I like big books and I can not lie...

So, I finally finished University (yes!) and my post University anti brain shrivelling up and dying plan is to read, read, and read some more. I never ended up getting to read all the classics that people are generally forced to read throughout school and feel like maybe I missed out so I am adding them to the pile. But hey, I will probably appreciate them much more now than I would of as a teen. I won't even have to write essays about them! 

Honestly, the high school essay I kept (I'm assuming I kept it because I thought it was good) was pretty terrible. I clearly had not figured out the system. I don't think I really improved in my essay writing ability too much, except understanding the value of a good quote in an argument and level of caring.

I'm a pretty slow reader and only up to my 13th book of the year (obviously not counting picture books). I try to read before bed as it makes for good sleeping (science!). My Goodreads over the last year is pretty John Green and Hunger Games dominated. Recommend me some books - please and thank you.  

Sian's books

Sian's favorite books »

 
I am currently reading The Catcher in the Rye because the Universe kept telling me to and I finally listened and Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! Man, I am so articulate.

Oh my God, Ted!

You need to stop. No, you don't. Never stop.

Love this song!

I am super obsessed with this song at the moment. 

I cannot stop listening to it. I got super excited when it showed up in the middle of This is 40. Mini movie theatre dance party. Anyway, I bought the album today, so life is good. I also bought some Laura Marling and a $15 swim suit - oh yeah.

I have a series of posts in mind, but I will probably take a million years to write them as I am going to be working full time for the next month rather than laying about doing nothing all day. It is going to be a shock to my system and bank account.

2013!

I can't believe we are already a week into 2013. I had a lovely Christmas with my family and a chilled out New Years. I hope everyone had a good one and 2013 kicks 2012's arse!

Since I last wrote here I have done a few things:

I made my friend a really awesome mix tape.  I also made her some particularly heinous candy cane vodka.

I drew a banjo, what on Earth possessed me to do that?!

I fell in love with Of Monsters and Men. So now I am sad that I can't see them or Vampire Weekend this Summer!

I read The Hunger Games trilogy in a five day period. Oh my!

I did my Hottest 100 voting, although there were too many things I wanted to vote for. I could have happily given my 10 votes to Mumford and Sons or Jack White. I was very restrained and only voted for 3 Mumford and Sons tracks - I Will Wait, Lover of the Light, and Broken Crown.

I am finally watching Arrested Development and Freaks and Geeks and loving them! :)

I finally finished getting my tooth fixed up after 8 dental appointments including 2 fillings to the same tooth and a root canal (hence me being too poor to do anything remotely exciting this Summer). 

And last but not least I went to see The Hobbit at long last yesterday! :D    

Christmas fun

It's my families last Christmas together in my childhood home and we have been really getting into it. Our halls have been decked, we've been cooking all kinds of treats, and watching as many holiday themed movies as we can handle. I've even sorted my Christmas shopping and will hopefully avoid the shopping mall and car park rage this time of year is synonymous with. Chances are I'll find a reason to go in at the worst possible time. 

My cooking contributions have been white chocolate snowballs and a yule log. 

The snowballs were a total pain in the butt to make because the recipe I used needed at least double the biscuits it requested - so sticky! I always end up deciding to cook that kind of thing (sticky, rolly, coat in chocolate, delicious pain in the arse) and I always regret it. But they are delicious and seem to get better with age.

The Yule log was a challenge and I succeeded! I hardly ever bake using eggs (allergic brother) so making a sponge is something I haven't done much of. So making, rolling, and decorating one was fun. Our biggest pan was a roasting pan so flipping the cake out was terrifying but amazingly the cake survived it all and was pretty good too. Not perfectly light as it was slightly thicker than the recipe intended due to pan size but tasty. Also in my haste to roll it I didn't follow the instructions but it still worked well. I am amazed how well it worked. As you can see in the picture I got a bit too excited adding the snow (only ever experiencing one northern hemisphere Christmas and all).

As for movies we have been watching pretty much anything with a Christmas tree featured in it. So far we have watched: Trains, Planes and Automobiles, Trading Places, Home Alone, Jingle all the way, Love Actually, Elf, Meet me in St. Louis and my absolute favourite While you Were Sleeping. Still lots of films on the to watch list with a week to go.

Hope you and yours are enjoying the holiday season however you choose to spend it. x

A Very Mumford Christmas.

This satirical article, Mumford & Sons Can't Believe They all got Each Other Mandolins for Christmas* is a real crack up. 

“To be honest, I thought at least some of the 12 mandolin-shaped packages would turn out to be banjos, dobros, or buzuqs when we unwrapped them. But I can’t say I’m disappointed when I think about the amazing sound we could create with this many mandolins."  - Marcus Mumford

I really don't know what to get my Dad for Christmas. He bought himself a mandolin earlier this year but I don't think he has even strummed it. It is a real travesty. It is locked up in a dark cupboard somewhere in the house, where hobbies go to die. 

But I totally strummed it. As if I could resist.

Unfortunately they don't have a mandolin music book for Sigh no More because he would totally hate that. Well, he referred to Mumford and Sons as Muppets** when I went to see them (which is a total British insult I don't get because The Muppets are amazeballs). Unless he secretly knows about The Amazing Mumford, now that would be an unexpected twist. 

I shall leave you with this.

*I really hope Marcus, Winnie, Ted and Ben get all the mandolins they want for Christmas. <3
** I once got called a Muppet for wearing my Ugg boots to the pub after being dragged out of bed when I lived in England. I lived above said pub, they were lucky I didn't socialise in my pyjamas.

Yes.