Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

 Wow, say that five times fast! Kind of a tongue twister. Ha ha. So last week Brad saw some cookies on the internet that had Reese's mini's in them and he asked me to make them. I didn't save the recipe, so I decided to just make chocolate chip cookie batter and put the Reese's mini's in instead of the chocolate chips. They turned out really good and are already almost gone (I made them yesterday)! Definitely a delicious twist on your normal cookie. I would very much recommend them, if you like Reese's.

Enjoy! 

Cait

First Crochet Project

So, a couple of months ago (geez, it's been a while) I decided I needed to crochet myself a scarf. Which also meant I needed to learn how to crochet, ha ha. So I found this awesome infinity scarf pattern and fell in love. I just had to make it! So I gathered my supplies and with a little help from my mother-in-law, I made this. It hasn't been cold enough to wear it yet, but I can't wait until I finally get the chance!

I love this scarf because I can wear it just like this, or loop it again for that chunky (and warmer) look. It is super cute and versatile. 

 This is also one of my favorite shades of green. I love the mossy forest green color and the yarn is super warm and soft.

I couldn't help showing it off to my family and my mom loved it, too. So I made her a similar one in a deep, ruby red. We can be twinners when it gets cold! 

So even though I hate being cold, bring on the winter weather, I am ready! 

Yours,

Cait

Books: October Edition

Hey y'all! It's officially November and I am loving it. October was wonderful! Here in Utah, the weather has been a delicious mixture of warm yet cool, that great fall crisp-ness. There was a skiff of snow, but mostly I have been able to fully enjoy the gorgeous fall colors and really nice weather. I got stuck on a book early in the month, so I didn't get too many reading done, but now that I gave up on that one, I have been going strong. Ha ha. So here are my book reviews for October.

The book I got stuck on was The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter. Here's a short summary (thanks to BN.com):

His powers--inhuman. His passion--beyond immortal.

All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member--a man trapped in a hell of his own.

Neither can resist the instant hunger that calms their torments...and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction--and a soul-shattering test of love....

Sounds pretty interesting, right? I love a good romance novel, especially when it sounds like there is a great plot behind it (Greek mythology? Count me in). Yeah, this one did not interest me at all. I read the prequel to it (a short novella, I suppose) called The Darkest Fire, and I should have just given up there. It was so cheesy and there was no reason why the characters suddenly fell in love. But I read some reviews that said the full-length novels were much better. And while The Darkest Night was better, it still wasn't something I looked forward to reading. The characters were fairly well developed, but the story-line moved so slowly and it was so cheesy, that I just gave up. Two out of five stars, and that's being nice. 

So I gave up on that, thank goodness, and next I read Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares. Here's what this one's about: 

Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.

Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.

First of all, if you haven't read the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, I would definitely recommend them. These books are wonderful. I loved this book because although these characters each have their own lives, they have not forgotten their friends. The characters are not super relatable to me, and I often find myself thinking, Why!? Why did you do that?? But I think that is what makes these books and characters great. They make me question life and give a perspective on how different people handle the struggles life throws at all of us. And through it all, these books are about the importance of friendship. This was a wonderful book. Five stars out of five.

Then I read The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown. Here's a summary:

Three sisters have returned to their childhood home, reuniting the eccentric Andreas family. Here, books are a passion (there is no problem a library card can't solve) and TV is something other people watch. Their father-a professor of Shakespeare who speaks almost exclusively in verse-named them after the Bard's heroines. It's a lot to live up to.

The sisters have a hard time communicating with their parents and their lovers, but especially with one another. What can the shy homebody eldest sister, the fast-living middle child, and the bohemian youngest sibling have in common? Only that none has found life to be what was expected; and now, faced with their parents' frailty and their own personal disappointments, not even a book can solve what ails them...

I liked this book. Mostly. These characters, the three sisters, were not relatable at all to me. And while I can still enjoy a book if this is not the case (see above), in this instance these characters kind of drove me nuts. I also just cannot wrap my mind around sisters who "love each other" but don't really "like each other". Yes, I know sisters fight or disagree or whatever. But I have never not liked my sisters. So it was kinda weird for me. The plot was slow, but enjoyable, and towards the end of the book I was finally happy with the choices the characters were making. However, there were times when I would be reading and I felt the author was trying way too hard to be a "writer" instead of just writing. That was obnoxious. Overall, I would give this one three out of five stars. It was a good book about discovering yourself and family love.

After that, I read Wither by Lauren DeStefano (isn't that cover so pretty and yet kinda creepy? I love it!). Here's a quick summary: 

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males born with a lifespan of 25 years, and females a lifespan of 20 years—leaving the world in a state of panic. Geneticists seek a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.

When Rhine is sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Yet her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement; her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next; and Rhine has no way to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive.

Sorry, that's kind of wordy, but that's basically the book in a nutshell. I want to say, first off, that I read many reviews on Goodreads that were not in favor of this book. On the other hand, I read quite a few blog reviews that raved about this book. I would definitely be leaning more towards the raving side. I flew through this book. I loved the characters, the plot, the way the author writes. I really liked it! I will, however, acknowledge that the dystopian world this author creates is completely improbable. This would never happen. No virus is ever going to kill people at a specific age. If the polar ice caps were vaporized, Manhattan (where Rhine is from) would probably not exist. And if World War III destroyed every continent besides North America, I don't think anyone would still be living on it (besides the fact that that itself would probably not happen so neatly). So that part of the book, I had to look past. If the author had thought that all through, it really could have been even better. I gave this one four out of five stars. I'm curious how the author will continue the series. 

Well, that's all my books for October! Hope you enjoy some of these great reads. 

Yours,

Cait

Crazy Connection

So, I'm just chillin' in my comfy bed watching Hocus Pocus, the classic Halloween movie I have been watching since I was a kid. I caught the movie just as it's starting, where it's back in the past and the boy, Thackery Binx (by the way, weirdest name ever), tries to save his sister and then the crazy witches turn him into a cat. And just then, I think to myself, No way! Is that? Is that McGee??

McGee as in NCIS McGee? You guys! It is! McGee from NCIS was in Hocus Pocus! Of course, I checked my facts and consulted IMBD.com. I still feel kinda like twilight-zoned over here, because what a crazy connection, right?
Yours,
 Cait

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Yesterday I went in to see my school advisor to talk about registering for spring semester (which starts  at the end of the month! Holy cow!). She wrote down a list of the classes I should try to take next semester, and I'm just sitting there trying to work up the courage to ask how many more classes I have left. Scary thought. So I ask and she is looking at my info and then says, "Oh, you have about 19 classes left."

For a moment my mind went blank, and then I swear I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. 19 classes left, including the ones she wants me to take in the spring. What?! That's like, three semesters if I push myself! And okay, that might seem like a long time, but for me? I was happy. I was getting scared I would be stuck in school the rest of my life! So right now, I'm pretty optimistic and all, Yeah, let's do this!

Next week when I try to schedule my classes, I will probably want to punch something, but until then, I'm in a great mood about school! Especially since this semester has been so good so far. I am not feeling the doubt I did last semester that I chose the wrong major or that I would fail. Right now, I am way driven to put everything I have into school. I sure hope that feeling doesn't fade when I stress out about registering for classes (cause really, that's always a nightmare).

Also, this is me today, probably thanks to the large mug of coffee I had this morning.  Love me some coffee.

Yours,
Cait

Vamp-ness

I can never say how much I love The Vampire Diaries tv show. I am literally obsessed. I am finally watching the season premiere that I recorded on my DVR and seriously! So much awesomeness! I absolutely love how thrilling this show is. There is nothing blah about it. I love the drama between Elena, Stefan, and Damon. I love that Damon is finally calling Elena out on everything having to be done her way. And is Bonnie not the baddest, coolest witch ever? I heart her! Here are some pics. If you haven't seen this show, you are definitely missing out.

Yours,
Cait

Final Season

Tonight is the season premiere of Gossip Girl and it's the final season. I am so excited! I have been watching this show for so long now, I feel like it's my go-to girly-guilty-pleasure. I am so sad that it's the final season! I remember all the awesome times I have watched it with Jill or my sister and those are just such great memories. I'm so ready for some new episodes!
Yours,
Cait