What did you do for your wedding florals? Was it a major expense for you, or did you cut you budget for florals?

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil sat on my bookshelf for years. My sister recommended it years ago. She said it was a great book and I should read it. I don't know why I didn't read it then. I know that when I picked it up this go 'round, I was apprehensive. When it comes to pop culture, and entertainment, mine and my sister's tastes differ. In short, I wasn't sure how much I would like the book.
Once again, this was a book I just couldn't seem to put down. The characters were intriguing, and the story even more-so. What made the book even better was that it's a book of non-fiction. The author notes that some names and descriptions have changed to protect the privacy of the people in the story, and he also notes that he has made some changes to aspects of time for the quality of story-telling.
I chose the book as my "a book set in your home state" on my 2016 reading challenge list. Once again, I wasn't sure how much I would like it, but the story was so well-written. Time and time again, I forgot that I was reading a true story. The characters are lively and more than interesting. While the story does time hop back and forth ever so slightly, it is never confusing or difficult to understand.
The major thing in the book that I was really unsure about (for lack of a better word) was that throughout the story, Savannah was referred to as a small town. I may live a couple-hundred miles from Savannah, but of the times I've heard about and been to Savannah, I've never thought of it as an even slightly small-town.
I very thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of Midnight. I thought it was intriguing, interesting, and slightly suspenseful.

The 1994 book was adapted into a film in 1997, directed/produced by Clint Eastwood and starring John Cusack and Kevin Spacey. While I'm incredibly interested in watching the film, but also worried about the changes that they may have made, I'm a little upset that Joe Odom and Mandy Nicholls weren't cast to play themselves (something they adamantly wanted throughout the book!), but am excited that several Johnny Mercer songs are featured on the soundtrack (the main setting in the book is Mercer House).

Have you read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, or seen the film? What were you thoughts on either, or both?

February 4- I got home from work and got straight into these jammies. (Which, let's be honest, is what happens every day.)

February 5- I read most of Animal Farm. I know it's one of those books I should have read in high school, but I never did. I marked off "a book under 150 pages" on my 2016 reading challenge

February 6- We drove out to get our taxes done, and I forgot to take a picture, except this one, because my outfit was really cute.

February 7- I made breakfast at home before a long day. We had to drive out to Canton, which is a little over an hour, then back, and then we watched the Superbowl at my parents. Once again, this was just the only picture I remembered to take.

February 8- Walking over to the gym at work, I was just amazed (as I usually am) about how beautiful the campus is that I work on.

February 9- We had a Fat Tuesday celebration at work. It was a potluck and there was a ton of good food...

...and a king cake, of course! (No, I didn't get the baby.)

February 10- I treated myself for breakfast. I got my heart-shaped donuts from Dunkin', then drove over to Starbucks to try out the Valentine's drink - the molten chocolate latte. YES, it is as super sweet as it sounds. It was good, but I don't think I'd drink another one.

I was so pleased with my wedding look. That best part wasn't just that I felt beautiful, but I also felt really comfortable and very much like myself. I didn't want to feel like a different person on my wedding day.

When I speak of binge-watching tv shows on Netflix, I mean really binge-watching. I want to start the show and finish the show as quickly as possible. See, there are so many tv shows and so many films that I will never (ever) be able to watch them all in my lifetime. So I better watch as many as I can, right?



The below shows are shows that I've seen in their entirety, and I was mostly impressed with them all. I was intrigued with them all throughout, even if some had dissatisfying endings. But I'll let you decide that for yourself.


If you don't know what this show is, have you been in a hole? Growing up, we only had tv channels in the living room, which my dad controlled, so I didn't get to watch a lot of the shows that I wanted to. I watched all of Gilmore Girls via Netflix, and you should too. The reboot is happening soon, and it's the perfect time to catch up!


If you loved Lauren Graham as Lorelei Gilmore, you'll love her as Sarah Braverman. Once again a single mom with a teenage daughter (and a son, too!). I'm a big family girl and that is 100% what this show is about. Yes, there's romance and the like, but when it comes down to it, this show is all about family, which I can totally relate to. And get the tissues ready, because I cried at almost every episode.

This show was only 3 seasons, which flew by. My only wish is that it was longer, but either way it's such a good show. Set in Roswell, New Mexico, it's a show about teenage aliens and features a young Katherine Heigl.


Another show I didn't get to watch in high school, OTH has a huge cult following, and for a good reason. After a few seasons, the show time jumps 5 or so years, which confused the mess out of me. It took me a bit to get back into after the time jump, but it was worth it. Plus, it features a ton of great music, which I really enjoyed.


If you love Grey's Anatomy, watch Private Practice. It's a spin-off from Grey's that revolves around Addison (Derek's first wife). I'll be honest, I wasn't a fan of Addison on Grey's, but my sister got me watching Private Practice and I'm so glad I did. Honestly, I liked Addision a lot more than I like Meredith (but does anyone actually like Meredith?).


Breaking Bad is perhaps the best show of all time. It had enough seasons to really give you your fix, and it actually ended well. I honestly haven't liked any series ending as much as I appreciated the ending to Breaking Bad. You will not be able to stop watching this show.


Created by Judd Apatow, this show features a ton of the comedians you now love, but as teenagers - Seth Rogan, James Franco, and Jason Segel, just to name a few. It's a shame that this show only lasted a season, because it is pure gold.


Once you watch Freaks & Geeks move on over to Apatow's Undeclared. This show also stars Seth Rogan, and only lasts one season, but it's more gold. It focuses on a group of college freshmen, and one of the main characters is Charlie Hunnan, who is British (real-life British, who knew?). You can also catch cameos from Adam Sandler and other big-name comedians.


I had seen several episodes of Friends, but not in sequence, which is okay because it's that kind of sitcom, but watching in order is definitely worthwhile too. You will definitely laugh-out-loud at this show, because it's too funny.


After Friends, I recommend HIMYM, which is basically a modern day Friends sitcom. HIMYM is about a group of friends living in NYC who hang out in a bar under their apartments (instead of a coffee shop). More specifically, it's a story that Ted is telling to his children about how he met their mom, but goes through a ton of situations you probably shouldn't tell your young children about. This show is also laugh-out-loud funny, because how could it not be when it features Jason Segel (love him!) and Neil Patrick Harris.


Dexter works for the Miami PD as a blood spatter analyst. He is also a serial killer. But he only kills the bad guys that have slipped through the cracks of the law. It's such a great concept for a show. Forewarning: this show has possibly the worst ending in the history of tv shows.


A suburban mother sells weed to pay the bills after her husband's death. It turns into a full-time job. This show is loosely based off real-life, but will pull you in. This time, I kind of hated the entire last season.


You've probably seen the movie, but the show is better. As a teenager, what was better than those Friday night football games, right? I loved going to football games (even though I still don't understand, or really like, football). You'll love this show, you'll love Tim Riggins (but hey, my favorite will forever be Matt). Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.


I remember the big ordeal when I was younger when the show ended and people hated the ending. I actually didn't mind the ending very much. Somewhere in the middle of this show, things get confusing, though, so it's important to pay close attention when watching. (Also, if you like Once Upon A Time, a ton of the actors are also in this show, because they both have the same writers/creators.)


This is one of the shows I actually got to watch fully growing up, because my entire family watched it. If you haven't heard of House, it's about a doctor and his colleagues at the hospital they work at. He's kind of a d-bag, but he's really a genius, and he's addicted to painkillers. If you love sarcastic humor, you'll love House.


I wasn't sure if I would like Glee. I was worried it would be really childish, but it wasn't. It's a great, fun teen dramedy. And (most of) the songs they sing are songs we all know and love, with a Glee twist, so it's not all musicals and show-tunes. Plus, you really can't go wrong with Jane Lynch. She's freaking hilarious (and crazy!).


Twin Peaks originally took place around the same time I was born, but it's such a good show, and can get so incredibly creepy. The basis of the show is "Who killed Laura Palmer?"- a popular teenage girl found dead on the beach in a small town. A reboot is coming in 2017, so catch up now. (With only 2 seasons, it would be difficult to do.)


I know they rebooted Heroes, as well, but I haven't watched the reboot. Heroes is about a group of people across the world that have super powers, and they come together to "save the cheerleader." If you haven't watched Heroes yet, I highly recommend it.


I read the books in middle school, but when I heard they were coming out with a show, I was not excited. I really thought the show would be dumb. After three seasons, I started watching and got hooked. As much as I hate the fact that these rich teenagers can just walk into a bar and buy themselves a drink (I mean, really? What about the laws?), I really enjoyed this show so much. You'll have a love/hate relationship with all the characters, but it's just too good.


This show is about a woman who is out to avenge the wrongful incarceration and death of her father.  It can get kind of PLL-ish on you, if you know what I mean. You think it's finally over, but it's not, but you just can't stop watching, you can't turn away. I was glad it finally ended though, or it could have become just freaking terrible.



Bonus Show:

Okay, so this show isn't actually on Netflix, but you can watch it on CW Seed for free (online or on a streaming device like Roku). The OC is one of my favorite shows of all time. I died to watch it in high school, but never got to. When they put it on CW Seed, I just knew I had to watch it. I loved it so much, and some things that happen will completely shock you. The last episode of the show got kind of weird, but other than that, the show is pretty flawless.


Shows that have ended, and are in my queue: X-Files, Mad Men, The L Word, Sons of Anarchy, The West Wing, Californication, Parks & Rec.

There are other shows I love and others I'm so interested in watching, but are not over yet or not on Netflix, so I'm not adding them to this list.

What are some of your favorite shows? I'm always up for some recommendations.