I first heard of the game
Plants vs. Zombies from a dear bloggy friend, cutie. *waves hello at cutie* She -- along with everyone else on the Internet, it seems -- ranted and raved about this game until I grew curious. I just wanted to find out what all the hype was about. I found out it was a computer game and didn't really feel like playing it, preferring to play games on my DS and on Ricky's PS3. But then I got my new toy, aka my iPhone (cue choir of heavenly angels) and realized I'd gained not only a new phone but also a new portable gaming device. Which could play "Plants vs. Zombies." Which I downloaded first chance I got. And you know what, cutie? It's completely and utterly worth the hype -- I beat it within two days of downloading it and cannot stop playing it! It's so addicting and a great way to while away an afternoon (or a weekend, in my case, LOL).
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I love
perfume, I really do, but with the economy the way it is, I can't afford to spend as much on money on it as I would like. Which is why I love
perfume samples so much. Whether I find them at Sephora or inside fashion magazines, I love collecting them. Not only do they help me find great new perfumes, but they keep me smelling nice when I can't afford to buy a new perfume. Plus they are easy to take on trips, since they're so tiny. Some good places to score perfume samples FOR FREE are Sephora, as I mentioned before, and in any big department store like Macy's or Dillard's.
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There is something to be said for a well written romance novel. Mind you, I know the majority of them are crappy bodice rippers -- all "thrusting manhood" this or "nubile virgin" that. To which I say, DO NOT WANT. Call me a Puritan, call me a prude. I don't care. I like to keep things mysterious. I
prefer it when movies fade to black, when the plot is the thing, and not how hot and heavy the love scene was. I feel the same way about romance novels, and my favorite romance novelist will always, always be
Patricia Veryan.
I was first introduced to her writing thanks to my mother, to whom I owe my book wormy ways. :) She brought home this book from the library called
Married Past Redemption. I think I was in my early teens. It was a time when Danielle Steele was all the rage. I read Steele and liked her okay, but something was missing. Then I read
Married Past Redemption, which told the story of a young woman who marries someone out of convenience, just to help out her family which is financially struggling. Her groom had the necessary riches, but she didn't love him -- she really loved another. (Dun, dun, DUN.) This novel takes place in the 1800s, and me being a sucker for period piece anything, I fell in love at first read. It has everything the best books have: adventure, suspense, love, comedy. I devoured it instantly and immediately asked for more, plowing through my library's entire Veryan collection (which was substantive) in weeks. I loved her books because of how immersive they were -- you felt not only as though what you were reading was a true account, but as if you were actually
there when it was happening.
I reread
Married Past Redemption this past week, having since that time purchased almost all of Veryan's books for cheap from used book stores, and it still holds up. I would've loved to live in 19th century England. Sure, the lack of good plumbing would have sucked, but I would've loved the elegance, the adherence to manners and dignity. Which brings me to my next favorite...
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I forget how I first heard of
Lost in Austen. I think I may have seen a piece of it on either TV or YouTube. Whatever the case, I found it on sale on Amazon and snapped it up on my friend Trish's recommendation. I am so glad I did! It's ahh-may-zing! It tells the story of a young girl from modern day London whose absolute favorite book is
Pride and Prejudice. She wishes her hum drum existence had the elegance and courtly manner of the novel, not finding the contentment and romance she craves from her thickheaded (though well-meaning) boyfriend. Then one night she hears a noise in her bathroom, and when she goes to investigate, she finds Elizabeth Bennett standing in her bathtub. Yes,
the Elizabeth Bennett! Apparently her bathroom is a portal into the fictional world of
Pride and Prejudice, where the beloved characters live in their own parallel universe. Elizabeth persuades her to switch places with her and much frenzy ensues... I won't say anything else other than do yourself a favor and watch this series. It's funny, romantic, beautiful and a must-see for any Austen fans.
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If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I've been craving
cupcakes lately, chiefly red velvet cupcakes. I finally got around to trying them for the first time at Starbucks two days ago, and you know? They're not my favorite thing, but I can see the appeal. My favorite cupcake is from Buttercream, this amazing cupcake store in Miami. Even their Plain Jane vanilla cupcakes (which are not my favorite) are fantastic. There's just something so wonderful about a well made cupcake. Cake itself can be great, but very cloying at times, whereas a cupcake is just the right size -- the perfect amount of sweetness.
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I love
daisies because of how friendly they are. They are not intimidating flowers, like roses or lilies. They come in these great, bright colors, plus they can last a loooong time, a lot longer than roses. Case in point: Ricky (aka my boyf) got me a bouquet of pink and purple daisies (my favorite) for Valentine's Day last month, and it wasn't until this week, three weeks later, that they began to wilt. Had it been roses, they would've been dead within a week or so. But daisies are hardier -- they are superflowers! And I love them.
What are your favorites this month, bloggy friends? Let me know in the comments! And thank you for all the comment-love this week -- I love getting your comments in my inbox. :-D
