Happy Friday! (plus a giveaway winner :D)

This Friday is happier than usual because in about a half hour, le boyf. will be picking me up so we can go shopping for his birthday gifts. At first I was all stressin' because I hadn't had time to shop for his gifts, but then he took a load off my shoulders by suggesting we go buy them together, that way he could guide me in the right direction. (I might sneak one or two surprises in there behind his back, though!)

Ricky and I always like to get each other a bunch of little gifts rather than one big gift. How do you like to give/receive gifts? Let me know in the comments!

Speaking of gifts, here's the winner of this month's giveaway...

Congrats, Rasha! That's a great choice -- I love that bookmark, too. Thanks to everyone who participated and stay tuned until June, when I will announce my new giveaway.

Before I close, here is this week's fill in the blank from Lauren. If you want to play along, make sure to link back to her post!

1.  The very best thing about the summer is  the time off -- I'm a high school teacher, so I get two months off from work. Woot, woot! (Yes, you can be jealous now. :p) .

2.  My first crush ever was   a boy who lived on my same block growing up. He was in the grade above me and worlds apart from me -- I was shy and awkward, he was popular and cool. I crushed on him pretty hardcore all the same. (Click here if you want to know more).

3.  This may sound really silly but   I like scaring my boyfriend when he walks back into a room where I'm waiting for him. I'll hide behind the door and jump out at him, stuff like that. It almost always works, too.

4.  I squeeze my toothpaste from  the top of the tube when it's still brand-new, and then I start squeezing from the bottom when I feel it running out.

5.  My absolute favorite "comfort food" is cereal, preferably something sweet.

6.  A random fact about me is that  my last name is not pronounced "Simon," like the children's game "Simon Says." It's pronounced "Simone".

7.  The one piece of technology that truly makes my life better and I couldn't live without is  my iPhone. It has everything I need in one convenient little device -- my phone, my music, my games, my photos, my interwebs. I truly can't imagine my life without it -- much to my boyfriend's dismay (he's not a fan).

 

 picture via we heart it

What are you doing this weekend, bloggy friends? Le boyf and I might have that Harry Potter marathon I wanted to have last week, but the rest of the weekend is wiiiide open -- hopefully to be filled with sleep, relaxation, and some cereal. :-)

These things are making me incredibly happy right now...

Okay, so my first happy item is a cheesy one, but that doesn't make it any less true -- I am so happy I have over 140 followers! I still remember when I had maybe five followers, and so it's just unbelievable to me that this many people are actually interested in what I have to say. I began blogging for myself, but now I can honestly say blogging is no longer just a solitary past time for me -- it's now a means of communication as well. Thanks for making it a two-way street, bloggy readers. :)

Today my AP English Language students took their exam, after 10 long months of preparation. What this means is that I can finally breathe a sigh of relief now -- the hard part is over. Now begins the second hard part: the waiting!

I'm loving the offer Starbucks is currently having for their frappes  -- all frappes are half price from now until Sunday, only between the hours of 3-5 PM. Let's just say my local Starbucks has come to know me very well. ;)

I recently discovered some online vendors through Amazon that sell books by a favorite author of mine, Patricia Veryan, for dirt cheap. (I'm talking pennies.) Score!

It took forever for my bangs to grow out again, but now that they're a bit past my chin, my hair is getting close to my desired length -- I have layers and I want the longest part, currently just past my shoulders, to reach the middle of my back. I love that I can style my hair differently now that it has gotten longer!

Okay, so while this may not be conducive to my diet, I am totally in love with Nature Valley's new Nut Clusters -- they're little bits of heaven mixed with joy. Trust.

I'm loving that le boyf's birthday is next Monday because that means I get to spoil him, something he doesn't always let me do!

picture via we heart it

 What's making you happy today?

Letters to Juliet.

So on Mother's Day I took my Mom to go see an advanced screening of Letters to Juliet. It technically doesn't come out in theaters until this Friday the 14th, but a local theater had a special preview of it for Mother's Day.

I won't say much about it in case you want to see it except for the fact that it exceeded my expectations. I expected a fluffy bit of romantic comedy. I got a beautiful glimpse of Italy, some genuinely funny moments, and most importantly, some genuine romance.

If you love romance, and if "Romeo and Juliet" was one of your favorite plays in school, you need to see this movie. If your man doesn't want to accompany you, take your mom. Who says we have to stop spoiling our moms just because it's no longer Mother's Day? ;)

10 Confessions. {the joyful tears version}

I was going to post my usual 10 Confessions today when Busy Bee Lauren's recent blog post on the top ten moments that have made her cry with joy inspired me. I'm a big baby when it comes to crying -- I cry when I'm mad, I cry when I'm sad, I cry when I'm moved, I cry when I'm in pain, and I cry when I'm happy. I've even been known to get weepy over especially sappy commercials (here, let me facepalm myself for you). So how could I not participate in Lauren's fabulous post idea? Here are my top ten moments that made me cry with joy. (It goes more or less in order of importance, though most of them are pretty significant in their own right.)

When my mother came out of open heart surgery four years ago (following a major heart attack) and the doctor said it had gone well, I cried. Those were among the worst hours of my life, and so hearing those words made me weep with joyful relief.

  

When my boyfriend and I "officially" declared our feelings to each other and "officially" declared ourselves a couple, I cried. Those were definitely some happy tears!

When I graduated from college, I cried tears of joyful pride. I am the first person in my immediate family to graduate from college, so this meant a great deal to us.

When my cat Tigger had to go to the animal hospital for a kidney infection, I was afraid he wouldn't make it because we'd lost his brother a couple of years prior. Luckily, the vet was able to cure him and I cried tears of joy the day I took him home.

When my cousin Alyssa married her husband Gonzalo, whom she'd been dating since high school, I cried because I was happy she was marrying her best friend. So romantic!

When Ross and Rachel kissed for the first time in "Friends," I cried like a baby. (True story.)

 When Jim and Pam got married in "The Office," I cried like a baby. (Another true story.)

Every time I watch the ending of "Pride and Prejudice" (the one with Keira Knightley), I cry like a baby. (Yet another true story.)

Every time I hear violins -- I don't know why -- something triggers tears in me. True, they're bittersweet, but I think the feeling borders more on joy than sorrow.  

Every time I say goodbye to the school year and goodbye to my high school students -- many of whom are graduating -- I cry tears of relief mixed with pride. Relief because another challenging year is over, and pride because of how far my students have come. I experience this every year. I'll be experiencing this again in five weeks! :*)

 

  (picture via we heart it)

I don't know if the fact above is true or not, but it sure is interesting!

What are the top ten moments that have made you cry with joy, bloggy readers? If you want to post your own top ten, make sure you link up to BBL's post!

Lolcat of the Week

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Haha, I love that cat's expression! Have a great Monday, everyone. :-)

Week in Review

This week was crazy-busy for me because I gave my AP English Language students a full AP Practice Test, complete with three essays and a multiple choice section. That meant that I had to grade three essays and a multiple choice section for 26 students. (I'm still recovering!)

But I think all that hard work paid off, because over half of my students passed the Practice Test! Let's hope I get the same results on the actual test...

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful. I still haven't seen "Iron Man 2," and things got too hectic this weekend to have the Harry Potter marathon I wanted to have with the boyf. However, today I am going to see "Letters to Juliet" with my mom to celebrate Mother's Day, so that's all right. :)

Here are my posts from this week in case you missed any:

Lolcat of the Week 
 

May the fourth be with you! (Get it, get it? ;-D)

The Young Victoria.

Giveaway!!! {Ma Cherie Creations}

Happy Friday!

Sometimes I wish my boyf wasn't such a movie buff.

picture via we heart it

Happy Mother's Day! Are you doing anything special to celebrate with your family? Let me know in the comments! :)

Sometimes I wish my boyf wasn't such a movie buff.

I've been suuuuuper excited to watch "Iron Man 2," but le boyf is hemming and hawing because apparently it didn't get the good reviews he hoped it would get.

Sometimes I wish my boyf wasn't such a movie buff. Don't get me wrong, I love that he has discerning tastes. But I may have to hog-tie and blindfold him and just plain drag him to the theater today.

(This may or may not have something to do with my teeny tiny crush on Robert Downey, Jr. Maybe.)
 

Any movies you're excited to see this weekend? "Letters to Juliet" has a special preview on Sunday and I might be taking my mom to see that for Mother's Day. Oh, and did I mention I have a giveaway happening on the blog right now? Because I do. Enter here for a chance to win a homemade card or bookmark!