"I Love" Sundays v.61

Hello dearest friends!

This has been kind of an exciting (but super long week)

** Monday found me cracking open the Harry Potter coloring book that I bought some time ago while Amy took a nap on the couch and I colored my first page. I didn't want to do any of the more complicated pages just yet because I was incredibly tired, so I started with the Gryffindor crest. Slytherin is next!

** Also on Monday, while I was at work, this lovely lady below came into my store and told me "This may sound weird, but I follow you on Instagram. I knew you worked at Starbucks but I didn't put two and two together that you worked at THIS Starbucks." It made my day to have met this lovely lady. You can follow her on IG here! ((I need to take a better picture next time, but I was at work and I wasn't supposed to have my phone out but I wanted a picture with this gorgeous and sweet girl))

 ** Tuesday was an incredibly long day for me. I took a coworkers shift because she didn't have someone to watch her young son, so I worked for 11.5 hours. I was exhausted, closing two days in a row and then such a long day on the second day. Thankfully, I closed with a great group of people, and the guy that I talked about last Sunday visited me during my dinner break. It was sweet.

** Speaking of my work. Some of the regulars have started to learn my name (I've been working the front counter a lot lately) and thankfully all have patience with me when I need help figuring out what a "Black Eye" or a "Dirty Chai" is ((can you tell that I really don't drink much coffee?)) The other upside is that I have started to learn some of their names! This makes me happy!!!

** Thursday had me running into an old NCO of mine from when I was stationed here back 2011-2014. He was a super awesome guy and we almost literally ran into each other in the food court at the mini mall! I am going to meet him at his work tomorrow to help him with his VA packet because he is retiring soon. 

** I found Kara of Boho Berry sometime this week and was kind of hooked on her style of bullet journaling. I LOVE the way that she does it! She is so creative and talented and she makes her bujo more then just a simple to do list! I love her handwriting and she has inspired me with some new collections to add to my scrap-journal! 

** Friday was a super busy but successful day for me and my little McNaugle family! Amy and I decided that we were going to get our hair done (I needed a new dye job because the blonde and brown was starting to show through again and I wanted to do something different) so this is what I did! I also had her curl my hair when she was done dying and highlighting it! I love how it turned out. It didn't stay curled for very long, but I just love the color - it's red with copper highlights. The bottom looks more reddish brown, but that's ok.

** On Friday we also got the keys to our new house! Like I told you guys in this post! Make sure you check that one out!!!

.: Little Loves :.

|| Tostitio Scoops | YouTube | Sweet Tea | Dr. Pepper | my hair | being a couch potato | naps | shopping for the new house | candy ||

What are you loving from this past week?

"I Love" Sunday's v.59

Happy Sunday Dreamers!

Hope you all have had a good weekend!

** You might have seen this picture on my FB page or my IG from Tuesday. I know that I don't look all that thrilled, but I was tired. I took the picture on my 10 minute break, and really it was a good day. Although I had only worked there for a couple of days, I qualified for my first set of tips ever!!! Being as this is my first serious job other then the US Army, I've never made tips before. It wasn't much, but it was definitely kinda awesome.

** So I finally got my Starbucks hat from my manager. She had to order new ones when I joined the company and they came in on Monday. On Wednesday, my manager handed me my Military Appreciation aprons specifically for spouses and veterans. I took them to the mall to get my name sewn on and picked them up on Friday evening. Little things make me happy. :) 

** I got my taxes done in about 20 minutes on Thursday. Little victories here peeps!

** My roommate converted an old dressed into a nice little entertainment center for the living room. She had it done before I came home from Germany, but we were missing a couple of pieces. We finally got the tv mount thing in the mail and got our new entertainment center all set up. The TV sits much higher then it used to, but the entertainment center itself is much more sturdy then the other one used to be. We no longer have to fear if the old tv stand was bumped the wrong way that everything would come crashing down.

.: Link Love :.

** Danielle from From Girlie to Nerdy shared a post on The Fairytale Traveler about her trip to the Universal Orlando Celebration of Harry Potter Experience. I am SUPER jealous about this experience and can't believe that I had no idea that it existed until afterwards. What kind of Potterhead am I to not have know that this thing existed. Note to self: Must go next year!!!!

** Alexz from Spooky Pooky shared her 2016 Valentines Day cards. I love them!!!!! They are free to download, however she asks that you not try to sell them or remove her name from them. Check out her blog for more cards!

.: Little Loves :.

|| Sweet tea | Twizzlers | having a job | homemade dinners | Oreos | NCIS | new friends ||

What are you loving from this past week?

Hot Topic Top 5 Wishlist

Hello dearest friends
This post contains affiliate links.

Although I will be spending this upcoming Valentines Day with my roommate and her son, I am totally okay with that. I've never been a fan of this holiday because I think it's ridiculous that there is one day a year that you're supposed to show your love to your significant other.... I believe in doing that every day possible. I've always felt like that, even when I had a significant other.

Anywho, today I wanted to show you 5 items on my wishlist of things I would love to get from Hot Topic this month. This is all from their website. For a limited time they are having a 20% off sale online, even on clearance items!

Harley Quinn Split Leg Tights

I have a huge love of Harley Quinn, especially with the Suicide Squad movie coming up this year. I'm thinking of dressing like her to go see the movie, and I think these tights would be perfect.

Star Wars R2-D2 Cord Bracelet

In the original set of movies, R2-D2 was my favorite character in the Star Wars Saga.

Harry Potter Wand & Feather Necklace

As most of you know, I am a huge fan of Harry Potter, so this necklace is a no brainer to me!

Marvel Deadpool Earrings

In honor of the moving coming out next week, these earrings would be a perfect but subtle way to demonstrate your love for the Merc with the Mouth!

Marvel Deadpool Kawaii Girls Pullover

Speaking of the upcoming movie, this pullover would be perfect to wear to the premier!

I think these five items are super cute and I might be buying a couple of them once I get paid on Friday. It helps that I have a Hot Topic Card and some discount cards.... it helps feed my addiction to their store. Do you ladies shop at Hot Topic?

The Golden Snitch: A Geeky Giveaway

Hello dear readers!!

Earlier this month I found an awesome lady that had a lot of common interests with me so I decided to grab a sponsor spot on her blog, which has been an awesome option for me! She has been super sweet and helpful (She even emailed me a suggestion she had for me!) and we've corresponded over email several times. I absolutely love her blog and I can't wait to get to know her better! ((Since we live just a state away from each other, I hope I can meet her one day!))

So this giveaway actually went live yesterday but it took me a minute (or a day) to find the email with the proper coding in it to share it with you. That and I started my new job yesterday, so that kind of took some precedence!

Any who, onto the giveaway!

Do you love collecting geeky items? Perfect! Every month this year, Kimi will be hosting a giveaway called The Golden Snitch: The geeky giveaway that opens at the close. You will get the chance at winning a special prize box containing a mixture of pop culture items which total value is $100 or more. Does this sound good to you? Of course it does! Kimi has rounded up some amazing geek-inspired bloggers to introduce you to today. I'm so excited for you to meet them and hopefully get to know them better as well! We all pitched in to provide the items for this month's Golden Snitch Geeky Giveaway prize box.
 

Say Hello To...

Time to meet your lovely giveaway sponsors! It being a new year and all, Kimi asked a special question: What is one fandom you'd like to learn more about in 2016? These were our answers...

KIMI | Kimi Who? It might sound a little cliche right now, but I'd like to learn more about Star Wars. Seeing the new movie has really piqued my interest and I've found myself bugging my boyfriend with so many questions! I'm greatly enjoying learning about the Star Wars universe and old canon vs. new!  

ANGIE | My So-Called Chaos I think maybe the outlander fandom. I read the first book and really liked it, but have gotten stuck trying to read the second and people are obsessed with the whole series.  

JENN | ((ME)) One fandom I'd like to learn more about this year? That is a really difficult question. Hmmm.... Either Batman (like Harley Quinn) or maybe Star Wars (I haven't watched the movies since 1-3 were in theaters) or Doctor Who (maybe pre-Christopher Eccleson).  

HEATHER | The Nerdy Fox The one fandom I’d like to learn more about in 2016 is Sherlock. I haven’t been able to really get into it even though I know if I sat down and watched it, I’d be in love.  

CHRISTINA | Cali Darling One fandom I'd like to learn more about in 2016 would have to be the Divergent series. I've seen the first one and definitely want to see the second one. I'd also like to read the books as well. I feel like Divergent would fit well into my current favorite fandoms of Harry Potter, Twilight, and Hunger Games!  

MANDY | The True Ultimate Fangirl Officially One fandom I'd like to learn more about in 2016 is Deadpool. I already love all the trailers I've seen for the new movie, plus all I've heard about him as a character, because I'm a foul-mouthed, vulgar, twisted-sensed-of-humor kind of gal myself, and to find a character that is along those same lines is just freakin' fantastic! I can't wait to start buying comics and I just recently purchased my outfit for when I go and see the movie, so I'm psyched! There's nothing better than getting to be a geeky fashionista while learning about the "Merc With a Mouth".  

ASHLEY | Her Geekery I'd love to learn more about Supernatural! I've heard so much about it and I've seen an episode here and there, but I've never taken the time to sit down and get into it. I'm especially intrigued by Jared Padalecki's 'Always Keep Fighting' campaign, which I think is what really sparked my interest in this massive fandom!  

STACEY | Geeks & Lattes The Once Upon A Time fandom. I abandoned the show in S2 and now I regret it.  

IMANI | I Puke Kawaii Let's go Wade Wilson. Deadpool comes outnxt month and I think more people should know him.  

DANIELLE | From Girlie to Nerdy I'd like to learn more about (and hopefully watch) Sailor Moon this year. I missed the boat on that show as a kid and I love that it promotes girl power and has talking cats.  

NICHOLE | Cuppa Geek I can't wait to get all caught up with Doctor Who and Torchwood. The show has changed my fandom life. I can't say I've ever been this crazy about a show before. Not even my horror shows. And I'm a huge horror geek. Doctor Who has everything romance, action, suspense, horror . . How could you not be obsessed?  

LEAH | Girl Getting Geeky I think it might actually be Harry Potter for me. I'm not a great lover of the characters. Sorry! But I am a lover of the world.  

VANESSA | 2 Dorks in Love We just started getting into Supernatural this month. I kept seeing raves all over my geek mom group and told my husband that I wanted to start catching up. I knew little bits...like there's Felicia Day in there somewhere, and I know Dean likes pie, ha ha. So far it's been great for the first season and a half!  

KATY | Plays Well with Coffee I would love to learn more about the Sherlock fandom! I've heard nothing but good things about the show, so I'm totally stoked to jump into the whole thing!  

JESSICA | Two Married Geeks The DC fandom. I'm more of a Marvel Gal myself.  

KAYLY | My Open Sketchbook For me, I think I'd enjoy learning a bit more about the Marvel universe, in terms of character origins and whatnot. As a fan of the MCU, I'd really like to learn more about the comic history, especially as there are character movies coming out this year that I'd like to see but don't know much about (ie - Doctor Strange).  

LIANA | Liana Art & Illustration The Star Wars universes (canon and not canon) and the new series they're putting out!  

JESSICA | The Nifty Nerd I'd like to learn more about Firefly. People seem to love the series or think it's highly overrated. I fell in love with the movie, Serenity, when I first watched it, so I'd like to give the series (single season?) a chance!  

MICHELLE | Geeked Out Girl The fandom I would like to learn more about is video games. Gamers seem so passionate about everything they do- from the games they play to the system(s) that they use. I would love to find a system and a game that I am so dedicated to that I actually play it through all the way to the end.  

Time for a Giveaway!

Now that you've gotten to know the ladies, let's show you the goods! *Ahem* We mean the prizes of course.
 

This month we're giving away a prize pack valued at $125! It includes the following:

• BB-8 Touch Desk Lamp from Think Geek
• Walgreens Exclusive Star Wars Prototype Boba Fett Funko Pop
• Doctor Who TARDIS-shaped Ceramic Mug
• Harry Potter Coloring Book + Marker Set
• Star Wars Yoda Sleeping Mask

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get Ready for February's Giveaway!

Are you interested in being part of The Golden Snitch Geeky Giveaway for February? Now is the time to sign up and claim your spot! We'll be giving away a Deadpool Fleece Robe and other assorted Marvel Universe items.

Good luck if you should decide to participate!

"I Love" Sunday's v.56

Hello dearest dreamers!

I hope you had an awesome week

** Although this isn't much of a happy post, I am rather proud of this post about my first fandom!

A tee shirt I bought from Tee Turtle in his honor
Right now a percentage of each sale is being donated to cancer research

** This week I also have my first guest post that went live this past Friday. I want to build up my collection of chronic illness themed posts, and so I started with this one by a lovely lady named Jacki. She talks about living her life with MS and what she does to try to make her life a little easier.

** Went to an arcade for the first time since like 2011 on Friday. Amy's boyfriend (D) told her that he wanted us to meet up and play a couple of rounds of laser tag. We got to meet his daughter for the first time, Mem and I got to have some serious sibling rivaly on some some of the games, and we played two rounds of laser tag before D and his daughter had to leave. A guy that I have been talking to (M) joined us and we had a blast. After that M, Amy, Mem, and I went to a nice little pizza place for dinner and sat there for a while and talked. Overall, it was a fantastic night. Wish I had thought to get a picture at some point over the night.

** My stuff has arrived from Germany. I've scheduled the drop off date and my friend Sarah will be there with me to hang out when all my stuff gets dropped off. I'll just be super happy to have all my stuff.

** My first check for my Army retirement came in, which made me super excited because I was worried that it wasn't going to show up before I really needed it. I still really need a job, but at least I know that my bills will be covered for the rest of this month and the start of February. I am trying to be optimistic here!

** This weekend has been a Harry Potter marathon with my best friend Sarah, her son Ry and daughter Molly, and Mem. It took all weekend to finish the series, but we loved it! Sarah and I also made dinner for Amy both nights since Amy works weekends.

** So about two months before I left Germany I ordered this awesome hoodie from a website via Facebook. The only issue is that it never arrived before I left, so once I got back home to NC, I contacted the company about it and they sent me a new one. It finally arrived this week. I'll share a review on the sweater and the company later this week if anyone is interested.

.: Little Loves :.

|| Harry Potter marathons | Batman | Sugar cookies | Dr. Pepper | Pibb Xtra | reading blogs | Air Hockey | Laser Tag ||

What are you loving this week?

Week of Heartbreak

This week hasn't been easy for people.

On Monday, we were alerted that legend David Bowie passed away from Cancer. 

Today though....

This one breaks my heart on a whole other level!

Alan Rickman passed away last night from cancer at age 69. This man was a great talent, probably best known for his role as Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter franchise. He also played the voice of The Blue Caterpillar in the live action Alice and Wonderland, Judge Turpin in Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and The Sheriff of Nottingham from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves just to name a few. Here is the story from BBC America.

Severus Snape was always one of my favorite characters from the series, even before Alan Rickman brought him to life in the movie adaptation. I don't think they could've picked anyone better to play him!!! This news means there is a Harry Potter marathon on the horizon for me and my bestie Sarah in his honor.

Here are some YouTube videos you guys need to see:

The video from when Alan Rickman joined Jimmy Fallon with balloons, 

The "Rickman off" that he referenced between Fallon and Benedict Cumberbatch, 

That time when Alan Rickman and Michael Gambon pranked Daniel Radcliffe

Review: Custom MyDorian from AltGuild

As most of you know, I am obsessed with Travelers Notebooks ((thanks MOM)), they've become a big feature here on my blog. Well, I am part of several Facebook groups and I'm always looking for good leather covers. I stumbled upon Chris from AltGuild and decided to give his leather covers a try ((c'mob, don't judge..... check out his page and you will see all of the custom geeky orders that he makes and it makes you want to get one yourself!)) Nerd alert ahead!

I sent Chris a message over Etsy and he worked with me to create my newest obsession (and addition) to my TN collection: my custom Gryffindor themed Wide TN cover.

My photo doesn't do this beautiful book justice

For real... I absolutely love this cover. It is hand stamped and hand painted, with two strings to keep it closed, and four strings on the inside to hold inserts. I personally use Large Caheir Moleskine notebooks, which fit perfectly in a Wide cover. I don't have to cut anything down (which is awesome because that is a serious pain in the butt).

This image belongs to AltGuild
but this is my beautiful cover that Chris made for me

Chris was super easy to work with and communicated consistently and quickly. We originally discussed this product while I was in Germany. He completed my order very quickly and it was ready to go shortly before I left Germany. I asked him to change the address it was going to be sent to (my leave date kept changing) and it arrived shortly after I arrived back in the States. Like a week later.

The leather is nice and supple, it's thick. The stamping is beautifully done and the color work is gorgeous. You can create your own cover through his Etsy shop and it was incredibly easy. I told him that I wanted two strings to keep it closed instead of one, and four bands on the inside to hold insures. I love the fact that he used grommets in the holes the strings come through, it helps keep the integrity of the holes. 

Oh! There is a design on both sides of my cover! Here is another picture from Chris' Facebook page of the whole cover!

This image belongs to Chris from AltGuild

When I messaged Chris originally, I couldn't decide whether I wanted a Gryffindor cover or a Slytherin cover (I love both houses). This is the design he came up with for Gryffindor and I absolutely loved it, so I went with it. In each of the corners he hand stamped a gorgeous little rose design that compliments the overall design wonderfully. 

I have used this notebook every day since I got it in late November/early December. I take it with me everywhere I go and am not really careful with it. I've showed it to several people (one girl at Starbucks asked about it cuz I had it out and I passed on Chris' information to her) and everyone loves it. 

It was reasonably priced for the work that Chris did and how quickly it was completed. It is definitely worth it! If you're interested in a custom TN cover, make sure you check out his Etsy shop above. I recommend that you order one yourself!

Thanks Chris!

"I Love" Sunday's v.55

Hello dearest friends!

Happy Sunday

It's been a super busy week (as mentioned on Friday)

** I got my 2016 Travelers Notebook all set up and am loving it. I'll do a walkthrough of the set-up sometime this week for anyone who is interested, but just to let you guys know.... I have my January plan book surrounded by a Midori pocket, my December Daily 2015 (I am trying to get it all finished. Almost done!!!), The business card folder, my blog book, and my 2016 yearly planner. I am still using the custom designed Harry Potter MyDorian made by AltGuild on Etsy. The review for this product will be up later this week!

** I picked up the key to my new apartment on Thursday. I finally have my own place. Right now, the only thing in there is my new tv stand (which I think is made from real wood instead of the fake stuff and is heavier then I expected when I went to pick it up). This weekend I have been moving some of my stuff from my roommate's place to my new one (It's just a couple buildings over from where I've been staying). I can't really move in yet because my stuff is either on it's way from Germany or still in storage in Florida. I still have to get my utilities all set up, but at least there is a place

** My truck has arrived from Germany! I picked it up on Friday from Charleston, SC and I am beyond excited!!!! I have my car back! I asked my roommate if it would be odd if I hugged my car, she laughed at me!

I sent this picture to my friend when we were talking about how excited I was to have my car back

** I hung out with a new friend Friday night. She is a cashier at Staples and we met when I went to go pick up a new White Signo gel pen for my memory keeping stuff. We bonded over my new Harry Potter necklace (it says "Books turn mugs into wizards) and my Star Wars long sleeve shirt (It's black with Darth Vader on the front, Star Wars written on the side of the two sleeves, and The Dark Side written on the back like a jersey). We went to 2nd and Charles and looked through all of their "nerd stuff" before walking around the mall.

I sent this picture to my roommate's son Mem from 2nd and Charles.
He loves the tv show Friends and we've been binge watching the show on Netflix

** I went and applied at a bunch of place. I've been calling or walking in and asking the status of my application. The lady at Starbucks asked me some questions and gave me her card, saying if I haven't heard from her by tomorrow, to give her a call. 2nd and Charles also took my information to pass to the manager (they're owned by Books-A-Million and the cashier said that it takes forever for them to get applications), and told me that me coming in and asking was a good thing and that's how she got her job. It gives me hope that I might get a job here soon.

** I sent in an application to Kellie Winnell for her 2016 Creative Team Call. This is my first time applying, although I've been considering it for a little while. I'm hoping to get a position, but it wouldn't surprise me if I didn't. Only because there are some AMAZING and talented ladies in the scrapbooking world and I am just a beginner. Gotta start somewhere though!

** So last night I went to my favorite country bar to apply (they said they were hiring). However, the manager on the phone told me the wrong time to show up and I have to come back Wednesday night (kinda annoyed about that... but whatever). The good news is.... I made friends with 3 new couples! Two of the couples were standing outside when we were waiting for the bar to open (Cat and Mike and Michi and Chris). We started chatting (Michi loved me simply because I told her that I was originally from Texas and lived in Florida) and became friends over several rounds of pool. The last couple I befriended (Jess & Aaron) decided to play couple vs couple with one of the first couples, so we ended up talking. Jess was a BLAST! She was more then willing to teach me some of the line dances that I didn't know and we've agreed to meet up there more often so I can learn more of the dances. Overall, it turned into a great night and I am really glad I stayed despite being there by myself!

** This may be proving me as a total nerd, but I am really happy to have access to cable again. For one single reason... HGTV! I spend way too much time watching HGTV shows while multitasking. My favorite shows from HGTV are Fixer Upper, Property Brothers, and Design on A Dime. ((Bonus: all three shows are also on Netflix!))

.: Little Loves :.

|| new friends | Dr. Pepper | Butterbeer Frappaccino's | My own space | memory keeping | Wine | Funko | HGTV ||

What are you loving from this week?

Butterbeer Frappuccino

Hello dear friends!

I hope you're having a good weekend so far!

So you guys have probably read several times where I talk about Butterbeer Frappaccino's from Starbucks. They are my favorite thing right now. They are on the hidden menu, and some barista's know how to make them, some do not. Today I wanted to share the recipe I got from MuggleNet for those of you who are interested in it!

I've shown it to my roommate, her son, my best friend Lindsay, and even my mother. Each of them really likes it, so I know that other Potterheads might as well. The first time I asked for it, I was a littler nervous (I was on a military base and people can be a little judgmental of "geeks" or "nerds", but I have most definitely gotten over that!). Now I always make sure to have the recipe with me, so the barista's know how to make it!

* Creme based Frappuccino made with whole milk (the recipe recommends not using an alternative, but the writer on MuggleNet say's they've tried it with 2% and enjoyed it. I've never tried it with 2%, which is surprising because I don't usually like whole milk anymore.

* Three pumps of caramel syrup

* Three pumps of toffee nut syrup

* Top with whipped cream and caramel drizzle

Some barista's will ask if you want coffee in it and some won't. I personally don't care either way, but if you do, make sure you specify that!

Now, each barista will make it differently. I always ask for extra chocolate drizzle (because a random barista in Germany did that after saying they know how to make it and I LOVED it. I've had it without and still like it). Some people will put drizzle in first, then the frappuccino, and some people won't. It doesn't matter to me either way, but some people might care. Pay attention and if you want them to put the drizzle in first, you might have to tell them first.

Have you tried the Butterbeer Frappuccino? Did you like it? Do you have another "nerdy" drink that you like or something else from the hidden menu that you'd like to share? Please do!

"I Love" Sunday's v.48

Hey ya'll!

I hope this post finds you guys well!

You guys! It has been one heck of a busy week for me!

** Monday saw me spending pretty much the whole day at one of the Regensburg Hospitals with my friend for her pre-op appointment. She was having a C-section the next day, and this pre-op appointment seemed to take all day (it took over 4 hours!) The language barrier was an issue as well as them needing some more paperwork. The hard part was the super long waits between her talking to the individual appointments. I was there simply to watch Dom and keep him entertained, which was a lot easier then I expected. He was really well behaved for me and even let me carry him. He doesn't let anyone but his parents carry him usually. After that we met up with her husband and K and we went to dinner at our favorite place!

He and I were in this small little waiting room in the maternity ward and he missed his nap for the day.
He randomly likes laying on the floor with his stuffed raccoon.
It was too cute!
P.S. German hospitals are a LOT cleaner then American ones (pretty much all of their establishments are cleaner and are cleaned on a daily basis by cleaning staff) so his mom had no qualms with him laying on the floor. I checked because I know people can be really uptight about that.

** On Tuesday I had to drive to Graf to see Transition. The bad part was I kept getting sent to the wrong offices because I am a special case concerning getting out, so I have to do things a little differently. However, when I finally found the right person, she took pity on me and a process that was supposed to take 3 days only took her 1.5 hours and I finally got my orders! That means I can start getting ready to leave Germany. 

I also got to try a Butter beer Frappucino finally, which wasn't too bad. I tried twice last week at two separate Starbuck's, but each time no one knew how to make it. I finally found someone who knew how to make it! It was yummy! There was a little too much caramel or toffee or something like that for me, but that is just a personal preference.

** The newest addition to my friend's family is finally here and she is cute. She was born on Tuesday and her and mom came home from the hospital on Friday. I can't wait to meet her this week during Thanksgiving.

This is Dom's first time meeting his baby sister.
He's too cute as a new older brother.

** So I spent Wed-Fri doing everything I could to clear everything necessarily on base. This is just a lot of running around to a bunch of different places, there were even some places that I never in-processed when I got here last year.... it's special. I am no longer responsible for any military equipment, which is a huge relief! I also have some super awesome S-1 (personnel actions and paperwork) people who are going out of their way to help me with my award and getting my promotion orders. I need these orders before I go back to get my DD-214 on this coming Wednesday. I think I should have them tomorrow, which is amazing because, again, this process usually takes a while but I am a special case. I also got my car scheduled for shipping this week as well as the appointment for the movers to come pack and ship my household goods. These are both huge weights off my shoulders. 

** Friday night was another round of karaoke. I was supposed to go to Czech this weekend, but due to everything that happened in Paris last weekend, people are hesitant to let us go visit other countries at the moment, this was a bummer... but I still managed to find something to do on my last free weekend. So I actually got up and sang this time. The first time it didn't sound right (my friend Brandi said it was good but you could tell I was nervous), but I decided to get back up and try singing Evanescence (Bring Me To Life) is my go-to song for pretty much anything that involves me singing on the spot. Needless to say, I really rocked that song! I was super excited about that. <--- such a music nerd sometimes.

** So I have already started to pack up everything in my room. I am working on organizing it into several piles: keep, donate, give to friends, and carry on the plane. My household goods won't arrive until the end of January, so I have to bring enough stuff I can live off of until my stuff gets there. ((hopefully I'll have my own house before my stuff shows up)). It looks like a bomb went off in my room! Thankfully K is being awesome and coming to help me pack and organize. She keeps me on track and from procrastinating. Plus I get more done if I have help :) I absolutely hate packing!!!

.: Little Loves:.

|| Dr. Pepper | friends (new and old ones) | Naan | blogging | YouTube | Clearing | Inside Out Thought Bubbles (a game on my tablet) | purging through my belongings ||

My new Glendori: HP Style

Hello friends!

You guys know me, know that I love handmade items, travelers notebooks, and Harry Potter!

This is a fantastic mix of those three things!

 

I met Glenda in a Facebook group for travelers notebooks and I ordered a custom made Harry Potter cover! She made it very quickly and shipped it from Australia to my base in Germany (which counts as a US address). She is super sweet and easy to work with. She responded quickly to any and all questions. She was also awesome enough to do an interview with me as well!

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although I have the wrong sized inserts, I couldn't help but put my book together immediatly.

 

1. Introduce yourself: Hello fellow traveler's notebook aficionados - my name is Glenda and I make leather travelers notebooks and other types of journal covers in my business Paperflower Design Studio on Etsy. I love on a 20 acre hobby farm (with my husband Tony, 8 alpacas, 5 angora goats, 2 sheep, and 3 dogs) in rural Western Australia. We are a blended family and between us, have a son and two daughters (all adults now) and a 9 year old grandon and almost 3 year old granddaughter.

 

 

 

In my spare time (which I don't currently have any of), I like to spin my fibre animals fleece into yarn which I dye and hand knit. I also like to make stained glass windows, panels, and jewlery boxes. We are building our own home here on the farm (a 2 story log cabin), which is a labor of love, but exhausting. We're hoping to move in for Christmas, as we are doing everything ourselves - no contractors except for an electrician and plumber.

This is the whole cover!

 

2. How did you become aware of travelers notebooks?

I first discovered TN's in late 2013 whilst looking for an inspiration for scrapbook mini albums (yes, I like to make miini albums for my photos and special moments). ((Don't worry Glenda, I love doing that as well! Special albums for special moments!!!)) I happened upon a picture of a Midori TN whilst looking for a style of journal that could be used over and over again and not just "put away" once it had been filled up with my memories - I had one of those "ah ha" moments.

I never really considered buying one as I always thought I would try my hand at making one - which I of course did. By this time I was obsessed (like we all get in the beginning) and had joined the fledging Midori Travelers Notebook Resource Group (only a few hundred members strong at this time) after seeing a blog post of Ray Blake's about journaling.

I shared pics of my homemade TN and the folders I made to go with it and others start asking if I would make one for them also, so it just snowballed from there.

I officially opened my Etsy shop in march 2014 ( after simply trading through paypal for a few months) and have enjoyed the evolution ever since.

There is a cute little passport and elephant charms for bookmarkers

3. What inspires you? I draw inspiration from all around me really. I love making the "themed" TN's and have made those inspired by Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Star Wars, Steampunk, Jules Verne, Mad Hatter, Alice in Wonderland, Audrey Hepburn, and Cheshire Cat just to name a few.

 

This is a super awesome little Hogwarts crest she had that I simply adore

 

4. Can you describe your style? I like to be different as much as I can and am always looking for new ways and designs to tweak an already fabulously simple design. I specialize in custom orders and that is what I love doing the most - working with my customer one on one to make their perfect notebook cover. I use a variety of Australian and imported leathers which consist of embossed and plains in varying thicknesses. As a lot of the fancy embossed leathers are thinner (they need to be to take the embossing) I line a lot of my covers in stiffer leathers to give the correct firmness for a TN, adding pockets also help stiffen the cover. I use vegetable tanned leather sparingly and most of my dyed leathers are oil tanned or especially coasted to make metallics or mock croc patterns, etc.

 

I offer a variety of machine stitched pocket configurations and have also made specific customer requests for a certain pocket design (pretty much anything is possible). I typically use the 4 elastic system with holes horizontally across the spine by am happy to make any other elastic design a customer requires, it is after all their notebook cover.

The golden H on the spine.

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You can find Glenda at her Etsy shop | Facebook Page | Instagram | Pinterest | Tumblr

 

I want to say thanks to Glenda for her quick and efficient work! I absolutely LOVE my glendori and put it together as soon as I pulled it out of its packaging! Which was super cute by the way! I will definitely keep her in mind the next time I want a custom TN cover made! Make sure you guys check her out! She is super sweet and easy to work with!