Haunted Garden Art Challenge

I’m sure most of you know by now that I LOVE a spooky art challenge, so how could I possibly pass up on Grace.Moth‘s Haunted Garden Art Challenge? An art challenge hosted by a fellow moth? Clearly this was just meant to be. 😛

I can’t wait to join in on the fun of another art challenge, especially one with such fun prompts. Aaaand each prompt gives you two days to work on it, rather than having to do one per day, which should make it less stressful to take part in. Any medium is welcome, so I’ll most likely be taking this as an opportunity to practice more digital art, but I may throw a traditional piece or two into the mix. We’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we? 😉

I’ll be posting them according to the prompt schedule over on my Instagram account, and then I’ll just post a few at a time periodically here on my blog throughout the challenge as well.

What do you think of the prompts Grace.Moth came up with for her challenge? I love them. ❤ Are you working on any challenges or special goals at the moment?

May/June Book Haul

I can’t even keep track of what day it is anymore, so some of the books in this haul may have been bought in May, and some in June, maybe all were in June, I don’t even know. lol Seriously, today was like the second time I’ve filled my gas tank since wayyyy back in mid-March if that puts it into perspective how little I’ve left the house via car to go anywhere the past few months. Needless to say, these books were purchased via my kindle. Can you tell we take social distancing serious af in this house? 😉

Dread Nation, by Justina Ireland

I’m about a quarter of the way through this book and I’m really enjoying it. I love the narration of the main character, plus any book that can combine historical fiction and zombies as well as this one does is a win for me. I’m already planning to buy the sequel to this book and I haven’t even finished this one, if that tells you anything. 🙂

. . . . .

Clean Sweep, by Ilona Andrews

As is often the case with good books, this one came per suggestion from none other than  Cupcakes & Machetes. Check out her review for more info on this lovely little mashup of fantasy and science fiction. I read and really enjoyed this first installment of The Innkeeper Chronicles and have since moved on to the second book. Space werewolves and vampires, living inns for the supernatural that have a symbiotic relationships with their innkeepers, and other fun little surprises kept me entertained from the start. Luckily, also thanks to C&M, I got the first 3 books in a nice little kindle bundle sale. 🙂

. . . . .

Sweep In Peace, by Ilona Andrews

This series is a charming read and I was glad to have it on hand for a much-needed distraction after the sudden loss of a beloved family pet. 😥  I’m almost halfway through this second installment. The books definitely make for a quick and fun read.

. . . . .

One Fell Sweep, by Ilona Andrews

Still reading the second book in this series, but I’m sure I’ll be diving into this third installment soon enough.

. . . . .

Children of Blood and Bone, by Tomi Adeyemi

“They killed my mother. They took our magic. They tried to bury us. Now we rise.” I’ve read really good reviews for this book, and it was a GR Readers Choice Awards winner for 2018, so I’m really looking forward to checking it out.

. . . . .

The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin

A post-apocalyptic fantasy that boasts some pretty solid reviews. I’m excited to read this one, especially with all the talk of how good the worldbuilding is supposed to be in it. 😀

. . . . .

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne

Putting this out there right now, I’m fairly certain this one is gonna make me cry. I saw the ending (yes, just the ending) of the film and I was bawling my eyes out, so I can only imagine what the book is going to do to me.

. . . . .

Akata Witch, by Nnedi Okorafor

A fantasy book set in Nigeria that is supposed to be a breath of fresh air with very unique worldbuilding. Sounds good to me! 🙂

. . . . .

So, how about you guys? Find any good books lately? What are you reading that really strikes your fancy? Who else misses how easy it used to be to go to your local bookstore and just shop around and browse all those glorious books in person??

Just Checking In

Hey, guys! ❤ I just wanted to pop in to check and see how my blogging buddies are doing during these strange and scary times. It’s been a while. February I was sick with the flu, then with a wicked sinus infection, and then had a work injury to my hand, so I failed at doing my once-a-month-minimum blog post, but I wasn’t beating myself up about it. I figured March HAD to be a better month, right? Right?? Oh, boy, what a sweet, sweet summer child I was . . . 😦

Part of the Quarantine Art Challenge I’ve been participating in

I hope you guys are all doing well, staying healthy, and staying sane while in Quarantine. For those of you who are still working during all of this, I genuinely hope your patients, customers, etc. are treating you kindly and that your place of employment is doing their best to keep you safe and well. ❤

My last day of work was March 13th. I work at a day program for adults with special needs so we tend to follow the guidelines of the schools. Our return-to-work date has been pushed back three times and I would honestly be surprised if it doesn’t get pushed back again. My work is doing the best they can to take care of us though which I am beyond thankful for. ❤ I’ve only left the house once in the past 2 weeks. My fiance Mr. Moth is here with me, and we’ve got our kitty Bailey here with us. They’re both amazing Quarantine Buddies. 🙂

TV SHOWS:  Shameless  /  The Masked Singer  /  Lego Masters  /  The Daily Show

MOVIES: The Pit /  Spencer Confidential / Us / Get Out / A Quiet Place  /  Spider-Man: Far From Home

BOOKS: The Exorcist /  The Lost City of Z / Tank Girl Armadillo!: A Novel / Nevernight / The Indifferent Stars Above (I’m hopping a lot between books right now.) 😛

ART: I’ve worked a bit on a Quarantine Art Challenge, done some really interesting research for my writing, and some mapping (also for my writing project)

GAMES: Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice / Unruly Heroes

BAKING: Banana Bread / Rainbow Chip Cake Cookies

We’re doing okay in the Moth Household, and I hope you guys are all doing okay, too. How are things in your neck of the woods? Who are your Quarantine Buddies? What have you been up to during all of this? What’s keeping you sane?

2018 Wrap-Up

2018 has been a crazy year full of big and exciting new adventures. Mr. Moth and I went home hunting and moved into our first house together, we both applied for/received promotions at our jobs, and we did a lot of work around the house/yard in our first year of home-ownership. During this time I also worked on my resolutions for 2018 and I’m pleased to report that I didn’t do too shabby. 😉

Concerning my READING GOALS for 2018: I completed my GR reading challenge goal of 50, and I explored reading more poetry like I hoped to do as well. My only reading goal I messed up on was that I still didn’t read all the neglected, unread books already sitting on my shelves. Sigh . . . I suppose that’s the curse of any lover of books, though, isn’t it? We always wanna obtain more books even before we’ve finished all the ones we already have at home.

Some of my reading highlights of the year included discovering a new author I really enjoyed in V.E. Schwab. I’ve only read her book A Darker Shade of Magic so far, but I will definitely be checking out more of her work in the future. 🙂 I’d say all in all, my top 2 favorite novels I read this year were Strange the Dreamer and The Great Alone.

Concerning my CREATIVE GOALS for 2018: I had sort of an iffy year in the creative department. I did more writing and drawing like I intended to do, but with everything going on I just never seemed to make it as far as I wanted to with my creative goals this year.

I participated in Inktober and Women’s History Month by producing multiple new ink drawings, as well as experimented with some new watercolor pens during Shark Week to produce a new whale shark illustration.

EPSON MFP image

EPSON MFP image

EPSON MFP image

As for writing, I did more of that and am really excited about my current writing project. I recently shared the currently-private details with my BFF, the lovely Cupcakes & Machetes and she shared in this excitement, making me that much more motivated to not be the notorious project hopper that I am and see this one through. I participated in NaNoWriMo and although I didn’t make the full 50,000 word count I’d hoped for that month, I didn’t give up and got some good writing in which I’m pleased about. 🙂

I did try a new creative thing this year that I hadn’t even been planning on, and that was face painting. Mr. Moth and I both required skull makeup for the Halloween event we attended this year, so I gave it a shot and was totally thrilled with the results.

Concerning my HEALTH/FITNESS GOALS for 2018: This was another set of goals that I worked on but would have liked to have been able to push myself further with. I did make a few gym buddies, I took some different classes at the gym and tried lots of new things there, pushing myself out of my comfort zone quite a bit. Me being my very introverted self, I’ve always preferred working out at home to going to an actual gym, but I think that really changed this year. I wanted to try hitting the trampoline park again and finding new active hobbies like that, but the gym was pretty much my go-to in that department this year. Maybe next year?

All in all, it was a pretty damn good year for me as far as milestones and working on goals. Any growth and development one can make to oneself is always a plus, right? I know I have lots of exciting new things I want to work on in 2019, but we’ll save all that for my upcoming New Year’s Resolution post. 😉

TOP MOVIES I WATCHED IN 2018:

Deadpool 2

Black Panther

Avengers: Infinity War

Fantastic Beasts 2

The Incredibles 2

Game Night

Coco

TOP SHOWS I WATCHED IN 2018:

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Attack on Titan

American Ninja Warrior (and it’s other counterparts)

Channel Zero (I didn’t really care for this show previously, but this season was much better!)

The Jim Jefferies Show

American Horror Story

Insatiable (this show got a lot of hate for not being PC but it’s a dark comedy. The characters are supposed to be flawed, messed up people with flawed, messed up views. I binge-watched the hell out of this.)

Riverdale (Okay, first of all, WTF is going on with the writing this season, also I can’t pull myself away.)

Anywhoooooo, I hope you guys had a productive year working on your goals and that you made lots of amazing memories in 2018. Here’s to everyone having a fantastic New Year! ❤ Best of luck to all of you with your New Year’s Resolutions and let’s make 2019 the best it can be! 😀

And, just for funsies, here’s a picture of Bailey taking a nap. Something I’m sure we’ve all been ready to participate in after all the recent holiday chaos. 😛

 

Summer 2018 Wrap-Up

I don’t know about you, but I am always excited to see summer coming to an end. Fall is my favorite time of the year and I just can’t stand the humidity, blazing sun, bugs, and heat of summer. Bleh! Bring on the cool, crisp weather, gorgeous scenery, tasty treats, and Halloween festivities! 😀

Although I’m excited to see it go, this summer wasn’t a total bust, so I figured I’d do a wrap-up post with some of the highlights for this particular season as it comes to an end.

In June I went to my little cousin’s wedding. It was a fantastic celebration. Funnily enough, this was the first wedding I have ever been to where I was simply a guest and didn’t have any responsibility so that was interesting. Everything was amazing and everyone had a wonderful time. I’m so happy for her and her new husband and the life they’re starting. ❤

Look how cute their dessert table turned out!

In other news, we got some succulents! I’ve been wanting to get some of these little bad boys for a while, so I was beyond elated when my boyfriend took me to pick a bunch out for the house and get all the supplies we needed to take care of them. 🙂

Speaking of plants, we also took a day to visit Grand Rapids this summer and made sure one of our stops was at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. This place was MASSIVE. I feel like we could have easily spent the whole day just at this one place, but we had a zoo and brewery to go to that day too, so we had to hustle just a bit. We got to see some wonderful and bizarre sculptures as well as tons of gorgeous and interesting plants. If you ever find yourself in Grand Rapids, Michigan it is definitely worth a visit!

We didn’t end up going to the movie theater quite as much as we normally would these past few months, mostly due to how busy things have been, but we did manage to squeeze in a few good movies.

I only got to review one of these three films (Deadpool 2) but I did actually enjoy all three of them. 🙂

Haven’t gotten to do very much reading this summer, either. Squeezed in a few things, and slowly chipped away at a few more, but I’m hoping fall will prove to be better for getting cozy and curling up with some good books. 🙂 In other book-related news, I did score some great deals on books I will (hopefully) be enjoying soon.

We got some major yard work done this summer, so it’s been cool seeing how the property has really transformed. You can tell someone who lived in this house previously really enjoyed gardening and had quite the green thumb and eye for landscaping. Years of renters, however, seem to have let things grow a little out of control, so we had some hard work to do, but I love our yard and all the cool plants that came with it. We even started using out fire pit and I’m looking forward to some fun bonfires come fall.

Well, that is my summer wrap-up post for the year. I’m excited going into fall mere days from now and plan on doing a lot of fun stuff throughout that particular season before winter comes creeping in. Expect a fall bucket list post in the near future! 😉

How about you guys? What were your own personal summer highlights? Anything you’re particularly excited about for fall? What’s your favorite time of year? Let’s talk about it!

June Update Time!

Wow, it’s still hard to believe we’re already SIX MONTHS into the year. Luckily, 2018 has been a great ride so far, so I really can’t complain. (Although, to be fair, there is some occasional whining before/after work.) 😛

My spirit animal

The biggest change for me so far in 2018 has been moving in with my boyfriend to our very first house. It was a big, scary leap, but it’s been great. We make a good team and he always inspires me to push myself toward bigger and better things, so I’ve got some fun projects/ideas I plan to really get going on in the days to come. Next month my little blog will be turning 2 years old, and I’m planning some fun stuff as this Ignited Moth begins her terrible twos. Mwahaha!

I’m having some friends over this upcoming weekend (my first non-family visitors since I moved in) for my book club’s June meeting. I can’t wait for them to come see the new house and hang out. 🙂 Aaaand, speaking of books . . .

Here are the books I’ve bought so far in June:

The City of Lost Fortunes

Currently reading this one for book club. I’m enjoying it so far, I just wish I had more time to really dig into it. I was struggling to stay away the other night while reading this and wound up succumbing to sleep, thus letting my kindle slip from my grasp and bash me in the face. Not the nicest way to wake up. Profanities ensued.

A Plague of Giants

I cannot wait to get to read this one! I’ve been enjoying The Iron Druid Chronicles, so I can’t wait to read Kevin Hearne’s first big epic fantasy. He’s been great in the urban fantasy department, but I am looking forward to seeing how he really turns his brain loose for this one.

Godblind

Like the book above, this was a recent buy due to a fantastic deal pointed out to me by Cupcakes and Machetes. Not only does she make killer book suggestions, but she also points out great deals when she finds them. She’s like a fairy godmother of all things literature, waving her magic wand around and making good books appear on your TBR list. 😛 I’d heard good things about this one, and with such a great deal how could I possibly pass it up?

In other news, I bought some fantastic watercolor markers just recently. I’ve gotten to tinker around with them a little bit, but I’m really looking forward to going wild and getting the hang of them soon. With some encouragement from the always-awesome Imperial Rebel Ork, I’ve decided to post more of my scribbles, doodles, and artsy stuff on the blog. Which, of course, made me want to get some new tools of the trade to make it happen. 🙂

I feel like there are a thousand other things I could babble on about right now, but I’ll keep this brief. Just know: all is well, I’m feeling inspired, and there is plenty of fun new stuff coming to the blog in about a month. In the meantime, it’s business as per usual (AKA: random, unfiltered chaos.) 😀

I hope everyone had a great weekend! ❤ What’s been going on in your little corner of the world lately? Feel free to let me know what recent excitement you’ve had going on or what neat stuff you’ve been working on lately.

 

Flower Friday Post #2

Woo! 2 posts in 2 days! It’s been nice posting more again this month, but I have some catching up to do one everyone’s amazing blogs this weekend. Looking forward to seeing what all you people have been up to. 🙂 ❤

They say April showers bring May flowers, but it feels like May has been the month getting all the rain this year. I managed to sneak outside on a couple recent non-drizzly days to get some more spring photos, though, so I was happy about that. I love heading outside to see what is growing and how much the yard can change in such a short period of time. 🙂

I’m not exactly sure what these pink flowers were that came and went rather quickly, but they were gorgeous while they lasted. I’m thinking it might be a crabapple tree, but I’m not sure yet. They popped up all over one of the trees in my backyard and were gone again before I knew it. Now it just looks more like this:

A couple alliums popped up just recently as well in one of the flowerbed areas beside the driveway. I like the little splash of purple from them.

So, one thing that had me a little bummed was the lack of flowers on the rhododendron we have out back beside our weeping cherry tree. I’ve seen others with flowers right now and meanwhile ours is just kinda like, “Nah, bitch, I don’t wanna.” Buuuuut, today I was elated to discover this bad-ass lone beauty!

Aaaaand even though this part isn’t technically so much flower-related, the blackberries are beginning to do their thing. I’m hoping we wind up with a bunch of them sometime soon. That way I can try a bunch of new recipes with fresh blackberries like Cupcakes and Machetes suggested. 🙂

Well, that’s it for this week’s Flower Friday post from me. Be sure to pop on over to Read Rant Rock & Roll to check out their Flower Friday posts (along with all their other awesome posts.) 😀

Hoping everyone has an amazing weekend! It’s a three-day weekend for me with Memorial Day being on Monday, so I’m definitely ready for it.

Home Sweet Home

I just love when the magnolia trees are in bloom. ❤

So, spring is in the air and I’m officially all settled in at the new house, and although some stuff is still in boxes, I’m mostly unpacked. Moving is nothing new to me, but this move in particular felt like a big one since it involved me officially moving in with my boyfriend. It’s a big step, but we’re both really happy together and I’m glad we finally made this exciting leap. 🙂

It’s been fun watching and seeing (and guessing) what’s all growing at the new house as the weather keeps improving. We’ve got a wild cherry tree and weeping cherry tree both in bloom right now, a tall row of blackberry bushes, a bunch of hosta plants, some peonies, I think we may have some hydrangea, a lilac tree (that technically is in the neighbor’s yard, but some of the branches hang over in ours, so I’m counting it lol), a few tulips, lily of the valley, and more. I can’t wait to see what else pops up next.

One thing’s for sure: there is going to be plenty of weeding to do. Meh!

The greenhouse goodies are doing great, too. It’s awesome eating salads with the lettuce you grow at home. I need to do something soon with some of the parsley and basil, and the pea plant is continuing to grow as well (no peas yet, but that’s okay). The strawberry plant has flowers on it, and the cherry bush I got my mom for Mother’s Day is also flowering.

How’s your spring going so far? It feels good to be blogging again and catching up with you guys. ❤ There’s such an awesome community here and I’m so glad to be a part of it. Are any of you growing your own plants right now? 🙂 I’m just a novice at it, but I’m greatly enjoying it.

basil, parsley, peas.

 

 

I’m Alive! Spring Updates

Hey, guys! ❤ It’s been a while, but I’m still kicking. Despite what my recent absence in the blogosphere would suggest, I was not eaten by a pack of rogue land sharks. (Just slightly mauled is all.)

I’ve had a lot of stuff going on lately and even less free time than usual because of it, but it’s paying off, so I’m not complaining. Merely explaining why I’ve been such a no-show around here lately. I’ve missed chatting with you guys, though, and I’m really looking forward to catching up on everyone’s blogs. 🙂

So, let’s get to the good stuff and let the updates commence! 😀

BLAH #1: I’ve just been promoted at work and will be getting my own classroom and team. The position recently opened up and I decided to go for it. I was so excited when I heard I’d gotten the position, and I can’t wait to begin planning my room’s weekly activities and outings. I start in my new role as team leader in a week. 🙂

BLAH #2: I’ve mentioned house hunting and moving in the blog recently, and tomorrow is the signing for the house, so I am beyond thrilled about that. So, new job AND new house. My boyfriend was recently promoted at work, too, so although things have been busy as hell and a bit stressful at times, it feels good having all these exciting new changes in our lives.

BLAH #3: Haven’t had much time for reading lately, but I did read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (I’ve been reading some of the old books my grandma owned for nostalgia reasons.) I’m also currently reading The Great Alone and am hoping to finally start Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues pretty soon. (Assuming I’m not too busy with working on the house/painting this week after work.) April is going to be another extremely hectic month, so we’ll see how much reading I actually get done.

BLAH #4: Easter with the fam was nice and relaxing. This weekend was packed full of doing stuff to get ready for the house, so Easter was a nice chance to just relax and nom on some delicious food. I was in charge of mashed potatoes (my grandma’s recipe and a holiday staple.) My dad and I had a mini Ash vs. Evil Dead marathon, which was all sorts of gory and hilarious fun.

So, those are my recent updates. How about you? Got any exciting news? I hope everyone’s been doing well and had a great weekend. ❤