Inside Kimmy's Mind

 

Hello! It’s been awhile since my last post. I did something interesting this month, that’s right, I decided to try out Stitch Fix. The clothing style box. You fill out a style profile, let them know what you like and don’t like when it comes to clothes.  It’s $20 for the styling fee and then they send you 5 items and you either select clothes out of the 5, or purchase the entire box. That $20 will then be applied to the clothes you end up purchasing. Plus, if you do decide to keep all 5 then you get a 25% discount. The video above is me showing you what I received in my first box.  I have a second one coming next month so I’ll see how that one goes and then decide if I will keep it as a monthly thing. It’s actually pretty fun, I am picky when it comes to clothes but I thought I’d try it out. My stylist did a pretty good job in picking out pretty outfits, they just didn’t look right on my body type. I’m hoping this 2nd box will be better in terms of the fit, but as long as I find one item I like, then  I’ll be happy.

If you’re interested in testing this out, please use my referral link. You will receive $15 to use in your purchase and I’ll receive $15! Win win! If you decide to try it out I’d love to know and if you blog about it please share the link. I find shopping for clothes difficult sometime. I don’t really go to a lot of stores and I thought this would introduce me to new brands. I of course take in to consideration quality and price. Some of the items are a bit out of range on what I would like to spend but I still find it interesting to try out. If you decide to send things back they provide a bag with a shipping label already on it so you don’t have to pay for shipping.  Anyway, I just wanted to share my experience with you and I’ll see how it goes from here after I get the 2nd box. I hope they listened to my requests, I wanted skirts and dresses in this upcoming box, so we’ll see how it goes.

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading!

 

Alright! I know I said that I wouldn’t need/get a standard size TN…but I did and it’s gorgeous and I love it! I bought it off of Amazon from Asian Vintage TN but here is her Etsy shop, I think it’s easier to navigate. I’ve been obsessed with writing in it, I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with the middle insert. I might do another blog planning insert or a scheduler? Not necessarily a planner though, I’m still using my bullet journal. I might eventually combine the bullet journal with this one, but not until I finish the notebook I’m currently using and also after I finish the next notebook I purchased early. -.- I may be a little hasty when purchasing notebooks. It’s an addiction, I know. But as long as I use the items I’m purchasing then I can accept this addiction…it’s harmless, right?

I’m definitely a stationery addict. My tagline is, I couldn’t help myself. What are your addictions?

Thanks for watching and reading.

I finally bought myself a real leather Traveler’s Notebook. I wanted a cheaper alternative rather than buying the more pricey and popular Midori…I believe it’s just Traveler’s Company now though. I purchased the Robrasim Pocket sized Traveler’s Notebook in the color coffee and it’s adorable.

I first purchased my Webster’s Pages Color Crush Traveler’s Notebook because it was a bit more affordable, and I really liked the pockets that the Color Crush offered. Bought it in the color mint, even though they have a ton of new colors lately, I’m happy with it. I decided I wanted a passport sized TN and so I searched through Youtube and then I searched through Amazon. I found Robrasim and decided to give them a chance. Aside from them taking awhile to ship it, it still arrived fairly quick, but I didn’t do too much research on the company.  I don’t think I’ll be using this for in depth journaling, but I’m excited to see how I end up using it. Below you’ll find a video review, I might go on for a tad too long, but believe me, it was even longer than that. I like to talk. 🙂 So if you’re interested, feel free to watch that below.

… continue reading this entry.

While in school my concentration was in Creative Writing, and I struggled with characters, and creating different voices for each character. But I still enjoyed writing each of the different stories I came up with. Story Genius by Lisa Cron stuck out to me because of its catchy cover but also because of its subject matter. It never occurred to me to continue writing stories after college, I haven’t made any effort to write creatively but this book brought back a lot of those college semesters.

What I liked about the book was the voice of the narrator. Very funny and it was almost as if I was discussing literature with a peer. Another thing was the humor, especially when it brought up Fifty Shades of Grey. (If you like this series, take no offense, you are entitled to like any book you like. And hey, if this series made more people read, then right now!) It poked fun at it for sure and explained how ‘beautiful writing’ isn’t enough to get readers interested. It’s the story itself, how does it capture your audience? In the case of this, it had readers wanting more…

The next thing I liked about this book was its helpful prompts…or exercises. The ‘What to Do’ sections. I thought it was an interesting way to sprinkle those in every once in awhile and not beat with it over and over again.  If you are the type of writer that struggles with finishing or developing your story, I suggest giving this a try. If anything, it might just help you think out the parts of your story that you haven’t really put much thought into in the first place. It also made for an interesting read.

Happy reading!

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

I love affirmations and being positive is something I myself am working on and it’s a bit difficult sometimes. I try not to become a “negative evidence collector” but I find myself leaning more towards negativity rather than positive thinking.

Think Happy by Karen Salmansohn is the pep talk everyone and their pet cat needs. Now this book doesn’t just automatically change the way you view life. However, it helps you slowly want to change. But if you rather remain on the gloomy side, then this book won’t do much for you. I just want to express that.

The cute illustrations and happy go lucky attitude is just the bright light you may need to want to see that rainbow you seem to be ignoring. This book is small and the perfect addition to your coffee table. The cover alone brings a smile to your face and actually reading the different sections was eye opening for me. I found myself agreeing out loud.

My expectations when reading this book was that I figured it would be generic information that, if you’re not always a shiny, happy person, then it would just be annoying to read. I thought this would be the type of book that made me feel bad for not always feeling happy. After reading this little book, I felt myself feel motivated. Motivated to see myself in a more positive way. I expected the line, “If we all saw ourselves the way others see us, then we would all be happier.” But that’s not how this book was written. It was written in a way for you to feel inspired about being positive. And I’m glad the book wasn’t at all what I expected.

Learning how to be something is difficult, there are many tools available and having someone tell us what worked for them might not work for us. But this book isn’t exactly telling you how you can be happy. Only you are capable of finding happiness. I just feel as though this book motivated me, and I don’t want to be a pretzel!!!

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Thanks for reading.

Punderdome -Puns of Fun!!!

This game was created by a father-daughter team, Jo and Fred Firestone. Their last name sounds like a superhero team if you ask me. The game requires at least 2 people to play but recommend having more than 3. I think playing this game with teams would be really fun and can’t wait to try that out.

First impressions: Excited to play

The game is nicely illustrated and brightly colored which makes it eye-catching. It’s packaged nicely, a place for everything included. The box is small and will fit snugly on a shelf or cabinet, so if you’re short on game storing space, worry not.

Continuing on, this is a game of puns.

That’s right! Puns!!! If you do not like puns, this game will either A)change your mind about them, or B)make you a punmaster! Either way, try it out before you decide against it.

Here are the written instructions:

The objective: Win a Mystery Envelope prize(before playing, the prompter fills Mystery Envelopes with a prize. i.e a candy bar or a dirty napkin) by being the first player/team to obtain ten pairs of cards.

• First, Prompter draws two cards and reads one Quick Pun question
• The player who responds quickest with a pun wins 30 extra seconds for the Prompt Round to follow
• Prompter flips cards, reads Green(situations) and White (topics)
• Players have 90 seconds to write down a single pun (word/phrase/sentence) that combines both topics and then give to the Prompter
• Prompter chooses best pun and awards that player that round’s Green and White Cards.
• The winner becomes the new Prompter- rounds continue until one team/player has ten pairs of cards

According to the game’s inserts, the game Punderdome started as a competition in Brooklyn, New York. The card game was only created in 2015, so it’s still fairly new but the live game show in New York began in 2011. This game requires a sense of humor and cleverness that might surprise you. I think I will enjoy this game much more if I play it with a larger group of friends.

I’m definitely adding this game to future game nights. It’s compact enough for trips out to bars or a friend’s house. I guess it also depends on the type of friends you have. Some might not find this as entertaining, but in my opinion, I think it will convert those skeptics.

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Thanks for reading

I’m sure everyone in the planner community has discovered these new Recollections planners. They are available only at Michael’s and they are adorable.

I am in love with them mine. But there are a few cons as well as the pros, I made a video that mostly just went over all of the things that I love about the planner and then went over a few other planner goodies that I got for the new planner. Clear stamps anyone? I absolutely love clear stamps.

Here are a few cons I failed to mention in the vlog.

• Misaligned rings:

With most ringed binders ring gaps are a problem. I checked all the mint binders and chose the one with the less ring flaws. I advised you to look through them as well before purchasing. However, gaps are to be expected…especially with cheaper option binders .

• Laying down flat:

Now, this is easily fixed with time. You will have to train it, not a huge deal though.

• Pen loop:

It was mentioned, but sort of glossed over. I would have preferred it to be elastic so it would fit any pen, but it’s too large and your pen might fall out.

At the moment, these are the only ones I feel are the main cons. I haven’t owned it long enough to discover more. I’ll keep you updated.

 

 

Thanks for reading

I want to start off by saying this review shouldn’t be taken too seriously because I did not finish the book. And usually, I don’t feel like I have the right to review a book unless I have finished reading it. But this is my honest opinion and if I’m being honest, this was not the right book for me.

The Never-Open Desert Diner by James Anderson

For me, this book could not grab my attention. I tried again and again to continue reading it and it just never happened. I’d immediately forget what I had read and it just wasn’t memorable for me. I don’t think it’s a question on the writing itself, the story just didn’t interest me as much as I thought it would. The cover caught my attention, which is the first reason  I chose this book.

Second reason, when I read the synopsis, I thought I’d try something different and see if I would enjoy it. And since I’m terrible at paraphrasing I’ll just share what was written on the inside of the dust jacket.

Ben Jones lives a quiet, hardscrabble life, working as a trucker on Route 117, a little-traveled road in a remote region of the Utah desert which serves as a haven for fugitives and others looking to hide from the world. For many of the desert’s inhabitants, Ben’s visits are their only contact with the outside world, and the only landmark worth noting is a once-famous roadside diner that hasn’t opened in years.

Ben’s routine is turned upside down when he stumbles across a beautiful woman named Claire playing a cello in an abandoned housing development. He can tell that she’s fleeing something in her past—a dark secret that pushed her to the end of the earth—but despite his better judgment he is inexorably drawn to her.

As Ben and Claire fall in love, specters from her past begin to resurface, with serious and life-threatening consequences not only for them both, but for others who have made this desert their sanctuary. Dangerous men come looking for her, and as they turn Route 117 upside down in their search, the long-buried secrets of those who’ve laid claim to this desert come to light, bringing Ben and the other locals into deadly conflict with Claire’s pursuers. Ultimately, the answers they all seek are connected to the desert’s greatest mystery—what really happened all those years ago at the never-open desert diner?

In this unforgettable story of love and loss, Ben learns the enduring truth that some violent crimes renew themselves across generations. At turns funny, heartbreaking and thrilling, The Never-Open Desert Diner powerfully evokes an unforgettable setting and introduces readers to a cast of characters who will linger long after the last page.

It sounded interesting enough, a thriller mixed with mystery and romance. Now, I feel terrible that I couldn’t give this book more of a chance, but there are too many books that are grabbing my attention and I just don’t want to waste my time on one that I do not find interesting. But just because I couldn’t finish this book and found it uninteresting does not mean you will think the same thing. It just means that as I continue to grow as a reader I find what types of books work for me and what types don’t work for me.

Again, because I didn’t finish the book you shouldn’t take my word for it.  This might be the book for you, it just didn’t work for me. That’s all for now.

Thanks for reading

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

I bought an Owlcrate for the month of March-the theme was Writer’s Block. Here are a few thoughts about it.

Contents:

• Out of Print -Banned Books socks
• Kikkerland-Quill Pen
• Bookworm Boutique– Bookish pins
• Chronicle Books-642 Tiny things to write about
• The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner

My initial thought is, it’s an adorable subscription box. But I don’t think I would be subbing for the April Box. Once you subscribe, you do not have to renew it for the following month, so if you don’t want it, then make sure to cancel your subscription before the first of the new month. The contents of the March box fit well with the theme, but I’m not sure if it was worth the price. The total was 36.98,  it ships from Canada so shipping was 6.99. I love the idea of it, but I’m pretty picky when it comes to the books I read, so maybe a blind box isn’t the best idea for me.

The book chosen for this month’s box was The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner. And even though I wouldn’t have chosen this book myself, I do enjoy a coming of age story. I do plan on giving it a try before nixing it off my bookshelf. The other items were cute, I just think I had higher expectations due to past boxes and was slightly disappointed. But only slightly. I know it must be difficult figuring out each theme and choosing items to go with it. I also think I had this feeling because I saw spoilers on instagram. I mean, I shouldn’t have been looking for spoilers, the whole point of a sub box is to be surprised and introduced to new novels. I might sub again if the theme is interesting, I’m happy I tried it out. I may try out a different sub box, but for now I enjoy picking out my own books. I’m currently waiting on an order from bookoutlet and from society6, ordered a bookish themed tote bag and I’m super excited to get it. I’m jut very impatient.

Have you tried a sub box? If so which ones, are you usually happy with its contents or have you been disappointed?

Thanks for stopping by and reading

Normally, cookbooks are not on my list of books to browse through when I go into a bookstore…unless I’m just looking at pictures. I struggle with following recipes because I am a very impatient person and tend to get a head of myself. But my sister, Kat, is a chef and she is fascinated with Korean cuisine. I figured I would get a cookbook for her and because this one seemed interesting, plus, I LOVE food!

Koreatown by chef Deuki Hong and writer Matt Rodbard

I may not be a chef but this book is beautifully made, and it offers the reader a look into Korean culture when it comes to the food. The cover jumped out at me, it’s texture is smooth with the title embossed. I love when books have an added texture to it.  I’m not quite sure what type of paper was used, but it’s smooth and soft without having a gloss to it even though it looks glossy. It’s wonderful.

The book is separated into different sections and offers the reader interviews and tips when it comes to recreating different Korean dishes. It’s filled with gorgeous photography that captured moments of food bliss and if they don’t make your mouth water, I don’t know what will My favorite thing about cook books, when I look at one, is how the pictures look. I like to know how the dish I’m preparing is supposed to look. Especially, if it’s from a specific type of cuisine.

The layout of the recipes are displayed with your ingredients on either the left or right side of the page in a column. It shows you exactly what you will be needing and the amount of each ingredient. Each recipe gives advice on the ingredients you will be using, such as what to keep in mind when choosing the type of vegetable..ect. Very helpful, for people like me, who know nothing about produce…or anything involving food. Aside from eating it.

I’ve already flagged all of the recipes I want to try first, so here’s hoping the roomie will assist in the actually making of the dish. But for those of you who lack having access to an actual chef worry not, the book lays out the instructions in an easy to follow manner. I believe even I could follow it.

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.