdown:

Complete my first full 30-day blogging challenge!

This will be explained in another post that will be published later today. I stumbled upon it through a WordPress blog, and I’m super excited about it!

Enjoy my six-year dating anniversary with Al.

We are celebrating six years together on September 4th. Wow! Time flies when you’re having fun. We have tickets to see The NeverEnding Story 30th Anniversary release in theaters for Sunday afternoon!

See Emily G. before she jets off to London!

One of our dearest friends is headed across the pond for grad school! We’re so excited for her. We want to meet up with her before she leaves!

Keep on track with my Trial Prep & Discovery Practice class assignments.

After reading the syllabus for my class, I know that I have to hunker down and block off time every weekend to complete my assignments. Even though the two projects, the Homework Folder and Trial Notebook, aren’t due until the very end of the semester, I want to get ahead and stay that way! Plus, doing these assignments in an orderly fashion will get me into a solid routine, and help me prepare for my midterm exam!

Attend the Chambers Family Reunion.

My mother-in-law’s side of the family always has a reunion in the middle of September, and this weekend has become one of the highlights of my entire year. It’s a huge potluck at the United Methodist Church in Keysville, Virginia. It’s a great way to get together, share stories, catch up, and enjoy each other. I requested to have Friday, September 16th off from work, and it was approved! My in-laws are so excited that Al and I staying at the farm for the weekend, and so are we!

Work on an exciting wedding anniversary surprise for Al!

I can’t say much about this goal, but I’m very excited, and everything is starting to come together. Look for a post about this one some time in November!

Join the Portsmouth Public Library.

Hopefully this weekend! There’s a branch of the library literally two miles from our house. I’m so excited to check it out, and bring home several books that I’ve been itching to read.

Play catch-up with my 2016 Reading Challenge.

Here’s the link to my original post: Commentary #14: “2016 Reading Challenge”
It’s already September, which means I’m woefully behind on this list! But, I own several of these books – I just need to get them from my parents’ house and bring them to ours! The others that I don’t own, well, that’s where joining the library comes in!

Read the September book and attend my first book club meeting with Sarah H.

I had a lovely dinner with my friend Sarah last month. She was one of my career advisers when I was a student at Longwood, and we kept in touch after I graduated. Now, she’s working at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, and bought a house that’s close to my office! She told me about this book club that meets once a month in cities like Portsmouth and Suffolk. I’m so excited!
The September book is titled The First 1,000 Days: A Crucial Time for Mothers and Children – And The World by Roger Thurow. It looks really interesting!

Make at least three new recipes.

I’m determined to find healthier recipes to cook for Al and I. One of the recent steps I took to achieve this was buy my friend Megan’s cookbook – The Big 15 Paleo Cookbook: 15 Fundamental Ingredients, 150 Paleo Diet Recipes, 450 Variations.
With that said, neither Al nor I exclusively follow the Paleo diet, but I’ve admired Megan’s commitment to it for years. I’m excited to leaf through the book and find new things to try!
Check out her blog, Freckled Italian, for more!
My mom also sent me an email the other day with some drool-worth Pinterest recipes! Yum!

Sign up for a pen pal through Geek Girl Pen Pals.

I’m committed to explore more of their site this month, and then actually sign up for a pen pal!
The sign-up process opens on the 15th of every month, so you’d better believe I’ll be ready in two weeks!

Well, that’s all for my September goals!

Thank you so much to those who read and commented on my August goals and goals recap posts! Your encouragement and kind words have motivated me to do this every month! Thank you, all!

Do you have any for this month?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.31.16

by Laura Beth

Getting Personal #32: August Goals Recap

Image Credit: quotesgram.com

Hi, everybody!

This post is a recap or review of my August goals! I cannot believe that September starts tomorrow!!

Here’s the link to my August Goals post:

Getting Personal #25: August Goals

—

Ready?

Here we go!

Build up some cash – Accomplished!
Thoroughly enjoy my birthday! – Accomplished!
See Star Trek: Beyond, Jason Bourne, and maybe one other movie with my husband – Semi-achieved.
Prepare for the start of my Trial Prep & Discovery class at the end of the month – Accomplished!
Finalize our first wedding anniversary getaway for November – Did not accomplish.
Read Harry Potter and The Cursed Child – Accomplished!
Keep blogging! – Accomplished!
Paint as much of the house as possible – Accomplished!
Hopefully move my furniture! – Did not accomplish.
Find at least five new recipes – Semi-achieved.
Start tracking our monthly expenses via spreadsheet – Semi-achieved.
Check out geekgirlpenpals.com – Accomplished!

Here’s the breakdown:

Build up some cash – Accomplished!

I took a hard look at my credit card statements from July and almost fell on the floor. Plus, my main credit card was hacked in the beginning of the month, so that sobered me up too.
I hardly spent any money on personal items this month, with the exception of some American Girl books that were deeply discounted on Amazon! Currently halfway through one of the new Mysteries, and I love it so far!

Thoroughly enjoy my birthday! – Accomplished!

On my actual birthday, Al made cinnamon rolls for breakfast! Yum! I was also treated to an amazing dinner at Olive Garden, celebrating with Al, my parents, Mom’s best friend Debbie D., and our friends Kathy and Perry. Debbie D. gave me this amazing no-bake pie-making kit that came in Mason jars! I’m so excited!
I took off work on Monday, August 8th, and enjoyed myself immensely. I didn’t go see a movie solo, but I did purchase Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, stocked up on LUSH items (I love the Ocean Salt scrub!), and went to lunch with Al and his co-worker, Kathryn. We went to this amazing Thai place near where they work. I had their orange chicken that made Al salivate!
Then, the big birthday surprise came later in the week – Al bought me my third American Girl doll, Kit Kittredge. She’s the historical doll from the 1930s. I couldn’t believe it! I’m over the moon, and I’m so excited to de-clutter my future office space and make a home for my desk, files, future window seat / reading nook, and permanent haven for Stephanie, Molly, and Kit!

See Star Trek: Beyond, Jason Bourne, and maybe one other movie with my husband – Semi-achieved.

We did see Star Trek Beyond on a Tuesday night with Al’s dad. It was an awesome movie! I won’t post any spoilers, but if you’re a fan of the newer movies, this one is a must-see.
We decided to wait for Jason Bourne to come out for rent or on the streaming services.
We saw Suicide Squad during the Thursday night release. It was good!

Prepare for the start of my Trial Prep & Discovery class at the end of the month – Accomplished!

I ordered my textbook as an e-book for my phone and iPad. I got my paper workbook too, through Amazon, well in advance.
I’m really enjoying the class so far. The second class of the semester was last night, and I’m actually excited to dive head-first into the Homework Folder and Trial Notebook assignments this weekend. I have to do Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 before the next class. My professor is awesome!

Finalize our first wedding anniversary getaway for November – Did not accomplish.

This didn’t happen this month, for multiple reasons. We’ve been so busy with the house, that our weekends just slip away. However, I love the idea of going to Key West, Florida for a few days, so hopefully we’ll book everything very soon!

Read Harry Potter and The Cursed Child – Accomplished!

I bought the book on Monday, August 8th. I flew through it within a couple of days the next week!
Here’s my review (Warning: Some spoilers!): Book Review #17: “Harry Potter and The Cursed Child”
My overall take: I’m glad I bought it and read it!

Keep blogging! – Accomplished!

I’m super proud of myself. I published a post almost every day in August. I did have a five-day break between the 24th and 29th, but I needed it. I was stressed and overwhelmed. I’m happy to be back at it!
I’m currently working on posts containing house updates and book reviews, plus a 30-day challenge series!

Paint as much of the house as possible – Accomplished!

This could not have happened without Nick and Savy. They came over on Saturday and we powered through two of the bedrooms! It looks amazing. I’m so happy with the color – Monorail Silver – and it looks different than the gray that’s throughout the house. We bought the paint for Al’s office and our master bedroom – Storm Cloud – but we’re going to wait until the weather cools off a little, so we can open the windows and properly ventilate the house!

Hopefully move my furniture! – Did not accomplish.

This didn’t happen this month, mainly because the weather has been so stinking hot! Ugh!

Find at least five new recipes – Semi-achieved.

I found about three new recipes to make, but not five.
I made Honey Balsamic Chicken and Veggies earlier this week, and it was amazing! Thanks to Tony for sharing the link – Perfect timing! I definitely want to make this again, especially for a potluck gathering! So yummy. I’m excited and proud that I prepped everything on Sunday, and I baked it in the oven on Monday night. Lesson learned: I’m definitely marinating meats for at least 24 hours now, if at all possible – So juicy!

Start tracking our monthly expenses via spreadsheet – Semi-achieved.

We started this spreadsheet very early on Tuesday morning. We’ll be refining it this weekend, figuring out and tying up all the loose ends. It feels good to see it on paper, but it’s also absolutely terrifying.

Check out geekgirlpenpals.com – Accomplished!

I registered for the site, and looked at it a little bit over the course of one weekend in the middle of the month. I haven’t signed up for a pen pal yet – The site is a bit complicated and overwhelming (So many amazing things!), so I hope to do that soon.

Final Thoughts

I was thrilled to be able to put Accomplished next to so many things! 7 out of 12. Yay!
The three goals that were Semi-Achieved: I’m happy with the progress!
The two goals that were Not Accomplished: That’s okay, too! There were certain circumstances that made these goals nearly impossible to achieve this month.

Did you have any goals for August?

If so, how did you do?

Come back tomorrow to see my September goals!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.24.16

by Laura Beth

Tag #11: “The Happiness Tag”

Image Credit: brainyquote.com

I was tagged by B.G. again! I love it!

Here’s the link to B.G.’s original post:

The Happiness Tag!

—

Ready?

Here we go!

Five Things That Make Me Happy:

My wonderful, amazing, handsome husband – Al. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been together for almost six years, and we’re celebrating our first wedding anniversary in November!
My parents. They are amazing! They both work incredibly hard, and they did an amazing job raising me as their only child. I know that I can call either of them, day or night, for anything!
My circle of friends. I’m incredibly blessed to have many friends, both male and female. I’ve met so many recently through the blogging community as well.
Giving blood and helping with the blood drives at church with my dad. Giving blood is a family affair for me, and Dad helped start the blood drives at our church when I was 11. I started giving blood at the first church blood drive after I turned 17 – September 2005. It’s an incredible feeling to know that giving one pint of blood can help save up to 3 lives!
Reading. I was given this incredible gift by my parents, and family, who read to me since I was born. I consider myself a voracious reader and a bibliophile. I love buying books, borrowing them, discussing them, and (eventually) donating them. I love libraries and bookstores alike. Fun fact: If I hadn’t gotten into Longwood, I wanted to find a school that offered a Library Science degree.

Image Credit: quotesgram.com

—

Five Songs That Make Me Happy:

Before I list my picks, this one was SO HARD! I love music, and trying to narrow down this list to just five was so difficult!

Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen
Geronimo by Sheppard
Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey
Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations
Cruise by Florida Georgia Line

—

I Tag:

Image Credit: wheeinstitute.com

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.20.16

by Laura Beth

Tag #10: “The Harry Potter Book Tag”

Image Credit: relatably.com

I saw this tag on Thrice Read. This is an amazing blog, all about books, run by three fantastic women! If you’re a bibliophile like I am, I highly recommend them.

Here’s the link to the original post:

The Harry Potter Book Tag

The One Rule:

I can answer the questions, but none of the answers can be Harry Potter.

Ready?

Here we go!

—

Found on Thrice Read.

A book you wish you could have right now:

Image Credit: yahoo.com

You Will Know Me: A Novel by Megan Abbott

I instantly fell in love with this book when I heard the review of it on NPR’s Fresh Air podcast recently. I think it’s fitting with the Olympics wrapping up and the fever that the Final Five of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team has caused.

—

Found on Thrice Read.

A book that surprised you in a great way, reveals to be more than it is:

The Vacationers

The Vacationers by Emma Straub

Having originally abandoned this book, it pleasantly surprised me when I sat down to try it again. Check out my book review from earlier this year. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on her newest book, Modern Lovers.

—

Found on Thrice Read.

A first book in a series that got you hooked:

Chosen Ones - bookdepository

Chosen Ones (Lost Souls) by Tiffany Truitt

I was super excited when Tiffany announced her first publication a few years ago. It’s hard to believe that Chosen Ones was released in 2012. I’m a bit biased, because she is one of my sorority sisters. Regardless, she is an amazing writer! The story of Tess and her world made me desperate to read more!

Chosen Ones is the first in the Lost Souls trilogy: Naturals, and then Creators make up the series. Tiffany has several other published books, and I have read them all!

—

Found on Thrice Read.

A killer book:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - goodreads

Image Credit: goodreads.com

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larson

I was unsure about Steig Larson’s books, at first. I tried the book on CD method from the Russell Memorial Library in Chesapeake while driving 15 miles from my house to my high school, and I was engrossed from the beginning. It’s a killer story!

—

Found on Thrice Read.

A book you found confusing:

PortraitofanArtistasaYoungMan-JamesJoyce - womanandhome

Image Credit: womanandhome.com

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce

I remember being assigned this book during my senior year of high school. Our teacher was amazing – One of the best English teachers ever. But the majority of my class hated this book. It was incredibly confusing, and difficult to read. We had lengthy discussions in class. However, due to this book, eventually we all learned about stream-of-consciousness and more about Irish culture!

—

Found on Thrice Read.

Your spirit animal book:

Image Credit: amazon.com

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

I’ve always loved Sarah Dessen’s books, since discovering them while I was in high school. Just Listen is the one I feel the most connection. This one, her seventh, was published in between my junior and senior years of high school. I read it shortly after it was published, and then I re-read it in college, and the connection only deepened. I love the way Dessen creates her characters, and I love the winding path that Annabel and Owen find themselves on throughout the book. It made me think of my own friendships, relationships, domestic violence, and standing up for yourself and others.

—

Found on Thrice Read.

A book you found interesting but would like to rewrite:

Image Credit: goodreads.com

Rooftop by Paul Volponi

I remember finding this book on a whim at the Russell Memorial Library in Chesapeake. I liked it. I liked the characters, the setting, and the drama. I think it was a good attempt, but I also think it could have been written better, with a faster pace.

—

Found on Thrice Read.

A dark, twisted book:

Image Credit: scholastic.com

The Battle of Jericho by Sharon M. Draper

Sharon M. Draper’s twists and turns immediately made me interested in her focus on African-American characters and their struggles. I’ve read all of her books, multiple times now. Initially, I was very skeptical about African-American characters, but this one sucked me in from the beginning and never let me go.

It follows a young man, Jericho, and his friends in their quest to join the Warriors of Distinction at their high school. Along the way, everyone, including the adults, starts to realize that the Warriors are not what they seem, and it’s increasingly dangerous and twisted. The Battle of Jericho is the first in a pulse-pounding, emotional trilogy, which includes November Blues and Just Another Hero.

—

Found on Thrice Read.

I nominate anyone that’s a Harry Potter fan!

I really enjoyed this tag. It was so different from most of the other tags I’ve done for the blog. It made me realize I want to read more books!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.19.16

by Laura Beth

Blog Awards #5: “Summer Award!”

Image Credit: wwwpalfitness

I was nominated for this Summer Award by Paul, who writes wwwpalfitness. I follow his blog, and he offers some excellent workout posts, creative acrostic poems, and he also re-blogs lots of interesting articles and pieces.

Here’s the link to where I was nominated:

Summer Award

The Rules:

Copy the award in your post and if you like display it on your site.
Thank your nominator and link them to your post
Answer just 3 questions
Simply nominate 3 people, advise them in a post of theirs and set your own questions or copy mine

—

The questions I was asked:

Tell everyone what your blog is about
Tell people a little bit about yourself that is not on your blog
What is unique about you that we may not know

—

My Answers:

Tell everyone what your blog is about

I created Hot Shot Headlines to publish informational posts about things in the news, share some of my personal experiences, as well as create a platform to publish my own work. I wanted to create a space that combined my loves of journalism, media, fiction, non-fiction, and other forms of creative writing. I’ve met so many amazing people through this little blog in the last two years – So, thank you all!

Tell people a little bit about yourself that is not on your blog

I love the American Girl books and dolls. I’ve read every AG book that has been published since the early 1990s. As for the dolls, I started with a Bitty Baby when I was young. I received my first 18-inch doll, Stephanie, for Christmas 1996. I bought Molly before she was archived in 2013. Then, my wonderful husband recently help add Kit to my collection (errr, addiction / obsession). I desperately want to take a trip to one of the stores – The closest one to us is near Washington, D.C. – but I’ve told Al to keep my credit cards under lock and key when we go.

What is unique about you that we may not know

This is a challenging question for me. I think I’ve revealed a lot of my uniqueness on the blog already! Let’s see … Something unique about me is that, despite being born prematurely, I tried my hardest in school, and was lucky / fortunate enough to be accepted into the International Baccalaureate (IB) program for my high school years. It was a significant challenge, given my struggles with math and science, but it was a great opportunity. I had some of the best teachers, and I made a great group of friends. When given the chance, I always talk about IB and how great of a program it is. I’m thrilled that one of the young women at my church, Lindsey, is starting the program in September! I helped teach her Sunday School in her elementary school years, and she chose IB over a few other exclusive academies in the Chesapeake area. I’m cheering for you all the way, Lindsey!

—

My Nominees:

Vinster at vinnieh
Rae at I Will Not Live In Vain
Candace at Literary Dust

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.18.16

by Laura Beth

Tag #9: “Inside Out Book Tag”

Inside Out Book Tag - itstartsatmidnight

Image Credit: itstartsatmidnight.com

I stumbled upon this tag on B.G.’s fantastic blog, Getting Through Anxiety!

Ready?

Here we go!

I: Inside Flap / Back of Book Summaries. Too much info? Or not enough? Discuss!

I love reading the inside flap – It helps me determine whether or not I’ll leave the library or bookstore with that book! I don’t normally read back of book summaries, but it depends!

N: New Book. Be Honest: Which format do you want it in? Audio, hardcover, paperback, or ebook?

I prefer paperback.

S: Scribble While You Read? Do you write in your books, or keep them clean? Tell us why.

The horror! Never. I keep them clean. B.G.’s response was perfect: “The only writing that should be in a book is the author’s!”

I: In Your Best Written Voice Read Us Your Favorite First Sentence From a Book.

“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.
‘Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, he told me, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.‘”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

D: Does It Matter to You Whether the Author is Male or Female when Deciding to Read a Book? What if you’re unsure of author’s gender?

That’s a very interesting question! As a child, I was drawn to more female authors. As an adult, I’ve found that it’s been basically a 50-50 split between male and female. Regardless, it doesn’t matter to me whether the author is male or female. As for being unsure of an author’s gender, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a book that I really didn’t like!

E: Ever Read Ahead? Or have you read the last page before you got there?

I have read ahead, but just a few books that I had to read for school. Some were just awful!

O: Organized Bookshelves or Outrageous Bookshelves?

For me – Organized, as much as possible. However, I like hunting through outrageous bookshelves in second-hand bookstores!

U: Under Oath: Have You Ever Bought a Book Based On the Cover? … The Cover Alone?

Yes, a few times when I was younger. Not now, though.

T: Take it Outside or Stay In?

I prefer to stay in, especially now, since this summer has been ridiculously hot and humid. However, I’m envious of our neighbors across the street – They have a beautiful front porch with chaise lounges. I would love to have that, at some point. For now, though, once the weather decides to calm down, I’m excited to get some patio furniture and read on our back screened-in porch!

I Tag…

EVERYONE! I would love to see your responses!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.17.16

by Laura Beth

Blog Awards #4: Bloggers Recognition Award – Number 2!

I don’t have an official credit for this image, but whomever created it, thank you! I love vintage typewriters!!

I’m humbled and honored to have received the Bloggers Recognition Awards for the second time.

Thank you so much, Zia Jane, for the nomination!

Here’s the link to Zia Jane’s original post:

Blogger Recognition Award

If you haven’t already, go check out Zia Jane’s blog – My Lost Thoughts. She’s a wonderful writer who pours out her heart with every post.

The traditional rules for accepting this nomination are:

Thank the one who nominated you and embed a link to their blog.
Share how you started your blog.
Give a little bit of advice that new bloggers can take away.
Select fifteen other blogs who you think really deserve the award.
Visit the blogs you nominated and let them know.

Thank the one who nominated you and embed a link to their blog

Thank you, Zia Jane, for nominating me. I’m humbled!

—

Share how you started your blog

I started this blog as a result of a class assignment from Dr. Bill Stuart at Longwood University. When I was first nominated for the Bloggers Recognition Award about a month ago, I was inspired to look for the blog I created for Dr B.’s class.

And, to my amazement, I actually found it!

The Best Entertainment You’ve Never Seen

The last post I made was Tuesday, April 13, 2010.

Wow.

It was a nice nostalgia trip. I may clean these up and re-post them on here!

—

Give a little bit of advice that new bloggers can take away

Don’t put pressure on yourself to write and post to your blog on a regular basis. I’ve learned that lesson the hard way, several times. It’s important that you blog for yourself, first and foremost. If you post every day, that’s fantastic! I’m cheering for you!

However, if you don’t post every day, don’t force yourself to do so. Don’t try to keep up with others. Some of the best bloggers that I know have sporadic posts, not a set schedule, and I look forward to each and every one!

For me, I’m happy and thrilled if I get three posts published per week.

Then, if I do more than three in a week, I feel awesome and fantastic! It’s a great motivator.

—

Select fifteen other blogs who you think really deserve the award

Jay Colby at Jay Colby
Akkshara kiran shetty at Sally Porte
Aubrey at If Mermaids Wore Suspenders
HighLifey
Andrew at Adopting James
Maureen Rose at Sparkle
Alex at Lost in the Midst of Forms
With Love
Suyog at Positivity Unlimited – Re-Imagine The Life!
Kristian W. at Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table
The Lonely Author
Tony Burgess at The Tony Burgess Blog
Un-Break My Heart
Ariel Lynn at Writing Radiation
The Captain at The Captain’s Quarters

—

One Final Note:

As honored and humbled as I am to accept this award for the second time, I don’t plan to accept this particular one again. I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t like pressuring people to accept these nominations. Receiving this award twice is enough for me.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.13.16

by Laura Beth

Tag #8: “Song to Book Tag”

Image Credit: wallpoper.com

The Rules:

Mention the person who tagged you
Pingback to the original post at Getting Through Anxiety – Thanks, B.G.!
List about 10+ songs that describe 10+ books
Tag 5+ bloggers for this post

Here we go!

Stronger by Britney Spears … The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Only The Good Die Young by Billy Joel … The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Something in the Water by Carrie Underwood … Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Raise Your Glass by Pink … The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey … The Pelican Brief by John Grisham
It’s My Life by Bon Jovi … Divergent by Veronica Roth
True Colors by Cyndi Lauper … The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson … Till Death Do Us Part and For Better, For Worse, Forever by Lurlene McDaniel
Jessie’s Girl by Rick Springfield … Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Beth by KISS … Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys … The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
Oh, What a Night (December, 1963) by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons … No Ordinary Sound: A Melody Classic by Denise Lewis Patrick
Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars … The Princess Bride by William Goldman
(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes …Emma by Jane Austen
Firework by Katy Perry …Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Sugar by Maroon 5 … The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks
Don’t Stop by Fleetwood Mac … Luna Morba: What A Wonderful World by Sirrico Whitfield
Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson … Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
Seasons of Love by the cast of Rent … Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction … Push by Sapphire
Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga … Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Mine by Taylor Swift … Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Footloose by Kenny Loggins … Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Faithfully by Journey … The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond … Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
Dancing Through Life by the cast of Wicked … Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Somebody to Love by Queen … November Blues by Sharon M. Draper
Measure of a Man by Clay Aiken … The Vacationers by Emma Straub
Forget You by Cee Lo Green … Persuasion by Jane Austen
Welcome to New York by Taylor Swift … A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Isn’t She Lovely by Stevie Wonder … The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Who I Am With You by Chris Young … Paper Towns by John Green
Life Is A Highway by Rascal Flatts … Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson … To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Way by Clay Aiken … Looking for Alaska by John Green

From the beginning, I knew this tag would be a huge challenge. But, I loved it!

Thanks again, B.G.! Her blog is amazing!

I Tag:

Brey at Ordinary Adventures
Kristian at Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table
scarletpen28 at 28 and Counting …
Paul at wwwpalfitness
stephburryshortkake
Nicky M at The Shimmer Within Her
marquay at Thefateblog
The Captain at Captain’s Quarters
Tony Burgess at The Tony Burgess Blog
Iman
Blanca at A Girl’s Voyage
Emily at The Bibliophile Living
Novelacious at Novelacious
Caralyn at BeautyBeyondBones
Lish Wells at Alisha’s words of wonder
Brittany Anna at A Simple Dose of Reality
heideekae at Write, Miss Monster
zahraammar at Ramblings of a Wanderer
Anthony Moss
The Lonely Author

And anyone else who has an interest in books and music!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.09.16

by Laura Beth

Tag #7: “50 Movie Tag Questions”

Image Credit: quotescover.com

I stumbled upon Young OFW’s post on Sunday morning. He inspired me to do my two Movie Marathon posts a few months back, so I was really excited to see this post!

Here’s the link to his post:

50 Movie Tag Questions

Here are my answers! I hope you enjoy them!

How often do you watch a movie? It depends. With such marvels as Netflix and Amazon Prime / Amazon Fire, it can be up to one per day!
What movie genre are you particularly fond of? I like almost any genre. The only one I’m not into: Horror. Too many nightmares!
What was the last movie that you’ve watched and liked? We just saw Suicide Squad on Thursday, August 4th. It was awesome!
What was the last movie that you’ve watched and hated? I’m not a big hater when it comes to movies. I honestly can’t think of one that I’ve outright, truly hated!
What is your most favorite movie of all time? I can’t pick just one! Forrest Gump, Dirty Dancing, Star Wars, Jurassic Park …
Your most favorite guilty pleasure movie? Ghost, and Twister.
What movie/movies have you watched a million times already? Forrest Gump, Dirty Dancing, Twister, The Wedding Singer.
Are you the type who watches a movie on its first day of showing? It depends. If it’s a Marvel or DC movie, then yes. Otherwise, unless I’m really into a particular movie, I can wait a while before seeing it.
Do you use Fandango or do you pre-booked movie tickets? Originally, I didn’t like Fandango. But, in reality, Fandango is super convenient, especially since one of our local theaters has the reclining seats that you reserve in advance.
Movie house, Blu-ray, or download? I’ve always preferred seeing movies in theaters. However, between Al and I, we have quite a massive collection of DVDs and Blu-rays. We’ve also downloaded several movies from Amazon and enjoyed them that way.
How often do you go to a movie house to watch a movie? I started counting recently, and it simply varies from month to month. Sometimes it’s only once a month, but it tends to be higher in the summer months.
What are the movies that made you cry? Too many! Forrest Gump, Dirty Dancing, Ghost, Toy Story 3, Up, The Shawshank Redemption, Milk, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook …
Do you watch foreign films? Not really.
What are your favorite foreign films? Life Is Beautiful.
Who are your favorite directors? Spielberg, Hitchcock, Scorsese, Crowe.
Are you particular with movie scores, soundtracks, and musics? Yes. The music can make or break a movie.
What movie soundtrack can be found in your iPod? Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1, all the Harry Potter movies, Jurassic Park.
Have you ever watched a movie alone on a movie house? Yes. I try to go to a movie solo every year in honor of my birthday. The last movie that I watched by myself was Eddie the Eagle, back in March. I loved it!
What is the best chick flick for you? 10 Things I Hate About You, The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, The Five-Year Engagement … Basically any movie adapted from a Nicholas Sparks book!
Is there any movie that has changed your perspective in life? I have two: Forrest Gump and Ghost. Forrest Gump made me fall in love with history and historical fiction, and gave me a greater appreciation for people with disabilities or challenges. Ghost made me grateful for every day that I have with my loved ones.
Your favorite comic book movie? It’s a tie: Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
DC or Marvel movies? I like both.
What are the movies in the top 10 in IMDb that you have watched? I have watched all 10.
Do you read movie critic reviews before watching a film? No.
What is the best movie adapted from a book? To Kill a Mockingbird, The Pelican Brief, Jurassic Park, The Princess Bride, The Green Mile, Ender’s Game, Jumanji, The Outsiders, The Perfect Storm, The Cider House Rules.
Do you watch the movie before reading the book or vice versa? I always try to read the book before seeing the movie.
What is your most favorite comedy movie? Ghostbusters (1984), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Airplane!
Drama movie? Forrest Gump, The Shawshank Redemption, The Pelican Brief, A Few Good Men, All The President’s Men.
Western movie? Maverick.
Romantic comedy film? Silver Linings Playbook, When Harry Met Sally, The Wedding Singer.
Horror film? Psycho.
Sports movies? Remember the Titans, Rudy, The Express, A League of Their Own, Glory Road, Hoosiers, Field of Dreams.
Sci-fi? Contact, Star Wars, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan.
Action movies? Die Hard, GoldenEye, Batman (1989).
War movies? Schindler’s List, Casablanca, Glory.
Who is your most favorite movie couple? John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
Any movie character you can relate to? Not really.
If you are to only watch five movies for the rest of your life, what would the movies be? This one was surprisingly easy: Forrest Gump, Ghost, Dirty Dancing, The Princess Bride, and Remember the Titans.
Your least favorite movie of all time? Skyline (2010).
Have you ever watched a movie based on the lead actor/actress only? Plenty of times. Anything with Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Patrick Swayze, George Clooney, or Meryl Streep leading, you’ll find me watching it.
What movie you expected and wanted to be good but failed you? Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Favorite movie character of all time? Forrest Gump.
Favorite movie villain? Darth Vader.
Any movie sequel that you’re still waiting to see? Not at the moment.
Ever made a movie review? Not yet.
Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars.
Right now, think of any movie, what comes first? Star Trek Beyond – That’s next on the must-see list.
Favorite movie lines? “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” — “May the Force be with you.” — “You can’t handle the truth!” — “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”
TV series, books, computer games, or movies in order of interest? Books, movies, TV series, computer games.
Lastly, if your life story is to be made into a movie, who would you like to portray you? Who should be directing it and what would be the title? I wouldn’t want my life story to be made into a movie. I’d much rather write a novel that’s made into a movie, and it being done well.

I Tag:

Everyone! I’d love to see what people’s responses are.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

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