Tag Archives: Blogging

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.

—

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 🙂

10.01.17
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Getting Personal #88: October Goals

download (7)

Image Credit: Pinterest

Hooray – October is finally here!

There are so many exciting things happening this month!!

Here are my goals for the month of October:

  1. Donate blood.
  2. Celebrate several birthdays!
  3. Celebrate Mary Lauren & Jeremy’s wedding!
  4. Celebrate Nick & Savy’s wedding!!
  5. Write at least 400 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo attempt.
  6. Write at least two blog posts on home improvements.
  7. Make / purchase photo canvases.
  8. Attend Hampton Comicon!
  9. Finally start moving items from my parents’ house to ours.
  10. Keep our kitchen table clean!
  11. Update my TBR.
  12. Be a successful co-hostess for the October PEO meeting.
  13. Write some snail mail!
  14. Celebrate Halloween!
  15. Enjoy Little (Lane) when she visits for a week!
  16. Order the Desert Mist Diffuser, and more Savvy Minerals makeup!

Here’s the breakdown:

Donate blood.

  • Our next blood drive is Saturday, October 7th!

Celebrate several birthdays!

  • My mom’s birthday is this week, as well my good friend Ashley’s.
  • Mia’s birthday is in the middle of October. She’ll become our niece in two weeks!!

Celebrate Mary Lauren & Jeremy’s wedding!

  • Their wedding is October 7th – It’s gonna be a blast!

Celebrate Nick & Savy’s wedding!!

  • October 14th!!
  • I’m so excited for Savy to become my sister-in-law!
  • Mia will be my niece!
  • We get to trek to the farm, eat, drink, bounce in the bounce house, and celebrate!!

Write at least 400 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo attempt.

  • I’m chugging along. It’s felt really good to sit down and pour out my thoughts. I’ll reach 50,000 words yet!

Write at least two blog posts on home improvements.

  • I’m determined! It’s been over a year worth of work!

Make / purchase photo canvases.

  • I’m excited to pick several engagement photos and wedding photos with Al, and then hang them up!

Attend Hampton Comicon! 

  • We’ll head to Hampton for the day on Saturday, October 21st.

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

  • The weather’s finally cool enough, and I’m beyond ready to make my office what it’s supposed to be! My dolls deserve to be in one place!

Keep our kitchen table clean!

  • Our kitchen table has been a perpetual mess for a long time. I’m determined to clean it up, and keep it clean!

Update my TBR.

  • It’s that time again! My final TBR update of 2017 is coming soon!

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

  • I’m excited to co-hostess the meeting next week at Susan’s house. I’ve already bought Reese’s pieces cookie dough, and I’ll buy some veggies, crackers, and pretzels at the end of this week.

Write some snail mail!

  • I’m long overdue to write letters to several special people in my life.

Celebrate Halloween!

  • Al’s co-worker, Kathryn, and husband Tim, open their house every year for a Halloween bash! This year, the theme is Stranger Things. So exciting!
  • We’re excited to hand out candy to our neighborhood again – The kids’ costumes are awesome!

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

  • My Little is coming home to visit toward the end of the month. I can’t wait!
  • We’re participating in a fun wood door hanger paint class!
  • She gets to see our house for the first time!

Order the Desert Mist Diffuser, and more Savvy Minerals makeup!

  • I updated my monthly order late last week, and it usually processes around the middle of the month. The plan is to put the Desert Mist Diffuser in the living room, and move the Dewdrop Diffuser to my office!
  • I’m starting to experiment with the Savvy Minerals eyeshadow, but I’m excited to get my hands on the eyeliner, blush, and misting spray!

Do you have any goals for the month of October?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

09.30.17
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Getting Personal #87: September Goals Recap

img_0802

Image Credit: Kara Cozier

September was a mix of busy and relaxed! It’s finally starting to feel like fall!!

Here’s the link to my September Goals post:

Ready?

Here we go!

  1. Celebrate seven years together with Al! — Accomplished!
  2. Enjoy Savy’s bachelorette weekend! — Accomplished!
  3. Make / purchase several photo canvases. — Did not accomplish.
  4. Make a series of home improvement blog posts. — Semi-Achieved.
  5. Write at least 300 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo attempt. — Accomplished!
  6. Move my bookcase from my parents’ house to ours. — Did not accomplish.
  7. Inventory my entire personal library. — Did not accomplish.
  8. Make and start using homemade deodorant. — Accomplished!
  9. Start using my Savvy Minerals makeup. — Accomplished!

Here’s the breakdown:

Celebrate seven years together with Al! — Accomplished!

Enjoy Savy’s bachelorette weekend! — Accomplished!

Make / purchase several photo canvases. — Did not accomplish.

  • I spent way too much money on other things this month.

Make a series of home improvement blog posts. — Semi-Achieved.

Write at least 300 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo attempt. — Accomplished!

  • With the journal I wrote about in my recent Writing Prompt post, it was an excellent motivator!
  • I wrote approximately 554 words!
  • Current word count: 11,216 words.

Move my bookcase from my parents’ house to ours. — Did not accomplish.

  • Argh. A few missed opportunities to make this happen. Soon!

Inventory my entire personal library. — Did not accomplish.

  • This goes hand-in-hand with my bookcase. Soon!

Make and start using homemade deodorant. — Accomplished!

Start using my Savvy Minerals makeup. — Accomplished!

  • See the Getting Personal post, above, for more information!

Final Thoughts:

  • I was able to put Accomplished next to five out of nine goals! Woohoo!
  • The one goal that was Semi-Achieved: I’m happy with this one. More to come!
  • The three goals that I did not accomplish: Like last month, most of these involve time. I’ll keep chipping away at them until they happen!

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

Come back tomorrow to see my October Goals!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

09.18.17
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Getting Personal #85: 500 Followers!

Thank You - Pinterest

Image Credit: Pinterest

I learned early this morning that I now have 500 followers!

Thank you, everyone!

I’m so tickled that this little blog of mine continues to grow. I can’t believe I’ve gained 300 more followers in a little over a year (I wrote a similar post in mid-August 2016, when I reached 200 followers).

I’m astounded at how many people around the world follow my blog, as well as read, like and comment on my posts.

I appreciate every single one of you!

Cheers!

Here’s to more writing and blogging!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

09.05.17
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Blog Awards #17: Liebster Award – Number Two!

liebster-blog-awards-2

Image Credit: wwwpalfitness

I was nominated by Ann at Ann’s Reading Corner!

Thank you, Ann!

Here’s the link to the post where I was nominated:

The Rules:

  • Thank the person who nominated you.
  • Answer the 11 questions they gave you.
  • Nominate 11 blogs.
  • Give them 11 questions to answer.

The Questions I Was Asked:

(1) What is your favorite thing about blogging?

  • I love being able to write about nearly anything I want, any time that I want to. I also have a deep appreciation for the awesome blogging community!

(2) What is one thing you wish you knew when you started your blog?

  • I wish I knew that I could literally write about anything, that I didn’t have to be afraid or hold back, that this blog would be amazing outlet!

(3) What is your most anticipated release for the rest of the year?

(4) Which author do you think shaped your reading the most?

  • Although I was late to the game, I have to give J.K. Rowling immense credit for writing Harry Potter and making this girl interested in fantasy books!

(5) What color book do you own the most of?

  • Oh, gosh. It’s probably a tie between black and white. Most of my older American Girl books, the Central Series for the Historical Characters, are white!

(6) Do you eat or drink while you are reading?

  • Not anymore. I got too many crumbs and water drops on my books!

(7) What TV Shows are your current favorites?

  • Right now, I’m re-watching Forensic Files on Netflix and YouTube. But, we’re also deep into The X-Files on Hulu (Season 3), and Unsolved Mysteries on Amazon Video (Season 6). We can’t wait for the new season of The Flash on The CW! And the countdown is on for the return of Stranger Things!!

(8) Harry Potter or Twilight?

  • Harry Potter. I have read all of the Twilight books and seen most of the movies, but Harry Potter will always win.

(9) How long do you think it takes you to read a book? (on average, of course)

  • On average, about a week.

(10) Who are some of your favorite bloggers that you think everyone should check out?

(11) What book are you currently reading?

  • I’m currently about four chapters into Frank W. Abagnale’s memoir Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake.

Nominees:

  1. It’s Lu Again
  2. Steff – Little Booky Nook
  3. Literary Weaponry
  4. Charlotte Annelise
  5. Drizzle & Hurricane Books
  6. Lolsy’s Library
  7. Tia – youmenaturally0
  8. Chelsea – The Suspense Is Thrilling Me
  9. Kristin Kraves Books
  10. Brittany’s Book Rambles
  11. Books, Vertigo and Tea

My Questions for the Nominees:

  1. Are you excited for any particular movie this fall / winter?
  2. If you could go anywhere to see the fall foliage, where would you go, and why?
  3. Is there a new TV show that you are excited to watch?
  4. Do you have any Halloween traditions?
  5. Who are your three favorite authors, and why?
  6. Is there a particular author that you want to meet in person?
  7. Design your perfect library / reading nook / reading spot.
  8. Do you use your local library?
  9. Do you shop for books on Black Friday / Cyber Monday?
  10. When you celebrate holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, etc., what book or books do you pack when you travel?
  11. What is your favorite book to read during the holiday season?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂